《Eight-year-old Princess: Phoenix Reborn》


 Chapter 1 Prologue (Phoenix Reborn)

    In the Princess'' Mansion in the Imperial City of the State of Ning, A woman knelt on the ground in front of the highest turret. She didn''t feel the cold the night brought nor the harsh drizzle that fell mercilessly.


    She was beautiful, with her pale complexion and silken black hair. But her eyes seemed hollow. She clutched a baby in her arms. She seemed worried about his bruised face and his shallow breathing. Every breath seemed to be his last.


    "Please go back, Princess Yun Shang. The Emperor''s Son-in-law will not see you." Lian Xin was guarding the turret''s entrance. She had been Princess Yun Shang''s most trustworthy court maid since her childhood.


    The sky tore open as Yun Shang''s heart broke; drenching her and everything around her. Clenching her teeth, she pulled at the cloak. She wanted to protect the baby from getting wet. When did it start? Yun Shang thought in a trance. When did everyone she trust start to betray her one after another?


    Her face remained unmarred from falling tears. Maybe all her tears had already dried up? She had cried so bitterly in the past that now, even at the severest pain she could feel in her heart, she couldn''t shed a tear.


    Yun Shang kowtowed before Lian Xin three times, "You have been my maid for over a decade, Lian Xin. I always treated you nicely. Now, please. I just want to see the Emperor''s Son-in-law and ask him to send for a physician to cure my baby. It''s my baby, and also his..." Yun Shang''s voice was hoarse.


    "Your Highness, there is no use in pleading with me. The Emperor''s Son-in-law has already ordered that no one should interrupt him..." Lian Xin stood under the eave and looked at the kneeling woman. A sneer emerged at the corner of her mouth. That''s all you deserve Your Highness.


    Yun Shang held the baby''s cold little hand in hers as she thought. All her mounting bitterness and anger culminated into impulsivity. She rose to her feet and dashed toward Lian Xin. This was beyond Lian Xin''s expectation. She braced herself, but the Princess was strong. She fell over with an "aha." Yun Shang took the opportunity to open the turret door and dash upstairs.


    "Oh, no, no, no. You are not allowed to go up..." Lian Xin frowned and touched the aching parts of her body, "Hum! What do you think you can achieve by going up there?" she shouted after the Princess. "Do you really think that the Emperor''s Son-in-law and Princess Hua Jing will send for a physician for your child?"


    Yun Shang ran up the stairs. As soon as she set her foot on the last flight, she heard Hua Jing, "Emm..." "Aha..." "Don''t touch that. Ahh..." "Jingran..."


    Yun Shang felt dizzy. Her hands felt so weak she thought she''d drop her baby. She had to lean on the wooden banister to support herself.


    Eventually, she found the strength to climb the last flight of stairs. She elbowed the door open, and clenched her teeth to suppress her pain.


    "Who dares enter..." A man''s panting voice ricocheted off the stone walls. Yun Shang shrank back at the sight of the two naked figures.


    "Get out!" Mo Jingran roared in fury after seeing Yun Shang standing at the doorway.


    Yun Shang opened her mouth, only to find that she couldn''t speak. After taking a few labored breaths, she managed to whisper, "Huan''er is sick. Please find a physician for him, my Lord."


    "Hum." Mo Jingran took a second to consider her request. Before Mo Jingran could scold her again, the woman beneath him rubbed his chest playfully. He caught her somewhat malignant smile and returned the gesture. She said, "Jingran if my little princess sister wants to see us, then let her. Why not bind her to a chair so she can watch our lovemaking?"


    Mo Jingran''s mouth curled into a cold grin. He left the bed and found a rope. "Put Huan''er on the table. After you watch, I will send for a physician to treat Huan''er''s illness."


    Yun Shang hesitated for a little while. Knowing that there was no other way out, she numbly nodded. Nobody in the Princess''s Mansion would support her now. Yun Shang put the baby on the table, and sat on the chair by the bedside. Mo Jingran strolled up to her and tied her hands with the rope.


    When Mo Jingran returned to the bed, the naked woman reached out with her legs and hooked them around his waist. Her toes fondled his back gently. A fire ignited in his eyes. He gave a mighty thrust, and the woman beneath groaned as he entered her.


    The woman looked at Yun Shang. She flashed her most charming smile, "Look, my little princess sister. Let your elder sister teach you how to wait on a man hand and foot."


    Mo Jingran burst into a roar of laughter, before continuing with his quick rhythmic thrusts.


    In an instant, the gasps and moans of lovemaking permeated throughout the room.


    Yun Shang felt as if her heart was being sliced, one cut after another. In her trance, she could even hear the sound of the wounds being lashed upon her.


    So, this is the Emperor''s Son-in-law I picked for myself, and with him, lies my elder princess sister whom I have always worshiped and respected.


    A long while had passed; long enough for a bar of incense to burn itself into ashes. Yun Shang looked at the baby on the table. His face seemed paler and his eyes were lusterless. She was getting worried. Tears finally fell from her eyes, "Please, Emperor''s Son-in-law and Princess Sister. Please save my baby. He is dying, please..."


    "You''re so annoying. Why do you have to be so noisy?" Mo Jingran abruptly turned his head and shouted at Yun Shang. Getting off the bed once again, he walked towards Yun Shang but stopped to look at the baby on the desk, "Dying, right? " "If he''s dying, then why did you bring him here? "


    Having said those words, Mo Jingran took the baby, opened the window, and threw him out.


    "No... !" Yun Shang was so shocked that she stood up. She had forgotten that she had been bound. The ropes pulled her back and she fell to the ground.


    "Baby... My baby... Baby!" Regardless of the pain she felt, Yun Shang screamed. Her scream was so heartbreaking that anyone that heard it could feel her sorrow.


    Hearing footsteps approaching, Yun Shang lifted her head. It''s her Princess Sister. She


    was holding a sword in her hand. Yun Shang took a deep breath when her sister pointed the sword at her face. "Oh, my! I have no idea what''s wrong with me today. Your face is as beautiful and delicate as a flower. I really want to know what would become of it if I made a few cuts."


    Yun Shang was upset. In spite of the scoff and sneer in Hua Jing''s eyes, Yun Shang pleaded, "You can do whatever you want to my face, sister. Just let me live." Her voice was as hoarse as a raven''s.


    Hua Jing blinked and raised the sword. Its point swept across Yun Shang''s face. Yun Shang felt a burning pain. With it grew an overwhelming hatred in her heart. But she thought of her baby. She clenched her teeth to check the "hiss" that threatened to escape.


    Hua Jing quickly tired of her game, "Not even a whimper? How boring!" She cut the rope binding Yun Shang''s hands, and returned to the bed.


    As quickly as her sore feet would allow, Yun Shang dashed toward the door. But she slipped and rolled down the stairs. At the base of the turret, she rose and ran out the gate, paying no attention to her injuries.


    Her baby was lying on the ground. He was quiet. There was blood flowing from his head. The rain washed the blood away in tiny trickles as quickly as it pooled around his little head. Yun Shang gently scooped up her baby. "It''s all right. It''s all right. My little Huan''er is fine. Mommy will take you to see the Imperial Physician. Just you see. Mommy will take you there right now. My little Huan''er you will be fine..." Holding the baby in her arms, she rushed out of the courtyard.


    "Is she really going to see the Imperial Physician?" Mo Jingran who had been standing by the window watching Yun Shang''s fading figure seemed worried.


    A soft, warm body leaned against his. "Don''t be afraid, Jingran. You already have the Princess'' Mansion under your control, don''t you?" She cannot leave. Even if she manages to enter the Imperial Palace, she can only seek help from the Empress as His Majesty is not in court. However, as the Empress is my mother, not hers... "


    Mo Jingran turned round, and, lifted the woman in his arms. He carried her to the bed.


    "Aha..." Hua Jing shouted, "Jingran, you are so bad..."


    "Your Majesty, Princess Yun Shang is here. She is covered in blood..." A court maid scurried into the inner chamber, and reported to a graceful noble woman who was sitting in front a bronze mirror selecting hair pins.


    The Empress frowned, "Didn''t Jing''er* say that Yun Shang is under house arrest at the Princess'' Mansion?"


    (*TN: In Chinese, the suffix ''er is added to show affection towards another person) How can she be here at my palace?"


    The Empress barely finished speaking when Yun Shang''s sobs and please could be heard. " Mother, mother, please save Huan''er. Please save Huan''er."


    The Empress turned back to catch a glimpse of the thoroughly-wet woman rushing into her chamber. There was a terrifying scar on her face. It was so deep that she could see the bone. The young woman opened her cloak to reveal a baby who had long since drawn his last breath. His blood dripped everywhere.


    The Empress shot Yun Shang a disapproving look. "Save what? He is definitely beyond help."


    "No, mother. Huan''er is fine. Please save him. Mother, please send for an Imperial Physician to save Huan''er." Yun Shang knelt and kowtowed several times before the Empress.


    The Empress winked at the court maid waiting at the chamber door. "Xiu Xin, go and fetch the Imperial Physician. On your way there ask someone to send a cup of wine for Princess Yun Shang. She needs to be warmed."


    The court maid left in a hurry. She returned quickly with a cup of wine in hand. The Empress spoke with the young Princess in a gentle tone, "Take a seat, Yun Shang. I have sent someone for the Imperial Physician. You should drink some wine to get warm. It would be quite awful if you fall ill before Huan''er recovers. You must take care of him."


    Yun Shang nodded and sat down. She muttered to herself, "That''s right. I cannot fall ill. There wouldn''t be anybody to take care of Huan''er if I am sick. Nobody¡­" With those words, she reached her blood-stained hand for the cup. She raised her head high and drank the liquid without hesitation.


    The Empress revealed her most heinous grin "Good girl. What I hate the most is people who stain my Qiwu Palace. How dare you bring a dead kid here. What damned luck¡­"


    Yun Shang was astonished. She was confused at the abrupt change in the Empress''s tone. Before she could understand what changed, a sudden pain coursed through her belly. It was so acute that she could not even stand straight.


    "Your Majesty. It seems the medicine is taking effect." The soft voice beside her seemed familiar. Yun Shang turned to look. Lian Xin! Was she also in the service of the Empress?


    "Mother..." Yun Shang frowned, "Mother..."


    "I am not your mother. Your mother has been dead for a long time now." The Empress spoke in a tone so cold, it scared Yun Shang. "It was not my intention to kill you, as to live is more painful. But it''s a pity that your have smudged my Qiwu Palace."


    Yun Shang could not help burst into laughter after hearing the Empress. Even though waves of pain coursed through her belly, she spoke. "I''m indeed the most stupid woman in the world. I trusted you, trusted Hua Jing, and trusted Mo Jingran. It never occurred to me that the people I trusted would treat me like this. How evil you are..." She let out a bitter laugh before continuing. "I, Yun Shang, would rather die than forgive you... Never forgive."


    She spat a mouthful of blood before falling to the ground, "If there is an afterlife, I will certainly find all of you. I shall have my revenge, revenge..." It was only after she breathed her last, that the baby fell from Yun Shang''s hands.


    A court maid stooped to check Yun Shang''s breath. When she felt no air escaping, she said, "She''s dead, Your Majesty."


    The Empress laughed, and turned around. She picked up a phoenix hair pin. She placed it in her hair and swiveled to see its reflection in her mirror. "Dead? Then drag the body to the thick grove on the western outskirt. Feed it to the dogs..."

 Chapter 2 Reborn

    The two figures walking the gardens at Ning''s Royal Palace sweltered in the morning sun. It was one of the hottest days of that summer. They stopped under an eave for respite.


    The maid in a simple black dress frowned in worry and said, "What''s happening to the Princess? She has been quite shaken ever since she woke up. She barely talks and always sits in front of her mirror, staring blankly. She''s been having nightmares almost every night. Is she still afraid after her accident?"


    The eunuch looked around carefully and leaned forward to whisper in the maid''s ear, "Lian Xin, I''d say the Princess is bewitched. I''ve seen something like this before I came to the Royal Palace. It was my sister''s child. He found himself drawn to the river. After they pulled him out of the water, he started behaving strangely. They sent for a Taoist priest. He said something filthy was following my nephew. So the Taoist priest performed an exorcism to ward off the evil. My nephew recovered shortly after. Now what do you think... Should we send for a Taoist priest?"


    Lian Xin frowned, "Really? Her Majesty took the blame for what happened to the Princess. She asked His Majesty for punishment and was in turn, grounded in the Qifeng Palace for three whole days. If what you say is true, the exorcism will be of great importance. Let''s report to Her Majesty and ask for permission."


    The eunuch grunted his approval. He paused for a second before continuing, "Her Majesty has taken great care of the Princess. Her Majesty is not the Princess'' mother, and yet she has been quite benevolent. The Princess was being naughty and got injured as a result. Despite that, Her Majesty took the blame. Her Majesty is such a virtuous woman."


    The eunuch and Lian Xin were still discussing these events when they felt someone approach. They turned around and saw a little girl in pink, walking the gardens barefoot.


    Princess Yun Shang.


    The eunuch hurried to greet the little girl, "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang simply nodded and glanced at the other eunuchs in the yard casually. Then she turned and headed back to the palace. She had heard every word spoken by the two people. Virtuous? Yun Shang''s lips curled into a sneer. The grim smile was not befitting her pretty and innocent face.


    Yun Shang sat in front of the mirror once again. She studied her reflection. The delicate face of a young girl about eight or nine years old looked back at her.


    Yun Shang raised her hand and gently touched her right cheek. She remembered the deep gash her favorite sister, Princess Hua Jing, had made. She was the Empress''s daughter, who was famous for both, her beauty and talents.


    Hua Jing had married a General. Unfortunately, he died in the war. Out of pity for her sister, Yun Shang brought Hua Jing to her house for company. Never once had Yun Shang thought that Hua Jing would have an affair with her husband. She remembered how her beloved sister and husband had tied her to the chair and forced her to witness their lovemaking.


    And her husband, the man Yun Shang had loved and trusted with all her life, had thrown their child out of the window in her presence.


    The little child. Her only darling child... Thinking of the innocent child, Yun Shang felt her heart being torn apart again.


    Despite how her sister and husband had treated her cruelly and unjustly, the most challenging part was accepting that the Empress, the woman whom Yun Shang had always respected and considered as her mother, had deceived her as well.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes as the painful memories overwhelmed her and tried to collect herself. She knew she had to hide all her feelings.


    No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t stop thinking of how she swore vengeance as the life left her body on that cold and rainy night. Poisoned by her mother, hurt by her sister, betrayed by her husband and servants. It had all been overwhelming for Yun Shang. And yet, she had never imagined that she would return as her younger self to exact her revenge. Everything seemed so unreal that she believed it to be a dream. Ever since the moment she opened her eyes, she had done nothing but wait for death to wake her from this dream. However, as time went by, Yun Shang couldn''t help noticing that everything she was experiencing was the same as when she was a child.


    Did she truly get a second chance?


    Yun Sha


    ng still remembered clearly that her younger self had fallen and blacked out for a few days. When she finally woke up, she heard that the Empress was so virtuous that she had taken the blame for her in front of the Emperor and asked to be punished. She was not Yun Shang''s birth mother, yet she had protected her in more ways than Yun Shang could ever have dreamed of. After that accident, Yun Shang had become so grateful and grown a bond with the Empress. She accepted the Empress as her mother and did whatever she was told.


    Now that Yun Shang had the opportunity to review all the events from her previous life, she accepted that the Empress had been in control of almost everything since the very beginning. Yun Shang''s real mother had grown up with the Emperor and had later been conferred the title of Lady Jin. But she had somehow offended the Emperor and had been banished to the Cold Palace. It was then that Yun Shang had been taken in by the Empress as her ward.


    The Empress had adored Yun Shang. She spoiled Yun Shang and pandered to her every need. Yun Shang, on the other hand, was becoming proud and arrogant, always making trouble. In the end, even the Emperor ran out of patience and at the first opportunity, married her to the man she had chosen soon after her Coming-of-age Ceremony. Yun Shang thought she would live happily ever after with the man she loved. But her mother-in-law didn''t like her at all even though she was a Royal Princess. Given the fact that her mother-in-law always picked on her, Yun Shang had learnt to be very discreet.


    Yun Shang sneered again. Even if it was only a dream, she would never allow herself to make the same mistakes. And everything they owed her, she swore to herself that she would take it back, bit by bit.


    "Yun Shang, Yun Shang..." A melodious voice called to the young princess from outside. Shortly after, Yun Shang heard the servant''s greeting, "Good day, Princess Hua Jing."


    Startled, Yun Shang rose from her chair so abruptly that she accidentally bumped her dresser. As a trinket fell to the ground, Yun Shang realized that she had probably overreacted. Though it had been a few days since she had figured things out, Yun Shang still couldn''t calm herself when she saw Princess Hua Jing.


    "Sister..." A girl in purple soon ran into the room and stopped before Yun Shang. She took Yun Shang''s hands and looked her up and down carefully before asking, "Are you feeling better? You are not fully recovered. How can you stand barefoot like this? Though it''s pretty hot today, being barefoot will not help your health." Then she turned and ordered the maid standing behind, "Lian Xin, is this how you take care of your mistress? Quickly, go get my sister some shoes."


    Yun Shang had been observing Hua Jing from the minute she walked into her room. Though she was just a little girl, Hua Jing looked exactly the way Yun Shang remembered her to be at that age. She looked adorable. One could hardly imagine that she would be capable of cruelty. Yun Shang then understood that it was impossible to really know other people only from their appearance.


    Lian Xin was about to fetch shoes when Yun Shang disengaged Hua Jing''s hands and went directly toward her bedchamber. She lay down on her bed with her eyes wide open.


    Vaguely, she could hear Hua Jing''s puzzled voice coming from outside, "What''s going on? Is she still not feeling well?"


    Then she heard Lian Xin''s reply, "I''m not sure. Princess Yun Shang had been acting like this since she woke up. She''s just been sitting there alone, motionlessly and she has hardly spoken. I was just talking to An, and he said that perhaps the Princess is possessed. We were discussing whether we should report to Her Majesty and find a good Taoist priest to expel the evil."


    There was a moment of silence before Hua Jing agreed, "I''ll talk to my mother at once..."


    Then the world fell silent again. It seemed Hua Jing had left. Yun Shang closed her eyes and tried to pull herself together. She thought to herself, ''I must be strong enough if I want to take my revenge, starting with facing them calmly.''


    The only problem was all the servants in Yun Shang''s palace had been selected by the Empress. And she could trust none of them. Yun Shang knew clearly that she wouldn''t survive if she was on her own, with not a single person by her side.


    Who would help her?

 Chapter 3 Alone In The Lingering Cold

    In the dead of night, a small figure wrapped tightly in a black cloak quietly opened the door of the Nichang Palace and rushed out.


    The figure crept through part of the inner court, and stopped at a secluded courtyard and knocked on the door. After a long time, a weary voice answered from inside, "Coming. Who is it?"


    The door creaked open and an old maid in a grey dress looked out. The figure removed the cloak''s hood and looked up at the old maid.


    "Princess Yun Shang? Your Highness, why are you here at this time?" The old maid hurriedly looked around before pulling Yun Shang inside.


    The interior was utterly bleak. There was nothing but a well and a tree in the yard, though everything was clean and in its proper order. Yun Shang had not been here in her last lifetime. But now, after a close look, she wanted to weep.


    When she looked at the small building in the yard, she saw a dim yellow light from an oil lamp shimmering inside. Yun Shang paused, "You haven''t slept yet?"


    The old maid had been studying Yun Shang since she came in, and when she asked, she replied in a soft voice, "We are out of food. Her Highness intended to make some clothes for the eunuchs of the Shangshi Bureau*, in exchange for food."


    (*TN: The ancient Chinese and Korean institutions responsible for the provision of royal meals.)


    Yun Shang didn''t ask any more questions. She walked towards the building and entered the door.


    Inside the room there sat a young woman embroidering in the light of the oil lamp. She wore plain cyan clothes but still looked extraordinarily beautiful. As the door opened, she asked in a low voice, without raising her head, "Madam Zheng, who is knocking at the door at this late hour?"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help feeling sad. She walked forward, knelt on her knees and whispered, "Mother...... I am so sorry......"


    The Empress had favored Yun Shang in her previous life. She had always hated her biological mother, a concubine in the Cold Palace*. Since losing favor with the Emperor, no one was allowed to speak about Lady Jin. When others asked Yun Shang about her mother, she always proudly claimed, "I am born with royal blood. And my mother is Her Majesty the Empress. How could that repulsive Lady Jin be my true mother!"


    (*TN: the place where wives that have lost favor with the Emperor are sent.)


    But now, she understood that criticism cut deeper than swords.


    The woman heard Yun Shang''s voice and quickly turned her head. She seemed to be in a daze when she saw the young princess. But then she stood up in a hurry, "Yun Shang! You must be Yun Shang!"


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded. She had been separated from her mother at childhood. It was no wonder that her mother couldn''t recognize her.


    Before Yun Shang spoke, Lady Jin had already reached out to help her stand. When she saw the little princess was barefoot she exclaimed, "How can you run out of your palace at this hour? And you didn''t even wear your shoes. What if you got ill due to the cold?"


    Yun Shang lowered her head. Her eyes were sour with tears. However bad she been to her mother, Lady Jin still loved her. She couldn''t help but think of her child, whom Mo Jingran had tossed out the window. He had was only six months old! Tears ran down her cheeks.


    Lady Jin was worried when she saw Yun Shang''s tears. She hurriedly raise a hand to help the young princess wipe away the tears, "Why are you crying? Were they bad to you? But I''ve heard the Empress treated you as she would her own daughter."


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and said, "No, mother, they were terrible to me. Their love is only a facade. A means to an end. By pampering me and spoiling me, they molded me into a proud and bossy girl. They taught me that the Four Arts* were boring so I would stop learning them. They pretended to be kind to me to make me more and more useless. The Empress personally selected my companions and caregivers so that she could watch me. They told me every day how generous and virtuous Her Majesty was, which blinded me to her faults. They also told me every day how her teacher was punishing princess Hua Jing. If I ever behaved well, the virtuous Empress would come and tell me that I could do whatever I want, that I could even beat or kill my servants if they displeased me. She also assured me that would always be under h


    er protection. Mother, do you still think I am good? I''m eight years old now, but I still can''t write, draw or play an instrument. Whereas Princess Hua Jing is already renowned in the Imperial City for her talents."


    (*TN: In ancient China, high-born ladies were required to master skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.)


    Lady Jin fell silent for a long time, and sighed, "It is all my fault."


    Before she could speak more, a bell rang. Yun Shang rose in a hurry, "Mother, I have to go now. I''m merely visiting today. A few days ago, I had a bad fall and passed out for several days. When I woke up, I lied about having nightmares every night and forbade my servants from coming near me. Whenever the eunuchs and maids approached, I shouted curses at them. Now, they dare not come and check on me. I finally got the chance to visit you. But now they are about to get up, and I can''t risk staying here any longer. I can''t let you be punished because of me, mother." With these words Yun Shang hurried to the door.


    "Yun Shang......" Yun Shang stopped and lowered her eyes when she heard her mother call. She turned back, removed a gold bracelet from her waist and handed it to Lady Jin, "Mother, I came out in a hurry, and didn''t prepare anything for you. You can take this bracelet to exchange for some food. The servants in the palace are all greedy and heartless. I''m so sorry that you have had to suffer so. I''ll find another chance to visit you again!" That said, Yun Shang slid her hood over her head and rushed into the darkness outside.


    Lady Jin sat on the stool and watched Yun Shang leave. She didn''t speak for a long time.


    Madam Zheng asked, "Your Highness, what is the Princess''s intention?"


    Lady Jin sighed and raised her teary eyes, "Madam, am I too self-willed? In the beginning, I didn''t want to see the Emperor taking new concubines into his harem. I didn''t want to see him fall in love with another woman. So I chose to hide here, to be ignorant about everything. I thought I had escaped tough years. But I had forgotten about my little Yun Shang, who is of my blood, who is too young to protect herself from the others..."


    Madam Zheng remained silent for a while, and said, "Your Highness, the harem has always been wicked and dangerous. You''ve despised meaningless disputes since childhood, and it was righteous for you to step aside from the ugliness. As for the Princess, I will try to find someone to protect her tomorrow. Your Highness was kind to many people before moving here. I''m sure I will find someone willing to help you. It would be better to have someone by her side."


    Lady Jin nodded somewhat absent-mindedly.


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief when she snuck back into Ni Chang Palace undetected. She stopped at the gate and frowned as a thought struck her. She knew almost nothing about her birth mother and had never seen or asked about her before. All Yun Shang could only remember was that in her previous life, her mother had become seriously ill and had died before her Coming-of-age ceremony*. Yun Shang didn''t know whether her visit would change her mother''s fate or not. It didn''t matter. Whatever little time she had with her mother, Yun Shang vowed to treat her mother well.


    (*TN: In ancient China, when women are 15 years old, they use a hairpin to tie their hair to show that they have come of age.)


    Returning to her chamber, Yun Shang put the black cloak into a chest, then sat on her bed. She thought of an idea, and in her excitement, Yun Shang ran out to the inner hall, barefoot. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and glared at the lamps. She then raised her hand and pushed them down on to the carpet. Yun Shang hurried back to her chamber and crouched in her bed to feign sleep.


    "The palace is on fire! The palace is on fire!" A cry of alarm called out. Before long, chaos overran Ni Chang Palace. A voice shouted, "Hurry! The Princess is still in her chamber!" "Find the Princess!"


    Yun Shang got out of her bed. Standing at the door of her chamber, she looked at the fire with a smile.


    She thought she had died with regret in her past life. But she had been reborn. Given God''s arrangement, she would never again allow anyone to control her. Hadn''t these two women been obsessed with power and wealth? She was going to take away what they had now, bit by bit.

 Chapter 4 Burning Flames and Woken Dreams

    The fire raged on. The clamor outside grew louder and louder, but no one came to her rescue. Yun Shang chuckled to herself. Although she had expected this to happen, she still felt somewhat desperate.


    Smoke leaked through the cracks of the door between the inner palace and the hall, bringing Yun Shang to coughs and tears. Suddenly, she heard a bang on the window. She turned her head and saw a man dressed like an Imperial bodyguard climbing through the window. The smoke blurred her sight and she could not see the bodyguard''s face. But she was able to hear him, "Princess, my apologies..."


    Yun Shang felt her body being abruptly lifted. The man held her in his arms and got out of the room through the window.


    Once safely outside, the bodyguard put Yun Shang back on the ground. She hadn''t even settled on her feet when felt big strong hands grip her by the shoulder, "Shang''er, are you hurt?"


    Yun Shang''s heart twitched and her tears began rolling down, "Father..."


    In her previous life, the Emperor had long lost faith in her because of her arrogance and imperiousness. They rarely saw each other after she turned ten. She had started the fire today for another purpose. She did not expect that the first person she would see after her narrow escape was the father who had previously been disappointed in her.


    Yet through her hazy and foggy eyes, this man who ruled over the world did not seem so severe and cold as she once remembered. Perhaps it was because of the urgency? His hair was uncombed, his dragon robe had been hastily put on, and his eyes were filled with worry.


    Yun Shang''s tears fell again.


    The Emperor saw Yun Shang''s distress. He thought that she was injured in some way, so he held her up and asked, "Shang''er, where did you hurt yourself? Let father see..."


    Yun Shang kept shaking her head, "I''m fine, I''m fine..."


    The Emperor did not believe her. As he was just about to call for the Imperial physician, he heard a woman''s voice, "What happened? How did the princess'' palace catch fire all of a sudden?"


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and turned her head. She saw a glamorously dressed woman walking towards them with four palace maids following behind. Yun Shang glanced at them apathetically. One of the maids was a familiar face from Nichang Palace.


    "Empress..." The Emperor saw the woman approaching, but he simply gave her an indifferent look before he let go of Yun Shang''s hand. Yun Shang froze. A memory flashed by her so fast that she could not catch it. Afraid to persist on the thought, she curled her lips and cried to the Empress, "Mother, what took you so long? If it were not for father''s guards who saved me, I would have been burned alive. The fire was so fierce, mother..."


    Hearing her, the Empress halted. She raised her head and saw the Emperor behind Yun Shang frowning. The Empress smiled and walked up to Yun Shang. She took the young princess'' hand, and then said softly, "The other day, Shang''er injured herself in a fall. I have been praying for Shang''er in Qiwu Palace for the last two days. I was afraid of being disturbed, so I ordered that no one shall visit. That is why I was late. Shang''er must be in shock, aren''t you? It is my fault..."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and lowered her head. Knowing what she knew of her past life, she could now see right through the Empress'' feigned concern. She raised her head as she spoke, "I''m alright. Mother, please do not worry. You look so beautiful today, mother..." Your Ling Yun Braids have been done so beautifully. Bi Yun must have spent a lot of time on it. It suits mother so well..."


    The Empress could feel that something was not quite right. She grew more and more displeased with every passing comment. What was wrong with the young princess today? When did Yun Shang become hostile towards her?


    The Empress looked down at the young woman in front of her. All she saw was a naive face with teardrop


    s hanging from her eyelashes. Her reaction did not seem fake. She felt even more anxious. A few days earlier, Yun Shang had fallen from a great height. The Emperor did not say much, but he did bear a grudge against her. With Yun Shang''s display today, the Empress was afraid that the Emperor would become even more dissatisfied with her.


    Yun Shang saw the Empress'' face and smirked deep down. She started crying yet gain, "Mother, someone is trying to kill me! Someone is trying to kill me! Earlier I saw some dark shadows, but I was too scared to scream. Then the fire started. Such furious flames, I am so scared..."


    The Empress became serious at the accusation. Before she could speak, she heard the Emperor''s wrathful roar, "How could such a thing happen? Ning Yi, arrest everyone at Nichang Palace. Interrogate them at the Supervisory Office..."


    Hearing the order, the Empress was stunned. Even though she was raising Yun Shang, the Emperor had been quite fond of the young princess in her earlier years. The Empress had spent a lot of energy replacing the staff in Ni Chang Palace with her informers. Over time, Yun Shang had gradually become haughty and imperious, and lost her hold in the Emperor''s heart. That could mostly be attributed to the people the Empress had placed. If all of them were to be arrested, it would be significantly harder for her to plant informers again.


    The Empress quickly added, "Shang''er is in shock just now. She can''t be alone without someone taking care of her. If you arrest everyone, who would serve Shang''er..."


    This was an unplanned consequence of Yun Shang''s actions today. Nevertheless, the unexpected results pleased her very much. She could not let the Empress sabotage her work so easily. As Yun Shang thought more, she came upon another idea. She deliberately pulled on the Empress hand with a regretful expression, "Mother, I do not need their service. Someone was trying to hurt me. I''m so scared. I do not want their service..."


    A sliver of anger flashed across the Empress'' eyes and disappeared in an instant, but Yun Shang saw it ever so clearly. Yun Shang could not have been happier. Who would have thought that she would be able to remove the Empress'' spies once and for all. In her past life, she had been too young to know better, and the Empress had taken advantage of her youth and naivety. Now, even though she looked young, no one could see that her soul had traversed through a previous lifetime. But she, Yun Shang was able to see everything as it were. Her revenge had only just started. The Empress and her daughter would meet their fate...


    "Ning Yi, take them. Today, Yun Shang will accompany me and rest at Wanshou Palace. I still have some political matters to be resolved. So I will be staying at Qinzheng Hall. Tomorrow, have a eunuch take Shang''er to pick some maids and eunuchs to serve her. The Nichang Palace has burned down. No one can live here anymore. As for Shang''er''s future residence, I will decide tomorrow. It''s late already. Empress, you may retire to your palace. Stop wearing all this jewelry so late at night. You might lose them in the dark." As he spoke, he turned to leave, "Shang''er, come with me to my palace."


    Yun Shang was not expecting that the Emperor would take her to Wanshou Palace. She could not help but feel surprised, so she hurriedly said goodbye to the Empress, "Mother, I''m leaving now. I will be greeting mother tomorrow." She then followed the Emperor.


    The Empress bowed and said "Farewell my Emperor." She stood straight again and watched as the Emperor and Yun Shang walked further and further away. The Empress squinted her eyes and stared for a while longer. The hatred in her eyes thickened at first, but slowly faded away. After a long while, she finally said in a deep voice, "Return to my palace..."


    The night was deep and dark. It was the kind of night where very few people in the palace slept peacefully.

 Chapter 5 Day Break

    "Mother, mother..." Upon returning to Qiwu Palace, Hua Jing hurriedly ran to the empress'' side.


    She was met with a frown from the empress. "What are you doing here? You should be in bed."


    Hua Jing waved to the servants around the empress and they retreated. Then she said, "Mother, I heard that Nichang Palace was on fire. How is it now? Was that little bitch burned?"


    The empress was gloomy due to the depressing experience back in Nichang Palace and snorted at what Hua Jing said, "Burned? You make it sound so easy! She was rescued by your father''s guards, and she later claimed that she saw some suspicious figures. In the end, All my men I put around her were arrested!"


    "How could this be? Can we trust the them not to¡­ betray us?" Still a young girl, Hua Jing was unaccustomed to these matters. Listening to the queen, she felt nervous and unsettled.


    The empress addressed her nonchalantly, "The people I chose are completely loyal. They would keep our secrets in torture or in death!" The empress paused briefly, before continuing, "But there did seem to be something wrong with Yun Shang. Of course, she didn''t disobey my orders. But when the emperor called to have the servants arrested, she..


    Hua Jing thought for a moment about what the empress had told her. "During the day time, she didn''t speak to me at all. Maybe she was just overwhelmed by everything, but she didn''t seem to do anything out of the ordinary. I really don''t think we need to worry about that simple-minded girl, mother.. By the way, Lian Xin told me she was possessed by demons. They had to call a monk to perform an exorcism."


    "An exorcism?" The empress repeated after her daughter and then smiled. "Well, we really do need to drive out certain demons¡­"


    "Do you have a plan, mother?" Listening to her mother, Hua Jing already knew that she did. She was positive that her mother had the perfect plan to make that little bitch suffer, once and for all.


    The empress smiled and gestured with her finger, "Come closer." Hua Jing did as she was told. She listened closely to her the cold whisper from her mother, "Your coming-of-age ceremony will be held very soon. During the ceremony¡­"


    Meanwhile, while mother and daughter were busy conspiring, Yun Shang found herself at a loss for words. Considering the last five years of her previous life, Yun Shang felt it strange to now be so close to her father again. This, coupled with the fact that she was living in the body of an eight-year-old girl, made her feel uncomfortable.


    "Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Are you scared? Why don''t you talk to your father?" The emperor had stopped walking and now looked down at Yun Shang with a worried look.


    Yun Shang shook her head. "I thought you were busy thinking about something. I didn''t want to interrupt you."


    The emperor stopped again and looked closely at the little girl. In the dim light of the servant''s lantern, she reminded him of the consort Jin. Thinking of her, he smiled and said with a smile, "You were never like this in the past."


    Yun Shang tried recall the voice of her eight-year-old self, "I don''t sound like me? Who do I sound like?"


    The emperor was struck with the conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow. "You sound like your birth mother."


    Yun Shang was surprised at the emperor''s mention of her birth mother. She knew the emperor was talking about Lady Jin, who was living in the Cold Palace. She found herself with nothing to say but the emperor didn''t seem to expect a response. He continued, "You birth mother was quiet and subdued. I used to think you were different, but it seems I was wrong. Lady Jin was also talented at the four classical arts, though I don''t think you''ve studied any of them."


    "Really?" Inside, Yun Shang felt a pang of emotion. On the outside, she smiled and laughed carelessly.


    "You must be exhausted from all the commotion. Go to Wanshou to have a rest now. We are going to hold an assembly in Qinzhen Palace soon, and I need to prepare some official documents. I''ll have the imperial doctors give you something to help soothe your nerves.


    Yun Shang bowed and replied politely, "Yes, Father. As you wish."


    She waited until the emperor left before she stood up and began the trip to Wan Shou Palace.


    Yun Shang woke up from a nap at noon. However, after eating a light meal, she sti


    ll felt tired. Just as she was about to go back to sleep, the head eunuch entered with about a dozen other attendants. From their attire, Yun Shang knew that they were all maids and eunuchs. As she sat up, she wondered what they were doing interrupting her nap. The head eunuch soon spoke up, "Your Highness, his majesty, the emperor, sent these servants for you. You may have your pick of the group. The rest will return at once."


    Yun Shang nodded at the group. "I will pick two for close attendants and let you choose the rest as you need. I don''t need too many, as long as we can handle the duties at hand."


    In her previous life, she had always surrounded herself with as many servants as she could. She had learned though, that with more servants, there were also more spies. She aimed to avoid that ruinous path this time around. After picking two of the smartest eunuchs and a young maidservant, she noticed another maid, standing at the side with her sleeves rolled to her elbows. Surprised at what she noticed on the maid''s wrist, Yun Shang asked her, "What is your name?"


    The maid addressed her with a curtsy, "Your Highness, my name is Qin Yi."


    Yun Shang nodded, "You look competent, I''ll take you too."


    "It is my honor, your highness, " the maid replied.


    The head eunuch smiled at Yun Shang''s choice of servants. "Qingxin Palace is a wonderful place. The palace is next to Yanque Lake and is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. It is a quiet place, so unlike the clamorous Mingjing Lake. There you will find great peace and tranquility."


    In Yun Shang''s memory, in her past life, Qingxin Palace had always been given to the emperor''s favorite consort. She remembered the palace fondly and looked forward to the beautiful scenery. Perhaps her luck had changed and things were finally beginning to get better. Thinking about the palace, she felt happy and light. She spoke to the eunuch again, "Since his majesty is on official business with his ministers, I won''t bother him. Please send him my utmost gratitude. I will go to Qingxin Palace at once with these servants.


    The head eunuch received the order and left Yun Shang at once. Yun Shang and her servants began the trip to Qingxin Palace.


    Since Qingxin Palace had been suddenly given to Yun Shang, the entire place had been hastily cleaned and restored. Despite the imperfections, Yun Shang was completely satisfied with the place. She entered the palace and ordered all of the servants except Qin Yi to attend to her luggage. Even though Nichang Palace had burned down, most of her belonging had survived and been sent to Qingxin.


    Only Yun Shang and Qin Yi remained in the grand entrance to the palace. Yun Shang carefully surveyed the girl in front of her. She found a beautiful, gentle young women with a pair of captivating eyes. Qin Yi''s external beauty had been the main reason why Yun Shang initially ignored her. She wanted competent, resourceful assistants, not just good-looking ones.


    "Who sent you here?" Yun Shang asked calmly after a long pause.


    Qin Yin bowed to the little girl and took a bracelet off of her wrist. She handed it to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, do you know who this belongs to?"


    Yun Shang took the bracelet and quickly looked it over. It was the bracelet she had given to Lady Jin. Yun Shang had picked Qin Yi only because of the bracelet.


    "Lady Jin is my benefactor. But from now on, you are my master."


    Still unsure why Lady Jin would send Qin Yi, Yun Shang held her birth mother in a new light. Perhaps she wasn''t as weak as she had once thought. After all, to survive in the cruel environment of the imperial palace took a certain tenacity and wherewithal. Still, Yun Shang was unsure whether it was wise to get her mother involved in the trouble of late.


    Letting out a light sigh, Yun Shang tried to clear her mind of fleeting thoughts and spoke to Qin Yi in a low voice. "Since my mother sent you, I will treat you as a trusted confidant. Although I have status here, I still have no one to confide in. You''re the first person I think I can trust. I hope you don''t let me down." Then she added, "I am not sure whether the other servants are friends or enemies. Please keep an eye on them for me."


    Qin Yi nodded. "Yes, Your Highness, as you wish."


    The two continued talking for a while before Yun Shang dismissed Qin Yi.

 Chapter 6 A Haunting Dream

    Qingxin Hall turned out to be everything that Yun Shang had hoped it would be. Happy and content she had even commanded her servants to build a swing on the tallest tree in the courtyard. In her free time, the little girl would swing leisurely under the towering tree.


    "Your Highness.." Yun Shang, asleep on the swing, were awoken by Qin Yi''s voice. Covering a yawn with her hand, Yun Shang addressed Qin Yi sleepily, "Why did fetching some embroideries take you so long?"


    Qin Yi carefully glanced around the courtyard be walking behind Yun Shang. Pretending to push the swing, she stooped to the little girl''s ear and whispered, "On my way there, I met with Xiu Xin. She took me to see the empress."


    "Oh." Yun Shang seemed unaffected by the news. She lifted her eye brows slightly and repeated, "The empress¡­ Is she trying to buy your loyalty?"


    Qin Yi nodded gravely, surprised at how perceptive the young Yun Shang could be. "The empress has done her research. She seems to know the whole story of my life. She even knows that my uncle is my only living relative,. Though she doesn''t know that we don''t get along. After all, it was my uncle who sold me to the palace when I was a little girl. The empress'' servants seem to have made a mistake. They lured my Uncle''s family to the palace by saying I had done well as a servant. Foolishly, my uncle''s family fell for the trick. The empress is trying to use my uncle to threaten me. Though, to be honest with you, I couldn''t care less what happens to them. I''ve always thought about getting back at them anyway.


    Yun Shang remained silent, listening. Qin Yi continued, "The Empress promised me great wealth and a high position in her assembly if I work for her. She promised to give me ''everything I''ve always wanted''¡­ So I promised to help her." Both Qin Yi and Yun Shang broke into laughter.


    Through her laugher Yun Shang remarked, "In this case, maybe you should serve her."


    Having served Yun Shang for a few days, Qin Yi was already beginning to enjoy the girl''s dark-humored disposition. Contrary to the rumors, Qin Yi found the little girl to posses a razor-sharp intellect and a mature soul, well beyond her years. Qin Yi knew that Yun Shang already knew what she would do. "The empress must really hate you. There doesn''t seem to be anything she won''t do to. Luckily, this time she just tried to bribe me. Who knows what murderous treachery she has in store for us." Qin Yi leaned closer before telling Yun Shang''s the details of the empress'' plan.


    Yun Shang frowned and said indifferently, "It''s a good plan, really. But it is only going to work if there is someone helping on the inside. The empress must have bribed someone else. She must think it''s so easy to control me and buy my people. I need you to watch the other attendants closely in the following days. If you hear anything at all come to me immediately. I''m not going to roll over for her anymore; we''ll make sure she know''s she can''t control everything in the imperium."


    After an afternoon enjoying the courtyard swing, Yun Shang enjoyed a lavish dinner. Just as she was preparing to sleep, her attendant Lin appeared and asked to speak with her privately. "Your Highness, can I please talk to you privately? ¡­With out the other attendants around"


    "What is it, Lin Yun Shang stopped and turned around to address the att


    endant. Lin was a talkative, straightforward man, and had made a good impression earlier with the young princess.


    Glance him over again quickly, Yun Shang ordered the other maids to make her bed in the inner sanctuary before sitting in a chair and the end of the room. Lin seemed nervous and hesitant to speak.


    Yun Shang chuckled and asked him, "Lin, why so quiet? This isn''t like you."


    Yun Shang puzzled at the man in front of her. With Lin, she still needed to act like a child. She could only be herself with Qin Yi.


    After a long silence, Lin suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, the empress is plotting to murder you."


    Yun Shang was shocked to hear the same thing from Lin''s. She quickly calmed herself before replying to Lin. She shook her head, trying to sound childish and naive. "That''s impossible! You could get beheaded for saying something silly like that. I don''t believe you. The empress is like my mother and has always been so nice to me. She has always sent me the most wonderful food and has never made me study poems or the lyre like the mean attendants back home."


    Lin, clearly uncomfortable, hurriedly replied, "Please, your Highness, you are my master. You have to trust me. The reason I say this is because, last night I was captured by bandits. But just as I thought they were going to beat me to death, I was throw in front of the empress. She promised to save me if I put something in your meals. She wants to send Taoist priests to perform an exorcism."


    "Put something in my food?" What could it be? The empress loves me. I know it must be a big surprise." Yun Shang further concealed her feelings behind an ear-to-ear smile.


    "Oh¡­ my princess.. Fearing the other attendants might be working for the empress, I have only told you. I also fed what the empress gave me to a few chickens.." Lin looked uncomfortable, his brow was glistening with sweat as he spoke.


    Eyes wise, Yun Shang looked at him and asked, "What.. What happened?"


    "They were fine at first. Then, after about three days, something changed. The chickens began to run madly around their pen. They would attack and peck at each other''s eyes!" The poison will not immediately cause madness. It is slow-acting. The empress is sending the Taoist priests in just two days. Just enough time for the medicine to show effect." Lin looked down and frowned.


    After a few long moments of silence, Yun Shang spoke, "Thank you, I understand. Please give me the poison. Oh, and did the empress threaten you? How did she plan to make you poison me?"


    Li took out a small bag and handed it to Yun Shang. He laughed as he spoke, "I''m an orphan, I have little to be threaten. The empress promised to give me gold and other riches, of which I have no need. I thought everything through carefully on the way back from the empress'' palace. I have made my decision to help you."


    Moved at his show of loyalty, Yun Shang smiled, "I know you enjoy working with food and drink in the kitchen. Tell me your favorite dish and I will have the chef prepare it at once!"


    Expectantly, Lin smiled happily and nodded, "Your Highness, I love sweet wine rice dumplings."


    Yun Shang nodded. "Then sweet wine rice dumplings it is! It''s already late Lin. You''d better head back. I need to have a rest. Yun Shang tucked the poison away in her robe and left for the inner sanctuary.

 Chapter 7 Trouble Comes

    Two days later, as expected, the Empress brought some people to the Palace. She claimed that Yun Shang was possessed, as, within a short space of time, two inexplicable events occurred. First, she fell from the attic and then, the palace where she lived caught fire. The Empress sent somebody to call for a savant Taoist from Lingyun Temple to hold an exorcism for Yun Shang.


    The Empress arrived just as Yun Shang had just finished her breakfast. Decided on a nap, the young princess left the table. As she walked past the window, she saw the maids-in-waiting curtsying to the Empress. Yun Shang yawned and winked at Qin Yi. Qin Yi withdrew secretly from the Palace.


    Yun Shang stepped out of the Palace and walked towards the Empress. "Mother, what are you doing here? It is too noisy. I wanted a nap, but now I can''t fall asleep." She yawned again to emphasize her point.


    "My little sister, you are the younger princess. How can you care so little about your manners while under the watch of so many maids-in-waiting and eunuchs? You should be wary. It would not do well to be seen by madams who would take you for etiquette training." said Princess Hua Jing. As Yun Shang turned, she found Hua Jing standing behind the Empress. Hua Jing wore a light blue court dress with peach blossom petals embroidered on the fringe of the tunic, a jade hairpin on her head, and fine silver beaded tassels hanging from the hairpin. As she was coming of age, she had a grown woman''s body. Yun Shang looked over her sister''s slim waist, beautifully defined shoulders, rosy cheeks, and bright eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled. There was no doubt that Hua Jing was a real beauty. No wonder her husband from her previous life had mistreated Yun Shang to stay with Hua Jing.


    Yun Shang said smilingly, "My elder sister is also here¡­¡­"


    Hua Jing nodded and walked forward to take Yun Shang''s hands. "I heard that the ritual of exorcism is more miraculous and interesting than folk acrobatics. I came all the way to see it. You are already out. Let''s go to see it together!"


    As Hua Jing touched her arms, Yun Shang forced a smile. Hearing Hua Jing talk to her in such a heartfelt way enraged Yun Shang. She thought that Hua Jing must enjoy watching her suffer.


    Yun Shang didn''t show her emotions. Instead, she said, "Well, I''ll go with you. What you think is interesting must certainly be just that. I wouldn''t want to miss it." Yun Shang turned round to look at the Empress. The Empress looked graceful and gorgeous in a phoenix robe. The tunic stretched behind her; the colors glittering in the morning sun. At the moment, the Empress was looking at her and Hua Jing with a gentle smile. She certainly looked like an amiable mother.


    Yun Shang smiled and turned around. "This is going to be a long ritual. You will get very tired if you keep standing here. My servants, go to the Palace and bring out three chairs."


    As the eunuchs brought out the chairs, Yun Shang said, "Please sit down, my Empress and sister. Let''s sit and watch the ritual." After that, she sat down first.


    Yun Shang noticed the Empress frowning at her lack of respect. The look disappeared so quickly that Yun Shang wondered if she had imagined it. She smiled and turned to see Qin Yi standing nearby. Feeling Yun Shang''s eyes, Qin Yi shook her head before leaving.


    Yun Shang frowned. Then she saw that the eunuchs had prepared candlesticks. The Taoist made a gesture with his hands implying that the ritual had begun. He pulled out his sword, closed his eyes and murmured a chant. After that, the Taoist picked up the bells and began chanting and swaying to the rhythm of the bells.


    "Temptation may grasp a person for a short while. But human beings should remember to follow the right path. Those who choose the path of enlightenment cherish life, while those who accept the evil path devote themselves to stifling good things. Those on the path of enlightenment and that of compassion will live a happy and satisfied life, while those following the evil way will find themselves trapped in a cycle of unhappiness, greed, and selfishness¡­" The Taoist murmured an incantation before taking a sip of water from the bowl placed near the candlesticks. With the sword, he lifted several spiritual magic figures*. The chants co


    ntinued as he brought the figures closer to the candles. Once they had lit, he sprinkled some water on them. The spiritual magic figures started burning furiously, giving out a strong smell of sandalwood.


    (*TN a kind of yellow paper with incantation on it, which is thought to have magic powers and to supposed to bring good luck.)


    Yun Shang closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly her body jerked. It occurred to her that Taoist priest didn''t use sandalwood.


    In her previous life, she had spent some time learning about Buddhism to pacify her mother-in-law, a Buddhist believer. Though she was not an expert in Buddhism, she knew that Buddhists use sandalwood while Taoists burn aquilaria agallocha. She was certain that what she smelled was sandalwood. There was no mistaking its distinct smell.


    Yun Shang saw Qin Yi appear again. She was blending in with a group of maids-in-waiting. She nodded her head. The tips of Yun Shang''s mouth lifted in a brief smile. From the corner of her eye, Yun Shang saw that Hua Jing had been watching her since the sandalwood had begun to smoke.


    For some reason, the smell was essential to the ritual.


    Yun Shang heard several unusual noises coming from outside the palace. Putting these things together, she had a vague idea of what to expect next. What she didn''t know was what responses would come from the ostensibly virtuous Empress and the seemingly courteous Princess Hua Jing.


    Yun Shang put her hands on her forehead while thinking. The instant her hand touched her brow, Hua Jing spoke, "My sister, are you ok? Do you feel sick now?"


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "I don''t know why but the smell kind of sickens me and there is a buzzing in my head." Yun Shang said to the Empress and Hua Jing with a forced smile, "I feel very unwell. I will retire to my chamber to rest."


    The Empress nodded. However, Hua Jing couldn''t let go of this chance to embarrass Yun Shang in public. "The Taoist hasn''t finished the exorcism yet. Stay with me for another moment."


    Yun Shang looked at Hua Jing and waved her hands. She pretended to speak as though the act required quite an effort. "No, I can''t. I have a bad headache and I''d better rest now." After this, she beckoned Qin Yin. The servant quickly stepped forward to hold the young Princess''s arms. Just as they proceeded to the inner room, the Taoist exclaimed, "Get rid of the evil spirits, then life can be saved. With a pure heart, you''ll have a peaceful mind. Those who keep cultivating the Tao way, will have an immortal soul. Take effect immediately!"


    Just as the Taoist finished his speech, Yun Shang felt a gush of wind sweep across her face. Before she could register what transpired, a sword stopped her path.


    Yun Shang just frowned while Qin Yin lost her temper and said, "How dare you do that? Are you gonna kill our Princess, Yun Shang?"


    Qin Yin''s outburst ended the audience''s trance-like state, but nobody went forward to stop the priest. It was not until a while later that the Empress said, "Taoist, have you noticed something unusual?


    The Taoist stared at Yun Shang coldly with a harrumph. He took the spiritual magic figure from the table, and placed it on Yun Shang''s forehead. "The Qingxin Palace would have been tranquil if Princess Yun Shang wasn''t being haunted by a ghost. I have just placed a spiritual magic figure to repress the ghost. And I will expel the ghost from the Princess by exorcism¡­"


    The spiritual magic figure must have contained sandalwood for as soon as it was placed on Yun Shang''s forehead, the fragrance became overwhelming. Yun Shang smiled. She took down the spiritual magic figure, and threw it at the Taoist. "I am not possessed and this ritual is a sham. I will ask my father to inquire into this business. Where on earth are you from? My beautiful Empress, don''t be cheated by this deceitful and fake Taoist¡­"


    These words hardly left Yun Shang''s mouth when a commotion caught her attention. The attendees had not heard it as they were gaping at Yun Shang. As the noise got louder, everyone turned round to look. Since the door was open, they could see outside the courtyard. A few figures seemed to be rushing straight for them. Seeing this, Qin Yi grabbed Yun Shang''s arms and forced her behind a nearby tree.

 Chapter 8 Only a Hint of a Smile

    "Where did the beasts come in from? Get them out of here! Agh!" Only a faint cry could be heard from Hua Jing before the barking of the dogs drowned her out. Craning her neck to see, Yun Shang saw a courtyard full of people running in panic. Several wild dogs ran wildly around the yard, jumping and people and occasionally biting them.


    The Taoist priest had fallen to the ground, and his face was covered with wounds. Hua Jing''s gown had been ripped and soiled and there were visible scratches oozing blood on her arms. The phoenix crown was tilted on the empress'' head. She was hurriedly running around the yard shouting at servants to get rid of the dogs.


    With a smile on her face, Yun Shang hid behind a tree, watching the scene unfold. After the eunuchs and maids had finally driven the remaining dogs from the yard, she came out and in a fake panic cried out, "Mother, sister, are you OK? Where did these mad dogs come from? Why are they biting everyone? Hurry, you stupid servants! Chase them away!"


    The eunuchs and maids quickly beat the remaining dogs unconscious and whisked them away. The yard was finally quiet, the ground now covered in a mix of human and canine blood.


    With the help of her servant, Princess Hua Jing finally made it to her feet. Her whole body was in pain. Especially.. Her butt! A dog had bitten her square on the butt! Embarrassed at the sensitive nature of the wound, Hua Jing dared not call attention to the wound. She winced as she endured the throbbing pain. In a terrible mood she called out to the empress, "Mother, where did those beasts come from? How did they get in here all of a sudden?"


    The empress was also a mess, her ropes ripped to pieces. But she was better at controlling her emotions. She snapped at the attendants around her. "Keep all of the beasts! Call Ming! I want to know where these crazy beasts came from!" The empress shot a cold glance at Yun Shang, who was totally unhurt, before walking away with her maids.


    Yun Shang pulled her face into a pout. She walked over to Hua Jing. "Sister, are you hurt? Let me have a look." Yun Shang pressed her hand firmly onto the bite wound on Hua Jing''s backside.


    "Ahhhh!" Hua Jing let out a shriek and pushed Yun Shang away. However, as she did so, Hua Jing let go of her maid and fell to the ground. Yun Shang fell too and landed on top of her. Hua Jing shrieked again.


    "I''m so sorry sister, I didn''t mean to¡­. I just wanted to help.." Muttering apologies to Hua Jing, Yun Shang didn''t budge, pressing the other princess into the hard ground.


    "You¡­ Ahhh¡­ Get off me!" Hua Jing sounded feeble and weak.


    With just the slightest hint of a smile, Yun Shang cried out, "Qin Yi, Qin Yi! Help me up!"


    Qin Yi quickly hurried to the princess'' side and pulled her up. The rest of the maids helped Hua Jing to her feet. When Hua Jing was pulled to her feet, she lacked the spirit even to rebuke Yun Shang.


    "What about the priest, Your Highness?" Qin Yi asked, looking at the Taoist Priest covered in dog bites and still on the ground.


    "Send him to the Supervisory Office. I will ask my father to deal with him later. I''ll speak to him myself about the matter." Yun Shang smiled. She altered her gaze between the woobling Hua Jing and the palace behind her. "With this much fresh blood, I dare say the yard has been cleansed. No need for an exorcism after all."


    After entering her chamber, she spoke again to Qin Yi, "Lin has been orchestrated this whole this masterfully. He has been invaluable this time, but I don''t fully trust him. Keep your eyes on him, Qin


    Yi. By the way, the Queen had asked for my bracelets. Have you given them to her yet?"


    Qin Yi nodded, "I have. I gave the empress the pair of bracelets, as you wished. I''ve also accomplished the other matter, as you asked. But I worry that the Princess Hua Jing''s wounds are too severe. She may not be fully recovered in time for her coming-of-age ceremony in a week. It would be a real shame if something went wrong with the ceremony."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but let out a soft laugh. "Look at you. You''ve really got a lot of tricks up your sleeves after all."


    With Qin Yi''s mention of Hua Jing''s ceremony, Yun Shang couldn''t help but recall memories of her own ceremony in her past life. In that life, she had fallen for a young attendee during the proceedings. She found him to be gentle and chivalrous, yet handsome and masculine. It had been Hua Jing herself who had convinced her to give in to her feeling for him. Yun Shang had been smitten by him wanting to get married immediately. She had even professed her love before the court. As a young maiden, just come of age, she had become the laughing stock of the imperial city.


    Now, she finally knew why she had met him at that time.. A wry smile crept onto Yun Shang''s face. She could finally see what was behind all of the accidents and drama.


    In her previous life, she had been reckless because of her noble birth. Now, looking back, she could see the empress and her daughter''s fingers on everything that happened.


    She would not allow that to happen again.


    "By the way, Qin Yi. I heard about an ointment that prolong the healing process. It is also said to itch terribly. Do you happen to know where I might procure such a thing?"


    Qin Yi was slightly shocked at the princess'' request. "Your Highness is well informed. There is such an ointment. As it is, I am acquainted with an apprentice at the imperial hostile. He should be able to give us some by tomorrow."


    Yun Shang nodded. Her smile had gradually transformed into a grin. My dear sister, Hua Jing, she thought. You''ve always been so good to me¡­. I''d feel terrible if I didn''t give you something to repay your years of kindness. Why not a present for your coming-of-age ceremony!


    Yun Shang cocked her head to the side mischievously. "Qin Yi, what do you think my mother and sister are doing right now?" delete


    Qin Yi tried to suppress her laughter. After pretending to think for a moment, she said, "My guess is they are just about to lose their tempers."


    Qin Yi guess turned out to be right. Inside the great hall, attendants walked quietly and spoke in muffled voices, trying to avoid the wrath of the two furious nobles.


    "Mother, that wench must be behind this! We had that eunuch poison her food, but there was no effect! Perhaps he didn''t follow the order!" Princess Hua Jing lay face-down on a bed, a maid fast at work on her injured derri¨¨re. At the though of teeth marks, she grimaced. "Ouch! That hurts. Be careful back there!"


    The empress had already changed her robes and washed the blood from her hands. No longer uncomfortable she sat on the end of the bed and pondered the events. "I will find out who was behind it. In the meantime, how many times have I told you to act like a princess? No matter what happens you must show nobility, civility and class. Don''t let anger ever take that away! This is the only way to get what you want in this life!


    Hua Jing pouted. Just as she was about to speak, a eunuch''s voice came from outside, signaling the Emperor''s arrival "¡­His Imperial Majesty and Her Highness, Yun Shang¡­"

 Chapter 9 A Shimmering Light in the Dark

    Surprised, Princess Hua Jing quickly jumped to her feet and fixed her dress. Despite the pain, she forced herself to curtsy toward the figure, dressed in a yellow robe at the door. "Father, " she greeted him plainly.


    The Emperor Ning stepped to a chair and sat down. His eyes glanced at the three women inside the hall. After a long time, he said, "Wife, I am so disappointed. You had reported to me about Yun Shang''s recent abnormality and indicated that she might be possessed by evil spirits. So you asked me to send for a Taoist priest to perform exorcism. Even though I don''t believe in ghost or demons, for Yun Shang''s sake I still obliged. I never imaged you would let someone into the palace without at least some diligence. You are the Empress Yuan Zhen of Ning, the woman I have taken as my wife. And yet, you can''t even handle such a small matter properly. How can I trust you with control of my palace any longer?"


    Hearing his displeasure, Empress Yuan Zhen felt a chill crawl up her spine. She knelt before him and placed her forehead on the ground. "I''m so sorry, Your Majesty, it is all my fault."


    Suddenly, the empress heard Yun Shang''s voice coming from behind her. The tone was soft and caring, "Father, please don''t blame mother. She did everything for me. That priest was a bad man. He cheated mother. Sister was hurt too! We can''t let him get away with it!"


    Emperor Ning didn''t relax in the slightest. "A maid told me that the priest even pointed a sword at Yun Shang. What if he had hurt her today? What if he tried to assassinate me? How can you take responsibility for this, wife?"


    Yuan Zhen kowtowed again to the emperor, "Your Majesty, it is all my fault. I shouldn''t have been so neglectful. I will launch an investigation immediately."


    Emperor Ning looked at her with indifferent eyes, "There is no need. His crime was obvious. He has already been dealt with. As for the travesty in the courtyard earlier, I have already dispensed Lady Shu to investigate the problem. You will have no further part in the matter. Hua Jing''s coming-of-age ceremony is merely days away. You should busy yourself with the preparations. Be careful not to make anymore mistakes. Lady Shu will assist you."


    Hearing the emperor''s pronouncement, the empress felt rage building up inside her, but she dared not speak. She touched her head to the ground again and answered the emperor, "As you wish, Your Majesty."


    Emperor Ning nodded, stood up and left the room, leaving Empress Yuan Zhen prostrate on the floor. After a while, as she got to her feet, the empress noticed Yun Shang in the corner of the room. Frowning and trembling with anger, she pointed at the girl and said, "I can''t believe you can be this sophisticated at such an age. How dare you speak ill of me before my husband? Is this what I get for treating you so well, as my own daughter for all these years?


    Yun Shang almost rolled her eyes. Treating me her so well? She restrained herself though, this was not the proper time to opening break from the empress. With this realization, she looked at the empress, teary-eyed. "What are you talking about mother? I don''t understand a word? I didn''t mean to say anything to father. I don''t know who told him about what happened. I was napping in Qingxin Hall when father and Lady Shu came in. Lady Shu first took me in her arms to comfort me. She said I must be frightened to death. She cursed that bad priest and said she knew he was fake. She thinks he was too bold and reckless. After that, father asked me how


    I felt. I told him I was worried about Hua Jing, because she got bit by a dog. He came here at once. I thought he wanted to comfort you, so I came too.


    "Lady Shu, " the empress'' eyes blazed with fury, "How dare she do that to me? Isn''t it enough for her to be an open consort of the emperor? Or does she now need to replace me completely?"


    Yun Shang felt the urge to smile again. No one''s hands were clean in the emperor''s harem. She hadn''t forgotten when, in her last lifetime, Lady Shu had played her against Empress Yuan Zhen. Now, it was Yun Shang who would be adding fuel to fires around the palace! She would take this moment to gain the upper hand against her enemies.


    Yun Shang pulled out a small white jade bottle from her sleeve and began to hand it to Hua Jing. "I want to give you this, sister. It is a medicine from the imperial physician himself. I used it before and it worked well. There isn''t even a scar now."


    "Who needs your damn snake oil!" Princess Hua Jing shouted as she slapped the vial from Yun Shang''s hand. As the slap landed, Yun Shang lost her grasp on the vial, which smashed into pieces on the floor.


    Yun Shang quickly squatted down and began to pick up the pieces of glass with her fingers. "Sister, your wound must be very painful. Mine also tortured me and put me in a sour mood. But it will be OK, I promise. Mother will get the best doctor in the imperium. You''ll be fine in a few days."


    "Hua Jing, apologize to your sister. She was only trying to help." And Yun Shang, be careful. The shards are sharp and cut through skin like paper. I''ll have my servants clean it up. I''m fatigued now and need to rest. You should return to Qingxin Hall for a rest yourself. You must be exhausted from the courtyard earlier." The empress gazed contemptuously at Yun Shang, who was still squatting on the ground. Her voice though, was masked with a loving, motherly tone.


    Yun Shang rose and curtsied to the empress. "Take care, Mother." She backed out of the room slowly and left Qiwu Palace at once.


    After the door closed behind Yun Shang, Pricess Hua Jing walked gingerly over to the empress and held her hands. "Mother, it''s obvious that she was behind this. Why did you take her side?"


    Empress Yuan Zhen sat down in her chair and frowned, with a touch of weariness in her face. "No, it wasn''t Yun Shang. For all these years she has been short-tempered and unwise. She is no capable of something so elaborate. Even if she had some part in the events earlier, it was while being used by another. I think I''ve become to kind and generous to the emperor''s concubines lately. But it is them who are mistaken. I will not be an easy target. I will teach Lady Shu a lesson. The ladies of his majesty''s harem will once again know who has power around her."


    "Mother, how can you be so sure it was Lady Shu? How could she have known what we were planning? Besides, Yun Shang was the only person unhurt today. How do we explain that?" Hua Jing seemed to have her doubts.


    But the empress didn''t seem to be listening. She murmured to herself. "Even if his majesty has forbidden me to launch an investigation, I''ll find a way to figure out who''s behind this. And when I find out, I swear I''ll show no mercy."


    The empress stood and called for her attendant, "Xiu Xin, Xiu Xin!"


    The top maid hurried in and bowed slightly to her master, diligently awaiting her orders.


    "I need you to secretly bring all of the servants of Qingxin Hall before me. I''ll sift through them and get to the bottom of this!"

 Chapter 10 Prudence

    After what had happened, Yun Shang felt that the sun shone brighter. She and Qin Yi were at the gardens at Qingxin Hall. Qin Yi stood behind her, pushing the swing while they spoke.


    "Your Highness, although His Majesty has already asked Lady Shu to handle this matter, the Empress will certainly not give up. If she traces it, I''m afraid..." When Qin Yi thought of the events of the day, she found herself impressed. She''d seen so many hidden depths in this eight-year-old princess.


    Yun Shang smiled, "She won''t let go. In a few days, someone will come to interrogate you. But don''t worry, just tell them what I''ve prepared. She will never find traces of my involvement, and all evidence will lead to Shuya Palace. Once that happens, Her Majesty will pursue Lady Shu. And we will watch in safety while the others fight."


    Qin Yi remained silent. The Palace was indeed a place full of intrigue and conspiracies. Her Highness was merely eight-year-old, but she had been thorough. She didn''t know whether that was good or bad.


    "By the way. Qin Yi, does anyone in our kitchen smell of sandalwood?" The question led Yun Shang to think over the day''s events. The dogs had gone mad after they sniffed the sandalwood. And the Taoist priest was still trying to bring the burning incense closer to her. It was obvious that the sandalwood was the catalyst that turned the medicine poisonous. But Lin had reported that the chickens had gone mad after he put the medicine into their feed.


    Qin Yi thought for a while, and said, "Your Highness asked me to watch the servants, and I have paid attention to their daily movements. I noticed that an old maidservant who works in the kitchen, wears a string of sandalwood beads on her wrist. But she is a Buddhist."


    "I see." It made sense then. But Lin still seemed like a highly suspicious person.


    Yun Shang contemplated for a while. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a maid approach them. Qin Meng had been chosen by Yun Shang the same day she selected Qin Yi to work at her Palace. Qin Meng curtsied and said, "Your Highness, the kitchen made green bean soup for you as it is scorching hot today." She looked at the sky in dismay. "I don''t know what is happening this year. It hasn''t rained at all."


    "It hasn''t rained? And it is hot." Yun Shang trembled as she recalled a memory. She asked, "How long has it been since the last rain?"


    Qin Meng quickly answered, "Since February. It''s August now...So, half a year."


    Yun Shang quivered as she recalled the vents from her previous life. For half a year there was no rain. At that time, she only thought to complain about the hot weather all day long, demanding that the servants think of ways to release the summer heat. In her new life as well, everything was the same as before. The only thing that had changed was that Yun Shang was no longer the little girl who knew nothing.


    She remembered how Princess Hua Jing had earned the respect of the people of Ning. In her new life, Yun Shang could not perceive the magnitude of the implications of the lack of rains. All she knew was that it meant severe drought for the Ning people. In her last lifetime, after half a year of drought, it had rained on Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony. The Empress had grabbed the opportunity to plant the idea that it was Princess Hua Jing who had brought the rain. As the Ning people were firm believers of the mystical, they saw Hua Jing as bestowed with the blessing of God.


    Emperor Ning had been very pleased as well. He had rewarded Hua Jing with land and the title of Princess Fu Hua. Since Fu meant blessed, and the title had been awarded by the Emperor himself, the Ning people''s beliefs had been reinforced by his actions. Yun Shang remembered being jealous. She remembered how she had been required to send many expensive gifts to congratulate Hua Jing.


    Anyway, the Empress was not powerful enough to manipulate the weather. In retrospect, she could see that the events were a coincidence. She could also see how the meticulous and quick-minded Empress Yuan Zhen had taken advantage of the opportunity to bring the Ning people to admire Princess Hua Jing.


    Yun Shang thought of an idea. She asked her maid, "I''ve heard that most ordinary people grow crops to feed their families. If it doesn''t rain, will the crops still grow? Will they starve?"


    Qin Meng had always been straightforward. She quickly answered, "Yes, Your Highness. My whole family works in the field, so I am familiar with how dependent the crops are on the rains. The peasants live at the mercy of the heavens. If there is a long drought or too much rain, they have a poor harvest. It has been dry for so long this year that I am worried about my family."


    Yun Shang sighed, "Qin Yi, open my bank, and give everyone five teals of silver. Since my monthly allowance is limited that is all I can afford. But I hope that the money will provide families with a little relief. Qin Meng, you may give the silver to your loved ones when you take your monthly leave. At least they can buy some food with it."


    Hearing this, Qin Meng was very touched and fell to her knees, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up, "Fetch a bowl of soup for me. I''m going to visit father."


    Yun Shang changed her clothes, and headed for Qinzheng* Hall with a bowl of green bean soup. She knew that the Emperor would be at the Hall handling government affairs. When they reached the Palace, the Princess and Qin Yi saw Lord Zheng, the Emperor''s Imperial Eunuch Director, guarding the door. He quickly came up to Yun Shang and asked, "Princess Yun Shang, what brings you here?"


    (*TN: Which literally means diligent.)


    Yun Shang flashed a smile, "It is very hot today and my kitchen made some green bean soup for me. I thought father might be tired after dealing with government affairs. So I brought some so


    up as refreshment. Lord Zheng, is father still busy?"


    Lord Zheng answered with a smile, "I''ll inform His Majesty. Your Highness, please wait here for a moment."


    Yun Shang nodded, and watched as Lord Zheng entered the Hall. Qin Yi was puzzled, and asked, "Your Highness, His Majesty doesn''t like to be disturbed when he is dealing with the state affairs at Qinzheng Hall. How come you..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "The Empress is always watching my moves. When father comes out of the Palace, I cannot see him without the Empress knowing. Thanks to Lady Shu, I had a chance to visit him yesterday. But today, I have to visit him here. And I come here with a serious state affair, His Majesty won''t blame me for my interruption."


    "A state affair?" Qin Yi was confused. Just as she was about to ask, the door creaked open. Lord Zheng had returned. He said to Yun Shang with a smile, "Your Highness may enter now."


    Yun Shang returned the smile, and said, "Thank you, Lord Zheng." She winked at Qin Yi who then quickly put a silver ingot into Lord Zheng''s hand.


    Yun Shang then entered the Qinzheng Hall with her offerings. When she entered, she noticed that there were several officials in the hall as well. Keeping her head down, Yun Shang glanced at the officials from the corners of her eyes.


    Even though Hua Jing had an affair with Yun Shang''s husband in her previous life, Yun Shang was still her lord husband''s one true wife. She had some memories about the senior officials due to her contacts with the noble families in the Imperial City.


    Yun Shang recognized Li Jingyan, the Grand Councilor and Wen Yunqing, the Deputy Minister of Revenue. But there was another man whom she had never seen before. The Grand Councilor was Empress Yuan Zhen''s lord father. He was greatly respected among the officials. The Deputy Minister of Revenue was a middle-aged man with urbane demeanor, whom Yun Shang had met only a few times in her previous lifetime. The man whom she had never seen, seemed to be of high rank but she couldn''t be sure as he was dressed in dark blue instead of official robes. He was also very handsome. His face was narrow and long but with distinct outlines and dashing eyebrows. Yun Shang found herself drawn to the little smile that played his lips. She could also see from his eyes that he was unruly and untamed.


    She found herself curious about this man. She couldn''t remember him from her previous life. How could she not have noticed such a dashing person at the Imperial City? Yun Shang dared not to be too obvious. After a few quick glances, she focused on her task. With a curtsy to Emperor Ning, she walked closer to The Royal Table and put down her offerings.


    "I didn''t know my father was discussing state matters with his loyal officials. I am very sorry to intrude." She glanced around before looking at Emperor Ning.


    The Emperor smiled, "What brings my Shang''er here?"


    Yun Shang shot a quick glance at Li Jingyan. Then she frowned and said, "It''s so hot today and my maid has made some green bean soup for me. I brought some for you as refreshment." She uncovered the bowl of green bean soup and handed it to Emperor Ning.


    The Emperor lifted the bowl and took a sip. Then he asked, "Just the soup?"


    Yun Shang giggled. "You know me so well, father. This morning, when I was having the bean soup, my maid told me that it hasn''t rained for half a year. If it doesn''t rain, the people will have no harvest. She also told me that they will have no food to eat. I don''t think there''s much I can do about it. But I wish to go to the Ningguo Temple to pray for our people, and also pray to the heaven for rainfall."


    Emperor Ning looked at his daughter with mixed feelings mounting in his heart. After he had sent Lady Jin to the Cold Palace, and asked his Empress to raise Yun Shang, he felt that he owed his daughter for separating her from her mother. He had also heard of her various misdeeds. He recalled how he had seen her losing temper several times or punishing people at random. Gradually disappointment had set in, and he began to care less for her. These two days, however, he found that his daughter was different. She was calm, generous, and kind. Since he had wronged Lady Jin and felt guilty, it was comforting to see that their daughter was wise and kind.


    "It''s so good to know that you care so much about our people. I would be unreasonable if I disapprove your request. But you are a young girl. I worry about you traveling alone. I''ll have the Commander of my Royal Guard and several of his men protect you."


    Yun Shang smiled. Before she could thank her father, an official said, "Female members of the Imperial Household are not allowed to meddle with the state affairs. Although the Princess is still young, Her Highness should know that."


    She recognized the voice to be Li Jingyan''s, the Empress''s father.


    Though Yun Shang''s eyes turned cold, she smiled as she spoke. "The Grand Councilor is right. And I am aware that I am not allowed to intervene with the running of the State. And I have obeyed as His Majesty demanded. That being said, I heard of the drought from my conversation with my ladies. Though I am not allowed to interfere in political matters, I can pray for His Majesty, and my father''s State. That is all I am requesting. How can you call that governing the State, Lord Li?" With that, she raised her head innocently and looked at Li Jingyan.


    Emperor Ning laughed when he heard Yun Shang''s justification. "That''s my daughter. Then it is settled. You can go there tomorrow, Shang''er."


    Yun Shang curtsied to the Emperor, and said, "Thank you, father. Since you have been discussing important matters with your Ministers, I''d like to ask your permission to leave." Emperor Ning nodded. Yun Shang curtsied and left the Hall. She sensed that she was being watched, but she walked away without turning her head.

 Chapter 11 Initiation

    Though her trip was an excuse to visit the Ningguo Temple, Yun Shang still had to pretend otherwise. As planned, she lingered at the Temple with Qin Yi and Qin Meng for a few days. But it was only on her last day there that she requested an opportunity to meet with Master Wu Na.


    Master Wu Na was greatly esteemed in the State of Ning. Through his wisdom, he earned tremendous respect from the people of Ning. However, Yun Shang did not get the chance to see him. She enlisted the help of a young Buddhist monk to carry her message to the Master for a talk, but the young Buddhist monk only brought back for her an old parchment made of sheep skin from the Master. Yun Shang could not help but feel startled while reading his message. Master Wu Na was, it seems, aware of the purpose of her visit. What a clever man! It would be terribly awful if he should become her enemy one day in the future.


    As Yun Shang had gotten what she wanted from this journey, she ordered Qin Yi and Qin Meng to pack up. Soon, they were on their way back to the Imperial Palace in a carriage.


    Yun Shang rested on her first night back in court. The subsequent day, she rose at the fifth watch*. She ordered her maids to help her with a court dress suitable a princess as she intended to go to Jinluan Hall where Chinese Emperors held administrative meetings with their ministers and senior officials.


    (*TN: In ancient China, the night was divided into five watches. The fifth watch is the last period, which comes before dawn.)


    Emperor Ning was listening to his courtiers'' reports when he heard the singing tone of a young eunuch announcing her arrival, "Princess Yun Shang is requesting a presence..."


    Yun Shang? Emperor Ning was a little surprised. He had not expected Yun Shang at this moment when a morning meeting was being held in the court. Minsters and courtiers were also at a loss. They exchanged looks of confusion with each other.


    With a slight cough, Emperor Ning said, "Call her..."


    Yun Shang entered Jinluan Hall, and, after finishing the three-kneel-and-nine-kowtow etiquette* to Emperor Ning, she said, "I have something to report, Your Majesty. I visited the Ningguo Temple a couple of days ago to pray for the people. Master Wu Na gave me some revelations from Buddha. He asked me to present them to Your Majesty..."


    (*TN: the three-kneel-and-nine-kowtow etiquette is the most solemn and highest rite of politeness. It is usually used in grand situations like in the presence of an Emperor or when paying tribute to parents.)


    "Master Wu Na?" Emperor Ning was startled. Though just a master monk at the Ningguo Temple, Master Wu Na had once been named as the National Consultant by the previous Emperor Ning. However, Master Wu Na had turned down that honor. Master Wu Na had never practiced divination or foretold destiny for any one. But today, he sent Yun Shang to present the revelations of Buddha...


    "Hurry up! Show it to me..." said Emperor Ning impatiently.


    The Eunuch-in-Chief stepped away from the Emperor''s side and scurried down the stairs. He fetched the parchment from Yun Shang, and presented it to Emperor Ning, who then unrolled it. The Emperor burst into ecstasy after reading it. "According to Master Wu Na, the drought of Ning has led people to a miserable life. Pitying the suffering people, Princess Yun Shang prayed with an honest heart. Due to her kindness, the benevolent Buddha will arrange a rainfall on the seventeenth day of this month. Ensure that no grand ceremony is held on that day."


    "Good! Good! Good!" Emperor Ning descended from his crown chair toward Yun Shang, and hugged her. "Yun Shang, you are indeed my good daughter. Ha, ha, ha... If it really rains on that day as Master Wu Na has foretold, I will award you generously..."


    With a modest smile, Yun Shang replied, "I didn''t pray to earn a reward. I was just hoping that all populace under the sky would be able to live in peace and contentment. I truly believe that if the people are happy then Your Majesty will be happy. And I will be happy if Your Majesty is happy."


    Emperor Ning was so thrilled to hear of Yun Shang''s selflessness. But Li Jingyan wasn''t. "But isn''t Princess Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony being held on the seventeenth day of this month?" He spoke all of a sudden in the court.


    Yun Shang felt a sense of elation at his words. She felt extra pleased to see Li Jingyan''s irritation. As the Grand Councilor of Ning, he was really stupid to behave so rushed.


    Emperor Ning frowned at the objection. "Both Yun Shang and Hua Jing are my daughters. Shang''er has gone all the way to the Ningguo Temple to pray for the populace. For her kindness, Buddha grants his blessing to us. As for Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony, we


    are not canceling it. However, it can be a simple one to comply with Buddha''s wishes."


    "Long live Your Majesty. Long live Your Imperial Highness..." Cheers and acclaims prevailed in the Jinluan Hall.


    When this news spread to Hua Jing''s chamber at Jinglin Hall, she shivered with anger, and said with clenched teeth, "Yun Shang, you really are a bitch. I will ensure that you are miserable for as long as I live."


    Seeing Hua Jing''s anger, all maids and eunuchs in her chamber fell to their knees lest they anger her more. Sounds of things breaking could be heard out in the Hall. Hua Jing was so furious that she smashed everything that could be smashed in her chamber.


    "Let''s go to Qiwu Palace. I wanna to hear what my mother has to say." Hua Jing frowned when a dull ache spread across her bottom. The reminder of the dog bite only seemed to further aggravate her rage.


    When Hua Jing arrived at Qiwu Palace, she grew more irritated when she saw Empress Yuan Zhen drinking peacefully. She ran to the Empress and took her hands. "Mother, that vile Yun Shang, she must have done this on purpose. She knew that the seventeenth day of this month is my day of Coming-of-age Ceremony. Mother, you must help me..."


    Empress Yuan Zhen frowned, "Shut up. It''s been a waste of time teaching you how to behave properly all these years. If I were you, I would go to your father. I would tell him how I felt inferior to Yun Shang as she has shared your father''s burden while you have done nothing. However, as a Princess of the State of Ning, you are willing to do your part in to ease the nation''s hardships by cancelling your Coming-of-age Ceremony which happens to be on the seventeenth day of this month..."


    Hua Jing pouted and tugged at the Queen''s sleeve, "Mother, this is obviously a trick by that little whore. She is jealous of my Coming-of-age Ceremony. So she designed this."


    Putting down the cup, Empress Yuan Zhen shook her head, "She is just an eight-year-old girl. How could she know about all this? She cannot even read a single word. How could she speak words like that? Besides, she has been under my control all these years, and there isn''t a person in her employ who can devise such an plan. This is a serious matter. We cannot speak about it as a trivial matter. I do not believe that a little girl could be capable of commanding the Heavenly God to call for rains or winds."


    Hua Jing sighed, taking a seat by the Empress'' side. She accepted defeat, "So I should just let it go? I hate her for this. I wish she would just die."


    Empress Yuan Zhen lowered her head to look at her scarlet nails, a gentle smile dancing on her face. "There will definitely be an opportunity. Just wait and see. It''s fine if it rains on the seventeenth day. If not, I won''t even have to kill her myself. Someone will eliminate her for us."


    "Hmm, " Hua Jing said, "It is hard to believe that it will rain on the seventeenth day of this month just because Yun Shang prayed. I''ll see what that little bitch will do to cover her lies on that day. Thank you, mother. I will leave now..."


    Empress Yuan Zhen nodded and then frowned at Hua Jing''s ungraceful posture while getting up, "You are behaving unbecomingly. No ladies from noble families would rise to their feet like you just did. You will be deemed as a girl without grace and politeness if that was seen by outsiders."


    Hua Jing''s agitation returned. "That''s all due to the damned Taoist priest. I meant to humiliate Yun Shang in everyone''s presence, but that beast bit me instead. I cannot figure out what''s going on, as the wound is always aching."


    Empress Yuan Zhen had not considered this. She frowned, "Your discomfort may be because of the heat. I will ask the Imperial Physicians to prepare some medicines for you. Remember to take them on time."


    "Got it. Got it..." Hua Jing waved a hasty goodbye, and walked out of Qiwu Palace.


    "Your Imperial Highness. Just let it be? You agree to let Princess Yun Shang be pardoned? Your Imperial Highness is too noble and too treasured to accept such humiliation. That Princess Yun Shang is too stupid to figure out who she is." Maid Die''er was resentful and murmured her disapproval.


    A coldness surged in Hua Jing''s eyes when she heard this. Her expression changed from anger to rage, "Pardon her? Don''t even dream about it! As mother will not help me with this, I''ll do it myself. Wipe out that little bitch no matter what the cost." Hua Jing''s eyes sparkled and a grin emerged as a thought occurred to her. "Come here..."


    The maid walked up to Hua Jing and stood close. Hua Jing whispered something in her ear, to which the maid nodded. Then Hua Jing left. The maid looked around tentatively before turning and leaving in the opposite direction.

 Chapter 12 Disturbance

    "Your Highness! Your Highness..." Qin Meng seemed anxious as she rushed into Qingxin Hall. Seeing the princess asleep in her bed, she stamped her feet. Then she bit her lip, and pulled the quilt off from Yun Shang. "Your Highness, something has happened!"


    Yun Shang moaned, and slowly opened her eyes. Just as quickly, she closed her eyes again. After a short while she spoke in a languid voice, "What is the matter? Why do you wake me up at this hour? What has happened?"


    Qin Meng saw Yun Shang was about to fall asleep again and hurriedly spoke, "Your Highness, you should get up! Someone died!"


    "What did you say?" Yun Shang''s body suddenly went rigid and her eyes snapped open. "Who is dead? And what is the cause of death? Have you sent for the Supervisory Office?"


    Qin Meng rushed to answer, "The dead person''s name is Xiang Lan*. She was a maid who used to sweep the floors in your Hall. Her body was found by a passing maid in the lake in front of your Hall. They say she drowned." Qin Meng paused and bit her lips as if she had more to say, but dared not say it.


    (*TN: the fragrant orchids)


    Yun Shang ordered, "What else? Speak up."


    Qin Meng sighed and continued, "When I passed by, I overheard the maids say that Your Highness''s bracelet was found in Xiang Lan''s hand. They also said that Your Highness was likely to be the murderer."


    "My bracelet?" Yun Shang sat up. She looked at her maid, "Are you sure that they were talking about a bracelet, not anything else?"


    Qin Meng nodded. "I''m sure that they were talking about a bracelet."


    "Yes, Your Highness, a bracelet. One from the pair that you favored most. It has been lost for a while now." Qin Yi added as she entered the room.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Is that true? Then I will have to go there and bring it back. After all, it is my favorite bracelet."


    Qin Meng didn''t understand why the princess was taking this situation so lightly. "Your Highness! But they are saying that you are the killer!"


    Yun Shang turned to her, "Then how do you know that I didn''t do it? My reputation has never been good."


    Qin Meng shot her a contemptuous look, "If I had heard about such an act before I worked here, I might have believed it. But now I dare say such words are merely vicious rumor. Besides, Your Highness is just eight years old. No matter how malicious you may be, you are not capable of killing someone."


    Yun Shang nodded, and stood up. She waited for Qin Meng to dress her. But Qin Meng was still immersed in her own thoughts. Qin Yi shook her head and came forward to help Yun Shang change.


    "That is true. I am merely eight years old. How can I kill an adult? But you, Qin Meng, you and Qin Yi are old enough. I think you two could have outnumbered the girl in a fight. So you two must have been Princess Yun Shang''s accomplice in the murder." Yun Shang quipped.


    Qin Meng shivered and looked at Yun Shang with a frightened face, "I dare not to do that, Your Highness. In fact, I''ve never had the guts to kill a chicken, let alone a person. Your Highness... I''m serious! How Xiang Lan died is not of consequence. But there were so many people saying that you were her murderer. If these rumors reach His or Her Majesty, it would become a big deal."


    Yun Shang was about to speak, but stopped when she heard a male voice from outside the chamber, "Your Highness. I come at Her Majesty''s orders. The Empress has sent me to relay a message. Her Majesty wants to ask you a few questions at the Yanque* lake."


    (*TN: bramble finch)


    Yun Shang frowned. Qin Yi looked at the princess before rushing to the chamber doors and closing the curtain. "Thank you for coming. Her Highness is getting dressing. She will be there right away."


    Qin Meng hurriedly dressed her princess. Yun Shang saw Lin waiting for her as she stepped outside. Lin rushed up to her and said, "Someone reported Xiang Lan''s accident to the Empress. And since yesterday was the fifteenth day of the month, His Majesty was sleeping in Empress Yuan Zhen''s Qiwu P


    alace. His Majesty has also heard the report. He is waiting for you at the pavilion at the edge of the Yanque Lake."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I see." Then she pouted at Qin Meng, "See? Inauspicious topics bring bad luck. You were just wondering what would happen if my parents learned of the incident. And now they have heard the news."


    Qin Meng was scared, and answered her in a weeping tone, "Your Highness, it wasn''t intentional......"


    "Don''t panic. I was merely kidding. Besides, I took no part in this murder. A clean hand warrants no washing."


    When Yun Shang arrived at the Yanque Lake with her servants, she looked around. She noted that the Emperor and the Empress were standing inside the pavilion. Next to them stood Princess Hua Jing. She had a gentle and obedient look on her face. Outside the pavilion, Xiang Lan''s corpse lay covered in a white cloth. Beside the body stood a man dressed in black. From his robes, she could tell that he was a coroner in the Palace.


    Yun Shang stepped forward, and curtsied to the Emperor and the Empress. "Your Majesties."


    Emperor Ning nodded, and pointed at the corpse wrapped in white cloth, "Stand, Shang''er. Have a look at that corpse. Do you know this person?"


    The coroner lifted a corner of the white cloth as Yun Shang walked up to the corpse. She flinched when she saw the soaked and swollen body. She then studied the woman''s bluish-white face. After a quick look, Yun Shang turned and said in a trembling voice, "No, I don''t, father. Who is he? He looks so scary..."


    This time it was Princess Hua Jing who spoke up. "That is a she. Have a closer look, sister. She worked in your palace. Why can''t you recognize her?"


    "My maid?" Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi with a puzzled look.


    Qin Yi hurriedly answered, "Your Highness, she is a maid-in-waiting who cleans the courtyard in our palace. Your Highness might have never noticed, which is why you can''t recognize her."


    Yun Shang nodded, and explained to the Emperor and the Empress, "Except for a few close court ladies and chamberlains, I have little contact with the other servants. I''m too lazy to remember who they are, and so I''m not very familiar with them. But since Qin Yi has said she worked in my palace, then she must have. But why does my maids lie here, shrouded in a cloth?"


    The Emperor picked up an object from the stone table and handed it to Yun Shang, "The coroner has examined the corpse. The maid drowned. However, she was clutching some grass in her fist, and there were signs of struggle on the bank. I''m afraid someone did it on purpose. Shang''er, have a look at this bracelet. Do you know whose it is?"


    Yun Shang hurriedly stepped forward, and took the bracelet from the Emperor. She scrutinized the bracelet and said, "It looks like one from the pair of bracelets you had given me, father."


    "Looks like? It is yours. I used to see you wearing these bracelets all the time. Why aren''t you wearing them today?" Princess Hua Jing asked aggressively.


    Yun Shang smiled, "I would love to, but I can''t. One of my maids lost them a few days ago."


    "That is true. They have been lost for some time. I searched the whole Qinxin Hall when they were reported lost, but I couldn''t find them." Qin Meng quickly added, lest her princess would be wrongly accused by others.


    "How dare you interrupt the royal conversation!" Princess Hua Jing reprimanded Qin Meng with displeasure, and continued, "My sister''s bracelets are missing? Is that your explanation?" Hua Jing took the bracelet and held it up. She spoke with a frown, "But this one was found in the corpse''s fist. Do you know how tightly her fingers were clenched around it? Sister, why is that you didn''t tell us about your missing bracelets before? And how come one of them is now being found in the hand of a corpse? Sister, you always lose temper at your maids. Mother and I think you are young and bereft. And we have often indulged your whims and tantrums. But we never thought you''d go so far as to kill one of your maids."

 Chapter 13 Interlocking

    Yun Shang widened her eyes and trembled. Turning to Hua Jing, she whined, "Sister, why do you have to say that? It frightens me how you''ve framed me for this murder. I don''t know who she is, and I have no idea why she had my bracelet. Moreover, it doesn''t mean I am the murderer. Sister, even the Ministry of Justice requires evidence to convict a prisoner. I do not know what happened, or why you are happy to condemn me. I feel greatly wronged."


    "Your bracelet is the proof!" Princess Hua Jing dropped the bracelet back onto the table.


    Yun Shang stepped forward, and curtsied to the Emperor, "Father, my bracelets are lost. I''m afraid that someone deliberately took them to set a plot against me. They killed this maid, and put the bracelet in her hand. Father, can you have someone lead an investigation? This bracelet is from a pair. What if we look for the other lost bracelet?"


    The Emperor studied Yun Shang for a long time. He noticed that her eyes were clear and her expression was calm. Thinking that she was only eight years old, and couldn''t be so calm if she had killed someone, Emperor Ning nodded. "What Shang''er said makes sense. Let''s launch an investigation then. I would also want to know who is trying to deceive me."


    Emperor Ning then sent for the Commander of the Yulin Guard, and ordered him to lead several men to search every house and yard. He asked Yun Shang to wait in front of the pavilion. Suddenly, her stomach growled. Yun Shang was embarrassed. She apologized, "When Her Majesty sent her messenger, I had just gotten up. I haven''t had the chance to eat anything."


    Emperor Ning couldn''t help but laugh out loud. He waved at Yun Shang, "Come, sit beside me." Turning to a chamberlain, the Emperor said, "Go and get some food for the Princess. The search will take time. She might as well eat while we wait."


    The eunuch bowed and left. Yun Shang smiled, walked into the pavilion, and sat down beside Emperor Ning. Her eyes flew to Hua Jing''s face. Her smile deepened as she saw Princess Hua Jing biting her lips. Yun Shang enjoyed watching her sister. Hua was a great actress, and Yun Shang had learned how to play cute and innocent from her talented sister.


    But something bothered Yun Shang...


    Yun Shang continued studying Hua Jing. She had thought that a scheme would unfold at Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony in front of all the officials and their ladies. In doing so, Yun Shang wouldn''t have been able to defend herself. She had been known to think that a person''s life was as worthless as a straw. But they didn''t wait that long... What was so urgent?


    Yun Shang quietly glanced around, and saw the Empress frowning at Hua Jing. She looked displeased. And her eyes seemed to say "ineducable" to Hua Jing.


    Yun Shang quickly understood. If the Empress wanted to frame her, she would have carefully planned the crime. And all evidence would have led to Yun Shang. But now there seemed to be nothing other than a bracelet. Hua Jing had been so desperate to frame Yun Shang for the murder that she had even behaved aggressively in front of father. Yun Shang now understood that Hua Jing did not have her mother''s help in planning this murder.


    It seemed that Hua Jing had been discovered.


    The eunuch returned with some desserts. Yun Shang picked a lotus-leaf cake, and giggled, "Father, you are so nice to me. You always remember my favorite food. This one is for you, father. Let''s eat together."


    Th


    en she noticed that the Empress was staring at her. Then Empress Yuan Zhen fixed her eyes on the lotus-leaf cake. Her stare was cold and calculating.


    Before she could comprehend the Empress''s reaction, Emperor Ning took the lotus-leaf cake and smiled at her, "Do you like it, too? It is tasty, I agree."


    Yun Shang giggled, and took another cake from the plate. While eating, she chatted with Emperor Ning.


    The sun had begun to rise. After a few hours, the Commander hurried back with a bracelet and reported, "Your Majesty, we found it in Her Highness Lady Shu''s jewelry box."


    Emperor Ning took it, and frowned, "Lady Shu? Bring her here."


    As soon as the Emperor had finished speaking, he heard a soft voice. "Your Majesty, I''m already here. There''s no need to bother the Lord Commander again."


    Yun Shang turned around and caught sight of a woman in a purple gown walking towards them. She had thin arched eyebrows, and a small nose and mouth. While her features lent her a delicate appearance, Lady Shu''s moon-shaped eyes and thick lashes were her most attractive feature. Yun Shang could see why her father, The Emperor had been drawn to Lady Shu.


    Lady Shu was from the Lin Clan. Her title, Shu, suited her as it meant kind and gentle.


    Yun Shang smiled. Lady Shu was as powerful as the Empress in His Majesty''s imperial household. How stupid of Hua Jing to frame her.


    Lady Shu stopped in front of them and curtsied, "Your Majesty. Commander Shen and other members of your guard have been searching everywhere since early this morning. And they''ve found this bracelet in my jewelry box. I have no idea why it was there, because it is not one of mine. My maid Zhu Yun* is in charge of my jewelry, and she seems to know about the bracelet. I have brought her here to speak with you."


    (*TN: The rustling of bamboo.)


    A maid stepped out from behind Lady Shu and hurriedly knelt on her knees. She sobbed as she spoke. "Your Majesty! Pardon me, Your Majesty! I put the bracelet into Her Highness''s jewelry box. Yesterday, Princess Hua Jing''s maid, Die''er brought the bracelet to me and said it was a reward from Your Majesty to Her Highness, Princess Hua Jing. Since Lady Shu had taught Princess Hua Jing how to play the Guqin*, she wanted to give it as a gift to Lady Shu. Die''er also said that the Princess was worried that Her Highness, Lady Shu would refuse the present because they have been distant these past few years. So Her Highness, the Princess wanted me to put the bracelet in Lady Shu''s jewelry box secretly.


    (*TN: Chinese Zither.)


    The maid kowtowed to Emperor Ning repeatedly. She banged her forehead on the ground so hard that it was bruised and bleeding, "I thought it was a gesture of goodwill from Princess Hua Jing, so I put the bracelet in Lady Shu''s jewelry box...Pardon me, Your Majesty!"


    Princess Hua Jing turned pale. She pointed at the maid and shouted angrily, "Utter nonsense! When did Die''er give the bracelet to you? She was by my side the whole day. All my servants were witness to her whereabouts as well."


    Lady Shu lowered her head and said softly, "Your Majesty, I''m afraid there is a deeper conspiracy behind this. The two princesses and I, are being framed. Your Majesty, please find the true murderer and prove our innocence."


    At the time, another guard rushed back, and bowed to Emperor Ning, "Your Majesty, I found two bracelets in a maid''s room. She serves at Princess Yun Shang''s palace."

 Chapter 14 Roll with the Punches

    The imperial guard brought forward two bracelets which were the same as the one on the table.


    "How?" Yun Shang frowned and looked at Emperor Ning. "Father, my bracelets are unique. Why then are these two bracelets the same as mine?"


    "Where''s the maid?" Emperor Ning asked.


    The imperial guard beckoned to his subordinates to bring the maid forward. Looking pale and dispirited, the maid fell to the ground limply. She shivered and said, "Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, may you enjoy long lives and blessings..."


    Yun Shang stared at the maid before speaking, "Father, I know her. She is in charge of cleaning my Hall."


    Emperor Ning nodded and snapped at the maid, "How did you get these bracelets?"


    The maid said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty. I stole them from Her Royal Highness''s bedroom."


    Yun Shang frowned and said, "Why did you steal my bracelets?"


    "I..." The maid gritted her teeth and said, "It was at the instigation of Hua Jing! The Princess Hua Jing confined my brother and threatened me to steal Princess Yun Shang''s bracelets. I didn''t dare to disobey. However, Princess Yun Shang has been so kind to us so that I didn''t want to betray her. In order to save my brother, I took the bracelets to my family''s jewelry store and had copies made. Since then, I haven''t had the chance to put the bracelets back."


    Hua Jing became infuriated with the accusations. She argued, "Nonsense!"


    Hua Jing knelled in front of the Emperor and explained, "Father, they slander me..."


    "Oh, " she suddenly exclaimed and pointed at Yun Shang. "Father, it''s her. It must be her who set a trap for me..."


    No longer silent, the Empress took the opportunity to support her daughter. "Your Majesty, that''s queer indeed! I''m afraid that it''s beginning to look more and more like a plot against Hua Jing... Your Majesty..."


    Before the Empress could finish her sentence, the maid interrupted. "Your Majesty, my family''s jewelry store is to the East of the Imperial City. A few days ago, my parents came to tell me that my brother had been caught by someone serving Princess Hua Jing. That''s why I went to see Die''er secretly. You can order your guards to check whether I am lying."


    The maid knew what she was about to say would seal her fate. However, given Princess Yun Shang''s kindness, she took the risk. She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. After letting out a defeated sigh she said, "I know that Xiang Lan was taken by Princess Hua Jing''s attendants!"


    Hua Jing couldn''t bear to hear this nonsense any more. She stood and screamed, "You are a lowly servant. No more of your lies!"


    The Emperor Ning frowned and forcefully put down his tea cup. The clatter of porcelain quieted the bickering women. Emperor Ning looked at his daughter, Hua Jing. "Shut up!" he said.


    Hua Jing was shocked. She bit her lip and fell to her knees in silence. Desp


    ite her obedient and subservient posture, she was anything but. She glared at Yun Shang maliciously.


    "As a princess, you know how to behave. Be quiet now." Then the Emperor turned around and said to the maid, "You. Go on."


    The maid nodded and continued her story, "Because of stomach-ache, I slept late last night. When in bed, I heard some noise next door. I went to the windows and saw Xiang Lan leaving Qinxin Hall with another maid. Even though it was dark, I could recognize that the maid worked for Princess Hua Jing. Seeing that Xiang Lan did not return, I went to sleep. Today morning, however, I heard that Xiang Lan had drowned..."


    The maid kowtowed repeatedly to the Emperor before continuing. "I was too scared to speak out until I heard that Her Royal Highness, Yun Shang had been taken away. Even though I have not worked in the Palace for long, I am not willing to plot to murder anyone. I am in a way, responsible for Xiang Lan''s death. Your Majesty, I''m willing to accept your punishment."


    Finishing her statement, the maid continued groveling on the ground.


    Emperor Ning stared at Hua Jing for a while before he finally opened his mouth and said. "Jing''er, what do you have to say for yourself? It''s very obvious that this murder was planned by you and that you intended to shift the blame to Shang''er and Lady Shu."


    Glancing at the Empress, Emperor Ning said, "I''m really surprised that my daughter, not yet of marriageable age, has become so scheming! How surprising...My underage daughter... Your Majesty, you have taught her well!"


    Rising and dropping one knee on the ground, the Empress said softly, "It is indeed my fault.I''m willing to receive any punishment you see fit." The Empress looked so calm, as though nothing had happened.


    The Emperor studied Empress Yuan Zhen before announcing his punishment. "Hand over your seal to Lady Shu temporarily. Hua Jing and you will be grounded for three months. My final decision will be made after three months." Then the Emperor stood and left in a huff.


    "Father..." Hua Jing looked resentful as she watched the Emperor leave.


    Lady Shu approached Yun Shang and said with a smile, "It is not very pleasant here. Why don''t you come to my Palace? I''ll have my maids cook mung bean soup for you. It will help you relax."


    Looking at the Empress timidly, Yun Shang spoke hesitantly, "I get up so early today that I feel very tired now. Defending myself has been very exhausting as well. I''d would prefer to just rest."


    Lady Shu stared at the young princess. "Well, under the circumstances, I won''t insist..." Then she turned and left with her servants. Yun Shang heard her mutter, "What an unappreciative girl."


    Yun Shang closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    "Mother, I''m sleepy. Please allow me to leave for the time being." Then she bobbed a quick curtsey and turned for Qinxin Hall.

 Chapter 15 The Coming-of-age Ceremony And A Gift

    Yun Shang didn''t wake up until noon the next day. She had barely finished her lunch when a sharp voice announced, "His Majesty is here..."


    Yun Shang stood up to welcome The Emperor. Although Emperor Ning was outside Qinxin Hall, his voice wafted into the chamber. "Shang''er, Master Wu Na said it is going to rain today, didn''t he? But the sun is shining brightly. And there is no sign of rain. Right?"


    Yun Shang went to greet The Emperor, "Don''t worry, Your Majesty. Master Wu Na told me there would be no rain until dusk."


    Emperor Ning went to the middle of the chamber, and sat on a chair. He sighed with a frown, "You went to Ning''guo Temple and brought back Master Wu Na''s holy decree. Though many people respect Master Wu Na, today is Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony. It is her right to have a proper ceremony. But everything has been cancelled just because of this holy decree. Though Hua Jing made a mistake yesterday, and has been under house arrest since, she is, after all, the Princess Royal in this country. Of course, it''s good if it rains later. But if it doesn''t, I''m afraid that some people will take this as an opportunity to find fault with you. Then, instead of blaming Master Wu Na, they would suspect that you designed all of this on purpose..."


    Yun Shang knelt on a chair and used her elbow to prop herself up on the table. She smiled as she looked at Emperor Ning. "To rain or not to rain? It''s just a matter of time. And, father, Master Wu Na mentioned that there should be no grand ceremony. Your Majesty can still hold a humble ceremony for sister. Perhaps you can release sister and mother, and invite a few senior officials and their family members? After all, a Coming-of-age Ceremony is important to a girl. Sister shouldn''t be treated shabbily."


    Emperor Ning looked at Yun Shang for a long while. Then he reached out with his hand to fondle her hair. He spoke in a gentle tone, "You are so grown up. And so quickly as well. Just in a short while, as fleeting as a blink you have become so intelligent."


    Yun Shang giggled and jumped from the chair. "Today is the Coming-of-age Ceremony for sister, a big day. I''ll wear my most beautiful dress. I cannot bring shame to mother and sister..." Your Majesty, please send your royal decree as soon as possible. Call anyone important to you to partake in sister''s ceremony."


    Emperor Ning was a little bit at a loss after hearing those words. Raising his eyebrows, he said, "Shang''er is capable enough to send her father, The Emperor on an errand?" He paused for a short while and, after checking his smile, he looked at Yun Shang, "Shang''er, did''t you feel angry yesterday when your sister blamed her own fault on you?"


    A ray of shimmer shone in Yun Shang''s eyes. She said with a smile, "Father, sister has always been nice to me. She must have done it for a reason that was out of her control. There is a saying. I cannot remember when I heard it, but I remember the saying. It goes, a family in peace generates auspiciousness. Your Majesty is so busy and so tired with affairs of the court, so sister and I must treat each other nicely and live in peace. We cannot let Your Majesty be worried."


    "A family in peace generates auspiciousness." Emperor Ning repeated it twice. Feeling an ache in his heart, he looked down at Yun Shang, "You are my good girl..." He smiled at Yun Shang, and then continued, "All right. I''ll give the order. You go and change your dress."


    Yun Shang swept a courtesy, "Take care, Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang returned into the chamber after Emperor Ning''s figure had faded into the distance. Qin Yi, who had been waiting by the side, frowned and said, "Your Imperial Highness, it was not easy to put Princess Hua Jing and Empress under house arrest. How can you help them be pardoned? Just one day has passed. It will be impossible to send them back once they are free."


    Yun Shang was sitting in front of the make-up table. She frowned as she looked at her petite reflection in the mirror. She sighed before speaking, "Do you really think they cannot be pardoned without my pleading? It''s just a matter of time. The Empress'' family is so influential in court. You still have no idea why Your Majesty came here today, right? The Grand Councilor must have played his part in convincing His Majesty to change his mind. If I plead as His Majesty wishes, he would think I''m a sensible girl, and he will feel sorry for how I have being wronged. But if I''m stubborn and let him down, he would think I''m vile."


    Qin Yi pondered for a little while. Then she said with a touch of emotion, "Your Imperial Highness, are you really eight years old? Why do I feel you are quite more


    sensible than I?"


    Yun Shang grinned and, instead of answering her question, she said, "Go and fetch that bright pink dress for me. I will wear it today."


    Qin Yi nodded and went to fetch the dress.


    Yun Shang stopped smiling innocently, and darkness flashed in her eyes. She had no forces to resort to, nor any person to depend on. That was her biggest impediment. But she would remember today, forever. Never would she pardon anyone from the Li family.


    "Your Imperial Highness, do you think this dress is a little too light in color? I think that crimson one is more beautiful." Qin Yi approached with the dress.


    Yun Shang saw from the reflection in the mirror that Qin Yi was staring at the two dresses in her hands, the bright pink one and the crimson one. She seemed unable to make a decision.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Today is Princess Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony. She likes crimson. I''d better not wear the same color."


    Qin Yi thought for a moment, and then put the crimson one aside. She came over with the bright pink one, and helped Yun Shang dress.


    When done with the dress, Yun Shang had the maid comb her hair into a bun. She had dozed off till she heard an eunuch. "Your Imperial Highness, the Coming-of-age Ceremony will be held on the Penglai Island in the Taiye Pond..."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Got it. I will be there on time."


    She lingered in the chamber until five o''clock in the afternoon. She was well prepared before she went to the Penglai Island with Qin Yi and Qin Meng. As soon as she set foot on the island, she got a glimpse of The Empress and Princess Hua Jing. There were already many people on the banquet. Three chairs had been prepared at the far end. The Empress and Princess Hua Jing were seated on either side of the chair prepared for Emperor Ning. It''s not surprising that Hua Jing had indeed worn a crimson robe for today. She seemed more joyous because of the color.


    Yun Shang looked at the surroundings before taking her seat at the end opposite from her father, mother and sister.


    Yun Shang had been barely sat down before Hua Jing''s spoke in a cold voice, "Our Princess Yun Shang went to Ning''guo Temple to pray for the people just a couple of days ago, and brought back Master Wu Na''s holy decree, which said it''s going to rain today. But as far as I can see, today''s weather has been excellent, a blue sky without a single cloud. I wonder on what part of Ning it is going to rain."


    Hearing this, some of the noble members and senior officials also chimed in, "That''s right. There''s no sign of rain today."


    But The Empress cut in coldly, "Jing''er, it''s time to get changed. Your Coming-of-age Ceremony will start as soon as His Majesty arrives. Go and change your dress."


    Hua Jing clenched her teeth to suppress her anger, and left with her maids in obedience to The Empress''s order.


    "His Majesty is here..." the singing tone of an eunuch alerted all to the arrival of The Emperor. All in attendance stood up to sweep a deep courtesy. Emperor Ning, in his dragon robe, walked to his chair. He turned and spoke, "Dear courtiers, today my eldest daughter, Hua Jing, will come of age, and I hold this Coming-of-age Ceremony for her on this island. Let''s celebrate for her."


    All guests swept another courtesy before they could sit down.


    The praiser invited for Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony was the granddaughter of the Grand Councilor, and therefore, Hua Jing''s cousin. She went to the middle, and looked at Hua Jing, who wore an outfit befitting a teenage-girl. Her hair had been styled in a two-ring bun, which signified that the girl was unmarried. Hua Jing swept a courtesy towards the people. The praiser took a comb from the tray held by a court maid, and started to comb Hua Jing''s hair.


    (*TN: A praiser is a female guest in a girl''s Coming-of-age Ceremony who helps the girl finish the ceremony by carrying out special rituals, all the while, praising the girl''s good behavior and qualities, and wishing her good luck.)


    After she was done with Princess Hua Jing''s hair, the Hand-washing Ritual began. The Grand Councilor''s wife and The Empress stood to help Hua Jing.


    (*TN: A Hand-washing Ritual begins with elderly people washing their hands before they help girls or boys comb their hair into a grown-up style.)


    The Grand Councilor''s wife took the handkerchief and hair pin presented by the maids, walked towards Hua Jing, and spoke words of blessing for Hua Jing. Then she inserted the hair pin into Hua Jing''s hair. It was at this moment, when everyone was speaking praises and blessings for Hua Jing that the sky began to darken. Before long, thunder roared across the heavens.

 Chapter 16 Rise To Fame

    "Eh, what''s wrong with the weather?" People whispered.


    Yun Shang smiled lightly. She bowed her head, reached for the pear on the table, and took a bite. Everything was the same as it was in her previous life, except for the mistake made by Hua Jing and Wu Na''s decree that she had brought back. Another small change had been the location of the Ceremony. Instead of holding it at Jinluan Hall, the ritual was now being carried out on Penglai Island. Since the celebration was not supposed to be grand, as per the decree, fewer people were in attendance. Beyond that, everything remained unchanged. Just as it was in her previous life, on the eve of the Ceremony, it had begun to thunder and rain.


    Emperor Ning was shocked but lit up with pleasure. He said," How correct our Master Wu Na has been! Thanks to Yun Shang''s unremitting pray for the people, it''s going to rain after such a long drought."


    Smiles animated the public''s faces and they all acclaimed repeatedly," Princess Yun Shang''s sincerity moved the Buddha, so it rains and this year, people can finally have a good harvest."


    Yun Shang smiled and ignored how infuriated Hua Jing looked. She said," We should thank Master Wu Na. I just conveyed his message and sister still got to hold her Coming-of-age Ceremony."


    Hua Jing hummed coldly as Yun Shang spoke. Then she left. The guests looked on in confusion. Yun Shang looked at the Empress and Emperor Ning. While The Emperor smiled sincerely, The Empress glared at Yun Shang, with hostility.


    Yun Shang lowered her head, and looked at her cup on the table. After a while, Hua Jing returned wearing a slip skirt. She showed off to the crowd and then gave a bow to The Empress and Emperor Ning.


    A maid approached with a hairpin. The Prime Minister''s wife took the hairpin and was about to express her felicitation when thunder resounded, and the skies opened up.


    "Oh my God. It''s raining..."


    Emperor Ning stood up excitedly and pushed aside the umbrella that had hurriedly been opened by the eunuch beside him. "Good rain! Good rain!" he said.


    All the ministers addressed The Emperor with a bow, and chants of ''Long live, Your Majesty!''


    Emperor Ning laughed loudly and said," Princess Yun Shang is meritorious in praying for rain. I have decided to raise her to the rank of Princess Hui Guo. I will also reward her with one red shawl skirt, one pink gilded thin yarn skirt, and one emerald Jasper hairpin.


    Yun Shang took a quick bow and said," It''s my honor, Your Majesty!"


    Hua Jing''s Coming-of-age Ceremony had been ruined. After Yun Shang''s award, the rain became so heavy that The Emperor ordered all guests to disperse.


    Upon returning to the Qinxin Hall, Qin Yi and Qin Meng laughed happily. "Your Highness, it''s said that the rank of Princess Hui Guo, which is also known as the highest rank among all princesses, has only ever been given to the Empress''s daughter. It''s truly amazing that you have received this title. It means you would also get a Princess Palace as well as a fief."


    Qin Yi laughed happily before remembering that Princess Yun Shang had been soaked in the rain. She stopped laughing and hurriedly said," Qin Meng, her Highness is wet. Prepare some bath water for her." Then she took out a clean cloak and went to Yun Shang," Your Highness, let me help you change out of your wet clothes."


    Yun Shang nodded. After Qin Meng left, she said to herself," My birth mother will be very happy when she learns of all that happened today."


    Qin Yi nodded in agreement. "Yes, only if you live happily, will the Lady be assured." After a


    brief pause, Qin Yi added," I saw the gloom on The Empress and Princess Hua Jing faces. I am concerned that they may do something bad to you."


    Yun Shang nodded and whispered," I know that they didn''t scheme something awful before because I was no threat to them. After what happened today, I know that they will not wait any longer. Today, I was named Princess Hui Guo and took the honor meant for Hua Jing. They will not tolerate such humiliation. They will find it easier to kill me in a bid to spare all future troubles while I am still young."


    Qin Yi frowned and sighed," Your Highness, we are incapable of striking back. When the Princess Palace is finished, let''s move there."


    Yun Shang smiled at her and said," Are you pulling my leg? Did you ever see a royal girl move to the Princess Palace before getting married? Don''t worry, let''s wait and see what happens."


    "As you say, Your Highness. You asked me to pay more attention to the people that work here. The other day, I found that a maid called Ya Qing who was working in the kitchen, left Qinxin Hall. I did not follow her as I didn''t want to alert her. So, Your Highness, do you think the Empress is conspiring with someone in the kitchen? If so, Your Highness, you should be more vigilant of the foods served to you." Qin Yi whispered to Yun Shang, who then took a moment to think about all that she had heard.


    "I understand. Besides the people in the kitchen, I am concerned about the people around me. Lin and you were taken away by the Empress''s servants. The Empress was extremely careful and couldn''t only bring two maids with her. I wonder whether Qin Meng and Yun, who I had chosen along with Lin, had also been taken away by the Empress''s men and coerced into spying for the Empress. However, only you and Lin told me about your ordeals, so I''m afraid..."


    "So, your Highness, do you suspect Qin Meng?" Qin Yi frowned, the innocent and ignorant face of Qin Meng flashed through her mind," But Qin Meng isn''t the sort of person who is secretive about things. Besides, your Highness, you have used the fire to eliminate the spies that the Empress had arranged so painstakingly. So it is impossible for them to fight back quickly."


    Yun Shang smiled," Do not underestimate the Empress. Just because I eliminated her spies, doesn''t mean she cannot buy-off my servants. As for Qin Meng..." Yun Shang paused briefly," It would be better if the Empress hadn''t picked her up. If she did, Qin Meng is obviously serving for her now and she disguises herself so well. If so, I would admire such a good spy."


    "Your Highness, here comes your bath water." The lively voice of Qin Meng floated in from outside. Yun Shang hid her pensive expression. She turned and saw Qin Meng open the curtain, followed by four maids carrying buckets.


    Yun Shang said with a smile," Why do I always have a feeling that Qin Meng is more like a child than I am?"


    Qin Meng hastily walked up to Yun Shang and said," Your Highness, I can''t agree more with you. You seem to be only eight years old, but you look like an adult who is princess-like."


    Qin Yi looked at Qin Meng for a while, and then tittered," She is the princess. There''s no doubt that she''s princess-like."


    Qin Meng rushed to explain," I mean she is as level-headed as an adult."


    "I understand. The bath water has been prepared. Your Highness, let''s clean you before the water turns cold." Qin Yi and Qin Meng held Yun Shang together to the bath bucket and helped her shower.


    Since it was late, after putting on clean clothes and finishing her dinner, Yun Shang went to bed.

 Chapter 17 Sudden Illness

    Qin Meng''s voice rang through Qinxin Hall just as the morning sun shone. She asked," Qin Yi, do you think that we should wake the Princess earlier today? Since Princess Yun Shang received a title last night, by convention, consorts below the highest rank will come to congratulate her after breakfast this morning. However, the Princess is fond of her sleep and doesn''t wake up until lunch. Wouldn''t it be improper if the Princess is still sleeping when the consorts arrive?


    Qin Yi thought about it and replied," Let''s prepare some food first, and get the toiletries ready. Then we can send some people to wait outside for the consorts, who will most likely arrive after they greet the Queen and finish breakfast. We can wake up the Princess when we see the consorts coming from the other side of the lake. Since the view is clear from here, we will have enough time. Let the Princess sleep as much as possible.


    Qin Meng nodded and walked joyfully out of the gate to inform the servants to prepare the water. Qin Yi smiled at her retreating figure and turned around. She wanted to ask the kitchen to cook some porridge but suddenly, she stopped and thought to herself, ''By convention, from among the several Princesses of Emperor Ning, Princess Yun Shang was the first to receive such a title. How would Qin Meng know that the Princesses with lower ranks than the Princess Yun Shang, would come to greet and congratulate her? Qin Meng didn''t seem to care for these things earlier.''


    Qin Yi frowned and thought for a long time but just couldn''t figure out what the problem was. She only felt that there seemed to be something wrong with Qin Meng.


    Just as she had finished her tasks, Qin Yi heard the eunuch outside the door speaking," Qin Yi, I see some people coming from the other side of the river."


    Qinxin Hall was relatively remote, and there were very few people coming and going. It must be the consorts coming to congratulate the Princess. Thinking about it, Qin Yi instructed the eunuch," Go and bring all the things that have been prepared. I will use them when the Princess gets up. Then she opened the curtains and entered the inner hall.


    The inner hall was very quiet. Qin Yi took a look at the lump on the bed hidden behind the mosquito net and smiled. She went to open the windows and whispered," Your highness, it''s time to get up."


    Having called twice but receiving no response, she shook her head. Princess Yun Shang was smart and lovely, but her only shortcoming was that she loved to sleep late. Qin Yi approached the bed, opened the mosquito net and leaned over. She tried to hold Yun Shang to sit her up, but she found that the body of the little girl was burning hot.


    Shocked, she quickly checked Yun Shang''s face, and noticed that she was red and her forehead was hot as well.


    "Help! The Princess is feverish. Call the imperial physicians now¡­"


    "What? The Princess is having a fever?" Came the voice of Qin Meng from outside. She rushed inside and checked the princess. "How come does she has such a high fever? I will call the Imperial Physician right away¡­" Although she had disappeared, she could still be heard in the inner hall.


    Several palace maids and eunuchs rushed inside after they heard Qin Yi''s cry for help. Qin Yi thought it over and commanded," Lin, send a few palace maids to inform the consorts who are coming that the Princess has caught a cold after getting wet in the rain yesterday and that she won''t be able to meet them. We don''t want to risk spreading her sickness. Tell them to come over another day. And just stay in Qinxin Hall. If any consort inside, explain to them as well. Others, go and bring some hot water.


    Everyone nodded at her instructions and went out to do the


    ir jobs. It was some time before Qin Meng came in along with an old man with a white beard. She said," Qin Yi, the imperial physician is here."


    Qin Yi promptly sat Yun Shang up and walked towards the physician. "Please come and have a look. What is wrong with the Princess? Her body is burning hot and her face is red¡­"


    The physician sat at the Princess''s bedside. He checked her pulse and said," Princess Hui Guo has caught a cold after getting wet in the rain yesterday. She has a high fever which should be brought down as soon as possible. Tell some people to bring some alcohol to wipe her and I will give a prescription. You should send someone to the Imperial Hospital to get the medicine, then decoct the medicine, and feed it to the Princess.


    Qin Meng nodded and spoke," Qin Yi, you take care of the Princess. I will get some people to bring the medicine, and I will fetch some alcohol." She stood besides the Physician as she spoke, and handed him the pen and some ink. She rushed out the door as soon as the Physician had finished writing.


    Yun Shang''s fever finally broke in the afternoon. Emperor Ning came to visit and asked Qin Yi and Qin Meng to take good care of her. He left when he was satisfied that the Princess was feeling better.


    When the lamps were lighted, Qin Meng, leaning on the chair and stared at Qin Yi, who had been constantly wiping Yun Shang''s body with alcohol. She yawned and said to Qin Yi," You have been working all day. Go and get some rest. I will take care of the Princess."


    Qin Yi smiled," Well, you have been yawning all day as well. I''d better watch the Princess since she is still feverish. You go to sleep first and take over my job tomorrow morning when her fever reduces more."


    Qin Meng considered Qin Yi''s proposition and nodded: "Okay, thank you for your hard work. Tomorrow I will get up early for sure." Yawning, she opened the curtains and walked out.


    Qin Yi continued to wipe Yun Shang''s body with alcohol for a little while longer. When she raised her head, she saw Yun Shang is staring at the top of the bed.


    "You are awake, Your Highness?" She said with joy. "You just scared me to death. Still feeling sick?"


    Yun Shang heard the voice, rolled her eyes, and looked at Qin Yi," I have a sore throat and my body aches. What happened to me?


    Qin Yi walked to the table and poured some water for the Princess. "Drink some hot water first, Your Highness. You got a cold due to your exposure to the rain yesterday. I noticed that your body was burning hot in the morning, so I called for the physician. You have been asleep the whole day. What happened to you today, really scared me. By the way, the medicine is still on the stove. You should drink some water first, Your Highness. I will bring you the medicine.


    Yun Shang sat up. Her whole body felt sore. Frowning, she took the water glass handed by Qin Yi. Just as Qin Yi turned to get the medicine, she heard a noise. When she opened the curtains, she saw two people standing outside.


    "Ahhh¡­" Qin Yi couldn''t help but let out a cry of fear.


    "Hmm? What happened, Qin Yi?" Yun Shang turned to look at the doorway and saw two people walking inside, both of whom were in black cloaks with their faces covered. When they entered the room, the person in front pulled aside the cloak, and her delicate face was revealed.


    "¡­ Mother?" To her surprise, the person was Lady Jin, who lived in the Cold Palace and didn''t have much freedom to go in and out. How did she make it to Qinxin Hall?


    Lady Jin smiled, walked to the bedside, and sat down. Qin Yi brought a cup of tea for her and asked," Your Majesty, why did you come here? The hall is filled with spies arranged by Empress Yuan Zhen. If someone sees you¡­"

 Chapter 18 Lady Jins Plan

    Noticing that Yun Shang was staring at her, Lady Jin chuckled," Fear not, I heard from others that Shang''er had fallen into a coma after catching a cold. I was quite worried. That''s why I came by." As she spoke, she turned to the person behind her," Madam Zheng, come here and check if Shang''er is alright."


    The person who followed Lady Jin lifted her cape and approached the bed. Yun Shang recognized her as the old lady who had opened the gate for her when she visited Lady Jin at the Cold Palace.


    Lady Jin noticed the curious look on Yun Shang''s face and said," Shang''er, do not underestimate Madam Zheng. Her medical skills could rival that of any Imperial Physician in the Palace. I''ve been healthy all these years all because of Madam Zheng. Shang''er, show her your hand. Let Madam Zheng feel your pulse."


    Yun Shang nodded. Of all the people in the Palace, she knew the one person she didn''t have to doubt was her mother. Lady Jin had learned of Yun Shang''s sickness and had come to check on her despite all the danger. Yun Shang lamented having hurt Lady Jin so much in her previous life. The young Princess felt comfort in the knowledge that Lady Jin had informers around the Palace. How else could she have known that Yun Shang had fallen ill so quickly? While others planted spies for malicious reasons, Lady Jin had done so because she cared about her daughter. Along with the comfort, this conclusion brought a tinge of sadness. In Yun Shang''s previous life, she had spoken poorly of her mother openly. Lady Jin must have known all the heartless words uttered by her. Yun Shang now thought herself despicable.


    Madam Zheng gently put her hand on Yun Shang''s wrist. After a while, she exclaimed in surprise," Your Highness, the Princess was poisoned."


    "What, poisoned?" The three other people in the room were startled by this revelation.


    Lady Jin''s expression changed to worry. Looking at Madam Zheng, she said," How could it be poison? I thought she caught a cold and that her body was hot because of the fever. Madam, do you know what poison was used? Do you have a cure?"


    Madam Zheng frowned as she spoke," The Princess was probably poisoned by oleander. Her poisoning was not serious, so it will be easy to cure. Take two maces of ginseng and mondo grass, one mace of magnolia-vine, boil twice with water, mix them up, and take it in two separate doses. Although the poisoning looks like a cold or a fever, anyone with above average medical knowledge would be able to tell the difference by feeling her pulse. This shouldn''t have been treated as a fever. Perhaps the Imperial Physician was bribed to say it was. If the Princess asks for the herbs herself, they will be suspicious..."


    The magnitude of the situation finally dawned on Qin Yi. Feeling shocked, she said," But how was the Princess poisoned? I have always been careful with the Princess'' utensils and tableware. How did people find the opportunity?"


    Upon hearing this, Madam Zheng checked Yun Shang''s body again thoroughly and said," I suppose the poison was mixed in the bathwater the Princess used. I examined the Princess thoroughly just now. Although she was wiped over with antiseptic alcohol which covered up the smell of oleander completely, I was able to smell traces of oleander in the Princess'' hair, behind her ears, and on her neck."


    "Bathwater?" Qin Yi quickly thought back to the previous night and exclaimed in surprise," It''s Qin Meng!"


    Qin Yi quickly narrated the events before Yun Shang''s illness. "Yesterday, it was Qin Meng who prepared the bathwater. After the Princess told me that Qin Meng seemed suspicious, I paid extra attention to her actions. This morning, it was Qin Meng who reminded me that once the Princess received her title, many concubines would come by to congratulate her. She asked me to serve the Princess. That Imperial Physician was sent for by Qin Meng as well. He had instructed me to wipe the Princess''s body with alcohol. It must have been Qin Meng''s scheme to add oleander in the bathwater and then bribe a Physician and trick me to cover the evidence with alcohol..."


    "Yes..." Qin Yi suddenly thought of something else and added hastily," What about the medicine? I''ll find the medicine prescribed by the Physician so that Madam Zheng can have a look." She walked out as she finished her sentence.


    Lady Jin frowned and sighed. "I didn''t expect Li Yiran to be malicious. Years ago, I didn''t want to fight with her and voluntarily left for the Cold Palace hoping that she would be assured and not scheme to harm Shang''er. I never thought that she still wouldn''t let go..."


    Yun Shang smiled and reassured Lady Jin," Mother, it is not your fault..."


    Lady Jin still blamed herself," It is my fault. You wouldn''t have suffered if I hadn''t been so weak. I didn''t get to take care of you since you were taken away from me. And all this time, you''ve had to watch your back by yourself. One careless step and you could lose your life. Thinking about what you''ve endured all these years breaks my heart."


    Yun Shang felt warmth rising in her heart. Even though she had seen Lady Jin only a few times, her concern and genuine sorrow were heartening. Yun Shang could not help but feel a lump in her throat. All this time she had cursed her mother without knowing how Lady Jin truly felt.


    "Madam, here''s the medicine. Please take a look and see if there''s anything wrong..." Qin Yi c


    ould be heard even before she lifted the curtain and stepped inside. The bowl of medicine in her hand was still steaming as she walked in.


    Madam Zheng took a deep breath, frowned, and said," I don''t need to look. I can smell it already." She turned around," There is oleander juice in this medicine, and from the smell, it''s a substantial dose."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi''s face turned pale. "What a sinister plan! If it weren''t for Lady Jin and Madam Zheng, I would have brought this medicine to the Princess. If the Princess takes this..."


    Madam Zheng calmly interrupted," If she drinks this bowl of medicine, I''m afraid the Princess wouldn''t live past tomorrow morning." She let out a sigh as she spoke," Empress Yuan Zhen is indeed devious. She first made the Princess bathe in water mixed with oleander. Adding so much water to the oleander juice would certainly weaken the effect. Besides, she was only bathing, so instead of taking her life, the poison wouldn''t do anything more than induce a fever and a coma, which then created the opportunity for an Imperial Physician to look after the Princess and add more oleander juice in the medicine. If something went wrong, they could just claim that the Princess was too weak to withstand the fevers..."


    Yun Shang laughed mildly with a bit of self-deprecation. She thought she had been extremely careful, and that she could defeat Empress Yuan Zhen and Hua Jing. She did not expect to almost lose her life. Clearly she underestimated the Empress and her power in the Palace.


    Lady Jin''s face also changed," I remember Li Yiran to be a smart woman. I didn''t think she would use such schemes against people in the Imperial Household. Madam, how can we get the herbs to cure Shang''er?"


    Madam Zheng paced back and forth in the bedroom for a while and eventually said," In this Palace, it''s almost impossible to sneak in the herbs and prepare them for the Princess without anyone noticing..."


    Lady Jin stood up right away," What? Then what should we do? Perhaps we can have another one of our maids pretend to be sick, so that she can go the the Imperial Physicians, seek these herbs, and deliver them to us. We can boil them and deliver the medicine to Shang''er, right?"


    Madam Zheng shook her head and said," My Lady, tell me, would a sick Palace maid be needing ginseng?"


    Lady Jin sat down despondently. Yun Shang quickly took Lady Jin''s hand and smiled," Mother, don''t worry. The Madam told us, didn''t she? I was only slightly poisoned. The dose was so small that it won''t kill me. At most there''s some more pain. I''ll be fine and I will get through it. Mother, please be at ease. I will be alright."


    Madam Zheng closely observed Yun Shang. She was filled with admiration for this brave young girl. She thought a bit more and said," The best plan right now would be to send the Princess out of the Palace..."


    "Out of the Palace?" Lady Jin stayed silent as she thought. She then looked up at Yun Shang and said," Even though I wouldn''t want to leave you, but at this point, leaving the Palace is actually not a bad idea. I am well aware that you received your title and reward, and I feel happy for you. But I am afraid this is the exact reason why the Empress won''t leave you alone. The higher you climb, the more of a threat you are to her. She will definitely get rid of you before you are fully in power."


    Lady Jin sighed," I heard everything about you through Qin Yi, and I think you are a smart girl. But no matter how smart you are, you cannot confront Li Yiran in your current state. Her cunningness aside, she has spies in every Hall and every Palace. Her father was the revered Grand Chancellor of the previous dynasty. Do you know, Shang''er, why Hua Jing and the Empress were grounded only for one day after setting you up? That''s because there was a military revolt in the Northwest. Li Yiran''s brother is the Chief Commander of the Northwest garrison. Your father, the Emperor, needs to rely on the Li clan..."


    Yun Shang sighed," The Empress'' family wields so much power, and the Emperor is just going to allow it?"


    Lady Jin frowned and lowered her voice," Shang''er, be careful what you say. If others heard you, they would accuse you of dissent. It''s taboo for the Empress'' family to hold power, but even if we want to eradicate the Li clan, it''s not the right time. We need to wait..."


    "As long as the Li clan has its hold on the court, Li Yiran''s authority cannot be challenged. Shang''er, you will not be able to overthrow her at this time. In the Palace, you certainly won''t be safe. It''s better that you leave the Palace. Although your grandfather retired from politics, his friends have many talents. The things that the Empress wouldn''t allow you to learn in the Palace can be learned if you get out. If you can learn all these skills from your grandfather''s friends, then my Shang''er, you might become the most talented woman in the world."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and thought for a long time. Finally, she let out a gentle sigh. Her mother was right. She was only eight years old, and she had no power of her own. She was limited everywhere in this Palace. If she got out, it would be a good way for her to cultivate her own influence.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang nodded at last," I will obey mother''s arrangements. But how shall I sneak out of the Palace?"


    Lady Jin''s face lit up with a smile," Leave that to your mother."

 Chapter 19 Master Wu Nas Visit

    The next morning, Qin Meng came in early just as she had promised," Qin Yi, is the Princess awake?"


    Qin Yi turned around. She followed Qin Meng''s stare and noticed that her eyes were firmly fixed on the bowl of cold medicine on top of the bedside stool. A flicker of hatred passed through Qin Yi''s eyes. However, she did not behave any differently," She did wake up last night, and the fever subsided. But when I brought the medicine for the Princess, she would not drink it no matter what, saying that it was too bitter. It was in the middle of the night, and I couldn''t find any candied fruit. I didn''t know what to do..."


    Qin Meng listened and smiled," Is the Princess still asleep? You''ve been caring for her the entire night. You must be really tired. You should get some rest. Since the Princess is not up yet, I''ll boil the medicine again, and prepare some candied fruit. When the Princess wakes up, I can serve her the medicine."


    Qin Yi''s eyes turned to Yun Shang who was in bed. She nodded after a while," I appreciate your kindness. I''ll go get some rest then." As she spoke, she turned and left the inner hall.


    Qin Meng watched Qin Yi exit. Then she quickly turned and ran to the bedside. She held up Yun Shang and brought the medicine to her mouth, hoping to feed her. Yun Shang seemed to be dreaming. In her disturbed sleep, her body would not stay still. Qin Meng tried several times but still could not make Yun Shang drink the medicine.


    Qin Meng frowned and put the medicine back. She stared at Yun Shang for a while before she laid her body down. Then she stood up and walked out with the medicine. As soon as Qin Meng left, Yun Shang opened her eyes. Her suspicions had just been confirmed.


    A moment later, Qin Meng returned. Seeing that Yun Shang was still asleep, she waited by her side. It was almost noon when she heard the Princess murmur before finally waking.


    Qin Meng was taken by surprise. She immediately bowed and asked," Princess, are you awake? I''ll fetch your medicine..."


    She quickly ran out of the inner hall.


    Yun Shang opened her eyes. She smiled disdainfully at the maid''s silhouette. She had suspected many people before, but she always felt that Qin Meng was too straightforward to hide any schemes. That was why Yun Shang never wanted to suspect her, but she did not expect...


    Now Qin Meng had finally shown her true motives.


    "Princess! Princess. Here''s the medicine. When I came in this morning, I was worried that the medicine had gone cold. So I kept it warm over the stove. It''s just the right temperature for you to drink it." The sound made by lifting the curtains was followed by Qin Meng''s voice.


    "It''s bitter, I don''t want to drink it." Yun Shang frowned and turned away in disgust. Defiance was written all over her face.


    Qin Meng sat down by the bed with a smile, coaxing the Princess," Good medicine is often bitter, but it''s good for your health. I knew the Princess would hate the bitter taste, so I took some candied fruit when I passed by the. Drink this and have some candied fruit. Then it won''t be bitter at all."


    "Humph," Yun Shang grumbled. "Liar. When I was sick before, the maids said the same thing. But when I tried it, the trick didn''t work at all!"


    Qin Meng was just about to answer, but Yun Shang interrupted," I am a Princess. I said I don''t want to drink it, and I mean it. Qin Yi... Lin..." Yun Shang suddenly raised her voice and cried out.


    "Yes, Princess!" The curtains were pulled open. Lin walked in, approached the bed, and bowed before Yun Shang," Princess, is there anything I can do for you?"


    Yun Shang cocked her head and thought for a moment," I want to eat shrimp omelette. Have the kitchen make so


    me. I want big shrimps."


    Lin quickly answered," That''s not a good idea, princess. You are still ill. You shouldn''t eat something so heavily flavored. Why don''t you allow me to have some red bean porridge made for you?"


    Yun Shang pouted," No. Why porridge? It''s so bland. If I can''t eat shrimp omelette, then I''ll have fried crab cakes."


    Lin shook her head," Princess, do you want to stay in bed like this all the time?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. Lin continued," If the Princess doesn''t want that, then please listen to my advice. You can''t have shrimps or crabs. No other meat is allowed either. I believe it''s best for you to have some porridge."


    Before Yun Shang could reply, Qin Meng interjected," Yes. Lin is right. If the Princess wishes a speedy recovery, she should take her medicine on time as well..."


    A sardonic glimmer flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes. Qin Meng was indeed looking for any chance she could find. As Yun Shang was about to speak, a voice could be heard from outside," The Emperor has arrived..."


    "My father! The Emperor is here!" Yun Shang was delighted. She raised her head and looked towards the entrance curtain. As the curtain was pulled open, she called out," Father, father. Did you bring me something delicious to eat?"


    A figure dressed in purple walked past the curtain. It was Emperor Ning in his casual attire. He was followed by another man dressed in a monk''s robe. His long white beard gave him an unearthly aura.


    Yun Shang froze for a second. This man, if she remembered correctly, was Master Wu Na from Ning''guo Temple. She had seen him twice at the Ning''guo Temple in her previous life, but... Why was he here? And why did the Emperor bring him here?


    "I see your illness does not look serious. Although your face seems pale, you are still asking me for treats, so you must be fine. Master Wu Na is here. Look at you. Don''t make a fool of yourself in front of the Master..." Emperor Ning laughed as he sat down beside Yun Shang. Both, Qin Meng and Lin had fallen to their knees the moment the Emperor entered.


    Yun Shang smiled back," How could I know that Master Wu Na was coming. I thought it was just you, father. Good to see you, Master. Last time, the Master said that there would be rain on the seventeenth, and then it really did rain. Master Wu Na is quite impressive."


    Master Wu Na put his palms together in a Buddhist salute," Amitabha, the Princess has a connection with the Buddha. Therefore, the Buddha cares for you. The Buddha in his earnestness prayed for the Princess, so here we meet again under this circumstance."


    Emperor Ning listened carefully. Then he looked at Yun Shang. With a smile, he turned to Wu Na," The Master has met Shang''er now. Now can you tell me the reason for your sudden visit to the Palace? You startled me. Asking to see Shang''er without saying anything else..."


    "Huh?" Yun Shang was surprised. She had no relations with the Master whether in her previous life or in this one. She met him no more than twice before she died. The first time, he provided divination for her. At the Coming-of-age Ceremonies of royal children, people would invite renowned priests or monks to divine the children''s fates. Yun Shang remembered that it was Wu Na who divined for her in her previous life. Wu Na surmised for her after the ritual that she would "experience seven sufferings, and start from the beginning."


    Yun Shang was astonished. In her previous life, she simply thought this comment to be inauspicious and forgot about it soon afterwards. She now recalled that everything was exactly as the Master had predicted. This man could not be underestimated.


    Yet, Master Wu Na came to the Palace today. What was he here for?

 Chapter 20 A Silver Lining

    Master Wu Na smiled, looked at Yun Shang, and said," It wasn''t a cold. This illness is an accident written in Her Highness''s predestined fate. Although the Princess is favored by the Buddha, this time, however, she leaked the design of God, for which she was punished. I''ve foreseen that, and I come here only to save her."


    "An inexorable doom, you mean?" When Emperor Ning heard this, his face became very serious. His eyes scanned the faces of others present in the room, from Yun Shang to Master Wu Na. Then he asked," Is there any solution, Master?"


    Wu Na nodded," The solution is simple, but Her Highness will have to endure some hardship. Her Highness needs to live in Ning''guo temple for a while. Our temple is a sacred place graced by Buddha, which will protect Her Highness from any disaster."


    Startled, Yun Shang raised her eyes and took a quick glance at Master Wu Na, but she saw the expression on his face to be calm and solemn, and what he had said was not like a false statement. Yun Shang thought to herself, maybe this was the chance to sneak out of the Palace just as Lady Jin had mentioned.


    But how did her mother get in contact with Master Wu Na? It took half a day to travel from Ning''guo temple to the Palace in a carriage, or two hours by horse. Perhaps Lady Jin had sent for Master Wu Na the night before her visit?


    Master Wu Na continued," Her Highness'' illness is more serious than it looks. If it is not cured in time, Her Highness will suffer from the lingering effects. After which Her Highness will never recover, I''m afraid. But if she can have some quiet cultivation in the temple, she still stands a chance to recover. "


    Emperor Ning frowned and thought for a long time, then he asked," How long will it take?"


    Master Wu Na thought for a while before answering," I am not sure now. To know that, I have to call the elders in the temple to do divination before Buddha. If there is a result, Your Majesty will be informed immediately. I will take good care of Her Highness. Besides, Mr. Yuanshan* and I are good friends, I wouldn''t do any harm to Her Highness for his sake."


    (*TN: Faraway mountains.)


    Emperor Ning nodded," You have my trust, Master." The Emperor contemplated for a while, then turned to Yun Shang, who was looking at them in confusion. "Shang''er, what say you? Do you want to stay at the Ning''guo temple for some time?"


    Yun Shang pouted," I will. Though I can''t fully understand the conversation between father and Master Wu Na, but I know that you were talking about my illness, and I will have to stay at the temple for a couple of days to recover. I don''t want to stay in bed the rest of my life, so I will go. But, father, I''ve heard that meat is not allowed in temples?"


    Emperor Ning laughed," My Shang''er is such a foodie. Be assured, you have father''s permission. If you ever want to eat meat, you can have your maid buy some for you from the outside. But only take one maid with you. The temple is a quiet place for cultivation, and it''s not good to bring too many people."


    Then he turned to Wu Na," When do you leave, Master?"


    Master Wu Na chanted Amitabha Buddha before he spoke," The sooner the better. Her Highness can''t afford any delay. Your Majesty can have people pack for Her Highness now. I''ll wait outside."


    Yun Shang quickly ordered," Lin, tell Qin Yi to pack my belongings. We can''t keep Master Wu Na waiting."


    With that, Lin hurried away. Yun Shang glanced at Qin Meng. The maid looked puzzled, as if this sud


    den change had interrupted her plans, and she was at a loss.


    Emperor Ning sighed," Shang''er, I don''t want you to leave, but it''s about your health. So I have to agree. You should behave when you live there. And when you live there, you can''t be attended to as if you were living in your Palace. You will have to suffer a bit..."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes, and quietly spoke," I know, father. I am not afraid. If I have to do this all over again, I would still pray for rain for our people. Father, please take good care of yourself when I am away. Don''t work too hard with the memorials*, make sure you eat and sleep on time."


    (*TN: A memorial to the throne was an official communication to the Emperor of China. They were generally careful essays in Classical Chinese and their presentation was a formal affair directed by government officials.)


    The Emperor nodded," I will."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded," Father, please take care of the affairs of the State. I don''t want you to watch me leave, lest I will cry. I may be away for a while, but I will return."


    Emperor Ning nodded, and turned to Master Wu Na," Master, we can wait in Qinzheng Hall while Shang''er is packing. I also have some other questions that need your opinion."


    Then, the Emperor led Master Wu Na out.


    After Emperor Ning left, Qin Meng straightened herself, and walked up to Yun Shang''s bed," Your Highness! Take me with you to Ning''guo temple, please! It''s so boring there. I can tell you many jokes and tales to relieve you from the boredom!"


    Yun Shang smiled, and thought to herself, that Qin Meng was indeed quick-minded. She ordered," Life at Ning''guo temple must be plain. I don''t want someone who could only talk with me there. I want someone who can cook delicacies for me, who can take good care of me. You are too young for that. You need to stay in the Palace. I''ll take Qin Yi with me."


    Qin Yi entered the chamber just as they were talking, and said," Your Highness, Lin has given me your orders. I''ll start packing."


    Yun Shang nodded," Father has told me to bring only one maid with me. Are you willing to come? The monastic life is poor and simple. And I want you to know that before you make your decision."


    Qin Yi smiled," What are you talking about, Your Highness? I will follow you everywhere. I''ve already survived all kinds of hardship before I came to serve you, Your Highness. Be assured that I will be just fine at the temple."


    "Good. Everyone hurry up. Let''s not keep Master Wu Na waiting. Qin Meng, you and Lin will do the packing. Qin Yi, you stay here with me." Qin Meng dared not disobey Yun Shang. Even though she was unwilling, she had to quietly retreat.


    "Qin Yi, did my mother send for Master Wu Na? I also heard the Master speak of a Mr. Yuanshan. Who is that?" Yun Shang drew her closer, and asked what had been bothering her.


    Qin Yi smiled," I don''t know whether Lady Jin sent for Master Wu Na. But I know Mr. Yuanshan. Your Highness, your grandfather''s name is Xiao Yuanshan. Don''t you remember?"


    Yun Shang seemed confused a moment. Then she smiled. "I forgot that."


    "By the way, Qin Yi, what about Lady Jin? Will something bad happen to her if I just go away like this? What if there''s no one taking care of her?" Yun Shang hurriedly asked.


    Qin Yi shook her head, and smiled," Your Highness, be assured. Her Highness isn''t that weak. And someone is taking care of her secretly. Her Highness will be fine."


    "I see." Yun Shang nodded," Then I am relieved."

 Chapter 21 Family Reunion

    The carriage creaked and swayed. Yun Shang lay inside with her eyes closed. She was immersed in her thoughts. It had been nearly a month since she had been reborn as her younger self. With the help of her memories from her previous life, Yun Shang had struck and prevailed a few times. However, she had completely lost the last contest and had been forced to flee the Royal Palace.


    She would have been dead by now if her mother hadn''t come to her rescue.


    ''Steady on, now, '' Yun Shang sighed and thought to herself. She had been driven by nothing but hatred ever since her rebirth. She had jumped to her plan for vengeance without thinking things through. She had obviously forgotten that, at this point, she was not strong enough to fight back.


    So far, she had neither a plan nor her own trusted men to support her. Under these circumstances, all her actions would be equivalent to committing suicide. Luckily, she had come to her senses just in time to make remedies. Now that her mother had tried all means to escort her out of the Royal Palace, she would seize the precious opportunity to get all the preparation work done.


    ''Empress Yuan Zhen and Princess Hua Jing, wait for me to return and take back everything you owe me.''


    It had passed noon when the carriage finally stopped. Holding Qin Yi''s hands for support, Yun Shang got off the carriage. Looking up, she saw stone steps leading to the front door of the Ning''guo Temple. Yun Shang then followed Master Wu Na into the temple.


    Wu Na led the way and didn''t stop until they saw a small yard located at the foot of the hills behind the Temple. He said to Yun Shang, "This is the residence that we prepared for Princess Hui Guo. May she enjoy a quiet retreat here in the days to come."


    As Wu Na introduced the surroundings, Yun Shang noticed a monk approaching with a young girl. Yun Shang couldn''t help staring at the little girl. She was about the same height as Yun Shang and even looked quite like her.


    "Master, who is she?" Yun Shang frowned, having no idea what Wu Na intended.


    With a sly grin, Wu Na replied, "She is going to be Princess Hui Guo, the Princess who lives here..."


    Yun Shang thought over the Master''s words. ''Is going to...''


    Yun Shang thought she had an idea of where the Master was headed. "Is she my replacement?" she asked.


    Wu Na nodded and turned to Qin Yi, "You''d better stay and attend to Princess Hui Guo." He looked at Yun Shang again and said, "Now if you''d like follow me this way, Mr. Yuanshan has been waiting for you for quite a while."


    Who on earth was Mr. Yuanshan?


    Yun Shang paused in surprise. She then recalled Qin Yi had mentioned it to her earlier that day. Though she never had a chance to meet him in person in her previous life, Yun Shang had been led to believe that Mr. Y


    uanshan was her grandfather. Thinking of that, Yun Shang ordered Qin Yi, "Stay here. Send me a message if something is wrong."


    Qin Yi was a clever girl. She immediately understood Wu Na''s plan and played along, "Yes, I know what to do. Don''t worry, Princess. I''ll make sure that everything is under control here."


    Yun Shang hummed her approval. She looked over Qin Yi''s shoulder. She stared at the girl for a long while before turning back to Wu Na and said, "After you, Master Wu Na."


    Wu Na led Yun Shang through a lush bamboo forest. In the middle of the forest, she saw a few huts. They had hardly reached the huts when they saw a man standing outside in the small clearing. The man looked to be in his forties and wore a simple black linen long gown. Yun Shang couldn''t see the man''s face clearly because of the distance. However, from the unique charisma he exuded, despite being so casual, she knew for certain that he was by no means as ordinary a man as he appeared to be.


    The man seemed to notice both Wu Na and Yun Shang in no time. He walked slowly towards them and stopped in front of Yun Shang. She noticed that he was smiling at her. Yun Shang stopped as well and looked at the handsome man before her. Though he was not young anymore, age had hardly left traces on his face. And the maturity added more flavors to his charm. As they made eye contact, Yun Shang recognized him. She was too excited to speak up. They stared at each other silently until Yun Shang let out a smile and called out, "Grandfather."


    The man beamed and replied, "There you are, Shu Jin''s little girl. You look just like her when she was little, so pretty and so clever."


    Yun Shang looked up at the man and couldn''t help grinning as well. She felt so thrilled to be reunited with her grandfather.


    Xiao Yuanshan stepped forward and lifted Yun Shang, "You''ve grown up. You were just a tiny little newborn baby last time I saw you."


    He then turned to Wu Na and said, "I owe you a big one. How about I give you a three-pieces head start next time we play Go?"


    Yun Shang looked back at Wu Na curiously, and was surprised when he answered calmly, "I have violated my precepts. I brought the Princess out of the Royal Palace by lying. And you want to make it up to me with only three pieces? That will be far too easy for you. Next time you come here, bring me a pot of refined peach blossom wine and we are even."


    Xiao Yuanshan raised his eyebrow, "Depraved." He then carried Yun Shang into the yard while warning her, "Shang''er, let''s pay no attention to him. There''s no truth coming out of his mouth. I don''t see how he could deceive so many people."


    Leaning against Xiao Yuanshan''s shoulder docilely, Yun Shang found the inner peace that she had long been searching for. So she muttered softly, "I know."

 Chapter 22 Grown Up

    Seven years later.


    In a small town not far from the Ning''guo temple lived a family. About ten years ago, they had purchased the best house in the town. It was said that inside the house lived a handsome man and a beautiful woman. Their servants came in and out on errands or chores, and the townsmen only knew that their family-name was Xiao as the family was rarely seen.


    It was late autumn and the weather was getting cold. In the mysterious Xiao house, two men sat under the arbor. One of whom was a man In his forties with urbane manners, dressed in green. "I''ll place it here" he said.


    "Are you sure, grandpa?" On the other side, sat a girl at the age of fourteen or fifteen. Her eyes were gentle like water, but with a touch of coldness. Her fingers were slim and well-cared for. She was so fair it seemed as though her skin had been dipped in milk. She had roses in her cheeks, and looked as if she would melt when touched. A smile blossomed on her lips, and her long black hair poured down her back. Today, she had tied it with a silk ribbon and it casually flew in the autumn wind. She wore a floor-length white gown, which was embroidered with butterflies. In a word, she was gorgeous. She was Yun Shang, who had grown up.


    Xiao Yuanshan nodded, "I am sure."


    Yun Shang smiled, and placed her black go-chess piece onto the chessboard, "Thank you, Grandpa. I''ve won again."


    Xiao Yuanshan frowned and looked at the chessboard for a long time. Then he sighed, "The student has become the teacher now. I''ve only taught you go-chess for a few years, but now you are better than me. I have to bring you to Ning''guo temple sometime to let Wu Na experience what we call failure."


    Yun Shang winked, and smiled. Her grandpa was aged, but still liked to bicker with Master Wu Na. From time to time, her grandpa would go and pick on him for fun. It was said that Master Wu Na and her grandma had known each other since childhood. When grandma married grandpa, Master Wu Na happened to be experiencing personal adversity, and so he chose to serve Buddha. But the two men were always at loggerheads with each other. According to grandpa, they were incompatible like "water and fire." But Yun Shang believed that meant they actually had a strong friendship.


    "Shang''er, Wu Na told me that the Emperor had sent for you again. The Emperor has sent word, that it''s only a month away from your Coming-of-age Ceremony. He wants you to go back there before the ceremony. He is really annoying, sending for you every year. I''ve told Wu Na to refuse him."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang gazed at the lake in front of them. Her eyes were cold, "Grandpa, I''ve decided to return to the Palace this year."


    Xiao Yuanshan was packing up the go-chess pieces. He paused, "Why? Have you gotten tired of your grandpa already?"


    Yun Shang stood up, walked to Xiao Yuanshan, and crouched in front of him, "No, grandpa, I have not. You have been so nice to me. In these past a few years, you''ve dedicated yourself to teaching me the Four Arts. And you''ve also asked other people to teach me the art of war, trade and business, and how to cultivate my own power. These days have been the happiest days in my life. And I will forever remember how nice you have been to me, grandpa. The Palace is the last place I wanted to go to, but Lady Jin is still there and there are other things I have to face. I''m about to come of age. Then I will be an adult. And after years of nurturing, I''m not the former Yun Shang anymore; I''ve become a better version of that young girl. Please be assured, grandpa, I have the ability to protect myself. I also have the ability to protect my mother."


    After a long silence, Xiao Yuanshan said, "Alas, Wu Na was right. Now I know that I can''t keep you here, too. The messenger is still waiting for you at Ning''guo


    temple. Go ahead, Shang''er. But remember to pay me a visit from time to time. It''s so boring living here alone, and your uncle is always outside."


    "I will, grandpa." Yun Shang smiled, and sat with Xiao Yuanshan in the arbor for a long time. The next morning, she packed up her things, and headed for Ning''guo temple.


    "Your Highness, are we going back to the Palace?" As Yun Shang entered the temple, Qin Yi hurried to her and asked. A woman in white sitting nearby, also got up and silently curtsied to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Why? Don''t you want to go back there?"


    Qin Yi thought for a while and answered, "It''s not that I don''t want to go back. I just feel that I have lived here for seven years and I don''t know how things will be at the Palace, which makes me a little nervous."


    "Don''t panic. Since we are going back, we will face what we have to face. I''m actually looking forward to it after this time away." Yun Shang glanced at the woman sitting in the corner. She was quietly reading Buddhist texts. She then waved Qin Yi forward, and whispered in her ear. When she was done, Yun Shang straightened herself and said, "You can start packing now. I''ll talk to Master Wu Na, and tell the eunuch who carries His Majesty''s imperial edict that we will fare forth before long."


    In another room, sat a Buddhist monk among curling smoke. Yun Shang pushed the door open, went in, and sat beside him. Glancing at the statue of Buddha in the shrine, she lowered her head and chanted, "Amitabha Buddha."


    The monk opened his eyes, looked at Yun Shang, and sighed, "She is just an innocent person. If you are afraid that she will be a threat, you can send her far away. Why do you have to kill her?"


    Yun Shang raised her head and looked up at the smoke rising from the burning incense, and said, "I dare not to leave such a hidden danger to myself. Only the dead can keep secrets. Master, I''ll make sure I won''t do it here. I will not violate the sanctity of a Buddhist temple."


    With a set of prayer beads twirling in his hand, Wu Na said, "Sanctity lies in one''s heart, not in a building. You are doomed to taint your hand with blood, Yun Shang, which has been written in your destiny. I am worried about it."


    Yun Shang''s face changed when she heard "doomed", but then she lowered her eyes with a smile and said, "If I can''t protect the people I want to protect, what''s the point of my life?"


    Wu Na remained quiet. Yun Shang continued, "I don''t know whether I can come back again. Master, please take care of my grandpa in my stead."


    Wu Na nodded, "That''s for sure. We have been friends for so many years. Stay assured, Yun Shang, your grandpa has luck on his side."


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief, and bid goodbye to the Master.


    "Your Highness, that woman has been handled. And our belongings have been packed. When do we leave?" Qin Yi asked as Yun Shang entered.


    Yun Shang stood at the door, and thought for a while before she spoke. "Over the years I''ve asked Master Wu Na to report to the Emperor that I am weak and unhealthy, and we have to add some merit to that story. Go and boil a pot of herb medicine for me, and perfume my gowns with it. I''ll change into a plain dress, and you will hold an umbrella for me when we walk out even though the sun''s not heavy yet."


    Qin Yi nodded, "Just two of us? What about Ning Qian and the others?"


    Ning Qian was the leader of Yun Shang''s own force, which she had cultivated by her own hands. Even though Ning Qian was a woman, she was as witty and brave as any man, if not better.


    Yun Shang sat in a chair, and answered, "They have already been in the Imperial City, and have arranged what should be arranged. And this time, we will figure out who is more wicked and merciless." Yun Shang flashed a warm smile, but her eyes were cold.

 Chapter 23 Returning to the Palace

    "Summon the Princess Hui Guo to the hall..." Hearing the sharp voice ordering her presence at Jinluan Hall, Yun Shang arranged her attire and walked in with Qin Yi''s support.


    "I greet the Imperial Father." Yun Shang laboriously kowtowed to Emperor Ning thrice before rising with a slight cough.


    It had been seven years since the Emperor Ning had last seen Yun Shang. Though being filled with emotion, Emperor Ning sighed and declared, "Princess Hui Guo has blessed our country for seven years. Thanks to her, the weather has been favorable all this while. So I''ll bestow her Jinling City as her fief."


    Jinling was a good city. Yun Shang smiled faintly and bowed again. The effort seemed to fill her forehead with sweat.


    "Please rise."


    Yun Shang slowly rose and smiled faintly at Emperor Ning. Looking paler, she swayed and suddenly fell down on the ground.


    "Her Highness fainted..." Qin Yi stood up in a hurry and took a step to help Yun Shang.


    "Hurry up, send for Imperial Physicians." Emperor Ning''s voice sounded painful. Giving the order in haste, he leapt from the dragon throne. Worried, he lifted Yun Shang and carried her in to the inner sanctuary.


    At Qiwu Palace, Empress Yuan Zhen were talking with Hua Jing on the couch. "The weather is favorable this year. The osmanthus cake tastes sweeter than that of last year''s. You have become more filial."


    Hua Jing smiled faintly and looked gentle, "Mother, I''m glad you enjoy it. I''ll send some to my father later. And I hear that Yun Shang returns today. She ought to be visiting my father in Jinluan Hall. I''ll also send some cakes to her later. I haven''t seen her in so many years, I really wonder how she''s doing."


    Empress Yuan Zhen smiled "I have some spies in Ning''guo temple. It is said that she has gotten worse. In a little while, it will be her Coming-of-age Ceremony. After that, she should get married. Though she''s your half sister, you should see whether there''s someone suitable among the government officials and pick one for her."


    Hua Jing nodded in agreement and said, ''I know. I will help her."


    "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." A maid lifted the door curtain and came in hurriedly. She said with a smile, "Your Majesty, Princess Hui Guo is just as sick as rumored. His Majesty bestowed Jinling City to her in Jinluan Hall. After bowing, she fainted when she tried to rise. The eunuchs in attendance tell me that Prince Hui Guo is as pale as death. She is as weak as water. Every time she moves, she can''t help sweating."


    "Really?" Empress Yuan Zhen frowned and said, "His Majesty bestows Jinling City to her. She''s so blessed. But she may not have the chance to enjoy it. Now you can go and take your reward..."


    The maid thanked The Empress and left. Hua Jing was dissatisfied with The Emperor''s decree. She chatted with The Empress, "When I got married, my Imperial Father only bestowed Xiping City to me as a present. It is remote with barren soil. Whereas he bestows her Jinling City..."


    Empress Yuan Zhen glimpsed at Hua Jing, "If you can bear it, all of hers will belong to you. Otherwise, you will lose everything. Moreover, you are well-known for your literary talent. You are obviously better than her as she has lived in a temple for seven years. Take it easy. Being so sick, she doesn''t necessarily have the chance to enjoy what she''s been bestowed with."


    Hua Jing hurriedly said, "I know I was wron


    g."


    The Empress nodded and stood up, "Now that she fainted as soon as she returned, I have to go see her."


    "So do I. I haven''t seen my half sister in so long, I actually miss her. I''ll also send her some osmanthus cakes." Hua Jing ordered the maids to take a hamper, and accompanied Empress Yuan Zhen out.


    "Where''s Princess Hui Guo now?"


    That maid replied hurriedly, "His Majesty carried Her Highness to a hall behind Jinluan Hall to rest. He also sent for Imperial Physicians. So Her Highness should still be there now."


    Empress Yuan Zhen nodded and left for Jinluan Hall with her attendants.


    Yun Shang had just woken when Empress Yuan Zhen reached. She was propped up in bed and an Imperial Physician was checking her pulse. She was frowning and looked pale. She seemed to be in pain.


    "Shang''er, what''s wrong with you? Why do you look so weak? Master Wu Na promised that you would recuperate if you lived in Ning''guo temple for a certain time." Empress Yuan Zhen stepped up to Yun Shang hurriedly and asked with concern.


    Raising her head, Yun Shang smiled at The Empress and said, "Mother..."


    Qin Yi who stood by, explained hastily, "Her Highness is too sick to talk too much. A few years before, a child was lost in Ning''guo temple. When Her Highness was in search of the child, it rained heavily. Her Highness fell from a cliff as the ground was slippery. Since then, Her Highness had been in poor health. Thanks to Master Wu Na, Her Highness gets much better..."


    "Mother, thank you for your concern." Yun Shang said softly. She lowered her head and coughed.


    As the Imperial Physician had completed his examination, Emperor Ning asked worriedly, "How is Her Highness?"


    The Imperial Physician shook his head and sighed, "Her Highness was badly injured. She needs to recuperate in peace and quiet. Otherwise, she will not survive."


    Emperor Ning sighed and sat at the bedside, "Shang''er, you have suffered a lot in these years."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Father, I''m fine."


    Empress Yuan Zhen frowned. "It''s unlucky for Shang''er to suffer so much before she comes of age. You, Imperial Physician, should try your best and use the best medicines to nurse Her Highness''s health."


    When they were speaking, an eunuch approached Emperor Ning. After listening to what he had to say, The Emperor said, "I shall leave to solve some affairs. I leave Shang''er to your care, my Empress."


    All bowed to The Emperor in a hurry.


    After Emperor Ning left, Yun Shang smiled and said, "I wonder whether my Qinxin Hall has been cleaned. I''d better leave for there."


    The Empress smiled and said, "The servants clean it everyday. I have informed them to be present so they can care for you. Qinxin Hall is peaceful enough to recuperate in. I haven''t replaced the servants with whom you are familiar."


    Yun Shang nodded. Just as she was going to reply, a few servants entered. "Bow in respect before Your Majesty, Princess Xi Ning, and Princess Hui Guo."


    Empress Yuan Zhen said with a smile, "Here she comes. Shang''er, do you remember this maid? Lift your head! Let Her Highness have a look..."


    Yun Shang turned around. The lead maid raised her head with teary eyes and opened her mouth. After a long moment, she said, "Your Highness..."


    Yun Shang looked at the maid and soon recognized her to be Qin Meng. Yun Shang smiled faintly and said, "It''s you, Qin Meng. You have grown up..."

 Chapter 24 Gossip

    Qin Meng couldn''t suppress her emotions. "Your Highness, you were cruel to have left me in the Palace. Since you left for Ning''guo temple, I have been longing for your return. It has been seven years!"


    Yun Shang chuckled. When she opened her mouth, she couldn''t stop coughing. Qin Yi hurried to help her to breathe. Seeing this, Qin Meng sobbed loudly, "Your Highness, you were fine when you left. When did you become so weak? Your Highness, please rest. I''ll take good care of you."


    Yun Shang''s brow was glistening with sweat as she coughed. Qin Yi helped by wiping her perspiration. Yun Shang raised her head and said, "Silly girl. I am fine now. See? I''m a bit tired. Take me to Qinxin Hall."


    As Qin Yi lifted her from bed, Yun Shang noticed that Hua Jing and Qin Meng exchanged looks before the maid hurriedly took a step to support Yun Shang. "Your Highness, let me help you."


    Hua Jing nodded with satisfaction and said, "Shang''er, I have a gift for you. I made these osmanthus cakes myself. Mother says they taste sweet. I remember that they''re one of your favorite dishes. Please accept them."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Thank you, sister Jing." Qin Yi graciously accepted the cakes and handed them to a maid standing behind Qin Meng. Then she took Yun Shang''s arm and guided her outside.


    The Emperor Ning had ordered the preparation of a sedan chair for Yun Shang. She sat in the chair and was carried to Qinxin Hall.


    Just as The Empress had said, Qinxin Hall hadn''t changed at all; neither the servants nor the furnishings. Yun Shang and Qin Yi led the way. As soon as they drew back the curtain, a sound of meowing was followed by a fuzzy staff member that rushed at Yun Shang.


    "Ah..." Yun Shang screamed and passed out.


    "Your Highness, Your Highness..." The servants following the Princess panicked. Qin Yi frowned and rebuked, "Stop shouting. Her Highness needs to rest. Take the stray cat out, and then do your chores..."


    However, the servants all stood still until Qin Meng nodded her head. Noticing this, Qin Yi understood immediately. She frowned and walked Yun Shang to bed.


    Having settled down, Qin Yi gave Qin Meng a prescription and said, "These are Her Highness''s medicines. I have to look after her. I cannot leave. So I need you to pick up the medicines, for I don''t trust the others."


    Qin Meng grinned, "I will do as you ask. I will be back in a little while." Then she bowed before Yun Shang and left.


    "Bah! Qin Meng, the vile scum. She has been Mistress of Qinxin Hall for seven years." Qin Yi sniffed and went to the bed.


    Glancing at Qin Yi, Yun Shang chuckled, "All of them must have been bought by The Empress. In order to break her control, I will have to replace them with Ning Qian and the other followers. She smiled at Qin Yi and said, "Lean closer to me."


    As Qin Yi approached, Yun Shang whispered in her ear. Qin Yi smiled and said, "I am ready and eager to begin." Then she turned round and went outside.


    Once Qin Yi left, Yun


    Shang could hear the maids gossiping. "So that is Princess Hui Guo. She is pretty. How did she get so weak? I remember that she often created trouble before."


    "Yes. I also remember that she often reproved her servants at every turn. So much so that no one was willing to serve her. Now she is as weak as water. She really deserves her retribution. What an ill-fortune."


    "It is said that she has lived in Ning''guo temple for a few years. No wonder she looks like a village girl. Unlike the noble Princess Hua Jing, she dresses too dowdy."


    Yun Shang listened and smirked. Seven years had passed, but the ethos of the Imperial Hoousehold hadn''t changed. Concubines schemed against each other, and the maids gossiped at their leisure.


    "Look at the cheeky girl, with the Princess. She dares to order us. Except Qin Meng, no one can instruct us, not even the weak Princess." "Alas! We are so unlucky to be assigned to serve her. The cat, which I left in the Hall, scared her. Her reaction was so funny."


    Yun Shang then heard a deeper voice. "You dare to gossip about Her Highness? Drag them away and flog them 100 times!" She smiled at the punishment. A maid who had been gossiping became terrified and could be heard groveling, "Please spare me, Lord Zheng. I know that I break the rules..."


    "Carry out my order!" As Lord Zheng gave the order, Yun Shang heard the maid crying, "Forgive me Lord Zheng, forgive me..."


    "Drag them far away. Don''t disturb Her Highness with their screams." Lord Zhang shouted. Then he said in a lower voice, "Though Princess Hui Guo left Qinxin Hall for seven years, she''s still the master here. More so, she is one of the masters in the Palace. Don''t forget that you are her servants."


    After Lord Zheng reminded the maids of their place, the courtyard was filled with silence. For a long moment, she heard nothing. Then Yun Shang heard footsteps moving forward and stopping outside her door.


    "You must be Lord Zheng. Come in please." Yun Shang smiled and said.


    Lord Zheng open the door and entered. "Your Highness. His Majesty received a rare warm jade pendant which is said to be good for health. His Majesty commanded me to bring it to you..." With a quick bow, he gave a jade pendant to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled and accepted the gift, "Thank you, Lord Zheng..."


    Lord Zheng nodded and smiled, "Please rest well, Your Highness. I will leave now as I have other matters to attend to." After a short pause, he lowered his voice, "Your Highness, you are the only master in Qinxin Hall. Even though you have been gone for seven years, you can punish any servants who dares to offend you. If you don''t, they will not respect you."


    Yun Shang was surprised. It was unexpected that Lord Zheng would exhort her like that. After thinking on his advise, she smiled and spoke, "I know. But I''m too weak to manage them now. I''d like to rest for a few days before making rules for them.


    Lord Zheng assented and said, "Her Highness, then I will excuse myself."

 Chapter 25 Poisoned Cat

    Soon after Lord Zheng had left, Qin Yi walked in, beaming, "How was that, Princess? Have I done well? Now I bet that will be a lesson for those who dare to gossip."


    Yun Shang smiled at Qin Yi and said, "I told you to only tell Lu. He was the eunuch who attend to my father and that would have bene enough. Why did you involve Lord Zheng instead?"


    Qin Yi seated herself on the edge of Yun Shang''s bed and spoke softly, "I was talking to Lu when Lord Zheng happened to hear us. Then he said His Majesty had something for you and he would stopped by. Those ungrateful minx were just gossiping about you when he arrived. I''d say they had it coming."


    "I knew they would have been secretly talking about me, especially since I returned unharmed again. By the way, since we''ve just arrived, I''m sure lots of people will be watching our every move. We can''t afford a risk. It''s too dangerous. So don''t go visit my mother, at least for now. Perhaps just wait for a while." Thinking of her mother, the quiet woman who had never fought for herself, Yun Shang had gradually come up of a plan. She knew what it meant to marry into the Royal Palace. Either you were adored by The Emperor, or you suffered a lonely life, alone and in pain, seeking for an end desperately. Now that she had a second chance, she had the ability and the opportunity to rewrite every miserable chapter of her previous life. There was no doubt that she would also fight for her mother''s happiness.


    "Princess, we''ve got the medicine." Bead curtains were lift and Qin Meng''s voice floated into the room. "I''ve send them to decoct the medicine. It won''t be long. Do you have everything you need in the Palace, Princess? Let me know if you need anything else and I''ll get it done for you."


    The smile vanished from Yun Shang''s face. As soon as Qin Meng entered, Yun Shang pretended to lean weakly against the pillows and coughed. "I''m fine. I don''t need anything at the moment. What''s going on out there? I heard Lord Zheng scolding the maids. Qin Yi was retrieving the belongings I brought back from the Ning''guo Temple, and I was too weak to get up and ask. Can you go see what the noise was about?"


    Qin Meng frowned and replied, "Is that so? I''ll go find out at once." Then she strode out of the room.


    The corner of Qin Yi''s mouth slightly quirked up as she stared at Qin Meng with great interest until she disappeared. "Princess, I''ve looked around the Palace. And I''ve found something quite interesting, " Turning back to Yun Shang again, Qin Yi leaned forward and whispered in her ears.


    "Have you indeed?" After hearing Qin Yi, Yun Shang let out a smile and exclaimed, "This place is getting more and more intriguing."


    They talked away for a while. Qin Meng returned with a steaming bowl of tonic in hands. After putting the bowl on the bedside cabinet, Qin Meng turned around and reported to Yun Shang, "I''ve asked around. According to the others, a maid had offended Lord Zheng and was flogged 50 times. It''s nothing that Your Highness need to worry about. I''ve brought your medicine, Princess. You''d better drink it while it''s hot and effective."


    Yun Shang reached for the bowl and frowned, "It''s too hot."


    "Take your time, Princess. It can wait." Qin Meng replied with a nervous smile.


    Yun Shang nodded. She looked around and reached out to Qin Yi, "It''s too stuffy here. I need some air. Take me out for a walk. I''ve spent the better part of my day in that carriage and this bed. I''m so bored."


    Qin Yi smiled and took a shawl from the closet before holding Yun Shang up, "It''s getting cold. Though the garden is lovely in this season, you must think of your health. You will suffer from a cold if you are not careful enough."


    "Yes, yes. I know." They then left for the garden. From the pavilion, Yun Shang overlooked the Yanque Lake and enjoyed the refreshing air outside. Before she could get a clear glimpse of the view, Qin Yi began to urge her to return to Qingxin Hall. At her instance, Yun Shang agreed. As they walked in, a maid was wiping the table. Qin Yi then said to her, "Go find a cushion and place it on the lounge in the Princess''s bedroom. The Princess likes to walk barefoot but she is too vulnerable and it is too cold..."


    The maid looked at Qin Yi and walked into the chamber. No sooner than she left, they he


    ard a terrified scream coming from the chamber.


    "What''s going on?" Qin Meng hurried into the hall, followed by several eunuchs and maids. She then saw Yun Shang and Qin Yi in the hall, looking as puzzled as she was. Yun Shang frowned, "Let''s go have a look. Qin Yi asked her to find a cushion for me. She just walked in there. What could have happened?"


    Yun Shang stepped into her bedroom followed by the servants. They had hardly stepped in when they saw the maid was standing by the window, trying to push the window open with her shaky hands. When she heard the steps behind, she immediately turned around to look at them and hid something behind her back. She seemed nervous.


    "What are you hiding? And why did you scream?" Qin Yi walked to the maid and questioned her sharply.


    Terrified, the maid shook her head again and again hastily, "No, it''s nothing." While speaking, she couldn''t help glancing at Qin Meng, asking for her help silently and desperately.


    "Then what are you hiding if it''s nothing? Show us what it is behind your back." Qin Yi cornered the maid and was about to grab her arm by force. The maid, however, raised her hand and threw something at Qin Yi.


    "Watch out!" Yun Shang shouted. Hearing her warning, Qin Yi stepped aside and dodged the object the maid had just thrown at her. Yun Shang gazed at it as the thing fell on the ground. She recognized that it was the cat that had attacked her when she had first entered Qingxin Hall. Only that it was no longer alive. Instead, it lay on the ground limply. It seemed that the cat had died.


    "It''s a cat. Is it dead? Perhaps it fell from somewhere and died?" Qin Meng mumbled. Then she turned to the maid and snarled at her, "Is it the cat that startled the Princess earlier? Did you bring it to the Palace? How dare you do such things? You should be flogged for 30 times for this. Now go get your punishment." Qin Meng then ordered the maids behind her, "The Princess is too vulnerable to see such filth. Get rid of it now!"


    Qin Yi was frightened by the maid''s sudden action. Having recovered, she raised her voice to stop them from touching the dead cat, "The Princess is still here. Nobody moves a muscle until she gives the order."


    Everyone froze and stared at Yun Shang. Yun Shang went to her bed and seated herself. She noticed that the bowl on the bedside cabinet had been knocked to the ground and had shattered into pieces. The medicine ran over the floor, leaving a lingering smell around the room.


    "Qin Yi, send for the Director of the Supervisory Office. Tell him that someone intended to poison and murder me." Yun Shang gave the order in a low and calm voice.


    "Poison?" Qin Meng hurried towards Yun Shang, seeming completely confused, "What do you mean, Princess? There is no poison in this room as far as I can see. The maid had sneaked the cat into the Qingxin Hall, but the animal knew nothing and attacked you. The maid was terrified and dropped the cat to the ground by accident. Isn''t that right?"


    "Dropped by accident?" Yun Shang''s lips curled into a sneer, "I''m not stupid. I know the cabinet is hardly high enough for a cat to fall and die. And it didn''t even struggle. Qin Yi, do as you told, quickly."


    Qin Yi hurried out of the room. The chamber fell silent and no one dare to speak up. Yun Shang looked at the servants in front of her coldly, and then she closed her eyes and leaned against the bedpost to get some rest.


    "Princess, the Director of the Supervisory Office is here." Yun Shang opened her eyes again when she heard Qin Yi''s voice. There were some more people in the room, led by a man she had never met before. Yun Shang nodded at the man as greeting, "Director of the Supervisory Office, I presume? There is something rather foul. Come over and have a look. Tell me whether the medicine is poisoned or not. And what on earth did this cat die of?"


    "Yes, I will let the coroner examine the cat at once." He waved his hand at a man dressed in black behind him. The man stepped forward and took out a package of silver needles. He dipped one of the needles in the residue on the shard of the bowl. Then he crouched down to examine the cat carefully before standing and reporting to Yun Shang, "Princess, the medicine was poisoned. And the cat seems to have drunk the medicine and died."

 Chapter 26 Ill Intention

    "Poisoned?" The crowd standing in the Hall looked at one other and couldn''t believe it. The Palace maid suddenly knelt to the ground and said, "Your Imperial Highness, I had no part to play in this. It was Qin Yi who had asked me to fetch a cushion. That''s when I entered the room and saw that the cat had no breath and lay still on the ground. I was so shocked that I screamed. And later, I thought since the other Palace maids, and I had adopted the cat, the blame would fall on us. I was afraid, and I wanted to throw it out of the window first and intended to deal with it later. However, to my surprise, this cat had been poisoned..."


    Yun Shang gave her a brief glance. "I can''t figure out who is to blame, but I am sure this officer will give me a sensible explanation¡­"


    The Supervisory Office Manager quickly lowered his head, "Yes. It''s my job and my duty. Attempting to murder Your Imperial Highness is a huge crime. I request your permission to report this incident to The Emperor."


    "Yes." Yun Shang agreed, "But I think that your assistants have many things to deal with here. So perhaps I can let my two private Palace maids inform my father instead." The Manager was about to say something, but Yun Shang sighed, "How vexing to encounter such a terrible thing especially since I have only just returned. You must find who is trying to kill me, or I won''t be able to live here peacefully." "Qin Yi, go inform my father."


    Qin Yi nodded and left. Yun Shang continued, "Although there was no death this time, the poison was put in my medicine bowl. If I had drunk it, I wouldn''t be alive right now. No matter who the murderer is, they must still be in the Qinxin Hall. Officer, can you lock down Qinxin Hall to stop the murderer from escaping?"


    The Supervisory Office Manager nodded repeatedly. "You are right, Your Highness. I will do as you have asked."


    Yun Shang nodded and then leaned against the bed pillar. She coughed slightly. Then closed her eyes and pretended to rest. Her face was still pale as though she were weak.


    "Your Imperial Highness, your medicine was spilled. Should I make another bowl?" Yun Shang heard Qin Meng murmur. Yun Shang waved her hand, "Never mind. I don''t want the medicine now. I was not harmed since I didn''t drink the poisoned medicine. There''s no need to take any more medicine."


    Qin Meng stepped aside timidly. She bowed her head in submission. Despite the position, she could still watch Yun Shang. She looked over the resting Princess and noticed that her toe stuck out from under her dress and that her hands were clasped inside the long sleeves of the robe.


    "Be careful, Your Majesty. Please be careful." Yun Shang could hear Lord Zheng speaking to The Emperor. "Is that my father?" Yun Shang asked. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was almost blinded by the brightness of the yellow robes worn by the person in front of her. She blinked to adjust and then found it was Emperor Ning. "Are you harmed?" He asked. His eyes reflected the anxiety he felt.


    Yun Shang hurriedly shook her head, "My dear father, there''s no need to worry about me. I''m fine. But look at the poor little cat. How terrible!"


    Seeing Yun Shang was unharmed, Emperor Ning calmed down a little. He took a seat and looked at the Supervisory Office Manager who was kneeling on the ground. "Find out who is responsible!"


    The Supervisory Office Manager quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will go and start the investigation immediately." Meanwhile, the Manager turned to the eunuchs and said, "Collect everyone working in Qinxin Palace. We need to question them."


    After that, he turned to The Emperor. "Your Majesty, would you mind coming with our Princess¡­"


    Emperor Ning turned to Yun Shang and said, "Shang''er, you are too weak to be there. I''ll go."


    Yun Shang thought it best if she were present to supervise the inquisition. So she replied, "If I don''t know who the murderer is, my mind won''t feel at peace. I should come with you. Besides, everyone in the Qinxin Hall is a suspect, including me."


    Emperor Ning kept silent for a while as he thought about what his daughter said. He sighed. "Well, then let''s go." He stood up and walked outside.


    Quickly, Qin Yi helped Yun Shang to her feet. Then she led The Princess outside. Emperor Ning and Yun Shang sat in the Hall. On Lord Cui''s order, all the maids in Qinxin Palace had been brought to the Hall.


    "Who invited the Imperial Physician?" "Who boiled the medicine?" "Who kept the medicine bottle?" "Who sent it to The Princess''s room?" "Who tampered with the medicine during this time?" "Now give me the answers to my questions, one by one."


    Yun Shang took out a silk handkerchief and wiped her head. She spoke to the Manager with a smile. "You should be more proficient in dealing with such situations. When I was in Ning''guo Temple, I witnessed Master Wu Na deal with a similar case. So I recommend his method to you. It would be advisable for you to put these people in different rooms and interrogate them at the same time. According to the results of the interrogation, if there is a discrepancy, you will find out who is lying."


    Lord Cui could see sense in the method as described by Yun Shang. He said, "Master Wu Na is a man of great wisdom. I''ve learned a lot. Do as The Princess said." He commanded his assistants.


    The eunuchs followed instructions. They separated all Palace maids based on who had direct contact with the medicine. The maids who didn''t, were taken to a different room, while the maids who did, were questioned separately. The eunuchs then asked the questions Lord Cui had put forward.


    By the time The Emperor and Yun Shang had finished a cup of tea, all the maids had been questioned.


    "At a quarter past three, Qin Meng and Xiang''er brought the medicine back from the Imperial Hospital, and then Jing Xi and Qiu Wen boiled it, during which time, Jing Xi left for a few minutes. At five twenty, Qin Meng served the medicine to our Princess. But our Princess said it was too hot and went for a walk with Qin Yi. Meanwhile, the Palace maid Yan''er left to find a cushion for our Princess¡­" From the events, I can see that Qin Yi the medicine maker, Qin Meng the medicine server, the maid Yan''er, and the cutlery keeper, Qing Xin are all suspects. Lord Cui gave a bow to Emperor Ning and said, "I beg your permission to search their rooms and bodies, Your Majesty."


    Emperor Ning nodded and replied, "You have my permission."


    "Let a wet-nurse search the maid''s bodies please. They are women and shouldn''t be touched by the guards." Yun Shang reminded in a low voice.


    Emperor Ning agreed, "Yes." Lord Cui took them away. Soon, he returned with two paper bags. "Your Majesty and Your Imperial Highness, I found these medicine bags on Qing Xin and under Yan''er''s pillow."


    Emperor Ning slammed his teacup on the table. "Bring them forward!"


    Lord Cui waved his hand, and an assistant ran out. Soon all the Palace maids were brought into the Hall. Emperor Ning shouted, "There''s no need to interrogate anyone any further. You are all Palace maids. You spend the whole day around The Princess. How dare you keep such vile stuff near her? Take them out and kill them all!"


    The Emperor had just passed his punishment when the two maids kneeling began screaming. The one in pink pleaded, "Your Majesty, I''m innocent. It''s just licorice powder in the bag. I have had a bad cough lately, so I went to the Imperial Hospital for some licorice. Since I was so busy with my kitchen duties, I asked them to grind the licorice so that I could mix it in water."

 Chapter 27 The Fight Between Two Tigers

    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s eyes widened. She turned to Emperor Ning and said, "Father, there is no need to kill them if these packets are harmless."


    Emperor Ning looked at his young daughter. He contemplated for a while before asking, "Who prescribed these herbs to you? Go check the records at the Imperial Medical College."


    The maid kowtowed and said, "Oh it was physician Shang who prescribed these herbs. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you so much, Your Highness."


    Realizing Qing Xin would no longer be treated as a suspect, Yan''er, the maid who went to retrieve the cushion cried out, "It wasn''t me! I don''t even know what those herbs are or where they came from! Were it not for Qin Yi asking me to fetch the cushion for the Princess today, I wouldn''t even have had the chance to enter the Princess''s chamber. Please trust me, Your Majesty!"


    "You are in charge of cleaning the Princess''s Palace. So even without Qin Yi asking you to fetch the cushion, you could have still found a way to tamper with the medicine." Lord Cui snapped, "Besides, those herbs have already been given to an Imperial Physician. We will soon find out whether they are poisonous."


    "Oh I am innocent! I truly do not know how those herbs came to be under my pillow!" Yan''er paused as she thought of something. Then her eyes filled with resentment. "It has to be Jing Rong. She lives in the same room as me, and we have always been incompatible with each other. It must be Jing Rong who put those herbs under my pillow."


    Qin Meng frowned, she bowed towards Yun Shang and Emperor Ning, and said, "Jing Rong is a maid in the kitchen. She was ill today and stayed indoors. How did she get the chance to poison the Princess?"


    Yan''er collapsed on the ground, "I didn''t do it. I''m innocent..."


    While she was claiming her innocence, an Imperial bodyguard hurried in. "Your majesty, I have the result of the herb tests. Qing Xin''s package contains licorice powder indeed, but Yan''er''s herb package contains poison."


    "Take her away. Decapitate her." Emperor Ning frowned, and shouted at the guards.


    Two guards stepped forward and dragged Yan''er away. No one in the Hall spoke for a long while. The only sound that disturbed the silence was the faint screams of Yan''er as she was carried away by the guards. Yun Shang closed her eyes, and murmured "Amitabha Buddha." (*TN: Amitabha Buddha, single-minded recitation of Amitabha''s name, showing faith in, and acceptance of Amitabha''s deliverance)


    "Father, I''m a bit tired. I will take your leave and return to my Palace and get some rest." Yun Shang sighed, stood up, and bowed towards Emperor Ning. Then with Qin Yi''s help, she left for the inner hall.


    Gradually, the Palace fell silent. Qin Yi walked to the door, lifted the curtain, and peeked outside. "They are gone."


    Yun Shang smiled, "What a scene! I put the poison in the medicine bowl. I didn''t expect someone else to be scheming to poison me."


    Qin Yi frowned and said, "We still don''t know who sent Yan''er to us. It couldn''t be the Queen, otherwise Qin Meng wouldn''t stab the maid like that."


    Yun Shang shook her head, "You''ve only see a part of the conspiracy. In my opinion, the herb package might not have been hers at all. It doesn''t matter who sent Yan''er. She wouldn''t be stupid enough to put the package in such a conspicuous place. As for Jing Rong, it cannot be a coincidence that she happened to be sick today. Qing Xin''s behavior also left me with some doubts."


    "I have the same doubts about Jing Rong. Like Yan''er said, it is possible that Jing Rong deliberately put the herb package under her pillow to avoid suspicion. As for Qing Xin, I don''t understand why you didn''t believe her. Wasn''t she carrying licorice powder?" Qin Yi was confused.


    Yun Shang smiled, "There are certain things in this world that seem harmless on their own, but they are actually quite dangerous. Licorice is a common herb indeed, but few people know that if consumed with carp, licorice can be fatal."


    "Carp? Everyone knows that Your Highness loves eating fish. If you were served fish, you will certainly eat it. I didn''t know these bastards could be this evil! Had you not learned so much from the intelligent people around the Master, you would be an easy victim. Besides, food poison is hard to trace. Even if someone realizes poison was being used, their first suspic


    ion would not be the food that you consumed." Still frightened, Qin Yi suggested, "How about we pretend to take a walk outside tomorrow and examine some of the things stored in this Palace throughly, eliminate potential risk, in case the same things happen again?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "We really do need to examine the Palace..." While speaking, something came up her mind. She smiled, "There are people from all forces hiding in Qinxin Hall, after this event, suspicion will surely spread among them. Qin Meng works for the Queen. But she never got the opportunity to make a move. Now that someone made trouble, I''m sure they will soon suffer."


    Qin Yi was about to respond, when Yun Shang stopped her. Yun Shang opened her mouth and whispered. "Someone is approaching."


    Qin Yi understood Yun Shang''s gesture. She began whimpering, "I told you it wouldn''t be easy to settle here, but you didn''t listen and insisted on returning. Now look at what happened! There was an attempt on your life the day you came back. Your highness, if you had actually been poisoned, I wouldn''t even know what to do..."


    Yun Shang sighed, "After all these years of living in the temple, I''m used to it''s peaceful surroundings. Moving back here seems inappropriate to me now. Never mind. I came back only because I miss Lord Father too much. Now that he''s getting better, I''m also relieved. I''ll just go back to Ning''guo Temple after my Coming-of-age Ceremony. I''m too weak and staying here would be nothing but a burden to Lord Father..."


    A short while after Yun Shang finished her sentences, Qin Meng''s voice came from outside the door, "Your highness, dinner is ready. Please eat before it gets cold."


    Yun Shang sneered but responded in a gentle tone. "Alright, I''ll have my dinner now."


    Qin Yi quickly stepped forward and supported Yun Shang as she rose from her bed. Dinner had been served on the table. As Yun Shang approached the table, she spotted a plate of fish. Her eyes turned cold as she remembered the licorice. Yun Shang sat at the table and smiled. "Well well well, we have fish today. Living with the monks in Ning''guo Temple meant giving up meat. I haven''t had fish in such a long time. This fish smells so good and I''m sure it tastes as good as it smells."


    Qin Meng handed a pair of chopsticks to Yun Shang with a smile. "I know Your Highness is fond of fish. I instructed the kitchen to prepare fish for you. Since this is the season of Osmanthus fragrans, I took some fresh flowers from the tree and steamed them with this crucian carp for you. Please taste it and tell me if you like it." (*FN: Osmanthus fragrans flowers can be white, pale yellow, yellow, or orange-yellow. They are small, about 1 cm long, with a four-lobed corolla, 5 mm in diameter. These flowers have a strong fragrance.)


    Yun Shang smiled as she took a bite. "Adding flowers while steaming the carp is a nice touch. It makes the fish smell just like the flower. This is indeed a rare gourmet."


    "Your Highness, even though the carp tasted good, you shouldn''t eat too much. The physician has warned you about that." Qin Yi frowned and added. She was disturbed that the Princess would eat fish considering their earlier discussion.


    Qin Meng responded in a hurry, "My fellow maid, Qin Yi, you worry too much. Fish is nutritious. Eating fish every once in a while benefits one''s health."


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s not a big deal. I know my body well. It won''t hurt to eat such a small amount of fish."


    The maids kept quiet and watched as Yun Shang tried some of the other dishes. She didn''t touch the fish again. After a short while, a loud noise came from outside.


    Yun Shang frowned and said to Qin Yi, "Go see what''s happening out there."


    Qin Yi nodded and left. She returned a few minutes later and reported, "Your Highness, I heard that the Queen lost her hairpin. According to the maid from Qiwu Palace, Lady Shu had given her an ingot of silver and asked her to steal the hairpin out and hand it to one of Lady Shu''s maids. The Queen took some maids with her, searched Lady Shu''s Palace and found the lost hairpin. But Lady Shu says the Queen is merely scheming and setting her up. Now Lady Shu is taking someone with her to argue with the Queen in Qiwu Palace. The noise we heard just now was made by the Queen'' maids. They were dragging Lady Shu''s closest maid to Qiwu Palace..."

 Chapter 28 Phoenix Hairpin

    "Why did Lady Shu steal the Queen''s hairpin? She seems to have enough of her own." Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi and Qin Meng with curiosity.


    Qin Yi shook her head. "You may not be aware of this but the Phoenix is a symbol of the honored status of the Empress, which is why she wants to wear the Phoenix hairpin. If Lady Shu stole it, that means she wants to become the Empress. That is sacrilegious, " said Qin Meng with a smile.


    "No, no, " said Yun Shang in wide-eyed amazement. "Lady Shu''s position in the Imperial Household is unique. She is unlike any of the other women there. Aside from the Empress, Lady Shu is the Emperor''s favorite. Why should she covet the Queenship?"


    "Empress and concubine are not the same. No matter how much she is favored, she must kneel and salute the Empress." Qin Meng looked at Yun Shang with an air of complacency. "And above all, only the Empress'' children can inherit the throne. Now the Emperor has no sons, but if the Empress and Lady Shu both had sons, things would be very different."


    "Don''t talk about the throne." Yun Shang frowned and rebuked gently. "I''ll take it as I didn''t hear you. But I''m afraid that even a Princess would not be able to save you if someone else heard what you said."


    Qin Meng looked surprised and then knelt before the Princess and asked for pardon.


    "I''m so sleepy now. You can leave." The princess nodded and yawned.


    Qin Meng made a hasty bow and exited. Qin Yi stepped up to help the Princess prepare for bed. "Interesting." The Princess mumbled as she lay in bed and stared at the ceiling.


    "Lady Shu is quite a lady. She''s been loved by the Emperor for nearly ten years even though the Empress is quite intolerant, " said Qin Yi.


    "Yes. Neither of them is weak, but it is hard to say who is stronger than the other, " said the Princess with a grin.


    "But today, it seems that the Empress has won, " said Qin Yi.


    The Empress? "I don''t think so." Yun Shang shook her head. "Whatever. Just get some sleep and we''ll talk about it tomorrow."


    Qin Yi responded by turning out the light. Then she went out with the lantern and lay down in the adjacent room.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes but Qin Meng''s words kept repeating in her head. Only the Empress'' son is entitled to ascend the throne? Yun Shang smiled. ''How could the son of Empress Yuan Zhen be suitable for the role of Emperor? The Empress was not fit to give the Emperor a son, '' thought Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang woke just after dawn. Qin Yi who was standing by her bedside smiled as the Princess opened her eyes. "Your Highness, this is a surprise. You used to stay asleep until noon, but now you wake so early! It must have been hard for you to stay out for so many years." said Qin Yi. "Let me help you get up."


    The Princess nodded and sat up in bed.


    "Oh, by the way, you were right yesterday. Lady Shu said that an ingot of silver was found in the Palace maid''s room, and the incense ashes on it belongs to the Empress. She said the Empress had framed her. Then she went to Qinzheng Hall and knelt there. She cried all night." Qin Yi reported the night''s occurrences.


    "Oh?" "How clever she is! She gave the Empress a dose of her own medicine." Yun Shang chuckled. "But..." Then she became confused. "She didn''t seem


    to be such a schemer at first. You told me that she had said that the Empress had framed her, and that she went to the Empress'' Palace to make a scene even though she could not prove it."


    "Perhaps it was because things had happened so suddenly that she did it on impulse." said Qin Yi. "Your Highness, did you mean..."


    "Someone is helping her secretly." The Princess nodded, and thought about something that had happened in her past life. "I don''t know who it is, but I want to meet this person." She stretched out her arms as Qin Yi helped her dress. Then she asked her how things were going. "Did my father only dispose of the two servant girls?"


    "That''s right. How clever you are!" said Qin Yi with a look of appreciation. "Indeed, the two servant girls were executed by your father while the Empress received some hairpins as a consolation. And Lady Shu was given some tonic medicine and other gifts. What make you conclude at that?"


    Actually, it is not about wisdom. She knew about this situation as she had experienced these events in her previous life. But now, things were different, as she had a fresh start.


    "Just a wild guess, " said the Princess. "And I have another guess, " said the Princess with a grin. "The Empress will take me to her."


    "That''s impossible." said Qin Yi. "She is busy dealing with Lady Shu."


    The Princess smirked and didn''t say another word. After eating her breakfast, she received word that the Empress'' servant, Xiu Xin had arrived.


    The Princess waved her in.


    Xiu Xin looked older than she had been seven years ago. Her forehead was covered in wrinkles but her eyes seemed sharper. "Your Highness, our Empress received some pink cloth from Shangyi Bureau*, but she doesn''t think pink suits her. Considering that you may not have enough clothes as you just got home, she asked me to bring you to Qiwu Palace to take your measurements and make some clothes for you."


    (*TN: the bureau of cloth in the Palace)


    Yun Shang stood up and nodded. "Thank you. I''ll be right there." Putting on her cloak, she called her servants and left for Qieu Palace.


    When they arrived, the Empress greeted Yun Shang and asked her to sit down. "Shangyi Bureau gave me cloth in bright colors, such as rouge, crescent white, etc., but I''m not young enough to wear something so bright. Soon, it will be your Coming-of-age Ceremony, and after that, all the clothes you have now cannot be worn. That''s why I asked you to come."


    "Your Majesty, thank you very much. I must, however, add that you are still young and beautiful."


    The Empress stared at her until Yun Shang blushed and lowered her head. "Aha, you blush. How time flies! It has been seven years since I saw you last. You used to be a little girl, and now you become a very beautiful lady, and I am really happy for you, " the Empress laughed and said.


    "I''m flattered. I met my brothers and sisters yesterday, and I don''t feel I have achieved as much as they have." responded Yun Shang softly, her head still bowed.


    The Empress nodded with satisfaction. "After the Coming-of-age Ceremony, you will be old enough to marry. I''m going to have a party to invite eminent men in the Imperial City. And you can choose from them. I''ve been wondering who would be so lucky as to marry you."

 Chapter 29 Invitation From The Royal Sister

    Yun Shang lowered her head more and exclaimed, "Mother! I''m not even fifteen years old. Isn''t it be too early to talk about this?"


    Empress Yuan Zhen smiled, but her eyes were filled with scorn. "Don''t be shy. You''ll be fifteen in less than a month. There are plenty of girls who got engaged before their Coming-of-age Ceremony. Your Royal Sister got married right after she turned fifteen. Besides, I just want you to meet more people and see if there''s anyone you like. I''m not forcing you to get engaged now. The Emperor is the one to make final decisions regarding your marriage. But if you have someone in mind, it would be wonderful to marry that person."


    Well, how thoughtful. Coldness filled Yun Shang''s heart. This deceitful attitude is exactly what tricked her in her previous life. At that time, she truly believed that the Empress had prepared a banquet especially for her. She had gone for her Ceremony in delight, and had fallen in love with the most talkative man in the crowd. Yun Shang had found his stories to be enchanting. He had also been charming, sounded erudite and had a great sense of humor. She was so awed by him that she swore she would marry him. Who would have guessed that the man had also been part of the Empress''s plan?


    Two months after Yun Shang married him, the man showed his true colors. He paid regular visits to brothels and stayed there every night. Yun Shang, as a Princess, had never been treated like this by anyone. Feeling aggrieved, she fought with her husband day after day, month after month, but she only ended up feeling emptiness and loneliness, without anyone''s help or attention.


    "Mother will always arrange what''s best for me." Yun Shang responded with a soft voice. Then she coughed, and lifted up her sleeves to cover her mouth. "It''s just that I''m not in good health. I''m afraid there won''t be too many people willing to marry me."


    Empress Yuan Zhen''s face darkened with anger, "How dare they! You are the esteemed Princess Hui Guo, and you are so pretty. The person marrying you should consider himself lucky. Now, you just rest and recuperate. Follow my advice and prepare some nice clothes and jewelry. I want you to dazzle everyone when you meet them."


    Yun Shang lowered her head. She blushed. "Oh Mother! I''ll follow your advice but stop teasing me."


    Empress Yuan Zhen nodded with satisfaction, turned to Xiu Xin, who was standing beside her, "Shangyi Bureau has already sent someone here. Now take the Princess to get measured. Tell them to offer the Princess some popular styles to choose from."


    Xiu Xin said yes, walked toward Yun Shang and bowed to her, "Your Highness, this way please."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Thank you, Xiu Xin. Mother, I''ll take your leave now."


    The Empress nodded, and watched as the Princess and Xiu Xin went outside the Palace. As soon as they were gone, the curtain beside her was lifted and out came Hua Jing.


    "Mother, considering how long Yun Shang lived in Ning''guo Temple I would have thought hat she would be rude, to my surprise, she appeared quite courteous. I didn''t expect that she would show such manners despite her weakened body." Hua Jing whined.


    Empress Yuan Zhen contemplated for a while and said, "Have you picked the one as I told you?"


    Hearing this, Hua Jing smiled proudly. She walked towards the Empress and sat down, "Yesterday I went back and made a list of marriageable young men living in the Imperial City. Guess what? I actually found someone suitable for her. General Qi''s grandson looks impressive, but he is disabled. He was born lame. TaiChang* Lin Qing''s son also seems nice... Oh, I had someone write all the names down. Here, take a look Mother. Is there anyone that you feel will be suitable?" Hua Jing took out a piece of parchment from her sleeve and handed it to the Empress.


    (*TN: TaiChang, the official responsible for arranging royal ceremonial activities.)


    The Empress sc


    rutinized the parchment for a while before pointed to a name, "This man is the one."


    Hua Jing lowered her head and took a closer look. She was dissatisfied. "Mother, Mo Jingran looks handsome, has a nice character, and is knowledgeable. Why him?"


    The Empress shook her head, "Sometimes you need to see through the surface. Yun Shang is a Princess after all. The Emperor wouldn''t let her marry a disabled young man, which will ruin the royal reputation. As for Mo Jingran, he seems nice, yes. I''d say he''s outstanding. It would be easy for Yun Shang to fall for him. However, this man is quite dissolute and indulges himself in sexual pleasure. He is a frequent visitor to brothels. He has maintained this secret carefully as only a few people know. Also, his father has many wives, but only one son. It''s not hard to conclude that his mother is the most competent from among the others. For Yun Shang, being neglected by her husband or being made miserable by her mother-in-law, which one will cause her more agony? Hua Jing, I need you to find out more about Mo Jingran. Make sure you don''t miss anything."


    Excitement danced in her eyes. Hua Jing said, "Mother, you''re always so considerate. I''ll go investigate him now."


    The Empress smiled and whispered, "If you find out anything indecent about Mo Jingran, help him hide his secrets. Well, it would be better if Yun Shang died before her wedding."


    Hua Jing agreed and promised, "I understand. Don''t worry Mother."


    After a short conversation, Yun Shang finished giving her measurements and came out to say goodbye. Hua Jing stood up and smiled. "It''s been a really long time since we last saw each other. You just came back yesterday and were not in a good state. We didn''t have a chance to chat then. But now is a good time. How about you and I go for a walk in the Imperial Garden?"


    Yun Shang nodded politely, "Seems like a nice idea. I also wanted to speak with you."


    They left Qiwu Palace together and walked to the Imperial Garden. Yun Shang started talking, "I heard that your husband is an impressive general. When will you introduce him to me? Being favored by someone like you, he must be quite outstanding."


    Hua Jing replied with joy and pride, "Of course! Father likes him so much. He said my husband is sure to be famous for centuries. But he led his troop North-East a few months ago. He''s in charge of settling the chaos there."


    Yun Shang replied, "What a pity." But deep inside, Yun Shang was thinking about something else. If everything went the same was as in her previous, then next year the said-to-be immortal Emperor''s son-in-law will be fatally shot by arrows. It was said that he had underestimated the enemy. As per the rumors, Hua Jing had kept a flock of lovers during her widowhood. Back then, Yun Shang never believed that her sister would do something like that. She felt sympathetic for her, and agreed to live with her. Who would have ever known that ......


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang felt clear about what she should do.


    "Yeah, it is a pity. By the way, I had a nightmare the other day that my husband got hurt. This dream made me uneasy. I''m thinking about going to Ning''guo Temple and pray for him. You''ve lived there for many years, and you are acquainted with the Master. Would you like to accompany me? I''d like the Master to tell me what my husband''s future holds."


    "What?" Yun Shang didn''t expect that Hua Jing would come up with such a request. She paused for a while to regain her composure. She smiled as she spoke, "It would be nice. It''s just that I''m not in good health. I''m afraid I''ll be a burden on you."


    Hua Jing returned her sister''s smile. "It doesn''t matter. We''re going to visit. There''s no need to hurry along the way. It would probably be better to rest at Ning''guo Temple for a day or two."


    Yun Shang had to agree, "If my sister thinks this trip is for the best, then yes, I will accompany you."

 Chapter 30 Plot

    Hua Jing decided to go to Ning''guo Temple half a month later. Yun Shang asked Qin Yi and Qin Meng to pack for the trip. However, she only took Qin Yi with her.


    Just as Hua Jing had promised, they traveled to Ning''guo Temple at a comfortable pace. They made several stops to eat and rest along the way. So much so that a half a day''s journey took them the whole day. It was getting dark when they arrived at the Temple.


    After they had settled down, the two Princesses were presented with their meal. Just as they had started eating, a young monk reported that someone was asking to see Princess Hua Jing for an urgent matter.


    Hua Jing frowned and agreed to see that person. On seeing Hua Jing, the man addressed her with a bow, "Your Highness, The General''s mother injured her leg when taking a walk in the garden this afternoon. Right now the Palace is in chaos. The steward asked me to bring you back to the Palace."


    "What? My mother-in-law injured her leg?" Hua Jing waited for confirmation before rising from her chair. She quickly turned and apologized to Yun Shang. "Sister, I''m really sorry. I asked you to come here to pray for my husband, but I didn''t expect that there would be an accident at the Palace. I have to rush back tonight. Why don''t you rest at the Temple for a few days? I will tell the stableman to stay at the Temple, and you can return to the Imperial City when you are ready."


    Yun Shang nodded and replied with a soft voice, "Don''t worry, sister. I am familiar with this Temple and everything will be okay. It''s important that you return to your mother-in-law and take care of her. Be careful on the way since it is dark."


    Hua Jing expressed her gratitude and then rushed out.


    After watching Hua Jing disappear into the shadows of the night, Yun Shang sat down with a smile and continued to eat.


    "Your Highness, it is such a coincidence that Princess Hua Jing''s mother-in-law had an accident. I feel that there is something wrong. Is it possible that Princess Hua Jing wants to do something bad to you at this Temple? Qin Yi said with worry, still staring outside.


    Yun Shang kept eating. She spoke after she had wiped her hands with the handkerchief Qin Yi had handed to her. "She knows that I have stayed at the Temple for many years. It would not be wise for her to scheme something here. She is not that stupid. I think there might be assassins waiting for me on my way back to the Palace once I tell the coachman that I am ready to leave."


    Surprised, Qin Yi frowned and said, "Ning Qian and other people are in the Imperial City right now. You only have me to accompany you. Wouldn''t it be very dangerous if there is an ambush on the way? Your Highness, what if we split up and go separately? I will go first to distract the assassins."


    Yun Shang replied with a smile, "You silly girl, we still have time. Since Hua Jing said I could stay at the Temple for a few more days, I might as well. Besides, anything can happen during these days. I could use the time to put my learning into action. Let me show you what I have learned all these years." A murderous look flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes but soon faded away.


    "Your Highness, when will we go to the Palace then?"


    Yun Shang silently counted the days. It was September 7th. She remembered that around this time in her previous life, a huge event had transpired.


    Yun Shang smiled, "We will go back in four days."


    She stayed at Ning''guo Temple peacefully for four days. On the morning of 12 September, she asked Qin Yi to inform the stableman to get ready to leave.


    Hua Jing had left Yun Shang with two guards and one stableman. Once her carriage was ready, they moved slowly towards the Imperial City. About an hour into the journey, the carriage entered a thick forest. Then, it stopped abruptly. Curious, Qin Yi opened the curtains. Her face turned pale. She said, "Your Highness, the stableman and guards are gone¡­"


    Hardly had her voice died when she saw around ten masked men on horses galloping to


    wards them. She screamed, "Your Highness, it''s an ambush!"


    Yun Shang whispered calmly. "Close your eyes, Qin Yi."


    Qin Yi closed her eyes as told. She heard the sound of fighting outside and panicked. Even though she was curious, she didn''t dare to open her eyes. Instead, she reached out to hold Yun Shang''s hand to make sure she was alright.


    The noises outside gradually faded away. Qin Yi opened her eyes, pulled aside the curtains, and looked outside. She saw that the area was littered with corpses. She trembled out of fear for a long time. Realizing that she and the Princess were unharmed, she calmed down a little bit. She had hardly settled when she started screaming again. "Ah¡­" And then she released the curtains and turned to Yun Shang. "Your¡­Your Highness¡­ There are still many¡­ many people outside."


    "Your Highness. There are so many dead bodies. I can even see the stableman and the guards who had run away. They are dead too." Suddenly a calm voice called from outside.


    Qin Yi hadn''t quite recovered from the shock. The she heard Yun Shang say, "Well done."


    Yun Shang reached out and opened the carriage door. Qin Yi turned around and saw that there were many men in black kneeling on the ground outside. "Go get changed and do as I instructed."


    "Yes." The men in black kneeling in the front slipped into the forest. Before long, they walked back out. Qin Yi noticed that they were wearing the same clothes as those of the stableman and guards. However, one man wore clothes similar to that of the dead men.


    Yun Shang nodded in approval. "Have you found out where they meet these days?"


    The leader who had dressed as the dead man in black, nodded and replied, "Yes, I have."


    "Good. How long have Prince Jing''s troops been gone for?" Asked Yun Shang.


    "Two quarters of an hour." Replied the man in black. "Prince Jing''s troops encountered an ambush here as expected, just a little ahead of your arrival. Your Highness, you really predicted that with miraculous accuracy."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Nonsense, Prince Jing has many enemies in the court, who didn''t get the chance to take such action at the border. Prince Jing came back with a great victory this time. He couldn''t bring all his troops. He was accompanied by only some close guards. The forest here is very dense, which is naturally the best place to attack them. Do you know what to say when you meet her?"


    The man in black nodded, "I will say that we set up an ambush at the original point, but unexpectedly we encountered the assassins who were ambushing Prince Jing. Therefore we were found by Prince Jing, and our people were killed by his guards. I pretended to be dead to escape Prince Jing''s guards. That''s why I am alive and able to report."


    "Good." Yun Shang smiled. "Good job. Now go. You will be rewarded when you return."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Then, the men just disappeared.


    Yun Shang closed the door and said, "Let''s go."


    Qin Yi finally figured out what had happened. Her mouth was wide open, and her eyes filled with doubt and shock. She asked, "Your ¡­ Your Highness¡­ Do these men in black work for you?"


    Yun Shang turned around and smiled. "See? Did I stay here in vain for all these years?"


    "No¡­" Qin Yi still had an incredulous look and thought to herself that the Princess had learned to think ahead and take care of herself. She was just amazing!


    The carriage gradually moved out of the thick forest. Two men hiding in the forest walked out slowly. The man in front was dressed in grey clothes. He had a prominent nose, and thin lips. His eyebrows were long and sharp and extended to his temples. With a perfectly contoured face, he was handsome indeed.


    As he watched the carriage leave, he looked to the forest floor and though of something. A glimmer flickered in his eyes.


    Behind him stood a man with a big beard and a rough face. He whined. This little girl is really something. How dare she use you as a shield! Your Highness, do you want me to end her life?"

 Chapter 31 Victory Feast

    The man in grey raised his eyebrows and replied coldly, "Interesting! I haven''t seen such an interesting person in a long time. Had it not been for you insisting that I was in danger and that we travel separately from the main troops, I wouldn''t have seen such an interesting person. Look at how she calculated every step with almost no mistake. She even used me to accomplish her plan. I really wish I have the opportunity to meet her again. Wang Shunlai, do you have any idea where she comes from?"


    Wang Shunlai shook his head and replied, "How would I know that?"


    The man in grey smiled. "Although the carriage looks common, the nails on the horseshoes are made of gold. Horseshoe''s nails of ordinary wealthy families are usually made of iron. As far as I know, such luxuries are granted to people living in the Imperial Palace."


    "The imperial Palace?" Wang Shunlai was shocked. He looked at his Master in doubt. In his opinion, women in the Palace were like canaries. They had nothing to all day except compete over whose clothes and looks were better and who was more favored by the Emperor. He never expected that there would be such a cunning and calculating women amongst them.


    Prince Jing narrowed his eyes as he continued to stare after the carriage. It had long since disappeared from his sight. Nevertheless, he looked in the direction. Perhaps he had been away from the Palace for too long. He had no idea who this girl was.


    "Let''s go. We should hurry on with our journey." Prince Jing brought his hand to his lips and whistled. At the loud sound, two horses ran out of the woods. The two men mounted the horses and rode on the path towards the Imperial City.


    On returning to the Palace, Yun Shang saw Qin Meng look at her as if she were a ghost. Qin Meng seemed to be in shock for a long while. Eventually, she shook off her surprise and said, "Your Highness, you are back!"


    Yun Shang reckoned that Hua Jing would never have expected her to return alive. She replied with a smile, "Yes. Is everything okay in the Palace? Hua Jing rushed backed to the Imperial City just as we had reached Ning''guo Temple. Have you seen her since? I wonder how her mother-in-law is now."


    Qin Meng lowered her head, answered, "Everything is okay. Princess Hua Jing returned to the Palace yesterday. By the way, your Highness, Prince Jing managed a great victory, and returned to the Imperial City today. The Emperor will hold a victory feast for him later. The Empress sent someone in the morning to convey the message that you should attend the feast if you were feeling well enough."


    Yun Shang stopped for a little and nodded. "Okay."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s reply, Qin Meng added, "The Shangyi Bureau


    y feast is so boring."


    Yun Shang smiled and replied, "Yes." She lifted her eyes slightly and looked at Prince Jing. She noticed that Prince Jing was a tall and well-built military officer. She hadn''t expected him to be handsome. He did seem to be a little too cold, however. She thought about how she had used Prince Jing to thwart Hua Jing''s plans, and felt a small pang of guilt.


    After the first performance ended, the Emperor clapped his hands in appreciation. Then he proposed a toast, "Even though the State of Ning is a big state, our people on the frontier had no means to survive as they had been invaded by the State of Yan. Prince Jing drove the Yan soldiers out of our land, which is a great achievement. Let''s drink a toast to Prince Jing. Ganbei*¡­"


    (TN- Ancient Chinese word for Cheers.)


    Everyone raised their glasses and finished their drink. As soon as the glasses were put down, Emperor Ning turned to where Hua Jing sat with Yun Shang. He pointed at his daughters and said to Prince Jing, "You haven''t been in the Imperial City for a long time. Look, my two daughters have grown up."


    Prince Jing glanced at Hua Jing and Yun Shang, and said with a smile, "Although I was on the frontier, I have heard of the Princesses. I heard that Princess Hua Jing''s husband is also a general who protects our homes and defends our country, a real man."


    Hua Jing heard and replied, "Thank you for your praise. Among all the princes in the Imperial City, you are regarded as the best in terms of martial virtues. However, as for literary grace, there is one man who is probably better. That man is Mo Jingran, son of the secretary of the Grand Secretariat. It is said that he is a man with great talents. Yun Shang will have her Coming-of-age Ceremony in a few days. I said I would introduce them."

 Chapter 32 Another Incident

    It finally happened. Yun Shang squinted as she thought of an idea.


    She took a sip of the fruit tea and said, "Sister, it seems you know everything about all the young masters of noble origin in the Imperial City." She paused and lowered her head a little. Then she whispered to Hua Jing, "I stayed at Ning''guo Temple to serve Buddha for a long time. It hasn''t been long since I returned. I know nothing about those young masters. I rely on Your Majesty and mother to pick a good husband for me. I think Your Majesty and mother would not treat me unkindly."


    Emperor Ning''s face darkened at the words uttered by Yun Shang. Everyone knew that Princess Hua Jing was married. Her husband was the Emperor''s son-in-law. But knowing everything about all young masters of noble origin? That was tantamount to subtle criticism on Hua Jing''s immoral behavior as a woman.


    But Hua Jing seemed to be ignorant about all this. She smiled, "Shang''er, you''d better take a look first."


    Yun Shang didn''t reply as she felt someone staring at her. The feeling was so strong that she could not ignore it. Yun Shang turned around and saw Prince Jing watching her. There was a touch of curiosity and even coldness in his gaze, which surprised Yun Shang a little.


    Fortunately, the Empress initiated a conversation. "It was reported that Prince Jing encountered an assassination on his way back. It''s a blessing of Buddha that you are not hurt. Extremists are so desperate."


    "An assassination? Where did it happen?" Emperor Ning asked eagerly.


    Prince Jing moved his gaze away from Yun Shang, and said with a smile, "Mt. Qingfeng."


    "Mt. Qingfeng?" On hearing this, Hua Jing shouted, "Shang''er would have passed by Mt. Qingfeng today on her way back to the Imperial Palace from Ning''guo Temple, right? Were you hurt?"


    Yun Shang burst into a gentle smile, "Maybe I passed through at a different time. I did not face any incident on the way. It was quite safe all the way to the Imperial City."


    "That''s good." Hua Jing patted her chest with relief.


    "Let''s not talk about these dull matters. The dancing and singing shouldn''t be suspended." The Empress smiled, and clapped her hands as a sign. Music began playing again, and the guests indulged in drinking, eating, and toasting.


    Yun Shang lingered for a while. Since the party had carried on for hours, and guests had begun getting drunk, she left the hall with Qin Yi.


    "Your Imperial Highness, Prince Jin


    n Zhen. Although she seemed apologetic, she was smiling brilliantly. She wondered why Empress Yuan Zhen had come to her. It would certainly not be to inquire about some insignificant information for the Ceremony.


    Empress Yuan Zhen said with a grin, "It''s the Coming-of-age Ceremony for a girl. The more complicated, the more ceremonious. Well, it''s tradition that girls should show their talents to the guests on their Coming-of-age Ceremony. Many noble members and senior officials will attend the Imperial banquet after the Ceremony, and I have also invited their sons who are all currently at marriageable age. It''s an opportunity for Shang''er. It''s very possible that you''ll meet your husband on that day."


    Yun Shang was caught by surprise. She said after a pause, "But, mother, I have spent all my years at Ning''guo Temple. I only learned some characters from Master Wu Na. It is barely enough for me to transcribe some Buddhist scriptures. I know nothing else..."


    "The Four Arts, embroidering, or anything alike would count. You don''t have to be too conventional." Empress Yuan Zhen flashed her most graceful smile.


    Yun Shang lowered her head. Her eyes were bathed in tears. "But, I know nothing at all. Nobody in the Temple would teach me about the Four Arts. Not even embroidering."


    Empress Yuan Zhen breathed out a slight sigh. She said after a while of silence, "It would be a stain on your reputation if you showed no talent. I have an idea. You should find a painting, and I will tell Jing''er to make the embroidering according to it. And you shall tell everybody on your Coming-of-age Ceremony that it''s your work..."

 Chapter 33 The Embroidery

    Puzzled, Yun Shang looked at the Empress, "Can I do this? But wouldn''t I be lying in that case? Master Wu Na always told me that there are certain monastic disciples I should never violate. I cannot lie."


    "My child, but you are not one of them. Eventually you have to marry someone. It''s only a matter of time. Now think about this. Every noble lord and lady will attend the ceremony. How can you expect them to accept you willingly, even though you are a Royal Princess, if they find out that you couldn''t do a simple thing such as an embroidery? Besides, your maids will take over the job after you marry into your husband''s family. You don''t have to embroider anything, and thus you don''t have to worry about it at all. I can assure you that the secret will be well kept. But still, you are just a girl. Know this. For us women, the most important thing through our life is to always be fully prepared, and, when the time comes, marry into a decent clan. That''s what really matters."


    Eyes fixed on the ground, Yun Shang remained silent for a while before finally answering determinedly, "I''ll do whatever mother says."


    Empress Yuan Zhen nodded with satisfaction, "There is hardly half a month before your Coming-of-age Ceremony. You''d better get started and choose a pattern so that Jing''er will have enough time to finish the work for you."


    Yun Shang consented. Empress Yuan Zhen then asked a few more questions before finally permitting Yun Shang to leave. Yun Shang returned to the Qingxin Palace with Qin Yi.


    "Princess..." Qin Yi was about to say something when Yun Shang signaled to her to stop talking. She waved her hand at Qin Yi to come closer and then whispered in her ear. Soon after they had returned to Qingxin Palace, Yun Shang left again with Qin Yi. This time, she headed to the Imperial Treasure House.


    The Imperial Treasure House was a depository allocated for the storage of invaluable treasures, including numerous gems, famous paintings, and calligraphy works. As soon as they arrived at the Imperial Treasure House, Yun Shang noticed that the front door was locked. Having no other option, Yun Shang sent Qin Yi to have a word with the eunuchs who were sweeping the floor.


    Qin Yi returned and reported to Yun Shang, "Princess, they said the director is not here. In fact, he hardly comes here, unless its a special occasion. They also said that all the paintings and calligraphy works collected in the House are not for circulation. Not without His Majesty''s dictation..."


    Yun Shang sighed heavily, "Never mind. We don''t have to bother my father, not with such trifles." Disappointed, they headed back to Qingxin Palace. Qin Meng was making Yun Shang''s bed when they entered. Opposite the bed stood a chair. Yun Shang sank into the chair and sighed melodramatically.


    "Princess, I remember that you brought back plenty of paintings and calligraphy works from Ning''guo Temple. Didn''t you? And some of them are said to be masterpieces. Though they might not be as exquisite as those from the Imperial Treasure House, they are from the collections of someone as particular as Master Wu Na. I bet they must be stunning as well. Why don''t you pick one from them for Princess Hua Jing?" Qin Yi hurried to console Yun Shang.


    Listlessly, Yun Shang nodded and said, "Fine, there''s nothing we can d


    I can''t take all the credit for such a fine piece, which, I must say, is mainly because you gave me such a fabulous painting as the pattern. I dare say there is no other soul than you in the entire Imperial City who could have painted such delicate lotuses as you have done. Not even those so-called gifted ones. Trust me, all they are capable of is nothing other than vulgar and boring stuff."


    "I don''t really know how to judge a painting. What is good and what is not. I just chose this one because I don''t have any other." Slowly and gently, Yun Shang caressed the beautiful embroidered lotus and smiled sweetly.


    "Well, I''m so glad that you like it. Now, I''ll leave you to your business. I also happen to have something to deal with." Hua Jing rose from the chair and smoothened down her dress. Then she bid Yun Shang good-bye with a smile and turned to leave.


    "I''ll walk you out." Yun Shang hurried to follow Hua Jing. She walked with her sister till the front door.


    When Yun Shang went back inside, Qin Yi was standing beside the bed, motionlessly. She held a small embroidered sachet in her hands. She stared at the sachet thoughtfully until she heard Yun Shang''s footsteps, and then she turned to Yun Shang and asked, "Princess, this is not yours. Why would it be found on your bed? I swear it was not there earlier. And look at the craftsmanship, I bet it belongs to Princess Hua Jing..."


    Curiously, Yun Shang took the sachet, and turned it back and forth for a while. Then she put it away and smiled, "The two of them have been bullying me for quite some time, and I have done nothing except avoid them. But not anymore. I''m done hiding from them and I''ll strike first for once. I''m afraid I must officially declare war on the Empress and Princess Hua Jing at my Coming-of-age Ceremony. Just wait and see,. It will definitely be a day to live for. I can hardly wait for it."


    Qin Yi couldn''t help wondering, "Princess, what do you plan to do?"


    "You''ll know when the day comes." With cruel determination sparkling in her narrowed eyes, Yun Shang said, "I''ll take everything from them, bit by bit. My Coming-of-age Ceremony will only be the beginning. I won''t stop until they crawl and beg for mercy."

 Chapter 34 Coming-of-age Ceremony, Part 1

    Ten was an auspicious number. Holding Yun Shang''s Coming-of-age Ceremony on October tenth meant that everything would be perfect.


    "Luckily the ceremony is being held in late autumn. It''s getting much cooler now. I can''t even imagine what it would be like to hold such a ceremony in the burning summer heat. Have you looked at the dresses and counted how many layers they have?" Qin Yi groaned about the dresses Yun Shang was going to wear while checking each carefully. It was almost time for the ceremony and everything had to be just perfect. "Princess, there you are. I''ve got everything you need for the ceremony here. The hairpins, the phoenix coronet, and four matching gowns - one for each part of the ritual. You should wear the top sleeve gown at the end. I''m sure you will looked absolutely stunning in that dress."


    Yun Shang nodded but soon lowered her head. She looked rather sad, "It''s such a pity that my mother, Lady Jin won''t be there for me."


    Feeling sorry for Yun Shang, Qin Yi sighed and tried to comfort her, "Princess, I''m sure Lady Jin would have given anything just to see how wonderfully you''ve grown. You are indeed a great Princess."


    The two women sat quietly and held each others'' hands. Someone outside cried, "Princess, it''s time. Xiu Xin is here. She reports that all the preparations are done and that the guests are gathering at Huazhang Palace. If The Princess is ready, she should leave for the ceremony."


    The Coming-of-age Ceremony was held outside Huazhang Palace. Plenty of distinguished guests had been invited to witness the event. Slowly but solemnly, the rite carried on. Yun Shang would go back inside to change into a matching gown after the Master of the ceremony had braided her hair and embellished it with different hairpins. The procedure repeated three times. Yun Shang had changed from a colored dress suitable for little girls to a deeper and refiner color and fabric as the ritual progressed. At the end, she wore an elegant top sleeve gown, which indicated that instead of a child, she should be considered a young woman of marriageable age. Emperor Ning had granted Yun Shang ''Fengyu'' as her courtesy name at the end of the ceremony. After receiving her courtesy name, Yun Shang bowed to all guests, and the ceremony was officially considered completed.


    After the ceremony, all guests were guided to the Moon Tower on Penglai Island for the following banquet.


    Emperor Ning and the Empress were sitting on the seat of honor. Yun Shang, in whose honor the feast was being held, had been seated to their left. To their right sat Luo Qingyan, also known as the famous Prince Jing. Princess Hua Jing''s seat had been placed next to Yun Shang.


    When the maid led Hua Jing to the seat prepared for her, Yun Shang noticed that Hua Jing paused briefly before she sitting down. Then she turned to Yun Shang with an exaggerated smile and complimented, "Dear sister, you look fabulous today."


    Yun Shang blushed and lowered her head. "Don''t make fun of me, sister."


    Right at that moment, Yun Shang sensed someone was staring. She looked up and surveyed the hall. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that it was Prince Jing. His jet-black eyes wer


    taken it upon himself to pick on her at every meeting. She was instantly irked. ''The apple never falls far from the tree, '' Yun Shang thought to herself.


    Ignoring Li Luo, Yun Shang turned her back to him. As she faced her guests, she found another old acquaintance. Yun Shang froze. She clenched her hands under her sleeves as she tried to hide her emotional upheaval. ''It has been a long while.'' Yun Shang mumbled to herself. Yun Shang curled her lips into a smirk as she fixed her eyes on the person, who, after catching her look, smiled back in return.


    Yun Shang felt nothing but disgust and disappointment when she saw the person''s flirtatious smile. Putting on her polite smile, Yun Shang turned to Li Luo, "The thing is, when I was little, my sister used to come to me, crying, saying that the Grand Tutor was too harsh and sometimes punished her. I began to detest him even though I had never really met him. I was afraid that I would be punished as well, for I''m not as smart as my sister. Scared of being punished, I begged my mother to not send me to the Grand Tutor. Luckily, mother doted on me and didn''t reject my request. When after I arrived at the Ning''guo Temple, Master Wu Na was the complete opposite. He is a gentle person. He never forced me to learn. Instead, he took me to see the running river in the valley, and taught me to feel the gentle breeze. He is absolutely magical in the way he narrates things. His stories were much more interesting. That''s when I started to learn."


    Hardly had Yun Shang done talking when a older man staggered out of the crowd and kneeled before Emperor Ning, "His Majesty, I''ve never punished Princess Hua Jing."


    "You are the one that refused to learn. And yet you blame Princess Hua Jing for your shortcomings. Shame on you." Li Luo moaned. Although he was quiet, his voice was quite audible. Yun Shang heard every single word.


    It seemed that she was not the only one. Even Emperor Ning had heard. He frowned and was about to speak up when a cold voice cut in. "There is only one simple way to find out. I suggest that Princess Hui Guo paint again in front of everyone here..."

 Chapter 35 The Coming-of-age Ceremony, Part 2

    It was Prince Jing who had spoken.


    "Good idea." The Emperor nodded. "Shang''er, please paint another one now."


    Before Yun Shang could answer, Li Luo spoke up. "Your Highness, are you afraid? Fake is fake, don''t you agree?"


    Yun Shang didn''t answer. Instead she smiled and looked at her father. "I''m innocent, but there are always troublemakers." Then she turned to the annoying man. "Let''s make a bet! If I win, you must do me a favor, and if I lose, I will do you a favor. Do you agree?"


    "Okay, but I don''t believe you can paint so well." tittered Li Luo.


    On hearing the bet, other guests also chimed in. "Li Luo will win!"


    "Please make a note." Yun Shan instructed Lord Zheng.


    The excitement around the bet increased and a number of other guests joined in as well. However, they all seemed to be supporting Li Luo. When the game was about to start, a cold voice could be heard above everyone else''s. "I wager the Princess will win, " said Prince Jing.


    In the guests'' hubbub, Yun Shang took the parchment from Zheng and handed it to her father. "I humbly request you to be the judge."


    "Agreed!" The Emperor readily consented and sat back.


    A servant quickly brought pen, ink, paper, and an ink stone. Yun Shang took the pen and smiled. "Besides lotus, I also like iris, which is said to be in the netherworld. I''m going to draw irises today."


    As she began to draw, all eyes were fixed on Yun Shang. She drew with great decisiveness and skill.


    Pretty soon, the painting was done. A servant took the paper and showed it to everyone.


    With a smile, the Emperor spoke to a white-bearded minister who had not yet spoken. "As th


    ing. "The first time I met her, I wrote her name in my heart..."


    Yun Shang closed her eyes and recalled their story, right from acquaintance to marriage, and then to betrayal. She forced herself not to cry. As the music grew more affectionate, her hatred grew stronger.


    After the song finished, no one spoke. Neither did Yun Shang. After a while, she looked up and smiled. "Pleasant. But I''m sorry. I have no ear for music, so I cannot fully appreciate it."


    Hearing that, Mo Jingran stood up in defeat. The spark had left his eyes. Just as he turned to leave, a sachet fell out of his sleeve. He didn''t notice it. But the woman next to him did. She picked it up and called out, "Your sachet, sir."


    Mo Jingran paused and look back at the woman. "Oh..."


    The woman was about to give it back, but then she frowned. "Eh, the embroidery on this sachet is the same as the one we saw today!"


    Her remark caught everyone''s attention. They began murmuring. "Yes, it is Hunan embroidery. Both the stitch and needlework are amazing. I''m afraid that no one is capable of such work, except one person..."

 Chapter 36 Prince Jing

    At the mention of Hunan embroidery, everyone knew the woman was implicating the Princess. Hua Jing rushed forward and grabbed the sachet. "This is mine! Why do you have it?"


    "What?" Mo Jingran looked astonished and pale. "No, no... doesn''t it belong to Princess Yun Shang?" mumbled Jingran.


    "Mine? Of course not. I don''t even know how to embroider." Yun Shang was surprised that Mo Jingran thought the sachet belonged to her. "I used to live in a Temple. I don''t use sachets anymore."


    "What''s going on?" The Emperor frowned and asked.


    Mo Jingran and Hua Jing knelt down simultaneously. "I lost my sachet a few days ago, and I had no idea where it was."


    Mo Jingran kowtowed. "How could it... ..."


    "How did you get it?" asked Emperor Ning.


    "I found it by accident, " explained Jingran.


    "Found?" repeated the Emperor cooly. "Jing''er mentioned you at the last banquet. I thought you''re just acquainted with each other. But it seems that the truth is far more than that. What audacity!"


    "Your Majesty, I''m telling the truth!" explained Hua Jing hurriedly.


    "Enough! Go!" continued the Emperor. "No more parties. Stay at home and study the Four Arts." "And Mo Jingran, you deserve to be flogged, " added the Emperor. He was furious.


    "My love, she may be telling the truth...don''t punish her..." the Empress frowned as she spoke.


    Hearing her, Emperor Ning got angrier. "You brought her up. Isn''t her behavior also your fault?"


    His word embarrassed the Empress. "As you see fit, " answered the Empress. Anger smoldered in her eyes. With little else left to say, the Empress left.


    Hua Jing remained on the ground. She stared at the Emperor. Terror reflected in her eyes. After a while, she said, "Yes, Your Majesty." Then she stood up, and walked out.


    The


    message. "Do you think you can kill me?" laughed the Prince. "Aha, no, no...you are not strong enough."


    She lowered her head and gnashed her teeth. "You''ve misunderstood. How could I possibly hurt you?" smiled Yun Shang.


    "Your mother is wise. She knows how to stay safe in the Imperial Household. It may not be a wise decision to confront her in a fierce fight." Rather than continuing that topic, the Prince chose to speak of other topics.


    "My mother?" asked Yun Shang uneasily. She felt overwhelmed, as though she was being seen through. It seemed that he knew everything about her, while she knew nothing about him.


    After she calmed down, she spoke up. "It doesn''t matter whether she is wise or not. What matters is that she has suffered countless unfair accusations during these years. Living in the Cold Palace for such a long time has been a harsh punishment. I want her to be loved, and to be happy."


    Yun Shang looked at the pavilion, and smiled. "I just gave her the opportunity. It all comes down to what she will choose."


    The Prince paused for a moment and turned to the young Princess. "It''s too windy. Go home, and get some rest." He left the tower after saying that.

 Chapter 37 Illness

    "Your Majesty, it seems that Princess Hui Guo is not to be trifled with. If we become enemies one day¡­ How about we strike before she gets stronger?" Wang Shunlai lowered his head and stood respectfully behind Prince Jing.


    Prince Jing turned around and looked at the looming figure on Star Tower before replying. "I remember when I saw her for the first time. It was seven years ago and there had been no rain in the state of Ning for half a year. We were discussing official business that day and this 8-year-old girl rushed in saying that she wanted to go to Ning''guo Temple to pray for rain. Several days later, I left for the border. While there, I heard that she had succeeded in bringing rain for the people and was given the title of Princess Hui Guo."


    "Your Majesty, what you mean is¡­" Wang Shunlai seemed to understand the Princes'' intention, but he was unsure.


    Prince Jing smiled and replied, "I used to think that someone helped her secretly. But after meeting her several times since then, I am convinced that this young Princess Hui Guo is a smart girl. Since she is smart, the Princess definitely knows what she should do. We will never become enemies."


    Wang Shunlai had no idea why Prince Jing was so confident. However, he knew the Prince to be a wise person. He felt it wouldn''t be wrong to trust the Prince. Wang Shunlai decided to dismiss his concerns and doubts. He agreed with the Prince in a respectful way and then Wang followed Prince Jing as he moved away from Star Tower.


    It was already midnight when Yun Shang returned to Qingxin Palace. Qin Yi was pacing frantically in the courtyard. On seeing Yun Shang, she rushed forward and said, "Your Highness, you have finally returned! Did Prince Jing do anything harmful to you? I was so worried."


    Yun Shang shook her head and replied, "I''m fine." Then she looked around and asked, "Are you alone?"


    Qin Yi leaned forward and whispered, "I told the others that you were worried about the Emperor who had left suddenly. Especially since the Emperor had not taken his escorts. So you went to look for him. I thought you would like a bath after returning. It has been a long day for you. So I told them to prepare your bath-water."


    Yun Shang nodded and walked into the inner room.


    Not long after she sat down, Qin Meng opened the curtains and walked inside. She saw Yun Shang and expressed her concern, "Greetings, Your Highness. Did you find the Emperor?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and smil


    maids changed the flowers in her hair one by one. She sneered, "How charming could a woman, who has lived in the Cold Palace for more than ten years, be? The Emperor was just faking it. However, there must be more trouble for the Empress in Qiwu Palace. You know, Lady Jin used to be very favored, which broke the Empress'' heart. She was not happy that she had to help her raise Yun Shang when Lady Jin was confined to the Cold Palace. Now Lady Jin is being favored again, and the Empress still hasn''t gotten rid of her troubles. I wonder what the Empress'' expression will be when she hears about this."


    Ya''er didn''t say anything. Lady Shu looked at the silver butterfly hairpin in the mirror and nodded in approval. "That''s the one. By the way, is there anything unusual happening in Qingxin Hall?"


    Ya''er shook her head. "It seems that the delicate Princess in Qingxin Hall is sick again. The Imperial Physician was called for early this morning."


    "Sick?" Lady Shu kept silent for a while and then turned around. "It is most likely that she pretends to be sick. Lady Jin was favored ten years ago. Now that her rank has been returned to Lady Jin, her daughter pretends to be sick to hide from her mother. How sad! Go to the hospital and inquire about the condition of Princess Hui Guo. I should visit her and convey my concerns.


    Ya''er nodded. just as she was about to leave, she saw a maid rushing in. The maid spoke quickly, "Your Highness, Princess Hui Guo''s maid, Qin Yi, has come. She said that the Princess is sick and needs a herb. According to the Imperial Physician, the Emperor gave the only one to you, so she came to ask for the herb."

 Chapter 38 The Person Behind Lady Shu

    "Ask for a favor?" Lady Shu was a little confused.


    Ya''er thought of an idea and spoke to Lady Shu in a low voice, "Your Highness, why should Qin Yi come here? I believe asking for the herb is an excuse. To find out her real intentions, why not call Qin Yi and question her carefully?"


    Lady Shu nodded in agreement.


    When Qin Yi entered, Lady Shu was sitting on her throne in the inner Palace. Qin Yi curtsied to her promptly. Lady Shu nodded and said, "So you are Qin Yi. It must have been very tough to live a lonely and plain life with the Princess at Ning''guo Temple for all these years. By the way, I heard that you called the imperial physician this morning. Is the Princess ill?"


    Qin Yi answered softly, "Your Highness, the Princess caught a cold last night. If this had happened to a normal person, it would be no big deal, and appropriate medicine would work. But the Princess'' health has always been a cause for concern. This makes her illness more serious. The Imperial Physician came this morning, and after checking the Princess, he said that her pulse was irregular and that he didn''t dare to prescribe medicines. The only way to help her is to use some restorative herbs. These will help to keep her fit, and the Princess will recover once her body gets stronger."


    "It is so serious?" Lady Shu sighed and said with sadness, "The Princess just had her Coming-of-age Ceremony yesterday. She is in her best years but her health is so poor. Alas¡­"


    After lamenting for a while, she continued "I heard that you came to ask for a herb but I have no idea which herb you need. Take whatever you need if I have it here."


    Qin Yi expressed her gratitude and then continued, "What I am looking for is the Cordyceps, which is very rare. Master Wu Na from Ning''guo Temple mentioned it as well. He said that this herb would be very good for the Princess'' health if we could find it. But it is not easy to get. I heard some maids talk about it when I returned to the Palace. It is said that the Emperor favored you a lot and sent some as a tribute to you before the New Year. I''m so sorry to trouble you. Please pardon any unintended offense, Your Highness."


    "Really? Is there any here?" Lady Shu the


    un Shang smiled and shook her head. "My health condition also doesn''t allow me to enjoy a happy life. Master Wu Na once said that if I nurse my health carefully, I can live for a few years. But if I have extreme emotions, I am afraid that ¡­"


    Hearing this, Lady Shu also frowned and asked with concern, "Isn''t there some other way? To cure your disease?"


    Yun Shang shook her head but then she paused as if she remembered something. She added, "There is a way. Master Wu Na said that the renowned Doctor Xue Yan who lives in the Changbai Mountain could save me. But it''s said that the doctor has a special constitution and must stay in places full of ice and snow. Which is why he never leaves Changbai Mountain. And I can''t travel long distances due to my poor health. I know that it is impossible, and so I''ve never mentioned it to others. If my father knows this, I''m afraid that he will use every means to bring the doctor, which is not what I wish. I just want to conform to my fate. But if anyone can cure my disease, I will be eternally grateful."


    "Doctor Xue Yan?" Repeated Lady Shu. A glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, but she sighed deliberately, "Well, this is really a problem. I will inquire about it when I go back. By the way, Qin Yi came to ask for a herb but I had already given the herb to my mother. I am sorry about that, so I brought some other herbs for you. You can see if they are useful or not."


    Yun Shang nodded. "Okay. Thank you very much."

 Chapter 39 Doctor Recommended by Prince Jing

    After chatting for a while, Lady Shu left. Qin Yi walked in, and rolled her eyes.


    "Where''s Qin Meng?" Yun Shang asked.


    "She has used lunch preparation as an excuse to sneak out. I assume she''s passing on messages to her master now. By the way, Your Highness, why didn''t you just tell Lady Shu that you want to meet the person helping her now that you have figured out his identity?" Qin Yi asked quietly.


    Yun Shang smiled. "I can only make an educated guess. And no matter what information I have, it is only a guess. Though I''m quite confident about his identity, I cannot risk sharing important information. It would bring trouble if my guess is wrong. So, this is a more indirect and safer way. If the information from Ning Qian is accurate, we won''t be waiting for too long."


    "You have a thoughtful plan, Your Highness. Please allow me to leave for a moment so that I may carry it out accordingly." Then Qin Yi tucked Yun Shang into bed and left.


    After a whole day of waiting, Qin Yi didn''t see what Yun Shang expected to happen. She didn''t dare be absent from Qingxin Palace for too long, so she went back to serve Yun Shang. Just when Yun Shang finished dinner and was about to take some rest, she heard a cry. "Hurry up! Get out of my way! Prince Jing is coming to the Palace and he wants the freshest mandarin fish. If any delay is caused you''ll bear the consequences."


    Qin Yi who was sitting by Yun Shang''s bed, stood up immediately. Her eyes lit up. "Oh no. I just recalled that Lady Shu said that she prepared some nourishing soup and asked me to pick it up for you. I almost forgot."


    Yun Shang was confused at first and then she nodded. "Why don''t you go and get it now? Be careful and do not offend Lady Shu. Qin Meng will be here with me."


    Qin Yi nodded and left Qingxin Palace promptly. Yun Shang rubbed her forehead with one hand and said, "The headache brought about by the cold is killing me. Qin Meng, come and massage me."


    Qin Meng was still in a daze after watching Qin Yi leave. Woken up by Yun Shang''s voice, she answered as she walked to the bed. "How about I make you some ging


    Doctor Xue Yan to treat me at my Palace. Since Your Majesty is so concerned about Princess Hui Guo and the Princess is in poor heath, I''d like to suggest that the Princess spend some time in my Palace so that Doctor Xue Yan can take a look."


    "Doctor Xue Yan?" Emperor Ning was shocked. "That Doctor Xue Yan who can allegedly only survive in a world of ice and snow?"


    Prince Jing nodded. "I was lucky enough to survive my injuries. But I have been suffering from side effects of the injury. After deciding to settle down for in the Imperial City, I sent for Doctor Xue Yan. It was not easy, I have to say. I planned to see him in Changbai Mountain, but I have been too busy to go. Considering I''might leave for the frontier again soon, I sent for the Doctor. He''s now staying in my underground ice-house."


    "It is said that he is a great doctor who can cure any disease. Is it true?" Emperor Ning asked eagerly.


    Prince Jing smiled. "Rumors might not always be true. Although he might not be able to cure all diseases or bring the dead back to life, as a well-known doctor, he is better skilled than other doctors. So perhaps, he can be of help."


    Emperor Ning nodded. "That makes sense. If I send Yun Shang to your Palace, will you look after my Princess? If she can get better, I''ll thank you in every way I can, brother."


    Prince Jing hastened to nod. "It''s my honor and due responsibility, Your Majesty."

 Chapter 40 Alliance

    "Seeing the doctor in Prince Jing''s mansion?" Yun Shang''s face turned red as she coughed. "Considering how weak I am, I doubt any highly-skilled doctor can cure me of my illness. Never mind. It is Father''s kindness. If I refuse to go, Father would be sad. It''s just that I heard that Prince Jing is difficult to get along with, which is why there''s not a single maid in his mansion. Qin Yi, Qin Meng, you two follow me to Prince Jing''s mansion."


    Qin Yi and Qin Meng agreed and then left to instruct the other maids to pack the Princess''s belongings. After a short while, one of Prince Jing''s servants came to notify them that Prince Jing was ready to leave for his mansion.


    Yun Shang nodded. Qin Yi and Qin Meng helped her stand and walked her out of Qingxin Palace where a Nian* was waiting. When they arrived at the mansion gates, two horses and carriages were waiting. Prince Jing stood beside one horse and carriage. When he saw Yun Shang, he walked toward her and helped her get off the Nian.


    (*TN: Nian, a kind of carriage pulled by people.)


    A sudden gust of wind caught Yun Shang by surprise and she coughed. Prince Jing supported her as she walked towards the carriage. She felt a bit uneasy, but thanked him and got in the carriage.


    An hour later, the carriage stopped. Qin Yi and Qin Meng lifted the curtain and climbed down. They stood outside the carriage and spoke, "Your Highness, we have arrived at Prince Jing''s mansion."


    Yun Shang nodded, stood up and stepped outside.


    Prince Jing was standing outside of his mansion, instructing a middle-aged man. Seeing Yun Shang, he stepped forward and said, "I have already told my butler to inform the doctor. You can rest inside. I''ll take you to him later."


    Yun Shang nodded before bowing before the Prince.


    at right at this moment, we have the same enemy. Why not form an alliance? Though I don''t have much to offer, I will do my best to aid you." Yun Shang removed her hands from her sleeves. She leaned towards Prince Jing and supported her head on her hands. She watched as he mulled over her proposal.


    "In that case, I''ll say yes." Prince Jing answered. Since he hid his expressions very well, Yun Shang couldn''t read his emotions.


    Yun Shang stood up and smiled. "It''s late now. It doesn''t seem like you intend to take me to the doctor. In that case, I''ll take my rest. You..."


    Prince Jing studied Yun Shang as she spoke. Something seemed off. He stood up, and touched her forehead.


    Yun Shang was not expecting the Prince to touch her. In shock, she took a step back.


    "You are sick?" Prince Jing frowned. He was asking a question, but he sounded like he already knew the answer. "I thought the illness was just an act to get near me. I didn''t expect that you were actually unwell.."


    Yun Shang smiled to conceal her confusion. "If you hadn''t dragged me to the Star Tower in impulse, I wouldn''t have caught a cold."


    Prince Jing paused. He stepped forward and lifted Yun Shang.

 Chapter 41 The Rushed Qin Meng

    "Ah..." Yun Shang shouted in surprise. Once her astonishment subsided, she asked with a frown, "What are you doing, uncle?"


    Prince Jing was walking towards the door, "Taking you to see Doctor Xue Yan."


    Qin Yi and Qin Meng looked surprised when they saw the Prince carry Yun Shang out of her room. Eyes-widened and open-mouthed, they watched in mute silence as the Prince walked past them. It took a few seconds for Qin Yi could regain her composure. She ran to Yun Shang and asked nervously, "What happened to Princess Yun Shang, My Lord?"


    Prince Jing stopped and frowned, "I''m taking her to see Doctor Xue Yan." As soon as he finished speaking, he continued walking.


    "Oh, my, Your Imperial Highness..." Qin Yi''s voice could be heard from a distance. Yun Shang licked her lips and sighed, "Uncle, please put me down. I can walk."


    Prince Jing stopped, and complied with her request.


    "So Doctor Xue Yan is living in your mansion, right?" Yun Shang said the first thing that came to her mind, to escape the embarrassing moment.


    Prince Jing walked ahead without answering.


    Yun Shang ran to catch up with. She continued speaking, "It''s amazing how someone must survive in a freezing world."


    There was still no reply from Prince Jing. Not in the mood to speak again, Yun Shang also walked in silence behind Prince Jing.


    They walked across a garden, and entered a courtyard. Prince Jing headed towards a rockwork, and entered through a narrow opening. Yun Shang was surprised, but she followed the Prince without any hesitation.


    As soon as she entered, Yun Shang felt a cold draft. She gasped as the cold air stung her face. Shivering from the cold, she continued to follow Prince Jing. The further they walked the colder the cave became.


    Prince Jing turned around to check on Yun Shang. He frowned, but said nothing. Then he walked faster.


    They must have walked for at least fifteen minutes before Prince Jing stopped. Yun Shang felt out of breath. She was so frozen that she could not feel her hands and feet. Gathering her faculties after a brief pause, she raised her head and saw a figure sitting before a frigid wall from which waves of cold air radiated. He was a peculiar looking man; everything of his, from the hair to the clothes, was as white as snow. Even his skin was so white it looked almost transparent.


    In an instant, Yun Shang realized who he was. "Doctor Xue Yan?" A sense of admiration rose in her heart. It was beyond her expectation that there was such a man under heaven; a man living with, and as white as ice and sno


    ''d better keep an eye on her for me. Though clever people don''t do stupid things in a strange environment, we should be careful as well. As both, the Empress and Hua Jing are mired in their troubles, and she is with me right now, there might be a possibility that she would be desperate enough to do something stupid. You have to keep her under your watch."


    Qin Yi nodded, "Yes, I will."


    After chatting for a while longer, Yun Shang decided she should rest. Just as she rose from her chair, she heard a knock. Qin Yi opened the door. Prince Jing''s butler stood at the doorway with a bowl in his hands. The contents were hot as Yun Shang could see white smoke rising from the bowl.


    "Your Imperial Highness, my Lord ordered me to bring you this medicine. It''s been freshly brewed. However, since its quite a walk from the kitchen, the medicine is just about the right temperature. Please take it before it gets cold." The butler flashed the Princess a brilliant smile as he carried the bowl forward. Qin Yi took the bowl and served it to Yun Shang after stirring it.


    Yun Shang took the bowl, asked no questions, and drank it without any hesitation.


    The butler took back the bowl and left. Then Yun Shang had Qin Yi help her get dressed for bed.


    Yun Shang had barely awoken the next morning when she heard a voice shouting from outside, "Your Imperial Highness, are you awake? I have something to report."


    Yun Shang asked with a frown, "What is it?"


    "Your Imperial Highness, one of your maids entered a forbidden area in the mansion of Prince Jing. She is under arrest now. The Lord said Your Imperial Highness needs to make a decision about her punishment. What do you say, Your Imperial Highness?"

 Chapter 42 Punishing Qin Meng

    Yun Shang thought about the previous night for a moment and guessed what might have happened. She looked up at Qin Yi. Mischief danced in her eyes. "I''m in no hurry. I will have my breakfast before I deal with the Qin Meng situation."


    Qin Yi nodded and then turned to leave. She stepped out and spoke with the messenger standing outside. A short while later, a maid-in-waiting brought breakfast to the Palace. Qin Yi took it from the maid with a smile. She said to Yun Shang, "You have red bean porridge for breakfast. Looks delicious."


    Yun Shang nodded and explained herself, "You see, there is always trouble. Qin Meng certainly is troublesome."


    Qin Yi put the dishes on the table while saying, "I forget that we are now in Prince Jing''s Mansion instead of at our own. Qin Meng deserves to be punished. Someone had to teach her a lesson. Then she would know that she can''t just do whatever she wants to do, wherever she goes, and whenever she pleases."


    Yun Shang smiled. She tucked into a bowl of red bean porridge before picking up an egg roll from the plate. After breakfast, Yun Shang took a nap before finally deciding to deal with Qin Meng. She asked a servant to lead her to the so-called forbidden area in the Prince''s Mansion.


    Qin Meng was kneeling in front of the door of the forbidden area. She must have been kneeling for a long time for she could barely stay straight. Hearing a noise, she looked up slowly and, upon seeing Yun Shang, her eyes brightened. She straightened her upper body and said with tears in her eyes, "Princess, help me, please. I just wanted a private place to relieve myself. But the mansion is so large that I couldn''t find a servant to guide me. It was during my search that I stumbled here. I didn''t know that this is the forbidden area. Princess, help me¡­"


    Yun Shang frowned and walked towards Qin Meng quickly. With an anxious expression, she reprimanded the maid. "Qin Meng, how could you be so careless? We are now in Prince Jing''s Mansion. You are not allowed to walk around freely. You have caused offense to my uncle, Prince Jing. I am unable to save you¡­"


    "I didn''t mean harm. Princess, please go beg the Prince to forgive me." said Qin Meng. Tears


    e her end up like this. The Empress managed to put her by your side, but she was turned into a useless person by the Prince before she did anything useful for the Empress. It is the Prince that punished Qin Meng. You did not hurt her. Nobody can attribute her punishment to you. What a wonderful thing it is to get rid of her without doing anything." said Qin Yi with excitement.


    Yun Shang stood still and looked into the distant bamboo grove. Joy didn''t appear on her face. She said, "Letting her stay by my side is not necessarily a bad thing. I had thought I could make use of her later. I had never thought that she would be punished by the Prince¡­ It''s just as well. I don''t have to be vigilant all the time without an agent of the Empress by my side."


    "Princess, you can take the chance to place several trustworthy servants by your side." said Qin Yi. This was the first time since her return from the Temple that Qin Yi felt completely at ease.


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "We will set out for our Palace once the Prince''s servants send Qin Meng back.


    Yun Shang wanted to meet with Prince Jing privately for two reasons. The first was to get a little space from the Imperial Palace and its on-going schemes, and the second to ally with someone who disliked the Empress as much as she did. Now that she got what she wanted, there was no reason to stay. Besides, Prince Jing''s would set off interesting events in the Imperial Palace. How could she miss that?

 Chapter 43 The Empress Scheme

    "Where''s Her Majesty?" Xiu Xin asked as she entered Qiwu Palace. She seemed to be in a hurry.


    "In the Buddhist Prayer Room, " answered a servant.


    Hearing that, Xiu Xin nodded and went straight to the prayer room. A thread of smoke coiled around the room. The Empress knelt in front of a shrine as she mumbled sutras with her eyes closed.


    Footsteps broke the silence of the room. But the Empress did not move, and continued tapping the Temple Block*.


    (*TN: The temple block is a percussion instrument which is used in religious ceremonies.).


    "Your Majesty, Princess Hui Guo returned to her Palace." blurted Xiu Xin.


    At the news, the Empress missed a beat and the Block trembled off-tune. A heartbeat later, the Temple Block hummed again, rhythmically. "Didn''t she leave for treatment? Why has she returned now? "


    "I followed a eunuch from Qingxin Palace. Then I saw Qin Meng on a stretcher, " continued Xiu Xin. "Later, I heard that Prince Jing had her legs broken for being a trespasser."


    A thump echoed off the walls before the Temple Block went silent. After a long pause, the Empress asked, "What? He broke her legs? "


    "That is correct, Your Majesty. The servants at Qingxin Palace said so, " answered Xiu Xin.


    "Damn it!" In her rage, the Empress threw the wooden mallet to the ground. Then she jumped up, and fulminated. "Get to the bottom of this incident! It took me so many years to arrange these things. How can my efforts be in vain?"


    Xiu Xin nodded and left hurriedly.


    Silence returned to the room. After a few minutes, the Empress thought aloud. "I have nothing against you, but you always spoil m


    Where have you been?" asked Yun Shang.


    She didn''t answer, but the Empress spoke up. "Actually, this is what I wanted to talk about with you." She glanced at Yun Shang before sitting.


    Yun Shang sat near the Empress. "You came to talk about...her?" asked the Princess.


    "Yes, " nodded the Empress. "I was walking along the lake when I saw her trying to kill herself. I saved her, and then she told me what happened. She feels guilty as she got you into trouble. When she learned that she would never serve you because of her broken legs, she wanted to die."


    Yun Shang was astonished. She went to Qin Meng, and held her hand. "I told you that I wouldn''t give you up. Please don''t worry."


    A stream of tears rolled down Qin Meng''s face. "It''s all my fault. I''m too ashamed. How can I face you."


    As Yun Shang shook her head, the Empress spoke up. "This maid is affectionate and faithful, but you need a working maid. I''ll send you another girl. In the meanwhile, I will take Qin Meng back to Qiwu Palace, where I can give her something easier to do. And if she heals, I''ll send her back."

 Chapter 44 Lins Disappearance

    Yun Shang wondered what the Empress was planning. Soon, she figured it out. It seems that the Empress intended to replace Qin Meng with a new spy. What a wily snake!


    "I feel we should ask Qin Meng what she wants, even though she''s merely a maid, " said Yun Shang with a smile. "Besides, no more maids are needed regardless of whether she leaves or not. I became comfortable with my life at Ning''guo Temple. Now, being served by many people makes me uneasy."


    "No, you can''t. As a Princess, you must follow the rules, " responded the Empress. "I''ve already told the Imperial Household Department* to pick a good maid for you." The Empress took a prayer band off her wrist and rolled the beads between her fingers.


    (*TN: Its primary purpose was to manage the internal affairs of the Imperial family and the activities of the inner Palace.)


    "Alright, " Yun Shang smiled nonchalantly.


    Satisfied, the Empress nodded. As if having thought of something important, she looked at Yun Shang and asked, "Have you found a cure for your illness? I heard that you were ill and declined all concubines'' visit."


    Hearing that, Yun Shang smiled apologetically, "I caught a cold, and I was afraid it would bring bad luck to others. Besides, I haven''t been back at the Palace for long. I''m still not used to visitors. After Lady Jin was favored by my father, many concubines came to me and said something I couldn''t understand. So I asked my maids to keep them out."


    The Empress stopped playing with her beads. "Hmm. Why do you call her Lady Jin? She''s your mother." The Empress spoke impassively while staring at Yun Shang.


    "Although she is my mothe


    me from?" asked Qin Yi in surprise.


    Without answering, Yun Shang went to the table and drew something. Then she put it into the goose''s mouth, and let the bird fly away.


    Qin Yi looked out the window in surprise, but did not see the goose. Then she turned away, and left to decoct medicine.


    As she was leaving, Yun Shang remembered something. "Do you remember there was a eunuch named Lin in Qingxin Palace seven years ago?"


    "Lin?" Qin Yi frowned, and shook her head.


    "At that time, the Empress brought a fake priest and tried to kill me. After that she caught the maids and eunuchs working here and tried to bribe them. But Lin told me that the Empress commanded him to poison me."


    Qin Yi suddenly recalled the incident Yun Shang mentioned. "Oh, now I remember, " she said.


    "When I returned to the palace, both the Empress and Qin Meng told me that none of the servants in the Qingxin Palace had changed. But after all this while here, I haven''t seen Lin. Please inquire about his whereabouts secretly." said Yun Shang.


    Hearing that, Qin Yi nodded. "Aye, I will." Then she left.

 Chapter 45 The maid, Qian Yin

    The Imperial Household Department is highly efficient. Just after lunch, the man in charge of the Imperial Household Department brought a maid to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, the Empress told me to pick someone smart and clever for you. Here is a new maid for you, Your Highness. Do you approve?"


    Yun Shang took a close look at the maid. The maid was pretty. Just like Qin Meng, she seemed pure and innocent.


    Yun Shang smiled, and asked her in a soft voice, "What''s your name?"


    The maid rolled her eyes and smiled, "Your Highness, my name is Qian Yin and I''m fourteen years old."


    The man in charge looked at the maid. He seemed dissatisfied with her reaction. "Her Highness was just asking for your name, why did you tell her your age too?" Then he turned to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, will you take her as your maid? She may not be as experienced as your favorite maid, Qin Meng, but she serves people well."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I''ll keep her in Qingxin Palace. Thank you for your efforts."


    Qin Yi stepped forward, slipped a money bag into the man''s hand, and then stepped back. The man beamed with joy, "Thank you, Your Highness. If there''s anything else that you need, let me know and I will assist you."


    Yun Shang said "Well OK" as the man turned and left.


    Yun Shang, Qin Yi, and Qian Yin stood in the room. Yun Shang waved at Qian Yin and smiled, "I haven''t seen you in three years. You have grown up quite a lot."


    Qian Yin grinned and approached Yun Shang. She stood beside the Princess and complimented, "You''ve changed too, Your Highness. You''ve become more beautiful."


    Qin Yi was confused with their conversation. She thought for a while and then something dawned on her. Her eyes were filled with surprise, "Does Qian Yin work for Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang and Qian Yin both laughed at this question. Qian Yin turned around and giggled, "Qin Yi, my name is Qian Yin and I work for Her Highness. Three years ago, I was sent to the Palace. I did a pretty good job, which earned me favor from the Minister of the Imperial Household Department and the Empress. I''ve been assigned some secret tasks for the Empress. When I heard that Her Highness needed a new maid, I signed up voluntarily."


    Qin Yi studied Qian Yin from head to toe, then nodded, "Well, looks like Your Highness has learned a lot from her father, and has already made her preparations. Now with Qian Yin here, I feel quite reliev


    wed, "Your Majesty. Have you came here to see the flowers with your ladies?"


    The Empress nodded, "Yes, the weather is good today. I heard that the chrysanthemums in the Imperial Garden were blooming well. I wanted to take a look."


    Yun Shang looked at all the concubines accompanying the Empress. Her eyes fixed on an inconspicuous figure. Mother...


    Lady Jin was also looking at Yun Shang. Seeing that Yun Shang had spotted her, she smiled.


    "Since you''re here, let''s take a walk together. You''ve kept yourself in Qingxin Palace all day. You''ll be sick if you continue to do so." The Empress laughed as she put her hand on Yun Shang''s arm.


    Yun Shang smiled, "You''re right."


    They chatted while walking. Soon they approached Yanque Lake. "This is the best season for fish. I heard from His Majesty that a lot of Osmanthus fragrans were planted beside the lake. That''s why the fish from this lake taste like the fragrans." One of the concubines said with joy.


    "Really? I heard that eating this kind of fish is good for our skin. I wonder if it''s true."


    "Oh, come here. See there''s a huge one in the lake..." One of the ladies exclaimed excitedly. The other ladies walked closer to the lake.


    "Is it over there?" All eyes searched the surface of the lake for the big fish. Suddenly there was a white spray in the middle of the lake. Someone pointed to it, and shouted excitedly.


    In all this excitement, one of the maids stepped too close to the lake bank. Her foot slipped.


    "Watch out..." A sharp voice rang out. When everyone turned around, they saw the falling maid reaching for Yun Shang.

 Chapter 46 The gambit

    "Watch out, Your Highness." Qian Yin was standing near Yun Shang. She shouted, rushed towards the Princess, and pushed her away from the lake bank. In doing so, she slipped and fell into the lake.


    "Someone has fallen in the water."


    When Yun Shang realized what happened, she saw Qian Yin being swept away by the current. Yun Shang squinted and raised her voice, "What are you waiting for? Save her."


    The eunuchs who were following the women jumped into the lake and swam towards Qian Yin.


    "Are you all right, Your Highness?" Qin Yi quickly walked to Yun Shang and asked. She sounded anxious and concerned. Yun Shang shook her head. "I''m OK, yes. Qian Yin pushed me away in time. But Qian Yin..."


    Yun Shang frowned. Worry spread across her face.


    "Don''t worry, my daughter. We have so many people here. Your maid will be saved before any further harm comes to her. The maid looks young and healthy. I''m sure she will be fine. She saved you at a crucial time." The Empress walked to Yun Shang and patted her hands as she spoke gently.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes..."


    Seeing that Yun Shang couldn''t remove her gaze from the water, and the worry on her face, the Empress felt satisfied that the Princess'' concern was genuine. She said no more.


    "We got her. We got her, Your Highness." The eunuchs who had jumped in after Qian Yin, brought the maid ashore. Yun Shang rushed to her maid. Qian Yin spat out water and looked weak. Seeing her like this, Yun Shang crouched near her and asked with concern, "Qian Yin, how do you feel now?"


    Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang and shook her head, "I''m OK, as long as you''re OK."


    Then she fainted.


    "What are you waiting for? Bring the Imperial Physician here." The Empress''s voice came from behind, She sounded genuinely sincere. Yun Shang noticed that Qian Yin''s hand moved a bit. She lowered her head and smiled.


    After the accident, it took a while for Qingxin Palace to quiet down. Yun Shang went to the bed and sat down. She spoke softly, "They are all gone now. Drop the act."


    The maid first opened one eye, looked at Yun Shang, then slowly opened her other eye. Yun Shang found her funny, but pretended to be angry. "Did the Empress set this up?"


    Qian Yin nodded, "The Empress sent her orders through a young eunuch who is in charge of delivering food. It was urgent, and I didn''t know whether anyone was eavesdropping on us. That''s why I didn''t tell you. But I


    ngxin Palace, that''s why she brought her here. A cripple. When Qian Yin secures her place in Qingxin Palace, I guess that is the day Meng will disappear."


    "You''re not wrong. I heard that Qian Yin saved Princess Hui Guo in the Imperial Garden the other day. Your Highness was so grateful. Qian Yin has gained her trust."


    "Right. Forget about this crap. Leave her alone. It doesn''t matter if she''s dead or not. By the way, I heard that the Empress was very angry yesterday. Do you know why?"


    "His Majesty hasn''t came to Qiwu Palace in a long time. Her Majesty wanted to choose a maid to send to him to keep his heart. But she couldn''t find a satisfactory one. She was annoyed."


    "Shh, that''s a big deal. Be careful..."


    Their voices gradually disappeared. Neither maid had guessed that behind the door, Qin Meng''s whole body was shaking. She clenched her teeth as tears slid from her eyes. "Scrap, I have become useless scrap." She mumbled to no one in particular.


    After all these years in the Palace, Qin Meng knew exactly what fate awaited abandoned scrap. It was because she knew this that she was particularly afraid. She felt like the tip of a knife was pricking her throat.


    Qin Meng gnashed her teeth. No, she didn''t want to die.


    But, what could she do?


    Qin Meng dragged her aching legs back to the bed and sat down. Now the Empress regard her as scrap, and there was a new maid in Qingxin Palace. Who in this Palace would help her?


    Qin Meng thought for a long time, then slowly raised her head. Determination reflected in her eyes. She knew she need a chance, a chance to change her destiny.

 Chapter 47 Qin Meng Seeks Help

    "Princess, is Qin Meng really coming?" Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang somewhat suspiciously.


    Qin Yi smiled, put a plate on the table, and said, "Princess, try some of the fresh passion fruit that the Emperor just sent you." Having said this, Qin Yi turned her head to Qian Yin and spoke, "Don''t worry. If the Princess says Qin Meng is coming, then she must be coming. I know Qin Meng quite well, and I understand her temper. If she has heard the things that you deliberately wanted her to hear, she will definitely come to the Princess for help."


    Qian Yin nodded slightly, "Right. A wise person would not be sitting idly, awaiting one''s doom. From my observation, Qin Meng could make for half a wise person. But it''s been two days since I passed on the message. Why hasn''t anything happened yet?"


    Yun Shang picked up a piece of passion fruit and beamed, "She''s only waiting for an opportunity."


    "An opportunity? What opportunity?" Qian Yin was confused.


    Yun Shang didn''t answer her. Instead, she ordered Qin Yi, "Go find out where the Emperor is staying for the night."


    Qin Yi nodded and made her exit.


    Soon, Qin Yi returned and reported, "Your Highness, today the Emperor is resting at Qiwu Palace. I heard that the Empress went to Qinzheng hall to invite the Emperor."


    "The Empress invited the Emperor? Could it be that the Empress has found someone who can help her keep the Emperor there?" Hearing this, Qian Yin''s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Qin Yi with curiosity.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "For two months in a row, father visited every other concubine''s Palace. He hasn''t been to Qiwu Palace. How can the Empress not be anxious? A drowning man will clutch at any straw. However, this is great news for us, because Qin Meng''s opportunity has finally come. We shall be ready tonight."


    Qian Yin was still very curious, but she did not ask again, and hurried to make preparations.


    It was just past nine o''clock and the palace gradually quieted down as its occupants turned in for the night. It was one of those caliginous nights when the moon sulked behind clouds. Suddenly, a few knocks came from the Palace gate. As soon as Qian Yin heard the sound, she stretched her neck and looked outside, "Princess, someone''s knocking on the gate."


    Yun Shang took a cup of tea and nodded, "OK." She didn''t give any other response. Instead, she took he


    rrow."


    (*TN The Huanyi Bureau is the department of laundry service in the imperial court.)


    "Go ahead." Qin Yi smiled, and Qian Yin walked out of the Hall.


    Qin Meng clenched her fist and hurried into the inner Hall. Upon seeing Yun Shang, she dropped to her knees and kowtowed, "Princess, I need to tell you something really important. It concerns your life. Please have someone trustworthy guard the door so that no one can enter or exit the Hall. Otherwise, I''m afraid that something terrible might happen..."


    "It concerns my life?" Yun Shang''s brows knitted, "How can anything happen to me when I''m safe in Qingxin Palace?"


    "I swear on my life that I tell nothing but the truth. Please trust me and lock the doors, and forbid anyone to enter or leave the Palace." Qin Meng kowtowed a few more times.


    Yun Shang hesitated for a moment before she nodded and said to Qin Yi, "Go and ask Qian Yin to guard door."


    When Qin Meng heard this, she hastened to add, "Princess, not Qian Yin. It must not be her."


    Qin Yi halted at these words and stared at Qin Meng for a long time, and then she said, "Princess, let me guard the door."


    Yun Shang agreed and Qin Yi turned to leave for the door. Qin Meng also turned around and repeatedly urged, "Please, Qin Yi, do not let anyone out..."


    Having received Qin Yi''s reassurance, Qin Meng turned around again and knelt on the ground. She spoke with a trembling voice, "Princess, the Empress is trying to hurt you. I was sent to you by her and my task was to gain your trust and then find a way to kill you without anyone noticing."

 Chapter 48 Pregnant

    "Are you saying that mother is trying to kill me?" Yun Shang took a sip of tea and stared calmly at Qin Meng, who was still kneeling on the ground.


    Qin Meng nodded repeatedly, "Your Highness, when I was working in Qingxin Palace, I did a lot of terrible things to you. The Empress demanded that everything related to you must be reported in detail. When you were young, the Emperor was very fond of you. This meant that the Empress could not find the opportunity to hurt you. The only thing that she could do was teaching you to be rebellious, thus, alienating you from the Emperor. The Empress then sent me to your side. A few years ago, I tried to poison you in her behalf."


    Yun Shang contemplated before speaking, "Well, you are back at the Empress'' Palace. If you didn''t tell me all these things, I would never have known about them. Why did you come to tell me?"


    Qin Meng knew that Yun Shang was bound to ask this question. Already prepared, she answered at once, "Princess, after your return I failed my mission several times. The last time, my legs were broken while we were at Prince Jing''s mansion. Although I can still walk, I''m crippled, and my leg hurts badly when it rains. The Empress already sees me as a pawn to be sacrificed. She sent a new person to you. And after the newcomer wins your trust, you will certainly forget about me, and I will disappear forever."


    As she spoke, Qin Meng could not help but shed more tears, "But I do not want to die. I have my parents to care for back home. A few years ago, the Empress threatened to kill them if I didn''t do as she commanded. It was always my dream to return to my parents after I''m dismissed from the Palace at the age of 25. Princess, I beg you. Please, help me."


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on Qin Meng for a long time before finally saying, "Why should I help you? After all, you did so many terrible things to me."


    Qin Meng kowtowed again and said, "I''m willing to follow Your Highness'' orders. I know all the spies that the Empress has planted in Qingxin Palace, and I can help you get rid of them one by one. I''m willing to do whatever I''m asked, and I will never violate Your Highness'' orders."


    Yun Shang took another sip of the tea and looked out into the dark night, "But how do you want me to help you?"


    Seeing that Yun Shang''s attitude softened, Qin Meng felt elated and said immediately, "If Your Highness could take me back from the Empress, I will serve Your Highness with a


    Yun Shang. As Yun Shang walked out of the inner Hall, she said quietly, "Go distract the people in the Hall. And don''t follow me. I''ll be back soon."


    Qian Yin did not ask any questions. She quickly set out to do Yun Shang''s bidding.


    The Princess waited till she heard Qian Yin''s voice as she rallied the servants to the rear Hall. As soon as they began moving to the back, Yun Shang stepped out of Qingxin Palace, and disappeared into the night.


    Knock, knock, knock... The sound of knocking sounded somewhat abrupt in the quiet of the night. Yun Shang knocked again a few times before she heard footsteps coming from behind the door. The door opened and Yun Shang raised her head. She smiled, "Madam Zheng, I''m here to visit my mother."


    "Princess, it''s you..." A smile appeared on Madam Zheng''s face. She let Yun Shang in and closed the door behind her. It was then that Yun Shang noticed that someone was standing in the yard and looking at her with a warm smile.


    Yun Shang hurriedly stepped forward, "Mother."


    Lady Jin beamed, took Yun Shang''s hand, and asked, "Why are you visiting me so late at night?"


    Yun Shang answered with a smile, "Ever since I returned to the Palace, I have been closely watched. I haven''t had the chance to visit mother yet. How have you been?"


    Yun Shang''s hand was resting on Lady Jin''s hand. Thinking of Lady Jin''s inexplicable death in her previous life, Yun Shang couldn''t help but feel a little anxious. When Lady Jin was not paying attention, Yun Shang held her wrist to feel her pulse.


    However, Yun Shang only did this on whim. She was shocked by the result, "Mother, are you pregnant?"

 Chapter 49 Seduction

    Lady Jin was in a daze after hearing this. She bowed a little and saw Yun Shang''s hands. She said with a smile, "Well, you truly learnt a lot from your father."


    Yun Shang frowned. She felt a little confused. She sat back on her chair and stared at Lady Jin. Lady Jin felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny, and said, "Why are you looking at me like that? Thiis child is an accident. I''m not sure whether I should let this child be born."


    Yun Shang bit her lip and said gently, "Actually, I was came to speak with you about another matter, mother."


    Lady Jin kept silent for a while and said, "I once thought that there was still a feeling of love, or hate at least, for the Emperor. But, recently, I have realized that he wasn''t the one I loved. I felt no excitement when I saw him. I guess I neither love or hate him anymore."


    "Mother, but you are pregnant with his child." Yun Shang pondered for a while, and said, "I did something which I believe to be wrong now."


    "Well, what is it?" Lady Jin smiled at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang looked at Lady Jin with knitted eyebrows, "My father hasn''t been to Qiwu Palace in several months. The Empress was so worried that she wanted to use a maid. What''s more, she gave my father Acacia to support her plan. So I sent someone to inform my father. I also sent a maid dressed like you to seduce my father¡­"


    "I truly hoped you would have a happy and innocent childhood." Lady Jin paused for a while before continuing, "But at last, you have become involved in the strife of the Imperial Household."


    "My mother, did I make a mistake?" Yun Shang felt a little guilty. She lowered her eyes to look at her mother''s belly. The baby must have been very small for she couldn''t see any sign of the pregnancy.


    Lady Jin shook her head and said, "There has always been all kinds of women around him. I used to be so annoyed then I was here in the Cold Palace. So after all these years, I have realized he is an Emperor. It''s not his fault. He doesn''t mean a lot to me now. I have done so many things wrong,


    I¡­ I ¡­" "I feel happy, too"


    Emperor Ning laughed again and stared at Qin Meng for a while. Fearful of being exposed, Qin Meng quickly lowered her head. Emperor Ning held up her chin and smiled. "You are shy." He said before kissing her.


    The scene brought a frown on Yun Shang''s face. As the Emperor began removing Qin Meng''s clothes, Yun Shang took out a black pill and threw it into the room. Slowly, smoke began rising from the pill. The Emperor and the maid lost consciousness after breathing the smoke.


    Yun Shang then stepped out of the shadows and began undressing Qin Meng. She stopped when the maid was almost completely undressed. She stood up and looked at the two people lying on the floor. "I don''t want to ruin my plan, but I don''t want to hurt my mother either. When you wake, you will believe something happened between you two, " Yun Shang mumbled to herself.


    Yun Shang stood in her spot for a while. When she was about to leave, she heard a familiar voice taunting her. "You employed schemed on your father, Princess Hui Guo. You are really something¡­"


    Yun Shang was shocked to hear this. She looked up and saw a man standing on the roof. There was no doubt that he had witnessed everything.


    Yun Shang was annoyed. "Uncle, you broke into the Imperial Household at night. Did you have a love affair with one of the concubines there?"

 Chapter 50 Adultery Exposed

    The man on the roof jumped down. It was so dark that Yun Shang couldn''t see his expression. All she saw was his particularly bright but cold eyes.


    "If I hadn''t been here, how would I have seen such an interesting thing?" Prince Jing circled Yun Shang. He stopped to face her. "I didn''t expect you, a girl who has just had her Coming-of-age Ceremony, to be so familiar with these kinds of affairs. You''ve just stood there and watched for such a long time without being shy at all."


    His words irritated her somewhat, but she laughed to cover up her annoyance. "I''m not a patch on you, my uncle." Yun Shang stared into his eyes as she continued, "Please don''t forget that we have a deal. We are in the same boat now. So why should we be so tit-for-tat?"


    Prince Jing nodded his approval. "Sounds reasonable, but I''ve been wondering how could there would be a woman like you in the Imperial Household. You are intelligent and courageous, and not like a royal child at all. Are you a fake one?"


    "That''s absurd. Show me how someone could masquerade as a Princess!" Yun Shang frowned and her tone became more unfriendly.


    Prince Jing laughed again. "Forget it. You are a wild cat. It''s impossible to tease you. By the way, I''ve heard that the Empress is going to coming after you during the winter solstice. Be careful."


    His sudden change of tone made her a little uncomfortable. Yun Shang was stunned for a while. When she regained her composure she said, "Well, I already know. But thank you for reminding me."


    Prince Jing nodded his head and added, "If you always try to hog the limelight, you may find yourself under attack from all sides. Learn to frame others when it''s appropriate."


    Yun Shang was stunned again. A dim figure flashed past; it was Prince Jing who had quickly disappeared into the dark. She had no time to respond. Yun Shang frowned as she carefully considered what Prince Jing had said. Finally she turned towards Qingxin Palace.


    Qian Yin quickly stepped forward when she saw Princess Yun Shang return. "You are back, Your Highness. Your plan for tomorrow morning has been arranged. The plan is foolproof."


    Yun Shang nodded and turned to look at Qian Yin. "You have been in the Imperial Palace for three years. What do you think of the Imperial concubines and their factions?"


    Qian Yin pulled the Princess to the chair before replying, "You do ask the right person, Your Highness. I have


    happened. The Imperial Household has always been peaceful, and such ridiculous things have not happened before. The culprits must be severely punished so as to clean up the Household."


    Then the Empress stepped out of her throne room accompanied by the concubines. She intended to follow the messenger to the Palace where the adulterers had been spotted. As soon as the women wanted to enter the front door of the Palace, they saw Yun Chang coming in a hurry, escorted by two court maids. "Good day, my mother. Good day, dear concubines."


    The Empress glimpsed at Yun Shang and said, "You have just reached at the age of fifteen and don''t know much about the affairs between men and women. I shouldn''t have told you to come, but Qin Meng is your former court maid. Now that she has done such a thing, her behavior reflects on you. If it is true, you must carry the blame for your negligence of discipline. Do you know the seriousness of the matter, Shang''er?"


    Yun Shang bowed her head. "I know."


    The Empress nodded and turned to the eunuchs. "Break down the door."


    These eunuchs nodded and rushed towards the door. With a loud sound, the door gave way. The eunuchs retreated to both sides, and the Empress entered with her ladies.


    Under the eaves of the Palace, lay a half-naked man and woman. The Empress said angrily, "Arrest the adulterer and adulteress at once!"


    The eunuchs quickly stepped forward and lifted the two people on the ground. As soon as they saw the man''s face the eunuchs turned to the Empress. They trembled as they spoke, "Your... Your Majesty, it seems that... it is His Majesty..."

 Chapter 51 Qin Meng Receives a Title

    What? The Emperor?


    Everybody was astonished. Just as they were about to move forward to look, they heard a deep voice, "Who do you refer to as the adulterers?"


    The familiar voice filled the Empress with bewilderment and shock. When she came to her sense, she hastily knelt down and said, "I didn''t know it was you, Your Majesty. Please pardon my offense."


    Emperor Ning shouted, "Get out! Don''t bother Shu Jin and me."


    The Empress waved at the consorts crowding behind her. Then she stood, turned and began walking out of the Palace. A thought dawned on her. The Empress stopped and asked, "Shu Jin?"


    She turned around and said with confusion, "Your Majesty, the girl next to you is not Lady Shu. She''s Qin Meng, a maid from my Palace."


    Emperor Ning was about to rebuke the Empress but then decided to look at the woman in his arms. Stunned with the discovery, he became speechless. After a long while, he pushed away Qin Meng and asked, "Who is this? Where is my Shu Jin?"


    Qin Meng, who was dressed in a belly band, woke up and screamed. It seemed that she didn''t understand the situation in front of her. She just whispered, "It hurts." When she identified the people standing in front of her, she turned pale. She knelt down to greet the Emperor, Empress, and Princess Yun Shang.


    Emperor Ning stared at Qin Meng with a murderous look. "How could it be you? I remember clearly that it was Shu Jin¡­"


    Tears streamed down Qin Meng''s face when she heard that, and she replied, "I hurt my legs a few days ago, and I couldn''t serve the Princess anymore, so the Empress sent me to Qiwu Palace. I appreciated her generous treatment, but I felt despondent as I had become useless. Therefore, I snuck out of the Palace when nobody noticed and tried to kill myself. However, I didn''t expect that I would meet your Majesty on my way. You came to me and held me. You kept calling me Shu Jin. I kept saying that I was not Shu Jin but still¡­" Kowtowing at th


    cup of tea for Yun Shang, and said, "Your Highness, you asked me to investigate Lin and I have found the truth. Even better? I found Lin too! He is doing odds and ends such as carrying water and making washing bats at Huanyi Bureau. Since you didn''t mention it, I didn''t dare to speak with him. I only heard that he was sent there by Qin Meng seven years ago after you left."


    "It seems that Lin indeed doesn''t work for the Empress. It must have been difficult for him these years. However, this Huanyi Bureau¡­" Yun Shang contemplated for a while before adding, "Arrange a meeting for us as soon as possible."


    Qin Yi nodded, "I will arrange it right away." And then she left.


    After Qin Yi left, Qian Yin looked at the Princess. "When Qin Yi and I were on our way back, I heard that the Empress had been grounded. I do not think that she will let us go so easily. What should I say if she asks any questions?"


    "Just tell her that you didn''t notice anything unusual about me. And tell her that you subtly questioned me several times, only to find that I seemed not to know about Qin Meng. You can add that I have often asked about wanting to visit Doctor Xue Yan at Prince Jing''s mansion to see if he could help Qin Meng."


    "Understood, Your Highness." Qian Yin smiled as a new plan formed in her mind.

 Chapter 52 Hua Jing Returns To The Palace

    Just after noon, Qin Yi reported, "Your Highness, Princess Hua Jing has entered the Palace. She just finished lunch with the the Empress and is coming to us."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. "Why? She''s not grounded anymore?"


    "It seems so. However, Your Highness embarrassed her at your Coming-of-age Ceremony. Will she come to make trouble this time?" Qin Yi looked worried.


    Yun Shang shook her head, "If she had come to Qingxin Palace right after she entered the Palace, then we would need to be alert. However, now that she has gone to Qiwu Palace first, the Empress must have told her to indulge me. After all, no one can say I did anything wrong the other day. If she makes trouble at Qingxin Palace, and Father found out, he will ground her for another month."


    While they were talking, an eunuch''s voice rang out, "Princess Hua Jing has arrived."


    Yun Shang quickly stood up and walked to the door. She beamed at Hua Jing who had just stepped into Qingxin Palace, "Sister."


    Hua Jing also smiled, but her smile was pretentious. When she saw Yun Shang standing at the door, she took two steps forward and grabbed her hand before speaking, "Have you had lunch?"


    Yun Shang nodded. "I''ve already eaten. The kitchen served jellyfish with Osmanthus, bamboo slices and pigeon eggs, and flan. You seldom come here. Is there anything I can do for you?"


    Hua Jing nodded, "It''s my mother-in-law''s 50th birthday in a few days. I don''t think you''ve officially met the ladies at the Imperial City. They have been admiring my beautiful and talented sister for a long time. Mother asked me to take you to the Imperial City to meet the ladies." She stopped and looked around before moving closer to Yun Shang. Then Hua Jing whispered, "You are going to get married sooner or later. As a Princess, you''ll need to learn how to hold a banquet for your future husband''s family and guests. I didn''t know anything when I first got married, so it took me a long time to learn. Fortunately, no one said anything bad about me. Since I''m preparing for an upcoming banquet, I thought if you lived in my Palace for a few days I could teach you."


    Yun Shang replied in surprise, "Sister, are you really willing to teach me? I''m


    Hearing her, the eunuch was stunned. He raised his head. Yun Shang saw a deep scar on his left cheek. Yun Shang sighed. She didn''t ask how he got the scar, but spoke with a soft voice, "It must have been hard for you all these years. I should have taken you with me."


    Lin shook his head. "I''m doing fine. Seeing Your Highness standing here in good health makes me happy."


    Yun Shang sighed again. "Currently, I am limited in how much I can help you. I''ll have to ask you to stay here for a little bit longer. When it''s safe, I''ll take you away from Huanyi Bureau. At that time, I will appoint you as the master of Qingxin Palace."


    Lin kneeled again, smiled and said, "Your Highness, seven years ago, I didn''t help the Empress poison you because I couldn''t go against my conscience. However, they still couldn''t let me walk away. Your Highness, even now, I don''t understand why they did that to me."


    Yun Shang looked Lin in the eye for a long time before asking, "Do you hate them for treating you like that?"


    "I did. But it doesn''t matter whether I hate them or not, I will never forget what they''ve done. I must pay them back. After you left, I kept thinking whether Your Highness would remember me. I didn''t expect that you would come to find me. I''ll always remember the kindness you''ve shown to me." Lin choked.


    "Of course!" Yun Shang said, "Of course, we''ll get our revenge! I''ll do it for you, and then I''ll take you back to Qingxin Palace for sweet rice ball."

 Chapter 53 Lady Jin Was Pregnant

    "Your Highness? Your Highness?" Hearing Qian Yin''s call, Yun Shang suddenly came to her senses. She looked up at Qian Yin.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Qian Yin frowned and asked in confusion. "Are you alright, Your Highness? I was calling you, but you seemed distracted."


    Yun Shang shook her head and sighed. "I don''t know. I just have this strange feeling, as if something is about to happen. Never mind. What were you trying to say?"


    Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang searchingly. "Your Highness, I was saying that our people in the Imperial Hospital reported that Xiu Xin came to the Hospital with some dregs of a decoction before dinnertime. She asked an Imperial Physician about the function of its materials. And hearing it was for prevention of miscarriage, her expression abruptly changed. Your Highness just sent me to fill the prescription this morning, so our people paid special attention to this incident. They came to report after Xiu Xin left."


    "For prevention of miscarriage..." Realization dawned on Yun Shang''s face. "Oh no! Could it be that mother didn''t properly dispose of the dregs after decocting?"


    Qian Yin took a gauze bag of dregs from her sleeve and passed it to Yun Shang. "They kept an eye on it and secretly got us some of the dregs. Please take a look, Your Highness. Is this the prescription you made for Lady Jin?"


    Yun Shang opened the bag, smelled and nodded. "Yes it is. There''s something special about this prescription. I could tell the difference from other medicine for miscarriage prevention simply by smelling. No wonder Hua Jing came here and invited me to stay at her Palace today. Now this explains her visit. The Empress is afraid I might get in the way of her plan. She wants to get rid of mother''s child."


    "What should we do, Your Highness? Should I inform Ning Qian and ask her to send more people to protect Lady Jin?"


    Qian Yin asked with worry.


    Yun Shang shook her head. "People often die under mysterious circumstances in the Imperial Household." Yun Shang stood up and called. "Qin Yi. Qin Yi..."


    Qin Yi hurried in with a look of surprise. "Yes, Your Highness. What happened?"


    Yun Shang answered, "Do whatever you can to inform mother that the Empress knows about her pregnancy and it may bring danger to her and the child. I''ll have to tell His Majesty this news. I''m afraid we ca


    ng you. And I was most fortunate to hear such great news during my visit here. Congratulations, father and Lady Jin."


    Emperor Ning frowned. "She''s your mother, Yun Shang. You shouldn''t call her Lady Jin."


    Before Yun Shang could explain for herself, Lady Jin said. "It''s not her fault, Your Majesty. Shang was brought up by the Empress. It''s natural that she''s not close to me." There were tears in Lady Jin''s eyes. "It''s all my fault."


    A long silence followed Lady Jin''s words. Master Zheng stepped into the Hall and reported. "The Imperial Physician is here, Your Majesty."


    Emperor Ning said promptly. "Let him in, now."


    The physician took Lady Jin''s pulse and knelt. "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Lady Jin is pregnant."


    Emperor Ning was even more delighted. He ordered loudly, "Reward him."


    After the physician left with Master Zheng, Lady Jin looked at Yun Shang and said, "Although I am far from being a good mother, I am very grateful for this child. I do enjoy the quietness of where I stay now, but it might not be fair to the unborn child."


    Emperor Ning agreed. "Where would you like to live?"


    Lady Jin shook her head and smiled. "I''m content with where I live, but I might have to move for the baby''s sake. I was thinking now that the Empress has been looking after Shang for me and her own daughter, Hua Jing Princess, is wise and talented, the Empress must have some experience in bringing up children. So I hope to stay in the side chamber of the Empress''s Palace so that I can seek her advice. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

 Chapter 54 Let The Empress Take Care Of Lady Jin

    Hearing that, Yun Shang felt relieved. She had been thinking about how to suggest that the Emperor ask Lady Jin to move into Qinzheng Hall. To her, it seemed to be the only way to keep Lady Jin from the Empress. Though the Empress was capable of many horrendous things, she wouldn''t be able to cause trouble in Qinzheng Hall. But if she said that to the Emperor, Lady Jin would surely become a target.


    However, Lady Jin had thought about moving into Qiwu Palace and letting the Empress take care of her. Even though the Empress would want to get rid of the baby, she wouldn''t be able to do so while Lady Jin remained her guest. If anything happened to the unborn baby, the Empress would be the first suspect. As a result, the Empress would not only have to care for the baby; she would also need to take responsibility for any untoward events.


    "Well, the Empress?" Emperor Ning pressed his lips together as he thought.


    Lady Jin smiled, "Before I entered the Imperial Household, the Empress and I were good friends. That''s why I felt relieved when she was tasked with caring for Yun Shang. Don''t worry, Your Majesty. The Empress is a kind woman and she will surely keep me and my baby safe."


    After staring at Lady Jin for a long time, Emperor Ning finally nodded, "In that case, I''ll let Master Zheng call the Empress for us. I need to tell her this in person."


    Lady Jin nodded, "Your Majesty''s kindness and care will always be remembered by me." Then she loooked at Yun Shang, "Aren''t you going to Princess Hua Jing''s Palace? It''s getting late now. Go back to Qingxin Palace and pack your belongings. You are not in good health. You need time to rest."


    Yun Shang knew that Lady Jin didn''t want the Empress to see her at Qinzheng Hall. So she nodded. "I will take my leave now."


    Emperor Ning was focused on Lady Jin. He couldn''t think of anything else at that moment. He nodded.


    Lady Jin and Emperor Ning talked more. Emperor Ning kept asking Lady Jin how she felt, and she smiled and answered every question he asked. After a while, the Empress arrived. Lady Jin quickly stood up and bowed to the Empress. Before the Empress said anything, Emperor Ning put his arms around Lady Jin and said, "Look at you. You don''t know how to take care of your body. From now on, I will not allow you to bow before anyone."


    The Empress clenched her h


    hildhood. Lady Jin''s father was the Emperor''s Grand Tutor, so they were very close at that time. The Emperor promised very early to marry her and let her be his wife, and then the Empress. Later, however, the Grand Councilor Li gained power, so the Emperor''s father asked him to marry Li''s daughter and let her be the Empress after he ascended the throne. He hinted that if the Emperor did not comply, he would make Prince Jing the Emperor. Since Prince Jing is only an adopted son, the Emperor couldn''t allow that to happen. So after many struggles, he finally compromised and married the Empress."


    Qin Yi sighed, "The master was reluctant to leave the Emperor after all these years of love. So she ignored the Grand Tutor''s advice and came to the Palace to be the Lady Jin. The Emperor promised to love her only, but soon, the Empress became pregnant. The master was furious. She fought with the Emperor, and finally forgave him. A few years later, the number of concubines in the Palace grew. When the master was giving birth to Your Highness, the Emperor was drunk in another concubine''s Palace and didn''t even go to visit her. The master was completely disappointed with him and offered to move to the Cold Palace. When the Emperor threatened her with Your Highness, the master felt more disappointed. That''s why she entrusted the Empress to take care of you..."


    "No wonder..." Yun Shang thought of what happened in her previous life and sighed, "Turns out mother and I are both victims of fate..." But in this life, she wanted her mother to get her own happiness...

 Chapter 55 Yun Shang Is Missing

    Just after 7 a.m, Hua Jing arrived. "I was wondering if you had woken. I didn''t expect that you would be in the middle of breakfast. Before your stay at Ning''guo Temple, you loved to stay in bed in the morning."


    Yun Shang''s mouth curved into a smile. "Stop making fun of me, sister. I don''t have that habit anymore. I''m living a much better life and am getting up pretty early these days."


    Hua Jing nodded, "That''s good. Let''s go. You seldom leave the Palace. I''ve reserved the best restaurant in the Imperial City for you. Let''s have our lunch at noon. The cooks there are so good that even our Imperial cook is not comparable. We don''t need to hurry. We can even go for a walk in the Imperial City after the meal."


    Yun Shang put on her pink cloak and pulled it close. "I''m happy to do whatever you have arranged for me."


    Hua Jing walked out of Qingxin Palace with Yun Shang. The two Princesses were followed by Yun Shang''s maid. At the Palace gate, a carriage awaited the Princesses. Their long journey began once the women had stepped into the carriage. When the carriage finally stopped, Hua Jing announced, "Sister, we have arrived."


    The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Yun Shang stepped out. She saw a two-story building in ancient and traditional style. Looking up, she saw a plaque on the second floor. It was decorated minimally and yet, tastefully. Yuman Tower had been neatly engraved in the center the plaque.


    "Don''t look down upon this place. It seems ordinary but the food is really delicious." Seeing Yun Shang measuring the building, Hua Jing smiled while explaining.


    Yun Shang nodded, and proceeded to walk forward. "It is indeed ancient and traditional. But I trust your recommendation."


    "That''s for sure." Hua Jing smiled, turned around, and walked in.


    Yun Shang was about to follow when she paused. On impulse, she raised her eyes to look up to the second floor before quickly looking down. Her brows furrowed as she wondered whether she had imagined someone staring at her from above.


    "Ladies, the tables are full. Would you like to sit down for a moment?" The waiter spoke respectfully.


    Hua Jing frowned. "We have already reserved a room on the second floor."


    The waiter stared at Hua Jing and thought of something, "Oh! My apologies. Please forgive me. I''ll show you the way now." Then he walked two steps forward, stood on the stairs with a big smile on his face, and gestured for the women to follow.


    Yun Shang let Hua Jing walk upstairs first. Once on the second floor, Yun Shang noticed a rather large lobby. There were no tables for guests here. A woman sat in front of the only table in the lobby. She


    rchief which the maid had given her and wiped her mouth.


    She smiled, "Ning Yun Shang, I''m afraid you can''t escape even if you had three heads and six arms. I will let you know what losing one''s reputation feels like."


    "Your Highness..."


    Hua Jing smiled and turned to the maid, "Call the waiter. I need to ask him why my sister still hasn''t show up. All she did was go to the bathroom after eating."


    A moment later, the waiter entered in a hurry. "Miss, you say your sister never came back after she went to the bathroom?"


    Hua Jing nodded, "I heard that something went wrong with a female guest in the restaurant, and my sister just went out to the bathroom because of a stomachache. She still hasn''t come back yet."


    The waiter wiped the sweat collecting on his brow. He said, "Don''t worry, miss. There was a female guest who was knocked unconscious and taken away. The restaurant owner has notified the authority and they are coming soon. Look..."


    The sound of several hurried footsteps came from outside before the door of the room flew open. A man who looked like the owner of the restaurant entered with several officers. "Sir, it is this guest who claims her sister went missing."


    The officer who was walking in the front of the owner took a look at Hua Jing and said in a rough voice, "You said your sister is missing. What does your sister look like?"


    "Impertinent!" The maid standing behind Hua Jing shouted angrily. She took out a token from her waist and showed it to the officer.


    The official carefully examined the token, and then fell to his knees, "Princess Hua Jing! Your Highness..."


    Hua Jing frowned and was not happy, "The missing guest is Princess Hui Guo. Go look for her. If anything happens to Princess Hui Guo, you''ll all be dead."

 Chapter 56 The Failure of Hua Jings Plot

    Several public security officers dropped to their knees, trembled with fear, and replied successively to the Princess. Princess Hua Jing frowned and sighed, "I heard from my chambermaid that a scoundrel has kidnaped princess Hui Guo. You have to arrange more public security officers to search for the scoundrel, and you must search everywhere in the Imperial City, especially¡­ brothels or somewhere like this."


    The leader of the public security officers nodded hurriedly, "Yes, Your Highness. We will begin our search immediately."


    Hua Jing nodded and waving her hands. "Go now!"


    The leader rose to his feet and led the other public security officers out of the room. As they went downstairs, the leader said to the rest, "Act quickly. I need some of you to block all the arteries through which people go in and out of the Imperial City, and one of you needs to report this to the prefect and ask him to dispatch more staff to search for the Princess."


    The chambermaid brought a cup of tea to Hua Jing and said gently, "Your Highness, everything is ready. During their search, the public security officers will find Princess Hui Guo in the biggest brothel - Goulan Brothel. By that time, Princess Hui Guo would have been raped. Then you will see¡­"


    On hearing this, the tips of Hua Jing''s mouth lifted in a grim smile. She said, "By then, all people in the Imperial City would know that Princess Hui Guo was found in a brothel and was defiled by a scoundrel. I really want to know who would marry an impure woman, even though she is a Princess."


    At the very thought of the miserable life Yun Shang would live, Hua Jing felt delighted. Although impatient to hear the news, she waited for what seemed like an hour. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard outside the door. A smile appeared on Hua Jing''s face. She quickly replaced it with a sad and despondent look.


    The door opened, and a man in an official robe hastened to salute Princess Hua Jing. He sputtered, "Your Highness, I am Bai Feifan, prefect of the Imperial City. My subordinates and I searched around the Imperial City and found a maiden in Yixiang Brothel. She claimed to have been kidnapped from here."


    "Yixiang Brothel?" What kind of place is it? How is my sister, Princess Hui Guo?" Hua Jing rose to her feet with a concerned air.


    The prefect added hurriedly, "The maiden we found is not Princess Hui Guo¡­"


    "What?" Hua Jing frowned and exclaimed, "Did you say that she is not Princess Hui Guo?" She thought for a moment and realized that she had overacted. She s


    girls who are raised in the Imperial Palace. We are not in the same class as you."


    Hearing this, Prince Jing smiled slightly and shook his head. "All right. You make a good point there. I have been out for a long time. I have to go back to my mansion now. If you feel sick, don''t hesitate to come to my mansion to visit Doctor Xue Yan."


    Yun Shang was shocked at Prince Jing''s invitation. It was unbelievable that Prince Jing would show her due concern. She was so taken aback that it was not until a while later that she regained her senses. She nodded slowly and said, "I see, thank you, uncle."


    Prince Jing nodded and then left the room followed by Wang Shunlai.


    As their footsteps gradually faded, Hua Jing turned and looked at Yun Shang. She smiled, "Uncle is always indifferent to everyone, except for the Emperor. What I didn''t know is that you have built a good relationship with him. He not only talked with you for such a long time but showed concern for you."


    Yun Shang stuck her tongue out wittily and said, "I have seldom seen him. It was not until recently that my illness forced our father to ask Prince Jing to bring me to his Mansion to see a renowned doctor. In fact, I fear him just as much as you do. Today, I had meant to make a simple greeting and leave. I didn''t expect him to share his battle stories with me, along with the customs and culture of the frontier."


    "Really?" Hearing this, Hua Jing turned her eyes to the nearby wall and squinted as she contemplated over the day''s events.


    After a long pause, she turned and said to Yun Shang, "Well, it''s late. It''s time for us to return. We need to clean up our room." After this, she stepped out of the room.

 Chapter 57 Lady Zhao

    In the carriage, Hua Jing sat silently while leaning against the seat. Her beautiful face was marred with a frown. Thinking about what had happened made her uneasy.


    "Your Highness, I did put the laxative in Princess Hui Guo''s food. The dose was quite high. And I saw her eat the food. Why didn''t it affect her? Or maybe Princess Hui Guo was prepared for it?" The maid murmured.


    Hua Jing disagreed. "I don''t think so. She clearly had diarrhea. I could tell from her complexion. But how did she recover so soon?" She added after a pause. "From my point of view, it was because of Prince Jing. He was obviously finding fault with me back there. Besides, Yun Shang said she doesn''t know much about Prince Jing, but today Prince Jing kept her around all the time, which is very unusual. On the way out, I noticed that Prince Jing''s room was next door to Brother Bai''s. I suspect that Prince Jing heard the deal with Bai. But..."


    Something gnawed at Hua Jing. She still couldn''t figure out. Yun Shang said she ran into Prince Jing on her return from the toilet, which is why she went to give her regards. If that was true, Prince Jing would not have heard a thing.


    "But what, Your Highness? If Prince Jing really knows, it would be terrible. He would tell His Majesty." The maid looked panic-stricken.


    "Don''t panic. I''m only guessing. If he did hear, he would have arrested Brother Bai. Go back to Yuman Tower later and ask the owner about Prince Jing''s reservation. I want to know if he arrived before or after us. How long did he stay for?" Hua Jing still felt like she was missing something. She added, "And ask Brother Bai what happened today. How could he have the wrong girl kidnapped? You did tell him about Yun Shang''s appearance and what she was wearing today, didn''t you?"


    The maid nodded. "I will find


    Imperial City. At least, Prince Jing''s mansion pales in comparison to yours." Having passed by pavilions and terraces, Hua Jing stopped at a courtyard. "This place is close to the back garden, where you can see plum trees and the lake. As the weather is getting colder, new plum buds are about to blossom. Wouldn''t it be lovely to see them in full blossom? I thought you would agree with me, so I asked them to clean this room for you."


    Just as Hua Jing was about to push open the door, she heard a displeased voice. "Why didn''t Your Highness tell me we will host an important guest here? If I hadn''t happened to hear servants talking about it, I would have no idea that Princess Hui Guo is visiting. If Princess Hui Guo blames me for an improper reception, it would be hard to defend myself."


    This would be Lady Zhao. Yun Shang turned around and saw an old lady in a dark red dress. She was glaring at Hua Jing and Yun Shang.


    Lady Zhao prostrated immediately. "I''m honored to meet Your Highness."


    Yun Shang stepped forward and lifted her up. She looked overwhelmed. "Lady Zhao, please don''t. You are the mother of the Emperor''s Son-in-law, and you are our elder. I should pay my respects to you instead."

 Chapter 58 Hua Jing’s Worries

    Lady Zhao smiled and stood up with Yun Shang''s support. She said, "I am a distant elder of yours. However, you are the Princess with the highest rank entitled by the Emperor, while I am only a lower-ranked titled lady. Although higher ranked than Princes Hua Jing, I am still inferior to you. Certainly, I should bow to you. Otherwise, people will consider it a breach of etiquette."


    Yun Shang didn''t understand what she meant at first. She had understood that the lengthy explanation had been a taunt. However, when seeing Hua Jing clench her fists quietly, she realized Lady Zhao''s intention.


    Hua Jing walked in front of Yun Shang and said to Lady Zhao with a smile, "Mother, aren''t you supposed to be sleeping right now? How come you are here? I invited Shang''er. My mother said that Shang''er would get married sooner or later, and she needed to know about affairs after marriage so that her mother-in-law wouldn''t be unhappy with her. What''s more, your birthday is coming. I thought I''d surprise you."


    Lady Zhao glanced at her and sneered, "Really? It seems that Princess Hua Jing didn''t learn these things before getting married either."


    Seeing that Hua Jing was getting angry, Yun Shang smiled and interrupted, "I heard of you many times before I came here. When I was in Yuman Tower, Prince Jing said that all members of the Zhao family, no matter men or women, were true heroes on the battlefield. I wanted Hua Jing to bring me to visit you upon our arrival, but she said that you were resting. We didn''t come earlier as we were afraid that we might disturb you. I am deeply sorry for any offense."


    Lady Zhao smiled slightly, "It''s all right. Anyway, the Princess Palace is not my territory. You are kind and polite, which I appreciate. I have nothing to do but copy scriptures and pray to Buddha every day since my son is not here. I heard that you stayed in Ning''guo Temple for many years. You must have a profound understanding of Buddhism. If you have time, you may as well come around."


    Yun Shang nodded in approval. Then Lady Zhao turned around and left.


    When Lady Zhao disappeared around a corner, Hua Jing smiled ironically, "My mother-in-law is becoming weirder and weirde


    ng even though they''ve never met before."


    Hua Jing sneered, "For sure you are confused. Don''t underestimate that old woman. Even my mother said that she is cunning. I was negligent. It seems that there is someone unfaithful to me here, which is strange. I selected every servant in this Palace myself and investigated their ancestry as well. How can that old woman still turn against me on everything?"


    "Don''t be angry, Your Highness."


    Hua Jing snorted. "I don''t get it. As a Princess, I was married into this impoverished family. She should thank me. But why does she despise me so much? That Zhao Zhongyi is a reckless man who only knows how to fight. I don''t know why my father likes him! Even my mother agreed to this marriage!"


    The maid knelt down and whispered, "Your Highness, the Empress said that Zhao Zhongyi is a military officer while members of the Li Family can only be civil officials for generations to come. However, in this country, military officers have more power. If it''s possible to win over Zhao''s family and share in their military power, the foundation of Li family will be unshakable."


    Hua Jing''s eyes turned cold. "Li Family. But my surname is Ning."


    "Your Highness, Bing''er is back." A deep voice came from outside. Hua Jing let out a sigh, checked her emotions and said with a low voice, "Come in."


    After Bing''er entered the inner Palace, she said hurriedly, "Your Highness, I asked the owner. Prince Jing arrived before us."

 Chapter 59 A Gift From Yun Shang

    "What? You mean Prince Jing had been in Yuman Tower before we got there?" Hua Jing stood up so abruptly that she spilled the tea on her hand. Fortunately it was not hot. Hua Jing waved to dry her hand before stretching it out towards the maid by her side.


    Her mind was racing in all directions all at once. "So Prince Jing lied to us at Yuman Tower? He had no reason to lie to us if nothing had happened. Is it possible that he heard us?"


    "Your Imperial Highness, what should we do?" Bing''er was getting nervous. "It seems that Prince Jing and Princess Hui Guo are on close terms. Is it possible that Princess Hui Guo knew about all this?"


    Hua Jing withdrew her hand, and considered her maid''s question. Then she shook her head, "No, it seems not. Had Yun Shang been aware of our plans, she wouldn''t have come to my Palace."


    Hua Jing sat on a chair and pondered. She frowned as she thought of something else. "Have your met with Brother Bai. What did he say?"


    Bing''er shook her head. She looked uneasy. "Your Imperial Highness, I haven''t seen Brother Bai even though I have asked everybody for his whereabouts. I ran into one of his underlyings who told me that Brother Bai, after learning of the failed plan, escaped. He was fearful of being caught."


    "What?" Hua Jing slammed the table in her fury, "That rogue! I should not have trusted him! I would not have had him in my service but for my prudence to keep His Majesty from getting wind of this matter! Send someone to find him and then eliminate him."


    "Yes." Bing''er replied in haste.


    Hua Jing sighed, "Brother Bai is just a nobody. It will not be a problem removing him. But Prince Jing... If Prince Jing is aware of this matter, I can go straight to him to negotiate some conditions. But I''m afraid of the consequences if he knows nothing and I tell him everything. We cannot be rash in this matter. I have to seek an opportunity to test him before I can make a decision. After all, Prince Jing is a person we cannot afford to offend."


    Hua Jing winced and pondered for a little while. "We cannot tell this to mother. She already has enough to deal with now that the pregnant Lady Jin has asked to stay in Qiwu Palace for the sake of her pregnancy. I shall not make mother worry about me. I''ll write an invitation later, which you should deliver to Prince Jing. You must tell Prince Jing that many talented youths and fair ladies in the Imperial City admire him. Since he is rarely seen in the Imperial City, they are longing for


    e servant was walking toward them as they stepped out of the courtyard. Hua Jing waved for him to approach, and then asked, "Where is Lady Zhao?"


    The servant replied in a hurry, "Lady Zhao has been in the Buddhist Prayer Room since she returned this afternoon."


    Hua Jing turned around to look at Yun Shang, and then said with a smile, "You are smart to prepare such a wonderful gift. My mother-in-law spends every minute of her free time in the Buddhist Prayer Room. But, Shang''er, after so many years at Ning''guo Temple, do you really think that the Buddha can help every prayer to become true? Somehow, I doubt it."


    Yun Shang grinned, "It''s not so magical. As far as I know, the Buddha is an ideal, something that allows people to acquire peace for their heart and soul. If you believe, it will manifest extraordinary powers, and if your don''t, it will of course not."


    Hua Jing nodded at Yun Shang before heading toward the Buddhist Prayer Room.


    The humming of the Temple Block could been heard well before they reached the Buddhist Prayer Room. The two Princesses had a clear view of the interior from the doorway. In the middle of the hall stood a huge statue of Buddha. It must have been over 20 feet in height! Lady Zhao knelt before the statue. Her posture indicated that she was a woman who would not yield to anything.


    "Mother." Hua Jing called out to the woman from the door of the Buddhist Prayer Room. She didn''t show any inclination to enter the Room.


    The woman inside kept silent. She was looking at the Temple Block and reciting Buddhist texts. After a moment she said, "This is rare. You seldom come to visit me. What happened today..."

 Chapter 60 Presenting the Gift in the Buddhist Prayer Room

    Hua Jing interrupted Lady Zhao before she could finish. "Mother, Yun Shang heard that you are a pious Buddhist. She has brought several rolls of Buddhist texts for you."


    "Oh?" The old lady in the Buddhist Prayer Room didn''t return her head, and her reply sounded neither friendly nor unfriendly.


    Yun Shang took a step forward and spoke softly, "I spent eight years at the Ning''guo Temple, and was lucky enough to transcribe some Buddhist texts for Master Wu Na. Master Wu Na once told me that some of the Buddhist texts at the Ning''guo Temple are the last of their kind in the world. I cannot take those texts out of the Ning''guo Temple, but I have brought with me some Buddhist texts I transcribed with my own hands. I''ve heard that Lady Zhao is very pious, and those treasured Buddhist texts are in need of a owner who can appreciate them. It is my hope that you will accept my gift."


    "Hum..." Lady Zhao laughed. Her laughter showed no sign of joy or anger. Then Lady Zhao continued, "You are so interesting, Your Imperial Highness. It sounds like Master Wu Na from the Ning''guo Temple treated you nicely during your stay there. As Your Imperial Highness has spent so many years at the Ning''guo Temple, why not Your Imperial Highness and I have a chat about the doctrines of Buddhism?" She paused for a moment before adding, "You can leave, Hua Jing. I heard that you have banquet preparations to finish. I can imagine how busy you must be. You don''t have to be here."


    Hua Jing was about to cross the threshold but checked herself at Lady Zhao''s words. She gritted her teeth, and lifted her eyes to look at the maids standing by Lady Zhao''s side. Then she said, "All right. Since mother and Yun Shang are friends now, sister, please linger a while longer to converse with mother. I''ll return to my chamber."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I will, sister."


    Hua Jing turned around to wink at Qing''er. Then the maid stepped inside in the Prayer room with the Buddhist texts. Yun Shang stayed outside until Hua Jing left. She knelt on the kneeling cushion behind Lady Zhao, and kowtowed before the statue of Buddha. Having paid her respects, she stood and turned towards Qing''er. Yun Shang slowly lifted the texts from the maids arms and stretched them towards Lady Zhao. "These are the Buddhist texts I transcribed..."


    Lady Zhao put down the mallet*, and glanced at Yun Shang. She picked up one of the scrolls from Yun Shang''s hand, and thumbed through it casually. To her surprise, the text was unlike those she had read before. She could not remove her eyes from the text, and almost finished her


    though. This place is too quiet and no nice talks can be held."


    Yun Shang was surprised. Did Lady Zhao said that this place was too quiet that no nice talks could be held? Silently mulling over the Lady''s words, Yun Shang soon understood what she wanted to imply. She must mean that she was also under Hua Jing''s supervision, which was why nobody would come to talk to her. Hence, this place was too quiet.


    Yun Shang looked at Lady Zhao with a smile. Lady Zhao raised her hand, and, after patting Yun Shang''s hands on the table, stood up. "I''m old and ailing. I should rest. If you will excuse me, Your Imperial Highness."


    Yun Shang waved at Lady Zhao before setting leaving the courtyard. Qing''er walked next to Yun Shang. "Let me lead the way for Your Imperial Highness."


    Yun Shang shot a glance at Qing''er, before nodding her approval.


    "Your Imperial Highness, Princess Hua Jing will hold a small banquet at Qianxin Tower. Princess Hua Jing said as Your Imperial Highness is staying here, it''s a good opportunity for Your Imperial Highness to learn something about the procedures and preparations for a banquet. So, Princess Hua Jing asked me to inform Your Imperial Highness that she will bring Madam Xi to visit Your Imperial Highness tomorrow morning." Qing''er spoke gently while walking alongside Yun Shang.


    "Really? That''s very nice of her. I will ensure that I wake early." Yun Shang continued excitedly, "I wonder who has been invited for that banquet."


    Qing''er grinned, "Many people have been invited, Your Highness. All noble young masters and ladies who are well known in the Imperial City have received the invitation. Princess Hua Jing has sent an invitation to Prince Jing today..."


    Prince Jing?

 Chapter 61 Hua Jings Request

    Prince Jing never liked to participate in these banquets. Besides, Hua Jing did not know Prince Jing very well. Why did she think of sending Prince Jing an invite?


    Yun Shang froze for a minute before quickly answering, "I haven''t been in the Imperial City for so many years. I haven''t had the chance to meet anyone. Now, I can use the opportunity to meet the noble masters and ladies people. They say the ladies of the Imperial City are all as talented as they are beautiful. I feel excited just thinking about meeting them."


    After Qing''er took Yun Shang back to the yard, she bowed with respect before leaving. Qian Yin searched the yard before she came back, "I''ve checked. While there are no guards inside the yard, there are seven guards just outside. I guess they are afraid that the Princess might shun them."


    Yun Shang nodded without saying anything. Qin Yi, however, continued speaking, "The Princess Palace is full of Princess Hua Jing''s informers. We must be extra careful, in case we fall for Princess Hua Jing''s tricks. Today, if it were not for our Princess'' precaution of sending people to Yuman Tower in advance, we would have been in grave danger."


    Yun Shang chuckled, "Qin Yi, you''re not as smart as my mother. You see, even though my mother is pregnant, she intentionally moved in to Qiwu Palace. Do you know why? Because Qiwu Palace is the Empress'' turf. If something happened to mother at Qiwu Palace, no matter what the truth, the Empress would be caught up in it. I''m living in Hua Jing''s Princess Palace. So if something were to happen to me, then the unfortunate person to blame would be..."


    "Princess Hua Jing." Qian Yin grinned, "Your Highness is so smart."


    Yun Shang looked at Qian Yin with a smile. She sighed helplessly and said, "That''s why I should be safe for the time being. But Hua Jing did all she could to move me to the Princess Palace. She definitely didn''t do this for my leisure or for me to learn how to throw banquets. Right now I don''t know her intentions, but I do have a few ideas about how to deal with her."


    Upon hearing this, Qian Yin swiftly approached Yun Shang. "Your Highness is finally going to make a move on that woman?"


    Yun Shang


    Sister, you just said that someone concerned you. I don''t know who that could be. Why don''t you tell me about it and see if I can help."


    Hua Jing nodded, heaved a deep sigh, and hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Do you remember Mo Jingran?"


    Mo Jingran? At the familiar name, Yun Shang''s mind filled with memories of shame and betrayal. She sneered secretly, Mo Jingran, how can she possibly forget about him? But she pretended to be confused, "Mo Jingran?


    The name sounds familiar, but I have no impression of such a person. Who is this?"


    "How can you not remember..." Hua Jing smiled and continued, "Do you remember that I said I would introduce you to a talented young man? Do you remember the man who played you a song at your Coming-of-age Ceremony? He sang about ''beautiful young ladies.'' His song even made me blush!"


    A smirk passed over Yun Shang''s face, but she pretended to have just realized something, "Oh it was him. But isn''t he..."


    A look of frustration appeared on Hua Jing''s face, "On the day of your Coming-of-age Ceremony, I had no idea why my sachet was in his possession. But our father misunderstood me and I couldn''t argue with His Majesty. Do you believe me?"


    Upon hearing Hua Jing''s question, Yun Shang nodded immediately, "Of course I believe you."


    Hua Jing smiled with satisfaction, "What concerns me now is this Mo Jingran... Shang''er, you can really help me with this? Are you willing to do me a favor?"

 Chapter 62 Divination For Lady Zhao

    "Help?" Yun Shang raised an eyebrow at her sister''s request. ''It''s rare that such an arrogant Princess would need help with her things.''


    Yun Shang smiled, "Of course, sister! Just tell me. If there is anything I can do, I will try my best."


    "I''m not asking you to kill or set fire. Just do me a little favor, please. You know what happened during your Coming-of-age Ceremony. Because of that sachet, Mo Jingran and I were misunderstood by people. I sent someone to ask him about the sachet. He said that one of Lady Shu''s maids gave it to him. The maid told him that you wanted him to have it. He believed her. Since he was quite fond of you, he wore it all the time. I have no idea why Lady Shu had my sachet and pretended it to be yours. Since she is our father''s concubine, I don''t want to argue with her about it. But since that day, I have been rumored to have seduced him. People say I am a woman without virtues. I''m married and those rumors are hurtful."


    "Oh... How could anyone say that? The rumors are hurtful and offensive!" Yun Shang stared at Hua Jing in wide-eyed amazement.


    "I can''t deal with it. Although I''m a Princess, I can''t stop people from talking, " sighed Hua Jing. Then she turned to Yun Shang and smiled. "That''s why I asked you to do me a little favor."


    Yun Shang nodded. "What can I do for you, sister?"


    Hua Jing was silent for a moment as she pretended to think. "There is a small party in a few days and I invited him too. I didn''t want people to think I was hiding something by not inviting him. But it''s not proper for me to associate with Mo Jingran. I hope you can accompany him at the party."


    Astonishment reflected on Yun Shang''s face. She took a moment to think about Hua Jing''s request. Suddenly everything became clear. "Oh, I see. I thought you wanted me to do something difficult. Now you can be assured that I will do what you have asked."


    Hearing that, Hua Jing''s eyes filled with joy. "Thank you very much, my dear sister!"


    Suddenly, a maid''s voice could be hear. "Your Highnesses, It''s time for lunch. Today is the first day of the N


    experience, not for enjoyment. Please forgive me for not granting your request."


    Hearing that, the old lady looked disappointed. Though her eyes dimmed for a moment, a smile reappeared on her face. "I see. All right then. I have heard that the monks at Ning''guo Temple are very good at divination. Master Wu Na had predicted the time of rain for Princess Hui Guo. I know you can''t teach me dharma, but I have another request...can you divine for me?"


    Wu Di hesitated, but finally he said, "Yes."


    Lady Zhao asked a servant to bring a pen and paper. After a moment''s reflection, she drew a square on the paper. "I want you to help me predict whether one member of my family will be safe in the future."


    Wu Di looked at the drawing, and then drew the shape of a human inside it. "You drew a square and asked about a person from your family. This is why I have drawn a person inside the square. It seems like he''s in a cage. I''m afraid the person you care about is not in very good condition."


    The old lady''s face turned pale. "So...how can I save my son?"


    Wu Di look at the square on the paper, and spoke. "If you want to save the man, you have to remove the cage. Your son, who should be a man of great success, is trapped in the cage now. It means that he is repressed by someone whose position is higher than his. What''s worse, the person repressing him now will finally bring him death."

 Chapter 63 The Girl Named Qian Shui

    "Suppressed by someone who is superior to him?" An idea struck Lady Zhao. She looked at Hua Jing. Then she pointed at her with her trembling hand and said, "It''s you. It must be you."


    Hua Jing was puzzled by her words. She frowned and said, "What are you talking about? What do you mean by ''it''s me''?"


    Lady Zhao calmed down and said with determination, "Who else but you is superior to Yingjie in this Palace? He was asked to move to the Princess Palace and has been suppressed by you since he married you. So it must be you."


    Hua Jing understood what Lady Zhao was implying and sneered, "I called you mother for so long, but you always criticize me and put on airs. Now, you fasten blame on me indiscriminately. and for what? The words of a strange monk? Your son is safe and sound. Why do you believe the nonsense of this monk who is cursing your son?"


    Yun Shang spoke up hurriedly, "Lady Zhao, my senior only divined according to the character. Moreover, the Emperor''s Son-in-law is in the battlefield on a distant frontier. How is it possible that he is trapped by sister? How about we send some people to the frontier to inquire about the situation of the Emperor''s Son-in-law and then we discuss the divination?"


    Lady Zhao snorted and went off in a huff after looking sharply at Hua Jing.


    "Sister, Lady Zhao is just worried about her son. Don''t take her accusation personally." I will see off senior Wu Di first. I don''t know how to get news from the battlefield. How about you ask mother to send some people to ask about the Emperor''s Son-in-law so that Lady Zhao can be relieved?" Yun Shang even went as far as to hold Hua Jing''s clothes to comfort her.


    Hua Jing snorted. "Naturally I will send someone to find out about Zhao Yingjie. Then the Old Lady will see who is right and who is wrong." Then she left the dinning hall as well.


    Yun Shang looked at Hua Jing as she walked out of the dinning room. There was a tender smile on her face. Once Hua Jing disappeared com


    own the piece of clothing instantly and walked over, "Please follow me. You can try it on inside."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Okay. Wait for me outside. I will be back soon."


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin replied simultaneously, "Yes." Yun Shang followed the woman to the inner room. Upon entering, the woman knelt down and said, "Greetings, your Highness."


    Yun Shang smiled and helped her up. "Good work, Qian Shui. You have hidden yourselves well in the Imperial City. If Qian Yin hadn''t reminded me, I am afraid that I would not have recognized your shop. Did Ning Qian give you any instructions in the past few days?"


    Qian Shui replied, "She told us to go to the border. I have sent my people there on the pretext of purchase."


    Yun Shang nodded. "Ning Qian should have received the mission. It''s not very convenient for me to meet her right now. I am followed by people. Even now they follow me. Send a message for me to Ning Qian. Tell her that she needs to save the person I told her to watch at the critical moment and bring him to the Imperial City alive. I will keep him for later."


    Qian Shui nodded. "I understand. Do you want me to deal with the stalkers?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "No need, lest you expose yourself. I am fine. Come and help me get changed. The stalkers will probably get suspicious if I take too long."

 Chapter 64 An Assassination

    Yun Shang changed into her new clothes and stepped out. Qin Yi stared at the Princess for a long while before speaking. "Your Highness looks quite elegant in this dress. The begonia flowers on it are beautiful."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Come on. I don''t feel like myself when wearing such a colorful dress. But its style is not bad. Qian Yin, ask them to use pear flowers instead. And change the dress to the color of pear flowers too. When it''s done, send the dress to the Xiping Princess Palace. Tell them it''s made for the guest there."


    Qian Shui nodded, "Is there anything else that you need?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No. That''s all." Then she turned around and walked out of the shop. Qin Yi paid for the dress and quickly followed the Princess.


    The three women wandered around casually. Before long, Yun Shang felt hungry. She looked up at the sky and found that it was already noon. It was time to find a place to eat. She took a turn and found herself walking into a back alley. She wasn''t worried. Instead, she instructed her maids. "When we walk out of this alley, let''s find a place to eat. I''m feeling hungry now."


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin agreed; they were famished as well. Before Yun Shang could say more, the sound of several hurried footsteps came from behind her. Yun Shang stopped. The footsteps sounded closer.


    "Your Highness, someone is following us." Qin Yi said with worry. As she was speaking, a dozen men in black stepped out of the shadows and surrounded them.


    "What do you mean by this? Have I offended you?" Yun Shang frowned and blamed herself. She knew that staying in Hua Jing''s Palace would be safe but stepping away from the Palace might be dangerous. And yet, she had left unprepared. If she called her people now, it''s highly likely that she would undermine all her planning. She gauged that the threat posed by the men was not worth it.


    A large man came forward. He seemed to be their leader. He looked at Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, someone paid u


    efense and War, Wang An. He was a well-known playboy and also a genius at Kung Fu. And he was good friends with Prince Jing, Luo Qingyan.


    Prince Jing. Yun Shang frowned. In her previous life, she didn''t have many opportunities to meet the Prince. But in this life, he seemed to be everywhere she went. Fortunately for Yun Shang, her association with Prince Jing in her current life was a beneficial one.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Well, in that case, I''ll have to ask you for a favor. I''m known to be weak. I cannot bear with something as cruel as this. Why not kill him for me? By the way, I was just surrounded by a bunch of killers, and you came to my rescue. I''ll ask for a reward for you from my Sister and Father. Now, I''m in shock. Please walk me back to the Princess Palace."


    Wang Jinhuan''s eyebrows twisted. "What? Excuse me? When did I save you?"


    Yun Shang smiled. Her eyes reflected mischief. "Well, it was just a moment ago. And... Ah..." She shouted loudly.


    Wang Jinhuan trembled. He quickly reached out and twisted the stalker''s neck before letting his lifeless body tumble down the roof.


    An instant later, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Wang Jinhuan ground his teeth. His eyes were full of anger. "Uncle and niece, what a cunning bloodline! I shouldn''t have stepped in at all! How stupid am I?"

 Chapter 65 The Interrogation

    Several commoners appeared in the alley. Seeing so many corpses, they screamed and turned to run. Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Please don''t go. I''m Princess Hui Guo, and these men tried to assassinate me. Thanks to this hero, I was saved. Please help me notify the authorities. My legs are weak, and I cannot walk."


    The commoners stopped when they heard the Princess''s explanation and turned around. They saw that Yun Shang''s eyes were full of tears. Her face looked pale as if she were about to faint at any moment. As expected, Yun Shang forced a smile before falling to the ground like she couldn''t stand anymore.


    "Your Highness, Your Highness..." Qian Yin shouted and dashed towards her. She held Yun Shang in her arms. She said to the hesitant people, "Be quick to notify the authorities. You''ll be well rewarded."


    After hearing the maid, the commoners rushed outside. Qian Yin turned around and looked at the man in red who still couldn''t believe what had happened. She thought for a while and decided to trust him since the Princess didn''t hurt him. She yelled at him, "Hey, come and help us take the Princess back to Xiping Princess Palace."


    The man was even more surprised than before. "Your master was so unkind to me that I was on the edge of fury. Now you, a little girl, dare to yell at me too?"


    "Will you help us or not? Your Highness is..." Qian Yin stopped as she felt the Princess move. The maid stared at Wang Jinhuan while he seemed to think about her request. The man seemed frustrated. He thought about how Prince Jing behaved when he mentioned Princess Hui Guo. Now if he went against the Princess, he would undoubtedly face the Prince''s wrath.


    Wang Jinhuan couldn''t help but look at the sky and silently curse himself. ''You asked for it. You saw Princess Yun Shang kill someone and your curiosity led you to follow her. And then you saw what you shouldn''t have seen. You should have stopped there, but you didn''t. You called her to show off. You deserve it, really.''


    "Fine..." Wang Jinhuan sighed. He jumped down from the roof and lifted Princess Yun Shang in his arms. Then he headed towards Xiping Princess Palace.


    A servant standing at the


    ervant showed the physician out, the Governor of the Imperial City said, "Your Highness, there has been a murder in Luoying Lane in the city today. A number of men in black have died. According to the people who reported this, the men in black had tried to assassinate Princess Hui Guo. That''s why we are here to ask for more details."


    Hua Jing frowned. "Princess Hui Guo has not yet awakened from her shock, but you can ask her maids. They always follow her. Oh and speak with this mister as well. He is the son of the Minister of Defense and War. It was he who saved the Princess."


    The Governor nodded and turned to the people Hua Jing mentioned. "Let''s start with the maids. Tell me what happened."


    Qian Yin and Qin Yi looked at each other. Qian Yin stepped forward and said, "I''ll tell you. Earlier today, Princess Hui Guo wanted to go shopping. She said she hadn''t walked in the Imperial City for many years, and she wanted to see what had changed. We followed her around the streets as she shopped. Then, Her Highness thought about the upcoming banquet at Princess Hua Jing''s Palace and desired new clothes. She found a clothing store and stepped in to get a dress tailored. After we came out, she continued to wander around for a while. Somehow we took a wrong turn and walked into that alley. The Princess was talking about finding a restaurant to have lunch when a dozen men in black suddenly showed up. They were threatening Her Highness..."

 Chapter 66 The Secret That Wang Jinhuan Overheard

    "We were so frightened and thought we were gonna die. But suddenly a man in red jumped down from the roof, took their swords, and killed them all. We saw so much blood that we screamed. That''s when the commoners came. We asked for their help in notifying the authorities." Qian Yin''s face was full of fear. She trembled slightly as if the killing was so bloody that even thinking about it brought back the horror she had felt in that moment.


    The Governor nodded and turned to face Wang Jinhuan, "Mr. Wang, can you tell me why you happened to be on that roof?"


    Wang Jinhuan glanced at the Governor and sighed. "It''s well-known in the Imperial City that I like good-looking girls. Today when I was wandering in the street, I saw Princess Hui Guo. I did not know who she was. I just thought she was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen. So I followed her. I had thought about approaching her to ask her name and address. When she walked into that back alley and bumped into those killers, " he paused to shake his head. "I couldn''t allow such things to happen under my watch. So I killed them. By the way, they were awful at Kung Fu..."


    The Governor''s mouth twitched slightly. He said to Hua Jing, "Now that I''ve gathered basic information, I''ll go to the crime scene and take a closer look."


    Hua Jing nodded, "Escort the Governor out."


    After the Governor left, Hua Jing stood up as well. "I''ll send someone for the details. You two stay here and look after her. If Princess Hui Guo wakes up, send someone to notify me."


    Qian Yin and Qin Yi nodded. Hua Jing gazed at Yun Shang for a long time before turning around and walking out.


    "Well, Your Highness, now you can wake up. Let''s talk about it. How are you going to pay me for all this? My reputation will only get worse after today. I won''t be able to get rid of this philandering image anymore." Wang Jinhuan sat on a chair. He crossed his legs and waited for the Princess to reply. His beautiful eyes reflected his dissatisfaction with the situation in which he found himself.


    Yun Shang opened her eyes and turned her h


    detail. If anything goes wrong, you''ll be responsible."


    ''The banquet?'' Hearing her, Wang Jinhuan thought of the invitation sent to Prince Jing''s mansion by Hua Jing. The Prince had also been invited to a banquet. ''Could she be talking about the same banquet? Was she going to harm Yun Shang at the same banquet to which she had invited the Prince?''


    Wang Jinhuan thought for a while before hurrying outside the Princess Palace. He wanted to inform Prince Jing as soon as he could. However, as soon as he escaped the Palace, he stopped. Something struck him as strange. He thought about how cunning Princess Hui Guo had been and how she had treated him. Why should he help her?


    Well, he then did the math. If he didn''t tell Prince Jing about this and something happened to Princess Hui Guo later, he''ll be damned. Wang shook his head in disbelief when he realized that he would be better off being mad at the Princess than being hated by Prince Jing. Just the thought of it made him tremble. "I''d better tell Prince Jing, " he mumbled. As for Princess Hui Guo, he''ll have plenty of chances to get square.


    Having thought things through, Wang Jinhuan hurried to Prince Jing''s mansion. Once he reached, Wang jumped over the wall and dashed into the courtyard. As soon as he saw Prince Jing, he hurriedly said, "Luo Qingyan, Luo Qingyan, something is going to happen. Your Princess is in danger!"

 Chapter 67 Hua Jings Temptation

    Before his hands reached the hem of the Prince''s gown, the Prince quickly stepped aside. Wang Jinhuan flew through the air. He caught a pillar to keep himself from falling to the ground.


    Wang Jinhuan turned to Prince Jing with teary eyes. "Why are you so cruel to me?"


    Prince Jing ignored him and turned. He spoke to the person standing behind him. "My apologies, Lord Wu. Wang has lost his mind."


    Upon hearing those words, Wang Jinhuan looked around the Prince and spotted a middle-aged man. Since Prince Jing had addressed him as Lord Wu, Wang wondered if he was a bachelor from the Imperial Hanlin Academy. Embarrassed, Wang Jinhuan wailed. He had intended to inform Prince Jing about Princess Yun Shang''s troubles, but instead, he had just lost face in front of a high-ranked noble*. He turned towards Lord Wu and grinned before jumping on the roof and disappearing.


    (*TN: to lose one''s face is to suffer a loss of respect; to be humiliated.)


    The bachelor was stunned and took a long time to recover.


    Prince Jing smiled and said to him, "As for what you suggested earlier, I''ll think it over."


    Lord Wu nodded and smiled, "Now you are the only Prince who can stand up to them at the court. I really don''t want this country to be destroyed by them. At the moment, however, you seem to have other things that need your attention. And so I''ll leave."


    Prince Jing nodded, "Be well."


    Lord Wu bowed to Prince Jing, turned and left. When Lord Wu disappeared, Prince Jing stopped smiling and said in a cold voice, "Show yourself, coward."


    A red figure fell into the courtyard. Wang Jinhuan said bitterly, "What have I done to deserve this? First, I suffered at the hands of Princess Hui Guo. Then I make a fool of myself here. What am I going to do? Grrrr!"


    "What did you say just now? What''s gonna happen to my Princess? And how did you suffer because of her?" Prince Jing ignored Wang Jinhuan''s wail. He raised his hand and flattened the crease on his sleeves casually as he spoke.


    Wang Jinhuan moved closer to the Prince. "You don''t know how evil your little Princess is. I went shopping earlier and came across her by accident. You''ve mentioned her a lot recently. Curious, I followed her. And then I saw her being chased by some assailants. There were at least a dozen of them.


    I was just about to help her, but she killed them all. I didn''t even have the chance to show off. Then she spotted me and made me her scapegoat. She insisted that I killed those men and then she pretended to faint."


    "What then? Was she hurt?" Prince Jing said calmly.


    "Hurt? You must be kidding. They didn''t even touch the hem of her clothes." Wang Jinhuan got angrier, "The point is, to add merit to her lie, I had to tell the Governor that I was following her because I covet her beauty."


    Prince Jing cast a cold look at Wang Jinhuan. The man in red felt as if a cold wind had blown in from somewhere. He trembled and looked around and decided it was only an illusion. He added, "But I did overhear a secret on my way back. Her sister is a monster. She is planning on setting up your Princess at the upcoming banquet."


    Prince Jing turned his face to Wang Jinhuan. "Really? How is she going to do that?"


    Wang Jinhuan shook his head, "I don''t know. Princess Hua Jing didn''t elaborate on the details. I heard her ask the servant


    led all the men in black, he spotted another man hiding behind the wall near me. That guy wore no mask, but I didn''t have the chance to see what he looked like."


    "Another man?" Hua Jing pondered for a moment and then asked, "Perhaps that man had something to do with whoever sent the killers? Did Mr. Wang find out anything?"


    "I don''t think so. I''m not sure. I remember Mr. Wang leaping on the roof in a single bound and catching the man hiding there. He broke the man''s neck before he started to speak. Then I don''t remember anything." Yun Shang stuck out her tongue in an innocent way.


    So Hua Jing turned her head to the two maids. Qian Yin quickly added, "Of course Her Highness doesn''t remember. She just shouted and passed out. Then lots of commoners ran in, so Mr. Wang asked them to help him report the case. We were afraid of what had happened to Her Highness, so we hurried to bring her back."


    "Is that so?" Hua Jing looked at the three women for a while, then stood up and said, "Shang''er, it has been a tiring day for you. You should rest early today." Then she turned and left the room.


    Qian Yin tiptoed to the door and peeped out. Seeing Hua Jing was no longer around, she turned to Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, please rest early. I''ll get some water for you to wash." Then she left, too.


    Qin Yi walked to Yun Shang''s bed and helped her undress. She asked in a gentle voice, "What is Princess Hua Jing planning?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a moment before answering. "That man must work for Hua Jing. As for the assailants, there are two possibilities. The first is that the assassins didn''t work for Hua Jing, which is why she came to ask us for details. The other possibility is that the assassins did work for her, and Hua Jing came here to find out whether I had noticed anything."


    "But the assassins had brought nothing with them. We couldn''t identify them. Where should we start our investigation?" Qin Yi frowned and looked at Yun Shang with concern.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes. Her mind was clear. "It doesn''t matter. A fox will always show its tail. No matter who this person is, if he really wants to kill me, he''ll find another chance. I do believe that I will eventually catch him."

 Chapter 68 Marriage Arranged By Emperor Ning

    "You are finally here, Your Highness. His Majesty has been pacing Qinzheng Hall restlessly since last night. I guess it''s because His Majesty worries a lot about Your Highness, but he couldn''t tell Lady Jin anything. When His Majesty went to the Empress''s Palace, he didn''t mention a word to Lady Jin. His Majesty would be relieved to see Your Highness here." Master Zheng was excited to see Yun Shang. A bright smile bloomed on his wrinkled face.


    Yun Shang smiled. "Thank you, Master Zheng. I''ll meet His Majesty right away." Then she hurried into the Hall.


    Emperor Ning was at his desk. Although he held his writing brush, he was in a daze. He wasn''t writing at all. Yun Shang walked up to him quietly and called. "Father..."


    The brush fell from Emperor Ning''s hand. He wasn''t angry at being disturbed. Instead, he looked up at Yun Shang. "Shang''er?"


    Yun Shang bowed to Emperor Ning. "It''s my fault that you were worried, father."


    "Are you all right, Shang''er?" Emperor Ning stood and checked his daughter. He felt relieved when he didn''t see any injuries. "I was worried about you. But I couldn''t come to see you or your mother would find out. She''s pregnant now and we don''t want to worry her. It''s reassuring to see that you are all right."


    Yun Shang smiled. "How is mother? Does she look more pregnant these days?"


    "It has been only three months, Shang''er. It won''t be obvious this early in the pregnancy. But your mother is having terrible morning sickness, which has brought her noticeable weight loss. It wasn''t that bad when she carried you. Your little sister or brother is quite the trouble-maker." Emperor Ning sounded as though he was scolding the unborn child, however, he was smiling heartily.


    Yun Shang noticed his real mood, and so she teased him mischievously. "Father, are you jealous of the baby because mother is paying it too much attention?"


    Emperor Ning was speechless for a moment and then he laughed. "Naughty girl." He said after a pause. "I heard that it was Minister Wang''s son, Wang Jinhuan who saved you yesterday. Is that correct? I have seen that man before. He''s quite a decent young man although it might seem the other way around sometimes. Now that he has saved you, I have to reward him."


    Yun Shang nodded. "He deserves your reward, father."


    "Since you are here, I''ll summon Wang Jinhuan to the Palace. You can thank him in person." Emperor Ning walked to the door and gave orders to Master Zheng.


    Yun Shang sensed something usual, but she didn''t stop Emperor Ning.


    After a while, Master Zheng returned. "Your Majesty, the banquet is ready in the pavilion beside the Imperial Garden. And Mr. Wang just arrived with Prince Jing."


    Emperor Ning remembered the Prince''s friendship with Wang Jinhuan then. "Prince Jing knows Wang Jinhuan. Well, I haven''t seen Prince Jing for two days. He came just in time. We''ll have a drink together. Let''s go, Shang''er."


    Yun Shang was stunned. Banquet? Wasn''t it too formal? Why didn''t His Majesty just issue an imperial edict and reward him with something? Yun Shang didn''t say anything when she noticed Emperor Ning''s enthusiasm. She followed him to the Imperial Garden, where Wang Jinhuan and Prince Jing were waiting. After exchanging greetings, Emperor Ning asked them to have a seat. Yun Shang looked around and realized that though Master Zheng had called it a banquet, there were only four guests.


    "I have heard from the Governor of the Imperial City that Jinhuan saved Shang yesterday. T


    hook head as if it was a great pity. "But he''s married already. Oh, and he is His Majesty, my father."


    They were surprised at first, but after a moment, they laughed out. "Now you are just teasing us, Your Highness."


    While cheerful laughter filled Yun Shang''s carriage, Prince Jing''s carriage was shrouded in silence. Not even his breathing could be heard.


    "We''ve arrived, Your Highness." Prince Jing looked at the open door coldly. He paused before climbing out. Looking up, he found the plaque that said Prince Jing''s Mansion. It was quite gloomy even in bright sunshine.


    Prince Jing went to his study.


    Wang Shunlai whispered to the servant, "What''s wrong? What happened to His Highness? Did something go wrong? Why is His Highness acting like this after visiting the Palace?"


    "I have no idea. Just a moment ago, Mr. Wang was kicked out of the carriage. Could it be something Mr. Wang did that irritated His Highness?" The servant whispered back.


    Prince Jing picked up his writing brush but didn''t write. "Eighteen... Still... Three more years..."


    When Wang Shunlai walked into the study with tea, he heard Prince Jing mumbling these words again and again. Wang Shunlai frowned. Eighteen? Three years?


    What was His Highness talking about?


    "Your Highness, the tea is ready. I wanted to discuss something with you and thought you''d be here. So I brought your tea here." Wang Shunlai cleared his throat and said.


    Prince Jing didn''t respond. Wang Shunlai scratched his nose while he waited. When he didn''t get a response, he put the tea on the desk and stood back. He observed the Prince and felt that His Highness was not going to talk to him any time soon. So he decided to leave Prince Jing alone.


    Before he could make it to the door, Wang Shunlai heard Prince Jing ask. "Wang Shunlai, how old am I?"


    Wang Shunlai didn''t know why Prince Jing wanted to know his age all of a sudden. But he turned around and answered honestly. "Your Highness is 27 years old. The best age to be if I may say so."


    Prince Jing frowned and sighed. "Twenty-seven. After three years, I would be thirty."


    "After three years? Yes, Your Highness would be thirty then." Wang Shunlai didn''t know where this conversation was going, but he answered accordingly.


    Thirty... Would he be a bit too old? Prince Jing wondered.

 Chapter 69 The Feast

    Right after Yun Shang arrived at the Princess Palace, she went to find Hua Jing to inform her sister of her return. She had hardly reached Hua Jing''s courtyard when she heard a noise coming from inside. It sounded like someone was smashing things.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows in surprise and wondered what was going on. She stepped over the threshold and crossed into the yard.


    "Princess Hui Guo is here." The maid standing by the door raised her voice to announce Yun Shang''s presence as soon as she saw her.


    The noise stopped abruptly. Yun Shang smiled at the maid, "I have just returned from the Palace and I wanted to greet my sister. What is she doing right now? I can come back later if it''s inconvenient for her."


    Then she heard Hua Jing calling out, "Shang''er, do come in."


    As soon as she entered, Yun Shang saw jagged shards all over the ground. Surprised, Yun Shang stood still for a moment before asking, "Sister, what''s going on here?"


    Hua Jing snorted and ignored her question. She simply asked Yun Shang, "Did you have fun today? What did you do at the Palace?"


    Yun Shang looked at Hua Jing discreetly. She was still frowning. Yun Shang whispered, "Not at all. Father wanted to marry me to that Wang Jinhuan. He looks like quite a dandy, and I don''t like him at all. Luckily, it occurred to me that Master Wu Na had foretold my fortune. He said that bad things will happen to me if I marry before I turned 18. Only after father had seen Master Wu Na''s handwriting did he drop the idea of forcing me into an ominous marriage."


    Hua Jing frowned and calculated quickly in her mind, ''Wang Jinhuan and Prince Jing go back a long way. If Yun Shang does marry Wang Jinhuan, she will have Prince Jing on her side. And that, under no circumstance, is going to be good for me.''


    Thinking of that, Hua Jing took Yun Shang''s hands and consoled her, "Indeed, Wang Jinhuan is not an eligible husband. Rumor has it that despite being single, he has a long list of mistresses. He is a player. I''m sure that it will do you no good marrying such a worthless man."


    Yun Shang agreed with a nod, "That''s what I meant. True, he saved my life once, but I can surely find other ways to thank him instead of marrying him." Yun Shang thought for a moment as she studied Hua Jing. "Sister, you look quite vexed. What happened? Did the servants do something wrong and upset you?"


    Still frowning, Hua Jing glanced at Yun Shang and replied, "A monk performed fortunetelling for my mother-in-law yesterday. Now the entire Imperial City is gossiping about how I am a bad omen for my husband and my mother-in-law. They say that Master Wu Na''s disciple confirmed the prophecy."


    "What?" Yun Shang looked at Hua Jing wide-eyed, "But there were only a few people present yesterday. Who could be so evil to spread a rumor like this? Sister, we can''t let the person get away without reparation."


    For a long while, Hua Jing fixed her eyes on Yun Shang as if she were trying to read her real thoughts. Then she spoke, "I sent my people to investigate. It turned out to be the butler''s wife. He told her last night, and she spread the rumor this morning when she went out shopping for groceries."


    "Did she?" To prevent Hua Jing from seeing the glint of slyness sparkling in her eyes, Yun Shang lowered her head and muttered.


    "What do you plan to do now?" Yun Shang asked.


    "What can I do?" Hua Jing snorted again, "Rumors stop at those who are witty. I will only make it worse if I try to refute the rumor. I have sent people to take word to the Emperor''s Son-in-law. I''m sure the rumor will be scotched once they return with my husband''s message."


    With a smile, Yun Shang echoed, "You are doing the right thing, sister. We don''t have to care. However, facts speak louder than anything. Speaking of which, I heard that Her Ladyship is quite pleased with the Buddhist Texts I sent over earlier. I can put in a good word for you if I visit her more often. After all, family is above all. It doesn''t matter how people talk about you so long as your mother-in-law trusts you. Am I right?"


    Hua Jing simply nodded and braced her forehead with her hand. She looked tired. Yun Shang hurried to stand up and said, "I''ll leave you to rest, sister." Then she left the room.


    Hua Jing covered her eyes and waited for Yun Shang to disappear. Then she sneered and mumbled, "I married into this clan years ago, yet I''m not a rival to her and her lousy books. Yun Shang is just a teenage girl, but she already knows how to buy Lady Zhao''s approval. What kind of trouble will she cause if I leave her alone with Lady Zhao? She will only turn out to be a threat to me in the future. I must get rid of her. The sooner, the better."


    Standing behind her, the maid, Qing''er quickly responded, "Yes, Your Royal Highness. I will take care of it."


    Time flew by and the day of Hua Jing''s banquet finally arrived. Hua Jing had put earnest efforts


    to Yun Shang. He stared at her gently.


    Were it not for what he had done to her in her previous life, Yun Shang would have been lost in his gentle smile again. But she was not the silly girl she used to be. She would not be worthy of a second life if she were stupid enough to be fooled by him again.


    "Shang''er, I can manage from here. Why don''t you take a walk with Mister Mo?" Hua Jing turned to Yun Shang and asked sincerely.


    Yun Shang nodded. Eyes fixed on the ground as if she were shy, Yun Shang stepped slowly towards Mo Jingran and whispered, "Mister Mo, this way please."


    Mo Jingran hurried to follow her.


    Hua Jing stood still until both, Yun Shang and Mo Jingran had disappeared in the mist. She leaned closer to the handrails and soon saw the two figures emerging from the mist. From where she stood, she could even see Mo Jingran''s shaky hands behind his back. Yun Shang was looking at the ground all the way, like a shy little girl.


    Hua Jing sneered, cruelty reflecting in her eyes, "Yun Shang, let''s see how you are going to get away this time."


    "Your Highness... My name is Mo Jingran. I wonder whether you remember me." Mo Jingran who had been following Yun Shang, thought for a moment before finally asking with uncertainty.


    Yun Shang let out a smile to hide the sadness in her eyes, "Of course I remember you." Yun Shang turned to Mo Jingran and continued, "I remember you played a song for me at my Coming-of-age Ceremony. I can''t recall the name of your song, but it was really lovely."


    "Did you like it? I can play the flute for you anytime you wish." Excited, Mo Jingran raised his voice.


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing. She pointed at a nearby tree and said, "Well, Mister Mo. Is that a riddle?"


    "What? What did you say?" Mo Jingran was still thinking about playing the flute for Yun Shang. So he wondered why Yun Shang would mention a riddle. The second he spoke up he realized that she was thinking about the riddle game of the feast. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat, "Right, a riddle."


    Mo Jingran was about to reach for the riddle when someone picked the fruit before him and peeled away the parchment. The man then waved the parchment high in the air and cried, "Hey! Luo Qingyan! Look, here''s a riddle! They wrapped a parchment with a riddle around my favorite fruit. How annoying. Here you go."


    Startled, Yun Shang looked up and saw a pair of cold eyes staring back at her. Yun Shang smiled docilely and greeted, "Uncle..."


    Prince Jing nodded in return. He opened the parchment and read, "What is too much for two and just right for one? I think the answer is, a secret. Am I right, Mister Mo?"


    Mo Jingran paused as Prince Jing said his name. He then hurried to comply, "Right, right. Your Royal Highness is truly brilliant."


    Prince Jing said nothing. Instead he turned his eyes away from Mo Jingran, and cast a casual look at Yun Shang before leaving.


    "Such a shame. It could have been ours. And to be honest, it was not very difficult." Mo Jingran sighed heavily as he saw Prince Jing leave. After a moment, he turned to Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, I saw a riddle when I arrived in the morning. I wasn''t quite sure what it was for back then. I still remember where it was. Shall we have a look together?"

 Chapter 70 Falling For The Trap

    Yun Shang replied with a tender smile, "Sure." Yun Shang thought to herself, ''He hasn''t changed a bit. Still so competitive.'' All of a sudden, Hua Jing''s face flashed through her mind. She remembered how clearly she could see people''s expressions and movements through the mist when she first stepped into the pavilion. Somehow, she had a really bad feeling. If she was right, Hua Jing was alone in the pavilion when she and Mo Jingran left.


    "Your Highness, what are you thinking about?" Mo Jingran leaned forward and asked with a gentle smile. His handsome face softened as he stared at Yun Shang.


    "Not much. I was just thinking about how marvelous the Qianxin Tower is. We had the perfect view from the pavilion, yet we can hardly see anything along the lakeside." As Yun Shang replied, she secretly held and squeezed Qian Yin''s hand as a warning.


    Mo Jingran didn''t see what she had done in the thick fog. He simply led the way, "Your Highness, this way, please. I came from this path earlier, and I saw a parchment hidden in the rockery alongside the gravel."


    Yun Shang followed Mo Jingran quietly towards where he estimated the hidden parchment to be. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Yun Shang noticed that something was wrong. She could smell a faint but sweet fragrance that wafted through the air.


    "Mister Mo, have you noticed? The scent..." Yun Shang decided to ask Mo Jingran.


    Mo Jingran stopped and looked around before taking a deep breath. He then agreed with a slight nod, "Right, I can smell it too. But I saw some flowers blooming over there. Perhaps it is just coming from those flowers?"


    Yun Shang stared at Mo Jingran as he tried to explain. She couldn''t help but notice how his hands shook even though he was hiding them behind his back. They had been married for many years in her previous life, and it had been long enough for her to be familiar with some of his habits. She knew his hands shook when he lied. Earlier, Yun Shang didn''t have the opportunity to see his hands because he had been following her when they left the pavilion. Now that Mo Jingran wanted to show her the parchment and was leading the way, Yun Shang finally had the chance to notice this detail.


    Why was Mo Jingran lying to her? Perhaps something was wrong with the scent.


    Anxious but unsure, Yun Shang frowned and wondered what could be wrong. She thought she was quite familiar with common poisons. Yet, she had no idea what kind of poison the fragrance might have been extracted from. Yun Shang stepped forward cautiously. Perhaps the fragrance was, as he said, only the nearby flowers. But things could not be as simple as they looked. Besides, it seemed that she and Mo Jingran were the only souls wandering in the area at the moment.


    The only souls?


    Yun Shang stopped abruptly at the thought. She didn''t need to look back, as she could feel that there was nobody behind them. Where were Qin Yi and Qian Yin? She couldn''t be more certain that, just a moment ago, Qian Yin was standing near her.


    Yun Shang tried to sort things out in her mind. The only thing she knew for sure was that she could not look back. Hua Jing was still in the pavilion, and she could see everything. Once she turned around, Hua Jing would know that Yun Shang had noticed something was wrong. She couldn''t risk alarming her sister until she found out what Hua Jing was up to. She


    pe the sweat off her forehead, but she was too weak to lift her arms. Yun Shang took a few deep breaths before she finally found her voice. Then she spoke hoarsely, "There is a strange scent in the mist near the rockery, and I think it''s an aphrodisiac. My maids disappeared. Mo Jingran passed out behind the rockery."


    Prince Jing frowned but stayed quiet. He sat Yun Shang up and was about to take her away when Yun Shang grabbed his sleeve and asked, "Uncle, do you have any antidote with you?"


    Prince Jing thought for a second before pulling out a pill and slipping it into Yun Shang''s mouth. "It works for common aphrodisiacs. I don''t know what kind of poison you have been given, so I''m not sure whether it will help or not. Let''s see how it works."


    Yun Shang nodded, "You have been here for a while. I suppose Hua Jing might be getting suspicious about what you are doing here. Can Mister Wang find a way to distract Hua Jing? I need to deal with the aphrodisiac first. After all, the show is not yet over and I can''t just leave."


    Yun Shang looked up at Prince Jing again and said, "I''ve been here before. I know there''s a small spring not far from here. Can you take me there?"


    Wang Jinhuan glanced at Prince Jing and Yun Shang before sighing heavily and walking away. He looked around and then pulled up his robe as if he was about to pee. Surprised by how he was planning to distract Hua Jing, Yun Shang looked away. Wang Jinhuan casually unhooked his pants. Seizing the opportunity, Prince Jing carried Yun Shang towards the spring she mentioned.


    It didn''t take Prince Jing long to find the spring. Though the pool had frozen, there was still a small jet of water gushing out of the ice. Yun Shang hurried forward and knelt down before the spring. She scooped a handful of icy water and splashed it over her face. The fire burning inside her settled a bit. Yun Shang took a piece of ice and slipped it through her collar and into her clothes. She shivered as the cold spread through her body. The change in temperature helped her sober up.


    "What is your plan? Let me help you." Prince Jing stood behind the Princess and asked calmly. Yun Shang slipped another piece of ice into her clothes before turning to Prince Jing, "I will make her suffer."

 Chapter 71 Strike Back

    Yun Shang rose unsteadily to her feet and sneered. The expression on her face would have frightened even the most battle hardened general. She said, "Uncle, you leave first. Hua Jing will get suspicious if she doesn''t see you. I will join you soon."


    Prince Jing studied Yun Shang. The idea of leaving her alone in her condition unsettled him. But he had agreed to follow Yun Shang''s plan. So he walked to where Wang Jinhuan stood.


    Before long, a scream rang through Qianxin Tower.


    Hua Jing rushed forward with some guards. She saw a crowd had gathered around a rockery. On the floor lay scattered bits of clothing. Joy filled Hua Jing''s eyes, but she pretended to be worried and asked, "What happened?"


    "Eh? What''s going on here? There are so many people. Luo Qingyan, come and have a look. Something happened here." Wang Jinhuan seemed happy to see the chaos. His cheery voice could he heard from afar.


    Hua Jing stared at him with unconcealed disgust in her eyes, then looked to the rockery and asked, "What happened?"


    The women gathered around seemed too embarrassed to speak of what they had seen. They simply stepped back to make way for the Princess. A man stepped forward and said, "What happened behind the rockery is really¡­ not a pretty sight¡­ Too ridiculous."


    "Ridiculous?" Hua Jing frowned and waved her hand at a nearby servant, "Go, take a look at what happened behind the rockery."


    A servant disappeared behind the rockery. Seconds later, he hurried out. He reported, "Your Highness, there are two people without clothes. It seems that they are both asleep."


    Hua Jing pretended to be amazed and then changed her look to anger, "How dare they do such ridiculous things at my feast! Bring the shameless couple to me!"


    Several guards rushed forward.


    the words, bad news, she exploded. She shouted at the servant, "What bad news? What are you raving about?"


    She turned around and saw the servant stumbling towards her. The servant knelt down as soon as he saw Hua Jing and said with a pale face, "Your Highness. Something bad happened. The guards you sent to the front reported that the Emperor''s Son-in-law had an accident on the battlefield. He was trapped in an empty city, and we lost contact with him. Lady Zhao fainted when she heard the news. What should we do about it?"


    Hua Jing turned pale instantly. She turned and left with her servants in a hurry.


    "I heard that a few days ago, Master Wu Na''s disciple analyzed a character for Lady Zhao, the mother of the Emperor''s son-in-law. He said that Princess Hua Jing was fated to mourn her husband''s death and that the Emperor''s son-in-law might be trapped in the battlefield. As a result, Princess Hua Jing threw the monk out. She even fought with Lady Zhao, who believed the monk."


    "Really? It''s a surprise that such a thing happened."


    Yun Shang smiled as she watched Hua Jing rushing out. She muttered, "Hua Jing, you have set me up many times before. Now it''s my turn¡­"

 Chapter 72 The Empress Is Pregnant

    The feast ended in discord, and Hua Jing left in a hurry with her servants. As the guests began dispersing, Yun Shang frowned. Her body felt very weak. Just as she was about to find a place to sit, a hand held her shoulder.


    Yun Shang turned and saw a handsome face. The expression on the face, however, made her shiver.


    "They are all gone. Are you all right? May I send you to Qingxin Palace? Or would you prefer to return to Xiping Princess Palace?" Prince Jing sounded cold as usual. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes when she realized that he didn''t follow royal etiquette when speaking. Instead, he sounded genuinely concerned.


    It took Yun Shang a while to react to his offer. She shook her head and said, "I have to find my maids. I wasn''t paying attention. One minute they were behind me, and in the next, they had disappeared."


    "Do you need help?" Prince Jing lowered his voice and asked.


    "No, thank you." Yun Shang smiled faintly. She raised her hands, took out a little-finger-sized jade flute and blew it gently.


    The mellow timbre of the flute echoed around the Tower. In a few minutes, three women rushed forward and knelt in front of Yun Shang. They spoke simultaneously, "Master."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Ning Qian, it seems Qian Yin and Qin Yi are missing. Send some people to look for them. I will wait while you search."


    The leader raised her head and looked at the Princess. "Yes, Master. I will arrange the search right away." Then she stood up and nodded at Prince Jing before supporting Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang turned and smiled at Prince Jing, "Thank you Uncle. And thank you, Wang Jinhuan. No words can express my appreciation for your help. If you need my help later, just let me know." After that, she nodded to the two men before leaving with Ning Qian.


    Wang Jinhuan''s mouth had been open so long, a fine trickle of drool was pooling on his robe. "Luo Qingyan, pinch me. I need to know if I am dreaming. Pinch me now."


    Prince Jing looked at Wang in disbelief. Although Wang had sobered down a little, he still couldn''t help but exclaim with astonishment, "Luo Qingyan, the woman who addressed your little Princess as master just now is the most famous courtesan in the Imperial City. That was Qian Qian¡­ My goodness. I left no stone unturned to see her but never got the opportunity. I didn''t expect that I would meet her here. What surprised me the most was that she addressed your little Princess as master."


    "Well, yes. You''d better hurry up and take a good look at her. You may not get the opportunity again." Prince Jing replied coldly.


    Wang Jinghuan nodded seriously, "Yeah, you bet!" Then he disappeared.


    Prince Jing paused for a moment and murmured with a frown, "Typical." However, in the blink of an eye, his expression became cold, and his words were even colder. "Jing Ying."


    A woman in black appeared in front of him. She knelt before the Prince with an expressionless face. She greeted him respectfully.


    Prince Jing sneered. "I remember I made it clear that you should protect Princess Hui Guo. Where were you when she was intoxicated by the floral scent? Where were you when she was facing this danger alone? Where were you when she needed help? You were nearby, but you just watched it happen without even letting me know. Jing Ying, you have been taking my orders less and less seriously. So you don''t have to follow me anymore."


    The woman in black bit her lip and lowered her head. After a moment of silence, she bent forward and said, "I''m sorry."


    Prince Jing''s gaze fell on her back. Although his stare was cold, it seeming to burn through her. After a long time, he said, "You are the only female in my Shadow Guards. I didn''t want to keep you but you begged to stay. Do you remember what you promised at that time?"


    Still looking down, Jing Ying nodded her head slowly after a long while, "I do."


    "You do? I believe that you have completely forgotten. Tell me about it then." Prince Jing looked up to the pavilion shrouded in mist. His face was expressionless.


    Jing Ying found herself unable to speak. After much hesitation, she whispered, "I promised that I would never have any affection for you and that under no circumstance would I violate your orders. If I broke my promise, I would withdraw from martial arts and retreat from the Shadow Guards."


    "So you remember? I thought you had forgotten. Since you remember, you know what happened today shouldn''t have happened. I will give you one more chance. If you violate my orders again, you will have to fulfill your commitments. Follow your new master. Later, if you are alive while she has an accident, you don''t need to come back anymore."


    Jing Ying nodded and whispered, "Yes." Then she disappeared.


    Ning Qian helped Yun Shang out of Qianxin Tower. They walked through an alley and entered a courtyard for common people. The yard was small and contained several rooms.


    Ning Qian took Yun Shang''s pulse. Assured that nothing else was wrong with the Princess, she let go of her hand. She said softly, "You are all right. It was only a kind of flower that excites people and makes them hallucinate. You got through it, and the medicine you took was good. So you are okay now, only a little weak because your body struggled to resist the drug."


    Yun Shang nodded. "That''s good. I thought I was immune to all kinds of poison. However, it seems I still got intoxicated."


    Ning Qian smiled. "You are only immune to some common poisons. This is not a poison. However, you have better resistance to these things than ordinary people. You have been back at the Palace for many days. If you didn''t give me orders occasionally, I would think that you forgot about me."


    Yun Shang saw


    ua Jing doesn''t leave Yingjie, he will continue to suffer from disasters. Your Majesty, my family members have been generals for generations. We sweat and shed blood to protect our homes and defend our country. We even sacrifice ourselves. I don''t want my son to suffer because of a woman."


    The Emperor Ning sounded exhausted, "I have decreed that Prince Jing will lead the cavalry to save him. But I don''t agree that he was trapped because of Hua Jing."


    "I don''t agree either!" The Empress stepped into Qinzheng Hall and spoke with contempt in her voice. "We know that the Zhao family has contributed to our country, and I thought you were upright and noble as you unflaggingly raised your son after General Zhao died on the battlefield. What''s more, Zhao Yingjie is a real man. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have agreed to this marriage. Moreover, you didn''t disagree either when they got married. However, after Hua Jing married your son, you tried everything to pick on her. Now you want her to divorce your son for a random excuse? You said this is good for your son. Did you stop and wonder what people will think of Hua Jing if she gets divorced? She is my daughter and a Princess.


    With a stubborn look, Lady Zhao knelt and said, "I am ignorant. I only know that while reputation is important, human life is more valuable."


    The Empress sat down next to the throne. She looked at Lady Zhao sharply and raised her voice, "You said that it''s because of Hua Jing that your son was trapped. But Hua Jing never stepped out of the Imperial City. It''s obvious that your son was defeated due to his incapability. How dare you shirk responsibility and shift the blame onto a weak woman!"


    The Emperor frowned. "Enough. Stop quarreling. Is this a good time to argue?"


    Then he said to Lady Zhao, "I am not quibbling, but I have done everything I can and have sent people to the frontier to save him. Also, your reasons for asking Hua Jing to divorce Yingjie are unfounded. Zhao Yingjie did nothing wrong. Why should Hua Jing divorce him? Let''s both make a concession. Just go back and wait for the message."


    Lazy Zhao stayed on the floor. She spoke loudly, "Since you don''t agree, I will not beg anymore. I also don''t expect you to send people to save my son. I will go myself. I could fight with my husband twenty years ago, and today, I can go to the frontier for my son. As for Hua Jing, " Lady Zhao stopped to snicker before continuing, "I will not say much about your daughter. You should know by now. She holds feasts and has fun with her fair-weather friends. She never cared about me. She is hard on the servants and doesn''t keep the virtues of a woman. I don''t want to mention these, and only ask that you let Hua Jing divorce my son. I have tried my best to save your dignity and that of the Princess. I will say nothing more if you don''t agree. However, I will not admit that Hua Jing is my daughter-in-law anymore. I will leave now." After finishing, Lady Zhao stood up and left the Hall.


    Yun Shang thought that even though Lady Zhao''s reasons were farfetched, her last words were very strong and powerful. When she was contemplating, she heard a maid scream, "Ahh. The Empress fainted, "


    In a daze, Yun Shang turned to see. "What is going on?"


    Although she was confused, she pretended to be worried and followed the maid. She saw the maids help the Empress lie down on a bed in the side Hall behind Qinzheng Hall.


    Before long, the Imperial Physician arrived and checked the Empress''s pulse. After a while, he knelt in front of Emperor Ning with a joyful look.


    Yun Shang frowned. She had a bad feeling because of the Physician''s expression. Before she could figure out why the Physician was smiling, she heard him announce, "Congratulations, Your Majesty and Your Highness. The Empress is pregnant."

 Chapter 73 Before The Storm

    The Empress? Pregnant?


    Yun Shang was so taken aback that she was at a loss for a while. Then she heard the courtiers congratulating His Majesty in chorus, "Congratulations to Your Majesty. Congratulations!" Yun Shang was still pondering over the news she had just heard. What? The Empress is pregnant? Yun Shang turned around to look at Emperor Ning, who also looked astonished. Yun Shang stared at Emperor Ning for a long time before speaking, "Your... Your Majesty..."


    Emperor Ning turned to Yun Shang with a perplexed stare. Yun Shang felt her hands trembling in her sleeves. She bit her lip to steady herself, "Congratulations to Your Majesty. Soon I will have one more younger brother or sister."


    It seemed Emperor Ning was still flabbergasted. He breathed out an "oh" after a long while before sinking into another trance.


    The Imperial Physician kneeling on the ground waited patiently for a response from the Emperor, who, however, stayed silent. So the Imperial Physician spoke, "Your Majesty, the Empress has been pregnant for about a month. Her Majesty is very well. But Her Majesty got quite excited just now and that is not good for the baby. However, please don''t worry, Your Majesty. Her Majesty will be fine after resting."


    Emperor Ning nodded speechlessly. After a moment, he turned and rushed out of the Hall. Lord Zheng hastily followed the Emperor. Watching the Emperor''s fading figure, Yun Shang felt at a loss for what to do. She frowned, but after noticing that everyone was staring at her, she realized that she was the only composed master in the Hall. So she waved and said, "This is a great and happy event. Rise to your feet. There will be awards from His Majesty."


    Everyone stood up at Yun Shang''s words. The Princess turned to look at the Imperial Physician, and smiled, "Though the Empress is physically well, Her Majesty still needs particular attention for her pregnancy. When you return to the Imperial Hospital, please prepare some medicines conducive to Her Majesty''s pregnancy and send them to Qiwu Palace."


    The Imperial Physician nodded and withdrew. Then Yun Shang had time to think this over. What happened? How could the Empress be pregnant at this moment? In her previous life, Hua Jing was the Empress''s only child. She hadn''t given birth to another one. Why? And pregnant at this moment...


    Yun Shang thought about the differences in events from her previous life and her present life. Lady Jin had spent her days at the Cold Palace and had been trapped there until the end of her life. However, in this life, her mother had not only been released from the Cold Palace, but she was pregnant as well. Was it possible that everything would change in this life?


    In her contemplation, Yun Shang heard a groan. She turned and caught a glimpse of the Empress who had awoken from her faint. She ran to the Empress and inquired eagerly, "Your Majesty..."


    The Empress winced and raised one of her hands to prop up her forehead. It seemed that she was experiencing some discomfort. Yun Shang stepped nearer, "Your Majesty, are you feeling well?"


    The Empress lifted her eyes to glance at Yun Shang. Then she said weakly, "Why am I here? I remembered I was in Qinzheng Hall. I remember..."


    Yun Shang said hastily "You passed out in Qinzheng Hall a little while ago. When the Imperial Physician checked you, he said that you are pregnant. Your Majesty, congratulations to you."


    "Pregnant?" The Empress looked confused. It took a moment for Yun Shang''s words to register. "Pregnant? You mean I am pregnant?"


    Yun Shang nodded as she tried to squeeze out a smile. "Yes. You are pregnant, Your Majesty."


    The Empress flashed a brilliant smile at Yun Shang''s words. "That is really wonderful. In recent years, no one in the imperial household has been lucky enough to bear your father a child. I was quite worried about the decline of your father''s bloodline. I was even considering selecting some fair ladies to marry your father and bear him more children. It was completely unexpected that Lady Jin would get pregnant. And now, so am I."


    Yun Shang grinned, "His Majesty is blessed by Buddha."


    The Empress seemed ecstatic, "Reward. Everyone will get a reward." Then she summoned Xiu Xin. "I''m uncomfortable here. I''m afraid I might hurt the baby. Escort me back to Qiwu Palace."


    Xiu Xin nodded before helping the Empress to stand. Then the maid assisted the Empress leave the Hall.


    A bitter smile emerged on Yun Shang''s lips as she stood in the Hall and watched them leave. Was it true that the Heavenly God reserves shocking surprises for unsuspecting believers? The Empress. How could it be possible that she is pregnant at this critical moment?


    "Your Imperial Highness..." Yun Shang had been lost in her thoughts till she heard Qian Yin call to her. She nodded at Qian Yin, "Let''s go back to Qingxin Palace."


    Yun Shang sank into serious consideration while lyin


    her."


    Qin Yi nodded in response, "Lady..." She paused for a moment and then continued, "Today, when His Majesty heard from the Imperial Physician that the Empress is pregnant, he ran out of the Hall in a hurry, right? I heard that His Majesty had come to Qiwu Palace. The Empress was in the side hall at Qinzheng Hall at that time. But His Majesty went to Qiwu Palace instead. It is obvious that His Majesty came to Qiwu Palace for Lady Jin. It seems that His Majesty cares more about the Lady than the Empress."


    Yun Shang hummed before sinking into silence.


    The news of the Empress'' pregnancy had triggered a stir in the imperial household. The Imperial Palace only quietened after all the concubines had left after extending their congratulations to the Empress. Yun Shang was terribly upset. Without informing Qin Yi and Qian Yin, she walked out of Qingxin Palace after Qiwu Palace became quiet.


    After walking along the lake for a while, the Princess leaned against a tree to rest. At that moment, she heard someone speaking in the distance.


    "Lady, how could it be possible that the Empress is pregnant? We all know that His Majesty hasn''t spent a night at Qiwu Palace in a long time." The tone, indicating a touch of suspect, sounded like a court maid serving in a certain Palace.


    Then, the voice of another woman disturbed the silence, "On the fifteenth of last month, His Majesty stayed in the Empress'' Palace for one night."


    That voice was familiar. After combing her mind for its master, Yun Shang was quite sure that it was Lady Shu.


    "But, Lady Jin is also dwelling in Qiwu Palace. I have heard from maids at Qiwu Palace that every time His Majesty visited Qiwu Palace in this past month, His Majesty went to see Lady Jin..."


    Yun Shang heard a sigh from Lady Shu, in which a trace of contempt could be felt. "Hem, only the Heavenly God knows whether or not that old witch employed any tricks to allure His Majesty into her bed. She went as far as to present her maid as a gift to His Majesty. What else is she not capable of?"


    The maid lowered her voice, "Lady, do you think the Lord is going to allow her to keep the baby?"


    The Lord? Yun Shang was taken aback. What did that maid mean? What did she mean by is the Lord going to allow her to keep the baby? Yun Shang felt a sharp throb in her heart. She focused on the conversation.


    Lady Shu kept silent for a moment. Then she said, "I don''t know. Over a decade ago, I had been chosen to marry His Majesty and became a member of the imperial household. I would receive an order from the Lord whenever a lady was pregnant. I was ordered to cause an inconspicuous miscarriage. And I did a good job. I almost failed in killing Lady Ying''s baby and exposed myself. But I managed to devise a plan to set up the Empress instead, and Lady Ying believed it. But there has been no order from the Lord since the announcement of Lady Jin''s pregnancy. Now, the Empress is also pregnant. I don''t know whether the Lord is going to order me to do something. But, there are many people in the imperial household who will not wish to see that baby be born. Lady Ying would be the first to make that wish come true. I don''t think I need to be involved. It is doubtful that this baby will get a chance to see the world..."

 Chapter 74 Seeking Proof

    Yun Shang was shocked. What did Lady Shu mean by this? Whenever a concubine in the Palace got pregnant, Prince Jing would order Lady Shu to get rid of the unborn child? Yun Shang could only feel coldness spreading from the bottom of her heart.


    Although Prince Jing was an adopted son of the late Emperor, he was still a Prince. It would be unwise to assume that he did not covet the throne. Moreover, Prince Jing was a valiant warrior. Most of the country''s territory was either conquered or guarded by him. However, if the Emperor had a son, the throne would surely belong to his son. As Prince Jing desired the throne, the best option for him would be to prevent father from having a male child. Prince Jing was over twenty years younger than the Emperor. If father had no heir of his own, after father''s death, the throne could only be Prince Jing''s.


    Yun Shang had been thinking that Prince Jing''s biggest opponent in the Imperial court was the Li clan. She was expecting Prince Jing to take action in the court. On the contrary, he had carefully set up a plan with Lady Shu in the Imperial household. While Yun Shang had figured out the alliance between Lady Shu and the Prince, she hadn''t managed to understand their plan. Now Yun Shang realized that Prince Jing was the wiliest person she knew. She could also see that he knew how to achieve his goal while maintaining his composure.


    If this only concerned other people, Yun Shang would watch the fight from a distance. But now the situation was different, as Lady Jin was pregnant as well. In this Palace, if someone else, even the Empress, wanted to harm Lady Jin''s child, Yun Shang felt sure that she could prevent it. But if she were up against Prince Jing, Yun Shang was unsure that she would be able to secure a complete victory.


    Lady Shu and her maid walked further and further away. However, Yun Shang stood still for a long time. Her mind was registering what she had just heard, and she was thinking of how she would deal with it.


    A long time passed before Yun Shang came out from behind the trees and returned to Qingxin Palace.


    When Yun Shang went to Qiwu Palace to pay her respects to the Empress the next day, she saw that Hua Jing was there, too. Yun Shang paid her respects in a courteous manner and stood in front of the two. Perhaps because the Empress was pregnant, Hua Jing was in a great mood as well. She did not say anything about what happened at the banquet. Yun Shang stood there for a while before deciding that she needed to be elsewhere. Yun Shang had originally intended to return to Qingxin Palace, but when she was half way there, she changed her mind and headed for the Palace gate.


    Having left the Palace, Yun Shang went straight to Prince Jing''s mansion. When she arrived, the guards at the gate saw her and opened the gates to the mansion without asking any questions. However, it was only after entering Prince Jing''s mansion that Yun Shang discovered that he had gone to drill the soldiers at the training ground outside the city.


    "Princess, the Prince should be back soon. I''ll serve Your Highness a cup of tea while you wait here." The butler said in a low voice, then turned around and ordered the attendants to make tea.


    Yun Shang sat for about an hour before Prince Jing returned to the mansion. He was accompanied by Wang Jinhuan.


    Yun Shang looked at the two men. Prince Jing was wearing black today, but Wang Jinhuan was wearing red as usual. Although she had seen them together several times, Yun Shang always felt surprised that two such different men could actually became friends.


    "Oh, our young Princess is here? I heard that Lady Zhao took a letter written with her blood to the Palace yesterday to implore the Emperor to issue an order for Hua Jing to divorce the Emperor''s Son-in-Law. How did that turn out? What a pity. I wasn''t there. It must''ve been quite a display." As soon as Wang Jinhuan saw Yun Shang, he delightfully sat by her.


    Prince Jing nodded to Yun Shang, "I''ll change."


    There was the "I" again, thought Yun Shang, distracted. Why had he done away with royal etiquette when speaking to her?


    "Hey, hey, I asked you. How did it turn out?" Wang Jinhuan pulled at Yun Shang''s arm.


    Yun Shang''s turned and smiled, "You really wish for pandemonium, don''t you? The Empress was there, so how could she allow Lady Zhao to get what she wanted? However, even if it was only up to my father, he wouldn''t have condoned it. After all, Lady Zhao had no proof. She could only lean on what the monk said. Yet, she wanted to place the blame for the Emperor''s Son-in-Law''s captivity entirely on Hua Jing. She had no evidence, so any person would find her plea ridiculous. Besides, Hua Jing is still the Emperor''s daughter..."


    "Hm, what a bore. All this commotion and yet that cruel Princess is not being overthrown. Did you know? That time I escorted you to the Princess Palace, I got lost when you asked me to leave. I wanted to jump out of the Princess Palace with my Qinggong*. That''s when I heard Princess Hua Jing discuss how to hurt you at the banquet." Wang Jinhuan grimaced and said hatefully, "What''s with the grudges between you and Princess Hua Jing? You are sisters, even though not by the same mother, but you are still sisters..."


    (*TN: A Chinese martial arts technique that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.)


    Hearing this, Yun Shang turned to look at Wang Jinhuan, "Huh? You heard that?"


    Wang Jinhuan quickly nodded, "Yes, you di


    e ground.


    "Luo Qingyan, you''re good. Just you wait, I''ll go to the young Princess to expose you..." There was quite some pain in Wang Jinhuan''s voice, "My God! My arm! My arm is almost broken. Luo Qingyan, send for a physician..."


    When Yun Shang returned to Qingxin Palace, Qin Yi and Qian Yin were eagerly waiting in front of the gate. As soon as they spotted Yun Shang, relief flooded the maids. They hurriedly stepped forward, "Princess, where has Your Highness been? Earlier, Your Highness left to greet the Empress without taking us along. We waited for Your Highness to return and yet, Your Highness didn''t come back. We searched everywhere for you. We were so anxious!"


    Yun Shang smiled, "No matter. Earlier on my way back from greeting the Empress, I suddenly remembered that I left in such a hurry that I didn''t get to thank my Uncle for all his help. That''s why I went to Prince Jing''s mansion. But when I got there, Uncle was still at the training ground outside the city, so I had to wait a bit longer."


    Yun Shang then shared with Qin Yi and Qian Yin the events of the previous night. The two maids were so riled up that they cursed Hua Jing for the rest of the night. They also became quite grateful to Prince Jing. Having heard Yun Shang''s story, Qin Yi nodded and said, "It''s only right to thank Prince Jing. Recently there have been multiple incidents, and Prince Jing has helped Your Highness every time. Speaking of, Prince Jing is Your Highness'' lucky star."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang remembered what Prince Jing whispered as she left. "It is probably because of you..." Yun Shang thought about it while walking back. She couldn''t understand why Prince Jing would say that all of a sudden.


    "Your Highness, Your Highness..." Qin Yi called out to Yun Shang who abruptly recovered from her daydreams. Yun Shang was surprised at herself. She found herself lost in thoughts related to Prince Jing more and more frequently these days. The idea gave her heart a shiver, "Huh?"


    Qin Yi stared at Yun Shang for a moment and said, "Why does Your Highness seem so distracted recently?" Following the complaint, she then said, "Princess, I heard from master Zheng that Lady Zhao has really set off for the frontier on her own..."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Lady Zhao is not a bad person, albeit eccentric. She is loving towards her son."


    Qian Yin joined the conversation, "Every time I saw Hua Jing losing an argument to Lady Zhao, I couldn''t help but feel great. It is surprising to see that there are people in this world who are completely unimpressed by Hua Jing. Even better though is that they can ensure that Hua Jing can''t fight back in public."


    Yun Shang smiled as well, "Qian Yin, have some people ask around about how things are going with Zhao Yingjie."


    Qian Yin nodded, "I will send a letter in a moment."


    Yun Shang agreed and sat on her soft bed. She picked up a random book, "Right, today after I left, did anything happen with the Empress?"


    Qian Yin covered Yun Shang with a blanket and said, "It will be time for the winter solstice soon. I heard that the Empress and Hua Jing were planning to announce Her Majesty''s pregnancy at the winter solstice celebration..."


    Yun Shang chuckled, "She does know how to draw the most attention."


    Speaking of the winter solstice celebration, Yun Shang remembered something that she ordered long time ago, "The things I asked to be prepared, are they ready? They''re for... The winter solstice celebration..."


    Hearing this, Qian Yin seemed very pleased with herself, "Yes, Your Highness. Everything is all set. On the day of the winter solstice, I shall deliver to the Empress a grand gift."

 Chapter 75 Lady Jin Visits

    "Xiu Xin..." Hearing the Empress call her softly, Xiu Xin put the lit storax that she was holding into the censer and hurried into the bedroom. The Empress was leaning on her pillow, frowning. "It''s getting colder.I just wanted to take a nap, but as soon as I lay down, I didn''t want to get up."


    Xiu Xin took the Phoenix robe and began helping the Empress to dress. When she heard the Empress say this, she smiled and said, "It doesn''t matter, Your Majesty. You get up early every day. You''ve often said that it is beneath your dignity to get up late. You work the hardest besides His Majesty. Now you should take advantage of this opportunity and rest. Sleep and eat whenever you want."


    The Empress touched her flat belly and allowed?herself?a?wry?smile. "Yes, I am now pregnant with the most noble child in Ning''guo. I should rest, but... The power struggles in the Imperial household will not allow me to rest. There''s no telling what mischief the concubines will get up to if I become inattentive for even a little bit."


    Following the eyes of the Empress, Xiu Xin also looked at the Empress'' belly. Her eyes flashed as she helped the Empress to dress.


    "Pregnant concubines are allowed to call their families to visit them at the Imperial Household. I have not seen my father and mother for a long time. Will you tell them to come tomorrow?" The Empress stood up, spread her arms, and closed her eyes. Xiu Xin slipped on the Empress'' robe. After that, the Empress walked to the dressing table.


    Xiu Xin responded, but the Empress shook her head in a hurry. "Forget it, just inform my mother... You don''t have to inform my father..."


    Xiu Xin was slightly stunned. She bowed her head and answered, "OK."


    The Empress looked at herself in the mirror and raised her hand to caress her face. Her fingers lingered at the corner of her eye. Then she sighed and said to Xiu Xin, "I seem to be... getting old. You see these wrinkles?"


    Xiu Xin looked carefully at the Empress'' face and smiled. "You are not old at all, Your Majesty. I don''t think any of the new concubines that have come into the Imperial Household over the years can compare with you."


    The Empress smiled slightly. "Only you will comfort me... I remember that I entered the Palace almost the same year as Lady Jin. It is only now when she is living in Qiwu Palace that I realize I look as if I am ten years older than her. She had been living in the Cold Palace all these years, but sometimes it''s also a good place because there is no intrigue. Although I am the Empress, I have many annoyances every day. Besides, who would have thought that I am a pawn in the hands of others."


    Xiu Xin did not respond as she was busy styling the Empress'' hair.


    "Lady Jin plays her cards well indeed. Although I seemed to be the winner when she left for the Cold Palace a decade ago, I have not been able to do her the slightest harm in all these years, and I even had to help raise her daughter. Concubines that are sent to the Cold Palace only come out when they die. But Lady Jin didn''t. His Majesty personally went to escort Lady Jin when she left the Cold Palace. What''s more, as soon as she got out, she came to live in Qiwu Palace, a place I have been guarding for twenty years. I even have to take care of her!" The Empress touched her belly and sneered somewhat. "I believe I can beat her. This time, I must make her suffer."


    Thinking of the calm and sanctimonious countenance of Lady Jin, the Empress secretly gnashed her teeth and could not help but clench her fists.


    The tinkling sound of ornaments came from outside. The Empress frowned and raised her voice. "Who is it?"


    The door curtain opened and the Empress saw Hua Jing''s reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a bright red dress. When Hua Jing saw that the Empress was getting dressed, she smiled and came forward. "You are so beautiful today, Mother. People say that pregnant women are the most beautiful. It''s true!"


    The Empress became unhappy at Hua Jing''s sycophancy. She frowned and glanced at Hua Jing. "Your husband is trapped and it''s hard to tell whether he is alive or not. But you are dressed like this. What a scandal! If your behavior is seen by others, they will definitely gossip behind your back."


    Hua Jing pouted and raised her voice. "Why should I care about other people''s opinions? Mother, I am your daughter, and you are the Empress of our country. Besides, you are now pregnant with the future prince. Who dares to say..."


    A loud sound interrupted Hua Jing. It was not until a moment later that Hua Jing said with a trembling voice, "Mother... Mother, why did you hit me?" Hua Jing looked at the white foundation on her dress. She couldn''t believe that the Empress had thrown a box of foundation at her.


    The Empress gnashed her teeth and sneered. "Why did I hit you? Because I think that you have no other qualities except arrogance. Go and change your clothes right now! From today on, as long as there is no news of the Emperor''s Son-in-Law, you can only wear plain clothes."


    Hua Jing bowed her head and tried not to let her tears run. She replied humbly, "OK..."


    Hua Jing was ready to leave the bedroom when she suddenly thought of something


    . Nevertheless, the Empress felt a tinge of excitement. She smiled. "Really?"


    Lady Jin nodded and smiled in return. "Sister, please don''t tell anyone that I have spilled the beans. Please pretend that you don''t know anything. If Lady Shu says it''s to congratulate you on your pregnancy, can you pretend to be very surprised? You won''t give me away, right?"


    The Empress smiled slightly and said, "Of course."


    They continued to chat for a while before Lady Jin requested the Empress'' permission to leave.


    As soon as Lady Jin left, the Empress stopped pretending to be congenial.


    "Your Majesty, since Lady Jin began living in Qiwu Palace, she had never behaved more than lukewarm towards His Majesty and you. But today, she came to greet you so affably and talked to you in such a gentle tone. Why is she so different today?" Xiu Xin looked at the door as she spoke. She seemed worried.


    The Empress sneered. "You also found it odd, right? I was surprised by her behavior, too. We always mind our own business. In the time that she has lived in Qiwu Palace, we''ve never spoken as much as we did today. Now that she''s willing to disguise herself, I will play her game."


    Xiu Xin paused for a moment and said hesitatingly. "But... Your Majesty, was Lady Jin telling the truth? If the situation is really as urgent as Lady Jin says, then Princess Hua Jing... Do I need to go to the Princess Palace?"


    The Empress snorted coldly. "Her story was full of loopholes. How can we believe her? That day, I heard His Majesty say that he would send Prince Jing to the frontier only to rescue the Emperor''s Son-in-Law, but she said that he is going to fight against the Yelang army. It a small country. How can they send out an army of more than 2, 00, 000 soldiers? She said this just to prevent Hua Jing from going to the frontier. Judging from the Imperial City''s commoners'' comments about Hua Jing, if she doesn''t go to the frontier, she will be completely ruined by the reprimand of every commoner."


    Xiu Xin nodded. "You are so intelligent, Your Majesty. Lady Jin is really too..."


    The Empress sat in the chair, lost in thought. She murmured, "But she said that Lady Shu is going to hold a banquet in the Palace. What does she want to express?"


    Xiu Xin also frowned. They thought for a long time, but couldn''t come up with anything. The Empress raised her head, and said to Xiu Xin, "You should investigate. Is Lady Shu going to hold a banquet or not? Does His Majesty really know about this? Who did she invite? When and where will the banquet be held? The more details the better..."


    Xiu Xin nodded at once. "OK, I''ll do it right away."


    The Empress nodded and said, "Don''t forget to invite my mother to the Imperial household tomorrow. By the way, tell my mother that I want to eat the hibiscus cake made by my old housemaid."


    Xiu Xin responded, "I will keep that in mind. Do you have any other instructions, Your Majesty?"


    "Go to the Imperial Household Department later, and ask the Master to send me more pots with flowers and plants."


    "Flowers and plants?" Xiu Xin was stunned for a while and then asked, "Your Majesty, the flowers you love have withered away in this season. How about asking the Master of the Imperial Household Department to send us some daffodils?"


    The Empress shook her head. "No, I don''t want daffodils. Tell the Master of the Imperial Household Department that I want to put them in my bedroom. I want big flowerpots, more dirt..."

 Chapter 76 A Warning From Lady Ming

    On a warm afternoon, Yun Shang felt sleepy as she lay on her couch. Instead of enjoying the gentle winter sun on her bed, she went for a walk with Qin Yi and Qian Yin in the garden.


    After wandering about the garden for a while, Yun Shang felt tired. She sat down in a nearby arbor to rest. The lake had already begun to freeze. She glanced at the sunlight that dazzled on the ice before looking away.


    "It''s too windy here. Don''t stay for long." A soft voice came from behind her.


    Hearing that, Yun Shang turned around in surprise. "Mother?" Then Yun Shang realized that she was still in the Palace, and she shouldn''t speak to her mother out in the open for all to see. Her heart thumped as she looked around. She was certain that many people in the Palace must be watching her. But she didn''t want to be cold to her beloved mother.


    Lady Jin nodded and sat opposite Yun Shang. She smiled at her daughter for a while before speaking. "Dear daughter, I have to say that every time I see you, I feel you become more and more beautiful. You truly have grown into a beautiful lady!" said Lady Jin.


    "I am your daughter. Father always said that I look like you. So to say that I am beautiful means that you are beautiful, " answered Yun Shang with a chuckle.


    Lady Jin was silent. She lowered her head as she thought. It occurred to Yun Shang that her mother still harbored resentment against her father after all these years. Although Yun Shang had helped her leave the Cold Palace, she still rarely spoke with him. She was afraid that her mother was even more upset as the Empress was now pregnant.


    Sure enough, Lady Jin stayed silent for a long time. "The other day, you told me that you had sent a maid to your father. Will she work for you?" asked Lady Jin softly.


    Yun Shang had no idea why her mother asked about that incident. But she told her mother the truth. "Qin Meng used to be a spy who worked for the Empress. After she broke her legs, the Empress took her away and intended to kill her. After that, the Empress sent me a new maid who she thought would spy for her. When Qin Meng turned to me for help, the Empress had been in the middle of selecting someone from her own Palace to send to my father. So I pushed the boat with the current and sent Qin Meng to my father instead. After that, she said that she would always obey me. But I perceive her nature to be restless. I cannot believe her completely. Even if she works for me, I still need to be careful. I know that I should only regard her as a tool that can be discarded at any time."


    Lady Jin smiled, and nodded. "You are right! She betrayed you once, and she might do it again."


    She paused and looked at Yun Shang. "You know, Lady Shu has always been a thorn in the Empress'' side. Now the Empress is pregnant, which is not a good thing. This is an opportunity for Lady Shu. There have been no pregnancies in the Palace for many years. Your father must be very happy. So a few days ago, I suggested to him that Lady Shu should hold a party for the Empress and her baby."


    "Lady Shu?" Yun Shang was surprised. "Oh, mother... I''m wondering when did you two..."


    Lady Jin burst out laughing. "Oh, you silly girl. There is no eternal enemy in the Imperial household. Lady Shu will appreciate me as I gave her the chance. But she is still a danger for us. Besides the Empress, I''m the one she wants to triumph against. And once she has power, she will become unfriendly again. In the meanwhile, I hope that we have one more helper."


    "You mean..." Yun Shang turned her head towards the lake.


    "She doesn''t have to do anything special. Just accost the Emperor at the party to be held in a few days, " whispered Lady Jin as she placed her hands on her lower abdomen.


    Yun Shang looked at her for a while and sighed. "Mom, are you and my father..."


    Lady Jin lowered her head and glanced at her abdomen, which was not yet visible. "He has collected more and more concubines over these years. Since your father married Li Yiran, and Hua Jing was born, I have been disheartened and lost hope. I came out of the Cold Palace because I was afraid you would be bullied. I left you when you were an infant because I was young and ignorant. And now, I have learned of all the difficulties you''ve suffered. It''s all my fault. I have thought it over since your return from Ning''guo Temple. The Empress is very insidious and I''m afraid that you may lose. I will never be a coward again. I want my children to be happy."


    "Mother..." Yun Shang said after a long silence. "After all, your husband is an Emperor."


    Lady Jin nodded. "I know. Maybe I''m just stupidly obsessed, and I still can not control myself. But now, I feel it''s also okay to lose control, so I just let it go."


    Yun Shang believed that her mother had her own plans, so she didn''t try to persuade her. She just nodded in approval.


    "What? Lady Jin and Yun Shang?" The Empress turned in surprise and looked at the maid who had


    r chair with the shock of Lady Ming''s sudden movements. "The Emperor is no longer young. He is forty now. So it is a rare thing that you are pregnant. If you have a son, our family will do everything possible to help him become an Emperor. But now, you have to think about the baby Lady Jin is about to have. Things will get worse if she has a son. So you have to think carefully. Remember, it is okay to save one life at the expense of another if necessary. The child in her womb must never be born."


    The Empress knew, of course, what Lady Ming meant when she said, one life for another. Even though it was early winter, the Empress broke into a cold sweat. "I''ll keep that in mind."


    "Hmm, " Lady Ming said as she stood up. "You have seldom spoken with your father since you came to the Palace. Even when something important happens, you ask someone to send him a message. You never dare talk with him in person. You don''t have to be afraid of your father, after all he loves his daughter. It was not right for him to force you into the Palace, but he has his own reasons. He''s the pillar of our family, and he has to toil and moil all the time. He did force you, yes. But he did it for our family. Although you are the Empress now, you should never forget your family."


    The Empress responded promptly. "Yes, I know."


    "By the way, I have heard that Lady Jin has been back for a while. I have not seen that wench and her daughter for many years. Now that the party is confirmed, send me a message when you know of the date. I want to see how the wenches are coming along!"


    The Empress agreed as Lady Ming left the Hall.


    After a long time, Xiu Xin peeked from behind the door. She searched the Hall carefully. Seeing that the Empress was alone, she stepped forward. "I see that Lady Ming has been here. Do I still need to visit the Grand Councilor?" asked Xiu Xin softly.


    "Yes, " the Empress sighed. "Nothing will escape my father''s notice as many spies work for him. In the morning, I sent you to tell my mother to visit me tomorrow. By afternoon, Lady Ming has came to see me."


    Xiu Xin paused, and then asked softly. "Your Majesty, why did she come? As far as I know, she hasn''t been out of Yongkang Palace, where she lives, for a long time."


    The Empress laughed grimly. "For my baby, of course. Just two days after I announce my pregnancy, they''ve decided that my child is a convenience to them. They have considered all possibilities and thought through what might happen if I give life to my baby."


    Xiu Xin stood by with her head lowered. A maid entered the Hall with a bowl of steaming Chinese medicine in her hands. "Your Majesty, your medicine for miscarriage prevention is ready. I tried the temperature. It is just right. Please drink it now."


    The Empress looked up at the steaming medicine and waved. "Put it in my bedchamber. Then you can leave."


    The maid nodded and hurried to comply. Soon, she exited the bedchamber, curtsied before the Empress and left.


    The Empress glanced at Xiu Xin, and sighed. "Go to the Grand Councilor now. I''ll rest."


    After Xiu Xin left, the Empress turned and went into the bedchamber. She stared at the bowl of medicine for a long time. Then she took it and poured it into the potting soil of the flourishing manicured podocarpus beside her bed.

 Chapter 77 The Banquet At Jinxiu Palace

    "Your Highness, what color of clothes would you like to wear today?" As soon as Qian Yin entered the room, she saw Qin Yi styling Yun Shang''s hair. She asked about the clothes with a smile.


    Yun Shang thought about it and said, "Today''s banquet celebrates the pregnancy of the Empress. Since it is a happy occasion, we should dress accordingly. Shangyi Bureau sent some clothes earlier and I saw a dress in Indian red. I''ll wear that one."


    Qin Yi smiled and pulled Yun Shang''s hair up, "It''s drizzling today. I''ll fetch a cape. The other day, Prince Jing found a white fox while hunting and he gave the fox fur to His Majesty. His Majesty said that of all the royals in the imperial household, the color suits Your Highness the best, so he rewarded it to you. You were reading a book that day and weren''t paying attention, so I put it away for you. I think the color matches your Indian red dress. Qian Yin, fetch it for Her Highness."


    "Prince Jing? White fox?" Yun Shang was surprised and asked, "Is Prince Jing also coming today?"


    Qin Yi smiled and looked in the mirror. She giggled at Yun Shang''s expression. "Your Highness seems to be very interested in Prince Jing. Yes, he is coming. I heard that he is needed at the northwest frontier to settle the recent chaos there. He will be leaving with his troops in two days. His Majesty invited him to the banquet to comfort and encourage him."


    "I see." Yun Shang nodded. In her pervious life, this was also the time when war broke out in the northwest. The country of Yelang had launched an attack. They gathered all the strong men in their country and formed an army of nearly 2, 00, 000 warriors. In her previous life, the war had lasted for several years. Hua Jing''s royal husband had died in that war.


    In this life, Yun Shang had already cut off the soldiers'' supply of food, and tricked the Emperor''s Son-in-law into staying in an empty city. She had even carried him off. So, in this life, Prince Jing, who was supposed to go to the frontier three years from now, was being sent there earlier.


    The men from the country of Yelang practiced Kung Fu from an early age. They were all tall and good at fighting. An army of 2, 00, 000 strong warriors shouldn''t be underestimated. Even though Prince Jing is the God of War in the State of Ning, it would not be easy for him to win the war.


    "By the way, the master asked me to tell you that both Hua Jing and her Mother-in-Law have gone to the frontier in the northwest. Hua Jing only took four guards and two maids with her. The master said this would be a great chance." Qin Yi added.


    Yun Shang turned around at Qin Yi''s words, "Hua Jing? Is she out of her mind?"


    Qin Yi smiled, "I also think it''s unbelievable. But according to the master, it was the Empress who sent her there..."


    Yun Shang shook her head, "Not likely. The Empress has always been careful and meticulous. It''s not possible that she sent her daughter to die. However... After what had happened to the Emperor''s Son-in-Law, Lady Zhao must have done everything she could to go to the frontier, which is not good for Hua Jing. In that case, it''s understandable that the Empress sent Hua Jing there too. In doing so, Hua Jing would not have to suffer from constant rumors. But if the Empress really did that, she would have prepared for it and wouldn''t let Hua Jing go alone."


    "Is it possible that this is just a lie where the Empress sends Hua Jing to the frontier with few servants on purpose but secretly sent guards to protect her?" Qian Yin asked as she entered the room. She carried Yun Shang''s selected attire in her hands. She spread out the dress for Yun Shang to see as she waited for the Princess to reply.


    "Your Highness, see? This is the one right? Indian red with a cape. This cape is stunning. I''ve never seen such pure white fox fur." Qian Yin spread out the cape and ran her hands over the snowy white cape with a white coat around its neck. It looked very warm.


    Yun Shang nodded, "It is beautiful indeed. I''ll wear this one."


    Qian Yin put the clothes away and stood aside as Qin Yin finished making Yun Shang''s hair. "Protected or not, it would not be difficult to kill Hua Jing when she is in a place like the battlefield. Your Highness, why not let me notify Ning Qian and send her there to take a chance?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "It is a good chance, indeed. How can I miss such a good one? However, I must take Hua Jing''s life myself. Since she''s already at the front, tell Ning Qian that I need her to keep Hua Jing there as long as possible. I''ll find an opportunity to go there after I finish dealing with the affairs here."


    "The affairs here?" Qian Yin thought for a while and couldn''t figure out what Yun Shang meant. So she asked, "Your Highness, is there anything else you need to deal with here? Are you planning to wait for Lady Jin to deliver her baby safely?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "No. I''m confident that she will have a smooth delivery, and I won''t wait for that long. My top priority now is to deal with the Empress''s pregnancy... I''m not happy about that."


    Suddenly a strange noise was heard by the three women. It sounded as if s


    turned down the Emperor''s offer in front of all the guests, the Empress got even more upset. It felt like a fishbone had gotten stuck in her throat. But she still put on a smile and said, "It''s not bad for Lady Jin to live in Qiwu Palace for now. After her delivery, it''s up to her to choose her favorite Palace. Since Your Majesty likes her so much, you can accommodate her request."


    Emperor Ning turned to the Empress and smiled brilliantly, "That''s for sure."


    The Empress was shocked. After a while, she finally realized that her Qiwu Palace might also be an option for Lady Jin. And what the Emperor meant was that even if Lady Jin asks for Qiwu Palace, he''ll give it to her.


    The Empress panicked. She felt a chill spreading down her back, and that feeling was eating her alive piece by piece, cruelly.


    Seeing this, Lady Shu stood up with a smile. "Your Majesty, we have singing and dancing performances at every banquet. Today, I''d like to do something different."


    Emperor Ning raised his eyebrow on her words, "Something different? Enlighten me."


    "What I''m thinking is a game where everyone passes round a silk ball in drumbeats. I''ve prepared a ball. The drummers turn their back on us and start beating their drums at will. When the drum stops, the one who has the silk ball gives us a show of talent. What do you think, Your Majesty?" Lady Shu suggested in a soft voice.


    Emperor Ning nodded and smiled, "Lady Shu''s idea is a good one. It''s interesting."


    "Then I''ll get started. We''re not sitting in a circle now. I suggest that Your Majesties join us in the game. It will add to the fun." Lady Shu added as the maids took the cue to begin moving the tables so that the royals were placed in a circle.


    Emperor Ning nodded, "All right, we''ll join you."


    "The silk ball is in my hand now, so let''s start with me. Everyone, please get ready." Lady Shu raised and clapped her hands and the drummers began to beat their drums. Lady Shu quickly passed the ball to Yun Shang, who paused for a second before passing it to the person sit next to her.


    The silk ball was passed around quickly by everyone. When the drumbeats stopped, it was being held by a concubine dressed in cyan. Lady Shu smiled, "Lady Lan, you''re the first one. What are you going to perform?"


    The lady in cyan was not shy. She smiled and said, "I have no special talent. I can only play a few pieces of music and I''m not very good at it. But since I''m the first one to perform, I''ll show you as much as I can. Please don''t laugh at me."


    As soon as she finished her sentence, a maid quickly brought a desk and put a Qin on it. Lady Lan played a piece of music, and just as she had said, it was nothing special.


    After her performance, the game started again with drumbeats. This time, Qin Meng held the ball.


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at Qin Meng with interest in her eyes. Qin Meng seemed nervous. She knocked over a cup as she stood up.


    Lady Shu covered her mouth so the others wouldn''t see her smiling. "Looks like Lady Meng is nervous. I wonder what kind of a talent she''ll show us."


    Qin Meng lowered her head and thought for a while, then she said, "I''ll just perform a dance."


    Lady Shu nodded, "Okay. We happen to have a free space in the middle. You can dance there. But it is a pity that you will be dancing without music. I''ve heard that Prince Jing is good at playing the flute. Prince Jing, why not perform for us too?"

 Chapter 78 The Performance

    This unexpected request had taken Prince Jing by surprise. He shot a glance at Yun Shang and saw her nodding at him. Then he looked towards the Empress who was sitting next to Emperor Ning. The Empress? Prince Jing squinted and stood up, "Your Majesty, this is unfair since I don''t have the silk ball in my hand."


    Emperor Ning laughed heartily, "Lady Shu was right. It should be you."


    Prince Jing had no choice but to sigh in agreement. "Since it is also Your Majesty''s wish to see me play, I will play the xiao* for Lady Meng to dance. But I will require one more person to join us. Will Your Majesty permit my request?"


    (*TN: xiao is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute, which is generally made of bamboo.)


    Emperor Ning nodded, "Since it''s a request from you, as your brother, I would not disappoint you. So tell us, who is this person? You can name anyone here."


    Prince Jing gave a nod in response. His eyes swept the hall from one end to another. Then he pointed at a girl, "Your Majesty, may I request Princess Hui Guo''s assistance to perform a melody together?"


    Yun Shang raised her head in surprise. She saw a mischievous glint in Prince Jing''s eyes.


    All guests turned their eyes to Yun Shang. Emperor Ning said with a smile, "As promised, I would grant your request. But as far as I know, Shang''er knows nothing about music. So, are you still sure that Shang''er should join you?"


    Prince Jing turned around to look at Yun Shang, "It must be her. She must play alongside me."


    It must be her? Yun Shang sank into a trance. She remembered the name of the melody in her plan, and felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her throat. What did Prince Jing mean when he said those words?


    "So, Shang''er, are you willing to play together with your uncle?" Emperor Ning turned to Yun Shang and asked.


    Yun Shang stayed silent for a while before uttering a gentle "Yes."


    Prince Jing always carried his xiao with him. It was a beautiful one as green as an emerald. And the guqin* was in the Hall, as Lady Lan had played it a moment before. Yun Shang stood up, walked toward the guqin, and sat down before it.


    (*TN: guqin is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favored by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement.)


    As soon as Yun Shang sat down, the xiao sounded.


    The melody, however, surprised everyone in the Hall. Popularly known as Courting A Phoenix, it was a melody usually played when a man expressed his love towards his lover.


    Yun Shang''s hands began to pluck the cords of the guqin when the melody from the xiao was getting weak. The sound of the guqin flew as smooth and fluent as a merry creek, and meshed perfectly with that of the xiao.


    Qin Meng walked to the middle of the Hall, bent a little, and began to dance. She showed her charm and grace with every movement of her body. She looked like a phoenix about to fly. Her carmine dress shimmered as she danced to the music.


    As the melody and the dancing were intoxicating, all guests were holding their breath even after the performance had finished.


    "I am so fortunate to have Prince Jing and Princess Hui Guo play for me. Thank you very much." Qin Meng swept a graceful courtesy towards Prince Jing and Yun Shang.


    Regaining his composure, Emperor Ning applauded heartily, "Wonderful!" Nobody could figure out whether he applauded for the dancing or the music.


    Emperor Ning glanced at Prince Jing, and noticed that he had set his eyes on Yun Shang. Emperor Ning frowned. He wondered if there was something between Prince Jing and Shang''er...


    Now, almost all the guests were racking their brains to figure out what had Prince Jing meant when he said, it must be her. After all, Courting A Phoenix was a melody used for winning the heart of lovers. And Prince Jing said it must be her when he selected Yun Shang.


    Although everybody thought the same thing, none of them dared speak it out.


    "Lady Meng''s dancing was quite excellent. I think no one else could dance as good as her. But what surprised me most is that Princess Hui Guo played the guqin so well. It is said that Prince Jing is a master performer of the xiao. But Princess Hui Guo''s show of the guqin just now was no inferior to his. The sounds of the guqin and xiao were quite harmonious. How wonderful they were."


    "Yes. It was also beyond my expectation. Shang''er has learned quite a lot at Ning''guo Temple. I should extend my gratitude to Master Wu Na." Emperor Ning thought of Lady Jin while looking at Yun Shang, who resembled her mother very much while playing the guqin.


    Lady Shu said with a smile, "After the marvelous dancing by Lady Meng, I don''t think there would be any fun in the game as no one else could present us with a better performance. Fortunately, I have prepared some special dishes for today''s banquet. So, Your Majesty, shall we begin our banquet?"


    Emperor Ning nodded, "All right. Today''s banquet is prepared by you. So, it''s up to you."


    Lady Shu clapped her hands and a group of maids came in, each holding a plate in their hand. In the middle of the plate was a bowl painted with cute babies, and the bowl was filled with gruel boiled with slongan, lotus seed, and peanuts*. Lady Shu said with a smile, "Your Majesty, today''s banquet is being held to celebrate the pregnancy of the Empress and Lady Jin. So, I have prepared this gruel boiled with slongan, lotus seed, and peanuts. I''m hoping that the Empress and Lady Jin will bear sons for Your Majesty."


    (*TN: in China, gruel boiled with slongan, lotus seed, and peanuts is a sign of blessing for women who wish to be pregnant and bear more children in the future.)


    Emperor Ning laughed heartily at those words, "Good. It seems Lady Shu has made elaborate preparations for the party. Both of you should have a try of the gruel."


    Lady Shu waved at a maid. Before long, the gruel had been placed on the tables. Then another group of maids entered. They carried mandarin fish boiled with Chinese-date.


    "As Prince Jing is going to war, I have prepared mandarin fish for Prince Jing to wish him good luck and an early victory." Lady Shu looked at Prince Jing with


    her to calm down. All of you would be happy to welcome her as your new master, right?" The Empress sneered and her eyes swept over everyone kneeling before her.


    All the maids and servant replied in a trembling voice, "How dare we do so?"


    "Hum, " the Empress continued, "All of you, get out. We still have a guest living in Qiwu Palace. If she hears about this incident, she would take pleasure in my misfortune. So, all of you get out. Hurry!"


    Everyone scurried out of the chamber. Only Xiu Xin stayed to serve the Empress.


    Xiu Xin stood up after letting out a sigh. She held the Empress'' hands in hers and rubbed them gently. Then she said, "My Lady, I have been in your service for over two decades. I know what you have contributed and what you have gone through to achieve what you have today. But, My Lady, do you remember how many obstacles we have overcome? And this time, the obstacle is only an ordinary one. So, like what we have done before, all we need to do now is face it and stride across it. It''s not an easy job to run the imperial household. So, there is no need for you to be so upset. His Majesty will be impressed by your generosity if you handover your seal to Lady Shu as His Majesty ordered. But, if Lady Shu is incapable of managing the imperial household well once she has the seal in hand, not only will her plan be messed up, His Majesty will also feel disappointed in her. Then, His Majesty will never give Lady Shu such an opportunity to run the imperial household again. Isn''t that to you advantage, My Lady?"


    The Empress touched her forehead and said, "I know what you mean. But I still feel distressed in my heart."


    Xiu Xin walked behind the Empress and started to knead her shoulders. "I think you should feel happy, My Lady. His Majesty cares so much about you, as His Majesty gives priority to your pregnancy..."


    The Empress put her hand on her belly and burst into a bitter smile, "But I..."


    However, she paused and, instead of finishing her words, she let out a sigh, "OK, I''ll swallow the humiliation this time. At any rate, the thorn in my side right now is Lady Jin and the baby growing in her belly. As long as I can get rid of them, it doesn''t matter what humiliation I need to submit to. As for Lady Shu, let''s wait and see. I will take care of her once I am done with Lady Jin."


    It seemed as if the Empress had used all her strength to finish those words. She felt so dizzy that she had to support her forehead with her hands. Then she asked, "Has father sent you a letter? How about Jing''er?"


    Xiu Xin replied immediately, "The Grand Councilor has sent me a message. We have sent people to pick up Prince Hua Jing, and we also have men waiting at the border to take care of Her Highness."


    The Empress nodded, "Father must be angry with Jing''er this time. He hasn''t liked Jing''er since she was born, because she is a girl. Girls turn out to be useless for their fathers. A good marriage is the only way they can make a contribution. But Jing''er has messed up her marriage. No wonder father is upset this time."


    Xiu Xin gave no response to the Empress'' words. After a moment, the Empress continued, "In the past, I could not find any chance to wipe out those people I disliked, because I was in charge of the imperial household. I could not exonerate myself from the charge had anything happened to anyone in the imperial household. Besides, Lady Jin is living with us. She might get wind of my plan. But now, as Lady Shu is responsible for the imperial household, it''s more convenient for me to find a proper opportunity."


    Xiu Xin''s hands trembled a little, but she spoke with a smile, "You are right, My Lady."


    A ray of shimmer flashed in the Empress'' eyes. She said, "Tomorrow you shall summon masters of the Imperial Household Department, Shangxiang Bureau*, Shangyi Bureau, and Shangshan Bureau* to see me. I will arrange some jobs for them, and order them to carry out every order from Lady Shu..."


    (*TN: in some dynasties in China, Shangxiang Bureau was the imperial department responsible for arts and decoration, and Shangshan Bureau was responsible for the food.)


    Xiu Xin nodded, "Yes, I understand."

 Chapter 79 The Empress Secret

    Qiwu Palace became more tranquil after the Empress'' pregnancy as the morning ritual of a courtesy call to the Empress was suspended and the affairs of the imperial household were taken over by Lady Shu. As it was getting colder, the Empress seldom left Qiwu Palace.


    "Has it been half a month since the Empress left Qiwu Palace?" asked Yun Shang casually. She had been lying on the couch reading a book.


    "It has been 17 days, " answered Qian Yin. "I am thinking that we will not see the Empress for another five days. Then it will be time for the celebration of the winter solstice."


    Yun Shang smiled slightly and turned a page. Then she said, "She has more patience than I thought. Lady Shu took power from her. Many people in the imperial household expected to see her fight back. It is very unexpected for her to simply hand over the Empress seal to Lady Shu and hide herself in Qiwu Palace. The Empress is not known to hide in her Palace."


    Qin Yi was folding clothes. Hearing this, she replied with a smile, "I''m afraid the Empress knows what''s going on in the imperial household even though she stays indoors. She has too many spies."


    Yun Shang frowned as she felt something very important was being missed. She thought for a while but couldn''t figure it out. She sighed, "Let''s just wait. I am no less patient than her."


    When footsteps could be heard nearing, the two women stopped talking. "Your Highness, an eunuch from Huanyi Bureau has brought washed clothes."


    Qin Yi turned around to draw aside the curtain. Then she walked out the door. "Come in with the clothes!" came the voice of Qin Yi from outside.


    Come in? Yun Shang raised her eyebrows in surprise. Qi Yi never allowed any staff from Huanyi Bureau to come into the inner hall before.


    Lifting her eyes to the door, Yun Shang saw a skinny eunuch come in through the bead curtain which had been drawn aside. "Your Highness, these clothes have been washed and dried. Where should I put them?" asked the eunuch.


    Qin Yin closed the bead curtain after entering the room.


    "Lin?" Yun Shang straightened up and inquired gently, "Why do you come here today?"


    Lin glanced at the two maids-in-waiting and understood that Yun Shang was not going to ask them to leave. Seeing this, he understood that the two maids-in-waiting were her confidants. So he curtsied and said, "Your Highness, I have something to tell you."


    Yun Shang straightened up and said, "Say it. There is no outsider."


    Lin nodded his head and said, "The other day, I heard about the Empress'' pregnancy. However, I found an underwear stained with menstrual blood. It had been mixed with the dirty clothes of the maids-in-waiting from Qiwu Palace."


    "It must belong to a certain maid-in-waiting who is in her menstrual period." said Qian Yin gently, looking at Lin.


    Lin shook his head and said, "But the underwear was made of high-quality silk. It is not like other clothes that belong to the maids-in-waiting. Few ladies in the Imperial household have such kind of silk fabric, let alone the maids-in-waiting."


    With a fluid glance, Yun Shang said, "I know what Lin means. In the Imperial household, it''s not hard to get rid of a living man. But it''s hard to get rid of an underwear stained with blood. So the underwear was hidden in the clothes of the maids-in-waiting."


    "But how can you identify that the underwear is made of high-quality silk?" Yun Shang continued.


    Lin said with complete confidence, "I''m totally sure about that. And I dare say I am an expert in identifying silk fabrics. I had been in the business of selling silk fabrics before I was framed by others and reduced to a eunuch in the Palace. I have a good relationship with a maid-in-waiting in Huanyi Bureau who is in charge of doing the laundry. The other day when I was chatting with her, she told me the maids-in-waiting serving the Empress have the best food to eat and the best clothing to wear and even the underwear they wear feels softer. She knows this as she does their laundry. I pretended to disagree and asked her to show me the underwear. On touching it, I knew it was made of high-quality silk."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang whispered to herself for a while. A sudden thought seized her. Then the world around her became silent. After a long pause, Yun Shang suddenly rose to her feet and exclaimed, "I finally know what''s wrong."


    All the others in the room cast their eyes upon Yun Shang. Yun Shang smiled and said with firm eyes, "All these days I felt that something important was being missed. When Lin just revealed the laundry incident, it occurred to me that more than half a month ago Lady Shu went all out to make the Empress eat the abortifacient at the banquet. I saw the Empress had eaten the abortifacient. Logically, the Empress should have miscarried within half a month. But nothing happened until now. Qiwu Palace has remained unusually quiet. Several Imperial Physicians have been there several times to check my dear mother''s health (Lady Jin) by pulse diagnosis. But there is only one Physician serving the Empress all the time. Other Physicians have never treated the Empress."


    "Your Highness, you mean that¡­" Qin Yi''s eyes shone. She stared at Yun Shang with focused eyes.


    "Putting these things together, I think that the Empress is in all likelihood, not pregnant, " said Yun Shang with an ironic smile. "The Empress played a wonderful trick on us. That day when we l


    , " On hearing this, the smile disappeared from Lady Shu''s face. She asked instantly, "Does the Empress fall ill? How is she now? The servants in Qiwu Palace should be to blame. They didn''t report this news to me. I have to go see the Empress now."


    Yun Shang added hastily, "There is no big deal. The Physician said that the Empress is just physically weak and that the Empress just need to take some tonic medicine and eat some nutritious dishes to regain her health."


    These words allowed Lady Shu to feel some relief. She said, "Well, well. I will go to Qiwu Palace now. It is cold. You should wear more clothes. Today, I have ordered the man in charge of Shangyi Bureau to prepare a few winter clothes for you. In a few days, you will have your new clothes."


    "Lady Shu, thank you for your consideration." said Yun Shang. Then she curtsied to Lady Shu who turned for Qiwu Palace.


    After a few steps, she stopped to look back at Yun Shang and said gently, "Next time you go to Qiwu Palace, don''t forget to see Lady Jin. Anyway, Lady Jin is your biological mother. You shouldn''t ignore her even if your adoptive mother, the Empress, treats you very well. You care about the Empress, which indicates you are a filial girl. But you shouldn''t have a prejudice against Lady Jin. Now, she is also pregnant and the fetus is getting bigger and bigger. She is having a harder time than the Empress."


    In a daze for a second, Yun Shang smiled coldly and said, "You are right. Next time I will do as you have told."


    Lady Shu found Yun Shang didn''t really pay attention to what she said but she had nothing more to say. So she sighed and continued on her way.


    Once Lady Shu was out of sight, Yun Shang, followed by Qin Yi and Qian Yin, set off again.


    Upon returning to Qingxin Palace, Qin Yi helped Yun Shang take off her cloak, put it aside and drew the stove nearer to Yun Shang.


    "Princess, Lady Shu is heading to Qiwu Palace. What does she want to do?" said Qian Yin out of curiosity.


    Yun Shang said, "No mountain can accommodate two tigers, let alone two tigers who both want to rule the mountain. Although Lady Shu has the Empress''s seal now, she is just temporarily in charge of the Imperial household. She is not the real Empress. Meanwhile, the Empress claims to be carrying the Emperor''s baby. If the Empress gave birth to a baby boy, everything Lady Shu has done would be in vain. So Lady Shu managed to make the Empress take the abortifacient during the banquet. She did it but nothing happened. She is anxious. Hearing me say that the Empress feels ill, she can''t wait to see whether the Empress really lost her baby just as she expected."


    Qian Yin chuckled, "Lady Shu''s plan will fail. The Empress is not pregnant. There is no way for her to lose her baby."


    Yun Shang was leaning against the couch. "You''d better keep that to yourself. Remember not to talk of this in the days to come."


    "Do we just let the Empress play this trick?"


    Asked Qian Yin. At this time, Qin Yi was carrying the quilt from the bed to the couch. She said, "The Princess has her own plan. The trick the Empress is playing won''t go too far."


    Yun Shang said with a smile, "Right. It won''t go too far." All of a sudden, it occurred to Yun Shang that if she hadn''t taken precautions, her dear mother, Lady Jin would have taken the abortifacient at that banquet. Lady Shu had planned to get rid of Lady Jin and the Empress once and for all. Her plan was good but Yun Shang wouldn''t let anyone hurt her dear mother, Lady Jin. Although Lady Shu worked for Prince Jing, Yun Shang thought she should work out a way to warn Lady Shu.

 Chapter 80 A Lesson For Lady Shu

    Ever since she had made up her mind to teach Lady Shu a lesson, Yun Shang sought the perfect opportunity. One day, she ran into Lord Zheng and heard from him about the Winter Solstice* Sacrificial Ceremony. According to Lord Zheng, the Winter Solstice Sacrificial Ceremony was supposed to be hosted by the Empress, but as Her Majesty was pregnant, the Emperor considered Lady Shu as an alternative to avoid exhausting Her Majesty. The Emperor even mentioned the idea to Lady Shu who then began preparations for an appropriate dress for the Winter Solstice Sacrificial Ceremony*. Since then, Yun Shang had become a frequent visitor to Lady Shu''s Palace.


    (*TN: Winter Solstice is an astronomical event that indicates the arrival of mid-winter. It marks the day with the least amount of daylight and the longest night in the year. It is called the December Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, and referred to as the June Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.)


    Whenever she was free, Yun Shang would pay her respects to Lady Shu and chat with her. This surprised Lady Shu a little. However, since Lady Shu had started running the imperial household, more and more people had come to visit her. She didn''t think much of Yun Shang''s irregular behavior. As a result of Yun Shang''s frequent visits, Lady Shu even got more opportunities to see Emperor Ning in her Palace.


    Before long, Emperor Ning became curious. One day, the Emperor smiled at Yun Shang and asked her, "You come here so often. Why?"


    Yun Shang grinned and glanced at Lady Shu, who was busy supervising the servants as they prepared lunch. Lady Shu also glanced at Yun Shang after hearing the Emperor''s question. Yun Shang said in a soft voice, "I have spent many years at Ning''guo Temple, so I am not familiar with the ladies in the imperial household. As a result, I am hesitant to share intimate problems with them. I have heard many things from Your Majesty about the good qualities and virtuousness of Lady Shu. I feel comfortable in her company. Now, as Lady Shu is running the imperial household, I am very eager to learn from her. It would not reflect well on His Majesty if I''m ignorant about issues in the imperial household."


    Lady Shu turned toward Yun Shang and smiled at her, "You flatter me too much, Your Highness. In terms of feminine virtues, I''m no match for the Empress. As you were brought up by Her Majesty, there is no denying that you must have learned a lot by watching and listening to Her Majesty''s virtuous conduct and instructions."


    Emperor Ning shook his head. "Shang''er, you don''t tell us the whole truth. I believe you told us part of your reasons, but not all the facts. If what you said is true, why didn''t you come here before? I have noticed that you''ve only started coming here recently."


    Yun Shang was happy that Emperor Ning had taken the bait after hearing her unconvincing story. She giggled and said with girlish shyness, "Alas, I''m a bad liar in Your Majesty''s presence. I come here so often because..."


    Yun Shang raised the cup in her hand and said with a smile, "Because of the sophora flower honey. The imperial cooks are very good at making delicious sophora flower honey. I once drank it at Qiwu Palace. The Empress knows it''s my favorite. So Her Majesty has sent me some honey for several times. But I cannot drink the honey at Qiwu Palace now. I dare not bother the Empress with such a trivial matter. So I asked the imperial cook for some honey. The imperial cook told me the sophora flower honey is brewed from the sophora flower powder, and is a tribute from the Lu Family in the Sanmen Gorges. But we only get a few jars of sophora flower honey from the Lu Family each year. Her Majesty had such honey at Qiwu Palace before, but now, it is solely supplied to Lady Shu. I just come here to enjoy my favorite drink."


    Lady Shu was startled at Yun Shang''s explanation. She had not expected the Princess would say such words. What would the Emperor think of Lady Shu after hearing that explanation? His Majesty would probably think that she, Lady Shu, had taken advantage of her position as in charge of the imperial household. He would think that she supplied herself with luxuries to such an extent that even Princess Hui Guo had to pay Lady Shu a visit to get a drink of her desired honey. Lady Shu was frightened at the thought. She cast a hasty glance at Emperor Ning and saw him watching her coldly.


    "Really? Is the sophora flower honey so tasty?" Emperor Ning moved his gaze away from Lady Shu in a casual matter. Though he was a little suspicious that this was Yun Shang''s ploy to uncover Lady Shu''s misconduct, he let go of the thought as soon as he saw her innocent face. Although the women in the imperial household were often found scheming against each other, Yun Shang was indeed an exception. After all, she was Lady Jin''s daughter, and had spent most of her life at Ning''guo Temple. At any rate, Master Wu Na was a respectable person deserving of his trust, and there would be no intrigues and trickery at the Temple. So Yun Shang was simply a naive girl who dared to speak the first thing that came to her mind.


    Yun Shang nodded and flashed her most innocent smile, "The sophora flower honey is especially delicious in Lady Shu''s Palace."


    Emperor Ning''s eyes darkened a little. Spotting the change on the Emperor''s face, Lady Shu walked toward him in haste and said earnestly, "That is quite surprising. The honey was sent by an eunuch from the Shangshan Bureau. He said it''s a tribute. It helps women maintain their beauty and stay young. I thought every lady in the Imperial Palace would have a portion. After all, no woman would refuse a gift that would help her grow more beautiful. It is also my wish that Your Majesty would look at me more often once I have taken the honey and become prettier. So, I didn''t refuse the honey."


    Emperor Ning nodded while hearing Lady Shu''s explanation. It was clear that since it was a gift from the eunuch of the Shangshan Bureau, Lady Shu might not be involved in this matter. It must be a personal gift from some eunuchs who wanted to please her after hearing that she was in charge of running the imperial household.


    However, Yun Shang frowned at Lady Shu''s words and spoke, "Why? I thought Lady Shu would also be in charge of Shangshan Bureau, Shangyi Bureau, and other bureaus once she had taken over the whole imperial household. Is that untrue?"


    Emperor Ning smiled and said, "Of course she is. To manage the imperial household is to manage all matters such as eating, clothing, spending, and alike. Although trivial, it is quite exhausting to efficiently manage all these matters."


    "Aha? So the eunuchs from Shangshan Bureau didn''t submit the account book to Lady Shu? I remember that when the Empress was in charge of the imperial household, she would keep a


    ng smiled and said, "Both of you talk about ideal husbands every day. Do you want to get married now?"


    Both the maids shook their heads and replied, "No. What we want is to keep Your Highness company forever."


    Yun Shang smiled at them and said, "It doesn''t matter who you marry. What matters is whether you are capable enough to tame him. If he is obedient to you in every way, he wouldn''t dare invite romantic affairs even if he wants to in his heart of hearts. But don''t worry. As both of you are my maids, I will definitely find for each of you an ideal husband who will make you very satisfied. Besides, they must be in sheer obedience to you and dare not sneak a look at another woman."


    Both Qin Yi and Qian Yin were teenage girls. They were so young that they had seldom heard about relations between a man and woman. They flushed at Yun Shang''s words and begged for her mercy.


    Yun Shang smiled and dried her feet with a towel. She lay on the couch for a while and continued speaking, "I will try my best to help mother deliver the baby. I will also find a chance to talk with her. I have been observing His Majesty since I have returned to court. His Majesty is a good Emperor, but not a good husband. Although His Majesty is still in love with mother, His Majesty is also fond of the Empress and Lady Shu. If it is mother''s desire to live somewhere rather than at the Imperial Palace, I will take her out no matter what the cost might be."


    Both Qin Yi and Qian Yin were silent after Yun Shang had finished speaking.


    The silence lasted for a while before Qin Yi spoke, "Your Highness, I have readied everything for the Winter Solstice Sacrificial Ceremony. The person Qian Yin arranged for at the Shangyi Bureau made my task easy."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Just three days left. This time, I will present the Empress with a nice gift in the presence of all courtiers."


    Three days went by quickly, and the Day of the Winter Solstice Sacrificial Ceremony arrived. The onset of the Winter Solstice was heralded with incessant snowfall. Yun Shang awoke before dawn. She dressed for the Ceremony and was carried to the Temple of Heaven in a palanquin.


    The bell tolled from the Bell Tower at quarter past four in the morning. Yun Shang saw Emperor Ning and the Empress enter the Temple of Heaven from the gate on the left. Then they walked toward the Heavenly Alter. They stopped halfway to kowtow before the Heavenly Alter. At this moment, the stoves on each side were lit and the music began playing. Then, Emperor Ning rose to his feet and walked with the Empress to the top of the Heavenly Alter. They knelt before the Holy Shrine in the middle of the Heavenly Alter and presented the incense. Yun Shang watched as they moved aside to present incense before the memorial tablet* of each ancestor, and kowtowed before them. After a moment, they returned to the middle of the Heavenly Alter and conducted the three-kowtow-and-nine-prostration etiquette, the most solemn and most grand rite in ancient China when people prayed to the Heavenly God and ancestors.


    (*TN: In China, the memorial tablet is a wooden tablet on which the name of the ancestor is written. It is used as a means to memorize the ancestors and to show respect toward the ancestors from their offspring.)


    Yun Shang stared at the Empress who had dressed in the black ceremonial garment. She hadn''t forgotten to wear her beloved Phoenix-shaped gold hairpin. Walking closely behind the Emperor, she looked quite grave and solemn and behaved particularly proper in her kneeling and kowtowing. However, upon careful observation, one would notice that the Empress had to straighten her body as much as possible in a rigid posture while walking and kowtowing. She was slow in her movements and seemed quite exhausted.


    An eunuch waiting outside walked onto the Heavenly Alter with a tray in his hands. There was a jade and a roll of silk on the tray. Emperor Ning and the Empress picked up the jade and the silk respectively and presented them before the Holy Shrine. As they stepped aside, eunuchs carried forward the sacrificial vessels filled with meats of livestock. And Emperor Ning and the Empress presented them before the Holy Shrine, one by one.


    The Empress had put the sacrificial vessel on the table and was about to straighten her body, but she paused for a little while before she could stand straight again. Emperor Ning was so impatient that he turned to check on her. Yun Shang was watching them. She could not help smiling heartily as a good show was about to begin.

 Chapter 81 Chaos At The Sacrificial Ceremony

    "Ah..." Surprised guests and military officials standing below the altar began murmuring. Gradually the whispers turned into a deafening roar that spread like the tide. Everyone''s eyes were fixed on the Empress.


    Emperor Ning was in the middle of the Ceremony. The astonished murmuring of the crowd caught his attention. He frowned at the disturbance. The Emperor turned and saw the crowd looking up to where he and the Empress stood. Some even began to raise their hands, as if pointing. Emperor Ning looked around and noticed that they were indeed pointing at someone. The Empress! Well, the Empress?


    The Empress looked pale. Though it was winter, there were bean-size beads of sweat rolling down from her forehead. Aside from the sweat, she looked just fine. The Emperor frowned again. From such a distance, the officials would not be able to see the Empress sweating. So, what were they looking at?


    Emperor Ning was about to proceed with the Ceremony when a civil official kneeled. Emperor Ning recognized him to be a bachelor of the Imperial Hanlin Academy. The Emperor heard him shouting anxiously, "It''s a visitation from the Divine, Your Majesty! They are angry!"


    Emperor Ning was so shocked that he rushed to the Empress. The back of her ceremonial robe was wet and covered in sweat stains. The stains seemed to form a Chinese character, Xiong, meaning inauspicious.


    Seeing this, Emperor Ning stepped back. His face paled.


    The Empress didn''t realized what was happening. She only felt that the garment was too heavy. As per tradition, the garment was required to have eight layers of fabric sewn together. The weight of the fabric was making it hard for her to breathe. The Ceremony was really tiring as she was required to follow complicated routines. She also had to kneel frequently. In the past, she always asked the Shangyi Bureau to use the lightest fabric for the inner seven layers of the ceremonial garment. She also remembered instructing them to use floral brocade for the outermost layer. This year, Lady Shu must have forgotten to do that. The garment that the Empress was wearing seemed to be sewn with the heaviest fabric for each layer. She felt exhausted with every step. The Phoenix coronet weighed ten pounds and had been firmly attached to her head. The weight of the coronet didn''t help either. Finishing the Ceremony seemed more demanding than usual.


    "Your Majesty, what''s the matter?" The Empress was puzzled upon seeing Emperor Ning''s pale face. Then she found that everyone was pointing at her for no apparent reason.


    In her confusion, the Empress turned to Xiu Xin, who was standing by the steps under the altar. The maid also looked anxious. When Xiu Xin saw the Empress looking at her, she pointed to her back. Only then did the Empress realize that something must have happened on her back, and it must be serious. Emperor Ning and the other officials wouldn''t look so panicked and worried otherwise. The Empress couldn''t wait for an answer. She hurriedly took off the outermost robe and saw the conspicuously large character, Xiong.


    Struck with fear, the Empress threw the robe away. She took a few steps back, and accidentally touched the memorial tablets behind her. They fell like dominoes.


    "Your Majesty..." The Empress was fearful. She tried her best to calm down and hurriedly grabbed the sleeve of Emperor Ning''s robe. "Your Majesty, someone must have planned all this to set me up. Your Majesty, please uphold justice for me..."


    Emperor Ning frowned and nodded at Master Zheng. Zheng understood and quickly waved at a few eunuchs who helped the Empress step down.


    The Emperor''s anxiety increased when he saw that the crowd was still talking about the incident. The commoners would most certainly panic if they heard of the incident. He could not allow that to happen. Emperor Ning turned to Master Zheng and whispered. Then Master Zheng hurried to one side of the altar and announced, "No one shall talk about today''s matter. It is strictly prohibited. If anyone is found doing so, the death penalty will apply to the person and his or her family and friends as well."


    The officials and concubines promptly shut their mouths and stood quietly. Then Master Zheng walked away from the altar. He whispered quickly to Ladu Shu who then nodded and instructed her maid. The maid rushed out and in a few moments, returned with a tray. Lady Shu took the black robe from the tray. It was a spare ceremonial robe. Lady Shu quickly put it on and followed Master Zheng to the altar.


    "Go on with the Ceremony, " said Master Zheng. Then Emperor Ning and Lady Shu completed the remaining procedures as though nothing had happened.


    After the Ceremony, Yun Shang followed the concubines toward their Palaces. Just when they entered the Imperial Garden, they were greeted with the sight of an enraged Empress. Her glare could have withered every concubine. The Empress fixed her eyes on Lady Shu. Before anyone realized what had happened, the Empress rushed forward and pushed Lady Shu to the ground.


    "Shen Shuyun, I have never done anything wrong to you. Even though you were so deeply loved and spoiled by His Majesty, I still left you alone. Now, I''ve handed the Empress''s seal to you. Why are you still scheming against me? How dare you be so cruel and mean and set me up like this?" Although the Empress was extremely angry, she spoke with the grace required of a person in her position.


    The others stepped back to avoid getting dragged into this quarrel. Seeing this, Yun Shang shouted,


    arranged."


    Lady Jin nodded and said nothing.


    Then Yun Shang stood up and stepped closer to Lady Jin. Yun Shang crouched in front of her mother. Then she raised her hand to touch Lady Jin''s belly. "Mother, tell me, is it gonna be a sister or a brother?"


    Lady Jin heard the question and laughed. "I don''t know yet. But I wish it is a boy, so that he can protect you. You''ve been working too hard."


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No, mother. Shang''er does not feel tired at all."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and placed her cheek on Lady Jin''s belly. She pressed her ear closer and tried to listen for a while. She felt like weeping. In her previous life, she had never felt anything like this. Now, she understood what it felt like to be cared for and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.


    A long time passed before Yun Shang stood up. She smiled. "The Empress will give her schemes a rest for now. Father is well aware of the power of the Li family, so he won''t deprive her of her position. At least not now. But even so, the Empress is still no threat to you in the near future. I''ve also sent my people to protect you secretly. So don''t worry too much. As for Hua Jing, I''ve heard that she has gone to the border. This is a good chance. I am not gonna let go of it. In some days, I''ll find a way to leave for the border. I''ll come back before your delivery. Don''t worry about me."


    Lady Jin was stunned. She lowered her head and remained silent for a long time before she nodded. "You have always been strong and independent. Now that I can see you acting responsibly, I''m relieved. But no matter what, you''re still my daughter. I just don''t want you to be blinded by hatred. I wish there was a man who could make you happy."


    Yun Shang heard her and was stunned as well. Then she answered, "I understand, mother. And I will try not to let my hatred consume me."


    The two women talked for a while longer before Yun Shang returned to Qingxin Palace. Earlier, Qin Yi and Qian Yin didn''t follow Yun Shang to Qiwu Palace, so they didn''t know what happened. Even so, everyone had heard about the scene at the Imperial Garden. The maids were curious and dying to hear every detail. Seeing that Yun Shang had returned, they hurriedly walked to her and asked, "Your Highness, what happened in the end? Did His Majesty find out about Her Majesty''s fake pregnancy?"


    Yun Shang told them what happened, and the maids were relieved.


    But Qian Yin still couldn''t understand something. "Your Highness, the people we sent earlier went through a lot of trouble to make the Empress''s ceremonial robe. Why didn''t you just put poison on it and kill her at the scene? Why did you come up with such a complicated plan?"


    Yun Shang smiled and thought about Qian''s question. She could have killed the woman, but she didn''t. Because she wanted to watch that woman fall from the top and lose what she cherished, little by little. Killing her would be too easy a punishment for her. Another reason was that if the Empress died in an unexplainable way, the Li family would certainly cause trouble for them. At that time, the whole country would be in chaos. What''s more, her family will be of great use six months from now.


    However, Yun Shang knew all this from her previous life experience. There was no way for her to explain all this to Qin Yi and Qian Yin. Noticing that Yun Shang looked lost in thought, Qin Yi quickly replied, "Wouldn''t it be too easy if the Empress died like that?"


    Qian Yin thought for while and agreed. "Yes, it would be too easy for her. But what happened today was cathartic. I wonder what Lady Shu feels now. After their fight today, the imperial household will be in chaos."

 Chapter 82 Settling The Chaos

    In Shuya Palace, Lady Shu sat in her chair. Her servants and maids knelt before her.


    The silence was broken when a maid rushed in. She walked up to Lady Shu and spoke, "Your Highness, Qiwu Palace is being guarded at His Majesty''s order. I couldn''t find out what was going on inside."


    Lady Shu sprang to her feet. "What? Guarded?"


    Lady Shu tried to understand why the Emperor would do such a thing, but she couldn''t come up with a plausible explanation. "That''s strange. The Empress was the one who got hurt. Why would her Palace be guarded? If she did have a miscarriage, then I should be guarded. After all, she tried to set me up in front of everyone. The spectators would think that I pushed her to the ground. So I should be the one to blame. Even if she is all right, I should also be the one who got blamed. By now, His Majesty should have come to scold me."


    "I find it confusing too. What happened earlier was quite a mess. First one physician was rushed to Qiwu Palace. Then every single physician from the Imperial Hospital was called there. I really thought that Her Majesty''s health must have worried the Emperor. But then His Majesty rushed out in anger, so I went to see what happened. But before I could get more information, the Palace was guarded." Lady Shu''s maid added as she was confused at what she had seen.


    "Who else was in Qiwu Palace besides the Empress?" Lady Shu asked.


    The maid hurriedly answered her. "Princess Hui Guo was also there. When His Majesty was sending the Empress back to her Palace, the Princess followed them. And His Majesty left earlier than her."


    Lady Shu nodded. "Let''s sit tight and see how things go. If the situation still remains so unclear tomorrow, I will go to Qingxin Palace to find out myself."


    The maid nodded. Then the maid looked at the other maids and servants who were still on their knees. Seeing this, Lady Shu waved to let them leave. "Excuse yourselves. You''re of no use."


    The servants on the ground conveyed their gratitude before standing and leaving.


    After everyone had left, the maid started to talk again. "Your Highness, His Majesty has asked people to investigate the accident that happened during the Ceremony."


    Lady Shu smiled. She reveled in the Empress''s misfortune. "I had almost forgotten. The esteemed Empress made a huge mistake today. Let them do whatever they need to. I didn''t do this anyway. The worst that can happen is that I get blamed for bad management. The garment was made by Shangyi Bureau, and although I am in charge of the imperial household, I had no business in it. But I am really curious about the person who is behind all this. Who was it that punished the Empress for me? That was a really nice move. Good for him. And even though His Majesty banned us from talking about the accident, I''m sure the officials who love to gossip will tell everyone that the Empress is a bane for us all when they get back home. She''ll be seen as the cursed one. Si''er, what have they found out?"


    The maid who was called Si''er quickly answered. "Your Highness, as you said, given that we didn''t do it, we are not the target of their investigation now."


    Lady Shu nodded and smiled coldly. Then she continued, "What bothers me is that the Empress was acting really odd today. I''ve never seen her like this before. Even if she believed that I was the one who framed her, she shouldn''t have just come at me. Besides, with her pregnant body, fighting like that would definitely kill her baby. Is that what she wanted? Why on earth would she do that?"


    Lady Shu was more confused than ever. She wondered who was behind all this. Who had planned the accident in front of everyone at the Ceremony? And why was the Empress so determined to risk her baby? And what was happening with the Empress now?


    These questions kept everyone awake in the Palace that night.


    The next day, the guards that had been placed outside of Qiwu Palace were still there. And even though Emperor Ning had given strict orders not to speak about the accident, the news that a Xiong character appeared on the Empress''s back during the Ceremony had been heard by all. The commoners were panicking. They believed that the Empress had sinned so greatly that the Heavens were punishing her. Even worse, they thought that her punishment was a warning of an upcoming disaster.


    Lady Shu hurried to Qingxin Palace with her maids. When she arrived, Yun Shang was reading through Buddhist sutras. She murmured something that didn''t make sense to Lady Shu.


    Lady Shu sat and waited patiently for Yun Shang to give her attention. Eventually, Yun Shang smiled, "Lady Shu, when did you arrive? I didn''t notice."


    Lady Shu smiled and said, "I''ve been here for a while. You were reading the sutras, so I didn''t interrupt you."


    Yun Shang smiled and asked Qin Yi to make tea for Lady Shu.


    Lady Shu waved to refuse. "Thank you, but that''s not necessary. I came here today to ask for a favor. Yesterday, Her Majesty and I had a little misunderstanding. After I returned to my Palace, I was regretful about what I had done. But I was afraid I''d upset her more if I went to apologize.


    as arrived. He is at Qinzheng Hall playing chess with His Majesty right now. His Majesty sent me here to inform you. Would you like to join them, Your Highness?"


    "Of course, " said Yun Shang with joy in her eyes. "It''s been a long time since I last saw Master Wu Na. Please wait for a moment. I''ll fetch my cloak and accompany you to Qinzheng Hall."


    Qin Yi hurriedly walked to the inner hall. She took out Yun Shang''s cloak and draped it over the Princess''s shoulders. Master Zheng looked at them and smiled. "Correct me if I''m wrong, but is this the cloak that Prince Jing gave to His Majesty? I remembered that it was rewarded to Your Highness by His Majesty."


    "Well." Yun Shang acted as if surprised. "I only know that it''s a gift that shows father''s love for me. I didn''t know its origin. Turns out it was given by uncle."


    Master Zheng nodded and smiled. Then he followed Yun Shang to Qinzheng Hall.


    At Qinzheng Hall, Master Wu Na and the Emperor were playing chess. When Yun Shang arrived, they were tied in the game. So Yun Shang stood aside without interrupting them. After a long while, the Emperor laughed happily. "Master, you''re getting better at chess these days. You won."


    Master Wu Na touched his beard and smiled. "Your Majesty must have been very busy with national affairs, so you have had little time to practice. Now, even Yun Shang plays better than you."


    Then Emperor Ning saw Yun Shang standing on the side. He stuck out his tongue and said with a smile. "Really? I didn''t know that she was good at chess."


    "Of course. After all, she was taught by..." Before Wu Na could say Xiao Yuanshan, he felt a slight pain on his back. He quickly realized that Yun Shang had pinched him before he could divulge who had taught the Princess to play chess. So he coughed and said, "She was taught by me, hand in hand."


    Emperor Ning felt happy. "You have taught Shang''er a lot. I couldn''t thank you enough."


    Wu Na smiled. "Amitabha Buddha. We just happen to have the same hobby. As for the recent issue, Her Highness wrote me a letter. And I''ve also heard a lot along my way here. Though lying is forbidden, I''ll break that rule once, for this is a national matter. Helping the people is a worthy cause. I will take Buddha''s punishment, if there is any. Don''t worry."


    Emperor Ning was more than grateful at Master Wu Na''s reassurance.


    The next day, Master Wu Na made his way to the most prosperous place in the Imperial City. As a Buddhist monk, and a revered one at that, Master Wu Na was pious and free of secular desires. Upon hearing that Master Wu Na was in the city, the commoners rushed to catch a glimpse of the Master. The crowd elbowed and nudged each other to get in front. When asked, Wu Na answered, "The other day, I was observing the stars above the Imperial City and saw an ill omen. So I hurried here. To my surprise, last night a red glow suffused the whole sky. That was a sign from the Heavens indicating a virtuous lady. With her presence, there''s no need to worry. Satisfied that all is well, I will now return to my temple."


    Within a day, Wu Na''s words spread like wildfire. No one focused on the Empress and the Ceremony. Instead, they all discussed Wu Na''s message and what it meant. If the topic of the Empress came up in passing, they brushed it aside and re-directed the conversation to Wu Na''s message. In their minds, the Empress must have been responsible for the ill omen.

 Chapter 83 Coming to the Borderland

    Emperor Ning''s admiration for Master Wu Na grew after the incident. So when Master Wu Na asked whether Yun Shang needed to rest at the Ning''guo Temple, the Emperor promptly asked Yun Shang, and upon receiving her confirmation, he gave his permission.


    Yun Shang bid Lady Jin and the Emperor farewell before leaving the Palace with Wu Na. She didn''t take Qin Yi with her this time. She was accompanied by Qian Yin.


    Although Yun Shang did enter Ning''guo Temple, she snuck out from the back door. She, together with Qian Yin, disguised themselves as men and left for the borderland.


    Situated in the border area of Ning State and Yelang State, Xiyi town is home to open-minded and progressive people. It is common for boys and girls to laugh and joke together on the street.


    When Yun Shang reached Xiyi Town, she stopped at a reasonably clean tavern. She ordered two bowls of beef noodles. Since it was past lunchtime, there were few people in the tavern. She called the attendant to her side.


    "My little brother and I have come here for business. During our journey, we learned that recently a war broke out here. Is it true? We were worried. But when we got here, we see that everything is peaceful and tranquil. What''s going on here?" Along the journey, Yun Shang and Qian Yin had both disguised themselves as men and called each other brother.


    The attendant found few customers in sight so he simply sat by Yun Shang''s side and said, "A few days ago, there was a fierce fight. We didn''t dare go out. And this town almost become a territory of Yelang State. But later, Prince Jing came here and fought back. You know, Prince Jing is a capable man." At this point, the attendant gave a thumbs-up and continued, "Within no more than half a month, Prince Jing defeated Prince Qingsu of Yelang State and the army of Yelang State was forced to retreat for five li*. Prince Jing and his army set up their encampment five li from here so that civilians could live a normal life. A stretch of encampment is visible when you go to the west of the town."


    (*TN: 2.5 kilometers)


    Yun Shang said with a big smile, "We are lucky. We have been worried about being engaged in the war. Before we arrived here, we thought that if there was an ongoing war, we would leave as quickly as possible. We are here now. Luckily, nothing is happening."


    The attendant said after thinking for a moment, "Prince Jing deserves all the credit. Were it not for the leadership of Prince Jing, we would have to bow our heads to Yelang State. I heard that our army had a battle with the army of Yelang State last night. Our army, led by Prince Jing, won at last. But I heard that Prince Qingsu caught Princess Hui Guo. Princess Hui Guo is a good person. I hope the Prince can get Princess Hui Guo back."


    "Princess Hui Guo was caught?" Qian Yin exclaimed loudly. She looked at Yun Shang with surprise.


    "Yes. Prince Qingsu, after being defeated last night, claimed that Princess Hui Guo was under his control and that if Prince Jing did not surrender, he would kill Princess Hui Guo." The attendant looked around cautiously before whispering, "I heard that Princess Hui Guo is a kind and beautiful girl. What a pity it is that she has been caught by the ferocious Prince Qingsu. She will be mistreated by that Prince."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang frowned and said, "How could it be? We passed by the Imperial City a couple of days ago. Princess Hui Guo was still there. Master Wu Na and the Princess made an appearance together when a malefic appeared in the Imperial City."


    "What?" The attendant thought this big news was something he could boast about. So he hastened to inquire, "Is Princess Hui Guo in the Imperial Palace?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head and said assertively, "Yes, she is. The Imperial Palace is so heavily guarded that there is a very slim chance that Princess Hui Guo was kidnapped. Even if they kidnapped our Princess, they would be unlikely to arrive here ahead of us."


    Qian Yin added, "Prince Qingsu must be deceiving Prince Jing. He is trying to force Prince Jing to surrender. Now Prince Jing is at the border, which is so far from the Imperial Palace that he doesn''t know what is happening in the Imperial Palace. Even if someone had sent him a letter, it would take some time to reach the Prince. What if Prince Jing believes the lie?"


    The attendant said in a worried voice, "Oh, Prince Qingsu is too crafty."


    Yun Shang rose to her feet quickly. "I can''t let this happen. I have to tell Prince Jing about the lie lest he be taken in."


    "You should tell him. Let me tell you how to find him. When you walk out of here, turn left and go straight. You will see the west exit of this town. Pass the exit, and you will see Prince Jing''s encampment." The attendant couldn''t suppress his excitement. He said, "You two are gallant men. Please serve yourselves some noodles before you set off."


    Yun Shang nodded. After a while, the attendant brought two bowls of noodles. When they had finishing eating, Yun Shang and Qian Yin set out to find Prince Jing according to the attendant''s directions.


    "Your Highness, why did Prince Qingsu claim that you are under his control? Apparently you are here with me. Doesn''t he know that Prince Jing has seen you and he would recognize you easily?" said Qian Yin.


    Yun Shang smiled coldly. "There are two possibilities. One, Prince Qingsu had found someone that looks very similar to me and ordered her to pose as me. Or he just asked somebody to wear a mask made of human skin to disguise as me. Second, Prince Qingsu has been deceived by someone. He has no idea of the real ide


    e the officers had left the tent, Prince Jing spoke openly. He languidly leaned back on his chair. As he took a cup of tea from the table, he fixed his eyes on Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang nodded and replied, "Yes. I sent them here to kill her."


    "I was right! I knew Hua Jing had no enemy who hated her as much as you do, " said Prince Jing. He paused as he thought of another detail. "Before I left the Imperial City, the Emperor told me that Hua Jing''s husband was stuck in Linguan Town. I led a group of soldiers to search for the Emperor''s Son-in-Law, but only found some of his subordinates. His subordinates said that it was not soldiers of Yelang State that attacked them and that the Emperor''s Son-in-Law had been caught by those attackers and never returned. I wonder if you sent those people to kidnap Hua Jing''s husband to force Hua Jing to come to the borderland. As long as Hua Jing is here, you can get rid of her easily." The more Prince Jing thought about it, the surer he was about his conjecture.


    Yun Shang said nothing. Instead, she looked at her feet with a smile on her face.


    "Well, well, Yun Shang, I shouldn''t judge you harshly. I have seen Hua Jing oppress you several times. I thought you were incompetent. I didn''t expect that you would make such a perfect plot to get rid of Hua Jing." said Prince Jing while laughing loudly. Judging from her expression, Prince Jing was almost sure about his theory.


    Yun Shang said with a smile, "Uncle, thank you for praising me. The Empress is powerful in the Imperial City. So when I am in the Imperial City, I have to pretend to be innocent and weak. If I do something to contend with Hua Jing in the Imperial City, she will suspect me. But at the frontier, the Empress is unable to exert her power to control me. So I can do whatever I want here."


    "And you intend to get rid of Hua Jing yourself this time?" asked Prince Jing. He remembered that Yun Shang had said that she wanted to kill Hua Jing with her own hands.


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "I don''t want Hua Jing to return to the Imperial City."


    Prince Jing nodded, but then he shook his head. "You have been too impetuous this time. The frontier is full of dangers. You come here without taking that into consideration. What''s more, the encampment is full of male soldiers. You are a maiden. You entered the camp without considering the potential danger.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Uncle, please let me stay here. You know, Hua Jing is in Prince Qingsu''s encampment, which is not far from here. If I stay here, I will get quicker updates about her situation."


    On hearing this, Prince Jing thought for a while. Then he said, "OK. I will allow you to stay here. But you should be more cautious."


    Yun Shang nodded quickly. "Uncle, trust me. I promise I will be more cautious."


    "Whoa¡­" The sound was followed by the clap of hooves and the crash of armor. Then a voice said, "General, ¡­"


    "Come in." Prince Jing frowned and straightened up. A soldier entered and quickly spoke, "Prince, the army of Yelang State is provoking us again. They have thrown the head of one of our soldiers to us. Besides, they claim that If we do not surrender, they will kill Princess Hui Guo."


    Prince Jing lifted his eyes to look at Yun Shang. He found that her eyes gleamed with excitement. He smiled and said, "Let''s go face them."


    Yun Shang hastened to stand up and said, "Prince, I will go with you."


    On hearing this, Prince Jing raised his eyebrows. It seemed that everything was going as expected. He found Yun Shang, though disguised as a man, was stunningly gorgeous. He then took out a silver mask and gave it to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang took the mask from the Prince before putting it on and following him out of the tent.

 Chapter 84 Conspire With The Devil

    After leaving the camp, Yun Shang finally had the chance to check the landscape. They were surrounded by mountains on both sides, but there was a wide flat area in between, where the army of Prince Jing and that of Yelang were encamped.


    Judging from the noise, the soldiers were facing off quite a distance away. Yun Shang mounted her horse and followed Prince Jing toward the noise.


    As she approached, Yun Shang was shocked at the scene before her. She had never seen such an astounding spectacle in her previous life. Even though she had learned about military formations from her grandfather in this life, her knowledge was restricted to strategies and ideas. This was her first experience with a real military confrontation. The flat ground was crowded with tens of thousands of soldiers. That along with the deafening war drum, charged Yun Shang.


    "Prince Jing is here. Prince Jing is here..." Prince Jing''s presence was noticed by the soldiers. They made way for Prince Jing and Yun Shang so that they could reach the front. On the opposite side, Yun Shang could see the Yelang soldiers lined up. A man in black armor was standing on the chariot in front of the soldiers. Yun Shang couldn''t see him clearly because of the distance. Beside him stood a young woman in bright red. Her face had been covered with a white handkerchief.


    Yun Shang recognized her identity immediately. It was Hua Jing.


    "Not surprising." Yun Shang smiled.


    Prince Jing turned and glanced at Yun Shang. He spoke, "Princess Hua Jing is disgracing you by using your name, and you don''t care?"


    Before Yun Shang could answer, the Yelang soldiers stopped beating their drums. They heard a man saying, "Prince Jing, I have Princess Hui Guo here. Surrender now or I''ll kill her."


    Prince Jing laughed and spoke equally loudly. "Do think you can fool me with just any masked woman? Kill her if you want. Please, show no mercy. If you can''t hurt this young lady, I could do you a favor." Prince Jing reached for the bow and arrow being held by his servant. He aimed at the woman on the chariot.


    "But Prince Jing, your brother will blame you!" Prince Qingsu was stunned.


    Prince Jing sneered. "I just got a carrier pigeon from my agent yesterday and according to the message, Princess Hui Guo is safe at the Imperial City. Now that Prince Qingsu doesn''t want to get rid of this fake Princess, I don''t mind giving you a hand..." Then he let go of the arrow, which flew directly toward the woman.


    When the arrow was only a meter away from Hua Jing, Prince Qingsu swung his broadsword and blocked the arrow.


    "Oh, you seem quite nervous, Prince Qingsu. Is she your lover?" Prince Jing laughed as he threw the bow to the servant.


    Prince Qingsu did not reply to Prince Jing. Instead, he lifted Hua Jing''s head and said something to her. Yun Shang smiled, "Why does she use my name?"


    Prince Jing put on a grim smile. "She must think that if she does something undesirable, she could always shift the responsibility to you. In her mind, your reputation is worth nothing."


    Then he said loudly to the soldiers. "This woman poses as our Princess Hui Guo. What should we do?"


    The soldiers shouted, "Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!"


    "And the country of Yelang slanders Princess Hui Guo. What about that?"


    "Fight! Fight! Fight!"


    The Yelang soldiers were in a dilemma. After some time, Prince Jing heard Hua Jing''s voice. Because of the distance, her words could barely be heard. "Uncle, help! It''s me. Help..."


    Prince Jing said flatly, "You don''t sound like Princess Hui Guo at all. Prince Qingsu, if you wanted to find a counterfeit, you should have done some homework. Soldiers, line up!"


    A huge cloud of dust rose as thousands of soldiers ran to make their formation. Soldiers on both sides of Prince Jing lined up as two wings, enveloping the enemy.


    "Now, you have seen everything. Go back to the camp." Prince Jing turned and said to Yun Shang. "There are too many people. I''m afraid I won''t be able to take care of you."


    Yun Shang knew she would be of little help in battle. Moreover, Prince Jing might be distracted by her. So, she nodded and returned to camp.


    Qian Yin was pacing restlessly at the gate of the camp when she saw Yun Shang. Qian Yin rushed to Yun Shang, "Your Highness. Finally you have


    a Jing sneered. "Yun Shang, I prepared this special gift for you. I hope you will like it. I''ve scarified a lot after all." She felt much better thinking so.


    She didn''t know that the person she was setting up was now in Prince Jing''s encampment and they had just met.


    When Qian Yin came in with a basin of hot water, Yun Shang had awoken. Qian Yin stepped forward and helped her sit up. "Luckily, it''s warmer here than in the Imperial City. But my legs still feel cold. I prepared some hot water to warm your feet, Your Highness."


    Still a little confused, Yun Shang nodded and placed her feet in the water. However, the water was so hot that she shivered at the sudden warmth. After a while, she sighed. "It feels good."


    Now, Yun Shang was finally wide awake and she smiled. "Don''t call me Your Highness. Others could hear you. Just call me Master."


    Qian Yin nodded. "Yes, Master."


    "Master, I sent a message to Ning Qian. She replied saying that she is now in Xiyi town with the Emperor''s Son-in-Law. She wanted to take him back to the Imperial City, but because of the war, inspection posts are very strict. She''s waiting for Your Highness''s order."


    Yun Shang nodded. "It''s alright. Let him stay here then. Just remember to make sure it looks like he is being held by the army of Yelang. Maybe he will be useful to us one day."


    "Mister Xiao, I''m Prince Jing''s servant. His Highness asked me to send some food to you. May I come in?" Someone asked cautiously from outside the tent.


    Yun Shang wiped the water off her feet and put them on the bed. "Yes, please."


    A man in military uniform entered. Yun Shang could vaguely see his figure through the screen. He put something on the table and bowed to Yun Shang. "My name is Luo Ding. If Mister Xiao has any need, please feel free to call me. Now, please excuse me, Mister Xiao."


    After Luo Ding left, Yun Shang asked. "Is Prince Jing back? How was the battle this afternoon?"


    Qian Yin smiled. "Yes, Prince Jing returned a while ago. But, he is in the middle of a meeting in General Yang''s tent. As for this afternoon, Prince Qingsu of Yelang withdrew the troops before they even started to fight."


    Yun Shang nodded. "Prince Qingsu thought he had Princess Hui Guo, and that Prince Jing would agree to save his niece. So, he didn''t want to fight today. But he didn''t expect that Prince Jing wouldn''t care about his hostage at all, and even wanted to kill her. He wasn''t prepared, so he had to withdraw. I wonder what he will do to Hua Jing."


    "Your.. Master, I heard that Prince Qingsu is a fierce person. If Princess Hua Jing is of no use now, he might kill her." Qian Yin answered.


    "I don''t think so. Hua Jing will not give up like that. After all, she was able to persuade Prince Qingsu to believe that she was Princess Hui Guo. Maybe she will find a way out. I''m so looking forward to her next move."

 Chapter 85 A Secret Letter From Qingsu

    "My Lord." Someone stood outside the tent requesting a presence. Yun Shang was startled as she was lying on the bed. Fortunately, she just only recently dozed off and hadn''t taken off her clothes. So, she jumped out of bed and stretched to where her shoes had been placed. But before she could get them, she heard Prince Jing speak, "You are tired from the long journey. You must rest now. As there are men in every corner of the camp, it is not convenient for you to stay in other tents. Spend the night here. I have ordered that no one will come and disturb you."


    It seemed that Prince Jing could read her mind even with a screen between them. Yun Shang was at a loss at his thoughtfulness and flushed. She uttered a gentle "yes, " but still went out after putting on her shoes.


    Prince Jing could not help curl his lips at the sight of the drowsy Yun Shang. He smiled as he spoke, "Soon it will be time for supper. Our food is limited. So, please make the best of it."


    Yun Shang returned his smile and said, "Uncle, please don''t worry for me. As this is the border area and it is far from the inland, such little hardship is within my expectation."


    Then she recalled the question that had come to her mind earlier, and continued, "Uncle, I have noticed that our camp is flanked by two mountains. This would be to our disadvantage if the Yelang army launches a surprise attack against us. We could even suffer tremendous losses if they do something as simple as throw stones and rocks at us from the mountain."


    Yun Shang spoke as if she knew a lot about military tactics. This, of course, had come to Prince Jing''s attention. He walked nearer to the table and pointed at the map. He said to Yun Shang, "Come and have a look."


    Yun Shang walked nearer and studied the map carefully. The map were circled with many drawings, which confused Yun Shang. To give Yun Shang a clue, Prince Jing pointed at one of the circles on the map and said, "This is where we are, and this is Yelang''s camp."


    Yun Shang bent forward to get a closer look of the densely dotted markings and curves. Prince Jing watched her in silence. At last, he heard Yun Shang speak, "I know."


    "Oh? What do you know?" Prince Jing asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.


    Yun Shang pointed at a vast flatland far from the circles and said, "This is the country of Yelang, which is typically flat. I think Yelang soldiers must be comfortable while fighting in flat areas, and there is a greater chance for them to win in flatlands. However, they would have a disadvantage if the war takes place in mountainous areas. There are only two mountains around us. Yelang soldiers would never think of launching an attack from on top of the mountain. But we can."


    Prince Jing felt delighted that Yun Shang could get to this point without his help. He said with a nod, "I have sent soldiers to study the land. The two mountains are shrouded in heavy fog. No one can see beyond five steps once in the thick forest. I don''t think Qingsu would take such a risk."


    Yun Shang understood the situation after hearing Prince Jing''s explanation. In terms of military strategy, she was, of course, no match for the Prince who was an experienced general after having fought in many battles. However, she knew what had happened in her previous life. That was her only advantage. Qingsu was by no means a weak opponent in the previous life. Even the Prince had suffered defeats while fighting him. Yun Shang lowered her head as she tried to figure out how could she warn the Prince about this in a way that would not arouse his suspicion.


    "How I wish to know what Qingsu behaved during a battle." Yun Shang murmured, as if speaking to herself.


    Prince Jing''s eyes swept across Yun Shang swiftly. "He is a rushed man. Aggressive. But that is not all. He is also treacherous and good at trickery."


    Yun Shang tried to recall something useful about this battle from her previous life. She had barely finished her wedding before the battle started. Mo Jingran began to reveal his nature as a playboy shortly after the death of Hua Jing''s husband. He was involved in romantic affairs wherever he went, and even committed adultery with Hua Jing. She was so upset with Mo Jingran''s unfaithfulness that Yun Shang had shut herself in her room. Her focus had been on finding methods to regain Mo Jingran''s love. So, Yun Shang had paid no attention to anything else, including Prince Jing''s battle expedition.


    However, amidst the blur in her mind, she vaguely remembered something from the time she had gone to visit the Empress. Hua Jing had been crying at the Empress''s Palace and airing her grievances to the Empress. She said she was a poor woman and should not have had to marry a general who was destined to die on the battlefield. She also mentioned Prince Jing, who had been trapped by Qingsu on a mountain after the Yelang Prince had set fire to the mountain. Prince Jing had managed a narrow escape from the fire but had been badly hurt.


    The mountain... Yun Shang took a closer look at the map, and was quite sure that there were no other mountains within a hundred li* radius.


    (*TN: li, also known as the Chinese mile, is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. One li is usually about a third as long as the English mile.)


    Were the mountains...


    After pondering for a short moment, Yun Shang said in a soft voice, "People who are good at trickery often disguise themselves as reckless. There are only two high mountains within a hundred li radius, but you chose to camp here. Qingsu must know why you made such a decision. Though our soldiers can march in the fog with some safety measures, a fire would land us in great calamity. If Qingsu also thinks of setting fire to the mountain..."


    Prince Jing burst into a smile at Yun Shang''s words, and praised her. "That''s right. It doesn''t matter if he is truly reckless or not. It will be to our advantage if we takes some precautions."


    The Prince''s approval relieved Yun Shang. Then she continued, "I have heard that Qingsu has been challenging us repeatedly with a group of soldiers. But, when you pick up the gauntlet and are ready to fight with him, he withdraws. I believe that would be one of his tricks to deceive you into thinking it is his weakness. If you believe that he is a coward, you will relax


    er to paint a picture of sister and present it to His Majesty. And please tell His Majesty that there is a woman in the enemy camp, who resembles Hua Jing very much. She is in the company of Prince Qingsu almost every day. You should also tell His Majesty that you''ve heard that Princess Hua Jing came to the border to save her husband. You dare not launch an attack, as you are unsure whether this woman is Princess Hua Jing or not. So, you have to report this to His Majesty and wait for His Majesty''s order..."


    Prince Jing burst into a fit of laughter upon hearing Yun Shang''s plan, and exclaimed, "Excellent! I will spread the story of Hua Jing and Qingsu among the populace. Then the story will spread to the Imperial City, and will be heard in every alley and every street in the Imperial City..."


    "That would be wonderful. Thank you very much, Uncle."


    As they spoke about Hua Jing, Yun Shang suddenly thought of another woman. She said to the Prince, "Uncle, I have heard that Lady Zhao, mother of the Emperor''s Son-in-law, has also come to the border. But I haven''t seen her..."


    "Lady Zhao heard that her son had been attacked in Linguan Town, so she went there with some men in search of him. She said she would not give up searching her son until she finds him alive or dead." Prince Jing continued after pondering for a moment, "Is your maid prudent in running errands? In order to get information about her son, Lady Zhao would have turned Linguan Town upside down. It would be bad if she finds out that you are involved. Though she is just a lady with an official rank that could not be deemed high, His Majesty respects her very much as the Zhao family has always been loyal for many generations. It would be troublesome if she finds out that you arranged this."


    Yun Shang was quite confident of Ning Qian''s abilities. So she replied, "There is no cause for concern. She won''t find out about my involvement."


    "Is Zhao Yingjie dead?" Prince Jing asked with his eyebrows raised.


    Yun Shang pondered for a moment and said, "No. He is in Xiyi Town, which is quite nearby. I planned to send him back to the Imperial City in case he would be of help in the future. The check on the borderline is very strict, so we have been delayed from taking any action. But, I have changed my mind as Hua Jing is here too. I think Zhao Yingjie might be more useful here, so I hid him in Xiyi Town."


    Prince Jing nodded, "I understand. I think you''d better set him free as soon as possible, if you are well prepared. At any rate, Zhao Yingjie is a good general. He is not stupid. If he gets suspicious we cannot let him go."


    Yun Shang nodded at the Prince and said, "I know." While speaking to the Prince, Yun Shang was still devising her plan. She was also planning how to spread the Hua Jing scandal in Xiyi. Then, she would relax the guard on Zhao Yingjie on purpose thus offering him a chance to escape. The rumor about his dissolute wife would be the first thing Zhao Yingjie would hear after his escape. Then he would, of course, go to the Yelang encampment and challenge Qingsu to a fight. If Qingsu brought Hua Jing to the battlefield and Zhao Yingjie saw her even from a distance, he would know that the woman by Qingsu''s side was Hua Jing. After all, they had been married for several years...


    No man would accept the unfaithfulness of his wife. And Hua Jing was by no means a gentle woman. She must have treated Zhao Yingjie arrogantly in their daily life. As their marriage was arranged by the Emperor, Zhao Yingjie dared not refuse. However, as long as there was evidence that Hua Jing was immoral as a woman, she would be despised by all even though she was the Princess of Ning.


    Prince Jing glanced at Yun Shang and was aware of what she was thinking. He said to her with a smile, "Zhao Yingjie is stubborn and very loyal to the Emperor. He would not divorce Hua Jing just because of her adultery with Qingsu. But he is a filial son to his mother. Lady Zhao has sacrificed a lot to educate him and see him grow to the position of a general. So, he would bear anything except for the maltreatment and disrespect towards his mother..."


    On hearing the Prince''s words, Yun Shang''s eyes sparkled...

 Chapter 86 Hua Jing‘s Sudden Arrival

    No one had thought that Hua Jing would be released until she appeared at the camp. Early in the morning, before Yun Shang was full awake, she heard a sound from outside. "Mr. Xiao, Mr. Xiao..."


    Then Qian Yin got up and went out to see what happened. She returned in a jiffy. "Master, Prince Jing sent word that Princess Hua Jing is at the gate of the camp and is clamoring to see him, " said Qian Yin. She looked serious.


    "Hua Jing?" murmured Yun Shang in surprise. "Wasn''t she captured by the Yelang army? Why is she here now?"


    She immediately got up, dressed, put on her silver mask, and went out of the tent. No sooner had she stepped out than she saw Prince Jing standing not far away. She hurried toward him. "Do you know why Hua Jing is here?" asked Yun Shang.


    Prince Jing batted his eyelids without emotion. "Indeed, Qingsu is sophisticated. If I didn''t know the truth that the person he had captured was Hua Jing, I might have been deceived. He is clever enough to send her back without being exposed, " said Prince Jing.


    They walked to the gate of the camp together. Yun Shang walked behind deliberately so as not to be noticed by Hua Jing. Hua Jing stood at the gate, dressed in aquamarine silk. Two attendants stood at a distance.


    "Oh...dear?" Prince Jing frowned in surprise. "How did you get to the camp?"


    Hua Jing looked at Prince Jing, and then glanced at Yun Shang. "My husband is trapped at the border, so I''m here to help him, " answered Hua Jing with a sad face.


    "Really? If memory serves, you set out before me." Prince Jing lifted his eyebrows when he spoke. "So... you mean you arrived here today?"


    Hua Jing''s eyes flickered scrupulously. "I was born in the Palace and have never been far away before. When I set out, I was in a hurry and did not take enough attendants, so I got into a lot of trouble along the way. And when I arrived at the border, I heard that you had been stationed here. So I''m here to ask you to lend me some soldiers to help me find my husband, " sighed Hua Jing.


    "Really?" grinned Prince Jing, sardonically. "There are no women in the camp, so I''m afraid it''s not proper for you to live here. Besides, your husband got into trouble in Linguan town. So if you want to find him, you''d better go to Linguan town. The enemy''s army has withdrawn from the town, which makes it safer than my camp. And if you still don''t feel it is safe, I can send someone to protect you."


    Prince Jing turned his head and looked at Yun Shang. "This is my military counsellor, Mister Xiao. He is resourceful and highly skilled in martial arts. How about I send him to protect you?"


    Hua Jing glanced at Mister Xiao and frowned. "But he''s thin and weak...Besides, since he''s your counsellor, you will need him in battle. I don''t think it''s a good idea to take him with me..." responded Hua Jing unhappily.


    Hearing her words, Yun Shang grinned and tried to speak like a man. "No, no...Ability can not be measured by body size. I promise, even fifty strong men could not defeat me."


    Hua Jing was glad to hear this as she already knew that a military counsellor was of great importance to an army even though she had not fought in any battle.


    "Then I happily accept your kind offer." smiled Hua Jing. "I heard that my Mother-in-Law came to the border too. Do you know where she is?" asked Hua Jing sullenly.


    "Oh, she''s in Linguan town, " answered Prince Jing. Hua Jing was disappointed as she thought her husband''s mother would cause her trouble.


    But when she realized that Linguan town was far from Prince Jing''s encampment, she smiled again. "She was excellent when she was young, so I believe that she will find him if he''s in Linguan Town. Now that she''s already there, I think I''d better search Xiyi Town."


    "As you see fit, " answered Prince Jing impatiently. Then he turned to Yun Shang and spoke to her. "Please, the Princess''s safety is in your hands now."


    Yun Shang made an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before her chest. "You may rest assured that I will spare no effort to keep Her Highness safe."


    After Prince Jing returned to his tent, Mister Xiao walked to Hua Jing. "Your Highness, let''s go. There are a few inns in Xiyi Town. However, they are all shabby, and I''m afraid you will have to compromise for several days, " smiled Mister Xiao.


    "It doesn''t matter. My husband is in danger, and I have to find him, " sighed Hua Jing.


    When they find an inn in Xiyi Town, Hua Jing frowned unhappily. She glanced at her attendants. She was about to speak, but decided to say nothing. After Yun Shang checked in, a waiter led them upstairs to their rooms.


    Three rooms had been appointed. Two were adjacent to each other, while the third was separated by several rooms. Hua Jing told Mister Xiao that her attendants had to take turns keeping vigil, so it didn''t matter where they lived. Then, Yun Shang arranged herself for the room next to Hua Jing''s.


    Hua Jing beckoned Mister Xiao into her room and sat


    he was hurt. But in fact, he was blocking Yun Shang''s way. She couldn''t give chase either.


    "He escaped!" The attendant pretended to be sorry, then he rolled his eyes and fainted.


    The sound of horseshoes filled the silence. The horses seemed to stop outside the inn. Soon Prince Jing appeared. He looked anxious. "Dear Princess, are you okay?"


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She noticed that only a short time had passed between the assassin''s attack and his escape. She knew it took longer to ride from the camp to the inn. Since Prince Jing had come so quickly, someone must have informed him about what was going to occur.


    "Her Highness is safe, " answered Yun Shang, looking back at Hua Jing who was still cowering on her bed. After Yun Shang checked the breath of the two attendants, she continued. "One of the attendants is dead, but the other one is still alive. Take him back to the camp for treatment."


    Prince Jing nodded and told his soldiers to help the wounded attendant. Then he walked to Hua Jing. "Can you walk? You know, It is improper for men and women to touch each other''s hands. But there are no maids or eunuchs in my army. So I''m afraid you have to walk by yourself. It is not safe here, please follow me back to my camp."


    Hua Jing mumbled and nodded as though excessively frightened. After a long time, she came to her senses, stood up cautiously, and went downstairs. Yun Shang observed her closely, and found that she had no sweat on her forehead which didn''t match the terror reflecting on her face.


    As soon as everyone had gathered outside the inn, they made the journey back to the camp. After Prince Jing helped Hua Jing settle down, he returned his tent with Yun Shang. "Are you okay?" asked Qian Yin as she hurriedly made her way to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang shook her head and looked at Prince Jing. "It''s okay for me to wear a mask, but I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for Qian Yin to wear a mask too. Please ask someone to send her out later, " said Yun Shang. Then she turned to Qian Yin. "Would you please tell Ning Qian to choose someone else to serve me? By the way, Hua Jing is here too, and she has no maid now. I think we''d better bring two women, who look honest."


    "Aye, " nodded Prince Jing in agreement. Then he called a servant and repeated Yun Shang''s suggestion.


    Yun Shang continued. "I think their purpose was to enter the camp. They thought you would refuse her request if she asked you directly, so they enacted an assassination to create an excuse. This way they can stay in our camp without being suspected."


    "But I could actually use it to my advantage, " answered Prince Jing. He grinned cooly. "Now I have a good chance to find the spies in my army." Then he paused and stared at Yun Shang. "Qingsu is so shrewd that he set many spies in our army. I think some of them knew that you were always in my tent and they must be wondering who you are. So, I told my soldiers that I''m gay, and that you and I are lovers, to avoid their suspicion." He paused again. Yun Shang felt shy and bowed her head since she knew what he meant.


    "What''s more, Hua Jing and her unidentified attendant are here now. So we have to be more careful." Prince Jing gave her a knowing glance. "You''d better share a room with me for some days and pretend to be gay to dispel their doubts."

 Chapter 87 The Fire In The Camp

    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised. It took a while for her to overcome her shock. "Even though we are relatives, we are still of different gender. If a man is younger or older than a woman by three years, he should act cautiously. If it''s really inconvenient for me to stay, then I''ll move out and live in town."


    Prince Jing smiled and said, "Hua Jing was trying so hard to move in here. I believe there''s something that she wants from here. Don''t you want to know what it is that brings Hua Jing here? Don''t worry. You can let your maid watch during the night. I''ll read books on the other side of the screen."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and pondered for a long time. She was surely curious about Hua Jing''s intention. But...


    After a moment, she sighed. "Fine. In that case, I''ll live here and pretend to be gay and in a relationship with you."


    While they were talking, Hua Jing''s voice came from outside. "Is the Prince here? It''s Hua Jing. I want to see you."


    Prince Jing''s eyes widened. He reached out and held Yun Shang''s hand. Yun Shang frowned and tried to shake his hold. Then Prince Jing said, "Come in."


    Yun Shang''s brows furrowed. She couldn''t figure out why Prince Jing held her hand. Then she saw Hua Jing enter. Prince Jing also saw her and then said to Yun Shang, "I''m glad you''re fine. Next time, I won''t allow you to do anything without protection. I don''t know what I will do should anything happen to you."


    Yun Shang was again surprised and turned her head toward Prince Jing. She was stunned to see his eyes were full of love and care.


    "Uncle, I''ve come to see you." Seeing them like this made Hua Jing uncomfortable. Then she fixed her eyes on Yun Shang. Yun Shang felt that Prince Jing had loosened his hold on her hand. So she quickly took her hand back and walked behind the screen.


    Then she heard Prince Jing speak, "Your Highness, you''d better get some rest. You were really frightened today. What is it that brings you here at such a late hour?"


    "I......" Hua Jing paused, as if she didn''t know where to begin. After a moment, she said, "I found today''s incident bizarre. To be honest, I didn''t bring many attendants with me. But there has never been an assassination attempt. However, on my first day here in Xiyi Town, assassins were following me... Uncle, isn''t it too strange?"


    Prince Jing snorted coldly, "Well, it is a little bit strange. But you don''t need to worry too much. Staying with us means you have tens of thousands of soldiers watching you. I think you''d better rest now. I''ll leave you here."


    "But......" Hua Jing was trying to say more, but Prince Jing had already turned and walked behind the screen. After a while, Yun Shang heard Hua Jing walk out of the tent.


    "Is that what she came here for?" Yun Shang frowned.


    "Well, of course not. I noticed that she kept looking around the tent. It seems that she was searching for something. So I asked her to leave." Prince Jing snorted again. He went out and said, "Luo Ding."


    Yun Shang followed him out, and saw Luo Ding approaching them. Prince Jing said, "Where''s the attendant who came with the Princess?"


    Luo Ding answered quickly. "The attendant was wounded, so I told him to rest in the surgeon''s tent. The Princess just visited him there."


    "Oh?" Prince Jing squinted. "Send more people to follow the Princess and her attendant. Report anything unusual to me."


    Luo Ding nodded and stepped away.


    It was almost early morning. Prince Jing turned to Yun Shang and said, "Get some rest. I''ll go to the Deputy Commander''s tent."


    Yun Shang nodded and watched Prince Jing leave. Then she took off her shoes and lay on the bed behind the screen.


    If Hua Jing and Prince Qingsu made a deal, was it voluntary or forced? Two days ago, Hua Jing was at the battlefield as Prince Qingsu''s hostage. And now, she appeared at the army camp as a free woman. Why was that? And why did she bring a Yelang servant?


    Yun Shang''s heart was full of doubts, but she was sure about one thing. If she wanted her revenge, then it would not be possible to do anything in a camp full of soldiers. She planned on having somebody fetch Lady Zhao from Linguan Town. Having made up her mind, Yun Shang went to sleep.


    Yun Shang was awakened by a loud noise. She quickly got up from her bed and put on her mask. When she walked past the screen, she saw several Generals sitting in the tent with Prince Jing and Hua Jing.


    "Why don''t you put on your shoes? The ground is cold. Be careful so that you don''t catch a cold." Prince Jing frowned at Yun Shang. He raised his voice and shouted at someone outside the tent. "Luo Ding. Go find a blanket and lay it on the floor."


    Yun Shang didn''t expect so many people in the tent. Her ears turned red and she hurriedly went behind the screen to put on her shoes. Hua Jing''s voice rose, "My Husband went missing on the battlefield. I don''t know whether he''s dead or alive. I just want to know how you''re going to deal with the country of Yelang. I''m so m


    ang frowned. "His Highness is in the tent discussing military tactics with the Generals. He can''t make it here now." Then she raised her voice and asked the soldiers, "Is anyone in the tent?"


    A soldier ran forward. "I am the Deputy Commander''s personal attendant. I was in the tent when it caught fire. I ran out just in time."


    Yun Shang nodded and asked, "Have you heard any strange noises? Where did the fire start?"


    The soldier said quickly, "There was no odd sound. I first smelled smoke, and then saw the fire burning behind the Deputy Commander''s table."


    The table? Yun Shang thought about Hua Jing''s behavior today. She kept getting close to the table. Then Yun Shang lifted the curtain and tried to get in. But the smoke was so thick it choked her.


    "Mister Xiao..." The man who claimed to be the Deputy Commander''s personal attendant called out. "What are you doing?"


    Yun Shang frowned and beckoned to the soldiers. "Hurry up and fetch more water to put out the fire. Open the tent door. Let some air in and let the smoke out."


    The soldiers did as she instructed, and a moment later, the fire had been extinguished. Yun Shang stepped inside the camp. Then she thought about something and turned to the attendant. "You, come in with me. The others, stay outside."


    The attendant hastened in, and when Yun Shang turned, she saw Hua Jing behind her. Yun Shang frowned, "Your Highness, it''s better for you to stay outside. There may be sparks inside."


    Hua Jing hesitated for a moment, and then stepped back.


    Yun Shang went into the tent and headed straight for the table. She found that almost all the books on the table had been pushed down. Only a few books were left on the table. Yun Shang picked up the books on the ground and went behind the table. She saw a large hole in the tent cloth. Fortunately, the fire had been discovered in time. That''s why the table and the books around it were unaffected.


    "Were the books placed like this on and off the table before?" Yun Shang turned around and asked.


    The soldier quickly went up to check and said, "No. But I''m afraid I touched them when I was trying to douse the fire. Or maybe they were flushed by the water? Look, Mister Xiao. There''s water all over the place."


    "Really?" Yun Shang squinted.


    "Well?" The soldier made a surprised sound.


    Yun Shang turned and saw two books in the soldier''s hands. So she asked, "What''s the matter? Is something missing?"


    The soldier shook his head. "Nothing is missing. It''s just that these two books were on the table and they haven''t been flushed by the water. I remembered putting the Art of War at the bottom, but now it''s placed second last. And the Biography of Talented Soldiers was supposed to be at the top. But now, even with all the other books that tumbled to the ground, this biography is still in its original place..."


    Yun Shang frowned. "Are you sure?"


    The soldier nodded repeatedly. "The Deputy Commander is not a fan of reading, and it usually takes him a long time to finish one book. But he likes this biography the most, so I''ve always put it on the top. That way it''s convenient for him to reach it. The Deputy Commander has a habit of putting things in a fixed place......"


    Yun Shang nodded. Her eyes flashed. "So you mean that these books might have been moved by someone......"

 Chapter 88 The Unexpected Love

    "Yes, I am quite sure that the book on the table has been moved." The soldier nodded as he spoke.


    Yun Shang said after pondering, "You have been here since the beginning. Did you notice a stranger helping the people who came to extinguish the fire?"


    If Yun Shang was right, the person who started the fire had been hiding in the camp. Once the Deputy Commander''s tent had been set on fire, and all the attendants had run off to fetch water, he snuck into the tent in search of something. Taking advantage of the absolute chaos, he then joined the group and pretended to extinguish the fire as one of them.


    "Many men helped with the fire. But I didn''t spot anyone behaving strangely. Your Highness, should I have those people watched?" The attendant asked Yun Shang''s opinion immediately.


    Yun Shang shook her head and walked out of the tent. There had been so many people running to and fro to fight the fire, the culprit must have escaped by now. It would be impossible to find him.


    No sooner had Yun Shang walked out of the tent than she saw a flame soaring up into the sky. Then, there was a huge explosion. Yun Shang was taken aback at first. When she got past the shock, she realized that the flame originated near the Prince''s tent. She looked around in search of Hua Jing, but could see no sign of her.


    Suddenly, it dawned on her that the fire in the Deputy Commander''s tent must have been a trick to distract her. Yun Shang scolded herself for her carelessness.


    "Where is Princess Hua Jing?" Yun Shang asked.


    A soldier stepped forward and answered, "Mister Xiao, Princess Hua Jing has returned to Her Highness''s tent."


    Returned to her tent?


    "Take me to the Princess''s tent."


    Yun Shang was escorted to Hua Jing''s tent by the solider. She hesitated for a moment when in front of the tent. At last, she raised her voice and said, "Your Highness, are you in there?"


    Hua Jing replied from inside, "Yes. Is that Mister Xiao? Is there anything I can do for you? Please come in..."


    "It''s unnecessary. I was worried about Your Highness''s safety as I haven''t seen Your Highness since the fire. I came here to ensure that Your Highness is not hurt. As there have been some incidents in the camp today, Your Highness should stay in the tent and not walk around. I will arrange some guards to protect you." Then she turned and spoke to the soldier behind her, "Call thirty soldiers to guard the Princess''s tent carefully. If someone sneaks into the Princess''s tent and hurts the Princess, there would be no possibility for you to get a pardon from the Lord."


    The soldier said "yes" and then walked away.


    After everything had been arranged, Yun Shang returned to her tent. If someone had slipped into the Prince''s tent, he would find that the Prince had not been in the tent. The flame must be a signal to inform the enemy about this, and the Prince would be in danger if he were in the enemy''s camp now. However, the Prince had previously mentioned that there was a spy in the Ning army. If she took any action to rescue the Prince, the spy would probably find out and inform the enemy of the rescue mission. That would be terribly awful.


    "Mister Xiao." Qian Meng hesitantly addressed Yun Shang who had been in deep thought.


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to see who had spoken. She saw Qian Meng. Then a thought occurred to her. She said to Qian Meng, "You, stay in the tent. There is something I need to handle. I must leave now."


    Qian Meng was taken by surprise. She nodded at Yun Shang, and watched the Princess leave in a hurry.


    "Mister Xiao, where are you going?" Seeing Yun Shang walk out of the tent in a hurry, Luo Ding caught up with her and asked.


    "Are there any other generals in the camp?" Instead of answering Luo Ding''s question, Yun Shang raised a question for him.


    Luo Ding answered, "General Zhang is still in the camp."


    Yun Shang selected a horse, and said to Luo Ding, "Go and tell General Zhang that no one should leave the camp tonight. Execute whoever violates this order." Then she mounted the horse, and whipped the horse to run out of the camp.


    Luo Ding frowned as he watched Yun Shang''s figure fade away. He knew something must be wrong. And so, he ran to General Zhang''s tent without delay.


    "Woo..." The night was tranquil. In spite of the cold, Yun Shang''s forehead was covered in sweat. She reached Xiyi Town within half an hour, but the gate to the town was already closed. Yun Shang squinted as she studied the surroundings carefully. Then she jumped down from the horse and climbed over the wall around the town. She ran to an ordinary house in the town and knocked on the door. The voice of a familiar woman inquired from inside, "Who is it?"


    Yun Shang lowered her voice and answered, "It''s me. Xiao Yun."


    The door was pulled open. Yun Shang was surrounded by several women as soon as she set foot inside the room. "Master, it''s quite late now. Why are you here? Is something wrong?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Where is Ning Qian? How many people do we have here?"


    "She is chatting with Qian Yin in the room inside, and there are over thirty people here." A soft voice replied.


    Yun Shang nodded at the maid. Then she walked across the yard, pushed open the door of a room, and walked in.


    "Master?" The women in the room addressed her simultaneously.


    "There is no time to explain. All of you need to come with me now, and bring your weapons." Yun Shang''s eyes swept across everyone in the room before she left.


    Several women had been sitting in the room. Qian Yin was one of them. And in the middle, sat Ning Qian, the most beautiful among them. Ning Qian rose to her


    g to sleep."


    But she heard the Prince laugh. That was rare for the Prince, as he seldom laughed at ordinary times. Yun Shang felt her heart beat faster in her chest. The Prince always assumed an indifferent attitude whenever she saw him. He either smiled only with his lips slightly curled, or flashed a smile that no one would deem as a smile. Yun Shang wondered what the Prince would look like at a moment such as this when he laughed so heartily. His smile must be as valuable as a flower that would only bloom every hundred years.


    "I have sent Luo Ding to find the military physician. He will come with the medicine soon." Yun Shang heard the Prince speak in a coarse voice and felt the bed sink a little. It seemed the Prince had sat down on the bedside. Yun Shang was so startled that her heart was in her throat...


    Yun Shang was trying her best to figure out what was happening. But there was no more sound nor movement from behind her. She gave a gentle bite to her lip and held her hands tight. When she was about to turn around to look, she heard the Prince speak in a low voice, "I didn''t expect that you would come tonight. I could not believe what I had seen when you came and stood right before me. I went to war when I was a teenager. I have saved my life from the God of Death many times, and I have never celebrated my narrow escape from death before. But last night, I did feel grateful that I was still alive. And I thanked the Heavenly God that I met you. You worry for me, care about me, and fight with me."


    Yun Shang felt out of breath as if her heart had been grasped by an unseen hand. She was at a loss for a response.


    She was reborn for revenge, and lived for revenge in this life. She even came to the border for revenge. She wanted to kill Hua Jing and enact her vengeance on the Empress.


    She never thought of nor did she dare to dream of accepting love from a man. She had made up her mind to abstain from falling in love because of her husband''s unfaithfulness in her previous life. Although she felt that Prince Jing was special to her, she was also clear that she didn''t love the Prince enough to give up everything for him.


    Yun Shang opened her mouth but could not utter a single word. After a moment, she curled her lips to calm herself down, and said, "Prince Jing is the God of War in the State of Ning. It''s your responsibility to defend the populace and the land of Ning. Although I am just a woman, I will try my best to guard the Prince, as only the Prince can protect our populace from getting involved in the war."


    Yun Shang could not help trembling while speaking those words, though she had attempted to speak them in a manner otherwise.


    The man behind her seemed to freeze after hearing Yun Shang''s words. After a long while, he said in defeat, "You must be tired after having gone through all this. You''d better rest now." The bed bounced to where it had been after Prince Jing had barely finished speaking, and Yun Shang knew that he had stood up.


    After a short while, Yun Shang heard the Prince walk out of the tent. She was taken by surprise and frowned. Would he not wait for the military physician? Where would he go with his unattended injury?


    Yun Shang felt a loss in her heart. Maybe the Prince was hurt by her words as well as her coldness. Yun Shang lowered her head, and clenched her teeth to prevent herself from crying. Her foes were still out there, and Hua Jing was living merrily at a stone''s throw. Yun Shang shut her eyes. In the sheer darkness, she saw the pale face of her baby and the indifferent face of Mo Jingran. She could even hear the alluring voice of Hua Jing. She had to grit her teeth to subdue her heart which had wavered just now in its thirst for love. At last, she fell asleep.

 Chapter 89 Countermeasures

    When Yun Shang woke up, it was 7 p.m. It was getting dark outside. Yun Shang stayed in bed with her eyes wide open. She didn''t want to move. She stared at the top of the tent and wondered why she was still upset.


    "Luo Ding. Luo Ding." It was Prince Jing''s voice. Yun Shang was surprised. Her heart skipped a beat.


    Then there were faint footsteps. Prince Jing spoke again. "Is there anything strange about Princess Hua Jing and her servant today?"


    "Your Highness, the Princess came to find you several times. And every time, she came here, she snuck around your tent. As for the servant, there''s nothing odd about him today. He stayed in bed at the surgeon''s tent. He hasn''t moved." Luo Ding answered softly.


    Hua Jing? Something suddenly struck Yun Shang. She recalled Hua Jing''s odd behaviors after her arrival at the camp, and made her guess.


    After Luo Ding took his leave, Yun Shang got out of bed and walked to the front of the screen. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Hua Jing has been looking for something these past two days. Yesterday when she was here, I noticed her staring at the parchment on the table. Then after the fire, I went into the Deputy Commander''s tent. Nothing was missing, but his personal attendant told me that the books on his table had been moved."


    Prince Jing heard her voice and froze. He spent some time calming himself before turning to see her. Yun Shang kept her hair down. She was wearing only her tunic and looked charming. The Prince saw her tunic and froze again. Then he found his peace and said, "Prince Qingsu must have asked her to steal something. Something that interests him. And among the things on my table, there is the Map of Army Distribution, Map of Army Deployment and the Operation Map......"


    As Yun Shang listened, an idea suddenly came to her. Her eyes flashed. "If that''s what they want, then why don''t we fake the maps and let Hua Jing take the wrong map to Prince Qingsu?"


    Prince Jing nodded, "That is an alternative. However, we have to plan it carefully and throughly. If it''s too easy for Hua Jing to get the map, Prince Qingsu will doubt its authenticity."


    "That''s for sure. And if we can get evidence of Hua Jing giving the map to Prince Qingsu, then she''ll be charged with treason. By that time, even God won''t be able to save her." Yun Shang smiled and felt her heart fill with excitement. How could she have not thought about this earlier? Hua Jing and the Empress value power and fame the most. If she could drag them down from the top, and frame them with eternal infamy, then it would be the cruelest revenge for them.


    Isn''t that what they did to Yun Shang in her previous life? She valued her mother''s and father''s love the most, so they took it away from her little by little. They also took away her baby and her husband. In this life, she swore to let them suffer the same pain.


    Prince Jing kept his eyes on Yun Shang. He noticed her murderous look and frowned. There was something that he didn''t understand about Yun Shang. She was just a Princess raised in the Palace, but why did she always carry that much hatred in her eyes? He couldn''t help but shiver every time he saw that look. What was it that she hated so much? She seemed to have been targeting the Empress and Princess Hua Jing. But what did they do to her that made her hate them so much?


    "Your Highness. The Generals are here. Princess Hua Jing also came with them." Luo Ding''s voice came from outside and interrupted Prince Jing''s thoughts. He was surprised that they had all come at this time. And before he could say anything, the curtain of the tent was lifted.


    Prince Jing quickly stood up and went to Yun Shang. He held Yun Shang in his arms.


    Yun Shang went stiff at his sudden behavior. Then they heard a husky voice rising from behind. "Son of a bitch burned my tent! I''ve been cleaning it up for a long time. I can even smell burnt cloth in my sleep......"


    Prince Jing lowered his head and whispered to Yun Shang, "Go, put on your mask and pull up your hair. Hua Jing is here."


    Yun Shang lifted her hand to touch her hair. Only then did she realize that she had left her hair down all this time. Surprised and embarrassed, she turned to rush further inside the tent. Prince Jing quickly stopped her and kept her in his arms to keep her from being recognized. Then he led her to the screen.


    "Your Highness......" Someone was calling them. But Yun Shang didn''t have the time to identify whose voice it was. She stayed frozen until Prince Jing had led her behind the screen. Then Yun Shang took a breath of relief.


    "Were you holding someone in your arms just now? I saw the head." The people outside the screen were talking in a low voice. But they spoke loud enough for Yun Shang to hear them.


    Prince Jing released his hands on her and coughed a little. He walked outside and caught someone trying to peek inside. Prince Jing frowned. He stood at the screen to block him. "What are you looking at?"


    The Deputy Commander touched his bushy beard and asked in doubt. "I saw you holding someone just now. But there''s no woman in our camp. And I''ve confirmed from Luo Ding that it''s just you and Mister Xiao here...... Oh...... So Mister Xiao......"


    Before he finished speaking, he saw Prince Jing glaring at him.


    there in silence. Her eyes followed the sun. She watched as it seemed to sink into the desert. After the sun disappeared in the horizon, it left brightly colored clouds hanging over the dunes.


    "Splendid." Yun Shang was still shocked at what she had seen. After a long time, she murmured that one word.


    Prince Jing looked at her face. The red glow had painted her fair cheeks as well. He smiled. "I remember that when we were at the Imperial City, you asked if I wanted the Royal position. I''ve been longing for that position for more than a decade now. I don''t want it as much anymore. I''ve been at the border for more than ten years, and I am afraid that such beauty cannot be seen in the Imperial City or the Palace."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I agree. The only thing that people in the Palace can see is power and fame. They don''t have time for such beautiful scenery. Being the Emperor is exhausting. Even I feel tired for my father. When he is in Court, everyone obeys him and praises him loyally. But no one can tell how many of them mean it. When he goes from the Court to the Palace, he is also welcomed by his concubines. But those women are not being loyal to him. They are only being loyal to his title. Even if someone else becomes the Emperor, they would remain unchanged and treat the man like he is everything."


    "You, as an outsider, can really see through things. But as an insider, we don''t look at things that way." Prince Jing smiled and turned his eyes to the fading glow. "Don''t forget that you are also part of the Royal Family."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrow. "I''m just a Princess. It''s a whole lot easier for me to leave the Palace. My fief is in Jinling. I''ve heard that it is a fertile region where fish and rice are abundant. It''s also a land of picturesque scenery. And the people there are honest and hospitable. When I''m done with the affairs at the Palace, I will go to Jinling to spend the rest of my life......"


    Prince Jing squinted his eyes. He clenched his hands in his sleeves and kept silent.


    When they returned to the camp, it was completely dark. As soon as Prince Jing entered the camp, he was called away to deal with something. Yun Shang had nothing to do, so she wandered to the stable and tied her horse there. When she was about to go back, she heard someone gossiping.


    "Do you know that Mister Xiao is such a beautiful young man that even women can''t match his beauty?"


    Another voice said with curiosity, "You mean the Mister Xiao who wears a mask?"


    "Yes, but he wasn''t wearing his mask when he first arrived here. Anyway, I''ve heard that he has a special relationship with Prince Jing......" The man who started the conversation lowered his voice and said with disgust.


    "What kind of relationship?" The other man seemed to miss his point and asked again.


    "You know, the kind of relationship where two people do something in bed......" Then he spat and said, "My mate who is on duty at the Prince''s tent told me that Mister Xiao lives in the Prince''s tent with him."


    "No way. Isn''t Mister Xiao also a man?" The other voice quickly doubted him, "Men and men can do that?"


    "Of course. Why not? You just need to......" The two seemed to get closer together and started to whisper. After a while, Yun Shang heard the other guy say, "Ah...... So His Highness doesn''t like women? He has a thing for men?"


    Yun Shang frowned. She picked up some stones and threw them at the two soldiers. Then she heard them shouting in pain. She turned and left the camp through the back ...

 Chapter 90 The Stolen Army Deployment Plan

    Hua Jing had spent the whole day in her tent. When she peeked out, it was already dark. Sometimes, several patrol soldiers passed by. That and Hua Jing''s agitated pacing were the only sounds that could be heard.


    A sudden noise scared Hua Jing. She jumped in surprise. She turned around to see, and found that a stone had fallen by the table. Hua Jing watched as it bounced and rolled before coming to a halt. Hua Jing looked around carefully before picking it up. She split the stone into two halves and took out a strip of cloth from the inside. There were two lines of characters on the cloth, which said, Time is limited. Take action soon.


    Hua Jing clenched her teeth and put the cloth into the sachet hanging on her waist. It was a letter from Qingsu urging her to finish and leave. But, she still had no idea as to how she would escape. She frowned and felt more agitated.


    Hua Jing''s stay in the Ning army and being a spy for Qingsu were just expedient. She had been impersonating Yun Shang since she met Qingsu, and had deceived him into writing a letter to Emperor Ning, in which he raised the request of marriage between him and Princess Hui Guo. Qingsu was so cruel that he would not let Hua Jing live if he learned the truth. So she persuaded Qingsu to send her to the Ning army. She had convinced Qingsu that she, as the Princess of Ning, could work as his spy in the Ning army, or steal an Army Deployment Map, or even poison Prince Jing.


    However, Hua Jing would not do as she had assured Qingsu. She was, after all, the Princess of Ning. How could she do something to undermine her own country? She just did all this to escape from Qingsu.


    But Hua Jing came to realize how simple-minded she was as soon as she set foot in the Ning camp. She had underestimated Qingsu. Qingsu not only placed guards outside the Ning camp, but he had also arranged spies to watch her inside the camp. He must know everything about her.


    "Your Highness..." A voice announced from outside. Hua Jing was so shocked that she turned around hurriedly, "Who is it?"


    Silence followed her question. Then the person spoke, "Your Highness, I am in service of Prince Jing. The Prince wonders whether Your Highness is willing to have a chat with him in his tent."


    Prince Jing? Hua Jing squinted as she contemplated. She could feel suspicion from the Prince ever since she arrived at the camp. He always gave her the cold shoulder whenever she went to his tent. But today, the Prince was inviting her to his tent. How could it be possible? Hua Jing could not help but worry.


    The soldier led Hua Jing to Prince Jing''s tent. She vaguely heard the Prince speak as she stood outside the tent.


    "My Lord, Her Highness is here." The soldier said aloud from the doorway. To prevent Qingsu from finding out her true identity, Hua Jing had ordered all soldiers to address her Princess instead of Princess Hua Jing since her first day at the Ning camp.


    "Please come in." Hua Jing heard the Prince speak in a low and attractive voice. The soldier pushed open the curtain for Hua Jing, and she entered. But her face darkened after she got a clear view of the interior. There were three people in the tent, the Prince, Mister Xiao, and Lady Zhao.


    Lady Zhao looked sullen too. She turned and gave Hua Jing a look of contempt, and said sarcastically, "It''s you, Princess Hua Jing."


    Hua Jing gnashed her teeth but walked in with a smile. "Mother, I didn''t expect that Uncle had invited you here."


    "Mother?" Lady Zhao smiled, "Your Highness is the star out of reach of the Zhao family. Before I came here, I requested the Emperor to allow Your Highness and my son to divorce. Anyway, no one knows whether Yingjie is alive or dead. Your Highness can relieve yourself of the burden if Your Highness divorces him."


    Hua Jing fastened her hands into fists in her sleeves. How she desperately wished that she could consent to Lady Zhao''s proposal! However, she recalled what the Empress had said to her when she was about to leave the Imperial Palace. If she divorced Zhao Yingjie at this moment, she would certainly be condemned as a hardhearted woman by everyone. Thinking of the stigma the divorce would bring for her, Hua Jing lowered her head to show pitiful meekness. She said while sobbing, "The Emperor''s Son-in-Law is missing. I know mother must feel sad and worried for him. But, mother, please don''t say something like that again. As Yingjie''s wife, I feel no better than you. No matter what happens to him, I will bear the consequence with you, shoulder to shoulder."


    Yun Shang was sitting near Hua Jing. She glanced at Hua Jing with a look of contempt, and thought to herself, You are smarter now, Hua Jing. I should never have underestimated you.


    Yun Shang cast her eyes on both women before speaking with Lady Zhao with a smile, "Hua Jing is right, Lady Zhao. You two should not quarrel with each other at this time when the Emperor''s Son-in-Law is missing. Her Highness is worried for the Emperor''s Son-in-Law, too. Her Highness came to the border in search of the Emperor''s Son-in-Law. She left the day after you left the Imperial City. All people in the Imperial City are talking about the virtuous deeds of Her Highness and lauding her faithfulness to the Emperor''s Son-in-Law. But Prince Hua Jing had gotten lost along the way, and was delayed in arriving here. Her Highness must have suffered tremendously. Wouldn''t it be improper for you to blame Her Highness after so long and hard a journey?"


    Yun Shang smiled. Though she seemed to speak in favor of Hua Jing, Lady Zhao was clever enough to catch the subtext behind the words. Hua Jing sought to better her repute among the populace by leaving th


    w the Prince had suffered because of Qingsu in her previous life.


    Yun Shang heard a hiss while in deep thought. It seemed the Prince had aggravated his injury when he was about to pick up the teapot on the table. He had worn a white night robe to pretend as if he had been awakened from his sleep for something urgent. The cut was bleeding now, and there was blood on his robe.


    Yun Shang said with a frown, "The cut has torn open." She walked to the Prince, rolled up his sleeve, and unbound the bandage. The cut was so deep that even the bone could be seen. Yun Shang frowned again at the sight of the cut. Then she walked towards the screen and fetched a white jade bottle. She poured some powder onto the cut from the bottle, and bound it again with a strip of clean cloth.


    Yun Shang was so focused on treating the Prince''s injury that she didn''t pay attention to the Prince''s smile. She said, "You looked as health as anyone else. I thought maybe you were not hurt badly. But the cut is too deep. Please don''t lift anything heavy again."


    "It''s OK. Just a mild wound. I have suffered many such wounds on my body. Not to mention those scarred ones. It doesn''t matter." Then Prince Jing continued, "We cannot control everything at the border. I was lucky this time as I could get treatment for my wound. I can even take rest as there is time before the next battle. But it was quite different three years ago when I was at war with the State of Xia. I was shot by an arrow and there were enemies chasing me. I didn''t have the time to take a break. And it was snowing. I escaped into a thick forest, and passed out there in the snow. Fortunately, I had a narrow escape. I awoke later, and met my subordinates who came to save me. But the would festered for lack of attention. I had to lie in bed for quite a few days. I almost lost one of my arms that time."


    Yun Shang was breathless as she listen to the Prince tell his story. She felt so sad for him that she only regained her ability to speak again after a long while. "People that narrowly escape are blessed. No matter what the situation is, taking care of one''s body is of great importance. And it is also important to stay alive. You will break the heart of those who care you, if you don''t take care of yourself. Having so many scars can be unsightly. What if your wife dislikes you for your scars when you get married?"


    Prince Jing raised his head to look at Yun Shang after hearing her words. "Hum? Dislike? It doesn''t matter. Doctor Xue Yan has many medicines that eliminate scars. But..." Prince Jing continued with a bitter smile, "If I cannot marry the woman I love, I would rather stay single for the rest of my life. Then nobody would have the chance to dislike me."


    Yun Shang paused when she heard the Prince''s words. Then she managed to tie a knot on the bandage, and started another topic. "Keep the wound away from water. My medicine is much better than the military physician''s. Please keep this bottle, and let the military physician use this medicine instead." Yun Shang gave the bottle to the Prince after finishing speaking.


    Instead of taking the bottle, Prince Jing said, "Although the military physician''s medicine is slow in taking effect, it is effective, too. You keep this for you. It might be of help if you get hurt."


    Yun Shang was taken by surprise. She lowered her head to look at the white bottle in her hand, and replied gently, "Yes."


    Yun Shang felt embarrassed now and could not utter another word. Fortunately, the curtain was raised. Then the Deputy Commander came in. He realized what had happened when he saw the Prince''s bound up arm and the bottle in Yun Shang''s hands. The Deputy Commander felt a little flushed, too. But he quickly reported to the Prince, "My Lord, Princess Hua Jing is missing."

 Chapter 91 The Dust Settled

    "What do you mean by missing?" Yun Shang frowned.


    "Earlier today, a soldier noticed that the Princess was not in her tent while delivering breakfast to Lady Zhao and Her Highness, so he reported to me. I thought she might be taking a walk somewhere, so I didn''t pay much attention. But Lady Zhao told me Princess Hua Jing still hasn''t returned. I have sent them to look for Her Highness, but no one has found her yet."


    "Have the guards seen her? I specifically ordered that no one would be allowed to leave the camp today." Prince Jing rolled down his sleeves and asked calmly.


    The Deputy Commander answered. "No. The guards reported that no one has left the camp today."


    "It should be fine then. She must still be in the camp. She couldn''t have left. It''s not easy to find her in such a big camp, but I''ll find a way to make her show up."


    Knowing Prince Jing was a resourceful leader, the Deputy Commander was about to leave when he suddenly recalled something and asked quietly. "But we still need people to bring water. We''ve got to let someone out."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and replied. "Not a problem. My people will bring water to the gate. Soldiers in the kitchen just need to pick it up from there."


    Hearing Yun Shang mention her cruel and heartless female warriors, the Deputy Commander trembled. He nodded. "Please convey my gratitude to the ladies." Then he hastened to exit.


    "I think we have mistaken Hua Jing''s intention. We thought she came here to steal the Deployment map for Prince Qingsu, but one fact was overlooked. That she was a hostage herself. She suggested Qingsu write a letter asking for you to marry the Prince. If His Majesty agrees and she''s still in Qingsu''s army, the truth will naturally come to light. So she had to run, or her plan would fall through and maybe, she would be the victim of her own plan." Prince Jing picked up a book and fixed his eyes on it.


    "But she doesn''t know that the name on the letter has been changed to Princess Hua Jing." Yun Shang smiled. "Qingsu is taking a wait-and-see approach. He is waiting for His Majesty''s reply and your Deployment map."


    Prince Jing nodded and smiled. "He will never get the Deployment map since Hua Jing has run away. I''m thinking about letting her go back to the Imperial City. I''ll send messengers back at top speed and suggest that His Majesty invite Prince Qingsu to the Imperial City for further discussion without disclosing the content of the letter."


    Prince Jing turned to Yun Shang. "At that time, maybe they will think you are the one that is going to marry him. Then, I''ll arrange for an encounter between Hua Jing and Qingsu. Qingsu will know he had been fooled by Hua Jing. We never know what he might do out of anger and shame."


    Yun Shang frowned. It also meant that she would have to give up her plan to kill Hua Jing at the border. However, on second thought, if Prince Jing''s plan worked well, it would be utterly disgraceful for Hua Jing and the Empress. Simply killing her wasn''t that satisfying. Wouldn''t it be better if Hua Jing was detested by the whole world?


    "If we leave what will happen to the border?"


    Prince Jing sensed her hesitation. "It''s time to release the Emperor''s Son-in-Law."


    Emperor''s Son-in-Law? Yun Shang squinted. Now? All right, she would follow Prince Jing''s plan. Yun Shang thought before whispering to Prince Jing. "The Emperor''s Son-in-Law is in..."


    The Deployment map was stolen and a Princess was missing. Two inconceivable incidents occurred in succession within one day. Everyone was jittery in the camp. Yun Shang heard them talking about these incidents everywhere.


    Yun Shang stopped at Hua Jing''s tent and asked loudly. "Lady Zhao, I''m Xiao Yuan. May I come in?"


    Lady Zhao answered from inside. "Yes, please."


    Yun Shang walked in and saw Lady Zhao counting her prayer beads. Lady Zhao stopped and turned. "Is Mister Xiao here to inform me that Princess Hua Jing is missing?"


    Yun Shang was stunned. "Has Lady Zhao heard of it already?"


    Lady Zhao sneered. "Bad news travels fast here. I bet they all know now. I just heard the soldiers on patrol talking about it."


    Yun Shan nodded. After a short silence, she bowed to Lady Zhao. "We are deeply sorry for failing to protect Her Highness."


    Lady Zhao put on a strange smile. "She''s free to go anywhere. Who can stop her? There are tens of thousands of soldiers in this camp but not one is missing. She tossed and turned all night yesterday. Maybe she just doesn''t want to see me. Don''t bother looking for her. I bet she will show up in one month."


    Yun Shang listened attentively without saying a word.


    After a m


    ssassins."


    Yun Shang nodded.


    A few moments later, Yingjie woke up. He burst into tears once he saw Lady Zhao. "Mother!" Then they cried on each other''s shoulder.


    A smile appeared on Yun Shang''s face. Though her revenge hadn''t been accomplished yet, the fact that she had at least saved Zhao Yingjie consoled her. Maybe she was changing everyone''s fate somehow.


    After they calmed down, Prince Jing dismissed the others and asked Yingjie about his experience.


    Yingjie answered. "We were under siege at Linguan Town that day. It was an empty town and we were playing hide and seek with the army of Yelang. But without food, we got exhausted after a few days. Then we were caught by their soldiers. When I woke up, I found myself imprisoned in a dark room. I had no idea what was happening until today. The guard talked about sending me to the camp of Yelang, so I took the chance and escaped. But because of the heavy fog, I got lost in the mountain and fell over. Then I just passed out."


    Prince Jing nodded. "A soldier in Yupin Mountain found you and recognized you. So they transferred you here. Lady Zhao came all the way to the border after learning that you were missing. She must have a lot to say to you. Take some rest here tonight and catch up with your mother."


    Then Prince Jing left the tent with Yun Shang.


    Outside, the ground was covered in a thick layer of fresh snow. The snow creaked as they walked on it.


    "I have looked into it. Yingjie was indeed besieged by the army of Yelang. But how did you know he was trapped in Linguan Town and happen to save him?" Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang and asked softly.


    Yun Shang smiled. Certainly she could not tell him about her rebirth so she said. "You know that Hua Jing is my enemy. I always keep an eye on people around her and of course, I wouldn''t want to miss such a great chance."


    By now, dawn was breaking. Yun Shang looked at the white snow on the ground and said, "I think I should go back to the Imperial City tomorrow. I''m supposed to be in Ning''guo Temple after all. Now that Hua Jing has ran away, I''d better go back and wait for interesting things to happen."


    In a trance, Prince Jing took some time to respond. "All right. Go back then."


    After a while, he added. "There''s a talented physician in the army, maybe less talented than Xue Yan. But he is much more skilled than usual ones."


    Yun Shang was confused about his intention.


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang. "Zhang Yin was afraid it might raise suspicion if he kept Hua Jing around, so he disguised her as a guard in physician''s'' tent. That physician I just mentioned noticed that she was a woman despite her disguise. He told me Hua Jing might be pregnant."


    Pregnant? A piercing look appeared on Yun Shang''s face. The day of her child''s death flashed back in her mind over and over again. She smiled cruelly. "Great. I was thinking about finishing her on the way. Now, it seems I have to spare her life until she''s back at the Imperial City." Hua Jing. Hua Jing. An eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth. It is time for you to pay your debt!

 Chapter 92 Lady Fu

    When the soldiers finished beating the early morning drum, Prince Jing returned to his camp and put on his armor. Then he went to the training ground.


    Luo Ding ran to Yun Shang and asked, "Mister Xiao, several soldiers were asking me about the people that you caught yesterday. What do I tell them?"


    Yun Shang smiled at him. "Just tell the soldiers that they are the thieves who stole our Map of Army Distribution. And tell them that the map has been found." Then Yun Shang walked into the tent. Zhao Yingjie and his mother were no longer in the Prince''s tent. Since Yun Shang didn''t bring many things when she came, there was not much for her to pack. So she just looked around for a while. Then she walked to the table and wrote something on a parchment. After that, she left the tent.


    "Bring my horse here." Yun Shang said to Luo Ding.


    Luo Ding nodded. "Mister Xiao, are you leaving the camp? I''ll fetch your horse for you."


    After a while, Luo Ding led the horse to her. Yun Shang smiled at Luo Ding and mounted. "Tell the Prince that I''m leaving." Then she raised her whip and dropped it fiercely. The horse neighed and took Yun Shang far away from the tent.


    Luo Ding frowned. "Isn''t he just going out of the camp? Is it necessary to tell His Highness about that?"


    When Prince Jing returned from the training ground, Luo Ding decided to tell him about Yun Shang''s leave, even though he was still confused about why he needed to do that. "Your Highness, Mister Xiao asked me to tell you that he left..."


    As soon as Luo Ding finished his sentence, he saw Prince Jing''s face change. Prince Jing quickly mounted the horse that was nearest to him and galloped to the gate of the camp with his armor still on.


    However, it was already late. Even at the horse''s fastest speed, Prince Jing could only see Yun Shang''s silhouette from the mountain behind Xiyi Town. Yun Shang rode with several servants. Prince Jing grit his teeth in frustration. He squinted when he thought the girl on the mountain turned around to look at him.


    Then his mouth curved into a smile. Ning Yun Shang, this is the last time that I let you get away from me.


    Prince Jing''s eyes darkened. He stood there and kept watching the figures until they disappeared. Then he slowly rode back to the camp.


    "Of the Heaven''s will and by His Majesty''s command, to bring peace to the country after the accident on the day of the Winter Solstice, Princess Hui Guo went to Ning''guo Temple to pray and bring back their holy treasure. Now that Princess Hui Guo has returned with the White Conch, she has shown her sincerity. His Majesty is grateful for what she has done. The Princess will be rewarded with ten bolts of the finest brocade, three pearls from the South Sea, and a pair of jade ruyi*." The shrill voice of the eunuch rang through the Palace. Yun Shang led her maids to kneel and kowtow three times before respectfully accepting the Imperial Edict from the eunuch. "Long live His Majesty."


    (TN* Ruyi is a long S-shaped handle with a head fashioned like a fist, cloud, or lingzhi mushroom. It is a talisman that symbolizes power and good fortune.)


    Then Qin Yi helped Yun Shang stand. Yun Shang smiled and put a golden bead into the eunuch''s hand. "Thank you for your trouble."


    The eunuch''s eyes widened. He smiled and said, "No trouble. No trouble at all. Congratulations to Your Highness. His Majesty treasures the White Conch very much. He even mentioned holding a grand ceremony for it and letting the Masters from the Temple give their blessings."


    Yun Shang smiled. "The blessed object deserves to be treated respectfully."


    After the eunuch left, Yun Shang handed the Imperial Edict to Qin Yi and smiled. "After the excitement at the frontier, it is a little hard for me to adjust to the boring life here. Qin Yi, tell me what has been going on in the Palace all these days."


    Qin Yi smiled. She took the tea from another maid and put it on the table beside Yun Shang. "Nothing special. The Empress is still in recovery. Although His Majesty withdrew the guards outside Qiwu Palace, the Empress still isolates herself. Some ladies went to pay their respects but none managed an audience with the Empress. So no one visits the Empress anymore. But even so, the ladies in the imperial household still have something to do. They were busy ingratiating themselves with Lady Ming. What''s more, Grand Councilor Li sent a girl to the Palace earlier. Now the girl has become His Majesty''s favorite Lady.


    "Oh?" Yun Shang was surprised and turned to Qin Yi, "A girl sent by Grand Councilor Li? What''s her name?"


    Qin Yi smiled and answered, "Her name seems to be Li Fuyi. I''ve heard that she''s the Grand Councilor''s youngest daughter..."


    "She looks quite timid and weak as if she could fall over with the wind? And does she love to wear white clothes? Does she have a mole under her eye?" Yun Shang looked up and asked.


    Qin Yi was more than surprised. She smiled and said, "Exactly. How do you know that?"


    Yun Shang reached for her cup. How couldn''t she know? In her previous life, Li Fuyi also came to the Palace. But she had been sent just a little later than now. Yun Shang remembered that the Empress picked Li Fuyi for the Emperor. It was said that Li Fuyi was sent as a maid to chat with the Empress to keep her from feeling bored. After a few days, however, she gained the Emperor''s favor and became Lady Fu. Then, with the Empress''s help, Lady Fu moved up to higher positions. Within a year, she had become the second most Royal Lady in the Palace.


    Yun Shang sneered. Li Fuyi, what a lovely name. But deep inside Fuyi was more vicious than a black widow. She was


    other delivers her child smoothly, then I''ll let the Empress out. But if anything happens to her or her baby, I''ll deprive the Empress of her royal title."


    Yun Shang was shocked. Emperor Ning was a smart person. He knew that Lady Jin had become the biggest threat to everyone in the Palace. All attention would be on her and her unborn baby. She was getting in the way of many. With Emperor Ning''s arrangement, the Empress would do her best to protect Lady Jin and her baby.


    Equally, the Empress will feel a growing resentment toward Lady Jin. After the child is born, the Empress would surely start her schemes. The Empress and Lady Jin had been incompatible since before Yun Shang was born. Father''s arrangement wouldn''t change anything.


    Emperor Ning talked with Yun Shang for some time before leaving. After Emperor Ning left, a maid came to tell Yun Shang that Lady Meng asked to see her. Lady Meng? Yun Shang was confused and looked to Qin Yi for an explanation. Qin Yi curled her lips and said, "It''s Qin Meng. She has gained His Majesty''s favor these past few days, so she was entitled Lady Meng earlier."


    Lady Meng, Lady Meng...... As Yun Shang secretly repeated the title twice, the door opened. Qin Meng entered and bowed to Yun Shang. "Your Highness."


    She stopped acting humble...Yun Shang smiled scornfully.


    "There''s no need to be so polite, Lady Meng. You look much better than before. I believe that you are leading a good life now."


    Qin Meng quickly kneeled. "All of my glory and achievement were given by Your Highness. No matter what position I''m in, Your Highness will always be my master."


    "Your master?" Yun Shang smiled. "But I don''t need a useless servant." Coldness flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes. "I''m sure you''ve heard that Li Fuyi just visited me. I''ve heard that she is one of father''s favorites now. You are favored by the Emperor too. You should talk to her and make friends with her. She is far more popular than you now. When you climb to a higher position than her, you can come back and call me your master."


    Qin Meng''s eyes darkened. She hesitated for a while and then whispered. "But Lady Fu is the Empress''s younger sister, and she''s also Lady Ming''s niece. How can I compete with her..."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and whispered in Qin Meng''s ear. "I''ll tell you a secret. Li Fuyi is one of the youngest daughters in the Li mansion. She was bullied by many. The Empress was among her tormentors. You''ve worked for the Empress, and you know her the best. I''m sure you and Li Fuyi can find a lot to talk about."


    Qin Meng bit her lip. She looked hesitant. Yun Shang continued, "If I were you, I would cry out loud and weep in front of Li Fuyi. I would claim that I am sorry for what I''ve done to the Empress and wanted to apologize to her. I would mention that the Empress is in her recovery in the Palace so no one can see her. Then, I would beg Lady Fu to say something nice about me in front of the Empress, given that she and the Empress are sisters and they must be really close. Well, of course I wouldn''t go there right after leaving Qingxin Palace. I would wander around Qiwu Palace for a couple of days and then bump into Lady Fu by accident..."


    Qin Meng''s eyes brightened. She kowtowed before Yun Shang and said, "I know what to do now. I will accomplish the mission."


    Yun Shang smiled and leaned back on the couch. She squinted at Qin Meng. "Mission? When did I give you a mission?"


    Qin Meng nodded repeatedly. "Your Highness is right. You have never given me any mission......" Then she kowtowed again and took her leave.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes. It seemed like Hua Jing hadn''t returned yet. It made Yun Shang wonder what was going on with her sister...This Palace will soon become a stage for upcoming shows...

 Chapter 93 The Odd Cat

    In Changchun Palace, Li Fuyi was standing behind Lady Ming. As she massaged Lady Ming''s shoulders, Li Fuyi said, "I think Princess Yun Shang is too weak to merit any compliment. The other day I stayed with her for a short while and she coughed incessantly. Moreover, she is too young. She even behaves like a little baby in the presence of her maids-in-waiting. I think she is much worse than Princess Hua Jing."


    Lady Ming closed her eyes and sighed. "You are not as discerning as the Empress. I have been observing all the people in the imperial household before I took charge of the the imperial household. I can see through all people to some extent except Yun Shang. Every time I see her, I find she is different from before. She is the one that we really should keep an eye on."


    Li Fuyi''s eyes betrayed a hint of satire. But she humbly bowed her head and said gently, "Yes, my Ladyship. I will keep an eye on her."


    "Your father sent you to the Imperial Palace for two purposes. For one thing, your elder sister is recuperating. You have to do something for her. I am too old to do anything good for her. Your other task is to help your sister deal with the ladies in the imperial household. They are all smart and crafty. It doesn''t matter if it is in the Royal Court or in the imperial household, we, the Li family must be the dominant family." said Lady Ming, looking ambitious.


    "I see. My father has told me about this. I will do everything within my power to support you and my sister." said Li Fuyi, smiling gently.


    Lady Ming straightened up and waved her hands to stop the massage. "I think I should find an opportunity to meet Princess Yun Shang."


    At Qingxin Palace, Qin Yi drew aside the curtain after entering the room. As she blew on her stiffened fingers, she said, "Princess, it is snowing outside. This is the first snow this year. I suppose Lady Ming will hold a gathering and send for you."


    "The first snow?" asked Yun Shang with astonishment. It snows earlier in the borderland than in the Imperial City. Yun Shang continued, "What day is it today?"


    "The thirteenth day of the first lunar month." said Qin Yi with a smile.


    That''s right. The thirteenth day of the first lunar month. Yun Shang smiled as she rested her hands on her belly.


    "Princess, I heard that Princess Hua Jing returned to the Princess Palace last night. If the gathering is held today, Princess Hua Jing will, in all likelihood, come. But I don''t know why Princess Hua Jing didn''t come to the Imperial Palace today to pay her respects to the Empress. Maybe she doesn''t know what happened to the Empress." said Qin Yi as she tidied up a cloak.


    How could Princess Hua Jing not know about the Empress? She must know. Hua Jing must be very pleased. The letter she asked Prince Qingsu to write sought peace-making marriage between Yelang and Ning. It must have reached the Emperor by now. If Hua Jing learns that the letter asked for her hand in marriage to Prince Qingsu, she would not react kindly.


    "Princess, Lady Ming''s maid called Bi''er has brought a message for you. She said that according to tradition, a family feast will be held at the first snow and that the Princess is invited to the family feast in Meiying House later." said Qian Yin with a smile. As she saw only Qin Yi accompany the Princess, she stepped into the room and said gently, "Princess, I just saw the attendant who works in our Palace chat with Bi''er. I have never seen the attendant before."


    "Really?" Yun Shang lifted her eyes to Qin Yi. The maid replied, "The attendant is a newcomer. He has been sent by the Emperor, not by Lady Ming. The Emperor has selected attendants for every Palace."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Lady Ming has not been in charge of the imperial household for long. So the attendant must be sent by my father. Since the attendant is an informant of my father, he won''t harm me. But he is not one of our people. We should keep an eye on him."


    It was snowing harder and harder. Yun Shang rested her head on the windowsill and looked at the snowflakes attentively.


    "Princess, it seems that the snow isn''t going to stop. We might as well proceed to Meiying House. If it keeps snowing, it will be hard for us to travel. said Qin Yi as she stretched her head to look out the window.


    Yun Shang nodded and let Qin Yi dress her. After slipping on a cloak, she walked out of the room with an umbrella. Meiying House was located in a secluded place to the west of the Imperial Palace. The west area of the Imperial Palace was covered in plum trees. In winter, it was a good place to enjoy the snow and the plum blossoms. On the way to Meiying House, Yun Shang and her attendants crossed a bamboo forest. Yun Shang was lost in her thoughts as she trod on the snow. All of a sudden, a white fluffy creature yowled before springing at Yun Shang. The Princess screamed in surprise. She glanced at Qian Yin who was holding the umbrella. She looked like she was about to attack the cat. Yun Shang caught Qian Yin''s hand as she fell backwards.


    A group of people surrounding Yun Shang had fallen to the ground. Yun Shang whispered to Qian Yin, "There are outsiders around here. Don''t act rashly."


    Qian Yin hastened to get up and said, "Princess, are you all right? Princess¡­" Qian Yin promptly helped Yun Shang to her feet. Yun Shang frowned and started to cough. She wheezed and gasped so much that she had to place her hands on her chest. It was not until a while later that Yun Shang waved her hands and said, "I am fine."


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin quickly checked to see if Yun Shang had been injured.


    On seeing this, the old maid made a move to catch the cat. But the cat hunched over and spun in the same place, looking as though it was about to attack again.


    "Go, catch it now." The Emperor frowned. The eunuchs standing by rushed forward and caught the cat.


    Lady Ming frowned and said, "Normally, the cat is docile. But why does it run wild today?"


    Suddenly, a lady whose name Yun Shang didn''t know said, "The cat was brought here by Princess Yun Shang. Maybe the cat has eaten something unclean or smelled something bad."


    Yun Shang just smiled without saying a word. But Qian Yin couldn''t help explaining, "Princess found this cat in the bamboo forest. The cat sprang at the Princess and she fell to the ground. The Princess can''t touch cats due to health reasons. But she saw the cat had almost froze to death and she thought it must belong to a Lady because of its beautiful fur. So the Princess asked us to carry it here. Along the way, there was nothing to eat or smell. So how could the cat have eaten or smelled something bad?"


    "I don''t know. I have seen Yuan Bao several times before. It is by nature, docile. But why does it run wild today? More coincidentally, it rushed towards Lady Fu." said the Lady with her eyebrows raised.


    "I don''t care about whom the cat belongs to, where it comes from, or what it ate. It will be executed for it almost caused Lady Jin to fall down. Servant, come here. Take this cat away and kill it. After that, you should give its body to an imperial physician to check what''s wrong with it." said the Emperor as he frowned. He grew impatient when he heard the ladies twittering and speculating.


    At the moment, Yun Shang saw Lady Ming bow her head and look unhappy.


    It should have been a good family feast. But now, everyone present was feeling anxious.


    Lady Jin yawned and said gently, "I feel tired now. I will go back to Qiwu Palace and rest."


    The Emperor nodded and said, "Be careful!" The he turned around to tell Lord Zheng, "You ask the servants who lift the sedan chair to watch their step." After this, he said to the woman in black, "You, follow Lady Jin."


    After Lady Jin left, Li Fuyi sat on the chair. Her neck which had been scratched by the cat was still bleeding. Yun Shang coughed slightly and said, "Lady Fu''s neck is still bleeding. Please call for an imperial physician."


    A while later, an imperial physician came and checked Lady Fu''s wound. Then the physician sid, "Well, it''s very odd. There is a kind of aromatic substance on the wound. This kind of aromatic substance makes it difficult for the wound to heal and it also makes people restless."


    "Aromatic substance?" "Restless?" On hearing this, the Emperor frowned and said, "What if a cat is exposed to this kind of aromatic substance?


    The physician answered quickly, "I''m afraid the cat would go wild. This kind of aromatic substance is so pungent that any kind of animal that touches it, will go wild."


    Yun Shang smiled. It occurred to her that the Empress had called for a Taoist Priest to hold an exorcism for her not long after she had been reborn. The Empress also claimed that the animal went wild. At the thought, Yun Shang couldn''t help smile. These people really were family. They even thought of the same idea!


    The Emperor thought for a while and said, "Physician, smell all guests here and find out who uses this kind of aromatic substance."


    The physician instantly replied, "Yes, my Emperor. No offense, masters." After conveying his apology, the physician started to smell the people present, one by one. When he came near Yun Shang, he arrested his step and took a deep breath. Then he turned to speak to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, the smell is coming from this lady."

 Chapter 94 Leaving It Unsettled

    Yun Shang squinted her eyes. It happened just as she had expected. When she ran across the cat in the bamboo forest, she knew that something interesting would happen.


    It seemed that the trick was played by Lady Ming. As a senior member of the imperial household, Lady Ming would have gone through many ups and downs over the years. As a result, she must be very patient and calm. It didn''t seem likely that she would do such a thing impulsively.


    Maybe¡­


    As Yun Shang bowed her head to smell her sleeve, she started to cough badly. Then she looked up and said, "There is undoubtedly an aromatic substance on my sleeve. Due to my poor health, I have never been accustomed to aromas except from herbs. Every time I smell pungent aromas, I cough. What''s more, the physician has just said that the aroma would make people restless. Why would I take a substance that would make me very sick?"


    "Well, " On hearing this, the physician timidly lifted his eyes to Lady Ming.


    Yun Shang said with a slight smile, "During my walk from Qingxin Palace to Meiying House, I did not come across any smells. I believe that I got the aromatic substance on my sleeve when I touched the cat. I remember Lady Ming also touched the cat, so did the old maid by Lady Ming''s side. Since the substance is harmful, I would suggest that the physician check whether it transferred to Lady Ming and her old maid."


    The imperial physician hesitated. Yun Shang said with a smile, "Are you afraid that Lady Ming will be offended?"


    The physician nodded and said, "Yes, I''m afraid."


    Yun Shang bowed her head and thought for a while before she swiveled around to speak with the Emperor, "Father, I''m weak, but I''m young. So it''s not all that dangerous if I''m stained with the harmful aroma. But Lady Ming is old if¡­ Father, you can ask a few ladies to smell Lady Ming. Is that okay?"


    The Emperor nodded and said, "Yes. Shang''er is right." Then he scanned the ladies present and thought for a while before announcing, "Lady Meng, Lady Ying, and Lady Lan, please check Lady Ming."


    Lady Ming opened her mouth to object, but said nothing. The three ladies walked towards Lady Ming and took a deep breath. Then they approached Yun Shang. The Princess lifted her hands to let them sniff her sleeves. A while later, Lady Meng took the lead in reporting, "I found there is an odd aroma coming from Lady Ming and the old maid. The aroma is the same as that on Princess Hui Guo''s sleeve. I also found something odd. Only one of Princess Hui Guo''s sleeves has the aroma."


    Yun Shang smiled, lifted her right hand and said, "It should be this sleeve. Father, I''m afraid that you don''t know that a cat sprang at me on my way here and I was knocked to the ground. I guessed the cat must belong to a lady for it was well-cared for. So I brought it here. Just as we arrived, Lady Fu recognized it and told us the cat was Yuan Bao and that it belonged to Lady Ming. I then gave it back to Lady Ming. Lady Ming asked me to feel its soft fur. I used my right hand to touch the cat."


    After Yun Shang finished her explanation, Lady Ming said, "Are you implying that I put the aromatic substance on the cat and tried to frame you with that?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "Lady Ming, I''m afraid you misunderstand me. I should be blamed for I brought the cat here. This incident would not have happened had I not suggested that the cat be brought to the House. Later, I will ask my maid to send my most effective vulnerary to Lady Fu. Now, Father is investigating the truth of the matter. I believe I should give a full account of this incident honestly so that Father is well-informed. I learned it from some novels where characters relate incidents in great detail. I don''t know whether what I said is useful or not."


    Yun Shang continued, "Lady Ming, I knew that it was not you who put the aromatic substance on the cat. Lady Fu is your niece. You won''t harm your dear niece. But, I think the one that played the trick and caused suspicion was extremely audacious."


    Dear niece. A mocking air appeared in Yun Shang''s eyes but it disappeared soon. Though she didn''t know whether Lady Ming played the trick or not, she had explained herself properly. If Lady Ming did play the trick, she must have discussed it with Lady Fu. At any rate, it was acceptable to put Lady Fu in the spotlight. Lady Fu was always holding grudges. Though she didn''t say it, she would secretly hate Lady Ming.


    The Emperor said nothing and watched the infighting. Impatience flashed in his eyes as he thought, ''These ladies are always contending with each other covertly every day. But today, they almost harmed the baby that Lady Jin is bearing. I should warn them.''


    "Somebody Catch a cat for me." said the Emperor.


    A cat? Everybody wondered what the Emperor intended to do.


    Lady Ming frowned and said to the Emperor, "What are you going to do?"


    The Emperor replied, "Just now, the physician said the smell would make people restless. And it would also make a cat go wild. So, I want to test the theory. I wonder how the cat go wild when it smells the substance."


    On hearing this, the physician trembled slightly but sai


    ought about what Yun Shang said carefully and sighed, "You know everything. But you are by nature, meek. When you get married, you will be mistreated."


    Upon hearing this, Yun Shang said with a smile, "Father, I am a Princess. You will support me. Nobody will dare to mistreat me. Besides, Master Wu Na said that suffering a loss is a blessing."


    "Suffering a loss is a blessing. Only a wise man such as Wu Na can deliver such a wonderful statement." said the Emperor. "Do you want to visit your dear mother now?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head. Then she added, "No. Father, you have seen that I am in the public spotlight now. Mother is bearing a baby, and many ladies are trying to hurt her. If I visit her too frequently, I will bring attention to mother. What''s more, " Yun Shang paused for a while before continuing, "I have seldom been in touch with mother since my childhood. Even if I see mother, I don''t know what to say."


    The Emperor kept silent for a moment before sighing, "It''s all my fault."


    Then they walked their separate ways. Yun Shang went back to Qingxin Palace. Qian Yin closed the door and asked with a puzzled look, "Princess, you must have heard the slight noise coming from the vase. The old maid threw the needle into the vase. Why didn''t you tell the Emperor about this?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "All the guests present pretended that they hadn''t heard the noise. We should do the same thing. The Emperor''s bodyguards also claimed they had heard nothing and found nothing. There was no way for us to contradict everyone."


    Qian Yin took a tumble and exclaimed, "Well, I see. The Emperor tried to cover up for the old maid, or more specifically, Lady Ming."


    "Hush!" Yun Shang made a gesture and said, "Don''t say that. Don''t talk nonsense."


    Qian Yin stopped talking instantly and then whispered to Yun Shang and Qin Yi, "Princess, during the feast, a maid secretly gave me a small piece of paper."


    "Really? What''s on it?" Yun Shang felt slightly stunned. Then she recalled something and said, "You have accompanied me so long that I forget that you were sent here by the Empress to replace Qin Meng. Maybe the Empress ordered the maid to send you the small piece of paper? The Empress might want you to do something for her."


    Qian Yin nodded and said, "Princess, you are right. The Empress asks me to lead you to the pavilion in the the Imperial Garden in the late morning, three days from now."


    "Really? What will happen in three days?" Yun Shang thought for a while. In her previous life, around this time, she would have reported her pregnancy to the Empress. In this life, she didn''t get married nor pregnant. The Empress was grounded. Everything was different. So what would happen in three days?


    Qian Yin shook her head and said, "I don''t know. The paper didn''t convey the intention of this action. It just says I have to lead you there. You see¡­"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Come what may, I''m not afraid. I want to see what scheme the Empress has made to frame me. There is another thing I want you to do. Tell our spies to monitor Princess Hua Jing. If Princess Hua Jing calls for a physician, our spies should bribe the physician in advance and tell him to prescribe an antiabortifacient. If Hua Jing sends someone to buy some medicine for her, our spies should secretly change the medicine to an antiabortifacient. Anyway, I hope that what Hua Jing asks for is an antiabortifacient."

 Chapter 95 The Nightmare

    "I always thought that you were careful. How could you be so careless today? Besides Yun Shang, we also smelled the perfumed powder. It was lucky that you discarded the needle as soon as you spotted something wrong. Had we been caught, we would be in big trouble before we could teach Yun Shang a lesson." Lady Ming said with a frown. There was a hint of disapproval in her eyes.


    Madam Yu fell to the ground hurriedly and kowtowed before Lady Ming for several times. "I understand, My Lady. I was reckless today. But I didn''t expect that Princess Yun Shang would send people to investigate you on pretext of concern for your health."


    "Hum, Yun Shang is by no means a simple girl. She pretends to be timid and overcautious. But occasionally, she seems to be clever, too. However, her cleverness was so deliberate that no one would doubt that it was just her way to cover her clumsiness." Lady Ming waved and said, "All right. Anyway, what happened cannot be changed. I have led a peaceful life for many years, and have kept my hands from getting tainted by dirty tricks. You seem to not be accustomed to sneaky schemes as well. Be careful next time. Few women in the Palace are simple-minded. Don''t underestimate our enemies again."


    Madam Yu replied immediately, "I understand, My Lady. It''s getting late, you should retire now."


    Lady Ming nodded, "It''s getting colder. Set a warm stove in the room later."


    "Yes." Madam Yu answered before standing up. She helped Lady Ming take off her clothes, and took out the warmers from under the quilt. The bed was already warm because of the warmers. Madam Yu pulled the quilt on Lady Ming after the Lady had lain on the bed. After folding and putting aside the clothes, Madam Yu walked to the stove. She added more coal to the fire. Then she blew out the lamp, walked out of the room, and retired in the small night-watch cabin in the outer room.


    Lady Ming felt uneasy during her light sleep as she dreamed of a cat. The cat let out a pitiful scream and jumped at her. Lady Ming was so scared that she awoke from the nightmare. It was only a dream! Lady Ming wiped off the sweat on her forehead. However, when she was about to close her eyes again, she heard the faint yowling of a cat. And the yowling sounded more and more sad.


    How could it be possible for some cat to come here? Lady Ming frowned. Thinking of the dream she just had, she could not help but feel frightened. So she called aloud, "Madam Yu..."


    Movement was heard before Madam Yu responded, "Yes, I''m here."


    After a short moment, a light was seen when Madam Yu walked in with a glaze-covered lamp. "What happened, My Lady? Are you thirsty?"


    Lady Ming shook her head. She leaned a little forward and tried to hear for odd sounds. But, she heard nothing. So, Lady Ming asked, "Did you hear something, Madam Yu? The yowling of a cat, or something like that?"


    Madam Yu shook her head at Lady Ming''s question, "No. Did you hear something just now?"


    Lady Ming said with a frown, "The meowing of a cat."


    "The meowing of a cat?" Madam Yu felt a little surprised. "But I didn''t. How could it be possible for cats to come here at his hour? It is forbidden to let pets wander about in the Palace after evening. How could it be possible?"


    Lady Ming felt surprised, too. She thought she was imagining things. So she waved at Madam Yu, "All right. It may be an illusion."


    Madam Yu nodded. But before she turned to leave, she noticed an open window. Madam Yu frowned at this. "Why is the window open? I remembered having closed it before I left. Look, the fire is not as big as before."


    Lady Ming felt a chill after hearing Madam Yu''s words. "It snowed the whole day today. Maybe the window was not shut tightly, and the wind blew it open?"


    "Hum, " Madam Yu replied. She put down the lamp on the table by her side, and walked toward the window. Suddenly, she stopped as she felt as though she had stepped on an object which was both, soft and hard. Madam Yu almost fell when she stumbled into the object. She looked down, and saw a white fluffy thing under her foot. When she took a closer look at it, she could not help but let out a sharp scream, "Oh my.."


    Lady Ming was startled. She propped herself up to look at Madam Yu. "What''s happening?"


    Madam Yu pointed at her foot and said with her eyes closed. "My Lady, it is a cat. A dead cat..."


    This made Lady Ming''s hair stand on end. She trembled as she said, "Guard! Call the guard! Call them now!"


    In the quiet winter night, the knock was heard at the entrance of every Palace. "Emergency summon from Lady Ming. Ladies, please get dressed and go to Changchun Palace as soon as possible..."


    "Your Highness, please get up. Lady Ming sent for you. We have no idea what happened, but it seems that all the other ladies have been summoned, too." Qin Yi got up in a hurry, and then wakened Yun Shang. After helping Yun Shang get dressed, Qin Yi fetched a warmer and handed it to the Princess. "Your Highness, it''s very cold outside. Do you need one more robe?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No, I''m fine. Perhaps it would be better for you to take one more coat for yourself. We don''t need to be in a hurry."


    Qin Yi nodded and left to fetch a coat from the night-watch cabin. Then she scurried out of the room to check whether it was snowing or not. At last, she returned to the bedchamber and said to Yun Shang, "Let''s


    "It looks like, looks like... Lady Fu''s cat..."


    Li Fuyi frowned and stood up. "Since Zirui says it is my cat, it must be my cat. But, Lady Ming, how could I know it is my cat? I had played with it shortly before I went to bed. I have no idea why the cat would come here. Anyway, it is impossible for me to plot against you. If I had planned the plot, it would be stupid for me to use my own cat..."


    Lady Ming knew well that even if Li Fuyi wanted to hurt her, she would not take any action at this moment. So she waved at her and said, "I know it was not you. But the servants and maids in your Palace cannot escape suspicion. Since it was time for everyone to sleep, the doors must have been locked. If the door was locked, how could it be possible for the cat to sneak out and come to my Palace?"


    "Atishoo..." Yun Shang sneezed all of a sudden. Then she apologized immediately, "I''m sorry, Lady Ming. I didn''t mean to interrupt you. But I could not hold back the sneeze as, somehow, I have smelled an odd fragrance... I''m allergic to perfumed powders... I don''t know what happened but I can smell something right now. There was no such smell a moment ago..."


    The women in the imperial household were very smart! After hearing Yun Shang''s words, they all guessed that something was wrong. Lady Ming frowned and muttered, "Perfumed powders?"


    Yun Shang nodded. She sneezed again before she was about to speak. "Atishoo..."


    "It is very fragrant. And it is quite fresh as I didn''t smell it before." Yun Shang frowned after taking in a breath.


    There hadn''t been such a scent until this moment. Lady Ming sank into deep thought as she set her eyes on Yun Shang. No one left nor entered. The only thing that was brought into the Hall was ... the quilt on Yun Shang''s body.


    It seemed the quilt had also caught Yun Shang''s attention. She lowered her head, and breathed deeply. "Atishoo..." "Atishoo..."


    Yun Shang sneezed several times in a row. Lady Jin, who was sitting next to Yun Shang, stood up and took the quilt off from Yun Shang. She held Yun Shang''s arm, helped her stand, and pulled her close.


    "Are you feeling better now?" Lady Jin looked at Yun Shang and seemed worried.


    Yun Shang said with a nod, "Yes, I''m feeling much better."


    Lady Ming watched Lady Jin and Yun Shang for a short while. Then she turned to Madam Yu, "Is the quilt smelling of a perfumed powder?"


    Madam Yu looked quite confused at Lady Ming''s question. "Never. This is Lady Ming''s quilt. His Majesty asked for a quilt so urgently that I had to take the quilt on your bench. Many quilts stored in the closet haven''t been basked under the sun for disinfection."


    Madam Yu walked to the chair that Yun Shang had sat on. She took the quilt and smelled it. "Nothing. I don''t smell anything peculiar."


    Yun Shang went closer and smelled again. Then she sneezed and nodded repeatedly. "Yes. Yes. That''s it. Madam Yu, please smell here."


    Madam Yu smelled again, but she looked confused. "The scent is similar to the incense used to fumigate dresses. I think the quilt must have been tainted with the smell when the maid was fumigating your dress."


    "The fumigating incense?" Yun Shang murmured as if speaking to herself. Then she raised her head to look at Lady Ming, "Lady Ming, can I smell your dress?"


    Lady Ming had no choice but to give Yun Shang a nod, though she thought it a rude request.


    Yun Shang walked to Lady Ming and sniffed at her dress. "No, there is a difference. Though the two scents are quite similar, they are different. The scent on the quilt smells of some perfumed powder..."

 Chapter 96 The Versions Of Truth

    "The Madam Director to the Shangxiang Bureau will be familiar with all kinds of incenses. Your Majesty could ask her advice." When Lady Jin heard Yun Shang''s explanation, a worried look appeared on her face. She hurriedly suggested calling for the Madam Director to help identify the scent.


    Lady Ming snorted. "Again? The banquet accident was also caused by an odd smell. Bring the Shangxiang Director here. I''d like to know what''s wrong with this quilt."


    The Emperor nodded at Lady Ming before calling Lord Zheng forward. He then ordered Lord Zheng to send for the Shangxiang Director. As they spoke, the maids and eunuchs serving in Changchun Palace gathered outside the hall. They prostrated in the snow, waiting for Lady Ming''s punishment.


    Lady Ming snorted, "So you are the ones on duty tonight? Well, tell me then, what strange things have you noticed? Have you heard any noises?"


    The maids and eunuchs shuddered and kowtowed repeatedly. After a long time, a eunuch spoke. His teeth chattered with terror, "I heard a cat mewling, Your Highness. But the sound came from far away. All Her Highnesses in the Palace tend to pet cats, so I didn''t take it as odd. Apart from that, I heard nothing else."


    "We''ve heard nothing either, Your Highness." Hearing him speak, the other maids and eunuchs echoed.


    Lady Ming sneered, "So, none of you has seen or heard anything before the accident? Is the culprit a ghost? Come, take these unfaithful slaves away, and flog each of them twenty times on their back."


    Lady Ming''s order was carried out immediately. All the servants cried for mercy when being dragged away. The sound of the crack of whip against flesh filled the yard, along with pain-filled moaning and wailing. Yun Shang''s eyes turned dark at the scene. This was a standard Li Clan behavior. They always took out their anger on their servants, whose lives, in their eyes, were worthless.


    As the punishment carried on, Lord Zheng led the Madam Director of the Shangxiang Bureau in. The Shangxiang Director was a woman in her thirties. She curtsied to the Royals present in a hurry, "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses."


    Distracted and anxious, Lady Ming was in no mood for decencies. She waved the Director forward, saying, "Princess Yun Shang said that quilt was tainted by an odd smell. Go and sniff, and tell me if that is true."


    The Shangxiang Director hurriedly curtsied to her. She stepped forward, took the quilt in both hands, and sniffed thoroughly. Suddenly, her face became serious, as if she had found something but was uncertain. She pondered for a while and sniffed again. Then she knelt down, and reported, "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, the quilt is truly tainted with a pernicious incense. It will have to be incinerated."


    "Pernicious?" Emperor Ning''s eyes narrowed. He asked, "What harm will it do?"


    The Shangxiang Director kowtowed as she explained, "If I didn''t get it wrong, the quilt is tainted with a kind of incense named Insects Awaken, which has a very distinctive smell and attracts a variety of living creatures, for example, ants, snakes, centipedes, or other wild insects. Luckily, it is winter now, and most of the creatures are hibernating, few of whom have been attracted by the scent. If it were summer, the consequences would have been disastrous."


    All the faces in the hall turned pale at her words. Lady Ming clenched the yellow sandalwood armrest in anger, her teeth gritted when she asked, "Madam Yu, who changed my bedding?"


    Madam Yu hurriedly answered, "It was me, but I didn''t know a thing about the incense. Yesterday, Yuan Bao jumped onto Your Highness''s bed, and the quilt was smudged. When I was changing Your Highness''s bedding, it occurred to me that Lady Fu had embroidered a quilt for Your Highness. So I removed the smudged quilt and placed the one made by Lady Fu."


    "Lady Fu?" Lady Ming turned to Li Fuyi, and asked suspiciously, "Lady Fu, was the quilt made by you?"


    Li Fuyi hurriedly knelt. She bit her lower lip while explaining, "I did embroider the quilt, and I did gift it to you. Apart from that, I didn''t do a thing to it. Aunt, this is beginning to look more and more like a deliberately schemed plot. Someone must be setting me up. First the cat, and now the quilt..."


    Biting her lower lip, Yun Shang glanced at the cat, then the quilt, before asking, "Madam, if the tainted quilt was placed inside a chamber, could the scent be smelt from outside?" She pointed to the dead cat on the ground and frowned. "The cat died in Her Highness''s Palace for no reason, and no one spotted anything happening to her. I am wondering if perhaps the cat smelt the scent and wanted to approach the quilt. But the closed window blocked her way. In order to pass through, she dashed against the window repeatedly, and finally died from the incessant bonking."


    Hearing her words, Madam Yu stuttered, "Your Highness must be joking. How can the scent be smelt from so far away? Besides, if a cat had knocked at the window repeatedly, the noise wouldn''t be ignored."


    Yun Shang nodded, "You''re right, Madam. My guess is not perfect. But I was thinking of the incense, and the fact that no one had heard a thing in the palace. I''m just trying to combine both together."


    Before she could say more, a voice came from behind, "I think the Princess is right." It was Lady Lan...


    Yun Shang sneered. It seemed that Lady Lan always spoke without thinking. She wanted to continue, but a eunuch entered and reported, "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, an old maid would like to confess."


    Lady Ming was a little surprised, but she quickly said, "Bring her forward."


    Two eu


    I sent her for the secretion. What can I say? I never expected that the lure would cause my downfall."


    Emperor Ning scoffed, "What are you playing innocent for? There''s enough evidence to convict you. What do you say in your plea?"


    Lady Lan knelt in front of him, smiling, "There is an old saying, Your Majesty. If you are out to condemn someone, you can always trump up a charge. I have nothing to say in my plea."


    Emperor Ning waved his guards forward. "Take her away. Lady Lan has plotted against her fellow ladies in the most cruel-hearted way. For her moral wretchedness, she will be imprisoned in the Cold Palace from this day forward till the end of her life."


    Lady Ming frowned at the sentence. She wanted to say something, but finally didn''t. What could she say anyway? Who would believe her if she simply said that she sensed there was something wrong? How could her intuition outweigh the sound evidence? Neither could she clarify Lady Lan''s character by claiming her to be the Empress''s confidant, for allying with other ladies was a serious crime in the Palace.


    Thinking that through, Lady Ming glanced around the Hall, but read nothing from the attendees'' faces. Lady Jin used to be the Emperor''s favorite before, but she had been imprisoned in the Cold Palace for so many years. She''d count herself lucky for being released again, let alone be in a position to exert her influence among the new ladies. In Lady Ming''s opinion, Lady Jin was busy protecting her new child, so she wouldn''t be the one behind tonight''s scene. Princess Yun Shang was also an unlikely suspect. The Princess had grown up in Ning''guo Temple, far away from the entanglements in the Palace. However clever she may be, she wasn''t able to plot such a thorough scheme without leaving a trace.


    Lady Ming frowned as a feeling overwhelmed her. She suddenly felt that the future court life would be filled with disturbances. Distracted by the thought, she ordered, "Madam Cui has betrayed her Emperor and His Majesty''s ladies. She will work in Yexiang Lane to cleanse her diseased soul."


    The name sounded artistic, but Yexiang Lane was the place where the chamber pots were cleaned. Although Lady Ming had promised to spare Madam Cui''s life, she had numerous ways to torture her.


    But Madam Cui wasn''t fazed. She kowtowed to Lady Ming and murmured, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness." Then the eunuchs dragged her away.


    So far, this farce seemed to have been solved. Lady Ming claimed that she was consumed by the drama and needed to rest. And the other ladies also excused themselves before returning to their Palaces.


    "How wonderful! Lady Lan had done many awful things under the Empress''s order. Now her bad deeds have finally caught up with her." As they returned to Yun Shang''s Palace, Qian Yin happily said.


    But Yun Shang didn''t respond. She had been quiet along the way, as she contemplated on tonight''s event. Absent-minded, she sat on the bed, not even realizing that Qin Yi was helping her wash her feet. Suddenly, she cried out, "I see!"


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin exchanged glances, "Your Highness, what do you see?"


    Yun Shang smiled at them and said, "I see how it worked. Lady Lan should never have mentioned the compartment in her Guqin. Overwhelmed by anxiety, she made a grave mistake. Knowing about the compartment before the Emperor sent for her Guqin gave the culprit the opportunity to replace the deeds with the parcel. How swift."


    Qin Yi giggled, "Have you been thinking of that this whole time, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang answered with a smile. Qin Yi wanted to say something, but only managed a sigh. Seeing that, Qian Yin also remained quiet. The two maids looked at each other before quietly helping Yun Shang into bed.

 Chapter 97 Prince Jings Visit

    After the incense accident, a profound silence engulfed the Palace. But, within the silence, something invisible and intangible pullulated. Yun Shang wasn''t in her usual inquiring mood. To her, the pleasure of probing was not worth the trouble. Thus, for most of her time, she lay on her bed and read.


    Time passed, and the 29th day of the 12th lunar month arrived. The next day would be New Year''s Eve, the biggest day of the year. To celebrate the New Year, the Palace had been busy since the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, and the good cheer would last until the Lantern Festival. Among the fuss, Yun Shang was enjoying her long-deserved rest. As a Princess, she was entitled to stay idle. The only thing she needed to do was participate in the royal banquet on New Year''s Eve.


    When she thought it over, a question suddenly flashed across her mind. Would Hua Jing attend the banquet too? Thinking of that, Yun Shang grinned. Since her return to the Imperial City, Hua Jing had never been seen in the Palace. It was claimed that she had been ill due to depression. But that was an excuse. According to Yun Shang''s information, Hua Jing was trying to conceal her pregnancy, which would destroy her reputation in an instant.


    "Your Highness..." Qian Yin lifted the curtain and entered the room. Her face was red from the cold. In her hand, she carried a tray. "Your Highness, it''s snowed again. The kitchen has made some soup for you. I''ve brought some. Do you want to taste?"


    Yun Shang put down her book. "Sure." She sat up, slipped her feet into her slippers, and walked to the table.


    "The weather is getting colder. And New Year''s Eve is coming. There will be many things to do tomorrow. Tell the maids to get some rest tonight. By the way, would you be so kind as to take the night duty?" Asked Yun Shang softly.


    Qian Yin giggled. She nodded to the Princess, "Of course. I will tell them about your thoughtfulness, Your Highness. Be prepared to be praised." Qian Yin wasn''t worried about Yun Shang''s safety. Yun Shang''s Palace was guarded by the Yulin Guard. And Qian Yin herself was well-trained in martial arts. Nothing could happen to Yun Shang in her presence. Furthermore, the servants had been busy with the Lunar New Year for a long time. They needed some rest.


    Yun Shang had some soup. Then she asked Qian Yin to put away the pot. The winter was cold and windy. The days were short and the nights were long. By 5 o''clock in the afternoon, the sky had started to get dark. Having had her dinner, Yun Shang washed and went to bed. It had been a while since Yun Shang had celebrated New Year''s Eve at the Palace. She barely remembered the ritual. Memories from her previous life allowed her to recall that the ceremony was complicated and boring.


    As she had ordered, the maids went to bed early as well. Before long, silence fell over Qingxin Palace.


    Although sound sleep, Yun Shang suddenly felt as though someone was watching her in the dark. She stirred. As her eyes snapped open, she realized the feeling wasn''t a dream. She saw someone standing in front of her bed.


    Yun Shang wasn''t startled. She quietly reached for the dagger under her pillow. As the figure let down his guard, she straightened herself, and stabbed the figure in his chest.


    The figure seemed surprised. He dodged the blow, but the dagger still bit into his arm. "It''s me, " said the figure.


    Yun Shang hesitated. Then she recognized his voice.


    "Uncle?"


    The figure sighed as he spoke, "It seems my fears were misplaced. You are quite able to protect yourself."


    Yun Shang quickly got off her bed. She lit the glaze lamp on the table and turned around. In the lamp light, she saw a man in black sitting on her bed. It was indeed, Prince Jing.


    In disbelief, Yun Shang studied him from head to toe. The Prince looked travel-stained. A newly-cut wound on his arm oozed blood. She had done that...


    "Are you hurt, uncle?" Yun Shang went to Prince Jing, lifted his wide sleeve, and had a closer look. She was a trained warrior, and apparently, her uncle had been caught off guard. The dagger was very sharp. Accordingly, the wound was neat in appearance, almost like a red line. But Yun Shang was aware that it was a deep cut.


    Yun Shang took out a jade vial from her drawer. As she applied the ointment on Prince Jing''s arm, she asked, "Did you just arrive, uncle? And why did you break into my palace? Luckily I recognized your voice. Or you''d be wounded worse..."


    As Prince Jing watched Yun Shang, the joy he felt showed in his eyes. "You''re one to talk, Shang''er. Why didn''t you even leave me a note when you left the camp? And why didn''t you send a single letter to me after your arrival at the Imperial City? How could I not worry about you?"


    "Em..." Puzzled at his words, Yun Shang raised her head and winked. She didn''t think her relationship with Prince Jing was good enough to merit her disclosing her whereabouts.


    Prince Jing glanced at her. To his surprise, he was vexed by her indifference. He sneered, "I thought, to you, I was a little different. But it seems I''ve flattered myself."


    Yun Shang gave an embarrassed chuckle. She lowered her head to conceal her feelings, as she was somewhat nervous.


    Prince Jing regretted his words. It seemed he was a little out of line. Where was his calmness and restraint? And why was he easily provoked by Yun Shang? He felt uncomfortable with this change.


    Prince Jing said nothing more. Collecting himself, he got up, and jumped out through the window.


    Yun Shang stood by the window and looked in the direction the Prince


    my engagement at tomorrow''s New Year''s Eve banquet? There''s an old saying, a long delay may cause trouble..."


    Emperor Ning was a little surprised. Then he emitted a loud laughter. "I''ve never seen you so nervous, Prince Jing. You always appear cold and indifferent. I thought you were emotionless. I didn''t expect you to be tamed by my Shang''er. Ha!"


    Prince Jing flushed crimson. But he agreed with the Emperor. "Since Princess Yun Shang has come of age, she has been considered for marriage by many men. I have to take use of my advantage to gain the upper hand."


    "But I''ve never heard of your relation with Shang''er before. Tell me, brother, since when have you been in love with her? And how does my Shang''er feel?" Asked Emperor Ning. His heart was filled with doubt.


    Prince Jing answered with a smile, "When I returned to the Imperial City last time, you held a banquet for me, brother. I was a little drunk at the feast, so I went out for some air. And I encountered Princess Yun Shang in the corridor..."


    Prince Jing had already made up a story. The expression on his face appeared calm and solemn, and the story he was telling was flawless. Since it was already very late, Emperor Ning told Prince Jing to stay. He asked Lord Zheng for some warm wine and talked with the Prince for the rest of the night.


    Yun Shang felt distraught when she woke. Qin Yi brought in the basin and towel. When she entered Yun Shang''s chamber, she saw that the Princess had already gotten up. But Qian Yin wasn''t tending to her. Driven by curiosity, Qin Yi asked, "You''re awake, Your Highness. Where is Qian Yin?"


    Last night''s event came back to Yun Shang. She hurried to the corridor and found Qian Yin still asleep. She raised her voice, "Qian Yin!"


    Still in a loss, Qian Yin slowly opened her eyes. As her eyes focused on Yun Shang, Qian Yin finally awoke. She nervously straightened herself and wondered whether she had overslept. She sensed something wrong, but was not sure, "Your Highness, has something happened? Why didn''t I notice that you had woken?"


    Qin Yi also noticed something to be wrong. Suddenly, she spotted a blood-stained cloth beneath Yun Shang''s pillow. She gasped, eyes wide with surprise, "Blood? Your Highness!"


    Qian Yin turned pale at her words. "What blood? Your Highness, are you hurt? Was I drugged?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Last night, Prince Jing paid a visit. He drugged you."


    "Prince Jing!?" The two maids were alarmed. They approached Yun Shang. "Wasn''t he at the frontier? Why did he break into your chamber so late at night? And the blood... Are you hurt, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "It''s not my blood. It''s Prince Jing''s. I woke up feeling as though someone was staring at me last night. I stabbed the intruder with my dagger. Then I noticed it was Prince Jing."


    Qian Yin knelt and apologized, "It''s all my fault, Your Highness! My incompetence has led to the disastrous result. Please punish me, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang let out a sigh, "No, it''s not your fault. I''ve been too negligent. I thought my palace to be well-guarded, but its guard is merely enough to deter evil-minded ladies. A skillful warrior like Prince Jing could still sneak in."


    Qian Yin didn''t speak. Instead, she lowered her head in embarrassment. Yun Shang ordered, "It''s okay. Arrange some of my men to protect my Palace in secret."


    Qian Yin nodded. Yun Shang wanted to say something more, but Qin Yi cut in. "Your Highness, you have to change. We''re running out of time. And you have to present your respects to Lady Ming in the morning."


    Yun Shang nodded and went to change. Still feeling at unease, she complained, "Why am I so distraught? Why do I feel like something bad will happen today?"

 Chapter 98 Marriage Granted at Chinese New Years Eve

    After Yun Shang returned from Lady Ming''s Palace, Qian Yin whispered to her. "Your Highness, we just received rewards from His Majesty. There''s clothes, jewelry, and accessories for the New Year. I heard that every Palace received the same." Qian Yin looked around before lowering her voice. "Rewards for Qiwu Palace were double..."


    "Really?" Yun Shang squinted. "I knew this would happen when His Majesty concealed the Empress''s fake pregnancy and punished Lady Shu for causing her Majesty''s supposed miscarriage. The Empress miscarried and needed rest. That was all. Of course, she will come back on stage now that she has recovered. Since it was New Year''s Eve, all the officials of a rank higher than three would be present, along with their families. On such a day, father will have to show Grand Councilor Li some respect. After all, the Li Clan still enjoys supreme political power and status. But it won''t last too long."


    Qian Yin knew that many of those whom Her Highness trained would become government officials one day. Maybe Her Highness had foreseen this situation?


    "Your Highness, the Zhuangyuan''s* name is Liu Qiyan. His name sounds familiar." Qian Yin smiled shrewdly.


    (TN*: title conferred on the person who scores the highest in the Imperial examination)


    Yun Shang smiled as well. "I heard that you two got along well during the training. Do you fancy him? If so, I can betroth you to him. But he is renowned now. We don''t know if his feelings for you still remain the same..."


    Qian Yin blushed. She had meant to tease Yun Shang but accidentally drew fire on herself. She hurried to explain. "Don''t make fun of me, Your Highness... I''m only 14 years old."


    Yun Shang laughed. "It''s New Year''s Eve. Pick that rouge red dress for me and match it with a decent hairstyle and some exquisite jewelry."


    Qian Yin agreed. She fetched the outfit from the wardrobe and helped Yun Shang get dressed. Yun Shang hardly wore bright colors so Qin Yi was stunned when she walked in. Yun Shang''s skin looked as white as snow in contrast to the rouge red. The wide train of the dress lent a majestic aura to the dress. All in all, the outfit highlighted the Princess''s elegance and grace.


    "Your Highness is looking so gorgeous today. Princess Hua Jing is said to be the most beautiful in Ning, but I think Your Highness is even beyond compare. Your Highness is getting more and more beautiful as time passes. Let me make a Cloud Bun* and do some makeup for you. You are going to be the belle tonight, Your Highness." Qin Yi came toward them and helped Yun Shang sit down before the dresser.


    (*TN: a kind of hairstyle in which a bun is shaped like a cloud.)


    Yun Shang smiled peacefully. In her previous life, she had been so innocent that she believed in the Empress and Hua Jing, who had taught her to wear gaudy clothes and put on as much valuable jewelry as she could. Hence, the ladies from respectable families all laughed at her. She couldn''t help sighing in retrospect. Yun Shang looked in the mirror and almost didn''t recognize herself. She looked so different in this life.


    After dressing up, Yun Shang ate some pastries that Qin Yi had prepared. Since it was a long ceremony, she might not get the chance to eat.


    "Your Highness, it''s time. It''s still snowing outside, so let me accompany Your Highness to Jinluan Hall." Qin Yi put a white cloak on Yun Shang''s shoulders, picked up an umbrella, and helped Yun Shang walk to Jinluan Hall with Qian Yin''s assistance.


    Once at Jinluan Hall, Yun Shang was led to the platform meant for the royals. She was asked to sit on the third seat on the left. Her seating attracted a lot of attention.


    Yun Shang didn''t grow up in the Imperial City, and she had rarely appeared at public occasions after her return, so not many people knew about her. But it was not hard to figure out her identity based on her seat. Only imperial concubines of a certain grade were allowed to attend such feasts. At the moment, only the Empress and Lady Jin had this honor. If the Empress came, she would undoubtedly sit with the Emperor. The first seat would be for Lady Jin, and the second for Princess Hua Jing, the eldest princess. So the person being seated on the third seat must be Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang ignored all their whispering and sat quietly.


    Soon afterwards, Lady Jin entered and took her place on the first seat. Yun Shang''s expressions became tender after seeing Lady Jin''s swelling belly.


    "It''s Princess Hua Jing..." "I heard that Princess Hua Jing went to the border for her husband. Such a faithful and brave wife." "Princess Hua Jing seems to have pined away. It must be because she worried so much about the Emperor''s Son-in-Law." The discussions could be heard clearly. At Hua Jing''s mention, Yun Shang looked up and saw the Princess walk toward her. She was dressed in dark green, and her hairband was the only accessory that she wore. She did look pitiful and humble this way...


    Yun Shang lowered her head to hide h


    e for Your Majesty then. Confer Liu Qingya with the title of Zhaoyi, and choose an auspicious day to send her to the Palace."


    Liu Qiyan and Liu Qingya promptly expressed their gratitude and went back to their seats. Yun Shang looked down and smiled secretly. The Zhuangyuan and his sister were born into an ordinary family. A woman with no prominent background was much easier to manipulate than those from respectable families. That was the Empress''s plan.


    Once the ladies had finished the game, it was time for the noble masters to draw lots. Requests mainly included calligraphy, painting, and swordsmanship. Yun Shang carefully observed their performances. Three masters from the Li Clan were present tonight. And from among the others, only the younger son of Prince Shun Qing was outstanding. Prince Shun Qing was the brother of the deceased Emperor. As an idle prince, he mainly stayed away from politics.


    Prince Jing was the last one to draw. He received a lucky shot, which gave him a chance to make a request to anyone present.


    All the ladies were anxious to see whom Prince Jing, the most eligible bachelor in the Imperial City, would choose. It would be a supreme honor to be chosen by him.


    Prince Jing smiled and glanced at the ladies sitting opposite him. Then he fixed his eyes on Yun Shang. "I''ll follow instructions. The ensemble with Princess Hui Guo the other day is so unforgettable, so I''d like to invite Princess Hui Guo to play Eternal Love with me..."


    Yun Shang was shocked. It didn''t help that all the attention was suddenly on her. Hua Jing raised an eyebrow and turned to Yun Shang. "No wonder sister is all dressed up today..."


    Hua Jing didn''t finish her sentence, but it was enough to invite gossip. People looked at Prince Jing and Yun Shang in astonishment. The fact that Prince Jing was Princess Hui Guo''s uncle made them frown...


    And Li Yingying clenched her teeth and forced a smile. "Your Highness is lucky..."


    Yun Shang had no choice but to play Eternal Love with Prince Jing. The melody was mellow and beautiful, full of love and affection. People stared at the couple in the center of the Hall. The handsome man and beautiful young woman did look like a heaven-made match.


    As the music stopped, a light flashed across Emperor Ning''s eyes. He clapped and said. "Wonderful. Such a pleasant scene! This reminds me of something I have to announce. Prince Jing and Shang''er, come near."


    Yun Shang, though puzzled, knelt alongside Prince Jing. Lord Zheng announced loudly. "Prince Jing is the foster son of the deceased Emperor. Though he is nominally Princess Hui Guo''s uncle, they are not related by blood. Prince Jing and Princess Hui Guo have mutual affection for each other, which is pleasant to witness. So, I''m granting the marriage between Princess Hui Guo and Prince Jing, and the ceremony will be held..."


    The Hall was silent. Even Yun Shang was too shocked to make a sound. She heard Prince Jing whispering to her. "Both Prince Qingsu and the Prince of the State of Xia are coming to Ning. If you are not engaged at that time, even if you could get away from Prince Qingsu, you would have to marry the Prince of the State of Xia. Our marriage is only a facade. It''s your choice. Consider carefully."


    "Thank you very much, Your Majesty." Prince Jing said respectfully...

 Chapter 99 Framing

    Yun Shang realized she was able to speak again. A spurt of anger flashed through her. She had thought that the marriage issue would be solved after she had told her father that Master Wu Na said she should not get married for another three years. But she didn''t expect that Prince Jing would set a trap for her.


    Yun Shang was unhappy with the thought that someone else could control her destiny. She opened her mouth, "Father, I..."


    Her words were interrupted by several exclamations. Yun Shang was taken aback, and upon turning around, she found that Li Yingying who had been sitting next to her, had fallen to the ground. Blood was flowing from her lips.


    After seeing that, Emperor Ning immediately stood up and shouted, "Servants, call the imperial physician!"


    Before Yun Shang regained her composure, she found herself being lifted up and put aside. She furrowed her brows, pushed aside the hands around her waist, and shouted angrily, "Uncle, please behave yourself!"


    Unlike his usual apathetic attitude, Prince Jing curled his lips and whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "Behave myself? Yun Shang, all the officials in the Hall know that you will be my wife soon."


    Yun Shang wriggled to free herself while frowning at his reminder. She went back to her seat and looked down at Li Yingying. The blood was black. Was she poisoned?


    A woman rushed to Li Yingying''s side. After seeing Li Yingying''s status, her eyes filled with tears. She suddenly fell to her knees and held Li Yingying tightly in her arms crying, "Yingying, Yingying, are you okay? Please don''t frighten me..."


    Yun Shang wondered if this woman was the daughter-in-law of the oldest son of the Li clan. In a little while, an imperial physician hurried in. He felt Li Yingying''s pulse for a moment and then opened his mouth, "Your Majesty, Lady Yingying was poisoned. I have never seen such a poison before."


    "Been poisoned? Why is there poison in the Imperial Palace? Who is it that poisoned Lady Yingying?" Emperor Ning furrowed his brows, "Servants, take Lady Yingying to the side Hall and bring all imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat her. Physician, check all the items on Lady Yingying''s table."


    While the servants carried Li Yingying away, the imperial physician began his inspection of all items on the table but found nothing. "Your Majesty, I didn''t find anything that is poisonous..."


    "Really?" Emperor Ning felt relieved although he remained speechless. It was said that Li Yingying was Grand Councilor Li''s favorite granddaughter. If something happened to her at the Imperial Palace, Grand Councilor Li might take this opportunity to do something.


    Lady Li immediately yelled, "Your Majesty, Yingying was fine a moment ago. Oh! I see. Except for the items on the table, Yingying touched the Pipa. She played the Pipa a short while ago."


    Emperor Ning frowned as he was unhappy with Lady Li''s insinuation. Lady Li seemed to believe that the source of the poison was in the Imperial Palace.


    "Your Majesty, please don''t be angry with my sister-in-law. She is agitated as she is worried about her daughter. What about asking the imperial physician to check the Pipa? The Empress gave a bland smile and suggested.


    "Okay! Physician, check the Pipa!" Emperor Ning''s face was expressionless, however, in his eyes, there was a trace of displeasure.


    Hearing the order, the imperial physician walked to the Pipa to check it. He took out a white handkerchief and wiped the strings of the Pipa. The white handkerchief turned black. The imperial physician brought the handkerchief closer to his nose and sniffed it carefully. After a while, he turned to Emperor Ning, "Your Majesty, there is poison on the Pipa. And it is the same that was used to poison Lady Yingying!"


    "That''s absurd! How dare someone try to poison Lady Yingying in the Imperial Palace? Guards, find the culprit! Bring all people that have touched this Pipa here." Emperor Ning slammed the armrest and shouted in anger.


    Yun Shang felt as though someone was watching her. She looked back and saw Hua Jing was staring at her with a weird smile.


    Yun Shang panicked and wondered, ''Was this a trap for me?''


    ''But it doesn''t make sense at all. Li Yingying is a complete stranger to me. I have no reason to poison the daughter of an official.'' Yun Shang began recalling the events from her previous life, and suddenly remembered a similar scene. Yun Shang curled her lips. She had thought that her new life would be different from the previous one, but the same incident had happened again.


    After a while, the imperial guards brought three servant girls to the Hall. "Your Majesty, these servants have touched the Pipa tonight. Xi''er normally keeps this instrument. The maid, Xi''er gave this Pipa to Que''er because of the imperial dinner tonight. Que''er wiped the Pipa and then gave it to Yun Xi, Lady Ming''s servant. Yun Xi brought the Pipa here."


    Emperor Ning narrowed his eyes as he studied all three servant girls who were on their knees. "All of you! When did you touch the Pipa? Was there a witness? Think it through!"


    The servant in the middle immediately answered. "I''m Xi''er. I am responsible for the storage of this Pipa. I wiped the instrument for the imperial dinner tonight and then gave it to Que''er. All the servants in Imperial Treasure House can testify on my behalf. After I gave the instrument to


    and agreed to do it."


    "Really?" Yun Shang walked to the eunuch and took the silver. After checking it for a while, she curled her lips and spoke to Emperor Ning. He had been sitting on his seat and watching this inquisition and accusation exchange with a mysterious expression. "Father, I want to ask the eunuch a few questions."


    "Go on." Yun Shang called forward several servant girls, and asked them to stand in a line. Then she turned and spoke to the eunuch, "Since you said my servant asked you to replace the lots, please identify the servant from those who stand before you."


    The eunuch was dumbfounded but he raised his head to look at the servants. They seemed to be similarly dressed. Suddenly, he saw a servant in pink point at another pretty servant secretly. He gnashed his teeth and made his decision. He stood and pointed at the pretty servant, "It''s her! She is the one who asked me to do this."


    Yun Shang turned to the servant and asked the eunuch with a smile, "Her? Are you sure?"


    The eunuch immediately nodded and said, "I''m sure."


    Yun Shang turned and looked at the Empress, "Your Majesty, this is pure slander! He said that I sent your servant, Xiu Xin, to instigate him to do evil."


    The Empress gnashed her teeth and seemed exasperated at his words, "That''s nonsense!"


    Yun Shang smiled, "He is talking nonsense. But I have found something interesting. There is the smell of plum blossom on this silver. Does it mean that this eunuch also went to Meiying House?"


    Yun Shang gave the silver to Master Zheng who then passed it to Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning smelled the silver and furrowed his brows, "It is the smell of plum blossom! Guards, seize these two and strike them hard. I need their confession right now. I want to know who has the guts to malign the Princess!"


    Prince Jing stood and stated, "Your Majesty, let me handle this. There is no need to beat them. I''m good at extorting confessions. How dare these two denigrate the Princess? I will show no mercy toward them. Guard, give me the needles!"


    Everyone was dumbfounded, ''Needles?'' ''What does he want needles for?''


    A guard working for Prince Jing brought a box of needles to the Hall. The crowd gasped as they realized that the needles were longer than standard embroidery needles. They looked terrifying all by themselves. What would the Prince do with these? The crowd shuddered. Prince Jing curled his lips, "Do it!"


    Two guards took out needles from the box and pierced them between the nail and the finger of the servant and the eunuch. Everyone in the Hall shivered all over again. Two heartrending cries escaped from the lips of the servant and eunuch. It is said that the nerves of the fingertips are linked with the heart. Prince Jing was indeed merciless.


    But this was just the beginning. The guards pierced ten needles into their fingers separately, and then brought two basins of water into the Hall. The guards put the hands of the servant and eunuch into the water. Their ear-piercing and agonized screams froze everyone again. Their faces looked as pale as death.


    "This is saline water. How are you feeling now? If you still keep your mouths shut, I will change the saline water to chili water." Prince Jing walked to the servant and the eunuch with a vicious smile.


    Everyone was shocked by his words, and their faces were ghostly pale with fright.


    "I...I will...I will confess. Prince Jing, please spare my life. I was..." Que''er spoke in a gravelly voice as if she was suffering from extreme pain. But she fell to the ground before she was able to share her confession.

 Chapter 100 Breaking

    After Que''er fell to the ground, Yun Xi also fell beside her.


    "Are they dead?" Prince Jing frowned and bent over the two maids. After confirming that they were dead, he examined them again. This time he found two silver needles embedded into their necks. He laughed, "These needles are poisonous. This is a poor strategy. Shift the blame on others and then kill them?"


    The Empress squinted but didn''t say anything. Yun Shang glanced at the Empress casually before smiling and speaking, "The maids were killed, apparently at the point of identifying the real murderer. From the position of the needles, the killer must have been behind the maids. So the range of suspects is narrowed down."


    No one spoke for a while. Suddenly a eunuch rushed in and broke the silence. He cried, "Your Majesty, Changchun Palace was burglarized, and the Empress''s seal has been stolen."


    Emperor Ning raised his eyes. Inside, a storm brewed. He ordered, "Seal the Palaces, and search them all, one by one."


    "What an eventful day. In that case, father, please keep the men standing behind Que''er and Yun Xi in custody. The Empress''s seal is of vital importance. I''ll go see Lady Yingying now." Yun Shang said to the Emperor. Then she turned and looked at the faces of all the guests in the Hall before walking toward the door.


    "You can''t go! You''re still a suspect. Why are you going to see Yingying? What is your intention?" Hua Jing''s voice came from behind. Yun Shang turned to look at Hua Jing. While Hua Jing looked cruel, Yun Shang smiled. "Princess Hua Jing, are you concerned about the Lady Yingying?" Yun Shang asked.


    Hua Jing gritted her teeth and forced a smile, "Of course, Yingying is my cousin. I do care about her." Then she brushed past Yun Shang as she headed for the side Hall.


    As soon as Hua Jing got the door, a eunuch collided into her. Her body shook violently, and subconsciously, she protected her belly. No one noticed her movement except Yun Shang.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Hua Jing rebuked him furiously.


    The eunuch quickly held the Princess so that she wouldn''t fall. Once she had regained her balance, he dropped to his knees before Hua Jing. "I''m sorry, Your Highness, please forgive me. Please forgive me, Your Highness."


    Hua Jing gritted her teeth to hold back her anger. After all, she was in the Palace and there were so many guests. "It''s okay. Get up." With that, she continued on her way to the side Hall.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and said, "Now that sister is visiting Lady Yingying, I''ll go later." Her eyes reflected the hurt she felt.


    Everybody present had seen the situation clearly. Princess Yun Shang was obviously being framed, and Princess Hua Jing was very aggressive towards her. To the guests, it seemed apparent that Princess Hua Jing didn''t like her sister. Princess Yun Shang''s mother was Lady Jin. Although the Emperor favored Lady Jin, she was only a concubine. The status of a concubine''s daughter was quite low in the homes of ordinary people. It wouldn''t be any different in the Palace.


    Emperor Ning was a little touched. He looked at Lady Jin only to find that she looked somewhat dejected and that her eyes focused on Yun Shang. Emperor Ning was now, even more displeased with Hua Jing. People say that children are the meat separated from their mothers. Lady Jin may have had little contact with her daughter since her birth, but a mother''s and her child''s hearts were linked. Lady Jin must have been heartbroken to see her daughter wronged.


    At this time, several maids and eunuchs entered the Hall and saluted Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning nodded and said, "The Empress''s seal was lost. I''m afraid it was deliberately done by someone who wanted to take it out of the Palace tonight. They probably planned on taking advantage of the comings and goings of the ministers and their families. The consequences arising from the loss of the Empress''s seal will be catastrophic. All guests need to allow a body search."


    No one dared to object. All the guests in the Hall formed queues and followed the maid and eunuch to the side Hall where they would be searched. The search did not yield the Empress''s seal.


    Just then, Hua Jing returned.


    "Hua Jing, get yourself frisked." Emperor Ning looked at Hua Jing with indifference.


    Hua Jing frowned and said, "Father, the Empress''s seal is useless to me. I don''t have to be frisked, do I?"


    Emperor Ning knitted his brows and said, "Everyone in this Hall, including Yun Shang and Prince Jing, has been frisked. You are no exception. Go."


    Hua Jing bit her lip with worry. She knew that if she continued to decline, it would certainly antagonize Emperor Ning. She placed her hands on her belly, and was secretly grateful that she didn''t look pregnant. With this thought, she followed a maid into the side Hall.


    After a while, the maid hurried back and reported, "Your Majesty, the Empress''s seal was not found on Princess Hua Jing, but I found this in her sleeve."


    In her hand was a small cyan bottle made of jade. Emperor Ning''s eyes darkened. Then he ordered, "Call the imperial physician to check what''s in the bottle."


    The Empress''s eyebrows twitched a little after her eyes fell upon the small cyan bottle. "It is probably an ordinary medicine to prevent daily accidents."


    A sneer flitted across Yun Shang''s eyes


    to Prince Jing. Since Prince Jing schemed to kill the Emperor''s children as carried by his concubines, it was clear that he desired the throne. So how could he be willing to hand over such an important thing?


    Yun Shang squinted suspiciously at him, "What''s your intention?"


    Prince Jing''s mouth curved into a smile. "I thought I had made myself clear in the camp. I love you, and for you, I will give up the throne. Have you ever been moved by my commitment to you?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang laughed in a low voice. Her laughter grew louder and louder. It was some time before she stopped laughing. "This is the best joke I''ve ever heard."


    Yun Shang turned to look at Prince Jing. She spoke gently, "I kind of believed you when you said that to me at the camp. But now, with the imperial decree of marriage, I don''t believe a word of what you''ve said."


    "Eh? Why?" Prince Jing stopped walking and turned to look at Yun Shang. She was almost a head shorter than him.


    "No matter how confident I am, I know I am not as important as the Hufu. You''ve been scheming for that position for over a decade, while you''ve only known me for a few months. But you said you loved me and that you were even willing to give up that high position for me. You might as well save your sweet talk for others." Yun Shang then smiled at him, before turning and walking towards Qingxin Palace. Prince Jing narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not follow her. Qin Yi and Qian Yin hurried to catch up with Yun Shang. Prince Jing laughed out loud when the three women disappeared from sight.


    "She really doubts me."


    Wang Shun craned his neck to see if the three women were still visible. It was not until they were completely out of sight, did he ask in a low voice, "Your Highness, Princess Yun Shang seems immune to both, soft and hard tactics. She is too tough. Why do you have to marry her? This is about the Hufu. Without it, you have nothing. Your Highness, you are confused..."


    "The Hufu?" The corners of Prince Jing''s mouth twitched slightly. "Now that I have given it away, I will be able to get it back."


    "But..." Wang Shun sighed, "Your Highness, why do you have to choose Princess Yun Shang? In the court, there are many who oppose Grand Councilor Li, such as Field Marshal Qin. His daughter has just reached marriageable age. If you draw him into your camp, your path will be much shorter..."


    Prince Jing responded with a sneer, "My path will be much shorter? If I were to marry Field Marshal Qin''s daughter, the Emperor would be wary and afraid of me. He is already suspicious. If that happens, it will be harder for me to move. In the twenty years since he has ascended the throne, I have fought in the war for eighteen years. No matter how well we strategize our move in the Imperial City, without access to the City itself, there is no chance of success. Then how will I achieve my great cause? What is the use of half a Hufu? Half a Hufu is of no consequence. I might as well give it to him to ease his suspicions. Then I''ll marry his daughter, and he will relax his vigilance against me. I will not have to woo my in-laws. Moreover, I will be able to stay in the Imperial City..."


    "But, why don''t you choose Princess Hua Jing? She is much easier to control than Princess Yun Shang..." Although Wang Shunlai was full of admiration for Prince Jing after hearing the plan, he still had some doubts.


    Prince Jing curled his lips into a sneer, "Hua Jing is indeed stupider than Yun Shang, but she is the Empress''s daughter, the niece of Grand Councilor Li..."

 Chapter 101 Miscarriage

    On her way back, Yun Shang was contemplating Prince Jing''s proposal. She wondered what was so special about her, and why he would give up his military power. Suddenly, her feet slipped. Qian Yin quickly stepped forward to stop the Princess from falling.


    After struggling to balance herself, Yun Shang looked down. This path was the only way leading to the inner court, and the servants had already swept away the snow. She could see the cobbles clearly. Why would she slip? Suddenly, Yun Shang saw a mount of moss under her feet.


    Yun Shang was stunned for a moment. She squatted to get a closer look. She saw that the moss was not growing on the stone. It was fresh and moist.


    "The lantern." Yun Shang ordered with a pensive expression on her face.


    Qin Yi hurriedly offered the lantern to her. Yun Shang took the lantern and looked across the path in the light. She found piles of moss scattered at intervals along the road.


    She followed the trail of moss and found that it ended at an intersection. Doubt filled Yun Shang''s heart. She carried on to her Palace while thinking about the moss issue. Just as her maids were helping her remove her cloak, a eunuch rushed toward Yun Shang''s room. He slipped and fell as he reached the door. He crawled forward and urged, "Your Highness! You have to visit Qiwu Palace now! Lady Jin fell on her way back. She is bleeding! It seems like a miscarriage!"


    Her mother had bled? Yun Shang''s heart sunk. Without putting on the cloak, she ran toward Qiwu Palace.


    "Your Highness! Your Highness! It''s winter! You have to put on some more clothes!" Qin Yi grabbed Yun Shang''s cloak and followed her.


    Yun Shang didn''t slow her pace. She asked the messenger, "How did Her Highness fall?"


    The eunuch panted as he followed the Princess. He was trotting so fast, almost out of breath. "Since Lady Jin was pregnant, His Majesty invited her to sit in his royal palanquin. As the attendants carried the palanquin through the Imperial Garden, one of the them suddenly slipped and fell, and His Majesty and Lady Jin both fell off the palanquin. His Majesty had protected Lady Jin in his arms, but still, she was shocked by the fall, and began bleeding."


    Slipped? Yun Shang frowned at his words. The accident reminded her of the moss trail.


    Yun Shang reached Qiwu Palace as fast as she could. She spotted the Empress in the distance. Yun Shang quickened her step and entered the palace first.


    "What? Is that Princess Yun Shang? What has brought you to Qiwu Palace, Your Highness? Oh, didn''t you see Her Majesty? And don''t you know about etiquette? How dare you not curtsy to Her Majesty and walk in front of her? Where are your manners, Your Highness?" As Yun Shang stepped through the door, she heard Xiu Xin screech at her.


    Hearing her words, Yun Shang suddenly turned round and cast a cold glance at her, "However rude I may be, I''m still a Princess. And you are a maid. Who are you to tell me how to behave?"


    That said, Yun Shang ran on toward Lady Jin''s chamber.


    "Impudent!" The Empress snapped as she frowned at Yun Shang''s behavior. But Yun Shang kept running toward her mother.


    Empress Yuan Zhen gritted her teeth. She gnashed, "This is ridiculous! How dare a Princess offend her Empress?"


    Not far behind, Qin Yi was hurriedly following. When she got closer, she heard the Empress''s reprimand, and realized that she was referring to Yun Shang. Qin Yi''s heart quivered at the Empress''s anger. Stepping forward, she curtsied to Empress Yuan Zhen in a hurry. "Your Majesty, please forgive Princess Yun Shang. Lady Jin was hurt in an accident. Her Highness is too worried to follow etiquette."


    "What? What did you say? What happened to Lady Jin?" Asked the Empress in shock. But her eyes flashed joy.


    When Qin Yi was speaking with the Empress, she bowed her head so low that she didn''t see the joy in the Empress''s eyes. She answered, "A eunuch just informed Princess Yun Shang that Lady Jin was hurt. Though the Princess is not close to Lady Jin, she does worry about her biological mother."


    But the Empress wasn''t listening. She exchanged a glance with Xiu Xin, and turned toward Lady Jin''s chamber.


    As they arrived, the Empress saw Lord Zheng standing at the door. Yun Shang waited on the side. At the scene, her heart quickened. If the Emperor were here, something serious must have happened. It would be great if the child died in the accident. But she was also a little worried. If the accident took place in Qiwu Palace, it would be difficult for her to shake people''s suspicion.


    "Lord Zheng, I''ve heard something has happened to Lady Jin, and intend to pay her a visit." The Empress glanced at Lord Zheng.


    Lord Zheng frowned. He hesitated for a while before saying, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has given his orders. No one is allowed to enter Lady Jin''s chamber..."


    The Empress narrowed her eyes. But the joy of seeing Lady Jin suffer overwhelmed her. She shot a glance at Yun Shang and ordered, "Xiu Xin, bring two chairs. I am so worried about Lady Jin''s health that I will wait here."


    Xiu Xin hurriedly curtsied and went away. Before long, she brought back two chairs, and positioned the chairs for the Empress and Yun Shang.


    Yun Sha


    . His Majesty must be unhappy about what happened. Don''t vex him more, and stay in your own palaces."


    The ladies curtsied to the Empress, and left in order.


    In a few moments, the main hall was empty again. Only Empress Yuan Zhen and a few maids remained. The Empress gestured to the maids. After the maids curtsied and left, Empress Yuan Zhen turned to Xiu Xin and said, "I don''t think it''s that simple. Though I''m glad the bastard died, I still smell a plot."


    Xiu Xin nodded. "Princess Yun Shang was behaving strangely. I do smell a rat, too. Your Majesty, we need to be careful..."


    The Empress closed her eyes and muttered, "Since my release, one bad thing has led to another. Yesterday''s plot was against Hua Jing, and today''s, I''m afraid, targets me."


    Xiu Xin remained quiet for a while. She then asked, "Your Majesty, Lady Jin..."


    Frowning, the Empress cast a glance at the side palace. She said, "I''d like to remove it from Lady Jin''s palace. But now, the side palace is well-guarded. It''s too late to remove it."


    Hearing that, Xiu Xin said no more.


    The Empress stood from her phoenix chair, "I''ll ask His Majesty''s permission for my home leave. It''s New Year''s Day today, and I will pay my parents an annual visit as is customary."


    Once out of Qiwu Palace, the Empress headed towards Qinzheng Hall, followed by her maids. When they passed through the Imperial Garden, they spotted a crowd of people examining something around the lake. The Empress''s eyes narrowed at the scene. She ordered Xiu Xin to have a look. Xiu Xin went to the crowd and asked a few questions. She then returned to the Empress and reported, "Your Majesty, they were looking for something around the lake and the well. But when I asked what they were looking for, they merely said that they were doing a regular security check."


    "The well?" It reminded Empress Yuan Zhen of Yun Shang''s abnormal behavior earlier. She had mentioned the well.


    Pondering it over, Empress Yuan Zhen remained silent for a long while. Then she continued walking toward Qinzheng Hall.


    Lord Zheng was standing outside the Hall. When he spotted the Empress and her maids, he hurried to her and said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is in a bad mood. He''s lost his temper and smashed all furnishings. And His Majesty has given the order that no one is allowed to enter."


    Empress Yuan Zhen glanced at Lord Zheng and seemed convinced by his apologetic tone. She stood by the door for a while. She heard the cracking sound of porcelain shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. She said, "It seems to be bad timing, Lord Zheng. I''ll go then, but please, inform His Majesty of my calling, and let His Majesty know that I will come again when His Majesty is willing to see me."


    Lord Zheng bowed and assured her. The Empress took another glance at the closed door before leaving.


    When Empress Yuan Zhen and her maids disappeared from his sight, Lord Zheng straightened up and went into the Hall.


    The Empress waited patiently for the rest of the day. She didn''t receive the Emperor''s summons. Xiu Xin sent a few servants to make inquiries and learned that the Emperor was busy sending people to examine the lakes and wells in the Palace.


    The Empress contemplated on this information, but couldn''t think of a reason. The wells and lakes didn''t remind her of a thing.


    Early morning on the second day of the New Year, news spread. In a remote well near the lake outside the Imperial Garden, someone had drowned.

 Chapter 102 Painstaking Investigation (Part One)

    When Empress Yuan Zhen reached the well where the murder happened, Emperor Ning and Yun Shang were already there. The dead body had been covered with a plain white cloth. The Empress glanced at the dead body before she greeted the Emperor and said, "Good morning, Your Majesty."


    Emperor Ning nodded and replied, "Good morning. Get up, please."


    The Empress stood and waved her sleeves with a disgusted look, "Why was a murder committed here in the Spring Festival? You Majesty, in which Palace did this dead maid work?


    Emperor Ning squinted as he replied, "Changchun Palace."


    "Changchun Palace? Isn''t that Lady Ming''s Palace?" The Empress was puzzled. She had this nagging feeling that something was wrong. After the Emperor ordered servants to carry the dead body away, the Empress bid the Emperor farewell and returned to Qiwu Palace.


    "Xiu Xin, go to Changchun Palace. Something doesn''t seem right. Find some information about the dead maid." The Empress frowned as she spoke.


    Xiu Xin said after a moment''s silence, "Your Majesty, I think we should not be involved with the affairs of Changchun Palace. We have already made many enemies. The ban upon you has just been lifted. Lady Jin had a miscarriage and Princess Hua Jing has been imprisoned. We had better wait and see what really happened at Changchun Palace."


    The Empress knew Xiu Xin told the truth, but the ominous feelings worried her. After a long time, she sighed, "I should seek an opportunity to visit the Grand Councilor''s mansion. Hua Jing must be innocent and framed by Yun Shang. Unfortunately, Hua Jing is now imprisoned in the Dali Temple. But, something horrible just happened at the Palace. At this moment I, as the Empress, can''t leave. But I''m still worried about Hua Jing.


    Xiu Xin said in a hurry, "Your Majesty, you should be patient. After all, Princess Yun Shang is a woman and hasn''t been in the Palace for a long time. Thus, she lacks the time needed to set so many traps. Yesterday, it was Prince Jing who intervened at Jinluan Hall. I''m sure that eunuch from Meiying Hall must have received direct orders from Prince Jing.


    "Ha-ha. Shu Jin is a bitch. I have no idea how she''s always lucky. The Emperor favors her, and her daughter has the protection of Prince Jing. No, I won''t allow it. Yun Shang can''t be with Prince Jing. If Prince Jing protects her all the time, we won''t be able to hurt her." The Empress clenched her hands into fists. She was quiet for a moment before adding, "If Yun Shang''s reputation is compromised, she will lose Prince Jing''s favor."


    "Your Majesty, what will we do?" Xiu Xin was shocked and also curious.


    The Empress smiled slightly, "Father always asks me to wait and see. But, now, I can''t wait anymore."


    "Atishoo..." Yun Shang sneezed at Qingxin Palace, "Who is cursing me?"


    Qian Yin hastily said, "Who dares to curse the Princess? I will skin her, take out her bones, a


    sing. The maid''s name was Bi Luo and she was responsible for fetching water at Changchun Palace."


    Qian Yin responded and left quickly. Then, Yun Shang took off her cloak and shouted, "Bring me some hot water and suet cream."


    Some maids fetched a basin of hot water. Yun Shang soaked her hands in the water for a while before drying them carefully and putting on the suet cream. At last, she relaxed. In her previous life and in this life, she had never touched a dead body. Recalling the horrible experience a moment ago, she found herself covered in a cold sweat.


    Yun Shang was leaning against the cushion and reading a book when Qian Yin entered. She said, "Your Highness, when the Empress lost her seal, Bi Luo was at Changchun Palace. She didn''t leave the Palace."


    Yun Shang nodded. Her expression did not reflect surprise at the maid''s report. When she found the green threads under the maid''s fingernails, she understood that the maid was a scapegoat. Yesterday morning, when she paid her respects to the Empress, Yun Shang had deliberately mentioned the moss and the well. This was well-heard by a collaborator present among the ladies. The moss issue was not fabricated, but she wasn''t certain about the well. Even so, the murderer must have felt alarmed and confused.


    The murderer killed the maid just to offer a scapegoat.


    "In the past two days, did anybody visit Hua Jiang at Dali Temple?" Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling when she thought of Hua Jing. It''s said that the jails at Dali Temple were guarded heavily. She desperately wanted to know whether Princess Hua Jing, who had always been spoiled, could live there comfortably.


    Qian Yin replied, "Lady Yingying, the Grand Councilor''s granddaughter went to visit her once. Rumor goes that Lady Yingying was filled with remorse and cried heavily, although Princess Hua Jing looked well. She scolded Lady Yingying severely for nearly half an hour."


    "Uh? Yingying?

 Chapter 103 Painstaking Investigation (Part Two)

    Yun Shang turned a page in her book and asked, "Has the poison left her body completely?"


    "It''s said that she has regained her health, although her face looks pale and she coughs sometimes. There is no other serious side-effect. How dare she tried to frame you? Why wasn''t she killed by the poison? That day when I got to the Imperial Treasure House, I should have applied a layer of deadly poison on the Pipa. If I had done that, she wouldn''t be so arrogant and aggressive." Qian Yin regretted having missed that opportunity.


    Yun Shang smiled slightly and said, "It''s fine. Thank God that Yingying is still alive. I heard that she is loved ardently by the Grand Councilor. If she were to die, Grand Councilor Li wouldn''t let me live."


    Qin Yi pulled aside the curtain and entered. She said with a smile, "Your Highness, the sun is shining. Shall we take a walk in the Imperial Garden?" Recently, it had snowed so much that the sun had rarely been seen. Basking in the sun was a wonderful suggestion.


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded, "It''s a good idea. I feel weak from leaning against the cushion all day. Let''s go." Yun Shang stood and put on her shoes. Since the sun was shining, she ordered her maids to carry a thick cloak.


    "Your Highness, look there. There''s a wintersweet flourishing, but it is blocked by the artificial hill. I have never seen it before. The fragrance of the wintersweet is better than that of plum blossoms. I will pick some flowers for you and put them in a vase." With a smile, Qian Yin pointed at some flowers behind the artificial hill before walking toward them briskly.


    Halfway through, however, she stopped. Yun Shang saw an unusual look on her maid''s face and hurried to walk toward her.


    "Pick more flowers. Our Lady likes wintersweet flowers and we can put them in all the Halls. Wherever she goes, she will smell the fragrance, which will certainly please her." The voice of a maid could be heard.


    Then, a eunuch replied, "The Empress has regained her health and so, the ladies from other Palaces haven''t come to Changchun Palace to pay their respects, which makes our Palace less cheerful and more lonely. However, the Empress hasn''t taken her seal back. It seems that the Emperor hasn''t asked Lady Ming to return the seal to the Empress."


    The maid said, "You are right. That day when the Empress''s seal was lost, I thought the Emperor would get angry. However, nothing happened. It''s strange that although Changchun Palace was thoroughly searched inside and outside, the Empress''s seal wasn''t found. Why was it hidden underneath Bi Yan''s pillow?"


    The eunuch smiled, "Maybe the search wasn''t thorough. Come on, pick that flower. Its bud is big. Put it in the vase and it will bloom for many days."


    Yun Shang was confused. She tur


    as poisoned that day. Even if she hadn''t been poisoned, it is unlikely that she could set such a trap with so many people at the Palace." The Emperor found it difficult to believe.


    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "A while ago, at the Imperial Garden, I accidentally heard servants from Changchun Place chatting about the Empress''s lost seal. A servant said that day, after Lady Ming announced the loss of the Empress''s seal, the Palace was searched at first, but the seal wasn''t found. Then, Your Majesty was informed and you ordered that all Palaces and Halls be guarded before you sent out the royal guards to search. At last, the seal was discovered at Changchun Palace. Later I figured out that the Empress''s seal hadn''t been lost at all. Lady Ming played a trick. She made an excuse and tried to keep us at Jinluan Hall. That way nobody could watch the moss being placed on the path.


    Yun Shang saw Emperor Ning looking serious. Then, she continued, "I also heard that Yingying visited my sister at Dali Temple. Yingying looked pale and coughed sometimes, but these symptoms indicate a cold rather than being side-effects of poisoning." During the New Year''s Eve celebration, when Yingying entered Jinluan Hall, she handed her cloak to a servant. Since there were many braziers in the Hall to keep us warm, she should not have caught cold. Thus, her symptoms indicate her absence from the Hall.


    "Father, do you still remember that when I was about to go look for Yingying, my sister suddenly provoked me and I didn''t go? In retrospect, I feel that my sister might be involved. She was afraid that if I went to the side Hall, I might find that Yingying wasn''t there. Later, even after I left, nobody saw Yingying. I sent my maid to ask about her condition, and she was told that Yingying had left the Imperial Place after I came to the scene of the accident.

 Chapter 104 Birthday Party At Prince Shun Qings Mansion (Part One)

    Emperor Ning stared at Yun Shang for a moment. Then he stood up and pushed the window open. He looked out of the window at the white lands covered with heavy snow and sighed, "It''s a pity that you are a girl."


    Yun Shang was dumbstruck and had no idea why her father said this to her. At the sight of her father lost in thought, she lowered her head and repressed her impulse to ask the question.


    "I''m well informed of this situation. And your investigation is over. As for the dead maid, is she named Bi Luo? Later, I will issue a decree and expound on this case. Bi Luo hated Lady Jin and deliberately threw the moss from the well on the ground. Consequently, Lady Jin fell. Afterward, Bi Luo was afraid that her plot might come to light, so she jumped into the well and committed suicide. The sense of helplessness was evident in Emperor Ning''s voice.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a moment. Then, she bowed her head and replied obediently, "I understand."


    Emperor Ning turned and looked at Yun Shang as she gently shook her head in resignation. "Why didn''t you ask me why I did this?"


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty is the Emperor of a great country, while I''m just a woman without much knowledge. Therefore, my thinking is certainly not as comprehensive as yours. Although I have no idea why you made such a decision, I know that you care about my mother. However, so many people and families are involved in this case, including Lady Ming, Lady Yingying, my sister, and others yet unknown to us. Pull one hair and the whole body is affected. If a thorough investigation is done, it''s likely that my pregnant mother might be hurt in the process."


    Hearing her explanation, Emperor Ning''s appraisal of Yun Shang moved up another notch. Previously he thought of his daughter as weak, frail, and quiet. However, it turns out that she was smart.


    "It''s good that you understand that. Today is not the time..." Emperor Ning sighed. Coldness and cruelty flashed in his eyes.


    Yun Shang bowed her head. She was aware that this wasn''t a good time to take revenge on the Grand Councilor''s family. For this reason, she had decided to tell the truth to nobody but her father. There were too many people and powers involved in the Grand Councilor''s family. However, she would take them out one by one in the future. As said by her father, today wasn''t the right time. If inadequate actions were taken against Lady Ming and Lady Yingying, Grand Councilor Li would undoubtedly retaliate.


    "Father, although it''s well known that my mother miscarried, if some people working in the Palaces ask around, they will learn the truth. That would put my mother in greater danger. Because you have a temporary Imperial Palace in Phoenix City, I think it''s better that my mother stay there and await her delivery. Besides, Phoenix City is near Ning''guo Temple, and my grandfather lives there in seclusion. I''m sure my mother would be well taken care of. Although the Imperial Palace is heavily guarded, women''s trickeries and plots can''t be prohibited."


    Emperor Ning star


    . It''s so big and certainly expensive. Lady Shun Qing will love it. Thank you, Your Majesty."


    The Empress laughed elegantly and replied, "That is correct. Lady Shun Qing is a decent and renowned lady in the Royal City. Yun Shang, remember this. You must find ways to win her favor. If she regards you with special attention, other ladies will follow suit, respect and love you more."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "I will behave well. However, I have never met Lady Shun Qing before. I have no idea what she likes and dislikes."


    The Empress laughed, "Lady Shun Qing is old, and seeks peace. She likes simple colors, especially green and blue. Clovershrub is her favorite tea, and the Phoenix-shaped Shark Fin is her favorite food. Don''t forget what I said."


    Yun Shang listened carefully and nodded, "I will remember."


    After talking some more about the other likes and dislikes of Lady Shun Qing, the Empress allowed Yun Shang to leave. Yun Shang took the peach-shaped carving to Qingxin Palace and studied it carefully against the bright lights. "It''s really a unique piece of treasure. Both its color and craftsmanship are wonderful. I love it."


    However, Qin Yi was a bit worried, "Your Highness, It didn''t seem right that the Empress kindly asked you to attend Lady Shun Qing''s birthday party."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Of course, it''s weird. How could she suddenly become so kind and considerate as to tell me Lady Shun Qing''s likes and dislikes?"


    Yun Shang waved to Qian Yin and said, "Send a message for me. Let our people ask around about Lady''s Shun Qing''s likes and dislikes. It can''t be too detailed."


    As ordered, Qian Yin turned and walked out.


    Yun Shang''s glance once again fell over the jadeite. The corners of her mouth twisted.


    Lady Shun Qing''s 50th birthday party was to be held on the fifth day of the first lunar month. Yun Shang got up earlier than usual and found that Qian Yin had already fetched a basin of water for her. "Your Highness, I have some news. The Empress didn''t lie about Lady Shun Qing''s likes and dislikes."

 Chapter 105 Birthday Party At Prince Shun Qings Mansion (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was surprised. She checked her eyebrows for stray hairs before washing her face. Then, she took the towel from Qian Yin, wiped her face and sat before the dresser.


    Qin Yi walked over, picked up the comb, and tended to Yun Shang''s hair.


    Qian Yin hung out the used towel and continued, "Lady Shun Qing likes green and blue, so most of her clothes are green and blue. She hates others wearing clothes of the same colors as her. Today, you can''t wear clothes in those two colors."


    "I see." Yun Shang smiled faintly, "If others know that Lady Shun Qing favors those two colors, they will try to flatter her by wearing clothes in those colors. However, if I do the same, she might hate me. The Empress is considerate. She told the truth, but..."


    Qin Yi combed Yun Shang''s hair and picked up a simple hairband from the dresser. She made a bowknot on Yun Shang''s hair and frowned, "Your Highness, did the Empress ask you to attend Lady Shun Qing''s birthday party so that you will anger her by wearing clothes with the same colors as hers? Will her trickery fail if you wear clothes of other colors?"


    Yun Shang glanced at the gift box and smiled, "Of course not."


    "Your Highness, I hope you do not attend the party. The Empress is vengeful and evil. If something bad happens to you at the Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion, she won''t be blamed." Qin Yi felt unnerved. The Princess had a narrow escape a fews days ago. What''s to be done if bad things happen to her again?


    Yun Shang turned and grasped Qin Yi''s hands, "I can''t hide at Qingxin Palace and be a coward forever. I promise I will be careful. Come on, don''t worry about me."


    Qin Yi nodded, turned around, took a piece of rosy clothing and helped Yun Shang to put it on. Then she grabbed a cloak in the same color and tied it for the Princess. Then, she held the gift box and followed Yun Shang out of Qingxin Palace.


    The carriage was already waiting for them as they stepped out of the Palace. Qian Yin helped Yun Shang climb in. After the two maids stepped into the carriage, the journey toward Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion begun.


    "Princess Hui Guo has arrived." Hearing the message of the herald, people present in the yard looked at the entrance.


    A lady aged about thirty walked forward and laughed cheerfully, "I just said that I heard the twiddle of magpie in the morning and thought a respected noble would come to the party. Now, a Princess arrives."


    Qian Yin followed Yun Shang and whispered, "This is Wen Ruxin, wife of the eldest son of Prince Shun Qing, and daughter


    ly for a few minutes before Lady Shun Qing said, "I have some senior women here talking about boring things. You can take these young ladies to the yard and have some fun. They must feel bored and embarrassed at having to listen to our nonsense."


    The older women heard this and giggled. They said to the younger women, "If that is the case, you can go and play with the Princess."


    Yun Shang smiled and led the younger ladies out. A pretty young girl approached Yun Shang and said with a broad smile, "Your Highness, you are so beautiful. Xi''er has never seen such a beautiful lady."


    Yun Shang heard Qin Yi whisper, "She is Wenxi, daughter of the officer of Taichang Temple*."


    (*TN: An agency responsible for imperial ceremonies)


    Yun Shang was about to say something, however, a sarcastic voice interrupted her. "Wenxi, you are a bitch. Isn''t your love for Prince Jing well known in the Imperial City? The Emperor granted the marriage between Prince Jing and Princess Hui Guo. Listen to me and don''t play tricks. Can it be that you are fawning over the Princess with the hopes that one day, she will talk Prince Jing into marrying you as a concubine? You are so naive."


    Yun Shang didn''t know this secret. She turned, refrained from smiling, and looked at the woman who had spoken. She had a beautiful face, so much so that despite her malicious expression, she was still attractive. However, her words were hurtful.


    Wenxi ground her teeth and ignored that woman. She frowned as though wronged and said to Yun Shang, "You Highness, she is telling lies."


    Yun Shang smiled and was about to comfort her when she heard a familiar cold voice, "You will get nothing. I will only marry Yun Shang."

 Chapter 106 Lotus In Blossom (Part One)

    All the girls were puzzled. Prince Jing walked closer. He was dressed in a dark purple robe. He was handsome with a roman nose and thin lips. His angular eyes lent him a dignified air. A man dressed in red walked behind him. He had a boyish charm. He wore a mischievous smile and his eyes moved constantly from Yun Shang to Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang frowned and wondered whether Wenxi would dislike her now because of Prince Jing''s statement. The young girls standing behind Yun Shang gawked at Prince Jing. Noticing this, Yun Shang understood why they would accompany the older ladies rather than enjoy themselves in the garden prepared for female guests. They were waiting for Prince Jing.


    Lady Shun Qing had asked Yun Shang to show them around. Some of the girls might have been unwilling but they had to follow her. On the one hand, they dared not offend Yun Shang because she was a Princess. On the other hand, they wanted to take this opportunity to see what Prince Jing''s fiancee was like.


    "Luo Qingyan, when did you fall in love with Princess Yun Shang? You are not being honest with me. I was surprised when you said that you must marry her. Several of the younger girls looked at Wang Jinhuan. Despite the fact that he had exaggerated his facial expression, they marveled at his fine features.


    Yun Shang looked pensive. She smiled, "I don''t know either. Uncle, when did you fall in love with me so deeply? Weren''t you worried that Mister Wang would tease you? You have overacted." Not waiting for Prince Jing''s response, Yun Shang turned and said to the young girls, "Let''s head to the garden in front." Yun Shang bypassed Prince Jing and Wang Jinhuan as she led the way to the door.


    As she walked past Wang Jinhuan, she covertly flicked a needle in front of him. As expected, Wang Jinhuan''s foot was hurt when he stepped on it. He fell on Prince Jing and melodramatically yelled, "Luo Qingyan, are you playing tricks on me again?"


    When Yun Shang and the young girls turned, they saw Wang Jinhuan had embraced Prince Jing with an aggrieved expression.


    The young girls blushed and followed Yun Shang in a hurry.


    Only Prince Jing and Wang Jinhuan were left in the garden. Wang Jinhuan was puzzled about the embarrassing scene. He didn''t want to attract attention in such an awkward way. For fear of being ridiculed, he had intentionally fallen on Prince Jing. But with no one around, the two men looked a bit awkward.


    a child. Now, you have grown up. Qingyan has been single for so many years. I thought he didn''t want to get married. You must be a good girl if he has taken a fancy to you."


    Prince Jing smiled, "Uncle, I didn''t mean to stay single. But no girl caught my attention before Yun Shang. I''m lucky to have met her."


    It sounded so corny. Yun Shang concealed her feelings. Just as she opened her mouth to reply, she heard Prince Jing, "Anyway, we are partners. Moreover, I have helped you many times..."


    Prince Jing didn''t elaborate further. Yun Shang knew that he was subtly implying that she keep up the pretense. So she smiled gently and responded, "I am lucky to have him."


    "Where''s Lin''an?" Lady Shun Qing asked softly.


    Yun Shang lowered her head as she sipped her tea. Lin''an was Prince Shun Qing''s eldest son.


    Prince Shun Qing smiled and said softly, "It''s said that he is organizing the performance. I let him supervise the rehearsal to assure that everything goes well."


    Lady Shun Qing nodded.


    Yun Shang looked around and spotted a high platform. It had been decorated with a red cloth. The cloth was embroidered with a Chinese character, Shou*.


    (TN* The Chinese character shou means happy birthday.) Sitting on the second floor, she could see the show clearly.


    A woman dressed in red walked onto the platform. Her face was concealed with a white silk veil. She carried a Chinese zither to the platform. Her enchanting eyes captured the attention of all guests.


    Wang Jinhuan jumped to his feet. "Oh my god, that''s Qian Qian..." He looked at Yun Shang, "Your... Your Highness... That''s Qian Qian..."

 Chapter 107 Lotus In Blossom (Part Two)

    Yun Shang frowned and kicked Wang Jinhuan. But no one saw that as their table was covered with a large red tablecloth. Wang Jinhuan grimaced in pain. Yun Shang withdrew her foot. Her eyebrows shot up when she found another pair of feet near hers.


    Yun Shang frowned and looked at Prince Jing. He was looking at her mischievously.


    "Qian Qian? Who is she? Why does she look like a temptress?" Lady Shun Qing frowned and muttered. She no longer watched the woman on the platform.


    Wang Jinhuan put on a saccharine smile and said, "Lady Shun Qing, she is the most popular beauty in the Imperial City. Even though I spent a lot of money, I haven''t gotten a chance to see her. It''s great that I can meet her here today..."


    Lady Shun Qing knew about Wang Jinhuan''s reputation as a womanizer. So she knew what he meant. She frowned, "So, she is a prostitute?"


    "Oh my! Lady Shun Qing, you can''t say that. You shouldn''t judge her by her job. Qian Qian is not only beautiful but also highly skilled in the Four Arts. No other person can compare with her favorably within the Imperial City. Lady Shun Qing, please just listen to the music." Wang Jinhuan exclaimed and spoke well of Qian Qian.


    Lady Shun Qing shook her head, "You are too naughty. I have warned you not go to such shady places. But you seldom obey. Prince Jing is mature. You should learn from him."


    It seemed that Lady Shun Qing favored Wang Jinhuan. Yun Shang thought deeply, but she failed to recall any memories of Lady Shun Qing and Wang Jinhuan from her previous life.


    Prince Jing whispered, "Lady Shun Qing has a close relationship with Wang Jinhuan''s grandmother."


    No wonder, Yun Shang thought to herself.


    As the music started, everyone''s attention was fixed on the platform. The song''s name was, Ode to Plum Blossoms. The music was airy and ethereal. Gradually, the melody became exciting. It allowed the audience to imagine a plum tree blossoming on a snow


    uation. She said that the carving could be Master Jing''an''s handicraft. I have admired Master Jing''an for a long time. The carving is also well-known. It was said that the carving was kept in the State of Xia and protected by guards. It is unexpected that Princess Hui Guo acquired it. Please forgive my imprudence, but I''m eager to take a look at it."


    "Yes?" Prince Shun Qing said and raised his brows. From his mood, Yun Shang knew what was in his mind. He might think that the peach-shaped carving was a counterfeit.


    Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "I didn''t know the legendary story of the carving. Her Majesty requested me to gift it to Lady Shun Qing. I don''t know how Her Majesty acquired it."


    Prince Shun Qing nodded and said to Lady Shun Qing, "It might be a tribute. Your Highness, where did you keep it? I will order the servants to fetch it."


    Lady Shun Qing smiled, "It is said that the carving is invaluable, so I put it in a concealed cabinet. Let Madam Chen fetch it." Then she beckoned to Madam Chen and ordered her to fetch the carving.


    A few moments later, a box made from sandalwood was brought to the table. Lady Shun Qing took out the carving. But she frowned when she looked at it. "What''s the matter with it? It seems there are bloodstains inside the carving."

 Chapter 108 Murder Cases At The Birthday Party (Part One)

    "Blood streak?" Wu Qi instantly straightened up and said to Lady Shun Qing, "Your Ladyship, do you mind showing me the peach-shaped carving made of jadeite?"


    Lady Shun Qing nodded and passed the peach-shaped carving to Wu Qi. Wu Qi examined it carefully for a while before he said hesitantly, "The jadeite is of top quality. Besides, judging from the craft, the peach-shaped carving is indeed a top-grade one. But it''s not as good as the carvings made by Master Jing''an. I have heard that if a jadeite is stuffed in a dead man''s mouth and buried with the dead body, it will bear blood streaks when it is taken out. But the peach-shaped carving is too big to be stuffed into a dead man''s mouth. The blood streaks in the carving are an ominous indicator. I know that if a jadeite is stuffed in an animal''s mouth before the animal is suffocated, the jadeite will bear blood streaks indicating that the animal died with strong resentment."


    Upon hearing this, Lady Shun Qing frowned and said unhappily, "Anyway, the peach-shaped carving is an inauspicious object. It brings bad luck on such a happy day."


    Yun Shang said gently, "Your Ladyship, who has touched the peach-shaped carving? When I presented the peach-shaped carving to you, there were no blood streaks in it. According to what Wu Qi said, it takes a long time to form blood streaks in a jadeite. Only a little time has passed since I presented the gift to you. How can there be blood streaks in the jadeite carving so quickly? I have every reason to suspect that the peach-shaped carving presented by me has been changed by someone."


    Upon hearing this, Wang Jinhuan frowned and said to Lady Shun Qing, "Your Ladyship, I think someone is trying to frame Princess Yun Shang. The jadeite carving was presented by Princess Yun Shang. The schemer knows that If something is wrong with the carving, Princess Yun Shang will take the blame. Obviously, the schemer is trying to frame the Princess and curse you."


    Yun Shang squinted and then replaced her expression with a subtle smile. Wang Jinhuan was quick-minded. If he had said that the schemer swapped the birthday gift, then the schemer would be charged with larceny and get a relatively lighter punishment. By claiming that the schemer was trying to frame the Princess and curse the Ladyship, those crimes would warrant a higher punishment. When found, the schemer would be put to death.


    Yun Shang certainly knew that it was the Empress who made the plot. She knew it when she accepted the peach-shaped carving from the Empress. Yun Shang leaned back in her chair. She looked very composed, as if she had nothing to do with the ominous object. She said, "I believe that Prince Shun Qing and Your Ladyship will find the truth of the matter and prove me innocent."


    Prince Shun Qing glanced at Yun Shang and found her to be calm. He thought highly of Yun Shang for being able to handle a challenging situation with ease. He rose to his feet and said, "This is a big matter and there are many guests present. We can''t conduct an investigation. I will call all the people who have touched the peach-shaped carving t


    mosphere had vanished in an instant. All the guests felt frightened.


    The guests had been divided into two groups according to their gender and were brought to two different rooms in the mansion. Yun Shang, Prince Jing, Wang Jinhuan and Mrs. Wu were brought to Lady Shun Qing''s house.


    Except for Mrs. Wu who sobbed occasionally, all the other guests present, sipping their tea in silence.


    "Your Lordship, I found this both on Mr. Wu and the housemaid." The butler walked hurriedly to Prince Shun Qing and reported. The butler held a tray on which lay two sachets. The sachets were embroidered with the same picture. The picture depicted two mandarin ducks playing in water. One was blue, the other was pink.


    As Prince Shun Qing was about to reach for the sachets, the butler stopped him immediately and said, "Your Lordship, be careful. There is a certain poison in the sachets."


    On hearing this, Prince Shun Qing withdrew his hand. An inquiring look appeared on his face. The butler said, "I have already asked the physician to check the sachets. The poison on the sachets were the cause of the housemaid and Mr. Wu''s death."


    "Really?" inquired Prince Jing. Prince Jing rose to his feet and stepped forward to reach for the two sachets. Prince Shun Qing instantly exclaimed, "Qingyan!"


    Prince Jing smiled and said, "Uncle, it''s all right. I have brought the poison-proof bead with me. I won''t get poisoned even if I touch the poison." Prince Jing opened the two sachets and found a lock of hair and a parchment in both the sachets.


    All the guests stepped forward to see these two items. Neat handwriting was displayed on the parchment. It said, "When those red beans* come in springtime, flushing on your southland branches, take home an armful for my sake, as a symbol of our love. From Ru Mo*. On the other parchment were bold and forceful words. It said, "If love between both sides can last for aye, why need they stay together night and day? From Qian An."


    (TN: Red bean, called a love pea or a love token, is a symbol of romance; Ru Mo is a female name.)

 Chapter 109 Murder Cases At The Birthday Party (Part Two)

    Prince Jing lifted his eyes to Mrs. Wu who was startled. "Qian An was Mr. Wu''s alias, wasn''t it? This was written by him."


    Prince Shun Qing also thought of a question. He asked, "Was the dead housemaid called Ru Mo?"


    The butler shook his head and replied, "Your Lordship, the housemaid was called Si Qi not Ru Mo."


    "Prince Shun Qing, my husband must have been framed by someone. The whole thing is a plot, " said Mrs. Wu in a flurry. But a skeptical look appeared on her face.


    "Go, find all personal information about Si Qi" said Prince Shun Qing harshly.


    The butler withdrew from the room. Mrs. Wu was in shock and kept muttering, "How could it be? No! No! My husband won''t do that."


    A while later, the butler returned with Si Qi''s personal information. He said, "Si Qi, a 16-year old girl, was born in the Imperial City. Her mother was called Ru Mo. Seventeen years ago, Ru Mo seved in Wu Qi''s mansion as a housemaid. But later, she was fired by Wu Qi''s mother. After that, she lived in a house situated in the west of the Imperial City.


    Mrs. Wu shivered all over and sank into a chair. She looked pale. Her eyes were full of disbelief.


    All the guests understood that Si Qi must be the illegitimate daughter of Wu Qi and Ru Mo.


    Lady Shun Qing glanced at Mrs. Wu with sympathy. Then she said gently, "Mrs. Wu, you look ill. You''d better rest in the guest room. If we find something related to your husband''s death, you will be informed."


    Mrs. Wu''s face flushed. She nodded, rose to her feet, and followed the servant out of the room.


    Lady Shun Qing sighed, "What a mess! Shang''er, Qingyan, let''s take a walk." She stood while speaking.


    Upon hearing this, Yun Shang squinted and stood. She supported Lady Shun Qing with her hands as she walked out of the house.


    Lady Shun Qing''s house was adjacent to a lake. A pavilion was situated in the middle of the lake. A bridge led to the pavilion. Lady Shun Qing, accompanied by Yun Shang and Prince Jing, walked toward the pavilion. Once they reached, she sat on a bench. Yun Shang looked around and thought to herself, ''This is a good place for conversation. There will be no eavesdroppers here.''


    "Please sit." Lady Shun Qing patted Yun Shang''s hands. Yun Shang sat beside the older woman.


    Lady Shun Qing looked at Yun Shang for a moment before she said with a smile, "Qingyan is lucky to marry you. Shang''er, you are so beautiful. In two years, nobody in the Imperial City will be able to compare with you. I heard that you have been at the Ning''guo Temple for


    ad practiced Chinese traditional martial arts for a long time. She often looked as if she had never practiced it. Prince Jing took off his cloak, put it around Yun Shang and said, "Your cloak is still in the room. The wind is strong here. Put on my cloak lest you get cold."


    Yun Shang didn''t refuse and bowed her head. On seeing this, Lady Shun Qing giggled and said, "Life is wonderful for young people."


    A while later, the assassin returned and reported, "Your Ladyship, the maid went to Lady Gao*''s house.


    (TN: Lady Gao is Lady Shun Qing''s daughter-in-law. She was the wife of Lady Shun Qing''s second son.")


    "Well, Well." A dreadful smile appeared on Lady Shun Qing''s face. She rose to her feet and said, "Let''s go to Lady Gao''s house."


    Subsequently, they walked to a house. Just before they walked into the house, they encountered Prince Shun Qing. Prince Shun Qing nodded and said, "We''d better enter the house from the back. Don''t alert the people in it."


    Yun Shang acted innocent. Prince Jing held her waist and flew over the enclosing wall. As they neared the room, a voice could be heard. "You assured me of the deaths of Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun Qing. But why are they still alive now?"


    Yun Shang felt the anger radiating off Lady Shun Qing. At the time, another voice spoke inside the room. Upon hearing this voice, Yun Shang widened her eyes as if to say something. But Lady Shun Qing instantly covered her mouth. "I don''t know. I don''t know what''s going wrong. There is a gear in the box that is loaded with the peach-shaped carving. If the carving is moved by someone, the gear will eject poison. Lady Shun Qing had moved the carving, but she didn''t get poisoned."

 Chapter 110 Wrath Of Lady Shun Qing （Part One)

    Since there were two voices, one must belong to Xiu Xin, and the other to Lady Gao.


    Lady Gao spoke again, "I am determined to live up to the expectation of the Empress. After I saw that Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun Qing were fine, I decided to kill someone and frame Princess Hui Guo. Although it wasn''t Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun Qing that were killed, Wu Qi, after all, is an official. Moreover, I saw Wu Qi''s daughter seducing my husband. She is such a minx! So, I asked you to give Wu Qi two sachets in the name of the Empress. I thought he would give one sachet to his wife, but he gave it to his daughter. Regardless, he solved a big challenge for me. The bitch is unable to seduce my husband now."


    Hardly had Lady Gao''s voice faded away, Xiu Xin''s voice could be heard from within the room, "Before the Empress gave the sandalwood box to Princess Hui Guo as a gift, we tested it many times, and the mechanism did work. I don''t understand why it didn''t work in Princess Hui Guo''s hands. The Empress asked me to do something on the peach-shaped carving made of jadeite. When blood streaks appeared on it, Lady Shun Qing would take the carving to examine it out of curiosity. But I don''t understand why she is unharmed. I will report everything to the Empress in detail when I return. Your Ladyship, when you are in the front hall later, please ask someone to check the sachets carefully. The cloth and silk threads used to make the sachets are supplied to the Imperial Palace only, and the embroidery method belongs to a servant of Princess Hui Guo. What you need to do is remind Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun Qing of these facts. They are clever people and are sure to conclude that it was Princess Hui Guo."


    "I get it. The Empress has helped me eliminate my rivals, and I should, in return, help her. I know what to do next..."


    Before Lady Gao could finish her words, Yun Shang saw Prince Shun Qing signaling to the guard standing nearby. The guard immediately pushed open the windows and rushed in. A scream was heard next. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes as she saw a figure in green dashing out from the room and disappearing in a trice.


    Yun Shang stood still instead of entering the room. Although she was involved in the event, this was Prince Shun Qing''s family affair and she was an outsider. She could not make things harder.


    Yun Shang realized Prince Jing was staring at her. But she ignored him. She stood where she was and let her eyes settle on the distant long corridor.


    "Prince Jing, Princess Yun Shang, please, come in." Prince Shun Qing''s voice came from within. Yun Shang walked to the door and entered the room. She saw a lady had collapsed in a chair. It was a cold winter day, but her forehead was wet with perspiration. She was too frightened to utter a single word.


    "My Prince, the servant girl knows better martial


    Hua Jing very much. When he thought of Yun Shang''s miserable past, he began to hate the Empress even more.


    Prince Shun Qing asked the butler to explain to the guests and serve them properly. Then, he left the house and headed directly for the Imperial Palace with his wife, daughter-in-law, Princess Yun Shang, and Prince Jing.


    Prince Jing didn''t ride a horse, instead, he sat in Yun Shang''s carriage. Yun Shang had to ask Qin Yi and Qian Yin to take another carriage.


    Only Yun Shang and Prince Jing were in the carriage. Prince Jing stared at Yun Shang for a long time before speaking, "Xiu Xin knows martial arts. But in Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion right now, even Prince Shun Qing''s guard was unable to catch her. I didn''t think she was that capable."


    Yun Shang stayed calm after hearing his words, "Are you talking to me, Uncle Jing? Does Xiu Xin know martial arts?" Yun Shang asked with a slight frown. She hesitated for a while and then said, "I''ve stayed at the Imperial Palace for so short a time, I wouldn''t know if Xiu Xin knew martial arts."


    Prince Jing didn''t believe her at all, "An honest man says nothing deceitful. Was it you that arranged an imposter to pose as Xiu Xin? The imposter Xiu Xin seems to be have the same figure as Qian Qian."


    Yun Shang''s smile froze on her face as she muttered, "Really? Uncle Jing, you have such good eyesight."


    Prince Jing didn''t respond. Instead, he kept staring at her. Yun Shang felt guilty, but she knew he bore no ill will, otherwise he would have said all this in front of Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun Qing, instead of talking to her privately. She sighed, "Qian Qian is very adept at disguising as someone else. Martial art is not her only talent."


    Prince Jing seemed to be pleased with her words and nodded, "You have so many talented companions." Yun Shang was relieved as Prince Jing had no intention of making a detailed inquiry.

 Chapter 111 Wrath Of Lady Shun Qing (Part Two)

    Although Yun Shang felt relieved, she had nothing to say, and the silence in the carriage became awkward. Yun Shang remembered Emperor Ning''s words from a few days ago, so she gave a little cough and said, "I''m going to send my mother to the Fenglai Palace* for recuperation. My father said you would tidy up the Palace first. We are going there in a few days. Uncle Jing, is the Palace already prepared?"


    (*TN: Fenglai Palace is a temporary imperial palace.)


    Prince Jing nodded, "The Palace is ready. You may rest assured. Please be careful on your way to the Palace and do not let others discover Lady Jin''s secret, otherwise you would get in trouble."


    Yun Shang nodded, and Prince Jing continued, "It''s not a good idea to conceal Lady Jin''s pregnancy. What if the Empress asserts that Lady Jin had an affair with someone else and got pregnant? How are you going to deal with that?"


    Yun Shang was taken aback by his words. After much deliberation, she admitted that she hadn''t thought consummately. Although Lady Jin was in her third or four month of pregnancy, the Empress could invariably stir up trouble. Yun Shang nodded, "Thank you for reminding me of that, Uncle Jing. I hadn''t thought of it before. I''ll deal with it as soon as I return."


    Prince Jing nodded, and closed his eyes to rest.


    Yun Shang had been thinking of her mother and rehearsing what she would say in the upcoming meeting with the Emperor. Prince Jing and Yun Shang had no other conversation during the rest of their journey.


    As soon as they arrived at the Imperial Palace, Prince Shun Qing asked to see the Emperor. After a while, Emperor Ning sent a eunuch to escort Prince Shun Qing and his family in. Yun Shang was about to follow them, but Prince Jing grabbed her sleeve to stop her. Yun Shang went blank for a while, and didn''t go in.


    "Lady Gao is the daughter-in-law of Prince Shun Qing, and it is their family affair. It is improper for you to go in now. Let''s just wait. The Emperor is sure to call us in later." Prince Jing explained to Yun Shang as he saw the doubt in her eyes.


    Yun Shang went blank again and then nodded. She blamed herself for being hasty and decided to be more careful in the future.


    Prince Jing saw her reaction and knew she was not vigilant against him now. So he asked, "Have you thought about the Xiu Xin situation? Where is the real one?"


    Yun Shang gave a murderous look, "I''ve hidden her in a secret place and given her some medicines. I''m sure she will say whatever I want her to say."


    The Empress relied hea


    n more convinced and was fuming. He banged his tea cup on the table and shouted, "Bitch!"


    At this moment, the door opened. The newcomer seemed to be startled and muttered, "Your Majesty, what''s going on here? Who makes you angry?" The voice belonged to the Empress. Although she voiced her concern, she sounded bland.


    Emperor Ning snorted, "Look at what you have done! Wonderful! I have such a virtuous wife!"


    The Empress then realized Emperor Ning was mad at her. She looked around with a frown. She thought to herself, ''They are all here. Aren''t Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun Qing here to convey their grievances about Princess Hui Guo? Why is Emperor Ning mad at me?'' Though she had doubts, the Empress had to take the blame, "Your Majesty, why are you so angry at me? What have I done? Yun Shang, I thought you were at Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion. Why are you here? Prince Shun Qing, Lady Shun Qing, you are both here as well. What is going on? If Yun Shang did something wrong and offended you, I apologize for her. Please pardon her."


    The Empress asserted Yun Shang''s mistakes without knowing what had happened, and even gave an apology. Yun Shang sneered in her mind and wondered if the Empress would still be smiling in a while.


    "Li Yiran, why isn''t Xiu Xin with you? I remember she is your right hand." The stern-looking Emperor Ning raised his head and asked the Empress coldly.


    The Empress didn''t know why Emperor Ning asked about Xiu Xin. She said, "Your Majesty, Xiu Xin is sick. I was afraid she might communicate the disease to you, so I asked her to rest at Qiwu Palace."


    Hardly had her voiced faded away when the door was pushed open, "Your Majesty, Xiu Xin is here."

 Chapter 112 Fall Into Disgrace (Part One)

    The Empress frowned. Early this morning, Xiu Xin had been sent to Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion and hadn''t returned by the time the Empress had left for Qinzheng Hall. How could Xiu Xin be here?


    Lord Zheng entered and stopped in the center of the hall. "Your Majesty, I have interrogated the guard at the west gate. He said that the name Xiu Xin wasn''t recorded in the register, but he could recognize Xiu Xin, and she used the name Ya Yun when she left the Imperial City early this morning."


    The Empress was taken aback. Her eyes opened wide when she felt that something must have gone wrong. But she didn''t know what was going on at the moment.


    Emperor Ning turned to her with contempt, "You said Xiu Xin was at Qiwu Palace, didn''t you? Why did she leave the Imperial City?"


    The Empress clenched an embroidered handkerchief in her hand and gnashed her teeth in anger. "Damn! How dare she cheat me? Her roommate told me early this morning that she had to take a day off as she was afraid that she would communicate her disease to me. I agreed as she has always served me wholeheartedly, but I didn''t expect that she would lie to me!"


    Emperor Ning said coldly, "Really? I heard that some people were killed by the toxic jadeite peach-shaped carving you sent to Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion today. Why did you poison the peach-shaped carving? Did you want to murder Lady Shun Qing?"


    The Empress explained lowering her head, "I''m on good terms with Lady Shun Qing. Why would I murder her? Moreover, Lady Gao is my sister. I have to develop good relations with Lady Shun Qing for her sake. Why would I murder her? Shang took the peach-shaped carving there. Someone must have replaced the original one."


    Yun Shang knew she was the someone the Empress was referring to. She felt wronged and tears welled in her eyes. "Your Majesty, What do you mean? Do you think I poisoned the peach-shaped carving?"


    The Empress answered coldly, "No, but your maid might be involved. Why not ask her about the truth?"


    Emperor Ning interrupted her with a snort of contempt, "Li Yiran! You are my wife, so I don''t want to embarrass you, but you are persistent in doing wrong and trying to slander Shang. You should know what you have done. If you don''t, I will tell you.


    Guards, take Lady G


    y today, but she knelt here. What had happened?


    Xiu Xin broke out in a cold sweat and kowtowed before Emperor Ning. "I stayed at Qiwu Palace the whole morning."


    "You are lying! You went to Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion!" Lady Gao retorted before Emperor Ning could say anything. As she had identified the murderer, she would be considered an accomplice at most and could save Rui''er.


    Xiu Xin nervously bit her lip, realizing that Lady Gao had revealed everything. Yun Shang said, "Xiu Xin, Lady Gao has told us everything. Save your breath."


    Xiu Xin became more scared. It had been an unusual day. She planned to go to Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion to see how things were going, but somehow, she had felt drowsy and had fallen asleep. It was late when she woke up. By then, she heard that Prince Shun Qing and his wife were no longer at their mansion. She wanted to inquire more, but she was afraid that the plan would be exposed if she was away for too long, so she rushed back to the Imperial City. Unexpectedly, she was arrested as soon as she entered the city gate.


    "Why not admit what you did? You did it as Her Majesty ordered, right?" Seeing that Xiu Xin was hesitating, Yun Shang knew she would be difficult to deal with. If she knew the ins and outs, she would be suspicious. If she said something she shouldn''t say, all of Yun Shang''s effort would be in vain, so Yun Shang goaded her into action. She had always been loyal to the Empress, so she would rather admit to all the guilt than implicate the Empress.

 Chapter 113 Fall Into Disgrace (Part Two)

    As expected, Xiu Xin hurriedly made a kowtow before Emperor Ning, "Your Majesty, please don''t get angry. I planned the whole thing. It has nothing to do with Her Majesty. Her Majesty asked Princess Hui Guo to celebrate the birthday of Lady Shun Qing, but she was afraid that Princess Hui Guo wouldn''t have any presentable gift, so she gave Princess Hui Guo the precious jadeite peach-shaped carving. I have never liked Princess Hui Guo. She isn''t Her Majesty''s daughter, but you treat her much better than Princess Hua Jing. Her Majesty has been a nice Empress, wife, and mother since she entered the Imperial City, but only I know her suffering, so I felt vengeful. I thought if I eliminated Princess Hui Guo, Her Majesty would be relieved. So I made a decision without authorization, and asked someone to make a fake peach-shaped carving. Then I went to ask Lady Gao for help."


    The Empress''s palms sweated so much that her handkerchief became wet. Why didn''t Xiu Xin think properly at this critical moment? It was obviously a trap. Lady Shun Qing was fine, which shed doubt on the plan. Moreover, the others had no idea of the sachet Lady Gao mentioned just now. The Empress was sure that she had never asked Xiu Xin to do that.


    However, the Empress could do nothing to turn the tables now. Lady Gao had pleaded guilty and even Xiu Xin had taken responsibility. What else could she do? What was worse, Emperor Ning would never trust her again. He wouldn''t change his mind even if her father interceded on her behalf. Sweat dripped from the Empress''s face. She even found it hard to defend herself. After a long time, she knelt on the ground and said weakly, "Please punish me for my negligence."


    Emperor Ning closed his eyes and looked pale. How dare his Empress try to harm his daughter? Moreover, Xiu Xin had taken responsibility, and the Grand Councilor dominated the court. Even if the Empress was behind all this, Emperor Ning couldn''t punish her. At the thought that he couldn''t even protect the daughter of his beloved woman, Emperor Ning felt more helpless.


    "Xiu Xin intended to murder Princess Hui Guo. Guards, drag her out and club her to death. As pun


    make an order?"


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin stood still nervously.


    Prince Jing sighed and tried to please Yun Shang. "It was just a joke. I didn''t expect that you would get angry. Vent your anger on me if you like."


    Qian Yin and Qin Yi were taken aback. They usually stayed with Yun Shang all day long. But they didn''t know that she and Prince Jing had such an intimate relationship. It occurred to Qian Yin that Yun Shang slept in Prince Jing''s tent at the frontier some time ago. Yun Shang was Prince Jing''s junior, and Prince Jing had slept somewhere else, so Qian Yin didn''t think it improper. Did they get close with each other in those days? This thought astonished Qian Yin. Furthermore, Yun Shang was terribly worried upon hearing that Prince Jing was in trouble that day and personally gathered as many as people she could to save Prince Jing.


    Emperor Ning approved of their marriage soon after they came back. This was indeed a wise decision as Yun Shang''s reputation would have been ruined as many people in the camp had met her.


    Prince Jing obeyed Yun Shang in every way. Qian Yin didn''t know why Yun Shang was angry, but she felt relieved as Prince Jing made an abject apology.


    Yun Shang didn''t notice that Qian Yin was lost in thought but felt sick of Prince Jing who had no shame. She gave a brittle laugh and said to Prince Jing, "There are no other people here. Don''t pretend to be nice. Qian Yin, show Prince Jing out."

 Chapter 114 The Empresss Grief (Part One)

    Qin Yi and Qian Yin were reluctant to do so. However, as Yun Shang was their master, they had to obey. The maids stood up and said, "Lord, you see..."


    Prince Jing smiled and said gently, "As I am an unwelcome guest here, I''d better leave. Anyway, Lady Jin will go to Ning''guo Temple to pray in a couple of days, and I will escort her to the temporary imperial palace. So, Shang''er, we will soon meet again."


    Yun Shang was taken by surprise. She had been a little elated when she heard the Prince announce his leave. But her curled lips froze with an embarrassed smile after she caught the latter part of the Prince''s words. That was tantamount to a threat, with which, however, Yun Shang had no way to deal. Yun Shang gritted her teeth in anger to squeeze out the following words, "Uncle, you speak as if I am forcing you to leave. If you''d like to stay, be my guest." She withdrew into the inner hall as soon as she had finishing speaking.


    Prince Jing felt intrigued as he watched Yun Shang leave in anger. She behaved childishly, and that was normal for a fifteen-year old girl. Although she was charming when calm, and dignified on ordinary days, her beauty was not perfect for lack of vitality. Yun Shang when angry, seemed more natural and prettier than usual.


    Even Qin Yi and Qian Yin were startled. They had served Yun Shang for quite a long time, but this was the first time they had seen the Princess behave so willfully.


    Then Qin Yi remembered how Lady Jin looked when Lady Jin and His Majesty loved each other heart and soul. Though a little girl then, Qin Yi could still recall the capricious behavior of Lady Jin when she was at odds with His Majesty. How Yun Shang resembled Lady Jin when she was quarreling with the Prince! With Yun Shang''s unusual behavior in mind, Qin Yi more or less guessed how the Princess felt about the Prince. In spite of the Princess''s cold attitude towards Prince Jing, she must view the Prince differently in her heart of hearts.


    So Qin Yi lowered her head in front of the Prince and asked him with a smile, "It is cold here. Why not go to the inner hall to warm yourself, Lord? I will serve you a cup of tea. What''s your favorite, Lord?"


    Prince Jing lifted his eyes to look at Qin Yi. He nodded, "That would be nice. It''s very cold. Please prepare for me a cup of Que She Tea."


    Qin Yi nodded with a smile. Then she held Qian Yin''s arm, and left with her. Qian Yin almost tripped when Qin Yi pulled her out of the room. She wondered how it was possible for the Prince to feel cold. People who have learned a high level of Kung Fu usually have warmer bodies.


    Yun Shang fetched a book after entering the inner hall. She lay on her bed and began reading. After a while, she habitually reached out for the teacup that was usually on the table. However, she felt nothing. Yun Shang was surprised when she realized that nobody was serving in the room as Qin Yi and Qian Yin hadn''t followed her. Yun Shang frowned and wondered whether Prince Jing was brazen enough to stay and keep her maids to serve him. With this in mind, Yun Shang stood and walked out of the room. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Prince Jing sitting on the chair. Yun Shang squinted to study the Prince, and could not help but feel upset. What a brazen man he is! He hadn''t the slightest intention of leaving even though I have grown impatient with him?


    Yun Shang noticed that there was a cup of hot tea by the Prince''s side. Judging from the smell, she found it was the Que She Tea that His Majesty had awarded her the year before. Yun Shang felt more agitated at this sight. So she returned to the inner hall in fury, and called aloud, "Qin Yi! Qian Yin!"


    In a short while, Qin Yi and Qian Yin ent


    still remember how His Majesty left me alone in our wedding chamber on our wedding day. What a stigma for me! I know His Majesty hates me because Lady Jin, his beloved one, cannot be the Empress because of me. For all these years, I have tried my best to be a good wife as well as a good mother. Have I shown any sign of jealousy when young girls are selected as His Majesty''s ladies each year? If His Majesty is so cruel to me, what''s the significance of my title, Empress?"


    Upon hearing those words, the maid standing by the Empress''s side said immediately, "Your Majesty, please don''t say something like that."


    The Empress lay back against the bedhead. Her hair fell over her shoulders, and her eyes were red. She said after a long while, "Why can''t I say something like that? Since I am under house arrest in this Palace now, who will have any chance to tell His Majesty what I said? I''m afraid His Majesty is not willing to hear any news about me."


    The Empress became so distraught after she finished speaking that she coughed repeatedly. The maid panicked and inquired about the Empress worriedly, "Oh, my! Your Majesty is so sick. But the imperial physicians always make the same prescriptions when they come to check you. It seems as though those medicines won''t take any effect."


    A bitter smile emerged on the Empress''s lips. "What is the use in taking the medicine? I''m afraid His Majesty would be happy if I died immediately."


    "No! No! No!" The old maid responded hurriedly. "That''s nonsense. Please stop talking about death, Your Majesty. Buddha and Gods, please forgive Her Majesty. Her Majesty is so heartbroken that she has said something out of her mind. Please don''t take it seriously."


    The Empress leaned forward a little and coughed again. Then she straightened her body and asked, "I ordered you to send a message to the Grand Councilor. Did you do that?"


    The maid replied in a hurry, "I have already sent a messenger. Lady Li has found a physician for you, but His Majesty won''t allow any other physicians to see you. His Majesty said the imperial physicians from the Imperial Palace are the best in the world. Physicians from outside the Imperial Palace are no match for them. Lady Li is trying to find a way..."


    The Empress nodded, and stayed silent. She lay on her bed, sleepless. She just stared at the ceiling until tears welled up in her eyes again.


    Seeing the Empress shedding tears on her bed, the maid turned around and sobbed silently, too.

 Chapter 115 The Empresss Grief (Part Two)

    A couple of days later, the Empress''s health became worse. When the news finally spread to the Emperor, the Emperor sneered and said nothing. But in a short while, Grand Councilor came and asked for a presence.


    On the afternoon of the same day, Lady Li arrived at Qiwu Palace with a servant girl. As soon as Lady Li set foot in the Empress''s chamber, she saw her daughter lying on the bed. Her eyes were hollow. She looked like a puppet without a soul. Lady Li could not help but sob at the pitiful sight of her daughter. She walked to the bed with the servant girl, and said to the Empress, "Your Majesty, His Majesty won''t allow any physicians to enter the Palace from the outside. I was at my wits end. So I had to find a female physician, and disguise her as a servant girl. But she is a good physician. It took a great effort to bring her here. Please let her take a look at you, Your Majesty."


    The Empress turned to look at her mother. She seemed dazed at her mother''s words. After a long while, the Empress finally regained her composure and stretched out her hand. The servant girl stepped forward and felt the Empress''s pulse. She spoke with the Empress after a moment, "Your Majesty gets irritated easily. Your fury has negatively affected your health. Your Majesty will be fine if you take care of yourself. But you should stay calm and prevent yourself from getting melancholic, or no medicine would be beneficial for your health."


    After a long while, the female physician continued hesitantly, "Your Majesty, did you ever take any potent medicine? I find that Your Majesty''s body has been severely impaired. Though some medicines are quite effective in treating some illness, they only take effect at the sacrifice of physical conditions. So, Your Majesty cannot feel grieved any more. Otherwise, I''m afraid Your Majesty''s health will deteriorate to the point of no return."


    A trace of coldness emerged in the Empress''s eyes. She propped herself up on the bed all of a sudden. "What did you mean? What happened to my body?"


    The female physician fell to the ground, and trembled as she said, "Did Your Majesty know nothing about this? It seems that Your Majesty''s body has been in a bad condition for a long time. I just noticed this and wanted to let Your Majesty know about this."


    Having spent so many years in the imperial household, the Empress knew what the female physician meant. The Empress was so enraged that she could not prevent herself from trembling. After a long while, the Empress subdued her fury and asked, "Did you mean it would be impossible for me to get pregnant again, right?"


    The female physician hesitated for a short while, but nodded at last.


    The Empress clutched the bedside tightly in fury after seeing the female physician nod. The Empress seemed confused at first. But then, the hollowness in her eyes g


    ighness. It would be better for Your Highness to see the Prince."


    (TN*: Spring Outing Day was a traditional day in ancient China, during which people would go on an outing with family members and friends to enjoy the spring day and the natural scenery.)


    Yun Shang was taken by surprise. How quickly time goes by! As it was already spring, Qingsu, whose arrival Yun Shang was expecting, would come soon. And the envoys of Xia would come, too. Among all the courtiers, only Grand Councilor and Prince Jing were capable enough to deal with Prince Qingsu and the envoys of Xia.


    It seemed the Empress and Hua Jing would be set free as soon as possible if Grand Councilor was assigned the duty of receiving Prince Qingsu and the envoys. Yun Shang could not help but curl her lips into a smile when she thought of the freedom of the Empress and Hua Jing. They would never expect that the freedom they were longing for would only lead them to another abyss of suffering.


    Yun Shang grinned when she thought of the fate of the Empress and Hua Jing. As she was in a bright mood now, Yun Shang agreed to go to the outing with the Prince.


    Yun Shang got up early on the morning of the Spring Outing Day. She wore a pure white robe with a blue lace mantle. Her hairstyle was so delicate that everyone was enchanted by the Princess''s appearance.


    Before leaving, Yun Shang went to Qinzheng Hall to say goodbye to the Emperor. As soon as Yun Shang walked out of the Palace, she saw the Prince''s carriage waiting by the entrance. But the Prince was not in the carriage. This puzzled Yun Shang. Instead of inquiring about the Prince''s whereabouts, Yun Shang got in the carriage.


    Qian Yin, Qin Yi, and Yun Shang talked all the way. Suddenly, the carriage jerked as though it had run over something. Then it suddenly halted. This was so unexpected that the three women were nearly thrown out of the carriage...

 Chapter 116 Unwelcome Guest (Part One)

    "What''s wrong?" Qian Yin opened the door and got off the carriage.


    Hearing the squabble, Yun Shang frowned and winked at Qin Yi as a sign for her to get out. Qin Yi complied with the order. The moment Qin Yi jumped off, Qian Yin returned and looked at Yun Shang seriously. She reported in a low voice, "Your Highness, a man rushed towards the carriage. The driver tried to avoid him but the man was still hurt."


    Yun Shang replied, "Hum, ask Qin Yi to return. Since the carriage belongs to Prince Jing, the driver must be a smart man. He can deal with this accident."


    Qian Yin frowned and said, "Your Highness, the injured man has brown eyes and an emblem on his wrist. I guess he is not a citizen of the State of Ning. Moreover, the clothes he wears are of good quality. They look expensive."


    Yun Shang was worried when she heard the description. She said, "I will have a look." She then put on her veil and opened the door. As soon as she got off the carriage, she saw a man in black standing nearby. He looked pale. The driver bowed his head and defended himself, "You pounced on our horses so you are responsible for the accident. It''s not my fault that I couldn''t stop the horses. There are many witnesses."


    The victim sneered, "Judging from the badge, I guess the carriage belongs to Prince Jing. Is he free to do as he pleases? Even kill a person recklessly? Just because he is a prince? If I had died on the spot, would anyone have been held accountable?"


    From his accent it was confirmed that the man was not a citizen of the State of Ning. Yun Shang looked carefully at the man. He wore a black robe. He had a snub-nose and deep set eyes. Although he was handsome, she concluded that he was ill-tempered from his expression.


    She stared at his wrist and saw a strange emblem. She squinted and thought for a while before she finally recalled his identity. She was astonished, but she hid her surprise.


    With a smile she advised in a soft tone, "Be lenient whenever it is possible. It was six of one and half a dozen of the other. We were both at fault. Since you are not hurt, we are now even. What do you think?"


    The man looked at the pretty tender girl. She seemed to be 14-15 years old. She had a good figure. Although the man thought highly of her, he satirized, "It''s well known that Prince Jing is an upright man and never gets entangled with women. I wasn''t expecting to handle an accident with a beauty as pretty as a flower and as pure as a jade. I heard the Emperor has granted Prince Jing''s request to marry Princess Hui Guo. What if she saw you in his carriage? Would she be sad?"


    His confusion further proved his identity. Yun Shang gave a signal to Qian Yin who understood what the Princess intended to convey.


    th a query, Isn''t the Prince on the way? Why did he sneak into the Imperial City? What was his intention?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "Cangjue Qingsu is an unruly man, but he isn''t imprudent. I believe he made some arrangements before he came into the Imperial City by himself. It will not be easy to catch or kill him."


    Prince Jing didn''t reply. He meditated in silence and then said, "After the spring outing, I will send you back to the Imperial Palace. You''d better stay at your palace for several days. Firstly, Cangjue Qingsu asked the Emperor to marry you to him. He doesn''t know the name he mentioned in his letter has been changed to Hua Jing. I am afraid he might hurt you. Secondly, he is in the Imperial City and the State of Xia may take some action. There will be a period of serious disturbances in the Imperial City."


    "It''s not easy for me to get out of the Imperial Palace." Yun Shang answered and then closed her eyes, leaving Prince Jing alone with his thoughts. When speaking of Cangjue Qingsu, her attitude had become softer. However, it didn''t mean she would treat him tenderly and with a smile.


    After several minutes of travel, the carriage stopped. Prince Jing jumped off the carriage first. Before Yun Shang got off, Prince Jing had held out his hand to help her.


    Yun Shang frowned. She didn''t need his help. When she was about to jump off the carriage, a frivolous voice was heard, "Is Princess Huo Guo coming? We have been waiting for a long time."


    Yun Shang looked up and saw Wang Jinhuan striding to meet her. Behind him, several girls followed.


    Yun Shang sighed and held Prince Jing''s hand when getting off the carriage. Yun Shang glanced at the surrounding area. An expansive slope with a smooth surface came into view. Maybe it was a special platform for the spring outing?

 Chapter 117 Unwelcome Guest (Part Two)

    Prince Jing held Yun Shang and looked back. When he saw the girls behind Wang Jinhuan, he satirized with wrinkled brows, "You are really a playboy. I left about half an hour ago and you''ve already made so many female friends."


    Wang Jinhuan looked up, smoothed his hair and said happily, "Hey, you left so long ago that I felt bored. When I saw Wen Qingzhu, the third son of the Deputy Minister of Revenue, I invited him. But I didn''t expect that he would come here with his sisters. I can''t back out."


    ''Wen Qingzhu? Does that mean that cold girl is here too?'' In the distance Yun Shang saw the girl she was thinking about. She was leaning against a tree and looking at them. Her smile was one of ridicule.


    ''She is indeed a rose with thorns.''


    "Your Highness." The girls behind Wang Jinhuan all greeted Prince Jing with shy smiles. Prince Jing nodded indifferently and ordered, "This is Princess Hui Guo. You should also greet her."


    Many of the girls had already sneaked a surreptitious glance at Yun Shang and guessed her identity. Hearing the introduction, they greeted her with surprise, "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "It is a festival today. I came here for fun. Relax and behave yourselves."


    Prince Jing turned, smiled at Yun Shang and asked, "I made you a kite. The servants will bring it here soon. Tell me whether you like it or not when you see it."


    ''A kite? No, I would be nearing 40 now if I hadn''t been reborn. I am too old to fly a kite.'' Yun Shang was nervous as she thought in her mind.


    Shaking her head, she replied, "I am weak, so¡­" When Yun Shang saw Wang Jinhuan smirking, she added with a smile, "It would be great if Wang Jinhuan flew the kite. I saw him flying kites for others. It seems that he is good at it. I can''t fly it myself, but I''ll enjoy watching him fly it."


    Prince Jing laughed and said, "As you wish. I will order him to fly it."


    Prince Jing was never seen laughing so happily without restraint. The onlookers couldn''t take their eyes off him. After a long time, Wang Jinhuan asked, "Why me? Can''t Luo Qingyan fly a kite?"


    ''Prince Jing?'' Yun Shang thought. She turned to check Prince Jing and finally shook her head, explaining, "No, he can''t. It''s ridiculo


    have come here with him."


    As Wang Jinhuan spoke, he suddenly recalled something. He stared at Yun Shang with a excited look and asked, "Your Highness, Qian Qian is your, well, you know her. Could you please ask her to talk with me and go out with me?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and thought, ''I asked Ning Qian to investigate Prince Jing. According to Wang Jinhuan, she is getting involved with the youngest son of Prince Shun Qing.''


    When Wang Jinhuan didn''t get a satisfying answer, he felt anxious and held Yun Shang''s hand. He begged, "Your Highness, please. Sister-in-law¡­ I have known Luo Qingyan for many years. We are good friends. Please help me."


    Yun Shang frowned and snorted. Wang Jinhuan suddenly stared into the distance.


    Yun Shang turned and saw a pleasure boat dock. Several people stepped off the boat. A man in a blue robe was at the forefront. He put his arm around a girl''s neck. Several good-looking girls with good figures followed them.


    "Ning Ye, I knew it was you!" Wang Jinhuan ground his teeth and said.


    They soon came closer. The man in front was handsome but looked like riff-raff. The girl in his arms was wearing a veil. But Wang Jinhuan recognized Qian Qian from her bright, attractive eyes.


    The girls behind them were also beauties. It was easy to guess that they were not likely from rich families. There was seduction in their eyes.


    "Ning Ye, you bastard¡­" Wang Jinhuan''s eyes widened before he rushed forward to punch the man.

 Chapter 118 Hua Jing Is Released From Prison (Part One)

    Yun Shang frowned as she did not know what was going on. She saw Ning Ye dodge the blow. Yun Shang was shocked by his reaction. She had once read through the information kept on royal members and learned that Ning Ye had been sickly from an early age and that he was randy yet weak now. Wang Jinhuan, however, was highly skilled in martial arts. Even if he punched Ning Ye without using martial arts, his movement would be much faster than an ordinary person, and Ning Ye shouldn''t be able to dodge...


    Was Ning Ye somehow skilled in martial arts too? But why did he conceal the fact?


    Ning Ye also seemed to have realized his mistake. He stopped moving and took Jinhuan''s next punch to his body.


    Yun Shang saw the expression on Prince Jing''s face change, and knew that he must have asked Jinhuan to fly Ning Ye''s kite. Was Prince Jing investigating Ning Ye?


    Yun Shang tipped Ning Qian with a wink. Ning Qian took the hint and turned to the two men fighting with each other and said indifferently, "Your Royal Highness, Mr. Wang, since you are good friends, please continue. I think I''d better leave now."


    They immediately stopped fighting and yelled in one voice, "Qian Qian, please don''t go."


    Ning Qian did not respond, instead, she turned and walked toward the boat. Ning Ye immediately followed, but Jinhuan stayed where he was. He ground his teeth and mumbled, "Ning Ye, you are such a bastard! I don''t believe Qian Qian would choose you. Let''s wait and see!"


    The thunder of horse hooves came from behind them. Shortly after, a man''s voice could be heard, "Prince Jing, the Defense Minister has something important to report. He has been waiting for you for about an hour at the mansion."


    Prince Jing nodded but hesitated before he turned to Yun Shang, "I''m so sorry. I invited you for an outing, but I need to leave now. Let me send you back to the Imperial Palace first."


    Yun Shang agreed. She turned around and walked down the hill with Prince Jing. Together, they got into the carriage.


    They didn''t speak with each other during the journey.


    After Yun Shang returned to her Palace, she asked Qian Yin, "Has Liu Qingya come into the Imperial Palace? She''s the girl who was selected to be my father''s newest concubine on New Year''s Eve."


    Qian Yin shook her head. After the New Year''s Eve banquet, Lady Jin had nearly suffered a miscarriage, and the Empress had been grounded. It was the Empress who had selected Liu Qingya as a concubine for Emperor Ning. Now, the Empress was busy enough with her affairs, and no one remembered Lady Qingya.


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while and said, "Ask Qin Meng to mention Qingya tomorrow when she visits Lady Ming."


    Qian Yin nodded. Yun Shang continued, "Help me chang


    father, the Empress made a lady your concubine on New Year''s Eve. The lady performed such a wonderful sword-dance. Father, please bring her into the Imperial Palace. I want to learn sword-dance."


    Lady Ming was left speechless by Yun Shang''s request. She ground her teeth and spoke after a while, "Selecting beauties is a sheer waste of energy and money, and it''s not a good thing to have too many ladies in the Imperial Palace. Since the lady was honored as a concubine, I''ll arrange someone to collect her, so that she can teach Yun Shang the sword-dance..."


    Yun Shang nodded. A huge smile lit up her face, "Great! Then I can learn the sword-dance and perform it in front of you, Lady Ming. Father, sister Hua Jing has been grounded for a long time. I know she made a mistake, but she must have reflected on her actions while in jail. I heard jail is very frightening. There are mice and cockroaches. She is a weak lady and must feel scared. Father, please release her from prison."


    Emperor Ning and Lady Ming were astounded by Yun Shang''s plea. Lady Ming stared at Yun Shang for a long time, trying to figure out what she was thinking. But Yun Shang kept a calm face. Lady Ming thought it over in her mind before speaking, "Hua Jing is a Princess. No matter what mistake she made, as long as she knows she was wrong, we should release her. Moreover, I thought that case was weird and Hua Jing wouldn''t do that. Your Majesty, please issue a decree ordering the official release of Hua Jing."


    Emperor Ning remained speechless for a while and said, "I need to think it over."


    Lady Ming was unsatisfied with this result and seemed to pout. Yun Shang finished the white fungus soup in a happy mood. Emperor Ning stood and was about to leave. Yun Shang also got up and said goodbye to Lady Ming. They left Changchun Palace together.

 Chapter 119 Hua Jing Is Released From Prison (Part Two)

    On the way, Emperor Ning suddenly asked, "Why did you intercede for your sister?"


    Yun Shang gave a smile, "It was Uncle Jing''s idea. He asked me to tell you that the third Prince of the State of Yelang entered the Imperial City secretly. Today, I took Uncle Jing''s carriage to the countryside, but a man suddenly ran into the middle of the road and was hit by the carriage. He deliberately prodded me and my servant girl so that we would get off the carriage. That''s how he learned of my identity. Uncle Jing said he was the third Prince of the State of Yelang."


    Emperor Ning furrowed his brows upon hearing her words. He understood why Prince Jing asked Yun Shang to intercede for Hua Jing. The third Prince of the State of Yelang had asked to marry Hua Jing. After he entered the Imperial City, he would have learned of Hua Jing''s imprisonment. However, he managed to see Yun Shang after he got the news. He might have changed his target to Yun Shang.


    Emperor Ning looked at Yun Shang and shook his head, ''Yun Shang is Lady Jin''s daughter. I''ve already hurt Lady Jin. I can''t hurt her daughter.''


    Emperor Ning had made his decision. He said, "Yun Shang, don''t leave the Imperial Palace for a few days."


    Yun Shang agreed, "Uncle Jing said the same to me. I won''t leave the Imperial Palace. Father, don''t worry."


    Emperor Ning nodded, "Why did you ask to bring Lady Qingya into the Imperial Palace. Was it Prince Jing''s idea too?" Emperor Ning suddenly became wary of Lady Qingya. If she was Prince Jing''s hired spy, he couldn''t sleep with her.


    Yun Shang shook her head and looked a little shy, "She performed such a wonderful sword-dance. Uncle Jing is a military general, and I guess he might like sword-dance. So I want to learn it."


    Hearing her words and seeing her shy expression, Emperor Ning laughed out loud, "Yun Shang, you''ve grown up."


    They talked with each other for a while before Yun Shang said goodbye to Emperor Ning and went back to Qingxin Palace.


    The next day, Emperor Ning issued a decree which stated that the conspirator that poisoned Li Yingying on New Year''s Eve had been found. It was Li Yingying''s sister who was born of the same father but a different mother. The lady''s mother was a servant girl, so Grand Councilor Li''s eldest son was unwilling to admit to the lady''s identity and made the lady Li Yingying''s servant. The lady harbored resentment toward everyone in the Li Clan, so she poisoned Li Yingying.


    No one wanted to figure out how a servant girl from the Grand Councilor''s House was able to put poison onto Li Yingying''s Pipa at the heavily guarded Imperial Palace.


    Hua Jing was then released. Soon after, Emperor Ning issued a second decree to declare the divorce of Hua Jing and her husband. As Emperor Ning deliberately concealed the fact that Zhao Yingjie was still alive, there were few d


    d. If I marry you, I would have the support of Emperor Ning, the Empress, and Grand Councilor Li. That''s a better deal! We had a wonderful time together. Aren''t you going to help me? Besides, you have been married before. Who dares marry you in the State of Ning? If I become the Crown Prince of the State of Yelang, you would be the wife of the Crown Prince. After I become the Emperor, you would be the Empress. Don''t you want to be the Empress?" Qingsu raised his eyebrows as he stared at Hua Jing with gleaming eyes.


    The Empress... The word excited Hua Jing. After a long time, she eventually shook her head. "I''m the beloved daughter of my father and mother. They are not willing to send me far away to marry you. As for my marriage, it''s none of your business..."


    Qingsu gave a vicious look as he heard her words, but then he changed to a smile, "That day in the military camp, you and I were perfectly matched in bed. I have missed you so much. Did you miss me? I finally managed to arrive at the Imperial City. Hua Jing, what about we revisit that wonderful experience tonight?"


    Hua Jing was taken aback. She bit her lower lip for a long time, and then murmured, "You are insane."


    Qingsu put his mouth to Hua Jing''s ear, "I am insane, but it is only because I missed you so much. Hua Jing, you can go back to the Princess Palace first. I''ll call on you later."


    Hua Jing frowned and wanted to refuse him, but Qingsu turned and left.


    "Your Highness, are you okay?" Hua Jing''s servant ran to her when she saw the man leaving.


    Hua Jing stamped her foot and stated viciously, "I''m okay. Ask the butler to ask all the guards to be on patrol tonight. If they meet any casual visitors, just kill them."


    The servant didn''t know Hua Jing''s intention, but she answered in a low voice, "Yes, Your Highness." Then she helped Hua Jing get in the carriage, and the carriage began moving again.

 Chapter 120 Prince Jings Purpose (Part One)

    That night, there were more guards outside the Princess Palace than usual. They patrolled back and forth and left no gap in their shifts, which made it impossible for anyone to sneak into the Palace. Yun Shang worried that bringing too many people with her would get them caught, so she only brought Ning Qian. When they arrived, she realized that she had worried too much. The guards were just normal servants whose Kung Fu knowledge was only enough to protect themselves from an attack, but not enough to keep dangerous people outside the Palace.


    Yun Shang and Ning Qian found a place to hide. They stayed on the roof right on top of Hua Jing''s bedroom, which was coincidentally located on a corner. There was no way that they could be found under the cover of the night.


    After they settled on the roof, Yun Shang quietly lifted a tile from the roof. While the tile was above the middle of the bedroom, which made it convenient for Yun Shang to observe what was happening in the room, it''s placement also put her at risk of discovery. So she put it back and left a small gap.


    Hua Jing was sitting on a chair and seemed fidgety. After sitting for less than fifteen minutes, she stood and paced back and forth. Her mind was filled with thoughts about Prince Qingsu. She wondered how he had arrived at the Imperial City so soon, and how he had found out that she was not Princess Hui Guo. ''Should I pay a visit to the Grand Councilor''s Mansion and ask for help from grandpa?'' Well, she intended to ask for her mother''s help. But since her mother had been grounded, her grandpa told her not to make too much trouble and worsen the situation.


    So she had to seek her grandpa''s help. But if grandpa asks how she met Prince Qingsu, what would she tell him? Should she tell him the truth that she was captured by him at the border, and stayed in his camp for a very long time, and was even forced to have sex with him? This was something that she would definitely not tell anyone. Besides, if the secret was exposed to the public, she and grandpa would face the accusation of treason. That was too much for them.


    But thinking back on what Prince Qingsu had offered, it seemed that he actually wanted to marry her. Hua Jing bit her lip and pondered. Indeed, being the Empress of Yelang was a huge temptation, but since Yelang State was not at all comparable to the State of Ning in wealth, she would not go to that barren land by any chance.


    Hua Jing subconsciously placed her hand on her belly. She felt a little annoyed. What''s inside her belly was also trouble. She had planned to drink a decoction to abort the fetus without being noticed, but somehow the prescription hadn''t worked and she was still carrying the baby. What''s more bothering is that she couldn''t see a physician or seek any medical advice. So this issue had been dragged out to this date. Hua Jing was well aware of methods to get rid of the fetus. She could have just arranged for a


    ng.


    Prince Jing looked really upset. He kept a poker-face and acted as cold as stone. He held her in his arms and leapt away from the Princess Palace. The whole time, he kept Yun Shang''s mouth covered. After they had left the Palace, Prince Jing finally removed his hand. He lifted Yun Shang on to a horse, cracked his whip, and galloped to his mansion.


    "What are you doing? Qian Qian is still there. If she is found by Prince Qingsu, we are over." Yun Shang couldn''t hold back her anger, so she scolded Prince Jing.


    But the man behind her kept silent. He galloped to the gate of his mansion, then helped Yun Shang dismount before carrying her inside.


    Prince Jing''s butler was in shock. Seeing Prince Jing''s angry face, he knew something must have upset him. But the girl in his arms...... The butler took a long time to focus and then recognized Princess Hui Guo. And the Princess looked angry, too.


    He was in greater shock now. Why did the Prince bring the Princess to the mansion?


    But he didn''t dare to say anything. He could only look at them as Prince Jing led Princess Hui Guo into the yard.


    It was not until they arrived in Prince Jing''s room that he put Yun Shang down. Yun Shang was still worried about Ning Qian, so she rushed outside.


    "Stop. I hit an acupoint that would only keep her still for fifteen minutes. She should be fine now."


    Knowing that Prince Jing wouldn''t lie to her, Yun Shang felt a bit relieved. But she was still angry at him. "Uncle, why did you do that?"


    Prince Jing said coldly, "Why did I do that? Why don''t you ask yourself that question? I specifically told you not to go out of the Palace in case Prince Qingsu noticed you and made his schemes against you. But look at what you''ve done. Sneaking out of the Palace at middle of the night? Going to Hua Jing''s Palace? You even stayed on the roof and watched them do that thing! That filthy scene! Aren''t you afraid that it will leave a bad influence on you?"

 Chapter 121 Prince Jings Purpose (Part Two)

    Yun Shang heard him and her anger grew. She was so mad that she smiled, "Filthy? I''ve seen much filthier businesses than that! Now that Hua Jing is out of jail, she would be the first person that Prince Qingsu would visit. How could I miss that rare chance? And also, uncle, don''t you think that I can mind my own business? I don''t need you to worry about me."


    Prince Jing whacked the table. "Mind your own business? If you really knew how to mind your own business, you wouldn''t be so foolish as to go near Prince Qingsu! I''ve done a lot of business with him, and I know what he is capable of. And what do you mean by not worrying about you? I''m your uncle, and also your fianc¨¦. Am I not allowed to worry about you?"


    Yun Shang''s mouth curved into a smile. "Well, as for that, I still have my doubts. The very reason that you asked for the imperial marriage edict from father is unknown. But I do know that your purpose can''t be pure. In that case, we both have something that we want, so the marriage is nothing but a business deal. I''ll make myself clear. Don''t intervene with my arrangements anymore."


    Seeing her so stubborn, Prince Jing sighed. He thought about how worried he got when his servants reported that Yun Shang had gone to Hua Jing''s Palace. His whole heart had jumped to his throat. The only thing that occurred to him was to bring Yun Shang back and scold her. And he had done so. It just seemed that Yun Shang wasn''t buying his kindness. Well, yeah, he had his thoughts and plans about the marriage, but what he felt for Yun Shang was true. He wouldn''t admit it earlier, but with more denial, his feelings for her grew stronger.


    Prince Jing hesitated and kept silent for a while. He calmed down and walked to a chair. After a while, he said, "Since you brought it up, let''s make it clear. You and I need to talk it through."


    Seeing that Prince Jing suddenly became serious, Yun Shang found her peace, too. She sat down, but still showed no expression on her cold face. She said in a low voice, "What do you want to talk about?"


    "Do you think that all I have done for you is fake and just part of a plan? Including what happened at the frontier? And also the marriage that I asked for?" Prince Jing rolled his jade ring, and asked in a steady tone.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Am I wrong?"


    Prince Jing wasn''t mad at her reply. Since he had made up his mind to talk it through, he certainly needed to tell her the truth. "Not exactly. I do have a purpose to ask for the imperial marriage edict for us from brother. Since you''ve always wanted to know what my purpose is, I''ll tell you today. The main reason that I asked for the marriage is that I want to come back and stay in the Imperial City. You guessed about my ambition regarding the royal position, and I didn''t hide it from you. And even your father is aware of my ambition. But your father feared me for two re


    e I went back to my own mansion. Who would have thought that you would stab me without a blink? And right after I left Qingxin Palace that night, I risked being sentenced to prison by going to find brother in Qinzheng Hall to exchange half of the Hufu for our marriage."


    Yun Shang had some doubts in her mind. She was well aware that for Prince Jing, leaving his position without permission and breaking into her Palace in the middle of the night were both felonies. If father wanted to pursue the matter, he could place a crime of attempted murder of the Royals on Prince Jing. Besides, she almost believed most of his words.


    Being so young and not having cultivated her own strong power yet, she couldn''t stop Prince Jing if he really wanted to poison Lady Jin. And if he went further, he could even poison her father.


    "Aren''t you afraid that I will tell father about all this?" Yun Shang put a faint smile on her face and asked Prince Jing.


    Prince Jing raised his eyebrow and smiled. "You wouldn''t. Even if you tell him, you don''t have solid evidence to prove any of it. And even if brother believes you, he still can''t find a way to deal with me."


    "So why did you tell me all this?"


    Prince Jing smiled reluctantly. "Because of you. I''ve noticed that you''ve become a different person than who you were at the border. You were gentle and obeyed rules in the camp, but now you''re acting like a hedgehog and you target me all the time. Now that I have feelings for you, I don''t want that kind of thing to happen again. That''s why I am explaining everything to you. Besides, we have our deal. We need to form an alliance to get rid of the Empress and the Li clan together."


    Even though Yun Shang had lived two lives, she still felt embarrassed about Prince Jing''s frank and straightforward confession. Yun Shang blushed and lowered her head. Then she murmured, "Please give me some time to think it through......"

 Chapter 122 A Change In The Empress (Part One)

    Though Yun Shang promised to think it over, she wasn''t prepared to give Prince Jing an answer. After considering for a while, she decided to visit Lady Jin first. She mounted her horse and rode to Laifeng City. As per an Imperial Decree, Fenglai Palace had been renamed to Laifeng to reflect his Majesty''s love and affection for Lady Jin, who was now residing in the temporary imperial palace. It was late morning when Yun Shang arrived at the City.


    The security at Laifeng Palace was very strict. It was challenging for Yun Shang to get in even with Madam Zheng''s help.


    Lady Jin was taking a nap in the begonia garden. She had been pregnant for many months, and now, her belly bulged. Yun Shang felt peaceful as she approached Lady Jin.


    After a while, Lady Jin woke and was surprised to see Yun Shang. She smiled pleasantly. "Shang''er, why are you here?"


    Yun Shang blinked and chuckled. "I haven''t seen you in a long time, mother. I missed you, so I came to see if you were all right."


    Lady Jin nodded. "It''s very quiet here. I''m having a good time."


    "Have you seen grandfather?" Yun Shang thought of Xiao Yuanshan, who lived in a nearby town.


    "Yes. He is well." Lady Jin looked pleasantly calm.


    Yun Shang didn''t tell her about Prince Jing. Instead, she stayed in the temporary imperial palace with Lady Jin and took care of her for two days. After that, she decided to leave for the Imperial City. The delegation from the State of Yelang would arrive in a few days. She had to be there to witness Hua Jing lose her reputation.


    On the last day of her stay in Laifeng Palace, Lady Jin talked with Yun Shang. "Although you said you are here to visit me, I can see that something is on your mind. Would you like to talk to me about it? I know you have had a tough time all these years, and there was no one for you to have a heart-to-heart talk with, but I don''t want you to hide your feelings or worries all the time."


    Yun Shang hesitated for a moment before she told Lady Jin everything about Prince Jing, from their encounter to the conversation they had several days ago.


    After a short silence, Lady Jin said. "To be honest, I have known Qingyan since he was a child, so I kind of know his character. He might seem indifferent sometimes, but he is faith


    at she had snuck out of the Imperial Palace. If she were found out, it would be troublesome. Yun Shang pulled Prince Jing''s arm and asked worriedly, "Does father know I''m here? Oh no! I didn''t tell him in advance."


    Prince Jing froze at her touch, but managed to answer. "I told him that I took you to Ning''guo Temple to pray."


    Yun Shang withdrew her hand and sighed with relief. It wouldn''t hurt if father knew, but if the Empress used this information against her, it would be bothersome. Praying at Ning''guo Temple with Prince Jing sounded convincing.


    Lost in thought, Yun Shang didn''t notice the disappointment on Prince Jing''s face when her hand left his arm.


    "Any updates from the Imperial City?" Yun Shang asked.


    Prince Jing controlled his feelings and answered, "His Majesty appointed Grand Councilor Li as the emissary to receive delegations from the State of Yelang and the State of Xia. The Empress is no longer grounded, and a new Lady with the title of Zhaoyi joined the imperial household."


    Yun Shang''s mouth twitched slightly. It was as she expected. Since the Grand Councilor came into power, he was in charge of the reception for foreign envoys. So, when she knew that the State of Yelang and the State of Xia were sending delegations to Ning, she didn''t expect to ruin the Empress and Hua Jing at once. She planned to ensure that her father would not trust them anymore, and then she would gradually take over Li Clan''s power. At that time, neither the Empress nor Hua Jing would be a threat.

 Chapter 123 A Change In The Empress (Part Two)

    However, it couldn''t be accomplished in one action.


    After considering and weighing all relevant facts, Yun Shang said softly. "I have been thinking about what you said the other night, and yes, I will try to accept you."


    Prince Jing''s hand paused while in the middle of turning a page. After a long silence, Prince Jing said. "Okay."


    What? Yun Shang froze. That was it?


    She waited for a while, but Prince Jing made no other statement. Yun Shang looked down and thought, ''Such a cold man.'' However, she didn''t notice his curved lips and the joy in his eyes.


    After about half a day of travel, they arrived at the Imperial City. Prince Jing sent Yun Shang back to the Palace to greet Emperor Ning and then he left.


    As soon as she returned Qingxin Palace, she heard a cry. "Her Highness is back! Her Highness is back..."


    Then Qin Yi and Qian Yin ran to her. They looked quite unhappy. Before Yun Shang could apologize, she was led into the inner Hall by Qian Yin.


    Yun Shang was made to sit on a chair while Qin Yi and Qian Yin stood before her and looked at her. Qian Yin complained. "Your Highness, you asked me to disguise myself as you and pretend to be sick that day, and then you just disappeared. Do you know how worried and afraid Qin Yi and I have been? We almost broke into the Princess Palace! Luckily, I got back my sanity and went to see Ning Qian. She told us you were with Prince Jing. But when we went to look for you, Prince Jing said you had left a long time ago. Are you happy that we had so much fun, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang grinned with guilt. "Sorry. I promise I''ll never do that to you. It was rather sudden, so I wasn''t thinking clearly..."


    Qin Yi sighed. "Please don''t do this again, Your Highness. One of us has to be with you no matter where you go in the future, or we''ll be really worried."


    Yun Shang hastened to nod. Thus, Qian Yin and Qin Yi were finally pacified.


    "Your Highness must be tired from the long journey. Let me get some water and help you freshen up." Qin Yi smiled and left.


    Qian Yin whispered to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, the Empress has been released."


    Yun Shang nodded. "I heard from Prince Jing earlier."


    "But Her Majesty seems to have changed a lot this time." Qian Yin frowned.


    Yun Shang turned and looked at Qian Yin. "Oh? Like how?"


    Qian Yin lowered her voice. "I think the Empress is much calmer than before. The new Lady missed the customary greeting to the Empress because she was chosen to serve His Majesty three nights in a row and didn''t manage to get up on time. Even when the other ladies criticized her disrespec


    lace."


    The Empress, seemingly not surprised at all, smiled. "If so, you can ask Lady Ya to teach you in your Palace."


    Yun Shang covered her mouth as she chuckled. "But Lady Ya has just come to the Palace. I suppose father must care for her a lot now, so I dare not borrow father''s sweetheart. What if father became upset with me? That would be terrifying."


    "Why would I get upset with you?" Emperor Ning said from behind. Yun Shang was startled and turned around to greet Emperor Ning. "Your Majesty."


    "Arise, please." Emperor Ning wouldn''t let go of his previous question. He asked Yun Shang again. "Shang''er, why would I get mad?"


    The Empress answered calmly with a smile. "Shang''er wants Lady Ya to teach her dancing, but considering she''s new to the Palace, Shang''er dare not borrow her from His Majesty."


    Emperor Ning scanned the Empress''s face and then looked at Yun Shang. "What has Prince Jing taught you?"


    Yun Shang blushed at once. Then she stuck her tongue out mischievously. "Why did father mention uncle? He doesn''t have anything to do with this."


    "You would never say a thing like that before. Who else would teach you this except Prince Jing?" A smile replaced the transient serious look on Emperor Ning''s face. "You can learn dancing from Lady Ya. But she gets up late, so don''t be there too early. And two hours a day are enough. It would be exhausting if you dance for longer."


    "Father is actually worried about Lady Ya rather than me, right?" Yun Shang teased cheerfully.


    Emperor Ning couldn''t help laugh as Lady Ya blushed. Other ladies also laughed, but there was a perceptible bitterness and jealousy in their laugh. The Empress, however, looked peaceful and calm, with only her lips curving slightly.

 Chapter 124 An Exotic Young Woman (Part One)

    Yun Shang was lost in thought. The deep affection the Empress showed that day crossed her mind and her eyes grew cold. The Empress was calmer than before, but her calmness was a little frightening.


    "What? Are you afraid? You think the Empress is now unfathomable?" Prince Jing looked at the girl sitting opposite him. He shook his head and said, "Then why did you deliberately expose her sterility?"


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the teacup in front of her. She watched as the tea leaves gradually unfolded. She gave a wry smile and said, "So, I have to face up to what I''ve done finally. The Empress had a weakness. She wanted a son. She tried to please my father so that he would frequent her Palace. Now that she knows she can''t have children, the Empress doesn''t seem to care about which concubine my father favors."


    Prince Jing shook his head. "Her weakness didn''t diminish. It grew. Without hope of procreation, her direct connection to the Li Clan will be even stronger. They are now bound together for good or bad."


    Yun Shang considered that for a moment, and then asked, "You mean, we should start from the Li Clan? But the Li Clan''s power is spread throughout the imperial court, and they have planted their people in almost every Yamen*. I don''t know where to start."


    (*TN: the government office in ancient China)


    "You''ve always been smart. You can''t be at your wits end. Slight negligence may lead to great disaster. Just grab their weakest point and strike it with all your might. Then perhaps they would gradually disintegrate. What do all Emperors fear? Think it over." A thin smile played across Prince Jing''s mouth, and a faint sense of peace came over him.


    ''What is it that all Emperors fear?'' Yun Shang thought as she squinted. Suddenly, a noise came from downstairs, and she raised her eyebrows. "They''re coming?" Then she got up and went to the window to look out. A procession could be seen in the distance. About twenty guards were at the front, followed by five splendid carriages, and behind them, several carriages with large boxes followed. Finally another fifty or sixty guards walked behind the procession.


    "They''re finally here. I wonder if the person in the carriage is the real Cangjue Qingsu or an impostor." Yun Shang murmured to herself.


    Prince Jing walked up to her and looked at the slow procession. The people in the procession were all dressed in the clothes of the State of Yelang, giving them a wild beauty. "Now that they have arrived at the Imperial City, he will be in the carriage."


    The curtain of the second carriage was pulled open, and an enchanting face came into the sight of onlookers. The woman had thin eyebrows, big brown eyes, a Roman nose, and slightly pouty lips. At one glance, men were enchanted with


    "My mouth is full of fragrance now, " said Lady Ya graciously.


    Then she put down her teacup and looked at Yun Shang. "I grew up in a small town. There are so many rules in the Palace that I feel a bit out of place. That day I found you to be a forthright person, so I want to be closer to you. Your Highness, Qingxin Palace looks very elegant."


    Yun Shang gave a faint smile and said, "Lady Ya, if you like it here, come any time."


    "Don''t be so nice to me, Your Highness, or else I''ll take you seriously, " said Lady Ya. She giggled and covered her mouth.


    "I wouldn''t have invited you if I didn''t mean it. Don''t you believe me, Lady Ya?" asked Yun Shang. She noticed some teasing in Lady Ya''s smile.


    "How come?" Lady Ya smiled and looked at Yun Shang. "This morning when I went to pay my respects to Her Majesty, she told me that you were a very agreeable person and that you liked my dancing very much. So she asked me to come here more often. I was afraid you might not like to be disturbed. Now it seems that I was overthinking."


    Yun Shang squinted and thought, ''The Empress sent her here. Anyhow, I''m still a thorn in the Empress''s side.''


    "Her Majesty really cares about me. When I am free, I will learn dancing from you, Lady Ya."


    Lady Ya raised her hand and covered her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief, and said, "Then I won''t bother you anymore. I''m going to take my leave."


    Yun Shang gave her a nod. Then Lady Ya got up and went to the door, but as she reached, she stopped as though she had just thought of something. She turned to Yun Shang, "I heard that besides osmanthus fragrans, making tea with plum blossoms is also very unique. The plum blossom in the Empress''s Palace is still in bloom. Your Highness, if you like the smell of plum blossoms, you may ask someone to pluck several branches." Then she left.

 Chapter 125 An Exotic Young Woman (Part Two)

    No sooner had Lady Ya gone than Lord Zheng arrived. He told Yun Shang, "Your Highness, the envoys of the State of Yelang and the State of Xia have already entered the Imperial City. His Majesty said there would be a banquet in Jinluan Hall from five to seven tomorrow afternoon. Your Highness, please be on time."


    Yun Shang said yes with a smile and wondered, ''A banquet! The banquets in the Palace are extremely interesting, and something happens at almost every banquet. What interesting things will happen tomorrow?''


    The next afternoon, after Yun Shang had woken from a nap, Qin Yi and Qian Yin dressed her. She did not leave Qingxin Palace until she was properly dressed in a purple court dress. The maids even adorned her with ample jewelry.


    At Jinluan Hall, as Lady Jin was absent, Yun Shang took the second seat, beside Hua Jing. On the table opposite her sat Qingsu. He was frowning and seemed lost in thought.


    Yun Shang''s gaze flickered over Qingsu before falling on the middle-aged man next to him. He was relatively handsome, but what was most striking about him was his suave temperament, which was in stark contrast to Qingsu''s rugged harshness. Yun Shang thought he was the seventh Prince of the State of Xia. As a child, the seventh Prince was hailed as a child prodigy of the State of Xia when he was very young, but due to a severe illness, his health deteriorated, so he was not appointed as the Crown Prince by the late Emperor of the State of Xia. It took more than ten days to travel from the State of Xia to the Imperial City of the State of Ning. Owing to his ill health, and because it was his first trip as an envoy abroad, it took them forty days.


    "I haven''t seen you in a long time, Yun Shang. You grow more and more beautiful." Yun Shang raised his eyebrows as Hua Jing spoke. Then Yun Shang turned to her with a smile and replied, "You have been having a great time these days, too, sister. You look a little plump."


    Hua Jing''s mouth twitched slightly, and her eyes dropped as she answered, "Really?"


    "Here comes His Majesty..." A eunuch''s voice came from outside. Yun Shang rose and fell to her knees. "Long live Your Majesty."


    "Hahaha, all rise." At the hearty voice of Emperor Ning, the kneeling people thanked him and got up.


    "I am honored to have the State of Xia and the State of Yelang visit our state today, so I am hosting this banquet with the


    ou really are a straightforward woman. Okay, tell me if the man you like is among us?"


    Lady Cangyang winked and smiled brightly, "Yes, he is."


    Emperor Ning nodded and looked around the Hall. He laughed as he asked, "Who is he?"


    Lady Cangyang replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, you have not promised to help me fulfill my wish yet."


    Emperor Ning pondered for a moment before he said, "You are the daughter of the Chief Councilor of the State of Yelang. Naturally, you have to marry into a decent family and be the legal wife. If the man you like is not married, I will help you fulfill your wish. However, it would be better if he likes you as well."


    The Empress smiled at Emperor Ning''s words. She said, "Lady Cangyang is so stunning. How could anyone not like her?"


    Emperor Ning nodded in agreement. "You''re right."


    Lady Cangyang''s brows rose with joy, and she said, "It just so happens that the man I like is not married." She walked up to Li Qinglan of the Li Clan as she spoke. Everyone was startled, but she simply grabbed the wine pot in front of Qinglan. Then, she took a cup from a maid''s hand, and slowly filled it with wine. With a seductive smile, she put the wine pot back in front of Li Qinglan. She turned and walked around among the male guests before finally stopping in front of Prince Jing.


    "Your Highness, I saw your graceful bearing in battle. You are my hero. I have admired you for a long time. Your Highness, please drink this wine, and from now on, I''m yours." Lady Cangyang''s clear voice rang out in Jinluan Hall. For a moment, silence reigned over the Hall.

 Chapter 126 The Woman Who Covets Prince Jing (Part One)

    Confusion reflected on the faces of everyone present at the banquet. After all, the marriage edict issued by the Emperor during the New Year''s Eve feast was well known. However...


    They all looked at Prince Jing who seemed to be aloof. He calmly sipped from his teacup without so much as a glance at Yu''er. As for Princess Yun Shang who always kept to herself, she seemed to be calm as well. There was a faint smile of amusement on her lips.


    Emperor Ning contemplated before replying, "Lady Yu''er has good taste in men. But, I have already permitted the marriage between Princess Hui Guo and Prince Jing. Although the wedding ceremony hasn''t been held yet, the marriage edict has been issued and is well known. An Emperor''s words should be taken seriously. Are you asking me to contradict myself?"


    Yu''er didn''t seem to be surprised. She did a small curtsy and blushed scarlet, "It''s fine. I want to be with Prince Jing, even if it means serving him as his concubine."


    Emperor Ning stopped smiling and spoke seriously, "When the deceased Emperor was alive, he promised that Prince Jing could make his own decisions. And the Prince asked me to issue the edict allowing his marriage with Yun Shang. Lady Yu''er, if you want to be his concubine, you have to ask his permission. If he is comfortable with this proposal, I will respect his wish."


    When Yu''er heard these words, her eyes sparkled. She smiled and handed a cup of wine to Prince Jing, "Prince, I have admired you for a long time. Can you help me to achieve my dream?"


    Yu''er was confident. She was aware that polygamy was common in the State of Ning. She also knew that she was beautiful enough to enchant any man she met. Nobody would refuse her proposal.


    Prince Jing raised his head but didn''t look at Yu''er. He looked across the Hall at Yun Shang. Yun Shang raised her eyebrow wittily and proposed a toast to Prince Jing.


    Prince Jing sensed the slyness in her glance which seemed to convey that he was a ladykiller. Prince Jing couldn''t help smiling when he thought of Yun Shang saying this in her unique tone and voice. However, his smile surprised Yu''er and increased her confidence.


    As she mused over the possibility of such an attractive man becoming her husband, she heard Prince Jing speak. His hoarse voice made her heart throb. At this moment, however, Prince Jing said, "I was thinking about other things, and didn''t hear what this lady was talking about. But..." Prince Jing turned, looked at Emperor Ning and asked with doubt, "Your Highness, I have no idea how a dancing girl can talk to me in this way."


    Everybody in the Hall was surprised by his words. Prince Jing was thinking about other things and completely ignored Yu''


    r great honor to entertain all envoys that come to the State of Ning. Three days from now, a celebration will be held in the hunting grounds east of the Imperial City to celebrate the friendliness and peace between our three countries."


    Qingsu and the Prince from the State of Xia replied, "That is very kind of you."


    Stringed instruments began playing in the Hall, and the warm atmosphere continued.


    Yun Shang smiled faintly as she saw Grand Councilor Li gesticulating under the table. Then, several officials came to propose a toast to Qingsu and the Prince from the State of Xia. Sounds of laughter echoed through the halls. Without being noticed, Yun Shang left with Qin Yi and Qian Yin.


    "Your Highness, Prince Jing is awesome. A few words from him frightened Yu''er to death." Excitement was evident in Qian Yin''s voice.


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing. Then, Qin Yi whispered, "I saw Princess Hua Jing was angry."


    Princess Hua Jing? Yun Shang stopped and figured out what happened a moment ago. It was likely that the farce was planed by Hua Jing. Rumor goes that Hua Jing had a love affair with Qingsu at the Princess Palace. It is possible that Hua Jing talked Qingsu into plotting something. However, she must feel disappointed today.


    As Yun Shang stood contemplating over the possibilities, footsteps were heard coming in her direction. Yun Shang and her maids stopped talking. Qian Yin looked back and said with excitement, "Your Highness, it is Prince Jing."


    Huh? Yun Shang turned and saw that Prince Jing was walking toward them. He asked, "Why are you here?"


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin stepped back and left them alone. Yun Shang smiled, "The party is boring. Besides, nobody will miss my presence. But, somebody might propose a toast to you. If you are away, everyone will know."

 Chapter 127 The Woman Who Covets Prince Jing (Part Two)

    Prince Jing raised his eyebrows and replied, "When you leave the Hall, I must follow you out. Then, everybody will know that I care about you and pay attention to your every movement. In addition, I''m afraid that tomorrow, rumor will spread that Yun Shang was jealous, so she left quietly before the party was over. And that Prince Jing was worried about her and followed her out, and tried to make her happy."


    After hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She added, "If those people at Jinluan Hall knew that their respected and cold Prince could crack such a joke, they may be shocked. You are such a good actor. Tomorrow, I will send somebody to ask the owner of Chunhua Opera Troupe whether they need a leading actor. I think you will make a unique and popular actor."


    Prince Jing took Yun Shang''s hands and smiled faintly, "I''m afraid they are too insignificant to see me acting this way. But you''re not satisfied. I''m not acting. Those people at the Hall are boring. I prefer to be here, and to accompany you. Now, it''s comfortable to take a walk outside."


    This wasn''t the first time that Yun Shang had touched Prince Jing''s body. However, he had never held her hands before. Yun Shang''s heart beat faster. She forced a smile and thought that she wasn''t accustomed to intimate contact with a man. When Prince Jing touched her hands, her first instinct had been to shake her hands free. Yun Shang sighed and tried to withdraw her hands. However, they were grasped more firmly. She could feel the calluses on his hands.


    "I''m afraid they are not trustworthy. So, you must be careful. I have sent a shadow guard to follow you and protect you. If you don''t feel right, just call." Prince Jing kept silent for a moment, and then he whispered, "I didn''t tell you this, because I thought you might think I''m keeping watch on you."


    Yun Shang nodded. She had realized that somebody was following her, and his or her knowledge of Kung Fu was high. Since this person didn''t do anything harmful to her, she didn''t give him or her a second thought. Now, she knew the reason for the presence of this shadow guard and Prince Jing''s intention.


    She nodded and answered, "It''s fine."


    Prince Jing knew she didn''t trust him completely. However, he didn''t want to point it out bl


    er hair. She asked, "A riding and hunting competition? I''m afraid you might feel disappointed. I have never ridden a horse. Prince Jing once told me that women should be gentle and soft. Horse-riding and hunting are what men do to protect their country."


    Yu''er stopped smiling and asked suspiciously, "Don''t you want to ride on a horse with Prince Jing and enjoy the prosperity and beauty of the world?"


    Hearing these words, Yun Shang blushed and said nothing. However, Qian Yin, who was standing beside, interrupted, "Prince Jing said that even though our Princess couldn''t ride a horse, she would ride with him. Ta Yun, the Prince''s horse, is a Ferghana horse. They can ride him at the same time."


    Yun Shang frowned, turned and scolded her maid, "Don''t be rude. I''m talking with Lady Cangyang, how can you interrupt us?"


    Qian Yin''s lips pouted slightly. She did a small curtsy and left.


    Yun Shang smiled faintly and said, "I have spoiled this girl. Please forgive her indiscretion."


    Yu''er shook her hand as she became angrier. She left a while later. Back at the inn, she was so angry that she shattered several teacups. She went to Qingsu and said, "Prince, Yun Shang is really annoying. No wonder her sister doesn''t like her. Tomorrow, I will try to embarrass her in public."


    Qingsu frowned and replied, "Tomorrow, you should follow my orders and act obediently. If you are not busy now, go and find the information I asked for. If you return without the news I need, you will not return to our country."

 Chapter 128 Horse Racing (Part One)

    It was March 15th and flowers were blooming on this warm spring day. The State of Ning was holding a celebration to welcome the emissaries of States of Xia and the State of Yelang. Yun Shang accompanied Emperor Ning and the Empress in their carriage to the hunting grounds. A platform was built on the open space outside the forest. Yun Shang walked to the stand and sat down.


    The Empress smiled at Yun Shang, "The daughters of many officials in the Imperial City have come. Why don''t you talk with them?"


    Yun Shang glanced at the girls who were whispering to one another and shook her head. "I met them at Lady Shun Qing''s birthday party before. They always talk about clothes and jewelry. I rarely go out and am not very interested in these things, so I cannot contribute. What''s more, if I join them, they will fear me as I''m a princess, and thus, they won''t talk candidly. I''d better not spoil their day."


    The Empress was surprised. She patted Yun Shang''s hand and smiled. "Good girl. But you will suffer after you marry Prince Jing. Prince Jing doesn''t have much contact with others because he is still single. After you get married, you will have to develop good relations with other people. These girls seem to be common now, but they were born with silver spoons and will marry into influential families in the near future. You have to be friendly with them. Don''t underestimate the power of women. They can change many things secretly using only a few words."


    Yun Shang felt her body stiffen involuntarily. What the Empress said was reasonable, but Yun Shang felt it strange. By rights, the Empress would be the most satisfied if Yun Shang was ignorant and notorious for messing everything up in Prince Jing''s Mansion after she got married. However, the Empress was advising her.


    "But I really don''t know anything about fashion and jewelry." Yun Shang bowed her head, bearing a grievance.


    The Empress squinted and said with a smile, "I wanted you to learn from Hua Jing, but I am afraid that Hua Jing isn''t good at these things either. If you make a mistake, I can hardly absolve myself from the blame. Although you are not my biological daughter, I have been


    s with Prince Jing. I thought you knew her. She is Wang Jinyan, the daughter of the Minister of Defense and War."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at Wang Jinyan carefully. She did resemble her brother Wang Jinhuan, and Yun Shang liked her. Surprisingly, Wang Jinhuan, who was dissolute, had such a sister.


    Jing Wenxi gritted her teeth and was unpleasant to Wang Jinyan. She snorted and said, "I heard that Prince Jing dotes on Princess Yun Shang. Prince Jing is invincible in the State of Ning. The girl that he likes must be extraordinary and good at riding and hunting. Princess Yun Shang, please impress us and get this reward, okay?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and realized that she was the target. However, Jing Wenxi spoke like Cangyang Yu''er. Jing Wenxi had something in common with Cangyang Yu''er. Both of them liked Prince Jing, so they nursed jealousy against Yun Shang. Yun Shang gazed at Prince Jing who was surrounded by the crowd and groaned in her heart. As the saying goes, women are dangerous, but Prince Jing was a trouble!


    Yun Shang refused politely with a smile, "I don''t know how to ride."


    Jing Wenxi opened her mouth wide in surprise and said, "Sorry, I didn''t know that you can''t ride, but if Cangyang Yu''er wins and asks His Majesty to marry her to Prince Jing as a reward, His Majesty will have to agree in front of so many people. By then, you will be embarrassed. It''s pitiful that you can''t ride."

 Chapter 129 Horse Racing (Part Two)

    What a good trick to retreat for the sake of advancing. Yun Shang wondered who came up with this idea and instigated Jing Wenxi to say it.


    Cangyang Yu''er listened to them quietly and said with a smile, "Princess Hui Guo, I won''t force you since you can''t ride. I can''t bully you like this as such an unequal contest brings no honor to me. Although I am the sworn daughter of the Chief Councilor of the State of Yelang, I know how noble you are as the princess of the State of Ning. Even if you know nothing, His Majesty has found a good husband for you. I am envious of you, but I know my place."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Did Cangyang Yu''er mean that Yun Shang had no strong points and was betrothed to Prince Jing as she was the princess of the State of Ning?


    Yun Shang saw Wang Jinyan blinking unhappily. Just as she was about to say something, Wang Jinyan raised her hand and said to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, don''t worry. I have the confidence to win this game, and I won''t embarrass the State of Ning."


    Yun Shang grinned more heartily and said in a soft voice, "I trust you, but Lady Jing and Lady Cangyang are right. No matter whether I win or not, I should show enthusiasm as I am the princess of the State of Ning. Even if I can''t ride, I shouldn''t shrink back. Since you are in high spirits, I''ll join you. I won''t take it to heart even if I lose."


    Cangyang Yu''er and Jing Wenxi wore smug smiles, while Wang Jinyan blinked without saying anything. Prince Jing, who seemed to be finally free, looked at Yun Shang. "Shang''er, you want to join them?"


    Yun Shang grinned. "Everyone is happy. I don''t want to ruin their day."


    Prince Jing thought for a while and said with a smile, "Okay. Enjoy yourself."


    Emperor Ning, who had been watching the drama unfold, finally said, "Shang''er has never ridden a horse. Prince Jing, send some people to protect her."


    Prince Jing nodded. "Shang''er, ride my horse, Ta Yun."


    Jing Wenxi blinked disapprovingly. "Your Highness, it''s unfair. Everyone knows that Ta Yun is an excellent Ferghana horse. How can an ordinary horse run as fast as it?"


    Prince Jing frowned at Jing Wenxi. "It is unfair? Lady Cangyang grew up in the nomadic State of Yelang. All the people there learn how to ride horses from childhood. The other young ladies who entered their names for the competition began to learn horsemanship at a very young age. Your family has also hired a martial arts


    een left behind because Ta Yun was a good horse.


    The jungle became darker as the tree cover got denser. There were many trees, so the riders didn''t dare to go faster. Yun Shang had by now been left behind. Wang Jinyan followed her as Prince Jing ordered.


    Yun Shang grinned and said, "Don''t follow me. You must have learned from your brother Wang Jinhuan that I am not as weak as I look. Ride fast and win the first place."


    Wang Jinyan raised her eyebrows and smiled. She was full of vigor and charming, which attracted Yun Shang''s attention. "Since I have promised Prince Jing, I can''t break my word. I don''t seek to prevail over others. I said those harsh words as I couldn''t bear Jing Wenxi''s arrogance. Your Highness, please don''t worry."


    Hearing what Wang Jinyan said, Yun Shang liked her even more. She smiled at Wang Jinyan, "If you want to protect me, you should keep up with them. As you saw just now, Cangyang Yu''er and Jing Wenxi intentionally provoked me. Cangyang Yu''er knew that I couldn''t ride, but she still insisted on it. I think that they might have set a trap ahead. If you follow them, they won''t do anything brazenly."


    Wang Jinyan looked at Yun Shang. From Yun Shang''s words, Wang Jinyan learned that she shouldn''t have looked down on Yun Shang, who was pretending to jolt on horseback. With a sigh of relief, Wang Jinyan smiled, "I will chase them."


    Yun Shang grinned, "Just go."


    Wang Jinyan cracked her whip and sped up.


    Yun Shang pulled on the reins to coax Ta Yun to stop. Soon she heard someone coming from behind. She looked back and saw Hua Jing slowly riding on a white horse.

 Chapter 130 Something Happened To Hua Jing (Part One)

    Yun Shang gave a bland yet cold smile, "I can''t ride a horse. Sister, why are you behind me? I heard the Grand Councilor taught you horsemanship..."


    Hua Jing snorted as she disliked Yun Shang, but she knew if they had a conflict at the moment, she would be the one who suffered. She frowned, "I feel quite uncomfortable today. When my horse runs fast, I feel dizzy. Yun Shang, you are riding Ta Yun, Prince Jing''s beloved horse. You should not lose."


    "Sister, you know I can''t ride a horse. Ta Yun is indeed a good horse, and it brought me here by itself. However, once we reached the dense forest, it didn''t follow my instructions at all. We have been here for a long time, but it just doesn''t move. It is Prince Jing''s beloved horse, and I can neither scold it nor beat it. I can only wait until it moves." Yun Shang furrowed her brows and patted the horse under her, but Ta Yun didn''t move at all. Instead, it raised its head and looked somewhat stubborn.


    Hua Jing looked at Yun Shang with mockery and thought to herself, ''Good-for-nothing.''


    However, she pretended to be sympathetic and gave a tiny smile, "Yun Shang, you can rest here. I''m leaving."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Sister, go on ahead. If you win the game today, the Empress and Grand Councilor would be pleased."


    Hua Jing narrowed her eyes as she knew her performance would be poor today, and her mother and grandfather would feel ashamed, but... Hua Jing sighed wearily as she rode forward leisurely.


    After Hua Jing vanished in the distance, a lady in black appeared in front of Yun Shang, "Mistress, everything''s ready."


    Yun Shang gave a cold smile saying, "Great! How about Cangyang Yu''er and Jing Wenxi?"


    The lady snorted, "Those two are just devious. They wanted to set a trap where Your Highness would pass by. They sprinkled some black beans in the forest. Black bean is the favored food of Ferghana horses. But they mixed narcotics in the beans. I think they still have other plots, but Lady Wang caught up with them. She has stayed around them to keep an eye on them. It will be hard for them to find a chance."


    "Really?" Yun Shang gave a little smile, "How did they know Prince Jing would lend Ta Yun to me?"


    The lady nodded, "Two days ago, Prince Jing made a list of the daughters of the officials who can ride horses, and prepared the corresponding number of horses. They must somehow know of this and concluded that if they instigate Your Highness to join in the competition, Prince Jing would have to l


    attacking Princess Hua Jing."


    As the bear staggered to its feet, Qingsu jumped from his horse and pounced upon the bear. He drew a dagger from his boot and stabbed the bear. The bear wailed mournfully before falling to the ground.


    Yun Shang curled her lips and escaped from the scene. She returned to the place where she had left Ta Yun. Qingsu''s attention was on the bear right now. If she stayed any longer, she would be discovered by him. As soon as Yun Shang returned, she saw the lady in black standing on a tree next to Ta Yun. Yun Shang smiled and mounted the horse, "Well done! Where are the black beans? Let''s go there..."


    The lady led Yun Shang to the place with the black beans. Ta Yun smelled the beans but didn''t eat. Yun Shang laughed out loud, "Those two ladies are so stupid. Even Ta Yun can sense there''s something wrong with the beans."


    The lady also smiled. Yun Shang scooped a handful of beans and brought them closer to Ta Yun''s mouth.


    Ta Yun snorted as if it felt sorry for itself before eating several beans, and then turned its face away.


    Yun Shang got on the horse and moved forward. The interesting part of the drama was yet to come. She couldn''t miss it.


    When Yun Shang got out from the forest, Ta Yun seemed a little annoyed. Its movements became rougher and it rushed towards the finish line. Yun Shang tried to behave as if she couldn''t ride a horse and was frightened. She almost fell to the ground several times. As she approached the finish line, she saw Yu''er and Wenxi gloating. She patted Ta Yun''s neck, and Ta Yun suddenly sped up. Yun Shang had a look of horror on her face as she was sent flying into the air.

 Chapter 131 Something Happened To Hua Jing (Part Two)

    "Yun Shang..." Yun Shang heard two exclamations; one was from Prince Jing, and the other was from Emperor Ning.


    Yun Shang was getting closer and closer to the ground. She saw a figure in purple and a figure in red rushing toward her. Then she fell into a man''s warm arms safely.


    Even though she managed to control her speed as she fell, she bumped her head on the man''s body. Prince Jing''s voice came from above, "What''s going on?"


    Yun Shang puckered her lips and raised her eyes. Wang Jinyan stood in front of her with an anxious and remorseful expression, "Your Highness, are you okay?"


    Yun Shang remained speechless though frightened. After a long time, she shook her head and pointed at Ta Yun who was lying on the ground, "I don''t know what has happened. Ta Yun was okay a moment ago, but suddenly he acted crazy..." While speaking, Yun Shang looked at Yu''er and Wenxi. They seemed a little disappointed.


    Prince Jing frowned as he stared at Yun Shang. He knew Yun Shang knew martial arts, besides, his Ta Yun... Prince Jing turned to Ta Yun as he thought about the situation. Then he took Yun Shang''s arm and walked to Ta Yun. Ta Yun turned its head to Prince Jing. He was foaming at the mouth.


    Prince Jing narrowed his eyes and stared at Ta Yun for a moment before he turned to Emperor Ning, "Your Majesty, Ta Yun must have eaten something wrong. Please allow me to have Ta Yun examined. I will find out what happened..."


    Emperor Ning looked at Prince Jing and then turned to Yun Shang, who was leaning against Prince Jing as if she were still suffering from shock. Emperor Ning nodded, "Of course, I believe you. I have always thought of you to be capable. Yun Shang has not recovered from the shock yet. Let her rest first."


    Yun Shang drew several letters on Prince Jing''s back with her index finger secretly. Prince Jing became rigid, and he raised his head, "Your Majesty, the competition is not yet finished. As the referee, I shouldn''t leave. We will know what happened to Ta Yun later. Before I came here, I was afraid someone might get hurt, so I invited physician Qingwei. Although physician Qingwei is not as famous as physician Xue Yan, his medical skill is also superb. I''ll ask physician Qingwei to treat Yun Shang now."


    Emperor Ning frowned. Obviously, he didn''t agree with what Prince Jing said. Seeing his expression, Yun Shang let go of Prince Jing''s arms and stood straight. She said to Emperor Ning, "Father, since I''m out of the Imperial Palace, I don''t want to go back so early. Father, I''m okay. Just ask physician Qingwei to treat me later."


    Since Yun Shang didn''t want to


    incess Hua Jing...


    Yun Shang let her eyes settle upon the Empress. The Empress had a cold expression and blue veins pulsed on her temples. Blood dripped from her hands to the ground.


    ''How are you feeling now, Your Majesty?'' Yun Shang pursed her lips and felt delighted in her mind.


    Emperor Ning realized something was wrong from the expressions on the faces of the imperial physicians. He stamped his foot in annoyance, "How is Princess Hua Jing? Tell me the truth. I think you all know the consequence if you withhold the truth from the Emperor..."


    The imperial physicians were taken aback, and they immediately went down on their knees, "Your Majesty, please forgive us. Princess Hua Jing... Princess Hua Jing lost her baby..."


    Emperor Ning banged the teacup on the table in front of him. All the tea water spilled as the table crashed, "Take Princess Hua Jing into the room over there for treatment..."


    The imperial physicians immediately said yes and helped carry Hua Jing.


    Yun Shang curled her lips without being noticed. She found a seat to sit on and stared at the Empress who stood in the middle of the camp. Everyone stood dumbfounded in front of the Empress. Yun Shang saw Qingsu frowning as if he was thinking about something.


    He must have doubted or guessed that the baby inside Hua Jing was his...


    Yun Shang gave a little smile and looked away. She saw Prince Jing staring at her. Yun Shang went blank for a moment and then raised her eyebrows towards Prince Jing as if she admitted something.


    After a long time, the Empress ground her teeth, turned back and looked at Emperor Ning who was furious. She dropped to her knees slowly, "Your Majesty, it''s all my fault. I didn''t teach Hua Jing how to behave..."

 Chapter 132 Bloody Revenge (Part One)

    Emperor Ning fixed his eyes on the Empress. He glared at her coldly. The Empress shivered and bent her body lower.


    Yun Shang glanced over the people who were present. She noticed that other than the non-participating ministers, notable ladies from different clans and the contestants who escorted Hua Jing back were also present.


    "Shang''er, that''s enough." Prince Jing came close to Yun Shang and whispered to her.


    Yun Shang pondered. After this moment, Hua Jing''s secret was known to all. And even though Emperor Ning would forbid them from leaking the news, word will spread across the Imperial City. In less than two days, the whole City will know that Princess Hua Jing had a miscarriage. But the Royals have to maintain their dignity too. Yun Shang needed to stop before she crossed the line.


    Thinking about that, Yun Shang stood and walked to the Empress. She bowed to Emperor Ning and said, "Father, today''s competition is to welcome the Prince from the State of Yelang and the Prince from the State of Xia. To show our respect, I suggest we put this issue behind us and deal with it after the competition is over."


    Emperor Ning''s face changed. He looked at the people present and found that everyone avoided eye contact with him. They all kept their heads bowed low. Emperor Ning felt even angrier. His face turned completely dark. "Shang''er is right. My Empress, why are you still kneeling?"


    The Empress bit her lip and said slowly, "My apologies, Your Majesty." Then she stood and walked to the stage.


    Prince Jing turned to the participants who escorted Hua Jing and asked, "The men''s competition isn''t over yet. Gentlemen, would you like to proceed?"


    The participants looked at each other before shaking their heads.


    Prince Jing nodded. Then he turned to Prince Qingsu who seemed absent-minded and asked him, "What about you, Prince Qingsu?"


    "Pardon?" Prince Qingsu shuddered at Prince Jing''s question. Then, he regained his composure and shook his head. "No, thank you. Men from the State of Ning are all excellent hunters. I''m not comparable."


    Prince Qingsu''s abnormal behavior caught Emperor Ning''s attention. Noticing that Qingsu had been staring at the blood stains on the ground, Emperor Ning suddenly recalled something. He thought about the proposal for political marriage that was sent from the border a few months ago. Then, his eyes darkened. In the proposal, Prince Qingsu had mentioned that he had already had intimate relations with Hua Jing. So the father of Hua Jing''s unborn baby is probably...... Him......


    Emperor Ning rolled his eyes. He felt a bit on edge. ''Prince Qingsu, How dare you? I will never forget about the shame you brought to me today.''


    Seeing that no one dared to break the silence, Prince Jing stood and smiled to all. "Lady Wang is really good at riding. I am impressed."


    Yun Shang heard the praise and raised her eyebrow. She looked at Wang Jinyan with curiosity. "Did Lady Wang win the first place in the game?"


    Prin


    ldren. They had both asked for something ridiculous. A girl asking for a place in the army? Not to mention that the Emperor wouldn''t agree. Even if he agreed, no one would dare to marry Wang Jinyan if the word spread.


    Minister Wang looked even more embarrassed.


    Emperor Ning tapped the table and said nothing. Yun Shang squinted before speaking, "Father, I''ve heard that there was a female general among the founding ministers of the State. Even though she was a woman, she was wiser and more courageous than most men. And she had contributed a lot to our State. I believe that Lady Wang is really good at martial arts. In that case, why not allow her to devote herself to our State?"


    A female general had indeed, helped found the State of Ning. Her name was Ji Yunyi. Despite her gender, she was quite a legend. Ji Yunyi''s father was a general, too. Starting from an early age, Ji Yunyi followed her father in wars everywhere. After her father died on the battlefield, she took over her father''s responsibilities and followed the founding Emperor of the State of Ning in more wars and won them all. She was truly a legend.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Emperor Ning nodded at Wang Jinyan. "Well, if that''s your ambition, then I''ll allow it. I appoint you as a captain. You can follow Prince Jing and work in his army. You may stay in the Imperial City and train your soldiers. If war breaks out, you can go to the battlefield with Prince Jing."


    Wang Jinyan felt grateful. She expressed her gratitude, too. "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."


    But their joy didn''t affect Grand Councilor Li. He sensed that something strange must have happened during his absence. Grand Councilor Li looked at the Empress, who was standing on the stage, and found that she seemed pale and unfocused. Grand Councilor Li had a bad feeling. He recalled that Li Yaoqi was already in his seat although the Grand Councilor had only just returned. And it seemed that Li Yaoqi had been there for some time.

 Chapter 133 Bloody Revenge (Part Two)

    Grand Councilor Li turned to Li Yaoqi, and found that he seemed absent-minded, too. He was now sure that something bad had happened. But it was still early, and it was inconvenient for him to ask the Emperor directly. So he had to stayed seated and tried to figure out how to take leave and ask Li Yaoqi.


    Emperor Ning examined everyone''s expressions and tried to smile. His eyes reflected coldness. "Reward all the ladies who performed just now. Prince Jing, make sure the rewards are sent to their mansions. It''s been a long day for everyone. Please rest. We have arranged for a bonfire party tonight. Let''s meet at that time."


    "Long live Your Majesty......" Everyone knelt on the ground. After Emperor Ning left, they stood.


    The Empress, Yun Shang, and Prince Jing all followed Emperor Ning when he left. Only then did the people start to gossip. Though many of them had witnessed what had happened, there were still some who didn''t know the whole truth. So they began exchanging information. Grand Councilor Li heard Hua Jing''s name several times. He also noticed that everyone seemed to avoid eye contact with him every time they mentioned Hua Jing. Grand Councilor Li frowned. He beckoned to Li Yaoqi and led him to a quiet place. He looked around to make sure no one had followed them, and asked, "What happened when I was away?"


    Li Yaoqi quickly knelt. "Grandpa, it was all my fault. It was my mistake. Qi''er* incriminated the Princess and the Empress......"


    (*TN: Qi''er is how Li Yaoqi referred to himself.)


    Of all his grandsons, Grand Councilor Li liked Li Yaoqi the most. Seeing him like this, the Grand Councilor knew that what had happened must have been serious. So he quickly asked, "What is going on?"


    Li Yaoqi told him everything without missing a single detail. "When I was hunting, I saw a black bear, so I shot it. But Wang Jinhuan also shot it, which made the bear go wild. The injured beast ran around madly, so I followed it. When I found it at the edge of the forest, I saw that it was attacking Princess Hua Jing. Seeing that the Princess was thrown by the bear twice, I quickly took control of the bear. But Princess Hua Jing was already hurt and she was covered with blood. So I brought her back before I could think of anything......" Li Yaoqi hesitated before he continued. He looked up to peek at the Grand Councilor''s face.


    "Then what?" Grand Councilor frowned. The Empress looked upset as Hua Jing had been hurt. But something was still wrong. If it was only a matter of Hua Jing getting hurt, why would everyone avoid eye contact with him when they mentioned her?


    Li Yaoqi found some time to organize his sentences. Then he said, "According to the physicians who were diagnosing Princes


    First it was just a slight shake, then she sobbed. The Empress lay on her stomach on the ground. Her tears soaked the ground.


    Emperor Ning followed Lord Zheng to the room where Hua Jing was staying. The moment he stepped in, he saw Yun Shang and Prince Jing. Seeing that Emperor Ning had arrived, Yun Shang and Prince Jing stood and bowed before him.


    Emperor Ning nodded to them and asked, "Shang''er, brother, why don''t you go rest?"


    Yun Shang kept her head low and whispered, "Sister was badly injured, and I couldn''t let her be alone. So I came to see her. Uncle came here to accompany me."


    Emperor Ning locked his eyes with Prince Jing''s and hesitated before he asked, "Is Hua Jing awake?"


    As soon as Yun Shang nodded her head, a noise came from inside the room. Hua Jing must have heard Emperor Ning''s voice, so she shouted, "Father, father, I don''t know why I''m like this. I know nothing. I know nothing about it. I know nothing......"


    Emperor Ning frowned. He walked pass the screen and approached the bed. Hua Jing''s rosy face had lost all colors and she seemed pale. There were blood stains on her quilt. Hua Jing''s eyes fixed on the empty ground of the room. It took her a while to find that Emperor Ning was around her. Hua Jing became excited. She grasped the hem of Emperor Ning''s robe and quickly explained, "Father, trust me. I don''t know how I ended up like this."


    Emperor Ning sneered. "That''s not what I''ve heard. The physician said that you were pregnant for more than three months. It''s been three months, and you''re telling me that you didn''t know?" Hua Jing froze. Tears slid down from her cheeks. She kept shaking her head and murmured something that no one understood. Emperor Ning said, "I just want to know who the father is. If you give me his name, I will spare you this time......"

 Chapter 134 Making A Plot (Part One)

    Upon hearing this, Hua Jing looked up at the Emperor with terror and shook her head repeatedly. She kept saying, "Don''t come near me! Don''t touch me!" While speaking, she moved to a corner of the bed and curled up.


    On seeing this, Yun Shang frowned. If she couldn''t see that Hua Jing was pretending madness, she would be a fool. Yun Shang hesitated for a moment but said nothing. She just fixed her eyes upon Hua Jing''s countenance.


    "Talk!" The Emperor roared at Hua Jing in anger. Hua Jing who was sitting huddled in the corner trembled all over and stared at the Emperor with tears in her eyes. She seemed to be shocked.


    The Emperor snorted and said coldly, "Since you are reluctant to name the father of your baby, I won''t let you stay in the Imperial Palace. You will be relegated to a civilian and be exiled to the frontier as labor."


    Yun Shang perceived a strong resentment in Hua Jing''s eyes when the Emperor uttered those words. Yun Shang smiled grimly as she was now sure that Hua Jing was pretending madness. What an ingenious idea. Yun Shang lifted her eyes and said, "Father, there is something wrong with my sister. Why not call for an imperial physician to check her?"


    At the mention of imperial physician, Hua Jing was thrown into consternation. She shouted, "Don''t touch me! Don''t touch me!"


    The Emperor frowned and snorted, "Call for an imperial physician right now!"


    The eunuch standing by nodded and retreated. As they waited for the imperial physician, an imperial bodyguard entered and reported, "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, the physician has checked Prince Jing''s horse. I have also sent someone to check the food eaten by the horse. We have found something unusual¡­"


    "Tell me!" On hearing this, the Emperor turned around and asked, "What?"


    "Your Majesty, the physician said the horse must have eaten some purgatives. I have checked the food kept for the horse, but I found nothing special. However, I did find black beans mixed with some purgatives in the forest. I think the horse must have eaten those black beans, " replied the bodyguard.


    The Emperor''s face darkened when he thought that someone was trying to harm Yun Shang on such an important occasion. He roared furiously, "Find the culprit who mixed the black beans with the purgatives."


    The bodyguard made a quick bow and withdrew from the room. Prince Jing said in a low voice, "My valuable horse likes eating black beans. Only those who are expert in horses'' habits know this. So I guess that the culprit is a person who knows my horse well. Moreover, the culprit must know that Shang''er would ride my horse."


    Yun Shang knew who did it, but she couldn''t tell the Emperor directly. She h


    t Prince Qingsu came here for Princess Hui Guo. I had not thought that he came here for Princess Hua Jing. But I think Prince Qingsu didn''t expect such an incident to happen. I have no idea what Prince Qingsu is going to do to solve this problem. But does Prince Qingsu really think he could become Crown Prince of the state of Yelang with the support of the State of Ning after marrying Princess Hua Jing?" said the man standing on the other side of the folding screen. His statement had a mocking air.


    The man in black meditated for a while before he said, "Master, what should we do now?"


    A long interval elapsed. A cold voice came from the other side of the folding screen. "We take no action now. The Grand Councilor won''t let Princess Hua Jing marry Prince Qingsu. But we have to be alert. If Prince Qingsu publicizes his relationship with Hua Jing, the Emperor would have no choice but to let Hua Jing marry Prince Qingsu, even if he was reluctant."


    After a long pause, the voice spoke again. It was mild but somewhat cold. "I won''t let that happen. If Prince Qingsu did that, I would think of a way to make Emperor Ning relegate Princess Hua Jing to a civilian. Then the Li family will renounce Hua Jing. If that doesn''t work, get rid of her."


    The man in black nodded and replied, "Yes, Master." After this, the man in black withdrew from the room.


    The man standing on the other side of the folding screen muttered, "I should forsake somebody that is no longer useful to me just as I abandon useless chess pieces; otherwise, it will bring me trouble." After saying this, several chess pieces rolled to the other side of the screen. Then a pale and skinny hand stretched out from the side of the screen to pick up the pieces. As soon as he picked them up, he threw them out the window.

 Chapter 135 Making A Plot (Part Two)

    In the afternoon, Yun Shang was playing chess with Prince Jing in her Palace. Yun Shang had been taught to play chess by Xiao Yuanshan, and she had been complimented by him many times. But during the whole afternoon, she didn''t beat Prince Jing even once.


    "Your Highness, the physician checked Princess Hua Jing and reported her condition to the Emperor. The physician said that Princess Hua Jing was physically weak due to her miscarriage but in general, Princess Hua Jing was all right, " said Qian Yin gently as she walked in the room.


    Yun Shang nodded and placed her piece. Looking at the chessboard, Prince Jing said, "Shang''er, are you sure you want to put the piece here? If so, you will lose again."


    Yun Shang looked at the chessboard and couldn''t figure out when Prince Jing started to set a trap to beat her. She did lose the game again. Yun Shang sighed. She remembered her grandfather had often told her, "You will know a man by watching him play a chess game." Yun Shang had always been cautious when playing chess. She would think carefully before putting down a piece. But Prince Jing seemed to put down every piece casually. In the beginning, Yun Shang never had any idea of how he was going to play the game. But at the end, she found herself falling into a trap set by Prince Jing.


    "Uncle, you are farsighted and prudent. You make me ashamed of myself." Yun Shang sighed and put down the piece.


    Prince Jing smiled slightly and said, "Shang''er, you''re inexperienced. It''s normal that you would lose to me. If you spend more time practicing playing chess, you will beat me easily."


    Yun Shang knew of her poor ability. Seeing that Prince Jing was trying to console her, she appreciated Prince Jing''s kindness and said with a smile, "Thank you, uncle."


    Prince Jing smiled and shook his head. He noticed that Yun Shang looked absent-minded and wondered what she was thinking about. But it was inappropriate for him to ask. So he rose to his feet and said, "My brother must be very disappointed at the Empress and Hua Jing. Now the envoys of the State of Yelang and the State of Xia are here. Brother won''t punish the Empress and Hua Jing right now because he wants to save the prestige of the royal family. From now on, it will be hard for the Empress and Hua Jing to regain their power in the Imperial Palace. Tonight, there will be a bonfire party. Let''s attend it."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Have you found the culprit who fed the purgative to Ta Yun?"


    Prince Jing was shocked. He turned around to look at Yun Shang and said with a brief smile, "You ordered Cangyang Yu''er and Jing Wenxin to do it, didn''t you?"


    Yun Shang was embarrassed. She was indeed the culprit, but she didn''t know how Prince Jing


    to visit Hua Jing for two reasons. First, she wanted the Emperor to see that the Grand Councilor and Prince Qingsu had a private meeting. Second, when the Emperor sees Hua Jing, he would dislike her more and more. The physician had told the Emperor that Hua Jing was all right. So the Emperor knew that Hua Jing was feigning madness. If Hua Jing kept acting the fool, the Emperor''s aversion to her would increase.


    The Emperor turned and left the room emotionlessly. He didn''t return to the party. He said coolly, "I''m exhausted. I will rest now."


    Yun Shang nodded and walked the Emperor to his room. Halfway to the bedroom, the Emperor said, "Shang''er, you are much smarter than your elder sister. I shouldn''t worry about you. I have officially announced that you will marry Prince Jing. But you haven''t had a wedding ceremony until now, so you are not a real couple. Now the envoys of the State of Yelang and the State of Xia are here. You should be on guard because these two men are hard to deal with."


    Yun Shang paused for a while. ''These two men? Beside Prince Qingsu of the State of Yelang, does father allude to the seventh Prince of the State of Xia who looks gaunt and weak?''


    Yun Shang thought for a while. Recently, Prince Qingsu had made many secret plots. Yun Shang had to deal with him so she had ignored the Prince of the State of Xia. The Prince of Xia always looked genial and urbane. He didn''t look like a bad guy. What''s more, compared with Prince Qingsu, he looked guileless.


    But when the Emperor mentioned the Prince of the State of Xia, Yun Shang felt surprised. The seventh Prince of the State of Xia looked too guileless to get any attention from others. If he pretended to be so, he must be a capable man. ''It is time for me to conduct a thorough investigation of the Prince of the State of Xia.''

 Chapter 136 Mysteries and Injuries (Part One)

    "The State of Xia, lying to the south of the State of Ning, is a prosperous country. Unlike the brave and battle-wise people of the State of Yelang, people of the State of Xia focus on achievements in culture and education. It?is?in?a?favorable?geographical?location?surrounded?by seas on three sides and a towering mountain on the fourth. Therefore, the country has been peaceful for hundreds of years. The seventh Prince is the seventh son of the Emperor of the State of Xia, and also the most brilliant son of the Emperor. He was made a Prince at the age of seven, but at twelve, he became severely ill. From then on, his health has been poor, and the Emperor gradually snubbed him and awarded the Empress''s ninth son as the title of Crown Prince the year before last."


    Standing before Yun Shang, Qian Yin held a piece of parchment and read through it slowly. Then she closed the parchment and spoke softly to Yun Shang, "The seventh Prince is seldom seen in public because of his poor health, and there is very little information about him. The information we found is almost universally known. Other news may take a little longer."


    Yun Shang nodded and took the parchment, "Good, keep inquiring about him."


    Qian Yin nodded before asking curiously, "Your Highness, I have seen the seventh Prince several times from a distance over the past few days. He is clearly a sick man, breathless for a moment at every few words. Such a person..."


    "What? Do you think such a person is not a threat?" Yun Shang arched an eyebrow. She knew what Qian Yin was thinking. "When I first came back to the Palace, I believe the Empress and Hua Jing looked at me the same way. After seven or eight years at Ning''guo Temple, I didn''t know the tricks in the Palace. And I was so weak that I coughed for a long time when I spoke. But it was their contempt for me that gave me a chance, " she answered. "You know, an outstanding member of the royal family is almost always the source of envy and hence, an obvious target. The person who knows how to keep a low profile is wise."


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Qian Yin understood and quickly replied, "I let down my guard."


    Yun Shang nodded. At this point, Qin Yi entered. She wore a strange expression as she handed Yun Shang an invitation. Then she said, "Your Highness, this is Cangjue Qingsu''s invitation to you. He said that he has just come to the State of Ning and wanted to invite you to be his guide when he visits the Imperial City."


    Yun Shang''s mouth twisted, and she wondered about Qingsu''s intention. To visit the Imperial City? To be his guide?


    Qin Yi inquired with concern, "Your Highness, now that you are engaged, you can''t ac


    heard my brother say his target was Princess Hua Jing, wasn''t it? Does he dislike Princess Hua Jing because of what happened to her? Anyway, you can''t accept the invitation, Your Highness. How about I go home and tell my brother to help you with this. What do you think?"


    Her brother, Wang Jinhuan? Yun Shang thought about it for a while and felt it might work. Jinhuan was so close to Prince Jing that if he told Qingsu that Prince Jing had asked him to accept the invitation, everyone would believe him. So, Yun Shang said, "Then, thanks to your brother. Ask your brother to go in the name of Prince Jing. By the way, tell your brother, if he handles this matter well, I''ll ask Lady Ning Qian to have dinner with him."


    "Lady Ning Qian? The most popular courtesan in the Imperial City in recent years? You know her, Your Highness? I also wanted to be friends with her. I''ve heard many people say she is as pretty as a fairy..." Jinyan''s eyes lit up.


    Yun Shang smiled and patted her hand. "Look at you, if I had not known you were a woman, I would have thought you were in love with her."


    They continued talking for a while before Jinyan left the Palace. Qin Yi stood beside Yun Shang. She looked at the door and laughed and said, "Lady Wang is really a blunt and straightforward girl. It would be good if Your Highness makes friends with her. Moreover, the Minister of Defense and War is in charge of the mobilization of more than half of the State of Ning''s army and the appointment of officers, which is of great benefit to Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile. "You just said what I was thinking. The Minister of Defense and War is a family man. He has only one wife and has never had a concubine. He loves his wife and his two children. Such a man is very admirable."

 Chapter 137 Mysteries and Injuries (Part Two)

    Envoys from both countries were in the Imperial City. Yun Shang knew their purpose, so she kept away from them for days by staying in Qingxin Palace. And Qingsu never sent her another invitation. Qian Yin told Yun Shang that Qingsu had been excitedly waiting at the Palace gate, but when Mister Wang came to him, his face darkened. Yun Shang could not help but laugh. But she sneered secretly. These days, she had been wondering what Qingsu was up to. Ning Qian and her companions, who had been watching the Princess Palace, found that Qingsu had not only sent his men to see Hua Jing, but he had also been there twice and reassured Hua Jing that when the matter had settled a little, he would ask Emperor Ning for permission to marry her.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and thought, ''Is he trying to seduce me while he pacifies Hua Jing? Prince Jing''s outing probably has something to do with him, too. Otherwise, it would not have been so coincidental that Prince Jing left the Imperial City just as I received his invitation. He''s a calculating guy.''


    "It''s time to light the oil lamps, Your Highness. Let me help you freshen up and get you ready for bed." Qin Yi said as she walked in. She smiled as she took the pearl pin from Yun Shang''s head.


    Yun Shang nodded and went into the bathroom. ''It''s been seven days. Seven days have passed since Prince Jing left the Imperial City. What on earth happened to him? Jinyan said he would out three to five days, and now, he has not returned after seven days. Things seem a bit tricky.''


    Yun Shang thought about the situation in the Imperial City as she soaked in the bathtub. Qingsu was very restless. He had secretly visited a number of courtiers, of whom Prince Shun Qing''s son Ning Ye, most attracted Yun Shang''s attention. Yun Shang remembered that Ning Qian and Prince Jing had been suspicious of Ning Ye, but they had found nothing except that Ning Ye had hidden his knowledge of Kung Fu. Prince Shun Qing had no power now. But Qingsu had met with his son three times in private. This was really worth thinking about.


    The seventh Prince of the State of Xia didn''t act. He stayed in the post-house every day. No one visited him except the physician, and no one saw him leave.


    As for the Grand Councilor''s Mansion... Yun Shang frowned at the thought. After returning to the Palace that day, the Empress remained in Qiwu Palace. She even got rid of the daily greetings from the concubines, although Emperor Ning did not order her to do so. And Hua Jing had been resting at the Princess Palace. These things happened, but at the Grand Councilor''s Mansion there seemed to be no unusual activity. It was as though they had nothing to do with these events.


    With a frown Yun Shang got up, dried herself, put on her tunic, and went


    un Shang opened her eyes, she saw Prince Jing holding his wound and frowning. Then she remembered what had happened the night before. She jumped to her feet and asked, "What''s wrong? Did you tear the wound? I''ll call the physician." Having said these words, she turned to walk toward the door.


    Prince Jing caught her hand. Yun Shang stopped and turned to look at the man on the bed.


    Prince Jing shook his head and said, "I''m fine. Why are you here? Did you take care of me all night?" Prince Jing was surprised to find his voice so hoarse.


    Yun Shang sat down again and tried to pull her hand away, but she failed. Puzzled, she gave up in view of Prince Jing''s wound. "Mister Wang broke into my bedroom yesterday and told me you had been injured, so I came here to see you. How are you feeling? Does the wound still hurt?"


    Prince Jing nodded and said, "The guest room is next door. You don''t seem to have rested well. Go and sleep over there."


    "I''m not sleepy. Where have you been all these days? How did you get hurt?" Yun Shang tucked Prince Jing in bed. Prince Jing paused for a second, his eyes shining with a strange expression.


    "Someone lured me out of the Imperial City. I had a small group of people hiding in a nearby city, but somehow they were discovered, and exterminated a few days ago. But when I went to investigate, I was trapped." Prince Jing sighed, "I was negligent."


    "When you left the Imperial City, Qingsu sent me an invitation to be his guide during a tour of the Imperial City. So, does this have anything to do with him?"


    "Oh?" A hint of danger flashed through Prince Jing''s eyes, and he said coldly, "Whether he did it or not, he must know something. Perhaps he feels too comfortable in the Imperial City. Soon, he''ll have trouble even in taking care of himself. Then, I''ll see how he schemes against others..."

 Chapter 138 The Trouble Caused By Staying Out All Night (Part One)

    Although Prince Jing didn''t take it to heart, Yun Shang thought that it must be a very tricky problem. She didn''t fully know what Prince Jing was capable of, but she knew that the dreaded God of War must be worthy of his reputation.


    However, Prince Jing had been trapped and badly hurt. If Cangjue Qingsu was behind this, he could never be overestimated. If not, finding the person responsible would be troublesome.


    It was much easier to deal with a known strong enemy than an unknown one.


    Prince Jing understood from Yun Shang''s frown that she was worried about him. He held her hand and said gently, "Leave it to me. Since the other party is targeting me, I have to fight back. You have to be careful. I am afraid that you might be implicated. I will dispatch more people to protect you."


    Yun Shang shook her head. "It''s okay. I can protect myself in the Imperial City. You have to be careful."


    While they were talking, someone knocked on the door. Yun Shang stood and opened the door. A young girl in black stood at the door. She looked at Yun Shang with worry. Yun Shang then realized that although Prince Jing was seriously injured and had been unconscious, it was inappropriate for her to stay with him all night. She apologetically said, "Qian Yin sent you here? Go back first. I will follow later."


    The girl in black shook her head. "Your Highness, Lady Ming has ordered the arrest of Qian Yin and Qin Yi."


    Shocked, Yun Shang put on a grave expression. "What happened?"


    The girl in black frowned. "In my opinion, someone kept watch on you and leaked the news. Lady Ming and Lady Fu rushed to Qingxin Palace in the early morning. As they found that you were not in the inner Hall, they claimed that you had an accident and asked the guards to search the Palace. Seeing you nowhere, Lady Ming ordered the arrest of Qian Yin and Qin Yi and accused them of failing to protect you."


    "Really?" Yun Shang sneered. "What did the guards at Qingxin Palace do? Why didn''t they stop Lady Ming and her men?"


    The girl in black was silent for a moment before she continued, "Lady Ming brought a martial arts master. The guards didn''t dare to stop them, and our lurkers didn''t dare to expose themselves without your order."


    Yun Shang nodded.


    "Lady Ming? Maybe Grand Councilor Li is also involved in this. If Grand Councilor Li didn''t approve, Lady Ming and Li Fuyi wouldn''t have dared to take action." Prince Jing said. Yun Shang was surprised. Although Prince Jing was injured, he was still a strong man. Without doubt, he had heard what they had said.


    Yun Shang said emotionlessly, "I know. I have to go back. Take good care of yourself."


    Yun Shang turned to leave but heard a noise from the room. She quickly walked into the room and saw that the medicine bowl


    r Highness, you are wrong. I''m their master. Why should I tell them where I go? Moreover, I asked them not to follow me. So they had to stay in the Palace."


    Lady Ming was speechless. She stared at Yun Shang with a smile. "You''re right. But can you tell us where you went? I ordered a search of the Imperial City but couldn''t find you. I thought you had an accident."


    "Oh? The Imperial City was searched thoroughly? I was right in the imperial household, but I didn''t know that you were searching for me. If I had, such a misunderstanding would not have happened." Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked strangely at Lady Ming as if accusing the older lady of lying.


    Lady Ming smiled coldly. "Where were you last night?"


    Yun Shang took a sheet of parchment from her sleeve and frowned. "Yesterday, I received a letter from my mother who resides in Laifeng Palace. She said in the letter that everything was fine, and the unborn baby''s condition was stable. Moreover, she would give birth to the baby soon. She said that she missed me and asked if I could visit her Palace and give her company for some time..."


    Emperor Ning interrupted Yun Shang happily, "Shu Jin wrote to you? What did she say in the letter? Let me see."


    Yun Shang nodded and handed the parchment to Lord Zheng. Lord Zheng brought the letter to Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning glanced over it and said with a smile, "It''s Shu Jin''s handwriting. She said that Grand Tutor Xiao went to visit her, and she might be carrying a baby boy." Emperor Ning grinned in satisfaction. "Well, Shu Jin''s belly should be huge by now. The summer will come soon. I will spend the summer in Laifeng Palace and wait for the birth of the baby boy."


    Lady Ming frowned. Obviously, she was angry. She turned to look at Yun Shang. "You disappeared all night. What does it have to do with Lady Jin''s letter?"

 Chapter 139 The Trouble Caused By Staying Out All Night (Part Two)

    Yun Shang sighed and said worryingly, "I missed my mother very much after reading her letter. However, the emissaries of the States of Yelang and Xia are here. I am afraid I cannot visit my mother in Laifeng City. I felt sad. So I went to the Cold Palace where my mother lived before."


    Lady Ming regretted that she didn''t order a search of the Cold Palace. She had searched the entire imperial household, but she never thought that Yun Shang would actually use the Cold Palace as an excuse.


    Yun Shang said in a faint voice, "My mother lived there for more than ten years. Although she moved out a few months ago, her smell still lingers. I missed her so much that I slept on her bed last night. I went back to Qingxin Palace after I woke up this morning and learned that you thought I was missing as you couldn''t find me. So I changed and rushed here. It is a misunderstanding. I shouldn''t have gone to the Cold Palace because I was in a bad mood. Ordinarily, no one visits Qingxin Palace. I didn''t expect that you would come to Qingxin Palace to show loving care for me in the early morning. It''s my fault. Please punish me."


    On the way back, Yun Shang had inquired about the places searched at the order of Lady Ming and learned that the Cold Palace, Qinzheng Hall where Emperor Ning worked, Qiwu Palace and a few other Halls where Emperor Ning met the ministers hadn''t been searched. With this knowledge, she came up with this idea. Yun Shang had also chosen her words carefully. She wanted to tell Emperor Ning that it was a trap as Lady Ming had never been to Qingxin Palace in the past, but went to search for her on this occasion.


    As expected, hearing what Yun Shang said, Emperor Ning became angry. He knew that if Yun Shang failed to disclose where she went last night, Lady Ming would claim that she ruined her reputation by staying out all night. Lady Ming had done all this on purpose. As soon as Emperor Ning left the court this morning, a servant of Lady Ming had reported that Yun Shang was missing. So he rushed here. He had guessed the whole story when Lady Ming interrogated the servants of Qingxin Palace. After listening to Yun Shang, he further confirmed what he had previously thought.


    It didn''t matter whether Yun Shang really slept in the Cold Palace last night or not. Lady Ming, who was in power in the imperial household, was making a fuss about it. She had even gathered all the concubines. Apparently, she wanted Yun Shang to lose all standing and reputation. Emperor Ning never asked about the ongoings in the imperial household, but he knew the tricks in it.


    It was really difficult to deal with the Li Clan!


    Lady Ming still refused to let the issue go even though she now knew whe


    ep you worrying about me. Don''t tell my mother about it. She wouldn''t be able to bear it."


    Qin Yi hesitated for a while before she continued, "Qian Yin has secretly replaced almost all the servants in our Palace, but there is still a spy. The Imperial City is very unsafe. How is Prince Jing? Is he seriously hurt?"


    Thinking of Prince Jing''s belly wrapped with thick gauze, Yun Shang sighed, "He had come round when I left. He is seriously hurt. I''m afraid it will take a long time for him to recover."


    Qin Yi nodded with worry. "Good to hear that he is fine. Prince Jing was hurt, and you were framed. It seems to be a set of interlocking stratagems. No concubine in the imperial household could do that." Qin Yi looked at Yun Shang as she continued gently, "Your Highness, I don''t know how you extend your power and how many able men you have recruited in recent years. At least, I know you can deal with the women in the Imperial City. However, if other forces are involved, no matter how smart you may be, you are just a 15-year-old girl. I''m afraid¡­"


    Yun Shang knew what Qin Yi was worried about, but she also knew that to pay off old scores and deprive the Empress and Hua Jing of what they had, she had to face the Li Clan. The Li Clan had tried very hard to make Li Yiran the Empress, so they wouldn''t abandon her unless they had no other choice.


    "Don''t worry. I know what I am doing. I promise that I will leave no loopholes next time." Yun Shang thought her negligence had led to this incident, and she wouldn''t allow it to happen again.


    "Your Highness¡­" Qian Yin shouted anxiously from outside. Yun Shang frowned, turned her head and looked at Qian Yin who lifted the curtain and rushed in. "What happened?"


    Qian Yin walked up to Yun Shang and whispered, "Your Highness, the Empress fainted¡­"

 Chapter 140 Birthday Party (Part One)

    The Empress? She fainted? Hearing these words, Yun Shang glanced at Qian Yin and saw anger surge in her maid''s eyes. She flashed a smile before fixing her eyes on the teacup in her hand. Then she praised, "Smart move."


    By pretending to have fainted, the Empress affected a helpless wife. She always acted with nobility and dignity in front of others and even selflessness if necessary. And in the previous decades, she had played the role of an impartial Empress well. Even when she was informed that she was infertile, she had been sad for a while, but she had recovered to the Empress she had always been. Someone who felt no joy or sorrow for herself, apart from what was the best for her husband.


    That was why the Empress''s sudden faint was so unexpected.


    Right now, the Grand Councilor''s power was at stake, as Lady Ming just irritated Emperor Ning, and Hua Jing was still in her recovery. And at this crucial point, the Empress suddenly fell ill.


    With a smile on her lips, Yun Shang ordered, "Let''s pay a visit to Qiwu Palace."


    When they arrived, many others had also called on the Empress. They saw Emperor Ning, Lady Ming, Lady Fu, Lady Ya, and Qin Meng among the callers. Yun Shang also noticed several other ladies whom she didn''t know.


    Standing aside a desk, an imperial physician was writing the Empress''s prescription. With a disturbed look on her face, Lady Ming asked. "How''s the Empress now?"


    The imperial physician bowed before answering, "Her Majesty is fine. But she always burdens herself with sorrow, which has finally induced her illness. She will wake up in two hours. But Her Majesty has always been weak, and I''m afraid the faint has harmed her health. When she wakes up, she needs more rest. If she burdened herself again, she would..." Shaking his head, the imperial physician said no more. But Lady Ming knew exactly what he meant to say. She frowned, and remained quiet.


    Emperor Ning gazed at the pale Empress. His eyes were as dark as night sky; complex feelings mounting in their depths. After a long while, he turned to the ladies and said, "The physician has said that the Empress needs rest. Leave us, all of you."


    The ladies exchanged several meaningful glances. They curtsied to the Emperor before leaving the Palace.


    But Yun Shang remained. She spoke softly, "Father, Her Majesty needs someone to take care of her, and you are too busy with state affairs. I can look after her in your stead."


    Emperor Ning paused for a short while, and turned to Yun Shang. Before he spoke, Lady Ming cut in, "Shang''er, you''re an unmarried Princess. You can barely take care of yourself. I will find some experienced maids to look after Yiran. You should spend time on yourself."


    Yun Shang remained silent for a while before she answered "Okay" in a low voice. A pained expression showed in her eyes. Seeing that, Lady Ming''s heart hitched. She wondered what Yun Shang had planned. Did the Princess want Emperor Ning to feel that she was a domineering person? ''What an awful woman! Keep playing innocent then!'' Lady Ming thought to herself as she gritted her teeth. She''d like to see what else Yun Shang was up to.


    The Emperor''s eyes darkened when he heard Yun Shang''s low voice.


    "Your Majesty..." Lord Zheng called from outside the door. A eunuch as he was, he was once a man, and not allowed to enter Empress Yuan Z


    good care of yourself." Then he walked out of Qiwu Palace.


    ''Tsk, tsk. Lady Ming, Empress Yuan Zhen, you''ve always thought about yourselves. But did you ever think of this outcome?'' Yun Shang flashed a smile and thought. Then she took her leave and and returned to Qingxin Palace in a good mood.


    "Your Highness, it''s good for you that Lady Ya is taking control of the Palace." Qian Yin''s joy showed on her face. Giggling, she said, "The Empress must be outraged. Oops. It was her choice to pretend faint. She was conscious the whole time though. I saw her eyelashes tremble when His Majesty uncovered her ruse. I can tell you that she almost went mad, but didn''t dare to speak. If she did, she would be caught lying to the Emperor about her faint. How satisfying!"


    Yun Shang also smiled. She nodded to Qian Yin in consent. When they returned to the Palace, Qin Yi was already waiting for them. She handed an invitation letter to Yun Shang and spoke, "Your Highness, in three days, Prince Jing''s birthday party will be held, and his chamberlain has sent you an invitation letter. What gift should we present him, Your Highness?"


    "Hmm?" Hearing her words, Yun Shang paused for a short while. Of course, she remembered Prince Jing''s birthday. But, was it really a good time to hold a birthday party?


    Yun Shang took the invitation letter, opened it, and had a look. She recognized Prince Jing''s signature on it. She thought about it for moment, and figured that the Prince intended to lure his enemies out.


    Knowing Prince Jing''s intention, Yun Shang was a little worried. The person who had hurt him must be a trained warrior. And the Prince''s wound would slow him down in a fight.


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. The assassin had caught the Prince off-guard. And His Highness will be better prepared this time. He has sent invitation letters to others as well." Giggling, Qian Yin comforted her.


    Yun Shang was stunned for a while, before she realized that she had spoken her mind.


    She flushed crimson when she saw Qian Yin and Qin Yi look at her with amusement. She grabbed a book from her side and tossed it at them.


    Qian Yin pulled Qin Yi aside and giggled. "Are you trying to murder us to prevent divulgence of your secrets?"

 Chapter 141 Birthday Party (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was at a loss for words. She stared at them, but the two maids were not fazed. Frustrated, the Princess turned away.


    Seeing that, Qian Yin giggled and approached Yun Shang, "But you have to be vigilant, Your Highness. What if those people turned to you when they fail to deal with the Prince? There is an old saying, go after low-hanging fruit."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows at the words. She pretended anger, "Do I look like an easy target? Do I?"


    Her question gave the maids yet another occasion to burst into laughter.


    Prince Jing had served at the frontier for a long time. But he still had great influence in the Imperial Capital. As he had sent invitations, people flocked to pay respects to him. In no time, Prince Jing''s Mansion was crowded with guests, gifts, and people asking for invitation letters.


    The Prince''s chamberlain was a capable man. Though he had never experienced such a situation, he was able to handle it.


    Fortunately, the invitations had been carefully sent. But still, when Prince Jing''s birthday arrived, for the first time in history, the Prince''s Mansion was so lively.


    Normally, a lady in a house would administer the internal affairs, but the Prince was not married, so his chamberlain played the role. Thus, when Yun Shang arrived at the mansion, the chamberlain hurried to her for help. After having heard the chamberlain''s brief, Yun Shang was almost amused, if not angry. She cast a glance at Prince Jing, who lay idly on his bed, "It''s already late. Don''t tell me you''ve not prepared anything yet. And I had a look along the way. There''s no maid serving in your mansion. Do you really want to have male servants attend to the ladies?"


    The chamberlain coughed to conceal his discomfort, "It''s all my fault. I''ve been too inconsiderate. After all, I''ve never taken care of a birthday party before, and His Highness had given his instruction in a hurry...It''s hard to make a thorough plan in such a short time..."


    The Prince was extremely calm. He put away his books, glanced at the angry Yun Shang, and smiled, "But I don''t need any maids. And I don''t want to hire some just for today''s event. It''s troublesome to fire them again."


    "Why didn''t you come to me earlier?" Yun Shang felt frustrated.


    Prince Jing cleared his throat, "I forgot."


    "..."


    Although she didn''t want to, Yun Shang started the work with assiduity. She asked Qian Yin and Qin Yi to help her with the preparations and sent for Ning Qian. Ning Qian would take care of the entertainment. She ordered Qian Yin to care for the ladies, and Qin Yi to arrange for the food. Yun Shang used to manage a household in her previous life. She wasn''t unfamiliar with the affairs. With her arrangement, each servant was busy with his or her task. And everything was getting in order.


    The chamberlain watched as Yun Shang gave her orders to the servants. He massaged his whiskers with a hand and said to Prince Jing, "Your


    pearances. Yu''er was a beautiful girl, who must have many suitors. But her true love was Prince Jing who had turned her down mercilessly. She had said that the Princess was lucky. And so, the guests read between the lines. What Yu''er truly meant was that Yun Shang was jealous and petty, which was why she didn''t allow other women to approach the Prince. And the awkward situation was exacerbated by Yun Shang, as according to Yu''er''s words, the Princess should''ve helped the Prince to choose some maids.


    Yun Shang flashed a smile. "I''ve chosen some maid for uncle before. But he was very picky, and he didn''t like any of them. If I insisted on arranging maids for him, I''m afraid uncle would be displeased."


    Yu''er''s face fell, and thought to herself. "Ning Yun Shang, how dare you to deny your jealousy?" She wanted to say more, but a commanding voice called from a distance. "Your Highness, I''m late. Did I miss anything?"


    Yun Shang turned towards the voice, and saw Wang Jinyan walking to them. She was dressed in cyan. A pretty lady followed Wang Jinyan.


    Yun Shang flashed her a smile. She always thought that red suited Jinyan best, but cyan worked on her too as it brought out her feminine charms. ''You are not late. It has just begun.'' Yun Shang thought to herself.


    Jinyan cast a cold glance at Yu''er before she turned to Yun Shang and smiled, "Your Highness, this is my mother."


    Yun Shang nodded to her before looking at the smiling lady behind Jinyan. She sighed to herself and wondered how the serious Minister Wang and the gentle Lady Wang had parented Jinyan and Jinhuan Wang. Yun Shang smiled to Lady Wang, "Good day, Lady Wang. You are so gorgeous. No wonder both your children are so pretty!"


    Lady Wang was happy to hear the praise. She flashed Yun Shang a warm smile.


    Suddenly someone gasped. The guests looked around and saw a woman in pink pass through the corridor opposite the lake. Although far, the pink figure looked so alluring¡­

 Chapter 142 An Act Of Folly (Part One)

    Everyone went blank for a while, and then someone sighed, "Though I didn''t see the lady''s face from this distance, I can tell that she is tall and thin. She is sure to be an enchanting beauty. But I just heard there were no ladies in Prince Jing''s Mansion. Who is she?"


    Hearing these words, people let their eyes settle on Yun Shang who still had a bland smile. They couldn''t help comparing Yun Shang with the lady. Gradually, they were amazed by Yun Shang''s face. Yun Shang was not the kind of lady that would amaze people with her beauty at first sight. At first glance, people would feel she was like a lady in a painting, soft and sweet. She had white skin, red lips, black eyebrows, and bright eyes. She wore a fresh green dress with a sense of elegance, like a verdant lotus leaf freshly washed by the rain or like an isolated mountain hidden in the thin fog, attracting people''s eyes in this warm spring.


    Since when had this ordinary-looking Princess become so beautiful?


    Yun Shang knew what people were thinking when she saw their expression. She said in a soft voice, "As I have told you, the chamberlain of Prince Jing''s Mansion doesn''t know how to hold a birthday party. I think Prince Jing saw Qian Qian performing in Lady Shun Qing''s birthday party at Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion, and so he invited Qian Qian here. Although Qian Qian has a humble identity, she is proficient in playing the Pipa, and her dancing skill is second to none in the world."


    All ladies present were the wives or daughters of officials, and they had heard of Qian Qian before as her fame had spread throughout the country. They didn''t know what to say for a while. If they praised her, they would think they humbled themselves. If they belittled her, they would set themselves against Prince Jing. People stood gazing at one another without uttering a single word.


    "Humble family does not determine a humble future. Since Princess Yun Shang has such high praise for Qian Qian, she must have many good qualities. I will enjoy her performa


    composure from the excitement. Someone recognized the lady and yelled, "Is she Qian Qian, the top showgirl in the Imperial City?"


    For a while, people whispered to each other. However, when Qian Qian turned around and began playing the Pipa behind her back, people suddenly quietened.


    Qian Qian wore a full-length light pink skirt with a white waistband around her slender waist. She had a hibiscus flower hairpin, but her face was even more beautiful than a hibiscus flower. Her attractive eyes enchanted all guests.


    While playing the Pipa, the lady constantly changed her position. All the guests watched the performance with the utmost concentration. Hardly had the last musical note faded, people saw the lady flying away without hesitation.


    Everyone kept silent for a long time as if they had buried themselves in the Pipa''s sound, the dance or the beauty.


    Emperor Ning gave a small smile. However, there was a complicated expression on his face. After a while, he rubbed his forehead and stood, "The performance is indeed an eye-opener. I have had too much wine and felt quite drunk. Brother, find me a place so that I can rest."


    Prince Jing immediately stood, "Your Majesty, let me show you the way."


    Emperor Ning shook his hand, "You are today''s host and should entertain the guests here. Just find a servant to show me the way."

 Chapter 143 An Act Of Folly (Part Two)

    Prince Jing remained silent for a while, and then called the chamberlain and asked him to lead Emperor Ning to the east wing. After the chamberlain escorted Emperor Ning away, the atmosphere became more active. Someone said, "I heard that it was extremely hard to invite Qian Qian to perform. If she dislikes you, she won''t perform for you even if you send a goldmine to her as a gift. Prince Jing, how did you succeed in inviting Qian Qian here?"


    Prince Jing raised his eyebrows as he heard the statement, "Actually, it wasn''t me who invited Qian Qian. She is here at someone else''s request. But it''s not convenient for me to tell you who this person is."


    The following performance was quite good. However, after enjoying Qian Qian''s dance, the guests had lost interest. Since Emperor Ning had left, they began to drink a toast to each other unabashedly.


    Yun Shang furrowed her brows when she saw Prince Jing drinking several cups of wine, ''His wound...''


    She dropped this matter after thinking for a moment and continued to enjoy the show being held on the stage quietly.


    Qian Yin walked to Yun Shang and whispered something in her ear. Yun Shang''s eyes lit up as she turned to Prince Jing and smiled, "Uncle, the ladies might feel bored now. How about I taking them to the backyard to rest?"


    It took a second for Prince Jing to focus on Yun Shang. He steadied the hand in which he held the wine cup. Then he smiled, "Okay!"


    Yun Shang returned his smile before standing. Since the ladies did not drink, and the performance was not as excellent as Qian Qian''s, these ladies eagerly stood and followed Yun Shang to the backyard. They chatting amongst each other.


    "Princess Yun Shang, you are right. Qian Qian is indeed a talented lady. I saw her standing on the lotus leaf and guessed that her Qinggong must be as good as my brother''s. She is also brilliant as a showgirl, and I really admire her. I guess she must be good at Kung Fu too. If given a chance, I would like to compete with her in Kung Fu." Jinyan walked behind Yun Shang and stated in a cheerful voice.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and nodded, "It was indeed surprising."


    "She is just a courtesan from th


    arded. There won''t be any major incidents."


    Jinyan nodded as she heard Yun Shang''s explanation and sat down beside her.


    The drummer was blindfolded. Yun Shang held a flower made of silk cloth and smiled, "Ladies, are you ready? If yes, then we shall start the game.."


    Yun Shang''s words increased everyone''s enthusiasm for the game. They couldn''t wait to start. Yun Shang shouted, "The game starts!"


    The drumbeats sounded.


    People passed the flower to the person sitting on their left quickly. Suddenly, the drumbeats stopped. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at the lady who had the flower.


    "She is the third daughter of Field Marshal Qin, and her mother is a concubine. She has no notable talent." Jinyan whispered in Yun Shang''s ear.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Lady Qin, you are lucky to be the first of us to get the flower. Lady Qin, please draw a lot."


    Lady Qin looked around before she walked to the lot pot. She drew a lot and gave it to Yun Shang. Yun Shang lowered her head to check the lot and then gave a bland smile, "Play Guqin*. It''s a simple punishment."


    (*TN: Guqin is a seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither.)


    Lady Qin was relieved. She took the Guqin handed by the servant and played a tune.


    The drumbeats started again. This time, the flower was in the hands of a lady dressed in carmine. Yun Shang looked at the lady, raised her eyebrows and sighed, ''Jing Wenxi! A troublemaker!''

 Chapter 144 An Act Of Folly (Part Three)

    Wenxi widened her round, bright eyes like a frightened rabbit, "Alas! I have bad luck today. I hope the punishment won''t be hard."


    Wenxi walked to the lot pot, drew a lot, and looked at it. As soon as she read the punishment, her expression changed. The other girls saw her expression, and became curious. They crowded around her and tried to read the lot. It read, "Who is your favorite man?"


    The handwriting had an unconventional grace of its own. Wenxi felt embarrassed, but Jinyan laughed out loud and said, "I wrote this punishment. I was wondering who would get the lot. I didn''t expect it would be you, Lady Jing. It''s okay. We can keep secrets. Just tell us."


    Wenxi stood where she was. Her face turned pale and her nose grew pink.


    "Well, if Lady Jing is not willing to tell us, we can understand. After all, it''s your secret. Lady Jing is not married yet, and it''s not appropriate to tell us who her favorite man is." Jinyan frowned and rubbed her nose as she spoke indifferently.


    Hardly had her words faded away, a sneer sounded, "It''s indeed not appropriate for her to tell us, but it''s not because she is not willing or because she is shy. That''s because her favorite man is engaged, and his fiancee is right here."


    Before the statement could be finished, Wenxi rushed toward the lady angrily, "Wen Ruyu, I have never offended you before. Why do you insult me?"


    The atmosphere became tense. The ladies wondered who Wenxi''s favorite man was. Many engaged ladies were present. Every lady would be upset if she knew that her fiance was admired by another girl.


    Ruyu snorted as she raised her eyebrows, "What? You dare not to tell us? Look at yourself! You are really ugly. Prince Jing won''t be fond of you!"


    Prince Jing... Everyone noticed the most important information in Ruyu''s words. It turned out that Wenxi''s favorite man was Prince Jing.


    Everyone glanced at Yun Shang, but Yun Shang didn''t seem to care what Ruyu had said at all. Yun Shang looked calm and spoke in a nonchalant voice, "Ladies, it''s Uncle Jing''s birthday party today. Please don''t share your persona


    rise sounded in the yard. Many unmarried ladies immediately covered their eyes and muttered, "What a shame!"


    Some ladies, such as Yun Shang and Jinyan, frowned and looked at the lady on the ground. The lady had a sweet smile on her face as if she was still steeped in pleasure. A moment later, she furrowed her brows because of the sudden pain. She raised herself on her elbows and gazed at the people in confusion.


    "Oh my god. She is Lady Cangyang, the sworn daughter of the Chief Councilor of the State of Yelang. Why...why... is she here? She..." Wang Jinyan frowned as she yelled. Everyone immediately realized who she was.


    When people recalled the familiar voice coming from within, they were further shocked and wondered, ''Why is this lady... with him?''


    As people buried themselves in thought, a voice was heard, "Your Majesty."


    Everyone regained their composure and bowed to Emperor Ning.


    Emperor Ning furrowed his brows and asked, "What''s going on? I heard the noises from here all the way in Tingfeng Pavilion."


    Prince Jing briefly shared the events with the Emperor. Emperor Ning furrowed his brows and let his eyes settle upon the lady on the ground, "Where is the man?"


    Prince Jing sneered, "Bring him out!"


    Then the secret guard escorted a man from behind the screen. Unlike the naked lady, the man was still wearing his underwear. His face was pale as he walked out.

 Chapter 145 Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow (Part One)

    All the people present turned pale. Emperor Ning seemed surprised. Behind him, half the officials had lowered their heads. If they could, they would have buried themselves beneath the ground. There was a hint of happiness in some officials'' eyes. Yun Shang made a note of who was happy.


    "Grand Councilor Li! Are you here to cause me trouble? You are the leader of the civil officials. I know you look down upon us military officers. You regard us as illiterate; I still respected you though. Today, I appreciated your presence at my birthday party, but how could you do such a thing in my mansion? What a shame! Your Majesty, please make a decision." Prince Jing angrily glared at Grand Councilor Li and then complained to Emperor Ning.


    Grand Councilor Li who was dressed only in his tunic, felt ashamed. Emperor Ning snickered. He then frowned and said, "Grand Councilor Li, you made a mistake. After all, Lady Cangyang is an honorable guest from the State of Yelang. Why did you¡­?" After a pause, Emperor Ning sighed. His eyes were filled with disappointment.


    Yun Shang gazed at Cangjue Qingsu. He frowned but didn''t speak. He seemed lost in thought. She turned and saw that the whole tribe from Grand Councilor''s Mansion were scared. The wife of the Grand Councilor looked pale. She watched the scene in disbelief.


    Grand Councilor Li ground his teeth. Then he knelt and spoke, "I apologize. Your Highness, I am sorry. As for Lady Cangyang, I was intimate with her and have ruined her reputation. So I will take her as my concubine."


    It was not until she heard those words that Cangyang Yu''er got over her shock. The amazement in her eyes was evident. Yun Shang knew Cangyang Yu''er was aiming for the Emperor. She thought, ''Cangyang Yu''er, your scheme failed again. After you couldn''t tempt Prince Jing, you turned to my father. Maybe it''s Cangjue Qingsu that planned all this. There were few servants in Prince Jing''s Mansion. However, there were many hidden guards. How could I get no n


    clothes and get the Grand Councilor and his new wife dressed."


    Cangyang Yu''er''s and Grand Councilor Li''s servants that had been standing by went into the room. They picked up the clothes and helped them get dressed.


    Yun Shang smiled and thought, ''All the members of Li Clan will be laughed at for quite a long time.


    As the leader of the civil officials, the Grand Councilor was intimate with a girl in another person''s mansion. It is a big gossip.''


    Yun Shang looked up and made eye contact with Prince Jing. His expression hinted that he knew something. Yun Shang was nervous. Her mouth twitched as she thought, ''I was too ecstatic with joy.''


    Since the trouble had been solved, Emperor Ning stopped interfering. He waved his hand and said, "I''ve sobered up. Many written reports have piled up on my table. I''ll return to the Imperial Palace."


    "Make way for His Majesty." All the people bowed or curtsied as the Emperor left.


    When Emperor Ning had left, the crowds rose to their feet. Suddenly a loud scream was heard. Everybody turned and saw Cangyang Yu''er naked again. She had risen so quickly that she slipped out of her clothes. She had cried in embarrassment. It was an absolutely instinctive reaction. Once she realized that she was being stared at again, she turned pale and at once rushed behind the screen.

 Chapter 146 Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow (Part Two)

    "Hehe¡­" Someone sniggered. Yun Shang looked back and found that the members of Li Clan looked grim. She didn''t see where the laughter came from.


    "Prince Jing, it''s my fault. Please pardon my offense. I am leaving now." Grand Councilor Li bowed to Prince Jing and left straight away.


    Members of the Li Clan followed him. They were afraid they wouldn''t be able to restrain their anger if they stayed.


    Since Grand Councilor Li had left, many guests also took their leave. Yun Shang stood beside Prince Jing and bid them farewell. Soon all the guests had left except for Wang Jinyan and Wang Jinhuan. Only after everyone had left did they burst into laughter. Yun Shang looked worried. She pointed at the room behind to remind them that Cangyang Yu''er was still around and that they shouldn''t be so impolite.


    Prince Jing glanced back. A look of disgust came over his face. "What eyes don''t see is regarded as clean. Let''s rest in the lobby. I will have her thrown out and then I will ask servants to demolish the pavilion." With these words, he left for the lobby.


    Wang Jinhuan caught up with Prince Jing and wrapped an arm around his neck. While he said something happily, Prince Jing brushed Wang Jinhuan''s hand off. But Wang Jinhuan put his hand back a minute later. Yun Shang frowned and worried about Prince Jing''s wound¡­


    "Your Highness, let''s take a seat there." Wang Jinyan said in a low voice, "Cangyang Yu''er embarrassed herself. It was indeed greatly satisfactory. Your Highness, she covets Prince Jing. Are you happy with her fate?"


    A smile appeared on Jinyan''s lips. Yun Shang glared at her and said, "Nonsense!"


    Wang Jinhuan and Wang Jinyan laughed for a while in the lobby. Satisfied with how the day had ended, they left. Only Yun Shang and Prince Jing remained. They didn''t speak.


    Then Prince Jing sighed. He looked up and scolded, "You are reckless!"


    Yun Shang didn''t reply. She flashed him an attractive smile. His heart softened. He stopped his preaching and warned, "Next time, don''t be so willful. Grand Councilor Li certainly knew he was drugged. If he


    to Ning Ye for some time. When Yun Shang saw Ning Qian last time, she knew it. Since Ning Qian had mentioned this, so Yun Shang took it seriously.


    Ning Qian meditated in silence and then said, "It is rumored that Ning Ye is a playboy. In fact he is a Kung Fu master and quite cautious."


    "Prince Shun Qing seldom participates in politics. Ning Ye acts as a ringer to avoid the intrigues inside the mansion?" Yun Shang asked.


    Ning Qian shook her head and added, "I found his handwriting had changed completely. I sent my subordinates to inquire about Ning Ye. It''s said that he had nearly drowned four years ago. He survived, but was seriously ill. When he recovered, he changed quite a lot¡­"


    Yun Shang''s eyebrow lifted. She thought, ''This is weird. Is it possible that he was reborn like me?''


    "Few days ago, he seemed to have contacted a subordinate of the third Prince of the State of Yelang." Ning Qian added softly.


    ''The third Prince of the State of Yelang?'' Yun Shang was dumbstruck. Then a smile appeared on her face as she thought, ''Is he a spy sent by Cangjue Qingsu? His identity is a good cover. It''s commonly thought that a spy should be undetectable. They did exactly the opposite. They used a spy to replace an honorable Prince''s son. That cover worked even better.''


    "Keep an eye on him. Don''t act rashly or you will alert the enemy." Yun Shang said after a brief pause.

 Chapter 147 Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow (Part Three)

    Ning Qian nodded and added, "I have sent spies to all the mansions in the Imperial City. There are 73 subordinates in the Grand Councilor''s Mansion. The army on the border are ready. All the spies come from innocent families. You won''t get implicated. They are smart and will soon get promoted. They will help us."


    Yun Shang nodded with praise, "I believe you are competent."


    Ning Qian took out a bunch of parchments. She handed them to Yun Shang and explained, "I sieved out pieces of useful information that has been collected recently and wrote them down."


    Yun Shang took the parchments and scanned them quickly. She wrinkled her brows and took out a flint. Then she threw the flint to the plate on the table and burned the parchments.


    "Ok, I see. My mother will go into labor soon. Send more people to the temporary imperial palace. I don''t trust the midwife from the Imperial City. Send more credible midwives there. Ensure the safety of my mother and her baby. Use any means necessary." Yun Shang replied in a low voice.


    "Yes, My Lady." Ning Qian answered. Yun Shang beckoned her to leave with a wave of her hand.


    When she left, Yun Shang went to Prince Jing''s bedroom. As she entered, she saw Prince Jing lying on the couch. He was wearing a white tunic. His coronet had been removed and his hair was spread out on the couch. He always seemed to be cold and indifferent. But at that time, he looks endearing and amiable.


    Yun Shang paused before entering.


    "Have you finished your conversation?" Prince Jing looked up at Yun Shang and asked. She had seen many handsome men in her previous and present life. The sight of Prince Jing still froze her though. Her heart nearly stopped beating.


    Yun Shang stared at him for q


    or a good father. But he is responsible for political affairs. And he is a good Emperor.


    I have to protect my mother. If she gives birth to a son, I will support him to become the Emperor. Only with supreme power, will he be able to protect his family.''


    Qian Yin and Qin Yi watched Yun Shang as her expressions changed with her thoughts. Then they looked at each other and wondered what the Princess was thinking about.


    When the carriage stopped, Yun Shang came to herself, "Ehh, are we there yet?" ''Was I lost in thought?''


    Qian Yin and Qin Yi chuckled at the Princess''s absentmindedness. Yun Shang smiled and held the handle. Before she could push the door open, she heard an odd sound. Qian Yin and Qin Yi became nervous. Yun Shang turned serious and said, "It seems this is not the entrance of the Imperial Palace¡­"


    Qin Yi covered her mouth in surprise. Qian Yin looked nervous, but soon calmed down. She said, "Your Highness¡­"


    Yun Shang didn''t panic. She regretted having been so lost in thought that she forget to be alert. It was useless thinking about that now. She called out to the strangers outside, "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

 Chapter 148 A Counterplot (Part One)

    Only silence followed Yun Shang''s question. The Princess was surprised. She removed the hairpin from her head, and hid it in her sleeve. Then she signaled at Qian Yin to open the door.


    Qian Yin suddenly pushed open the door. When Yun Shang peeped, she saw a man in dark grey standing in front of the carriage. The man, who seemed to be in his forties, bowed a little in a respectful manner. There were also several maids standing behind him.


    Yun Shang said with a frown, "Why did you bring me here? What do you want?"


    The man didn''t raise his head at Yun Shang''s words. He answered leisurely, "Your Highness, I know nothing about this. I''m just a servant. My master ordered me to take care of you. Please, get off the carriage and come with me into the courtyard."


    Yun Shang pondered for a moment and then decided to follow the strange man. When Yun Shang bent her waist to step out of the carriage, Qin Yi stopped her. Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi, who seemed quite calm in spite of her pale face. "Your Highness, please let me go first."


    Yun Shang knew Qin Yi was worried about her. Qin Yi was trying her best, even at the risk of her life, to protect Yun Shang. The girl didn''t even know Kung Fu! This gesture touched Yun Shang.


    "It is okay. I will be fine." Yun Shang smiled at Qin Yi before stepping out of the carriage.


    Yun Shang saw a thick grove as soon as she stepped out. In the grove lay a beautiful courtyard that added to the tranquility of this place. But Yun Shang was upset as she did not know where she was.


    However, Yun Shang''s agitation only lasted for an instant. As soon as she jumped off the carriage, she studied the mansion carefully. She saw nothing special about the courtyard. There was not even a plaque on the entrance gate to show the identity of its owner. The owner must be very prudent! Yun Shang became irritated without information with which to identify the owner.


    "Please come in, Your Highness." The man bowed a little in front of Yun Shang, and welcomed her with due respect.


    Yun Shang raised her brows to measure the courtyard before walking toward it. "How... should I address you, Sir?"


    The man answered with a smile, "My surname is Zhao, and I''m the chamberlain in


    Kung Fu.


    "Your Highness, the water is ready." The servant girl said as she walked out of the bathroom. She kept her head low in front of Yun Shang while speaking with her softly.


    Yun Shang nodded at her, "Qian Yin will serve me during the bath." Yun Shang entered the bathroom while speaking.


    Qian Yin followed Yun Shang. To Yun Shang''s surprise, the four servant girls came into the bathroom, too. One of them held clean clothes for Yun Shang, while another held the washing soap. The third girl held a towel, while the fourth carried a bowl of flower petals. Yun Shang frowned at them. "Put the stuff down and leave. I feel uneasy if someone watches me bathe. I am just a girl. I''m not a threat to anyone. As your men are everywhere in this courtyard, why are you worried?"


    The girls exchanged glances with each other after hearing Yun Shang''s words. Then they put the things down, and left silently.


    Yun Shang looked sullen after all the servant girls had left. She took off her clothes, and sat in the tub.


    Qian Yin took the soap and helped Yun Shang clean her body. While doing this, Qian Yin wrote something on Yun Shang''s back. ''The signal has been sent. Ask for rescue or not?'' That was what Qian Yin wrote on Yun Shang''s back. Yun Shang shook her head and smiled. As she was already here, she wished to know who was behind this plot against her. Or to be more exact, she wondered who, from among all the people she knew, was so capable and powerful to plot against her?

 Chapter 149 A Counterplot (Part Two)

    Qian Yin stayed quiet. She carefully helped Yun Shang finish bathing, and helped her get dressed. Then she wrapped Yun Shang''s wet hair in a towel before the Princess stepped out of the bathroom.


    Qin Yi scurried toward Yun Shang, untied the towel on Yun Shang''s head, and helped the Princess dry her hair gently.


    Yun Shang squinted as Qin Yi''s touches were so comforting.


    "Your Highness, Master Zhao asked me to give this to you. As it was found in Your Highness''s carriage, it must be important. So Master Zhao ordered me to bring this for you." Yun Shang heard a soft voice speaking to her. She lifted her eyes and saw a servant girl holding a sachet in her hand.


    After taking the sachet from the servant girl, Qin Yi whispered to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, isn''t this the birthday gift that you prepared for Prince Jing? Inside the sachet is the sword tassel you made for the Prince. Why is it here?"


    Qin Yi''s words reminded Yun Shang how careless she had been today. She was absentminded the whole day as she had failed to recall something important to her. She didn''t realize that she had lost the sachet until this moment. But Yun Shang had been quite busy when she was at Prince Jing''s Mansion, and afterward, she had been kidnapped and brought to this place. How could she get any chance to think about the matter of the Prince''s gift?


    "I was so busy that I must have forgotten about the gift for Uncle. But it doesn''t matter. Keep it safe. I will give it to him next time." Yun Shang grinned and said in a casual manner.


    As Yun Shang had made up her mind to find the culprit behind the plot against her, she stopped worrying about her current situation nor did she think of a plan to escape. As the rooms were decorated similarly to Qingxin Palace, she felt comfortable. It was almost as though she were at home. She chatted with Qian Yin and Qin Yi in a casual manner until she became sleepy. Then she went to bed as usual.


    It had been a hard day for Yun Shang. S


    dn''t you save me before I was abducted since you are so good at Kung Fu?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Yun Shang could not see Jing Ying''s expression in the darkness. She only heard the woman speak in a low voice, "As a secret guard, I''m not allowed to expose myself unless Your Highness''s life is in danger."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang uttered with her brows raised.


    "I didn''t see who kidnapped Your Highness because the kidnappers had worn heavy makeup to cover their facial features." Jing Ying didn''t raise her head while answering Yun Shang''s question.


    "Oh?" Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Jing Ying. Then she raised another question, "Then why do you come to me now?"


    This question reminded Jing Ying of what the secret guard headman had told her. The headman said that the Prince was so enraged with the Princess''s sudden abduction that His Highness had smashed his study. His Highness even intended to kill the secret guards who were responsible for not stopping the Princess''s abduction. Jing Ying could not help but feel a sense of loss when she thought of the Prince''s irregular behaviors.


    "I have made contact with other secret guards. The Prince ordered us to get Your Highness out of here as soon as possible." Jing Ying spoke in such a calm manner that not even a trace of emotion could be felt from her tone.

 Chapter 150 A Counterplot (Part Three)

    Yun Shang felt delighted at Jing Ying''s words. Though the kidnappers had abducted her successfully, they didn''t spot the secret guards following her. Had the culprit behind the kidnapping known about the existence of the secret guards, special precautions would have been taken to prevent the secret guards from finding her.


    "I must stay here. I need to know who is plotting against me." Yun Shang said in a low voice.


    Jing Ying stayed silent for a moment before replying, "I will report this to the Prince. The culprit came here just now. He had a talk with Master Zhao in a room in the west wing in the courtyard. It seems the culprit is an expert in Kung Fu, so I dared not approach the room. Therefore, I know nothing about their discussions. But the culprit left in fifteen minutes. The culprit moved so fast that none of us could catch up. But it was not difficult to track Master Zhao. We may find some clues soon."


    Yun Shang nodded, "You must be careful."


    Jing Ying uttered a "hum" before disappearing in the darkness. As Yun Shang felt quite exhausted, she fell asleep again.


    It was already dawn when Yun Shang awoke. The servant girls had prepared water for Yun Shang to wash. Judging from their usual behavior, Yun Shang understood that they were unaware of Jing Ying''s visit. Breakfast was served after the Princess finished washing. It was a bow of gruel boiled with Lily and the seed of Job''s Tears, and several crispy vegetables.


    Yun Shang said nothing to the servant girls. She asked Qin Yi and Qian Yin to sit and have breakfast with her. After that, she lay on the bench to take a short nap.


    Nothing happened in the morning. Nor did Master Zhao come to pay Yun Shang a visit.


    The lunch was quite abundant. As some of the dishes were Yun Shang''s favorites, she ate a lot. But shortly after the lunch, Yun Shang felt a faint headache. When she was about to ask for help, she heard a noise by


    n deep thought, Yun Shang heard someone speaking, "You must pass the checkpoint before entering the Palace. Who is in the carriage?"


    It seemed they had arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Palace. Yun Shang heard Master Zhao say, "Officer, I come from the neighboring village. My son is sick. I bring him here to see the physician. Please, take pity on us and let us in, sir."


    "I''d like to help you. But Prince Jing has ordered us to check every person who enters or leaves the Imperial Palace. My head would be off my neck if I fail to conduct my duty. Raise the curtain of the carriage. I must take a look." The coarse voice of the man, somehow, sounded familiar to Yun Shang. After a long while, she finally recalled who he was. He must be Wang Shunlai, one of Prince Jing''s subordinates.


    Was Wang Shunlai checking them? According to what Master Zhao had said, Yun Shang could not help but burst into a bitter smile. She must have been changed into a youngster who was seriously ill. Yun Shang had to admit that it was really a good trick to escape being noticed by soldiers.


    Suddenly, Yun Shang sensed a brighter light in the carriage. Yun Shang withheld her breath as she felt someone watching her. After a short while, she heard Wang Shunlai speak, "You can leave now."

 Chapter 151 The Real Kidnapper Behind The Scenes (Part One)

    The carriage began to advance again.


    Yun Shang wondered where they intended to take her. In the Imperial City, she had only offended a few men, and even fewer of them could afford to hire these men to kidnap her. However, she was a little unsure that her abductor was her enemy, given Prince Jing''s encounter the other day. Perhaps they wanted to arrest her to threaten Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang knew Prince Jing must be nearby for Wang Shunlai was checking at the City gate.


    At that moment, above the City gate, Prince Jing sat in the place where the gate garrison rested. It was only large enough for four or five people. He leaned back in the chair with a grim expression, but his eyes reflected confusion. No one knew what he was thinking. Next to him stood a stunning woman.


    A creaking sound filled the silence in the room as the wooden door was pushed open. Prince Jing raised his eyes to the door and saw Wang Shunlai enter.


    "How''s it going?" Prince Jing asked quietly.


    Wang Shunlai looked toward Prince Jing and pondered for a moment before answering, "A carriage has just passed. In it lay a pale young man, and they said he was ill. But I saw he had holes in his ears, so he must be a woman in disguise. And according to the shape of his figure, he resembles Princess Hui Guo."


    Prince Jing nodded and went on to ask, "Did you send someone after the carriage?"


    "Yes. There are at least four shadow guards with Her Highness, and I also sent a few people to follow them." Wang Shunlai answered.


    The stunning woman looked at them and said, "Her Highness is intelligent. Now that she didn''t ask us to save her, she must have a plan. We just need to follow them. Don''t startle the enemy. When she needs help, she will call us. Don''t worry, Your Highness."


    Prince Jing looked tentatively at her and asked, "You trust her? I have never seen her perform Kung Fu, nor do I know her strength. But she has no Neigong*, and if she meets a Kung Fu master, I''m afraid it will be very difficult for her to protect herself."


    (*TN: It refers to any set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially Chinese Kung Fu.)


    The stunning woman was Ning Qian, of course. She smiled at his words. She continued to reassure Prince Jing, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Her Highness has no Neigong, but in addition to her Kung Fu, she carries many hidden weapons, and of course, a lot of poison."


    Prince Jing did no


    well and for so long.


    Yun Shang wondered what had she done to offend Ruyu. Yun Shang had seen the lady only a few times, and she had certainly not offended Ruyu so much that she would kidnap Yun Shang at any cost.


    In addition, from the conversation she heard, Yun Shang learned that Yunqing seemed to want Ruyu to do something, and Ruyu made it conditional on Yun Shang''s abduction.


    Having learned the identity of the kidnapper, Yun Shang felt no need to stay. She then raised her eyes and looked around. She found herself in a wood house, lying on a pile of hay, with only a layer of cloth under her.


    Yun Shang raised her hand to her mouth and whistled soundlessly. Moments later, there were some dull noises outside the door. Then the door opened, and her shadow guards came in. Yun Shang looked at them and said, "Look for a woman of my stature in this mansion, and tell Ning Qian to come and disguise that woman as me. Of course, it would be better if the woman is valued and liked by Yunqing."


    The shadow guards nodded and disappeared again. Yun Shang sighed, and went out. With one leap, she disappeared from the yard.


    Prince Jing, who had just returned from the Imperial Palace, went into his yard. A strange feeling overcame him as he entered his room. With his shadow guards around and no warning, he just frowned and wondered who was in his room, ''Is it Wang Jinhuan?''


    With a frown, he walked into the room and found that the main Hall was empty. Then he walked into his bedroom and paused when he saw a woman lying on the soft couch. Her eyes were closed and a slight frown and a little tiredness reflected on her placid face.

 Chapter 152 The Real Kidnapper Behind The Scenes (Part Two)

    Sensing someone had entered, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked toward the door. After seeing Prince Jing, she gave a little pause and said, "Uncle." Her expression softened a little.


    Smiling, Prince Jing went to Yun Shang. Then he sat down, and asked softly, "Are you all right?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I''m fine. I''m sorry to have worried you. I''m a bit sleepy because I didn''t sleep yesterday. You rest in the room, uncle. I''ll have someone show me to the guest room."


    Seeing that Yun Shang was about to rise, Prince Jing lifted his hand and pressed her back on the couch again. He smiled, "Never mind, just sleep here. Didn''t you sleep in my camp when we were on the frontier?"


    After a moment''s silence, Yun Shang nodded. She lay down obediently and closed her eyes. She soon fell asleep.


    When she was asleep, Prince Jing got up, went out into the yard and said, "Jing Ying."


    Then a woman in black knelt before him.


    Prince Jing squinted at Jing Ying with displeasure, "Who kidnapped Princess Yun Shang?"


    "Your Highness, it was the Deputy Minister of Revenue, Yunqing. His daughter Ruyu asked him to do it. From what they said, I learned that Lord Wen seemed to want his daughter to do something in exchange." Jing Ying replied with an air of indifference.


    Prince Jing''s eyes flickered over Jing Ying, "The Deputy Minister of Revenue, well, he is really a capable man. But you allowed it to happen. How would you make it up to Princess Yun Shang if something had happened to her? Besides, you''ve been with Princess Yun Shang. Why didn''t you send someone to tell me?"


    Jing Ying was silent for a moment before she knelt and said, "I''m to blame. Please punish me, Your Highness."


    Prince Jing gave a sneering laugh. "You are the only woman in my secret guards, so I asked you to protect her. Now that you don''t like the arrangement, there is no difference between your presence or absence. Go to your leader, take the punishment and get out of my shadow guards."


    Jing Ying thought Prince Jing would beat or scold her at worst. She had not expected that he would try to dislodge her from the shadow guards. She gave a shudder and looked at Prince Jing in disbelief. Then she asked, "Your Highness, you want to remove me from the shadow guards for her?"


    Prince Jing calmly stared at Jing Ying for a long time before he said, "You were all chosen and nurtured by me, and I cherish each of my shadow guards very much. However, no matter how excel


    y very much. I will ask someone to find some new designs for you. When you''re finished, give it to Lady Shun Qing. She is your sister''s mother-in-law. If you please her, your sister''s life will be easy. Your sister is the most promising person in Wen Mansion. You have to work hard."


    Ruyu frowned. She got a little angry, but dared not to show it on her face. She agreed in a low voice and said no more.


    After accompanying Lady Wen for a while, Ruyu had supper in Lady Wen''s yard. Then her father called her into his study and gave her some orders.


    After that, Ruyu returned to her own yard. She changed into a servant girl''s clothes, and went towards the side yard. It had already started getting dark.


    The guards in the side yard gave her a cold look before letting her in. They were a little remorseful, for the two guards on the afternoon watch had fallen asleep by accident. Fortunately, the abductee was still in the house when they woke. Otherwise, they would all die.


    The woman lying on the hay had not yet awakened. She frowned in her dreams and seemed very uncomfortable. "I can''t believe you''ve fallen into my hands. It''s a pity that you were drugged and are in a coma. Although I want you to wake up and feel pain, I know it''s better to do it like this. Thank me." Ruyu said coldly. A cold glint reflected in her eyes at the sight of Yun Shang.


    With a sneer, she took the dagger by her side and drew it from its sheath. The dagger flashed a frosty light in the air. Ruyu held the dagger to Yun Shang''s face and laughed, "It''s a lovely face. I''ll ruin it..." Then she moved her hand and the dagger cut Yun Shang''s face....

 Chapter 153 Evil As A Viper (Part One)

    When Wen Ruyu saw the deep scars bleeding on Yun Shang''s face, she jeered. "You look pretty. Are you going to seduce men looking like that? Oh, you didn''t think this was the end, did you?" Wen Ruyu clapped her hands and two men walked in. They wore rags, and seemed to be beggars from the street.


    "This woman is yours now. Give her an unforgettable night... Ha-ha..." Then she turned and stepped aside.


    The two beggars who were just pulled off the street, looked at each other speechless. The lady told them they would get two taels of silver once they finished the task she gave them. Two taels would cover their living costs for almost six months, so they didn''t hesitate.


    However, they didn''t expect to find the task so satisfying. Although the woman on the bed had a face that was mutilated, her figure was quite enticing.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Do it now. If you don''t, you will not get the money. However, if your performance satisfies me, I can give you each 5 taels of silver." Ruyu looked at them coldly.


    Hearing that the reward was doubled, the beggars exchanged a look and without hesitation, jumped onto the haystack. They tore the woman''s clothes to shreds, threw them away, and covered her with their bodies.


    "Ha-ha ha-ha..." Wen Ruyu walked out, laughing loudly.


    She didn''t know everything was witnessed by the couple hiding on the roof. Yun Shang, had a stern look, and was being held by her wrist. The man next to her was Prince Jing, who had a severe look as well. Yun Shang stopped gnashing her teeth and smiling said, "I''m fine."


    Just now, seeing Wen Ruyu cut that woman with a sword, Yun Shang almost rushed in to kill Wen Ruyu. Yun Shang sneered. Why would anyone want to disfigure another person? In her previous life, Hua Jing did the same thing to her. Wen Ruyu was another example. They might share similar vicious characters. Hua Jing ruined her face and incited Mo Jingran to throw her child out the window, which led to his death. Wen Ruyu intended to cut her face and humiliate her by having beggars rape her.


    Yun Shang decided that she would not let either of them off the hook.


    Yun Shang looked at the woman on the bed. The two beggars had stripped her completely and they were plantin


    riority now. Although Wen Yunqing said that Lady Ruxin was not in Wen Mansion, he worried that his spoiled daughter was hiding somewhere here at home. As a child she would play hide and seek, so she knew exactly where she could hide herself in the mansion.


    Thus, Wen Yunqing sent his people in secret to search the entire mansion, except the side yard where Wen Ruyu was keeping Yun Shang. Afraid that people from Shun Qing Mansion might come to look for Lady Ruxin, Wen Ruyu rushed back to the side yard and sent two servants ahead, to check the situation inside. Malicious as she was, she had to think of her reputation, since she wasn''t married yet.


    The servants didn''t respond, even after a long while, which upset the frowning Wen Ruyu. She heard a scream from inside.


    "What''s wrong? What''s happened?" Ruyu trembled as she walked up to the door. Instead of opening the door, she inquired in a hushed tone from outside.


    She heard footsteps rushing to the door, which suddenly flung open. Unprepared, Wen Ruyu almost fell over. She caught herself and staggered forwards as she regained her balance.


    "What on earth has happened?! Tell me now!" Wen Ruyu was growing impatient and asked them again sternly.


    The two servants looked dreadfully pale were muttering, "It''s horrible, My Lady. It''s horrible."


    "What is horrible? Did she die? Did the two beggars die? If Yun Shang died, go inform father. If the beggars died, well, just bury them somewhere out there. What''s the big deal? "

 Chapter 154 Evil As A Viper (Part Two)

    Nevertheless, the two servants knelt down, devastated. "We are done. We are so done..."


    Wen Ruyu frowned unpleasantly. Done? Were they cursing her? Wen Ruyu was irritated, and she gave them a hard kick. Unexpectedly, they didn''t back away at all. She was even angrier, "Useless." She walked into the room.


    There was a foul smell permeating the air, mixed with other weird scents that were beyond description. Wen Ruyu frowned looking over at the haystack.


    The scene left Wen Ruyu petrified, and the color drained from her face as she stood staring at three naked forms on the haystack. The woman was laying between the two men, her face looked painful, and was covered in blood. Her head was hanging on the ground. It took Wen Ruyu a long time to come to her senses and stop gawking. "No, no...This is impossible. This isn''t possible!" She muttered to herself. Then she ran to the haystack, paying no attention to the naked men or the unmentionable marks on their body. Wen Ruyu touched the woman''s face, and she went even paler. What was going on? How?


    One of the servants outside the door ran from the yard screaming, in a blind panic, "Lady Ruxin, It''s Lady Ruxin, Lady Ruxin was dead... It was Lady Ruxin..."


    Wen Ruyu tried to stop him but couldn''t. He had ran out of the yard.


    Wen Ruyu was trembling. How did this happen? It should be Yun Shang, not her sister laying there now... She was doomed. Wen Clan was doomed.


    The servant must''ve made a scene, with long strides, Wen Yunqing, grim-faced, was headed through side yard. A few concubines were following him, and behind the crowd was Wen Yunqiunq''s mother, Lady Wen.


    Wen Ruyu was petrified. ''No, I can''t let them see this.'' She decided and closed the door promptly locking it.


    "Ruyu, open the door!" Wen Yunqing ordered from the other side. Wen Ruyu shivered shaking her head, "No. I can''t. I can''t open the door now."


    Wen Yunqing became impatient immediately, and commanded, "Break it down, now!"


    Hearing the slamming and seeing the door shudder, Wen Ruyu huddled up in a ball in the corner, shaking with panic and fright.


    With a crack, the door split and part fell to the ground. Wen Yunqing walked in with others and when they saw the woman on the haystack, they


    me please, father."


    Wen Yunqing calmed down and mulled her words over before he agreed, "Remember what you promise today. If you bring any trouble to Wen Mansion, I won''t hesitate to end my daughter''s life."


    Wen Ruyu shuddered fearfully, but nodded.


    On her way out, she turned and looked at the bodies on the haystack, in an emotionless way. As her panic faded, Wen Ruyu clenched her teeth and calmly left the side yard. A closer look at her would reveal that her legs were quivering slightly.


    Once more, the drama was witnessed in full by Prince Jing and Yun Shang. Yun Shang smiled faintly, "I didn''t know that she could be so brazen. It''s said that women can lose all their humanity in desperate situations. I don''t doubt it now."


    She turned to Prince Jing, "Uncle, I have been away for many days, I think I''d better return to the Imperial Palace tomorrow. I heard the annual Flower Show Festival is approaching..."


    The Flower Show Festival, was precisely what its name implied, all about flowers. As the festival gained popularity, it also became a chance for beautiful ladies to showcase themselves. Emperor Ning had two daughters, but there was no heir yet. His Majesty may choose several beautiful women during the festival, to take as his concubines...


    Prince Jing nodded, slightly disappointed that Yun Shang was leaving, "Alright. I heard that Prince Houjing has agreed to attend the Flower Show Banquet." Prince Houjing, Xia Houjing, was the seventh prince of the State of Xia.

 Chapter 155 Returning To The Palace; The Encounter With Prince Houjing (Part One)

    Yun Shang didn''t expect to encounter Xia Houjing on her way back to the Palace. In the carriage, Yun Shang thought on how she had been abducted when she was out of the Palace, and due to safety reasons, it would be some time before she would leave the Palace. Even though nothing happened this time, she needed to be prudent and cherish her life.


    If she couldn''t come out very often, she wouldn''t have much chance to taste the Osmanthus Cake at the Yuman Tower. Thinking about the dessert, she raised her head to look at Prince Jing sitting across from her. Prince Jing was worried about her, so he was escorting her.


    "What''s the matter?" Feeling Yun Shang staring at him, Prince Jing looked up and asked.


    Yun Shang bit her lip and shook her head. Then she looked at Prince Jing and coughed, "I have a sudden craving for some Osmanthus cake from the Yuman Tower."


    Prince Jing was surprised, but then he realized what she meant. Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang smiling. He called out to the coachman, "Let''s go to the Yuman Tower."


    There was a long line outside the Yuman Tower. Yun Shang sat in the carriage with Prince Jing. She lifted the curtain to look at the line. Prince Jing sent the coachman to wait in the line for the Osmanthus cake.


    "Well......" Yun Shang said in a low voice noticing something unusual. Prince Jing looked up.


    Yun Shang turned to Prince Jing and whispered, "I think I see Xia Houjing."


    Xia Houjing wasn''t a man of appealing appearance. At least in Yun Shang''s eyes, even Prince Qingsu looked much better. Not to mention Prince Jing, who was the most handsome among them. To most of the girls in the State of Ning, Prince Jing was the man of their dreams. It was not only because of his countless victories in warfare or his royal position. It was also his dashing good looks, and honestly, a man as charming as Prince Jing was rare.


    Prince Jing sat closer to Yun Shang. He looked outside the window, too. It was narrow in the carriage, so Prince Jing''s breath almost reached Yun Shang''s face. Yun Shang froze, blushed. She stopped looking out the window, lowering her head and sat up straighter.


    Prince Jing seemed to not notice Yun Shang''s reaction. He turned away from the window frowning, "I seem to recall that Prince Houjing said this morning that he was ill. I was led to believe he wasn''t able to get out of bed. Why is he here? Is he meeting someone?"


    Yun Shang was still feeling awkward at how close he was to her, so she wasn''t paying close attention to Prince Jing''s words. It took her a a few minutes to focus, "Erm, " Yun Shang acted absent-minded, "Should I go and have a look? I have people who work for me in the Yuman Tower. I can find out which room Xia Houjing went in and whether there was someone else with him."


    Prince Jing considered it a moment before responding,


    cence.


    Xia Houjing was surprised how innocent Yun Shang appeared. He looked at the golden cake in Yun Shang''s hand saying, "Thank you, but I''ve just had some inside, and I found them quite tasty. They are moderately sweet."


    Hearing him compliment the Osmanthus cake, Yun Shang smiled with great joy. She turned to Prince Jing and said, "I told you that the cake is loved by many people, and you didn''t believe me. I guess you''re the only one who doesn''t like it."


    Prince Jing smiled and touched Yun Shang''s hair. "It''s too sweet. I don''t like it. If you really like it, I''ll send Ji to buy you more. You can store some in the Palace."


    Ji was the coachman''s name.


    Yun Shang nodded and her eyes sparkled brilliantly. Xia Houjing was surprised at the beauty of her eyes.


    "Well, sounds like Prince Jing has more business to attend. I''ll leave you to it then and not bother you further." Xia Houjing implied he was leaving, but he didn''t move. He just smiled at the two people in the carriage.


    Then Prince Jing turned to look at Xia Houjing. He extended his hand to hold Yun Shang''s empty hand, and leaning closer to the wall complimented him, "I''ve heard a lot about how talented you are, Prince Houjing. I have hoped to have the chance to find out how talented you are, but haven''t had the chance to due to your poor health conditions. Hope we can have more chats in the future. Just you and me."


    Xia Houjing raised his brow, "Prince Jing, you give me too much praise. I''ve just arrived here and still have trouble with the local conditions. But over the past few days of being here, I''ve adjusted myself, and I am feeling much better. I heard there would be an annual flower show banquet at the Imperial City soon. I am quite interested and will be there. We can meet then if you wish, or if Your Highness prefers, you can find me at the inn where I live. It''s not far from here."

 Chapter 156 Returning To The Palace; The Encounter With Prince Houjing (Part Two)

    Prince Jing nodded, and then slowly closed his eyes again.


    Xia Houjing didn''t say anything more. He bowed to the two in the carriage, and left.


    After Prince Houjing left, the coachman closed the door, and Prince Jing let Qian Hua out. Prince Jing was frowning, as if he was worried about something. After a while, he said in a low voice, "Just now the Prince raised doubts about us."


    Yun Shang nodded, but didn''t say anything. She warned herself, ''Xia Houjing is someone I must guard against and keep an eye on.''


    Qian Hua tugged on Yun Shang''s sleeve while she was lost in thought to tell her, "My lady, that is the woman that I saw."


    Yun Shang looked to the direction Qian Hua was pointing. She saw a woman in green walking out of the Yuman Tower. The woman looked tall, and was wearing light make-up. She was a beautiful woman.


    But just as what Qian Hua had decribed, the lady gave Yun Shang a weird feeling. The way she walked and the look on her face seemed strange. She behaved as though she was hiding something.


    Yun Shang squinted, observing the woman for a long time. Suddenly it struck her, "That is not a woman at all!"


    "What?" Qian Hua hesitated, then asked, "My lady, I don''t understand."


    Prince Jing understood what Yun Shang meant. He looked at the woman for a short while, then he turned to Yun Shang, "That''s a man in women''s clothes and make-up."


    Yun Shang nodded in agreement. That woman was a man. The man appeared good-looking, so even though he was taller than the average lady, he was able to pull it off. Maybe he was afraid to be found out, so he imitated women''s behavior, but he was too cautious over each move as he walked. Even how he looked at others seemed like it had been practiced a thousand times.


    The man was overdoing the acting, and did not come off as a natural woman. Perhaps that was how Yun Shang recognized he was disguised.


    "Why did he disguise himself as a woman to meet secretly with Prince Houjing?" Qian Hua frowned, confused again.


    Yun Shang considered why he might have, "Maybe, he wanted to conceal his identity, because he is well known. So he disguised himself as a woman to avoid attention and trouble."


    Qian Hua understood and nodded. "If he is really someone well known, then it''ll be easy for us to find out who he is. My lady, you don''t need to worry about him. I will let you know his identity within two days."


    Yun Shang said slowly, "Thank you."


    Qian Hua left the carriage after that. Yun Shang lifted her head looking at Prince Jing. "We''ve had the Osmanthus cake, we can go back to the Palace now."


    Prince Jing agreed, ordering the coachman to resume to their original destination. Yun Shang noticed that Prince Jing seemed tired, so she lowered her head and kept silent.


    When they arrived at the Palace gate, Prince Jing helped Yun Shang dismount the carriage. He said, "Let''s go see His Majesty together. You''ve been lost for some time. He must be worried."


    Yun Shang kept her head low as they w


    by both of us."


    Yun Shang nodded, and headed to Qingxin Palace.


    When she arrived at Qingxin Palace, she was greeted with joy by Qin Yi and Qian Yin. They apologized, blaming themselves for what had happened, "Your Highness, this was our fault, we failed to protect you. We didn''t do our job well. Please punish us......"


    Yun Shang was surprised and looked at her maids, "I was staying at Prince Jing''s mansion for two days to help him manage business regarding the upcoming birthday banquet. What are you sorry for?"


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin looked at each other, exchanging expressions of surprise, and opened their mouths to say something, but then closed them again.


    Yun Shang went and sat on the couch. She sat contemplating something and then looked up, asking Qin Yi and Qian Yin, "After I was abducted, I didn''t pay much attention. How did you get out? Is everything okay with you two?"


    The maids shook their heads. "Maybe they thought maids were no use. After you were taken away, they drugged and dumped us in a remote area. The secret guards saved us."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Glad that nothing happened to you."


    Qin Yi came close to Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, about the abduction that happened, we both feel it was done by a mole from Qingxin Palace, but we haven''t discovered who. During the past two days, Qian Yin and I have checked every servant''s background and their serving history. When she was sent here, Qian Yin changed most of the servants out with our people. To avoid notice, she kept a few of the elderly maids. When I was checking on them, I found something strange about them. I didn''t notice before, but now I am having second thoughts about them. I think they are somehow suspicious."


    "Really? How are they suspicious?" Yun Shang asked as she looked up.


    Qin Yi thought for a while and responded, "Among the elderly maids, two of them have served a lady who passed away. And that lady is Lady Geng. She is the elder sister of the Grand Councilor Li......"

 Chapter 157 The Disappeared Madams (Part One)

    Yun Shang was surprised. Lady Geng? The name sounded unfamiliar to her. Who was she?


    Qin Yi noticed Yun Shang''s confusion. She hurriedly explained, "Your Highness didn''t know her. Lady Geng was the late Emperor''s Lady. She died a long time ago. She was Lady Ming''s sister, taken by the late Emperor as a concubine when he was the Crown Prince. But after their marriage, she failed to bear his child. Then the Li Clan presented Lady Ming to the late Emperor. Later, Lady Ming became pregnant. When she was merely 25 years old, Lady Geng suddenly fell ill, and died. Her death devastated the pregnant Lady Ming, who then miscarried due to grief. At the time, many praised their strong bond of sisterhood."


    Yun Shang sneered, "Sisterhood? Once the Emperor took them both, they were no longer sisters." Lying on her bed, Yun Shang started to think over the anecdotes. She wondered what had happened between Lady Ming and her sister, but all entanglements had been buried. Regardless, someone had planted Lady Geng''s confidants in her palace. Perhaps this person thought Yun Shang knew nothing about Lady Ming and Lady Geng''s grudge, and wouldn''t find out his or her plot.


    After a long while, Yun Shang glanced at Qin Yi, and said, "What do the two madams do?"


    Lowering her eyes, Qin Yi answered, "They are settled in the side hall. As they''re both aged now, and versed in the etiquettes of the Palace, they''re not in charge of laborious work. Instead, they teach the newly recruited maids."


    "I see." Yun Shang blinked. That was a good position. It would be easy for the madams to cultivate their networks.


    "Your Highness, how do you want to deal with them?" Qin Yi asked. She felt guilty as she had been negligent about the personnel change in Qingxin Palace. It was h


    o Qin Yi. As she had guessed, seemingly, Li Fuyi was accompanying Lady Ming, but she didn''t lose the Emperor''s favor. Emperor Ning had only visited his ladies five times in the past month, and Li Fuyi was one of the lucky five.


    Yun Shang thought for a while. She chose a plain dress, and asked Qin Yi to help her change. Then she headed towards Changchun Palace.


    When Yun Shang arrived, she spotted Fuyi in Changchun Palace. She was absorbed in transcribing Buddhist texts. Fuyi''s dress was simple but elegant, and her hair was tied on the top of her head with a plain silver hairpin.


    Lady Ming sat beside her. Her eyes were closed, as if she was dozing. And the hall smelt of sandalwood, the incense of Buddhism.


    "Your Highness, Princess Hui Guo has arrived." Madam Yu noticed Yun Shang. She quietly reported to Lady Ming.


    Upon hearing that, Lady Ming opened her eyes, and glanced at Yun Shang. Yun Shang flashed her a smile, curtsied, and said, "The weather is getting warmer now. I tend to be lazy on hot days. Just now, I had a little plum syrup, and thought Your Highness might like its taste, and I haven''t visited you recently, so I decided to bring some to you."

 Chapter 158 The Disappeared Madams (Part Two)

    Yun Shang turned and took the offerings from Qin Yi''s hand. Madam Yu hurriedly took it, and handed the syrup to Lady Ming.


    Lady Ming glanced at the bowl, and waved it away. Yun Shang smiled. She turned to Lady Fu, "I didn''t think I would meet you in Changchun Palace, Lady Fu. Are you transcribing Buddhist texts?"


    Lady Fu flashed a smile. She put the brush aside and turned to Yun Shang, "Yes, I am. I have very little interest in boisterous circumstances. Fortunately, Her Highness pities me, and shelters me in her palace."


    Hearing these words, Yun Shang returned the smile. She wanted to ask about the Empress''s physical conditions, but before she could say anything, Lady Ming cut in, "It''s been said that you stayed overnight in Prince Jing''s mansion during his birthday party."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised. She nodded to Lady Ming.


    "Indeed, you''re engaged to the Prince now, but you''re still unmarried. You should pay attention to your reputation. I wish you would meet Prince Jing less in the future." Said Lady Ming primly, almost like a strict elder.


    Yun Shang hurriedly curtsied to her, "I will, Your Highness."


    "What has brought you here? Just bringing the plum syrup to me?" Lady Ming shot a cold and piercing gaze at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang thought for a while before she answered, "I have something to report, Your Highness. It''s a small matter, and I''m not sure whether I should bother you with it. But Your Highness is in charge of the Palace, and should be informed of everything that happens here. When I went back to my palace yesterday, I was informed that two mad


    ferings. They muttered something that sounded like they didn''t intend to harm Her Highness, and wished Her Highness would not haunt them... Then the maids saw a wisp of mist flutter and swing. It slowly grew and changed into a figure... along with flickering green lights..."


    Lady Ming turned pale at her words. Her lips trembled, and she couldn''t manage to speak. Yun Shang sneered to herself, but pretended to be frightened. She spoke, "The maids ran back to Qingxin Palace, terrified. And the two madams never appeared again."


    Frowning, Yun Shang added, "In the Palace, the servants are not allowed to worship the dead. This is a rule that the two madams failed to abide by. It''s all my fault, so I didn''t dare to report my neglect. The other day, when the maids reported that the two madams had disappeared, I sent people to search the Bamboo grove. They found all the things the maids had reported seeing. They also saw that the ashes were stained with blood...I felt all this very scary and strange, so I decided to report the whole matter to you, Your Highness..."

 Chapter 159 The Haunted Changchun Palace

    "It''s ridiculous. There are no ghosts in this world. It''s nonsense. I will order an investigation into the whereabouts of the two madams. Don''t worry." Lady Ming frowned and said coldly.


    Yun Shang nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Lady Ming gazed at Yun Shang and said, "Shang''er, you will get married soon. As you just said, the servants in your palace are too young. It occurs to me that there has been no madam to enlighten you because you left the Imperial City early. However, now that you live here and will be married soon, you need a madam as your tutor. Other than Madam Yu, I also have Madam Li and Madam Xu working for me. Both of them are capable. You can take them back to your palace. They will teach you what to do as Prince Jing''s wife."


    Yun Shang sneered and thought, ''What a dirty trick. Now Lady Ming wants to plant her trusted subordinates in my palace. And she finds such a high-sounding excuse that I can hardly refuse her.''


    "Your Highness, it''s very thoughtful of you. But you have only three madams. If I take away two, I am afraid that you won''t have enough help. You run the imperial household now, so you must need a lot of help." Yun Shang smiled and stared at Lady Ming steely-eyed.


    She was definitely not a coward.


    "Moreover, before my mother went to Laifeng Palace, she once talked with His Majesty about this. His Majesty said that after my mother gives birth, he would ask Madam Yan and Madam Zheng to teach me. Madam Yan used to be His Majesty''s wet nurse, and my mother trusts Madam Zheng. Surely, the madams that you trust are equally outstanding. It''s difficult for me to make a choice. Well, I will just have to refuse His Majesty''s offer and tell him that you have made arrangements for me." Yun Shang frowned and pretended to be worried.


    Lady Ming frowned in resentment. She didn''t know that Emperor Ning had already arranged all this.


    "Madam Yan? If I remember correctly, she left the Imperial


    fter Li Fuyi stepped out of Qingxin Palace, the look on Yun Shang''s face hardened. She smiled faintly, "Lady Ming has already come around, right?"


    Qian Yin replied in a low voice, "Yes."


    Yun Shang sneered and said coldly, "Since she has come around, give her a blow tonight. Ask Ning Qian to inquire about how Lady Geng died."


    Qian Yin nodded and left.


    That night, all the people in Changchun Palace were thrown into a panic. It was said that many servants saw a white figure standing outside the window of Lady Ming''s sleeping chamber. The figure said, "You are powerful now, but I feel very lonely in hell."


    Then, the window of the sleeping chamber was blown open by the wind. After the servants calmed down, they found a sachet beside Lady Ming''s pillow. It contained a lock of hair.


    At the sight of the sachet, Lady Ming trembled with fear. After she took out the hair, she twitched and frothed at the mouth before passing out.


    While listening to the report by Qian Yin, Yun Shang reached for a nut and smiled. "How smart Lady Ming was. The sachet was originally a token of love between His Majesty and Lady Geng. When the two got married, His Majesty cut his hair and sent it to Lady Geng as a token. Lady Geng always carried it with her. It seems that Lady Ming tampered with it."

 Chapter 160 The Return Of The Empress (Part One)

    Qian Yin said as she trembled, "The women in the Imperial Palace are so terrible. They were siblings. But the rivalry between them was so harsh that they even plotted against each other."


    Yun Shang grinned at Qian Yin''s words. However, she could not help but feel a little depressed. "Maybe life is too lonely in the Palace. The ladies cannot find better ways to entertain themselves than rivaling with each other."


    Lady Ming woke up in a couple of days. But she had been paralyzed by a stroke. Lady Ming, who had been beautiful and dignified, had lost the ability to speak as her mouth and tongue were deformed.


    Since Lady Ming was seriously sick, no one was in charge of the imperial household. In the imperial household, only ladies with a high ranking could be entrusted with the responsibility of running the imperial household. As the Empress had shut herself in her Palace, Lady Jin was the only other person qualified to assume the duty. However, it was impossible for Lady Jin to take this responsibility now, as she was staying in Laifeng City due to her pregnancy. She would not return to the Imperial City before the delivery.


    "Your Highness, don''t you think it was too early to set Lady Ming up? What should we do now? Since Lady Jin is far away from the Imperial City, I''m afraid His Majesty would ask the Empress to run the imperial household again. The Empress would be happy if that happens." Qian Yin had no patience to hold back anything that crossed her mind. She had spotted the undercurrents of the seemingly peaceful life in the Imperial Palace. "I saw many ladies going to Qiwu Palace to pay the Empress a visit."


    But Yun Shang still retained a calm smile. She said while staring at the eight-facet glazed lamp at the far end, "Of course, she needs to run the imperial household again. If she keeps herself isolated in Qiwu Palace, how can I plot against her?"


    Qian Yin grew agitated while thinking of the return of the Empress. Qian Yin was very straightforward. Though she was more patient after the training by Ning Qian, she was, after all, still a child.


    "I want to kill her, " muttered Qian Yin. Yun Shang raised her brows a little when she he


    ughter suffer. The Flower Show Banquet will be held in a couple of days. Then, I will plead with His Majesty to allow sister to attend the banquet. Sister is physically impaired. It will do her good if she can take a walk outside."


    The Empress was surprised at Yun Shang''s words. She looked into Yun Shang''s eyes and tried to read any subtexts behind those words. But Yun Shang smiled calmly. Her smile was so innocent and her gaze so earnest that no one could doubt that she really meant what she had said. After a long silence the Empress said, "That would be nice of you. Thank you."


    "Your Majesty, you are so polite. Gratitude is unnecessary. Hua Jing is my sister after all."


    After talking with the Empress for a while, Yun Shang left Qiwu Palace.


    "Your Highness, I noticed there were several strangers in the Empress''s Palace. Two of them seemed to be good at Kung Fu..." Qian Yin said gently.


    Yun Shang was clear what Qian Yin meant. Yun Shang paused and said softly, "We have eliminated the people whom the Empress trusted the most. As the Empress, she will have some new trustful subordinates. But she would not have enough time to take precautions as we took actions so quickly. So, those strangers must be the people recently sent by the Li Clan to work for the Empress. You know, it usually takes several years to train a loyal subordinate. So don''t worry about the strangers. Just keep an eye on them."


    Qian Yin nodded in response.

 Chapter 161 The Return Of The Empress (Part Two)

    But at Qiwu Palace, the Empress felt puzzled at Yun Shang''s behavior. She rubbed her forehead and let out a sigh. Yun Shang seemed to have grown more calm and she seemed to have a more elusive mind. Sometimes, it was difficult for her to guess Yun Shang''s true intentions.


    "Your Majesty, please take the medicine." An old maid entered with a bowl of medicine in her hand. The Empress stared at the bowl for a while. A bitter smile emerged on her lips. "Take it away. I don''t want to drink it. What is the use of taking it..."


    The old maid frowned and said hesitantly, "Your Majesty, this is the medicine prescribed by the physician sent by the Grand Councilor. It is said that it is very effective. Your Majesty, please listen to me. His Majesty''s love is all but vanity. New ladies come into the Imperial Palace each year. His Majesty''s love is the last thing in the world that you can rely on. It is your own child that will be your firm support..."


    "Child..." the Empress murmured to herself. After a while, she burst into a fit of laughter. But tears ran down her face. "What''s the use of having a child? Jing''er is my daughter. But I cannot protect her."


    The old maid intended to interrupt the Empress when she heard the Empress speak so. But the Empress seemed so grieved that the old maid checked herself and only sighed, "Your Majesty, you are so young. You have a long way to go..."


    The Empress smiled and took the bowl. She downed it in one gulp. Then she said, "Yes. I''m still young. The one who laughs last, laughs best. Let''s wait and see who is the winner in the end."


    The Empress seemed to have no intention of running the imperial household again, though she had begun to meet with the ladies in the imperial household. Yun Shang looked at the beautiful flowers in the garden, and said with a smile, "The Empress was forced to hand over her seal in a humiliating way. If His Majesty doesn''t plead with her in person to take the responsibility, how will it be possible for her to regain her dignity as the Empress?"


    Two days later, Yun Shang heard that Grand Councilor Li had come to the Palace and had spent a long time with Emperor Ning in Qinzheng H


    t because I want to protect those that I love and care. I want them to live in peace. As for the future, I will face problems when they come. I have always thought that the Imperial Palace is not a place suitable for women like my mother."


    Prince Jing felt touched by Yun Shang''s words. While staring at Yun Shang, he suppressed the impulse to ask her if she was one of the women she spoke so passionately about. ''Do you have such a wish as well? Will you leave me if I cannot make you such a promise?''


    However, he dared not ask Yun Shang though those questions kept looping in his mind. He could not give her that promise. As she said, no one knows what would happen in the future.


    "It''s here." Prince Jing uttered gently before raising the door curtain of the carriage. He stepped down first. Then he stretched his hands and helped Yun Shang to climb down from the carriage.


    "Oh my! It''s you, Prince Jing. I have prepared a nice compartment for you. Please, follow me upstairs." The shopkeeper, who was busy receiving customers, noticed the Prince as soon as he set foot in the restaurant. He scurried toward the Prince to welcome him with due respect.


    Prince Jing nodded at him, and then led Yun Shang upstairs. Their compartment was the best one on the second floor. From the window, the famous Moon Bay could be seen. As this was prime time for willow trees along the river, the scent of willow could be smelled when there was a breeze.

 Chapter 162 The Return Of The Empress (Part Three)

    Prince Jing asked Yun Shang to order some dishes, and then he added a few more. Wang Shunlai took the teacup that the Prince always carried with him, and went downstairs to make tea. A while later, Wang Shunlai returned. After putting the teacup on the table, Wang Shunlai whispered to the Prince, "Your Highness, I saw Xia Houjing of the State of Xia just now. It seems he is entertaining guests here. Some people at the banquet looked familiar. I once saw pictures of the Xia officers. One of them must be Lord Hua Guo of Xia."


    Prince Jing raised his brows a little, "Oh?"


    Yun Shang learned some information about the officers from the State of Xia, and knew something about Lord Hua Guo, too. He was quite influential in the court of Xia as many of his ancestors had been generals in the history of Xia. The Hua family had made tremendous contributions to Xia. Lord Hua Guo had a daughter, Hua Yi, the late Empress of the State of Xia. About two decades ago, the State of Xia was at war with the State of Yelang. The Emperor of Xia led the army to the battlefield in person, and brought the Empress with him as well. However, the Xia army was ambushed by Yelang soldiers, and the pregnant Empress was forced to jump from a cliff. Only a bloody head reminded when the Emperor of Xia found her, and there were many animal bite marks on her head.


    The Emperor of Xia was so grieved that his hair turned white overnight. Lord Hua Guo also suffered after news of his daughter''s death. He became ill. Although his illness was not so serious as to threaten his life, he could no longer lead an army and fight on the battlefield again. Although the younger generals from the Hua clan were also good fighters, they were not as good as Lord Hua Guo. Without the support of Lord Hua Guo, the Hua family gradually lost its glory as a military clan.


    But... Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Prince Jing and saw a trace of confusion in his eyes. The Prince must also feel puzzled about Lord Hua Guo''s


    ror Ning''s approval for this marriage."


    Prince Jing raised his brows a little when he heard Lord Hua Guo''s explanation. He said with a smile, "It is said that the Crown Prince of Xia is a noble, handsome young man. It would be lucky for a girl to marry your Crown Prince." Prince Jing''s smile was so superficial that a trace of contempt could be seen in his eyes.


    Lord Hua Guo nodded and grinned at the Prince, "I didn''t inform Emperor Ning of my arrival. I should have paid Emperor Ning a visit as soon as I arrived at the Imperial City. But I am old and quite weak. It took us half a month from Xia to here. I am very tired from the long journey. Prince Jing, please extend my apology to Emperor Ning for me. And please tell Emperor Ning that I will pay a formal visit to him in a couple of days."


    Prince Jing uttered a "yes" in response. Then Xia Houjing and Lord Hua Guo left. Prince Jing and Yun Shang waited until Xia Houjing and Lord Hua Guo disappeared from view. Then they went downstairs, and mounted the carriage.


    "Lord Hua Guo wouldn''t come here for a trivial matter such as the marriage of their Crown Prince. He must come here for something more important." Prince Jing murmured with a frown.


    Yun Shang nodded and sighed, "What an interesting place the Imperial City is with so many interesting people..."

 Chapter 163 Flower Show Guide (Part One)

    "My mother is annoying. Somebody will surely marry me one day. If I can''t find a husband, she still doesn''t need to worry right now. Those men she recommends are sons from rich and powerful families. They are so weak that they wouldn''t be able to stand a breeze. I''ve had enough." Wang Jinyan moaned before adding, "Do you know my mother''s three favorites? They are Ning Ye from Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion, Li Zhiyan from Li Mansion, and Liu Qiyan, the Zhuangyuan."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled at Wang Jinyan before she said, "They are good choices. Ning Ye and Li Zhiyan are pampered sons of wealthy families and they share one common point. They are sons born of the first and legal wife, although they aren''t the oldest sons. It can be seen that Lady Wang cares about you very much. If you marry one of them, you will live comfortably. Sons born of the first and legal wife are much better off than the others. Most importantly, you don''t need to manage domestic affairs, which is lucky for you. As for Liu Qiyan, the Zhuangyuan, his sister is Lady Ya who is loved by the Emperor. Thus, he has a bright future awaiting him. Besides, he''s an orphan. If you marry him, you don''t need to look after your parents-in-law, which will certainly reduce your burdens."


    The corners of Wang Jinyan''s mouth twisted. Lying on the chaise lounge, she sighed heavily, "I know my mother is doing all this for me. However, I don''t like them. For example, Ning Ye has too many female confidants, and is now entangled with the most beautiful woman, Qian Qian. Everybody knows that Li Zhiyan looks down upon military officers, which makes him as stupid as Grand Councilor Li. I don''t like him. As for Liu Qiyan. I have never met him. If he is the Zhuangyuan, a pedant he must be."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling. These three men were the most eligible bachelors in the Imperial City. However, Wang Jinyan belittled them as if they were insignificant.


    Wang Jinyan paused for a moment and continu


    cked wisdom. He was big and tall, but had no insight.


    Compared with Xia Houjing, they had immeasurably vast differences.


    The primary selection for the Flower Show Festival had been done, and it was time for the Flower Show Banquet. Yun Shang pleaded with Emperor Ning with the hope of lifting the ban on Hua Jing, thus allowing her to walk around. Although Emperor Ning had his doubts, he didn''t refuse Yun Shang. Perhaps the Emperor knew that without Hua Jing, Yun Shang''s scheme wouldn''t succeed. Envoys from the State of Xia and the State of Yelang had come to the State of Ning to discuss marriage. However, although the two Princesses in the State of Ning were unmarried and old enough, those envoys didn''t dare to covet Prince Jing''s fiancee. Thus, Princess Hua Jing was their only choice. She had been married before and had been involved in a scandal not long ago. But it didn''t matter. She was still the oldest daughter of the Empress. Besides, her grandfather was regarded as the head of officials of all ranks and descriptions.


    The ban upon Hua Jing was lifted three days before the opening of the Flower Show Banquet. Although it was declared that she had recovered her health, the scandal on the day of the hunting competition was well known. Outsiders understood this matter and chose not to say so in public.

 Chapter 164 Flower Show Guide (Part Two)

    The next day when Yun Shang went to see the Empress to pay her respects, she saw Princess Hua Jing. Hua Jing had changed a lot. Perhaps the scandal was quite a shock to her. She had lost weight and seemed to be more pitiable. She stood beside the Empress and looked scared. Hua Jing also spoke in a lower voice as though she would cry at any time. She even greeted Yun Shang politely and called her sister.


    Yun Shang saw this and raised her eyebrows. She stepped forward, grabbed Hua Jing''s hands and sighed before saying to her, "You have lost some weight due to your illness. You''ve suffered so much. Did your servants at the Princess Palace fail at taking good care of you? I feel sorry for you. Can you move in the Imperial Palace so as to recuperate? The Empress has been missing you. She also looks a bit emaciated. After you move in, you can accompany the Empress and talk to her."


    Hearing those words, the Empress nodded and said, "Shang''er is right. I will plead with the Emperor and ask him to allow Hua Jing to stay at the Palace for a couple of days."


    At that moment, the voice of Emperor Ning was heard. "I have heard your request. Such being the case, Hua Jing can live at the Palace. The Flower Show Banquet is nearing. Hua Jing hasn''t attended such a party in a long time. However, she must be taught the proper rules and etiquette."


    All people hurried to greet the Emperor as per formal etiquette.


    Hua Jing heard the Emperor''s words and hatred flashed in her eyes. After a moment, she gritted her teeth and curtsied to her father, "Thank you, father. I will not disobey you and make mistakes again. I will study hard."


    Yun Shang saw the hatred in Hua Jing''s eye and she actually felt relieved. She had thought Hua Jing might behave herself after the scandal. However, she just pretended to be good and kind, which was fine with Yun Shang.


    Emperor Ning took


    cribed every day. Although I still feel weak, I don''t have other symptoms of my old illness. Besides, I haven''t visited Wu Na at Ning''guo Temple in a long time. But I will never forget his kindness and love toward me. After the Flower Show Banquet ends, I will visit him and live at the temporary imperial palace in Laifeng for a while. My mother is almost ready to give birth, and I want to be the first lucky person to see my little brother or sister."


    Hearing these words, Emperor Ning seemed to miss Lady Jin, and his concern was obvious when he spoke. "Master Wu Na has always treated you nicely and kindly. You really know what gratefulness is. I''m relieved to see that. However, you won''t be the first one to meet your little sister or brother. I won''t allow it. After these envoys are gone, I will rush to the temporary imperial palace and be the first to see your mother and my child."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing at the childishness in Emperor Ning''s words. When her glance fell over the people present, she saw the false smile of the Empress who seemed angry and listless. Hua Jing had lowered her head and clenched her fists. As for other ladies, some were indifferent, while others were obviously jealous. They had all kinds of expressions.

 Chapter 165 Flower Show Guide (Part Three)

    Yun Shang requested leave from the Emperor and the Empress, and returned to Qingxin Palace with Qian Yin. As soon as Qian Yin entered the Hall, she told everything that had happened at Qiwu Palace to Qin Yi. She gloated, "Qin Yi, you should have seen the expression of the Empress and Hua Jing. It was so exciting. However, I think Hua Jing looked more quiet and not as stupid as she was before."


    Yun Shang smiled at the fact that Hua Jing was not a fool. Actually, she was cunning enough to prepare schemes in advance. However, Hua Jing had been spoiled since her childhood. She may be smart, but she never knew how to exercise patience.


    If she learned how to restrain herself, she would certainly be a good opponent. An opponent that Yun Shang wouldn''t be able to ignore so easily. What a pity that she was too conceited to learn that.


    Qin Yi felt uneasy about Yun Shang making fun of the Emperor. She said with hesitation, "Your Highness, will Lady Ya be angry at you?"


    Yun Shang smiled faintly and shook her head, "I have trained Lady Ya for a long time. So, she won''t feel anger at such a trivial matter. On the contrary, this can help her. I saw the Empress wanted to draw Lady Ya over to her side, but felt she couldn''t be fully trusted. If I fool with Lady Ya either by accident or on purpose, the Empress will trust her more."


    The two maids listened and agreed with a nod, before dropping the topic. Then, Qin Yi whispered, "Your Highness, a short while ago a message was delivered from the master. She warns that you should take proper precautions against the Li Clan. Since those envoys are staying in the Imperial City now, she is worried that people from the Li Clan might p


    nquet before and have little knowledge of it. So, I ask for Grand Councilor Li''s advice."


    Grand Councilor Li saw that both Yun Shang and Prince Jing didn''t raise any objection and replied in haste, "It''s my duty to help you."


    Soon afterwards, Grand Councilor Li proposed that Yun Shang and Prince Jing accompany him to the banquet''s venue to familiarize them and introduce matters that required special attention.


    Yun Shang agreed and took leave with the excuse of getting changed. Then, the Emperor allowed Prince Jing to escort Yun Shang back to Qingxin Palace.


    "It''s obvious that a plot is awaiting us. But I don''t know what it is." Yun Shang sneered with an air of contempt.


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang. However, he didn''t care about the plot and said to Yun Shang, "I heard Master Wu Na congratulated you on your destined marriage."


    Yun Shang was puzzled and had no idea why their conversation had been changed to such a topic. Then, she heard Prince Jing laughing softly and gently before he added, "I''m pleased to be received and approved by Master Wu Na."


    Yun Shang blushed scarlet and said, "I and¡­"

 Chapter 166 The Withered Flower (Part One)

    After being interrupted by Prince Jing, Yun Shang thought for a long time about what she was about to say, but she failed. With a sigh, she decided not to speak to Prince Jing again, but heard him say, "Your grandfather wrote me that he would come to the Imperial City tomorrow."


    Yun Shang was surprised at the news and hastily asked, "Really? My mother is going to give birth soon. Why is my grandfather coming to the Imperial City at this time?"


    "What?" The corners of Prince Jing''s mouth turned up. "Mr. Xiao is coming to the Imperial City? Why don''t I know?"


    "..." Seeing the slyness in Prince Jing''s eyes, Yun Shang gnashed her teeth in silence. ''You fooled me.'' A flash of helplessness crossed her face. It never occurred to her that the fearsome, chilly, and revered war hero could be so mischievous. She, though fooled by him, had a sweet and sour feeling. ''He seems to be doing this only to me.'' Yun Shang thought.


    But the moment this thought arose, she suppressed it. ''How can I think about that when there are so many worries these days?'' She warned herself.


    Yun Shang kept her head down and walked silently. Upon arriving at Qingxin Palace, she went into the inner Hall without entertaining Prince Jing. Qin Yi immediately helped Yun Shang change into a light yellow dress. Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Yun Shang frowned, and asked, "Isn''t this color for little girls?"


    Qin Yi looked at her with a smile. "Your Highness, aren''t you a fifteen year old girl?"


    Yun Shang was speechless and embarrassment flitted across her face. With memories of her previous life, she had always thought she was no longer that young, and had forgotten that she was only fifteen now.


    As Yun Shang stepped out, Prince Jing looked at her with appreciation. A flush spread across her face. She was somewhat regretful for not insisting on changing the dress.


    Prince Jing seemed aware of Yun Shang''s embarrassment. He rose to his feet with a smile and said to her, "Let''s go. There''s probably a lot going on today."


    Yun Shang nodded and followed Prince Jing with her head bowed. At this point, Prince Jing spoke, with his usual cool tone, "I''ve sent someone to check the venue for the Flower Show Banquet. If there is anything strange, we can make preparations."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was a little calmer. She nodded and said, "Li Jingyan definitely has an ulterior motive. He knows we are on guard. If anything happens to us at the Flower Show Banquet, he will be the primary suspect. After all, everyone knows you''re not on good terms with him. Then why would he take such a risk?"


    Prince Jing thought about it for a while before he answered coldly, "Mayb


    hamber, he saw Lord Hua Guo standing with his back to the door, as if looking at something. He was staring at a picture of a hundred horses. Prince Jing had drawn it when he was free. The chamberlain had said that it looked good as it matched his identity as a revered war hero before hanging it in the antechamber.


    Lord Hua Guo seemed to hear footsteps and turned round. Seeing his face, Prince Jing was shocked, ''Why is there a hint of emotion in Lord Hua Guo''s eyes?''


    However, in the blink of an eye, Prince Jing found that he had hidden his emotions. He looked at Prince Jing with a smile and greeted, "You''re back, Your Highness."


    Prince Jing gave him a nod before sitting. "I didn''t know you would visit, Lord Hua Guo. Please forgive me. I''m afraid I have been a poor host, " Prince Jing said to him.


    Lord Hua Guo shook his head and replied, "It''s all because I didn''t tell you in advance. I didn''t expect that you wouldn''t be home."


    "Is there anything important that you wanted to see me about?" Prince Jing turned his head towards Lord Hua Guo, who was already seated.


    Lord Hua Guo''s eyes fell on Prince Jing and mixed emotions reflected in them for a few minutes before he smiled and answered, "No, there isn''t. My son is disappointing and has been repeatedly defeated by you, and he told me about your tactics, which I admire. When I was young, I loved fighting as well, but now I''m too sick to go to war. It upsets me terribly. You are so young but so forceful that I developed the idea of cherishing talents, so I came to visit you on purpose."


    Prince Jing didn''t quite believe him. However heroic he may be, he was once an enemy of the State of Xia. It was possible that they appreciated each other, but his special visit for this reason was somewhat artificial.

 Chapter 167 The Withered Flower (Part Two)

    Lord Hua Guo smiled as if he knew what Prince Jing was thinking. He said, "I come here today for no other purpose than to find someone to drink with. You know, the seventh Prince is not well, and I dare not invite him to drink, so I come to you."


    Prince Jing smiled at his words and said, "Obedience is better than politeness. My mansion is desolate, but very quiet. Let''s drink here." Then Prince Jing turned to a servant and said, "Prepare the wine, and take it to the pavilion by the lake."


    When Prince Jing took Lord Hua Guo to the pavilion, the wine was ready and there were a few food dishes as well. Lord Hua Guo smiled and poured a bowl of wine without saying a word. Then he toasted to Prince Jing. Prince Jing took his bowl of wine and they drained their bowls.


    Lord Hua Guo did not speak anymore about the war, not even about the State of Xia and the State of Ning. Instead, he asked Prince Jing some questions as if they were in a casual conversation. He asked, "I heard that you are the sworn son of the former Emperor. Then where is your hometown, Your Highness?" He also inquired, "Your Highness, you are now in a high status. Have you ever looked for your parents?"


    Prince Jing answered his questions one by one. "I don''t know where my real hometown is. I grew up in the southern city of Jingning, but it wasn''t necessarily my hometown, because it wasn''t my biological parents who brought me up. Later, Jingning was flooded, and my sworn parents died. I was adopted by the former Emperor who came to aid the disaster relief in Jingning." As for the investigation into the identity of his biological parents... Prince Jing shook his head. He never thought of looking for his biological parents because he never cared about them.


    Lord Hua Guo sighed, "Heroes don''t care about their family background." After that, Lord Hua Guo did not ask more. He only spoke with Prince Jing about the conditions and customs of the State of Xia. They were congenial.


    The next morning, Yun Shang took the official dress to Prince Jing''s Mansion. Prince Jing felt the dress and found that the fabric was still the same, but it seemed a little different. Though he knew Yun Shang must have done something to it, he trusted her and put on the dress without any questions.


    Official dresses were always grand. Their official dress was scarlet in color and looked very festive. Added to that the hair ornament of their respective grades, and their radiance caught everyone''s attention.


    When they ar


    mouth, and blew on her hands. When she opened her hands again, each stone seemed to open a crack, and green leaves grew. The audiences were startled, and before they could react, they saw the leaves grow quickly and sprout new shoots. As the plant grew to about a foot high, a flower bud suddenly appeared at the top of the green shoot. It grew slowly, revealing a touch of red as it slowly blossomed.


    Looking at the audience who seemed amazed, Yun Shang sneered in her heart. ''It turns out that Grand Councilor Li is the one who has colluded with Ruyu.


    Why didn''t he ask his daughters to do that instead of Ruyu? Now, even the daughter of the Wen Clan has stepped in.''


    The red flowers were finally in full bloom. The flowers seemed to be good ones, however, they were not the best ones. The process of their blooming was so amazing that everyone was curious about them. "For the first time, I have seen such wonderful flowers. Your country is indeed vast in territory and rich in natural resources."


    Xia Houjing praised, "Your Majesty, may I see the flowers? I wonder what''s going on with them?"


    As if satisfied with his admiration, Emperor Ning laughed, nodded in agreement, and ordered, "Bring them down."


    The Flower Show Banquet stipulated that the person who presented the flowers could not leave the platform, so the task of bringing the flowers naturally fell to Yun Shang and Prince Jing. The two looked at each other and walked to Ruyu with a smile. They each took a flower and walked down the platform. But, after a few steps, the flower in Prince Jing''s hand suddenly drooped. Gradually, a yellow color spread, and an instant later, it withered...

 Chapter 168 An Incident In The Temporary Imperial Palace (Part One)

    Prince Jing turned to look at Yun Shang who was standing by his side, and found Yun Shang had fixed her eyes upon the withered flower in his hand. Yun Shang looked as if she had expected that. Prince Jing understood that Yun Shang must have known why the flower in his hand suddenly withered, so he did not panic at all. He lifted his eyes and found traces of complacency in the Grand Councilor''s eyes.


    Prince Jing frowned and threw the flower on the ground. He said with an astonishingly cold look, "Brother, it seems that I shouldn''t have touched the flower. The flower was too delicate. How could it be rated as the best flower in the Flower Show Festival? I think the best flower in our state should be enduring and stoical." After saying this, Prince Jing took the flower from Yun Shang. As soon as he held the flower, it also withered. Prince Jing swiveled around to look at Wen Ruyu and inquired, "Lady Wen, could you tell me why the two flowers withered when I held them? But when Shang''er held it, it was fine."


    The Grand Councilor frowned slightly. He didn''t expect that Prince Jing would take the flower which was held by Yun Shang. The Grand Councilor looked at Wen Ruyu who seemed shocked at Prince Jing''s cold face and said, "I think the flowers prefer beautiful ladies to men." While speaking, the Grand Councilor walked up to Prince Jing and picked up the flower on the ground. He said, "What a pity! Such a wonderful flower is rare to see."


    At the same time, the Grand Councilor noticed an odd smell radiating from Yun Shang and Prince Jing. So he fixed his eyes upon them.


    "Just now the flowers exhibited by Lady Wen were glamorous. Though the flowers withered, we can still give a fair judgement of their beauty. Later, a stage will be set here and


    rain. Finally, it rained. You brought good fortune to the masses."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and covered her mouth before saying, "I haven''t heard of such a legend. You see, I''m just an ordinary person and I have no advantages. Judging from your performances, I think you are all talented and outstanding."


    The ladies were elated at Yun Shang''s words. Many of them had participated to attract the Emperor''s attention. The Princess was the Emperor''s favorite daughter. If the Princess mentioned one of the ladies before the Emperor, the Emperor would offer great rewards.


    All the ladies knew that. Therefore, a lady hastened to inquire, "Your Highness, which performance did you like the most?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at Wen Ruyu with admiration, "Just now Lady Wen conjured two flowers. Her performance was refreshing. My father spoke highly of Lady Wen. He said that Lady Wen was more beautiful than the flowers."


    On hearing this, the other ladies turned to stare at Wen Ruyu with strong resentment. The flowers conjured by Wen Ruyu were rather ordinary. The highlight of her performance had been the conjuring. But the Emperor had praised her.

 Chapter 169 An Incident In The Temporary Imperial Palace (Part Two)

    Wen Ruyu noticed the jealousy on the other ladies'' faces. Wen Ruyu was arrogant so she cared nothing for the compliment given by Yun Shang. Moreover, she abhorred Yun Shang and she had made a plot to kill Yun Shang, but her elder sister had died because of the plot. So she smiled coldly and replied, "It''s just a small trick. I, on behalf of the Imperial City, gave the performance. So it''s natural that I did better than any other lady."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang felt joyful but she didn''t express her emotion. Yun Shang expected that Wen Ruyu would offend others once she opened her mouth.


    Yun Shang smiled slightly and said, "I can''t agree with you, Lady Wen. All these ladies are citizens of our state. They are all here on behalf of one part of our land. Why does it sound like you feel superior to them?"


    Wen Ruyu frowned and snorted, "Some people are superior to others even though they all live in the Imperial City. In a vast land such as our state, there must be a social hierarchy. Some people are rich and noble while others are poor and despicable. The housemaids are always inferior to their masters. Don''t you think so?"


    Other ladies'' admiration for Yun Shang grew after her statement. But Wen Ruyu infuriated them. One of the ladies said, "Lady Wen, you look like a lady from an eminent family. Has the Emperor conferred upon you an honorary title? Or are you a lady of high rank?"


    Upon hearing this, Wen Ruyu became annoyed and said, "I don''t think you know the law. According to the law, only concubines of the Emperor, relatives of the royal family, or ladies whose husbands have made great contributions to the state can be awarded with honorary titles. I am an unmarried girl. How could I ga


    ang nodded and ordered the imperial bodyguards to search for Prince Hua Jing.


    At the same time, Qian Yin entered the garden and smiled at Yun Shang.


    "Ah¡­" A scream came from the distance. All the people were shocked. Yun Shang said instantly, "All the bodyguards, move quickly. Find out what happened in the place from where the scream came. And some of you go to the front yard to protect the Emperor and other officers."


    The commander of the bodyguards nodded and retreated. Wen Ruyu said gently, "Your Highness, did something happen? Let''s go and see."


    Yun Shang said coldly, "None of you are allowed to leave the garden. Just stay here. You are all ladies. If there are assassins, you are of little help. Instead, you will distract the bodyguards. It''s the safest option for you to stay with me as I have shadow guards here."


    On hearing Yun Shang''s statement, the ladies nodded. They didn''t know what had happened but they knew that they were safe as long as they stayed with Yun Shang. Yun Shang was the Emperor''s beloved daughter and the fiancee of the famous Prince Jing. There must be lots of capable bodyguards around Yun Shang.

 Chapter 170 An Incident In The Temporary Imperial Palace (Part Three)

    Wen Ruyu didn''t expect that Yun Shang would object in such a forceful manner. Yun Shang looked a bit like Prince Jing when she got angry. Wen Ruyu was worried because she realized that she had underestimated Yun Shang.


    But if she couldn''t guide the ladies to the place where the scream came from, how could she play a trick on Yun Shang? Wen Ruyu was anxious. Just as she was about to say something, Sun Ya''niang said gently, "Your Highness, you are the noblest. We will follow your orders."


    Upon hearing what Sun Ya''niang said, Wen Ruyu didn''t want to talk anymore.


    As all the ladies were thinking about what happened outside, a cold voice said, "Shang''er, are you all right?"


    Yun Shang knew it was Prince Jing. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. ''Uncle is here now. Lady Wen''s plot to scheme against Uncle must have failed.'' Yun Shang felt relieved and said with a smile, "Uncle, I''m all right. All the ladies are here. The culprits should not attack us in the garden. So please, ask several bodyguards to guard the entrance of the garden lest some people get in."


    The bodyguards gave a quick response and retreated.


    Wen Ruyu was frightened. She didn''t realize that the one who was speaking was Prince Jing. When she heard Yun Shang called him uncle, she was shocked.


    How could Prince Jing be here now?


    Wen Ruyu started to act like a cat on hot bricks. ''Prince Jing had worn the robe prepared by the Grand Councilor. The flowers all withered when Prince Jing held them. It meant that the robe did work. But what happened just now? Why did Prince Jing appear here? Judging from Prince Jing''s voice, he hadn''t been hurt.


    But if Prince Jing didn''t get hurt, why was th


    the ladies and said with a smile, "Don''t be so nervous. The Emperor and Prince Jing will deal with the incident that happened outside. We are safe here. Idle speculation will make you more nervous. So let''s play some games to distract our attention. I can''t figure out any original games. How about each one of us says a line whose first character must be the last word of the line said by the former lady?


    All the ladies came from rich and powerful families so they were all well-educated. They had read lots of poems. So the game was acceptable to them. They followed Yun Shang''s advice and started to play the game.


    A while later, Qian Yin came in. All the ladies hurriedly turned to look at Qian Yin. Qian Yin curtsied to Yun Shang before she said, "Your Highness, I have inquired about the incident. I heard that Prince Qingsu got hurt. But I don''t know what happened exactly."


    "Prince Qingsu?" Yun Shang frowned and said, "This Palace is well guarded. How did Prince Qingsu get hurt?"


    Qian Yin paused for a while and said gently, "I heard that the incident is caused by a powerful man who is in the Palace now."

 Chapter 171 Who Is The Assassin (Part One)

    "Oh?" Yun Shang looked at Qian Yin. "Did the third Prince of the State of Yelang breed enmity with others?"


    Yun Shang glanced around and saw that everyone was buried in thought. They seemed to wonder who stabbed Cangjue Qingsu and why he was stabbed.


    Everyone remained silent in the yard before someone said from outside, "Shang''er, since the third Prince was stabbed and injured, everyone present is a suspect. Go meet His Majesty."


    All the girls became worried. They never thought that they would encounter such a terrible experience here. Yun Shang pacified them with a smile. "Don''t worry. We were all in the yard. No one had time to attempt an assassination on the third Prince. They will just ask you questions as a matter of routine."


    What Yun Shang said relieved them. They stood up, put on their veils, and followed Yun Shang out of the yard.


    Prince Jing stood under a cherry tree outside the yard. When the wind blew, the cherry blossoms on the tree fell on Prince Jing. Hearing footsteps, Prince Jing raised his head and saw Yun Shang and the others walking out of the garden. He looked much more handsome under the cherry tree. At the sight of Yun Shang who walked out first, Prince Jing smiled. His typical indifferent expression changed to a gentle one and entranced the other girls.


    "Shang''er." Prince Jing said gently.


    Yun Shang sighed and thought, ''He must do it deliberately. Even if I don''t look back, I know the girls following me must be fascinated.''


    "I just heard that th


    he did that at the order of the Emperor."


    "How dare you!" Yun Shang growled at the man and sneered. "Since your Prince was stabbed here, we will investigate and punish the assassin severely. You keep saying that my father ordered the stabbing of your Prince. Do you have any evidence? If one smears His Majesty in our state, then generations of his family will be implicated. Tell me. If it is proved that this matter has nothing to do with my father, do you dare to take the responsibility?"


    The man was tall and strong with a fierce look. Originally, he was careless and contemptuous, but he wore a scared expression now.


    "You¡­" The man stammered.


    Yun Shang sneered, "Me? I''m Princess Hui Guo of the State of Ning. I respect you as our guest, but I hope that you know your place. Don''t forget that you are now in the State of Ning."


    The man blushed with embarrassment. He wanted to respond but was stopped by his fellow companions. So he just stamped his foot in anger and turned his head away.

 Chapter 172 Who Is The Assassin (Part Two)

    Yun Shang stood quietly. She knew that many people were watching her and had their own judgments. Yun Shang''s eyes ran across the room. She saw that the Li Clan was surprised. Wen Ruyu looked blankly at Yun Shang, but Prince Jing was smiling.


    Yun Shang turned back and saw that Emperor Ning was thoughtful. She smiled and walked to Emperor Ning, "Father, do you blame me for being too reckless? I am angry. Some people are clearly dogs, but they have run wild on the grassland for some time and have never been told that they are dogs from childhood, so they think they are wolves."


    Emperor Ning smiled. Although he was amazed at what Yun Shang said, he was somewhat happy. His daughter wasn''t weak, and no one could bully her. Moreover, she defended him, which made him happy.


    "What you said is right."


    Yun Shang turned her head, pretending that she didn''t see the man''s furious and murderous look. She looked at the two men kneeling on the floor and frowned. "Well, I seem to have met the assassin in black before. But I just can''t remember where."


    Prince Jing laughed. "You have indeed met him. We met him when we had an outing on the third of March this year. He is Wen Qingzhu."


    Yun Shang was now enlightened. "Oh yes! I remember that. He is indeed Wen Qingzhu. He came with Wen Ruyu that day¡­ But why did he hurt the Prince?"


    Yun Shang looked at Wen Ruyu as if absorbed in thought. Lord Zheng had brought the chairs. Wen Ruyu was about to sit down when she heard Yun Shang mention her. Stunned, she looked in


    and injured in this yard. When the guard at the gate heard the scream and rushed in, he saw Wen Qingzhu holding a dagger which was still lodged in the body of the third Prince."


    The Head of the Court of Justice looked serious. The third Prince of the State of Yelang was involved. If he made any mistake, it would most likely affect the diplomatic relations between the two states. At this thought, he asked Wen Qingzhu, "Wen Qingzhu, did you stab the third Prince of the State of Yelang? Do you admit your guilt?"


    When asked, Wen Qingzhu seemed to regain his composure and looked at the Head of the Court of Justice. He replied, "Yes, I admit."


    All the others burst into an uproar. Wen Ruyu looked at Wen Qingzhu in shock and disbelief.


    "Where is the guard who found the third Prince and Mister Wen?" The Head of the Court of Justice asked. A guard stepped forward and knelt, "I found the third Prince and Mister Wen." The Head of the Court of Justice nodded. "Were they alone in the yard when you found them?"

 Chapter 173 Who Is The Assassin (Part Three)

    The guard answered, "Yes. They were alone in the yard. There was no one else."


    The Head of the Court of Justice turned to look at Wen Qingzhu. "Mister Wen, why did you stab the third Prince?"


    All the guests looked at Wen Qingzhu. Wen Ruyu had recently said that her brother hadn''t met Cangjue Qingsu before. Why had he stabbed Cangjue Qingsu? It would not be strange if Mr. Wen had stabbed Prince Qingsu because he bore a deep grudge against the Prince.


    Wen Qingzhu sneered. "The State of Yelang makes war on us. The people living on the border live in an abyss of misery. Cangjue Qingsu is the supreme commander. As a native of the State of Ning, I should kill them all."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Wen Qingzhu was smart. He actually made such a good excuse.


    The truth seemed to have been revealed. The State of Yelang and the State of Ning were enemies, so Wen Qingzhu stabbed the third Prince of the State of Yelang out of patriotism. In this case, Emperor Ning was trapped in a dilemma. If he didn''t punish Wen Qingzhu, then the State of Yelang would certainly take the opportunity to launch an attack. But if he punished Wen Qingzhu, the people of the State of Ning would be irritated.


    All the guests present in the yard had been working in the officialdom for many years, so they clearly knew the stakes involved. All of them lowered their heads and remained silent.


    Yun Shang frowned and seemed to have some doubts. "Mister Xing, as a girl and a Princess, I know I


    s here."


    Soon a group of people entered and the small yard became more crowded.


    "Did anyone see another person enter the yard?" The Head of the Court of Justice asked.


    Each person stared speechless at the other. After a long time, someone said in a timid voice, "I just pruned the branches on the opposite side. I saw Princess Hua Jing enter the yard with her maid. Later, Mister Wen Qingzhu entered. But I didn''t see the third Prince at all."


    Some others chimed in with him, "Yes, I also saw that."


    The Head of the Court of Justice didn''t know what to do. After all, he had no right to call Princess Hua Jing.


    Emperor Ning was sulky. "Where is Princess Hua Jing? Ask her to come here."


    A guard left as ordered. After a long while, Hua Jing walked in with her maid. She prostrated before Emperor Ning. Thinking of what happened some time ago, she had a feeling of awe. She raised her head to look at Emperor Ning in reverence. "Father, what happened? Why did you ask me here?"

 Chapter 174 The Hidden Facts (Part One)

    There was coldness in Emperor Ning''s eyes when he looked at Hua Jing. "When I asked you to attend the Flower Show Banquet, you refused, saying that you were feeling unwell. You told me you would rather stay at the temporary imperial palace. No one saw you in the temporary imperial palace just now though. Where have you been?"


    Emperor Ning''s cold tone made Hua Jing shudder, and her face turned pale, "I... I heard that the flowers in the temporary imperial palace had blossomed beautifully, so, I went to see them."


    "Really? Which garden did you visit to see the flowers?" Emperor Ning''s tone lowered, and he turned away. He was unable to look at Hua Jing because he was disappointed that she had lain to him.


    Hua Jing bit her lip and softly said, "The Butterfly Garden."


    "Is that so?" When Emperor Ning finished questioning Hua Jing, he called out to his servant, "Bring the maids and guards from the Butterfly Garden here."


    Hua Jing lowered her head. She kept very still, and didn''t seem to know what to do. Emperor Ning looked at her before he turned to the Head of the Court of Justice, "What else would you like to know?"


    The Head of the Court of Justice had worked for Emperor Ning for many years. He knew what the Emperor was implying by his question. According to how the Emperor had treated Hua Jing, it seemed that he was disappointed with her. Knowing that, the Head of the Court of Justice knew where his limits were. He was sure that the Emperor wouldn''t be enraged by his question, so he asked Hua Jing, "Your Highness, I''d like to know if you really walked through this garden, and will the servants claim the same."


    Hua Jing bit down harder on her lip as she shook her head, "Though it''s true that I rest in this garden quite often, I haven''t been here today. It makes me wonder who it was that made the claim about seeing me."


    A eunuch walked out of the crowd and said timidly, "It was me. I swear that I saw Her Highness walk into the garden today. And I wasn''t the only one who saw her. But I remember that she wasn''t wearing this dress. She wore a peachy red dress."


    "He is right. I


    nd wouldn''t be this big." When she stretched her arm out of her sleeve, she revealed a wound on her palm. Even though it was relatively small, it was larger than one that would be caused by a thorn.


    Hua Jing looked at the cut on her palm and explained softly, "I got it sometime earlier. When I was enjoying the beauty of the flowers, I felt tired. So I sat on the bench. I took my hairpin out, and was admiring its design when I accidentally cut myself with the sharp edge. That''s why Ya Yun wrapped my hand in the handkerchief. It stopped bleeding, but the wound is so deep that it has started to bleed again."


    Yun Shang was having a hard time suppressing her laughter. Hua Jing was really something. She would go so far as to hurt herself on purpose to get what she wanted. Yun Shang knew some basics of surgical procedures due to Xiao Yuanshan''s instructions. With just a quick glance, she could tell that Hua Jing''s cut was fresh. Hua Jing had punctured herself just now. She must have hurt herself badly. Yun Shang sighed at Hua Jing''s stupidity. Hua Jing was looking for sympathy from others, but she overdid it, thus revealing the flaw in her plans. Everyone could see that the blood stain on the brocade handkerchief was a small one. But Hua Jing''s wound was so big that it must have bled a lot. If she really covered the wound with that handkerchief, then there would have been a much bigger blood stain.

 Chapter 175 The Hidden Facts (Part Two)

    Yun Shang looked worried as she walked up to Hua Jing. She examined the wound and said, "Oh my! Sister, this is such a deep wound. Does it hurt?"


    Hua Jing looked Yun Shang in the eyes, and saw that Yun Shang was deriving pleasure from her misery. So, she didn''t say much, instead she retorted, "Hmm. No, it is just a small wound."


    At Hua Jing''s words, Yun Shang took the pink handkerchief from the madam and used it to put pressure on Hua Jing''s wound. She said with concern, "Even if it is small, we should still not let it bleed. Father, I suggest that we stop the interrogation and call the imperial physician to bring some ointment for sister."


    As she was talking, she turned to examine the handkerchief in her hand. As expected, the blood stain had become bigger. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. She suspected the handkerchief was made of silk and must have good air permeability. It felt light when Yun Shang held it, but it had one problem, it was not so porous. As a member of the Royal family, Hua Jing would have ice served to her in her room on a hot day. There would also be someone holding an umbrella for her when she went out. So, whether her handkerchief was permeable or not wasn''t important.


    Hua Jing was surprised by Yun Shang''s behavior. She figured out what Yun Shang was doing. Hua Jing quickly pulled back her hand, but it was too late. She looked at the handkerchief held by Yun Shang, and found her blood had spread through almost the entire handkerchief.


    "What happened? Why is there so much blood? Why is the handkerchief completely red? Call the imperial physician here at once." Yun Shang shouted quickly, before Hua Jing could explain anything.


    When Prince Qingsu was found injured, the imperial physician had been called. He was thus, close by. Hearing Yun Shang''s call, the imperial physician was able to get to them quickly.


    "Your Majesty."


    Emperor Ning nodded and said to the imperial physician, "You don''t need to bow to me. Go check the Princess''s wound, and let us know if it''s serious."


    The imperial physici


    as soaked in blood. He was wearing a servant''s suit of a steel-gray color. His face seemed bluish. He must have been in great pain for his face was sweating.


    Once released by the soldiers, the servant mustered all his strength to prostrate himself. He said, "Your Majesty. I am Mister Wen Qingzhu''s attendant. I have something to report, Your Majesty. There are untold facts about the accident that happened to the Prince of the State of Yelang. Please uphold justice......"


    Before the servant could finish his sentence, Wen Qingzhu, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly jumped up and rushed to his servant. He bore a murderous look. But before Wen Qingzhu''s hands reached the servant, he was stopped by the soldiers who were standing beside the servant.


    The servant raised his head and looked at Wen Qingzhu. Teardrops fell from his eyes. He said, "Mister Wen, I know that you did it to defend the Wen Clan. But you''re the only heir of your Clan. If anything happens to you, what are they going to do? You''ve always taught me to tell what''s right from wrong. Mister Wen, why are you being silly this time?"


    "You said that there were untold facts. Tell us, what has not been told?" Emperor Ning asked the servant in a steady tone. It was hard for others to tell whether he was mad or satisfied. But Yun Shang knew that the Emperor was about to lose his temper.

 Chapter 176 The Hidden Facts (Part Three)

    The servant was quite weak. He coughed for a long time before answering, "Your Majesty, Mister Wen has admired Princess Hua Jing since he was young. Aware of his position, Mister Wen never dared to tell Her Highness. Today, Mister Wen saw Princess Hua Jing in the garden and found that she was upset. He also noticed that Her Highness had hurt her hand with the rose thorn. Mister Wen was worried, so he followed Her Highness. Fearing that he might damage Her Highness''s reputation, Mister Wen stopped at the gate. As he hesitated, he heard the Princess scream. So Mister Wen rushed in to see what had happened. What he saw was beyond his expectation. He saw......"


    The servant coughed again and spit some blood. After a while, he continued. "Mister Wen saw Princess Hua Jing and the third Prince of the State of Yelang together. They were both lying on the ground. And the Prince had already... already lifted up Her Highness''s dress. He had even taken off her underpants...... Mister Wen has admired the Princess for a long time. He thought the Prince of the State of Yelang was forcing Her Highness. So he rushed to protect her. The Prince of the State of Yelang is good at Kung Fu. He took out a dagger and swung it towards Mister Wen. I quickly covered Mister Wen with my body. I was stabbed by the Prince. But Mister Wen couldn''t let go. He pulled out the dagger and swung it towards the Prince of the State of Yelang. The Prince wasn''t expecting that, so he was unprepared. That is how Mister Wen stabbed the Prince."


    Hearing the servant''s words, Hua Jing lost all her strength. She trembled and glared at the servant with a murderous look. If allowed, she would definitely kill the servant and cut him into pieces. But there were so many people present. So Hua Jing didn''t dare to do anything. She could only stay where she was and feel humiliated by how everyone was looking at her.


    The servant wa


    if she wanted. While the people were sympathetic to her circumstances, they did feel that it was improper for her to get pregnant.


    But they didn''t expect that the child belonged to the third Prince of the State of Yelang. Three months ago, the State of Ning was at war with the State of Yelang. In that case, Princess Hua Jing committed the crime of treason. No wonder she had tried so hard to bury the truth.


    "How dare you interrupt me? Guards! Take He Numo out. Flog him with the rod fifty times." Emperor Ning was irritated by the man.


    Everyone else lowered their heads to avoid the Emperor''s wrath. But seeing the Emperor''s reaction, they felt more convinced that He Numo had spoken the truth.


    Just as He Numo was about to be dragged out, the third Prince of the State of Yelang stepped into the garden. Since he had recently been stabbed, he looked unwell. His waist was heavily gauzed. Blood was seeping from the gauze. But Prince Qingsu wasn''t too weak to walk. He just walked more slowly than usual.


    Hearing Emperor Ning order the flogging of his trusted minister, Prince Qingsu didn''t overreact. He just raised his eyebrow and said, "Your Majesty is right. You should punish He Numo. Princess Hua Jing''s reputation cannot be damaged by such smear."

 Chapter 177 Set A Trap (Part One)

    Emperor Ning cast a dark glance at Cangjue Qingsu. Qingsu had been injured. He trembled under the heavy pressure of the Emperor''s intense gaze.


    Qingsu ground his teeth as the development of recent incidents was beyond his expectation. He had wanted to ask Emperor Ning to decree the marriage between Princess Hui Guo and him, but Prince Jing had been one step ahead of him. Hua Jing had just been widowed. Moreover, she was backed by the Empress and Li Clan. Marrying Hua Jing would be much more rewarding than marrying Princess Hui Guo. Qingsu had planned to persuade Hua Jing first and then tell Emperor Ning that he wanted to marry Hua Jing, but he didn''t mean for any of this to happen.


    Qingsu thought to himself, ''As the head of the State of Xia, Emperor Ning would feel ashamed of such a scandal concerning Hua Jing and would not admit to the servant''s claims. If I behave well, I might have a chance.''


    Qingsu knelt as he reached a decision. "Your Majesty, let me explain. It was all my fault. I hate to socialize and I''m not interested in performances, so I found a quiet place to rest. But I didn''t know it was Princess Hua Jing''s yard. When I entered, Princess Hua Jing spotted me and cried. I didn''t want to bring shame on Princess Hua Jing, so I covered her mouth in panic. But Mr. Wen saw us and thought I was offending Princess Hua Jing, so he stabbed me with a dagger. I didn''t expect that my actions would ruin Princess Hua Jing''s reputation." There was a regretful expression on Qingsu''s face.


    "There is no room for regret when matters have reached this stage. Your Majesty, Your Highness, please forgive me. I, Cangjue Qingsu, am willing to take Princess Hua Jin


    and sighed, "Lady Wen, please don''t be so sad. If your brother is innocent, he will be fine. Your face is so pale. Were you scared just now?" Yun Shang turned to Qian Yin, "Ask someone to make a bowl of ginseng soup for Lady Wen. It can calm the nerves."


    After ordering Qian Yin, Yun Shang turned back and looked at Ruyu who stood there staring blankly. Yun Shang took off her hairpin and inserted it into Ruyu''s hair, "Lady Wen, you seem to feel ill at ease. Don''t worry. I''ll intercede with my father for your brother. This butterfly-shaped hairpin made of gold and pearl doesn''t go well with my clothes. I think it looks better on you. Please accept it as a gift, and don''t be upset anymore."


    Ruyu was dumbfounded as she raised her hand to touch the hairpin. She had seen the hairpin in Yun Shang''s hair before and thought it was extremely beautiful. Ruyu was jealous, as Yun Shang, after all, was a princess, and had many precious jewelry and clothing. Ruyu felt delighted when Yun Shang gave her the hairpin as a gift. She was immersed in her happiness without thinking about why Yun Shang was suddenly so good to her.

 Chapter 178 Set A Trap (Part Two)

    Yun Shang lowered her head to conceal the coldness in her eyes, and walked out of the yard with a smile. Yun Shang''s yard was a little far from this one. She looked up and guessed that the rain would fall before she arrived at her yard.


    Yun Shang nodded to Qin Yi with a smile before Qin Yi withdrew quietly. Some ladies saw that and didn''t care as they thought Qin Yi must have left to prepare tea.


    Before long, the rain did fall. An instant later, the light rain turned into a downpour. Yun Shang sighed and asked the servants to fetch umbrellas.


    While the servants scrambled to find umbrellas, the ladies got soaked in the rain. Yun Shang offered blandly, "I have many spare clothes in my yard. Ladies, please get changed first. Be careful not to catch a cold."


    The drenched ladies felt deeply indebted after hearing Yun Shang''s words.


    When they arrived at the yard, they saw Qin Yi and Qian Yin in the front Hall. They had prepared ginger soup and tea. Seeing Yun Shang and the ladies, Qin Yi immediately walked to the door to receive them, "Ladies, we have prepared clean clothes for you. Please follow me to get changed."


    The ladies nodded and followed Qin Yi to the backyard, while Yun Shang went to the bedroom with Qian Yin.


    Qian Yin took out a white dress and helped Yun Shang change out of her wet one. When she was about to comb Yun Shang''s hair, she was shocked as she didn''t see the hairpin. Qian Yin immediately asked, "Your Highness, where is your hairpin?"


    Yun Shang smiled nonchalantly, "I gave it to Ruyu as a gift."


    Qian Yin remained speechless for a long tim


    ies threw arrows into the pot. Yun Shang looked at them, and laughed with the ladies from time to time. When Yun Shang was watching Sun Ya''niang throwing arrows, Qian Yin grabbed her by the sleeve. Yun Shang raised her eyes and saw Ruyu walking to the end of the queue secretly. She seemed to be withdrawing with her servant girl without being noticed.


    Yun Shang smiled and thought, ''You are so impatient to frame me. What can I do in return for your kindness?''


    Yun Shang nodded to Qian Yin who then followed the two ladies.


    Ruyu stopped at a place near a remote yard in the temporary imperial palace. She carried an umbrella in her hand. She heard a whistle and immediately walked in the direction of the sound. Then she saw a man in gray hiding among the trees in a corner.


    Ruyu immediately grabbed the man''s arm and asked, "How is it going?" Her voice was full of anxiety.


    The man frowned as he sneered, "Why don''t you ask about your brother? You only care about that man. Can''t you wait any longer?"


    Ruyu ground her teeth as resentment flooded her.

 Chapter 179 Set A Trap (Part Three)

    The man scowled, "Everything is ready. As long as he appears, he won''t be able to escape. But the drug on the robe somehow didn''t work. I tested him on purpose just now, but he seemed quite normal. Since the robe didn''t work, I''m afraid it will be difficult for us to lure him here."


    Hearing his words, Ruyu raised her brows and said with smug satisfaction, "I didn''t have an idea before, but now I know how to lure him here. Look at me. Do I look like someone?"


    The man stared at Ruyu for a long time before he looked at her hairpin, "Princess Yun Shang?"


    Ruyu nodded and smiled, full of confidence, "We were caught in the rain, so Princess Yun Shang gave her clothes to us. I chose this suit deliberately as it looks like the one she wore. She gave me her hairpin. If I were to sit in a remote place with my back to him, he would believe I''m Princess Yun Shang. Besides, I secretly took Princess Yun Shang''s silk handkerchief..."


    The man thought for a while before he nodded, "Since you are so confident, just do it as there isn''t much else to do. Prince Jing is indeed not an ordinary person as he was able to ascertain that there was something wrong with the robe."


    Ruyu was still absorbed in her own thoughts. The man frowned and enjoined, "Be careful."


    Ruyu was rapt in her fantasy world and wondered how she would seduce the Prince so that they would spend all night in bed together. She didn''t notice what the man in gray said. She said, "Don''t worry. I''m leaving now. He will be here soon. Be prepared."


    Ruyu didn''t know that someone had reported to Prince Jing what had happened between her and the man in gray. While watching the


    Emperor Ning that Princess Yun Shang is missing. Tell him that a servant girl saw Princess Yun Shang sitting in the Pavilion, before the Princess was taken away by four men in gray. Give the hairpin to Emperor Ning and he will understand."


    There was no one around Prince Jing, but a low voice spoke, "Yes, Your Highness."


    Prince Jing thought for a while and remembered that his guard had told him Ruyu had been in Qingsi House, which was near Lingya Pavilion. Prince Jing thought for a moment before he decided to walk toward Qingsi House.


    As soon as he entered Qingsi House, Prince Jing heard something flying toward him. He looked in the direction where the sound came from and saw many arrows heading his way.


    Prince Jing frowned as he reached for his sword but found nothing. He was by Emperor Ning''s side earlier today, and it was not allowed to carry the sword. Prince Jing immediately bent to dodge the arrows. He took the opportunity to grab a dagger from his boot to block the arrows. But the moment the dagger touched the arrows, the arrows exploded and a gust of smoke engulfed him.

 Chapter 180 Prince Jing Was Captured (Party One)

    Numerous arrows burst around Prince Jing making it difficult for him to dodge. Prince Jing reacted quickly. As soon as he saw the smoke, he knew that there must be something strange in it. He promptly held his breath and leaped up, only to find a fine, dense net above him. Without pausing, he reached for the net and tried to tear it, but he failed even with his Kung Fu.


    "Ice silk?" Prince Jing frowned. Such a large net was made entirely of ice silk. His enemy had really put in a great deal of effort to catch him.


    Gradually, Prince Jing felt tired. He knew that it must be because he had accidentally inhaled some smoke. He had intended to risk his life to identify his enemy. So he pretended to resist before helplessly falling to the ground. Then he stood up slowly, leaned against the wall, and asked loudly, "Who thinks so highly of me? You must have put a lot of thought into this trap. Can you come out?"


    No one answered him. Then he closed his eyes and fell to the ground with a thud.


    It was a while before a low voice said, "I am confident that no one can escape my gigantic net."


    At the same time, four men in black jumped from the corner wall. They wore masks to hide their identity. One of them bent over Prince Jing. The man lifted the Prince on his shoulder, and went into the house.


    "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I have terrible news! Princess Hui Guo has been captured!" A sing-song voice said from the front Hall, but it barely caught anyone''s attention because of the clanging noise. The eunuch ran to Emperor Ning and fell on his knees. Emperor Ning looked at him in surprise, raised his hand and shouted, "Stop!"


    The sound on the stage stopped abruptly. The eunuch hurriedly handed the hairpin to Emperor Ning and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Hui Guo was taken from the backyard!"


    Emperor Ning looked at the object in his hand, and recognized it as Yun Shang''s hairpin. He paled and asked, "What? What happened? Tell me in detail."


    The eunuch answered quickly, "Prince Jing asked me to inform Your Majesty that while he was enjoying the Chinese traditional opera, a maid brought him Princess Yun Shang''s brocade handkerchief and told him that Princess Yun Shang invited him to the backyard to discuss something. When he arrived at the opposite side of Lingya Pavilion, he saw Princess Yun Shang sitting alone at Lingya Pavilion. As he was about to walk to her, four men in gray clothes appeared and carried Princess Yun Shang away! By the time Prince Jing arrived at the Pavilion, only this hairpin remained..."


    "Where''s Prince Jing


    adies got wet. I asked them to change into my old clothes. The color of the dress Lady Wen chose was somewhat similar to the color of the official dress I had worn earlier today. Lady Wen is similar to me in shape. With this hairpin, she would look like me from the back."


    Emperor Ning gave an approving nod before turning to the Imperial Commander. Then he ordered, "Bring Lady Wen here."


    The Imperial Commander nodded and left with his guards. Yun Shang asked uneasily, "Father, my uncle has gone after those people. Is he in danger? The evildoers managed to trick him into the backyard. Lady Wen is probably just bait. I''m afraid their real target is my uncle."


    Knowing Yun Shang had a point, Emperor Ning was silent for a moment before he said, "Don''t worry, your uncle has outstanding Kung Fu abilities, and he is smart. He will be fine."


    Yun Shang kept her head down. After a long time, she bit her lip and looked up. Tears flooded her eyes. She said, "Father, my uncle may not be as powerful as you think. Shortly before uncle''s birthday feast, he was seriously injured. He didn''t want to worry you, so he didn''t tell you. I''m afraid these culprits are the same people who had hurt him the last time. In that case my uncle would be in great danger."


    Emperor Ning was amazed at what Yun Shang told him. ''Prince Jing was hurt some time ago? Why did I not hear of this before...'' Emperor Ning''s eyes darkened as he formed a plan.


    "It''s no use worrying about him. Now we''ll just have to wait and see if we can find anything." Emperor Ning soothed Yun Shang in a low voice.


    Yun Shang nodded. She clutched the hem of her long sleeve before lowering her head. She didn''t argue with the Emperor any further.

 Chapter 181 Prince Jing Was Captured (Party Two)

    A while later, the Imperial Commander, who had left to find Lady Wen, rushed in. He knelt in front of Emperor Ning and reported, "Your Majesty, I didn''t find Lady Wen. I saw Lady Wen''s maid at the bathroom, and she said Lady Wen was inside. I received no response after I called to the Lady a few times. So I burst in and no one was inside."


    "In that case, it was probably Lady Wen who has been taken away. Why did Lady Wen lure Prince Jing to the Pavilion? Any other findings?" Emperor Ning asked.


    "Your Majesty, I found some signs of struggle in Qingsi House. My guess is that there was a fight there, " the Imperial Commander instantly replied.


    "Let''s go and take a look at Qingsi House, " Emperor Ning said as he hastily rose to his feet.


    Then Yun Shang followed Emperor Ning to Qingsi House. Some arrows lay on the ground. However, the arrowheads were hollow, which was strange.


    The others looked at the hollowed arrowheads for a long time but could not tell what they were for. Yun Shang knitted her brows. She noticed a strange, choking smell in the air.


    "Something must have happened to Prince Jing, father, " said Yun Shang as she turned to Emperor Ning with a grave look.


    Everyone''s attention was on Yun Shang. She looked a little pale as she added, "I smell smoke in the yard, and it is choking. I think it''s some kind of toxic smoke." Hearing this, Qian Yin who was standing beside Yun Shang, took out a small bottle of medicine from her sleeve. She quickly poured out some pills and gave one to each onlooker.


    "My uncle gave me this medicine, just in case. The toxic smoke is very effective. Be careful." Yun Shang reminded everyone present.


    As soon as she had finished speaking, she saw that some of the older people seemed to be getting dizzy. She immediately told Qian Yin to give them the medicine first. It took a while for those people to recover.


    The rest, seeing what had happened, quickly swallowed the pills in their hands.


    Yun Shang then continued, "I guess the hollow arrowhead is probably for the toxic smoke. I just observed that the arrowhead design is quite ingenious. Just blow the toxic smoke into the arrowhead, then gently twist it, and the toxic smoke is hidden inside. Besides, the arrowhead is so fragile that if it hits something hard, it will break. Then the toxic smoke is released. There are so many broken arrows here. If m


    er thinks me to be, he would fear me. A married daughter is like discarded water. Once I''m married, I have to listen to my husband. I''ll be a threat to him by then...''


    Yun Shang bit her lip. When she was reborn, she thought that her father would be the lifelong support for her and her mother, but now it seemed that she was wrong... She had thought of everything, but she had forgotten that her father was not only a father and a husband, he was also an Emperor.


    She didn''t want to be in the Palace anymore.


    Yun Shang thought as she quickened her pace toward the backyard.


    "Slow down, Your Highness, slow down..." Qian Yin''s hasty exhortation came from behind her.


    Yun Shang paused. She had forgotten that she had already aroused suspicion and should not expose her Kung Fu.


    "Come out." Yun Shang looked around. When she was sure that nobody was around, she spoke out.


    Qian Yin was startled when she saw a black figure kneeling in front of Yun Shang. "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded and asked, "How is Prince Jing? Do you know where he is? Is he in danger?"


    Jing Ying was puzzled. After a long while she shook her head and answered with a wry smile, "Since the day I was sent to protect you, I have no way of knowing of His Highness''s whereabouts. I have been by your side all day. I haven''t seen him."


    "Does his Shadow Guard have any contact with you?" Yun Shang frowned.


    Again, Jing Ying shook her head and answered, "I tried to contact them a little while ago and found that they were not in the temporary imperial palace. His Highness seems to have left..."

 Chapter 182 Where Is Prince Jing (Part One)

    On hearing that, Yun Shang fell silent. She flashed a smile, but didn''t speak.


    It seemed she wasn''t trusted by Prince Jing''s bodyguard. She turned to Qian Yin, "Inform all our men in the Imperial City. Tell them to keep close watch on the pedestrians'' movements. With Prince Jing in their hand, the culprits can''t move too far in such a short time."


    Qian Yin nodded. She laid her eyes on Jing Ying, and flashed a sneer. She then took out a whistle made of bamboo from her sleeve, blew it several times, and emitted a signal that was hardly audible. A guilty expression appeared on Jing Ying''s face, but she bowed her head to conceal her emotions. She was fully aware of Yun Shang''s intention. When she asked Qian Yin to pass the massage to her men, the Princess meant to rebut Jing Ying''s claims. If Jing Ying wanted to contact the other bodyguards, even if they were not nearby, it would be easy for her to contact them, like what Qian Yin did with the bamboo whistle...


    As the Yulin Guard completed their search, they didn''t find the fugitives, nor any postern leading out of the palace.


    Yun Shang gazed out of the window. The rain had begun to fall again. She heard distant clamor coming from the front Hall. It was mingled with girl''s whispers and giggles. Yun Shang lowered her head, and examined the arrow feather carefully. She had picked it up from Qingsi House secretly.


    After a careful examination, she handed the arrowhead to Qian Yin, and ordered, "Inquire from the smiths in the Imperial City. Find out if any of them crafted hollow arrows of pig iron recently."


    Qian Yin hurriedly obeyed. She curtsied and walked out of the room.


    Outside the window, the raindrops tapped on the bamboo leaves thus making an incessant noise. Yun Shang breathed out a sigh. She knew Prince Jing was able to avoid danger. A resourceful man like him wouldn''t be captured that easily.


    However, although she kept telling herself that Prince Jing was fine, she couldn''t help worrying about him.


    There was another burst of laughter outside, and she heard someone come close. Yun Shang turned and gazed in the direction


    he inner chamber. She called her maid forward.


    "As the Emperor''s ladies are not present, there are plenty of empty rooms. Accommodate the young ladies. Ensure that two ladies share a room so that they can look after each other. Don''t forget to send as many maids as possible." Yun Shang softly ordered.


    Qin Yi curtsied to her and left.


    As Qin Yi left, Qian Yin entered. She was soaking wet. She reported to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, I''ve searched every blacksmith in the Imperial City. None of them has made any hollow iron arrows recently. The arrow''s design was unique, and it was made of pig iron. If it was forged in the city, they should''ve known."


    Yun Shang nodded. As no one had any knowledge about the arrows, the arrows must have been forged elsewhere and then smuggled into the city.


    Qian Yin had also thought of that. She added, "I''ve also asked the porters at the four gates. In the past few weeks, only a few people have carried large stocks of goods through, including two envoys, the Minister of Defense and War, and the Grand Councilor."


    The Minister of Defense and War was Lord Wang, who was Prince Jing''s confidant. Yun Shang shook her head. The culprit couldn''t be from the Wang Clan.


    She wonder who the perpetrator was. Was it Prince Houjing, Prince Qingsu, or the Grand Councilor Li?


    "Is Xia Houjing here?" Yun Shang asked.


    "Yes. He''s outside." Qian Yin answered swiftly.

 Chapter 183 Where Is Prince Jing (Part Two)

    Yun Shang fell silent as it reminded her of another accident that happened today. Wen Ruyu seemed prepared when she dressed like Yun Shang and tried to seduce Prince Jing, although he wasn''t trapped. It was clear that she was an accomplice of the culprit, or at the very least, she knew them.


    And it also came to Yun Shang that she was taken to Wen Mansion when she was kidnapped.


    Perhaps, Ruyu was under the Grand Councilor''s orders? It wouldn''t be surprising as the Wen Clan worshiped Grand Councilor Li a lot.


    Was the culprit Li Jingyan?


    But... Yun Shang paused for a while. It was rather reckless of the Grand Councilor to do anything to Prince Jing now. It was a well-known fact that he and Prince Jing did not get along. If accidents happened to Prince Jing, most people would doubt the Grand Councilor first. What''s more, Yelang''s army was still laying siege, and the State of Xia was waiting for Ning to lower its guard. If the two countries joined together, the State of Ning would be in danger. No one else in Ning was as authoritative and resourceful as Prince Jing as a military leader. If misfortune happened to him, the State of Ning would also be at risk.


    The Grand Councilor had been trying to replace Prince Jing with his own men over the years. But he had failed to find anyone with as much martial prowess as the Prince. At this crucial time, he wouldn''t dare to do anything to Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang turned to Qian Yin, and asked, "If you were the person who abducted Prince Jing, where would you take him?"


    Qian Yin was stunned by the unexpected question. She paused for a while before answering, "Your Highness, you always said that the most dangerous place is also the safest. Perhaps, the culprit is hiding in the temporary imperial palace?"


    Yun Shang smiled at her words, but didn''


    y heard a low voice speaking, "I''m afraid they''ve found us. Let''s transport Princess Yun Shang to His Lordship''s mansion."


    Yun Shang was surprised. Did they mention Princess Yun Shang? But she was right here.


    Before she could think it over, she saw two men in gray clothes carrying a crimson figure dash out of the room. They disappeared in a few seconds.


    "Your Highness..." Ning Qian quietly asked for her opinion.


    Yun Shang cast a vexed glance at the direction in which the figures disappeared and murmured, "It seems I am their target, not uncle." Yun Shang had seen the woman''s face. The woman they carried was Wen Ruyu, who had dressed in Yun Shang''s clothes to seduce Prince Jing.


    "Follow them. And report to me where they went. I need to return to the temporary imperial palace now." After giving her orders, Yun Shang turned and headed towards the palace. She thought to herself as she jumped between the trees and roofs, ''If he wasn''t being held here, where could he be?''


    "Your Highness! You are back!" As Yun Shang entered the inner chamber, she saw her maids pacing up and down the room. Anxiety reflected on their faces. Yun Shang smiled as she asked, "What happened? Did something happen?"

 Chapter 184 Where Is Prince Jing (Part Three)

    Qin Yi nodded and said, "Something big has happened. Just now, Lady Ya, Lady Meng, Lady Fu, and Empress Yuan Zhen were all poisoned. And His Majesty has ordered that we need to return to the Imperial Palace at once."


    "What?" Yun Shang was a little surprised. Why were the four ladies poisoned at the same time? What was the culprit''s intention?


    Qin Yi nodded. "It''s said that His Majesty is outraged. He almost killed the messenger in anger."


    Nodding to her maid, Yun Shang ordered, "Let''s pack up." With that said, she walked out of the chamber.


    But she suddenly stopped at the door and said, "No, let''s not...wait for a moment...I sense something is wrong."


    Qian Yin pouted, "Of course, it seems weird. We all smelled a plot. Why were the ladies poisoned at the same time? Who did it? And for what reason? Why did he choose to poison the ladies when the Emperor was not around? And what good could it do for him?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and realized that it was a trap. Just like what Qian Yin had mentioned. It wouldn''t do the person any good to poison the ladies. Among the poisoned ladies, the Empress was the only one of importance. And the Grand Councilor cared a lot about her. But the other three ladies were insignificant. They meant nothing to anyone. However, the coincidence happened.


    "It''s a trick to lure us away from the temporary imperial palace." Biting her lower lip, Yun Shang snapped. "I can''t return to the Palace now. I have to wait here. Perhaps the Prince is still here. And the culprit poisoned the ladies to drive father away. And if father returns, at least three quarters of the guard in the temporary imperial palace would follow him. With such little force guarding the palace, it would be a great chance for the culprit to escape."


    the door and walked out.


    Narrowing her eyes, Yun Shang ordered, "Follow them."


    "Your Highness, they didn''t bring anything with them." A girl looked down, but didn''t see any cloth bag. She asked with a frown.


    A sharp gaze appeared in Yun Shang''s eyes. She said, "One of them is being puppeted. But he walks the same way as Prince Jing."


    "Your Highness, should we just take him back?" A girl softly asked.


    Yun Shang thought for a while, but was amused by her own thought. At that moment, she did not feel any panic or anxiety. Instead, she felt like a robber, looking down at the streets from a height, waiting for an opportunity to kidnap her prey.


    "We have no idea how many people they have. And how many of them have hidden in the dark. We can''t risk it. So, what we will do, is follow them, and find out where they are going. Don''t act rashly and alert the enemy."


    Quietly, they followed the two men out of the temporary imperial palace. Soon, a few men emerge from the dark to join them. The newcomers seemed to be the previous people who had carried the decoys in cloth bags. Yun Shang sneered at the scene, as she wondered about the identity of this audacious culprit.

 Chapter 185 Grandfather‘s Arrival (Part One)

    After leaving the temporary imperial palace, they went into a dense forest. Yun Shang frowned. She had heard that the forest was haunted. However, she had never been there before. Yun Shang didn''t know there was thick fog here at night. Since it was late at night, the fog hadn''t dissipated. It was impossible to see anything in the forest.


    ''How cunning! But...don''t they worry about the fog?'' The Princess knit her brows as she thought.


    "We''d better withdraw now. Let''s go!" said Yun Shang. She waved at her men to leave. Then she went to Prince Jing''s mansion alone.


    Prince Jing''s chamberlain was waiting for her at the door. Seeing Yun Shang, he hurried to her. "Your Highness, did you find His Highness?" the chamberlain asked eagerly.


    Yun Shang shook her head. As soon as she walked into the mansion, she found that the light in Prince Jing''s study was on. As she walked into the study, she saw several people in the room. She recognized Wang Jinhuan. She also recognized two other people in the room. She remembered having met them in the military camp before.


    Those two men were shocked when they saw her dressed like a girl. "Mr. Xiao?" They kept looking at her and rubbing their eyes. They were so confused that they did not know what to say. It was hard for them to accept the truth that Mr. Xiao was a girl. ''She lived with Prince Jing when she was in the military camp! What''s their real relationship?'' The two confused men thought.


    "Your Highness, did you find him?" Wang Jinhuan stood up promptly and looked at Yun Shang.


    Hearing Wang Jinhuan''s question, the two men became even more confused. ''Is she a Princess?'' They thought in shock.


    Yun Shang nodded to them before sitting down. "We saw him, but he was taken into a thick forest with pea-soup like fog. I was afraid that there would be traps in the forest, so I didn''t follow them after they went into the


    and continued. "Send more spies to monitor Xia Houjing. I have to know what he does, who he meets, where he goes, and everything else about his actions. Besides Xia Houjing''s Mansion, Grand Councilor''s Mansion, Wen Mansion, and Shun Qing Mansion should also be monitored."


    There was a long silence. People in the room looked at each other without saying anything. Wang Jinhuan broke the silence with an "Aye". And the two generals who knew Yun Shang from before, followed his response.


    Seeing that the others did not answer, Yun Shang smiled. "My father has granted marriage between Prince Jing and me. If His Highness dies, I will be half a widow. As a woman, I do care about my fianc¨¦. For me, he is worth more than my life."


    Hearing that, Wang Jinhuan looked up at Yun Shang with his pretty eyes. He knew that her words though spoken in jest were meaningful. Of course, her words were not intended to add humor. First, she reminded them that she was going to be His Highness''s wife. With the new identity, she would be someone whom they should never offend. Second, she repeatedly stated her stance that she would not allow him to die for they are engaged, and she would help Prince Jing ride out all his troubles. ''How clever she is!'' thought Wang Jinhuan.

 Chapter 186 Grandfather‘s Arrival (Part Two)

    The people who did not answer stared at each other. Though aghast, they made an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before their chest. "We agree!" they responded promptly.


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your support!"


    After completing the plan, Yun Shang returned to her palace. Qian Yin was waiting for her in the Hall. Seeing Yun Shang, the maid rushed toward her. "The Empress asked you to visit her in Qiwu Palace. I was worried that she might realize that you''re not home, so Ning Qian pretended to be you and lay on the bed. I told them that you were in shock ever since you heard of Prince Jing''s disappearance. Then the Empress sent her servants to check. Luckily, Ning Qian tricked them."


    Yun Shang nodded. She thought the Empress just wanted to question her since she had heard about what happened to Hua Jing. ''It was her daughter who did not preserve her own purity. Who''s to blame?'' Yun Shang grinned as she thought.


    "I see. I''ll visit her tomorrow. I feel tired today. Let''s prepare for bed!" said Yun Shang. It was almost dawn. The princess was so sleepy that she didn''t even remove her clothes. The moment she lay down, she fell asleep.


    It was noon when she woke. After she got up and ate some food, she intended to go to Qiwu Palace. But before she left, Lord Zheng arrived. "Have you come for me?" asked Yun Shang when she saw him. "Did you find Prince Jing?"


    Lord Zheng shook his head slightly. He responded after a pause. "It''s the seventh Prince of the State of Xia and Lord Hua Guo. They came to the Imperial Palace. Lord Hua Guo said that he wanted to see you, so your father sent me here to invite you."


    Yun Shang frowned. "Lord Hua Guo? Wh


    ces of me giving birth are slim. So it would not be easy for me find a husband. But I feel that life would be boring if I do not get married and have children in the future."


    The Emperor was astonished upon hearing that. He hadn''t realized that his daughter''s health was in such a terrible condition until Yun Shang told him. It made him more anxious. Yun Shang was his and Shu Jin''s fruit of love. If something horrible happened to her, Shu Jin would be devastated. Thinking of that, he regretted ever doubting her loyalty.


    "Since it is so, why did you agree to marry Prince Jing?" the Emperor asked.


    Yun Shang lowered her head as she grinned. "He knew about the state of my health before."


    ''He knew it? But he still agreed to marry her?'' The Emperor frowned as he thought. ''What is his intention?''


    Yun Shang chuckled to settle his doubts. "I begged him." She glanced at Xia Houjing and Lord Hua Guo. Then she stopped talking.


    The Emperor noticed her gaze, and kept silent too. After a while, he looked up at Lord Hua Guo and spoke with him. "You said that you wanted to see her. For what? Now you can talk with her."

 Chapter 187 Grandfather‘s Arrival (Part Three)

    Lord Hua Guo smiled at them. "The other day, I saw Her Highness, and I found that she looked a lot like my daughter. It made me feel close to her. Besides, I have heard that Prince Jing had an accident. When I thought of Her Highness''s sadness, I became worried. So I came to make sure that she was fine."


    Before they stopped talking, Lord Zheng entered in a hurry.


    All of them present looked at Lord Zheng expectedly. Lord Zheng lowered his head and spoke in a low voice. "Your Majesty, Xiao Yuanshan has arrived."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows in surprise. A few days ago, Prince Jing had told her that her maternal grandfather was coming to see her. But she had forgotten this since she had been busy. Realizing that her grandfather was here now, Yun Shang was surprised.


    "Father, it''s my maternal grandfather!" she smiled at her father in excitement.


    The Emperor was shocked too. Xiao Yuanshan had resigned from office and lived in seclusion ever since his daughter, Lady Jin, had been banished to the Cold Palace. Now Lady Jin was going to give birth to another child. The Emperor had heard that Xiao Yuanshan went to Laifeng City to see her. However, he had no idea why Xiao Yuanshan had come to the Imperial Palace.


    "Is he the former Grand Tutor? I heard about him in the State of Xia. People told me that he was a brilliant man. I''ve long wanted to visit him. What a coincidence!" said Lord Hua Guo with a smile.


    "Let him in." The Emperor commanded.


    A man dressed black walked in the door. His face could not be seen as the light source was behind him. However, it was clear that the man was tall and straight. ''I haven''t seen my grandfather in a long time. He still has an imposing appearance!'' thought Yun Shang.


    sigh of relief.


    Lord Hua Guo laughed happily. "That''s fine! Then Your Majesty and Your Highness do not have to worry too much about His Highness. By the way, I have long admired Mr. Xiao. May I ask you for advice now?"


    Xiao Yuanshan looked at Lord Hua Guo. "Glad to meet you, sir! But I''m sorry that I''m not available today as the Princess and I have something urgent to do now. Can I visit you another day?"


    Lord Hua Guo nodded.


    Yun Shang looked to her father and implored, "Father, since grandfather and I have some business to deal with, could we leave? We''ll walk in the Imperial Garden."


    After the Emperor agreed, Yun Shang left Qinzheng Hall with Xiao Yuanshan.


    "Grandfather, what''s up?" Obviously, she did not believe in the theory of trouble as predicted by Master Wu Na. She also knew that her grandfather had never believed in Master Wu Na''s predictions.


    Xiao Yuanshan looked around to ensure there was no other person around. Then he whispered to Yun Shang. "A few days ago, I passed Mount Kirin, which is behind the Imperial City. I found traces of an army stationed there. But It seems that the army does not belong to our state."

 Chapter 188 Unexpected Findings (Part One)

    Yun Shang was shocked. There was an army from another state in the State of Ning. But no one knew?


    "An army consists of at least ten thousand soldiers. And if they have a bigger plan, I assume this number would be much bigger than that. But how did such a large group of people enter the State of Ning without drawing any attention?"


    Xiao Yuanshan looked at the horizon with vacant eyes. "Break the whole into parts. They might have disguised themselves as ordinary people or businessmen when crossing the border. Judging from the size of their camps, I think there are at least a hundred thousand soldiers. It is a plan that has been deliberately prepared over a long period. Even if they arrived in smaller groups, it would take several years for them to enter the State of Ning considering their number."


    A hundred thousand?


    Yun Shang''s face gradually grew solemn. If it were an elite force, a hundred thousand soldiers would be capable of wreaking havoc, including overthrowing a nation.


    No wonder conspiracies against Prince Jing had emerged more frequently in recent days. Maybe they were ready to make their move. As Prince Jing was their primary threat, they needed to get rid of him first. Yun Shang couldn''t imagine the fate of Ning if Prince Jing wasn''t around to defend it against such an intricate and well-planned conspiracy.


    "Grandfather, Prince Jing was abducted. We have to find him now. Shall we tell His Majesty about this army?" Yun Shang went blank and asked Xiao Yuanshan.


    At the sight of her worried expression, Xiao Yuanshan patted her shoulder and smiled. "Shang''er, don''t worry. Now that I know about their plan, we can always find a way out. Calm down. I''ll talk to His Majesty. Your priority is to look for Prince Jing. Besides, I know you have deployed some people in the State of Ning and in other states. It''s time for them to play their part. I''m sure you will make it work."


    Yun Shang gradually calmed down. Grandfather was right. She shouldn''t panic now. "I will not let you down, Grandfather. I''ll think about it and confer with you soon."


    After that, Yun Shang returned to Qingxin Palace and locked herself in the inner Hall. Qian Yin and Qin Yi saw her sketching and writing on parchment, but they didn''t understand the content.


    A hundred thousand. Even if they had entered Ning in small groups, it would take them a long time. These soldiers would also need someone to coordinate with them from inside Ning. According to Yun Shang, that person must have high social status in Ning. Otherwise, it would be impossible to move a hund


    brow and looked at Wang Jinyan. Wang Jinyan rejoiced at the news and gave Lady Wang a big hug. "You are the best, Mother!" But she drew her hand back with a hiss.


    Lady Wang frowned and took Wang Jinyan''s hand. At a closer look, she saw the holes caused by the needle. Some were still bleeding. Lady Wang immediately felt protective towards her daughter. "Look at you. How come?"


    Wang Jinyan pouted and withdrew her hand. "The needle for embroidery is most difficult to handle, much more troublesome than my pike. It just won''t listen to me. I want it to make flowers, but all it has done is hurt my hand."


    Lady Wang sighed. "You don''t have to learn that anymore. Go and have fun with Her Highness." Then she curtsied to Yun Shang and exited.


    Yun Shang teased Wang Jinyan. "I didn''t know that you would surrender to a small needle."


    Wang Jinyan wasn''t embarrassed at all. "What''s the big deal? It''s nothing special anyway. What I''m good at, such as horse-riding and archery, is even more challenging for other girls in the Imperial City."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, but she didn''t forget the purpose of her visit. "Where is your brother? I need to see him urgently."


    Wang Jinyan knew that when Yun Shang used words like urgently, the situation must be critical. But still, she teased Yun Shang. "I thought you are here for me. You''ve broken my heart. All right, I''ll take you to see my brother."


    Yun Shang patted her hand and said, "Naughty."


    As Wang Jinyan said, she wasn''t the only one suffering these days. Wang Jinhuan was living an even more pathetic life. In order to convince him to get married soon, Lady Wang had collected portraits of all the ladies of the right age to send to Wang Jinhuan.

 Chapter 189 Unexpected Findings (Part Two)

    When Yun Shang and Wang Jinyan arrived in his yard, they saw Wang Jinhuan grieving over a pile of portraits. The women in these portraits were extremely adorable which made reaching a decision challenging for Wang Jinhuan. "Whom should I choose? Lady Qin seems gentle and kind. But Lady Zhao is prettier. Lady Qian is more outgoing while Lady Qi is considerate. And then there''s Lady Su, Lady Wang, Lady Sun..."


    Seeing Wang Jinhuan''s misery, Yun Shang tried to suppress her laughter and almost choked. She coughed to relieve her discomfort.


    Wang Jinhuan turned around curiously. "Your Highness? What brings Your Highness here? Have you heard from Prince Jing?"


    Wang Jinyan had also heard that Prince Jing was missing, but she had forgotten to ask Yun Shang about it. So she asked with concern, "Is Prince Jing alright, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "I''m not sure yet. Actually, I came here today for another matter. But it is quite related to Prince Jing''s whereabouts." Yun Shang looked at Wang Jinhuan solemnly. "Mister Wang, I want to know whether Prince Jing asked you to investigate Ning Ye or not. And I want to know what you found during your investigation."


    Wang Jinhuan looked away. He couldn''t meet Yun Shang''s gaze and avoided answering her directly, "You mean Ning Ye has something to do with Prince Jing''s disappearance?"


    "I''m not certain but I think he does. If you feel uncomfortable, I can tell you what I found first. Someone is posing as Ning Ye." Yun Shang said flatly.


    Yun Shang''s casual tone left Wang Jinhuan slightly embarrassed. He forced a smile and said, "That''s pretty much what we have found as well, Your Highness. But is he really related to the disappearance of His Highness?"


    "I can''t say for sure, but I certainly have my suspicions." Yun Shang sighed. "Uncle trusts you, so I don''t want to hide anything from you. My grandfather came to the Palace today. He told me that a foreign army had camped on Mount Kirin..."


    Wang Jinhuan''s expression changed abruptly. "It''s exactly as Prince Jing speculated."


    As he speculated? Yun Shang noticed his choice of words and turned to Wang Jinhuan. She was puzzled. Wang Jinhuan continued, "His Highness encountered several assassinations before, and the force behind them seems to be growing. Last year, during an assassination, His Highness encountered a squad. Their weapons and accent indicated that t


    forces, the Emperor would let her marry Prince Jing as his concubine."


    Yun Shang felt a sharp pain in the heart and forced a bitter smile. Her father was indeed an excellent Emperor!


    "Qin Yi, send for my grandfather please..." Yun Shang ordered loudly.


    It was natural for His Majesty to want the Hufu back, because he was the Emperor. However, His Majesty had no idea that there was a foreign army of a hundred thousand soldiers in his country. If anything bad happened to Prince Jing now, it would be disastrous for the State of Ning.


    Before long, Qin Yi brought Xiao Yuanshan to the Palace. Yun Shang met him in the outer Hall and asked Qin Yi and Qian Yin to guard the door. Then she shared what she found with Xiao Yuanshan.


    Xiao Yuanshan remained silent for a while. He forced a smile before speaking, "His Majesty is being unreasonable. I told him that Prince Jing was important to keep the balance between the Li Clan and the Royal family. At that time, Prince Jing hadn''t made many military achievements. It''s even more unwise to plot against him now. It is possible that His Majesty started to worry about the other half of the Hufu when Prince Jing mentioned it during the marriage discussion. Perhaps that worry drove him to make a wrong move?"


    Yun Shang said nothing.


    Xiao Yuanshan noticed her silence and smiled. "Fortunately, nothing horrible has happened yet. Shang''er, I''ll take care of this and persuade His Majesty to let Prince Jing go. But if you want to avoid such kind of trouble, maybe you should have a talk with Prince Jing, and hold your wedding ceremony soon."

 Chapter 190 The Return Of The Nightmare (Part One)

    Marry Prince Jing.


    For the rest of the day, Yun Shang felt upset whenever she thought of the suggestion.


    Marrying somebody was the last thing Yun Shang had designed for her new life. After being reborn, she wished to enact her revenge and revive the connection between her and her parents. She had even wished to make new acquaintances with real friends who shared common goals with her.


    Her marriage with Mo Jingran in her last life was so heart-breaking that she was scared of thinking about marriage. She didn''t have the courage to marry somebody. She was afraid of falling in love. She was even fearful that she would be hurt and despised again by her husband whom she would love with her heart and soul.


    However, Prince Jing had agreed to hand over his half of the Hufu to the Emperor on their wedding day. In that case, she could not turn down the marriage. At least, with the whole Hufu in hand, the Emperor would feel more secure.


    Yun Shang was aware that the Emperor could not afford to annoy Prince Jing. His Majesty was the only one who was fully aware of the extent of Prince Jing''s influence. If His Majesty hastily took any action to suppress Prince Jing''s forces in court, both sides would probably suffer tremendous losses, even though the Prince was not powerful enough to defeat the Emperor. Yun Shang was unwilling to see the two men at war, no matter what the consequence.


    "Your Highness, you are back! Did you get any information about Prince Jing?" Yun Shang stepped into the room in low spirits. The Princess''s countenance startled Qin Yi. So, she inquired as soon as she saw Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang stared blankly at Qin Yi for a moment. As Prince Jing was already under the Emperor''s control, there was no need for the Emperor to kill him. With this in mind, Yun Shang nodded at Qin Yi, "Yes. Prince Jing is safe for now."


    She spoke while walking toward the inner Hall. Then Yun Shang sat on her bench. She seemed lost in her thoughts. As Yun Shang sat there, she happened to see a teacup on the table. A plum flower in full blossom had been painted on the teacup.


    Qin Yi watched Yun Shang as the Princess walked into the inner Hall. She could not help but feel surprised at the Princess''s melancholy. As Prince Jing was safe now,


    e a single minute without Princess Hua Jing by his side." Yun Shang did not recognize the second voice. This maid was a stranger to her. It must be a maid from another Palace who had come to visit Wu Yi.


    Wu Yi laughed after hearing those words. Then she said with a touch of shyness, "Do you know how sexy Princess Hua Jing is when she is in bed with the Emperor''s Son-in-Law? Several days ago, Princess Yun Shang sent me to find the Emperor''s Son-in-Law. When I approached the Emperor''s Son-in-Law''s study, I happened to hear Princess Hua Jing''s moans. It was so teasing that even I, as a woman, could not help but feel a sexual impulse coursing through my body. Wow..."


    "Is Princess Hua Jing indeed so alluring?"


    "Of course she is. Besides, Princess Hua Jing was born by the Empress, the legal wife of His Majesty. And Princess Hua Jing is also the Princess Royal of the State of Ning. In spite of her pitiful fame as a widow, she has kept many gigolos. Owing to her important position in the court, many people wish to lick her shoes. Alas, Princess Yun Shang is useless. Though brought up by the Empress, Princess Yun Shang is of humble status. Her mother is a deserted lady who has been banished to the Cold Palace by His Majesty. It is said that even the jewelry and ornaments that Princess Hua Jing has awarded to her maids are much better than those used by Princess Yun Shang." Wu Yi let out a cold "hum". There was a touch of agitation in her voice. She desperately wished to be Princess Hua Jing''s maid!

 Chapter 191 The Return Of The Nightmare (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was so shocked that she had to lean against the door frame to support herself. She closed her eyes to suppress the surging pain in her heart. ''It was my wish to make Hua Jing happy. So I agreed to live with Hua Jing. Now, as Hua Jing is quite happy, there is no need for me to feel sad.'' Yun Shang tried to console herself with all these justifications. ''I will be fine no matter what happens. I used to be a naughty girl, who rivaled with Hua Jing for everything. Now, Hua Jing is in love with my husband. I can tolerate it if Hua Jing is really happy. I will be fine with the affair between Hua Jing and my husband. Jingran is a playboy. I have known it since the first several months after our wedding. Anyway, Hua Jing is a much better choice than those dissolute women in the outside world.


    What saddens me is his behavior toward Huan''er, who is, after all, his son. Huan''er has been sick for over half a month, but Jingran hadn''t come to visit Huan''er.''


    Yun Shang stood at the doorway for a long while. She leaned against the door until her feet became numb. Then she rallied herself to cough as usual. The talking immediately stopped. Yun Shang tried to speak as loudly as she could, "Wu Yi, ask the physician to subscribe some herbs for me. I caught a cold. Bring the medicine for me after it is boiled."


    After a long time, a reluctant "yes" was heard from outside.


    Yun Shang burst into tears though she had tried to hold them back with all her strength. Her tears were so hot that they almost scorched her eyes.


    Yun Shang felt dizzy after taking the medicine. Fearful of communicating the cold to Huan''er, Yun Shang went straight to her chamber to rest. She felt better two hours later. She summoned for Lian Xin twice. However, it seemed Lian Xin had not yet returned as no one responded. Before going to see Huan''er, Yun Shang had to get dressed by herself.


    Huan''er cheeks seemed red. The quilt, which was supposed to cover his body, was by his side. Yun Shang frowned at this sigh


    and. He was standing by the window, holding Hua Jing in his arms. And her sister, Hua Jing, was flashing her most graceful smile at her. Then Hua Jing sneered, "The Emperor''s Son-in-Law has ordered that no one should disturb him. You are rude to ignore his orders. Kneel until I allow you to stand." Then the merry giggle of Hua Jing followed.


    Yun Shang was at a loss. She looked down at Huan''er face, which was getting paler and paler. Yun Shang felt as if her heart was being sliced, one cut after another.


    After a while, Yun Shang knelt on the ground. She pulled at the cloak to shelter Huan''er. Yun Shang rejoiced in the knowledge that she had put on another robe under the cloak, which would certainly protect Huan''er from getting cold.


    However, she still felt worried for Huan''er. When she raised the cloak, she was shocked to find that there was a trace of blood at the corner of Huan''er''s mouth. And Huan''er looked so pale that he seemed to have breathed his last.


    "Huan''er! Huan''er..." Yun Shang cried in horror. The shock of seeing her child die all over again woke Yun Shang from her nightmare. She sat up on the bench all of a sudden.


    "Your Highness! Your Highness!" Yun Shang heard someone address her with concern. When she turned, she saw Qin Yi looking at her with worry. "Your Highness, did you have a nightmare?"

 Chapter 192 The Return Of The Nightmare (Part Three)

    Yun Shang stretched out her hand to wipe the sweat on her face. Huan''er! Her Huan''er... The nightmare had shattered Yun Shang''s heart. She wondered how her Huan''er was doing now. Did he find a good family in his new life? Was he loved by his parents and siblings?


    Taking the silk towel handed by Qin Yi, Yun Shang cleaned her face gently. Although she was no longer asleep or in a daze, the Princess still stared blankly at the wall in front of her. Sensing someone else''s stare, Yun Shang suddenly raised her head to check. Prince Jing was frowning at her.


    Prince Jing...


    Yun Shang was surprised. She blinked her eyes to dispel the illusion. But he didn''t disappear. ''Is the Prince really standing in my room?'' Yun Shang wondered.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi. The maid caught the Princess''s confused expression. Qin Yi explained with a smile, "Your Highness, Prince Jing has been here for a while. As Your Highness was sleeping, we didn''t wake you. The Prince intended to visit you tomorrow. But I told the Prince that Your Highness had instructed the cooks to prepare dinner. So the Prince is waiting in the Hall for Your Highness to wake up."


    Did His Majesty indeed set Prince Jing free? As Yun Shang was still in her trance, she looked at Prince Jing in astonishment. Prince Jing burst into laughter while seeing Yun Shang''s expression. He walked into Yun Shang''s chamber and sat on her bedside. After touching Yun Shang''s forehead, the Prince asked gently, "Did you have a nightmare?"


    Yun Shang nodded. Yes! It was indeed her most terrifying nightmare. Yun Shang thought to herself.


    "What kind of nightmare was it? I saw that you were troubled in your sleep. And you woke up all of a sudden. You even kept calling Huan''er in your dream. Who is Huan''er?" Prince Jing asked curiously.


    Yun Shang was surprised at the Prince''s question. She lowered her head after a short while, "I cannot remember. I cannot even remember what I saw in my dream..." Catching a trace of suspicion


    A complicated feeling was surging in his heart. "If that day really comes, and His Majesty and I have to fight each other, who will you help?"


    Yun Shang''s expression froze after hearing the Prince''s words. Then she stayed silent for quite a long time.


    Prince Jing looked away from Yun Shang and burst into a bitter smile. He said in defeat, "Oh, I forget that you are His Majesty''s daughter. Your mother is His Majesty''s lady, and is pregnant with His Majesty''s baby now. You will of course help His Majesty..."


    Yun Shang still stayed silent. But a feeling of uncertainty was surging in her heart. She had never thought that the Emperor and Prince Jing would find themselves at odds one day. She had never wondered about who she would help if the Prince and His Majesty were to become enemies.


    Silence permeated the Hall. The rising gray smoke from the incense stove was the only dynamic thing in the Hall. It was so quiet that the sound of a falling needle would be clearly heard.


    "Pang..." The teacup lid in Yun Shang''s hand slipped onto the teacup. Some tea water splashed from inside the teacup. Yun Shang looked at the teacup, and said, "If..."


    But Prince Jing interrupted Yun Shang before she could finish speaking. "All right. Let''s get married. I will request His Majesty to pick an auspicious day for our wedding."

 Chapter 193 To Lower His Guard (Part One)

    Upon hearing the Prince''s words, Yun Shang said no more. After a long while, she chuckled. Though she was laughing, her eyes reflected her sadness, for she suddenly realized that she had never been loved. No one''s heart truly belonged to her, neither in her previous lifetime nor in the recent one.


    How could she be happy with a forced marriage? Both she and Prince Jing had their own schemes and troubles, but the ultimate solution was to get married. Only through marriage would they achieve their goals. What an awful couple they made...


    Yun Shang didn''t say a word. Instead, she giggled. She had matured considerably in this life at least, and had learned to exchange her marriage for what she wanted. As her bitter laughter settled, she spoke to the Prince.


    "It''s not a good time, but we can''t delay anymore. You must''ve known about the one hundred thousand soldiers hiding in the State of Ning. At least that is what I''ve heard. Perhaps there are more of them. Right now, if you lost father''s trust, the other states would take the chance and invade Ning. And if that happened, it would be catastrophic for the State of Ning. I''m fully aware of your ambitions. But you can''t achieve any of them if the State of Ning is at stake. It''s also in your interest. Therefore..."


    "Therefore, our marriage is the best and only solution." Prince Jing completed Yun Shang''s sentence. He felt a sudden ache spreading in his heart. Upon casting a glance at Yun Shang, he noticed the indifferent expression on her face. He hadn''t forgotten yet, how unhappy she had been when she learned that he had asked for the royal decree of their marriage. The Prince also remembered how he had forced and cajoled her into consenting. But now, when Yun Shang spoke of their marriage, her voice was calm and indifferent, as if they were discussing what they would have for dinner.


    He wished Yun Shang to set her goals based on what was in her heart, not by what was in her best interest.


    Yun Shang paused for a while when she noticed Prince Jing''s displeasure. But all she could manage was a bitter grin, as she said, "Of course. If that were the case, we should make the best of both worlds. So, why not?"


    Without say


    he moment, and have much more free time than before. Your mother is not in the Palace, so I don''t have anyone to talk to. Perhaps we can have a father to daughter chat?" Smiling, Emperor Ning pointed to a chair nearby, and said, "Have a seat. I''ve got to finish this."


    Nodding to him, Yun Shang sat on the chair. She gazed at a glaze lamp and murmured, "The woman painted on the lamp looks familiar."


    Emperor Ning paused for a while before he said, "This is the portrait I drew for your mother before."


    Yun Shang nodded to him, and breathed out a sigh. "Last month, I paid a visit to Laifeng Palace. Mother was fine, as was the child in her belly. I''m expecting a sibling soon, I guess."


    Emperor Ning hummed softly in consent. But before he could say anything, Yun Shang let out another sigh. She continued sadly, as if the conversation reminded of her earlier experiences, "When the child is born, please don''t give him or her to someone else. Mother has suffered a lot during these past years. Things would''ve been easier for her had I been around. The people in Laifeng City are honest and simple. During my stay there, I had asked mother whether she wanted to walk around the city. But she declined, for she hadn''t been outside in the past ten years, and she had no idea about the recent world. She said she was at a loss, not knowing what was in vogue, nor who was in power. She also had no idea what topic to talk about. With all that, she didn''t want to go out."

 Chapter 194 To Lower His Guard (Part Two)

    Emperor Ning''s hand trembled slightly at her words. A guilty look appeared in his eyes. After a while, he slowly spoke, "You''ve never mentioned about your life in the temple before. Tell me then, how was it? Was it good? I feel sorry for what has happened to you and your mother. Your mother trusted your care to me, but I didn''t protect you well, not from people nor from poison."


    A painful look came into Yun Shang''s eyes as she heard the words. Emperor Ning noticed the subtle change in her emotions. He gazed at the Princess, and remained quiet as he waited for her answer. He saw her bitter smile. Immersed in her thoughts, Yun Shang closed her eyes, as if she were haunted by all the nightmares again. When he had almost given up, Yun Shang finally answered his question. She narrated in a low, depressed voice, "When I arrived at Ning''guo Temple, because of the poison, I was barely conscious. During that period, I can only remember that I was required to take medicine all the time. I was even bathed in a medicated bath all day long. As part of the treatment, I was required to do many other painstaking things. After three months'' treatment, I finally could sit and talk.


    Later, when I got better, though I don''t know why, there was always someone sneaking into the temple to claim my life. Luckily, I managed a narrow escape for many times. I still remember some of these escapes. Once, I was tricked into leaving Ning''guo Temple by a novice monk. Lured into a forest, I found many people dressed in black waiting to kill me. It was raining heavily that day, and I could only run in my defense. Many times, I had to bury myself in the fallen leaves, and watch them pass by. I was so scared at the time. I feared that they would find and kill me. I feared that I would never come back to the Imperial City alive, nor see you and mother again. Then all the assassins disappeared. It was dark, and I had to find my way back. On my way downhill, I slipped. After rolling down the hill, I lost conscious. When I awoke, I was back in the temple, and Master Wu Na was at my bedside. He


    ile as she thought of why she had relaxed her investigation of the Prince. When she and the Prince got to know each other, her first reaction had been to send Ning Qian to investigate him. But to her surprise, later on, they didn''t become enemies. Instead they were allies, as they both wanted Li Clan''s downfall.


    "If uncle hadn''t saved my life, I wouldn''t be able to sit here and talk to you, father. I always thought my life at Ning''guo Temple to have been full of danger, as there had been so many assassination attempts. It wasn''t until I entered the Palace that I realized that the most lethal thing in the world was not a direct knife. Sometimes the most terrifying threat emerges from the invisible. Do you still remember my embroidery, father? It wasn''t my idea, but Her Majesty had asked me to make one. At that time, I had just returned from Ning''guo Temple. After so many years of studying Buddhism, how could I have learned to embroider? But I feared that my lack of skills would upset you, father. I was so distressed by my incapability that I spoke with the Empress. Her Majesty noticed my anxiety, and suggested that she would have Hua Jing make one for me. She advised that I could claim that I had embroidered it myself. At that time, I had no idea that my sister was so talented in embroidery, that all the ladies in the Imperial City could recognize her work at first sight."

 Chapter 195 To Lower His Guard (Part Three)

    Teary-eyed, Yun Shang continued in a trembling voice, as if she was no longer able to hold back her grievances, "So I readily agreed, and brought a painting from Master Wu Na''s collection to sister. On my way, I encountered Prince Jing. He was surprised by my happiness, and exchanged a few greetings with me. He casually asked where I was going and the purpose of my visit. After learning about my intentions, he advised me to make my own painting. He said you would appreciate a gift that I made by my own hands, rather than something I found. I thought his point to be valid. So I went back to my palace, and found a painting I had copied in the temple, and brought it to sister. As for what happened during my Coming-of-age Ceremony, I can only say that Her Majesty and Princess Hua Jing taught me a lesson."


    Naturally, Emperor Ning didn''t forget what had happened at the banquet. He had felt strange about the incidents that had transpired, but he had brushed the feeling aside. Now that he could see the whole story, he was enraged. He hadn''t expected the Empress to be so bold as to play tricks under his nose. Nor had he thought that she would try to harm his daughter.


    Letting out a sigh, Emperor Ning cast an apologetic glance at Yun Shang, "I didn''t know these things. You have suffered, my daughter."


    That was the reaction that Yun Shang had been waiting for. She flashed another bitter smile, before continuing, "Father, it''s okay. You are an Emperor, and you have to attend to the affairs of the state. You cannot possibly know of every scheme in the imperial household. And I am a grown woman. I know how to protect myself. But mother does not. And she bears a child in her belly. I hope you can spend some time looki


    ise, when released, Prince Jing didn''t heckle him. On the contrary, the Prince had come to request that the marriage be arranged for as soon as possible.


    Did the Prince have any idea what the marriage would cost him? The Prince had promised that he would return his half of the Hufu on his wedding day. Did he really want that?


    The Emperor was even more surprised by the Prince''s retirement plan. At the start, he thought Yun Shang was lying. But as he listened more, he found her words to be logical and genuine, and everything fit with his earlier investigation. He felt guilty for having doubted his own daughter.


    "Father, I''ve looked into the calendar. The sixth day of the next lunar month is a lucky day. How about we arrange my marriage to Prince Jing on that day? It''s rushed, but I''m afraid that''s exactly what uncle wants. Oh, by the way, is the emergency he mentioned really that urgent? I was thinking, it would be good to have the wedding settled earlier. As mother hasn''t given birth to the child, she could attend the ceremony. Since she has already prepared my wedding gowns, she must want to attend my wedding ceremony very much..."

 Chapter 196 Clearance (Part One)

    After returning to Qingxin Palace, Yun Shang, somehow, regretted consenting to the marriage in such a rush. What has become of me? Yun Shang wondered. She even picked an auspicious day, the sixth day of the following month. As today was already the sixth day of this month, the wedding was a month away.


    "Your Highness, it is true that you are going to wed soon?" Qian Yin stared at Yun Shang as she could not believe that the Princess would soon marry. Although Prince Jing, who seemed to be a good husband in Qin Yin''s opinion, had gotten along well with the Princess recently, their marriage was still beyond her expectation.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly before letting out a sigh.


    There was a trace of disapproval in Qin Yi''s eyes as well. Instead of raising a question, Qin Yi quietly helped Yun Shang take off her robe. Then she took the teacup from a maid, put it in front of Yun Shang, and waited by the Princess''s side.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi with an expression of helplessness. "Qin Yi, you also think that I should not marry in such a hurry, don''t you?" However, she sighed before Qin Yi could respond. "But I have no choice, " the Princess said.


    Yun Shang remembered her dying wish. All she wanted was the opportunity to take revenge on those who had wronged her in her previous life. If she didn''t marry Prince Jing, most of the plots she had carefully planned would not bear fruit. Not only would her efforts be in vain, people would be suspicious of her. ''How reckless I have been. I had pretended to be ill for a long time, and had deceived everybody into believing in my meekness. But no matter what I have done in the past, I exposed myself in the end.'' Yun Shang was so mad at herself that she blamed herself for her stupidity.


    A bitter smile broke across Yun Shang''s face. Maybe that was the consequence she deserved. Anyway, as a woman, she would eventually have to marry. It was lucky that Jingran was not the man she would wed in this new life. Her struggles would amount to something since she had gotten rid of Jingran.


    Even so, she would never forgive Jingran. She could never forget how Jingran had killed Huan''er. He had thrown Huan''er from the window of the turret, which was so high that Huan''er must have felt a tremendous amount of pain.


    Yun Shang felt as if her heart was being pricked by many needles whenever she thought of Huan''er''s death.


    "Your Highness, I have fetched your wedding robe. Lady Jin was so careful that she even prepared the groom''s wedding robe in advance. Your wedding robe used to be Lady Jin''s. She embroidered it when she was unmarried. She wished that she could have worn it at her wedding, but... it turned out useless afterward. Then Lady Jin made a groom''s wedding robe. She said that the groom''s wedding robe would be in need one day, no matter if she gave birth to a son or a daughter." Qin Yi was holding a scarlet wedding robe in her hands. She had carefully pulled it out from an antique wooden box. She said with a smile, "Lady Jin preserved the wedding robe well. It looks new even after so many years."


    Yun Shang grinned. Her hand ran lightly up the phoenix pattern embroidered on the wedding robe. Then she said, "Mother is very good at embroidering. But I am clumsy. I only seem to entwine the silk threads in a mess well before I pick up a needle." Then she looked at the groom''s wedding robe. Although less luxuri


    o is behind these three groups." Yun Shang ordered with a frown.


    Qian Yin nodded, and then continued, "Your Highness, Xia Houjing is said to be sick again. Several physicians were sent to treat him in his dwelling. We detained one of the physicians, and tried to acquire some information from him. But the physician was so scared that he passed out. As the physician has been unconscious since, we decided to send him back home. We were afraid that the physician''s absence would arouse suspicion."


    "Sick again?" Yun Shang sneered. It seemed that Xia Houjing was quite capable of controlling his physical condition. He could fall ill and recover as he liked. What a good time for him to be sick again!


    "Pay attention to Xia Houjing and the people around him. If I''m right, Xia Houjing might sneak out dressed like someone else." Yun Shang ordered softly.


    Qian Yin nodded as soon as Yun Shang finished speaking.


    Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the room. Yun Shang listened and identified that the footsteps belonged to Qin Yi. It was indeed Qin Yi who raised the door curtain and stepped in. She said to Yun Shang with a smile as she walked toward the Princess, "Your Highness, I have handed over the wedding robe to Prince Jing in person."


    Yun Shang nodded at Qin Yi after hearing her words. She could not help but imagine what would it be like when Prince Jing took the wedding robe from Qin Yi.


    "Prince Jing said the wedding will be held on the sixth day of the next month. Although it is too soon, all preparations will be done to perfection. The Prince is planning on holding a wedding that Your Highness deserves. The Prince even decided to hold an Engagement Ceremony on the eighteenth day of this month. Now, Your Highness''s Palace outside the Imperial Palace is under construction. The Prince said although Your Highness will spend most of your time with him in his mansion, the Princess''s Palace should be decorated luxuriously as well. Prince Jing thanked Your Highness for the wedding robe, and gave a jade pendant as a gift in return. This is the jade pendant that he always carried with him since his birth. The Prince said that it would be the best gift he could present to Your Highness. He hopes that Your Highness will take good care of it."

 Chapter 197 Clearance (Part Two)

    Qin Yi flashed her most brilliant smile while presenting the emerald jade pendant to Yun Shang. Qin Yi was on tenterhooks when she had accompanied Lord Zheng to Prince Jing''s Mansion. She had served Yun Shang for a long time, and knew the Prince to some extent. However, she knew her master much better. She was afraid that Prince Jing would treat the Princess shabbily. But judging from Prince Jing''s responses when Lord Zheng was announcing the Imperial Edict, Qin Yi saw no sign of hatred nor resentment on his face. He even gave his jade pendant to Qin Yi in everyone''s presence.


    In Qin Yi''s opinion, this jade pendant had no other significance other than being of high value. But Lord Zheng told her that the jade pendant was the only valuable personal object Prince Jing had before he was adopted by the former Emperor Ning. It may be the only clue that would unfold the secret of his birth. Lord Zheng even told Qin Yi of an incident that happened two decades ago when His Majesty and Prince Jing were young boys. One day, His Majesty wanted to look at the jade pendant. But as soon as His Majesty seized the jade pendant in his hands, Prince Jing desperately pushed His Majesty down, and had a terrible fight with His Majesty.


    It seemed that the jade pendant was by no means an ordinary jade to Prince Jing. It stood for his family members whom he had never met. Now, as Prince Jing was willing to present it to the Princess, it would mean that the Prince must love the Princess very much. The Princess was so clever, that she would clearly know how the Prince feels about her. The Princess would be very happy if she marries a person who loves her with his heart and soul.


    Yun Shang took the emerald jade pendant from Qin Yi, and inspected it. The jade was, of course, of excellent quality. It was so smooth that it seemed to run through her fingers like emerald water. There were patterns of dragon and phoenix carved on the front face of the jade pendant, and a character, Luo, had been carved on the back.


    So, the jade pendant explained why Prince Jing was surnamed Luo. Yun Shang gently rubbed the warm jade pendant while thinking of the stories behind it. Then her lips curled into a grin, "Qin Yi, teach me how to make a string knot*."


    (TN *A string knot is a kind of ornament which can be hung on the waistband in Ancient China. It is a knot woven of colorful silk strings, with beautiful fringes on one end and a string on the other for hanging light objects. It can be used to carry jade, sachets, and other decorative articles. The Chinese Knot is one example of a string knot.)


    Qin Yi smiled at Yun Shang. She teased as she spoke, "Yes. But why does Your Highness want to learn knotting today? Your Highness has never shown any interest in any women''s craftsmanship before. I think Your Highness should also learn something about embroidering. At the very least, Your Highness should be capable of making


    d doubt that she was a fairy from Heaven.


    Hua Jing was jealous when she saw Yun Shang''s beauty! She had to clench her teeth to suppress her anger. However, Hua Jing didn''t want to lose her dignity before Yun Shang. After subduing her agony and tidying herself, Hua JIng asked coldly, "Why are you here? My Palace is strictly guarded. How did you come in?"


    Yun Shang giggled at Hua Jing''s question. "Sister, how important you are! Instead of guarding the Imperial City, the Imperial Guards have to protect you. Your Palace is indeed strictly guarded. But the new Imperial Commander told me that as I am a Princess and haven''t made any mistakes, I can go wherever I want."


    Hua Jing was enraged by Yun Shang''s ironic tone. "Yun Shang, did you come here to deride me? I''m sorry as I will disappoint you. I am very well. I was born nobler than you, and I will, of course, die nobler than you as well. I was born to the Empress, and I am the Princess Royal of Ning. Your mother is just a deserted woman who spent most of her life in the Cold Palace. My mother has fed you and loved you for all these years. But you treated us in such a shameful way. You are no better than an ungrateful dog!"


    Yun Shang laughed heartily as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. Yun Shang walked slowly toward Hua Jing. She was smiling at Hua Jing, but her gaze was cold. "Hum, your mother indeed treated me nicely. She spoiled me when I was a child. But she just did so to make me habituate enjoyment. Even the Grand Tutor hated teaching me. As a result, I grew into an illiterate, wayward Princess who earned an ill reputation among all the noble girls in the Imperial City. Besides, you and your mother have designed every conceivable method to eliminate me. You hired people to push me off high places and even poisoned my food. You and your mother have never gotten tired of thinking of ways to kill me... How well you and your mother have taken care of me..."

 Chapter 198 Scheming And Plotting (Part One)

    Shocked, Hua Jing turned to Yun Shang, only to be startled by the hatred in Yun Shang''s eyes. Hua Jing suddenly understood. "It was you, wasn''t it? It was you who framed me when my cousin was poisoned. In the hunting competition that day, it was also you who set me up. Several days ago at the temporary imperial palace, it was you who led to my..."


    Yun Shang squinted with disdain. "What are you talking about, Sister? I don''t understand a word. Actually, Sister, I have always been curious. Tell me, who is the father of your lost baby? I heard many people arguing about this when I was traveling through the Imperial City a few days ago. They were even gambling on the identity of this man in the tea houses. I bet five hundred taels on Prince Qingsu from the State of Yelang. Do you think I will get lucky, Sister? Oh, well, I understand if you want to keep it to yourself, Sister. Or maybe you have no idea either..."


    Truly outraged, Hua Jing glared at her sister before throwing the court lantern at Yun Shang.


    "Ha-ha ha-ha..." Yun Shang laughed cheerfully. "By the way, Sister, Prince Qingsu said that he would take responsibility to spare your reputation. But Father refused him. I suppose Father will not allow you to marry him. However, if you can''t marry Prince Qingsu, who would want to marry you considering your reputation now? Do you know why Father refused Prince Qingsu''s proposal of marriage?"


    When Hua Jing heard the taunt, veins throbbed on her forehead. She gnashed her teeth. "Get out of here!"


    Yun Shang shook her head and looked more joyful. "Let me tell you why, Sister. It is because your mother and Grand Councilor Li are loathe to agree so. If you marry Prince Qingsu, it would be known to all in the Imperial City that Princess Hua Jing was intimate with the third Prince of the State of Yelang not long after her husband had died. Moreover, the State of Yelang and the State of Ning were at war when this happened. What you did was treason, Sister. Do you think Her Majesty and the Grand Councilor would protect a Princess who is guilty of treason?"


    Hua Jing''s eyes turned red. Furious, she dashed towards Yun Shang. Yun Shang, however, dodged easily. Hua Jing couldn''t manage to stop in time. She knocked over a vase. The vase shattered on the ground, and Hua Jing fell to the ground.


    Yun Shang walked to her and bent to look at her sister. She said with a smile, "Be careful, Sister. What if you are bearing another baby now?"


    "Yun Shang!" Hua Ji


    id nodded and started to walk toward Yun Shang. She didn''t stop when she reached the Princess. Instead, she turned and walked into an alley.


    Yun Shang and Qian Yin followed her into the alley. Not many people were in the alley. The maid slowed down so that Yun Shang could catch up to her. The maid spoke to the Princess in a very low voice, "Prince Houjing of the State of Xia is now in a village at the bottom of Mount Kirin."


    What? Yun Shang paused, but the maid had disappeared. Yun Shang frowned and didn''t move for a long time.


    Qian Yin had placed herself at the opening of the alley to guard against potential dangers. She didn''t hear their talk. But from Yun Shang''s expression, she knew that it must be something serious. After hesitating for a moment, Qian Yin asked softly, "What is wrong, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang squinted before an angry look flashed across her face. "We need to return to the Palace now."


    Once at Qingxin Palace, Yun Shang changed into a formal dress and went to Qinzheng Hall. However, upon her arrival she learned that Emperor Ning wasn''t there. Anxious, Yun Shang decided to look for Emperor Ning in the Imperial Garden. It didn''t take her long to find Emperor Ning. She walked up to him and called softly, "Father."


    Emperor Ning turned and that is when Yun Shang noticed the woman beside him. He was walking with Li Fuyi.


    Yun Shang frowned. When did Li Fuyi win the Emperor''s favor?


    "Shang''er?" Emperor Ning beckoned her with a genuine smile. "Did you go somewhere today? I saw a really good piece of fabric, so I asked Lord Zheng to send it to you for your wedding dress. But you were not in the Palace."

 Chapter 199 Scheming And Plotting (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was startled, but she managed to put on a bright smile. "Mother prepared the wedding dress for me twenty years ago. It''s really beautiful. Actually, I just went to visit Sister in her Princess Palace. Yesterday, my maid who just returned told me that there were some rumors about Sister in the Imperial City. I was worried about Sister, so I paid a visit to her today and found that she was not in a good mood. Father, Prince Qingsu seems to be a decent young man. Why didn''t Father accept his proposal to Sister? If Sister marries Prince Qingsu, it would be beneficial to her reputation."


    Emperor Ning squinted at Yun Shang and wondered if she was speaking the truth. Before he replied, Li Fuyi interrupted, "Your Majesty, I hate to talk about this, but Princess Hua Jing is my niece. I felt sad when Princess Yun Shang mentioned her situation. As a Princess from the royal family, Princess Hua Jing has been cultivated and guided with the best etiquette. I think it would be impossible for her to have done such things. She must have been framed. Maybe someone is plotting against Her Majesty?"


    Yun Shang nodded. "I agree."


    Emperor Ning was displeased. He looked at Li Fuyi coldly and sneered, "Save your breath. I can make my own decisions."


    Yun Shang lowered her head sadly. Emperor Ning frowned and said, "You are getting married soon, so I''m going to send two experienced Madams to guide you regarding some necessary knowledge from tomorrow. Do pay attention to their teachings. They will also accompany you to Prince Jing''s Mansion and continue to serve you there. Their advice could be of great use to you."


    "I will, Father. Thank you." Yun Shang had to agree. However, she was getting agitated, because she was actually planning to ask for Emperor Ning''s permission to leave the Palace for some time. She wanted go to Mount Kirin and investigate why Xia Houjing was there. However, she didn''t expect that Emperor Ning would make such an arrangement all of a sudden. Although Emperor Ning had mentioned it once before and Yun Shang had used it as an excuse to refuse the Empress''s offer, she never took it seriously because Emperor Ning hadn''t brought it up again. Until now... It meant that she might not be able to get away from the Palace at this point.


    Yun Shang frowned. After finishing her small talk with Emperor Ning and Li Fuyi, Yun Shang rushed back to Qingxin Palace. "Jin


    to his playful joke. "I''ll be waiting for you tonight, Uncle."


    Then she heard Prince Jing laugh cheerfully.


    At Qiwu Palace, an old Madam was helping the Empress take off her hairpin before combing the Empress''s hair. "Your Majesty, Princess Hua Jing sent a message today. She wants to see Your Majesty."


    The Empress smiled bitterly. "Why can''t she learn a lesson? She is my only daughter, but she never learns to use her intelligence."


    The Madam lowered her head and remained silent.


    "I don''t know if I will be able to protect her in the future." The Empress looked into the mirror and touched the wrinkles around her eyes. She forced a smile, "It has been twenty years since I came to this Palace. I''m getting old..."


    The Madam shook her head hurriedly. "Please don''t belittle yourself, Your Majesty. You are still at your best age."


    These words were of little consolation to the Empress. She knew the truth very well and she didn''t need these comforting words.


    "It cost my family a lot to help brother get the position of Imperial Commander. Alas, he has been dismissed from that position. And as a result, it would be difficult for Father and Mother to contact me. The situation is getting serious and I can''t wait passively for the end..." The Empress closed her eyes with a touch of sadness.


    "Madam, the sixth day of the next month would be a good chance. I''ll make some arrangements while preparing for Yun Shang''s wedding. I have to gain His Majesty''s respect again. I must seize this chance. I''ll write a letter to Father explaining my actions. Send it to him when possible."

 Chapter 200 Sneaking Out Of The Imperial Palace

    Night fell. Yun Shang lay on the bench, sleepless. She was already dressed as she was expecting Prince Jing to come and lead her out of the Palace. But she had blown out all the lamps in her chamber. Yun Shang stared into the darkness in the room. Her eyes were wide open. Somehow, the moment reminded Yun Shang of her previous life. Jingran exposed his nature as a playboy shortly after their marriage. He fooled around with prostitutes in brothels day and night, and seldom returned home.


    At first, Yun Shang cried and smashed things to vent her anger. She even went to the Empress to air her grievances. ''Although the Empress consoled me with gentle comforting words, she must have been glad in her heart of hearts when she heard all my pitiful stories, '' Yun Shang thought to herself. However, Yun Shang only incurred vicious blames from her mother-in-law for her cries and desperate behavior. Then Yun Shang gradually came to realize that there was no use in doing so. She finally accepted defeat. But she could no longer fall asleep at night. On those nights, Yun Shang could only stare into the pitch darkness in her room with a broken heart.


    Spoiled by the Empress on purpose in her previous life, Yun Shang had never felt misery nor distress before her marriage. She had never imagined that she would sink into such an abyss of suffering one day. In her darkest moment, desperation was the only thing she could feel. However, her life worsened further as Jingran married many concubines. All of them were so vile and cunning that Yun Shang had suffered a lot at their hands.


    "Bang!"


    A strange noise originating near the window caught Yun Shang''s attention. Yun Shang sat up and turned to look at the window. In the dim moonlight, she saw a person in white jump in from outside.


    "Hmm? I thought you would be asleep. Why are you sitting here? You scared me." Prince Jing said. He seemed exhausted. That surprised Yun Shang. She wondered what had happened to make the Prince so tired. She knew that His Majesty hadn''t sent the Prince on any errand recently. How could he be so exhausted...


    Yun Shang took off the quilt and left her bench. "I have told Qian Yin and Qin Yi about our plan. Have you thought of how we''re going to explain my absence?"


    "Don''t worry. I have thought of something." Prince Jing said as he walked toward Yun Shang. She could not help but frown after she took a closer look at the Prince. Prince Jing sat down on the bench and let out a sigh. "I heard that Ning Qian is very good at changing her facial appearance. How about letting Ning Qian stay at the Palace and impersonate you for a couple of days?"


    Yun Shang wrinkled her brow as soon as she heard the Prince''s suggestion. It seemed Jing Ying had indeed told the Prince everything about her. Yun Shang curled her mouth a bit in anger, and said, "I have sent Ning Qian on another errand."


    Yun Shang could not afford to relax her precautions against the Li family when she was away from the Imperial City. She understood that the Empress would never be happy if her marriage was a success. She felt the need to take action before the Empress could hurt her. Yun Shang wanted to find such an opportunity to ensure that the Empress and Hua Jing faced a heavy setback. So, she sent Ning Qian on an important task.


    Prince Jing nodded, "Okay, let''s go. But I''m a little tired. We will go to my mansion first. I''m in need of sleep."


    Yun Shang became more curious after hearing that. Although she had noticed Prince Jing''s weariness, she hadn''t expected that the Prince would admit to it candidly. And he even said he was in need of sleep! What had happened to make the Prince so exhausted? The Prince looked normal. They had met earlier in the day and she hadn''t noticed any changes since their last meeting.


    But Prince Jing didn''t explain any further. He simply held Yun Shang by her waist and took her out of the room through the window before she could raise any questions.


    Yun Shang felt


    here is anything that the Princess Consort wants to eat, please let me know."


    The chamberlain''s words brought Yun Shang to her senses. She could not believe that she had lost herself in a trance while looking at Prince Jing just now. Her face flushed some more. To cover her shyness, Yun Shang shook her head, "The food is very good."


    The chamberlain cleaned up the table as soon as Yun Shang and Prince Jing had finished dining. After he left, silence dominated the room. Prince Jing walked to the bench and lay on it. He said gently, "It''s late. We''d better retire now. We have to leave early tomorrow morning."


    Yun Shang was taken aback at Prince Jing''s words. She had intended to rest after the Prince had fallen asleep. But she lost herself again after she got a glimpse of the Prince. The Prince was lying on the bench. His long black hair was unrestrained. As his hair danced in the gentle breeze, Yun Shang could not help but wonder at his allure. Set off by his hair that was as dark as the night, the Prince looked more handsome and more graceful. And his loosely tied robe continued to reveal part of his bronze-colored chest. Just as she was about to turn her gaze elsewhere, Yun Shang noticed some terrifying scars on the Prince''s abdomen. She remembered that the Prince had been injured on his abdomen not long before. It seemed as though his wound was healing well, but those scars really looked dreadful.


    Suddenly, Prince Jing moved, and turned his back toward Yun Shang as if to avoid her gaze.


    Yun Shang was at a loss while watching Prince Jing''s back. Then the Prince spoke all of a sudden. It was so unexpected that Yun Shang was startled. "If you keep staring at me in that way, I''m afraid it would be impossible for me to fall asleep." The Prince''s voice clearly revealed a trace of exhaustion in spite of his teasing.


    Yun Shang blushed after hearing that. She hurriedly blew out the lamp and walked to the bed.


    Prince Jing''s breath finally became peaceful. Yun Shang lay in the bed and listened to the Prince''s rhythmic breathing. As she pulled his quilt up, his scent surrounded her. Yun Shang couldn''t help but close her eyes and inhale deeply. Yun Shang felt at peace for the first time in her life. The Princess nuzzled her head closer to the quilt to enjoy the moment. Soon she fell asleep with a sweet smile.


    Noticing that Yun Shang had fallen asleep, Prince Jing''s eyes fluttered open. He was in a joyous mood. Then he turned to look at the woman sleeping in his bed. They were under the same roof tonight. How wonderful it felt! The Prince could not help but curl his lips into a smile before he closed his eyes again.

 Chapter 201 The Shocking Secret

    If Yun Shang and Prince Jing traveled to Mount Kirin by horse and carriage, it would take them half a month. That would be too long for Yun Shang, as her wedding with Prince Jing was a month away. If she and Prince Jing weren''t in the Palace at that time, it would be troublesome.


    So Yun Shang decided not to take the horse and carriage. She chose the Ferghana horse that Prince Jing had found for her. Together, the Prince and Princess rode day and night to reach Mount Kirin as quickly as possible. It took them five days to arrive at the village at the foot of Mount Kirin.


    It was a small village with a population of only several hundred people. It was called Peach Stream Village, and the villagers were said to be honest and friendly. Seeing Yun Shang and Prince Jing, the villagers became agitated and defensive.


    "This is the twelfth time that strangers have come to our village. Is something wrong?" The villagers pointed to Yun Shang and Prince Jing as they whispered amongst themselves. Yun Shang and Prince Jing were both good at Kung Fu, so they had good hearing. They heard what the villagers had said.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but become suspicious. In such a small village, any strangers'' arrival was big news for the villagers. If the secret army of one hundred thousand soldiers stationed themselves in Mount Kirin, why hadn''t they been noticed by the villagers? And given the fact that the villagers were so suspicious and gossiped a lot about strangers, Yun Shang was afraid that many people were aware of her and Prince Jing''s arrival, even before they reached Mount Kirin. This meant that Xia Houjing must know of their arrival, too.


    Yun Shang glanced up and exchanged a look with Prince Jing. They both noticed the worry reflected in the other person''s eyes. Yun Shang kept silent for a while. Then she approached a woman and started talking, "Madam, I come from Xiyi Town with my husband. We came here to visit my brother and his family. But my brother only told me that he lives near Mount Kirin. This is the only village near Mount Kirin that I could find, but I don''t think my brother lives here. I wonder if there are any other major cities around Mount Kirin."


    The woman examined Yun Shang and Prince Jing, and found that they looked quite elegant, which made her respect them. But the woman couldn''t understand why Yun Shang and Prince Jing rode horses to the village. ''Who would ride horses to visit their relatives? Not to mention there are only two of them.'' Upon hearing Yun Shang''s explanation that they came from Xiyi Town, the woman stopped questioning their story. Xiyi Town was located at the border. The Town''s folk were known for their emboldened outlook, and every person in Xiyi Town knew how to ride a horse and shoot an arrow.


    "There are no other major cities around Mount Kirin......" The woman quickly answered.


    Yun Shang frowned. She thanked the woman and turned to look at Prince Jing. Prince Jing pondered before he said, "Since our brother doesn''t live here, we can leave now. I''ll send someone to ask about his address later."


    Yun Shang nodded and mounted the horse in preparation to ride away from the village with Prince Jing.


    "If grandfather is right about the army of one hundred thousand soldiers, then how do they support themselves without the basic living facilities of a big city?" Yun Shang frowned. She felt that they must have missed something.


    Troubled by doubt, Yun Shang gave her secret signal. After a while, as she and Prince Jing walked to a quiet place, a man in black knelt before Yun Shang. "My Lady, " he said respectfully.


    Yun Shang nodded before speaking, "People in the Peach Stream Village seem hostile to strangers. Where have you been staying these days? Have you been noticed by someone? You''ve reported to me that Xia Houjing has arrived here. Where is he now?"


    "My Lady, I''ve been living in the dense forest behind Peach Stream Village. Peach Stream Village is smal


    inking. "How is that possible?"


    Prince Jing looked at Mount Kirin. His eyes were still filled with coldness. "I was shocked too when I came to know about this. But this secret was found out by my most trusted intelligence specialists. It can''t be fake. The ancestor to the Li Clan was a descendant of the State of Xia. But he was the child of a maid and failed to be the heir of his Clan. To save himself from being persecuted by others, he voluntarily asked to come to the State of Ning. Upon arrival, he changed his name, and asked his descendants to promise that they would work for the State of Xia. Together, they schemed to secure important positions in the State of Ning. Slowly but steadily, their power and influence has grown so much that they now intend to rule the State of Ning.


    As you know, even though the State of Xia is a large country and is rich in resources, it is scarcely populated and lacks weapons. They have a foothold among all their surrounding countries only due to the protection offered by their natural terrain. People of the State of Xia have their ambitions. They just don''t have the chance. But they are smart enough to think of this plan. They are trying to occupy our state in a bloodless way. I suspect that with the Li Clan''s high position in the State of Ning, the State of Xia must think this is the best time for them to implement their final plan. The soldiers in Mount Kirin are probably deployed by the State of Xia for this purpose."


    It took Yun Shang a long time to accept what Prince Jing had said. She was struck by the news. If Prince Jing was right, then the ruler of the State of Xia must be alarmingly scheming and had shocking foresight.


    And if Li Clan were really spies placed by the State of Xia a long time ago, then it would make things more complicated.


    "So father must be...... in great danger." Worry filled Yun Shang''s eyes. "Xia Houjing and Lord Hua Guo are both in the State of Ning right now. These soldiers will follow their orders. Should we arrest Xia Houjing and Lord Hua Guo? In that way, those soldiers can''t act effectively."


    Prince Jing shook his head. "We don''t have evidence to prove that the State of Xia deployed a hundred thousand soldiers here. Even if we did have the evidence, we should still be prudent. If we arrest Xia Houjing and Lord Hua Guo, I''m afraid the Emperor of the State of Xia will take it as an excuse to declare war on us."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time. She bit her lip and said, "I need to make some arrangements for mother. I will also need to see to other things in the Imperial City. After that, I''ll go into Mount Kirin with you."

 Chapter 202 Going Into Mount Kirin

    Yun Shang selected ten servants who had performed well in several previous missions before turning to Prince Jing and asking, "Uncle, isn''t there thick miasma in the forest on Mount Kirin? How can we get in?"


    Prince Jing took out a map and pointed at a place on Mount Kirin, "There is a river here. We can climb the mountain along the river."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She took the map and examined it for some time. "If its possible to go into Mount Kirin by climbing along the river, then why isn''t there any information on the map? The map doesn''t show the river''s length, nor does it mention the terrain......"


    "Because even with the help of the river, it is still difficult to get on Mount Kirin. There is a cliff halfway up the mountain. The river plunges into a waterfall at this point. The cliff is about three hundred and thirty three meters high and its slippery and smooth surface makes the cliff impossible to climb. Only a person with great Kung Fu can climb the mountain." Prince Jing said calmly.


    "......" Yun Shang turned and looked at the ten servants who seemed stunned. She murmured to Prince Jing, "No wonder you didn''t ask me to bring servants." Then Yun Shang couldn''t help but get upset with Prince Jing. ''Why didn''t you tell me earlier......'' she thought.


    Then Yun Shang turned to Prince Jing as she thought of something important, "Did you just say that a person needs to be good at Kung Fu to go up the mountain? So, if a person is not very good at Kung Fu, he or she can''t go up?"


    Prince Jing nodded. Then he heard Yun Shang''s calm declaration, "That is unfortunate as I am not good at Kung Fu."


    Yun Shang had learned some Kung Fu. But she was not great at it since she had been really ill as a child and her health conditions didn''t allow her to practice much. She had been eating special herbs to strengthen her Kung Fu skills. However, despite the help, she found it hard to master techniques like Qinggong*.


    (*TN: A Chinese martial arts technique that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.)


    Yun Shang''s statement astonished Prince Jing. On several occasions, she had surprised him with her abilities. He had, therefore, always wondered whether or not she had mastered certain Kung Fu techniques. He remembered being amazed with Yun Shang''s Qinggong once and thought that the Kung Fu she practiced was a special kind.


    Prince Jing kept silent for a while before he said, "If the cliff weren''t so steep, I could have taken you with me. But......"


    "Don''t worry too much. We''ll see what we can do after we get to the cliff." Eager to leave, Yun Shang stood and walked to her horse.


    "Now is not the best time for us to go into the mountain. We didn''t hide our traces, so even though Xia Houjing doesn''t know our identity, he must have been informed that some strangers have come to Peach Stream Village. He will definitely place more guards. And I''m afraid that we have already been noticed by him. If we want to go into Mount Kirin, we need to take a detour and get rid of our stalkers." Prince Jing sat down and acted casual.


    Yun Shang nodded. She blamed herself for the situation in which she found herself. When around Prince Jing, she followed his instincts and let him take the lead. It seemed that she didn''t take the precautions she normally would have.


    Fortunately for them, the secret guards were good at hiding themselves. After a while, Yun Shang and Prince Jing were alone as the guards had taken care of the stalkers. When it started getting dark, Prince Jing stood and said, "I''ll go hunt for some food. Be careful while I''m gone."


    Yun Shang nodded and watched Prince Jing leave. After a while, she stood and looked around for some branches to burn. When she was about to start a fire, Yun Shang found that she wasn''t carrying any flint. Yun Shang forced an awkward smile and leaned against a tree as she waited for Prince Jing''s return. It seemed that they would spend the night here.


    It didn''t take Prince Jing long to find them some food. After a short while, he returned with two pheasants in his hands. Prince Jing grinned when he saw t


    it was highly likely that they would both fall and die.


    Yun Shang stood beside the deep pond under the waterfall and looked around for a long time. Then she pointed to a tree at the top of the waterfall and said to Prince Jing, "If you can find a rope the height of the waterfall and tie it to that tree, I can climb the cliff. With the help of the rope, my guards will also be able to climb the cliff."


    Prince Jing looked at the tree for some time, then he nodded. He turned and told his people to find a long rope. But the nearest town was a hundred kilometers away. It would take another day for the guards to purchase a rope at the town and return.


    When Prince Jing''s guards came back, it was already midnight. It was too dark for anyone to see anything clearly, and Yun Shang wasn''t sure whether she could climb up the cliff at night. So they all found a place to rest. When the sun rose the next day, the Prince, Princess and the guards prepared to climb the mountain.


    Prince Jing flew up to the top of the cliff using his Kung Fu. The leap that Prince Jing took was more than three hundred meters. Yun Shang was shocked. She knew that Prince Jing was really good at Kung Fu, but she didn''t know that he was this good. She became troubled at a thought. ''This man is so scary. If we become enemies one day, I will have little chance to win.''


    Prince Jing tied the rope to the tree that Yun Shang had mentioned. He carefully examined the knot before nodding. The tree was at least a hundred years old. It grew on the edge of the cliff, and some of its branches extended outward, beyond the cliff. The diameter of the branch on which Prince Jing tied the rope also assured him that it would be able to bear a person''s weight.


    Yun Shang jumped into the water and swam to where the rope dangled above the pool. She tied the rope around her waist and pulled the rope with both hands as she began her climb. The cliff was so slippery that Yun Shang couldn''t put her feet on it. So she used the help of the rope to begin her slow climb up the cliff. Prince Jing saw Yun Shang struggle when climbing up. He frowned. ''This cliff is more than three hundred meters high. If she keeps climbing like that, not only will her hand ache for a long time, she will also have blisters.''


    Thinking about that, Prince Jing used his Kung Fu to lift the rope and Yun Shang. Yun Shang was only a fifteen-year-old girl. It wasn''t hard for Prince Jing to lift her. With the Prince''s help, it only took Yun Shang two hours to reach the top of the cliff.


    Just as the Prince and Princess were about to rest, they heard someone talking in the dense forest. Yun Shang and Prince Jing were surprised. They looked at each other before diving into the water to hide.

 Chapter 203 Sharing Weal And Woe

    "What''s that?" Yun Shang heard someone talking above them. She was startled. When Yun Shang and Prince Jing heard someone talking, they panicked and dove into the water. They didn''t have the time to put away the rope. If the rope was seen by those people, they would know that someone must have climbed up the mountain.


    "Come on. Let''s go and take a look." Yun Shang frowned at the conversation. Even though Yun Shang and Prince Jing were hiding in the water, they could still be easily spotted if those people came closer and looked into the water. Fortunately, it was the upstream of the waterfall, so the water was deep. Yun Shang and Prince Jing could submerge themselves deeper before those people checked the water.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Prince Jing. She found that he was frowning. His eyes were tightly closed and he looked pale. Yun Shang was shocked. ''Prince Jing doesn''t know how to hold his breath under water!''


    Then Yun Shang smiled bitterly at her thought. Maybe it was because Prince Jing had been so efficient and resourceful in his daily life that Yun Shang had never thought there were things that he couldn''t do. The fact that Prince Jing couldn''t hold his breath would be fatal to him and disastrous to their mission.


    Just as Yun Shang was contemplating their options, she heard the faint sound of footsteps. She knew those people were coming closer to the river''s edge. Yun Shang didn''t have the time to think. She quickly swam to Prince Jing and placed her hand under his arm. With the Prince securely in her grasp, she pulled him as she swam deeper.


    When Yun Shang had swum deep enough to avoid being seen by the people ashore, she stopped to check on Prince Jing. She became flustered when she found that he looked worse. Prince Jing''s face had turned blue due to lack of oxygen. ''Crap!'' Yun Shang thought to herself. She was afraid that Prince Jing couldn''t stay in the water for too much longer.


    Just then, she heard someone talking from the shore. Yun Shang listened attentively.


    "Look. What''s this?" Someone asked.


    "It''s a rope...... Someone must have climbed up the mountain. And there must be more than one person." Another man answered. Yun Shang sighed. She wished that they hadn''t found the rope. But those people did spot it hanging from the tree. Yun Shang was worried about Prince Jing. She felt anxious. ''Why don''t they leave?''


    When she felt that Prince Jing going limp, Yun Shang knew that the Prince couldn''t hold his breath any longer.


    Yun Shang bit her lip as she thought over her


    Prince and Princess encountered no beasts in the forest. Perhaps that was because of the miasma. Yun Shang felt quite relieved. But she was concerned that they wouldn''t find the right direction. Besides, they knew nothing about this forest, so the only thing they could do was wander around and try their luck as time went by.


    After they took their third pills, the Prince and Princess still hadn''t found anything. Yun Shang felt more and more anxious. Mount Kirin covered hundreds of miles. If they kept looking for the curing herb aimlessly, they would be trapped in the woods.


    It was not good to wander around like this.


    And they both knew that.


    Prince Jing stopped and said, "Your grandfather said that on the day that he found traces of the secret troops, the miasma was not so thick. He also mentioned that the south side of Mount Kirin was clearer as it had rained. Today, it looks like we don''t have his luck."


    When Yun Shang was about to say something, she saw Prince Jing close his eyes, as if he was sensing something.


    Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Prince Jing answered softly, "When we were climbing the mountain, the wind was coming from the north. Since we don''t have any sense of direction inside the forest, I''m trying to feel the wind. If I can feel the wind, we''ll have a little help."


    Yun Shang forced a bitter smile. ''Well, that sounds like a logical way to figure out directions. Right now, we can only count on the wind.''


    "This way." Prince Jing said in a low voice as he turned to his right.


    After they took a few steps, the Prince and Princess heard some noises. It sounded like someone was stepping on the leaves.

 Chapter 204 Yun Shang Is Attacked

    Surprised, Yun Shang exchanged a glance with Prince Jing. They hid behind a tree and held their breath as they waited. Before long, the footsteps approached their vicinity before stopping. Yun Shang wasn''t quite sure, but she thought it sounded like they had been followed by more than one person, but no more than two.


    She quickly calculated the odds of a confrontation. She and Prince Jing were quite capable of dealing with one or two enemies. And they could certainly make their stalker disappear without alarming the others.


    As she continued thinking about their strategy, she felt a warm breath tingle her ear. Yun Shang was startled, but soon, she calmed down as she realized that it was Prince Jing. Prince Jing whispered in her ear, "You''re worrying too much. We were not being followed by a hostile entity."


    What did that mean? Yun Shang was puzzled. She shot a questioning look at Prince Jing as she contemplated what he meant.


    Prince Jing craned his neck and looked past Yun Shang in the direction where the footsteps had stopped. After a few quick glances, his expression relaxed. He grinned as he spoke, "I was right. Come, take a look."


    Yun Shang was even more puzzled now. She guessed that since Prince Jing was asking her to step out from behind the tree, they were safe. But why did Prince Jing talk like that? It sounded like he had seen an old acquaintance. Driven by curiosity, she hastened to follow the Prince. She saw an elk standing not far away. The magnificent creature stood with its back toward them. It seemed to be looking into the distance.


    As if aware of their presence, the elk suddenly turned and glared at them with large, shinny eyes. In the next moment, the elk bellowed before galloping away.


    The Prince and Princess were astonished by the beauty of the elk. Equally, they were amused by the elk''s quick exit. As Yun Shang watched the graceful animal flee, she suddenly came up with an idea. She said to Prince Jing, "Follow the elk."


    With that said, she ran ahead. It took the Prince a few seconds to react. Fearful that they might get separated, he quickly followed.


    As they gave chase, Yun Shang explained to the Prince, "We haven''t met any living creatures along the road, not even an ant, let alone something as big as an elk. I assume the miasma killed most animals. But the elk wandered through the forest and showed no symptoms of poisoning. I believe that if we follow it, the elk might lead us to the antidote."


    Prince Jing nodded. They desperately needed to find the antidote to the miasma, or else they would die in the forest.


    The elk was running so fast that it took quite an effort for the Prince and Princess to keep up with it. They only slowed down when they saw the elk approaching a small pond. The elk seemed tired and stopped long enough to drink some water.


    When Yun Shang looked around,


    he had no ambitions of his own. It was also highly unlikely that the Grand Councilor was simply carrying out the Xia Emperor''s orders.


    Even if the Grand Councilor wanted to be so selfless, he would''ve been stopped by his family members. However, she still stood a chance to defeat him and his net of power, as long as she could defeat the core members of Li Clan individually.


    As she was thinking of her plan against the Li Clan, a voice suddenly broke the silence. It was soft, but sounded dangerous. Yun Shang felt goose bumps spread throughout her body. She shuddered as she heard the voice, "The Imperial City has been fortified and the number of guards has been increased. It might take some time for the new weapons to get into the city. Ning Ye, is everything settled as I ordered?"


    Shocked and surprised, Yun Shang held her breath as she listened to the voices. She wondered what these people were doing here, and why Ning Ye was with them.


    "It''s done. From tomorrow, the soldiers can start to sneak into the city. When the time comes, we will congregate at the meeting point and catch the cursed Emperor off guard. Victory is so close that I can almost taste it! I''d love nothing more than to see the expression on the Emperor''s face when he is confronted by our soldiers. By then, it will be too late for him to do anything."


    What was he talking about? Alarmed by what she had heard, Yun Shang reached out and held a nearby branch. Unfortunately, it snapped. As the snapping sound echoed through the forest, Yun Shang realized her mistake. But it was too late. The men who had been talking were now aware that someone was nearby and had heard their conversation.


    Before she could think of her next move, one of the men spoke, "Who''s there?"


    Yun Shang panicked and searched her surroundings. A moment later, she felt the air stir as an attack headed her way. Sensing the danger, Yun Shang dodged.

 Chapter 205 Yun Shang Is Injured

    Horrified and surprised, Yun Shang quickly thought it over. Since both men had met her before, they would recognize her. Moreover, she had overheard their conversation. If she were caught, they would definitely kill her. In the likelihood of a confrontation, she didn''t have much confidence to compete against two martial arts masters.


    After weighing her options, Yun Shang decided to flee. The Princess darted several silver needles toward her attacker before turning and running in the opposite direction at full speed. The forest was large and covered in poisonous miasma. Not only did the miasma lower visibility, it was now getting very dark. Yun Shang thought she could use these to her advantage and evade her attackers.


    As she fled, Yun Shang focused on the sound of footsteps. Her attackers seemed to be closing in on her. Yun Shang gritted her teeth. Her lack of inner power had now become a lethal disadvantage. It would not be long before the two men caught up with her.


    Yun Shang had only two options. Either she stayed and fought, or given her poor abilities, she could run till the attackers caught up with her. Regardless of which option she chose, the result would be death. Yun Shang decided to risk her life on a plan. As she ran, Yun Shang reached into her sleeve for a fire starter*. As she passed by a mountain of dead leaves, she grabbed a handful. She quickly lit the leaves and threw them over a pile of withered leaves on the ground.


    (*TN: As the story goes, in Ancient China, there used to be a kind of fire starter called Huo Zhe Zi. It''s said to be made of flammable substances such as saltpeter, sulfur, rosin, camphor, and various spices. Normally, the fire starter is placed in a bamboo tube. When the tube is opened, the substances will start to burn.)


    The burning embers spread quickly and before long, all the leaves had caught fire. As Yun Shang passed by more piles of dead leaves, she continued to set them on fire. As more and more piles of leaves started to burn, the fire grew into a fierce, roaring blaze. It wasn''t long before Yun Shang''s cheeks burned with the heat from the fires. As the forest was full of withered leaves and dying trees, the fire would soon turn into an inferno, and engulf everything in the forest.


    Although Yun Shang felt relieved because her plan was coming along well, she frowned as her attackers seemed to be gaining on her. Yun Shang abruptly turned in another direction. If she remembered correctly, she would be heading toward the pond she had seen when chasing the elk.


    "Damn it! Send a signal to gather our people! Our soldiers and weapons are hidden in this mountain. We must stop the fire from burning everything!" Yun Shang smiled when she heard the roar from behind her. It seemed that her plan had taken effect. She even wished that the fire would burn the forest to ashes, along with the soldiers hiding inside it.


    However, she heard the voice again. And this time, she shuddered in fear. The voice said, "Ning Ye! Follow her and catch her! You will bring her back to me, dead or alive!" Yun Shang flushed with anxiety at his words. Her triumphant mood was swept away. As she continued to run at full speed, she grit her teeth and reached for the bell. She pulled it from her belt and shook it furiously.


    After sending ou


    een to dart silver needles at the men, twice. Ning Ye presumed she lacked the skills to fight. He became more convinced of his presumption when Yun Shang didn''t dodge when he pounced on her. He was not expecting her to be armed. Suddenly, he saw the dagger in her hand.


    Alarmed, Ning Ye tried to evade, but it was too late for him to change position. And even if he could evade, he would be in a passive position. That would leave him at a greater disadvantage. Determined, he braced himself to be stabbed by the dagger. But before Yun Shang could withdraw the dagger, Ning Ye gathered his internal force, and directed it to his hand before clapping her.


    Yun Shang had little experience with real combat strategy and didn''t expect that Ning Ye would allow himself to be injured by her dagger. Astonished, she lowered her guard for an instant. She hadn''t thought that he would take this opportunity to attack her. Surprised and defenseless, she was hit.


    As Ning Ye''s hand touched Yun Shang, his whole internal force transferred to her. Yun Shang almost screamed as she felt her entire shoulder blade being injured to the point of almost shattering.


    After the attack, they both stepped back. Since Ning Ye and Yun Shang had underestimated each other and had been injured in the process, they became much more cautious.


    Yun Shang waited for the opportunity to attack him again, but this time, Ning Ye kept his distance. Suddenly, a firework burst in the sky. As the light chased away the darkness, Yun Shang turned her head away from her attacker. Although they were fighting, Ning Ye still didn''t know her identity. She was afraid that Ning Ye would be able to see her face. Ning Ye took the chance and attacked her again.


    Yun Shang dodged, but was still hit.


    Suddenly, Xia Houjing stopped attacking Prince Jing. He grit his teeth before shouting, "Stop! There''s an emergency! We need to return to the camp!" Ning Ye gave his opponent one last look before following Xia Houjing back into the dense forest.


    When she could finally relax, Yun Shang registered the taste of blood in her mouth. She closed her eyes to resist the impulse to cough. Instead, she breathed deeply and swallowed the blood.

 Chapter 206 The Secret Of Prince Jings Birth

    Prince Jing rushed to Yun Shang and asked with concern, "What happened? Are you okay?"


    Yun Shang nodded but kept silent.


    It was dark around them, so Prince Jing couldn''t see that Yun Shang had been hurt. He also didn''t see her swallowing her blood. When he didn''t hear Yun Shang speak for a long time, Prince Jing held Yun Shang''s hand and asked again, "Are you hurt?"


    It took Yun Shang a while to muster enough strength to answer softly, "I''m all right. I''m just tired after the chase and the fight."


    Prince Jing was happy to hear Yun Shang''s voice. But he noticed how weak she sounded. He nodded as he thought over her explanation. Prince Jing felt relieved. ''Yun Shang isn''t very good at Kung Fu. It''s understandable that she would feel tired.''


    "We need to hurry. I set fires around the forest during the chase. It won''t be long before someone comes to put them out. I have a way to deal with the soldiers. After we return safely, we can set another fire in the forest. Then we can place our army at the foothills and kill every soldier who comes down the mountain." Yun Shang suppressed the pain in her shoulder. She ground her teeth before continuing, "Ning Ye and Xia Houjing talked about letting their soldiers sneak into the Imperial City from tomorrow. They must have bribed more than one person in the Imperial City. We need to place more guards in the Imperial City."


    Since it took all of her energy to share this information with the Prince, Yun Shang felt pain spread throughout her body. She was afraid that Prince Jing would find out about her injury, so she ground her teeth and bore the pain silently. She didn''t want to be a burden to Prince Jing.


    When the next spasm of pain enveloped the Princess, Yun Shang broke into a cold sweat and shivered slightly. Her vision blurred and she felt as though she was on the verge of losing consciousness. Just then, Prince Jing''s voice gave Yun Shang something else to think about. He said, "Well, now that we are not afraid of the poison in the miasma, we should go back down the mountain and find our people. I''ve been able to spot a road that we can use. Tomorrow I''ll report the secret army to Emperor Ning and suggest that he replace the garrison guarding the Imperial City with people that I trust......"


    Yun Shang answered him with a soft "Em." Just then she felt Prince Jing holding her injured hand. Yun Shang burst into a cold sweat as pain radiated throughout her arm and shoulder. She almost passed out because of the intensity of the sudden pain.


    "Why is your hand so sweaty?" Prince Jing asked.


    Yun Shang ground her teeth and forced a smile, "It''s probably because I''ve never fought with anyone in practice. As it''s my first time, I became


    , Yun Shang wondered which side Prince Jing would take. If Prince Jing chose to support the State of Xia, it would be disastrous to the State of Ning.


    The more Yun Shang thought about it, the more worried she became. ''I should give Prince Jing some time to process the news. In the meanwhile, I need to ask my people to make sure of its authenticity. If it is true, then Prince Jing and I need to talk. No matter what, I will not let Prince Jing become an enemy of the State of Ning.''


    Prince Jing brought Yun Shang to the waterfall. Yun Shang frowned. Without the rope, it would be harder for her to climb down.


    Prince Jing seemed to be pondering about the problem, too. After a while, he said, "This problem can be easily solved. We can let our guards know that they need to set something under the waterfall to cushion our landing. Let''s jump."


    Yun Shang hesitated at Prince Jing''s words. If she hadn''t been hurt, she would have jumped without fear. But since she had been hurt and her shoulder injury was serious, Yun Shang wondered if her whole arm would break with even the slightest impact from such a high fall.


    However......


    "All right." Yun Shang said after a long time.


    She smiled bitterly. Xia Houjing''s people would try to enter the Imperial City tomorrow. If she wasted time, it would be too late to stop them.


    Prince Jing walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Seeing that the guards had placed fishing nets and quilts under the cliff, he nodded and turned to Yun Shang, "I will jump first. When you jump down, I will catch you."


    Yun Shang nodded. Seeing that Prince Jing had jumped without waiting for her response, she walked to the edge of the cliff. As she looked at the people and the arrangements, she assured herself that she would be all right. Then she jumped too.

 Chapter 207 The Visit By Lord Hua Guo

    Yun Shang didn''t sleep well. It had been a long restless night for her. She felt as though someone had pressed on her shoulder, causing her great pain. She didn''t even have the strength to open her eyes. But she kept trying because somehow, she felt that there was something really important that she needed to do. She remembered having the same feeling when she was giving birth to Huan''er in her previous life. Huan''er had been a premature infant and she had almost died during the delivery due to complications.


    "Your Highness, Your Highness......" Half asleep and half awake, Yun Shang heard someone calling her. The voice seemed faint and distant. After some time, she felt a person come closer to her and hold her. She felt some medicine being placed in her mouth before Yun Shang heard the cry, "Bring the physician here! Hurry! Take my horse!"


    The voice seemed genuinely worried. The deep concern reflected in the voice almost made Yun Shang cry. ''Who is it? Is it Mo Jingran?''


    Yun Shang felt her head became heavy as she thought about people and events from her past life. She fell asleep again. Since she had been unconscious, Yun Shang didn''t know what had happened. However, once Prince Jing learned of her injuries, he became furious. He took action against Grand Councilor Li, Xia Houjing, and all other persons who were involved in the events that led up to Yun Shang''s injury.


    Yun Shang woke six days after their trip to Mount Kirin. When she woke, she felt like her body was falling apart. Yun Shang opened her mouth. Before she could say anything, Qian Yin quickly asked her, "Your Highness, Your Highness. How do you feel now? Are you awake? Are you feeling any better, Your Highness? Are you thirsty? Or do you want to eat something?"


    Qian Yin threw several questions at Yun Shang all at once, which made Yun Shang want to laugh. But even the idea of laughing took too much strength. The Princess almost passed out from the growing pain in her chest from suppressing her laughter.


    "Your Highness, don''t speak too much. Let me do the talking. After you and Prince Jing returned from Mount Kirin, you passed out. The imperial physician diagnosed that you were seriously injured. Prince Jing has been by your side all these days. He hasn''t rested much. He was required to attend to an urgent matter which is why he is not by your side. He should be in his study now. Please don''t think that he isn''t concerned about your well-being. I''ll tell him that you are awake." Qian Yin rushed outside after she had finished speaking.


    Her behavior made Yun Shang want to laugh again. Qian Yin didn''t even wait for Yun Shang to answer any of the questions she had thrown at the Princess.


    Yun Shang couldn''t stop thinking about what Qian Yin had said. Had Prince Jing been by her side all this time? How many days had it been? She had lost all sense of time. What day was it?


    Yun Shang looked around


    knew that it is not convenient for Your Highness to move or walk too much, so he asked his servants to bring the wedding robe and jewelry for Your Highness to try on. If they don''t suit Your Highness, he will ask the craftsmen to make some adjustments. His Highness also asked me to convey that on the day of your wedding, You Highness can leave from Prince Jing''s mansion to greet His Majesty and return afterward. According to the wedding ceremony, Your Highness and His Highness are supposed to cruise around the whole Imperial City. His Highness canceled the long trip as it would be exhausting to Your Highness."


    Yun Shang smiled but said nothing. Qian Yin was the younger of Yun Shang''s two personal maids. It was Qin Yi who normally took charge of such household matters. Qian Yin was a quiet person by nature. Yun Shang wondered when Qian Yin became so voluble.


    While they were talking, the chamberlain entered. "Your Highness, Lord Hua Guo from the State of Xia is requesting a meeting with you."


    Yun Shang''s expression changed. She was reminded of Lord Hua Guo''s words in the forest on Mount Kirin. If Prince Jing were the eldest Prince of the State of Xia, then Lord Hua Guo would be his grandfather.


    "Have you told Lord Hua Guo that Prince Jing isn''t here?"


    The chamberlain quickly answered, "Your Highness, I have told him so. But Lord Hua Guo said that he would also love to meet you. His Highness told us that as the Princess Consort, Your Highness can take charge of everything in the mansion during his absence."


    Yun Shang quickly summarized that Lord Hua Guo had come to visit her not Prince Jing. Given Lord Hua Guo''s power and resources, it would be easy for him to know whether Prince Jing was in his mansion or not. He had come to the mansion an hour after Prince Jing''s departure, which indicated that he wasn''t here for Prince Jing at all.


    Yun Shang pondered before she nodded, "Please bring Lord Hua Guo in."

 Chapter 208 Lord Hua Guo‘s Visit

    As they stepped into the front Hall, Qian Yin helped Yun Shang into a chair. The Princess hadn''t married Prince Jing yet, so Qian Yin draped a curtain made of crystal beads in front of the chair. As she settled into the chair behind the beads, Yun Shang wondered about Lord Hua Guo''s true intentions.


    Not long after, the chamberlain escorted Lord Hua Guo into the room. Yun Shang turned to study the man. Although she could only see a silhouette through the curtain, she could tell that the man was in his seventies. Despite his age, Lord Hua Guo still radiated a majestic demeanor. He seemed healthy as he kept his back straight and steps steady. He didn''t seem to be afflicted with the symptoms of old age.


    Yun Shang flashed him a smile and ordered the chamberlain to bring a chair and a cup of tea for Lord Hua Guo. Then Yun Shang said gently, "What a nice surprise. His Highness should''ve hosted you himself, but he is not home. As his betrothed, I''m bound by propriety. As I cannot unveil my face in front of a male guest, I must apologize to you for the discourteousness."


    When he heard her explanation, Lord Hua Guo emitted a loud laughter. He bowed slightly to Yun Shang, "You flatter me, Princess Hui Guo. As an unexpected guest, I should be the one asking for forgiveness. My visit today is driven by curiosity. I''ve heard of the Prince''s forthcoming wedding. Prince Jing is a prestigious man. Although I am from the State of Xia, I''ve heard a lot about the Prince''s skill on the battlefield. It''s quite a shame that I couldn''t meet him on the battlefield in person. Considering his nature and achievements, I wondered what kind of woman had tamed him. Today, I heard that His Highness''s betrothed has moved into his mansion. Curious as I was, I was so bold as to pay a visit. It''s very kind of you to meet with me, Your Highness."


    A gleam flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes as she listened to his words. Although a generous smile was plastered on her face, the Princess sneered inwardly as she now knew Lord Hua Guo''s true intention. Since Lord Hua Guo had identified Prince Jing to be the late Xia Empress''s child, he wanted to know whether Yun Shang was good enough for his extraordinary grandson.


    "You are too kind. His Highness would be overwhelmed by your praise. He used to say that Lord Hua Guo is gifted at military affairs. The Prince also said that Lord Hua Guo is better than him at marching an army. In His Highness''s opinion, it''s quite a pity that he didn''t meet you in your prime years. Although I''d see it as luck that His Highness and you haven''t fought on the battlefield." Yun Shang returned his compliments. She didn''t dare to offend Lord Hua Guo at this crucial point as Prince Jing''s identity was still unconfirmed. Yun Shang also didn''t have the opportunity to speak with the Prince and understand how he felt about his supposed identity. However, the meeting with Lord Hua Guo reminded Yun Shang of the soldiers hiding in Mount Kirin, as well as the fight in the forest, and her injury. Although she had restrained her real emotions, complex feelings surged in Yun Shang''s heart as she gazed at the old man. Placing soldiers on Mount Kirin wasn''t a rushed plan, and surely Lord Hua Guo was involved.


    "Really? He said that? Hahahaha..." As Yun Shang had expected, Lord Hua Guo was pleased. "Please tell Prince Jing that I would openly welcome the opportunity, should he so desire to test his skills."


    Yun Shang chuckled and covered her mouth with her hand. She nodded to Lord Hua Guo, "I will relay your words to him."


    Lord Hua Guo nodded. He tapped the armrest in satisfaction and smiled, "You are such a delightful girl, Princess Hui Guo. You could''ve been a good wife. If only you were not a Princess of Ning."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. It sounded as though Lord Hua Guo didn''t think she was good enough for Prince Jing. But he made a point. If Prince Jing was truly the eldest son of the Xia Emperor, according to lineal primogeniture, he would be the Crown Prince by default. And if Prince Jing wanted to be Xia''s Crown Prince, he needed to build a sound political foundation. Since he had grown up in the State of Ning, Prince Jing''s status in Xia was unestablished. Thus, the only way for Prince Jing to thrive was through political marriage. In that case, e


    es to attract Prince Jing''s attention.


    Prince Jing continued to ignore him. Instead, he took out a package wrapped in oiled paper from his sleeve, and handed it to Yun Shang. "I had a meeting at Yuman Tower. They recently made a new pastry called Jasmine Blossom. It is made with taro and jasmine. I ate one and thought it tasted good. So I brought some for you. Feel free to have some whenever you want. But you can''t eat too much. After all, you are taking medicines, and shouldn''t have too many sweets."


    Yun Shang bowed her head and accepted the package with a smile and a slight nod. "I see. Thank you."


    Prince Jing nodded before helping Yun Shang stand. He asked softly, "Have you taken your medicine yet? I''ll escort you back to your chamber. Please try to get some rest. You didn''t sleep well last night either. You kicked your quilt off your bed many times. Although the weather is warm now, you still have to protect yourself or you might catch a cold."


    Despite Yun Shang''s ability to stay calm in difficult situations, she could no longer maintain her composure. She flushed red at Prince Jing''s words. She glared at him, bit her lower lip, and didn''t say a word as she turned toward her chamber.


    Prince Jing grinned as he escorted Yun Shang to her chamber. Lord Hua Guo was still waiting when the Prince returned to the front Hall. Prince Jing pulled up a chair for himself and sat down. He then asked the servants to remove the crystal curtain. Then he frowned as he gazed at Lord Hua Guo. He said, "I''ve heard about the disturbances in the State of Xia. I''m surprised you had the time to visit Her Highness."


    Lord Hua Guo coughed to conceal his feelings. He glared at Prince Jing before speaking plaintively, "When we happened to meet the other day, I felt that you are a promising young man with rare talents. Thus I paid a visit today."


    As they were talking, the servants handed a cup of tea to Prince Jing. He lifted the lid and blew the tea several times before speaking calmly, "The late Emperor was a good teacher and a good father. He treated me like his own son and taught me everything he knew. But I don''t think I have to elaborate on how extraordinary a person he was. I''m sure that you are fully aware of his military prowess."


    Although Yun Shang wasn''t entitled to know about political affairs, the Prince was, and he was intentionally wounding Lord Hua Guo with the facts and the praise. Shamefaced and angered, Lord Hua Guo said bitterly, "Father? But I heard you were merely his adopted son, Prince Jing."


    Upon hearing that, Prince Jing turned his gaze to Lord Hua Guo. He smiled mockingly, "I am an adopted son, indeed. But he cared for me deeply. I am fortunate to have been raised by the late Emperor. Sometimes foster parents are kinder than biological parents. In my case, it is clear which was better and which is worse."

 Chapter 209 The Wedding

    Prince Jing''s subtle rebuke shamed Lord Hua Guo and caused him much embarrassment. Lord Hua Guo grasped his fist tightly before he stood. He tried to justify himself, but failed. He fell on his chair with a bitter smile on his face. Lord Hua Guo couldn''t blame Prince Jing for the way he spoke about his birth and foster parents. Prince Jing didn''t know the truth about his lineage, so what he said made sense.


    Seeing Lord Hua Guo''s odd behavior, Prince Jing stopped smiling. He asked coldly, "Lord Hua Guo, what''s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"


    Lord Hua Guo couldn''t deny the observation. He nodded, "Yes. I''m feeling uncomfortable. I''ll take my leave and return to the inn."


    Prince Jing looked down at his teacup. He watched as the tea leaves floated in the water. He avoided eye contact with Lord Hua Guo, "In that case, I''ll see you another time. Chamberlain, walk Lord Hua Guo out."


    After Lord Hua Guo left, Prince Jing put down the teacup and frowned. He stayed in his chair for a long time before standing and walking to the inner room. He acted as though nothing had happened.


    Yun Shang was leaning on the couch. In her hand, she held a medical book. Prince Jing sat beside the table and looked at the beautiful girl. Yun Shang seemed to be at ease. Prince Jing spoke after a while, "Lady Jin has returned to the Palace."


    "What?" Yun Shang raised her head, half surprised and half worried, "Mother is back in the Imperial City? Why haven''t I heard of this? She can''t be in the Palace right now. There are too many things happening here. She is pregnant and in a delicate situation. It''s not safe for her to stay in the Palace."


    Prince Jing put a smile on his face to comfort Yun Shang, "I asked my people to pick her up secretly. I knew you would be worried, so I didn''t tell you. Our wedding is drawing near, and I want your mother present. I know that you will not consider our wedding perfect without her presence."


    It was unexpected for Yun Shang to hear Prince Jing mention their wedding. Her ears burnt from shyness. Yun Shang smiled, "I''d love to have my mother present, too. But I''m not in the Palace, and the Empress has regained her power. I''m afraid something might happen to mother. Can we let mother stay with us in the mansion?"


    Prince Jing smiled. Love and tenderness reflected in his eyes, "Your mother is a Lady. It''s against the rules for a Lady to live with a Prince. If we allow your mother to live with us, I''m afraid it would reflect poorly on us. You don''t need to worry so much about her."


    Yun Shang was disappointed and her expression conveyed her feelings. She knew it was impossible to let her mother live with them. But somehow, she had a feeling that something bad was about to happen. She felt insecure when her loved ones were unprotected.


    Knowing what Yun Shang was possibly worried about, Prince Jing thought for a while before he said, "Don''t worry, please. I will send more guards to protect your mother. Your father must care a lot about her, too. He hasn''t had a child in many years. I believe he will do his best to protect Lady Jin and their unborn baby. I''m sure nothing will happen to her. Don''t worry. Your father is the Emperor. If he wants someone to be safe in his state, nothing will happen to that person for sure."


    Yun Shang remained silent after Prince Jing''s reassurance. After a while, she nodded, "Fine. But I haven''t seen my mother in ages. Can you arrange a meeting so that I can see her?"


    Prince Jing shook his head, "Your mother is too far along in her pregnancy now. She has been carrying the baby for eight months. I saw her today and was surprised at how big her belly had become. She was exhausted after the long trip from Laifeng City. It is unrealistic for her to come and see you now. Besides, your health is not good either. You are not supposed to move too much. She''ll be f


    d wanted to dedicate herself to enacting her vengeance. Marriage was hence, least expected. She consoled herself by rationalizing that her marriage with Prince Jing had an ulterior purpose. She was not doing this for love. On the contrary, marriage to Prince Jing would help her gain more power and security. With such thoughts, Yun Shang thought she could be calm about this event, but after seeing the red color and all that it signified, her heart couldn''t help but beat fast.


    Despite the justifications Yun Shang thought of, she was terrified. She knew that there were variables that were beyond her control. She felt nervous about the unknown future.


    Suddenly, Yun Shang felt something warm touch her hand. Her thoughts were interrupted. She looked down and found her hand being held by a thin, white hand. She smiled at Lady Jin''s affectionate and reassuring gesture.


    "Shang''er, are you afraid?" Lady Jin softly asked her.


    Yun Shang hesitated before nodding.


    Lady Jin smiled and comforted her in a soft voice, "Shang''er, you''re smarter than mother. I have been a failure in my relationships, so I don''t have anything useful to teach you. But there''s one thing you need to keep in mind. The most important thing between a couple is not love, but trust." Lady Jin sighed before she continued, "I''ve watched Prince Jing grow up. He is a good man. I know that after you marry him, you will have a good life. Remember to support and love each other. I want you to be happy, both of you."


    Yun Shang kept her head low and said in a soft voice, "I understand."


    Lady Jin nodded and tried to blink back her tears, "You still need to greet your father at the Palace. Prince Jing is waiting for you. It''s time to begin the ceremony."


    Yun Shang stood and said, "Mother, I hope you can be happy, too." Then Yun Shang put her right hand in the madam''s hand and walked out of the room.


    As soon as she left the chamber, Yun Shang felt a warm hand slide into hers. Standing to her left, the person seemed to be supporting her. She paused. As a sweet and earthy smell enveloped Yun Shang, her lips curved into a smile. ''It''s Prince Jing, '' she thought.


    "It''s time to start the ceremony. Ready the palanquin*."


    (*TN: A palanquin is a covered seat carried on poles held parallel to the ground on the shoulders of two or four people. It was used to transport persons of importance in Ancient China.) Yun Shang climbed onto the palanquin. The servants sang in a melodious chorus to announce the beginning of the wedding ceremony. After a slight shake, the palanquin was lifted.

 Chapter 210 Rising Storm

    Sitting in the palanquin, Yun Shang thought about her wedding ceremony. So far, all the arrangements had been perfect. As she was carried down the street, the Princess heard all sorts of sounds from outside. There was joyful music and the crowd was cheering. She heard people''s conversations when she passed by. The commoners were discussing about this most exciting event. Yun Shang wondered what the preparation looked like from outside the palanquin. As the people gasped, whispered and cheered, she imagined that the pomp and circumstances of her wedding must have been extraordinary.


    However, she still felt a little uneasy. If she were the Empress, she would definitely do something to subvert the wedding. Since the Empress had asked about every detail for the wedding ceremony, it would be easy for her to find an opportunity to implement her plans.


    But she couldn''t guess the Empress''s actual scheme. Yun Shang decided to take measures according to the actual situation. The person she cared for the most now, was her mother. Yun Shang had sent almost all her guards to protect Lady Jin. Combined with her father and Prince Jing''s forces, her mother should be well protected.


    The palanquin wobbled all the way to the Imperial Palace. Finally, it stopped. As the palanquin was placed on the ground, a man''s hand lifted the curtain and reached for Yun Shang. At the sight, Yun Shang snapped out of her daze. She recognized the hand to be Prince Jing''s. She quickly placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her dismount from the palanquin.


    She was then led into the Palace. Finally, the Prince and Princess reached Jinluan Hall.


    After they had walked down the length of the hall, Prince Jing and Princess Yun Shang stopped. Prince Jing knelt and Yun Shang followed. Since she couldn''t see much through her veil, she presumed that Emperor Ning and the Empress must be in front of her. A eunuch sang, "The Princess now bows to His Majesty."


    Yun Shang prostrated and kowtowed three times. As she completed her greeting, she heard Emperor Ning''s voice come from above. The Emperor sounded sad as he spoke, "You''re grown up now, Shang''er. I still can''t believe you''re old enough to marry. My best wishes to you both for many happy years ahead."


    Yun Shang kowtowed again. As she sat upright, she heard Lord Zheng announce, "His Majesty has prepared his wedding gifts. He will bestow Princess Hui Guo with a jade pendant symbolizing her royal identity, and a Princess Palace in Her Highness''s name. The Princess is also being gifted with a jade pendant symbolizing her new status as Princess Consort, engraved with her title, Princess Jing."


    Yun Shang prostrated again and kowtowed as she thanked her father for the wedding gifts.


    "The Princess may now bid the Emperor and Empress farewell, " the eunuch sang.


    "Farewell, Your Majesties." Yun Shang kowtowed to the Emperor and Empress. As her forehead touched the ground, the Princess felt as though she was in a dream. She made a silent vow. From now on, although she would no longer be a part of this Palace, her hatred and revenge would not be dissolved.


    Prince Jing stood before helping Yun Shang to her feet. Holding hands, they bowed to the Emperor and Empress before turning and walking out of Jinluan Hall. As they walked down the hall, a bell rang and music started. A procession of musicians played joyful music as the Prince and Princess walked out of Jinluan Hall. The music continued as the Prince and Princess reached the Palace Gate and climbed into the palanquin. Another procession of musicians, guards, and maids followed the palanquin to Prince Jing''s mansion.


    It took them nearly an hour to get to the mansion. Gongs and trumpets sounded during the whole journey to the mansion. As the palanquin stopped outside the mansion, the master of the ceremony sang, "Now the bridegroom will open the curtain."


    Yun Shang heard footsteps approach the palanquin. The curtain was lifted and Prince Jing extended a hand to Yun Shang. The Princess smiled and held his hand as she stepped out of the palanquin. As per the ceremony, a brazier and tiles had been placed before her. She stepped over them and headed toward the front hall.


    "Look! They are a perfect match!" There were exclamations and laughter from the commoners. Yun Shang smiled at the good cheer surrounding her. Her life had changed a lot. In her current life, she had married Prince Jing instead of Mo Jingran. She found herself wondering about how married life with Prince Jing would unfold.


    "The auspicious time is about to come. Your Highnesses may now enter the front Hall." The chaperon standing beside the married couple exclaimed with delight.


    The Emperor and Empress would have arrived before the married couple. And Yun Shang had received a signal from her guards letting her know that Lady Jin had reached the mansion safely as well.


    Since Prince Jing was an orphan, and his foster parents had passed away, Emperor Ning would perform the parents'' role during the ceremony as he was Prince Jing''s oldest living relative.*


    (*TN: In a traditional Chinese wedding, the couple has to kowtow or bow to each other''s parents. The Prince and Princess had completed the first part of the ceremony that required them to bow to the Royal family. In this part of the ceremony the Emperor would represent Prince Jing''s parents and the Empress would represent Yun Shang''s family.)


    The celebrations in the hall were less clamorous. Perhaps the guests didn''t dare to make uproarious talk and laughter in Emperor Ning''s presence. The chaperon helped Yun Shang walk to her spot in the hall. Once everyone was in position, the master of ceremony sang, "The auspicious time has come. The new couple may now carry out the ritual. Kneel!"


    "The couple may now bow to Heaven and Earth!"


    "The couple may now bow to their parents!"


    "The couple may now bow to each other!"


    "The couple may now enter the bridal chamber!"


    Yun Shang was in a daze during the ceremony held in the mansion. When Yun Shang finally paid attention to her surroundings, she realized that she was in the bridal chamber. The Princess looked around and found herself surrounded by festive decorations. All of this felt so surreal to Yun Shang. Noticing her bewilderment, Prince Jing asked softly, "Are you tired? Do you feel unwell?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. She did not walk much during the ceremony. Although the ritual was long, she wasn''t too tired. The Princess fidgeted under the weight of the heavy and complicated jewelry and attire.


    "Your Highness, it''s time to unveil your wife, " suggested the chaperon who had been standing beside the couple.


    Prince Jing nodded and said, "I will."


    He reached toward Yun Shang and slowly lifted the red veil. Yun Shang blushed and giggled. This would be the first time that she would see Prince Jing in his ceremonial attire. This would also be the first time that she would look upon Prince Jing as her husband. She demurely raised her eyes and was surprised when s


    r rang out. Yun Shang blushed. She hurriedly helped Prince Jing up and whispered in his ear, "Your Highness?"


    The Prince blinked rapidly before turning his gaze toward her. He seemed to be in a daze with absolutely no idea of what had happened. Seeing that, Yun Shang glared at Wang Jinhuan. The latter hurried forward, bowed, and giggled, "Do please forgive me, Your Highness. His Highness was too delighted. See, he''s drunk a little more than usual tonight. I asked him to stop, but he didn''t take my advice."


    A bearded man shoved him on the shoulder and laughed, "Cut the bullshit! Your advice only stopped His Highness from drinking less!"


    Debunked, Wang Jinhuan showed no sign of embarrassment. Instead, he chuckled, "So what? I''m so delighted that I don''t feel like myself anymore. You have no idea how happy I am for His Highness! He''s 28 years old! He''s finally married! I almost felt like an eager and anxious father..."


    Yun Shang forced a smile as she fought the impulse to beat Wang Jinhuan. She helped the Prince on to the bed and settled him, before she turned her gaze toward Wang Jinhuan. She quipped, "Mr. Wang, you should work harder if you really want to be an eager and anxious father. After all, you haven''t found the person who will give birth to your son yet. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot...I happen to have a father-in-law, who happens to be the late Emperor. Mr. Wang, I''m sure the current Emperor would be glad to learn of what you''ve just said."


    Wang Jinhuan flinched. He quickly coughed several times, and changed the subject, "I was overwhelmed by joy. I didn''t mean anything I said."


    The others were running out of patience. They were not here to watch a debate and get into trouble. A man shoved Wang Jinhuan''s shoulder and urged, "Hey! You are the one who suggested that we tease the Prince and Princess tonight! You said the Prince was too drunk, and wouldn''t remember a thing when he woke up!"


    Yun Shang gasped and widened her eyes in feigned anger. She glared at Wang Jinhuan, whereas the latter hurriedly waved his hand as he explained, "I didn''t say that! You must be drunk too!"


    Yun Shang laughed. She turned to the chamberlain who was standing at the door, "My my, His Highness will forget? What a shame! Chamberlain, I assume that you know these Lords'' faces and names. Write down their names and present the list to His Highness tomorrow morning. It would be a shame if His Highness couldn''t remember these loyal Lords'' kind behavior. After all, they have labored so much, and even paid their respect to His Highness in our bridal chamber."


    The chamberlain restrained his smile, and bowed to her. But the onlookers were scared. They quickly said, "No! No need, Your Highness! It''s just a favor! We couldn''t leave His Highness drunk and asleep outside. So we helped bring him to the chamber! It''s our duty! No need to mention it to the Prince!"


    With that said, the crowd scrambled to swarm out.


    "Wait! Wait!" Wang Jinhuan yelled and stomped as he saw the other Lords leaving.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Why don''t you go with them? Ah, you must have other business to discuss with His Highness. And your name will make up for the vacancy on the list caused by these retreating Lords. Chamberlain, write Mr. Wang''s name and report to His Highness tomorrow."


    Hearing that, Wang Jinhuan quickly turned and ran out of the chamber in a blink.


    Yun Shang laughed out loud. She glanced at Prince Jing before turning to her maid, "Qin Yi, please bring the beverage to me. His Highness looks so drunk. We must help him sober up."


    Qin Yi hurriedly carried the tray with the beverage to the Princess. Yun Shang scooped a spoonful and fed the soup to Prince Jing. Fortunately, the Prince hadn''t lost consciousness. As the spoon touched his lips, he obediently opened his mouth and drank.


    In between feeding spoonfuls of soup to Prince Jing, Yun Shang took turns to remove his shoes. When the bowl had been emptied, she helped the Prince to lie down on the bed.


    She asked Qin Yi to fetch some hot water. Before her orders could be carried out, a figure suddenly entered the chamber. Her clothes were stained with blood. At the scene, the servants gasped in shock. In surprise, Yun Shang turned to look at the intruder. She recognized the person to be her maid, Qian Xin, whom she had asked to protect her mother. Why was Qian Xin here? She should''ve been by Lady Jin''s side!


    Yun Shang was alarmed and a sense of foreboding overwhelmed her. She grabbed the maid and asked, "Qian Xin, what has happened? Did something happen to my mother?"


    Qian Xin hurriedly answered, "Your Highness! It''s premature labor! Her Highness is in danger!"

 Chapter 211 Premature Birth

    The news distressed Yun Shang greatly and she almost fell down in fright. She could not figure out how something like this could have happened as she thought she had taken all the necessary precautions.


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin noticed the Princess''s distress and helped support her. Determined to investigate, Yun Shang gritted her teeth and shook off their assistance. "Qin Yi, you''re coming with me to the Imperial Palace. And Qian Yin, you are staying to take care of Prince Jing. When he wakes up, tell him what happened and where I am."


    Both the maids nodded in acknowledgement. Yun Shang left the bridal chamber in a hurry. She noticed a strange silence in the hall. As all the guests had left, the servants were using the opportunity to clean. As she passed by, Yun Shang couldn''t help but feel as though something was strange. However, the Princess had no time to think about this as she needed to get to her mother in a hurry.


    Yun Shang mounted Cai Yun and headed for Qiwu Palace.


    Lord Zheng who had been ordered to stand guard outside Qiwu Palace was shocked to see the Princess. "Your Highness, what''s wrong?" He asked in surprise.


    "How''s my mother?" Yun Shang asked as she dismounted.


    Lord Zheng shook his head as he spoke, "I''m sorry. I don''t know."


    Yun Shang''s anxiety increased and she rushed into the Palace where Lady Jin lived. As she turned the corner, Yun Shang noticed that the door was closed. When she looked around, she saw that the Emperor and the Empress were waiting nearby. Their eyes glazed over as they stared at the door.


    Yun Shang walked passed the Emperor and the Empress as she headed for the door. However, she was stopped by some guards. "Your Highness, you cannot enter!" said a guard.


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. "Father, how''s my mother? What happened to her?" She turned to the Emperor and asked.


    The Emperor didn''t answer. His eyes filled with tears at her question. His hands clenched the arms of his chair so tightly that the tendons stood out under his pale skin.


    "Ah!" A painful scream came from inside the room. Both Yun Shang and her father trembled with anxiety. Yun Shang got cold feet and doubted her decision to enter the room. Fearing the worst, she didn''t know if she''d like to see what was happening inside. ''No, no, no...! How can this be?! I hope she''s okay...''


    The baby was due in a month. Since Lady Jin had gone into premature labor, the chances of survival for the baby were slim. If only she hadn''t gone into labor this early then everything would have been fine.


    Yun Shang thought of her son, Huan''er, from her previous life. Reminded of her own premature labor and her own near-death experience from the subsequent complications, Yun Shang felt a greater sense of concern. She could hardly contain herself.


    "Your Highness, it''s going to take a while. Would you like to take a seat?" asked Qin Yi. She was worried about Yun Shang. ''She is young. So she must be nervous for she has never experienced something like this before, '' thought Qin Yi.


    Yun Shang bit her lip so hard, it almost bled. When she finally composed herself, she found that her whole body was covered in sweat.


    Determined to not repeat the mistakes from her past life, the Princess vowed to not sit by and wait for anything horrible to happen.


    She took a few deep breaths to help calm down before walking to her father. She knelt in front of him, so as to force him to look at her. Then she spoke softly, "Father, when I lived in Ning''guo Temple, I learned some medical skills. Since I have always been sickly, I thought it would be beneficial to understand diseases and cures. May I go in to help mother?"


    The Emperor looked at her, and paused for a while. "You learned some medical skills?"


    Yun Shang nodded. When she was about to continue, the Empress interrupted the Princess. "You mean to say that you have medical knowledge? Why do you still need physicians when you fall sick? You must be lying. This is no ordinary cold that we are dealing with. This is premature labor! And the life of the heir to the throne is at risk. It''s a big deal. Don''t make trouble for Lady Jin!"


    The Empress was shocked to find that Yun Shang was glaring at her. With a grim smile, the Princess responded calmly, "Don''t make trouble for Lady Jin? Everything was fine before she left Laifeng Palace. Bad things happened as soon as she returned to the Imperial Palace. Can you explain this? You promised my father to protect Lady Jin and her baby after we all learned of her pregnancy. If anything untoward happens, how will you redeem yourself? My mother and her child were your responsibility!"


    The Empress closed her eyes and a sarcastic smile slowly grew on her face.


    The Emperor turned and glanced at the Empress. He was silent for a long time. Eventually, he turned to his daughter. "You can go in."


    Hearing this, the Empress was shocked and confused. Her eyes widened in surprise, "Your Majesty, please don''t believe her. She is just an ignorant child! She will certainly make more trouble if you let her go inside!"


    "Shut up!" An angry voice echoed through the Hall. Prince Jing rushed to Yun Shang''s side. He was still dressed in his ceremonial robe. An old woman hobbled behind the Prince. She was bent over a rough walking stick. Her spine had curled unnaturally, giving her a hunched appearance.


    The Empress stared at the Prince as he had just offended her.


    Before she could retort, the Prince tenderly held Yun Shang''s hand. Then he turned to look at the Empress. "Leave my wife alone."


    Then he turned to the Emp


    cunning she is! She found such a strong patron, '' thought the Empress as she gritted her teeth and left.


    "Since you alerted her, she''ll be more wary of you. Aren''t you concerned about it?" asked Prince Jing. He looked at Yun Shang as she clung to him.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes and shook her head. "So what? I am not afraid of her. I have enough evidence of her wrongdoings. I''ll send someone to keep an eye on her. If she tries to destroy any evidence that I don''t as yet know about, I''ll find out. That will only seal her fate further. Since the Empress doesn''t know what evidence I already have, her greatest dilemma will be whether or not to take action. She will be on tenterhooks for the next few days. I want her to suffer. It would be even better if she stays awake at nights. Then she won''t think clearly, " said Yun Shang, tiredly.


    "The midwife you brought told me that there is an odd scent coming from me. When I read her expression, I got a feeling that my mother''s premature labor might be related to the scent." She paused for a moment. As guilt overwhelmed Yun Shang, her eyes filled with tears. "I''ll go home and take a bath..."


    Prince Jing nodded as he gently wiped away her tears. "Don''t worry, Qin Yi will take care of her. And I''ll send some servants here to keep watch. If anything happens, we''ll know it in no time. Let''s go home."


    Yun Shang clung to Prince Jing. She was so tired from the wedding and from tending to her mother that she could barely walk. Prince Jing lifted Yun Shang gently and left the Imperial Palace.


    Yun Shang had fallen asleep before they arrived at their mansion. Not only had she been on her feet since early morning, her body was exhausted from wearing the heavy wedding jewelry and attire. Also, her body was still recovering from injuries sustained on Mount Kirin.


    Her dreams were filled with horrifying memories. She saw her son, Huan''er, from her previous life. He had been smaller than most children of his age. She remembered how sickly he used to be. Since he was always in poor health, he was required to have lots of medicine. In her previous life, Yun Shang spent many days and nights by her son''s bedside. As soon as the memories of Huan''er''s pain and suffering surfaced, Yun Shang wept.


    Then she dreamed that she was in a kitchen. She saw Lian Xin was decocting medicinal herbs for Huan''er. She could heard what Lian Xin was saying. "It''s not going to kill him, I think. But I''m sure these drugs are enough to weaken his body, " murmured Lian Xin.


    Yun Shang stared at the maid and was confused about what she had just heard.


    Before she could figure it out, she saw Lian Xin open a small paper bag and pour some white powder from the bag into the pot. Yun Shang was alarmed. But she was not able to speak in her dream.


    Lian Xin gave the soup a quick stir before pouring it into a bowl. She then carried the soup out of the kitchen and into a yard. The yard looked familiar to Yun Shang. Soon she remembered where she was. It was the mansion in which Yun Shang used to live with her son in her previous life. She followed Lian Xin as she carried the soup into a room. Yun Shang paused when she saw her former self sitting behind a cradle. She remembered that day and everything about it. Huan''er had been sick and she had been so worried that she refused to leave his side.


    "Your Highness, the medicine is ready." said Lian Xin in a soft voice.


    Yun Shang saw her former self taking the soup bowl and cooling the soup by blowing on it. Yun Shang became anxious when she saw her former self extending a spoonful of soup toward Huan''er.


    "No..no! The medicine is poisoned! Stop!" She cried out. But for some reason, in the dream, her voice could not be heard. "Don''t feed him! No!!"

 Chapter 212 The Wedding Night

    "Shang''er?" Prince Jing frowned while looking at the pained expression on Yun Shang''s face. He called to Yun Shang softly and shook her to wake her up.


    Yun Shang suddenly sat up with eyes wide open. She wasn''t completely awake until Prince Jing asked her in a deep and gentle voice. "Did you have a nightmare?"


    Yun Shang turned to him and looked at him in bewilderment. It took her quite a while to remember where she was. "Uncle?"


    Prince Jing nodded. "We are back home."


    Still confused, Yun Shang looked around and noticed that she was in a carriage. Her mind gradually cleared. Today was her wedding day, but she had rushed back to the Imperial Palace upon hearing that Lady Jin had entered premature labor. Shortly afterward, Prince Jing came with a dependable midwife who saved Lady Jin and the unborn child.


    Yun Shang gave a sigh of relief. "Are we back at your mansion?"


    Prince Jing nodded as he opened the carriage door and alighted. He turned and offered the Princess his hand. Yun Shang gently placed her hand in his before climbing out of the carriage slowly. They continued to hold hands as they walked.


    "The midwife said there was a strange scent coming from me today. Uncle, since you have offered to conduct a thorough investigation, can you send the makeup I used this morning to a reliable physician or someone who has good knowledge of this?" Yun Shang said softly. The wedding dress had been made and preserved by Lady Jin. Once Yun Shang had received it, she had kept the dress close by. It would have been impossible for anyone to tamper with it.


    Prince Jing agreed as they entered the main yard.


    While they were gone, Qian Yin had become anxious. She kept checking the entrance of the yard. As soon as she saw Yun Shang and Prince Jing, she rushed to them. "Your Highness, how is Lady Jin?"


    "She is alright." Yun Shang answered before telling her maid. "I need to bathe. Prepare water for me."


    Qian Yin cast a glance at Prince Jing. Though puzzled, Qian Yin nodded and left.


    After bathing, Yun Shang dressed herself in casual clothes. As she was a new bride, all her clothes were red as the color symbolized joy and fortune.


    "I''m still quite worried, Uncle. I need to return to the Imperial Palace. You must feel uncomfortable as you drunk a lot earlier. I''ll ask Qian Yin to make you some soup that will ease your discomfort. Please do have some and rest well." Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing as she spoke.


    After a short silence, Prince Jing said, "It''s getting late. You might not even be able to enter the Palace at this hour. Moreover, you are married now. If you show up at this time, people might gossip. After all, Lady Jin''s Palace is attached to Qiwu Palace. And the Empress always keeps an eye on everything."


    Yun Shang paused. Certainly she understood the risk, but she was really anxious about her mother. Every time she thought about the possibility that Lady Jin was put in danger because of her, the Princess was flooded with guilt.


    Lady Jin had never complained about anything. Yun Shang however, felt like an unfilial daughter. There were so many things that Yun Shang should have done, but didn''t. Most recently, she hadn''t consulted with her mother about the wedding date. Her mother on the other hand, had traveled all the way from Laifeng Palace to attend the wedding. But Yun Shang had failed to protect her loving and kind mother.


    "I will sneak into the Palace then. I''ll leave once I make sure my mother is alright. I won''t do anything else." Yun Shang muttered.


    A soft knock came from the window. Prince Jing walked to the window and opened it. Yun Shang saw a man in black standing outside respectfully.


    "Your Highness, Lady Jin has woken up and taken her medicine. She is safe and sound in His Majesty''s company." The man bowed. His hands were folded in front of his chest and he looked at Prince Jing.


    Prince Jing nodded and closed the window. "Do you feel better?" He asked.


    Yun Shang hesitated as she thought. She didn''t know what to say.


    After a moment, she heard a bird tweeting outside the window. She was finally relieved as that was how her people sent messages to her secretly. The message being relayed to her confirmed what the mysterious man had just told her and Prince Jing.


    "His Majesty must be really nervous as well after the incident. I think he will take Lady Jin to Laifeng Palace when she is capable of traveling. And as for a dependable midwife who will attend to your mother, I will make the necessary arrangements. Your mother will be alright. Don''t worry." Prince Jing comforted her patiently.


    Yun Shang bit her lip and looked down. "I never thought that the Empress would take action against Mother through me. Neither did my mother. Under no circumstances would Mother be on guard when I am around her. I underestimated the Empress''s shrewdness."


    Prince Jing put his arms around Yun Shang and patted her shoulder in a gentle but awkward way. "It''s not your fault. Nobody could foresee this. Moreover, I had my servants scrutinize everything you used today, but nothing was found. So we don''t know how the Empress did this yet. You don''t have to feel guilty. Once the facts are known, all questions will be answered."


    Yun Shang nodded and noticed a strong alcohol smell coming from Prince Jing. S


    hair, she said, "Your Highness, do you know that there was no dresser or any other stuff for women in this room? His Highness asked the craftsmen to prepare this just for you."


    Yun Shang looked around and indeed found things that belonged in a woman''s bedroom, such as bead curtains, the dresser, and some delicate decorations.


    Prince Jing''s room used to be quite simply decorated. From her earlier visits to the mansion, she remembered that he barely had essential furniture in the mansion. Every room had felt quite soulless to Yun Shang. Now it was perfectly balanced by these feminine elements.


    Qian Yin finished Yun Shang''s hair quickly and put a gold hairpin in it. Then Qian Yin said, "I know you don''t like jewelry, Your Highness. But you just got married. It would be inappropriate not to dress according to your status. I will make a simpler hairstyle for you in a few days."


    Yun Shang nodded. She looked in the mirror and smiled. She looked quite different from her appearance in her previous life. Yun Shang attributed the difference to the change in her character. In this life, the Princess had a more stunning appearance and a more relaxed temperament. It was possibly true that her outward appearance was reflecting the calm and peace she felt inside. In this life, Yun Shang had more confidence in her abilities and she wasn''t as distraught and depressed as she had been in her previous life.


    Since there was no other order from Yun Shang, Qian Yin left the chamber and asked the servants to prepare breakfast. When she walked in again, Qian Yin murmured, "That''s weird. There was a maid here yesterday. I thought she had been sent by Prince Jing to look after Your Highness. But why can''t I find her today?"


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened as she suddenly thought of something. "What did you say?"


    Qian Yin hurried to explain. "Does Your Highness remember the maid who delivered food to you yesterday? I was wondering why there had been a maid in the mansion as it is widely known that Prince Jing didn''t keep any maids. I thought His Highness had sent her to serve you, but she has disappeared after the wedding."


    Yun Shang frowned. She said to Qian Yin in a hurry, "Go and find the chamberlain."


    Qian Yin was confused, but she did what was required promptly.


    The chamberlain was nervous. ''Why did Lady Jing need to see him so urgently in the morning? Was she displeased with something?'' He wiped the sweat from his brow. His Highness had emphasized that Her Highness would always be a priority.


    The chamberlain didn''t have to wait long in the living room before Yun Shang entered. Without greeting or even being seated, Yun Shang asked him, "Is there a maid in the mansion?"


    The chamberlain didn''t expect such a question, but he hurried to answer. "No, Your Highness. His Highness doesn''t want maids around, so we didn''t employ any maids." Inferring that perhaps Her Highness was offended by the lack of appropriate servants, he added. "I''m deeply sorry for my negligence, Your Highness. Of course, Your Highness could use a maid. I''ll find some reliable ones as soon as possible."


    Yun Shang shook her head. "No, I didn''t mean that. Yesterday, His Highness said he would send some food to the chamber before he left for the toasts. Afterward, a maid came with a tray of food. I am asking because I know there shouldn''t be a maid in this mansion."


    The chamberlain frowned. He was pensive before he replied, "But Your Highness, there are definitely no other maids in the mansion except the ones who accompanied you..."

 Chapter 213 The Identity Of The Culprit

    They hadn''t hired any maid yet?


    Yun Shang and Qian Yin fell silent as they pondered over the situation. Their faces turned pale at the chamberlain''s words. If there were no maids working in Prince Jing''s Mansion, who was the girl that brought the food into the bridal chamber the previous night? How did she get in? And who had sent her?


    "Chamberlain, please summon the person to whom His Highness had given instructions to deliver the food." Yun Shang said determinedly. She wondered whether her food had been touched by malicious hands. The situation was indeed confusing. The midwife had told Yun Shang that she had been tainted with a pernicious scent. How could tampered food cause that? The Princess felt a sense of urgency. Perhaps it was already too late to start an investigation as the food had been eaten and the dishes were cleaned. It would be impossible to find any evidence from empty dishes.


    The chamberlain bowed to Yun Shang, and relayed her request to a servant.


    The servant hastened to the kitchen. Not long after, Prince Jing returned. Sweat beaded on his forehead due to the journey. Yun Shang smiled as she studied her husband. The attire he wore perfectly fit, which lent charm to his tall and handsome figure. At the sight, Yun Shang''s heart warmed.


    As the Prince stepped through the doorway, he noticed the awkward atmosphere. He glanced at Yun Shang. Her face was pale and her expression conveyed astonishment. He shot a questioning look to the chamberlain.


    The chamberlain quickly briefed the Prince. Prince Jing frowned at his words. The expression on his face turned cold. He ordered, "All the guards patrolling the yard will be whipped twenty times on the back."


    The chamberlain answered with a bow, "Yes, Your Highness."


    However, Yun Shang frowned in disagreement. "We''ve got to figure out what happened. Before that, you..."


    Prince Jing stopped her. He shook his head, "Whatever the reason, it would be dereliction of duty for them to allow a stranger to enter. We were lucky that the food was only drugged. What if it had been poisoned? What disastrous consequence would that have led to? Except this, all other mistakes can be forgiven."


    Yun Shang wanted to plead for mercy for the guards. She opened her mouth several times, but couldn''t utter a word. The guards were the Prince''s subordinates. She should know better than to meddle with his decision regarding his men. Furthermore, the Prince was right. Neglect of duty was a serious matter. If this happened again, the consequence would be unthinkable. Her mother was lucky to have narrowly escaped death. Would Yun Shang still argue for mercy if the outcome had been different?


    The Prince''s orders were carried out. Before he retreated to the inner chamber, he said to Yun Shang, "Wait for me. I need to wash and change."


    The chamberlain had left to oversee implementation of the punishment. With little else to do, Yun Shang contemplated the situation. Suddenly, someone tugged on her wide sleeve. Yun Shang snapped back from her thoughts and saw that Qian Yin sought her attention. Qian Yin glanced at the inner chamber before whispering, "Your Highness, His Highness is washing. Shouldn''t you help him with that?"


    Yun Shang gasped. She had been married in her previous life. She knew that it was her duty to tend to her husband. But she would rather not. After all, her marriage with Prince Jing wasn''t...


    Qian Yin became anxious and stomped her feet when Yun Shang failed to respond. She continued to emphasize her point, "Your Highness! Although you are a Princess of Ning, you still need to take good care of your husband. Qin Yi and I will not think less of you, should you choose not to tend to the Prince. But what would others think of you if they found out? What reputation will you earn if word spreads? What if others think of you to be a lazy wife?"


    Yun Shang was amused by her maid''s anxious tone. She flashed a smile to her maid, turned and walked toward the inner chamber. She hesitated a while before making her way to the wash-stand.


    Prince Jing was standing by the wash-stand with his back toward the entrance of the chamber. He had removed his gown and hadn''t as yet worn his fresh tunic. As Yun Shang looked up, she was confronted with a disrobed Prince Jing. Her cheeks flushed as her eyes traveled over his bronze-colored masculine shoulders. Yun Shang had seen glimpses of the Prince''s chest on previous occasions. She had also removed parts of his tunic when dressing his wounds. However, no matter how many times she saw his body, she was still dazzled by the glow and expanse of his charm. He was indeed an attractive man.


    Hearing footsteps, Prince Jing turned. He was surprised when he saw Yun Shang had entered the chamber. However, he maintained his composure and dressed calmly. Once ready, he walked to the shelf where the basin was placed and grabbed a towel. Quietly, he rinsed the towel with the water in the basin before wiping his face. Since Yun Shang had not spoken as yet, he casually asked, "Did something happen?"


    Yun Shang bit her lip as she composed herself. After a brief pause, she boldly spoke, "Uncle, can I gather my guards in the courtyard? I want to ask them something."


    Prince Jing wrung the towel dry. He turned his head toward Yun Shang. After studying her for a short while, he asked, "How''s the wound?"


    "Almost healed, uncle." Yun Shang hurriedly added, "Moderate activity is always good for health when one is injured or sick."


    The Prince pondered for a while before he nodded, "Okay. You can do what you want. But till you are fully recovered, you can only do these activities for a half hour everyday."


    At the start, Yun Shang was overjoyed when the Prince agreed. However, she celebrated too soon. Her eyes widened in shock when she heard the Prince''s terms. She had not expected him to attach conditions to his consent.


    However, upon seeing Prince Jing''s emotionless face, Yun Shang sighed and accepted. After all, half an hour a day was better than nothing.


    The Prince put the towel back onto the shelf before walking out with Yun Shang. The chamberlain was waiting for them in the living room. He approached the Prince and Princess as soon as he spotted them. He reported, "Your Highnesses, the boy who was instructed to deliver Her Highness''s dinner has disappeared."


    "Disappeared?" Yun Shang and Prince Jing blurted out in unison. Yun Shang sighed. She had expected that when she asked for the boy. If the culprit was capable of smuggling a maid into Prince Jing''s Mansion, he or she would definitely be capable of silencing the boy.


    "Send my men to investigate the matter and report every detail to me. Be quick and thorough." Snapped the livid Prince Jing.


    Nervous and sweaty, the chamberlain quickly bowed and left the room.


    "Let''s go to the Palace. You''ve been worried about Lady Jin the whole night


    ing me. Why? For what?"


    The Empress took several deep breaths to restrain her anger. Her chest ached with the rage she felt when she heard Hua Jing''s rebellious questions. She snorted, "What gives you the right to ask me such questions? I''ve given you everything, and I can also take everything back. Who are you to argue with me?"


    Hatred reflected in Hua Jing''s eyes. She had nothing more to say to her mother. She glowered at the Empress before turning and running out of the Palace.


    The Empress shivered at Hua Jing''s hateful look. She felt as if ice had enveloped her heart. So, this ungrateful woman was her daughter. This was the daughter she had loved and cherished. What a marvelous result!


    "Come! Send my men to keep an eye on the Princess. I''m sure she will try to do something without my permission. She needs to be watched!" The Empress snapped orders. She was aware that her father was preparing for an important matter. He was almost ready. The plan must not be ruined by Hua Jing''s reckless deeds, or the Empress would be no longer able to protect her stupid daughter.


    As Prince Jing and Yun Shang returned to Prince Jing''s Mansion, the chamberlain approached them and reported, "Your Highnesses, Madam Bai is waiting for you."


    Madam Bai? Who was she? Puzzled, Yun Shang shot a questioning look to Prince Jing.


    The Prince explained, "She is the shop-owner of Qixiang House, a perfumery in the Imperial City, where different kinds of rare spices and perfumes are sold. Yesterday, I asked her to examine your cosmetics, and today, she must have come to tell us the result. Come with me, let''s hear what she has to say."


    Yun Shang nodded and followed Prince Jing to the front hall.


    In the front hall, a young woman sat in a chair, waiting for them. Her hair was tied in a bun, which meant that she was married. Her face wasn''t particularly beautiful, however, she radiated confidence and a sense of calmness. Yun Shang couldn''t help studying this woman. When Prince Jing explained who Madam Bai was, the Princess had imagined the woman to be in her forties. She never thought the Madam would be this young.


    As Madam Bai spotted them, she put down her teacup gracefully. She stood and clasped her hands before bowing to the Royals. "Your Highnesses."


    Surprised, Yun Shang was now more curious about her. As a princess, Yun Shang was not allowed to go out of the Palace often, but she had heard the legends of Qixiang House. It was said that the rouge and powders made there possessed unique and long-lasting aroma, and its owner was skilled at socializing, which helped the business to flourish. However, Madam Bai was nothing like the rumor. The princess didn''t spot any hints of flattery in her mannerisms. Her movement and speech were slow and unhurried. She was more like a lady born in an aristocrat house than an eager shop-keeper.


    As Prince Jing and Yun Shang sat on chairs, Madam Bai cupped her hands again and bowed. Then she spoke, "I have examined Her Highness''s cosmetics. They are our production, but someone has added an exotic spice to it. The spice is called Yi Xiang. And although it is a kind of spice, it doesn''t have any special scent. So, it''s pretty hard to identify the spice based on its scent. However, the spice added to the cosmetics was not very finely ground, and could be easily distinguished from the original smooth powder. Although ordinary people can''t tell the difference, as a person who has been dealing with cosmetics and spices all my life, I was able to spot the spice."


    Yun Shang nodded to her, as she asked, "What is the effect of the spice?"


    Madam Bai frowned as she answered, "There was nothing special about it. It could be said that the spice has no effect at all."


    "Really?" Yun Shang remained silent as she pondered over Madam Bai''s explanation. Why would the culprit add a spice that had no special effect to her cosmetics? What was the culprit''s intent?


    Suddenly, the Prince asked, "If it is okay to use it alone, as you''ve said, what special effect will it have when used along with other herbs?"


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. That was a possibility. However, a potion that could expedite child delivery was not rare, nor hard to distinguish. Many guests present during the celebration had medical skills. If there were such a thing that could trigger the effect of the drug, the guests would''ve noticed. It was not possible to hide such a thing from all the guests.


    "There is a possibility, yes. But I have no knowledge of medicine. Your Highness will have to seek advice from a physician." Said Madam Bai softly.

 Chapter 214 The Marital Life

    The physician confirmed Prince Jing''s conjecture. Yi Xiang was harmless. However, it cannot be used with perch, as the combination of the two ingredients would generate a special fragrance which, although harmless to ordinary people, would cause early delivery or miscarriage among pregnant women. According to the physician, the fish gruel served by the maid must have been made with perch, which had turned the harmless Yi Xiang into a poison for Lady Jin.


    Yun Shang wrinkled her brow as she thought over what the physician had said. Her mother had once warned her about Li Yiran''s vile heart and malicious conducts. However, as she had seldom faced any obstacles while implementing her vengeance, the Princess had forgotten the helpful advise given by her mother.


    Yun Shang could not help but burst into a bitter smile. Yes! It would be extremely hard to uproot the Li Clan who was supporting Li Yiran. The Li family had expanded its influence in every corner of the State of Ning. Even without their support, Li Yiran would be a huge challenge. As the Grand Tutor, Yun Shang''s grandfather earned a high reputation and prestige in Ning two decades ago. In spite of the important role of Yun Shang''s grandfather in the court, Li Yiran had schemed and married the Emperor, who was then the Crown Prince. From Princess Consort to the Empress, Li Yiran had warded off all threats that would shake her status as the legal wife. Now, she was the Mistress of the whole imperial household. Unchallenged, Li Yiran''s influence and schemes had made the imperial household an unsafe place. Yun Shang let out a sigh when she thought of the terrifying imperial household. The Emperor must have married dozens of concubines, if not more, since he took the throne. Had Yun Shang not been reborn, the Empress would have maintained her respect and prestige. Even if the Empress was unable to earn the Emperor''s unconditional love and trust, she could earn herself a good reputation both, in the Imperial Palace and among the populace.


    In both of Yun Shang''s lives, she and Hua Jing were the only children born to the Emperor in a twenty year span, and both of the Emperor''s descendants had been girls. Although that might have been the result of Prince Jing''s sneaky plots to some extent, there was no denying that Li Yiran had also played a part in eliminating the Emperor''s bloodline.


    "It is surprising that the Li family dared to offend me and play tricks in my mansion. I think Grand Councilor Li is too conceited to know his place. What a stupid man!" Prince Jing spoke while toying with the jade hanging on his waist. His unexpected statement interrupted Yun Shang''s thoughts.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Prince Jing. He was lying on the bench with his head sightly lowered. Calmness reflected on his face. Seeing the Prince in such a relaxed manner, Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat. Three days had passed since their wedding. But whenever she woke up, Yun Shang still felt as though she was in a dream. She could not believe that she had married Prince Jing, a man who was so perfect that he could only exist in a dream.


    Yun Shang blushed at her thoughts.


    the Bureau of Sacrifice and Ritual was accused of abusing his powers. Besides, it is said that when the last dynasty was at war with various rebel forces, its Fifth Prince managed a narrow escape from slaughter only because he had built a secret underground tunnel in his mansion. So, Shang''er, many seemingly trivial things might be of great significance."


    Yun Shang raised an eyebrow as she seriously considered the Prince''s explanation. As Mo Jingran''s wife in her previous life, she was, of course, aware of the significance of daily affairs in the household. Simply put, it was unwise to underestimate a wife''s wishes and complaints as they could often be the husband''s driving force. Yun Shang knew nothing of the design of Prince Jing''s Mansion. But she understood the subtle hints in his explanation. The Prince had a reputation as a hard, cold man. He was undefeated in battle as well. Many people must hate him. It would be wise for him to take certain precautions while living in his mansion.


    Yun Shang didn''t dare to ignore the task with which the Prince had entrusted her. She nodded and said, "All right. As I have little else to do with my time, I will pay more attention to daily affairs in the mansion. But as for the matter of the Yi Xiang, since it is related to my mother, I''m hoping that Uncle can give me timely updates and consult me before making a decision. Please let me know, because..." Yun Shang didn''t finish her sentence. In fact, she was hoping to kill her enemies with her bare hands. However, as the current situation was so complicated, Yun Shang lacked confidence.


    Yun Shang grinned, "With Uncle''s help, I have no doubt that I will grow smarter and stronger. Uncle, you would also feel at ease knowing that I will be capable enough to protect myself."


    Prince Jing smiled and nodded. "Okay, I will consult with you whenever I need to make a decision. But, would you please stop calling me Uncle? It''s just..." ''I already feel terrible for rushing you into marriage. Now, every time you call me Uncle, I feel immoral and incestuous, '' Prince Jing thought to himself.

 Chapter 215 Prince Jings Revenge

    Scared by his thoughts, Prince Jing swallowed the following words. He fell silent as he pondered on the matter. Why would he say that? Had he started to feel for Yun Shang?


    Yun Shang had different thoughts. She frowned when she heard Prince Jing''s request. Then she racked her brains about alternatives. What should she call Prince Jing, if not uncle?


    Husband? Dear?


    When she thought of the word husband, Yun Shang shuddered. In her previous life, she used to call Mo Jingran husband to show her love and feelings for him. Back then, she thought she had married someone for love, and was eager to express her feelings as much as possible.


    But she didn''t have such feelings for Prince Jing... Perhaps she would never have those feelings for anyone...


    Yun Shang shook her head. There was no point in thinking about her previous life now. She needed to focus on Prince Jing''s request! If not uncle, what should she call him? Qingyan, perhaps?


    Yun Shang shuddered again. Since the Prince was merely an adopted son of the late Emperor, it was acceptable for them to marry. However, nothing would change the fact that he was almost twice her age. Calling him by his name would be weird. She felt unfilial at the thought, as if she were showing no respect to her elders.


    Yun Shang continued to struggle with the problem, whereas the Prince was equally uneasy. He coughed to disguise his discomfort before he said, "I have to return to the study to settle something."


    Yun Shang didn''t pay much attention. Immersed in her own thoughts, she nodded to him.


    She finally came up with an idea. She remembered hearing Lady Shun Qing call her husband, My Lord. The more Yun Shang thought about it, the more the title made sense to her. Addressing Prince Jing as My Lord in public would be acceptable as it would convey respect. Unlike the term husband and all her associated memories, My Lord was neither too aloof nor too affectionate. She wouldn''t shudder every time she addressed the Prince. Delighted, Yun Shang raised her head. She couldn''t wait to tell Prince Jing. To her surprise, the Prince had left the room. The Princess frowned as she noticed that the bed was empty. Yun Shang was surprised that she had been so lost in thought that she hadn''t noticed that the Prince had taken his leave. When had he left?


    Since the Prince not in the room, Yun Shang decided to let go of the matter. She sent for Ning Qian as she intended to utilize this opportunity to speak with her guards.


    Not long after, Ning Qian appeared in Yun Shang''s room. When she saw Yun Shang, the beautiful Ning Qian flashed a smile and derided, "I feared I would never see you again, Your Highness. The Prince''s Mansion


    ess''s engagement to Prince Jing. Embittered by the news, she swore to avenge herself. Then, Wen Ruyu had done every evil thing she could think of including conspiring with the Grand Councilor to abduct Yun Shang. She even collaborated with the Emperor to abduct the Prince. Yun Shang would never forget her deeds.


    "After news of her kidnapping, no one could find Wen Ruyu anywhere. She disappeared for a long time. But one day, she suddenly appeared outside the gate of Wen Mansion. She was naked and covered in marks. Her condition led everyone to think that she had been raped. There are rumors that she was raped by several men." Ning Qian stopped to giggle. Then she winked at Yun Shang before continuing, "A few days later, word spread. They said that Lady Ruyu was pregnant. She went mad and wandered naked along the streets all day long. She had become the laughingstock of the Imperial City."


    Ning Qian''s eyes sparkled with delight as she finished. She praised, "Your Highness, His Highness is such a capable man. As his plan intended, Wen Ruyu is no longer a threat. With her reputation ruined, she can no longer be taken by His Majesty as his concubine, nor can she marry Prince Jing. In fact, her condition is now known to almost everyone in the city. No one is going to marry her."


    Yun Shang was shocked and at a loss for words. After a long while, she replied, "But he didn''t do it for me. As you know, Wen Ruyu offended Prince Jing before. I''m afraid he''s avenging himself." Still unable to process everything, Yun Shang''s voice grew softer and softer.


    Ning Qian giggled. She looked at Yun Shang with a smile. The expression in her eyes revealed her true thoughts, however. Ning Qian seemed to believe that Yun Shang was being delusional by thinking that Prince Jing was avenging himself.

 Chapter 216 A Crafty Couple

    Ning Qian left after reporting to Yun Shang. Since the Princess had promised the Prince to help him renovate the mansion, she decided it was time to focus her energy on the task ahead. But Yun Shang had never undertaken such a project before. She asked the chamberlain to find some skilled craftsmen for her. Then she found some works of calligraphy and paintings to hang on the walls. As Yun Shang sat before her selected pieces of art, Qian Yin hurried in.


    "Your Highness, I just saw Cui Liu taking a bowl of green bean soup to Prince Jing''s study room." Qian Yin said with anger and despise, "I knew the Empress was planning something when she sent the new maids to Your Highness. The two maids are pretty and always well dressed. Now I see that they are trying to seduce the Prince!"


    Yun Shang''s expression changed. She nodded at Qian Yin as she thought about the situation. When servants were being selected for Prince Jing''s Mansion, the Empress sent two new maids. Six maids from Qingxin Palace and two madams had also been presented to Yun Shang. The number of servants sent by the Empress was in pursuant with tradition. As Qian Yin and Qin Yi had helped select the six maids that worked at Qingxin Palace, they should be trustworthy.


    As for the new maids, Yun Shang reckoned that they were spies placed by the Empress. Yun Shang was unconscious during the days just before her wedding. Once she had woken, she recuperated at Prince Jing''s Mansion. Her absence from the Palace meant that she had to accept the arrangements made by the Empress. It was clear to Yun Shang that the new maids came with a purpose. However, she had not taken any action as she was curious about their intentions. The two madams had been sent by Emperor Ning. The Emperor claimed that Yun Shang needed help from experienced elders as she was a new wife and knew little about certain things in the household. The Emperor also said that Prince Jing''s Mansion needed special care given his high position. For these reasons, Emperor Ning deemed it necessary for the two madams to assist Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang''s mouth twisted into an acerbic smile. She recalled the desperation Emperor Ning felt which led him to abduct Prince Jing earlier. Since the Emperor had failed to control Prince Jing through other means, he saw Yun Shang as the ideal pawn through which to exercise control over the Prince. Considering Emperor Ning''s insecurities, the madams sent by him must have their missions, too. It seemed like everyone was trying to place spies beside her. ''It is their mistake to underestimate me, '' Yun Shang thought.


    "I remember asking Cui Zhu and Cui Liu to clean the yard. Who let Cui Liu into the kitchen? I also remember telling you to keep Cui Zhu and Cui Liu away from our food." Yun Shang asked Qian Yin softly.


    Qian Yin had, at first, been astonished to see Cui Liu taking soup into the study. She had assumed that Cui Liu''s only purpose was to flirt with the Prince. She had been so angered by the new maid''s audacity that her first thought was to tell Yun Shang. When the Princess reminded her politely, Qian Yin remembered all the reasons why it was inappropriate for Cui Liu to be wandering about the mansion. "Right. I told the kitchen staff not to let anyone in as per your orders. How did she get in? I''ll go ask them now." Qian Yin rushed out of the room.


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head at Qian Yin''s behavior. After all, Qian Yin was just a girl. She didn''t have much experience in dealing with such things. Qin Yi was more reliable when it came to these matters. But the Princess loved Qian Yin just the same. Not only was the maid good at Kung Fu, she reacted fast to situations.


    Yelang, the eldest son of a clan didn''t have to be the only lawful heir. They selected the most capable son to be their leader. The royal family of the State of Yelang had seven Princes. And Prince Qingsu was the third eldest among them. The competition for the crown was fierce. The second Prince was the eldest son of the Empress, so he was the most suitable heir to the crown. The fifth Prince, as the son of the Emperor''s most loved concubine, was also a strong rival. He was the grandson of the Yelang Grand Councilor, and his uncle was the most respected general in the State of Yelang. Prince Qingsu had spent years gaining the civilians'' trust and love. Supported by the Chief Councillor of the State of Yelang, the third Prince was adept with both, the pen and the sword. But his health became his weakness. That was why Prince Qingsu was so desperate to take a chance and seek for a politically beneficial marriage as soon as he can.


    The State of Ning was Prince Qingsu''s best option to form an alliance. If he failed, he could marry one of the ladies from his own state as an alternative.


    "What do you plan on doing to make Prince Qingsu leave?" Yun Shang asked Prince Jing softly.


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang and smiled, "If you were me, what would you do?"


    Yun Shang pondered over the Prince''s question. Prince Qingsu was here to seek a political marriage. Since Yun Shang was married and Hua Jing lost her reputation, Prince Qingsu wasn''t left with too many options. But Prince Qingsu wouldn''t give up easily. He would probably ask the Emperor to give a Princess title to another lady so that Qingsu could marry her and accomplish his goal.


    Prince Qingsu wouldn''t leave too soon unless his plans went wrong in the State of Yelang.


    ''How about starting a war around the border......''


    The thought entered Yun Shang''s mind. She quickly put it aside. Starting a war at this time wasn''t a wise choice. Even though it was the best time to declare war on the State of Yelang as Prince Qingsu was not in his state, a war would break the truce between the two countries and make the civilians'' life miserable. And the commoners only wanted peace and happiness.


    While pondering over the dilemma, Yun Shang suddenly had an idea. She raised her head to look at Prince Jing, "I have an idea! If we can make him believe that the Emperor of the State of Yelang is critically ill, we will be able to convince Prince Qingsu to abandon his plans."

 Chapter 217 The Sex Trap

    Prince Jing nodded and said with a smile, "Qingsu came here with hopes of marrying a Princess of Ning as it would certainly increase his chances of being appointed as the Crown Prince of Yelang. If the Emperor of Yelang falls seriously ill and is said to be dying, Qingsu will probably return to Yelang lest his brothers kill the Emperor and crown themselves by taking advantage of his absence. That situation would be to Qingsu''s disadvantage if he is far away from Yelang. Qingsu has many supporters in Yelang. With their help, the situation in Yelang could be reversed. If he leaves as soon as possible, he may have a chance to turn the tables."


    "That''s a good scheme. But the Emperor of Yelang stays in the Yelang Imperial Palace, which is strictly guarded. What can we do to make him fall ill enough to seem like he is dying?" Yun Shang said with a frown.


    Yun Shang raised her head to look at Prince Jing. To her surprise, the Prince seemed very calm. Suddenly, a thought struck Yun Shang. She stared at the Prince and asked in disbelief, "Is it possible that you already have agents in the Yelang Imperial Palace?"


    No sooner had the Princess finished speaking than Qian Yin raised the door curtain and stepped inside. She carried two teacups in her hands. After putting the teacups on the table, she bowed and left the room.


    Prince Jing picked up a teacup lid and then put it back on the teacup again. "As Yelang territory is mostly grasslands, it is short of many natural resources. The Yelang people also face difficulty cultivating certain crops and plants that are unsuitable to grasslands. Tea, for example, does not grow in the State of Yelang. As a result, Yelang has to purchase it from the State of Ning. The frying and baking process for tea is done in the State of Ning. At this time, I can do certain things to tamper with the tea. Of course, I would not dare to directly poison the tea. But I know secret ways of poisoning. Some nontoxic objects, if used together, will be poisonous. Li Yiran knows it and so do I."


    Yun Shang''s hands trembled when she heard this explanation. "So, the Emperor of Yelang is indeed dying from some illness?"


    Prince Jing picked up the teacup and took a long sip. "The fate of the Emperor of Yelang is in my hands. Whether he stays seriously sick or not, is my decision."


    Yun Shang sank into silence. This must be the Prince''s true nature. He was farsighted, crafty, and decisive. Although the Princess had heard from Ning Qian about the Prince''s cunning nature before, she could not but feel shocked when she heard the Prince talk about his plots. She could never be so farsighted and prudent when devising schemes, even if she were given another chance to be reborn.


    No wonder her father, the Emperor of Ning, had sent Prince Jing on errands to the border for many consecutive years. Had the Prince stayed in the Imperial City all this while, the Empress would by no means be a match for him. That was an understatement! Even ten Empresses would be incapable of plotting against him. It was quite impressive that in spite of his absence from the Imperial City over the past ten years, the Prince had still been able to employ his forces. The commoners considered the Prince as the God of War in the State of Ning. Lady Shu, one of the Emperor''s concubines, worked for him. And many officials in the court had close relations with him.


    The Prince was so formidable and smart. What if one day he became an enemy of Ning...


    Yun Shang was terrified at this thought.


    "Qingsu is a troublemaker for Ning. You can do with him as you like. But there is one thing that I want you to do for me as a favor, My Lord. Please leave Hua Jing to me. I want to kill her with my own hands." Yun Shang smiled and looked into Prince Jing''s eyes.


    Prince Jing nodded at the Princess as he considered her request. "It puzzles me why you bear such a deep grudge against the Empress and Hua Jing. I know that the Empress has tried everything she can to eliminate you. Yet, each time you have prevailed. But that is not enough, is it? She and Hua Jing are by no means foes that we can afford to underestimate. It is better that such vile enemies be vanished quickly. Since you are so eager to terminate Hua Jing''s life, I have no reason to turn you down."


    "Thank you, My Lord." Yun Shang said gently.


    At Hua Jing''s Palace, many servants knelt in the courtyard. It was already midsummer. The afternoon sun was radiating its fiercest heat. The servants were sprawled on the ground, which was scorching hot from hours of being baked in the sun. They perspired under the merciless heat, and their faces had turned scarlet red. But they dared not to move a single finger. They held their breath and focused their energy on deciphering sounds coming from the chamber.


    "Pang!" Everybody trembled at the sudden noise. Princess Hua Jing seemed to be infuriated about something. Terror quickly spread through all the servants. They all wondered what was wrong with the Princess. Since her return from the Imperial Palace several days ago, she had been moody and short-tempered. She would fly into a rage for even the most trivial thing and then, she would vent her fury on the servants.


    "The cicadas are so noisy and annoying. Are you deaf? Can''t you drive them away?" Hua Jing rebuked impatiently. Her anger and demand sent shivers along the servants'' spines. Soon, Hua Jing''s closest maid, Ling Hua, stepped out from the Princess''s chamber. Her eyes were red and filled with tears. A handprint could be clearly seen on her face. Hua Jing had punished several maids for their mistakes. Ling Hua was terrified, but she dared not to show her anxiety. Although she had tried her best to stay as calm as possible, she could not help but be bewildered and nervous.


    Ling Hua nodded at the servant kneeling in the front. The servant looked at others around him. Then he left with the other servants to fetch bamboo poles to disperse the cicadas.


    Ling Hua stared at the other servants kneeling on the ground with a trace of hatred. Then she turned to look at the Princess''s chamber. How she wished that Prince Qingsu would come and see the Princess tonight. Princess Hua Jing''s wrath would not ease unless Prince Qingsu paid her a visit.


    It was late in the night. The Princess''s chamb


    tisfactorily. Just as she was about to summon her maids to help her wash, Hua Jing heard a light moan.


    Hua Jing frowned. She opened her eyes and looked around. She saw a handsome face. Although she had seen the man last night, she could not help but feel astonished at how handsome he was. She sighed. This man was really attractive.


    By the dim light last night, Ya Xi looked like a celestial being banished from the Heavens.


    Now, in the early morning sunlight, Hua Jing could clearly see his features. Looking at his angelic face, Hua Jing had to admit that this man was indeed perfect and flawless.


    Ya Xi''s eyelashes flickered under Hua Jing''s intense stare. He turned to look at the Princess too. A little perplexed at first, Ya Xi gained his composure soon. He flashed his most charming smile and said, "The way you''re staring at me is making me blush, Your Highness. Didn''t I tend to you pleasantly last night? How about letting me serve you again..." He reached for Hua Jing''s breasts and caressed them gently while speaking.


    Hua Jing giggled softly and said with a smile, "It was wonderful. My body is still weak from last night''s passion."


    Ya Xi grinned and pecked Hua Jing on the cheek. "I am honored to be able to satisfy Your Highness. As my service is done, I will return to the Suiyu House." He kissed her face again before pouting, "Your Highness, please remember me and come to see me."


    Hua Jing nodded, "Of course."


    Ya Xi laughed happily before sitting up. He tugged gently at the quilt. Hua Jing raised an eyebrow as Ya Xi''s body was revealed to her. He was quite muscular, not as lean as she had imagined.


    After getting dressed, Ya Xi turned to look at Hua Jing. He said with a frown, "Your Highness, how do I leave your Palace?"


    Hua Jing grinned and sat up to have a look around. She saw her clothes on a bench. She remembered taking them off and putting them by the lakeside last night. Ya Xi must have fetched them for her. Hua Jing pointed at the clothes. "There is a Jade Pass in my clothes. You can show it to the guards at the entrance. They will let you go. If you want to see me, bring the Jade Pass. They will let you in."


    Ya Xi nodded at Hua Jing. Having found the Jade Pass as per the Princess''s instruction, he bowed toward Hua Jing. He smiled before leaving.


    Hua Jing got up after Ya Xi had left. There were many marks on her body. She frowned at the marks of passion, and dressed herself to cover them. She called to her maids several times, but nobody responded. Then she stepped out of the room.


    Hua Jing found that she was not in her chamber. Instead, she was in a room in the courtyard near the lake. Ya Xi must have brought her here. As he had no idea in which room she lived, Ya Xi took her to the nearest room by the lakeside.


    Hua Jing sauntered to her chamber. All the servants and maids were kneeling and waiting for the Princess. As soon as they saw her, they bowed and said in chorus. "Your Highness..."


    Hua Jing nodded. She paid no attention to the servants. Instead, Hua Jing stepped straight into her chamber. The servants and maids exchanged a look of confusion with each other. It was beyond their expectation that the Princess wouldn''t find fault with them. Relieved for having escaped their daily punishment, they scurried into the chamber to serve the Princess.


    Hua Jing thought her encounter with Ya Xi was an accident. She would never have imagined that it had been planned. When Ya Xi returned to the Suiyu House, he saw a woman waiting in his room. She was beautiful, but her expression was extremely cold.


    "Master Qian Qian." Ya Xi bowed toward the woman.


    Ning Qian turned to look at Ya Xi. "How are things?"


    Ya Xi grinned at her. "Please don''t worry, master. I always accomplish my mission. But I''m puzzled. Why don''t you just kill that stupid Princess?"


    Ning Qian curled her lips. "Kill her? Death would be least painful. What Her Highness wants is affliction. Slow death by torment. Little by little. You did well on this mission. If our plan succeeds, Her Highness will reward you generously. But our schemes are very important. Don''t mess them up."


    "I understand." Ya Xi and Ning Qian exchanged a smile.

 Chapter 218 Willingly Into The Net

    Ever since the Flower Show Banquet, Cangjue Qingsu had rarely visited Hua Jing. The Princess sneered as she wondered why he hadn''t come. Perhaps, in his eyes, she was now a useless woman, not worthy of his time and energy.


    Hua Jing didn''t have any feelings for Cangjue Qingsu, either. In her opinion, Cangjue Qingsu was nothing more than a nomadic barbarian. However, she wanted to use him to escape from the Imperial City. She had other options. She could ask her father to decree that she would retire to her land, Xiping County. But Xiping was remote and barren. Living there for the rest of her life would be even worse than Hua Jing''s current condition. Compared to Xiping, the State of Yelang sounded like a better alternative. If she married Cangjue Qingsu, she would be his Princess Consort. Although Yelang wasn''t as rich as Ning, her life in Yelang wouldn''t be worse than it was now.


    "It''s late, Your Highness. You should rest." A maid who had been waiting to serve the Princess, cautiously suggested.


    Hua Jing was still immersed in her own thoughts. She frowned when she realized she was missing the handsome man she had met the other night. She couldn''t wait to meet him again. She dreamt of touching him and having him. Last time, she had given her Jade Pass to him thus allowing him to visit her at the Princess Palace whenever he liked. But he had not showed again. Thinking of that, Hua Jing was vexed. She wondered if he was ignoring her. The thought enraged the Princess, ''How dare he ignore my invitation?''


    Hua Jing gestured her maid forward, "Help me change. I need to go out."


    Puzzled, the maid hesitated. She peeked at the window. It was the sixteenth day of the month and the bright full moon was illuminating the night sky. According to the position of the moon, it was ten p.m. Why would the Princess go out at such a late hour?


    "What are you doing? I said I need to change!" When Hua Jing saw the maid dawdling, she raised her voice and snapped.


    "Yes, Your Highness." The maid quickly answered. She trembled as she curtsied to Hua Jing. Then, she pulled out a gown made of violet voile and helped Hua Jing dress. Hua Jing always wore delicate makeup. It didn''t matter what time of the day it was, or whether she was alone or expecting company. Today was no different. Although she had spent the day in her chamber, Hua Jing''s makeup still looked as flawless as when she had put it on. Apart from the dress, she didn''t need the maid''s help with anything else. Hua Jing smiled as she looked at her reflection in the dressing mirror. She was satisfied with her appearance. She turned sideways and checked herself again. Thrilled, she nodded to herself. Then, she turned to the maid and said, "Have a carriage prepared. Arrange four guards for me. After that, you may stay home while I conduct my business."


    The maid nodded to her in obeisance. With a smile, Hua


    he had to refuse his offer. She believed that Ya Xi wouldn''t have the heart to ignore her the whole night.


    As per her expectations, the man who had greeted her at the entrance, appeared soon after Cang Lan had left. He approached her with an adulatory smile. He leaned forward and seductively whispered, "Miss, Mister Ya Xi is waiting for you in his room. This way, please."


    Hua Jing was pleased to hear that. She smiled and eagerly followed the man. Before she walked away, she winked at Cang Lan.


    Ya Xi''s room was located in the backyard of Suiyu House. The building was separate from the brothel. It was two stories high, quiet and beautiful. The man led Hua Jing to the door. He bowed to her before turning and leaving. Hua Jing pushed the door open and saw a figure dressed in bluish white standing in front of her.


    As if he had heard her footsteps, the figure turned to face her. When she saw his face again, Hua Jing''s eyes gleamed with lust. He was more gorgeous than she remembered.


    "Your Highness." Ya Xi greeted her. His voice was hoarse.


    Hua Jing studied the man. She noticed that his face was pale. Hua Jing wondered what had happened. She walked up to Ya Xi and asked, "Have you caught cold from our love-making in the lake? But you were all right the other night..."


    Ya Xi bowed his head. His eyelashes flickered shut. He answered, "It''s not your fault, Your Highness. I was tired the other day after my return and wanted to rest. However, one of our guests was irritated. She took it as a sign of contempt and punished me. I was thrown into a bathtub full of icy water and..."


    Hua Jing was enraged, "Who dared to hurt you? Tell me, what is this guest''s name?"


    Ya Xi shook his head, "I know you''re protective of me, Your Highness. But the guest is not a commoner either. She is wealthy and powerful. Come, Your Highness. We haven''t met for a long time. Do you want me to play the Guqin for you?"

 Chapter 219 Damsel In Distress

    When she heard his excuses, Hua Jing frowned. She knew that Ya Xi was trying to avoid her question. And she was displeased with his answer. Hua Jing didn''t think any woman in the Imperial City was more powerful, nor wealthier than her.


    She wanted to ask more, but stopped. At the moment, her own reputation was also at stake. Hua Jing had already been warned and punished by her father several times. She couldn''t make any more mistakes. If that wretched Yun Shang learned about her rendezvous and reported to her father, Hua Jing would be doomed. And if that were the case, Hua Jing would not be able to justify nor defend herself. After all, as a Princess, she should never visit a brothel.


    But Hua Jing wanted to know the woman''s name. She smiled and softly said, "I merely want to know her name. You don''t have to worry. I won''t do anything that''s not proper."


    Silence reigned for a long while before Ya Xi let out a sigh and answered, "I can''t answer your question, Your Highness. This particular guest is your relative. I don''t want to be the cause of strife between you and your family."


    "What?" Hua Jing raised her eyebrows in surprise and pondered over the woman''s identity. After a while, she nodded to Ya Xi, "If you''re unwilling to reveal her name, I won''t force you."


    Ya Xi flashed a smile before sitting at the Guqin stand. He suggested softly, "Let me play the Guqin for you, Your Highness." With that said, he started playing.


    As the music started, Hua Jing was a little surprised. She frowned as she recognized the song. It was the famous love song, Courting a Phoenix.


    However, the song reminded her of the royal banquet during which Prince Jing played the song for Yun Shang. She never thought much of her step-sister. But at that time, Hua Jing had been envious of Yun Shang. It was every girl''s dream to be wooed by such a man of such excellence.


    Thinking about that, Hua Jing raised her eyes and looked at Ya Xi. Although the men and women in the Palace were all extremely beautiful, she had never seen a man as attractive as Ya Xi. How could she not be elated when such a gorgeous man played a love song for her?


    Not long after, Ya Xi finished playing. Hua Jing stared at him with great intensity before speaking, "Lovely song, Ya Xi. I have little knowledge about music. I have no idea what meaning this song carries. However, I think you are good at whatever you do, so you must have played it well."


    Ya Xi bowed his head and flashed a grateful smile. Hua Jing''s heartbeat quickened when she saw his smile.


    As she was marveling at his beauty, Ya Xi stood and approached her slowly. Hua Jing couldn''t help but step back when he walked toward her. She stopped when her shoulders touched the door.


    "Why? Are you running away from me, Your Highness?" Ya Xi chuckled. He glanced at Hua Jing seductively.


    Hua Jing flushed. She averted her eyes, "Why would I run away from you?"


    Before she could fathom what was happening, the veil she was wearing was ripped away and tossed on the ground. Hua Jing looked at the veil in a daze. Before she could react, she felt something warm and moist touching her lips.


    Her eyes widened in surprise and she raised her head. Ya Xi''s smoldering eyes seemed to be devouring her. Ya Xi smirked before lifting her and carrying Hua Jing toward the inner chamber. He laid her on the bed gently before turning to pull the curtains. Then, he joined her in bed.


    From that day, Hua Jing was obsessed with Ya Xi. Every night she would patiently wait for Cangjue Qingsu to visit her. Secretly, she hoped that he wouldn''t come. When she grew tired of waiting, she would dress and leave for Suiyu House.


    However, her routine was broken one afternoon when Ya Xi suddenly paid her a visit.


    At the time, Hua Jing was napping in her chamber. When she heard the report, she hurriedly told her servant, "Show him in!"


    After a while, her maid led Ya Xi into the Princess''s chamber. To Hua Jing''s surprise, Ya Xi looked awful. His bluish white gown was ragged and his pretty face was marred with soot and mud. Hua Jing frowned at the sight. She dismissed her maids, took hold of Ya Xi''s hand, and asked fondly, "What has happened to you? Why are you in such a mess?"


    Ya Xi didn''t answer her question. The silence in the room was broken by the sound of Ya Xi fal


    k her. Hua Jing was delighted to see Ya Xi return to his former state. She looked at him from head to toe, and nodded to him with a smile. However, when she saw her maids staring at Ya Xi in admiration, she was displeased. She coldly ordered, "Leave us, all of you."


    Although unwilling, the maids didn''t dare to disobey Hua Jing''s orders. They craned their neck to steal a last glance of the handsome Ya Xi before leaving the chamber.


    After the maids had left, Hua Jing took hold of Ya Xi''s hand. "I''ll send a few guards with you when you collect evidence or valuable remains from the burnt Suiyu House. Feel free to go there when you are ready."


    Ya Xi bit his lip before nodding to her. Then he bowed and left.


    Not long after, the servant Hua Jing had sent to the Grand Councilor''s Mansion returned. He reported to Hua Jing, "I''ve delivered your letter to the Grand Councilor''s Mansion, Your Highness. However, the chamberlain told me that Lady Yingying was not at home. So I entrusted the invitation letter to the chamberlain, and asked him to give the letter to Lady Yingying when she returned."


    Li Yingying was not home? Hua Jing frowned as a sense of foreboding overwhelmed her. She couldn''t help wondering whether Li Yingying would be waiting for Ya Xi at the ruins of Suiyu House. It was unlikely, but...


    Hua Jing didn''t say anything. She frowned as she thought over all the possibilities. Then, she nodded to the servant, and dismissed him.


    An hour later, Ya Xi returned. However, to Hua Jing''s surprise, Ya Xi looked distressed. And the guards following him also seemed as though they had been involved in a fight. Hua Jing asked the maids to help Ya Xi change before questioning her guards about what had happened.


    A guard answered, "As per your instructions, we followed Mister Ya Xi to Suiyu House. The building had been badly burnt. There''s nothing left of it. After our arrival, Mister Ya Xi began searching the debris, and we helped him. However, Lady Yingying suddenly appeared. She caught hold of Mister Ya Xi by his arm, and intended to take him away forcefully. But Mister Ya Xi struggled to free himself. At the sight, Lady Yingying''s guards surrounded Mister Ya Xi, and prevented him from leaving. Since Your Highness ordered us to help, we ran to aid Mister Ya Xi, and saved him from Lady Yingying''s guards. Seeing that she couldn''t have her way, Lady Yingying became enraged. She started insulting Mister Ya Xi. She congratulated Ya Xi on finding another lady rich enough to have her own guards to protect him. We didn''t dare to identify that we were Your Highness'' guards. So we didn''t say anything. Every time Lady Yingying or her guards tried to grab Mister Ya Xi, we stopped them. Lady Yingying became irritated as she couldn''t do anything. Before she left, she promised that she would find him and swore that she would make Ya Xi come to her willingly."

 Chapter 220 Intrigues In The Grand Councilors Mansion

    Hua Jing was absolutely furious. Li Yingying! After hearing Ya Xi''s story and assuring him that she would seek justice for the incident at Suiyu House, Hua Jing had sent an invitation to Li Yingying. Before picking on her cousin, she wanted to be absolutely certain that Ya Xi had not lied. It would not do to get into trouble with her father again. However, upon hearing the extent to which Li Yingying had gone to force Ya Xi, the Princess was infuriated. How dare Li Yingying slobber over her man and humiliate her! Did Li Yingying think she could do as she pleases simply because she was the granddaughter of the Grand Councilor? That was absurd!


    The chamberlain entered when Hua Jing was fuming over Li Yingying''s actions. Hua Jing asked angrily. "What happened?"


    The chamberlain was not expecting such hostility. He lowered his head and spoke nervously. "Your Highness, a servant from the Grand Councilor''s Mansion just arrived. He explained that Lady Yingying seeks your forgiveness for not accepting your invitation. She went to Jingsi Temple to pray for the Grand Councilor and Lady Li today, and she is exhausted from the trip. As per the servant, Lady Yingying thinks it inappropriate to meet Your Highness when she feels worn-out. Lady Yingying has promised to pay her respect to Your Highness first thing tomorrow morning instead."


    Hua Jing''s mouth twisted in a contemptuous sneer. "Pray? Humph! She is such a natural liar that I am questioning my own abilities! All right, since she wants to pay her respects to me tomorrow, I don''t mind. Tell her to prostrate three times, and kowtow thrice at each prostration with reverence."


    The chamberlain was surprised as Lady Yingying used to have a good relationship with Her Highness. Although there was less contact between them in recent weeks, he couldn''t understand what Lady Yingying had done to irritate Her Highness this much. While trying to imagine what had soured the relationship between the Princess and Lady Yingying, the chamberlain respectfully bowed and answered, "Yes, Your Highness. I will tell the servant to pass the message to Lady Yingying."


    "Wait a moment!" Hua Jing sighed before standing. Her expression was cold. She knew that the facade of mutual respect between her and Li Yingying would be removed if she really asked her cousin to do so. After all, Li Yingying had a closer relationship with Grandfather and Grandmother, since she stayed at the Grand Councilor''s Mansion all the time. Although Hua Jing was always respected as a Princess, she worried that if Li Yingying spoke ill of her every now and then, her grandparents might believe Li Yingying. Hua Jing couldn''t afford to let that happen because she still needed their help.


    Hua Jing was smart enough to understand that although her grandparents might be inferior to her in rank, the Empress and she needed to count on their support.


    Hua Jing frowned as she thought it over. "You don''t need to reply to the messenger. I''ll go to Grand Councilor''s Mansion and visit Li Yingying." Then she said to the maid who had been standing aside. "Get me dressed."


    The light yellow dress selected by the maid softened Hua Jing''s appearance. Hua Jing nodded in approval before asking for a carriage to be prepared. She also asked her maid to inform Ya Xi of her whereabouts. Then she turned and left for the Grand Councilor''s Mansion.


    Grandfather should be out at this moment, and Grandmother always felt protective and tender about her daughter, a noble Empress with no freedom. As a result, Grandmother often spoiled her. It would be prudent for Hua Jing to start with her grandmother as she would be easier to manipulate.


    After pondering over the whole situation, the Princess reached a decision and accordingly, prepared a speech in her mind. A few moments later, Hua Jing arrived at the Grand Councilor''s Mansion.


    As she alighted from the carriage, the servant at the door recognized Hua Jing and came to greet her with a bright smile. "Your Highness."


    Hua Jing nodded and asked, "Where''s Grandmother?"


    The servant bowed and answered, "Lady Li is in Jingya* House£¨*TN: meaning tranquility and elegance)." Hua Jing nodded. Jingya House was her Grandmother''s residence, So she headed toward it. As she walked into the yard, the Princess heard a noise coming from inside. Hua Jing frowned and wondered who dared to make noise in Jingya House since Grandmother had a preference for peace.


    As Hua Jing approached, she saw a woman in a carmine dress standing in the middle of the room. The woman was smiling with disdain and complaining, "Don''t think you can fool me just because I''m from another country. I know your norms. I''m pregnant and I deserve enough nutrition. You cannot deny me that! Although I''m just a concubine, my marriage was granted by your Emperor and I now bear a child of the Li Clan. Moreover, the third Prince of the State of Yelang is still in the Imperial City and I don''t think he will be pleased to learn that I''m being bullied here. If you don''t give in to my demands, I will go to His Majesty."


    Hua Jing frowned as she thought about the woman''s identity. Could this be Cangyang Yu''er, the woman who showed an interest in Prince Jing during the Imperial Feast? Hua Jing raised an eyebrow when she recalled the embarrassing situation when Cangyang was caught having an affair with her grandfather during a feast to celebrate Prince Jing''s birthday... That was how she ended up in this mansion. Was she pregnant?


    Hua Jing walked in with a sneer. "I was just wondering who was so ill-educated to make a fuss here. So it''s you, a concubine from a small country, right? Let me think for a moment. What


    r her feelings in this matter as well.


    Then he said. "I understand how angry and upset you are now. But it''s really inappropriate to involve Fuya. Why don''t we let her out and punish her by our family rules?"


    Hua Jing shook her head. "Please don''t pacify me with that promise, Grandfather. She is pregnant. I don''t think you will really punish her when she returns."


    The Grand Councilor frowned and glanced at Lady Li, who appeared to be quite pale. Having reached a decision, he spoke, "I was never really sure if the child was mine. Let''s see if the child is lucky enough to survive her punishment. It was her fault from the start anyway. Once she''s in this mansion, she needs to obey our rules."


    The Grand Councilor was not a coward and he was aware of how the situation affected his family. He also knew how poorly Cangyang had behaved ever since her arrival at the mansion, even though Lady Li never complained. However, he had been reluctant to take action since this marriage had been granted by the Emperor, and Cangyang Yu''er was from the State of Yelang. Given his dilemma, he had chosen to keep silent.


    Nevertheless, now that they had already made a scene, he couldn''t play innocent anymore. Lady Li was also from a noble family. If he didn''t tread lightly there would be endless trouble from her family. His big plan was going to be implemented soon and he couldn''t afford any risks. A foreign woman wouldn''t make much difference no matter what.


    Hua Jing felt more reassured after hearing the Grand Councilor''s explanation, and agreed to his suggestion reluctantly.


    At that moment, she heard Li Yingying''s voice. "Is Grandfather home?"


    A ruthless look flashed across Hua Jing''s face. She lowered her head and suppressed her anger. Then she looked up and saw Li Yingying enter. Li Yingying was wearing a pink dress with a white chiffon coat. There were a few plum flowers embroidered on the tail of her dress. With a casual bun, she looked elegant and radiant. Hua Jing felt envious when she saw how full of youth her cousin looked.


    Upon studying her cousin, the Princess realized that Li Yingying was dressed unusually well today. Did she dress to impress Ya Xi? Was she so sure that Ya Xi would be hers soon? Hua Jing became furious at this thought.


    "Good to see you, cousin." The angrier Hua Jing was, the more brightly she smiled.


    Li Yingying looked at Hua Jing and was surprised by her injured face. Li Yingying asked immediately, "What happened to your face, Your Highness?"


    The she greeted the Grand Councilor and Lady Li.


    Li Yingying sat beside Hua Jing and explained, "I received Your Highness''s invitation once I returned from praying. As I was too tired today, so I didn''t come to visit. What did Your Highness need to see me for?"


    Hua Jing smiled as she answered, "Nothing special. It''s just that I haven''t met with you for a while, and I heard people talking about you today. That was why I wanted to invite you over."


    "Talking about me?" Li Yingying asked in confusion. "What did they say about me?"


    Hua Jing smiled. "I will tell you later."


    After the dinner with the Grand Councilor and Lady Li, Hua Jing went for a walk in the garden.


    Li Yingying had no idea what Hua Jing needed to speak with her about, so she followed the Princess cautiously. While walking around the garden, Hua Jing dismissed the servants before quietly speaking, "I was chatting with some ladies today, and one of them said she saw you in an indecent place. I found it a serious matter as it was about your reputation. So I came here to speak with you."


    Li Yingying panicked. "Wh... What? Where did she see me? Is it possible that she might be mistaken?"


    Hua Jing turned to her cousin and looked into her eyes as she spoke. "Suiyu House."

 Chapter 221 The Incident In The Princess Palace

    "What?" Hua Jing''s words put Li Yingying in a fluster. Yingying panicked.


    The Princess continued, "I suppose you would have worn a veil when you visited the Suiyu House. But the veil was not enough. It only hides your identity from strangers. When people know you, they can easily recognize you even with a veil on. You''ve always been cautious and smart. Why did you make such a mistake?"


    Yingying smiled awkwardly. She tried to dismiss the allegation, "Well, I didn''t go there. The place is inappropriate for an unmarried woman like me. The ladies must have mistaken another person for me."


    Hua Jing smiled coldly, "Now you''re being silly. It doesn''t matter whether you visited Suiyu House or not. The rumor itself is disastrous. If someone so close to you, me for example, has heard about it, then most of the ladies in the Imperial City must know as well. You know the ladies love rumors. No one cares about the authenticity of the rumor. Gossiping is fun to them. The ladies won''t keep quite when there is such an interesting story. And eventually, the rumor will be heard by your family. The Li Clan are the ones who will get hurt by the rumor."


    Li Yingying''s face paled, "Hua Jing, you''re right. Even if I claim that it is only a rumor, no one will believe me. So what should I do now? My parents and grandparents can''t know of the rumor. It''s too heavy an accusation for our family to bear."


    Hua Jing was amused by Li Yingying''s question. ''If she feared the consequences so much, why did she fight for Ya Xi so publicly in the first place? And she was defending herself just now, as if someone had wronged her.


    Bitch. I shouldn''t have doubted Ya Xi. He wasn''t framing her.'' The Princess thought. When the guards told Hua Jing what they had seen, she wasn''t sure whether or not she should trust them. Now with Li Yingying''s guilty confession, Hua Jing was assured.


    Princess Hua Jing had been raised in the Palace. Her life had been free of adversities. However, in recent months, too many awful things had happened to her. She had even spent two months in a cold and damp cell thanks to Li Yingying. The latter had never paid the Princess a visit during Hua Jing''s internment. And Li Yingying had plenty of excuses for not visiting. She always claimed that she was either terrified or mentally exhausted. ''It looks like Li Yingying was busy enjoying her time with her lovers during my incarceration.''


    Hua Jing felt angrier when she thought about the past. ''Ya Xi is mine. Li Yingying will learn that she cannot covet him.''


    "Yingying, you''re twenty years old and still unmarried. No wonder there are rumors. If you like, I can help with that. I can ask grandmother and aunt to find you some nice young noblemen to select from. If you''re married, such rumors will have no basis." Hua Jing raised her hand and smiled as she studied her new manicure.


    Li Yingying''s face was still pale. Her expression didn''t change much at Hua Jing''s suggestion. Li Yingying lifted her brows, but chose not to say anything.


    Hua Jing interpreted Li Yingying''s reaction as reluctance to stop living a free and unfettered life. The Princess felt unhappy, "If you were a man or someone of stature like Prince Jing, people would say you''re a playboy, even if you stay unmarried at the age of twenty. But as a girl, you''ll receive harsher judgement if you remain unmarried over the age of twenty. It''s not good for your reputation. I am only offering help. What you do now, is your decision."


    Li Yingying sighed and lowered her head. She hesitated for a while before saying, "I guess I don''t have any other choice. Please let my mother and grandmother know that they should find me a husband."


    ''A husband?'' Hua Jing sneered at Li Yingying. ''You wish!'' But the Princess hid her feelings well, "I also suggest that you go out less these days. We can''t make sure the same rumor won''t spread again if you go out too often." Hua Jing nodded at her cousin before leaving. Thinking of what she had accomplished, her heart soared with joy.


    Yun Shang was lying on the couch at Prince Jing''s Mansion. Ning Qian was reporting the latest updates to the Princess, "The Grand Councilor''s wife arranges events quickly. She held a banquet with only two days notice. But only a few people were present. Even her friends didn''t attend. They all had excuses for their absence. The Grand Councilor''s wife was enraged at the situation. She sent her servants to find out why, and learned of the rumor that Li Yingying had burnt down Suiyu House for an escort."


    Yun Shang smiled at the news, "Interesting. What else did she find out?"


    "She found out everything that Your Highness wanted her to know. After all, it wasn''t exactly a secret that Princess Hua Jing brought the most famed escort from Suiyu House to her Palace. Ya Xi is popular and easily recognized in the City. Besides, he went to the Princess Palace through the front door several times. Everyone saw him." Ning Qian smiled, too.


    "Well, the Royal cousins fought over one escort and now, they hate each other for that. What an intriguing story!" Yun Shang took a sip of tea. ''No wonder the civilians like to watch shows.'' The Princess thought. The players on stage enact what the audience favors to amuse them. It''s said that watching such shows helped the commoners forget about their problems. But Yun Shang had enjoyed customizing this show. And it was only the beginning. She had much more planned.


    "What''s more, there were several groups of people investigating Ya Xi and the Suiyu House fire. They have shown great interest and conducted the investigation many times. Fortunately we foresaw this and made arrangements in advance. Otherwise they would find out that we were behind the whole incident. Of the people who were interested in Suiyu House, some were from the Grand Councilor''s Mansion, and others had been sent by the Empress. I''m surpr


    women he slept with. He thought Hua Jing could help him achieve his political goals, so he had lowered his standards and chosen her, despite the fact that Hua Jing wasn''t a virgin. Now, seeing Hua Jing sleeping with different men, Prince Qingsu felt veins throbbing in his temples. Reminding himself of the plans he needed help with, the Prince suppressed his feelings and walked in.


    But he lost his temper again at the sight that greeted him as he entered. Outer clothes, tunics, and shoes were scattered on the ground. Several naked bodies were piled up on the bed. It was a dirty scene.


    Although glowering in anger, Prince Qingsu stayed silent as he watched the woman on the bed. One of the escorts noticed Prince Qingsu. He put on a seductive smile and spoke to the Prince, "Friend. Are you also here to serve Her Highness? Well, you''re late. But it doesn''t matter. Come and join us. It''s our honor to serve Her Highness. Am I right, Your Highness?"


    Princess Hua Jing was busy enjoying herself. She was so caught up in the throes of pleasure that Hua Jing kept her eyes tightly closed and moaned. Hearing the question, she didn''t think much. The Princess whimpered, "Yeah...... Ah...... Serve me...... Serve me well...... And you...... Ah...... You''ll be rewarded......"


    The escort who noticed Prince Qingsu smiled at Hua Jing''s reply. He bent and continued kissing Hua Jing''s neck. Hua Jing moaned out of joy.


    Prince Qingsu sneered. He silently walked to the bed. No one noticed Qingsu''s approach. "Em, " said the Prince as he unsheathed a hidden knife that he had brought with him. Without deliberating over his decision, the Prince swung the knife at the person closest to him. The escort turned just in time to see the knife heading toward his body. Quickly, he rolled away. Prince Qingsu couldn''t stop. As the knife sunk into the person below the escort, Prince Qingsu sneered. Before Prince Qingsu saw who he had stabbed, a scream rang through the chamber. Several people looked around and noticed the Prince''s violent behavior, "Ah...... Someone has been stabbed......"


    The men on the bed seemed shocked by the sudden incident and started to run around the room naked.


    The chaotic scene satisfied Prince Qingsu so much, that he kept stabbing the person on the bed without looking at the victim. The escorts kept shouting and screaming.


    Soon, the quilt was soaked with blood. When footsteps hastened toward the room, Prince Qingsu knew that the guards were approaching. He controlled his anger and put away the knife. No matter what, he couldn''t be caught committing a crime in the Princess Palace. What he had done would indeed have disastrous effects if he were caught. Prince Qingsu was needed in the State of Yelang. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had no feelings for Hua Jing, so why did he become so emotional? The Prince frowned as he recalled how impossible it had been to control his feelings from the moment he stepped in the room. He couldn''t resist the thought of killing.


    Familiar with schemes and plots, Prince Qingsu knew it was a set-up targeting him. There must be something odd about the scent in the room.


    Prince Qingsu shook his head to clear his mind before trying to jump out through the window. But the Prince was stopped and dragged down by the escorts who saw him. The Prince frowned when he thought he''d be caught by the Palace guards. Hearing the footsteps coming closer, Qingsu swung his knife and stabbed whoever was holding his thigh.


    The guards smashed through the door. When they saw Prince Qingsu holding a blood covered knife, they shouted, "Hurry! Arrest him!" Since the guards had entered, the escorts restraining Prince Qingsu loosened their grip. Prince Qingsu took the chance to jump out the window. He disappeared in the darkness.


    The guards didn''t chase the Prince. They panicked at the blood-soaked bed and shouted, "Help! Her Highness is hurt!"

 Chapter 222 New Storm in the Imperial City

    "So, is Hua Jing dead?" Yun Shang took a handful of millet as she asked in a casual tone. She was playing with the parrot that Prince Jing had given her as a gift earlier that morning.


    Ning Qian clenched her teeth to suppress her agitation. She was so upset that she stamped several times. Judging from Ning Qian''s childish behavior, Yun Shang understood that Hua Jing was still alive. As she was in a good mood today, the Princess wasn''t upset with the unfavorable result. Then she said in a somewhat nonchalant manner, "It doesn''t matter if Hua Jing is still alive. I will end her life sooner or later. But this incident will certainly spur the Empress to take action. We were lucky that Ya Xi was not with Hua Jing yesterday. The other gigolos mean nothing to us. Our plan will not be affected even if the others are expelled from Hua Jing''s Palace."


    Ning Qian sighed after hearing that. Her shoulders sagged in defeat, "You''re right, Your Highness. Hua Jing''s injuries and the expelling of the gigolos will not affect our plan. However, there is another complication. Though Quingsu escaped the guards, he returned later. He used the chaos in the Princess''s Palace as a diversion to kidnap Hua Jing. This was unexpected. What''s worse is that they left the Imperial City before anyone could notice what Qingsu had done."


    Yun Shang stopped playing with the parrot when she heard Ning Qian''s report. She turned to look at Ning Qian and asked in disbelief, "Escaped the Imperial City?"


    Ning Qian nodded before quickly adding, "As the Emperor of Yelang is dying, Qingsu must have planned to return to the State of Yelang. I have sent our men to chase him. Considering that the other Yelang Princes covet the throne as well, they must have predicted his return and set traps for Qingsu. Qingsu is now caught in a dilemma. Ambushes lie ahead and troops are in pursuit of him. He may not be able to reach Yelang safely with the half-dying Princess. Hua Jing is the Princess of the State of Ning, after all. He stabbed her in the presence of many witnesses. Emperor Ning, the Empress, and the Li Clan would seek justice. Even the new Emperor of Yelang will not excuse his behavior. That is if Qingsu doesn''t usurp the throne."


    Yun Shang stayed silent. She was in deep thought and stared blankly at the bird cage in front of her.


    When Prince Jing returned to his mansion, Yun Shang reported the new developments to him. Then she voiced her concerns, "I wonder what is wrong with Qingsu! Why did he return to kidnap Hua Jing? His trip to Yelang is filled with challenges. Why would he want to burden himself with caring for Hua Jing who is seriously injured? Did he not think that the abduction would enrage the Emperor of Ning? Since he is trying to win the crown by garnering political support, why did he take a step that would drive a wedge between him and Emperor Ning?"


    Prince Jing spoke after pondering. "You devised plans to force Qingsu into visiting Hua JIng at her Palace, didn''t you?"


    Yun Shang''s silence was the answer to the Prince''s question. In her heart, the Princess didn''t think it inappropriate to set up Hua Jing and Qingsu. She did plot to make this happen. She issued the order to add the incense in Hua Jing''s chamber. Anyone who breathes the scent of the incense will be overwhelmed with feelings of multiplied desire and fury. Aware of the effect of the scent, Yun Shang had expected Qingsu''s craziness and attack on Hua Jing. But she never imagined that Qingsu would abduct Hua Jing. That had come as a big surprise to her. Since she couldn''t understand his motivations, Yun Shang found this puzzling.


    Prince Jing stared at Yun Shang as she was contemplating the situation. He smiled and shook his head, "I would do the same thing if I were Qingsu."


    After hearing the Prince''s statement, Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at the Prince. Her expression conveyed her confusion. "Why? Please tell me." That was the question Prince Jing could read in the Princess''s eyes.


    Prince Jing smiled before explaining, "As Qingsu had already hurt Hua Jing before many witnesses, there would be every reason for the Emperor to arrest and punish him. Qingsu''s abduction of Hua Jing does not add to a greater crime. Although it will be cumbersome for Qingsu to care for Hua Jing on the way to Yelang, he would be secured with a hostage under his control. After all, he didn''t achieve his aims in Ning. Hua Jing is a Princess. She''s the Empress''s daughter and Grand Councilor Li''s granddaughter. The Emperor, the Empress, and Grand Councilor Li will send assassins and guards in pursuit of Qingsu. He is, therefore, in great danger. Hua Jing would be his leverage if he gets caught. Maybe Qingsu will explain his actions and pacify Hua Jing while they are alone. In that case, he would turn an enemy into a supporter. Wouldn''t that be nice for him?"


    Yun Shang sighed after she thought over the Prince''s explanations. She had anticipated various consequences, and had prepared for every eventuality accordingly. But she had never given careful thought to the fact that humans are the most complicated animals under the Heavens.


    "Don''t torture yourself for this oversight. You were successful in removing a threat. You should be happy. Why do you still look so worried?" Prince Jing lay on the bench that Yun Shang enjoyed lying on. He took some grapes from the stool by his side in a casual manner and popped them into his mouth.


    Yun Shang let out a sigh. "I planned to kill Hua Jing. But the abduction was indeed beyond my expectation. I really have no idea what will happen in the future."


    "What are you afraid of? You are smart. Hua Jing has been taken to a foreign country. She has no one working for her. What worries you?" Prince Jing''s words startled Yun Shang. Was the Prince... praising her?


    Emperor Ning indeed became furious at Qingsu. Of course, he wrote a letter to the Emperor of Yelang, in which he requested severe punishment for Qingsu. This letter was delivered to the State of Yelang immediately. Emperor Ning ordered troops to chase Qingsu as well. Due to Qingsu''s actions, there was stricter guard at the border between Ning and Yelang. The commoners lived in uncertainty. It seemed war was inevitable.


    Lady Jin was in a good physical condition now. As the delivery was imminent, she planned to return to Laifeng City for childbirth. Emperor Ning decided to accompany her to Laifeng City. He ordered servants to make preparations. Yun Shang was so worried for her mother that she decided to travel with her mother. Prince Jing gave his consent. But the Prince insisted on escorting her to Laifeng City and spending some time with her there.


    Prince Jing seemed to be behaving unusually since their marriage. Yun Shang had sensed it already. He liked to give her many little gifts, such as amusing objects and cute animals. He even followed her wherever she went. His devotion had led the servants to believe that the Prince and the Princess Consort were really a perfect match.


    Yun Shang felt anxious at Prince Jing''s request to keep her company in Laifeng City. She intended to turn the Prince down. Anticipating her response, Prince Jing said in a serious manner, "Who will be in the Imperial City if both, the Emperor and I leave?"


    Yun Shang lowered her head to think for a little while. "The Empress


    h a baby in her arms. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Lady Jin gave birth to a little Prince."


    A little Prince...


    Yun Shang was delighted. She went nearer to see her little brother. He was ruddy in the face, and was sleeping tight.


    "Although brother seems thinner than normal new-born babies, he is quite healthy. He will be blessed by the Buddha." Yun Shang said in a pleasant tone. She turned to look at Emperor Ning. The Emperor seemed in a trance as he stared at the baby.


    Yun Shang was perplexed by the Emperor''s behavior. She said to him with a smile, "Your Majesty, please give a name to my brother."


    Emperor Ning pondered for a short while. Then he said, "Chenxi. I want to name him Chenxi."


    Chenxi literally meant the sun in the morning. Yun Shang grinned. That was a really nice name. Even she felt all warm, as though touched by the sun, when she heard the name.


    Yun Shang stepped into the inner chamber while Emperor Ning was watching his lovely son. The inner chamber smelled of blood. Lady Jin was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She seemed to have fallen asleep. But Yun Shang knew that her mother was not sleeping as her eyelashes were quivering. She tiptoed toward her, and sat on the bedside.


    "Brother looks cute. He will be a handsome Prince when he grows up. A lady-killer. His Majesty named him Chenxi. The sun in the morning. Do you like it, Mother?" Yun Shang said gently.


    Lady Jin slowly opened her eyes. A smile emerged on her lips. "That is a nice name." But Lady Jin was so tired that she fell asleep soon.


    Yun Shang still felt worried after Lady Jin''s delivery. Prince Jing was in the Imperial City now...


    It had been many days since Prince Jing had returned to the Imperial City. Yun Shang knew nothing about the situation in the City. Even Ning Qian had not sent a letter with her report. Yun Shang wondered what was stopping her.


    A letter finally came from the Imperial City on the fifth day after Chenxi''s birth. However, it was to Yun Shang''s surprise that this letter was sent neither by Ning Qian nor Prince Jing. It was from Lin.


    Lin was a servant at the Huanyi Bureau. Since he had been loyal to Yun Shang before her poisoning at the age of eight, she intended to promote him and find a job for him in her Palace. But Lin had refused the Princess. He rationalized that if he worked for the Princess in her Palace, he would not have access to much information lest people worry that he leaks it to the Princess. It was better that he kept a distance from the Princess by continuing to work at the Huanyi Bureau. He was nobody in the Huanyi Bureau, but he would be useful one day. It was beyond Yun Shang''s expectation that Lin was able to play a key role at this critical moment.


    According to Lin''s letter, the Empress had reinforced the security in the Imperial Palace on the pretext of stolen valuable items. Thousands of guards had been assigned to protect the Imperial Palace. Even a rat could not escape the guards! The Empress even worried about a breach by outsiders who were good at Qinggong*. As a result, she had dispatched tens of thousands of bowmen on the the wall of the Imperial Palace to dissuade outsiders from sneaking into the Imperial Palace.


    (*TN: A Chinese martial arts technique that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.) So panicked was the Empress that she had even cancelled the monthly visit by the servants'' relatives. She was afraid that the servants in the Imperial Palace would secretly pass on something from the Imperial Palace to their relatives who lived outside.


    In Lin''s opinion, all these arrangements were by no means normal. As ordinary servants were not allowed to leave the Imperial Palace either, they were unable to send information to people outside. It was lucky that Lin found a way around the Empress''s arrangements. As he worked for the Huanyi Bureau, the department that washes all the imperial clothes, he needed to collect water from a river outside the Imperial Palace. Lin was able to send the letter with the help of the river. The Empress must know nothing about the river, otherwise she would have guarded the river, too. Yun Shang had told Lin how to contact her secret guards. Lin tired his best to make contact with Yun Shang''s men, and told them how he was able to send the letter.


    The content of the letter was indeed beyond Yun Shang''s expectation. Something terrible was going to happen in the Imperial City. It seemed that Prince Jing must have held back the bad news from her on purpose lest she worried him. But, how about Ning Qian? Before Yun Shang left the Imperial City, she had asked Ning Qian to take orders from Prince Jing...


    Yun Shang had been worried about the Prince for all this time. The contents of the letter only served to put her on edge. ''I must return to the Imperial City secretly and immediately.'' Yun Shang thought...

 Chapter 223 Sneaking Into The Imperial Palace

    Yun Shang was sure that something had happened in the Imperial City. She hid behind a tree outside the city gate and studied the guarded entry, and the dozens of soldiers who were examining the commoners entering the city. Something caught her attention. She realized that while the commoners were allowed to enter the City, no one was being permitted to leave. It looked like that the Li Clan had blocked the gate, and forbidden anyone from exiting the Imperial City.


    How dare they? The Li Clan was too audacious.


    Frowning, Yun Shang pondered for a while before she sent a signal to her guards. The Prince had kept the news from her because he didn''t want Yun Shang to get involved in the civil war and worried for her safety. But since she had returned and learned about the Li Clan''s movements, she wouldn''t step aside and watch. And she didn''t think Prince Jing could drive her away.


    After a while, none of her guards responded. However, Jing Ying, Prince Jing''s shadow guard, appeared in front of her and reported, "Your Highness, His Highness has asked me to bring you to him."


    A little surprised, Yun Shang stared at her. After a long while, the Princess nodded. It seemed that the Prince had ensured that his guards would protect her no matter the circumstance. No wonder he always knew where she went and what she did. Seeing that the Princess had agreed, Jing Ying bowed before turning to lead the way.


    Later, Yun Shang was led into a little compound located in the corner of the Imperial City. She was surprised again, for she knew that it was one of her guards'' strongholds, and also a junction of the secret passages that lay beneath the city. Under the yard ran many tunnels that also led to other strongholds in the Imperial City and Qingxin Palace. Some tunnels even went outside the city. When tasked with renovating Prince Jing''s Mansion, Yun Shang had heeded his advice and ensured that a tunnel was dug below the mansion. From what she remembered, the tunnel work had neared completion when she left the Imperial City.


    Prince Jing was waiting for her in the yard. He appeared indifferent when he spotted her. After several quick glances at her, he asked plainly, "Is it a boy or a girl?"


    Knowing that he was referring to Lady Jin''s baby, Yun Shang nodded to him, "It''s a little prince."


    Prince Jing''s body stiffened noticeably. However, he averted his eyes, and said, "I''m afraid that the Empress and the Grand Councilor have also received the news."


    "Perhaps. How are things going in the Imperial City?" Yun Shang softly asked, "Lin has reported to me that the Imperial Palace is fully secured, with thousands of guards patrolling the Palaces and archers stationed throughout the walls. And I saw that the Imperial City has been closed, too. The gates are shut and no one is allowed to go out." Whilst she was talking, Yun Shang approached the Prince.


    Prince Jing reached out and pulled her to him. He stood and hugged her around her shoulders. "You should not have come here. Over the past a few days, the Grand Councilor has been busy persuading the officials to ally with him. If they consented, they would be rewarded with gold and jewels. And if they refused, their whole family would be killed as a result of their defiance."


    Upon hearing that, Yun Shang''s eyebrows furrowed. She knew that every revolt was based on killing and torturing, but she didn''t expect that the Grand Councilor would be so cruel and cold-blooded toward his fellow officials.


    She asked with a frown, "Who have joined him? And who have been killed?"


    Prince Jing sneered, "Before Li Jingyan could do anything, I informed all my allies to take their families away. None of them have been found and confronted yet. However, I can''t fool him for too long. He will figure out what I have done in the coming few days. And I''ve also received reports from my men in the Palace. According to the report, the Ministry of Rites has been preparing for the enthronement ceremony. The crown is what they have been coveting. But I wonder which of them will ascend to the throne, Li Jingyan or Xia Houjing."


    Gnashing her teeth, Yun Shang asked, "What''s your intention? Has my father learned about what''s happening in the Imperial City?"


    Prince Jing nodded, "Of course, he knows about the rebellion. He has appointed me with the responsibility of handling the matter. Li Jingyan is a fool. He''s stupid to believe that he could become Emperor just by gaining control of a city. Right now, there are no more than forty thousand Xia soldiers quartering in the Imperial City, whereas more than a million of them are laying siege at the border of the State of Xia. They are waiting for Li Jingyan''s orders to invade Ning. But don''t worry, I have mobilized our forces in secret, and our army is capable of defeating theirs. And within three days, the soldiers who guard the Imperial City will be there. At that time, I''ll catch the rat in its hole."


    Yun Shang felt relieved, but she suddenly recalled another matter. "If Li Jingyan wants the throne, he wouldn''t harm the current Emperor, so my father is fine. But my mother is with him in Laifeng City, will she be in danger?"


    Prince Jing patted her hair comfortingly. He lowered his head to look into her eyes, and smirked, "Well, what did I tell you? If you hadn''t come back to the Imperial City, you wouldn''t be worrying about your mother. You could''ve protected her in person. At the start, I wanted you to stay at Laifeng City and look after your mother, but you have come here, regardless of your parents and my warnings." At his words, Yun Shang appeared anxious. Seeing the anxiety in Yun Shang''s eyes, Prince Jing continued though he softened his tone, "But they''ll be fine, don''t worry. Every Emperor has his own force, a small army of guards that listens to his orders only. Your father''s force contains about thirty thousand men, and every one of them is an excellent soldier. Right now, his force must be with him, or somewhere near Laifeng City. And your father is also under the protection of many martial arts masters. Li Jingyan couldn''t hurt t


    ild. I''m fearful of the consequences if I refuse her. I only wish for my child to survive..."


    Yun Shang smiled disparagingly before speaking, "It seems you have no idea about what''s going on in the Imperial City. Or else, you wouldn''t have agreed to her request. Do you know, why am I here?"


    Qin Meng was dumbfounded. She shook her head in a daze.


    Seeing that, Yun Shang emitted a loud laughter, "Let me tell you what has happened. You must be wondering why the Empress has been talking about loyalty over the past a few days, and why she mentioned that as long as you didn''t betray her, you would survive and thrive. But you could never imagine what has happened. The Empress''s father, Lord Li Jingyan, is now a traitor. He is aiding the State of Xia in their invasion of Ning. Right now, the Imperial City has been locked, and all the officials that didn''t bow to the Li Clan have been killed. You see now? The Grand Councilor wants to usurp the throne!"


    Hearing that, Qin Meng was more terrified than before. She stared at Yun Shang, blankly, face pale in horror.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at Qin Meng as she continued, "The Empress is Lord Li''s daughter. She will survive the rebellion, and thrive as the most honorable woman in whichever dynasty that takes over. And if the Grand Councilor succeeds the throne as the new Emperor, she would be his Eldest Princess. Huh. But what will happen to you and the other Ladies, Lady Meng? If that happens, all of you will be used women, and concubines of the late Emperor. What would happen to worthless women?"


    Horrified, Qin Meng shook her head in disbelief. She whispered, "No, it''s not true..."


    Yun Shang stared at her before mocking, "And what will happen to your child? Do you think the Li Clan will let it live? How foolish of you to believe the Empress''s words.


    However, the Grand Councilor is not going to succeed. And the Empress will regret taking his side. She should never have staked all her hopes on a revolt. Although she has fortified the guard in the Palace, her force is not strong enough to stop anyone from breaking in. Right now, the Li Clan possesses an army of a mere forty thousand. But Prince Jing has been placing a larger and stronger army around the Imperial City. They will lay siege soon and the Empress will lose the war. And she will lose her life. Do you really think taking her side will bring you closer to fortune and glory? Well, in my opinion, if you take her side, your choice would only bring you closer to death. Oh, in the event that the Empress wins, perhaps what awaits you is a fate worse than death. You have fought with her for the Emperor''s favor. She must already hate you." Said Yun Shang with a smile.


    Qin Meng shuddered in terror. Sweat trickled from her forehead and her face was pasty white, as if she had imagined the most horrible thing happening to her. But Yun Shang was at ease. She sat comfortably on the bed and stared at the flickering candle light as she thought about Qin Meng''s pregnancy.


    Finally, trembling and panic-struck, Qin Meng fell to her knees. She crawled to Yun Shang, raised her head, and looked into Yun Shang''s eyes, "Your Highness! Please save me! Please! You have the ability to save me!"


    Yun Shang smiled. "Of course, I can save you and your child. But, I don''t feel any necessity to save either of you."


    Qin Meng hurriedly pleaded, "Your Highness, I''ve been working for you for such a long time..."


    Yun Shang flashed a smile, "You''ve been working for me? But I thought you worked for the Empress. Just now, you were talking to her with such delight. What if I promise to help you survive the revolt, but you betray me and tell my plans to the Empress? Although I''m not afraid of her, you will die before me if you ever informed on me."


    That said, Yun Shang intended to leave. But Qin Meng hurriedly hugged the Princess''s thighs and pleaded, teary-eyed, "Please forgive me! It''s all my fault! I would never betray you! And I know my mistake! Please forgive me! Please give me a chance to prove my loyalty!"

 Chapter 224 War Approaches The Border Cities

    Yun Shang reached forward and delicately placed a finger under Qin Meng''s chin. Then the Princess raised Qin Meng''s face. She said with a smile resting on her lips, "Why am I not convinced by your statement? Lady Meng, you have followed the Empress''s orders from the very beginning. When the Empress abandoned you, you begged me to save your life. And I did. You said you would only listen to me from that day. However, you concealed your pregnancy from me and even communicated with the Empress secretly. If I hadn''t noticed your deception, I would have probably fallen into your trap. Tell me, Lady Meng. How can I trust someone who is so fickle?"


    The Princess''s question unsettled Qin Meng. She trembled as she struggled to find a convincing explanation. Qin Meng opened her mouth, but failed to think of anything with which to justify her actions. She just looked at Yun Shang with tears in her eyes.


    "Do you want me to save your unborn child?" Yun Shang let go of Qin Meng''s chin and leaned back on the bed. She pretended to study a painting on the wall as she waited for Qin Meng to respond.


    Qin Meng fell to the ground. She nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "Please, Your Highness, help my child."


    Yun Shang took a small bottle that was hanging around her waist and poured out a black pill. She handed it to Qin Meng and said. "There is poison in this pill. It will show its effect once a month. Though it''s a poison, you and your unborn baby will stay safe as long as you take the antidote in a timely manner. If you dare to come up with some ideas that you shouldn''t, you will be responsible for the consequences. If you want to keep your child, just take it. And if you don''t trust me, I''ll just forget that I came to you."


    Qin Meng raised her head and looked at Yun Shang''s hands. Qin Meng found herself, yet again, faced with impossible choices. On one hand, the Empress would kill her child if she didn''t follow her orders. On the other, if she refused Yun Shang, she and her child would meet the same fate. She went silent for a long time as she carefully considered her options. Finally, she reached out her hand. Her fingers trembled as she lifted the pill and brought it to her mouth. With one last deep breath, Qin Meng popped the pill into her mouth and then swallowed it quickly.


    Yun Shang smiled encouragingly before saying, "Very good. I haven''t asked you to do something for me in a long while. Now it''s time to prove your loyalty. You''ve been with the Empress for so many years, there must be someone working for you¡­"


    Qin Meng was surprised and shook her head. She was about to say something, but finally she just gritted her teeth and didn''t open her mouth. Yun Shang smiled coldly and said, "Your task is very simple. All you need to do is make the Empress believe that I have killed Princess Hua Jing."


    Qin Meng''s eyes widened in astonishment. She looked at Yun Shang and asked, "Princess Hua Jing?"


    "Yes, Princess Hua Jing. I placed those young men in Hua Jing''s Princess Palace. They have poisoned her. It cannot be detected as it''s a chronic poison. Symptoms of toxicity are also hidden. But as time goes by, the toxins will accumulate and cause harm. As she was carried away by Qingsu, I''m afraid she will lose her life before she arrives at her destination." Yun Shang smiled as she continued, "That''s how she will die. But it''s your responsibility to convince the Empress about it."


    Qin Meng lowered her head and did not say anything. Yun Shang stood and smiled. She raised an eyebrow as she spoke, "Don''t even try to think about weaseling out of this. You don''t know it, but all the people in your Palace report to me. Do you really believe that I am stupid? You will simply swear loyalty to me and I would trust you? Now that I have put you in such a difficult position, I''m not worried at all about you betraying me."


    Qin Meng looked at Yun Shang. Her eyes were full of fear. She could not help wonder, ''How could it be?'' She remembered everything clearly. It had been less than a year since the Princess''s return from Ning''guo Temple. All this while, the Princess had been weak and sick. How could she have replaced all the people in her Palace secretly? How did she manage it?


    Yun Shang did not care about what Qin Meng was thinking at this moment. She just looked at Qin Meng one last time before leaving the Palace. Qin Yi heard the guard outside greeting the Princess, "Your Highness."


    This guard''s voice was low and deep. Qin Meng had tried to stay strong when confronted by both, the Empress and the Princess. But now her will snapped completely. She, Princess Yun Shang, was only 15 years old...


    After leaving Qin Meng''s Palace, Yun Shang made her way to the tunnels. She had no further reason to stay in the Imperial Palace.


    When Yun Shang walked into the room, Prince Jing was staring blankly at the map in front of him. Yun Shang asked her shadow guard to leave and then walked toward the Prince. She saw that the map seemed to be of Ning''s border with the State of Xia. The State of Xia was to the south of the State of Ning. And there were several mountains in the bordering area. To the north side of the mountains lay the State of Ning while the State of Xia was on the south of the mountains. Jingyang, Kangyang, and Dexi were the three cities near the mountains. Yun Shang noticed that Kangyang was heavily circled on the map.


    "Has the State of Xia started attacking the cities?" Yun Shang asked.


    Prince Jing turned abruptly. He had not noticed that Yun Shang had returned. He wrapped his arms around her and said softly, "You are back! Did everything go well?"


    Yun Shang nodded and continued speaking, "What were you looking at just now?"


    Prince Jing lowered his head and pointed at the map before replying "The armies of the State of Xia have already crossed these mountains. They''re approaching the three cities now. According to the dispatch, they are divided into three groups. The army consisting of 500, 000 soldiers is being led by the Crown Prince. They are headed toward Kangyang. The other two armies of 250, 000 soldiers each, are being led by veteran generals Liyang and Dexi, and they are heading to Jingyang and Dexi, respectively.


    Yun Shang was shocked. Now the State of Ning was facing attacks on several sides. The Imperial City was under Grand Councilor Li''s control. At the same time, Ning was fighting against the


    oment and then walked to Prince Jing. She studied the map with him. She then asked the shadow guard to fetch all the documents of the three cities. She also wanted the documents that recorded details about the generals on both sides. She then sat down on the chair next to her and started looking through these documents.


    The rest of the day was uneventful barring three incidents, if they could be called that.


    The first was the rumor spreading through the Palace. Most people knew by now that the Grand Councilor was in rebellion, and many members of the court had been threatened or killed. Most of the family members of the Emperor''s Ladies worked for the court. Knowing that their lives were in danger, the Ladies in the Palace worried about their well-being.


    The second incident involved Xia Houjing. It was said that he was now in charge of the Grand Councilor''s Mansion. On this particular day, Cangyang Yu saw him as she walked around the Mansion. Cangyang Yu went so far as to flirt with Xia Houjing regardless of her pregnancy. It was said that she was barely dressed. Grand Councilor Li witnessed this scene and became so enraged that he beat Cangyang Yu. Subsequently, her unborn baby died.


    The third incident also happened in the Palace. It was said that the Palace was now being haunted by a ghost. It cried sadly in the middle of the night and its voice sounded like Princess Hua Jing''s.


    Hearing all this, Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang, who seemed least surprised. He shook his head a little and did not say anything.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows when the Prince wasn''t looking. She attributed the Prince''s non-acceptance of her earlier offer to go to Kangyang to ignorance. Since the Prince had stayed at the border for so long, and he did not have any servant girls, he did not know that sometimes, when a woman made trouble for no apparent reason, it could be very useful.


    Three days after her return from Laifeng, a new rumor began. According to the rumor, Prince Jing and Emperor Ning were leading an army and were on their way back to the City. The rumor said that the army was so big that it would take them three days to reach the Imperial City.


    Despite these rumors, Grand Councilor''s Mansion was quiet. Earlier, Li Jingyan used to visit the officers at the court almost everyday. Now, he stopped going to court.


    For the next few days, the Imperial City was shrouded in silence.


    On the eighth night since her return, Yun Shang snuck into the Imperial Palace with her shadow guards. She asked the shadow guards to avoid the patrolling soldiers and bring all the Emperor''s Ladies to Qingxin Palace secretly.


    Needless to say, the Emperor''s Ladies were shocked when several men dressed in black showed up to restrain them and take them to Qingxin Palace. They were further shocked to see Yun Shang in the Palace and asked in a hurry, "Your Highness, what''s going on?"


    Yun Shang smiled as she looked at each of the Ladies. She said, "Have you heard that Grand Councilor Li has betrayed the State?"


    The Ladies exchanged looks before nodding.


    "For those of you who don''t know everything, I will give a short explanation. Grand Councilor Li has indeed betrayed the State. Now the Imperial Palace is surrounded by his people. Father and Prince Jing will be here with their army in two days. Grand Councilor Li believes that Father has no knowledge of the Li Clan''s traitorous plans. So when the army reaches here, the Grand Councilor will probably lose his mind and take you as hostages so that he can threaten Father. That''s why I am here. I wanted to take you away from the Palace." Yun Shang tried to appear nonchalant by studying her nail polish which had chipped over the past few days. After the Ladies had enough time to think about their predicament, Yun Shang said with a soft yet steady voice, "Do you want to stay here and take your chances, or do you want me to take you to safety?"


    "I''d like to leave with you, Your Highness..." Lady Ya said quickly. Then Qin Meng spoke up. The other Ladies decided to follow their examples and agreed to let Yun Shang help them.


    Yun Shang smiled and then asked her shadow guards to take the women to safety.


    After all the Ladies had left, Yun Shang headed for Qiwu Palace...

 Chapter 225 The Confrontation

    The scene in Qiwu Palace was chaotic.


    "Your Majesty, the Grand Councilor has asked you to gather all the concubines and send them to Jinluan Hall under guard." Wen Xi said to the Empress. The Grand Councilor had sent the maid to the Empress half a month ago. The Grand Councilor had explained that Wen Xi would convey his orders to the Empress and also protect her.


    The Empress was surprised at the instructions Wen Xi disclosed. She raised her eyes and looked at Wen Xi, "What happened? Has the Emperor returned?"


    Wen Xi lowered her head at the Empress''s questions, "I don''t know.


    His Majesty might have returned." The Empress looked at herself in the mirror. The woman staring back looked graceful and elegant. She was wearing a robe with nine phoenixes embroidered on it. The phoenix crown glittered on her head. But the Royal Lady didn''t look at ease. Her eyes reflected obvious anxiety. Her father was plotting a rebellion...... And she didn''t have a choice...... Even though the Emperor didn''t treat her well and he loved another woman, he was still the Empress''s husband. How could she betray him?


    "Your Majesty......" said Wen Xi.


    ''Majesty?'' The Empress scoffed at the irony. If she followed her father''s orders, the Empress would be a traitor to her own State. No matter whether her father won or not, she would never be an Empress again. Her father had forced her into the imperial household. The Li Clan had compelled her to fight so hard for this position. From now on, this position didn''t belong to her anymore.


    "Sister......" Li Fuyi''s voice echoed through the Halls. The Empress''s anxiety morphed into disdain. She walked outside, and found Li Fuyi standing in the outer Palace. She was smiling, "Sister, Father told you to gather all the Ladies in Jinluan Hall. Haven''t you received his order? Why haven''t you done anything yet?"


    The Empress sneered at Li Fuyi and replied coldly, "I have my own decisions to make. Since you didn''t fully devote yourself to the Li Clan, you have no right to question me. You were sent into the Palace to win favor for our Clan, but you didn''t accomplish that. I wondered why you spent so much time serving Lady Ming in Changchun Palace. All you did was pray and practice abstinence from meat every day. I even thought about asking His Majesty to care for you more. Now, I finally know your real purpose for weaseling your way into the Palace."


    Li Fuyi sniggered and looked at the Empress. She tried to seem charming, "Sister, you''re behaving strangely. His Majesty is your husband. Even though I''m young and unexperienced in certain things, I know better than to steal from my sister. But it seems like you don''t like me as much. What makes you so unhappy? Is it because I came here to relay Father''s orders? Do you still want to be an Empress even after he betrays the State of Ning? Well, it''s understandable. After all, His Majesty and you have spent more than twenty years together. You must be deeply in love with him."


    "Shut up!" The Empress was resentful indeed. "Are you here to mock me?"


    Li Fuyi smiled before shaking her head, "No. I''m here to inform you of my arrangement. To encourage you to comply, I placed a spy in the temporary imperial palace in Laifeng City. I have asked my spy to find a chance to assassinate Lady Jin and her newborn baby. If my spy succeeds, don''t thank me too eagerly. But if she fails, she will confess to Lady Jin and His Majesty that you''re the one who wants Lady Jin and the baby dead."


    "Li Fuyi!" The Empress was shocked and angry, "I underestimated you. How could I forget that you are an expert in scheming? You are exactly the same as your low-born and pathetic mother!"


    Li Fuyi paused before she grinned at the Empress. "Sister, why are you so angry? Father also agrees with my arrangement. He believes that you are loyal to our Clan. But it would not do to take such a risk. Things will end badly if you change your mind at the very last moment. I think our plan is perfect for now. The Emperor must hate you so much. Even without the assassination order, he will still penalize you. Besides, Princess Hua Jing has been framed by Princess Yun Shang many times. We don''t even know whether Hua Jing is alive or not......"


    "That''s enough! Get out!" The Empress pointed at Li Fuyi. She was so enraged that the elegant woman the Empress had seen in the mirror a few minutes earlier was gone. In her stead stood such a bitter and resentful woman that she couldn''t recognize herself.


    Li Fuyi stood and spoke, "Well, I''ll take my leave now. Remember father''s orders. Don''t let him down."


    The Empress waited till Li Fuyi had walked out of the Palace and disappeared into the darkness before falling in her chair. Her whole body trembled with uncertainty and anxiety.


    "Your Majesty......" Wen Xi called again.


    The Empress turned to her maid with a cold expression. Wen Xi was scared and kept her mouth shut.


    "Convey the order to take all the Ladies to Jinluan Hall." The Empress said emotionlessly and forced a bitter smile as she thought of something. Even if she took all the concubines as hostages, it would not increase the Li Clan''s odds of winning. No one understood the Emperor better than the Empress. The Empress knew what the Emperor valued most.


    To gain support for his power, the Emperor broke his promise to Lady Jin, the woman he loved the most. He agreed to marry Li Yiran and make her the Empress instead. Since the Emperor valued his power more than anything, he would not care about his concubines. The Emperor had everything he wanted. Lady Jin and his heir were with him in Laifeng City, under strict protection. The other concubines weren''t worthy of his attention now.


    Wen Xi took some guards and left to execute the Empress''s order. Alone, the Empress buried her face in her hands as she contemplated what future lay ahead of her.


    "Your Majesty doesn''t seem happy. Why is that?" A soft female voice broke the silence. Recognizing to whom the voice belonged, the Empress shivered. The person spoke again, "Well, if the Grand Councilor ascends the throne and becomes the new Emperor, what would I call you? Your Majesty, or Your Highness? No matter what I call you, it seems inappropriate."


    "Ning Yun Shang!" The Empress ground her teeth and hissed. She identified where the voice was coming from and rushed to the inner Palace. She halted at the entrance when she saw Yun Shang sitting on her chair. Yun Shang smiled at the angry Empress, "Your Majesty, why did you call me


    ould foil other arrangements that he had made so carefully. So he decided to carry out his plot earlier than planned even though they were not fully prepared."


    The Empress shook her head to deny Yun Shang''s claims. She spoke with a dry voice, "You don''t need to make up such a huge lie to fool me. Do you think I''ll buy that?"


    "Well, I''m afraid you already believe me. It''s understandable that we, as loyal protectors of Ning, didn''t know all this before. But as the daughter of the Grand Councilor, how could you not know? Even though the Grand Councilor didn''t make it clear to you, he must have done something suspicious enough to catch your attention. If you think it through, I''m sure you''ll understand." Yun Shang didn''t take the Empress''s response seriously. And so she suggested to the Empress in a casual way.


    Just as Yun Shang finished speaking, Wen Xi was dragged forward by a guard. A man dressed in black walked in and bowed to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, the guards in the Palace have been replaced by our people."


    Yun Shang nodded before turning to the Empress to examine her expression. The Princess smiled happily, "If the Grand Councilor fails in his rebellion, where do you think he will retreat to? Well, my guess is that he will come to the Palace. After all, he had made so many preparations in the Palace and placed so many guards. I believe that he thinks the Palace is the safest place for him to be. Besides, he has asked Your Majesty to bring all the Ladies to Jinluan Hall as hostages. He must think he holds the bargaining chip with the Emperor. And if Lord Li really comes into the Palace, do you think he will leave alive?"


    This was too much information for the Empress to process. She opened her mouth but didn''t know what to say. Her face turned pale, and her eyes lost focus. Li Yiran looked around Qiwu Palace. The glittering gold and jade decorations conveyed wealth and prosperity. They were so contrary to the desperate situation in which she found herself.


    After a while, the Empress smiled. She had accepted her fate. Hatred reflected in her eyes as she spoke, "Yun Shang, do you really think I will end up as you planned? You''re wrong. I don''t fear death. If I can kill Lady Jin and her beloved child before I die, my death will be worth it."


    Yun Shang was about to walk out of the Palace when she heard the Empress''s statement. She stopped long enough to ponder over the authenticity of Li Yiran''s threat. It didn''t matter if the Empress was bluffing or not, Yun Shang couldn''t risk putting her mother and younger brother in danger. Yun Shang walked out of the inner Palace and whispered to her shadow guard. After that, she entered the inner Palace again.


    Yun Shang kept silent and stared at the Empress for a long time. The Princess had an eerie smile on her face. The Empress shuddered at Yun Shang''s smile. However, she found the courage to return the creepy expression. "What? Are you afraid?" she whispered to the Princess.


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "No. But I lied to you about Hua Jing. I intended to keep her alive before you threatened me. Now I have changed my mind."


    The Empress sneered at Yun Shang, "Don''t try to fool me again. Do you think I''ll believe your lie? Are you trying to tell me that Jing''er is still alive? Hahahaha...... Since I know I''m not going to live to see tomorrow, I have nothing to fear now. I don''t care about Hua Jing. I wish she were dead. That way we''ll reunite as a family in Heaven."


    Yun Shang didn''t say anything. She just sat and waited.


    The Palace was deadly quite since no one talked. After two hours, the guard who had left to carry out Yun Shang''s orders, entered the chamber. He carried a delicately carved box made of fine wood. Yun Shang waved the guard forward with giving the box a glance, "Bring it to Her Majesty."


    The shadow guard brought the box to the Empress. But the Empress didn''t open it. She glared at Yun Shang without saying a word. "Em, " Yun Shang smiled at the Empress, "Why not take a look, Your Majesty? Have you lost your nerve?"


    The Empress sneered at Yun Shang before hitting the box. She was not going to fall for Yun Shang''s tricks anymore. Nothing would make her look inside! The box fell from the guard''s hands and clattered on the ground. As the lid loosened, an object fell out and rolled forward....

 Chapter 226 Sword Shadows

    It was an ear with blood on it.


    Wen Xi screamed.


    The Empress glanced coldly at the ear and snorted, "Do you think that I will believe these are Hua Jing''s ears when someone cut them off and send them to me? Yun Shang, I just thought that your skills have improved a lot, but I didn''t expect you to be so unskilled. Such a clumsy way is of great use to you."


    Yun Shang smiled, but her eyes were calm. "Mother, why don''t you read it carefully? Are you scared? I heard that there is a birthmark on sister''s ear... " She paused.


    Frowning slightly, the Empress glanced at the thing on the ground again. There seemed to be a touch of rouge on the back of the ear, like a plum blossom. The Empress turned around quietly and clenched her hand in the sleeve. Her long nails pierced into her palm, causing pain.


    "It''s just a birthmark. But many old people of certain ages in the palace know about the characteristics of Hua Jing. It''s not strange to make a fake one. Yun Shang, don''t waste your time. If you can, just send Hua Jing to me. I believe you." Then the Empress went to a chair and sat down, without saying anything.


    Yun Shang grinned, "servants, take it to feed dogs."


    The secret guards put the things into the box and picked them up. Yun Shang smiled and walked to the Empress. "Oh, I forget that mother is used to deceiving herself. In that case, I don''t have to say more. Somebody, lock her in the secret chamber."


    The chamber was located in the Empress'' palace. It was a small punishment room on the wall behind the bed, where the empress used to deal with some people in private. She accidentally broke into it in her previous life, so she got to know that. Now it seemed to be a wonderful place.


    Yun Shang summoned Ning Qian, disguised as the Empress, and left after she told the things.


    As soon as Yun Shang left, Li Fuyi ran to her, with anxiety in her eyes. "We lost all the ladies. Do you know who did it?"


    The Empress was sitting in front of the mirror, dressed in disguises. She looked at her own face in the mirror. When she heard Li Fuyi ask such a question, she frowned and said, "what are you doing? Do you really think that you can get into Qiwu Palace as you like? "


    After hearing this, Li Fuyi was a little stunned. She looked at the Empress and couldn''t help but be angry, "sister, you have to grow up. How long can you be the Empress? Do you know how much time my father has spent in plotting the kidnapping? If you break father''s plan, I''m afraid that you will die without knowing why. "


    Hearing this, the Empress laughed suddenly. "Yes, how long can I be the Empress? Do you think you will have a good end? Even if father ascended the throne, so what? You are just a late Emperor''s consort who has been abandoned by everyone in the past. Where can your dignity be? "


    "One more question, sister. Where have the ladies in the imperial household gone?" Li Fuyi glared at the Empress, with anger in her eyes.


    The Empress smiled, picked up the comb on the dresser, and combed her slightly messy hair. "Where did they go? Didn''t you tell me to arrest all the concubines and send them to Jinluan Hall?"


    "There is no one at Jinluan Hall!" Li Fuyi banged her hand on the table.


    "Really? Is it? There''s no one in Jinluan Hall, which made me suspicious. There are people working for the Emperor. If you are not careful enough, it''s likely to go wrong. Just as you said, I can''t bear the consequences if father is in trouble. So, I will send them to my secret chamber. " The Empress turned around and looked at Li Fuyi with unpredictable eyes. "I don''t know. You are in charge of my affairs."


    After saying that, she turned to the mirror. "No wonder you said you have been ill bred. Your mother taught you to be obedient to your sister? Do you really think that I don''t know what''s going on in the palace these years? I know clearly that you killed your mother in order to get father''s favor? "


    Li Fuyi''s eyes flashed a murderous look. "You''re right, sister. I crossed the line. Since you had already made a plan, then I won''t blame you." Then she gave the Empress a meaningful look, turned around and left Qiwu Palace.


    Ning Qian breathed a sigh of relief after watching Li Fuyi leave. It was lucky that her master had taught her how to behave, or else everyone would find out the truth. Ning Qian stood up, turned around, picked up the lamp on the table, and went into the dark room.


    There was only one chair in the dark room, and the Empress was sitting on it, with a cloth tied to her mouth. Her eyes were fixed on Ning Qian, who had come in. When she was in the dark room just now, she felt strange that why there was someone outside who answered Li Fuyi, and her voice was the copy of her. Now she knew, without the help of others, that this was the reason.


    She had heard about the skill of disguising oneself, but she didn''t expect Yun Shang to have such a capable person by her side.


    A question flashed through her mind. What on earth was Yun Shang going to do?


    Standing in front of the Empress, Ning Qian looked at the Empress with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, please don''t worry. I''m sorry that I didn''t greet you bef


    shields, shot towards the archers on the wall. In a short moment, they reached the gate. As soon as Prince Jing gave the order, the gate of the Grand Councilor''s mansion was knocked open.


    In the Grand Councilor''s mansion, there were archers lurking under the rockery of wildflowers, trees and rockeries. Yun Shang and Prince Jing were aware that something was wrong. According to intelligence, there were more than 40 thousand soldiers in the Imperial City, who could contend against the enemies at the gates or at the Grand Councilor''s mansion for a while. However, with only 30 thousand men among them, they were completely invisible in the Imperial City. But they were still trapped in the Grand Councilor''s mansion. Some archers were resisting. At present, they were no more than thousands.


    "Find him for me! Find Li Jingyan for me!" Prince Jing shouted and many soldiers rushed into the Grand Councilor''s mansion. The Grand Councilor''s mansion was stuffed with a lot of people in a short while.


    "Is he in the Imperial Palace?" Yun Shang murmured, "No, the guards in the palace have already been replaced by us. If Li Jingyan really gets into the palace, there is no reason for us not to receive the news..."


    After a short while, the soldiers had thoroughly searched the Grand Councilor''s mansion. There was no Li Jingyan, no Xia Houjing, and not a single person that could be taken as the master. But there were only three thousand soldiers in the Grand Councilor''s mansion.


    Prince Jing and Yun Shang exchanged a look with each other and looked grave.


    After a long time, Prince Jing said, "if we follow the plan, His Majesty will leave for the palace today."


    Yun Shang shivered as she realized that they had fallen into Xia Houjing''s trap. Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan had been planning to take over the Imperial City from the very beginning. Father was not in the Imperial City, so even if they took control of the Imperial Palace, it would still be an empty city.


    Besides, if they could take the Imperial City, they had to guard the Imperial City all the time. The Imperial City was located at the center of the State of Ning, far away from the border. It would take at least half a year to attack the Imperial City even if the armies of the State of Xia took over the three cities at the border. It would be tough for Li Jingyan and Xia Houjing to guard the Imperial City for half a year.


    Yun Shang was too eager to avenge herself that she had overlooked something. When she thought about it carefully, a flame of hatred lighted up in her heart. "Xia Houjing wants to attack my father and threaten him to command the world."


    Prince Jing nodded and frowned. "I felt something was wrong a few days ago. I thought Xia Houjing had arranged for some secret troops to attack the Emperor in secret, so he sent twenty thousand soldiers to protect the Emperor. But I didn''t expect him to abandon the Imperial City with a lie."


    Yun Shang''s heart sank. With her father''s guards around, she hoped that the fight could last for a while. "We must immediately go to support father."


    Prince Jing nodded and gave the order. He flew to Laifeng City with his army.


    Yun Shang suddenly thought of something that she had ignored. When she met Jing Wenxi at Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion, Ruyu said to her, "Everyone in the Imperial City knows that Jing Wenxi likes Prince Jing..."


    At that time, her father had just granted her and Prince Jing a marriage

 Chapter 227 An Unexpected Incident (Part One)

    Yun Shang was shocked and her mind went blank. She almost fell down from the horse.


    Prince Jing''s heart skipped a beat as he saw the scene. He roared at Yun Shang, "Yun Shang! What are you doing? " She was riding on a horse and lost in thought. Did she know that if she fell down from the horse, there were thousands of troops behind her even if she didn''t die. If the soldiers behind her didn''t have time to rein the horse, they would trample her to death.


    Yun Shang heard a roar of Prince Jing before she came to her senses. She felt as if her heart was burning on the fire. She gritted her teeth and held the reins. "Jing Wenxi, if mother or brother get into trouble, I will kill your whole family."


    She only regretted that she hadn''t remembered such an important episode when she heard that JingWenxi went to the Laifeng Palace.


    Hearing her voice with hatred, Prince Jing was in a daze. Did something happen to Lady Jin?


    Yun Shang turned around while thinking, "mother is in danger. I''ll go first." Then she whipped her horse and the horse under her galloped away like an arrow from the string.


    Prince Jing frowned and thought, ''if Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan really lead their troops to stop Emperor Ning from leaving, she will be in danger. So he shouted hastily, "come back!"


    However, the woman in front of Prince Jing didn''t know that at all. Her mind was full of mother and her newborn brother. Prince Jing gnashed his teeth in anger and said, "Yun Shang, are you tired of living? If caught by me, you will pay for this. " After saying that, he raised his voice suddenly. "What is the secret guard waiting for? Go and chase her! If she dies, you will die! "


    A gust of wind blew from his head, which made Prince Jing''s heart tense. But there were soldiers behind him, and he didn''t know what would happen along the way, so he had to go with the army.


    Yun Shang rode all the way, and the horse under her was worn out. She gritted her teeth and thought to herself, ''I''ll learn Qinggong (*TN: A Chinese martial arts technique that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.) some day.


    Since Emperor Ning had made his decision to go back to the pala


    dn''t see. When the carriage came to this place, It stopped. The coachman screamed and seemed to run away. Then mom reached out her head and wanted to see what happened, and she saw... "


    Yun Shang nodded, turned around, and mounted the horse. After a moment of silence, she said, "the road is not very safe today. You''d better take your mother to another one." After a pause, she knew that there must be secret guards following her, so she called one of them out and ordered him to send the woman and her son out. Then she waved the whip and continued to walk forward.


    There are more than a thousand people in the forest. Yun Shang noticed that there seemed to be few dark guards in the forest, and father didn''t seem to be at a disadvantage. She checked the carriages ahead clearly and saw the logo of royal household on them. She didn''t know whether they were empty or were ambushed on the road, so she had to leave the carriage without seeing mother and father. She should have felt relieved. Now it was the best news that she didn''t see the dead body. Thinking that there was an ill intentioned woman by her side, she became even more anxious. Where were my mother and others?


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time. She bit her teeth and called all the shadow guards out. "I know Prince Jing sent you here to protect me, but I''m fine now. I''m worried about father and mother, so you use Qinggong to go there first to check if they are nearby."

 Chapter 228 An Unexpected Incident (Part Two)

    The headman of the secret guards was a middle-aged man. He was silent for a while before he said, "His Highness said we must protect your highness with our lives."


    Yun Shang''s face was pale with fright after several hours'' running and scare. After a while, she laughed and pulled out the dagger from her boot, placing it against her neck. "If anything happens to father and mother, I''ll die here. I''ll wait and see how you explain it to Prince Jing." I''m good at martial arts. I can protect myself. Just go and find His Majesty and Lady Jin."


    The secret guards looked up at Yun Shang. After a while, the middle-aged man nodded and waved at the people behind him, and the secret guards disappeared in front of Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang sighed. If Ning Qian hadn''t pretended to be the Empress in the palace and she had taken her revenge and asked all her people in the Jinluan Hall, she wouldn''t have had to threaten Prince Jing''s people like this.


    The hidden guard looked around and did not find the traces of Emperor Ning and Lady Jin.


    Yun Shang continued to walk forward. After another two forests, she would arrive at Laifeng City. What happened to father and mother? Yun Shang gradually calmed down. She frowned. If things went on as usual, their troops would have already passed the woods. But no trace of war could be found in the woods. Did father and mother come back to Laifeng City again?


    Yun Shang then called two shadow guards to Laifeng City, and the rest followed her.


    They walked for about two hours and arrived at a forest. This time, before they entered the forest, the secret guards were on their guard. "Your Highness, there''s a sound in the forest ahead. There are many people."


    Yun Shang shivered all over. She was about to walk towards the woods when a secret guard stopped her. "Be careful, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang was worried, but she didn''t lose her mind. She knew that if she rushed in, and if Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan were there, they wouldn''t let her go.


    She couldn''t give them any more chance to threaten her mother or Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang meditated for a while and said, "I have given up my horse. Let''s go into the forest together. It''s difficult to hide ourselves in such a chaotic place with so many things covered."


    Then she jumped off the horse and went straight into the forest. The dark guard followed her in a hurry.


    She crept into the forest through the grass. The sounds became clearer in the forest. There were sounds of killing, weapons colliding, and someone falling.


    Yun Shang was hidden on a tree by the secret guards. They jumped from the crown to the crown. Everything in the forest could be seen clearly.


    The fight was fierce. Yun Shang saw several people standing in front of a armor. She frowned, and one of them looked a little familiar. It took her a while to remember that he was the Grand Councilor Li Jingyan.


    Since Grand Councilor Li was here, he should be with Xia Houjing. Is my father here?


    Yun Shang ordered her guards to spare them and moved forward. There were dark groups of people in front of Li Jingya


    dence would happen to her. What had happened to her on her first visit to Laifeng City. It didn''t matter when Chenxi had a pimple. She believed in Madam Zheng''s medical skills. However, Jing Wenxi was taking care of Chenxi in the ward. If she was really going to hurt Chenxi, then Chenxi would be in danger.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang put her hand in the sleeve and suddenly raised her hand to slap the two guards in front of her. Since Jing Wenxi was here, she couldn''t expose her martial arts. But it would be easy for her to get in.


    The two guards became weak at once. Yun Shang seized the chance and rushed over to hold Lady Jin. She smiled at the stunned Lady Jin, held up the needles in her hand and said, "the two guards are so stupid. I put down a single needle. Fortunately, I learned the needles from Madam Zheng, and I''ve learned how to stab the needles. I won''t leave you again, mother. "


    Lady Jin looked a little pale. She stared at Yun Shang for a long time before she said, "get out. What if you get infected?"


    Yun Shang lowered her mouth and remained silent for a while. Then she stood straight, turned her back to Jing Wenxi, and spoke to Lady Jin silently, "Jing Wenxi has a problem. I can''t let her get close to Chenxi."


    Lady Jin''s face slightly changed. She glanced at Yun Shang before she called out to the servants. "Make some boiling water and let the princess and Miss Jing take a bath. Change into clean clothes and get out of here."


    Yun Shang shook her head, "mother, since I''ve already come in, I won''t go out again." Then she turned to Jing Wenxi, "Miss Jing, you are taking care of Chenxi. You must have had the pimples. You won''t be infected. Please leave. I''m here and everything is fine."


    Jing Wenxi widened her eyes and looked at Yun Shang hesitantly, "but..."


    Yun Shang left her no chance to speak. "Prince Jing is coming with his soldiers. They are about to arrive at the temporary imperial palace. I can''t go out now. Miss Jing, please tell Prince Jing that I will go out as soon as I get rid of Chenxi''s pimple."

 Chapter 229 The Mystery Of Pimple (Part One)

    Jing Wenxi wanted to say something, but she hesitated after hearing Yun Shang''s words. "I will follow your orders and wait here."


    Yun Shang gave Jing Wenxi a deep look, and then went into the hall with Lady Jin, who looked pale. As soon as they entered the hall, Lady Jin hurriedly went to the bedside and looked at the little baby. Seeing nothing wrong with the baby, she pulled Yun Shang and said, "you say, it was Miss Jing who set up Chenxi. But Chenxi got pimples on his body. It''s not toxic"


    "Mother, if Jing Wenxi insists on getting Chenxi a pimple, she can have it stained on anyone''s dirty clothes or anything he has touched. Chenxi has just been born, and his body is much less stronger than an adult''s. a small amount of pimple can easily get him infected." Yun Shang turned to Lady Jin and said gravely, "As soon as Jing Wenxi came here, Chenxi is ill. I have to doubt her."


    Lady Jin was silent for a moment before she looked up at Yun Shang, "Miss Jing, does she have a crush on Prince Jing?"


    Yun Shang was stunned. She nodded, "yes." "I''m sorry, mother. I''m not suspicious of her. It was just that she came at the right time. Something bad happened to Chenxi. I couldn''t think of any reason for her doing that. It occurred to me that she liked Prince Jing. Since she likes him, she will naturally take me as a thorn in her side. So, what she has done is normal. Jing Wenxi looks innocent, but how many daughters of big families in the Imperial City are as harmless as she looks? "


    Lady Jin frowned. "Since you know she likes Prince Jing, why did you let her in and leave her outside? Now that you know Prince Jing is coming, why do you create opportunities for her to get along with him?"


    Hearing Lady Jin''s question, Yun Shang smiled. "Because I trust him."


    But Lady Jin didn''t seem to think so. She pulled Yun Shang into a chair and sat down, "shang''er, you and Prince Jing are newly married. Maybe your relationship is temporary stable, but there is a flaw in a man''s heart. Prince Jing is a good man. I hope you can seize him. Don''t push him to other women''s arms so easily. It''s true th


    brother has touched." Then she told Madam Zheng what she had thought. Madam Zheng''s face darkened as she said, "if so, it''s highly possible that what I have done will come out in spring and winter. I feel it unusual to have any pimples in summer, but it''s not the first time that I have done so, so I didn''t think too much. The youngest Prince is just one month old. He is weak. It''s a good chance for him to get sick by those dirty things. "


    Madam Zheng could not help but get angry as she spoke. "I didn''t expect that Jing Wenxi could be so scheming. Lady Jin treated her so well. Since Lady Jin is so close to her, I''ll search for something that doesn''t belong to the palace right away. If I find the evidence, I won''t let her harm others again."


    Yun Shang nodded. Madam Zheng was in her mother''s service all the time. She was a medical expert, and knew everything in the palace. Lady Jin took over the bowl, carefully held Chenxi in her arms, and fed him little by little. Chenxi behaved herself, and he cried for a while, and took the medicine obediently. Yun Shang thought of her son, Huan''er when she saw his pitiful look. She bowed her head in a hurry to hide the emotion in her eyes.


    Madam Zheng searched every corner in the palace, but didn''t find anything unusual. She started to check again, and there was still no abnormality. Yun Shang frowned and thought, ''is she really thinking too much?

 Chapter 230 The Mystery Of Pimple (Part Two)

    Lady Jin had already fed Chenxi. Although Chenxi was obedient, he was only a newborn baby, and the decoction was dripping all over his face. Lady Jin said with a smile, "look at this boy. He''s no different from Yun Shang when she was a child. Every place would be covered with the medicine."


    Yun Shang smiled as Lady Jin took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped Chenxi''s mouth. Chenxi giggled as he put the handkerchief into his mouth. Lady Jin lightly patted his face and giggled, "handkerchief is not yummy, but it''s not yummy! I don''t know why he likes the handkerchief so much. Every time I wipe his mouth, he always puts it in his mouth."


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat. A thought struck her. She quickly stood up and said, "I see."


    Lady Jin and Madam Zheng looked at Yun Shang in confusion. Yun Shang pointed at the handkerchief in Lady Jin''s hand and said, "I know why I couldn''t find anything in this room. Wenxi, did you wipe Chenxi''s mouth with the handkerchief?"


    Lady Jin and Madam Zheng were shocked. They thought of what had happened a moment ago and turned pale. "You mean Jing Wenxi''s handkerchief is a crux?"


    Madam Zheng contemplated on it for a long time and said, "right. I remember that Miss Jing came with a water pink handkerchief embroidered with hibiscus flower. Two days later, when she came back from shopping in the city, she replaced it with a handkerchief embroidered with plum blossom. The handkerchief didn''t match her clothes at that day, and I took a few more glances at it. It seemed that the handkerchief didn''t fit her clothesThe lady also told me that she saw the handkerchief when she went shopping and bought it as she thought it looked good. I didn''t have any doubts at that time. But now when I recalled it, I felt that the cyan brocade handkerchief seemed to have been used for a period of time and it didn''t look like a new one. Then Miss Jing kept wearing the cyan brocade handkerchief. It seemed that she liked the prince very much. The old maid who served the prince that day also said that Miss Jing would soon take away her work She has been with the youngest Prince for a few days. There must be a chance for her to... "


    Madam Zheng''s face turned blue as she said, "it''s all my fault. I''ve been afraid that something might happen to the youngest prince, so I''ve been paying special attention to the clothes, transportation and transportation around him. I didn''t expect that things would go wrong in such a place." Then she stood up and continued, "Jing Wenxi went to take a bath just now. I had someone steal the brocade handkerchief from her. I''ll see if it''s because of the handkerchief."


    Lady Jin noticed Madam Zheng''s remorse, so she held her back and said, "it wasn''t your fault. Jing Wenxi is a thoughtful woman. She has a strong mind. You should investigate the truth and make sure that she didn''t set anyone up. We''ll take more care of Chenxi from now on."


    Madam Zheng nodded and went out.


    Yun Shang still buried her head in thought. Although it wasn''t sure that Jing Wenxi did it, Yun Shang thought if her guess was right, how d


    he State of Xia knows his weakness very well. He might be good at taking advantage of the battlefield to solve the problem. "


    Emperor Ning was a little surprised, "Prince Jing told you this too?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "just because I saw this place on Prince Jing''s map the other day. I''m curious about it. Besides, I''ve told his highness that women and villains are difficult to deal with. If my father sends me to be the inspector, perhaps I can try to solve the problem of General Derek Qi. since he is so arrogant, I''m even more arrogant than him. I''m afraid he won''t do anything to me because of my current identity. "


    Emperor Ning laughed. "That''s a good move. But I saw you were looking at the Deer City just now. Am I right? "


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "I saw father wrap the Deer City in a circle, so I tried to figure out why you only trapped it."


    Emperor Ning raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Really? Then tell me, why? "


    "I guess it must be related to the position of the Deer City. It''s not a big city, and it''s not very eye-catching on the map, but it''s a little special. Its outermost part is the border of the State of Xia, while its northern part is in the abdomen of the State of Xia. It''s only about 1 hundred and 20 miles away from the Imperial City of the State of Xia. If we can capture it, it''s easy to get close to the Imperial City of the State of Xia." Yun Shang said gently.


    Emperor Ning nodded. "Then why don''t you think that nobody has ever tried to capture the city?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "it was also from a remote place. The mountains beside it were towering into clouds, so it was impossible to barge in from a mountain. But if we go across the sea, the battlefields will be large to the limit. First of all, the construction of the boats, the selection of the soldiers, and second, if we indeed go into the water, we can''t provide enough war supply."


    Emperor Ning remained silent for a long time. Then he said, "I thought you only know about the strife in the family, just like other women. Unfortunately, you are a woman. "

 Chapter 231 Peach Blossom (Part One)

    Yun Shang smiled and agreed. She lowered her head and looked at the map of the State of Xia.


    Prince Jing''s blood relatives must be in the State of Xia. He always pretended that he didn''t care about Lord Hua Guo and treated him with indifference. However, when it came to taking his family as an enemy, she always felt sorry for him.


    After she married Prince Jing, she was more and more shocked by his power. It had been twenty years since her father ascended the throne. If Prince Jing was determined to ascend the throne, the State of Ning would have long lost its surname. Prince Jing didn''t mean to, but he just didn''t want to. Even though the late emperor had only taught him for two or three years, he always felt that he had been very grateful to the late emperor, and he didn''t want to be in a dilemma with his father.


    Although he looked cold on the outside, he still felt warm in his heart.


    But now, he had no choice but to be an enemy of his family.


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly. In fact, she had always had a dream recently. In her dream, Prince Jing was wearing a dragon robe, and when the ministers kowtowed to him, she saw Lord Hua Guo and Xia Houjing.


    Since this dream came to her mind, she always wondered what she would do if Prince Jing returned to the State of Xia one day?


    Emperor Ning kept silent for a while and said, "I have only one son, Chenxi. He is Shu Jin''s son. If nothing goes wrong, the throne will belong to him sooner or later. However, I''m not young anymore and I don''t know when it is a limitation. If I die, will you and Prince Jing spare no effort to assist Chenxi?"


    Yun Shang''s hands trembled for a short while. Then she said, "father, do you know that the Empress controlled the imperial household? She asked the Grand Councilor Li to replace all the guards in the palace. He also asked her to gather all the concubines to Jinluan Hall and threaten father."


    Emperor Ning didn''t know why Yun Shang brought this up. He nodded, "I know you''ve settled this."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled faintly. "It''s said that a married daughter is like splashed water. It''s just that the Empress has been married to his majesty for m


    I''ll have to tie the youngest Prince''s hand with soft cloth, so that he wouldn''t be itchy and scratch his hand. If he scratch it open, there will be a scar left in the future."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Madam Zheng, please tell me if there is any need to be afraid of. I''ll make some anti-inflammatory drugs for Chenxi. It can relieve the itch."


    "Okay." Madam Zheng said yes, and walked out of the inner hall with Yun Shang.


    Emperor Ning put down the empty bowl and put Chenxi back on the bed. He looked up at Lady Jin. "When did she become a doctor? Why didn''t I know that? "


    Lady Jin lowered her head and covered the quilt for Chenxi before she said gently, "She has been ill for a long time, so she can become a doctor. Shang''er has always been in poor health. When she was recuperating at Ning''guo Temple, Master Wu Na sent a monk and Shang''er who are good at curing illness. I''m afraid she learned it from that person. "


    Emperor Ning said nothing, but there was a faint doubt in his heart. He had sent someone to investigate that during her recuperation in Ning''guo Temple, Yun Shang had spent most of her time in the temple, writing, calligraphy and writing, and rarely going out. He also heard nothing about the contact with any monks. But, recently, Yun Shang seemed to have changed a lot after she came back from Ning''guo Temple. She was not only good at medical skills, but also had her own power. She even had a certain idea of war.

 Chapter 232 Peach Blossom (Part Two)

    Was the woman his daughter?


    Emperor Ning glanced at the woman sitting beside him and didn''t ask.


    Prince Jing reached the temporary imperial palace at his late hour. Hearing the noise outside, Yun Shang also got up. Emperor Ning and Lady Jin were waiting for her in the hall, so she went to a chair and sat down. But after a long time, Prince Jing still didn''t come over.


    Yun Shang frowned. Emperor Ning ordered the guards to have a look. A voice came from outside. "Your Highness has sent for a physician, but the physician is at the side yard preparing medicine for the youngest prince. I''m here to ask your majesty."


    Hearing this, both Emperor Ning and Yun Shang stood up and asked, "what''s wrong? Did Prince Jing get hurt? "


    A loud voice came from outside, "Your Majesty, Prince Jing wasn''t hurt. It''s Miss Jing. I don''t know what happened. I just saw that Prince Jing took her into the temporary imperial palace. He seemed to have blocked an arrow for the prince and was still in a coma."


    Emperor Ning frowned at these words. Before he could answer, a loud bang was heard. Emperor Ning turned and saw the cup that had been placed beside Yun Shang fell to the ground and smashed into pieces.


    "Shang''er..." Lady Jin stared at Yun Shang, with a worried look in her eyes. Yun Shang chuckled playfully, "what a scheming girl."


    Yun Shang took up a brocade handkerchief and wiped the tea on her hands. Then she said quietly, "father, Madam Zheng and I can handle everything here. Since Miss Jing wants a physician, please take all the doctors in the side yard with you."


    Lady Jin walked to Yun Shang and sat down, holding her hands, "Shang''er, mother will call Prince Jing here."


    Yun Shang shook her head, "it''s okay. His highness will be here soon."


    As expected, after a while, Prince Jing''s greeting was heard. Then the guard said, "Your Highness, the youngest Prince has got a pimple. He can''t get in."


    Yun Shang asked Madam Zheng to clean the floor. Then Prince Jing said in bewilderment, "I remember my wife never had any pimples on the ground. Why can''t I get in, but my wife can?"


    "Let his highness come in." Lady Jin sighed and said in a loud voice.


    The door was pushed open. Yun Shang saw Prince Jing walk towards them in a dark green robe, which seemed different from the one in the morning. He must have been wearing a new one.


    Prince Jing went to the main hall, bowed to Emperor Ning, and sat down next to Yun Shang. He turned to Yun Shang and asked softly, "why did you come in without having any pimple? I was freaked out by the secret guard on our way here. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "what? With a beauty in his arms, his highness is still curious about what I did?"


    "Shang''er." Lady Jin sighed and called her softly with some blame.


    Prince Jing seemed to be surprised at her w


    d Yun Shang''s waist with his hand, forcing her to stay with him.


    Yun Shang frowned, "let me take off my shoes."


    Prince Jing didn''t let her go. He sat up and helped Yun Shang take off her shoes. Then he threw them away and lay down again.


    Yun Shang was held tightly in his arms. Reluctant as she was, she had to let him hold her. Just now she saw his tired face.


    After a short while, Prince Jing fell asleep. Yun Shang had a sound sleep before. With such a mess, she wasn''t sleepy at all. She opened her eyes and lay down for a while, but soon she fell asleep.


    When she woke up, she saw Prince Jing lying on the bed with his eyes wide open. Yun Shang was taken aback at Prince Jing''s words. As time went by, she asked in a husky voice, "What time is it?"


    Prince Jing answered softly, "at a quarter of an hour in the afternoon."


    Yun Shang was surprised. "So late?" Then she sat up. "Why didn''t you get up? Are you hungry? The meal will be served soon. "


    Prince Jing smiled, "you have slept soundly beside me. I''m afraid that I''ll wake you up, so I won''t get up."


    Yun Shang shot a stare at him and got up. She opened the door to send a basin of hot water, and sat in front of the dresser to comb her hair and wear it in a casual bun. Then she went into the bathroom and got changed. The water was served.


    Yun Shang asked Prince Jing to wash himself in the bathroom. Prince Jing looked around and frowned, "no one is coming? I can''t tie my hair. Please help me. "


    Yun Shang glared at Prince Jing. Then she took the comb and tied his hair.


    It was a little difficult to tie his hair up. Just as Yun Shang was struggling with Prince Jing''s hair, the bodyguard''s voice came from outside the palace. "Miss Jing woke up. She cried and shouted to see Prince Jing. She couldn''t believe that Prince Jing was all right. We tried to stop her, but nothing happened..."

 Chapter 233 A Love Show

    Yun Shang''s eyes met Prince Jing''s in the bronze mirror and then moved away slightly with a sneer on the corner of her mouth as if she was saying, "look, I know it.".


    Prince Jing raised his eyebrows. Without turning his head, he yelled, "go and tell her that it has nothing to do with her whether I am fine or not? It has nothing to do with me? If she keep quarreling, even disturbing me and my wife, just ask the doctors to remove her.She doesn''t need to be cured. Just throw her out. Tell her, this temporary imperial palace is not the place where she can act wildly. "


    No one spoke outside. Yun Shang sighed. She didn''t believe that Jing Wenxi would give up since she finally got this chance. She was afraid that Jing Wenxi would make her unhappy for a long time. Yun Shang tied Prince Jing''s hair and wore a jade crown. Then she turned to Prince Jing and said, "I think it was Jing Wenxi who had made Chenxi get the pimple. I suspect that she was stained with the handkerchief the person who had the pimple wore. I''ve sent someone to investigate it, and it should be easy to get the result later. Jing Wenxi must be someone. We''d better make more efforts. "


    A hint of surprise flashed through Prince Jing''s eyes. He didn''t expect that the rumor was true. He thought for a moment and said, "well, well. If the evidence is proved to be her murderer, she can be directly punished for murdering the Emperor''s heir."


    Yun Shang gave Prince Jing a stern look. "I intended to. But you ruined my plan. Now everyone knows Jing Wenxi has a crush on Prince Jing. If I continue to deal with her in this way, I''m afraid people will say that I''m jealous and against her on purpose. I''m afraid that the rumors will be spreading that I have designed a trap for her. "


    Prince Jing was embarrassed. After a long while, he asked, "really? Women are so horrible? "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang burst into laughter. She threw the comb to Prince Jing and said, "yes, that''s how I am."


    Then she went to the main hall to check on Chenxi. She took the medicine and decoct it. When she was sent back, a noise came from outside. Yun Shang frowned unhappily. "What happened? I''ve told you that the youngest Prince now needs to rest quietly. Why do you quarrel so loudly? " Then she ordered the shadow guard, "go outside and see what''s happening."


    The news from the secret guards soon came. "Your Highness, it''s Miss Jing..."


    Yun Shang heard the name, but she was in a hurry. After a long time, she suppressed her anger and asked flatly, "what''s the matter again?"


    "Miss Jing was sprained and knelt in front of the door. She said that she didn''t want to do anything but just wanted to know whether your highness is alright. If your highness is alright, she will be relieved." The bodyguard said coldly.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. At this moment, Prince Jing came out from the side hall. Yun Shang said, "see how affectionate and touching she is. Won''t you have a look?"


    Prince Jing raised his eyebrows and looked at Yun Shang. "Why don''t you play along with me? How about


    you for your help. Every time Prince Jing is faced with arrows, I''m very worried. Although everyone calls him the God of war, he finally gets away with it. It''s just a body of flesh and blood. It will be bleeding and injured. He dodged it this time, but he might not be so lucky next time. I don''t know what will happen to Prince Jing if something happens one day and I don''t know what to do, so I thank Miss Jing for taking the arrow for prince. "


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang with a look of concern. His eyes were full of love for her. "I''ll be fine. I''ll be fine."


    Yun Shang ignored him and said to Jing Wenxi, "I''m not a bully because of my poor health. If Prince Jing has interest in any girl, I will naturally not stop him..."


    Prince Jing cut in before Yun Shang could finish speaking, "no one else will come." Prince Jing took hold of Yun Shang''s hand and forced her to look at him. His eyes were full of earnest. "No one else. You are the only one that I care about. I don''t even have a maid to wait for you all these years. "Shang''er, I will not allow it. You push me away from you. I saw you in Qinzheng Hall at the age of eight, and you walked into the hall, then to my brother, there was the drought in the State of Ning. You know, many people lost their family because of the drought, so when you wanted to pray at Ning''guo Temple, I was attracted by you. It took me eight years to wait for you to marry me after your Coming-of-age Ceremony. Before that, I have sworn in front of the Emperor that you will be the only one in my life. "


    Yun Shang was stunned. What did he say? Did he notice her since she was eight? Why didn''t she remember him at all?


    When she was eight years old, she went to the Ning''guo Temple for pray. She remembered the incident not long after she was reborn, so that Hua Jing couldn''t be worshiped as she was in her previous life.


    What was his majesty doing then? He was having a meeting in the Qinzheng Hall. She remembered seeing Grand Councilor Li. But, Prince Jing... Was he also there then?

 Chapter 234 Interlocking

    "You were also there then? Why didn''t I remember anything about it? " Yun Shang frowned and looked upset.


    Prince Jing giggled, but curled his lips, "I''m not that invisible to you? Alas, I''ve been thinking of you for seven years, but you''ve even forgotten. " Then he put his arms around Yun Shang''s waist, and carried her towards the side hall. "I don''t mind helping you recall..."


    Yun Shang flushed. She struggled to free herself, but Prince Jing held her back. The prince had no choice but to let her go.


    Jing Wenxi was still kneeling at the door, but she shook slightly and clenched her fist in the sleeve. The people around her looked at her with sympathy at the beginning, but now they wanted to know more.


    Hearing the discussion behind her, Jing Wenxi clenched her teeth and turned a deaf ear to it. She knew how awful those words would be without her guess.


    "Just now I thought she fell in love with Prince Jing, so she saved him. I thought Princess Yun Shang wouldn''t allow her to enter here. I also felt sorry for her. But I didn''t expect that Prince Jing didn''t like her at all. It turned out that she ran away to take the arrow and wanted to seize the opportunity to get on him. A woman should dare to do such a thing. It''s really... "


    "The princess has a good relationship with his highness just now. He is so obedient to her. I''ve never seen his highness be nice to anyone. I didn''t expect him to smile."


    "I heard that Jing Wenxi is a daughter of an eminent family. She is so ridiculous. I don''t know how her family taught her to be so shameless."


    "Don''t you know? She is the daughter of a concubine, but she is favored by her father. That''s all. She is uneducated. "


    Jing Wenxi straightened up, bit her lips, and her eyes were filled with hatred. ''hehe, are you despicable? Yes, she was a bitch. So what? Jing Wenxi is a daughter of a concubine. So is Yun Shang different? But now she is a princess. How noble can she be? Can Prince Jing love her just because she is the princess? Jing Wenxi wasn''t convinced!


    Jing Wenxi raised her eyes and looked in the direction of the side hall. She smiled coldly. Were they in love? So what? So what if she won the hearts of these servants? Did she think this would solve the problem? I will make Yun Shang the spiteful, greedy lady. I wonder what she will do when people say she is a bad girl.


    All the injustice I suffered today must be ten times, and even a thousand times as much as Yun Shang.


    The crowd gradually dispersed. Jing Wenxi got up and shook before she could stand.


    Jing Wenxi didn''t expect to see that. Lady Jin frowned and said, "Miss Jing doesn''t seem to be a good person. I can see that she hasn''t given up. Shang''er..."


    Emperor Ning smiled. He wasn''t worried about his daughter at all, but he didn''t like Jing Wenxi''s scheming. He said, "I have asked someone to investigate the truth. If Jing Wenxi is determined to harm our Chenxi, I will directl


    "Your Highness, is there anything I can do for you?"


    Yun Shang nodded and asked, "my guard reported that Jing Wenxi had gotten some bitter almonds from the hospital. I''m not a good teacher, so I''d like to ask the old maid what else the bitter almonds could be used to treat my cold, fever and gasp with other medicine?


    Madam Zheng changed her countenance. She thought for a moment before she said in a low voice, "if it''s the bitter almond, then it''s still poisonous except for being cured."


    "Poisonous?" Yun Shang was stunned. She had no idea of this. "How could it be? I used to eat the almond... "


    Madam Zheng shook her head, "no, your highness. You''ve usually eaten the bitter almond, but the ordinary one is the almond, which has five poisons. The bitter almond is a herb, and it''s not very common to eat it. The poison is contained in the tip of the skin and two ends. When you get the medicine, the doctor will tell you to remove the skin and tip of the almond when boiling it. Normally, you''ll be poisoned after having about 40 pills or so. If you eat too much, you will die. "


    It was an undeniable fact that the almond had so many secrets. However, Yun Shang nodded in response to the answer and wondered in her mind, ''is Jing Wenxi trying to almond my almond and give it to me?''? Did she want her to suffer from the almond and die in the end?


    Yun Shang thought for a while and finally decided to keep quiet. She told Madam Zheng to take good care of Lady Jin and Emperor Ning and not to ask them to eat anything like almond. After that, she dismissed Madam Zheng.


    Yun Shang slept all night and waited for a long time, but she didn''t get Jing Wenxi''s order. She then heard that Jing Wenxi fell down on the street in the morning, with her eyes closed in great pain, and she shouted, "Princess Yun Shang, I was wrong. I dare not. I don''t like the prince any more. Please forgive me."


    But according to another news, Mr. Jing had a pimple.

 Chapter 235 A Visit To The Heavenly Dog

    It was obvious who made Chenxi ill. However, she couldn''t get rid of that woman now. Yun Shang was good at spreading rumors, so she knew what it could do. If Jing Wenxi died, people would gossip about her.


    Yun Shang''s eyes darkened when she heard Prince Jing''s cold voice. "If I had known this, I would have killed her earlier. She isn''t able to make so much trouble. What a bad luck she is not to fight on the battlefield."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and took the jade hanging on her waist into her hands The temporary imperial palace might be her battlefield, and her enemy would probably be her enemy.


    The next day, the news that Mister Jing had a pimple was spread around the city. Besides, it was said that the youngest Prince Chenxi had a pimple too and it hadn''t healed yet.


    But as little prince had just got pimples, Mister Jing also came out. The little prince''s sister was Princess Yun Shang, and Mister Jing was Jing Wenxi''s brother. So many people guessed. The most popular one was that Miss Jing admired Prince Jing but she didn''t have any improper thought. Instead, she saved Prince Jing. Princess Yun Shang was jealous of Jing Wenxi, so she poisoned her and sent something the little prince had used to Mr. Jing''s side, which also caused him to have an attack.


    Giving pimple was a great test for patients. If they didn''t do it properly, they might die.


    Jing Wenxi made a lot of people feel sorry for her.


    ''Jing Wenxi is indeed a troublemaker.'' Yun Shang thought to herself, but she couldn''t help laughing at Jing Wenxi''s stupidity. Although it was going to be troublesome for her to clean up the mess, it was not a fatal thing.


    Yun Shang thought for a while. Something happened in her previous life. She racked her brains and finally came up with something. She quickly called the secret guard and gave a few orders. The secret guard took the order and left. Prince Jing walked to Yun Shang and whispered, "you don''t have to do this. Leave it to me. You are my wife, and I will protect you. Nobody dares to ask why I killed people."


    Although Yun Shang was touched by Prince Jing''s loyalty to her, she had no choice. "I know that they don''t dare to blame me, your majesty. But it''s not good for both of us. Now we are on the verge of a battle. We must be careful. If anything goes wrong, the overall situation will be affected. It''s known to all that what the people want is the fate. "


    "It''s public opinion." Prince Jing kept silent for a while. Finally, he didn''t say anything. He just put on his clothes and went out. Yun Shang didn''t ask him what he was going to do. She just wondered what had happened at the border.


    The next day, just as everyone came to the Laifeng City for fun, they saw that the well water in the city suddenly turned red. Everyone panicked, and they ran towards the temple, wanting to pray for the protection of the Bodhisattva. They saw a book in the hands of the Bodhisattva, which was originally clean, and there were tears of blood in their eyes. Just then, the book f


    everything stopped at this moment, she would die right here with no regret.


    Prince Jing was the first one to notice Yun Shang''s emotion. He reached out his hand under the table and held Yun Shang''s hand under it. The coldness in Yun Shang''s hand astonished him. He frowned and asked Madam Zheng to fetch a cloak for Yun Shang. "It''s summer, but it''s cold at night. Put the cloak on it."


    Yun Shang nodded and looked up at the full moon. She smiled as she thought, ''I don''t know how hard my life will be in this life. I don''t know what will happen in the future. I just know that if I can protect these people around me, I should thank God for giving me the chance to reborn.''.


    Emperor Ning looked at Yun Shang and thought she was worried about the heavenly dog and the moon. He looked at her and frowned Is there a heavenly dog outside to eat moon?


    After another short while, Chenxi''s eyes were about to fall asleep. Looking at the little boy who had been sleeping in Lady Jin''s arms, Yun Shang smiled and said, "mother, look at brother. He must be sleepy. Take him back to bed. Don''t catch a cold."


    Lady Jin lowered her head and looked at her son with a smile. "I''ll get him to sleep before I come back."


    As soon as Lady Jin left, the smile on Emperor Ning''s face disappeared. He looked at his daughter worriedly. "Shang''er, is it true that there will be days of dog eating?"


    Prince Jing smiled, "brother, don''t worry. What''s done is done."


    Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing with curiosity. She was very clear that she had confidence in herself, just because she had been reborn. But why did Prince Jing trust her so much?


    "Why do you trust me so much, your highness?" Yun Shang asked with a smile.


    Prince Jing said without hesitation, "I believe whatever you say."


    The night wind was a little cold, but Yun Shang felt warm in her heart. She thought it would be a good choice to be his wife all her life.


    Yun Shang was thinking about it when a maid cried in surprise. "Oh Here comes dogs... "

 Chapter 236 Visit The Huo Family (Part One)

    Yun Shang looked up and found the moon had a part missing. It was originally a round moon, but it was missing a part of it, which was very strange.


    Yun Shang smiled slightly. Fortunately, there was no mistake in her memory about her previous life.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t know that Prince Jing had been watching her all the time. This Yun Shang looked like a breathtaking beauty. However, he grew more confused. He did not believe that the prediction could be fulfilled. But how did Yun Shang know that the moon would be missing a part of it tonight.


    The moon was bit away by the heavenly dog little by little and gradually disappeared in the night sky.


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Emperor Ning, and said with a smile, "Brother is almost recovered. I''ll send someone to collect and burn all the things in the palace tomorrow. Then we can leave."


    Emperor Ning nodded, "it''s time."


    When Lady Jin came out again, the moon was hanging in the sky full of stars. The four had some drinks while talking to each other. They didn''t return to their respective palaces until midnight.


    Yun Shang was already slightly drunk. She had been smiling all the time, but her eyes were getting a little confused. Looking at her, Prince Jing found her funny. He held her to the bed and leaned against it. He went out and called the hangover soup. But when he came back, he saw Yun Shang sleeping on the bed.


    Prince Jing laughed. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Yun Shang for a long time. There was an imperceptible emotion in his eyes.


    "Your Highness, the soup is ready." A knock on the door awakened Prince Jing. He hurriedly stood up and walked to the door. "Give it to me."


    He brought the sob


    r the breakfast, Lady Jin asked the maids to put away all the stuff in the palace and burn them. After everyone took a bath, they went out of the palace. Lady Jin moved to the GQ Palace on the other side, while Yun Shang moved to the XR Palace.


    After she settled the luggage, Yun Shang couldn''t wait to get out of the temporary imperial palace and go to the city. She had planned a big plan yesterday and wanted to check whether it was working or not.


    Prince Jing seemed to understand what Yun Shang was thinking, so he ordered guards to prepare a car and wait aside. Walking out of the temporary imperial palace, Yun Shang saw the carriage very gorgeous. On the tassels around the carriage hung a sign, with the word "Prince Jing" written on it.


    Yun Shang turned to Prince Jing, whose face was cold, and smiled. He knew her well. With this thought, Qian Yin helped Yun Shang get on the carriage. Then Prince Jing lifted the curtain of the carriage and got inside. The carriage headed for the city. As soon as they entered the city, Yun Shang heard faint sounds as if they were talking about the heavenly dog and the lunar moon yesterday.

 Chapter 237 Visit The Huo Family (Part Two)

    "That''s according to the Buddha''s decree of Lady Avalokitesvara. Yesterday, the moon was so round, and was eaten up by the heavenly dog. I knew it. Princess Hui Guo is only eight years old and knows to pray for rain for the people. How could such a woman be jealous? Your Highness has suffered from injustice, and even the God can''t tolerate it. "


    "I''m afraid Jing Wenxi is telling the lie. My uncle in the Imperial City told me that Jing Wenxi''s love for Prince Jing is well known in the Imperial City. She must be unwilling to accept the fact that Prince Jing adores Princess Hui Guo so much that she tries to ruin her reputation. I''m afraid the accident of her brother has something to do with her."


    Gradually, some people saw the carriage in which they were sitting. "Eh? Prince Jing? Is it Prince Jing''s carriage? Is there anyone else in the State of Ning who can speak out the words'' Prince Jing ''?"


    "Is the Princess Hui Guo in the carriage too?"


    "¡­¡­"


    The people in the carriage listened to the sounds from the outside, but they were as quiet as mountains. After a long while, Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang''s face and said with a smile, "using rumor to suppress rumor is a good way to deal with it."


    Yun Shang smiled for a while and said, "What the people want will be the fate. Hehe..." A hint of mockery was reflected in her eyes.


    What the people want will be the fate. Prince Jing lowered his eyes and thought it over. He was shocked. He didn''t believe in fate, but he had to believe in what the people wanted.


    The carriage stopped in front


    at once."


    Yun Shang shook her head and said with a smile, "I''m fine. Miss Jing came to visit my mother. Just two days after she was sent to the temporary imperial palace, my brother got pimples and she stayed in the palace for two days. Now Miss Jing is sick, of course I should visit her. After taking care of my brother, Miss Jing left the temporary imperial palace well prepared. But Mr. Jing had a pimple right away, which might have been Chenxi''s fault. If I didn''t come to see her, I would be worried..."


    As Yun Shang spoke, the crowd fell silent. Yun Shang''s voice was soft but clear. But as soon as she finished, people started to gossip again.


    "Prince Jing and Princess Hui Guo still come to visit them due to her poor health. How dare they keep his highness and her highness outside the door! How dare they be so rude!"


    "Your Highness said Miss Jing had been well prepared before she left the palace. The pimple is not easy to be infected. He wouldn''t have been infected if he hadn''t touched something the patient had used."

 Chapter 238 Get Rid Of Her Enemies

    All of a sudden, the door was opened. The people stopped talking.


    The woman stood at the door, dressed in green, with her hair tied casually. Her beautiful face was horribly pale. She fixed her eyes on the two coming to her, and with a helpless smile on her lips, she said, "Your highness, do you want to see how miserable I am?"


    Yun Shang was confused and asked, "Miss Jing, what do you mean?" She paused for a while, and then continued hesitantly, "I know Mr. Jing has got pimples. Miss Jing and Mr. Jing are good siblings. I''m afraid that you are also very sad about it. It was my fault. I should have kept Miss Jing in the temporary imperial palace and waited for Chenxi''s recovery. I should not have let Miss Jing come back until I made sure everything is okay."


    Prince Jing blamed Yun Shang in a casual tone, "Shang''er, why do you take all the responsibility? It''s Miss Jing who asked to come back here. Her maids have prepared bath and medicine. Everything is new except for her own things. It''s not your fault. Why are you blaming yourself for this?"


    Jing Wenxi looked at them coldly. When she was about to speak, she heard a scream, "That''s her! That''s her!"


    A person rushed out from the crowd and grabbed Jing Wenxi by the arm.


    Everyone was shocked. Prince Jing stepped back, holding Yun Shang in his arms. Qian Yin frowned and scolded loudly, "Who are you? Haven''t you seen us? Why do you rush out? "


    The person turned around. It was a woman in blue. She curtsied to Prince Jing and Yun Shang, "Your Highness." She grabbed Jing Wenxi''s hand tightly.


    Jing Wenxi frowned and said angrily, "What''s wrong with you, lady? Why did you catch me? "


    The woman gave Jing Wenxi a glance and then turned to Yun Shang and Prince Jing. "Your highness and your highness, please uphold justice for me."


    Yun Shang coughed and panted, "Just tell us what''s wrong."


    With an angry look, she took Jing Wenxi''s hand and said, "People, if you are from the Laifeng City, you should know me. I sell noodles in the east of the city, and I am from the Qian family."


    As soon as her voice fell, many people said that they had seen her.


    The woman said, "Some time ago, my daughter got a pimple. She came to me and said she had a prescription to treat the pimple. I worried about my daughter, so I invited her into the house. Besides, she gave the prescription and left the house. But later, my daughter died inexplicably. I just thought that she was a bad doctor. Moreover, the trouble she had got was only a narrow escape. When I was cleaning my daughter''s clothes, I found that several of her brocade handkerchiefs and some other things were missing together. I was confused, but I didn''t have any other thoughts. I just thought my daughter lost them by accident. But I didn''t expect to see this lady in the city the other day. And I also saw the brocade handkerchief of my daughter in this lady''s hand..."


    The woman gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes. Her lips trembled. "My daughter liked the brocade handkerchief very much. She must have been infec


    , and hate Jing Wenxi more. In this way, she could not only get rid of the reputation of being green eyed, but also plunged Jing Wenxi into an endless abyss.


    ''He is indeed better at playing this game than me.''


    Yun Shang had only thought of the first part. She didn''t expect that Prince Jing had made the drama a complete one.


    "Your Highness, why don''t you trust me? Don''t be fooled by this woman! She''s just putting on a play. I''m no match for her in terms of bitchiness and viciousness. "


    Prince Jing frowned and raised his voice. "I will spare your life for the sake that you once blocked arrows for me. But I don''t expect that you are so vicious that you even want to slander my wife when you''re dying. Guards, take her away and give her to his majesty!"


    The guard came forward, took Jing Wenxi''s hand and went out.


    Jing Wenxi burst into laughter with hatred. She glared at Yun Shang and said, "I lost. Your highness, you are much better than me." Then she was pulled away by the guards.


    Yun Shang bit her lips and looked up at Prince Jing uneasily, "Prince Jing, Miss Jing..." After a pause, she added, "I think she has no choice, your highness..."


    Prince Jing sighed. He touched Yun Shang''s hair and said gently, "Shang''er, I have given her a chance. It''s her own fault that she didn''t cherish it. Don''t blame yourself. It has nothing to do with you."


    Yun Shang looked down and remained silent for a long time. Prince Jing helped her up and said, "Let''s go back to the temporary imperial palace. You are in poor health. Don''t get too tired."


    Yun Shang nodded and got on the carriage with Prince Jing.


    When the carriage started to move, Prince Jing didn''t let go of Yun Shang''s hand. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Your Highness is so thoughtful. I''m impressed."


    Prince Jing smiled without saying anything.


    The secret guard arrived at the temporary imperial palace in a hurry before he went into the hall. "Your Highness, I''m afraid I have blocked the message between Grand Councilor Li and Qingsu..."

 Chapter 239 The News Came

    Yun Shang and Prince Jing stopped at the same time. Li Jingyan and Cangjue Qingsu? How did they get together?


    Prince Jing glanced at Yun Shang and said, "I''m going to discuss something with my brother. You can go back to the XR Palace first. You''ve worked all day. It''s time to rest. "


    "Okay." Yun Shang smiled and knew that they must be discussing the countermeasures, so she turned around and went back to her palace.


    Qian Yin giggled, "Your Highness, we have had a wonderful day. Jing Wenxi looks like an idiot. How can she bully you? By the way, your highness, his highness is so obedient to you today. How domineering he is. Is there anything happened between your highness and his highness while I was away? "


    Yun Shang glanced at Qian Yin. "No one will regard you as a dumb if you don''t speak."


    "You are so cruel, your highness..." Qian Yin pretended to wipe her tears. Seeing that Yun Shang ignored her, she put her hand down and chuckled. "Your Highness, I''ve been exhausted these days. I took a special trip to the KY City, which was finally up to you. The detailed pictures on the border of the State of Xia have been drawn, and the information of several generals guarding the city, especially General Qi, has been obtained. Even the information about General Qi that can be found out. The high-ranking Military Counselor''s behavior was also recorded. I''ve placed all of my documents on your highness''..."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Well done and it was fast. After I finish reading it, I''ll reward you as long as I''m sure it''s worth it!"


    Qian Yin chuckled and said, "Oh, where is Qin Yi?"


    "Qin Yi went with grandfather to do something else." Yun Shang walked to her desk, opened a pamphlet and read it carefully.


    After a while, Yun Shang finished reading a book. She looked up and said, "I have ordered some people to follow Li Jingyan and his forces. Where are they now?"


    Qian Yin answered quickly, "They were in a house over one hundred miles away from here."


    A house? Yun Shang knew the general direction in her mind, but she didn''t know much more about it. She took the map of Prince Jing and looked at the location of the house for a long time.


    "A house¡­ What were Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan doing in a house? The Yuan River was on the other side of this house. If people surround here, they will die. " Yun Shang frowned and her expression changed. She looked at the small part.


    The house was not close to Laifeng City and the Imperial City. Why did they settle there?


    While she was thinking, footsteps came from outside the hall. Yun Shang put the book Qian Yin brought with her behind the bookshelf, and turned to look at the map in her hand.


    "What are you looking at, your highness? So serious? " Prince Jing opened the curtain and walked into the inner palace. He saw Yun Shang frowning at the stuff in her hands. Prince Jing walked to her with curiosity and looked down. "What? Map? Are you interested in it? "


    Yun Shang looked up at Prince Jing and asked, "Is Xia Houjing planning to collude with Cangjue Qingsu to deal with the State of Ning?"


    Prince Jing nodded. "Xia Houjing has discussed with Cangjue Qingsu. After they take over the State of Ning, they will divide the cities and even the desig


    ander around."


    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised. She tilted her head and thought for a while. Soon she realized that the prince was probably going to deal with something about Xia Houjing. He had come to her father and probably discussed the countermeasures with him.


    "When are you leaving?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Prince Jing''s hand paused, but he still answered calmly, "Tomorrow morning."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while on Prince Jing''s words. Then she nodded, "I don''t know what kind of things you need, as you didn''t bring anything with you. If you need anything, just tell Qian Yin to prepare it."


    Prince Jing was somewhat absent-minded. After a long while, he said, "No need. I''ve sent people to prepare."


    "¡­¡­ Okay... " Yun Shang agreed. She lowered her head and continued to read through the map. Somehow, she was a little upset, and she couldn''t go on reading. This was the first time he had left for such a long time after they got married. She remembered what he had said a moment ago. Sometimes it would be two months, sometimes it would be a long time that he didn''t know. He didn''t know, which meant he was not sure about what would happen.


    Yun Shang recalled that now that Prince Jing had known about his origin, what she worried about finally happened. He had no choice but to be an enemy of his family members. Xia Houjing is his seventh brother. Lord Hua Guo was his grandfather. And the Emperor of the State of Xia was his biological father.


    Yun Shang didn''t know what Prince Jing was thinking, but her heart ached.


    It suddenly occurred to Yun Shang that no matter what happened, Prince Jing''s identity cannot be known by my father. Although her father seemed to have a close relationship with Prince Jing, he was actually afraid of him. And he even suspected his own daughter. If father knew Prince Jing''s true identity, he would be even more skeptical of Prince Jing and would take precautions. The State of Xia had prepared for so many years. Yun Shang believed Prince Jing was just a pawn they set up. At that time, his majesty would try every means to eliminate Prince Jing.


    That was the last thing she wanted to see.

 Chapter 240 The Encounter Of The Love Rivals (Part One)

    It was probably because of the thought that Prince Jing was leaving tomorrow that they stayed in the hall. Yun Shang asked servants to prepare a beautiful couch for Prince Jing. Half leaned on the couch to read a book, while Prince Jing sat behind the table and read the pamphlet presented by the secret guards. She was reading a book, and the whole room was quiet except the sound of her turning the pages.


    When Yun Shang woke up the next morning, she found Prince Jing was not by her side. She reached out her hand to feel the bed. The bed next to her was already cold. He must have been gone for a long time. She sat up after a while. Hearing the noise in the room, Qian Yin hurried into the room.


    "How long has his highness been away?" Yun Shang said gently.


    Qian Yin quietly observed Yun Shang''s face, and saw her as calm as usual. She said gently, "An hour and a half, his highness saw that Princess Yun Shang had a good sleep, so he told me not to disturb you."


    Yun Shang nodded and asked Qian Yin to prepare the toiletries, but her mind was in a mess. If he left, then it would take a long time to see.


    Yun Shang spent the whole day in her palace, browsing through a book on the bed and absent-minded. She used to lead a comfortable life like this when she was alone. But now, it seemed that she was used to the company of Prince Jing, which made her feel a little bit uncomfortable without him by her side.


    After Prince Jing left, Yun Shang thought that since Li Jingyan and Xia Houjing were no longer keeping watch on the Imperial City, Ning Qian must be bored in the palace, so she sent someone to call Ning Qian over. Ning Qian made someone told the people that the Empress was not in good health,


    ven raise his eyebrows. Because I am still a princess, aren''t I? And the wife of Prince Jing. "


    Jing Wenxi moved and showed surprise in her eyes. After a while, she sneered, "I underestimated you. You are not as gentle and kind as I thought... What would the Emperor and Prince think of the princess? "


    "Think of me?" Yun Shang smiled without saying anything. "Do you think father and Prince Jing don''t know what I am like? Or didn''t her majesty tell you that I was the one you need to be careful most? "


    Jing Wenxi changed her face. She remembered the Empress''s words when she asked her to come to the palace the other day. "I know you are smart. I''ll let you do it. But when you get to Laifeng Palace, the one you need to be careful most is Yun Shang."


    Jing Wenxi remembered the Empress''s words at that time, but she was confused. She had seen Princess Yun Shang several times. She was just a weak woman, quiet and harmless. What''s more, she seemed to have stayed in the Ning''guo Temple for a long time. All the girls had grown up in that temple were only interested in eating, worshiping Buddha, and had no idea of all these dangers.

 Chapter 241 The Encounter Of The Love Rivals (Part Two)

    When she actually met Yun Shang in the temporary imperial palace of Laifeng, she had a better feeling. She was just a woman who enjoyed the love of a lot of people because of her royal identity. She was beautiful, but innocent and easy to deal with. Jing Wenxi hated Yun Shang. She had been thinking about Prince Jing for so many years. Now all the people in the Imperial City knew her desire and didn''t expect any man to propose a marriage. But she didn''t care. She believed that Prince Jing would see her love for Prince Jing one day and marry her.


    However, the man she couldn''t get for so many years had married another woman. He had met her for only half a year, and she had nothing but beautiful appearance. How could she accept that?


    At that time, the Empress came to her, saying that she had been observing her secretly for a long time, knowing her thoughts, and admiring her intelligence. And she promised that if she could help her achieve her goal, she would fulfill it.


    She wanted to marry him. Thinking that she was going crazy, she agreed.


    When Jing Wenxi saw Yun Shang standing in front of her, she smiled peacefully and looked morbid. But the malevolence in her eyes astonished her. How could she know Yun Shang was this smart?


    Jing Wenxi bit her tongue and felt hurt. She raised her head after a long while. "The Empress? Do you think it''s the Empress who sent me here? Hahaha! Why bother asking for help? I will kill you as I hate you so much. Only by killing you will his highness be mine. But your highness, Prince Jing''s Mansion is well guarded. I can''t get in. Eve


    er.


    Jing Wenxi tried to calm herself down and looked at Yun Shang, "Your Highness, you are capable of disguising yourself like this in order to deceive me. I really admire you."


    "Miss Jing, when you went to rescue him the other day, didn''t you see who was against him? Or Miss Jing doesn''t know Grand Councilor Li and Xia Houjing? The soldiers were led there by Grand Councilor Li and Xia Houjing... " Yun Shang lowered her head and appeared as if nothing had happened.


    Jing Wenxi paused and thought about the situation that day. She was so absorbed in scheming when she would rush out that she didn''t notice anything else. But Yun Shang was quite sure about it. Was it true?


    Jing Wenxi changed her face. After a long time, she asked, "Your Highness, why did you tell me about this?"


    "What is it?" Yun Shang smiled at Jing Wenxi, "Of ourse there is. Grand Councilor Li has betrayed the state, and Prince Jing is now leading troops to join the army. Miss Jing likes Prince Jing, so you don''t want anything bad to happen to him. I hope Miss Jing... "

 Chapter 242 Plotting

    When arriving at the Imperial City, it was already the beginning of September. As the weather became colder, the chirping of cicadas became less. Yun Shang began to draw on the paper carefully with her pen. After a while, she stopped writing. The paper on the paper was a map of the State of Xia.


    When Qian Yin came in with a cup of tea, she frowned at the map drawn by Yun Shang. "Your Highness, why do you draw this map of the State of Xia?"


    Yun Shang didn''t say a word. She put down the map, picked up her teacup, and went to a bench nearby to sit down. With a touch of sadness in her eyes, she said, "I calculated the days, and Ning Qian should have arrived in the State of Ning, right?"


    Qian Yin thought for a while with her head tilted to one side, "She should have arrived at the borderland if it was normal. But it''s not safe there. I''m afraid it will take some more time. I''m afraid it''ll take a few more days."


    Yun Shang nodded.


    It had been a few days since they returned to the Imperial City. The tense atmosphere in the Imperial City a month ago seemed to have disappeared. It seemed that everyone had forgotten what had happened at that time, except for the few clans that had disappeared inexplicably. Yun Shang smiled. In fact, most of the time, the most ruthless people were these people. Even if someone else had become the Emperor, they would only be surprised by a few words, and would not have thought of how to live in a short time.


    Yun Shang sighed before she looked up at Qian Yin, "In the recent days, ask the servants to buy more food in case of need."


    Qian Yin nodded. The servant said outside, "Princess, Lady Shun Qing has come to visit."


    It was Lady Shun Qing. Yun Shang stopped and thought, ''what is she doing here? Ning Ye has been a spy in her mansion for years. Do Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun Qing know about it?''


    Yun Shang put the teacup on the table and stood up, "Let''s go to the front hall."


    Compared with the last time they met, Lady Shun Qing seemed to be older and had much more grey hair. Yun Shang sighed. Indeed many things had happened in Prince Shun Qing''s mansion these days. A daughter-in-law had colluded with the Empress and almost killed her. Another daughter-in-law was nowhere to be found. She didn''t know why her son turned out to be another person. All of this was like a heavy punch in her heart.


    Yun Shang walked into the front hall hesitantly, "Lady Shun Qing..." Yun Shang curtsied to Lady Shun Qing before taking a seat on the main seat. She asked a maid to serve tea and snacks to Lady Shun Qing, and asked with a smile, "Lady Shun Qing, what can I do for you?"


    Lady Shun Qing looked at Yun Shang for a while before she said, "I don''t want to bother you, but since Prince Jing is not in the Imperial City, I can''t do anything about it. I''m here for my son..." She paused and sighed, "Well, he might not be my son."


    Yun Shang knew she was talking about Ning Ye.


    Lady Shun Qing smiled bitterly, "Well, I have four sons in my life. Ning Ye, the youngest of them, is a stubborn


    ''t want to see it happen. He would have to face a turbulent empire."


    Yun Shang sighed. She made the decision for both Prince Jing and for her little brother. In her previous life, she owed Lady Jin a lot. In this life, she wants to compensate her with all the best things in the world.


    While they were talking, a loud voice came from outside, "Bad news! Bad news!"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help frowning and looked at the maid who rushed in. She knew this maid and had been by her side since her mother came out of the cold palace. The maid''s name was Yingyu, which she believed.


    "Is there a wolf chasing you?" Lady Jin looked at her with a smile. "What''s wrong?"


    She stamped her foot and said angrily, "I just heard from an attendant at the door of Jinluan Hall that when we went to court this morning, many officials proposed to select outstanding officials. They said that the Emperor had few sons and needed more resources to grow branches and leaves for the royal family. Your majesty... His majesty agreed... "


    Yun Shang noticed the surprised look on Lady Jin''s face, but she quickly regained her usual composure. "Yes, I know."


    Seeing that Lady Jin didn''t seem to care about it, Yingyu became more anxious. Just when she was about to speak, Lady Jin waved her hand to stop her and said, "You can leave now."


    Yingyu stamped her foot and followed her order obediently.


    The room was quiet for a while. Then Lady Jin whispered, "Now the court is in turmoil. It''s normal for him to agree their suggestions to stabilize."


    Yun Shang felt a dull pain in her heart. "Mother..."


    Lady Jin suddenly turned to Yun Shang. "If you want to go to the KY City later, I''ll mention it to his majesty."


    Yun Shang was surprised, but Lady Jin looked determined. "When I was in the the Cold Palace, my father resigned and I lost everything in the court. In that case, I have to do something, lest I lose Chenxi afterwards."


    Yun Shang paused for a while before she recognized the implication of Lady Jin''s words. She nodded, "I see."

 Chapter 243 In The KY City

    Perhaps it was because of the selection, Emperor Ning felt that he owed a lot to Lady Jin, so he agreed to her request without hesitation, even if this request was somewhat difficult to accept.


    Emperor Ning was afraid that Yun Shang would suffer losses at the frontier, so he sent a small group of secret guards to follow her and obey her orders. Along with which, he also presented an imperial edict, a golden medal, and a sacred sword that could make Yun Shang act without waiting for the Emperor''s approval. When the imperial edict arrived at Prince Jing''s Mansion, Yun Shang was also surprised. Although she knew Lady Jin agreed with it and it should be no problem, she didn''t expect that it came so soon.


    Seeing the astonishment on the butler''s face, Yun Shang worried that something unexpected would happen if she didn''t tell Prince Jing about it in time. So she asked Qian Yin to pack up her belongings and set out with her people the next morning.


    It was inconvenient for a woman to walk outside. Yun Shang changed into men''s clothes, and they had arrived at the outside of KY City after about ten days.


    It seemed that the KY City hadn''t been influenced by the war at all. The people in the city were still leisurely and the street was full of people and seemed to be prosperous. Yun Shang couldn''t help frowning, feeling that this situation was somewhat strange.


    Yun Shang left all her guards outside the city. When she came into the KY City, she didn''t go to the Qi Mansion directly. Instead, she found a fancy tavern and went inside.


    There was no private room in the tavern, so Yun Shang sat in the hall on the second floor. After ordering some food, Yun Shang looked up at the waiter and said with a smile, "Hello, we came from the NX City. I heard that the KY City was fighting, so I come here to see if my business in the family is affected. But, why does it look like that we are not fighting at all?"


    The NX City was a prosperous city in the State of Ning. Yun Shang was afraid that she would say that she came from the Imperial City to attract the attention of others, so she just made up the story casually.


    The waiter grinned and said, "You don''t know? We thought we would have to close the door if the war began. But it turned out that the people of the State of Xia are afraid of General Qi''s fame. It''s more than a month now, but the soldiers of the State of Xia only dare to station dozens of miles. Only occasionally send someone to see, like a turtle, they don''t dare to come at all. I don''t think we can get into a fight. General Qi is a major general of the State of Ning. He has a strong force. I''m afraid he''s as mighty as Prince Jing."


    Yun Shang put her hands on the table and talked with the waiter with a smile, "Really? I was worried for nothing. With General Qi in charge, our KY City must be safe without mishap. "


    She gave the attendant two taels


    lay?"


    The woman nodded and said, "yes."


    Mister Li still didn''t let her go. He raised his head to look at the servant and said, "I saw this woman first."


    The servant glanced at Mr. Li with disdain and walked into the room. A moment later, the door was slammed open, and with a bang, Qi Yuzhi rushed out in anger. Behind him were several sturdy servants. "Which bastard dares to grab my woman?"


    As soon as he lowered his head, he saw what was happening in the hall. He snorted coldly, "Li Qian, are you insane? Beat him for me!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, his servant jumped down from the second floor, grabbed Mr. Li''s hand, and pinched it so hard that Mr. Li''s face was a little distorted in pain. "Qi Yuzhi, if you dare touch me, my father will not spare you."


    "Hahaha! Tell me that you won''t spare me easily, and I''ll still hit you today. Well, if you have guts, ask your father to punish me. I''m not afraid! Hit him to death! "


    Everyone in the tavern kept screaming. After a while, Mr. Li picked himself up and huddled on the ground motionless. Yun Shang guessed that Mr. Li was dead. Qi Yuzhi then stopped and snorted coldly, "You deserve it." Then he called the woman in veil, "Yue Niang, go upstairs."


    The woman held the instrument in her arms and hastened upstairs. Then she followed Qi Yuzhi into the room with her head down.


    Qian Yin closed her mouth and said, "Your... Master... How could he be so lawless... "


    Yun Shang sneered, "Lawless? I''m afraid that in the KY City, Qi Lang would regard himself as a law."


    After the meal, Yun Shang wandered around the city and then went out of the city. She got her palace clothes back and asked the hidden guards to find a carriage which looked very magnificent. After getting on the carriage, she let half of her secret guards sneak into the city and half followed the carriage. After that, she went into the city and went to General Qi''s Mansion.

 Chapter 244 General Qi’s Mansion (Part One)

    When Yun Shang arrived at General Qi''s Mansion, the gate of General Qi''s Mansion was closed. A cold light flashed in her eyes. She asked Qian Yin to open the gate for her with the invitation letter.


    "Who is it?" An impatient voice came from inside and the door was opened. The doorman was a little stunned when he saw so many people outside. "Who are you?"


    "She is the wife of Prince Jing. we are here by the order of the Emperor. Call General Qi over!" There was no smile on Qian Yin''s face. She was more like a servant girl who appeared to be arrogant.


    The servant was surprised at the name of Prince Jing. He stretched his head, looked at the long queue again, and his eyes fell on the fancy carriage in front of the door. He seemed to turn around and talked with the people next to him before he turned back and said, "Please wait a moment, your highness. I''ve sent someone to inform the general."


    Yun Shang poured a cup of tea and said calmly, "It doesn''t matter. I''ll just wait."


    A somewhat cold and harsh tone fell to the servant''s ears. The servant shivered and bowed to Qian Yin. "It''s not that I don''t allow you to enter the house. It''s just that now that GeneralQi is patrolling the southern city''s gate, I don''t dare to make a decision. I have already informed the housekeeper, and I think the housekeeper will soon send someone to tell the general."


    Yun Shang didn''t respond. She heard more and more people gathered by the carriage. She pursed her lips and thought to herself, ''Qi Lang! How dare you bully me first!''. He told her that he had spent an hour on the inspection at the southern city gate. She believed that the servants had already informed Qi Lang of the big noise she made in the city. But Qi Lang didn''t show up when she arrived in front of General Qi''s Mansion because he despised her.


    The tea was getting cold. Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to get in the carriage and boil another cut of tea. She boiled a pot of tea. When Yun Shang was halfway through the tea, she heard the horse''s hooves coming from afar.


    Yun Shang put down the teacup and straightened her dress. Then


    seriously. After she entered General Qi''s Mansion, she only sent one concubine to serve her.


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at the woman, "Wanqiu is a beautiful and gentle name, and quite compatible with her. Is she Lady Qi? How does Lady Qi keep her looks so young? She seems to be in her late twenties. The wives of the rich families in the Imperial City, who are my friends, also focus on keeping a young look, are not as good-looking as you are."


    The hand of Qi Lang holding the tea trembled slightly as if something came to his mind and he didn''t look well. But Wanqiu, she looked a little pale.


    Qi Lang then put down his teacup and cupped his hands in front of Yun Shang, "My wife has been somewhat ill recently. I was afraid that she would be sick and leave the ill to you, so I didn''t call her here. Wanqiu is my... seventh lady."


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and put down the tea cup. She cast a glance at Wanqiu indifferently and said, "Oh, it''s your seventh lady..." The sound was dragged down and there was a hint of mockery in the smile. After a while, Yun Shang sighed, "I guess the rules at the border are a little different from those in the Imperial City, am I right?" Then she took up her tea cup again.


    Qi Lang clenched his fists and winked at the frightened Wanqiu, forcing her to leave the hall.


    Then Yun Shang drank her tea quietly without saying a word again.

 Chapter 245 General Qi’s Mansion (Part Two)

    After a long time, a man in his forties walked into the front hall. "My Lord, the Chrysanthemum Yard has been cleaned up."


    Qi Lang stood up and said with a smile, "Your highness, the yard has been cleaned up. Please follow me there."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up. "General Qi, please don''t bother. General Qi must have a lot of things to deal with before the State of Xia''s army arrived. Just tell the butler to take me there."


    After a pause, she continued, "The guards I have brought are the secret guards of his majesty. Please find a place for them, General Qi."


    Qi Lang responded in succession. Yun Shang glanced at him indifferently and walked out of the hall. The butler followed the princess in a hurry. He bowed to her and said, "Please follow me, your highness."


    The Chrysanthemum Yard was really full of chrysanthemum flowers, which was of various varieties and a few pots of treasure. Yun Shang walked into the room with a smile. Many things in the room were all new, but there was nothing careless. She glanced at all the furnishings in the room. They were indeed very delicate.


    "I didn''t prepared it in time, so I have to make do with you. If you don''t like it, just let me know." The butler said respectfully with a slight bow.


    Yun Shang nodded, "okay." Then she entered the bedroom.


    "Your Highness, you''ve been on the way for a couple of days. After the long trip, you must take a rest. Please get out." Qian Yin said lightly from outside.


    Then the butler answered respectfully, "yes, of course. I will leave now. I''ve arranged some servants to wait for you at the gate of the yard. If you need anything, just tell them. "


    Yun Shang heard the footsteps fade away. It was a long time before Qian Yin raised the bead curtain.


    Qian Yin walked in and looked around. Then she said, "General Qi is very interesting. If other people hear that your highness is here, they will collect the valuable things in this house as soon as possible, in case you see them and get them. But General Qi didn''t seem to be afraid. These desks and ornaments are priceless. "


    Yun Shang grinned, "How can you know that he didn''t put away the things he thought it was valuable? However, Qi Lang had been locked here for a long time, so he didn''t know what should be put into the storage bin. He was afraid that he might collected some expensive stuff. For him, the stuff displayed here was just ordinary. Besides, he has always been conceited, and will not be afraid to offend me. Thus, it seems that General Qi Lang is very comfortable. "


    Qian Yin clicked her tongue and said in a cold voice, "It''s arrogant of Qi Lang to call a concubine over to serve tea as he is so rude to you."


    The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth twitched, but she didn''t say a word. After a long ti


    h to the pavilion, "Beauty, I''ll let you know the meaning of my punishment today!"


    "Bastard! Get on your knees and apologize to the wife of Prince Jing!" A roar of anger came through. As soon as Qi Yuzhi turned around, he saw her father, who was staring at him with a gloomy face.


    Before Qi Yuzhi could react, her father walked up to the stunning woman and knelt down. "Your Highness, I''m terribly sorry for having failed to teach my son. Please forgive me."


    "Your... Your highness? " Qi Yuzhi''s face froze. His countenance changed for several times. He turned around and looked at the woman with a cold expression. He could not help but swallow hard.


    "Kneel down!" Qi Lang roared, staring fiercely at Qi Yuzhi.


    Upon hearing that, Qi Yuzhi became weak and knelt down.


    Yun Shang glanced at them for a while and said, "General Qi, I guess you are too busy to teach your son."


    Qi Lang straightened his back, "My son offended your highness. I won''t forgive him."


    Yun Shang was about to say something when the butler of General Qi''s Mansion came in a hurry. Seeing Qi Lang and Qi Yuzhi kneeling down in front of Yun Shang, he paused and slightly bent over to wait by the side.


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at the butler. "You are in such a panic. Is there something wrong in the mansion?"


    "Yes, your highness," said the butler. "It''s not a big deal. A guest has come."


    "Really?" Yun Shang answered indifferently. Then she turned her eyes to the two persons in front of her, and said with a faint smile, "Today when I just woke up, a secret guard told me an interesting thing happened at the tavern today..."


    Yun Shang said peacefully. Then she noticed that the butler shivered a little.


    Yun Shang continued, "General Qi, I want to know how one should be punished if he gets into a private fight and hurts someone in the KY City."

 Chapter 246 The Banquet (Part One)

    Qi Lang was confused. After a moment''s silence, he said: "According to the law of the State of Ning, I will punish him fifty rods and give the injured man a certain amount of money."


    A faint smile appeared on Yun Shang''s face when she heard his words and looked at Qi Yuzhi. She turned to look at the trembling butler before she lowered her head and asked, "Oh? According to my secret guard, Mister Qi hurt Mister Li in the west of the city at noon. What should we do with him, General Qi?"


    Upon hearing that, Qi Lang trembled with his hands clenched into fists. A touch of cruelty painted across his face. However, Yun Shang didn''t seem to see it. She kept smiling and turned to the fish in the pond. "It''s a tradition. Prince Jing and I also will be punished if we do something wrong. Prince Jing often mentioned about you, General. He said the General has a good reputation here. The reward and punishment are distinct. As we entered the KY City today, I saw people admire you. I guess you won''t let us down, will you? "


    No one answered for a long time, but Yun Shang didn''t hurry and sat still.


    "Of course. Whether the law is disciplined or not, and whether the people are decent or not, I will follow the law." Qi Lang said in forbearance.


    As soon as the words were spoken, Yun Shang heard Qi Yuzhi call out to his father from his gritted teeth, "father."


    Qi Lang glared fiercely at Qi Yuzhi and knelt down respectfully with a pale face.


    Yun Shang turned around and glanced at the veins on his forehead. She wanted to laugh, but she managed to force a smile. "General Qi, just as his highness said, there is a clear distinction between rewards and punishments. In that case, I won''t delay General Qi''s work. It seems that the Li family are waiting for General Qi in the front hall. " As she spoke, Yun Shang glanced at the butler. He was obviously shocked. Then Yun Shang stood up and went back to the Chrysanthemum Yard with Qian Yin''s support.


    "Your highness, why did you demand General Qi to hit his son so hard? Will General Qi betray you because of this? Now we sti


    knew very well that women in the mansion were very good at doing secret things, so she didn''t underestimate them.


    Qian Yin answered with a smile, "Your Highness, yesterday someone called me. It was not until then that I got to know the boss of the imperial household has opened a shop in this remote city. He is really something. By the way, your highness, the boss has a letter for you. He asked me to give it to you. " Then Qian Yin took out a piece of parchment from her inner packet and handed it to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang took it over and looked at it carefully. Then she smiled happily. "You are right. Ning Qian is really something. She stayed in the Imperial City of the State of Xia no more than six or seven days, but the princess had already had an eye on her and brought her to the Princess Palace."


    Qian Yin was surprised, "Your Highness? When did the boss become a bisexual? Does the Princess like women? Or does she want to choose a concubine for Emperor''s Son-in-law?"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She tapped Qian Yin on the head with the parchment, "what are you thinking about? The princess was the sister of the Emperor of the State of Xia. She wanted to present a beauty to the Emperor. Ning Qian was a lady of outstanding appearance and intelligence, so the princess chose her. Maybe Ning Qian will become one of the ladies of the State of Xia in a few days."

 Chapter 247 The Banquet (Part Two)

    "What?" Qian Yin paused, and then smiled. "I see... If she really becomes one of the ladies, things will be much easier. Right?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "yes. This is finally a good news... " Yun Shang returned the parchment to Qian Yin, "dispose of it."


    Qian Yin nodded and took out a brazier from the drawer. She picked up a fire starter and threw it into the brazier. When she saw the parchment was burned to ashes, she extinguished it with water and took it out.


    After having breakfast and lunch, Yun Shang took a nap and was about to go out for a walk, when a voice with some tiredness came from outside. "General Qi''s wife wants to visit you."


    Yun Shang took a seat and nodded to Qian Yin.


    Qian Yin lifted up the curtain and went out, followed by a woman. She was in her forties. She had a normal appearance and was a little plump. But her face was pale, as if she had been ill for a long time.


    "Your Highness..." Lady Qi bowed to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang stood up with the help of a astral hand and said gently, "Lady Qi, you are being polite. Now I am visiting you in your mansion. By rights, I should go to see you, but I was tired after a long journey the other day, so I took a rest early. I caught a cold today, so I didn''t get up early. I''m afraid the illness will affect you, so I''m late."


    "I dare not, I dare not." Lady Qi put on a stiff smile and asked after a while, "Your Highness, do you call for a physician?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I didn''t feel well since I got up early in the morning. I have asked my maid to send for a doctor. The doctor said I''m fine. But my health is not good in the first place. In addition, I''ve been on a rush these days. It''s not a big deal. Now I''ve taken my medicine. But how about Mrs. Qi? Do you feel better now? Yesterday, the seventh lady went to the front hall to receive me. I didn''t know your health until I asked General Qi. "


    A trace of disgust appeared on Lady Qi''s face, but Yun Shang noticed it soon. "I''m old and not as healthy as before. I''m also ill with my old illness. Thank you for your concern, your highness."


    "If you need any herbs, just tell me. I''ve brought many of them, some of which are rare." Yun Shang smiled and said, "I saw two gentlemen yesterday. They are both good-looking and pretty. I think you are blessed."


    Qian Yin brought the tea and placed it on the table beside them. Yun Shang took up the teacup. The water temperature was just right. When she lifted the lid, the crumbs of the tea floating on the teacup were left. When she looked down, her eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked gentle and considerate. Lady Qi was stunned. She stared at Yun Shang for a while and smiled. "You flatter me, your highness. They are just two young boys. They are not as handsome as you said." Although she said so, her eyes were full of pride.


    Curved her eyes, Yun Shang took a sip of tea and said gently, "it''s said that Mr. Qi was hit


    th of the courtyard, and many tables were set under the opera table.


    When Yun Shang arrived, the yard was already full of people. Qi Lang and Lady Qi were waiting for her at the gate. As soon as she arrived, the two men led her to the table in the north and sat down.


    As soon as Yun Shang took her seat, she noticed all the people were looking at her. But they didn''t speak a word. They just smiled and talked with Lady Qi.


    Except Qi Lang and Lady Qi, all the people sitting at the main table were men and women that Yun Shang had never seen before. Yun Shang glanced around the hall indifferently, and her eyes fell on the stage in the distance. On the stage, some eloquent people sat or stood, some played the instrument, some rang the bell, and some beat the drum.


    Qi Lang stood up and said in a deafening voice, "The banquet is to welcome Lady Jing. Lady Jing has come all the way with his Majesty''s blessings and condolence. Today, we, who are in the position of kinship in the Imperial City, express our gratitude to his Majesty on behalf of thousands of common people."


    Everyone stood up and raised the wine glass. Yun Shang smiled softly, and also stood up to propose a toast. She raised her head and drank the wine in one gulp.


    They all applauded and drank the wine in their glasses.


    When everyone was seated, a show began. It was called "orchid of flowers".


    The main role was played by a beautiful woman. She was neither heroic nor excellent. As a general, she was quite gentle and soft in the military exercise.


    Yun Shang heard a light snort from below, "She is just a woman who knows nothing about the military. Does she really think she can be a hero to save her country in distress? A woman should just be raised in a boudoir and embroider flowers. Does she really want to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy? I''m afraid that when she is in the real battlefield, she will be too scared to stand on her feet. "

 Chapter 248 The Competition At The Banquet (Part One)

    A burst of laughter came through, with a bit of disdain. Yun Shang acted as if she hadn''t heard the words. She played with the goblet in her hand, and coldly looked at the stage.


    Qi Lang fell into a deep thought. He made a obeisance to Yun Shang and asked, "Your Highness, do you like this drama?"


    Yun Shang felt all eyes were on her, so she smiled and said calmly, "If she is a showgirl, the performance should be more outstanding, but not fit for the role. The role should be more generous and overbearing."


    "A general is not supposed to be taken charge of by a woman. And the battlefield is not a place for women either." A loud voice was heard from downstairs. As everyone was paying attention to Yun Shang, the voice was loud and was deafening.


    Qi Lang''s face slightly changed, "How dare you!"


    Yun Shang gave a wee smile and looked at the man. He was in his thirties and had a moustache. He seemed to be one of Qi Lang''s subordinates. "General Qi is right. You are too bold. I can punish you for disrespecting me."


    The man snorted, "I was just being honest. It''s indeed your highness. You are putting on airs."


    "What you said just now was disrespectful not to me, but to the first Empress of the the State of Ning!" Yun Shang''s eyes grew colder. When everyone was in a daze, she said, "Not long after the founding of the State of Ning, Empress Xiao, she went out to war with the first Emperor. There were even many wins that were won by her own hands. The first Emperor of the State of Ning said that most of the country''s territory was under the leadership of Empress Xiao. You just said that the general should not be a woman, but Empress Xiao was conferred the title of General Qimin by the fist Emperor of our country. You said that the battle should not be fought by women. The general had spent more than ten years on the battlefield, and she even went to the battlefield when she was pregnant. Are you disrespectful to Empress Xiao? "


    The man looked sullen. After a long while, he asked, "do you refer to yourself as the Empress Xiao?"


    Yun Shang chuckled. She glanced at the man, and said, "Empress Xiao is of course, a model for wom


    believe a woman''s martial arts skill might better than a man''s. But I don''t believe a woman''s military tactics decision is much better than mine."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang knew that the man had but her hook. She sneered, "do you want to compete with me? Or do you want to compete with my maid?"


    "Okay, there are three questions. If your maid can answer them all, I will surrender," The man stood up. Yun Shang saw him. He was dressed in cyan and didn''t have the temperament of a warrior. Instead, he looked polite and refined. He was like a military teacher.


    Yun Shang looked at Qian Yin. Qian Yin smiled and said, "Your Highness, you have taught me the art of war for a long time. Don''t worry. I won''t embarrass you."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then please, start."


    The man thought for a moment before he said, "Ten years ago, the State of Yelang attacked the western city of the State of Ning. Their forces were 800 thousand, and the State of Ning only had 300000 soldiers to defend the city. In the end, the State of Yelang was defeated, and our state didn''t employ any soldier. Why?"


    Qian Yin smiled faintly, "The art of war has its own style. The best the soldiers are used to plot while the lowest is to attack the city. The State of Yelang was on offensive, and the State of Ning was in leadership of Prince Jing at that time. He focused on politics and war. The winner would be the weakest, and the loser would be the first."

 Chapter 249 The Competition At The Banquet (Part Two)

    The man kept silent for a moment. He looked at Qian Yin with caution and said, "according to the art of war, a hundred battles are invincible, the people are not good. What kind of good warrior should one be? "


    "A soldier who would not submit to others without a fight." Qian Yin replied without hesitation.


    Although it was already September, the man was sweating. After a long time, he asked, "why only the armies of the State of Xia dare to stationed outside the city? Why don''t they dare to attack the KY City?"


    The question relieved everyone. The princess and the servant girl had just arrived at the KY City. They didn''t know anything in the city, so they didn''t know the reason.


    Qian Yin laughed ironically, "This gentleman''s question is so strange? Dare not to? The State of Xia isn''t dare not do that. It was just because the name of their military counsellor was Liu Yinfeng. The best thing about Liu Yinfeng was to know oneself and enemy. As a result, he could have known all the generals present pretty well. The reason why he didn''t let the army attack us was that he knew the general who was responsible for defending our city was Qi Lang. General Qi could fight without saying anything. But he has a weakness, that is, he is proud and conceited. Liu Yinfeng does not attack because he knows General Qi''s weakness well. It is his strategy."


    Just as Qian Yin finished speaking, there was silence. Yun Shang saw the veins standing out on Qi Lang''s forehead. Yun Shang smiled and thought, ''Good girl. I was afraid she doesn''t know how to put it.


    Then Qi Lang broke the silence. "This lady mentioned Liu Yinfeng, saying that he is quite good at knowing oneself and his enemy. But I want to know his weakness. So where is Liu Yinfeng''s weakness?"


    Yun Shang smiled. "Liu Yinfeng likes men. And the man he loves is the seventh Prince of the State of Xia, Xia Houjing. Can that be his weakness?"


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, all eyes were on her, but Yun Shang did not intend to go on talking at all, but Qian Yin continued, "About a month ago, your highness had sent someone to investigate Liu Yinfeng, knowing that he has no other interests and makes no other move. But she has asked us to pay attention to the arrangements in Liu Yinfeng''s mansion. Our men found a lot of paintings in his study. And those in the paintings are all Xia Houjing, the seventh Prince of the State of Xia. "


    Someone banged the table and stood up. "No wonder when we brought a fairy woman there, Liu Yinfeng also stayed


    a sound of air breaking. Behind her shouted both Qi Yufeng and Qian Yin. "Your Highness, be careful!"


    Yun Shang certainly knew what had happened. But she didn''t want to reveal her Kung Fu in front of Qi Yufeng, so she was pulled back by Qian Yin.


    The three men in black came forward. They took out their swords and charged forward. Soon, Qi Yufeng fought with the men in black together.


    Qian Yin was about to help her, but Yun Shang stopped her by holding her hand and shook her head. Qian Yin was confused but she didn''t show it. She just supported Yun Shang and watched the fight with the three men.


    Although Qi Yufeng was strong, he was alone. After a while, he had been a little out of shape. A man in black seized the opportunity to pounce on Yun Shang. Yun Shang held Qian Yin''s hand and stopped her. When the man was about to get close to her, like there were eyes on his back, Qi Yufeng turned around and rushed to her, holding her.


    The man in black brandished his sword and tried to stab Qi Yufeng. Hearing the sound of cloth tearing, Yun Shang heard the voice of a guard, "Assassins! Quick! Assassins!"


    The men in black exchanged a knowing look with each other and left quickly.


    Yun Shang smiled and thought, ''What a coincidence.''


    "Are you okay, your highness?" With a thin sweat on his forehead, Qi Yufeng stood up, frowned and asked with hesitation, "have those assassins hurt you?" His voice was tinged with eagerness.


    Yun Shang shook her head, bit her lip and said gently, "I''m fine. Those assassins didn''t hurt me. How are you feeling, Mr. Qi?"


    "I''m fine," Qi Yufeng coughed lightly. Yun Shang saw him shake before he suddenly fell to the ground.

 Chapter 250 The Incident (Part One)

    When Yun Shang returned to the Chrysanthemum Yard, Qian Yin burst into laughter with a bit of ridicule in her eyes. "Your Highness, is Mister Qi making a scene to save a beauty?"


    A hint of smile appeared in Yun Shang''s eyes. She shook her head and said, "You see, he paid a lot of efforts for it. Look, he has really taken a stab. I''m afraid it will take some time for him to recover from it. You are so heartless to tease him. It''s just that this drama is not so good. Is it favored by the Qi family to play ''the orchid of flowers'' to invite such a soft girl to play the hero, and Mr. Qi to make a drama to save the beauty. But they are not good at acting."


    Qian Yin asked with curiosity. "You knew Mr. Qi was making a show as you held me back?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "It is such a coincidence for him to be there. I''ve asked you to look into the General Qi''s Mansion thoroughly recently. We are the only one living here. No one is supposed to come here at this time. Besides, have you ever seen anyone who takes a walk with a sword in his own house? I don''t think anyone as vigilant as his highness would do such a thing. "


    Qian Yin thought for a while, and was more impressed by Yun Shang. With a smile on her face, Qian Yun asked, "How will you reward him for his hard work? Mr. Qi was hurt and passed out to save her highness."


    Yun Shang yawned and went to bed. "It''s his own business if he wants to pretend. It has nothing to do with me."


    Qian Yin saw the tiredness on Yun Shang''s face, so she stopped messing with her and went to pour a cup of water for Yun Shang. After she helped Yun Shang to freshen up, Qian Yin had a rest. However, a maid came in a hurry at midnight and knocked on the door of the Chrysanthemum Yard.


    The eunuch brought the servant girl in and handed her to Qian Yin. Qian Yin frowned. "Her Highness has already gone to bed. What brings you here in the middle of the night?"


    The servant''s eyes were red and seemed to have just cried. She looked pitiful. "Qian Yin, can you pass a message to your highness and beg her to see my master. My master was in


    of that. She didn''t come out until the dusk. Yun Shang ordered Qian Yin in a soft voice for a long time after she came out. Qian Yin looked surprised, but she also ordered servants to prepare the things. Then she went to Qi Yufeng''s yard with a lot of things she had prepared.


    And in Qi Yufeng''s room, the crowd was busy. Because he was the son of Qi Lang and a captain in the army, he was a high rank. Upon hearing that Qi Yufeng was injured, many generals in the army came to visit him.


    "Ha ha, you are a dissolute man,. When my soldier came to tell me that you were injured for saving that princess, I was shocked. By the way, I heard that Princess Yun Shang is very beautiful. I didn''t come to the reception banquet last night when I was patrolling, which made me very depressed. Why didn''t the princess come to see you, captain? "


    "Captain, captain, tell us what happened to you yesterday. We are very curious about it."


    On the bed, Qi Yufeng''s face was as pale as a ghost. He stammered for half a day without speaking a complete sentence, which made others in the military laugh at him again.


    "Look at your captain. He is as lovely as a young boy. He is so handsome and there are many girls who love him. I have seen that several girls who often send gifts to him are also very good-looking. But captain doesn''t even take a look at them. Is the princess really so beautiful?"

 Chapter 251 The Incident (Part Two)

    Just then, a maid came in a hurry, bowed to Qi Yufeng and said, "Master, Qian Yin, Princess Yun Shang''s mais, is here to visit you."


    Upon hearing that, Qi Yufeng looked forward to seeing the girl. With his eyes fixated on the door, he was focused regardless of the presence of the other people present. When the others heard that the princess had sent someone, they looked at the door curiously. Although they couldn''t see the princess, it was not bad to see her maid. The princess was the canary in the Imperial City. They are guarding here and wouldn''t see the real princess for the rest of their lives.


    Qian Yin, dressed in cyan, walked in, feeling somewhat uneasy under people''s gaze, but she showed no discomfort on her face. Her eyes swept across the crowd, and then she bowed and said, "Nice to see you, Mr. Qi. The princess sent me to bring you some tonics to thank you for your help yesterday." Then she waved to those women behind her.


    Eight maids followed her, with a plate in their hands. There were a wide variety of things in the plates, including some precious supplements like ginseng. Some of the plates contained rare treasures.


    Qi Yufeng glanced over the plates, with a hint of displeasure in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. "I''m her Highness''s subordinate. It''s my duty to protect her. I don''t deserve them."


    A strong man beside him became a little angry. "Our captain got hurt because of that princess. And you just compensated him with these lousy tonics?"


    Qian Yin smiled, not angry at the man''s vulgar words, but only said gently, "general, don''t worry. The princess has told his majesty what happened yesterday. His majesty likes her very much, and he will definitely remember to reward Mr.Qi. Besides, the princess has also written to Prince Jing. Prince Jing will be very grateful to you too, Mr. Qi. "


    Suddenly, another man said, "Oh, I almost forget that Princess Hui Guo has been married. Now that she''s married, how can she stay alone with our captain in the middle of the night? Is she not reconciled to loneliness? "


    Qian Yin''s eyes flashed with pride. She didn''t expect that her master could predict things like that and knew someone would use such a problem to embarrass her. Fortunately, her master had taught her how to deal with it.


    "I have always been with her highness. She was not alone with Mr.Qi. And she just met Mr. Qi on the way. However, no one will believe me. Your highness said that if Mr.Qi insists on threatening her with saving her life, she won''t mind. You just need to tell the princess and she will personally give you the honor to be her man, Mr. Qi."


    Qian Yin looked calm and s


    g was worried about Prince Jing. She bit her lips to expel the ominous thought from her mind, and tried to find a reason to convince herself. "No, he won''t. He is a man of power. How could anything happen to him?"


    The night grew late. After finishing her dinner and washing her face, Yun Shang went to bed very early. When she was sleeping soundly, she suddenly heard some noise outside. Frowning, Yun Shang closed her eyes and went on sleeping. But it was too noisy to fall asleep, so she had to open her eyes and unhappily stare at the dark room and listen to the sound outside.


    Yun Shang listened carefully for a while and found that there was something wrong. Besides the sound of the servants, there were other sounds that seemed to come from a distant place, but it was very loud. Yun Shang listened carefully for a while, and then gradually came to her senses. She jumped out of bed, regardless of wearing only her underwear.


    "Qian Yin, Qian Yin..."


    Qian Yin lifted a glass lamp and came in, dressed Yun Shang, and spoke in a hurry and fast voice. "I heard the noise just now, and I''ve sent the secret guards out to spy. I think we''ll soon have the result."


    Yun Shang nodded, feeling uneasy.


    In a short while, several men in black rushed in and knelt down in front of Yun Shang. "Your Highness, the Xia army is attacking..."


    Yun Shang was surprised at the news. After a while, she came to herself. These days, the Qi clan seemed to have hidden actual situation in the battlefield from her. She had also secretly sent people to investigate, but got no information.


    In addition, Yun Shang was too busy dealing with all kinds of tricks of the General Qi''s Mansion recently to remember that she was at the border, the closest place to the battlefield.

 Chapter 252 The Bet (Part One)

    In these days, although Yun Shang tried again and again to get rid of Qi Lang''s move, she still did not want to interfere with him in the army as this city was his turf. If she made a mistake, all she had done would be in vain.


    However...


    Yun Shang turned to the man in black who was kneeling in the front and frowned. "I remember that you told me the other day that you were already in the camp of the State of Xia and even sneaked into the army. Why didn''t anyone report the Xia''s attack in advance?"


    The man quickly said, "The State of Xia did not make too much noise. I guess today''s attack may only involve one of the elite forces of the State of Xia, the number of which is no more than five thousand, or one of the teams that did not launch a mission with the State of Xia at all. But no matter what, this team attacked at night and did not disturb our soldiers. I''m afraid that there are not many people in the army and they dare not really dare to disturb the men from our side to capture the city."


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and agreed with him in her heart. In fact, not only the secret guards, she also sent many of her guards to the Xia''s army to gather information. But none of them reported the action of the Xia''s troops tonight.


    Yun Shang nodded and waved her servants down. It would be hard for them to fall asleep with all the noise outside. Yun Shang called Qian Yin to help her get dressed. She turned on all the lights in the room and sat on the bench with her eyes closed. She was thinking about the map of the State of Ning and the State of Xia that she had drawn again and again some time ago.


    There was a knock at the door outside, and neither Yun Shang nor Qian Yin opened their eyes. After a while, they heard footsteps coming from outside. One was a maid waiting for them in the outer hall, and the other was a stranger''s.


    Just when she was thinking about it, a voice came. "Your Highness, the army of the State of Xia is attacking. I''m a servant girl of Lady Qi. My master asked me to tell you that it''s a bit messy outside. Luckily, it''s not a big deal. There''s no ne


    It was quite messy and crowded in the camp probably because of the sneak attack.


    "Who are you? This is a military stronghold. No outsiders are allowed to enter." A number of soldiers gathered at the gate, holding two spears horizontally in front of Yun Shang. They stared at Yun Shang with amazement in their eyes.


    Yun Shang didn''t speak. The secret guard with his military sword lifted the long spear, and when the soldiers were about to launch an attack, he took out the token of the secret guard, "the secret guard is here."


    The soldiers knew the name of the secret guard though they hadn''t seen the token before. They stared at Yun Shang with awe and frowned.


    "This is your highness, Princess Jing, and the supervisor set up by his majesty. She is going to discuss military affairs with General Qi in the camp. You should get out of the way!" The secret guard beside Yun Shang stared coldly at the soldiers who stopped in front of her.


    The soldier was only stunned for a moment and then quickly said: "Please forgive me, your highness. Outsiders are not allowed to enter the camp. Please allow me to report to the General first..."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Just go then. I''ll wait for it." Even though they just talked a few words, Yun Shang gave full play to her coldness which she had learned from Prince Jing. The soldiers guarding at the door couldn''t help but take a few more looks at her.

 Chapter 253 The Bet (Part Two)

    After a while, Qi Lang came over with a cold face. A flash of impatience flashed through his eyes, but he hid it quickly. He curtsied to Yun Shang. "I didn''t know you were here. Please forgive me."


    Yun Shang smiled coldly. "General Qi, you are being too polite. But it seems that you have forgotten the imperial edict for which we came to the KY City earlier. Father sealed me as the inspector, while General Qi hasn''t told me about the night attack from the State of Xia. Maybe General Qi wants to... Disobey the decree?"


    Qi Lang''s face went pale. He fell to his knees and said, "I don''t dare. It happened all of a sudden. I haven''t told you yet. Please forgive me."


    Yun Shang felt warm in her heart as she heard the man''s words. Fortunately, the General finally admitted that Yun Shang was a supervisor, and not only Lady Jing.


    "General Qi is busy in the army. I understand that, so I came here myself. But do you want to talk to me here at the gate?" Yun Shang turned her back and stared at Qi Lang.


    Qi Lang stood up at once, "please, follow me."


    Yun Shang was led to the meeting camp by Qi Lang. There were many men with military uniforms in the camp. Judging from the style of their armor, they should be generals of high rank. And their eyes were fixed on Yun Shang the moment she stepped into the tent.


    Qi Lang led Yun Shang to the seat under the host''s seat and the guard stood in two lines. He glanced at the five men in black behind Yun Shang and frowned. Then he said to the generals, "This is your highness, supervisor who was made by his majesty."


    Hearing this, the soldiers looked at each other. After a long time, they knelt down and said, "Nice to see you, your highness."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Please don''t be courteous. Get up, all of you. I came here just because I heard the Xia army sent four thousand people to attack the barracks. Do you think of ways to defeat the enemy?"


    The soldiers looked at each other for a long time, but nobody said a word. Yun Shang was not in a hurry, waiting quietly. After a long time, a man came out and said, "the Xia army is so shameless. Although only four thousand soldiers were sent for the sneak attack, it also killed eight thousand of our soldiers. It must have a great impact on the military. Therefore, General Qi is going to fight in person and lead the elite forces of our army to pursuit the enemy¡­¡­"


    "Hahaha..." Yun Shang, who had already heard Qi Lang''s thought from her guard, couldn''t help bursting into laughter when she heard his words. "General Qi, it seems that Liu Yinfeng is indeed a wise man. He has known you well enough. Believe it or not, if you lead your men to chase after him now, you will soon be surrounded by Liu Yinfeng'' men. At that time, if General Qi doesn''t die, he will soon be surrounded by Liu Yinfeng. And if you dies, do you think the State of Xia will win the game? "


    Qi Lang''s face darkened as he pondered for a while before he said, "why bother yourself fighting against him? I''m sure I''ll come back safe and sound after I


    d a canyon in front of them, but it was not too deep and not long. And it also hid deep in the map. It was difficult to see it if one didn''t observe it carefully. He didn''t expect Yun Shang to know that.


    "That canyon is short and not deep. If we fight against a large army of one hundred million, it won''t have much effect. But if we only fight against a few thousand people, it will be excellent. Moreover, the valley is a dense forest, which is more convenient to hide. If I were Liu Yinfeng, I can make the escape, and I will surely choose this valley. We just need to hide on the valley, and the other people who chased by our enemies all enter the valley. Then, guard the entrance in front and back of the valley, and attack by rolling stones... " Yun Shang said indifferently, but the generals behind her was shocked and looked worried.


    Qi Lang frowned. He had been in the KY City all the year round, and he knew that valley. As Yun Shang said, that valley was short and not deep. If the army passed through it, it wound long around, and that small valley didn''t work. So he never cared about this. As now, the valley was deadly.


    The soldiers in front were already entering the canyon slowly. Yun Shang took out a small flute, blew it on her mouth, and they did not hear any sound.


    "It doesn''t ring." A man mumbled.


    Yun Shang smiled and put the flute into her sleeve. "It''s a message to the secret guards. No one can hear it except the guards. I''m warning the secret guard disguised as General Qi in front of me."


    Yun Shang and Qi Lang and the generals didn''t follow the troops into the valley. They climbed up to the mountains in the valley and found a secluded corner to hide. As soon as they hid, they saw some figures moving in the dense forest.


    The generals behind them all held their breath and looked at them, with a hint of killing intent in their eyes.


    "Kill! ¡­¡­" All of a sudden, there was sound of someone''s shouting and killing. From afar, it seemed to be from the mountain in the opposite.

 Chapter 254 Convincing The People (Part One)

    "What?" The sudden cries of pain startled Yun Shang and her companions. The horses became restless. The sounds were mixed with a kind of excitement, which didn''t seem to be heard.


    "General, this..." Behind them came a general''s hesitant voice. But Qi Lang didn''t say anything. Yun Shang worried that Qi Lang might look unwell now.


    After a while, Qi Lang said in a low voice. "Since her highness has sent the shadow guards to carry out the pursuit, she must be able to deal with it. The soldiers below are the elite soldiers in the army, and any death or injury is a loss to the State of Ning."


    Yun Shang chuckled, "General Qi, I''m afraid you have forgotten. If I didn''t try my best to stop them, I''m afraid you''re the one who''s in the valley now..."


    No one spoke again. Yun Shang''s eyes flashed and she continued, "I respect the General. He has fought more battles than I have eaten. Sometimes, I just hope you won''t act on impulse as you have experienced too much."


    Yun Shang didn''t want to hurt the people in her camp, but she knew that if Qi Lang was used well enough, he would be like a sharp dagger. If he wasn''t, he would even lose the cities in the State of Ning. The only purpose of her words was to make him understand the enemy''s situation and then make a decision. He would feel ashamed of what he had done today.


    Yun Shang took out the jade flute from her sleeve and blew on it. Then three men in black knelt down in front of Yun Shang''s horse. The generals behind her seemed shocked and seemed to be in a trance, as they didn''t expect that someone was hiding beside them.


    "Tell our men to go back to the entrance to the valley, and kill all the soldiers of the State of Xia guarding at the entrance to retreat. The second team and the third team sneak into the dense forest on both sides, and kill them one by one before the Xia''s army found out! The fourth and fifth teams go to the place where they stood a little far away and shout loudly, ''The army of the State of Xia fell into a trap. Brothers, let''s kill them!'' Remember to shout aggressively. Then, the sixth group of men will guard at the place where the people go down the mountain, and someone will be killed if he runs down the mountain!" Yun Shang ordered softly without any emotion in her voice. The generals, who were used to acting in public, was also stun


    uard reported, "I''ve found out that the Crown Prince of the State of Xia and the military counsellor have lurked here for four hundred thousand miles. They will set out after I get the news."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Liu Yinfeng is indeed smart. General Qi must be seriously injured or dead this time if their plan worked out. Now that the master is in danger, the army cannot be peaceful. This is the best time to attack."


    Qi Lang''s face changed. After a while, he went to Yun Shang''s horse and knelt down. "Your highness, thank you for saving my life."


    "No need for that. I''m just an outsider when it came to leading the army. This time I won by a fluke, only because I know much about Liu Yinfeng as Liu Yinfeng knows nothing about me. As an old saying went, ''know the enemy and yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles.'' that was a principle that Liu Yinfeng understood. General Qi had been in the battlefield for decades, and he knew it well. However, due to his temperament, he believed that as long as he had experienced something, he could fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat. You are a major general of the State of Ning. The reason why I''ve saved you this time is that I don''t want our state to lose a person for use. However, I also hope that you can know where your weakness is. Don''t be arrogant and conceited anymore. Life is the most important in this battlefield." Yun Shang sat on the horse. Her white cloak was blown up by the wind, her long hair fluttering lightly. She looked calm, but with an inviolable awe inspiring manner.

 Chapter 255 Convincing The People (Part Two)

    Qi Lang clenched his fists, and veins stood out on his forehead. After a while, he responded, "yes, I understand your teachings."


    Yun Shang knew that he thought she had embarrassed him just now, and might not really take her words seriously. But it would leave indelible marks in his heart. That was enough. In this way, she had prestige in the hearts of these generals behind her. She would make Qi Lang work for her willingly one day.


    "Back to the camp." Yun Shang spoke loudly.


    She took the lead in riding the horse.


    Yun Shang didn''t linger in the camp any longer. She just said a few words with other generals before she went back to the General Qi''s Mansion.


    As soon as Yun Shang came back, Qian Yin helped her take off her cloak, and asked someone to bring water for her. Then Qian Yin said gently, "It''s so cold outside. Don''t go to bed with a cold wind, your highness. Just take a bath first."


    Yun Shang had no choice but to listen to Qian Yin. She first bathed in the bathroom, and then went back to the inner room. As soon as she got back to the inner room, she threw herself on the bed, "I''m so sleepy. I don''t want to fight against anyone in the army. But the Xia''s army only knows about night attack and forbids people from sleeping..."


    Qian Yin laughed. "Did you forget that you were willing to do all these things?" After thinking for a while, she added, "I don''t know how his highness is going. If his highness returns to his mansion as soon as possible, he will replace you and take over the imperial household. By then, your highness can be relieved. Do you want to write a letter to ask him?"


    There was no answer for a long time. Qian Yin turned around in surprise and saw the woman on the bed asleep in a short time. She couldn''t help but laugh, thinking that it was hard for her to be so drowsy like her highness.


    Since the night attack that day, the military in the Xia camp had deployed more troops, no longer delayed as before.


    Yun Shang was also invited to the army by Qi Lang to discuss a few war events. She also knew more about the situation in the army. Qi Lang had five generals and seven hundred captains. The generals knew Yun Shang well and admired her.


    "Now we are in the camp and waiting for Xia Houjing. According to your commands, we''re on full alert inside and outside the camp." The one who talked to Yun Shang was General Wang Chong, who had grown fonder with her these days.


    Yun Shang nodded and looked at the map made of sand.


    "Today, I''m still guessing with General Liu Hua that how the Crown Prince of the State of Xia, Xia Houyan, will come." Seeing that Yun Shang was looking at the sand picture, Wang Chong smiled and said.


    Hearing this, Liu Hua laughed too. "General Wang guesses it''s from Liuyun mountain, and I guessed it''s from the Spring Water. The one who loses will pay the winner to have a meal at the Yuman Tower in the city. Would you like to join us? Ha ha, General Wang is known for guarding his wealth and is well-known in our army. We''ll


    of Yelang, she was housed in a separate yard by the Third Prince of the State of Yelang. The prince was saved by her in an assassination. Princess Hua Jing didn''t hide her identity. She only said she came here to find the missing Emperor''s son in law, and was carried into the mansion by the eldest prince. I don''t know why, but she accepted it."


    Yun Shang knew Hua Jing''s way of seducing men. But she didn''t expect her to get close to the eldest prince of the State of Yelang again. Yun Shang admired her very much and asked, "Did the eldest prince of the State of Yelang send someone to investigate the background of Hua Jing?"


    "Yes, he did. Princess Hua Jing carried her jade pendant, and her face was exactly the same as the portrait. The prince never doubted her identity."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and began to read the scroll. The surprise brought by Hua Jing was already suppressed in her heart, and there was no sign of it at all.


    But it''s funny that a princess of a country should be reduced to work as a spy in order to help an enemy''s Prince.


    Yun Shang sighed. She was afraid that her father would be furious for a long time once he heard the news.


    It was a pity that she wanted to kill Hua Jing in time. But she could do nothing now in the JY City. Yun Shang pinched through the pages and came to herself. She nodded, "Arrange servants in the eldest prince''s mansion."


    The secret guard answered and then asked, "Your Highness, the baby Princess Hua Jing is carrying seems to have been induced with some medicine. I have asked a secret guard who has good medical skills to dress up as a doctor and go to the hospital. Her highness, this baby... may not live until it''s born. Can we allow its existence?"


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and a smile appeared on her face. "I''m afraid we don''t even need to take action. No matter where we are, women''s fight in the mansion is always inevitable. It all depends on Hua Jing''s ability. If the baby is born, we will come up with another plan..."

 Chapter 256 Military Counsellor Liu Yinfeng (Part One)

    The next morning, Yun Shang ordered Qian Yin to get a man''s clothes and change it on. After that she left the mansion, the news of the night attack was stopped. There were not many people in the city who knew it, so the city was still lively.


    Yun Shang walked around the city, but her heart sank. There would be a fight sooner or later. These people were innocent, but they were affected.


    When she was about to return to the General Qi''s Mansion, he saw a familiar figure. It was Qi Yufeng. Qi Yufeng also saw Yun Shang, but with confusion in his eyes, he didn''t dare to admit it. He stared at Yun Shang for a long time before he looked back at Qian Yin behind her. Then he seemed to have realized something.


    Yun Shang thought that after the head-on event, she could only find a trace of fear on his face, as if Qi Yufeng would avoid her in the rest of his life. But much to her surprise, Qi Yufeng just looked surprised as he walked towards her.


    "Princ..." As soon as he began speaking, Yun Shang gave him a quick glance, and the man seemed to notice something was wrong. He hurriedly said, "Mister, you are dressed in a more handsome and elegant way than an ordinary man. I''m afraid I can''t recognize you. My father seemed to be looking for you when I left home just now. I''m afraid he came here for military affair. Since you weren''t home, my father sent servants to look for you in the whole city. But now you are dressed up, it would be difficult for those servants to find you. You can go back if you have nothing else to do."


    Yun Shang replied calmly, "okay. I''ll be back soon. Where are you going? " Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the men standing behind Qi Yufeng. There were several men with top-grade clothes standing behind him. They must not be from an ordinary family.


    Qi Yufeng looked back in the way of Yun Shang''s eyes and said with a smile, "I have known these young men for many years. We seldom go on a tour, so we get together. If you don''t have anything else to do, why don''t you join us for a drink? Maybe we can find a time to relax."


    Yun Shang nodd


    vide into three groups. The hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the army base are always at your disposal. One army on the way to the Spring Water, one army on the road with one hundred thousand soldiers to the Wind Valley, and the army on the roadside with fifty thousand soldiers to Liuyun Mountain. If we meet the enemy, we will take the signal bomb as a record. The army of a hundred thousand soldiers from the central army base will be added at any time. The other two armies go directly into the enemy''s camp from their own territory and force them to return to the camp and rescue. Then we will kill them on the road."


    Qi Lang frowned. "The enemy has 500 thousand soldiers, but we only have 300000. If we gather together, there will be hope if we can win it. But if the military forces are divided, I''m afraid..."


    Yun Shang smiled. "I have asked my secret guards to find General Zhang Qi in the Jingyang City, which is close to the KY City. General Zhang has gathered more than one hundred thousand people. If there is anything wrong with the KY City, he will help immediately. The situation of Jingyang City is better than that of the KY City, as it is advantageous. It is difficult for the enemy to attack since the Jingyang City is at the top of the mountain, so it is not a big deal even if the forces are dispatched to train a hundred thousand soldiers for temporary. "

 Chapter 257 Military Counsellor Liu Yinfeng (Part Two)

    Looking at the map in silence, Qi Lang didn''t look well. After a while, he bit his teeth and said, "Since you insist, I won''t stop you..."


    "Don''t worry, general. If something happens to the KY City, it''s all my fault." Yun Shang looked indifferently at the map on her table and seemed determined.


    As the war was about to break out, Yun Shang asked someone to make a tent. She moved out with her followers to the camp. They were always dressed like men, and Qian Yin was standing by.


    Yun Shang spent every day studying the map, Liu Yinfeng''s battle in the past few years, and Xia Houyan, the Crown Prince of the State of Xia. She also took Qian Yin to the three important places every day, and checked every inch of the Wind Valley, the Spring Water and the Liuyun Mountain.


    That day, she was quite tired as she was searching in the Wind Valley. So she sat by the edge of the valley to wash her hands. All of a sudden, she heard someone''s horse galloping and whispering. Yun Shang was startled. All the people in the valley now weren''t good people, she thought. However, there was nowhere to hide in the surrounding. Yun Shang quickly stood up and intended to ride away with Qian Yin. However, it was too late. A light but somewhat majestic voice came from behind. "Stop!"


    Yun Shang was shocked. She took hold of Qian Yin''s hand and turned around before she decided to stop.


    With the sound of pulling out the sword, a snow-white sword was placed between Yun Shang''s neck. Yun Shang''s body trembled heavily. Then a voice came from behind her, still from the man''s voice. "Who are you? Why are you here? "


    Yun Shang closed her eyes to calm herself down. She swallowed and said in a coarse voice, "I''m from the KY City. Because my mother was ill, I needed the seven-immortal herbs to save her. The frontier is not peaceful recently, and only the Wind Valley has the seven-immortal herbs. The pharmacies in the city have already been cut off, and no one is willing to come and pick them up. So I have to come here with my own servant..."


    "Turn around." The man behind her whispered, but with a tone that allowed no one to refuse.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and turned around. She saw the face of the man who took the lead. He was sitting on the back of the horse in green. He had a handsome and learned face, but there was coldness in his eyes. There was no expression on his face, which made others feel suppressed. Yun Shang recognized him at a glance. He was Liu Yinfeng, the famous military adviser of the State of Xia.


    Yun Shang didn''t expect to meet Liu Yinfeng here, but she didn''t reveal any of her emotions to him, only with some panic and worry. After days of travel, she looked somewhat gaunt, like a filial son who was worried about his mother.


    The man saw Yun Shang''s face and was stunned. After a while, he spoke in a lower voice, but less majestic than before.


    Yun Shang glanced at the man timidly, and then lowered her head again. "My mother has poor joints, and she can''t get out of bed now..." Yun Shang said with a more worried look in her eyes.


    "Then why I didn''t see you pick those seven-


    ith a smile. "I will have the west one. I am lazy and like to stay in bed late. If the sun is too bright in the morning, I will sleep restlessly. "


    Uncle Liu nodded and made a gesture to Yun Shang, "I''ll lead you to your chamber."


    When the door was opened, the room looked fresh. There were table, chair, desk, and table covered with a screen painted with bamboo. It should be the bed in the room.


    "No one has ever lived here before. I will change the clean bedding for you later. The yard is small. My master doesn''t like to be attended by others. I''m the only one here. If you need anything, just let me know. " Uncle Liu smiled kindly, with curiosity in his eyes.


    Yun Shang nodded repeatedly, "That''s good, that''s good."


    "Please have a rest. It''s about dinner time. I''ll make some food for you."


    Yun Shang said yes, and Uncle Liu left, smiling.


    Qian Yin looked anxious. When she was about to say something, Yun Shang covered her mouth. Yun Shang shook her head at Qian Yin before letting go of Qian Yin. Qian Yin stamped her foot and asked worriedly, "Mister, who was the man in green just now? Why was he so overbearing? So unreasonable? The old master has always been taken care of by you. What if he doesn''t let you go home? What should we do?" Then she took Yun Shang''s hand and drew something on it.


    Yun Shang replied with a bitter smile, "Yeah, what should I do? I hope the seven-immortal herbs can relieve mother''s symptoms. It doesn''t matter if mother''s health is better. There are several maids in the mansion. But since I''m not around, those maids have been loosened. If mother is bullied by them because of her poor health... But... " Yun Shang sighed before she finished speaking. She also wrote slowly on Qian Yin''s hand.


    After a long time, they talked about something unimportant before they fell into silence.


    Yun Shang sighed, "I can''t do anything about it. In order to find my mother the seven-immortal herbs, I haven''t had a good sleep these days. I''ll have a rest. Call me later."


    Qian Yin nodded, and then held Yun Shang to the bed to rest.

 Chapter 258 The Dispute In The Camp (Part One)

    Yun Shang didn''t worry about Qi Lang and the others who didn''t know she was now in Liu Yinfeng''s place. The secret guards had always been accompanying her, and were very familiar with her whereabouts. She found that although the small yard was small, there were some ancient arrays around it. Yun Shang was afraid that her guards would put her in danger if they followed her rashly, so she asked her guards to stay far away from her.


    Yun Shang could only rely on herself now. If she made a mistake by accident, she didn''t have the confidence to go back alive.


    But Qi Lang should have known the fact that she met Liu Yinfeng in the Wind Valley and her message that Liu Yinfeng is bound to attack them from the Wind Valley.


    Yun Shang touched the jade flute in her sleeve and felt relieved. No matter what happened, she still had time to call in reinforcements.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t expect that when she woke up, Uncle Liu came over with a white robe. Uncle Liu said respectfully, "Mr. Xiao, you must be very tired after a long journey. My master ordered me to send a set of clothes for you, and by the way, please give other things to me."


    Yun Shang''s face twitched when she heard the words. She turned to look at Qian Yin. Then she heard Uncle Liu say, "I''ll bring the gowns of the servant, Mr. Xiao. I have prepared water for you. Please take a bath."


    Yun Shang nodded and followed him into the bathroom. Qian Yin followed Yun Shang in and said, "I''m here to serve you during the bath."


    Uncle Liu didn''t insist. He put the clothes aside and bowed slightly. "I hope that Mr. Xiao can give me all his clothes and other things. Please don''t worry. I will take good care of them."


    Yun Shang sighed and said indifferently, "As now I am living in your house, there is nothing I can say. I will just follow your orders."


    Only then did Uncle Liu leave the room. Qian Yin said angrily, "Sir, you have never been insulted like this. That man is going too far. Let''s call for help."


    Yun Shang knew that the maid was saying these words so Uncle Liu could hear, who had not gone out yet. She sighed, "We don''t know who that mister is? You are so rash. What if we offend him? I


    had said was there, which was a kind of fantasy. She had nothing to do. After coming to the KY City, she seldom had time to have fun. Yun Shang asked Uncle Liu to move a bench for her. Then she asked Qian Yin to spread a quilt on the bench. She lay on the bench and began to read.


    All the poems and songs were quite ordinary. Yun Shang looked through them, then said disappointedly, "I''ve read them all before." Then she took up a cruise, which was a masterpiece of the State of Xia. Most of the landscapes of the State of Xia were there, with notes next to it. The handwriting was good and wild, like that of Liu Yinfeng''s. Yun Shang got the most precious treasure. She had studied the mountain, landscape and water of the State of Xia in the past. Only those things were known to all. In the journey, there were some detailed things, such as the climate in the valley, as well as the plants, which were helpful for the marching of the military.


    Yun Shang read it quickly and memorized every detail in it. Then she picked up another unimportant book, in which wrote land and customs of the State of Xia called the Linyue City. She thought carefully about the location of the city and continued reading.


    When she was halfway through the book, she heard footsteps coming from the yard and then the door closing. It seemed that someone went out of the yard. Yun Shang stopped turning over the pages of her book. It was nine o''clock. Liu Yinfeng went out?

 Chapter 259 The Dispute In The Camp (Part Two)

    However, she couldn''t tell anyone now that the flute had been taken away. She was a little annoyed, so she asked Qian Yin to put the book back on the desk, got up, washed her face and rested.


    The next morning, Yun Shang went to the yard to have a walk. It was not a big yard, but a short walk. At this time, Liu Yinfeng walked under the roof and looked at her, with her jade flute in his hand.


    Yun Shang''s eyebrows twitched. Did he find out something? No, it couldn''t be. The flute was very small, although it was in good quality, it was not precious. Thinking of this, Yun Shang asked, "Well, are you holding my jade flute?"


    Raising his hand to have a look at it, Liu Yinfeng nodded. Then he looked at Yun Shang and said, "I think this jade flute is so small that it doesn''t look like it can be played..."


    Yun Shang smiled. "It''s a token of love between my mother and my father." Yun Shang walked up to Liu Yinfeng and looked at the jade flute in his hand. "My mother told me that grandfather bought this jade flute from a foreign man. It''s cute and can be used as a jewelry, so my mother asked for it. However, this flute was willful, and my mother could never blow it. The businessman who sold it to my grandfather told him that it was God''s will, and only those who were destined can blow it. Later on, my mother went to a temple to pray for the rain and lost the jade flute. When she went back to look for it, she heard the sound of whistling and heard my father blowing her jade flute.


    Maybe it''s fate. My mother and father were predestined to be whistled by it." Yun Shang sighed with nostalgia. "After my father died, my mother gave this flute to me, but I was unable to blow it either."


    Yesterday when Uncle Liu took away the jade flute, Yun Shang came up with a set of words. There was no loophole in her words.


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng took up the flute and had a look at it. He put it near his mouth and blew it for a long time. However, the whistling sound surprised Yun Shang. "Eh, it can be heard. I didn''t make any noise when I blew it. No matter how much strength I used."


    Liu Yinfeng seemed to have mastered the skill of blowing the jade flute. When he blew again, it was much smoother. Although he still blew intermittently, it could be taken as a melody.


    The excitement on Yun Shang''s face was getting heavier. She took the flute from Liu Yinfeng''s hand, put it near her mouth and blew it, but it didn''t make any sound. She deliberately exerted much strength, and her face flushed, but she still didn''t make any sound.


    Liu Yinfeng seemed to be in a daze. He looked at Yun Shang, and then she placed the jade flute back in his hand. "It seems that this flute is connected to you. But I don''t have a sister. If I have one,


    e for decades. A war? Usually, we only fight small bandits. We haven''t fought a major battle like this. If we fail, I''m afraid that we will lose our lives. I don''t think we will be punished because of it! "


    After he finished speaking, Wang Chong turned around and walked out of the camp. Liu Hua''s face changed. Then he followed him out.


    "Wang Chong, let''s go to Yuman Tower to have a drink." Liu hua said with a smile as he caught up with him.


    Hearing his words, Wang Chong''s anger was still lingering on his face. He was so astonished that he even took a look at Liu Hua. Then he nodded and said, "Okay, let''s have a drink. It''s on you."


    With a helpless smile on his face, Liu Hua said, "Okay, it''s my treat. When will you be so generous, huh?"


    Then they walked towards the city.


    On that night, Yun Shang heard the secret guards tell her the dispute in the camp. She was reading with her head down, but got lost in thought. She was not surprised at all that Qi Lang opposed her decision. Instead, she was surprised that Wang Chong would defend her like that. She was deeply touched and thought her efforts these days had not been in vain. She had made up her mind. All the generals were worried about was that she would leave the border after the battle, and then the KY City would be all for Qi Lang. If they helped her and offended Qi Lang and she left, she believed that they would have a hard time.


    Yun Shang flashed a smile. In the past few days, she had gone through things in the KY City, and found that the commoners'' worship of Qi Lang was almost blind. That wasn''t a good thing. She had planned to ask father to transfer Qi Lang from the KY City after the battle. She only needed to think of a way to tell this to the generals, but how could she take the jade flute from Liu Yinfeng? Yun Shang was in a dilemma.

 Chapter 260 The Quick Report (Part One)

    However, Yun Shang didn''t expect that Uncle Liu sent a message to her early the next morning, saying that Liu Yinfeng would invite her to the main hall for meal today. Yun Shang didn''t know what Liu Yinfeng was thinking, so she followed him.


    The main hall was next to the room where Liu Yinfeng lived. When Yun Shang went there with Qian Yin, Liu Yinfeng was already waiting at the table. There were simply six dishes on the table, which could not be described as a feast. Without saying a word, Yun Shang went straight to the opposite side of Liu Yinfeng and sat down. Liu Yinfeng picked up the chopsticks first and started to eat.


    Yun Shang didn''t know what he was thinking, so she didn''t bother to guess. Instead, she finished her breakfast quietly.


    After Yun Shang put down the bowl and chopsticks, Liu Yinfeng said, "I heard from uncle Liu that you have finished the books I sent the day before yesterday."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I''ve read it all. They are ordinary books, and I have read some of them before. The journey and miscellaneous notes were different from what I read before. The title of the diary was the glory of the State of Xia I had never been in contact with, which looked interesting. You had written the notes on the pages, right? You had read carefully and had detailed notes on the book. But I couldn''t concentrate on my study, so I go through it very fast. "


    Liu Yinfeng meditated for a moment and said, "in that case, I will ask Uncle Liu to send you some more books. I guess you also like the the Four Arts, but you don''t have a Guqin in your room. I''ll ask Uncle Liu to buy you one later."


    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised with her mouth wide open. She said awkwardly, "No need. How long are you going to keep me here? But my old mother who is sick is still home waiting for me... "


    Yun Shang looked at Liu Yinfeng with a hint of plea in her eyes. But Liu Yinfeng pretended not to see her and stood up. "When it''s time for you to leave, I''ll let you go. You can rest assured to stay here. I''ll have someone to take care of your mother." Then he walked outside. After a pause, he continued, "Well, you can come here and h


    n, she would definitely not be allowed to follow her. Next time, she must learn her lesson and bring Qin Yi with her.


    They had lunch and dinner together in the main hall. But he seemed to be so busy with the affairs in the army that he ate in a hurry. Often he got off the table and went into the study before Yun Shang had half bowl.


    Yun Shang felt annoyed. She didn''t know anything about the State of Xia''s army at all even if she was at the same yard with Liu Yinfeng.


    At night, a guard reported that Prince Jing had won a battle five days ago. According to the guard, Prince Jing had rounded the gate with thirty thousand soldiers and entered the Yuan River from behind. The enemies kept on defending against them. But they didn''t expect that Prince Jing had so many soldiers of good water.


    After Prince Jing entered the city, he rounded up all the people and stood in front of them. He surrounded the enemies'' two sides, forcing the Xia''s army to have no way to go. However, there were only twenty thousand soldiers in the co general''s hands. With all their might, thousands of soldiers still guarded Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan to break the siege and flee north.


    Yun Shang was shocked by the secret guard''s words, as she felt unbelievable that the prince had won the war in just a month. Although Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan hadn''t been caught yet, they couldn''t pose a threat to the Ning soldiers more than ten thousand.

 Chapter 261 The Quick Report (Part Two)

    After coming to the KY City, Yun Shang realized that the battle in reality was not as simple as she imagined. Although she also seemed to be so confident, she had spent a lot of time in secret and studied the art at all costs.


    Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan were tough rivals. But Prince Jing had won so quickly. The most important thing was that he had get the house back. The State of Ning would be in a more dangerous situation if the enemy owned most of its properties.


    No wonder that Liu Yinfeng was in such a hurry today, and something really happened. He might also be surprised by the news he just received today.


    Yun Shang took a book but couldn''t read any more. If Prince Jing won, he would take advantage of the victory to pursue Xia Houjing and Li Jingyan, or support them at the frontier?


    Now that they had lost a battle, so Liu Yinfeng was determined to take over the KY City. If he couldn''t get the KY City, he would lose the battle. What''s more, they had to take it down as soon as possible. Liu Yinfeng was afraid that Prince Jing would come to support the KY City. If Prince Jing came, their chances of winning would be slimmer.


    Yun Shang''s heart sank. The Xia clan would attack them two days later at the latest.


    However, her current situation... Yun Shang frowned and thought for a while. Then she made up her mind to get the jade flite back. If she couldn''t get it back, she had to run away when Liu Yinfeng attacked and left. Although no secret guard helped her, she and Qian Yin still had a chance to win. However, the ancient magic array outside the house was a big problem.


    The army moved on. As long as she walked out of the room, she could meet the shadow guards. The shadow guards could spread the news to the army base, and it was not too late for the forces outside the KY city to react quickly.


    Having made up her mind, Yun Shang called Qian Yin over and drew her decision in her palm. Qian Yin was surprised and nodded, with joy in her eyes. It must be very boring to stay here these two days, Yun Shang thought.


    The next morning, when Yun Shang got up, she heard someone talking outside. She put on her robe, and opened the door. Liu Yinfeng stood under the eaves of the study in the South and said something to a man. The man was about twenty-five or six years old, looking tough and a bit domineering. Yun Shang glanced at him and noticed the pattern on his clothes. The hem was embroidered with five clawed dragons. Her eyes darkened.


    It was Xia Houyan, the crown prince of the state of Xia.


    Liu Yinfeng was the first to notice Yun Shang''s appearance. As Yun Shang frowned and looked at Xia Houjing, he paused and stepped forward, just blocking Yun Shang''s sight. When Xia Houjing saw Yun Shang, a amazed look flashed in his eyes. He interrupted Liu Yinfeng who was talking, "why did such a beauty come to your yard?"


    Yun Shang and Liu Yinfeng frowned at the sam


    . With that on mind, Yun Shang craned her neck from the screen and saw Liu Yinfeng sitting on the bench in a daze. So she hid herself.


    After a long time, soft footsteps sounded. Yun Shang heard the door was closed and walked out behind the screen. She went back to the couch.


    Something hard pressed against her. Yun Shang reached out her hand and felt a thrill. It was her jade flute.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and thought, ''perhaps Liu Yinfeng left it here before. He might think it is useless to him, so he chose to give it back.''. Unexpectedly, he made a huge mistake.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, took up the jade flute, blew it several times and sent the massage out.


    Yun Shang sneered, and thought, ''Liu Yinfeng, I''m afraid you''ll be killed this time.''


    Qian Yin saw Yun Shang playing with the jade flute when she came back. She was delighted and asked: "is the man willing to return the jade flute to you?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said nothing. Seeing that, Qian Yin sat down beside Yun Shang and whispered in her ear, "Sir, Uncle Liu is a kung fu master. We must be careful."


    Yun Shang nodded. She knew Liu Yinfeng didn''t know kung fu, and he must have martial arts masters protecting him. However, since uncle Liu was also a kung fu master, she didn''t know how high the military base was. Qian Yin would have this chance to get close to Liu Yingfeng. And it was just as Yun Shang had expected.


    However, fortunately, she had the jade flute with her.


    At midnight, Yun Shang heard footsteps coming near. Before she opened the door, she heard Liu Yinfeng speak to uncle Liu in the courtyard. "During the days when I was away, take good care of Mr. Xiao."


    Uncle Liu responded. Then Yun Shang heard the door was opened and Liu Yinfeng went out.


    It was getting dark. Yun Shang turned off the light, lay on the bed, and started to whistle the jade flute when she didn''t hear any sound in the yard.

 Chapter 262 The Battle Began (Part One)

    The secret guard should be able to send the news back in time, but how should she leave here? Yun Shang frowned a little. She had been observing the array around the yard in the daytime, but nothing had been found.


    She had read some books about arrays in her spare time, but she didn''t know much about them. The arrays around the courtyard were obviously works of an expert, or ancient arrays. She was so dizzy that she couldn''t find any way to break the arrays.


    She knew that even if she could defeat Uncle Liu and get out of the yard and trapped in the array, she would definitely die.


    Yun Shang didn''t know what to do, so she told her secret guards to find a man who was good at arrays before she fell asleep.


    The next morning, Yun Shang got up early. She opened the door and stood in the yard. Uncle Liu came out as if he had heard the door opened. He was surprised to see Yun Shang and said, "good morning, Mr. Xiao. I''m making breakfast. Please wait for a moment... "


    Yun Shang didn''t answer. She looked at the gate of the yard and said, "Uncle Liu, let me go."


    Hearing this, Uncle Liu seemed to be stunned. He looked at Yun Shang with a strange look and lowered his head. "Mr. Xiao, I can''t decide it. Please don''t make me."


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly. "I don''t know when counsellor Liu will come back. My mother is in poor health and she needs to be taken care of. If anything happens to her, I''m afraid I can''t live either. What''s more, I''m just an ordinary person and I can''t do anything to what Mr. Liu is planning. I have been staying here all the time and I know nothing about the State of Xia. Why do you make things difficult for me?"


    "Ummm.." Uncle Liu''s face was expressionless. He said awkwardly, "Mr. Xiao, it''s not that I don''t want to, but I don''t dare. Before my master left, he told me to take good care of you." Afraid that Yun Shang might continue to say something, the servant answered in a hurry, "I''m about to make the porridge in my pot. Let me have a look." Then he rushed into the kitchen.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and glanced at the kitchen. Af


    oking at Yun Shang. Qian Yin asked worriedly, "what happened to my master?" The black blood spilled from Yun Shang''s mouth shocked Qian Yin. She asked in a trembling voice, "Is he poisoned? How come?"


    Uncle Liu frowned and said, "there is toxic smoke in this array. I''m afraid your young master entered it by mistake and got poisoned."


    "What? Is there any antidote? " The more Qian Yin thought about it, the more worried she became. ''I can''t let anything happen to lady Jing.''


    Uncle Liu nodded, "yes, antidote is here. But the toxic smoke is very strong. It is used to resist the invasion of external enemies, but it was sucked in by your master. Even if there is the antidote, your master will be in a coma for several days."


    Hearing this, Qian Yin bit her lip, "take out the antidote."


    Uncle Liu carried Yun Shang into the room, put her on the bed, took out a pill and handed it to Qian Yin, "Give it to your master. I''ll fetch some hot water later. After taking the pill, he need to detoxify. Get your master into the water, and when the water became clear, it''s done."


    Qian Yin nodded, and fed the medicine into Yun Shang''s mouth. Qian Yin''s hands were trembling. She had thought the princess was gone when she saw Yun Shang''s miserable look. Fortunately, she was still alive.


    Qian Yin wiped the tears and the bloodstain on Yun Shang''s mouth with a embroidered handkerchief.

 Chapter 263 The Battle Began (Part Two)

    Before long, uncle Liu brought the water. Qian Yin carried Yun Shang into the bathtub and sat down. She untied her clothes and poured the hot water into the bathtub. Afraid Uncel Liu would break in, Qian Yin sat on the edge of the screen and held Yun Shang in case she slipped into the water unconsciously while looking outside the door.


    After a while, Uncle Liu brought a bottle of water for her. Qian Yin quickly said, "just leave the water outside the door. I''ll take it myself later."


    Uncle Liu didn''t understand why, but he had to do as she said.


    After changing the water for five or six times, the water gradually became clear. Qian Yin breathed a sigh of relief. She was relieved to see that Yun Shang wasn''t as pale as before. Then she lifted Yun Shang up, and helped her get dressed. Then she helped her lie down on the bed.


    Yun Shang was in a coma. A message had been sent to the military camp outside the KY city.


    The army of the State of Xia had set out.


    Holding the sword tightly on his waist, Qi Lang said to the soldiers in the camp with a winning smile, "all the thirty thousand soldiers, gather in the muster station. Let''s start!"


    The soldiers answered in a neat voice, but he didn''t see that other generals exchanged a secret look secretly with each other. It seemed that Qi Lang was not going to fight as Yun Shang planned. Last night, while receiving the news that the army of the State of Xia had set out, many generals also received a message from Yun Shang that Qi Lang would not stay in the KY City in the future, whether he would win or lose.


    Confused, a general asked why. The secret guard said that if Qi Lang defeated the enemies this time, he would be rewarded and transferred out of the KY City. If he was defeated this time, he would definitely be hold accountable. Then he would no longer have the high position.


    They knew what Yun Shang meant. But if they broke Qi Lang''s order, they would not have to worry that Qi Lang would take revenge on them. They all knew how to deal with the situation. Although Yun Shang was a woman, she was a princess in the country. If emperor Ning sent her to be the supervisor in the KY City, they would know the Emperor''s favor to her. Moreover, she had a identity, and she was Prince Jing''s wife. Prince Jing was the God of war in the state of Ning. For Qi Lang, who hadn''t fought for years, Prince Jing was the belief of a general. And it would be a blessing for them to be chosen by Lady Jing.


    All of them were at high positions in the army base of the KY City, but there was an apparently sect in this camp, where Qi Lang had trusted only two or three of them. They had long been dissatisfied with this sect. What Yun Shang said gave them a glimmer of hope.


    Yun Shang had made an investigation of the sects in the camp. All the people who had spoken were not Qi Lang''s trusted subordinates, so Qi Lang knew nothing about the other sect.


    By the time they arrived at the muster station, the three hundred thousand soldiers had already been ordered to set off. Qi Lang said a few words to boost the morale of the soldiers. T


    at beautiful woman, he had some appreciation in his eyes. "Thanks to your persuasion, brother. I didn''t know that her highness is so good at fighting."


    They chatted all the way back to their tent.


    As soon as Qi Lang arrived at the gate of the Wind Valley, he ordered all the people to rest there and wait for the other two groups of army to come. After waiting more than two hours, there was no sign of any large army.


    Qi Lang frowned and heard the deputy general: "why haven''t they come yet? Did they encounter the enemy on their way here?"


    A little anxiety flashed in Qi Lang''s eyes, but he concealed it in a short time. He was confused and thought, ''it''s impossible. They should have arrived here by regular journey. Maybe they met the army of the State of Xia. Even if they really met the enemy, there should be an arranged signal, too.''


    But why was it so calm? No one came and no signal came.


    As time passed by, Qi Lang''s face got paler. More than 6 hours had passed. He couldn''t wait any longer. He was afraid that the army of the State of Xia might take the lead. Qi Lang immediately ordered the soldiers to pull up and enter the Wind valley.


    The terrain of the Wind valley was complicated. It was at the bottom of the valley, but there were also a stream bamboo forest and a large tree trunk. It was a good place to hide. The mountains on both sides were very steep. It was impossible for an army to go up to the mountain to attack the enemy.


    After they entered the Wind Valley, Qi Lang arranged an ambush for the army according to the topographic map drawn by Yun Shang. He was waiting for the appearance of the enemy and giving the army a quick blow.


    According to the message sent by Yun Shang''s hidden guard, the Xia''s army had set out for some time. According to their walking route, they would pass here about an hour later.


    Everyone was hiding behind natural barriers in the valley, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound. Gradually, the sound of little hooves of the horses was heard, together with the sound of whispers...

 Chapter 264 Prince Jing Is In The KY City (Part One)

    "Cuckoo... Cuckoo... " The sounds of cuckoos rang out in the valley. "After we pass the corner, let''s take a break and wait for the army to come." a voice said. The strategist could guess correctly. The terrain of the wind valley was complicated. Although it was a little troublesome to march, it was the safest. We''ll get out of the valley in a few hours. We must take the KY City this time. "


    "Hahaha..." The other man laughed. "We have been the front line for so many years. I think it''s the most comfortable for us to fight with Mr. Liu. We will make a great contribution by defeating the KY City. And we''ll certainly be rewarded at that time. After the reward, I will take my family to live in the city."


    The voice was getting closer and closer, and gradually, a small group of people came out from the corner. Twelve people were there.


    "Cuckoo... Cuckoo... " The first man who walked in the front extended his hand to his mouth, and the sound of the cuckoo singing was out from his mouth.


    Soon, another voice echoed in the distance. Just then, there were suddenly three roars from the valley. The twelve men wearing military uniforms were put around the neck by the machete thrown out. In an instant, all their heads were cut off.


    Immediately, a figure popped out from behind the stone and quickly cleaned up the scene as if no one had passed by.


    About half an hour later, the sound of horse''s galloping was heard again. This time, more and more people came. Behind the sound of horse''s galloping, there were neat footsteps. Other sounds were no more than the sound of horse''s galloping and footsteps.


    Gradually, a figure came out from the corner. At the front walked some soldiers who were riding horses. Behind the soldiers, there were Liu Yinfeng in black and Xia Houyan, who wore a military uniform. Two men who looked like generals followed them, and then some soldiers of the state of Xia.


    The procession passed slowly. In the clearing wind Valley, the sound of horse''s hooves and footsteps could be heard without a stop.


    "Cuckoo... Cuckoo... " Two sounds of the cuckoo birds suddenly came through. Just as the soldiers on the front who were riding horses was about to respond,


    hong, Wang Yan and the guards left outside the camp. They were surprised. "Prince Jing? Is it really Prince Jing?"


    Wang Yan nodded with excitement. "Yes, it''s true. Prince Jing is much younger than I expected. Moreover, the prince really loved his wife and came all the way to see her. If I were to join Prince Jing one day, I would be willing to end my life on the battlefield. "


    "Yes." A tinge of admiration flashed through Wang Chong''s eyes. When he was thinking about it, he suddenly saw a signal flare up from far away. Both of them trembled and quickly changed their expression. "They are facing the enemy in the Wind Valley. Let''s go to support them as soon as possible."


    Then they hurriedly asked the vice general to go to the command and the two went to the muster station together.


    In the Wind Valley, Qi Lang was standing on a rock, watching the soldiers fighting underneath. His eyes fell on the man in blue opposite, and a flash of disdain crossed his face. Even the well-known military counsellor Liu Yinfeng was just so-so.


    Liu Yinfeng saw that the soldiers of the state of Xia were facing some disadvantage, so he waved the flag in his hand. Then the soldiers beside him lifted up a gold gong and knocked four times.


    Qi Lang sneered, "if you cannot win, you have to run away. Let''s see if you can get away." Then he took out the bow, and put on the arrow. He directed the arrow at Liu Yinfeng, full of the bowstring, and suddenly loosed it.

 Chapter 265 Prince Jing Is In The KY City (Part Two)

    The arrow was about to hit Liu Yinfeng, but was stopped by a man with a military uniform. Qi Lang''s face darkened at the sight of this. Xia Houyan, the crown prince of the state of Xia, he was quick to react.


    However, the army of the State of Xia started to retreat at once.


    "Follow them up! Go! I will take Xia Houyan''s and Liu Yinfeng''s heads back today." Qi Lang narrowed his eyes and stared at the figure in cyan. He was going to take Liu Yinfeng back and let that woman see that Liu Yinfeng was just so-so. Yun Shang had humiliated him in front of the soldiers the night before. He would make her pay for it today!


    "Father, something is wrong. It seems that it is a trick by Liu Yinfeng to lure us in." Qi Yufeng went to Qi Lang in a hurry, and said with a frown, "her highness once told me that Liu Yinfeng is a powerful man. But today, looking at the appearance of the army of the State of Xia, something is wrong... Lady Jing said that Liu Yinfeng was a cunning man and he would retreat as soon as the plan was changed."


    On hearing the first half of the sentence, Qi Lang thought for a while. But his face darkened when he heard the name of Yun Shang. "Her highness is just a woman. She knows nothing! No matter how capable Liu Yinfeng is, it is just a rumor." Then he jumped off the stone, pulled out his sword and ordered, "chase them! Today, we are going to completely defeat the army of the State of Xia. "


    "Father..." Upon hearing that, Qi Yufeng frowned. He felt that something was wrong today, but his father had refused to listen to him. As a captain in the army, he could do nothing.


    Qi Lang chased after the retreating army of the State of Xia and retreated for about five or six miles. They saw the people suddenly stand in a line, who looked very messy just now. They walked in a neat way. They seemed not panic at all, different from before.


    Suddenly, two lines of troops appeared. They stood in the front, arranged like an arrow, pointed out in the middle and spread backward with their wings.


    The soldiers behind him quickly changed their formation and formed eight teams, protecting Xia Houjing and Liu Yinfeng in the middle.


    In addition, on the two sides of the army of the state of Ning, the forces of Xia also appeared. Almost all the soldiers of the state of Ning were besieged in the middle.


    "It was a trap." Wailing gradually echoed in the troops of the state of Ning, and Qi Lang looked a little embarrassed. He looked coldly at Xia Houjing and Liu Yinfeng and scolded, "what are you afraid of? If someone disturb the army again, he will be killed!"


    "General, Liu Yinfeng is good at using the array. We have to attack before the Xia army finishes. Only in this way can we possibly win the battle. We will be in danger once they finish making the array." The deputy general whispered to Qi Lang.


    Qi Lang nodded, drew out his sword and shouted, "kill him!" Then the vice general beside him rushed at the army of the State of Xia with soldiers.


    But before the formation was completed, the first troop formation


    ve killed the enemy fast will be rewarded!"


    They answered. Their cries were earth shaking.


    When Qi Lang heard the voice, his face changed. Judging from the horrifying number of casualties, he knew that the situation was hopeless and he would not be able to break the array of Xia''s army in any case. So he gritted his teeth and thought the best way was to run away. "Retreat!" he shouted. Then he turned around and retreated.


    Seeing Qi Lang was retreating continuously, Liu Yinfeng didn''t order to chase them. Instead, he said to his army, "don''t chase any running enemies. Everyone hided in an ambush as they were just now and wait for the armies from the state of Ning to attack us."


    The soldiers of the state of Xia set out to ambush in an orderly fashion.


    About four hours later, the sound of horses'' galloping sounded, getting closer and closer, but they stopped at the place where the Xia army was ambushed. "General, there are many dead bodies here. It seems that a fierce battle had just happened, but However... the majority of soldiers are of our side... "


    The head of the group was exactly Liu Hua. Hearing his words, Liu Hua frowned and said, "is it because general Qi lost and the Xia''s army went after him?"


    He paused as a gleam flashed across his eyes. He said loudly, "there''s an ambush. Give orders to our people to speed up and pass through this area."


    Just then, the sound of armors came, and many guards of the State of Xia appeared. Liu Yinfeng stood in the top. He looked at Liu Hua with a smile, "General Liu, nice to meet you."


    Frowning, Liu Hua said, "Don''t fight them. The whole army, pass here quickly."


    After giving the order, the army of the State of Ning moved much faster. Xia Houyan smiled, "General Liu has burnt our army''s food. Do you want to leave? You can''t do that! Kill them!"


    However, Liu Hua was not in a hurry. On the one hand, he took out his blade to resist the Xia army''s attack. On the other hand, he ordered the army of the state of Ning to leave as soon as possible.

 Chapter 266 Sweet Moment (Part One)

    But there were more than 10000 soldiers of the state of Xia. Another fifty thousand people led by Liu Hua were seriously injured. When they finally worked together to break out the siege, there were only less than 10000 left.


    Thanks to a map of Wind Valley drew by Yun Shang, they was able to escape from the ambush of the army of the state of Xia. The map marked the detailed terrain of wind valley. Even when Yun Shang was investigating the terrain, she had set many traps in some hidden places. With the help of these traps, Liu Hua managed to escape from the heavy siege and returned to the camp with only a few thousand people left.


    When Liu Hua returned to the camp, Qi Lang was furious. "How dare you ignore the military discipline and openly disobey my order!"


    Liu Hua frowned. He hadn''t even taken off his armor. Holding the sword in his hand, he rushed in. "General Qi, who is oblivious to the military discipline? The inspector has already made her arrangement, but you do not obey her orders and act on your own. General Qi, do you know that in addition to the wind Valley, the Liuyun mountain had also encountered countless enemies. If it weren''t for the 50000 soldiers led by me and the hundred thousand soldiers of general Wang, when you return here, this camp would not be ours anymore. "


    After hearing what Liu Hua said, Qi Lang slapped on the table and shouted, "you are fucking insane! Guards, let me show you the military law. Let me show you who is in charge here. "


    As his voice faded away, a secret guard lifted up the curtain and came in. Qi Lang''s face looked even paler. "This is the military camp! Even if you are Her Highness''s Secret guard, you are not allowed to wander around in the military camp. "


    However, the secret guard didn''t care about what Qi Lang said at all. He just said indifferently, "Prince Jing has ordered that all the generals should tidy up a tent. He will come back with her highness tomorrow morning at the latest."


    Except for Wang Chong and Wang Yan, all the other people were shocked, and there was an obvious shock in their eyes. Wang Chong touched his nose and said, "just at the time when all the generals left the camp, Prince Jing c


    ince Jing was omnipotent in the mind of everyone in the state of Ning.


    About half an hour later, a black figure emerged from the array. Then the figure became very clear. Qian Yin could see clearly that Uncle Frank was being surrounded by the secret guards and kept on retreating.


    The array was broken. Qian Yin was overjoyed.


    Before she came to her senses, she heard Prince Jing asking coldly, "what happened to her highness?"


    Qian Yin then realized that Prince Jing had already stood in front of her. His eyes fell gently on the person behind Qian Yin, but his face was as cold as ice.


    Qian Yin quickly put Yun Shang down from her back, held her with one hand, and whispered, "the day before Liu Yinfeng left, her highness wanted to run through the array, but accidentally slipped into a dead door and was hurt by the toxic smoke. She has already taken antidotes. But the smoke is too strong. I''m afraid her highness will be in a coma for a few more days. "


    Prince Jing kept silent for a moment. He stared at Yun Shang with a murderous look in his eyes. Then he stretched out his hands and held Yun Shang in his arms, walking outside.


    Qian Yin was shocked. Was Prince Jing angry? Although Yun Shang and Prince Jing had been married for a few months, and Qian Yin, as Yun Shang''s closest maid, had little contact with Prince Jing, she was still unable to read his mind. She could tell from his face that he was angry, and he seemed to be very angry.

 Chapter 267 Sweet Moment (Part Two)

    Qian Yin bit her lower lip and spoke to herself, "oh no." when the prince was angry, he would probably only listen to Lady Jing. But now that lady Jing was in a coma, someone was going to get hurt, and she just hoped that she was not the one to suffer. She thought randomly for a while and hurried to follow.


    Prince Jing got on the horse with Yun Shang in his arms, adjusted his posture to hold Yun Shang in his arms, then raised the whip and dropped it heavily on the horse.


    When Qian Yin ran over, she only saw Yun Shang leave. She shouted in her heart, ''Your Highness, I''m still here. Don''t leave me alone!''


    Considering Yun Shang''s weak body, Prince Jing managed to ride the horse steadily. But his horse was really fast. It only took about five hours to get to the military camp outside the KY city.


    Since Qi Lang had already received the news, he had to bring the generals of the military to meet him. His men knelt down before the main tent. They saw a man in black with a black cloak coming over. All of them fell to the ground in a hurry. "Your Highness."


    Prince Jing didn''t seem to see them. He went straight into the tent without hesitation, and a cold but majestic voice came out. "Call for the military doctor."


    The weather in December was very cold, but the simple words from the army still made the other generals shiver, as if their bones were quivering.


    In a hurry, the general doctor came. The military doctor knelt on the ground and checked Yun Shang''s pulse. After a long time, he trembled in Prince Jing''s murderous eyes. "It''s nothing serious with her highness. She is just a little weak. She will be fine after drinking some tonic, which means she doesn''t need medicine."


    Prince Jing held the cold hand of the woman in his arms, frowning. He didn''t speak for a long time. When the military doctor was thinking about changing his mind and giving the woman some medicine, he heard a faint voice, "you can leave now."


    The doctor was relieved and got out quickly with the medicine box. Several generals were standing at the door and looking at him with burning eyes. The doctor trembled and said, "Her Highness is fine."


    Hearing his words, the generals heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing Prince Jing''s worried face, they thought something had happened to that beautiful woman. They were worried, because on the one hand, they had gradually trusted Yun Shang these days, and on the other hand, they were afraid that the famous cold faced prince would blame them.


    While they were thinking, the door of the camp was pushed open again. Prince Jing''s figure appeared at the door. The generals lowered their heads in a hurry. "Your Highness."


    Prince Jing nodded, "have some tonics delivered. By the way, bring me some buckets of hot water."


    Qi Lang ordered his servants to start. Then he turned around and said, "Your Highness, the army of the state of Xia..."


    Before Qi Lang could finish his sentence, Prince Jing interrupted him. "Now the inspector in this camp is my wife, not m


    nsellor is a man of great wisdom. Although I''m good at fighting, I don''t know how to deal with complex tactics. I can only rely on you for this battle. Don''t even think about punishment or what. If you really want to think about it, you should spend some time to think how to win the war for me. Only in this way can you compensate. "


    "Got it, your highness." Liu Yinfeng nodded indifferently.


    Xia Houyan sighed, "you have been busy for the past few days and have not been idle at all. You haven''t learned martial arts yet, so you should go back and have a rest. Only after a good rest can you fight a tough battle."


    Liu Yinfeng bowed and left the camp, heading to the yard where he lived.


    But when he went far into the yard, he felt something wrong. The array he made seemed to have been moved and broken.


    Liu Yinfeng was surprised to see it, but he was also afraid that the men who broke the array were still inside. So he returned to the camp and took the guards with him.


    There were obvious signs of fighting in the array. Little by little, Liu Yinfeng followed the signs and saw two corpses of the men in black lying in the array. He went to the man in black and searched carefully, but found nothing. They seemed to be afraid that their identities would be revealed because of their death, so they didn''t bring anything that could reveal their identity. Liu Yinfeng frowned and walked slowly towards the eye of the array in the middle of the array.


    Then he saw a grey figure fell in the array. He was a little worried and walked to him immediately. It was really Uncle Liu. he squatted down and put his fingers in front of Uncle Liu''s nose, only to find that Uncle Liu had lost his life.


    Liu Yinfeng looked pale. He slowly stood up and ordered in a low voice, "bury Uncle Liu for me."


    The guards stepped forward and left with the body of Uncle Liu. Suddenly, another thing occurred to Liu Yinfeng. There was still someone else in the yard, the man he brought back from the wind Valley.

 Chapter 268 The Couple (Part One)

    This made Liu Yinfeng''s heart ache. He rushed into the yard and went straight to the room that the man lived in. He looked for a few circles inside and outside, but did not see the man, and even his servant wasn''t there.


    "Go and search the corpses within five miles of this yard carefully. Carry out the corpses of all the people outside and don''t ignore even an inch of this place." Said Liu Yinfeng, in great panic.


    Liu Yinfeng looked around the yard again, but did not see the man. He frowned and heard from a guard, "Sir, all the corpses have been placed outside the yard."


    Liu Yinfeng nodded slightly and went out.


    There were five corpses placed outside the yard. Liu Yinfeng checked them one by one, but he didn''t see the man called Xiao Yun either. he was relieved a little, but also a little worried, wondering if he was taken away by someone. He believed that the people who could break the array were not ordinary people. He hoped that Xiao Yun would be smart and would not get into trouble.


    At the thought of this, Liu Yinfeng decided to double check again. He wanted to know which force it belonged to so that he could find the man by the way.


    Yun Shang woke up in the third night. She felt pain all over her body as soon as she woke up. She opened her eyes at last but nothing came into her sight. Yun Shang rubbed her forehead, not knowing what was going on. She sat up, but felt something unusual on her body. When she touched it, she felt a shudder all over her body and there was not even an inch of cloth on her body.


    What was going on?


    Yun Shang held her breath and listened carefully for a long time. Then she heard faint footsteps coming back and forth from outside and the sound of armor rubbing.


    Camp? Or military road? Yun Shang felt a little nervous. Wasn''t she at the small yard where Liu Yinfeng lived?


    "Qian Yin..." Yun Shang called aloud and was about to get up. But someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.


    Yun Shang was startled. Who was it? Who was on her bed? She raised her other hand in a hurry and launched an attack on the man. The man pressed her down on the bed. He said in a slightly hoarse voice, "are you trying to kill


    n Shang closer and held her in his arms. Yun Shang froze and dared not move.


    The man behind her yawned and spoke with some tiredness, "I''m a little tired these days. Don''t move. I have a better sleep beside you. You''ve just been poisoned, and it has made you sleep for a few days. You just wake up and you''re still weak. Don''t worry, I won''t do anything to you. "


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief. A lot of questions had been put aside. With things turning out like this, there could not be a peaceful conversation.


    "Since you want to sleep, turn off the light," Yun Shang said gently. Since Prince Jing said he wouldn''t do anything to her, then he wouldn''t. Yun Shang felt relieved. She just slept for a few days and was not sleepy. It was dark again in the camp without seeing what Prince Jing was doing.


    Yun Shang leaned against Prince Jing and dared not move. She felt a little remorseful. Since Prince Jing said that he would not touch her, he should let her put on clothes. She couldn''t stay at ease in such a way. Yun Shang opened her eyes and listened to the sound of the person behind her gradually calm down. She thought that he would arrive at KY City in a few days, and it must be a tiring journey. He heard that the situation over there was extremely tense, and she was afraid that he hadn''t had a good sleep for a long time. She faintly felt sad in her heart, and sighed faintly. She thought about it again, but she also fell asleep.

 Chapter 269 The Couple (Part Two)

    When she woke up again, it was already in the morning. The prince had already gotten up. Yun Shang touched the bed next to her and found that it was cold. So the prince must have gotten up for quite a while.


    Yun Shang saw a white dress beside the pillow. The white one seemed to be prepared for her. Yun Shang stood up and dressed herself. The clothes they prepared for her fitted her perfectly. She still wore men''s clothes.


    After putting on her clothes and tying up her hair, Yun Shang walked around the screen and went out. Seeing that Prince Jing, dressed in black, was reading a book behind the table, Yun Shang felt nervous. She hid behind the screen and after backing down, she realized that she was dressed. Why was she so afraid of him?


    After checking her clothes, she walked out of again. She coughed and said, "Your Highness."


    Without raising his head, Prince Jing nodded slightly. "Well, there''s still some food on the table. Just eat something first."


    Yun Shang turned around and saw a bowl of porridge and some pickles on the table. Feeling a little hungry, she didn''t care much about anything else. She walked to the table and picked up the bowl to eat.


    While she were eating, the door was pushed open. Yun Shang raised her eyes and saw Qian Yin standing at the door, craning her neck and forgetting to come in. Seeing Yun Shang sitting at the table, Qian Yin smiled and ran to her. "Your Highness, you are awake!"


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded, "what? Have I been in a coma for a long time? "


    Qian Yin nodded repeatedly, "yes, four days. We would still be trapped in the yard if Prince Jing didn''t break the array. "


    As she recalled Prince Jing''s words that he bathed her and had slept on the same bed with her for days, Yun Shang flushed again. Then she bowed her head and ate without saying anything to Qian Yin.


    Qian Yin sneaked a glance at Prince Jing who was reading the letter, and said gently, "Your Highness, I just met a few generals in the camp. They asked me to ask your highness when you could summon them. In this way, they can report to your highness about the battle recently. Your highness, you have to deal with a lot of things."


    Yun Shang thought of the days that she had been in coma, and it could be said that many things had happened in the battlefield. In such a situation, every moment of what happened could affect the entire war situation. She quickly said, "I''ll go back after the meal..."


    Before Yun Shang could finish her sentence, someone interrupted her in a cold voice, "Refuse all the generals. Tell the general that Her Highness has just woken up and is still weak. She is not supposed to work too hard. Let them wait."


    "What?" Yun Shang was stunned. "But..."


    "What?" Yun Shang shut her mouth immediately upon Prince


    tect me well. However, I don''t want to be a burden to you or a coward woman who only seeks your protection behind you. Prince Jing, you are of unusual status. Perhaps the responsibilities you needs to take will be even greater. I hope I can slowly grow into a woman comparable to you. "


    Prince Jing kept silent for a while. Then he put his hand on Yun Shang''s, held her hand, turned around, looked into her eyes, and sighed. "It''s not that I don''t allow you to do these things. I just hope that you can protect yourself well and don''t put yourself in danger."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded cautiously. "I know. I won''t be so rash in the future."


    Noticing that Yun Shang''s hands were getting cold, Prince Jing covered her hands in his hands for a while, stood up and said, "Qi Lang changed the original plan without your permission, which caused a great loss to the army. But he insisted on blaming several generals who had disobeyed him, which resulted in his loss. He sent Lady Qi to invite us to the General Qi''s Mansion today. I''m afraid that he might come up with some new trick. Since we doesn''t have anything important to do today, we might as well take a look at it. When we are fighting in the battlefield, the greatest fear is that some people disobey the orders and go against their wishes. Once all of us cannot work together against the enemy, it will always be a trouble. We''d better solve it as soon as possible, or there will be accidents in the future. "


    Yun Shang was taken by surprise before she realized that the prince was explaining why he agreed on Lady Qi''s request just now. She nodded with warmth in her heart. "Your Highness is right. We can stay there for a while. But I just wake up, I don''t know what''s going on now..."


    Prince Jing glanced at her and said, "let''s go for a walk in the KY city. I''ll talk with you on the way."

 Chapter 270 An Attractive Woman (Part One)

    Although the fire of war had not yet spread in the KY City, it was much quieter than the city when Yun Shang just came. Many people packed their belongings and were ready to leave for safety. Many shops in the city were closed, and the street was packed with less and less people.


    Yun Shang sighed. Her heart sank. The villagers were struck by the continuous fighting, which made them homeless and unable to go home. This was the most frightening thing for them.


    "I''m relieved to have you around. I''ll go to the Jingyang City and the Dexi City in a few days." Prince Jing walked by Yun Shang and whispered to her.


    Yun Shang was a little stunned, feeling a little disappointed. After a while, she nodded. "When Li Jingyan and Xia Houjing occupied the imperial household, I thought they were going to attack from Jingyang, but later I thought the generals from the Xia army to Jingyang City wouldn''t be a big trouble, instead, the people here were the most people to be worried, so I came to the KY City."


    Prince Jing nodded, "Liu Yinfeng might have also carefully studied my tactics. So, I refused to make any decisions before. You''ve never been to the battlefield, but he cannot find your information anywhere. Great. But you still have to pay attention to Qi Lang. he is a proud man, but you embarrassed him several times. He must have hated you from the very beginning. Be careful. It''s true that he is a military officer. But if he can''t be used by you, he should be removed without hesitation. You can not stall anymore. "


    Yun Shang understood Prince Jing''s words very well. He had his own worries for her. She was still a bit hesitant when it came to removing Qi Lang, as few generals could fight in the state of Ning. But what Prince Jing said was right. A talented man could not be taken advantage of by you, which would most likely become a hidden trouble for you.


    While they were talking, there was a sound of horse''s feet coming from behind. The horse was galloping so fast that Yun Shang heard a scream, and then a girlish voice followed, "go away. The horse is crazy."


    Yun Shang frowned


    bvious. "


    "Really?" Prince Jing glanced at Yun Shang. His cold expression was gone. He smiled at Yun Shang and said: "my charm is unparalleled. Every woman in the world is favored by God. Is my wife one of them?"


    Yun Shang was choked by Prince Jing''s question. She snorted and said nothing.


    After strolling around the city, Prince Jing and Yun Shang went to the General Qi''s Mansion, which had been well prepared. As soon as they entered, Qi Lang was kneeling down to greet them with a group of his people. Prince Jing glanced around the room that was kneeling on the ground. He looked at Qi Yufeng, and called him to look uo. When Qi Yufeng raised his head and looked at him, Prince Jing turned around and looked at Yun Shang and said, "the eldest son of the General Qi''s Mansion is indeed handsome. No wonder my lady also wants to have him as a concubine..."


    Yun Shang felt speechless and sighed. Why was Prince Jing so playful? Yun Shang had explained it to Prince Jing earlier, but he just wouldn''t let go. She glared at Prince Jing and dragged him into the yard. The courtyard, which Yun Shang used to live in, was added with something that belonged to men. Qian Yin had already come back ahead of time and packed up. When she saw Prince Jing and Yun Shang coming back, she curtsied and served tea. Knowing that Prince Jing didn''t like her maids to serve him, she retreated with other maids.

 Chapter 271 An Attractive Woman (Part Two)

    Prince Jing took a sip of tea and looked at the decorations indifferently. Then he turned his head without saying anything.


    Yun Shang also noticed that because of Prince Jing''s visit, Qi Lang asked servants to prepare a lot of accessories, and all of them were of high value. Yun Shang knew what Prince Jing was thinking. She smiled faintly, "Qi Lang had been in the city for many years, and naturally many people fawned on him. When I came here, general Qi was the only one they people listened to. But they didn''t listen to his majesty at all. He has packed many valuable things because he was worried that I would find out. But the furnishings here are not worse than our prince Jing''s mansion. "


    Prince Jing''s hand, which was put to his mouth, froze for a moment. He lowered his eyes to take a sip of the tea and asked, "are you saying that my mansion too shabby?"


    Yun Shang felt a little annoyed as she found Prince Jing had been acting like this since he came to the KY city. It seemed that she had offended him deeply.


    "If I didn''t know his highness well, I would think his highness is jealous." Yun Shang sighed.


    Prince Jing paused again. He had a cup of tea and went to the desk to read. Yun Shang had read a lot of books on the way from imperial city to KY City.


    Prince Jing looked at the painting for a while and said, "you have read a lot now. You have books about poems and songs, astronomical geography, farming, military tactics, everything."


    "I''m bored. It''s good to read more." Yun Shang gave a bland smile and frowned. "I didn''t know Liu Yinfeng was good at making arrays. The array around his yard is very powerful, and I almost died. I heard that when Qi Lang met Liu Yinfeng in the wind Valley, he also set up an array that made Qi Lang unable to fight and finally lost miserably. I only know a little about arrays, and I have read some books about it. But it''s the most common, even the most common one. I''m sure I can''t make it. It may be a problem even with breaking it. I''m afraid I''ll suffer some losses from it. "


    Prince Jing meditated for a moment and said, "Liu Yinfeng is good at reading other people''s fighting tactics. He is afraid that he is figured out, so he won''t use the same method in every battle. I haven''t heard that he is good at arrays, so I don''t blame you. If you want to know more about arrays, I have someone to introduce to you. He has taught me a lot about arrays. But he is not in the KY City now. But I have told the carrier pigeon that he have to come here to help you. He might be here in a few days. " After a moment''s silence, Prince Jing continued, "he is very proficient in the formation, but he has a quick temper. Please bear with him, but he won''t be too unreasonable for you because I informed him in advance."


    Yun Shang was overjoyed. She walked to Prince Jing, held his hand and said, "thank you, your highness. With his help, I''ll be like a tiger with wings."


    Prince Jing glanced


    suddenly lit up on the platform. In the light of the only red lantern, a red figure gradually appeared. She was so graceful and graceful. She was dressed in red, holding a sword in each hand. As the music started again, the red figure started to dance with the sound. The sword grew faster and faster, and people dazzled when they saw the figure. The sword was vigorous with a red dress, but because of the graceful figure, it was more vigorous in the air.


    After the song, the red lantern went out and the figure in red disappeared in the darkness.


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief. They were all shocked. Qi Lang lifted his eyes to look at Prince Jing. The prince was putting a piece of Osmanthus cake into Yun Shang''s mouth. Qi Lang frowned and didn''t know whether Prince Jing saw the performance on the opposite platform. He was speechless for a moment.


    Lady Qi, who had already returned, said with a frown, "Your highness, the dance is so gorgeous. A woman can perform such an amazing sword dance, she is also very rare."


    Qi Lang nodded and smiled at Prince Jing. "What do you think, Prince Jing?"


    "What?" Prince Jing seemed to be brought back to earth. He looked at Qi Lang indifferently, "Oh, just now I was just busy picking food for my wife and didn''t pay attention to it. But to be honest, no one can stand up to the title of ''breathtaking beauty'', except for my wife, Yun Shang."


    Yun Shang was almost choked by the osmanthus cake. After a while, she managed to calm herself down and ate the cake. She said with a smile, "Your Highness, you always make fun of me."


    But Qi Lang fell silent again on hearing what Prince Jing and Yun Shang said. Lady Qi frowned and said, "I think the girl who danced seems to be familiar."


    Hearing that, Qi Lang turned around, "what? You feel the same way, my lady. Then call the dancer here and reward her. "


    Not long after, a woman in red came up and knelt in the courtyard. "Your Highnesses, I am Qi Wanzhi."

 Chapter 272 Using Violence To Solve Violent Problems (Part One)

    Silence reigned in the yard for a long time. Prince Jing''s voice, magnetic and spoiled, was no longer cold as before. "Shang''er, the fish is really good. Have a try?"


    Yun Shang didn''t reply. She raised her eyes and looked surprised. "Isn''t she the woman who called his highness savage in the market? How could a dancer be so hot tempered? Does she have someone to back her up? "


    It never occurred to Qi Wanzhi that Yun Shang was the first one to start the conversation. And the first thing that came into her mind was to point out that she was the girl who had scolded Prince Jing in the market and she even suspected that she must be backed by someone for having such a short temper. In this way, she not only belittled her as a dancing girl, but also put her uncle and aunt in a dilemma. If they didn''t explain who she was, their plan would be in vain. If they did, they would admit that they were indeed backing her up.


    Qi Wanzhi ground her teeth. Her aunt had told her that the Lady Jing was hard to deal with. She went to investigate, only to find that Lady Jing was a weak and frail woman. She didn''t pay much attention to her as her aunt said. Unexpectedly, it was her who attacked her first.


    There were various kinds of ways in Qi Wanzhi''s mind. She stood up and was about to retort, "I''m not a dancing girl. I''m the daughter of the Qi clan."


    But before she could finish her sentence, Prince Jing said in a gentle voice, which made Qi Wanzhi''s body tremble with fear. "It''s just a dancing girl. If you don''t want to watch her, I can have someone to take her out. I promise you that she will never appear in front of you again, in case she upsets you."


    "No, your highness." suddenly, the voice of Qi Lang and his wife and Qi Wanzhi was heard. "You can''t kill me!"


    In the end, the voice of Qi Lang and his wife was drowned. Qi Wanzhi stood up and stared coldly at Prince Jing and Yun Shang, "I''m not a dancing girl. Even if you are prince Jing, how can you kill others as you please? Even if you have to respect the law... "


    Before s


    eg and took a big bite. The leg was roasted to crisp and oily, but it was tender inside. As the meat was firm, it was different from the ordinary meat. Yun Shang nodded and said with a smile, "it does taste good."


    Hearing this, all the people laughed. Then Wang Chong picked up the wine pot from the side and said, "we are not allowed to drink on duty at night. I put the tea into the wine pot. That''s the only way to relieve my thirst. Come on, fill your highness'' Cup." Then he poured a cup of tea and handed it to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang was not able to pick up the cup with the pig leg in her hands. She squinted at Prince Jing and said, "I can''t hold the cup. Prince Jing, put it next to me."


    Prince Jing took the tea and put it beside Yun Shang. Seeing the full mouth of Yun Shang, he couldn''t help laughing, "eat slowly. No one''s taking it away from you." His voice was soft, with a hint of smile.


    The three people on the other side looked at each other blankly. After a long time, Liu Hua smiled and said, "it''s said that Prince Jing is a cold and heartless person. Although you was in the camp a few days ago, you seldom appeared in front of us. Each time you appeared in front of us, you was as same as the rumor. Today, when I took a look at you, I found that the rumor is not true." Then he laughed, "at least his highness is gentle to her highness."

 Chapter 273 Using Violence To Solve Violent Problems (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was pretending to be shy in front of others. But after being teased today, she couldn''t help but blush. She gave a hateful look at Liu Hua and said slowly, "I remember I had a bet with you and General Wang before the battle. I bet on which path the Xia army came from. I guessed that it was Wind valley. General Wang guessed about Liuyun mountain, and General Liu guessed it was Spring Water. But we haven''t passed through any enemy force in the Spring Water that day. General Liu, are you going to invite us to dinner? "


    Hearing this, Wang Chong also patted his thigh and laughed. "Yes, I''ve forgotten it. Now that lady Jing has mentioned it, you''d better make a reservation as soon as possible.Yuman Tower is often overcrowded. We can''t eat without a advance reservation. When do you plan to invite us?"


    Liu Hua didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh at their words. After a while, he apologized, "please don''t do this. You''ve conspired with each other to bully me. I''m not as merciless as General Wang. Now that I''ve lost, I''ll accept it."


    Yun Shang smiled. "Well, now that I have won general Liu, can I bring a family member with me?"


    Liu Hua was stunned and then realized Yun Shang was talking about Prince Jing. He coughed and almost choked on his own saliva. "How daring you are, your highness." Prince Jing was looking at Yun Shang with a smile, seeming not to be angry. As the rumor goes, Prince Jing really has a good relationship with his wife.


    The five people chatted while drinking tea. In the middle of the night, the camp gradually quieted down. Listening to the armors occasionally coming from the camp, Yun Shang felt quite peaceful. After saying goodbye to the other three men, she went back to the camp with Prince Jing slowly.


    Back to the camp, Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to wash her face and brush her teeth. Then she sat on a couch and looked at Prince Jing, who was washing his face. "Offending Qi Lang like this today will only make him desperate."


    Prince Jing put the handkerchief on the wooden shelf lazily, and walked to the edge of the bed to take off his shoes. "I''ve told you before that if this person can''t absolutely obey you and has evil intentions, you can directly get rid of him. Is an opportunity. "


    Yun Shang kept silent on Prince Jing''s words


    Although Prince Jing was viewed as a God in the hearts of the people of the state of Ning, he might not have such a great impact on Qi Lang. Qi Lang stayed in a remote place in which he was the king of the world. All his families acted in an overbearing way from his son Qi Yuzhi to Qi Wanzhi. He was used to being arrogant. Now, being trampled by others like this must result in great hatred.


    Yun Shang sighed. It was not easy to subdue Qi Lang.


    Prince Jing knew what was bothering her, so he smiled and said, "I''m more experienced than you in dealing with such people. The only way to d


    which was even louder than before.


    Then came Qi Lang''s voice. It seemed that he was trying hard to suppress his anger, "Wanzhi, get down on your knees."


    It was quiet then.


    Yun Shang heard Qi Lang''s voice. But she didn''t hear him clearly because he was both anxious and angry. After a short while, Qian Yin came in and said with a smile, "Alas, it seems that she is not very tough. But she dares not to speak after being slapped twice, but she is unwilling to kneel down and walk the circle. General Qi has been persuading her, but it seems useless."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Qi Lang''s voice was getting louder. "Prince Jing and her highness are reasonable people. If you apologize sincerely, they won''t put you in an awkward situation. Please apologize..."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "It seems that he is trying to play a trick." It seemed that Qi Lang had forgot that as soon as Yun Shang arrived at the KY City, she hit his son Qi Yuzhi dozens of times because of his unruly and overbearing manner. Yun Shang had never been soft hearted back then, let alone now.


    Yun Shang smiled and said: "now that Miss Qi is unwilling to do so, then don''t be nice to her. Ask two hidden guards to take her to the city. If she doesn''t kneel, then kick her legs until she knelt down."


    "Yes, your highness." Hearing this, Qian Yin went out delightedly. After a while, she heard the scream of Qi Wanzhi, but it was all gone soon.


    "I''m here to see your highness, please." Qi Lang''s voice came from outside the tent.


    Yun Shang sneered with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes. "It''s not only about his highness and me, but also about royal dignity. How dare your niece disregard royal dignity? Even if I kill her, no one dares to say anything in front of me. But you have to think it over, General Qi. She''s just your niece. Your family is all in this city, and there are over a hundred people living in the Qi clan... "

 Chapter 274 The Lecture In The Camp (Part One)

    Silence fell outside. Yun Shang waited with a smile. After a while, she heard Qian Yin, who was bending over the tent, eavesdropping, "Your Highness, he left."


    Yun Shang nodded and lowered her head. After a while, she said, "tell the officers with higher rank like the captain of the army to wait outside."


    Qian Yin said yes, and then went outside. After a while, the voice of Wang Chong came from outside the camp. He said that he wanted to see Yun Shang. So Yun Shang let him in. Wang Chong arched his hands and said, "Supervisor, general Qi and the other four captains are not in the camp except because they were making a circuit of the city, and the others are all here."


    "Really? Other four captains? Who are they? " Yun Shang said peacefully.


    "There are two sons of the Qi family. And the other two captains, one is called Li Xian and the other is called Sun Zhong." Wang Chong said calmly, expressionless.


    "Really? General Qi and the two sons of the Qi family are not in the camp right now. What a coincidence? Are those four people on duty today or not? " Yun Shang knew the result in her heart, but she still pretended to ask.


    Wang Chong looked up at Yun Shang and answered, "I''m here to inform your highness that today, it was Qi Yufeng and Li Xian on duty, but I don''t know why Qi Yulang and Sun Zhong are also not here. So, I requested to read the note and found that today they were assigned with an inspection tour of the city gate."


    Yun Shang smiled, stood up and walked out of the camp. "Let''s go and have a look."


    Dozens of captains and several generals in the camp were standing outside the camp. Some people looked up at Yun Shang curiously. Yun Shang smiled and looked at the people in front of her. After a while, she said, "today I summoned all the captains and generals here because of the battle a few days ago. To be honest, although I wasn''t in the army that day, I had already made a detailed arrangement


    ickly withdrew the army. "


    "What about the middle road army led by general Qi?" Yun Shang smiled coldly, "there are more than a hundred thousand people including the central army. In the Wind Valley, they met the army of the state of Xia led by the crown prince of the state of Xia and the military counsellor, Liu Yinfeng. After a fight, the army pretended to be defeated and retreated, luring general Qi''s troops to the middle of the wind valley. Then with the advantage of the terrain of that place, they set an ambush array, waiting for general Q so they could catch him! General Qi totally forgot what I said before. If there was anything wrong, he would retreat to the mouth of the wind Valley immediately. Why did he need to withdraw to the entrance of the valley? The entrance was a small one, so if they wanted to go out, at most four people in a row could pass the gate at the same time. And they could even guard the entrance of the valley to ensure the safety from the enemy troops. When the enemy came here, they would kill each of them. However, general Qi went on his own and insisted on fighting with the ten men ambush array formed by the military officer Liu Yinfeng. After the death of so many soldiers in the army, general Qi realized that it was too late to withdraw the army.

 Chapter 275 The Lecture In The Camp (Part Two)

    General Liu hastily withdrew his army from the wind valley after he sneaked into the enemy''s camp. He wanted to cooperate with general Qi to capture the army of the state of Xia in the middle, but he didn''t expect general Qi to escape completely and even didn''t plan to join in the rescue. As a result, General Liu could only have 50000 people in a group, but he must be outnumbered if he fought against the enemy''s army. General Liu calmly directed the army to break the siege, and more than ten thousand people were brought out at last. "


    Yun Shang looked around, and said after a long time, "today l tell you the whole thing, just because I think you are the captains of our army. Although the captains in the army are under a few hundred people, you are still an indispensable talent in our army. I believe that everyone here stands here has a heart to protect our country. I also believe that you will set your mind in the future and are able to achieve something. But in the army, obedience was the first thing. Many people must have known that Prince Jing is in the camp. Although he is honored as the God of war by the people of the state of Ning, he has a deep understanding of obedience. In this camp, he is not the chief commander. If the chief commander has orders for him, he will never disobey. "


    As a soldier, the first thing is obedience, and the second is absolutely obedience. I have told you everything that happened that day without reservation. You have a clear idea of the truth. Today, I summoned everyone here to clarify the military d


    Prince Jing bantered. "What if Qi Lang feel wronged but pretend that nothing has happened?"


    Yun Shang walked to a chair in front of Prince Jing and sat down. She took a book from the table and said, "if he could stand it, then he would be not Qi Lang anymore. Liu Yinfeng knew Qi Lang well, and so did I. Before leaving the Imperial City, I had collected a lot of relevant information. After I came, my secret guards never stopped monitoring him, and all his movements were under my control. So I''m pretty sure that I can make it. "


    The fact that she summoned all the captains to give an admonitory talk soon reached Qi Lang''s ears and told him about the battle that day in front of so many people. Though she didn''t say anything to blame him, but Qi Lang still felt embarrassed, so Qi Lang''s eyes would soon become red with anger. And when he knows she is going to punish his second son, he will think that she was doing something to annoy him. And even if he tolerated it for a while, she can still irritate him again in the future.

 Chapter 276 Pressing

    Fortunately, Qi Lang did not make Yun Shang to wait too long.


    Yun Shang heard a report from her secret guards that Qi Lang was tossing and turning for a long time at night that night. He was so angry with his fifth lady that he sent a message to the camp the next morning, intending to take in some of his trusted people to have a talk.


    That day, the general on duty was Qi Lang''s subordinates. Yun Shang ordered Liu Hua and Wang Chong to inspect the camp from time to time. They had better guard the entrance to prevent anyone who was not allowed to leave the camp.


    Seeing that the messenger had left for a long time, Qi Lang brought back a message from his messenger, "all the captains of the camp cannot go out of the camp. They was told by the supervisor yesterday that we must keep a strict watch on people in and out of the camp, and no one is allowed to go out unless it is necessary. Only the captains who are not on duty and have the supervisor''s letter can go out."


    Furiously, Qi Lang smashed the sword on the table and sneered. "She thought she can get away with me as she has Prince Jing on her side. She seemed to have forgotten who was the king of the KY city. It''s only a month, and she''s so crazy to try to control all the soldiers in the camp! " After a while, Qi Lang changed his armor and went back to his tent.


    He ordered his men to come to his tent for a discussion, but he was told that all the captain was taken away by the inspector, who said that they were going to inspect the drill ground to check the soldiers'' performance.


    Qi Lang waited for a long time with his teeth clenched. Then Yun Shang led a group of soldiers into the tent. "General Qi summoned some captains and generals. You have something to discuss. In this camp, the so-called important matters must be related to the marching army. You have been in the KY city for a long time, so you should know a lot about the surrounding things. So I want to know more about what general is going on here.Will you blame me for my uninvited visit? "


    Qi Lang''s mouth twitched. He pressed the blue v


    e on your side." Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang with a gentle smile.


    Yun Shang felt strange. She looked down at her clothes, but found nothing unusual. She wondered why Prince Jing had been watching her recently. He was also so gentle?


    Yun Shang stopped talking about it. She pointed to a river near the KY City with a smile, and said, "I saw this river on the map before, but it''s not on the sand basin. It''s strange, but after I asked Qi Lang, I soon realized that the river has been dried for a long time. There is no water in the river unless it rained heavily these days. So I didn''t find it on the sand basin."


    Prince Jing nodded, staring at the map in Yun Shang''s hand.


    Yun Shang frowned. "I''ve heard from my guard that Liu Yinfeng often visited the river these days."


    Hearing that, Prince Jing put down the book in his hand, picked up the map and looked at it for a while before he said, "river courses are always hit by the river all year round and should be flat. It is convenient for them to March. Moreover, this river is flowing from KY City to the Jingyang City all the way through to the encampment of the camp. Both sides of the river are steep mountains. If they walk along the river courses, it is also not convenient for us to stop them. It''s difficult. "


    Yun Shang nodded. Her fingers slid upward again. "There''s a lake here. It''s said to be a little big."

 Chapter 277 Night Battle (Part One)

    Prince Jing looked at another place on the map with Yun Shang''s finger. He frowned for a long time before he said, "it''s a risky way, but it''s not completely feasible. If you really want to do this, you have to settle down the people here, and don''t take their lives into risk."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled as a light from the mist. It was a gentle and warm smile. She hadn''t even said it out, but Prince Jing had already known her intention. This feeling was really unbearable.


    "This method is only a spare one for me. The details can only be decided after I check it carefully. If I have to use it, I will make preparations in advance." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Prince Jing nodded and sighed. "I don''t know if it''s a good thing for you to come to this city, but I''m afraid that you need to restrain yourself. The emperor was not afraid of your mother and you before, just because your grandfather was an informed man. Not long after your mother became lady Jin, he resigned and retired from politics. Your mother has little family background, so she won''t pose a threat to your father. But you have married me. If you are too outstanding, your father... I''m afraid they don''t trust me. They suspect that you and your mother agreed to let you married me because you wanted me to support the little prince to ascend the throne. "


    After that, Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang. Seeing her in a trance, he smiled. "Maybe I worry too much. Don''t be too afraid."


    Yun Shang shook her head and forced a bitter smile. "It''s not a big deal, your highness. But the fact is, I''ve been in Laifeng city early, and maybe earlier than that, his majesty has already been suspicious of me." Seeing that Prince Jing looked at her with surprise, Yun Shang ran her fingers through her hair near her ear, and said with a smile, "father is an emperor of a country. It''s normal for him to be suspicious. Although I''m a little disappointed, I understand it. Don''t worry, your highness. I''ll be careful."


    In fact, Yun Shang didn''t expect that Prince Jing would say something like that. She had some feeli


    yes again. There was a touch of coldness in his eyes. He turned over and covered Yun Shang''s ears with his hands. "Go and tie up the Qi clan''s ladies and send them to my place of the city."


    The prince then let go of Yun Shang''s ear and fell asleep again with his arms around Yun Shang.


    Prince Jing woke Yun Shang up before 3 o''clock. Yun Shang got off the bed, put on a cloak, and went out of the camp. She went to an inconspicuous tent in the west of the camp, which used to be the place of the military prostitutes. Because of Yun Shang''s arrival, there were no military prostitutes in the camp. Qi Lang dared not disobey Yun Shang''s order, so he dismissed the prostitutes who lived in the army.


    Yun Shang and Qian Yin walked carefully to the tent together. Then they heard a soft voice coming from inside. The voice was somewhat familiar. It was Qi Lang.


    "Anyway, I''m in charge of the whole KY city. It''s natural for you to follow me. The coquettish girl thinks highly of her beauty. She has seduced many generals in the camp and wants to suppress me. It''s impossible. Now that she have come to this city, I won''t let her go unharmed, and I don''t care who she is. " Qi Lang gnashed his teeth in hatred, and his voice was somewhat vicious.


    Someone said. "But Prince Jing is also in the camp. I heard that it is hard to find a match in the world for his martial arts. If he finds out..."

 Chapter 278 Night Battle (Part Two)

    Qi Lang sneered: "Prince Jing will leave the KY City in less than three days, because this afternoon, my spy reported that Lord Hua Guo of the state of Xia once arrived at Xia''s camp outside Jingyang city and Lord Hua Guo is a major general of the state of Xia. Since he is going to go, then the general of Jingyang City is apparently not strong enough. And Zhang Qi is the general of the Jingyang City, and earlier, he worked for Prince Jing. Prince Jing will certainly go and support them. "


    Lord Hua Guo arrived outside the Jingyang City? Yun Shang was surprised. Why didn''t she hear of it?


    But since Qi Lang had been doing business in the KY City for so many years, it must be true that such a news was not wrong.


    Lord Hua Guo... Yun Shang frowned. He was Prince Jing''s grandfather.


    A man''s voice from inside interrupted Yun Shang''s thoughts. "In that case, let''s have no scruples any more. I have already been annoyed by it. What''s more, a beautiful woman like her is pointing fingers at military affairs. What do you want to do? I''ll try my best to assist you. "


    Qi Lang laughed grimly. "There are numerous ways to make a person disappear in the battlefield. The safest way is to let her die there. The state of Xia seemed to be peaceful these days. But according to the information from the spy, Xia''s military counsellor went out to have a walk every day, just in order to prepare for the next round of attack. Once we are on the battlefield, I will try my best to keep her by my side. At that time, when the two armies are in fight, I will arrange you to be the bowmen to cover for the attacks. You can wait for my signal at any time. I will make a gesture, and you will shoot arrows at her secretly and poison her with the arrows. At that time, she will surely be dead in no time. "


    Qian Yin pulled the corner of Yun Shang''s clothes. When Yun Shang turned her head, she saw Qian Yin pouting towards her, as if asking her if she took action. Yun Shang thought for a moment, nodded, and went straight to the door. She opened the bucket of the camp door. She sneered, "the general''s plan is really good. I really admire it."


    People in the camp turned pale when they heard the voice. As soon as Yun Shang set foot in the camp, she heard the sound of pulling out a sword. She looked at Qi Lang with a bland smile. "I don''t know that general Qi thinks highly of me and even thinks of such a way to deal with me. General Qi is really a genius."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qi Lang knew that she must have heard everything. His face changed several times in the light. Then he gritted his teeth and laughed ferociously. "Your Highness, you come just at the right time. I had planned to let you enjoy the peaceful life for a few days. Now that you are here, I won''t allow it to happen. I wonder why you haven''t taken Prince Jing with you, your highness. "


    Yun Shang knew tha


    ng looked at her with a smile, "as I said just now, I just want General Qi to put aside his prejudices against me and fight against me with all our might."


    Qi Lang narrowed his eyes and smiled coldly, "Your Highness, if you want to convince me from the bottom of your heart, you should show me some convincing skills. The only thing we value is force. So, I''d like to have a competition with you. If you can beat me, I''ll do whatever you say. "


    Yun Shang flashed a proud smile in her eyes. "Is that true?"


    Qi Lang looked up with a smug look. He had checked on the princess many times. The princess really didn''t know kung fu. When the princess was sick earlier, he had secretly asked the doctor in the General Qi''s Mansion. The doctor said that the princess'' pulse was weak and chaotic, and she indeed didn''t know kung Fu and was weak.


    Even if she was good at pretending, she couldn''t convince the doctor that she was good at martial arts.


    "Words once said can''t be taken back!" Said Qi Lang loudly, looking at Yun Shang contemptuously.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment, smiled and said, "this is a narrow place, and it''s not a good place for practicing martial arts. General, why don''t you move to the training ground with me? Can you call the soldiers in the camp and his highness here to testify? If I lose, I won''t meddle in the affairs in the camp anymore, but if general Qi loses, you should accept my conditions. "


    From the moment Yun Shang spoke out the things she and her family had done, Qi Lang knew that he could not kill this woman easily today. After listening to her, Qi Lang knew what she was up to. He would never risk her life by any excuses in front of so many people. But her conditions were so tempting that he nodded and said: "okay."


    Yun Shang nodded and turned to the outside of the camp, "gather all the generals to the main camp, and tell the general and his highness to come here."

 Chapter 279 Her Destiny (Part One)

    When everyone was ready, it was dawn. Prince Jing slowly came in, wearing a black robe and a brown cloak, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He looked lazy and cold, as if he didn''t wake up. He walked to Yun Shang mindlessly and touched Yun Shang''s nose with the back of his hand. He frowned and said, "it''s cold."


    Qian Yin hurriedly ordered, "I''ll bring a fox fur for you, your highness."


    Prince Jing nodded, took Yun Shang to sit down, leaned on her and began to sleep. The others had never seen Prince Jing behave like this. A moment of silence passed over the muster station. Qi Lang looked at Yun Shang beside the platform of the muster station and sneered. It was just a woman who was smarter than ordinary women and still wanted to make a fortune in the camp. Even if Prince Jing was protecting her, Prince Jing''s martial arts was extraordinary. He wouldn''t let a person who had no martial arts win him easily in front of so many people.


    The muster station was full of people. Qi Lang walked to the high platform and raised his voice, "today, I invite all of you here because I and the supervisor set a competition here. The one who wins will be the one who is in charge of the camp. Everything in the army should be controlled by that person, and the loser can have no complaint. Since you guys are here, you will do a witness for me and the inspector. "


    People started to gossip. Yun Shang heard many sounds with doubt. "You don''t seem to know kung fu at all, commander." "Then how can she win? Don''t she have to lose? "


    But Qi Lang had already looked at Yun Shang. "Supervisor, please go up to this stage."


    Yun Shang smiled and glanced at Prince Jing. Knowing that he was not asleep, she said, "go back to your tent if you want to sleep. I will come back soon. I just slept for a short while last night. I''ll go back to catch up on sleep later."


    Prince Jing sighed, sat up straight and said, "okay." Then he stood up and walked to the camp.


    Qi Lang looked at Prince Jing in confusion. Yun Shang stood up and walked toward the platform. She sto


    lized how heavy his usually powerful blade was. Before Qi Lang recovered from the pain, Yun Shang stretched out her foot again to trip him up. Before Qi Lang could stand still, he quickly stood up, reached out his hand and grabbed Qi Lang''s arm. When he was about to stab the blade back, he felt a mark on his neck. He stopped hurriedly and dared not to move any more.


    The audience exclaimed. They looked at the fight in disbelief. They had never thought that Qi Lang would lose so soon.


    Qi Lang''s face convulsed and his mind went blank.


    After taking back the dagger, Yun Shang took two steps back and made a bow to Qi Lang and then to the soldiers standing in the middle of the muster station. "General Qi, please forgive me."


    A woman in green rushed over with a white fox fur robe in her hand. She said to Yun Shang: "Your Highness, here is the fox fur robe."


    Yun Shang nodded and turned to look at Qi Lang, "I hope you won''t go back on your words."


    Qi Lang''s face turned pale. But Yun Shang walked down the stage, patted her clothes and let Qian Yin put on the fox fur robe. Qian Yin said to Yun Shang, "Your Highness is about to compete with the general. It will be warm soon. his highness insisted me to bring the fox fur robe for you. So you have to take it off later."


    Yun Shang heard her and flashed a smile in her eyes. Then she headed for the camp.

 Chapter 280 Her Destiny (Part Two)

    Qian Yin shouted behind her: "where are you going, your highness? Isn''t you going to compete with him? "


    "It''s already over!" Qian Yin heard a man''s voice behind her. She turned around and saw Liu Hua standing behind her. Qian Yin was surprised. She thought Qi Lang had drugged him? He is fine so soon? Then she remembered what Liu Hua just said, "what? The competition is over?"


    Liu Hua nodded, "yes." He turned to Qian Yin and shot a curious look at her. Qian Yin, wearing a regretful look, murmured, "I''ve missed it. i have missed out on your highness'' first time competition." Her expression was full of regret, but except that, nothing else.


    "Don''t you care about who won?" Liu Hua asked curiously.


    But his casual words made Qian Yin look at him as if he was looking at an idiot. "Your Highness is not good at Kung Fu, but few people in the world are her opponents when it comes to fighting. There''s nothing to worry about. I know she won, there is no need to ask."


    Everyone on the muster station was still in shock, so no one said anything. The conversation between Liu Hua and Qian Yin was very clear. Hearing that, all the people were stunned. It turned out that lady Jing not only knew Kung Fu, but was also so good at Kung Fu.


    Qi Lang gritted his teeth and clasped the blade in his hand. He had been fooled by that woman again. He had thought that she didn''t know martial arts and that he was certain to win. But it turned out that he was defeated miserably.


    However, Yun Shang paid no attention to what happened on the muster station. When she entered the camp, she thought the prince was sleeping, but he was holding a book behind the table in a daze.


    Yun Shang walked towards Prince Jing and looked at him.


    After a long time, Prince Jing quietly looked away. He lifted his eyes to look at Yun Shang, and said slowly, "you''re back?"


    Yun Shang nodded. She hesitated for a moment and said: "I heard from Qi Lang that Lord Hua Guo is in Jingyang city now?"


    After a short silence, Prince Jing nodded.


    Yun Shang''s heart tightened. She forced a smile, "you and he..."


    But Prince Jing suddenly put down his book and stood up. He walked towards the screen and bypassed it. Yun Shang was surprised. Her heart sank as she thought to herself, ''he cared about him, didn''t he?''.


    After a long time, Prince Jing said coldly behind the screen, "I''m Prince Jing of the state of Ning. That''s all."


    Yun Shang opened her mouth, only to find that she felt a little nervous. "No, you are also my husband."


    The people behind the screen remained silent for a long time before he continued with a sigh, "yes, I''m still your husband."


    Yun Shang''s heart sank. She walked to the screen where Prince Jing was watching the plum blossoms embroidered on it with a dull look on his face.


    Yun Shang reached out, took Prince Jing''s hand on her knees, and said in a soft voice, "I''ll be with y


    eerless beauty in the palace. The emperor of the state of Xia dotes on her very much, almost sending all the treasures in the world to the beauty''s hands, just to make her smile."


    A trace of hesitation emerged on Yun Shang''s face. "Sometimes, it''s best to be eye-catching. But after all, the imperial palace is very complicated. There are traps everywhere. I sent a message to Ning Qian, telling her to be careful in the palace. No matter what, be careful. Don''t give anyone any chance to hurt her."


    Qian Yin replied in a low voice. She put down the comb and said with a smile, "my lady looks very beautiful when she wears women''s dress, and she is also handsome when she wears men''s clothing. So if she goes out, she will surely attract all the women in the world."


    "Don''t be garrulous." Yun Shang said to her with a smile. Then she stood up and went around the screen. When she was about to walk out of the tent, she heard Prince Jing saying, "Mr. Qing Cang, please come in."


    Prince Jing has taken someone back? Yun Shang took a look at the entrance of the camp.


    The door of the tent was opened, and the first person to walk in was not Prince Jing but an old man with grey hair. He was dressed in white robe, and has white eyebrows. He looked like a sage.


    Prince Jing walked in following the old man. When he saw Yun Shang standing in the camp, he smiled and said, "shang''er, come here. This is Mr. Qing Cang. I told you before that Mr. Qing Cang is good at arrays and there is no array in the world that he can''t break."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She remembered she had told Prince Jing that Liu Yinfeng was good at making arrays, but she was not quite good at it. Prince Jing said he would introduce a person for her. Was it this old man?


    The old man looked around Yun Shang and Prince Jing. Stroking his white beard, he stared at Prince Jing and said calmly, "this young lady has the destiny of being a great person."

 Chapter 281 Farewell (Part One)

    Yun Shang was taken aback. What was he talking about? The fate of being the great one? Isn''t it the empress? These words shocked Yun Shang. If she was the empress, then who was the emperor? Luo Qingyan?


    Prince Jing seemed surprised, but he came to himself first. He pointed at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Mr. Qing Cang, this is my wife. I invite you here because I hope you can help her and fight back the attack of the state of Xia."


    Yun Shang also collected herself. Judging from Prince Jing''s tone, it seemed that he was not surprised at Mr. Qing Cang''s words, and he seemed to change the topic. Yun Shang remained silent for a while. Then she made a curtsy to him and said, "His Highness has told me about you. You are quite impressive. Please take a seat, sir."


    Mr. Qing Cang smiled, walked to his chair and sat down. Qian Yin came out from behind the screen and saw an outsider. She bowed and said, "I''ll make tea for this gentleman." Then she left.


    Yun Shang and Prince Jing sat down next to Prince Qingsu. Prince Jing said with a smile, "the inner disciple is so naughty that he secretly asked the emperor to appoint another inspector in this camp. His opponent was Liu Yinfeng. Liu Yingfeng is good at deploying. The inner disciple knew nothing about arrays, so he almost died in his eight diagram before. "


    Yun Shang smiled at Prince Jing, with a flicker of guilt in her eyes.


    Hearing Prince Jing''s words, Mr. Qing Cang nodded his head and said, "yes, you are right. Liu Yinfeng is my senior fellow''s apprentice. He was brought in by my senior fellow after he betrayed the sect. Although he is young, he hasn''t spent much time learning. However, he has a good comprehension and learned a lot. My wife had been lucky to survive when you helped her. Now that you trust me, I''ll do my best. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang and Prince Jing smiled at each other and made an obeisance to him. "Thank you, sir."


    Qian Yin came in with tea on the table. Prince Jing had talked with Prince Qingsu for a while. Then Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to take Mr Qing Cang out and arrange a place for him.


    Silen


    air.), which would make the place where they fell more dangerous. They lit the fires, trembling with fear. It was not until midnight that they went down the mountain. When they returned to the barracks, it was a quarter past midnight. Yun Shang returned to the camp and saw Prince Jing reading under the light. Yun Shang turned to Qian Yin. Qian Yin opened her mouth, but said nothing. "His highness stayed up all night."


    Yun Shang walked to Prince Jing with a frown, "you''ve been reading overnight?"


    It was not until then that Prince Jing noticed Yun Shang walk in. He looked up at her and found her hair a little wet and her lower part of her body almost wet. He frowned and reached out his hand to touch her hand naturally. "Where have you been? Why do you come back so late? Your hands are so cold and your clothes are wet. "


    Yun Shang turned around and asked Qian Yin to fetch hot water before taking off her overcoat and putting it aside. "I went to the top of the Dragon Mountain and have a look. That mountain is too high. In this cold winter, the road is covered with ice, so we can''t climb up halfway on horses, but we have to climb up. It is even harder to climb up, because the road is too slippery, so it took us so long to climb up. Now I almost knelt down. I can''t keep my legs straight anymore. " Yun Shang smiled bitterly. "The mist was so heavy in the morning that my clothes got wet."

 Chapter 282 Farewell (Part Two)

    Prince Jing looked at her with disapproval. "I told you yesterday that you don''t need to do everything in person. Aren''t they doing it for you?"


    Yun Shang''s mouth twisted in a smile. "I have to pay it a visit myself. After all, it''s a risky place. and I will worry about it if I don''t go there myself."


    Prince Jing sighed and stopped talking.


    After a while, Qian Yin brought the hot water and poured it into the wooden barrel behind the screen. Yun Shang then took off her clothes and sat into the bathtub. Qian Yin came in, laid the prepared clean clothes on the bed, and washed Yun Shang with a towel. She approached Yun Shang and whispered in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear, "His Highness has been worrying about your highness all night, and has sent his secret guards here three or four times to inquire about your whereabouts."


    Yun Shang was surprised. Before she went out, she only told Prince Jing she had to go out and have a look. She didn''t tell him exactly where she would go. But she didn''t return all night. No wonder he was worried. A warm feeling rose in Yun Shang''s heart. She smiled as well. It was really a good experience to have someone miss her like this.


    Then she took a shower. After Qian Yin cleaning her up, she walked out of the tent. Yun Shang walked to Prince Jing and took away the book in his hand. Prince Jing looked up at her, and she smiled. "I''m sorry to have worried you."


    Prince Jing kept silent and stared at Yun Shang with a meaningful look. Yun Shang took Prince Jing''s hand and felt his hand was a little cold. Yun Shang helped him rub his hands as he did and said, "it''s getting late. You should take a rest."


    After a short silence, Prince Jing stood up, and let Yun Shang lead him to the bed and sit down. Yun Shang stretched out her hand to untie the clothes of Prince Jing and said, "Liu Yinfeng is not easy to deal with. It''s my first time to supervise the army. Although I have read the military book well before, the gap between the book and the battlefield is too big. There are always changes in the battlefield. I don''t dare to take it lightly, so I attach so much importance to it. You probably don''t know how outstanding you are. I married you to help you to fight against the Li clan, but now the Li clan has been torn apart. But I find that there are too many girls who are coveting his highness. I just have a princess identity, so I''m just the first one to occupy the position of your wife... "


    Prince Jing''s gaze may be too deep, so Yun Shang felt it difficult to say that. She paused for a moment and continued, "I don''t have any dreams actually. I just want to become strong and protect the people I want to protect behind so that they won''t be hurt at all. I don''t want to protect too many people, it''s just my mother, father, grandfather and Chenxi. Now I want to be stronger so that I can be a match for you. Perhaps his highness will have a higher status in the future. Only by becoming stronger can I not be your burden. "


    Prince Jing lowered his head and smiled. He held Yun Shang''s hand and took


    outside.


    "Luo Qingyan!" Yun Shang called suddenly.


    Prince Jing paused. Then he heard Yun Shang''s voice with concern. "You must take good care of yourself. Don''t get hurt."


    Prince Jing nodded, "okay."


    Then he walked out of the camp without looking back.


    Yun Shang sat on the bed with the quilt in her arms, acting as if she was crazy. After a while, she patted her hot face and suddenly lay down on the bed. "Ah... What happened to me? Why am I acting like a whining woman? He will come back even if he leaves now, "


    Perhaps Qian Yin heard a voice, she walked in from outside. She turned her head to look outside while walking past the screen. "His Highness seems to be in a good mood. He is smiling."


    Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang, and was surprised. "What happened, your highness? Why is your face so red? "


    Yun Shang was surprised. She turned around and snorted, ignoring Qian Yin.


    Qian Yin was silent for a moment and then muttered, "what''s wrong with these two today?" Then she continued, "where is his highness going?"


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and answered, "He is going to the Jingyang City."


    "Okay," Qian Yin replied, "will you get up, your highness? The morning has already passed. Don''t you want to have your breakfast? General Wang was asking me whether your highness has gotten up when I was there just now. "


    Yun Shang then came to her senses. She remembered that she told Wang Chong to go to the Rosy Clouds Hill with her this morning.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang stood up again and said, "I will get up now."


    Qian Yin fetched Yun Shang''s clothes and helped her put them on. "His highness just told me to wear more clothes for you when he left. It''s cold now, so I have changed a thicker one, which should be warmer. If you want to leave the camp, I will fetch a fox fur robe and put it on you. Although it is not snowing, the KY City is very cold, as if a gust of wind can blow into your bones. "


    Qian Yin was saying as much as she could. But she didn''t notice that Yun Shang was acting like an idiot again.

 Chapter 283 Being A Disciple (Part One)

    After getting up, Yun Shang asked Wang Chong to go to the Rosy Clouds Hill with her and have a look. She went back to her tent after making a detailed inquiry of the residents nearby.


    As soon as Yun Shang returned to the camp, she summoned the main generals and went inside. The other generals were all here. Half an hour later, Qi Lang came in unhurriedly. Yun Shang looked at him and said with a sneer, "general Qi had a competition with me on the muster station that day. The bet was a decision-making power in the camp, but you probably forgot it. It''s me who win. "


    Qi Lang looked unhappy. When he arrived at the camp these two days, he found they all stared at him strangely. He knew that it was disgraceful for him to fight with a woman and lost. He hoped that everyone could forget about it, but Yun Shang mentioned it in front of everyone.


    "You don''t have to mention it in front of me. I will remember it." Qi Lang said coldly.


    Yun Shang bent over to look at the map. She stood straight after hearing Qi Lang''s words. Her eyes became colder. "I summoned all the people to discuss the war. The meeting was scheduled to begin half an hour ago. Everyone arrived except general Qi an hour later. I thought general Qi had completely forgotten about the competition." Yun Shang continued with a sneer, "things are changeable on the battlefield. I wonder how many things the enemy has done while we are waiting for general Qi. Since general Qi still remembers the competition, I''ll punish him according to the military discipline. General Wang, if he is late for the meeting, how can I punish him? "


    Hearing this, Wang Chong hurried forward, made an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest and said, "your highness, the generals who are late for an hour or above must stand for an hour in front of the whole army in the muster station."


    Yun Shang nodded, "good. Since this is the rule of the army, there is no exception. General Qi, go to the training ground after the meeting."


    Yun Shang saw the blue veins on Qi Lang''s forehead showing a sign of anger. She smiled, "general Qi came back to the General Qi''s Mansion yesterday. Do you me


    igh. In winter, the mountains are totally unconcerned and it is difficult for us to hide the traces. Later, the terrain is reduced to a mountain forest. If there are hundreds of thousands of people hiding in the forest, so it is impossible for us to kill them all. "


    The generals nodded at Yun Shang''s words. Most of them had been in KY city for a long time, and they were very clear about the terrain around it. So they knew that what Yun Shang said was true.


    "The army of the state of Xia wants to attack us along the Jing river?" Someone asked.


    Yun Shang nodded, "from the information released by the hidden guard, Liu Yinfeng indeed has the same intention."


    "Then what should we do? We are not convenient to attack near the Jing River, so we can only stay in our camp and wait for the Xia army to attack us, and then let them attack us?" Liu Hua frowned. "This is too passive."


    "Why don''t we go first? Let''s go down the river first and go to the Xia camp? " Asked Wang Chong.


    But Qi Lang, who had not said anything, suddenly opened his mouth, "No. The Xia''s camp was very careful. It''s the mouth of river courses at the end of the Jing river''s mountain. It''s not like this mouth as the mountain''s situation is becoming more and more slowly, and the mountain there suddenly became a cliff. There is no river in there all of a sudden. If the army of the state of Xia guarded the mouth of river, it''s difficult for us to go there."

 Chapter 284 Being A Disciple (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded, "general Qi is right."


    "Then what should we do?" Everyone looked at Yun Shang with eager eyes. Since she had gathered them to discuss, she must have come up with a plan.


    As expected, Yun Shang smiled and pointed to the place, Rosy Clouds Hill, where the Jing river began, then her finger moved upward and landed on the name "Yun Lake" above the Dragon Mountain.


    "Yun Lake?" Stunned, Wang Chong answered, "Your highness took me to the Yun Lake yesterday, but I didn''t find anything special about it."


    Everyone was puzzled. What was the relationship between the Yun Lake and the Jing river?


    Yun Shang observed the expressions of everyone and said, "the Yun Lake is on the top of the Dragon Mountain, and it covers a large area. The lake is very deep. And the west side of the Yun Lake is this. Next, it''s called Rosy Clouds Hill, which is the origin of the Jing River..."


    Before the others could react, Yun Shang continued, "I went to the Dragon Mountain yesterday and saw its surface. The cliff is very smooth here. There was no water in Jing river because the lake on the Rosy Clouds Hill was not big enough to get water, so if there was not enough rain, there would be no water in the Jing river. If the army of the state of Xia walk in Jing River, I will figure out a way to open a cliff near the lake, and the water in the lake will pour out and flow into the lake at the top of the Rosy Clouds Hill. At that time, there is water in the lake at the top of the Rosy Clouds Hill, and then the Jing River will have water. If the Jing river suddenly surges... "


    "Haha! It is really a very clever plan! " Liu Hua laughed out excitedly, "they are now in a good time in marching, but water is suddenly pouring from above the jing river. If the jing river is full of water, it is also deep and bottomless. I''m afraid that hundreds of thousands of enemies will be buried at the bottom of it."


    Yun Shang raised her eyes to look at the generals in the


    ep. For some reason, tonight seemed extremely cold.


    She tossed and turned the whole night. When she got up, her face was a little pale. Qian Yin looked at her for a while, and finally, when she was helping her put on her hair, she asked: "you didn''t sleep well, your highness? Is it because his highness is not here? "


    Yun Shang was surprised at Qian Yin''s words. She lowered her head and panicked. To her surprise, she didn''t stare at Qian Yin. Qian Yin was delighted as she knew what Yun Shang was thinking, and said, "Your Highness and his highness, how interesting you are. You didn''t spend so much time with your highness in the past few months. It was only a day after you left, and your highness sent a message to me in a hurry that they are in Jingyang city now. His highness asked me to take care of you, and also asked me to give you another quilt at night. And your highness also didn''t fall asleep. Gee... "


    Yun Shang didn''t care about Qian Yin''s joke. She just heard the most important part of the sentence, "a message from his highness?"


    Qian Yin listened and stared at Yun Shang in the mirror. "Yes, early this morning the dark guards came. They told me that as soon as Prince Jing got to Jingyang city and settled down, they were quickly sent back to report his safety to you, your highness."

 Chapter 285 Being A Disciple (Part Three)

    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled happily and her eyes were lit up.


    Yun Shang rose to her feet and asked, "which camp does Mr. Qing Cang live in the day before yesterday? I was too busy these two days, but I neglected Mr. Qing Cang. I''ll make an apology. "


    Qian Yin hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you haven''t had your breakfast yet."


    "I don''t think Mr. Qing Cang had breakfast yet? Send the food to his camp. " Yun Shang waved indifferently and went out of the camp. She asked the guard to lead her to Prince Qingsu''s tent.


    Yun Shang was notified before she walked in. Then she saw Mr. Qing Cang reading a book behind the desk. He said indifferently to her, "have a seat, your highness."


    Yun Shang didn''t care much. She sat down and smiled at him. "There are too many things to do in the camp these days. I''ve neglected you. Please forgive me. You haven''t had breakfast yet. I''ll have the breakfast delivered here. I''ll accompany you to have it."


    Hearing this, Mr. Qing Cang looked up at Yun Shang and nodded. "Okay. I haven''t had dinner with someone else for a long time. No one has remembered me."


    Hardly had his words faded away, Qian Yin came in with a tray of dishes. At this time, Mr. Qing Cang walked to the table, and sat down. He looked at Yun Shang, asking, "has Prince Jing left?"


    Yun Shang nodded. "His highness is in Jingyang city now."


    Mr. Qing Cang kept silent for a while and said, "eight years ago, the fate of Prince Jing suddenly changed. He used to be a man who will die young, but now his fate has been changed. I''ve been curious until I met you, and then I realized that everything happened because of you. "


    Yun Shang was shocked. She looked at Mr. Qing Cang with an inquiring expression in her eyes. Master Wu Na was the only one who had ever reminded her of something about her. How did Mr. Qing Cang know it?


    Yun Shang stared at him too straight. Mr. Qing Cang took up his chops


    Yun Shang smiled and turned to Qian Yin, "Qian Yin, prepare the tea. Mr. Qing Cang is my teacher from now on."


    Hearing that, Qian Yin understood what had happened. She said yes and prepared tea for the guests. Yun Shang took the tea and said respectfully to Mr. Qing Cang, "Sir, please accept me as your disciple." Then she bowed.


    Mr. Qing Cang smiled happily and nodded. "Okay." Then he took the teacup from Yun Shang, had a sip, and put it on the table next to him. He helped Yun Shang get up and said, "since I have recruited you as my disciple, I will hand over what I''ve learnt to you in my life, but I also hope that you can care about not only yourself, and don''t harm people indiscriminately."


    Yun Shang nodded and said yes.


    Since Mr. Qing Cang had Yun Shang as his apprentice, he was very happy. He immediately took some books about arrays to Yun Shang, telling her to read carefully and then talk with him about her feelings.


    Yun Shang took the books and went back to her tent. When she came back, the secret guard was already waiting for her in the camp. When he saw her, the guard quickly said, "Your Highness, I''ve found that Liu Yinfeng is looking for someone recently. I''ve secretly took the picture of the person he was searching. Please have a look..."

 Chapter 286 Prince Jing Is In Danger (Part One)

    Yun Shang noticed the hidden guard''s odd expression. She took the paper and unfolded it. At the sight of the person in the portrait, she was shocked. Qian Yin sensed her nervousness. She went to have a look and exclaimed, "Your Highness! Isn''t the person your highness?"


    Yes, the woman in the picture was Yun Shang, but it was her in the men''s wear. Yun Shang kept silent for a while, and then rolled up the portrait. She raised her eyes and asked the guard, "there is only one portrait on it, but there is no word on it. Then what did Liu Yinfeng tell them when he ordered to look for someone?"


    The question vexed the guard even more. On seeing Yun Shang stare at him, he hesitated for a while, and said, "Liu Yinfeng told his guards that he loved the man in the picture, so he sent his guards to find him, and take him back intact."


    Yun Shang and Qian Yin froze at his words. After a long while, Yun Shang regained her composure, trying to suppress the shock in her heart. She frowned and thought for a while before saying, "you don''t need to report it to his highness. I will solve it."


    The secret guard kept silent for a while. Before Prince Jing left, he told the secret guard that he must report everything related to lady jing''s safety to him as soon as possible. And he would keep the secret. As for the rest of the things, he only needed to listen to her highness. The secret guard looked at the portrait in Yun Shang''s hand. And Liu Yinfeng didn''t know who the person on paper were, so her highness should be safe. Thinking of this, the secret guard nodded and replied, "yes, your highness."


    After the secret guard left, Qian Yin said, "your highness, Liu Yinfeng is gay and you were dressed in men''s clothes. you looked handsome and graceful. Does Liu Yinfeng really fall in love with you?"


    "Nonsense!" Yun Shang patted Qian Yin on the head, rolled the portrait and put it on the desk. Then she turned around and said to Qian Yin, "I''ll check general Qi''s progress later. You can stay in the camp. It''s not convenient for you to go out alone. I''ll have someone talk to you. If someone reports


    der to blow up things?"


    Qi Lang nodded his head though he had no idea why Yun Shang asked about it: "indeed. But we don''t need so many weapons or sand in the battles as our craftsmen are very exquisite."


    Yun Shang answered. She looked at the cliff in front of her and said, "there''s no such delicate craving. You should go back and find a secret place and buy a lot of gunpowder. You can direct out the material inside and then set it up. Let''s see if it''s powerful enough to blow up the stone. This is very dangerous. You must be careful. "


    Hearing that, Qi Lang thought for a while, and found it interesting. So he agreed.


    "Have the people nearby been settled?" Yun Shang asked again.


    "Yes, they have. And I''ve also sent all of them to some mansions nearby." Qi Lang replied.


    Yun Shang nodded. She felt relieved when she saw Qi Lang was capable enough and went back to the camp.


    The task of gunpowder went on smoothly and well. Qi Lang''s eyes were filled with surprise when he reported to Yun Shang the progress in recent days. Yun Shang also went to see it and was surprised. That method was only found from the book that Mr. Qing Cang had given her, but it turned out to be so powerful. She was shocked and relieved a little. Everything went as she wished. Yun Shang had just sent more people to monitor what happened recently. She was waiting for Liu Yinfeng to launch a deadly strike.

 Chapter 287 Prince Jing Is In Danger (Part Two)

    It was getting colder and colder until the end of the year. According to the information from the spy, the military forces of the Xia''s army were also in a frequent flow. On the contrary, Liu Yinfeng had been discussing military affairs with Xia Houyan in the general''s camp for several days. Although the secret guards couldn''t get close to the military''s camp, they knew that Liu Yinfeng couldn''t wait any longer.


    It was at the Lunar New Year''s Eve. In order to avoid the sudden attack of the army of the state of Xia, all the generals stayed in the camp and waited for the rescue seriously.


    Sure enough, at the evening of the Lunar New Year''s Eve, it was just past midnight when the secret guard came in and reported that the army of the state of Xia was dispatched to the KY city along the Jing river.


    Yun Shang put on her clothes and put on a fox fur robe. She called all the generals back to the camp. They had already made a plan for the enemy these days. They just made a simple arrangement and left the camp with their soldiers.


    But Qi Lang and Yun Shang stayed, because for many times, the general only needed to command in the camp, and it was not wrong. After the several generals left, Yun Shang and Qi Lang quietly left the camp and headed straight for the Dragon Mountain.


    "Report! The enemy force has moved three kilometers and is marching at a fast speed. The army led by General Wang has been guarded in the forest and is on full alert. "


    "Report! The enemy force has moved seven miles. General Liu has led his team to the Spring Water. The enemy''s camp will be there in about eight hours. "


    The road to the Dragon Mountain was still very difficult. The guards kept on telling the news along the way. Yun Shang and Qi Lang arrived at the top of the mountain before it was dawn. They hurried to the west side of Yun Lake. In the past few days, craftsmen had been living on the mountain, and were already waiting for them.


    "Have all the gunpowder been prepared?" Qi Lang asked hurriedly.


    "Your highness, general Qi, everything is ready."


    Yun Shang nodded, "if the army of the state of Xia reaches the highest point of the mountains and hills on both sides of the Jing River, the secret guards will report it to me by fireworks. And


    Xia Houyan are heading to the Jingyang city with four hundred thousand soldiers."


    Yun Shang was shocked. What happened? 400 thousand! She was actually deceived by Liu Yinfeng''s deception, and she even forgot that the Jing river is from the KY City to the Jingyang City. She never thought that Liu Yinfeng would make a plan to attack the Jingyang city. There were 250000 Xia''s soldiers outside the Jingyang City, which was the most threatening force. Now, Xia Houyan still brought another 400000 soldiers to Jingyang City, which was equal to 600000 soldiers in total. And the defending force in Jingyang city was only 200000. No matter how brave and battleful they were, they were not able to withstand the attack of three times more people.


    Yun Shang said in a hurry, "message every general! Now go back to the camp!" Then she mounted her horse and galloped towards the camp.


    When Yun Shang went back to the camp, she was wet all over. Qian Yin was surprised. "What happened, your highness?" Then she took Yun Shang''s hand and entered the bedroom, intending to help Yun Shang change her clothes.


    Yun Shang shook her head. Feeling extremely anxious, she called the hidden guard for more details. The guard told her that Xia Houyan and seven prince had been contacting frequently with letters a few days ago, but they sent all the messages in secret. The secret guard had blocked two letters before, so after taking them back, Yun Shang let the guard check for a long time and didn''t find anything wrong.

 Chapter 288 Prince Jing Is In Danger (Part Three)

    Last night, Xia Houyan told his subordinates to disguise as he and Liu Yinfeng and left the camp with about one hundred thousand soldiers. The secret guards were attracted and followed them. However, after they went on with a journey, they suddenly found that the number of army was obviously not right, so they quickly returned to the camp to make a survey. They found that the real Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng had brought the remaining 400 thousand soldiers and headed for Jingyang city. Now there was no one in the original military camp of the state of Xia, and everything they needed was taken away. The dark guard came back to report as he realized that he was tricked.


    Yun Shang felt cold all over. Her teeth were chattering. Liu Yinfeng, she had underestimated him.


    Looking at Yun Shang, who was in an extremely embarrassing position and looked so calm, Qi Lang had a faint admiration for her. Although Yun Shang had guessed wrong about the whereabouts of Liu Yinfeng, he clearly knew that if he stood in front of him, he might not be able to capture even one hundred thousand men. Although it was a huge mistake, she was still calm. He had thought he was used to big storms, but she was too calm now.


    Judging from Yun Shang''s look, Qian Yin knew that something must have happened. Seeing that Yun Shang was unwilling to change her clothes, Qian Yin quickly took a dry towel to dry Yun Shang''s hair gently. Then Yun Shang suddenly stood up and shouted, "change my clothes." Then she turned to Qi Lang, "general Qi, go change your clothes too. We have a fierce battle to attend. It''s not good if we get sick."


    Qi Lang replied and left with his men in a hurry.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes and allowed Qian Yin to help her change. She went through what happened today in her mind. Her intuition told her that Xia Houyan''s action must be closely related to Xia Houjing.


    Jingyang city... Yun Shang kept thinking about Jingyang city, which was more complicated than the KY City. Even if the army of the state of Xia got the city, it was still difficult for them to march forward. Then, why did they abandon the KY City and take Jingyang city instea


    at if Prince Jing became the emperor of the state of Xia, he would definitely not be enemies with the state of Ning. Instead, it would benefit the state of Ning.


    At the same time, she also told this to lady Jin, so that she could persuade emperor Ning.


    After handing the letter to the dark guard and sending it away, Yun Shang asked another guard to report it to Prince Jing as soon as possible and told him she would take soldiers to support the prince.


    After everything was ready, Qi Lang had changed his clothes and entered the camp.


    On seeing him, Yun Shang asked hurriedly, "general Qi, how many soldiers do you have right now?"


    "Less than one hundred thousand." Qi Lang answered promptly.


    Yun Shang was silent for a while, then she suddenly stood up and said: "I''m afraid I can''t wait for them to come back. Now the Xia''s army is all heading to Jingyang city, and the KY City is no longer in danger. I''ll first go to the Jingyang City with this less than a hundred thousand soldiers, and I''ll leave Qian Yin and half of the secret guards in the camp. If other generals come back, General Qi, please Mister Qi together with 50000 soldiers stay at the camp, and general Qi quickly brought other soldiers to assist me. "


    After a short silence, Qi Lang said yes. Yun Shang couldn''t wait any more. She went out of the camp and asked her soldiers to lead all the soldiers out of the camp and heading for Jingyang city.

 Chapter 289 Family Reunion (Part One)

    At this moment, in Jingyang City, Prince Jing did not know that Liu Yinfeng and Xia Houyan were rushing to Jingyang city. he was sitting in the study and listening to the secret guard''s report. "Your highness, her highness ordered to put many of the sulfur and powders in the artillery battle into a place, and then bound them with a long trigger. They are indeed extraordinary. From the looks of it, I''m afraid even human beings can be blown up by the explosion. It''s just that it''s very difficult to deal with sulfur and stones, so only a few of the city''s firecrackers can be used to fight against the enemy. "


    Prince Jing leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes, tapped on the table and said with a smile, "it sounds interesting. If you like it, just make some yourself."


    The secret guard happily said yes and said, "I''m afraid that her highness may get the chance to defeat the army of the state of Xia this time."


    Prince Jing opened his eyes and shook his head. He didn''t think that Yun Shang could kill all the army of the state of Xia at once. After all, Liu Yinfeng was not that easy to deal with.


    Having heard the secret guard report Yun Shang''s arrangement, Prince Jing said to the secret guard, "tell her highness that although Liu Yinfeng is the head of the army of the state of Xia, Xia Houyan is not to be underestimated. That man is not that smart, but when it comes to war, he is also a good general. don''t let her guard down when it came to Xia Houyan."


    The secret guard said yes. Seeing that Prince Jing had no other orders, he went out to report this to Kangyang city.


    After the shadow guard


    se now it''s winter, so there are no other places for them to hide. It''s not easy to ambush. If only Lord Hua Guo was there, it''s not easy for him to hurt me." Prince Jing smiled, "go get the horse ready."


    Although Zhang Qi was still a little worried, he didn''t want to disobey Prince Jing''s order. he nodded and prepared a horse before he sent someone to report it to Prince Jing. But he was still a little worried. After Prince Jing mounted the horse, he added, "Your Highness, why not bring some skilled soldiers with you and wait for you at the foot of the mountain?"


    Prince Jing laughed, "no need. My shadow guards will not be too far away from me. Don''t worry."


    Until then, Zhang Qi remembered that Prince Jing was always protected by secret guards, so he felt a little relieved and let Prince Jing ride to the Sunset Hill.


    When he arrived at the Sunset Hill, it was half an hour earlier than the time Lord Hua Guo had appointed, but Prince Jing had seen a person standing in the pavilion on the Sunset Hill.


    Then Prince Jing rode on his horse to the Sunset Hill.

 Chapter 290 Family Reunion (Part Two)

    The man in the pavilion was indeed Lord Hua Guo. Hearing the horse''s hooves behind him, Lord Hua Guo turned his head and said, "I''ve heard that the sun is extremely beautiful in the Sunset Hill. But it''s a pity that there''s no sun today."


    Prince Jing kept silent for a moment before he got off the horse and walked into the pavilion. "Lord Hua Guo, why did you try every means to call me here?"


    Lord Hua Guo turned to Prince Jing, and complicated emotions surged in his eyes. "I heard that someone investigated my miserable daughter in the state of Xia a few days ago. I guess it''s you. Now you know who you really are, right?"


    When Prince Jing heard Lord Hua Guo mention the sunset, he thought he had planned to take a long detour. But he didn''t expect that Lord Hua Guo would give him such a direct answer. Surprised, Prince Jing smiled and said, "Lord Hua Guo, what are you talking about? Why don''t I understand a word? "


    Lord Hua Guo smiled bitterly and sighed. "Although I don''t know how you know this, since you know it, you don''t have to avoid it. When I was in the imperial city of the state of Ning, I wanted to write to his majesty to report this matter, but the letter was robbed halfway. You did it, right?"


    Prince Jing laughed when he heard this, "so what? What if it wasn''t me?"


    "Qingyan..." Lord Hua Guo turned around and grabbed Prince Jing by the shoulder with an excited look. Prince Jing was taken aback by his expression and then came to himself. "Lord Hua Guo, what are you doing? Although I''m here today to see you, it''s because you are Lord Hua Guo of t


    felt sad. Yes, how many years would they still have? If he and his wife died, the others probably wouldn''t love prince Jing with all their heart. At that time, his path would be very difficult.


    "Lord Hua Guo, don''t bother. I won''t go back to the state of Xia."


    After saying that, Prince Jing turned around and wanted to go down the mountain, but he saw a man coming down from the mountain. He looked like a shadow guard. Prince Jing stood far away and waited for the shadow guard to climb up. Then he asked, "What happened in the camp?"


    The man answered: "Your Highness, I heard from the KY City that her highness was tricked by Liu Yinfeng''s trick. Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng led four hundred thousand soldiers and came along Jing River to the Jingyang City."


    Prince Jing''s face darkened when he heard those words. He asked his guards to wait in the distance, and turned to look at Lord Hua Guo. "Ha ha. Lord Hua Guo, you see. This is your so-called brother!" Then he left the pavilion, mounted his horse, and galloped to the Jingyang city camp.

 Chapter 291 The Jingyang City Is Taken (Part One)

    The old man in the pavilion seemed to be stunned. He stood there stupefied, and his head were struck with shock. What did Luo Qingyan''s hidden guard say just now? It was said that the crown prince and the military counsellor were taking large troops of 10000 soldiers, heading for the Jingyang city?


    Shouldn''t the crown prince and the military counsellor attack Kangyang city right now? That was what the letter said to him last night. Four hundred thousand soldiers were almost everything of the crown prince''s army. Did they come to attack the Jingyang city without attacking the Kangyang city?


    All kinds of questions flashed through Lord Hua Guo''s mind. He had noticed the anger and disappointment in Luo Qingyan''s eyes. He thought of those questions. Lord Hua Guo watched as Prince Jing''s figure went further and further away. He did not regain his composure until Prince Jing arrived at the foot of the mountain. Oh no! His crown prince must have known the true identity of Luo Qingyan, and he knew that Luo Qingyan was in the Jingyang City, so he dared to take such a big risk. Thinking of this, Lord Hua Guo stepped out of the pavilion, and stumbled to lead his horse. He mounted the horse. Even though he was worried, he sat straight on the horse, drew a whip, and galloped down the mountain.


    On the way back to his camp, the hidden guard had already told Prince Jing what had happened in the KY city. Prince Jing was calculating the time in his heart. According to the time when the secret guard had reported, he was afraid that Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng''s army could arrive outside the Jingyang city within two hours.


    "Her highness is rushing here with about one hundred thousand people. The soldiers guarding Kangyang city will be divided into several groups of backup while tens of thousands of people are guarding the camp." Before Prince Jing asked, the shadow guard added.


    Prince Jing nodded. His heart was filled with bitterness. Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng would rather sacrifice the lives of one hundred thousand soldiers to use such a camouflage. There must be a huge change. Moreover, the Jingyang city was far w


    in such a situation. After thinking for a while, he took the pen, ink, paper and inkstone and wrote a letter quickly. He called his shadow guard. "Send this letter to the Imperial City as soon as possible."


    Although the imperial city was a little far from the border, Emperor Ning was unlikely to hear the news soon. But he didn''t dare to make a bet, or the world would be in chaos.


    The hidden guard sent the letter away, and Prince Jing walked out of the camp and entered the Jingyang city. There were cries and wars in the Jingyang city. Prince Jing stood at the gate and looked at the people running around, feeling a touch of sadness. He had been on the battlefield for so many years and was used to life and death. He had thought he was as tough as iron, but now seeing so many people leave their home and go away from their home, he was finally touched. Lost and homeless because of him alone, it was difficult to ignore.


    "Your Highness, all soldiers in the army outside the city have entered the city, and are leading people to the other side of the river. The Jing river is really rising..." "Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng and their army will arrive at the outer area of the city in about two hours," answered Zhang Qi.


    Prince Jing nodded, "ask them to leave. Hurry up." Then he looked up at the sky which was getting dark and smiled, "I''m going to show an empty city for the army of the state of Xia today."

 Chapter 292 The Jingyang City Is Taken (Part Two)

    Seeing that Prince Jing was quite confident, Zhang Qi felt a little relieved. Everything would be fine with the presence of Prince Jing.


    Prince Jing turned around and called his shadow guard out. He said with a smile, "go and fetch my jade flute."


    Zhang Qi did not know why, but said nothing. Watching the shadow guard leaving in a hurry, and soon after, Prince Jing took the jade flute here. He caressed the jade flute with a smile, "let''s go to the east wall to receive the army of the state of Xia."


    By the time they arrived, the city had almost been withdrawn by Prince Jing. Only a few secret guards with higher level of martial arts wore the armor of the city guards and stood on the city wall.


    As he looked at the pitch black walls, Xia Houyan smiled and said, "military counsellor, we are finally in Jingyang city." But there was not a trace of joy in his eyes, and he frowned at the big words "Jingyang city". She said: "although we deceived Qi Lang with a deceptive trick, but Qi Lang should have heard that we were heading for Jingyang city. Prince Jing is a general in the battlefield. He fought many wars and is very capable. He should not be unaware of our whereabouts, but why, I didn''t expect that they was ready to fight with the enemy in Jingyang city! "


    Liu Yinfeng also looked at Jingyang City, and said calmly, "I''m afraid it''s a trick of Prince Jing."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of the jade flute, which was as ethereal as the shadow of a man, whimpering, sounding somewhat weird.


    "What''s this?" With his eyes wide open, Xia Houyan looked into the darkness, where only two lanterns hung on the gate of the city.


    Liu Yinfeng meditated for a moment and then said, "I remember a story I saw on the military tactics. It''s called the empty city trick. We just talked about the battle between the two armies. There was no army at all. The strategist had his soldiers retreat from the city, but he went to the tower with his Guqin and sang the song with him, which cheated the hostile guard. "


    A lantern was lit and a figure was standing on the wall in the distance. A black figure raised his hand and placed it beside his face. It seemed that the person was blowing the jade flute. The faint sound of the jade flute must come from there.


    "Empty City trick?" Xia Houyan bit his lips and snorted, "he is so bold to play the jade flute on the city wall in front of 400 thousand soldiers. I told you that Prince Jing must know we were here, but i didn''t expect that he would make such a wonderful move. Since it is an empty city trick, I must go and have a look. Make a mystery of it and wait for me. I will destroy this Jingyang city and take Luo Qingyan''s life. "


    However, Liu Yinfeng shook his head and stopped him, "Your Highness, please don''t do that."


    Puzzled, Xia Houyan turned his head and asked, "councillor, you said there were no soldiers in the city. Then what are we afraid of?"


    "Your Highness, this empty city trick is only one of the plans in the book. If Prince Jing only uses it to lure us into depth, what will it be? I wonder if there is anyone in this city. " Liu Yinfeng said with a deep frown.


    Xia Houyan had never thought about it. He thought for a whi


    words. He stared at the lit city and sensed something unusual. He immediately said, "let''s gather our whole force and set off at once."


    He wanted the death of Luo Qingyan, but also wanted to take advantage of the Jingyang city. Although it did not seem to have such an advantage, if he took it, he could take care of the KY Citylater and help it more. Although the Jingyang City was a small city, there were at least some materials in the city, which were enough to support these hundreds of thousands of soldiers for a period of time. If Luo Qingyan burned the city, then he had nothing to do with the city.


    The flames in the city were getting brighter and brighter and there was a tendency to spread. Seeing this, Xia Houyan was anxious. He forgot everything else and turned around to say, "watchman follow me to attack the city."


    Hearing a neat reply from behind, Xia Houyan mounted his horse and waited for the generals of the front to lead the way. After about half of the soldiers were left, Xia Houyan followed them to Jingyang city.


    When the squadron was about to reach the bottom of the city, a rain of arrows came. The sound of soldiers being shot by arrows came through continuously. The team was a little messy at this moment. Xia Houyan suddenly shouted, "spread out! Speed up and go down the city gate. "


    Then he turned around and saw that Liu Yinfeng came here with a group of people. Xia Houyan was a little relieved. Arrows kept raining, and people fell. But they were getting closer to the city wall.


    After another walk, there was no sound of arrow. Xia Houyan looked up and saw no one on the city wall.


    "Attack!" Xia Houyan howled. They climbed a ladder on the other side, ready to attack the weapons and equipment in the city. However, as they approached the city wall, they felt a heat wave coming, making them almost unable to approach.


    "Prepare the city hammer." As Xia Houyan said, many people brought the hammer to attack the city. They lifted the hammer and smashed at the door.


    Bang! The gate didn''t move at all. Then they smashed the gate again. With a loud rumbling, the gate fell back slowly in front of them

 Chapter 293 The Confrontation (Part One)

    A wave of heat came over. People outside the city gate retreated continuously, but were shocked by the scene in front of them. Although they had found that the fire was red outside the city, they didn''t expect it to be such a scene in the city.


    The city was ablaze everywhere, and a strong smell of oil came.


    Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng rode on the horses and came to the front. They frowned. Liu Yinfeng looked at the city and said flatly, "it seems that Luo Qingyan wants us to get nothing from here, but to block our way with this. Look at the tree oil, it''s going to burn day and night."


    Xia Houyan pressed his lips tightly and did not say anything, but his eyes were full of killing intent.


    After a while, the spies who were sent to investigate came back in a hurry. "Your crown prince, please, the army of the state of Ning has retreated to the north of the Jing River and the bridge is destroyed."


    Liu Yinfeng nodded. "It is the only bridge above the Jing river. Now it is destroyed. It will take us some time to cross it. I will take several thousand people to cut some trees for us. We need to make a wooden boat first."


    Xia Houyan''s eyes darkened. "Do you want to spend the time like a raft crossing?"


    "That''s the only choice we can have now. In order to prevent the drowning soldiers from being killed, we have to pick more wooden sticks. We''ll send the guards who can swim to take a wide wooden bridge to pass." Liu Yinfeng said in a low voice, "Prince Jing has a good wife. She is quite resourceful. Last time we suffered a loss because of her. This time we lost a hundred thousand soldiers, but this time we helped Prince Jing again."


    "report! Lord Hua Guo wants to see you. " Came a voice from far away. Xia Houyan let out a cold hum and said in a


    steps, raised his head, bowed to Lord Hua Guo and said, "I''ve been in the army of your grace for a long time. At that time, you''ve taught me a lot. I''m deeply touched. You have always been discreet, your grace. But you are too anxious on this matter. If you have irritated the crown prince, why are you acting like this? He is young after all. If he can''t even solve this problem, I''m afraid Prince Jing doesn''t deserve your trust. You don''t have to bother yourself... "


    Lord Hua Guo closed his eyes and forced a bitter smile. "Well, since you put it that way, what should I do? I believe in his ability. I have thought too much. "


    Liu Yinfeng paused for a while, and then walked out of the camp with a smile.


    The crown prince ordered all the soldiers in the camp to go after the army of the state of Ning in person. Lin Yu dared not to refuse. With so many people in the camp, the bamboo grove could be made in a short time. In the afternoon, a lot of rafts had already been made. Liu Yinfeng ordered the people who knew the river well to make the bamboo grove connected with one by one and made a very wide bridge. The man set his foot on the bamboo grove to cross the river.

 Chapter 294 The Confrontation (Part Two)

    The north of Jing river was a continuous mountain. Although the mountain was not high, many trees covered it, which was good for hiding. There were lots of arrows shot from the other side toward the army of the state of Xia on the bridge. They was deadly injured for a while.


    Xia Houyan stated coldly, "all of you, continue to cross the river. There are six hundred and fifty thousand soldiers in my army. I don''t believe that he will not shoot at all of them. After we cross the river, I will burn mountains with fire and make it impossible for them to escape even if they had wings to fly! "


    However, after they went into the river, the Xia army did lose a lot of people. The original troops of six hundred and fifty thousand people was cut down by nearly one hundred thousand. Liu Yinfeng reckoned that the reserve of arrows in the army was not too much, so the defense of the troops might be running out.


    It was impossible for Xia Houyan to launched the fire he wanted. As the forest was wet, it was hard to get a hot flame. He could force the enemy to come out through the thick smoke. But they was not skillful enough. If he set fire on the mountain and it backfired, he would be in great danger.


    "Then what should we do? Just wait here?" Xia Houyan became a little irritable. He hurriedly went to the Jingyang City, but he had not slept for two nights. He had thought that there were two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers outside of the Jingyang City, and together with his four hundred thousand people, he would be able to annihilate the Ning''s army before the reinforcements came. However, when he arrived at the Jingyang city, one and another situation took place.


    Fi


    polite to him. I suppose he is a capable man. Why don''t you ask him about the plans? "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s eyes brightened. "you are right, how can I forget Mr. Qing Cang? Hurry up, bring my cloak and I''ll go to his camp to talk with him."


    When Yun Shang arrived at Qing Cang''s camp, he was playing chess with himself. Seeing her, he smiled and said, "I think you should come sooner or later. Why don''t you sit with me to play?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "My mind is in a mess now. I don''t want to play chess."


    "Your dark guards have not returned yet, and you don''t even know what''s happening in the Jingyang city. It''s useless to worry about it." Then he placed another piece on the table.


    Yun Shang meditated in silence for a moment, but she knew that he was telling the truth. No matter what, she had to wait for the news to make a decision. Thinking of this, she walked over and sat down. Looking at the situation on the chessboard, she picked up the white and dropped it.


    Yun Shang calmed down gradually. Before the chess was finished, Qian Yin came in. "Your Highness, the shadow guard is back."

 Chapter 295 Yun Shang Is Here (Part One)

    Yun Shang tossed the piece away and turned around, "come in."


    A hidden guard came in, even with a bit of dew on his body, and bowed to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, we get the news that the army of the state of Xia reached outside of Jingyang city last night. His highness set an empty city trick and set a fire to Jingyang City, and now it''s still in fire. Prince Jing took his soldiers and people to the south of the jing river, then the army of the state of Xia used the wood branches to make rafts, and tied them together to make a bridge. They just passed the Jing river six hours ago. "


    "Did you get in touch with his highness?" Yun Shang asked.


    The secret guard shook his head. "It''s in the woods all around. It will take some time to get in touch with his highness, and the other secret guards are still looking for his highness. There should be some clues soon. I''m afraid that you can''t wait, so I come to report."


    Yun Shang nodded and waved him out, but she frowned tightly.


    "Look at you. You can almost kill a fly with a frown." Mr. Qing Cang shook his head and picked up the chess pieces on the table.


    However, Yun Shang''s frown didn''t ease at those words. "Master, he is in danger." Without waiting for Qing Cang''s reply, she added hastily, "now the army of the state of Xia has a force of 600 thousand people, while his Highness has two hundred and fifty thousand. He also brings people along. If all the army of the state of Xia go up the mountain, I''m afraid that the chances of winning are very small." After a pause, she suddenly thought of a key point. "No, if the army of the state of Xia were to go up the mountain, the prince would have the chance to win, but Liu Yinfeng definitely wouldn''t take such a risk. He is now leading his soldiers to guard the Jing River, so he must have planned for waiting them to come and get water. The people in Jing city had been getting water from wells. But now they are outside the city, and they are hiding in mountains, so there is only water in Jing river that they can use. As long as the army of the state of Xia guard the Jing River, we


    er, and swam towards the bridge made of the wood.


    In the dark night, there were soldiers on patrol passing by near the mouth of the river, but they didn''t pay attention to the movement in the water. Under the dim light from the fire, Yun Shang saw the river stream gradually breaking apart, the bridge was broken.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes as she turned around and walked toward the camp where the Xia''s army had been stationed outside Jingyang city with her army. She had asked people to inquire about the army''s food and ingredients. They were all put in the camp out of the city, and now only fifty thousand soldiers were guarding the camp.


    The camp was ablaze with lights. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and waved her hand. "Light the torches! Kill!"


    The torches were lit up and a large army appeared behind Yun Shang. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, the soldiers behind rushed towards the army of the state of Xia''s camp, along with the sound of weapons colliding with each other.


    After a while, the secret guards came back wearing wet clothes. "Your Highness, we have destroyed the pontoon bridges over the river."


    Yun Shang flashed a smile, and said, "wonderful! Now you have a mission to fulfill. Leave some food in the camp for us, enough for us to eat three days. The rest of them can be burnt. "


    The secret guards all took the order and flew to the army of the state of Xia''s camp.

 Chapter 296 Yun Shang Is Here (Part Two)

    Yun Shang raised her hand to tuck a wisp of hair behind her temples that was blown by the night wind, and finally felt a little relieved. The reinforcements behind her would come in a short time. By that time, they would make Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng regret their decision.


    When she was thinking about it, she suddenly heard a loud shout, "stop!" His voice, though a little old, sounded very serious, as if he had used a bit of internal force to deliver it to everyone''s ears. "Is Princess Hui Guo in the army? Lord Hua Guo from the state of Xia wants to see you! "


    As the fire gradually lit up in the camp, Yun Shang was surprised. Then she remembered that Lord Hua Guo was really in the Jingyang camp, but why he wasn''t in this camp along with Xia Houyan, who was in the other side of the river.


    After pondering for a while, she thought, ''anyway, Lord Hua Guo is Prince Jing''s grandfather. Since I''m his wife, I can''t directly refuse him.'' So she said loudly, "okay! Stop! "


    The fighting gradually came to a halt. Yun Shang saw that the soldiers were gradually divided into two parts. A man in purple walked out of the camp, with gray hair and a tall figure. He must be Lord Hua Guo.


    Yun Shang jumped off the horse and walked towards Lord Hua Guo. She stopped when she was only a few steps away from him, and raised her hands to show respect. "How have you been, Lord Hua Guo?"


    Lord Hua Guo smiled, but there was bitterness in his smile. Yun Shang had no time to think about why he looked like that. She just glanced at Lord Hua Guo indifferently and said, "since you invite me, I''ll go with you to your camp." Then she raised his hand to order the secret guards behind her to stop. Then she stepped forward and walked up to Lord Hua Guo.


    Lord Hua Guo turned around and found the fire. He frowned, but said nothing. Then he led Yun Shang into the camp.


    After entering the camp, Lord Hua Guo took his seat. "Please have a seat, Princess Hui Guo." Then he looked at Yun Shang''s men''s dress, "how is it proper to dress like a man when you are a girl?"


    Yun Shang smiled and sat down on a chair. She poured herself a cup of tea and a cup on the chair beside, and said, "I''m married to Prince Jing. Lord Hua Guo can just call me ''your highness''." She still remembered that when she was in the Imperial City, she h


    She nodded, turned around the screen, took off her clothes and sat in the bathtub. She let out a sigh of relief, feeling slightly relieved. She needed to have a rest. Tomorrow when the army of the state of Xia knew that the foods were all destroyed, they would probably attack the mountain. It would be very inconvenient for them if the food and plants were dragged off. Surely, Liu Yinfeng would get even with them. He understood this point, They had to get up early tomorrow, so they hoped that the reinforcements could arrive early.


    Yun Shang fell asleep, leaning against the bathtub.


    Qian Yin noticed that Yun Shang had been in the bathroom for a long time and hadn''t come out. There was no sound behind the screen. So Qian Yin hurried to have a look. Yun Shang was leaning against the bathtub with her eyes closed and her head tilted to one side. Apparently she was asleep. Qian Yin was in a daze for a moment. She hurried forward, took Yun Shang out, dried her body, and put on a clean underwear before covering her with a quilt.


    But she had only slept for more than two hour before a voice with a bit of eagerness came from the outside, "Your Highness, are you awake?"


    Qian Yin quickly let the person in, and then walked around the screen to see. Seeing that Yun Shang had already opened her eyes, she asked in a hoarse voice, "what''s wrong?"


    "The enemy launched an attack. Today, the wind changed. As the wind blew to the north, they lit up. The fire was not on, but heavy smoke rose. As the wind blew, the smoke entered the woods!"

 Chapter 297 The Fight And Rumor Began (Part One)

    Yun Shang sprang to her feet and yelled, "the secret guards, go check now. How far is the reinforcements? Give out the order. The whole army, be ready to set off. "


    A husky voice was heard outside. Qian Yin quickly helped Yun Shang to put on her clothes, and then said, "it''s going to be a hard battle today. Your highness, take all the secret guards with you."


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head. "It''s okay. I''ll be fine. You go look for the reinforcements, I will contact you at any time and tell you where I am. If they come, you should quickly bring them to look for me. Since our army is on the north side of the river now, we have to resort to the same way as the army of the state of Xia did when they want to get across the river. Fortunately, we salvage many wooden columns used by the army of the state of Xia to build bridges yesterday, and we have made the wooden columns by ourselves, so the reinforcements are on the south side of the river, which should be faster than us. "


    Qian Yin muttered reluctantly, "I''m not at your side every time."


    "Of course it should be like this. I know that you are very good at martial arts, so you should go to find a reinforcements. If I get trapped in danger, you can easily save me out. But if you are those stout but weak soldiers, I will be worried, because my life is in your hands." Yun Shang said gently.


    "You are right." Qian Yin chuckled.


    Yun Shang walked out of the tent as soon as she got dressed. The army had already gathered outside. She mounted her horse and shouted, "let''s go."


    Indeed, the bridge had been built. Their station was far away from the army of the state of Xia''s. The Xia''s troops were eager to kill Luo Qingyan, so they didn''t have to send any soldiers to hinder the Xia''s camp. Everything went smoothly.


    However, Yun Shang felt anxious before she could find out where the Xia''s troops were. There were only a handful of soldiers. She couldn''t do much by herself.


    "your highness, look! It''s a signal of our reinforcements." The deputy general next to her said suddenly in a joyful voice.


    Yun Shang looked up and saw smoke rising from the mountain in the distance. The signal with the reinforcements was confirmed, which made her feel a little more relieved.


    "Your highn


    the horse again and headed for the middle.


    In no time, he took more than a dozen people to Yun Shang. "This is our supervisor, you are here because you are from the Jingyang city. and we have some questions for you, you just need to give a good answer."


    The men looked at each other and nodded. "Yes, sir!"


    Then Yun Shang asked, "how about the mountain in fire? Is there water in the mountain? Is there anything special? "


    After a long while, someone cautiously said, "Your highness, the mountain opposite is called Yunjin mountain. Since there is a river separated it from Jingyang city, we seldom go up the mountain. There are many wild animals on the mountain, and many of the city''s food is obtained from this mountain by the hunters."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang nodded and whispered, "since the prey is so good, it''s easy for them to rob the prey and drink the blood. But there are so many people on the mountain, and the smoke is so thick now, I''m afraid they can''t stand it."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, all the soldiers fell silent. Suddenly a soldier made a bow and said to Yun Shang, "your highness, I lived on hunting in the past. The Yunjin Mountain not very small, so you don''t need to worry about it. There is a cave at the half way of the mountain. It''s long, but the entrance of the cave was covered by thick trees. That is invisible in a blink of an eye. I fell into it once by accident. I walked for two days and nights before I walked out. The exit of the cave is in apricot village. "

 Chapter 298 The Fight And Rumor Began (Part Two)

    "Apricot village?" Yun Shang ordered loudly, "bring me the map."


    The soldier quickly brought over the map and spread it out. Yun Shang looked around the Jingyang city and finally found the apricot village, but she was also surprised and get the soldier over. "You said that it''s here?"


    The soldier nodded and said, "yes, this is the place. When I arrived at the apricot village, I met my wife. She is from it."


    Yun Shang put her hand on Yunjin mountain which stretched a long distance to her. Then it was Jing Mountain, Qi Mountain and the Apricot Village.


    The soldier continued, "there is water in the cave. I remember there were several pools, no less than ten of which were as big as a pond although not many."


    Yun Shang was glad to hear that. She asked Liu Hua to take the others out, leaving them alone the soldier who said he was once a hunter.


    "What''s your name?" The hunter kept his head down until he heard Yun Shang''s words. When he raised his head and saw Yun Shang, he was stunned.


    "her highness is asking you!" Qi Lang frowned and shouted.


    The soldier immediately said, "Xiao Dabao, my name is Xiao Dabao."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded. "Now the army of our state is very likely to be trapped in the cave you said. You say you are very familiar with the Yunjin mountain. Could you lead the way for us later?"


    When he heard this, a smile appeared on his face. "Yes, your highness."


    Yun Shang told him to wait aside and said to Qi Lang, "if what Xiao Dabao has said is true, the army of Ning and the people shouldn''t be in too much danger at this time. Prince Jing will house the people in the apricot Village, but it''s not a permanent solution to hide in it. Now the army of the state of Xia has no food at all. They must make a quick decision. I think they won''t be waiting for too long before they go up the mountain. If the Xia''s army finds out the cave, we''ll be in great danger. "


    "But, if the cave leads to the apricot village, his royal highness may come out of it directly and bypasse the attack of the army of the state of Xia? If we go there to save them, it is very likely that the Xia''s military will take action. With fewer people here, we might be... " Qi Lang frowned and said in a low voice.


    Yun Shang shook her head, "no, his highness won''t." Yun Shang smiled for a while and said, "I know his highness well. If all the two hundred thousand soldiers disappear from the Yunjin Mountain, the army of the state of Xia would suspect and so the cave cannot be concealed. Then the Xia''s army will go directly from the cave to the apricot village, which will bring disaster to the people there. Moreover, the Xia''s army can invade our state without any hindrance. He won''t take such a risk."


    Qi Lang thought for a while and realized that it was right. He nodded. "What should we do now, your highness?"


    When she was thinking, Yun Shang suddenly stood straight and made a gesture of silence to the people around her. She bowed her head for a long time, raising the corners of her mouth slowly, "What a good news!"


    "What''s wrong, your highness?"


    Yun Shang turned to look at the


    speaking.


    Yun Shang frowned and sighed, "take him out and bury him somewhere."


    Qian Yin hurried forward, "your highness, Liu Yinfeng is in the mountain. Why is his highness going to the deep of the mountain? There are so many soldiers in the foot of the mountain now. Isn''t it better to go down the mountain? "


    Yun Shang felt a dull pain in her chest. She closed her eyes for a while and said, "Xia Houyan sent out his troops this time to kill Prince Jing. The reason why Liu Yinfeng came with his men was that he wanted ti killed Prince Jing alone. There are Xia''s spies in the camp, so the cave must have been exposed. Perhaps it was because... Because his highness thought that Liu Yinfeng brought more than one hundred thousand people to assassinate him, and the army of the state of Xia had only four hundred and seventy thousand left. If he led Liu Yinfeng into the mountains, we would have a much bigger chance of winning... "


    ''He have fought together for so many years, but why did he make such a stupid decision? Does he really think that he is the God of war that he can resist the more than 100000 army of Liu Yinfeng with only fifty thousand people?''


    When Yun Shang was deep in thought, a soldier rushed in. "Your highness, there is news coming from ahead. The Xia''s army spread a rumor that Prince Jing is one of them...and he is the prince of the State of Xia..."


    Yun Shang was even more furious, "nonsense!" Then she raised her voice to the soldier, "I''ll send a message to several generals. Tell them that the Xia''s army''s goal is to shake their minds. If Prince Jing were truly the prince of the state of Xia, how would they set fire to the mountains? They''ve even sent over a hundred thousand soldiers to assassinate Prince Jing. It''s obvious that they want to put Prince Jing to death. Prince Jing is the God of war in the state of Ning, and he have won so many times for the state of Ning. How can they allow others to slander him? In order to stabilize our army, spread my words intactly to the soldiers. If anyone believes the rumor, he will be killed! "

 Chapter 299 Besiege Prince Jing (Part One)

    The commander was silent for a moment before he said, "Your highness, I''m afraid that the rumor will not settle if I am the one to clear it."


    Hearing that, Yun Shang moved her fingers. She was distracted by Prince Jing''s news. She hadn''t thought of anything that the commander could think of. It was probably the same trick by Liu Yinfeng as that. It was set on her. As soon as the rumor came out, he must be sure to know that she was the only one who could settle down the army, because she was not only prince Jing''s wife, but also the princess of the state of Ning.


    Liu Yinfeng wanted to stall her and prevent her from bringing her troops to save Prince Jing. Now that the other generals were all scattered, and she had no one in her hands


    "Qian Yin." Yun Shang turned to Qian Yin, "lead the army..." Yun Shang stopped before she could finish her sentence. Qian Yin was just a maid, and she couldn''t summon the hundred thousand troops at all. Moreover, Liu Yinfeng was good at using the array, but Qian Yin didn''t know anything about it. If she accidentally got into Liu Yinfeng''s killing array, it would be a dead end.


    "Your Highness..." Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang confusedly.


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth, got on the horse, turned it around and said loudly, "all the soldiers take a rest here. I''ll be back soon." Then he galloped down the mountain.


    In the thick forest at the foot of the mountain, a large group of soldiers stood there arguing.


    "The enemy wants to bewitch the soldiers in this way. If you do this, you will be trapped." Wang Chong said anxiously.


    The vice general nodded and said, "but, general, the rumor did shake our morale. There are thousands of soldiers in the Xia army. They are saying everywhere that Prince Jing is the eldest prince of the state of Xia. If that''s the case, then we... are doing this for nothing? "


    "Stupid! How could Prince Jing be the prince of the state of Xia?" Wang Chong asked, pacing back and forth.


    Suddenly, a sound of horse''s hooves came. Wang Chong stood up immediately and commanded, "attention! The whole troops!"


    People sitting or standing behind all stood up, t


    d, "Your Highness, the shadow guards heard the sound of fighting deep in the mountain."


    Yun Shang frowned, and without taking a sip of water, she hurriedly went deeper with her army.


    There were traces left by the secret guards, and corpses were all over the way. Yun Shang was not in the mood to know which side died more, only to ask the soldiers behind her to speed up.


    The closer they walked to the mountain, the colder they felt. Yun Shang gathered her cloak to stay warm, and frowned. It had been two hours. On the way, they only saw the dead body, but not even the sound of fighting.


    "Your Highness!" Yun Shang heard Qian Yin''s voice. Qian Yin and several hundred maids were leading the way. Yun Shang''s heart sank when she saw Qian Yin''s pale face. "What happened?"


    "Your Highness, I saw The body of a shadow guard beside his highness. " Qian Yin said gently.


    Yun Shang clenched her fists. It was hard to tell whether she was happy or sad. Fortunately, it wasn''t Luo Qingyan''s body. However, Prince Jing''s bodyguards were always hidden well and rarely appeared. If they were to appear, it must be because of Prince Jing. The secret guard was dead... This meant that Prince Jing was not only in danger, but also in great danger.


    "Keep going!" Yun Shang said loudly, but she went out of the line and walked to the front. She wanted to be the first one to see Prince Jing no matter if he is alive... Or dead...

 Chapter 300 Besiege Prince Jing (Part Two)

    The prince''s secret guards'' body gradually disappeared, but Yun Shang wasn''t relieved. Instead, her heart sank. She was afraid that there wouldn''t be many people around Prince Jing anymore.


    They walked forward for about another fifteen minutes and heard some noises. Yun Shang turned around and asked, "Qian Yin, did you hear that? Can you hear the fighting? "


    Qian Yin pricked up her ears to the sound. She heard the armor rubbing against each other when the soldier was walking. Qian Yin shook her head and answered, "no, I didn''t hear it."


    But Yun Shang didn''t give up. She kept going forward, and the fight was getting louder and louder.


    "Yes, your highness." Qian Yin exclaimed.


    Yun Shang nodded. She couldn''t restrain her excitement any longer, waved the whip and speeded up her pace.


    "Hold on, your highness." Qian Yin''s voice came from behind, but Yun Shang couldn''t hear it.


    The fighting became more and more clear. It seemed that they were in a place not far away from where there was a lot of grass in the mountain. She could not see it even if she felt the voice was close. After a while, a figure suddenly flew out from behind the grass on the side. Yun Shang avoided it in a hurry. She went through the grass and saw a number of people fighting in front of her.


    Yun Shang took out a dagger and killed a soldier of the state of Xia who was the nearest to her. Then she raised her head and asked, "where is Prince Jing?"


    The soldier''s face was covered in blood, his eyes red with killing intent. He was about to stab Yun Shang with his spear when he suddenly paused before he asked, "who are you?"


    "The reinforcements are here. Take me to Prince Jing as soon as possible." Yun Shang ordered loudly.


    The soldier was a little surprised, but he still didn''t believe what Yun Shang said. He ran to Yun Shang''s back, but didn''t see any reinforcements. He only heard the sound of horse''s hooves and footsteps indistinctly, and turned around with a laugh. "Bros, reinforcements are coming. We are alive!"


    The soldiers cheered. Yun Shang grabbed the soldier and asked him again. "Where is Prince Jing?"


    The soldier came to his senses and hurriedly said, "Prince Jing is deeper in the mountain, followed by the military counselor of the state of Xia, Liu Yinfeng. I''m afraid that there are less than five hundred soldiers left with Prince Jing, and more than twenty thousand people from the state of Xia. "


    Yun Shang was startled. Then she heard Qian Yin gasping for breath. "Slow down, your highness."


    Yun Shang turned around and saw Qian Yin coming over with a horde of soldiers. The soldiers were all in a sorry state as they moved so fast that their flags were tipped a little.


    "Two thousand men are left here to finish up the enemy force. The rest of you follow me." Yun Shang mounted the horse and galloped back.


    Five hundred people vs twenty thousand people, five hundred people vs twenty thousand people...


    The words echoed in Yun Shang''s mind. Every time she thought of them, a knife would slash her heart.


    Not far from Yun Shang, there was a small tree house


    re are only four or five hundred soldiers around me. I guess there are tens of thousands of them. What a big difference in number! Why do you need to form an array?" Prince Jing burst into laughter when he saw the soldiers quickly changed their positions.


    Grinned Liu Yinfeng as well. "Prince Jing is the God of war in the state of Ning. The seventh Prince and the grand councilor Li are both smart people. They had suffered a lot from the prince. I should be more cautious."


    But in the blink of an eye, the array was gradually established. Prince Jing looked around and knew in his heart that Liu Yinfeng array was the Eight-gate Golden Lock Array.


    This was a classic array, and also a common one. It could be attacked but guarded. Once the array door was completely closed, they were trapped in the middle circle, and the array changed with different situation after they were captured. At the beginning, they were on the alert to the enemy, and then it was swallowed by the enemy. They would ensure the absolute safety of the array without mistakes. If Prince Jing had a group of more than 10000 soldiers, Prince Jing was confident of winning. Unfortunately, he only had five hundred soldiers.


    The array had been closed. Prince Jing lowered his eyes and said loudly, "brothers, charge! Today, no matter what, we have to die on this battlefield. I don''t want to be captured alive by them."


    Everyone responded seriously, "yes."


    They picked up their weapons and rushed outside.


    But as soon as Prince Jing''s men attacked the array wall, the formation began to change. The eight doors kept moving. All the people trapped in the array were dead one by one. Prince Jing''s eyes were red with anger, and he rushed straight towards the life gate, with many injuries on his body.


    However, he was stabbed on his legs. Prince Jing fell to the ground. He felt dizzy and buzzing.


    Suddenly, a voice sounded, "Luo Qingyan, live for me!"


    Prince Jing curled his lips into a sneer. He must be dying now. He had an auditory hallucination and thought it was Yun Shang...

 Chapter 301 The Journey Back (Part One)

    Prince Jing heard the rumbling of carriage under him. The carriage shook all of a sudden as the road was not steady. Prince Jing noticed it and found himself rolling in one direction. He wanted to stop, but found that he could not move at all.


    "Alas..." Yun Shang sighed, worried. Then Prince Jing was held by someone. The person put his hand under his arm, pulled him back and rested his head on a soft spot.


    "Driver, the road is bumpy. Walk slowly." The voice came from him. Prince Jing recognized that it was Yun Shang''s voice. Yun Shang, it was his... wife.


    His consciousness gradually came back, and many things came to his mind. He slowly remembered what happened before his coma. He remembered that he had hidden in the mountain with people of the Jingyang City and his soldiers, and hid in a cave under the guidance of the local people. After sending the common people to the village opposite, he and the soldiers hid in the cave. The army of the state of Xia set fire to the mountains. The cave was shrouded in smoke. Fortunately, there were some water and food in the cave, which was fine.


    He was waiting for Yun Shang and her reinforcements. He didn''t want to trust others at first. If it was before, he would have thrown over 200000 people to fight against the army of the state of Xia. Although it was outnumbered, it didn''t mean that he would die. It was just because he trusted Yun Shang once.


    She did come. Although he was unwilling to admit, he was thrilled when he heard the news that she came with troops. At that time, he thought Luo Qingyan, you were screwed.


    But before she arrived, Liu Yinfeng found him. He was the target of Xia Houyan and Liu Yinfeng''s visit to the Jingyang City, but he didn''t expect that Liu Yinfeng would take more than one hundred thousand soldiers to chase and kill him. Liu Yinfeng took him seriously because of more than one hundred thousand soldiers. At that time, he had divided the guards in the Jingyang city into three groups, and he stayed with only fifty thousand people.


    He quickly made a judgment. If he rushed down now,


    y to go home with the snow. Just wait for the snow to stop and then go home. Father has indeed released several secret entrances to the Imperial City, but now that Prince Jing is still in a coma and it snows heavily. Father won''t blame us if we return a little late."


    On the bed, Prince Jing''s heart suddenly sank. When he heard the news of the Qingyan Town, he had guessed that the three of them were heading towards the imperial city. But now, hearing what Yun Shang had said about the emperor, who had issued a few secret orders to order them to go back to the Imperial City, he still felt a little nervous. He was afraid that he couldn''t suppress his real identity in the imperial city.


    Yun Shang pulled down the handkerchief on the wooden rack and soaked it in hot water for a while before she wrung it out and dried it. She went to the bedside to wipe Prince Jing''s face, hands and feet, and threw the handkerchief back into a basin. "It will take two days to move to the next town. We might have to survive out tomorrow. You need to prepare some things for us, and make two more beds for us, and buy more food for us."


    Qian Yin curtsied to Yun Shang before withdrawing.


    After a while, someone knocked on the door again. Yun Shang said "come in", and the door was pushed open. The innkeeper stood outside the door with a middle-aged man, "Sir, this is the doctor in our town..."

 Chapter 302 The Journey Back (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded, "we are businessmen. A few days ago, when we passed through the Jingyang city, we were engaged in a battle between the two armies. my uncle was unlucky to run into the army of the state of Xia, so he was hurt. Now he is still in a coma. Doctor, how about my uncle''s injury?"


    Prince Jing felt a little annoyed. Uncle? But he couldn''t deny the fact that Yun Shang was indeed his niece before their marriage.


    The middle-aged man responded. He straightened the medicine box, sat on the bedside, took Prince Jing''s pulse, and lifted the quilt to check the injury on his body.


    "I heard that Jingyang city was burnt, and now it is completely destroyed. Is it real?" the shopkeeper, who was busy in listening, asked.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said: "sure."


    "What a pity! A city was destroyed. But I heard that the commoners were all right. It''s said that Prince Jing and his wife saved the commoners together." He paused and said awkwardly, "I''m sorry that I have said too much. Please don''t mind it. By the way, I heard that in Jingyang City, it was Lady Jing who saved the prince and beat the army of the state of Xia up. They have to withdraw to the state of Xia with the defeated troops. Is that true?"


    Qian Yin was pouring water for them, and was back just at the moment. Hearing the shopkeeper''s question, she giggled, "of course it is. That day we were among the Jingyang city''s people. Prince Jing was hurt, and Lady Jing was furious. She broke the array of the military Councilor of the state of Xia, and beat the army of Xia to pieces..." She wanted to continue, but Yun Shang stopped her with a glance.


    Hearing this, the shopkeeper widened his eyes. "Prince Jing is the God of war. I didn''t expect that even his wife is also so powerful. Now the state of Xia is likely to be knocked to the ground." "Yesterday, the lame old man in the town said that he didn''t believe a woman could be so powerful. Today, I will go to rub it in his face. Ha ha..." he continued, satisfied.


    The physician had examined Prince Jing thoroughly. He stood up and said to Yun Shang, "this gentleman is seriously injured, with several severe injuries on his body. It''s a miracle that he doesn''t die. But the wounds on his body have been healed well without inflamed, and the wounds healed slowly in winter. Here are some medicines for him. Boil them and drink them. It''s good for the wounds to heal. "


    Yun Shang nodded, turned to Qian Yin, and ordered, "go with the physician to get the medicine."


    Qian Yin said yes, and followed the physician out of the door. On hearing the physician''s voice outside the door, Yun Shang heard him speak, "prepare three and a half bowls of water, and boil two bowls of warm water..."


    Yun Shang walked to the door and closed it. Then she went to the bed. After checking the wound, the physician revealed the inner part of Prince Jing''s body and found that Prince Jing''s clothes were not properly dressed, which made Yun Shang''s heart beat fast. She quickly covered the clothes and took out a book from the luggage.


    ou and his highness first."


    Yun Shang nodded. When she took Prince Jing''s arm and was about to walk out, she heard an empty sound behind her. "Where are we going?"


    "Be careful, your highness..." Qian Yin said.


    Yun Shang avoided the attack. Qian Yin was about to save her, but was trapped in the room under the siege of two killers in front and back. Yun Shang leaned against the handrail and looked at the masked man who was raising his sword toward her, then holding Prince Jing in her arms, she moved away again. That man was a kung fu master. He was good at Kung Fu and his moves were malicious, targeting the vital parts. If Yun Shang was alone, she could have a fight with him, and she wouldn''t lose. But she had to look after the unconscious Luo Qingyan by her side, so it was hard for her to hide from him. Without weapons in hand, she was at a disadvantage.


    A slashing sword wind blew. Yun Shang took two steps back and tried to avoid it, but behind her was the staircase. Accidentally, she stepped over and tilted her body. She fell downstairs, but she was still holding Prince Jing tightly and wouldn''t let him go.


    "Watch out, your highness!" Qian Yin had already noticed the situation here. She was shocked when she saw Yun Shang falling down the stairs. Qian Yin wanted to come to her rescue, but was stopped by the assassin. Qian Yin fought with her sword, but she was one step behind.


    Just then, the man in Yun Shang''s arms suddenly opened his eyes. he reached out his hands and held Yun Shang''s waist. With a somersault in his arms, he fell down to the ground. Since he just woke up, his body was somewhat out of control, and he had a wound in his body, so his strength was insufficient. But he stumbled back several steps before he could barely stood on his feet.


    Yun Shang was surprised. She turned her head and fell into a pair of black eyes. She couldn''t see the expressions on the face beside her in the dark.


    "Shang''er..." The man spoke in a hoarse voice, and Yun Shang''s eyes welled up with tears somehow.

 Chapter 303 Promise (Part One)

    Suddenly, there was a sound coming from above. Yun Shang realized that she was still in danger. She stood straight and turned to meet the man.


    And she had to take care of Prince Jing just now. Now without obstacle, she was more handy even without weapons.


    Prince Jing wanted to help her. But the wound on his foot was so serious that he could barely stand.


    Fortunately, Yun Shang didn''t fall behind. She moved so fast that ordinary people couldn''t see her movements clearly, or even the masked killer was dazzled by her. Qian Yin upstairs had killed a killer. She took a look downstairs and felt relieved when she saw that the two were fine. She picked up the sword of the dead killer and threw it to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, catch it! "


    Yun Shang caught it swiftly, swayed to the back of the assassin, and stabbed the sword heavily on his body.


    The man''s eyes widened in disbelief. The person who placed the orders said that Prince Jing''s wife was a weak woman and knew nothing about Kung Fu, but why...


    The murderous look in Yun Shang''s eyes grew more. She jumped upstairs. As several of the secret guards were hurt, she rushed to help them. Fortunately, the assassins upstairs were much worse at martial arts than the masked man, and was not difficult to deal with. After a short while, all the assassins were taken out. Qian Yin was about to stab the last assassin with her sword, but Yun Shang stopped her. "Qian Yin, stop. Take him away for interrogation."


    Hearing this, Qian Yin stopped, nodded, and quickly broke the assassin''s hand and foot, handing them to the secret guard on the side.


    After that, Yun Shang remembered that Prince Jing had waken up. She turned around and saw Prince Jing standing against the wall, with his eyes fixed on Yun Shang. Prince Jing smiled at Yun Shang when he saw her. His eyes were full of tenderness.


    Yun Shang felt her heart beating fast. After a long time of silence, she walked to Prince Jing and stared at him for a long time. Then she smiled with satisfaction. "You really wake up?"


    "I am awake." Prince Jing said gently, "thank you, your highness."


    Yun Shang nodded, "let me


    r a while and lowered his voice a little. "Thank you for taking care of me these days."


    Yun Shang blushed. She raised her hand to smooth the hair near her ear, and whispered, "I''m glad you''re fine." Then she lifted the quilt and looked at Prince Jing''s leg. "Let me check your wound." Then she lifted his pants and showed the leg wrapped with gauze. Her eyes darkened. The blood had penetrated the gauze and a dark red suffused the leg.


    Yun Shang raised her hand to remove the gauze. The original healed wounds cracked, which looked much more horrifying than when the wounds were new. Yun Shang sighed, "it''s a pity that I don''t have any good medicine on my body. The best medicine for wound is the in the palace. I''ll get some for you after returning to the imperial city. The wounds will heal more quickly."


    Hearing the name of Imperial City, Prince Jing moved his hand and stopped smiling. ''Imperial City. I don''t know what is waiting for me.''


    Yun Shang noticed the abnormality of Prince Jing. She took his hand and said seriously, without a smile on her face. "When I knew that Xia Houyan was in the Jingyang City with his soldiers, I guessed that he went there because of your identity, so I sent a letter without asking for your opinion to my father and mother, and told them your identity..."


    Prince Jing was a little surprised, but then he smiled. "I''ve thought of the same thing. I''ve written it to my brother."

 Chapter 304 Promise (Part Two)

    They didn''t say what they were thinking about, but they exchanged an understanding look. Prince Jing took hold of Yun Shang''s hand, restrained his smile and sighed. "At that time, I really thought that I would never be able to see you again. What annoyed me most was that I didn''t even have the time to tell you that I had a crush on you. Later on, i think that we have been married for more than half a year, but we are always separated from each other. I haven''t had time to accompany you. Then I started to regret marrying you. I''m afraid you''ll marry someone else sooner or later if I''m dead. Thinking that maybe someone else will hold your hand, or that they will do something more intimate with you, I got furious. Fortunately, God heard me crying. I was still alive after all... "


    Yun Shang didn''t expect these words from Prince Jing. She stared at him as if she didn''t understand what he meant.


    Prince Jing was not in a hurry. He smiled, holding Yun Shang''s hand, and whispered, "my identity is something no matter what it is. There will be a way to solve it. It''s okay. But I hope that no matter what my identity is, I promise you that you will be my only wife. No matter what happens, you will be with me."


    Yun Shang remained speechless for a while. Then she suddenly remembered her first concerto with him, a song called courting a Phoenix, which he said she must be the one to play together with him.


    She was surprised and wondered why she suddenly thought of such a thing. She smiled and thought that maybe fate had been decided at that time.


    "Okay." Yun Shang raised her head and said determinedly, "it''s my pleasure to have such an outstanding Prince to accompany me."


    Prince Jing was overjoyed and full of love for Yun Shang.


    "Master, the doctor is here."


    There came the voice of secret guards. Yun Shang was startled. She quickly bowed her head, stood up and opened the door, "just go in. I''ll go to see if Qian Yin''s food is ready." Then she ran away as fast as she could.


    Puzzled, the secret guard looked at Yun Shang for a while, and asked the physician to get in, only to find Prince Jing smiling at him. The physician paused, and turned to the secret guard, "Sir, let the physician have a look at your wound."


    Prince Jing said "yes", and the doctor went to him at once...


    Since Prince Jing was awake, they came back to the imperial city faster. As Prince Jing said, there will be a solution. Thinking of that, a smile appeared on Yun Shang''s face. She kept her eyes on a book, but didn''t turn a page for a long time.


    Prince Jing leaned against the carriage wall and had a rest with his eyes closed. The atmosphere in the carriage was warm.


    "Your Highnesses, we are going to enter the city." There was the secret guard''s voice coming from outside. Yun Shang lifted the curtain of the window and looked outside. She was indeed at the gate of the imperial city. She was prepared for it, but still felt heavy.


    The guards at the gat


    it still hurts. And my feet are not strong enough. Besides, I''m supported when I walk. I think I look like a disabled person now."


    Emperor Ning paused before he continued, "we have to call the imperial physician. The wound cannot be delayed. What if it gets worse?" Then he asked Lord Zheng to come in and sent for the imperial physician.


    Prince Jing didn''t refuse him and smiled.


    Yun Shang looked back and forth between the two men in surprise. She thought her father would lose his temper, but it seemed that nothing had happened between the two men, just as they had been together before.


    But she was more worried. She almost forgot that her father was the emperor of the state, and Prince Jing was the God of war that the enemy would tremble with fear. Such two people would never easily expose their true emotions. However, the more they hid themselves, the more dangerous they were. She really couldn''t figure out what they were thinking.


    Emperor Ning''s eyes, however, turned to Yun Shang, and smiled in a softer way. "You have made a splash this time. I heard that you lead troops to fight more and more well in the KY City and Jingyang City. I''ve already received some compliments from several generals, and they are all very appreciated for you. I don''t know, shang''er is actually so capable.You have really given me a good scare. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang laughed. "Father is cheated by those generals again. I''m a princess as well as Lady Jing. How dare they let me fight with them myself? It''s just a slip of the tongue in the camp. The soldiers in the border are all experienced generals. They''re independent. The battle must be the reward of the generals who went to fight. I dare not take the credit. These generals praised me so much. They must think that I''m the daughter of his majesty. It''s always good to flatter me. If my father is happy, he might reward them handsomely. father, you can''t be easily fooled by them. These generals are very cunning. "

 Chapter 305 Change In The Palace (Part One)

    "Really?" Emperor Ning squinted at Yun Shang with an amiable smile. "Did the generals bully you? Tell me, what happened? How dare he bully my shang''er? I won''t spare them easily. "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said indifferently, "father, you''re overthinking things. I always know myself well. I''m a girl from a family that has nothing to do with the military strategies in the deep palace. Besides, I don''t know much about war. I know nothing about war. So I have to listen to those generals." A murderous look passed her eyes as she finished her words. But it disappeared in an instant. Yun Shang knew that emperor Ning must have seen it.


    Prince Jing turned around as soon as she finished speaking. There was a touch of coldness in his eyes. He curved his lips into a mocking smile and said, "you are so kind, shang''er. The guards at the border take care of their local villains without the help of others. But they went too far. Not only didn''t they listen to you, but they also didn''t care about my shang''er''s well-being. Yun Shang was taken to the army of the state of Xia''s camp, and hurt by the toxic smoke from Liu Yinfeng''s array. If I didn''t arrive in time and took Qing Cang with me, who was good at arrays, I was afraid that shang''er would... "


    After a pause, Prince Jing lowered his head and snorted coldly.


    Blue veins stood out on emperor Ning''s forehead. He slapped the imperial case heavily, and asked, "who on earth has the audacity to do that?" is it Qi Lang? I''ll skin him alive. "


    However, Yun Shang stepped forward, took emperor Ning''s hand and said gently, "father, I''m fine. Besides, general Qi should be rewarded for leading the army to win the battle. But general Qi is too old to fight on the battlefield. What about my father appoint him as a free officer? How about just letting him retire. "


    The emperor kept silent for a while. Then he nodded, "okay. I''ll follow your advice."


    Just after that, a voice outside, "Lady Jin is here."


    Lady Jin? Yun Shang was surprised and delighted. Perhaps her father promoted her rank because her mother gave birth to Chenxi. Thinking of this, she turned around, lookin


    he grand councilor had the empress grounded. The grand councilor was the traitor. If his daughter holds the position of the empress again, it would probably incur dissatisfaction from all the courtiers."


    Lady Jin remained silent for a moment and sighed. "His majesty has decreed that Li Yiran''s position of empress be abolished."


    Abolish the empress... Yun Shang couldn''t help squinting. Since Li Yiran had been abolished, no one else in the imperial household could assume the title of an empress other than her mother. Moreover, her father hasn''t had a son yet. Why did her mother just be promoted as a lady, not the empress?


    Yun Shang''s fingers were a little hot on the tea cup. After a long while, she asked an irrelevant question. "The grand councilor Li has also been abolished. Who is the new grand councilor now?"


    "Jing Kui, the former Head of the Court of Rites." Lady Jin paused and said softly.


    Yun Shang almost knocked over the cup. She knew who he was, but she didn''t care who he was. The most important thing was that he was Jing Wenxi''s father.


    Yun Shang''s eyes flashed with anger, "Head of the Court of Rites? How could he be the grand councilor? What about Jing Wenxi? "


    Lady Jin kept silent longer this time. Yun Shang didn''t get any response from her, so she looked up at madam Zheng and asked, "madam, tell me, what on earth happened when I was away? How come Jing Kui become the grand councilor? "

 Chapter 306 Change In The Palace (Part Two)

    Madam Zheng let out a sigh, and glanced at Lady Jin. She knew that lady Jin didn''t look well, but she didn''t stop her, so she said, "Li Jingyan is in rebellion, and the court is not stable. Jing Kui almost used up all his wealth, and placed the officials one by one. He convinced the people who were supposed to be Li Jingyan''s party to wipe out all the hidden forces of the Li clan in the imperial city. His majesty sealed him to become the grand Councilor. His majesty made a decree for the first time, but Jing Kui want to disobey. He told the emperor that his daughter has offended Princess Yun Shang and Prince Jing, and she''s still in prison now. He''s only asking the emperor to spare his daughter. "


    Yun Shang sniggered and said coldly, "so my father let Jing Wenxi go and personally asked Jing Kui to be the position of the grand Councilor. He might have allowed his daughter to marry him and be one of his concubines or even the empress, right?" The more Yun Shang said, the angrier she felt in her heart.


    Lady Jin remained silent for a moment. She held Yun Shang''s hand and shook her head with a smile. "Shang''er, I don''t care about that. I have you. And now I have Chenxi. That''s enough."


    Yun Shang''s fingers trembled slightly. "It''s my fault, mother. If I didn''t punish her for what she did in Laifeng City so quickly, this result wouldn''t have happened." The coldness in her eyes increased. "I''m afraid the Jing Kui is not stupid. he pleaded with his majesty to let Jing Wenxi go. he said that Jing Wenxi got into prison because she liked Prince Jing and offended me. But he never mentioned that she was so vicious that she almost killed Chenxi." Speaking of which, Yun Shang noticed a touch of depression in Lady Jin''s face. It occurred to her that Chenxi was her mother''s child. She and her son were linked in love. Jing Wenxi treated Chenxi like that, and mother must hate her. But now her father...


    Yun Shang stood up, "mother, why don''t I take you to Prince Jing''s mansion to live for a while?"


    Lady Jin smiled at Yun Shang''s words.


    oned it to him several times."


    "Well..." Lady Jin murmured, "what are you going to do? Now your father has known about it. Based on his character, he will not let it go. Since he suffered such a big loss from the army of the state of Xia, it is not the right time for him to know Prince Jing''s identity... "


    Yun Shang was worried too, but she said, "it doesn''t matter. His highness must have found a way to deal with it..."


    Lady Jin looked at Yun Shang for a long time and said, "what will you do if Prince Jing goes to the state of Xia?"


    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "I have married him. Wherever he goes, I should follow him. Don''t worry about me, mother. I''m not a weak woman, and I won''t lose no matter what happens. "


    Lady Jin wasn''t so worried after hearing Yun Shang''s words. She smiled and said, "a few days ago when your grandfather came to the Imperial City, I told him about you. Then I learned that you had a very wonderful time when you were not in the palace. Your grandfather was the Grand Tutor before, and has a high opinion of himself. He speaks highly of you. I think you are an outstanding one too, so I don''t have to worry about you. "


    Yun Shang giggled. "I was naughty when I was with grandfather. I pranked him so badly, so he was bound to say something nice about me. He is just afraid that I might set him up again if I''m not happy."

 Chapter 307 Change In The Palace (Part Three)

    "You naughty girl..." Lady Jin pointed at Yun Shang''s brows, and shook her head with a smile. "Your grandfather has just left the imperial city for a few days. He said that you asked him to do something for you, and he take Qin Yi with him too. What did you tell him to do?"


    Yun Shang didn''t realize it until lady Jin brought it up. "Oh, I forgot. Grandpa has done a big thing for me. I can''t tell you now. But mother will know it in a few days."


    While they were talking, Emperor Ning''s voice came from outside. "I heard your laugh in the distance. What are you talking about?"


    Seeing that the smile on Lady Jin''s face disappeared when she heard the voice, Yun Shang couldn''t help but sigh in her heart. Then she stood up as if nothing had happened, and bowed to Emperor Ning who came in. "Father, mother just scolded me for being bold, because I ran to the battlefield alone. In order to amuse mother, I told her about the awkwardness I had in ning''guo temple before. Master Wu Na didn''t allow me to eat meat in the temple, and I had eaten vegetables for a long time. One day I really wanted to eat meat, but I don''t know where it is. When I saw Master Wu Na raise a few pigeons, I secretly asked Qin Yi to kill them and roast them. This really pissed Master Wu Na off. "


    The emperor laughed heartily, but he didn''t notice the coldness in Yun Shang''s eyes. "You were so naughty when you were a child, and I''m afraid you have a restless mind when you were in Ningguo temple. It''s a miracle that Master Wu Na was didn''t report this to me."


    Yun Shang smiled with him and walked to Prince Jing. With the help of a servant, Yun Shang helped Prince Jing to sit down on a chair. "I''m in a hurry on my way these days. Mother, please let someone cook a delicious meal for me."


    Lady Jin smiled and nodded. "Okay." Then she looked at Prince Jing''s leg and frowned. "Prince Jing was hurt?"


    Prince Jing was already seated. Hearing lady Jin''s question, he raised his head and nodded with a smile. "In Jingyang City, we were trapped by the Xia''s army,


    ."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang frowned and let out a sigh. "In my childhood, sister cared for me very much, but later..." Then she took hold of Lady Jin''s hand and said, "mother, don''t worry. I will take good care of Chenxi. If someone dares to hurt him, I will not spare that person, and will always protect him as much as I can."


    Lady Jin smiled. "I trust you."


    Emperor Ning looked back and forth between Lady Jin and Yun Shang for a long time. Finally, he just frowned and didn''t speak. Yun Shang pretended nothing had happened and chatted with him happily.


    Emperor Ning hadn''t stayed in Jinxiu palace for a long time. Then he saw Lord Zheng come in a hurry and greet the emperor. Then he looked up at Prince Jing, Yun Shang and Lady Jin, without saying anything more.


    Seeing that lady Jin was wearing a happy smile because of Yun Shang, Emperor Ning asked casually. "What''s wrong?"


    Master Zheng hesitated for a moment and said, "Miss Jing is looking for his majesty..."


    Yun Shang raised her head and frowned, "Miss Jing? Which Miss Jing? But as far as I know, Miss Jing of the imperial city must be Jing Wenxi, Head of the Court of Rites Jing Kui''s daughter. I remember that she gave Chenxi a handkerchief that a patient had used and make him ill. Chenxi got a pimple and almost died. That''s why I locked her in prison. Has she been released? "

 Chapter 308 Wedding Night (Part One)

    Emperor Ning was embarrassed. He smiled and said, "you are right. Master Jing has helped me a lot these days. The court is now in decline, and there are few people in use. So, he pled for me to let his daughter out and I have to agree. Besides, Chenxi is fine. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang felt colder in her heart. But she didn''t show it on her face. She just lowered her head and said gently, "since father has released the culprit, I can''t say anything more." Then she seemed to remember something, and turned to Prince Jing, "it''s just that Miss Jing has been professing her love for Prince Jing several times. Since father said that Master Jing was indebted to you in the state of Ning, why not follow Miss Jing''s idea? Father, why don''t you appoint Miss Jing as Prince Jing''s concubine? Although I''m not in a good temper, I don''t mind being an ungrateful person. I''m sure I can get along well with Miss Jing. "


    All the people in the room were shocked. Emperor Ning glanced at Yun Shang, and turned to lady Jin. Lady Jin was also surprised. Emperor Ning kept silent for a moment and turned to Yun Shang, "shang''er..."


    But Prince Jing said suddenly, "I don''t want any side wife."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and took Prince Jing''s hand, "Miss Jing has been in love with you for so many years. I''m so lucky that I''ve taken your love. Miss Jing''s appearance is pretty good among the girls of the Imperial City..."


    But Prince Jing cut in before Yun Shang could finish speaking. "So what?"


    "What?" Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing with a puzzled look.


    Prince Jing sneered, "even if she is good, so what? There are so many people in the world who are more beautiful than her, and there are many people who love me. Am I supposed to marry all of them? " He paused for a while and slowly raised the corners of his mouth. "I have promised you that I will only marry you in this life. No matter how wonderful other people are, it has nothing to do with me."


    Although Yun Shang had expected this answer, she couldn''t help standing there with a faint sense of joy in her heart.


    Emperor Ning paused again and then hurried to say, "Sin


    aled the secret stronghold of the Li clan, making great contributions. Now that he is to be conferred the title of the grand councilor, but my father actually wants to marry his daughter Jing Wenxi as the empress. What''s more, my father even asked my mother to prepare the grand ceremony. I''m afraid that this is also Jing Wenxi''s idea. If she really becomes the empress, I''m afraid that my mother and Chenxi will have a hard time, and I won''t allow it. ''. I said that on purpose today just to sound out my father''s attitude... "


    Seeing that Prince Jing didn''t turn over the pages for a long time, Yun Shang smiled and continued, "you have seen my father''s attitude. I don''t know what magic Jing Wenxi poured on my father. She can''t get rid of her. I can''t feel at ease."


    Prince Jing kept silent for a while and said, "you want your mother to be the empress?"


    "What?" Yun Shang hesitated. "Why not?"


    Prince Jing shook his head and said, "No. Don''t you know how long you have lived in the palace? The empress is actually an arrow target. The women in the palace are all very troublesome. If your mother becomes the empress, who knows what they will do to her? I don''t think she is suitable to be the empress. "


    Yun Shang thought for a while and had to admit what Prince Jing said was true. "But I can''t let Jing Wenxi be the empress. The empress can''t be Lady Jin, neither can she be a woman who will hurt mother."

 Chapter 309 Wedding Night (Part Two)

    "If you don''t like her, just get rid of her and keep your hands and feet clean." Prince Jing put his eyes back to the book. When Yun Shang was thinking about how to deal with Jing Wenxi thoroughly, Prince Jing said, "so you took me as an excuse for such a small thing? Have you ever thought about what will happen if your father really agrees to let her marry me? "


    Yun Shang was surprised. What happened? Why did he mention it again?


    Noticing that Prince Jing was not in good mood, Yun Shang hesitated for a long time. Noticing that Prince Jing was getting more and more angry, Yun Shang said in a hurry, "if my father agrees, I''ll go to Jing Wenxi''s mansion and skin her alive. I won''t let those who have coveted you go."


    "¡­¡­" Prince Jing''s hand trembled slightly. "It sounds better." But he curled up his lips.


    Yun Shang didn''t know what he meant. She looked at Prince Jing, and saw him put down his book and lay down on the bench. "The medicine is cold. Go to heat it and bring it back."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang was speechless. She murmured, "What a prick!" But she smiled and walked out with the medicine bowl.


    After Prince Jing took the medicine, it was time for him to rest. Yun Shang helped him wash himself and then asked Qian Yin to clean up. After that, she walked out of the bathroom and found Prince Jing lying in bed.


    Yun Shang smiled, walked to the bed, took off her shoes, and lay down. "What did you say to father in qinzheng hall today? He... Having known your identity, have he made things difficult for you? "


    Prince Jing reached out his hands and held Yun Shang in his arms. Yun Shang heard him laugh in a low voice, and was shocked in her chest. "He doesn''t know how the emperor of the state of Xia will react after he knows I''m here. So he won''t dare to hurt me for the time being. Moreover, I have promised some conditions. Now there is no outstanding general in the state of Ning. After the accident of Li Jingyan, the north is still fighting with the state of Yelang, and the loss is also huge. He has to weigh what he is doing now. Even though sometimes I look down upon your father, I have to admit that he is a qualified emperor who knows how to care about the interests. "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while. She was depressed. Her father was indeed a qualified emperor, but not a good husband and father. Was every man like this, or just the emperor? As far as she was concerned, she was told by Mr. Qing Cang that she would be the empress. She wondered if Prince Jing would be just like his father if he became the emperor. Would he take many women as his concubines like father did?


    Prince Jing seemed to understand what Yun Shang was thinking. He curved his lips and whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "I didn''t say these words casually. I''m 28 years old now, and there are many things in the world that are clearly discerned. It''s enough for me to have you. No matter what reason I think in the future, it''


    ry box my mother gave me. She told me about this, and the madam also told me..."


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang looked up and said, "well, let me serve you. But I''m afraid that both of us will feel uncomfortable for the first time. We''ll go through this."


    Prince Jing''s face darkened when he heard Yun Shang''s casual tone. He sneered, "where is your makeup box?"


    Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing strangely. She didn''t understand why he did that, but she point it to Prince Jing instead. Prince Jing threw back the quilt and got out of bed. He went to the dresser and opened it. He rummaged through the dresser for a while and finally found the book.


    Prince Jing took out the book and opened it. His expression was subtle. Yun Shang knew what he wanted to do at this moment. Her face became more flushed. She lowered her head and buried her head into the quilt. Her heart was overwhelmed with warmth.


    After a short while, footsteps were heard. Prince Jing sank into the bed, and got on. He lifted the quilt, and pinned Yun Shang under him before she could react. Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing in a daze, and saw he frowned and looked a little strange. After a while, she heard him saying, "I saw the pictures in the book were strange. I''m afraid you''ll be uncomfortable. I heard that...the first time a woman gives her virginity was extremely painful. I don''t want to see you hurt, but shang''er, I hope you can stay by my side forever. I think I really have fallen in love with you. Are you willing to give yourself to me? I will never disappoint you... "


    Yun Shang was at a loss for words after a long pause. Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face. The man, who had never panicked even in the presence of thousands of troops, panicked at the sight of her tears. He yelled, "if you''re afraid of pain, I won''t do this with you. Just don''t cry... "


    "Let''s do this," Yun Shang said in a low voice, with unprecedented firmness.

 Chapter 310 Emperor Nings Visit (Part One)

    "What did you say?" Prince Jing was shocked, his eyes burning with excitement and cautiousness. "What did you say, shang''er?"


    Yun Shang smiled happily. It was not easy to see the embarrassment of the mighty prince.


    "I said yes, let''s do this." She repeated her words with a big smile on her face.


    Prince Jing couldn''t help but curl his lips. He lowered his head to kiss her. The longer he looked at her, the thirstier he became.


    They finally had sex.


    The next morning, when Yun Shang woke up, she felt sore all over her body. As Prince Jing had already got up, she didn''t want to get up from the bed, and rolled on the bed with her eyes closed. Suddenly she heard a chuckle beside the bed. Yun Shang stiffened at the sound. When she opened her eyes, she saw Qian Yin standing beside the bed with a smile, and a obvious ridicule in her eyes.


    Yun Shang opened her mouth wide and immediately touched her body. Fortunately, Prince Jing had sex with her over and over again, regardless of her virginity. He still remembered to take care of her body. She was very dry, and her underwear was well dressed.


    Qian Yin... She didn''t know what happened last night, did she? Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and wondered.


    Qian Yin snickered and took out a red egg from behind. "Your Highness, get up to eat the red eggs. Early this morning his highness asked someone to cook many red eggs and gave them to every servant in the mansion. I heard that the housekeeper seemed to go out just now. It seems that he is going to send the eggs to someone who is your friends in the imperial city."


    "What?" Yun Shang almost spewed out a mouthful of water. There was a custom in the state of Ning: if a man and a woman marry and the man feel satisfied with a woman, the man will boil some red eggs to distribute to the servants and friends in the mansion, and the meaning of blessing. If Prince Jing kept on like this, wouldn''t everyone in the mansion know what happened last night?


    Well, if father, mother and Jing Wenxi knew it, things would get worse?


    Qian Yin understood Yun Shang''s worries. She raised the red stained egg in her hand, and looked at it for a long time. "Bu


    "


    Prince Jing sat opposite Yun Shang, smiling. His eyes were full of tenderness. "It doesn''t matter. Didn''t you say it? I passed out because my wound was torn open. Even if his majesty is angry with me, he won''t show it to me. But we have to be prepared. His majesty will come soon. "


    "Yes..." Yun Shang kept silent for a while. Then she understood that as Prince Jing had a special identity now, his Majesty must be on guard against him. He had just returned to the imperial city and fainted because of an injury. His Majesty was a skeptical man. He would definitely doubt him and would come to verify if he had doubts.


    Yun Shang asked Prince Jing to lie down on the bed, and then asked Qian Yin to come in and help her comb her hair. After that, she also asked Qian Yin to keep an eye on the palace, and took a stool to the bed and read a book.


    Within an hour, the servant told Prince Jing that emperor Ning had brought Jing Wenxi to his mansion.


    Yun Shang squinted and turned to Qian Yin, "Jing Wenxi?"


    Qian Yin nodded, "yes. I have found out that his majesty has released a decree declaring that Jing Wenxi is the empress on the third day of March. "


    "Really?" Yun Shang squinted, "has the imperial edict been issued?"


    After that, she asked Qian Yin to bring the tea from the table. Then he sneered, "it seems that I should have thought of a way to deal with it earlier. Isn''t imperial edict issued to all the towns soon?"

 Chapter 311 Emperor Nings Visit (Part Two)

    Prince Jing nodded and replied, "it should be the case. Since the imperial edict has been issued, someone will immediately send it to post at post houses, and it will be posted soon."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and came up with an idea. "Jing Wenxi wants to be the empress, doesn''t she? I will not do as she wishes. " Then she called her secret guards over. "Call in all the secret guards in the state of Ning and order them to pay attention to the imperial edict to be posted, and we''ll take action that night, you..."


    After the princess gave her order, the secret guards hid themselves. A eunuch sang outside, "here comes his majesty."


    Yun Shang heard him and turned to the door. Emperor Ning came in, followed by Jing Wenxi in carmine. Yun Shang squinted. Jing Wenxi had changed a lot, and her appearance was even more outstanding than several months ago.


    The abnormality was a demon. Yun Shang thought to herself, but she pretended to be calm. "father, you are here."


    Emperor Ning nodded and looked at Prince Jing, who was staring at him on the bed. Emperor Ning''s face fell. "I''ve heard that Prince Jing''s wound was torn and he''s in a coma. I''m worried, so I come to see him."


    Hearing this, Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang, confused. Then he turned around and said, "brother, how do you know? I was just messing around with shang''er, so I hurt my wound and passed out. Now that I''ve woken up, I''ll be fine. "


    Emperor Ning looked at Yun Shang''s flushed face and sat down on the bed, smiling. "You have spoiled her a lot. You should take good care of yourself since you haven''t recovered."


    When Yun Shang saw emperor Ning put his hand into the quilt and feel the prince''s wound, her expression changed. Yun Shang thought to herself coldly, ''it seems that father really suspects Prince Jing. It''s lucky that I''m sleeping late, so there''s still some warmth left in the quilt, or the quilt would be used to reveal the secret.''.


    "Do you need a doctor? I was in a hurry to go out of the Imperial Palace, so I forgot to bring you an imperial physician. When I return to the Imperial Palace, I will tell the imperial physician to check on you and bring you some better medicine." Emperor Ning continued.


    Prince Jing nodded with a smile, "thank you, your majesty."


    While they were talking, a maid came in with a medicine bowl in her hand. She looked up and saw emperor Ning''s emperor robe. At the sound of "bang", the medicine bowl fell to the ground and broke. The maid seemed to be awakened by the sound. She shivered heavily and fell to her knees. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Your highness, please forgive me! I was just too


    . After dinner, Prince Jing was already on bed before the light was turned off and had a rest. He stared at Yun Shang with a gleam in his eyes.


    Being stared at by Prince Jing like this, Yun Shang felt flushed and had no idea where to hide. She immediately put on her cloak and lied down on the couch. She muttered, "my prince, please don''t get into trouble with me. I have to wait for the news tonight."


    Prince Jing raised his eyebrows. He looked a little disappointed, but the disappointment didn''t last for less than fifteen minutes. Prince Jing kept his eyes on the lady who was reading on the couch. The dim light reflected the lady''s gentle face, making his mind wander. Prince Jing lifted the quilt and walked down, with a smile on his face. "It seems that your highness likes this couch very much.This couch is a little narrow, but I think it must be interesting. How about... "


    Before he finished, he fell down on Yun Shang''s body. Yun Shang was startled. She shouted at him, "beast!".


    It was a night of love-making in the room.


    However, it didn''t seem very peaceful in the Imperial City tonight.


    "Dong! ¡ª¡ªBang! "Clunk!" The bell rang again. The watch man called, "it''s too dry today. Watch out for the candle..." As soon as he finished speaking, he yawned. As soon as he raised his eyes, he saw the burning light in the direction of the imperial palace. Startled, he almost knelt down, and quickly knocked the bronze gongs in his hands countless times, shouting, "the imperial palace is on fire..."


    Many people in the imperial city and the imperial palace were awakened. Emperor Ning just finished correcting the memorial and was sleepy when he heard the guards speak with a bit of panic, "Your Majesty, your majesty, Qiwu palace is on fire!"

 Chapter 312 The Bloody Imperial Edict (Part One)

    Hearing this, Emperor Ning sobered up. He sat up in a hurry, ordered the eunuchs to change, and ordered master Zheng to prepare a carriage to Qiwu palace.


    When Emperor Ning arrived, he found the whole Qiwu palace was bathed in flames. Frowning, he called in the Imperial Guard. "What''s going on? Why did the Qiwu palace catch a fire? "


    The Commander of Yulin Guard, remained silent for a long time before kneeling down to Emperor Ning. "Your Majesty, please punish me for my negligence."


    "Punish you?" Emperor Ning sneered, raised his foot and gave the imperial guard a hard kick. "If you want to be punished, you have to put out the fire. Hurry up!"


    Suddenly, a loud bang was heard and the beams of flames on the roof of the main hall of the Qiwu palace had already collapsed. The flames were splashing. Master Zheng quickly pulled emperor Ning back and said, "Your Majesty, it''s dangerous here. You''d better go back to the qinzheng hall first. The commander is there. Come back after the fire subsides."


    Emperor Ning''s face changed for a long time. He nodded and then turned around. "Where is lady Jin?"


    Master Zheng didn''t understand why emperor Ning asked so, but he hurriedly called the eunuch to Jinxiu palace.


    Emperor Ning squinted at the Qiwu palace for a long time. Then he got in a carriage and went back to the Qinzheng Hall. When the eunuch who was sent to look for lady Jin returned to the qinzheng hall, he told the emperor that the little prince caught a cold at night. Lady Jin called in an imperial physician to treat the little prince''s illness. The little prince kept crying and screaming. He hasn''t rested yet. Only lady Jin can take care of him because he didn''t allow other madams near him. Lady Jin can''t get away.


    Emperor Ning was shocked. "Chenxi is sick? Why didn''


    nd it was sort of an accident, then after today''s imperial edict, it would be man-made.


    Who was it?


    Emperor Ning made a plan in his mind. He only targeted lady Jin, Yun Shang and Li Yiran.


    Lady Jin had always been cold. Even when he married Li Yiran, she never said a word to him. Lady Jin had invited herself to the cold palace for some misunderstandings. To be honest, she was unlikely to do this. But now the situation was different. Lady Jin had a son named Chenxi. If lady Jin wanted Chenxi to be the crown prince, it was not possible for Jing Wenxi to marry the emperor. Then lady Jin might be able to do it. She was a very clever woman in the first place.


    As for Li Yiran, although she was kept in a secret chamber in Qiwu palace, she had been in charge of the imperial household for so many years and there were still some hidden forces that were unknown to him. If the smoke powder in the secret room was really brought in by Li Yiran, it also explained that there was someone helping her in the Imperial Palace, and that must be someone outside the imperial palace. Therefore, there were always some other forces. And it wasn''t something she couldn''t do by destroying their marriage.

 Chapter 313 The Bloody Imperial Edict (Part Two)

    However, Emperor Ning''s most suspicious person was Yun Shang.


    He was more confused about Yun Shang''s reaction. It was obvious that Yun Shang didn''t like Jing Wenxi. But if Yun Shang was only afraid that Jing Wenxi might have an affair with Prince Jing, and Jing Wenxi as the empress, wasn''t it what Yun Shang expected?


    Emperor Ning kept silent for a long time. He just ordered the guards to be reprinted again. He also said that he would send guards to every place to guard the signs in the evening. The emperor of Xia hasn''t known much about Prince Jing yet, and Yun Shang has gained more popularity among the people. There is no evidence to prove that she did it. It''s not appropriate to interrogate her rashly.


    However, it was beyond emperor Ning''s expectation that even if the imperial guards were sent to guard by the emperor, there was still something wrong with the imperial edict. Earlier the next morning, it was still stained with blood.


    Earlier this morning, grand councilor Jing cried out in Jinluan hall, claiming that he was set up and he was an enemy of the entire state of Ning. Emperor Ning flew into a rage. He told his imperial guards to guard it in the open and secretly send secret guards in the dark. If they discovered any villain, they would kill him. In this way, the people in the imperial city were also jittery, but on the third day, the imperial edict still went wrong.


    Not only was the imperial edict issued by the army guarding the Imperial City, but also the imperial edict posted in neighboring cities was followed by the same situation.


    A rumor was spreading like wildfire. Someone went


    idea what had happened, Prince Jing reached out his hand to caress Yun Shang''s hair, and then bowed his head to read again.


    This was what the Butler saw when he came in. Two equally outstanding men and women were leaning on the bench, in a lazy posture, occasionally whispering. Most of the time, they were reading books by themselves, but quite harmonious.


    With a smile on his face, the Butler walked to a place ten feet away from them and stopped. "Your Highness, the imperial edict for your coming into the palace."


    Yun Shang turned around and pretended to be casual. She nodded and yawned, "I thought my father would call me back the next day after Qiwu palace was in trouble. It seems that father is more patient than I thought." Then she stood up and smoothed her messy clothes. "I''ll go to the Palace first."


    Prince Jing nodded.


    When Yun Shang entered the palace, she saw two people outside qinzheng hall that she didn''t like to see. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly, but didn''t look at them. "Master Jing and miss Jing are also here to visit father?"

 Chapter 314 Countermeasures

    With a wealthy and amiable look, Jing Kui curtsied to Yun Shang, "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and looked at the map for a while. Then she curved a smile on her lips and said, "Congratulations, grand councilor Jing. Your luck is going well with your official career. Miss Jing will soon become the empress of the state of Ning. You are so lucky."


    Prince Jing snickered when he heard it. Yun Shang smiled faintly. When her eyes fell on Jing Wenxi, she moved away quickly. When Lord Zheng opened the door and came out, he saw the three of them. He was stunned before he said with a smile, "your ladyship, Master Jing, Miss Jing, his majesty is waiting for your arrival."


    Yun Shang nodded and entered the qinzheng hall. Emperor Ning was there, and there was another man sitting on the chair in front. Yun Shang recognized that the man was the Master of Astronomy and his name seemed to be Liu Guangyu. Although so many troubles had happened recently, Emperor Ning didn''t show any anxiety. When he saw Yun Shang, Master Jing and Miss Jing, he asked with a smile, "you are here? Please take your seat. "


    After the three sat down, Emperor Ning meditated for a moment and said, "I summoned you here for the gossips outside. Although I''m the emperor, I can not completely ignore the will of the commoners. Now that so many commoners have knelt down at the palace gate, I''m really having a headache."


    When Yun Shang arrived at the palace, she saw many commoners kneeling on the ground in front of the palace in such a cold day. Even guards couldn''t drive them away, only asking His Majesty to withdraw the imperial edict.


    Yun Shang looked at Jing Wenxi, and found that she looked unhappy, but she still stated calmly. "It''s not Jing Wenxi''s fortune. The emperor, feeling content with the people''s wishes, cancelled the imperial edict." She bit her lips slightly with stubbornness, and her eyes sparkled with water. She took a deep look at emperor Ning and lowered her head, her eyelashes quivering.


    Wonderful! Yun Shang thought to herself. Even the man with a tender heart couldn''t bear a woman to compromise.


    Emperor Ning frowned, but soon responded, "Wen Xi, you don''t need to worry about it. I will solve it. As his majesty, do I have to get everyone''s approval to marry a woman?"


    Jing Wenxi lowered her head, speechless.


    Jing Kui said, "The imperial edict has been issued but has been stained, and we can''t stop it. I guess that even if it has been delivered to each city, it would have caused accident. However, even the imperial guards and secret guards have shown up, they can''t catch the criminal. Rumor has it that Wenxi failed in the past, so the strange phenomenon appeared from the heaven. I think if we ask a person who is well-known in the society to tell us the truth and find the true murderer on the broad daylight. After your majesty gets married, we can say that the true murderer has been found. "


    Yun Shang grinned at Jing Kui''s words. She hadn''t paid attention to him before, but she hadn''t thought he was a scheming pers


    t Yun Shang with a big smile, which made her blush. Then he continued with a smile, "well, I remember that the battle is not over yet. Why don''t you play against me again?"


    Yun Shang frowned and sighed in her heart. She used to feel strange when she saw Prince Jing acting like this before. But now as she saw him, she couldn''t help sighing in her heart. Here he was again.


    Before Yun Shang could reply, Prince Jing held Yun Shang in his arms horizontally, walked to the bed, and said with a smile, "today''s rehearsal field doesn''t need a sandbag. Let''s leave it to your ladyship. Anyway, you can see the mountains, hills, mountains and forests. If I climb over the high mountains, walk through the plain, and then deep into the woods."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang was choked by a mouthful of water. ''is Luo Qingyan really the cold and majestic God of war in people''s eyes?'' she wondered. ''Why is he so calm when it comes to dirty jokes? ''


    But Prince Jing didn''t get what he wanted. When he was exploring the mountain, he heard a knock on the door. He frowned and said, "Damn it." Prince Jing ordered angrily, "tell me, what happened?"


    ''You''d better pray that something terrible happened, or...''


    Prince Jing''s eyes gleamed with danger. Then a voice came from the outside, "Your Highness, Mister Wang is waiting in the front hall. He has something to report."


    Mister Wang? Wang Jinhuan? Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. She hadn''t seen the man for a long time. Although Wang Jinhuan had said jokes about her several times before, this time, Yun Shang felt that he was not annoying at all. Instead, he was very cute and nice. It was a good time.


    Maybe Yun Shang failed to hold back her thoughts, and Prince Jing happened to see it. Prince Jing squinted and said coldly, "tell Wang Jinhuan to wait. Nothing is more important than making a baby with my wife."


    Yun Shang almost spat out another mouthful of blood. She was still in shock when she realized that the cunning and treacherous man had taken advantage of her misfortune to have a sex.

 Chapter 315 The New Candidates Of The Empress (Part One)

    When Yun Shang woke up again, it was already dark outside. Prince Jing was reading a book on his chair. It was quite noisy in the room, so Yun Shang didn''t feel cold. She dressed herself and asked, "Mr. Wang, have he left?"


    Prince Jing nodded. He looked absent-minded, which made Yun Shang stare at him.


    Aware of Yun Shang''s intention, Prince Jing put down his book and stood up. "I''ll have Qian Yin take some warm food. You can eat something if you are hungry." Then he walked to Yun Shang and helped her put on her clothes. Putting a cloak on her, he said, "although we have burned a stove in the room, you must be careful not to wear too less. Otherwise, you might catch a cold."


    Yun Shang answered in a low voice and looked up at Prince Jing, "what did Wang Jinhuan say? You don''t look good. "


    Prince Jing frowned and took Yun Shang to sit at the table. "Wang Jinhuan said that the emperor of the state of Xia will come to the Imperial City in person and have a talk with emperor Ning by the way after the wedding ceremony next month. But I suspect that he is here for... I... "


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded. In fact, when she was in Jingyang, she knew that if the emperor of the state of Xia knew the existence of Prince Jing, he must come and confirm it in person. "What are you going to do?"


    Prince Jing thought for a while and shook his head. "I don''t have any plan yet. Let nature take its course."


    Yun Shang didn''t ask. She knew that Prince Jing was a man who always took everything into consideration. As to let nature take its course, he must have been fully prepared, so there was nothing to worry about.


    Li Yiran was dead. As for Hua Jing, Yun Shang thought Hua Jing was interesting. She would take her time.


    As long as Jing Wenxi was settled and the development of her mother and little brother Chenxi was achieved, Yun Shang had nothing to worry about in the state of Ning. Now that she married Prince Jing, she was willing to follow him.


    Yun Shang run her fingers through her hair, and smiled, "it doesn''t matter. No matter what choice you choose in the end, I''ll support you."


    Prince Jing raised his eyes to look at Yun Shang. He only felt that un


    o it earlier. Only a certain harem has provided the imperial edict. Recently, we don''t have much things to do and there is no more imperial edict. Thus, when I knew that Jing Wenxi is going to be the empress, I had somebody send a piece of paper with problems......"


    "Your schemes are quite tricky. No wonder his majesty couldn''t find out anything about the imperial edict. Even if his majesty figured out that it wasn''t a problem relating to those copies being posted, he would only think that it was somebody who had tampered with the imperial edict at most, and wouldn''t take any further action against it." Prince Jing smiled at Yun Shang, "I have married a very special wife."


    Yun Shang smiled and focused on eating, without saying anything.


    The imperial edict had been rolling up, because it had all come to naught and the rumors had not subsided, but it was very difficult to stop them. Emperor Ning, Master Jing and Jing Wenxi were getting more and more anxious, even they kept silent. They hurriedly brought Master Wu Na and master Lingxuzi to the imperial city. On the fifteenth day of February, they prayed for blessings at the altar and asked master Lingxuzi to accompany Master Wu Na. They also divined the state of Ning through the altar that day.


    Master Wu Na was arranged to live in the post in the Imperial City, and he was in a fight with Master Lingxuzi at that day. Both of them were kung fu masters, so the fight was violent.

 Chapter 316 The New Candidates Of The Empress (Part Two)

    The next day, Emperor Ning arranged Master Wu Na to live in Prince Jing''s mansion, and master Lingxuzi lived in the grand councilor''s mansion.


    Holding a piece in hand, Yun Shang looked at the monk opposite her and sighed, "I was counting on master Lingxuzi to speak for me. But you fought against him as soon as you arrived. I heard that he was broken his arm by you."


    Master Wu Na snorted, "that guy so stubborn. I said I would drink white spirit, but he insisted on drinking distilled spirit. The two of us are incompatible!"


    Yun Shang''s hands trembled slightly, and the corners of her mouth twitched. "Just for this?"


    Master Wu Na nodded, "of course, it''s a matter of principle. I never drink alcohol that is as rough as the distilled spirit."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang frowned and felt speechless.


    Qian Yin, who was standing next to Yun Shang, almost fell to the ground. She said in a shaky voice, "why don''t we buy two kinds of alcohol together? You can each drink the alcohol you want to drink..."


    "Yes, I didn''t think of it at that time." Master Wu Na laid his piece on the table, emotionless.


    "¡­¡­" This time, even Qian Yin didn''t know what to say.


    On the fifteenth day of the second month, all the civil and military officials had been waiting outside the altar. As it was an ordinary worship, there were many people surrounding the altar. Master Wu Na and master Lingxuzi sat on the both sides of the altar, meditating, and their mouths constantly moving.


    It was nearly noon when Emperor Ning in his robe came in. Everyone hurriedly knelt down to receive him. They watched emperor Ning slowly climb up the stairs and walk to the middle of the altar.


    Master Wu Na and Master Lingxuzi stood up and bowed to Emperor Ning. Master Zheng had the servants put the sacrificial offerings on the altar, and then handed the lighted incense to Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning knelt and bowed three times towards the altar. "May the Kingdom thrive..."


    All the officials bowed to him and said, "May the kingdom thrive."


    Emperor Ning said loudly, "today''s worship is for pray. Master Wu Na and master Lingxuzi please lead us the road..."


    Master Wu Na and master Lingxuzi stood up, saluted, and went to the middle of the altar. Master Wu Na held the lot pot in his hands, and master Lingxuzi''s hands held two horns. Both of them took the


    dealing with Jing family''s father and daughter, Emperor Ning turned to master Zheng, "who is the one born on the seventeenth day of may in lunar calendar in the imperial concubines?"


    Master Zheng bent down and said, "I just checked the date of birth of the concubines. Only lady Ya was born on the seventeenth day of May scooter, and she lives in the southwest of the imperial palace."


    "Lady ya?" Emperor Ning was slightly taken aback, as he had never expected such a result. With doubts in his heart, he wondered, ''the imperial edict of the Ministry of rites is in charge of the imperial edict, and the brother of Lady ya, Liu Qiyan, is the Ministry of rites. Then, why did such a thing happen? Did Liu Qiyan do it?''?


    While thinking, Emperor Ning shook his head to deny his own thoughts. He had investigated Liu Qiyan''s identity. He was only a child of an ordinary peasant family. He studied for merit only because his father was outstanding and excellent. Now there were only two of them in the family. Emperor Ning had observed him secretly since he entered the court. Liu Qiyan was upright and did not know the entanglement in the political field. Moreover, he didn''t get on well with his colleagues in the court. Even when he was in a critical juncture of life and death, he had never secretly made a profit for himself. he was not the kind of person who would bow his head to the wall. he was unable to do it, either. master Lingxuzi was a person that Jing Kui wanted to invite. Anyway, it was impossible for Liu Qiyan to persuade Lingxuzi to help him.

 Chapter 317 The New Candidates Of The Empress (Part Three)

    Could it be Yun Shang? Emperor Ning frowned. He wondered why Yun Shang refused to let lady Jin be the empress. From Yun Shang''s reaction in Lady Jin''s palace the other day, she hoped that emperor Ning would appoint lady Jin as his concubine, and if lady Jin became the empress, Chenxi would be the real crown prince.


    Emperor Ning pondered for a long time, but still didn''t figure out the secret. He shook his head and ordered, "tell lady Ya and Liu Qiyan to come to the imperial palace."


    Lord Zheng nodded and went to open the door. When he was about to order the eunuch to do it, he saw Liu Qiyan standing in front of qinzheng hall. With an anxious look on his face, he said, "Lord Zheng, I have something to talk to his majesty. May I know if his majesty has time to summon me?"


    Lord Zheng smiled and said, "I was sent for Master Liu. Now, you are here on your own. This way, we won''t have to worry too much." While saying, he allowed Liu Qiyan to enter the room.


    "Your Majesty, as soon as I opened the door, I saw Mr. Liu standing at the door, asking to see you, so I brought him in." Master Zheng said with a smile.


    Emperor Ning nodded. As soon as he stepped into the hall, Liu Qiyan suddenly knelt down. "Your Majesty, my sister is born on the seventeenth day of may, but she is just from a rural family. Although she knows how to read and write because of our father, she cannot be the empress. As the empress, she should be virtuous and generous, but my sister doesn''t match with the empress'' status. Your majesty, please don''t appoint my younger sister as the empress. There are many people who were born on May 17 in the world. Someone must be able to take the responsibility. "


    There was a flash of surprise in emperor Ning''s eyes. Liu Qiyan was the elder brother of Lady ya, and naturally he knew her birthday. Moreover, as Master Wu Na and master Lingxuzi had


    e of his temperament that he doesn''t worry that he has a private party.


    As for Liu Qingya...


    Emperor Ning looked at the woman kneeling before him. Liu Qingya didn''t have much attention in the imperial household. She was ordinary, but gentle and considerate. She always made him feel relaxed, and was unique in the imperial palace. Moreover, she was gentle and got along well with the ladies in the palace. She was a smart girl.


    Lady Jin... Emperor Ning paused for a while. Although he liked lady Jin the most in the imperial household, she was definitely not the good choice of the empress. Lady Jin was cold and stubborn, and did not like the intricate struggles in the palace. At present, Yun Shang and Prince Jing were always a sore spot in his heart... He could protect her for a lifetime, with love and indulgence, but she couldn''t be the empress.


    Thinking of this, Emperor Ning smiled and said, "it''s hard for me to fight back, Mr. Liu. As you know, the officials and people all know that the ceremony was held on the altar, and everyone has witnessed it. If you don''t respect God, I''m afraid it''s hard for me to explain, and you don''t have to refuse to give up. I''ll issue an imperial edict to appoint your sister as my empress later..."

 Chapter 318 An Old Acquaintance (Part One)

    The siblings were shocked. After a while, master Zheng reminded, "Her highness must be too excited so she forgot to thank his majesty."


    Liu Qingya bit her lip and remained silent for a long time. Then she closed her eyes and leaned over, "thank you, your majesty."


    Although he was reluctant, Liu Qiyan had no choice but to kowtow with Liu Qingya, for he knew that it would be hard to change the situation.


    After the imperial edict was issued again, the time of the imperial edict had not changed, which had only been changed was the one person who would be empress. Both master Wu Na and Lingxuzi predicted that a woman who was be born on May 17 at the same time, and Liu Qingya fitted the requirements. So the people had no complaints. Although Liu Qingya didn''t have a high social status, she made people accept her in an inconceivable way.


    "Liu Qingya..." In Prince Jing''s mansion, Prince Jing leaned against the door and murmured. Then he looked up at Yun Shang. "I thought it was lady Jin? Why lady ya? "


    Yun Shang smiled and played the Guqin for a while, letting out a string of tuneless sound. Then she said, "someone told me that the empress'' position is noble, but it represents a scheme all the time, like treading on thin ice. The scheming women in the palace all wanted the position of the empress. I don''t want mother to have a hard time. Though it''s not easy to survive in the palace, it''s better to be easier. As for Liu Qingya... She works for me, together with her number one scholar brother. Although I don''t want mother to be the empress, I have to make sure that anyone who serves as the empress will wholeheartedly protect mother. "


    Prince Jing heard her and pondered. "You said before that you had placed many followers in the court. In my opinion, the followers you have planted are all low-ranking officials with no future. I didn''t expect you to be such a concealed chess player." But he was still shocked. Subduing a person wasn''t easy. Without years of careful cultivation, he couldn''t be thought highly of, let alone hand over his own family. The woman in front of her was only 15 years


    azing. We are not idle at all. I''m the only woman in the army. So I was kind of taken care of. They gave me a horse. But when I came back to the Imperial City, I felt my legs were not mine. My legs were covered with bruises. "


    Then she shook her head and said, "your prince is really tough to deal with. A war usually lasts at the forefront. While the soldiers are taking a rest, he is calling the generals to have a meeting, just like iron men. He really is the God of war. "


    Yun Shang smiled and felt proud. Although Wang Jinyan spoke highly of Prince Jing, she had a sense of glory in her heart. "I''m afraid he rushed the battle because of me. Without his permission, I went to the Kangyang City in silence..."


    Wang Jinyan glared at Yun Shang as she heard Yun Shang''s words. After a while, she said with interest, "I''ve heard that you are extremely courageous at the frontier. You have disheartened the military councilor Liu, the most proud officer of the state of Xia. I didn''t know you have such a strength. You have been concealing it from me for a long time before, but now, you have already exposed it. How about sparring with me? "


    "Haha..." Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She raised her hand and tapped the middle of her brows, "no wonder your parents always talk about you. you try to bully and fight others all the time. They kept saying that Nobody is willing to marry a woman like you..."

 Chapter 319 An Old Acquaintance (Part Two)

    Wang Jinyan giggled, "whatever. Life is short, I will just do what I like."


    Wang Jinyan kept urging Yun Shang to play against her. Yun Shang had no choice but to change into some casual clothes in her room. Then she took Wang Jinyan to the training ground in Prince Jing''s mansion. This was the first time that Yun Shang came to the training ground, which was a open place. Weapon racks were on both sides. Yun Shang still chose her favorite dagger, and Wang Jinyan chose a whip.


    They were familiar with each other and didn''t need to stand on ceremony. They fought soon. Wang Jinyan chose the whip, and it was more convenient and easy to attack from a distance. Yun Shang was good at attacking. She had spent about an hour to attack her, and finally won.


    Wang Jinyan''s eyes twinkled. "My father said my whip skill was good, but I lost to you. Shang''er, you are awesome."


    Yun Shang liked Wang Jinyan''s ingenuous manner. She smiled and said, "in fact, I don''t have much thoughts on martial arts. I only have a year, where I cultivated day and night, and the people fighting with me are usually killers who kill people. What they taught me wasn''t good-looking. There weren''t any styles, but it was very practical. "


    Wang Jinyan nodded, "well, I like whip because it''s also good-looking. It''s a combination of toughness and gentleness. Now it seems to be also a weakness." Then Wang Jinyan seemed to remember something and whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "I heard that Jing Wenxi has some grudges with you and I will tell you a secret..."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up when she heard Wang Jinyan''s words. She hurriedly asked with a smile on her face, "really?"


    Wang Jinyan smiled and nodded. "I didn''t see it with my own eyes, but a maid in Jing''s mansion walked in on them and she was poisoned. Jing Wenxi wanted to put her to death, but the girl was smart enough to run away. I brought her back after seeing her pitiful face, so I knew it. I''m not a gossip girl. I just heard that Jing Wenxi hurt the youngest Prince and coveted his highness. I think it''s time to tell you this. You can take revenge as you like. "


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "thank you for such an interesting news. If you are free, send me an invitation. I''ll treat you to Yuman tower."


    Wang Jinyan smiled, "then I''ll wait." Then she said goodbye and left Prince Jing''s mansion.


    Yun Shang thought about what Wang Jinyan said a moment ago. She called Qian Yin in and asked, "I asked you to send someone to kill Jing Wenxi. Haven''t you killed her yet?"


    Qian Yin was stunned for a moment and then sighed. "Your Highness, the night is dark and windy. How dare I act rashly in broad daylight?"


    "That''s good." Yun Shang smiled and knocked on the table, "Jing Wenxi''s life should be kept for me in the first place..."


    Seeing Yun Shang''s thoughtful expression, Qian Yin knew that Jing Wenxi was about to suffer.


    The new imperial edict that the emperor


    said, "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang smiled. "I was wondering who the beauty was admiring the flowers in the snow. It turned out to be you, Meng Jieyu. I haven''t seen you for a long time. How are you?"


    Qin Meng, who was half squatting, slightly paused, and the smile on her face was somewhat forced. She knelt down before Yun Shang after thinking for a moment, "please forgive me. I was blinded and did such an unforgivable thing. Please forgive me."


    Yun Shang bent down to hold Qin Meng up and smiled, "Meng Jieyu, what are you doing? There are so many people in the imperial garden. People will think I''m bullying you if they see us. "


    "I dare not." Qin Meng quickly stood up, her body still trembling slightly. She had pretended to serve Yun Shang before, but she had secretly communicated with the empress because she thought that the empress was an honorable empress, and if there was no big mistake, even the emperor couldn''t disable her. And Yun Shang was just a princess, and a married Princess. In the palace, it was more comfortable to attach herself to the empress than to the princess who was married off. She had never thought that the empress would be brought down so easily


    Yun Shang smiled, "people always say that people love the past. How would I blame you? There''s no need to be nervous."


    Qin Meng shuddered. She said, biting her teeth, "Your Highness, I''m sorry. Please forgive my rudeness. I swear I will follow your lead."


    Yun Shang laughed as if she had heard the most funny joke, "do you think I will believe you? You betrayed me for several times."


    Qin Meng felt a little scared. These days, she became more and more out of favor in the palace, and the servants became more and more dissipated, which made her very unhappy. If she offended lady jing again, she would have a hard time.


    Thinking of this, Qin Meng quickly said, "Your Highness, I have some news about Princess Hua Jing and the grand councilor li..."

 Chapter 320 A Trace

    Yun Shang smiled and said sarcastically, "Meng Jieyu, you are always so self righteous. Do you think I will trust your words, as you have betrayed me so many times? Besides, it''s said that people should look at each other with new eyes in three days. Do you think I''m still the little princess who is under control in the palace? "


    Yun Shang sneered and left without hesitation. Now, Qin Meng is just a scrap in her eyes. Although she is no longer in the palace, everything in the palace is under her control. As for what Qin Meng said, the news about Princess Hua Jing and grand councilor li...


    Yun Shang sneered. Qin Meng used to be a maid, and more specifically, a maid sent by the empress. She knew Ning Hua Jing and grand councilor Li just a little about them. Yun Shang was willing to listen to Qin Meng when she just returned to the palace a year ago. But now, she has her own way to know what she wants to know.


    Qian Yin turned to look at Qin Meng, and talked to Yun Shang in a low voice until Qin Meng was out of sight, "Your Highness, as far as I can see, the bead flower on Meng Jieyu''s head doesn''t seem to come from the imperial palace."


    "What?" Yun Shang was shocked. "Qin Meng didn''t grow up in public. Maybe she was brought in from outside the palace in the past."


    Qian Yin shook her head. "Although the bead wasn''t from the Imperial City, it was popular recently. I don''t think it was an old treasure."


    "Really?" Yun Shang stopped and looked at the palace in the distance. "That''s so strange. I heard that she has no family outside the palace." She paused for a moment and ordered quietly, "investigate who Qin Meng has been dealing with recently. The person who can enter and exit the court must be very powerful, and I don''t know why Qin Meng is able to get in touch with them. But if she is so reckless, I don''t mind fatigue myself and make her obedient forever."


    Qian Yin replied yes.


    After leaving the Imperial Palace, Yun Shang took the carriage and went to Prince Jing''s mansion. She lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out of the window. Perhaps because the grand pre


    nly as she thought, ''that''s good. Dealing with her in this way will be more fun.''.


    "What good news have you heard, your highness? Why are you smiling so happily?" Prince Jing opened the door and saw the scene. He was surprised before he came in with the help of the butler.


    Yun Shang turned to look at him. Prince Jing recovered very quickly. There was no sign of an injury even if he stood still. But if he walked carefully, there would be something strange. But he was not that strong as to need help. Yun Shang looked at his feet for a moment. She understood what he was thinking. Although his majesty had no intention of hurting him for the time being, he was on high alert to him. Prince Jing''s pretended injury could somewhat relieve his Majesty''s vigilance.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at his face. When the Butler helped him take off his cloak, she stood up with a smile, walked to Prince Jing and smelled. Then she said with a smile, "how come there is a light smell of makeup on his highness? Did you have a date with a beauty?"


    Prince Jing turned to Yun Shang. Seeing that Yun Shang was not angry, he smiled. "You are in a state of extreme suspiciousness. Do you smell any makeup on me? You must have smelt something wrong. Why not smell again? "


    Yun Shang snorted. She leaned closer to Prince Jing and smelled again, but Prince Jing pulled her into his arms all of a sudden

 Chapter 321 An Old Acquaintance

    Yun Shang''s face flushed red. She struggled, but instead of breaking away from Prince Jing''s arms, she was held more tightly. When Prince Jing was breathing heavily, the door was suddenly pushed open and Qian Yin rushed in.


    When she saw clearly the situation in the room, Qian Yin paused and looked a little embarrassed. "Well, I didn''t mean to disturb you. Please go on Go on... " Then she was about to leave.


    Yun Shang hurriedly called, "Qian Yin."


    Qian Yin stopped as soon as she stepped out of the door. She stared at her toes in fear of seeing things that she shouldn''t see. It was terrible when Lady Jing was angry, and his highness was even more terrible.


    Noticing that Prince Jing let go of her, Yun Shang took the opportunity to get rid of him, straightened her clothes and said to Qian Yin: "let''s go to the study." There was a dangerous man in the room. Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling while thinking of this.


    "Your Highness, I followed Miss Jing all the way and saw that she went into a yard called Qianxin tower. I wanted to follow her in, but it seems that there are many masters in the Qianxin tower. I didn''t dare to expose my whereabouts, so I came back to report to you first." There was a touch of remorse in Qian Yin''s eyes. She thought herself to be one of the best in Her Highness''s shadow guards. But to her surprise, there were many guards on her side.


    "Qianxin tower..." Yun Shang murmured, with a murderous look in her eyes.


    How could she forget where Qianxin tower was? She almost suffered a great loss because of Hua Jing there. She had asked someone to explore the central lake island many times. She wanted to find out why there was a fog near the lake. She couldn''t see the people in the pavilion clearly on the shore, but the people in the pavilion could see the situation on the shore.


    However, when she sent a lot of secret guards to investigate, she had never seen such a strange scene.


    Qianxin tower was the courtyard of Ning Hua Jing. There were some people in it. She guessed that Ning Hua Jing was there, and the crown prince of the state of Yelang was probably there. Then it was not hard to explain why there were some hidden mas


    such a mistake again, I''ll take you to Yuman tower for dinner today."


    "Really?" Yun Shang smiled at Prince Jing with a hint of banter in her eyes. "Thank you for taking care of my business, your highness. Not long ago, I had bought Yuman tower."


    Prince Jing stopped and seemed surprised, "what?"


    It was rare for Yun Shang to see Prince Jing so stunned, so she laughed out loud. She took Prince Jing''s hand and walked out of the room with him, saying, "ha ha. Don''t worry, your highness. I''ll take a discount for you. I can spare your copper coins."


    Prince Jing laughed. "I saw the bill you checked the other day. It seems that you have a lot of property in your account. It seems that I have won over a large fortune."


    "These properties are grandfather''s properties. Grandfather lived in seclusion and has nothing to do, so he runs business. But he is a lazy man, so he leaves the account book to me. In fact, it''s very interesting to do business." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    When they walked into Yuman tower, the shopkeeper came up to them, "Your Highness, this way please."


    Yun Shang agreed and went upstairs with Prince Jing. At the corner of the stairs, they met a man whom they were quite familiar with. He was dressed in cyan, and his face was handsome and gentle. But there was a sense of alienation in his eyes.


    The man saw Yun Shang and stopped. Surprise flashed through his eyes. He opened his mouth and said, "Xiao Yun..."

 Chapter 322 Surging

    Although Yun Shang was surprised, she knew that if she showed an expression that she shouldn''t have appeared, the man in front of her would doubt her. Yun Shang felt lucky that she didn''t take Qian Yin with her when she went out. If Qian Yin was also there, she couldn''t avoid it.


    "What? Shang''er, is this... mister calling you? " Prince Jing turned to Yun Shang with a wicked glint in his eyes.


    Yun Shang looked up blankly at the man in cyan and frowned, "don''t you forget my name, my husband?"


    Prince Jing was taken aback when Yun Shang called him "husband". After a while, he put on a smile and said, "I don''t forget your name, my lady. But this gentleman is so passionate that I hardly have time to entertain my curiosity. In this case, I''m afraid he mistook the wrong person."


    Hearing the conversation between the two handsome men and the woman, the man in cyan went blank for a moment, and a touch of bitterness emerged in his heart. Yes, although the woman in front of him looked like the man, she was really a woman. Besides, the woman had totally different temperament, she was gentle and charming, while the man he was missing was as elegant as bamboo.


    He forced a smile and felt disappointed. After he left with his men and came back, the array outside the yard was destroyed and Uncle Liu was dead, but the man in white was nowhere to be found. He sent people to spy on the place for a long time, but no one had returned. Perhaps that person had already died.


    "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else." The man in cyan withdrew his gaze, bowed his head and said indifferently.


    Yun Shang nodded and went upstairs with Prince Jing.


    A woman''s voice came from downstairs, "Yinfeng, Come on! Why are you so late? " The man in cyan quickened his pace, but he stopped when he brushed past Yun Shang. He turned his head and looked back in surprise at the beautiful woman. Why? She smelled exactly the same as Xiao Yun...


    "Yinfeng... Yinfeng!" The voice of the woman became more anxious. The man in cyan quickly turned around and went downstairs.


    After they entered the room together, Prince Jing spoke with a smile, "Yinfeng? Liu Yinfeng? "


    Yun Sha


    state of Xia. Besides... The woman who called Liu Yinfeng downstairs was the sister of the crown prince of the state of Xia, Princess Jinyou. Or maybe Her Highness was a barbaric playboy and arrived at the imperial city. The crown prince of the state of Xia was unable to force her back so he asked Liu Yinfeng to bring the woman with him. "


    The princess of the state of Xia...


    Yun Shang was silent for a moment, and then thought of another thing. "How could you know she is Princess Jinyou? By the way, you have fought against Liu Yinfeng before, right? Why does Liu Yinfeng behave as if he doesn''t know you? "


    Prince Jing laughed. "I know she is Princess Jinyou because I saw the woman downstairs just now. She has a jade pendant of the royal family of the state of Xia on her waist. I have seen it before..." He paused for a moment, and then continued with a slow smile, "and even I have one too. As for why Liu Yinfeng doesn''t know me, I had a direct confrontation with him before. At that time, I was in a hurry for seven days with a face covered with dust. I''m afraid that he didn''t even see my appearance, and he had been looking at you just now... "


    When they were talking, they heard someone going upstairs. The footsteps stopped at the door of their room and the door was pushed open. Liu Yinfeng came in, staring at Yun Shang. He looked anxious. As soon as he opened the door, he locked his eyes on Yun Shang. "You are Xiao Yun."

 Chapter 323 Meeting The Emperor Of The State Of Xia For The First Time

    Yun Shang frowned. She saw the manager of Yuman tower quickly following them. Then he bowed to them and said, "I''m sorry. It''s my fault. I''ll handle it right away."


    "Quickly. Don''t disturb me and my wife having a meal." Prince Jing didn''t even raise his head. He frowned and tapped the table with his fingers.


    Yun Shang fell her eyes on Prince Jing''s hand. She was a little surprised. Prince Jing had a similar habit with her. When she was thinking about things and feeling annoyed, she would unconsciously tap on the table too.


    Liu Yinfeng looked embarrassed when Yun Shang didn''t even look at him at all. When he saw Yun Shang''s obvious lady''s hairstyle, he was even more angry. He raised his head and said to Prince Jing, "how can you be a husband? How dare you let your wife go to the battlefield to gather herbs for her mother and got caught by the enemy... "


    While he were talking, Prince Jing raised his head suddenly to look at him. Although Liu Yinfeng had always been a conceited man, he could remain calm in the face of thousands of troops. However, he did not expect that a glance from the man in front of him made him chill all over and felt like falling into an ice cellar, and for a moment he had forgotten what to say.


    "Sir, please get this man out." Yun Shang said in a cold tone. Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng could not help but turn his head. After a long time of silence, he slowly turned around and walked out of the room.


    "How did he recognize me?" Yun Shang frowned.


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang and sighed. He thought, ''I''m afraid lady Jing doesn''t know that although she dresses like a boy as much as possible, one''s habit can''t be changed by just one piece of clothes. Besides, not many people are good-looking, let alone they look exactly the same.''


    Yun Shang was not in the mood to eat anything because of Liu Yinfeng''s interruption. They had something to eat and went back to Prince Jing''s mansion.


    Since the crown prince of the state of Yelang had arrived, Ning Hua Jing and Liu Yinfeng had also arrived, the imperial city would become more lively. Some officials from the court also came to the prince''s mansion. Yun Shang thought about it for a while. Although Prince Jing''s identity had not been made public, her father had always been paying attention to the prince''s mansion. If her father invited those officials into the prince''s mansion, no one knew what would happen. In consideration of such a disaster, Yun Shang set the gate of Prince Jing''s mansion closed tightly and didn''t want to see anyone for the sake of Prince Jing''s badly injury.


    However, she had to attend the banquet, because the gr


    he state of Ning, Yun Shang knew immediately so that Liu Yinfeng was not making any progress.


    He didn''t expect to see Yun Shang here. Yun Shang was dressed in an official uniform with an official title, a red and black color. Other ladies wore dull clothes, but she looked gorgeous. Liu Yinfeng wasn''t a citizen of the state of Ning, so he didn''t know much about the officers'' uniform of the state of Ning. Therefore, he had no idea who Yun Shang was, but he guessed that she must be very famous as she appeared here today.


    Just now, he didn''t notice her but saw the man sitting in front of him. He was stunned and looked subconsciously behind the man, he saw her.


    Emperor Ning and the emperor of the state of Xia were chatting, and Yun Shang was amused by their flattery. They had just been at odds with each other, and now they were chatting happily at the banquet.


    However, when Emperor Ning mentioned her, he said in a helpless tone, "a few days ago, my naughty little girl ran up to the battlefield and made trouble. I didn''t discipline her well. Please forgive me."


    Yun Shang looked up, and saw the emperor of the state of Xia. She was shocked not because he was good-looking, but because he had a hideous face. The scar which was like that of centipede ran across his face, and almost disappeared from his jaw. Fortunately, his eyes were not affected, and he looked like Prince Jing.


    The emperor of the state of Xia seemed to be shocked. Then he smiled and said, "well, well. Eagles do not breed doves. Her highness is really something. I''m impressed."


    Emperor Ning laughed. Yun Shang was absorbed in her own thoughts, not knowing whether it was sincere or not. Emperor Ning said, "shang''er, make an apology to the emperor of the state of Xia."

 Chapter 324 Provocation

    Yun Shang didn''t expect that emperor Ning would push her out. She was startled. Prince Jing reached out his hand and pinched her palm. Yun Shang gave a little smile, and stood up with the wine glass and pots on the table. She bypassed the short table in front of her and went to the center of the hall. She bowed to Emperor Ning before she raised her glass and looked at the man with a scar on his face, but she couldn''t see the expression on his face clearly. "I was reckless. Many soldiers of the state of Xia and the state of Ning were killed on the battlefield. I''ll punish myself with three cups of wine to comfort the soldiers in the battlefield. I hope that there will be no war dispute from now on. "


    The man looked at her in silence and turned his eyes. Yun Shang knew that he was looking at Prince Jing. She frowned. Then she heard the emperor of the state of Xia said in a voice that was low to hear, "Qingyan, you have got a good wife."


    Yun Shang was surprised at Prince Jing''s words. It took her a while to realize that the emperor was talking about Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang''s gaze fell on the emperor of the state of Xia. The emperor raised his hand and said with a smile, "you have balls, Lady Jing."


    Yun Shang didn''t see the expression on his face clearly. She went blank for a while, and then raised her head to gulp down the wine in the cup. After that, she refilled the glass with two more glasses, and downed the wine in one go. The people cheered for her action. Yun Shang curtsied to Emperor Ning again, with a slight smile on her face. Then she turned back to her seat. She saw Liu Yinfeng across the table, who was shocked and angry.


    Maybe he was angry with her cheating him. Yun Shang didn''t think too much. She just lowered her head and ate the food in front of her. She thought that this dish was fresh and had no idea what it was made. She had to ask Lord Zheng later.


    At this time, a frivolous laughter came, followed by a broken voice of the state of Ning. "I''ve always heard that Lady Jing is a weak


    make trouble, don''t blame me for being rude to you. If you lose, I won''t make things difficult for the eldest prince. I just want you to leave the state of Ning. It''s a feast in our state. Not every dog and cat can come to make a scene. "


    Her comparison of Cangjue Kangning with a servant dog infuriated Prince Cangjue Kangning. He snorted, "no big deal. I am not afraid of you! But I don''t like those secret guards. I''ll compete with you. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang felt somewhat helpless. Why did so many people want to compete with her? First Qi Lang, now Cangjue Kangning.


    "Really? How to compete? The four arts? " Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and used a brocade handkerchief to wipe off the disdain on the corners of her mouth.


    Cangjue Kangning sneered and turned to look at the emperor of the state of Xia. "Look! She''s so good at playing the four arts and beat you!" After saying that, he turned around and said, "if you want to challenge me, you can fight with archers. The four arts are all women''s games."


    Yun Shang ordered servants to make preparations.


    Two arrow targets were at the door. Yun Shang smiled. "Your Highness, who is the first? You or me?"


    Cangjue Kangning snorted and became impatient, "don''t you always say ''female first''? You will go first. I am afraid you would be scared to death after seeing my techniques. "

 Chapter 325 Emperor Of The State Of Xia

    Yun Shang lowered her head and burst into laughter as if she had heard the most funny joke. Everyone looked at her and saw her slowly raising her hand to take the bow and gently touching the bow and arrow.


    "The eldest prince of the state of Yelang likes to bully the weak. We all know that your arrow skill is excellent. You are good at shooting with three arrows at the same time. However, the eldest prince only wants to compete with your arrow skill." Yun Shang didn''t expect that it was Liu Yinfeng who spoke first. While blaming Cangjue Kangning, he secretly told her something.


    Yun Shang took up the arrow feather in her plate, and drew the bow with a smile. She placed one arrow on the plate, and held the bow in one hand. When the other hand touched the arrow feather, she said with a faint smile, "so this is what you are good at? It doesn''t matter. You have to give up on what you are good at. "


    Yun Shang suddenly picked up all the rest nine arrows in the plate, quickly pulled the bow to the biggest and shot it towards the arrow target.


    Before the people in the hall could react, they saw that ten arrows were neatly inserted in the middle of the arrow target. The eunuch aside was the first to react. He hurriedly pulled out all the arrow feathers from the target and counted before he said loudly, "His majesty, lady Jing, you win the game. "


    The hall was in an uproar, but Yun Shang, as the protagonist, smiled. She went to the table and picked up the wine on it, "Your Highness, it''s your turn."


    Having said that, Yun Shang was about to raise her hand to drink when Prince Jing stopped her. "You have drunk six glasses today. Don''t drink."


    Yun Shang wanted to tell him that she wouldn''t get drunk, but when she saw Prince Jing''s gaze, she didn''t say anything. She smiled and nodded, putting down her cup. Prince Jing turned around and ordered the servants to prepare tea. While holding Yun Shang''s hand, he sat down next to Lady Jing. "Let''s see him here."


    Yun Shang wanted to say, it was against the rules, but she didn''t think what she did today was in accordance with the rules. She simply nodded, and said to


    me how to do small things. But I''m not strong enough. Otherwise, I can shoot better than just now."


    "Really?" Emperor Ning looked up at Prince Jing and smiled. Then he kept silent. A doubt rose in his heart. Yun Shang''s ability to shoot arrows was certainly excellent for ordinary people who wouldn''t be able to shoot arrows for a few years. She married Prince Jing less than a year ago. Besides, most of the time, they were separated in two places.


    Since Prince Jing didn''t contradict her, he didn''t ask more. He smiled and said, "it''s a pity that Prince Jing is injured. Otherwise, we can see how he works as an archer."


    After that, this topic was left behind. The competition just now had become a fervent topic in the palace, and everyone was talking about Yun Shang''s art of archery. Emperor Ning didn''t call for the dancers. After the guests drank some wine, Emperor Ning smiled and said, "brother Xia, I''m surprised that you are here in person."


    The emperor of the state of Xia paused, and put down the wine. He glanced at Prince Jing and said loudly, "there''s a personal thing I need to tell you." He paused and said sadly, "twenty nine years ago, my wife insisted on going to the battlefield together, but unexpectedly she fell off the cliff. I thought she and the baby were both dead. But not long ago, when Lord Hua Guo came here, he found a child who was very likely to be the posthumous child of my wife..."

 Chapter 326 Attacked On The Way Back To The Mansion

    Noticing that Prince Jing was trembling, Yun Shang was a little worried. She had never expected that the emperor of the state of Xia would make a speech of this thing during this banquet.


    At this moment, everyone was in an uproar. The matter of the emperor''s heir was supposed to be an internal matter of the state of Xia, but the emperor of the state of Xia mentioned it at a banquet of another country. Why? He said that the other day when Lord Hua Guo came to the state of Ning, he found a man who was likely to be the prince of the state of Xia. So the man must be among them.


    Some people heard the emperor''s words and avoided eye contact with Prince Jing. The emperor of the state of Xia said it was twenty-nine years ago, and Prince Jing''s age just fitted it... Moreover, the emperor of the state of Xia had looked at Prince Jing in the eye just now.


    Prince Jing was just in a trance for a moment, then he came back to his senses, ignoring the commotion, and went to Yun Shang, "what should I do? I don''t have the ability to shoot at all. If someone asks me to have a try next time, what should I do?"


    Yun Shang was surprised. She didn''t want Prince Jing to be fooling her. She gave him a hostile look and looked up at the sullen emperor of the state of Xia.


    He waved his hand. After that, Liu Yinfeng raised both of his hands and presented a painting to the emperor. The emperor of the state of Xia looked at the painting, with complicated light flashing in his eyes. After a while, he sighed and said, "this is the picture that the imperial artists drew for us thirty years ago..." Then he raised his hand and gave it to Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning opened the painting, shocked, but somewhat unbelievable. He looked in the direction of Prince Jing, and turned his head to lady Jin. After a moment of silence, he looked up at the emperor of the state of Xia. "Brother Xia, do you want Lord Zheng to show this painting to everyone?"


    The emperor of the state of Xia nodded. He said with a smile, "I heard that the kid is extremely smart. We can''t let him find a way out for us."


    Emperor Ning kept silent for a while. Then he nodded slightly and handed the scroll to master Zheng.


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat. To be honest, the performance of the emperor of the state of Xia using the banquet was not good to him at all. After all, Prince Jing was the God of war in the state of Ning.


    Lord Zheng took the scroll carefully and opened it to the audiences. Pink flowers blossomed and fell. Two persons stood under the tree. The girl in pink raised her head and looked at the flowers on the tree with a faint smile. Beside the girl stood a man...


    Yun Shang looked back and found the man in the painting looked like Prince Jing. But he was different from Prince Jing. Prince Jing always looked cold on the surface. Even if he was smiling, his eyes were cold. But the man in the painting had a smile on his face, and his eyes were as gentle as water. No one could help but fall in love wi


    s almost the end of February, it''s still a little cold in the wind. What if you catch a cold?" Prince Jing''s voice was filled with blame.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a moment. Although she was not good at Kung Fu, she had been practicing kung fu since she was a child and rarely caught a cold. Hearing his tired voice, she finally fell silent and sat back quietly.


    As the carriage went on, Yun Shang felt something was wrong. It was only an hour''s drive from the gate of the imperial palace to Prince Jing''s mansion. But it was apparently more than half an hour since they left the palace.


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat. She took Prince Jing''s hand. Prince Jing, who seemed in a trance, felt a little pain as Yun Shang squeezed it. Then he opened his eyes and looked at Yun Shang. At one glance, he saw the nervous expression on Yun Shang''s face.


    Prince Jing''s mind was brought back to the present. He kept silent for a moment and looked at Yun Shang with an inquiring expression. Yun Shang knew what he wanted to ask. She nodded and wrote in his hand, "wait.".


    There were a lot of secret guards by the sides of Yun Shang and Prince Jing. If something really happened that threatened their lives, some of them would surely appear. But Yun Shang wanted to know who was so bold as to plot against her and Prince Jing in the imperial city. It was like... A suicidal thing to do.


    Yun Shang smiled. Since Prince Jing was in a bad mood today, those men who attack him might suffer.


    Hearing the noise outside the carriage, Yun Shang thought for a moment and raised her voice. "How long will we arrive at Prince Jing''s mansion?"


    It was quiet for a while before a voice came from outside, "we''re almost there."


    Almost there... Yun Shang chuckled. Exactly, they didn''t keep her waiting for too long. Within fifteen minutes, the carriage stopped. Yun Shang reached out her hand to push the door open, and saw a person standing outside the carriage, who was exactly as Yun Shang had expected...

 Chapter 327 What A Capable Woman (Part One)

    It was Xia Houyan.


    Yun Shang thought although Xia Houyan hadn''t come to the palace today, he must have heard every word of Xia Huanyu. As the honorable crown prince of the state of Xia, it was normal for him to be angry.


    Yun Shang always knew that Xia Houyan had a good physique and had soldiers as well. But his only weakness was that he was too reckless. In the past when he was at the border, Liu Yinfeng was able to make up for his loss. But now, Liu Yinfeng was on his way to the banquet. So Xia Houyan came with his men as soon as he heard the news.


    No wonder Xia Huanyu was so eager to hand over the throne to Prince Jing, not Xia Houyan.


    "Crown prince of the state of Xia, what are you doing?" Yun Shang looked at Xia Houyan with a smile.


    Xia Houyan was also surprised to see Yun Shang. After a while, he asked, "are you the man living in the military counselor''s courtyard outside the Kangyang city?"


    Yun Shang chuckled to herself. The crown prince had a better eyesight than the Liu Yinfeng.


    "Who the hell are you? Why are you in Prince Jing''s carriage? And why did you know who I am? " Since Yun Shang didn''t deny it, Xia Houyan frowned and looked at Yun Shang unhappily.


    Yun Shang still looked at him with a smile and said nothing.


    Fortunately, Xia Houyan was a bit reckless and not stupid. Seeing that Yun Shang was dressed like a married woman and in the same car with Prince Jing, Xia Houyan immediately realized who she was. "You are Prince Jing''s wife."


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Xia Houyan, and smiled. "His crown prince intercepted the carriage of Prince Jing and took us here. What do you want?"


    It


    our Highness, the imperial physicians are here. They say that his majesty heard that you have encountered an assassin, so his majesty sent an imperial physician to treat your highnesses."


    Yun Shang was brushing her teeth with salt, and it was inconvenient for her to respond. Prince Jing said, "you can ask them to go back. Tell the doctor that I''ve sent for a physician and had him treated for me. And I am asleep."


    The Butler bowed and withdrew. After a short while, he walked in again, and reported, "Your Highness, the emperor of the state of Xia has come himself. He is waiting in the front hall now."


    "Let him wait." Prince Jing said coldly.


    After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Yun Shang walked out of the bathroom and found that the butler hadn''t left yet. He looked a little embarrassed. Although he was in the state of Ning now, he was also the emperor of the state of Xia. It was not wise for the prince to offend him. He turned to Yun Shang as soon as he saw her, "your highness, the emperor of the state of Xia has visited his highness. He is waiting in the front hall."

 Chapter 328 What A Capable Woman (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled and nodded. She called Qian Yin and said, "come make me a simple bun. I don''t need those hair accessories."


    Qian Yin responded and came over with a comb.


    Prince Jing frowned. "What are you doing? Just let him wait if he wants to wait. You have freshened up, what else do you want to do? "


    "The guest is a guest. I''ll go to have a look and come back soon. I see that you are tired, so I think you should take a rest first. You have already told father that you were stabbed and injured. Since you are injured, you should rest in bed." Yun Shang looked up at Prince Jing and smiled. Then she asked the maid beside her to fetch the clothes.


    She was in a plain dress and covered with a pink cloak. While walking, she told the Butler, "his highness hasn''t eaten much at the banquet. Go to prepare some porridge and pickles. I''ll have some with him when I come back."


    Yun Shang didn''t want to eat too much at night, and planned to go to bed after coming back. But if she had to meet the guests back, she would be a little hungry. She knew that the man was waiting in the front hall. Prince Jing couldn''t sleep well anyway, so she ordered the butler to prepare something to eat.


    The man in a purple robe was standing in the front hall, with his back to Yun Shang. When Yun Shang came to the mansion and had the housekeeper help her decorate the mansion again, he picked out this painting from the calligraphy of Prince Jing. The brushwork was sharp, and it had four words, namely "carnation". When she chose this one, she felt that the brush strokes and the characters contained two extremes. It was an interesting cho


    ile, she heard him say, "since he wants to see you, you can leave now. It''s time for me to go now." Before Yun Shang could respond, Xia Huanyu stood and walked away.


    Yun Shang was surprised again. What did Xia Huanyu come here for? If it was to visit Prince Jing, he had never asked about his wound. If it was to ask for forgiveness on Xia Houyan''s behalf, but he had never mentioned Xia Houyan from the beginning to the end.


    Then she stood up and went to her bedroom while thinking.


    Qian Yin shouted in surprise along the way, "He is the emperor of the state of Xia. The scars on his face are scaring. Why is our boss..." She stopped, as if she was afraid of something. Then she said no more.


    She paused for a while and continued, "I have heard about the late empress of the state of Xia. She is indeed a general, and is very good at leading soldiers and fighting. Very few women like fighting."


    Qian Yin murmured. Her words were like a thunder to Yun Shang, exploding in the bottom of her heart.


    She knew who the woman in the drawing brought here by Xia Huanyu looked like.

 Chapter 329 Liu Yinfeng Came For A Visit (Part One)

    She looked like Lady Zhao, who was the mother of Zhao Zhongyi, Hua Jing''s supposed husband, the Emperor''s Son-in-law.


    Yun Shang stopped suddenly. She had mixed feelings about this. Lady Zhao was indeed not old at all. Zhao Zhongyi was about twenty four or five years old, and Lady Zhao was only about forty-five years old. They called her "Lady Zhao" out of respect as she was the mother of the emperor''s son in law and the wife of the deceased General Zhao.


    Yun Shang still remembered the scene when she saw lady Zhao in Hua Jing''s Princess Palace. Lady Zhao was wearing a dark red dress, frowning and having sharp eyes. She didn''t look like an ordinary woman in the imperial city. But Yun Shang thought her husband and she had fought against many wars in the battlefield.


    Lady Zhao''s appearance was not very outstanding, and she looked much older than her actual age due to the lack of skin care. However, her features resembled the girls in the painting quite much. Yun Shang had no idea whether she was the girl in the painting, and she couldn''t help but felt a little flustered when thinking of this.


    According to Xia Huanyu, the woman in the painting was the late empress, Hua Ling. But if she was Hua Ling, how did she give birth to Prince Jing after falling into the cliff? If she really gave birth to prince Jing, then why did she leave Prince Jing and why did she marry General Zhao instead of going back to the state of Xia to look for Xia Huanyu?


    Yun Shang''s mind was in a total mess, and all sorts of guesses came to her mind. Yun Shang''s face changed, and she didn''t raise her feet to walk for a long time.


    "Your Highness..." Seeing Yun Shang stop, Qian Yin thought there was something wrong. She looked aroun


    et up and eat some with me. "


    "I''m not hungry. You should eat something. You didn''t eat well at the banquet at all." Prince Jing said softly without any emotion.


    Yun Shang sighed again. Didn''t prince jing pretend to be indifferent and careless at the banquet? Why did he look so depressed after he came back? Why didn''t he come to see Xia Huanyu in person when he came to visit him? Is it funny for him to make things difficult for himself?


    Yun Shang was indeed a little hungry while thinking, so she asked Qian Yin to bring her a bowl of porridge.


    After eating the porridge, she washed her face and rinsed her mouth before lying down on the bed.


    Early the next morning, another man came to visit their highnesses. "Your Highness, Liu Yinfeng of the state of Xia came for a visit."


    Yun Shang frowned and took a look at the dawn outside. Then she lied down again. After coming back from the Jingyang city, Emperor Ning, for the sake of Prince Jing''s injury, prevented him from going to court so early. Moreover, since Prince Jing was injured, it was not proper for him to go to the training ground. So they were used to sleeping until dawn.

 Chapter 330 Liu Yinfeng Came For A Visit (Part Two)

    "Tell him I haven''t got up with her highness. Let him wait." Prince Jing''s voice was so clear and powerful that it wasn''t as husky as it had been in the beginning when he just woke up. As soon as he finished speaking, he held Yun Shang by the waist and drew her closer. Then he placed his head above Yun Shang''s head and said in a faint voice, "it''s still early. Go back to sleep."


    Yun Shang had always been fond of sleeping, which was one of her few hobbies. Prince Jing felt delighted when he heard her sleepy response, and she gradually calmed down again. He held Yun Shang in his arms and closed his eyes for a rest as well.


    It was almost noon when they woke up again. Yun Shang had completely forgotten what had happened in the morning. She was dragged by Qian Yin to the bathroom and washed her face with her sleepy eyes. After that, she finally became a bit refreshed. Qian Yin helped Yun Shang get dressed. She said gently, "Liu Yinfeng has been waiting for you in the front hall for nearly four hours. Shall I keep him waiting for you, your highness?"


    "What?" Yun Shang was stunned. "Liu Yinfeng? When did he come? "


    Qian Yin was surprised. She stamped her foot and said, "I knew you might not know anything when you were half asleep and half awake. Liu Yinfeng came at dawn today. I came to tell you two and His highness said that you hadn''t got up and asked him to wait for you. I don''t dare to tell him about it. I will tell him that you two haven''t gotten up. And he has been having tea for four hours in the front hall before you get up.....


    he saw Yun Shang in girl''s dress, he felt she was beautiful, quiet and gentle, not like a man at all.


    Therefore, when he met her at Yuman tower that day, he was only surprised that she looked so similar to Xiao Yun and never suspected that she was indeed Xiao Yun.


    Later, only when he saw the look in the room from a distance was too similar to that of Xiao Yun. Moreover, the faces and scent of the two people were the same, but it was difficult to find that they looked the same.


    That was why he was halfway back, he came to his senses and hurried back to Yuman Tower.


    "I have cheated you because of your identity at that time. You have been generous to me and I hope that you won''t blame." Yun Shang smiled.


    Without answering, Liu Yinfeng just asked, "did you break the array outside the yard?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "After you left with your army, I wanted to break into the array, but I was hurt by the poison and passed out. His highness came to save me..."


    Liu Yinfeng paused for a moment and sighed, "I see."

 Chapter 331 The Emperor Nings Expectation (Part One)

    Yun Shang smiled. "Are you here just to catch up with me?"


    Liu Yinfeng looked at Yun Shang quietly for a while before he said, "I''m here for our crown prince. There must be some misunderstanding about what happened last night..."


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. "I''m just Lady Jing. I only know that it was your crown prince who took our carriage and led us to an alley with fewer people, in order to assassinate us. I don''t know what the misunderstanding is. But if there are misunderstandings, the head of the court of justice will clear your crown prince''s name. Military Counselor Liu, you don''t have to worry. "


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng remained silent for a long time before he said, "since you have said that, I''ll leave first. I hope that your highness could help our Crown Prince, please."


    Yun Shang was confused. It seemed that Liu Yinfeng came here just to catch up with her, and Xia Houyan was mentioned only by the way. With a faint smile on her face, she called out to the butler, who had been waiting at the entrance of the front hall, "Butler, please send military counselor Liu to the gate for me."


    After sending away Liu Yinfeng, Yun Shang stood in the front hall for a while, and saw Qian Yin come in. Every day, Qian Yin would go to the secret guard to collect the information of the day before yesterday and report it to Yun Shang.


    "Your Highness, I have asked Qian Shui about it. She said that the crystal bead was bought by a masked woman. She didn''t see clearly who bought it, but judging from the way she walked, she should be a woman in her twenties." Qian Yin paused before she continued, "Jing Wenxi goes to the Qianshui Tower at 4 p.m. these days and leaves at after 2 hours a day."


    Yun Shang nodded. Lady in


    nd preceptor was to find out some clues from it, so that Jing Wenxi could prove her innocence.


    "Well, you can decide for yourself about these trivial matters. You don''t need to come to my palace to inquire about them." The emperor said indifferently. He looked at Yun Shang who was in a daze for a while. After keeping silent for a while, he waved his hand and let Jing Kui withdraw.


    "Shang''er looks a little listless. What''s wrong?" Emperor Ning walked out of the imperial case and asked Yun Shang after Jing Kui withdraw.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and said lightly, "nothing. There are a lot of things happening recently and I''m just a little tired."


    Emperor Ning''s eyes fell on Yun Shang''s face. He examined her face for a while, and found that she was indeed a little pale. He felt sorry for her, so he said, "Prince Jing was hurt. Thank you for your hard work."


    Yun Shang shook her head. "I''m supposed to take care of Prince Jing. But what the emperor of Xia said at last night''s banquet has increased their suspicion of Prince Jing. Prince Jing is the God of war in the state of Ning. If the news spreads out, I''m afraid our people''s will be affected."

 Chapter 332 The Emperor Nings Expectation (Part Two)

    Emperor Ning remained silent for a while and said, "earlier I heard from grand councilor Jing that there are rumors in the imperial city that Prince Jing is the eldest prince of the state of Xia, and they even made up some unconvincing rumors." Seeing Yun Shang raise her head to look at him, Emperor Ning smiled gently. "But I''ve made an agreement with the emperor of the state of Xia. In one hundred years, the state of Xia will not send any troops to the state of Ning. I hope it can stabilize the people''s morale."


    Then he asked, "when did you tell me that Prince Jing is the son of the empress of the state of Xia, you and Prince Jing should have prepared for it. What are you going to do?"


    Yun Shang was silent for a moment before she said, "Prince Jing and I haven''t known this for long, and father should also know that when I was in Kangyang city, the crown prince of the state of Xia, Xia Houyan, suddenly led four hundred thousand soldiers to surround Jingyang city and almost ruined it. At that time, Prince Jing and I felt that no matter what happened, the crown prince of the state of Xia shouldn''t take this step. Lord Guo was in the military camp of the Xia army outside Jingyang city and asked him out, reporting this to him. He said that Xia Houyan had suddenly brought his troops there, and he wanted to escape just because he was afraid that the secret of his royal highness might be exposed and he might not be able to be the crown prince. "


    "But later in the battle in Jingyang city, his highness was seriously injured and in a coma. When he woke up, I was so worried about him that I never asked what he was thinking about. Till yesterday, the emperor of the state of Xia suddenly mentioned


    smiled and walked up to her. "Her Highness knew that you are in the palace, so she told me to wait here. When you are out, I will take you to the Jinxiu palace."


    Yun Shang put on a sincere smile and said, "Mother is just so considerate. Have you prepared any delicious food?"


    Madam Zheng smiled. "But didn''t his highness give the princess a meal? You look like a cat who craves for food. Don''t worry. I prepared everything you like. "


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile and went to the Jinxiu palace with madam Zheng.


    Chenxi was still crying as if he just woke up. Lady Jin was carrying him in her arms, coaxing him softly. Yun Shang approached her and touched Chenxi''s face. "You sister is here. Don''t cry..."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Chenxi stopped crying. Lady Jin and Yun Shang exchanged a glance and smiled. "It seems that your sister is the one to blame. I''ve coaxed him for a long time, but he still ignores me." Lady Jin handed Chenxi over to a madam, held Yun Shang''s hand, and told her, "I saw Prince Jing yesterday at a banquet and he didn''t look good, and heard that he was assassinated at night. How is he now?"

 Chapter 333 An Investigation (Part One)

    Yun Shang shook her head. "It''s nothing. I have prepared it, but it''s okay. Prince Jing is just in a complicated mood, and I don''t have anything to do that can help him. He has to calm down on his own." After finishing her words, Yun Shang changed the topic, "mother, do you know that Hua Jing is now in the imperial city and become the concubine of the Crown Prince in the state of Yelang, and she is also pregnant?"


    Lady Jin was a little surprised and shook her head. "Since the Empress'' accident, I haven''t paid attention to the situation of Princess Hua Jing. The current situation of the Li clan has reminded me of a saying from the Buddhist, which is karma. Li Yiran used to be so arrogant, but ended up being burned to death. Princess Hua Jing was also very willful and arrogant in the past, but now she could only be reduced to a concubine of another country''s prince. "


    "Karma is a bitch," Yun Shang curled her lips into a sneer and muttered the four words. Perhaps, as her mother said, everything was karma. In her previous life, although she was willful, it could be said that she was still an unbridled and simple girl. She had never harmed anyone, but she had to saw her child die in a tragic way, and she was set up and killed by someone. The reincarnation of cause and effect made her reborn and she was looking for the lives of those people who harmed her.


    "It would be nice if Hua Jing could be the crown prince''s concubine peacefully. I''m afraid that she''s the reason that Prince Cangjue Kangning couldn''t get away with me yesterday. After she entered the Imperial City, she has been actively taking action recently. Jing Wenxi also got in touch with her. I''m their common enemy, so I think she came after me." Yun S


    osy cheek before saying in a low voice, "when the Chenxi gets older, please ask lady Ya''s brother, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of rites, Liu Qiyan, to be his master. Although he is young, he is talented, and even my grandfather often praises him."


    Lady Jin raised her head and stared at Yun Shang for a long time. Then she nodded with a smile, "you are right. Lord Liu is number one scholar. If lady Ya becomes the empress, there''s plenty of time left for her to do her best in the future. Three or four years later, he''ll be the first teacher in the first trimester."


    Yun Shang knew that lady Jin should have seen through her trick. She smiled and bowed her head to play with Chenxi.


    After lunch, Yun Shang intended to see what Jing Wenxi had done in Qianxin Tower this afternoon, so she left early. Yun Shang coaxed Chenxi for a long time before she left. Then she returned Chenxi to lady Jin. Lady Jin held Chenxi in her arms, and watched Yun Shang leave, lost in thought. After madam Zheng sent Yun Shang back, she whispered, "she seem to like kids a lot, but she''s not fit to have a baby now. I think she should be more careful about it¡­¡­"

 Chapter 334 An Investigation (Part Two)

    Madam Zheng shook her head at Lady Jin''s worried look, "Your highness always says, the more worried you are, the more chaotic you will become. I''m afraid that this is the way your highness is now. When the old master came to the palace, he praised her highness several times. he said that her highness was a clever woman and his majesty said the same words. And you said the same words many times. Her highness must know what your highness is thinking. "


    Lady Jin smiled bitterly. "I owe Yun Shang too much." She thought for a while and said, "I remember when I was young, there was a business man of the state of Xia who admired me. He seemed to be a famous business man in the state of Xia. Do you remember him, madam? I don''t know how he is now. No, I have to write him a letter to let him help take care of Yun Shang. "


    Madam Zheng noticed lady Jin''s enthusiasm and eagerness, and Lady Jin she handed the prince to Madam Zheng and found the pen and ink in a hurry. Madam Zheng wanted to say something, but in the end she didn''t. lowering her head, she whispered, "my lady, don''t forget that you are the lady Jin of the state of Ning. If his majesty knows about it, you will suffer bitterly. Moreover, that Mr. Zheng might have been married already. Maybe now he have even had several children, why do you still write to him?...I am afraid... "


    But thinking that lady Jin was just worried about Yun Shang, she sighed and let lady Jin do what she wanted to do.


    However, Yun Shang had no idea about it. When she returned to the Prince Jing''s mansion, s


    ead and look at the carriage, which looked not very luxurious, and was no different from the carriage of an ordinary man. The carriage just blocked Yun Shang''s sight, with its back to Yun Shang and Prince Jing. She couldn''t see who was sitting in the carriage, but she only saw a pink dress corner. The carriage flashed by and disappeared.


    Then the coachman whipped the horse and the carriage ran to the entrance of the alley quickly.


    After the carriage left, Yun Shang took Prince Jing back to the teahouse. All the people in the teahouse were Prince Jing''s shadow guards. So Yun Shang immediately reported, "the carriage was only opened a little. I didn''t see clearly who was sitting in the carriage, but I could see that the corner of the carriage seemed to be dark red."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. Dark red dress? With the color alone, it was hard to tell who was in the carriage.


    Prince Jing walked to the door and looked at the traces of the carriage. Then he said gently, "it should be Cangjue Kangning in the carriage."

 Chapter 335 An Unavoidable Encounter (Part One)

    "is it Cangjue Kangning?" Yun Shang was astonished. "How do you know that? Jing Wenxi should have a good relationship with Hua Jing. Why did she leave with Cangjue Kangning? "


    Prince Jing smiled and pointed to the traces of carriage passing by on the ground, "look at the traces left pf this carriage, and I can roughly figure out how heavy the people in the carriage are. It should not be Hua Jing, and even if she is pregnant, it can''t be her."


    Yun Shang knew that Prince Jing must be very sure of his guess if he said it to her. She looked up at the door of Qianshui tower and said hesitantly, "since Prince Cangjue Kangning has left, most of the guards of Qianshui tower must have been taken away by him. It''s not impossible to break in now. However, I have nothing to talk with Hua Jing even if I get in. I really want to see what Jing Wenxi and Cangjue Kangning are doing. "


    Prince Jing heard Yun Shang''s murmurs. He raised his hand to touch Yun Shang''s hair and said gently, "in that case, go and have a look at them. I have ordered the best secret guards to follow them secretly. It''s not too late for us to follow them now."


    Yun Shang blinked, looked at the Qianshui Tower, and clapped her hands. "Let''s go. As for Hua Jing, let her go for now."


    Prince Jing smiled and took Yun Shang''s hand. When they arrived at the entrance of the alley, he asked his servant to take Yun Shang into the carriage.


    But the carriage stopped halfway. Yun Shang heard the noise coming from outside. Then she heard the driver knocking on the door and said, "Your highnesses, someone is making trouble in front of us. The onlookers blocked the way. The road here is narrow. It''s not easy for us to turn around. "


    Yun Shang and Prince Jing looked at each other and thou


    g. If she tries her best to give it to me, I will certainly not accept it. Fortunately, I didn''t fall into the trap. If I was a little stupid, things would be so different... "


    Yun Shang looked despondent, with a sneer on her lips. She would never forget that in her previous life, it was he who threw her son, huan''er, from the window, into the hell. And her son died from that.


    Blood for blood. Hua Jing and Li Yiran had already paid for what they had done. Now it''s Mo Jingran''s turn.


    Yun Shang smiled coldly and got off the carriage. She came close to a middle-aged woman and asked, "what''s going on?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, the middle-aged woman''s eyes brightened. She took Yun Shang''s hand and said, "young man, you don''t even know this. This man is the only son of the Mo family, and also famous in the imperial city. However, this young man is a jerk, who is a regular customer of the brothel in his teens. He often goes too far in stirring up trouble due to the scramble for the women of the brothel, and his reputation is not very good. Last year, he was said to have an affair with Princess Hua Jing, so no one dared to marry their daughter to him. "

 Chapter 336 An Unavoidable Encounter (Part Two)

    "The woman next to him is his wife. She was the daughter of a butcher. But the butcher offended the lawsuit and she knelt in front of Yamen to beg. Unexpectedly, she met the Mo Jingran who was looking for fun with his friends. The lady was quite pretty, so he molested her and said as long as she married him, he would help her deal with her father''s issue."


    Yun Shang heard her and looked at the woman. She had a pretty face, but judging from her posture, she couldn''t be gentle or virtuous.


    "Everybody knows Mo family''s reputation. Mo family''s two elders heard that someone was willing to marry their son, so they quickly agreed without hesitation." The middle-aged woman tutted and continued, "but I didn''t expect that even this little woman is beautiful, she is..." Seeing Yun Shang''s face, the woman said quickly, "you are the most beautiful young man I have ever seen. My sister-in-law''s daughter hasn''t announced her marriage. She is also quite pretty. How about..."


    In order to go out conveniently, Yun Shang dressed up as a man when she was out. Seeing that the middle-aged woman had no idea where her words came from, and was thinking of her, she quickly said: "I''m sorry, I has already been married." She got rid of her hand and went back to the carriage quickly.


    Yun Shang turned around and saw Prince Jing looking at her with a smile. "What a perfect choice for everyone!"


    Yun Shang knew that Prince Jing was making fun of her. She shot a stare at him and kept silent. Prince Jing laughed, "why don''t you keep listening


    t ride all the way there. So Yun Shang and Prince Jing got off the horse and walked up the mountain. They spotted the carriage that they came from Qianshui tower half way in the mountain.


    When they entered the temple, Yun Shang smelled the familiar odour of sandalwood. They bought candlelight at random and walked towards a quiet place.


    "Miss Jing and the crown prince of the state of Yelang are in a wing room at the back. Just now, there was a woman entering the wing room." The shadow guard reported.


    And who was the other woman? Yun Shang thought to herself. Then she looked for the monk in the temple and said, "master, I''m a little tired with my friends. I''d like to have a rest in a wing room. Could you lead the way for us?" Yun Shang prayed in a gentle tone, putting her hands together.


    The young monk looked at Yun Shang and Prince Jing, eyes full of amazement and admiration, and said, "yes, there are a few people who have come to worship today. A few rooms are empty in the wing. Please come with me."

 Chapter 337 The Plot In Secret (Part One)

    The young monk led Yun Shang and Prince Jing to the backyard, opened the door to a wing room and said to them, "Amitabha, please take care of yourself here."


    Yun Shang raised her head and looked around the room. It was just a simple and clean room, with a bed for the pilgrims to have a rest, and a table and two chairs, a pot of tea, two teacups of tea, a chessboard and the chess pieces on it.


    "Where are the two?" Yun Shang asked softly to Prince Jing.


    After a short silence, Prince Jing took Yun Shang to the door and pointed at the opposite room. "They are over there."


    Yun Shang returned to the room and didn''t close the door. She looked at the opposite wing room and frowned. Behind the wing room was a bamboo forest. It might be possible if the bamboo forest was used as a cover for them.


    Prince Jing shook his head and said, "I don''t know why. But Cangjue Kangning sent all his guards to guard far away. I''ve asked the hidden guards to figure out the distribution of the prince''s guards..." Prince Jing looked around the room before he finished his words. He frowned and said, "there''s no ink and paper in the room, how strange."


    Prince Jing complained in a low voice. Then he took Yun Shang to the table, poured a cup of tea for her, and poured some water from the cup to draw the map on the table. "There are twelve guards near the wing room, but they are far away from the wing room. They are in these places." Prince Jing drew a painting to let Yun Shang see it clearly. Then he added, "there is no one next to their wing room, so we can leave two people in this room. Let the two secret guards distract the two guards who can see what happened in that room. I will follow you to the wing ro


    room after them, she gave up the idea of Jing Wenxi and Cangjue Kangning''s relationship. She didn''t expect such a thing to happen in the next door.


    But why did Jing Wenxi schemed to seduce Prince Cangjue Kangning? What was the good?


    Hua Jing was Prince Jing''s favorite concubine. And Jing Wenxi was on good terms with Ning Hua Jing. If Ning Hua Jing made up her mind to help Jing Wenxi, Prince Cangjue Kangning would definitely agree to help Jing Wenxi for her. But if Hua Jing knew Jing Wenxi did this, she might turn against her according to Hua Jing''s bad temper.


    Sounds of erotic sounds came from the next door continuously. Jing Wenxi and Cangjue Kangning kept having fun, and then die''er, who also wanted it, joined them. They three had sex with each other heartily and kept shouting and moaning.


    Yun Shang flushed when she heard their sound. She stepped back a few steps, but the moan was so loud that she could still hear it.


    Yun Shang turned around and saw Prince Jing smiling at her. She was startled and nearly knocked down the chair beside her. It was lucky that Prince Jing reacted quickly and pulled up the chair.

 Chapter 338 The Plot In Secret (Part Two)

    "Keep it in mind for me. Is this the second time? It seems this is the second time I have heard such a thing with you. " Prince Jing put his arms around Yun Shang''s waist and whispered in her ear.


    Yun Shang glared at him and thought to herself, "why did you bring Prince Jing here? You can know what he is thinking from his eyes.".


    For the second time, Yun Shang was silent. Last time, they had listened to Hua Jing and Qingsu having sex in secret. At that time, they were not married yet.


    "There''s nothing to hear. Let''s go now." Yun Shang said in a low voice to him.


    Prince Jing shook his head and said, "Jing Wenxi must have her own purpose. After she finishes her work with him, she can make her purpose clear. That''s why we came here, right? We''d better wait for them to finish. Don''t miss it. "


    Yun Shang felt resentful when she saw Prince Jing''s serious face. Prince Jing had always been cold and indifferent to others, but now he acted like a scoundrel in front of her.


    But Prince Jing was also right. Yun Shang and Prince Jing waited patiently for the end of the farce and she ignored the prince''s harassment to come. Then they heard Jing Wenxi gasped and said, "Your Highness is so awesome."


    Cangjue Kangning was elated at the beauty''s compliment. He laughed, "Xi''er, you are so beautiful that I am fascinated by you. And die''er''s voice is so pleasant to hear. I haven''t been so happy like this for a long time."


    Then they calmed themselves down and they heard Jing Wenxi laugh. She asked in a seductive voice, "Then can you reward me for my good job, Crown Prince?"


    "Okay, whatever you say." Prince Cangjue Kangning laughed happily and promised.


    "


    r everyday. I''m afraid your appearance won''t affect him much." Maybe it was because he lost an arrow the other day to Yun Shang, he still gnashed his teeth when he talked about Yun Shang angrily.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, having a feeling that Jing Wenxi would be pissed off and spit out blood. However, Jing Wenxi gritted her teeth and said, "Of course, your highness. Please have mercy, your crown prince. I have no other wishes but to go to the palace. I promise I won''t make any trouble for you. I''ll stay by your side and never leave you. "


    After a pause, Jing Wenxi said, "Princess Hua Jing is not in the imperial city now. If she return to the imperial city and knows that I have a relationship with the crown prince... I''m afraid she will be angry. Princess Hua Jing has a quick temper, and she is pregnant with the child of the crown prince. Xi''er heard that the crown prince hasn''t had a child yet, and the emperor of the state of Yelang must pay great attention to it. If Princess Hua Jing lose her unborn baby because the relationship between us, the loss will not be worth it. What do you think?"

 Chapter 339 The Assumption (Part One)

    Yun Shang heard the anger in Cangjue Kangning''s voice, "that''s what you''ve been thinking about when you came to the Qianshui tower these days. You seduced me and then you want to threaten me by that? Very good! I can''t believe that Hua Jing has a friend like you. Since you said so, if I don''t ask for enough reward, wouldn''t it be a big loss for me? If you want to get in the imperial palace, you will have to go to my place everyday before Hua Jing returns to serve me before the grand preceptor. If I am satisfied with your service, I will take you to the imperial palace. "


    Is Hua Jing not in the imperial city?


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling about it. She had got the news that Hua Jing was with Cangjue Kangning all the time, but the hidden guards hadn''t found out that they were in the imperial city and that Hua Jing was not in the Qian Shui Tower either.


    Hua Jing''s biggest enemy in the imperial city was Yun Shang. She had gone all out to return to the state of Ning, and she must have come for revenge. Since she wanted revenge, she had to find her enemy first. How could she not be in the imperial city while Yun Shang, her enemy, was here?


    Yun Shang was still frowning and wondered where Hua Jing went and what she was planning. She didn''t notice that there was a seductive voice in the next room again.


    Prince Jing opened the door and went out, holding Yun Shang''s hand. After a while, he saw a monk coming in. The monk stopped in front of the room where Yun Shang and Prince Jing''s wing room and said, "Amitabha, the tea is cold. Do you want


    he pattern on the clothes of Prince Jing and smiled. "It''s better to settle the matter in the Imperial City as early as possible." She might go to the state of Xia with Prince Jing at any time... Yun Shang thought to herself.


    Prince Jing smiled and said, "let''s go now. If we are not lucky enough to be seen by Jing Wenxi and Cangjue Kangning, things won''t be good for us."


    Yun Shang knew that such a situation would never happen if Prince Jing was present with her. But she still took Prince Jing''s hand and walked out of the wing room with him. After giving the money to the temple, they mounted the horse and went down the mountain.


    On the way, after they just got in the city, they saw Liu Yinfeng coming their way and looking straight at Yun Shang. Although Liu Yinfeng had already figured out that she was the man who was outside the KY City, Yun Shang had never admitted it. Yun Shang couldn''t find any excuse to contradict him now because she was wearing a man''s clothes today. She simply nodded to him and passed by him without looking sideways.

 Chapter 340 The Assumption (Part Two)

    Seeing their interactions, Prince Jing curled his lips and said, "look at Mr. Liu. I am afraid that he must have fallen in love with my shang''er. What should I do about it? It''s a pity that my shang''er has been already married to me. Alas! Having a wife who is so attractive, which is really annoying. If shang''er feels interested and gets too many men to go home as her concubines one day, I''ll cry. It seems that I''d better lock you in our house so that you won''t be able to see other people. "


    Yun Shang knew he was only joking. But as he was outside, Prince Jing looked so serious and sstern that Yun Shang felt nervous about his words.


    The preparation of the empress ceremony was very smooth, from the release of the imperial edict to its various preparations. Everything was carried out in an orderly way. Soon it was March 1st, and two days later, the big ceremony would be seal. Before the ceremony was made, the emperor and the future empress would need to pray in the palace and cultivate for three days.


    Since Qiwu palace was burned to ashes, Emperor Ning ordered his servants to demolish it and rebuild it. But they hadn''t started any construction yet. They had another magnificent palace which was hung and put on the name Qiwu palace on it as the empress'' palace in the future.


    Perhaps it was because of emperor Ning''s moves that rumors had been spreading in the palace. It was said that emperor Ning doted on Lady Jin very much, and the new empress was merely a target set up by him to protect Lady Jin. The rumor was spreading steadily and orderly. It was said that there were three evidences f


    ry soon. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly with a smile, "it''s going to be done soon. The grand preceptor is going to seal the marriage in two days. I''m afraid that someone in the imperial palace will do something against my mother during that time."


    Qian Yin smiled and said, "his highness said earlier that he had found out someone searching for Princess Hua Jing. Tomorrow morning he will get the detailed news. If she wants to plot against the princess, she should weigh her own weight. After all, Prince Jing is protecting Princess Yun Shang now."


    Yun Shang took a glance at Qian Yin and asked her to leave, feeling amused.


    She saw the white fungus soup on the table and remembered that Prince Jing was called to the study by the housekeeper when he had dinner at night. She didn''t know when he would come back.


    While she was thinking, the door was pushed open, and Prince Jing appeared in front of Yun Shang, followed by a secret guard. While walking, he said, "there''s an accident in the palace. It''s said that someone had put chopped meat in Lady Ya''s meal..."

 Chapter 341 The Storm Was Coming

    Before the grand preceptor, the emperor and the new empress needed to stay in the mansion to pray for three days and can not eat mean, which was the rule of the old ancestors. Praying for three days meant that their happy events would be smooth and auspicious. So they can not eat meat during the three days...


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and thought, ''those guys have gone too far. They initiated the attack first.''. Thinking of this, Yun Shang stood up in a hurry and said to Prince Jing, "I''m afraid I have to go to the palace now."


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang. He hesitated a little and then nodded. "I know you are worried about lady Jin. I''ve heard the rumors in the palace several days ago. This time they are coming for lady Jin. Go to the palace now. Do you want me to go with you?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and slowly shook her head. Although the incident was related to the grand ceremony, it was still an incident in the imperial household. She didn''t want Prince Jing to get involved in it too much. Men should be considerate and thinking about the matter of the whole country, and women should deal with matters in the family. Moreover, this is only related to her mother.


    Yun Shang asked Prince Jing to drink the white fungus soup on the table, and then asked Qian Yin to change her clothes for her. She went out of the door with a pink cloak, and the carriage was ready. She rushed to the palace.


    Lady Jin should be present as one of the persons in charge of the grand preceptor''s preparation now that an incident happened. Besides, she kept the Empress'' token for the time being, and the incident was in the imperial household now.


    Yun Shang didn''t want to go to the Jinxiu palace, so she asked a maid to take her to the Changan Hall. It was a Buddhist hall set in the palace, where the concubines pray, and the emperor prayed in qinzheng hall.


    When Yun Shang arrived, she saw emperor Ning and Lady Ya sitting on the chairs. Lady Jin stood beside emperor Ning and looked at the maids kneeling on the ground, with a frown on her head.


    "I have been staying in the cooking room all these days. His majesty and Lady ya have kept in the room for a whole day, and we have even prayed in the imperial household. Lady Jin ordered that all the food in the palace is forbidden to have meat, so in the following days, no meat has been sent to the palace. I don''t know where the dog meat comes from either. I''m innocent... "


    Yun Shang knew from the maid''s words that she must be the one who worked in the cooking room. Judging from her wail, Yun Shang could not get any information from her.


    "Were you beside the cook when he cooked?" Emperor Ning said calmly.


    The maid shook her head. "There are many people in the imperial meal room, but I didn''t expect that someone would dare to do something to the meal, so I didn''t pay attention to it and left several times."


    Yun Shang looked at the maid thoughtfully. Even in the face of such a situation, the maid was neither overbearing nor servile. She cried and screamed, but she gave a clear answer that could not be simple. She must not be a simple girl at all.


    "Did anyone else come there when you were making lunch?" Lady Jin asked softly.


    T


    e quickly took over the bowl, smelled it, and then took out the spoon, and looked at it carefully.


    Emperor Ning realized that the imperial physician had the same actions as Yun Shang''s just now. He turned around and looked at Yun Shang. ''Does she know medical skills as well?'' It was just his guess, but he couldn''t draw a conclusion. This daughter had given him too much surprise or fright. He had never known that she was able to shoot an arrow as she did at the royal banquet the other day.


    The imperial physician paused and replied, "Your Majesty, I guess the meat in the bowl is made of fish."


    "Fish?" Emperor Ning said with a frown, "We don''t ask anyone to send fish in the palace. And we don''t breed fish here. Where is it from?"


    The imperial physician replied momentarily, "there is perch ground with dried meat in the imperial hospital."


    "Really? Is it can also be used as medicine? " Emperor Ning raised his eyebrows and asked.


    The imperial physician nodded and said, "the fish meat can nourish the five organs, nourish your bones, stomach and intestines, nourish the fetus, water and affect people''s health as well. The general drugstore is serving dry fish meat all around the city. "


    "For prevention of miscarriage?" Emperor Ning frowned and his eyes also grew cold.


    Lady Jin was the only one who had used the perch meat these days. Now it was clear that the trap was buried in her place.


    Emperor Ning looked up at Lady Jin, and saw her still calm and unmoved as if nothing had happened. he turned to Yun Shang again. There was a smile on Yun Shang''s face, but it seemed a little cold.


    Emperor Ning did not show any odd expression and said flatly, "who had taken the perch fish meat from the imperial hospital recently?"


    The imperial physician seemed to recall for a moment, and replied softly, "no one has taken the perch fish meat in the palace recently. Lady Jin''s old maid Madam Zheng had used the effect of the poison. At that time, lady Jin was pregnant with the little prince, and Madam Zheng learnt about medicine, so she went to the Imperial hospital to get some fish meat to prevent lady Jin''s miscarriage."

 Chapter 342 Exposure Of The Evil Plan (Part One)

    "Really? So lady Jin is the one who wants to trick me? " Lady Ya asked indifferently, her voice sounding funny though she was asking the imperial physician.


    However, the trembling old woman seemed not to realize the underlying meaning of Lady Ya''s words. She hurriedly interrupted, "how could it be? Lady ya, you''re overthinking things. Lady Jin won''t harm you, lady ya. She has everything except the title of the empress. So how could she be the one to harm you? "


    Perhaps it was because the old maid was too anxious to attribute the accusation to lady Jin, the madam did not find that her words were excessive. If lady Ya were the only one in the room, it was not a big deal at all when she would have said that. However, there were so many people in the room, and Lady Jin, who she had mentioned, was also in the conversation, and she was also taking responsibilities on emperor Ning as well.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter. It must be Qin Meng who planned the whole plot. Although the plot at the beginning looked good, the person who was picked to frame Yun Shang was really too unbearable. The old maid was just too stupid. Perhaps she had been staying in the imperial cook room and had been burning the fire for too long, so she didn''t know to make an observation and make a conversation. Besides, she was too impatient as well. Judging from Qin Meng''s identity and experience, it could be very difficult for her to plan the fish plan. She was afraid that she must have been taught by someone with high knowledge. However, the only flaw was that this old maid was chosen. Given Qin Meng''s identity and favor, it was already very difficult for her to buy off this old maid.


    The former maid must have received the same reward as the old maid by Qin Meng, for when Lady Jin asked her about the presence of a person other than lady Jin, she raised he


    that Qi''er was taken away by a guard. I''m so worried so I asked. Please pardon me, your majesty."


    Emperor Ning didn''t respond, but Yun Shang spoke unhurriedly, making a comment that had nothing to do with the matter, "Meng Jieyu''s earrings are a little unique. I seemed to see them in the Ya decoration house that made jewelry the other day outside the palace. I''ve heard that they are new, and have only one set in the whole imperial city. I didn''t expect to see it on you at all, Meng Jieyu."


    Qin Meng stiffened and her lips turned pale all of a sudden. In the imperial household, no outsider often came in. The clothes of concubines were usually made in the palace, and no one paid attention to the jewelry outside the palace. Qin Meng was not favored in the palace, and she seldom went out of her palace as well. She was not afraid of being asked about it. Although the stuff sent from outside the palace was not as precious as the things in the palace, and the style was very novel, and she was just a junior concubine. Good things in the palace wouldn''t flow to her. What she could wear were usually left after being chosen by others. Therefore, every time the gifts were sent to the palace from outside, she would put them on in a hurry.

 Chapter 343 Exposure Of The Evil Plan (Part Two)

    She had felt nervous for the first two times. Then she found that nobody noticed her outfit, so she became much bolder. Besides, she didn''t expect that Qi''er would be taken here by the guards today. She was so anxious that she forgot to take off the ear lobe. She didn''t expect that Yun Shang was here and the first thing Yun Shang said to her was this.


    Others didn''t think of that too.


    Lady Ya looked at Qin Meng''s eardrop, and remained silent for a moment. Then she said, "I''ve heard that there''s no family around Meng Jieyu outside the palace, and no one has ever visited her..."


    The underlying meaning of this sentence was that the origin of her ear ring was very strange.


    Emperor Ning kept silent for a while. He knew that Yun Shang wouldn''t mention something about the ear drop without any reason. He looked up and asked, "who gave you the ear ring?"


    Qin Meng bit her lip and did not answer.


    Yun Shang smiled. "On behalf of Meng Jieyu, I''ll answer your question, father. The ear studs are brought in by Qi''er''s relatives every month when they visited her in the imperial palace. It''s pretty normal that the servant sends gifts to the master, but I asked the price of the ear ring the other day. It seems to be three or two bucks of gold? I have no idea that your maid is also so rich, Meng Jieyu. Besides, it seems that it''s not the first time I have seen you wearing such valuable things, Meng Jieyu. "


    She paused before looking at Qin Meng with con


    to look at Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, he nodded his head slightly and said, "Lord Zheng, find two attendants to search the maid."


    Yun Shang was delighted to see the servant girl called Qi''er get a little flustered. Although the eunuch was a eunuch, he was a man anyway. It must be unforgettable to be searched by two men for her.


    The moment Qi''er was pulled away, Qin Meng knelt on the ground as if she had been drained of all her strength. After a long time, she suddenly looked up at Yun Shang, with complex emotions in her eyes.


    Yun Shang saw it but didn''t take it seriously. She just smiled at Qin Meng. She had given Qin Meng chances for several times, but Qin Meng didn''t cherish them and always went against her will. No wonder Qin Meng could not change her mind at all.


    After a while, master Zheng came out with an eunuch, with a sachet in his hand. He raised the head and said to Emperor Ning, "Your Majesty, I found this on Qi''er''s body just now."

 Chapter 344 Things Were About To Start (Part One)

    Inside the sachet was the fish meat with dried smell.


    Qi''er followed them out. Her steps were unsteady. Yun Shang smiled. As a man, even a dog could not change its spots. She must have been taken a lot advantage in the search.


    "Guards, lock Meng Jieyu and this maid up, and execute them according to the grand preceptor." Emperor Ning''s emotionless voice made Qin Meng fall to the ground all of a sudden as if she had fainted. but The maid raised her head and said with determination, "I''m not convinced, your majesty. There is perch fish meat in the Jinxiu palace as well. Why does his majesty believe that it was us who tried to harm Lady Ya?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "who told you there''s fish meat in the Jinxiu Palace?" She continued after a pause, "Qi''er, you must know nothing about medicine, don''t you? I believe so. You know the importance of perch fish meat, too. Perch meat is taken here by the Jinxiu palace from the Imperial Hospital, but you don''t know it will change color when it was served too long. Do you think lady Ya won''t see it if it changed color? "


    "The youngest Prince is already four months old. Lady Jin has been staying in the Laifeng palace for the sake of miscarriage prevention. It was more than half a year before I got married and Lady Jin stayed here..." Yun Shang was amused to see Qi''er''s face darken little by little. How dared the cuprit want to harm a person in this way? But She didn''t even know the weapon the murderer had used. How ridiculous it is!


    Qi''er was also quickly taken out by the guards, and Yun Shang went back to the Jinxiu palace with Lady Jin before leaving the palace.


    Yun Shang knew clearly that Qin Meng wouldn''t survive this time. Qin Meng was just a step to


    ength to the full, and Xia Huanyu walked with caution. The game was not set yet, as the two factions were stuck together.


    Xia Huanyu put the piece in his hand into the chess can and said with a smile, "since your highness is back, I''ll leave now."


    Prince Jing waved his hand. It seemed that he didn''t hear what Xia Huanyu was talking about and he didn''t care as well, but Yun Shang saw a flash of emotion in his eyes. Yun Shang smiled as if she had seen a kid who had a fight with his elder.


    As she saw Xia Huanyu was about to leave, she intended to see him off, but Prince Jing held her hand all the time. Yun Shang had no choice but to tell the Chamberlain to send Xia Huanyu off.


    After Xia Huanyu left, Yun Shang turned to Prince Jing and looked at him helplessly. "If you don''t like him, then just don''t see him. If you meet him, don''t be so impatient. Why do you torture him and yourself too?"


    A touch of embarrassment flashed across Prince Jing''s face. He answered after a while, "nonsense. I was bored because you were in the imperial palace. When he came to play chess with me, I was so boring that I killed some time with him."

 Chapter 345 Things Were About To Start (Part Two)

    Yun Shang didn''t expose his lie. She shook her head, "let''s go back to the inner room. It''s a little cold here."


    Prince Jing nodded and took Yun Shang''s hand. They went back to the inner yard together.


    Yun Shang heard the Prince Jing speak when she woke up in the morning. He seemed to be talking to someone. Yun Shang curled her head into the quilt, and after a while, she reached out again. His voice was a little clearer, and it was the Butler''s voice. "When I went to the street earlier, I hear they was talking about it. I''m afraid it won''t be long before all the people in the state of Ning will know about it."


    Prince Jing stayed silent for a long time. When Yun Shang thought he wouldn''t speak, he gave a snort. "I thought he was interested in playing chess with me last night. Now I know he is guilty for doing this? Or he just want to tell me, but it''s not easy for him to say it to me? "


    Maybe Prince Jing''s tone was too cold, which made Yun Shang more awake. Go and play chess with him? Is it Xia Huanyu?


    What had Xia Huanyu done?


    While she was thinking, Qian Yin came in. Seeing that Yun Shang was staring at the bed roof with her eyes wide open, Qian Yin paused and said, "Your Highness? are you awake? Are you getting up? "


    The person who spoke outside seemed to have heard Qian Yin''s words. After a moment of silence, Yun Shang heard Prince Jing say, "follow me to the study."


    Yun Shang stared at the roof blankly for a while before asking, "what happened today?"


    Qian Yin bit her lip and stared at Yun Shang for a while, which made Yun Shang lose her patience. Then she said in a low voice, "something serious h


    eemed that Ning Hua Jing came to the ning''guo Temple yesterday to ask Master Wu Na for the safety rune. Master Wu Na said that it was for the safety of her child. But the other day, Hua Jing was near the Ningguo temple. It seemed that she just wandered around. "


    Yun Shang sneered. Seek safety for her child? She used her baby as a tool and never cared about the baby''s safety. It was really a joke. Wandering around the temple? Is there anything worthy of visit near the Ningguo temple? She was pregnant and it was not convenient for her to travel in this way.


    However, it was not easy for the secret guards to find out the truth. Yun Shang didn''t make it difficult and asked Luo Yi to quit.


    "Your Highness, what does Hua Jing want to do?" Qian Yin frowned.


    Yun Shang shook her head, "I don''t know. What can be found in the Ningguo temple?"


    "Did Hua Jing go there to investigate you?" Qian Yin whispered. Her unconscious words made Yun Shang open her eyes wide. The smile on her face turned cold. Yes, how could she forget that she had lived in the ning''guo temple for seven years...

 Chapter 346 The Day Before The Grand Ceremony (Part One)

    Yun Shang didn''t want any accident to happen to the seal of Yelang tomorrow. She had almost been fully prepared, but the accidents still occurred. Yun Shang sighed in a low voice and turned to Qian Yin. "You and Ruyi need to negotiate with each other to prevent Jing Wenxi from entering the imperial palace again tomorrow."


    Qian Yin giggled and said yes, "that''s easy."


    After some arrangements, Yun Shang suddenly realized that Prince Jing still had something important to deal with, or else the people of the state of Ning would be affected. With a sigh, Yun Shang walked out of the yard and asked the guards at the gate, "where is Prince Jing?"


    The guard answered, "his highness is in the study to visit a guest."


    To visit a guest? Yun Shang stopped for a short while and then returned to the room. She guessed that the guest was most likely to be Xia Huanyu. Prince Jing had promised her to deal with this matter properly, and that he would not let his birth affect the country of Ning. Now that he has promised, he will definitely keep his promise.


    It was not until dusk that Prince Jing came out of his study. Instead of returning to his room, she heard from a servant that Prince Jing was in a daze in the pavilion by the lake. Yun Shang frowned. She had been pacing back and forth in her room for the whole day. She was almost dizzy. When she heard that Prince Jing was lost in thought by the lake, she slowly calmed down. She stopped and turned to Qian Yin indifferently. "His highness hasn''t eaten anything all day. It is not good for his health. Go and ask the kitchen to make some porridge for him."


    Qian Y


    nd there will be no war in a hundred years, and that they must support the other in spite of any difficulty."


    After that, Prince Jing fell silent again. Yun Shang also kept silent. There was a moment of silence in the room. After a long time, Yun Shang stood up and put the bowl back on the table. "What conditions did you promise him?"


    Prince Jing seemed surprised. He didn''t expect that this was the first question that Yun Shang asked. "I promise..." Prince Jing sneered and somewhat dazed. "I promised to go back to the state of Xia with him, and, according to his hope, become the emperor of the state of Xia."


    Yun Shang had been guessing what conditions Xia Huanyu would bring to Prince Jing the whole day, but she wasn''t surprised at all. She said, "he is too naive. He thought that the throne belonged to him now, so he could act willfully and decide who would inherit it after he died. He might have forgotten that the other princes of the state of Xia are also difficult to deal with. "


    Prince Jing laughed after hearing Yun Shang''s words. "Yes, he is forcing me."

 Chapter 347 The Day Before The Grand Ceremony (Part Two)

    "But it is fine," Yun Shang smiled at Prince Jing and said. "Luckily, you don''t have to marry any lady in the state of Xia to help you win the throne."


    "What?" Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang in surprise. "How did you know he brought it up?"


    Yun Shang was shocked. "I''m just making a wild guess. Didn''t your grandfather really say that I don''t deserve you before? Did Xia Huanyu really suggest it?" She said with a hint of anger in the end.


    Prince Jing couldn''t help laughing. He looked at Yun Shang with fire in his eyes, and the frustration on his face had disappeared. He sat up and held Yun Shang by the waist, looking up at her. "He is not a fool. How can he offend me at this time like that? As for Lord Hua Guo, you don''t have to care about what others think. You just need to know one thing. "


    "What is it?" Yun Shang lowered her eyes and looked at Prince Jing for a moment.


    Prince Jing closed his mouth and thought for a moment. Then he said with a bit hoarse, "if I were an emperor, you must be the empress."


    Yun Shang felt as if a flower was blooming in her heart, and she heard the sound of ice shattering in her heart. She smiled faintly from the corners of her mouth to the bottom of her eyes, "well, I remember all the things. If you failed me one day, I would become a ferocious ghost, and I would have to pay you back."


    Yun Shang whispered in a nearly gentle voice, but Prince Jing heard it clearly. She saw Prince Jing''s eyes were full of determination, and his determination seemed to be engraved in her heart. Yun Shang thought to herself, she would never be able to hold her hea


    ore. Go and catch die''er, the most popular courtesan in red recently. Then ask a guard to lure Ning Hua Jing out and torture Die''er in front of her. You must let Ning Hua Jing know about the collusion between Cangjue Kangning and Jing Wenxi."


    "The Qianshui tower is heavily guarded. Ning Hua Jing is inside, and ordinary guards cannot afford to bring her out. I''ll personally go there and make sure that this matter will be carried out beautifully. Well..." Prince Jing chuckled. "I will Give it to your ladyship and as the apology for my behavior yesterday."


    Yun Shang didn''t need to think more about it. She knew what Prince Jing meant by his "apology". She couldn''t lose her temper in Qian Yin''s presence, so she said angrily, "Then get up quickly. Cangjue Kangning and Jing Wenxi will be going in the palace soon."


    Prince Jing hurriedly got up, dressed, and turned to Yun Shang, "Qian Yin, you stay with her highness. Today it''s not a peaceful day. Bring more secret guards with you."


    Yun Shang nodded, got out of bed, packed her things, and went to the palace.

 Chapter 348 The Royal Banquet (Part One)

    The whole imperial palace was overwhelmed with joy. Red lanterns were hung along the path, and words of "wedding" were written everywhere in the palace. Lady Jin got up early in the morning and got inside the palace early, and she watched the babysitter feeding Chenxi milk. Lady Jin smiled at Yun Shang when she saw her, and stood up. "Let''s go. The Qiwu palace has been decorated. Let''s go and Have a look?"


    Yun Shang nodded and asked, "where is lady ya?"


    Lady Jin poked Yun Shang''s forehead, and said, "Lady ya? Now it''s time for you to call her the empress."


    The empress? Yun Shang lowered her head and said nothing. Lady Jin sighed a little and said, "Well, it''s all my fault. Are you blaming me for not wanting to be the empress?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "I know what you are thinking about, mother. I understand that being the empress or not makes no difference for you." There was indeed no difference, and it was best if lady Jin was willing to be the empress. If she was not willing to do so, Yun Shang would also choose a person who she had in control to block those arrows for her mother.


    "Lady Ya is still in her palace, and she is being decorated right now. There are many people around her, and the emperor has also sent someone to guard there. Nothing will happen. After she is dressed up, she will go directly with his majesty to the city tower and accept the kneeling of the people. Then she will go to the Jinluan hall to take the Empress'' token and seal." Lady Jin chuckled, "but none of these warm-hearted activities can be seen by you and me. Today you have to be with me to entertain the families of the ministers in the palace."


    Yun Shang agreed with a chuckle. Her eyes sparkled. The


    t Chenxi. Seeing this, Chenxi danced and laughed in a happy way.


    "Father." Yun Shang took a step forward and walked to Emperor Ning. She reached out her hand to hold the Chenxi''s little hand. "Have you had breakfast, father?"


    Just now a servant told emperor Ning that Yun Shang and Lady Jin went out together. Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Emperor Ning didn''t answer immediately but turned to lady Jin. Seeing that lady Jin didn''t look unhappy, he smiled and said, "OK, let''s have some food."


    Lady Jin then turned around and told the servants to prepare the breakfast. Yun Shang giggled as she pinched Chenxi''s little face. "You''re a fast growing child. I think Chenxi seems to have grown a lot every day."


    Lady Jin turned to look at Chenxi and frowned. "Really? I don''t think so. "


    "Maybe it''s because mother you see Chenxi everyday so you don''t notice it. Chenxi has grown up a lot!" Yun Shang said with a smile.


    After a short while, Chenxi shrieked and cried. Lady Jin hurriedly said, "I think he has peed his pants. Let the nurse have a look at him." The housemaid had prepared the breakfast and Lady jin handed Chenxi to her.

 Chapter 349 The Royal Banquet (Part Two)

    Yun Shang helped emperor Ning to his seat, and smiled, "you must be very busy today, father? How come you have time to visit Chenxi in the Jinxiu Palace? "


    Emperor Ning glanced at Lady Jin, who, as always, was calmly asked the maids to serve the meal, and ignored what they were talking about. Disappointment flashed in emperor Ning''s eyes. He said softly, "everyone has to be prepared. It''s a rare day off today, but I''m used to getting up early. So I come to the Jinxiu palace to have a look because I have nothing else to do."


    Yun Shang''s smile faded. The emperor felt guilty because lady Jin was still lady Jin even Jing Wenxi failed as the empress. he was afraid that lady Jin might get angry, so he came to see her.


    Yun Shang felt like she was choked on a fishbone. She picked up the bowl and ate some porridge without saying anything else.


    A voice came from outside, "Prince Jing."


    Yun Shang looked up and saw Prince Jing coming in from the door. Prince Jing greeted emperor Ning and Lady Jin with a smile and then walked to Yun Shang and sat down by her side.


    Lady Jin asked the servants to fill the table with another set of bowls and chopsticks. Then Yun Shang turned to Prince Jing and asked with concern, "Why are you here?"


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang with a smile and said in a soft voice, "I didn''t see you in the morning when I woke up. I heard from the Butler that you were in the palace, so I came to see you. Is there anything I can help?" Yun Shang knew that Jing Wenxi''s plan would fail when she saw the expression on Prince Jing''s face.


    Emperor Ning laughed at his words. "This is the place where she has been domine


    es.


    "Good day, lady Jin." The ladies bowed to lady Jin when they saw her here.


    After straightening up, Wang Jinyan rushed over excitedly and went to Yun Shang. She looked at Chenxi with interested eyes. "Is this the little prince? He looks so cute. "


    Yun Shang heard her and made fun of her when she saw Lady Wang coming their way, "it seems that Lady Wang should have picked a husband for Yan''er as soon as possible..."


    Lady Wang didn''t expect Yun Shang to say so. She paused and then said, "if you have a suitable husband candidate for her, you can introduce one to her. I''ve found her many young masters from respectable clans. She scared them all away."


    A man came to Yun Shang''s mind as she heard the woman''s words. There was indeed a man that she could introduce to Wang Jinyan. She glanced at Wang Jinyan with a trace of slyness on her face. Wang Jinyan could not help but repeatedly beg, "please, please don''t, don''t really believe my mother''s words."


    While they were laughing, someone said, "Wow, isn''t that Jing Wenxi? Didn''t they say that she was a evildoer? Why is she here? "

 Chapter 350 Doubt Of Her Identity (Part One)

    Yun Shang turned around and saw Jing Wenxi standing at the gate of the imperial garden, dressed in red, with a cloak on her. She glanced at everyone, raised her foot and walked in.


    Didn''t his highness catch her? Why was she here? Yun Shang was confused, but since Prince Jing was not here, the prince''s guard must be with him. Yun Shang turned around to ask Qian Yin about the situation. Suddenly, she noticed a glance from behind. When she turned back, she saw Jing Wenxi smiling at her and walking towards her.


    Yun Shang knew that if she sent Qian Yin to ask, she would definitely attract Jing Wenxi''s attention. Yun Shang thought for a while and gave up on the plan. She smiled at Jing Wenxi who was walking towards her, "master Jing told me that Miss Jing is resting at home. I thought I wouldn''t see you today. But miss Jing still came to the palace."


    Jing Wenxi didn''t seem to understand Yun Shang''s irony. She calmly walked to Yun Shang, bowed to her and said, "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang hurried to lift her up, "Miss Jing, please don''t stand on ceremony."


    Jing Wenxi turned to Madam Zheng, who was holding a swaddle in her arms. "Is this the little prince? he''s so adorable. " Jing Wenxi walked to Madam Zheng as she spoke. She reached out her hand to fondle Chenxi''s face, but the latter stepped back, wrapping her arms around Chenxi''s waist. "His Highness is afraid of strangers. I''m afraid that Miss Jing will cry make him again if he was touched by Miss Jing. I''m afraid I can''t stop him then."


    Jing Wenxi smiled and withdrew her hand carelessly.


    Yun Shang felt there was something wrong. Jing Wenxi''s eyes were full of hatred when she saw Chenxi just now. But as a matter of fact, Chenxi was just a kid. When they were at the temporary imperial palace of the Laifeng City, Jing Wenxi had attempted to hurt Chenxi because she wanted to use him as a bargaining chip. However, when she met Yun Shang today, Jing Wenxi didn''t seem to be hostile and jealous as she used to be. On the contrary, she hated Chenxi more.


    Yun Shang thought for a while, and giggled as she held Jing Wenxi''s hand. "Portia is bad temp


    p, "I''m busy today. Miss Jing, you can sit here and have a cup of tea. The desserts are all prepared. If you want to eat anything, just tell the servants."


    Jing Wenxi nodded and waved her hand indifferently. Then she turned back to the lake.


    As Yun Shang walked out of the pavilion, she was pulled by Wang Jinyan. "What can you two talk about? brother had told me that the grand councilor would abandon her as an abandoned child? How dare the grand councilor allow her to come into the Imperial Palace on such a big day... "


    Yun Shang chuckled and took her hand. "Eyes are everywhere in this imperial household. Do you think that she is so bold to do anything in front of everyone?"


    After that, Yun Shang left Jing Wenxi behind, but Wang Jinyan kept an eye on her in secret and talked with her from time to time.


    "Look at her. She is so arrogant that people who don''t know her would think she is the empress." Wang Jinyan snorted, with obvious dissatisfaction in her eyes.


    Jing Wenxi didn''t do anything until the banquet on Penglai Island was over.


    Then the ladies rested in the imperial garden for a while, and Lady Jin took them to the Jinluan hall to meet the new empress.


    "Your Highness, isn''t Princess Hua Jing in the imperial city now? Isn''t she supposed to come? Why didn''t she show up? " Qian Yin murmured. Yun Shang smiled. "It doesn''t matter if she didn''t come. The less trouble the better."

 Chapter 351 Doubt Of Her Identity (Part Two)

    When they arrived at the Jinluan hall, the ministers stood in two lines and the seats were already taken. Lady Jin, followed by the concubines, followed by the lady with an honorary title, walked into the hall slowly, followed by three Bowes. "Your Majesty, may you live long and long. Pay respects to the empress."


    "Arise." Emperor Ning''s emotionless voice resounded in the Jinluan hall and finally stopped.


    Everyone stood up. Yun Shang lifted her eyes and saw emperor Ning sitting on his chair. He was dressed in red clothes with a gold dragon embroidered on it. Liu Qingya was sitting beside him. She wore a red dress with a phoenix embroidered with wings, and her makeup was dignified and graceful.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help exclaiming. She had been worried about Liu Qingya whether she could keep the show. But she didn''t expect that the Phoenix costume with a phoenix crown made her dignified.


    "Please take your seat," Emperor Ning''s eyes rested on Lady Jin for a while, and then he said softly.


    All people walked to the seats in the back and sat down. Yun Shang also walked to the seats behind Prince Jing and sat down. There was a sound of music, and it was a good fortune. Yun Shang listened to the music, bowed her head and said, "Jing Wenxi has come."


    Prince Jing was surprised. He looked around and saw the woman in red. "It shouldn''t happen, I have locked her in a very solid place. It''s impossible for her to escape. Besides, I never heard from our secret guards that she escaped..." said Prince Jing, frowning.


    Hearing the prince''s words, Yun Shang flashed a smile. She turned to look at Jing Kui, but she saw that it seemed that he had not expected that Jing Wenxi would be here. His eyes were full of disbelief and his face suddenly turned pale.


    The gaze of Jing Kui and Prince Jing was so eye-catching that emperor Ning also looked over. As soon as he saw that, he furrowed his brows and said with a bit of displeasure in his voice, "today is the day of my bestowed title, but someone appeared in a red dress on the occasion. What crime should she take?"


    People saw the red robe but didn''t get dressed due to the time and place. When they heard the emperor lose his temper, they looked at Jing Wenxi.


    Jing Wenxi walked to the palace unhurriedly and made a bow to Emperor Ning. "Your Majesty didn''t order me not to enter the palace in red today. But since your majesty gets angry because of this, it''s my fault. I''m sorry. But his Majesty was convicted only because he wore a inappropriate dress. So what if th


    ess without a veil. At that time, lady Jing, who lived in the temple for a few days every month, was master Wu Na''s friend. Last year, Princess Hui Guo received the emperor''s decree, and after she was summoned back to the palace, lady Jing has arrived at the temple. "


    "We thought you would come and live there as before. However, I got up early that morning and saw a maid walking out of the room with a sack. As something was moving inside the sack, I followed them. The maid threw the sack into the valley behind the temple and even buried it with a hole, "


    Yun Shang looked up at Wenxi, and found that she had been looking at her, with joy in her eyes. Yun Shang smiled and continued listening to the monk''s shout.


    "After the maid left, I went to remove the soil from the ruins. As soon as I opened the sack, I saw the princess curling up in the bag, and she has no breath."


    The people in the hall looked at Yun Shang with curiosity. Although they didn''t believe what Jing Wenxi said, Yun Shang confirmed the monk''s identity in person. Hearing his explanation, they all felt doubtful.


    "Really?" Yun Shang said indifferently, "well, I believe you, master. But I don''t know, since I am a fake princess, and my appearance is different from that of the princess in the temple, why Master Wu Na in your temple has seen me again countless times, but has never said that I am a fake?"


    Everyone nodded. Master Wu Na came to the imperial city a few days ago and revealed Jing Wenxi''s identity as an enchanting beauty. Why didn''t he mention that Lady Jing was the fake princess? However, Jing Wenxi''s so-called witnesses, who were not big masters, must have been bribed off by Jing Wenxi.

 Chapter 352 Revealing The Trick

    Jing Wenxi understood what the others thought. She smiled and said, "this master has told me that the man who brought lady Jing to Ningguo temple is master Wu Na''s friend. But you won''t believe me. Although you don''t believe me, I have a way to tell if she is the real princess Hui Guo. "


    "Really? What method? " Emperor Ning raised his eyebrows and looked at Jing Wenxi with a slight smile.


    "Drip the blood and see if she is your daughter." Jing Wenxi raised her head with a proud look.


    Yun Shang heard all kinds of voices in the palace. Listening carefully, the majority had agreed the plan. "It''s just a drop of blood. Since a drop of blood can reveal one''s identity, it''s much easier."


    Emperor Ning looked at Yun Shang coldly without any sign of joy or anger, "what do you think?"


    Yun Shang smiled and stood up, "the master told me that it''s solid. If I retreat, I''m afraid people will suspect me in the future. It''s just a drop of blood. Although I''m afraid of pain, I can feel that it''s a trade on point."


    Emperor Ning nodded. "You''re indeed my daughter. You''re a responsible woman."


    Hearing this, all the people looked at Yun Shang thoughtfully. It seemed that the person sitting on the dragon throne was not stupid. Jing Wenxi had explained to the emperor with these monk for a long time, but the Emperor didn''t seem to believe her.


    Jing Wenxi raised her eyebrows, stood still and said nothing. Emperor Ning ordered. "Go to prepare clear water for her."


    The sound of the melody from the hall became clear. Everyone was discussing the matter in front of him. Emperor Ning frowned and looked around the hall. After seeing the expressions on everyone''s face, he finally withdrew his gaze.


    After a while, a eunuch came in with a plate in his hand, with a small bowl on it. He walked into the hall steadily, and knelt down, "Your Majesty, the water is here."


    Emperor Ning nodded and stood up. He walked down the stairs, followed by Yun Shang. Then emperor Ning took the knife on the plate and swept his finger. Blood dripped from the knife and dropped into the bowl. Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the bowl. A faint smile appeared on her face. She took the dagger from emperor Ning, and swiftly swept her fingertips. Blood flew into the bowl, and a clear sound was heard.


    Emperor Ning frowned. Jing Wenxi laughed. "Your Majesty, see? The blood doesn''t melt."


    Hardly had Jing Wenxi''s words faded away, a burst of discussion broke out in the hall. How could it be? Did Jing Wenxi and the monk tell the truth? Now the exceedingly beautiful lady Jing is not really Princess Hui Guo, but a fake?


    Hearing the sound of the bowl, Yun Shang smiled and swept the bowl down


    "Your Highness! What are you doing? " Wenxi changed her face and looked at Yun Shang angrily,


    ard her and smiled. She knew who Jing Wenxi referred to. She was the girl who had been sent to Ningguo temple and pretended to stay there as she was after grandpa had picked her up. Before returning to the palace, she had asked Qin Yi to get rid of that woman. Qin Yi might not have known that she was followed since she didn''t know martial arts.


    It was her fault that they failed to get rid of that woman completely, so that she was caught and triggered.


    But Jing Wenxi would never know that the woman was sent by grandpa to replace Yun Shang, not the real Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled and took a sip of tea. Then she raised her head and said with a smile, "well, Miss Jing kept saying that I was a fake after she arrived. She also said that I tried to murder his majesty''s daughter and committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. I have accompanied Miss Jing in the show. Miss Jing, don''t you think you should give me an explanation? I don''t think I can be convicted now, but miss Jing has taken a charge. What kind of crime is it to slander the princess? Is the head of the court of justice here? "


    A middle-aged man at the table answered, "yes, your highness."


    Yun Shang chuckled, "can you tell me how to deal with Miss Jing?"


    The head of the court of Justice said hastily, "she must die for slandering Princess Yun Shang. In addition, these monks have forged a certificate, which will be sentenced to life imprisonment. They are released to the public on the street. "


    On hearing this, Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, she will be sentenced to death for smearing the princess. But it suddenly occurred to me that Miss Jing in front of us also committed the crime of treason. After these two punishments, I''m afraid the culprit should be divided into halves. "


    Yun Shang turned to Jing Wenxi with a smile while speaking. "Is that so, sister?"

 Chapter 353 She Is Exposed (Part One)

    The way Yun Shang addressed Jing Wenxi in front of everyone was clear in the hall. The whole palace was silent after Yun Shang''s shocking words.


    Astonishment flashed through Jing Wenxi''s eyes, but it didn''t show on her face. She didn''t change her countenance and said with a frown on her face, "Your Highness, what happened to you? Are you insane? Why are you calling me your sister? I don''t understand."


    "Haha..." Yun Shang chuckled and turned to Prince Jing. "Your Highness, please have someone bring the real Miss Jing into the palace. Let everyone see which is true and which is fake."


    Jing Wenxi went blank and turned to Prince Jing. He looked cold, but he nodded at Yun Shang''s words. he called the eunuch and said to him. "Please find my attendant outside the palace and tell him to bring Miss Jing to the palace now."


    Jing Wenxi in the palace froze on hearing Yun Shang''s words. She turned to Yun Shang and sneered, "it turned out that you took Jing Wenxi away. I was wondering how come she disappeared all of a sudden? No wonder I can''t find her anywhere."


    Hearing her words, the people in the hall looked at each other, and were all surprised. It turned out that she was not Jing Wenxi? What did Lady Jing call her just now? Sister? Is she Princess Hua Jing?


    Emperor Ning was also startled. He stared at the woman in red for a long time and frowned. He called her with hesitation, "Hua Jing?"


    But the girl in red ignored him. She frowned and kept staring at Yun Shang. "How did you find that I am not Jing Wenxi?"


    Yun Shang chuckled, "I''ve been doubting your identity since you came to the imperial garden..." She remembered that Prince Jing had told her in the morning that Jing Wenxi had been caught by him. She had no doubt about Prince Jing''s words at all, so she clearly had a doubt about Jing Wenxi''s appearance, but she just thought that J


    we should at least show some respect to them. Don''t be so excited, my dear sister. You...I''m afraid that you have taken lots of aphrodisiac which made your fetus unstable. What''s more, you have been pregnant before but had a miscarriage. If you cannot take good care of yourself this time, I''m afraid that the baby will eventually disappear as well. "


    Hua Jing froze and her face became cold. She turned around and saw a puzzled look on Prince Cangjue Kangning''s face. Then she shouted at Yun Shang in a fierce way, "what nonsense are you talking about?"


    Yun Shang kept guessing why Hua Jing did this when she knew that Ning Hua Jing tried her everything to pretend to be Jing Wenxi and came to the palace. She figured it out the moment she entered the Jinluan hall. It was because that Cangjue Kangning was also present at this banquet. Hua Jing must have lied to Prince Cangjue Kangning in the state of Yelang in order to attract him, and she succeeded. Hua Jing wanted to borrow use Cangjue Kangning''s power to protect herself from being punished to death after she get rid of Yun Shang, and then fool Cangjue Kangning again, so that the state of Yelang would be her support. She would not let Cangjue Kangning know her obscene past at all.

 Chapter 354 She Is Exposed (Part Two)

    But unfortunately, her history was known to all in the state of Ning. If she didn''t want Cangjue Kangning to know about her past, the best way for her would be to keep herself away from the royal palace. But if she didn''t show up, how could she plot against Yun Shang? That was why she came up with the idea of pretending to be Jing Wenxi. As long as she successfully trapped Jing Wenxi so Jing Wenxi couldn''t come, she could appear with Jing Wenxi''s identity. Yun Shang was afraid that the only thing that Hua Jing missed was that the real Jing Wenxi was taken away by Prince Jing and disappeared.


    What Hua Jing didn''t expect, of course, was that at a glance, Yun Shang noticed that it was not clear water but clear oil that she had summoned maids to serve in the bowl.


    Yun Shang appreciated the sudden panic in Hua Jing''s eyes for a short moment. She smiled and turned to look at prince Cangjue Kangning.


    However, Prince Jing smiled and said to Prince Cangjue Kangning with a smile, "your crown prince, haven''t Princess Hua Jing told you that she has a lot of lovers in her mansion when she was still in the palace? And she was pregnant once but unfortunately had a miscarriage in the end? Oh, by the way, the child she had lost is your brother, Prince Cangjue Qingsu''s. don''t you know about it, judging from the expression on your face? "


    Prince Jing seemed to be suddenly enlightened. He glanced at Cangjue Kangning and then looked at Hua Jing''s belly, as if he was thinking about something.


    Prince Cangjue Kangning''s face suddenly turned pale. He gritted his teeth and looked at Hua Jing. In less than a quarter of an hour, his eyes were filled with disgus


    ry month. It was me who asked my father to teach my daughter good martial arts, such as lyre playing, chess, calligraphy and martial arts. Father taught my daughter everything. Anyone who know my father well can tell that Yun Shang''s handwriting and calligraphy are very similar to my father''s. "


    It was lady Jin who interrupted them.


    It was not until then that all the people noticed the elegant woman sitting in the palace. She looked like a painting of her last generation. When the words were spoken, some people remembered, "Lady Jin''s father is the ex grand tutor, Xiao Yuanshan."


    "Oh...No wonder. Few people can compare with Mr. Xiao in talent. No wonder Princess Yun Shang is so talented. She was taught by him."


    Emperor Ning''s face changed. He looked up at Lady Jin for a long time before he turned to look at Hua Jing. "Ning Hua Jing slandered the emperor''s daughter without scruple, and also committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. However, she is now Prince Cangjue Kangning''s favorite concubine. Would you mind giving her to me and letting me deal with her, Prince Cangjue Kangning?"

 Chapter 355 A Very Capable Woman (Part One)

    Cangjue Kangning''s eyes fell at the abdomen of Hua Jing and he thought for a while. Then he thought of Prince Jing''s words earlier all of a sudden and became angry at her immediately. In the past, he was mesmerized by Hua Jing''s beauty and ignored that she wasn''t a virgin anymore. He still kept her by his side, thinking that she was just a plaything for him. Why did he care so much about if she was a virgin or not?


    But later he was attracted by her enchanting face and sexy body. She was good at sex too. And soon she got pregnant with his baby. He didn''t have a descendant before. As the crown prince and he was not young, he desired to have a descendant very much. Because of the child in her belly, he spoiled Hua Jing even more.


    He had never expected that the truth would be like this at all.


    Since Prince Jing and his wife dared to say this in the Jinluan hall in front of everyone, and the people in the hall didn''t even seem surprised at all, he knew that it was probably true. He was afraid that what they said was true.


    This woman was very dissolute. She had made love with his biggest enemy, Cangjue Qingsu, many times and even had a baby with him.


    Thinking more about his first meeting with Hua Jing, he now found it was like a carefully designed trap.


    No wonder when he first met Hua Jing, he thought she was a woman made for him, and she met all his fantasies about a woman. It was Prince Cangjue Qingsu who had fought with him for years that knew him best. He knew both himself and his enemy well. Cangjue Qingsu was the only person who knew him the most in the world. Now he was almost sure that the woman must be sent by Prince Cangjue Qingsu to sp


    t didn''t end until midnight. Prince Jing also drank a lot and looked slightly drunk. Yun Shang helped Prince Jing into the carriage and they walked towards the Prince Jing''s mansion. No one said anything in the carriage. On the way, Prince Jing raised his hand to touch Yun Shang''s hair and smiled, "look at you. You were so calm just now. How could you be unhappy to defeat the person you hated so much? It''s hard for Ning Hua Jing to survive anymore now. "


    Still in silence, Yun Shang kept her head low while thinking about something irrelevant. For example, there would be a bloody storm in the palace after this night. His Majesty was suspicious as always. Hua Jing easily bribed the servants around him. He was still worried, although what happened today was not against him. Perhaps she could see some new faces in the qinzheng Hall tomorrow.


    After a while, she realized what Prince Jing was asking her about. But she was also confused. Yes, she hated Hua Jing for such a long time. From her previous life to this life, and now Hua Jing had no chance to rise again. Why was there no hint of joy in her heart?

 Chapter 356 A Very Capable Woman (Part Two)

    "This palace is more and more unfriendly for people to stay in." Yun Shang let out a sigh.


    Prince Jing put his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He said with a smile, "you don''t think it''s a good idea for people to stay in the palace. Maybe there are many people who are enjoying it very much. For example, Li Yiran had enjoyed the disturbance in the imperial household a lot, hadn''t she? Jing Wenxi also tried her everything to came to the palace. "


    After a short pause, he continued, "you may seem cruel and merciless, but you are still too kind-hearted. In the palace, only the most ferocious people can survive and rise to fame."


    Silence reigned again on Yun Shang''s words. Yes, only viciousness could survive in the palace. But she didn''t want her mother, nor did she want her brother Chenxi to be the victim of the struggle in the palace, nor did she want them to be tortured and lost their original intention.


    Then it occurred to Yun Shang that, with the current status of Prince Jing, both of them would be sent to the Imperial Palace sooner or later. She wondered whether the prince would change, and whether she would change.


    For the first time in her life, she began to doubt the path she had chosen.


    But she couldn''t tell this to Prince Jing or anyone else. All she could do was to bury these memories deep in her heart and let them rot.


    After returning to the Prince Jing''s mansion, Yun Shang ordered Qian Yin to take off the official uniform for her, and took off the heavy hair accessories on her hair. Then she entered the bathroom to freshen up.


    Qian Yin asked a maid to bring some hot water for Yun Shang. Then Yun Shang took o


    ar old, and General Zhao died in the battlefield. After that, lady Zhao started to make a lot of fights on her own. That''s why his majesty admire her very much. "


    Yun Shang nodded. Thinking of Lady Zhao, who had rushed to the Imperial Palace and demanded to go to the frontier to look for her son, Yun Shang couldn''t help but had mixed feelings about it.


    "Lady Zhao educated Zhao Yingjie very well. Zhao Yingjie had made many achievements in war at the age of 15, so he was entitled General Zhao by his majesty and inherited his father''s title. Lady Zhao had many injuries in the battlefield and was not in good health. So she came back to the Zhao mansion and won''t go out for war from now on. " Qian Yin sighed and smiled. "I think lady Zhao and your highness have something in common."


    Yun Shang didn''t reply. She had already guessed where lady Zhao was from when she heard that she had lost her memory.


    "By the way, the secret guards also said that they encountered the secret guard of his highness when they were looking for the old man who served General Zhao before. They seemed to come for the same thing..."

 Chapter 357 Another Trouble Had Come

    Yun Shang looked at Qian Yin in astonishment all of a sudden. "What did you say? A shadow guard of his highness? Is he also investigating lady Zhao? "


    Qian Yin noticed Yun Shang''s odd look. She quickly answered, "yes, he is Prince Jing''s Secret guard. But don''t worry, your highness. The prince''s secret guards haven''t found our secret guards. But, Lady Zhao is just the lady of a general. Why do you and his highness send people to investigate her? And why do you both look so mysterious? Is there anything special about her?"


    Yun Shang didn''t hear the questions from Qian Yin at all. She was quite shocked. She would send people to investigate lady Zhao was because she had seen the picture of Xia Huanyu. She had seen lady Zhao before, so she found that lady Zhao looked like the late empress of the state of Xia. That was why she sent people to investigate her. But why would Prince Jing do it?


    By the way... Yun Shang suddenly sat up straight and frowned slightly. When she was in the camp outside the Xiyi Town, Ning Hua Jing was in the camp where Zhao Yingjie was still in danger. Lady Zhao personally came to the frontier to search for her son. And Prince Jing had seen her there once.


    Did he also notice that lady Zhao looks like the late empress of the state of Xia as well?


    His secret guards are as good as hers. Yun Shang felt her heart was tugged at. Prince Jing must have known what Qian Yin said to her a moment ago, right?


    Even Yun Shang felt odd about it, Prince Jing of course, would also noticed the odd. If she had guessed it right, lady Zhao was very likely to be prince Jing''s biological mother, the late empress of the state of Xia, Hua Ling...


    The only thing she didn''t know was what happened to the empress after she fell off the cliff. Why did she leave the Prince Jing after giving birth to him? And why did she lose her memory and meet general Zhao?


    Now that Prince Jing had known about it, would he.... Would he recognize Lady Zhao and tell her about it? But it was obvious that lady Zhao had lost all her memories. She lost everything, and married someone else, and had a child with him...


    Yun Shang suddenly thought of the Buddhist prayer room in the Princess Palace. Lady Zhao said that among all the gentlemen and ladies in the Imperial City, Prince Jing was the only one who could make her look up at. She forgot what exact words lady Zhao had said, but she supposed to mean it. Now it turned out that the mother and the son were indeed connected one way or another.


    Yun Shang was disturbed by the chaos. After she washed her face and rinsed her mouth, she lay down on the bed. The figures of Prince Jing, lady Zhao and the painting haunted her mind all the time.


    Then she fell asleep while thinking. When she woke up, it was already dawn. Yun Shang took a closer look, only to find that the place next to her was so cold. Her heart sank. Prince Jing didn''t come back last night?


    Her mind suddenly cleared up. She quickly sat up and saw a figure sitting by the table in the room. Yun Shang took a closer look. Her heart jolted. It was Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang didn''t know how long Prince Jing had been sitting there. She saw him motionless and cold as if he ha


    eside her, "are you awake?"


    Yun Shang replied, "I have had my breakfast and want to go to the palace."


    Prince Jing nodded, lifted the quilt, and got up. He turned on the light, and Qian Yin''s voice came from outside, "Your Highness?"


    Prince Jing said, "come in and serve her highness."


    Qian Yin didn''t expect that. She hurried in and asked, seeing Yun Shang still in a daze, "did her highness know what happened last night?"


    "What?" Yun Shang was confused and asked, "what happened last night?"


    From Yun Shang''s expression, Qian Yin knew that she probably had no idea, but she didn''t know why she got up so early. Qian Yin guessed in her mind, and then hurriedly said, "more than two hour ago, the prison in the court of justice was on fire. I heard that the fire was fierce, but I don''t know what is going on now. I''ve sent people to spy on it. I thought that the situation were still in the dark, so I didn''t wake you up. "


    "The prison of the Court of justice?" Yun Shang gradually sobered up as her eyes widened. She would never forget who was confined there.


    Prince Jing, who was get dressing while Qian Yin was speaking, was also stunned. He frowned and turned to Qian Yin. "Go find Luo Yi. Send more people to find out the situation. You must found out who set the fire, and Hua Jing is dead or alive."


    Qian Yin said yes and left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang frowned and said softly, "as soon as Hua Jing entered the prison last night, the prison was set on fire. It is really odd. This fire must have something to do with her. There were two possibilities. One was that someone deliberately set fire to save Hua Jing in the chaos. Second, someone wants to kill Hua Jing. "


    Prince Jing nodded, "I''m afraid there is no one in the imperial city who wants to save Hua Jing now. The late empress is the only one who cares about Hua Jing the most. Judging from the look of Cangjue Kangning yesterday, he showed no sympathy for Hua Jing at all. There will be more people who want to kill Hua Jing. But the most suspicious person is... "


    Prince Jing paused, and chuckled, "you are the most suspicious one, your highness."

 Chapter 358 A Heartfelt Conversation Between The Father And The Daughter (Part One)

    Yun Shang was taken aback at Prince Jing''s words. After a long while, she finally realized what he meant. A cold smile appeared on her face. "That''s really interesting. Another trouble came for me again. Yesterday at the Jinluan hall, when Hua Jing and I were at odds with each other, many people had saw it. If Hua Jing was indeed burned to death in prison, I''m afraid that everyone would suspect me."


    But who set this up for her?


    Yun Shang sat on the edge of the bed, and searched every possible person in her mind. The most suspicious person was Jing Wenxi, but Jing Wenxi had no ability to do anything like this since she was locked up by Prince Jing''s people. So she was not the one. Yun Shang couldn''t think of anyone else in the Imperial City bore such a grudge against her except Jing Wenxi.


    Qian Yin had already gone to report to Luo Yi. She fetched Yun Shang''s clothes and help her to put them on and comb her hair. Yun Shang seldom wore make-up, so her daily routine was simple.


    After freshening up, Yun Shang entered the palace. Since emperor Ning had just married the new empress yesterday, the court should be closed today. Yun Shang headed straight to the qinzheng hall, but she was informed that emperor Ning slept in the Qiwu Palace last night.


    Surprised, Yun Shang was annoyed at herself for forgetting this. She forgot that emperor Ning should stay in the Qiwu palace, as Lady Ya had just become a new empress yesterday.


    Thinking of the trouble to get back to the Prince Jing''s mansion, Yun Shang walked to the Jinxiu Palace. lady Jin had got up and was surprised to see Yun Shang in. "I heard from Qin Yi that you always slept late. Why do you get up so ea


    urs. I sent my people to inquire about the situation of the casualties. No one knows. I want to ask for an imperial edict and take a look at the prison of the court of justice."


    "The prison is on fire?" Emperor Ning''s face changed abruptly. He kept silent for a moment and said, "what does the fire have to do with you? Why do you want to go?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled bitterly and said helplessly, "father, you know better than me who is locked up in the prison of court of justice. Sister had a conflict with me at the Jinluan hall last night and was imprisoned in the prison. The prison went on fire at night. If sister died in the prison, I''m afraid that everyone would suspect me. I just want to seek justice."


    Lady Jin was also surprised at Yun Shang''s words. She thought for a while in silence, and her face slightly changed. "So, the arson man wanted to frame you?" She paused and her face grew paler. "It doesn''t matter if Princess Hua Jing is the only one who died. But there are so many people and some guards in the prison. If they were either dead or wounded seriously, the people would be unhappy."

 Chapter 359 A Heartfelt Conversation Between The Father And The Daughter (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded. She had known about it.


    Emperor Ning thought for a while and said, "I want to go to the court of justice with you."


    Yun Shang nodded, and turned to lady Jin, "rest, mother. My father and I are going to have a look. We didn''t want mother to know the truth, lest she will be worried. But don''t worry, mother. I will be fine. "


    Lady Jin was a little worried. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, she felt relieved. She nodded, "Okay, be careful."


    When Yun Shang and Emperor Ning arrived at the palace gate, the carriage stopped. Yun Shang heard someone shouting outside, "good afternoon, your highness."


    Yun Shang craned her head and saw Prince Jing standing at the gate of the palace. Next to him was Prince Jing''s carriage. Emperor Ning also saw Prince Jing and waved at him, "are you waiting for Yun Shang, Prince Jing?"


    Prince Jing nodded, stepped forward, bowed to Emperor Ning, and said, "brother, can I go with you?"


    Emperor Ning smiled, "since you are here, how can I say no? Let''s go in the carriage."


    Prince Jing said yes, but he didn''t take emperor Ning''s carriage. Instead, he turned and took Prince Jing''s coach. After emperor Ning, they went to the prison of court of justice.


    Seeing Yun Shang put down the curtain of the carriage, Emperor Ning asked, "have you thought about the proposal I made that day?"


    Yun Shang was at a loss for a moment before she realized what the emperor was talking about. She kept silent for a moment and smiled. "His highness said, if he were the emperor, I would be the empress."


    "Really?" Emperor Ning glanced at Yun Shang and


    him several times, but she didn''t understand that he had his own way.


    Emperor Ning sighed and smiled bitterly. "I know what I have to do as an emperor, so I don''t really want Prince Jing to be the emperor. But for the interests of the state of Ning, I have to agree to Xia Huanyu''s conditions. However, you are my only worry. You are smart but you are still a daughter. The imperial harem is the grave of the happiness of women. If you don''t love him, you will suffer less. The emperor is always the most merciless person in the world. "


    A trace of sadness flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes. But in the end, she said with a sigh, "I understand, father." However, she had already fell in love with Prince Jing. This marriage, was only a transaction, she was forced to marry. But now it was different. The prince, though somewhat cold at ordinary times, was kind to her. There was no way for her to take her heart back now.


    "Your Majesty, we have arrived at the court of justice." Prince Jing''s voice came from outside. Yun Shang felt nervous. She opened the curtains.

 Chapter 360 Extra Story

    As soon as Yun Shang got off the carriage, she smelled a faint odor of oil in the air. The oil spread in the air at a fast speed. About four hours had passed, but it still smelt like that. She was afraid that a lot of oil had been used.


    The head of court of justice knelt down in front of the carriage to greet them. After emperor Ning called him to stand up, Yun Shang said, "the oil has not dissipated for such a long time. It must have been poured by many conniving people. The oil smell is so strong, why haven''t anyone found it?"


    The head of court of justice raised his eyes to look at Yun Shang. He was shocked for a moment, as if he did not expect that Yun Shang would come with emperor Ning. After a moment of silence, he hurriedly said, "the fire raiser is a kung fu master. Last night, he even drugged everyone in the prison secretly. Thus no one found him."


    A kung fu master? Yun Shang frowned. The prison was built by well-known craftsmen. As all the important prisoners were imprisoned, there were many traps in it. If they were skilled, they could easily break in, but it would be useless. The secret guards sent by Qian Yin didn''t find out anything today. It was obvious that even if it was burnt, this prison was not easy to enter. That "martial arts" was a bluff?


    "How is Princess Hua Jing?" Yun Shang looked at the head of court of justice and asked.


    The head of court of justice lowered his head so that Yun Shang couldn''t see his face clearly. However, when she saw his hand before her, her fingertips trembled slightly. "Your Highness, just now when the prison guard was cleaning up, he found a burned corpse in the prison where Princess Hua Jing was imprisoned. With a totally destroyed face, I couldn''t tell who the body was. I just came from the palace and haven''t seen it yet. I just heard from the guards that the corpse''s figure was similar to that of Princess Hua Jing, and she was holding Princess Hua Jing''s jade pendant. "


    Yun Shang frowned. As the fever had burnt the face of the corpse, it was hard to judge whether it was Hua Jing or not. The jade pendant was usele


    ryone. They had forgotten a more important thing, that was, the crown prince of the state of Xia was imprisoned in prison for stabbing Prince Jing. The emperor of the state of Xia had never mentioned this before, and many people subconsciously forgot it. Now when they suddenly remembered it, they were shocked.


    "Where is Xia Houjing?" Emperor Ning asked eagerly.


    The head of the court of justice was taken aback and replied hastily, "Your Majesty, the crown prince of the state of Xia was imprisoned in a cell there, and no one in the prison survived."


    Emperor Ning furrowed his brows and seemed displeased. "How dare you wait to report such an important matter to me until now? What punishment do you deserve?"


    The head of the court of justice knelt down and begged for mercy. "Your Majesty, please spare me. It''s my fault."


    "Negligence? Your negligence can solve this problem?" Emperor Ning took a deep breath. He didn''t care about Hua Jing''s death, but Xia Houjing''s death was tough. After all, he was the crown prince of the state of Xia. If the crown prince died in the prison of the state of Ning, it would be a big problem.


    "Please bring his majesty to me." Emperor Ning suppressed his anger and said.


    The eunuchs retreated at once. Then emperor Ning turned to the head of court of justice angrily, "lead the way and take us to the cell of the crown prince of the state of Xia."

 Chapter 361 Mistery All Over The Place (Part One)

    Yun Shang turned around and looked at the female corpse on the ground. After a moment of silence, she felt something was wrong. When she knew that the prison was set on fire at night, she thought that she was the target. As soon as Hua Jing was put in prison, the prison was set on fire. What a coincidence.


    It was not until now that Yun Shang realized Xia Houjing also died in the prison. If the assassin only wanted to kill Hua Jing, it would cost a lot for doing this.


    Yun Shang frowned and fixed her eyes on Prince Jing, who had never spoken the whole time. His identity had just been known to the public the day before yesterday. It was also the day before yesterday that Xia Huanyu and his father issue an imperial edict for alliance. Since the heavenly prison had caught a fire yesterday, and the crown prince of the state of Xia, Xia Houjing had died in it.


    It was a perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone. Both she and Prince Jing were taken into the storm. If they took a wrong step, their reputation would be ruined.


    Not far from the room where Hua Jing was held, it was the cell of the crown prince Xia Houjing. It took them several steps to reach the corpse. Different from the corpse of the fake Hua Jing, Xia Houjing was lying on his stomach with his face facing the ground so close to the ground that his face, which was not covered by the quilt, seemed not to be burned. Frowning, Emperor Ning ordered his servants to turn over the corpse.


    Xia Houjing''s face was extremely fine and not burnt at all. He closed his eyes, and his face was full of pain and anxiety. His hair was almost burned to ashes. Yun Shang looked at h


    il is very heavy with a little poison, and even if he leans his face on the ground, there will still be a gap, which is impossible that he hasn''t breathed in any smoke."


    "So, Xia Houjing was killed in the first place and then the fire started?" Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown. If that was the case, then the culprit''s main target should be Xia Houjing, or rather, Luo Qingyan.


    The coroner nodded and walked towards the cell of Hua Jing with emperor Ning.


    In front of the female corpse, the coroner bowed his head to check the corpse for a moment and asked softly, "I''ve heard that Princess Hua Jing is pregnant?"


    "Yes, she''s about four or five months pregnant. I don''t know the details." Yun Shang said gently. She had just examined the corpse, but the abdomen of it was indeed a little swollen, so she did not pay much attention to it.


    "This corpse is not pregnant. If what you said is true, it shouldn''t be princess Hua Jing." The coroner said in a low voice, splitting the mouth of the corpse with his hand, and checking its eyes and ears before he said, "she was burned to death."

 Chapter 362 Mistery All Over The Place (Part Two)

    Yun Shang fell silent and frowned. She thought to herself, ''this is for Xia Houjing. Why did he save NING Hua Jing after he killed Xia Houjing? More importantly, who is he?''


    Emperor Ning also had a long face. He waved his hand and said, "go back to the palace with me, the head of court of justice."


    The head of court of justice answered yes immediately and followed emperor Ning out of the prison. Yun Shang and Emperor Ning rode together, and the head of court of justice followed them on a horse.


    "In your opinion, where should we start?" Emperor Ning got on the carriage. He frowned and asked in a low voice.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said gently, "We should start on the oil."


    Yun Shang said as emperor Ning looked at her. "In general, the oil is an extremely luxurious thing for the ordinary families. They won''t buy too much. Besides, in some rich families, it doesn''t smell well, and the lights and oil used are added with good aroma. Xia Houjing was caught in prison by surprise, so was my sister. If the culprit wanted to buy so much oil in such a short time, there should be a lot of traces of it. Although it might be done on purpose, it could still be a clue. "


    Emperor Ning didn''t speak. Yun Shang thought for a while and added, "what we need to investigate as well is the guards and guards in the prison. The lock of sister''s cell is complete. There is only one explanation: the key to her cell is on the culprit''s body. Only the guards have the keys to the rooms. Even if it were not them, someone must have taken the key from them. "


    Emperor Ning nodded, "there are many traps in the prison, but they are


    was going to look into. Prince Jing listened and nodded without saying anything else.


    They kept silent for a while. Prince Jing glanced at the scroll on the table and said, "are you looking at the documents in the prison?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "I want to see who built up the prison. I want to know who is in the prison too." No matter what happened, it meant that the man was very familiar with the prison and its triggers.


    "The creator of the prison..." Prince Jing frowned. "It''s said he is a very famous person. But he doesn''t seem to be a citizen of the state of Ning."


    The creator of the prison was not from the state of Ning? Yun Shang frowned, having no idea what this had to do with the fire incident.


    "By the way, after you left, I found that the cooking oil was too much and the smell of it could be long-lasting. I feel a bit strange. Let''s go to prison together later and have a check." Yun Shang said gently.


    Prince Jing nodded his head and remained silent for a while. Then he said flatly, "after this matter is settled, you go to the state of Xia with me."

 Chapter 363 The Person Who Built The Prison

    To the state of Xia? Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Prince Jing. He looked calm but confused. Yun Shang didn''t know how Prince Jing made a deal with Xia Huanyu, but she knew that some things were destined to happen, and they would come sooner or later.


    This wasn''t what she wanted, but it wasn''t what Prince Jing wanted either. From the very beginning, he was the one who got hurt the most in the entire thing. But he had always been strong and didn''t want to show his fragility in front of her, so she pretended that she never noticed it.


    "Okay." Yun Shang chuckled, "as the saying goes, you will follow the one you married to. Since I''m married to you, of course I''ll follow you."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s tease, Prince Jing''s face softened. He held Yun Shang in his arms and finally gave her a faint smile. ''silly girl.''


    The two of them rested for a while, and then took Qian Yin out of the mansion and headed for the heavenly prison. The head of court of justice had not come back yet. Only the Assistant Officer of court of justice was here. Just now, Yun Shang and Prince Jing came with emperor Ning, and the guards outside had all seen them. The Assistant Officer of court of justice had no doubt of the identity of the two. He said with curiosity, "I''ve heard that the prince just left with his wife. Is there anything wrong? "


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile. "I found something earlier when I checked it in the prison, but I didn''t think of anything at that time. After I went back, I felt something wrong, but I couldn''t figure out what it was, so I came back to have a look."


    The Assistant Officer of court of justice, who seemed to be only twenty years old, was in a daze when he saw Yun Shang smiling at him. After a while, he hurried to say, "help yourself, your highness. Just now the head of the Court of Justice asked me to pack up something, but I''m afraid I can''t go with you. The guards at the gate are just at your service."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "well, then I''ll leave you be, your lordship


    advice in the imperial city?" Yun Shang suggested in a low voice.


    Prince Jing knocked on the table and said, "Mr. Qing Cang is in the imperial city now."


    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised again. "He is in the imperial city? Why didn''t you tell me? "


    Prince Jing smiled, "your Master seemed to be avoiding someone. I met him by accident. He told me not to tell anyone about his whereabouts, so I didn''t tell anyone."


    "Even me?" Yun Shang frowned and was unhappy, "where is master?"


    Prince Jing frowned. "Everyone is paying close attention to us now. I heard from Luo Yi that there are at least three people of different backgrounds lurking outside our mansion. I think we''d better not act rashly to avoid unnecessary trouble for Mr. Qing Cang."


    Seeing that Yun Shang was suddenly in low spirits, Prince Jing quickly said, "don''t worry. I''m good at hiding from those tails. But your flying Kung Fu is not so good. It''s better for you not to go out recently."


    Yun Shang nodded.


    She hated her Qinggong many times, but she didn''t practice it and had tried it before, but she had no choice, so she had to give up.


    Qian Yin came in with a grim face. "Your Highness, the people we sent to investigate the oil has been spotted. The secret guards are walking around the city in circle to get rid of them and I was informed that we have to wait."

 Chapter 364 The Death Of Qin Meng

    Yun Shang nodded, "how many shadow guards do we have now?"


    Qian Yin thought for a while before replying, "over one hundred and twenty people."


    Yun Shang sneered, "call all of them in. I''ll make a list of all the people involved in the matter. You ask them to investigate them interrogate them. They''ll leave at midnight. I''d like to see how many people can follow us. "


    Qian Yin hurriedly curtsied to Yun Shang, and went down to make preparations.


    Knowing there were many guards outside, Yun Shang lost her interest in going out. But at dusk, someone came to the palace. According to the message, the one was sent by Lady Jin. Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to invite the person in, and he was indeed from lady Jin''s palace. She had seen him several times in the palace.


    "Why did mother send you here?" Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at the disturbed eunuch.


    The eunuch replied in a low voice, "Your Highness, lady Jin asked me to inform your highness that lMeng Jieyu has died."


    Meng Jieyu? Qin Meng? Dead? All of a sudden, Yun Shang felt as if all the events were associated in secret. It seemed that the culprit was putting her and Prince Jing together in the net.


    "How did Meng Jieyu die?" Yun Shang frowned and asked.


    The eunuch quickly said, "She hang herself. Because of the incident of the fish meat, his majesty ordered to shut Meng Jieyu up and locked her in the cold palace. Two days ago, she was fine, but today, the person who went to deliver food suddenly found that Meng Jieyu had untied the silk that tied to her waist, put it on the beams and hung herself to death."


    Yun Shang smiled coldly. Qin Meng? Hang herself?


    Qin Meng was a fence sitter, but she cherished her life very much. And it was an official reason for her to risk her life again and again. There was no way she would kill herself.


    "I''ll go to the palace." After a short silence, Yun Shang turned to Prince Jing. Although there were many people guardi


    just a corpse. Why is someone taking it? Although it''s a remote place, it''s well guarded. He can''t leave with a corpse so easily. " Madam Zheng was confused.


    Yun Shang also wanted to know why someone had to try his best to take the corpse away, as she was only a corpse?


    "Let''s go." Yun Shang said indifferently. Then she walked out of the yard and walked towards the Jinxiu palace along the way she had come.


    She always thought that the night after her father''s marriage, Hua Jing''s words at the Jinluan hall were the best schemes. But it turned out that it was only a beginning. This trap must have been set up a long time ago. Since she came back to the palace, she found the bead on Qin Meng''s head, and since she took revenge on Jing Wenxi. Then, Qin Meng''s fish congee was suspicious of her identity last night, and now, the fire in the heavenly palace caused her death into ashes step by step. She now only felt that the body of Qin Meng was related to these things, but she did not know where they were relevant.


    Yun Shang felt a little worried. How careless she was! As things developed, she even did not know who her opponent was. The enemies were hidden in the dark while she was exposed in the light. She had been put in a passive position. This kind of feeling was really not good.

 Chapter 365 The Night Attack (Part One)

    Since the corpse was gone, Yun Shang just searched around the yard but didn''t find anything. She had no choice but to leave. She finished her dinner and hurried out of the palace.


    When they were halfway to the mansion, Yun Shang heard a sharp whistle, which was usually used to send signal. As soon as the whistle disappeared, the voice of the coachman came from outside. "Your Highness, we are surrounded."


    How audacious! Yun Shang sneered, picked up the jade flute in her sleeve, and blew. Then there was a laughter outside, "is your highness calling on the secret guards? Unfortunately, lady jing''s guards were lured away by our trap. They have returned to your mansion. "


    No one answered.


    Yun Shang frowned and thought, ''the man outside the carriage knows there are secret guards around me all the time. He is really brave to transfer the secret guards away.'' Thinking of that, Yun Shang lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside, surrounded by several masked men in black with a young man in the lead.


    Noticing that Yun Shang was looking at him, the man raised his eyebrows and said, "I''ve heard that you are also good at fighting. But I''m not sure whether you can escape from me alone."


    Yun Shang smiled, "thank you for your concern. I don''t know how I have offended you."


    "I''m just a knife in the master''s hand and it doesn''t matter who I am. Do you want to chat with me and delay the time? Hope your secret guard can notice something wrong and come back to save you?" The man smiled while speaking. "My master said you are as scheming as Prince Jing. Don''t bother."


    Yun Shang squinted. This man was so smart. She wondered who his master was, and if she had the chance, it would be worth meeting. Everyone thought she was weak and harmless, but there were always people keeping guard against her as if she was a dangerous person. That was interesting.


    "Guys, although this woman is beautiful, her master ordered us not to keep her alive. Go!" Hardly had his voice faded away, a group of men in black surrounded them. Yun Shang drew the dagger from her boot and charged at the leade


    o stop the blood from flowing. After you go back to your mansion, find a doctor to have a look. The wound is deep. If it is not treated appropriately, your whole arm will be gone." Liu Yinfeng said stiffly, not as gentle as usual.


    "Okay, I know." Yun Shang withdrew her hands. Silence engulfed the room.


    Liu Yinfeng sat down on a chair next to Yun Shang. "Who is the killer? Don''t you have secret guards around you? Why isn''t Prince Jing with you? "


    "What?" Yun Shang was slightly stunned. She paused and said, "they are just some killers. I don''t even see their looks. How can I know who they are? The hidden guards was tricked and fell into the trick. They were lured to go back first. As for Prince Jing, though we are married, we are not always together... "


    Yun Shang answered three questions one by one seriously.


    Liu Yinfeng paused for a moment before he asked, "are you investigating the matter about the crown prince?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded. It was not a secret.


    "I went to the prison in the afternoon." "In the cell where the crown prince was imprisoned, we found the traces of burning incense of the Buddha."


    "The incense of Buddha?" Yun Shang looked up at Liu Yinfeng, confused. "What is that?"


    Liu Yinfeng sighed, but suddenly burst into laughter. "I was tricked by Yun Shang at the border. I have never thought that I was so smart that I fell into a trap set by a woman."

 Chapter 366 The Night Attack (Part Two)

    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "I had no choice at that time. Please forgive me."


    "You can call me Yinfeng." Liu Yinfeng smiled like a fox.


    Yun Shang frowned, but she was eager to know what the so-called incense of Buddha was. After a moment''s silence, she cursed in her heart, ''Fox Liu.'' But she gave a faint smile and said, "Yinfeng."


    Liu Yinfeng nodded, his smile deepened and his voice was full of tenderness, "the scent of Buddha is a common product of some famous killers in the state of Xia. It is used to mislead people''s mind. The target would be drowsy. If someone is a little weak in will, he may have to answer the questions. However, this is weak in body, but it needs to be very weak in health. It is often effective for patients. If the dose were a little larger, people would directly pass out. But there is one flaw of the incense. It''s a long-lasting and persistent scent. If the incense is not properly handled, it is very likely to reveal its whereabouts. "


    Yun Shang kept silent on Prince Jing''s words. She now know why the odour of the oil in the prison was so strong that day. She guessed that the culprit was probably trying to mask the special smell of the incense of buddha. Since it belonged to the state of Xia, how could the crown prince of the the State of Xia not know it? And the emperor of the state of Xia also knew it. In order to cover up the truth, they used a lot of oil to make the illusion that it was burning in the prison.


    The door wasn''t broken, but Hua Jing had been replaced. There were many traps in the prison, but the guards were not activated. All Hua Jing needed to do was to verify whether the guards in the prison were cured or not.


    "Since his crown prince has been in jail for such a long time, the emperor of the state of Xia would have saved him if he wished. Why?" Yun Shang looked at Liu Yinfeng and asked the question she had been thinking about.


    Liu Yinfeng grinned and said, "The crown prince... The emperor never fancies the crown prince, and... "


    And he suddenly stopped, smiling and squinting. "These are some secrets of the state of Xia. It''s not the right time to tell you."


    Yun Shang fell silent. Since the Emperor didn''t like Xia Houjing, why did he appoint Xia Houjing as the crown prince?


    The doubts in Yun Shang''s eyes were too obvious, so Liu Yinfeng smiled again, "why do you want Liu Qingya to be the empress, not your mother?"


    Yun Shang looked at Liu Yinfeng with curiosity. She thought she had made a perfect plan. Although the man in front of her wasn''t in the imperial city before, he knew the story and spoke it out in front of her. On the other hand, Yun Shang had found the answer to her former question. She supported Liu Qingya to be the empress because the empress was the most hated one. If she set another person up, she would be able to prevent her mother from revenge.


    him and strode to the woman. He looked at the bandage on the woman''s arm and asked with a frown, "are you hurt?"


    Yun Shang nodded and raised her hand, smiling, "it doesn''t matter. It''s not serious."


    "Not serious? Ha. I''ve seen the bone. Send for a doctor. Just now I was afraid that if I went out, I would be noticed by those who wanted to kill shang''er. They only applied some ordinary medicine. But the wound was so deep that I could only stop it from bleeding, but it had no better effect. If it didn''t get cured, her hand would be crippled." Liu Yinfeng sneered and said ironically.


    Luo Qingyan''s face changed, mostly because of Yun Shang''s wound and partly because of Liu Yinfeng, who called his wife Shang''er.


    "It''s not that serious. How''s the coachman?" Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing with wide eyes. She didn''t forget that the carriage driver was trying his best to protect her.


    "Dead." Prince Jing bent down and carried Yun Shang in his arms.


    Yun Shang exclaimed. She looked up at Prince Jing, and found his face pale. She was about to say something, but stopped on a second thought. At this time, it was better not to provoke him.


    Yun Shang thought to herself.


    Prince Jing walked out of the yard with Yun Shang in his arms and passed Liu Yinfeng, saying in a low voice, "thank you. I will host a banquet to express my thanks to you in a few days." Then she walked out of the yard quickly.


    Liu Yinfeng looked at Prince Jing and the shadow guards who disappeared in the yard with a faint smile. After a long time, the smile on his face disappeared, and the corners of his mouth drooped. He murmured, "thank you? A married woman! Hahaha... " Then he burst into laughter. The laughter became louder and louder. At last, he couldn''t stand up straight. It was a long time before he stopped laughing, and his face was pale. "My taste have always been very good. God, you are really very kind to me..."

 Chapter 367 He Is Jealous (Part One)

    His highness didn''t look well. Yun Shang looked up and saw the face of the man who was holding her in his arms. Yun Shang pursed her lips and frowned. Prince jing looked more sullen than ever.


    It was better not to speak at this time, lest she gets into trouble and make Prince Jing even more upset. Yun Shang concluded after careful consideration.


    Presumably, Prince Jing had sent a secret guard to find the imperial physician on the way back, so when Prince Jing returned to the Prince Jing''s mansion with Yun Shang in his arms, the imperial physician had already been waiting in the front hall for them.


    Prince Jing didn''t let go of Yun Shang. He took her to a chair and sat down, calling for the imperial physician to check her situation. The imperial physician was stunned for a moment, but when he saw Prince Jing''s cold gaze, he suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly went to Prince Jing''s side. He half knelt down, unfastened the white bandage wrapped by Yun Shang''s arm, and the wound was exposed. Though Yun Shang had used medicine on her wound, the wound was still deep, and one could almost see her bone, The doctor frowned and said after a while of silence, "Your Highness, I''m afraid that you have to recuperate for a long time. Your arm will be broken if the wound was a bit deeper." Then he took out the best medicine from the medicine box, and carefully applied the medicine on her arm. "This is the best medicine in the palace. However, the wound is deep, and it will probably take about half a month for it to heal. With the medicine, it will be healed at the end of a month. It''s just that there will be a scar left. But the palace also has the ointment to rem


    e flavor of the incense of Buddha." Yun Shang blinked and heard that Prince Jing was finally willing to talk to her. She answered in a hurry.


    Unexpectedly, Prince Jing''s face darkened again as soon as she finished speaking. He held Yun Shang up and went to the yard without saying a word.


    Yun Shang was surprised. She didn''t know what she had said to make Prince Jing act like this again. Yun Shang thought about what she said earlier. The first part of her words should be no problem, because Prince Jing asked her after she finished, but after hearing her answer, he returned to her previous grumpy state.


    What did her say just now?


    "It''s Liu Yinfeng. He has gone to the prison as well, and he told me that after the oil spread a little bit and then he smelled the flavor of the incense of Buddha."


    She suppose this was what she said.


    How could these words irritate Prince Jing? Yun Shang frowned and looked at Prince Jing. She thought for a long time but could not think out the answer.


    Yun Shang thought that she was good at gauging people''s mind, but she didn''t know what was on Prince Jing''s mind.

 Chapter 368 He Is Jealous (Part Two)

    "Why are you angry?" Yun Shang murmured, but she didn''t expect to say this out aloud.


    Prince Jing paused for a second before he went to the yard without saying anything. As soon as Yun Shang returned, she saw Qian Yin standing in the room with an anxious face. Qian Yin walked up to her as soon as she saw her. She stared at Yun Shang''s wrapped arm and asked, "Your Highness, are you hurt?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''m fine. Just a minor injury and..." Before she could finish her words, she was thrown on the bed by Prince Jing all of a sudden. As for Yun Shang, she thought ''throw'' was definitely the right word. Yun Shang was so anxious that she didn''t know what to do. But her hand reacted quickly. She quickly held up the bed with her elbow, and the other one happened to be injured. It was so painful that Yun Shang let out a hiss. She called out in pain.


    But Prince Jing just walked out with a sneer, leaving Yun Shang and Qian Yin staring at each other in confusion.


    Prince Jing and the Butler were talking outside. It seemed that he were giving orders. Qian Yin hurried to Yun Shang and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, did you offend the prince?"


    With a puzzled look flashed in her eyes, Yun Shang shook her head, "maybe. But I don''t know why he got angry." Then she turned to Qian Yin, "it is said that lookers on see more than players. Come and help me." Then she told Qian Yin what had happened today.


    Qian Yin blinked her eyes when she heard the princess'' words. She hesitated for a while before she said, "I guess, Prince Jing is jealous, right?"


    "Jealous?" Yun Sha


    bind up my wound."


    Prince Jing gave a snort of contempt. Yun Shang sighed as she felt she was innocent. Prince Jing looked cool, but she was terrified by his poker face. At the thought of this, Yun Shang walked to Prince Jing and held Prince Jing''s shoulder with her unhurt hand, whispering, "it''s my fault. I just thought that you are the son of Xia Huanyu. He is a famous military counsellor in the state of Xia. We need to rely on him in the future. But I didn''t remember that you would run into him on the battlefield many times before. Last time you almost died in his hands. He and you are incompatible as fire and water. I''m your wife. But now you see that I''m talking to him, of course you should be angry. "


    "Do you think I''m angry with you just because I lost to Liu Yinfeng on the battlefield and didn''t like him?" Prince Jing put down his book and looked up at Yun Shang, with his eyes as calm as water.


    Yun Shang nodded, "isn''t it the reason?"


    Prince Jing snorted coldly again. Then he stood up and walked out of the room without a word.

 Chapter 369 After Drinking

    Men''s hearts are so complicated.


    Yun Shang blinked. She looked at the door, and finally sighed. She walked to the bed and sat down.


    When Qian Yin returned with water, she saw Yun Shang sitting on the bedside alone, in a daze? Qian Yin looked around but didn''t find Prince Jing. She quickly put down the water and walked to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, where is Prince Jing? Shouldn''t you apologize to him just now? "


    "What? Apologize? " Yun Shang was just brought back from her own thoughts by Qian Yin. After thinking for a while, she nodded. "Yes? But he stood up and left inexplicably. He didn''t seem happy either. "


    Qian Yin was also shocked. "How do you make an apology?"


    Yun Shang repeated what she had said to Prince Jing.


    "¡­¡­" Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang, thinking that although Yun Shang was always calm when encountering problems, she was not good at handling them well. No wonder that she was only 15 or 16 years old, and emotional things were so complicated. She had seen a lot in the palace, so she knew a bit about it. It was understandable that lady Jing didn''t understand much.


    Qian Yin stamped her foot and said, "Your Highness, have you ever thought that Prince Jing got angry because you looked so close with Liu Yinfeng and he was afraid that you might fell in love with him?"


    Yun Shang was completely shocked this time, "why should I fall in love with Liu Yinfeng?"


    "Do you love prince Jing?" Qian Yin asked.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang felt her ears burning. After a while, she nodded, "I''ve married him. Who else does I like?"


    Qian Yin sighed, "if you really like him, then you and he are the coldest couple I have ever seen. When I was a child, my father and mother loved each other. Although my father had a lot of work to do in the day, when he had time, he would always find time to go out with my mother and buy her all kinds of things. As for my mother, she would ask my father gently if he was tired and bring him tea when he came home. She embroidered some lotuses and made shoes for my father. They also quarreled once in a while. Every time


    was improper to ask for her permission again. So she shook her head and returned to the main yard.


    After the servants fetched some hot water for her, Qian Yin walked to Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness''s hand is hurt now. You shouldn''t get wet. I''ll help you wash your face and brush your teeth."


    Yun Shang nodded and entered the bathroom.


    After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, Qian Yin helped Yun Shang to sleep. Then she turned around to pick up the lamp on the table, and whispered hesitantly, "Your Highness, do you want to keep the lamp?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "keep it."


    Qian Yin put the lamp on the table, bowed to the princess, and left the room. Staring at the quietly burning glaze lamp, Yun Shang frowned. Before, Yun Shang had been used to sleeping alone, but since she came back from the Jingyang city, they had been sleeping soundly together. Now she suddenly had no one by their side, so she felt it a bit strange.


    Yun Shang tossed and turned until dawn.


    Qian Yin called her in a hurry after she fell asleep. "Your Highness, get up and have a look. A servant from the Palace said that the crown prince of the state of Yelang is dead. It seems that the prince Jing was the one who killed him. The envoys of the state of Yelang have arrived at the Jinluan hall. His majesty is outraged and is looking for his highness everywhere. "

 Chapter 370 The Authenticity Of The Rumor (Part One)

    Yun Shang was so stunned that she didn''t hear what Qian Yin said at all. She felt as if something important had happened, and got out of bed in a daze.


    Qian Yin was quite familiar with Yun Shang. After Yun Shang washed her face and rinsed her mouth, she felt a little more refreshed and then Qian Yin reported the whole story to Yun Shang again.


    It was said that his highness drank at the Yuman tower yesterday and then encountered the crown prince of the state of Yelang. They had a dispute for no reason and seemed to have a fight. Later, the crown prince was dragged away by his subordinates. It was said that he cursed at Prince Jing when he left, and Prince Jing also had a long face. Later, Cangjue Kangning was killed in the middle of the night. An imperial bodyguard heard the prince called out Prince Jing''s name, and when he rushed in, the crown prince was already dead. Cangjue Kangning also had a jade badge in his hand, with the character "Jing" carved on it, which was exactly Prince Jing''s waist badge.


    But no one had ever seen Prince Jing himself stab the sword into Cangjue Kangning''s body. It was well equipped in all aspects, including the motivation of murder, evidence and witnesses. But Prince Jing was not there. He seemed to escape punishment.


    "Escape punishment?" Yun Shang sneered with a bit of disdain, "Prince Jing, he has killed quite a few people before. If he really want to kill someone, do he need to escape from punishment? "


    Qian Yin was agitated. She regretted, "last night, I should have sent the butler to look for the prince. If I hadn''t changed my mind, the accident wouldn''t have happened." Then she looked at Yun Shang. "Your Highness, would you like to


    hen I heard the servants talk about Prince Jing, I got to know that such a big thing happened. I thought Lady Jin must know something, so I came here to ask. I couldn''t believe Prince Jing would do such a thing. But rumors spread fast. And Prince Jing hadn''t appeared now. You''d better make a plan in advance in case you fall into the wrong. "


    Yun Shang nodded. "Thank you for your concern, your majesty. I''ll keep that in mind."


    Lady Jin kept staring at Yun Shang. Seeing that the empress didn''t speak again, she said gently, "shang''er, didn''t you sleep well last night? You look pale and you don''t look good. Did you have your breakfast? "


    Qian Yin cut in, "your ladyship, she didn''t have breakfast yet."


    Yun Shang glared at Qian Yin. Qian Yin lowered her head in a hurry and stepped back. Then she stood aside and said nothing. Lady Jin glared at Yun Shang and ordered her servants to prepare some food.


    At this moment, a servant had served Yun Shang a cup of tea. Yun Shang smiled and thanked the servant. Then she took the tea from the servant. The moment she raised her hand, her sleeve was rolled down to her wrist.

 Chapter 371 The Authenticity Of The Rumor (Part Two)

    "Shang''er, what''s wrong with your hand?" Although Yun Shang dropped her sleeve in a hurry, lady Jin, who had been watching her, noticed that something was wrong.


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''m fine."


    Lady Jin frowned and looked at Qian Yin, who was standing beside but hesitated to say something. Then she said, "Qian Yin, tell me what''s wrong with your master''s arm."


    Qian Yin replied. "When her highness went back from the Imperial Palace yesterday, her highness encountered an assassin on the road. The assassin lurked all the secret guards to leave. Only her highness and the coachman tried their best to protect her. Her highness ran in a hurry, but she was hurt by the assassin, and her wound was deep."


    "Has the imperial physician checked your wound?" Lady Jin hurriedly said with tears in her eyes.


    Yun Shang heard emperor Ning''s voice from outside when she was about to speak. "What imperial physician? Who''s sick? "


    All the people in the room immediately stopped talking and stood up to salute.


    Emperor Ning said ''stand up'' and sat on the host seat. Then he asked, "what imperial physician are you talking about? Who''s sick? "


    Lady Jin didn''t speak, and so did Yun Shang. Liu Qingya smiled gently, glanced at Yun Shang, and said gently, "yesterday, on the way back home, Lady Jing ran into an assassin. Her arm was injured. I heard that she was badly hurt."


    Emperor Ning frowned and turned to Yun Shang, "is it true?"


    Yun Shang had to nod, "yes, but his Highness has called the imperial physician."


    "Which imperial physician did you call?" Emperor Ning asked again, but before Yun Shang answered, he continued, "the imperial hospital''s doctor Liu is on duty today. I just called him, Lord Zheng, to call Doctor Liu here."


    Yun Shang hurriedly sa


    "good. I will Leave a bottle of medicine for her highness, and make the prescription according to the prescription prescribed by the imperial physician yesterday."


    After the imperial physician gave a prescription, he left. Emperor Ning said, "recently, the imperial city is not very stable. You should often bring some bodyguards with you when you go out. So you must be protected by them all the time. As for several bodyguards I gave to you, they were under the watch of the Kangyang city and your people."


    Yun Shang said gratefully, "thank you very much, father."


    Emperor Ning continued talking with her before leaving the Jinxiu palace with the Empress without mentioning Prince Jing. Yun Shang didn''t leave the palace until the lunch time. In the afternoon, a servant came to the palace that although Prince Jing had the incident, his majesty still cared about lady Jin and Lady Jing, and added fuel to the fire. It was said that Lady Jing had suffered a lot because of the accident today. Emperor Ning was worried about his daughter when she got hurt by the assassin, so he asked Lord Zheng to ask Doctor Liu to come and give and treatment for lady Jing in the palace.

 Chapter 372 The Confrontation

    "Did you let his majesty see your wound on purpose, your highness?" Qian Yin asked and she looked at Yun Shang with admiration.


    Yun Shang smiled and said gently, "they are here to target Prince Jing. Recently, there are too many rumors about him that are disadvantageous to us. At first, Prince Jing''s identity was leaked, later, the heavenly prison was burnt, causing the death of the crown prince of the state of Xia, and now the death of Prince Cangjue Qingsu who was stabbed yesterday. One by one, and every item that was put in a wrong way that would be a disaster to Prince Jing if we don''t treat them properly. The officials in the court are all capricious. Judging from Prince Jing''s current situation, it''s normal for them to hit us when he is down. I just want to use the imperial physicians and maids to tell them that nothing will happen in Prince Jing''s mansion, even if so many things have happened to Prince Jing. Father is always on our side. "


    "Then what are we going to do next? Should we investigate the burning gas in the prison again, or the murder of Cangjue Kangning? I always feel that it was strange that the prince''s token is in the hand of Cangjue Kangning. It''s worth a thorough investigation. Moreover, I have heard from Luo Yi that the prince would never easily get drunk and he could at least drink a thousand glasses of wine. How could he be drunk? By the way, I''ve heard that Prince Cangjue Kangning was assassinated by sword. I''ve heard that Prince Jing used his Qingning Sword. If it weren''t for the sword, he would''ve rather not use sword at all. But Prince Jing went out in a hurry yesterday, so he didn''t bring the sword with him... "


    Yun Shang listened and waited until Qian Yin couldn''t say anything more. She smiled. "A lot of people know what happened, but there are still many people who saw Prince Jing quarreling with Prince Cangjue Kangning. The last guard of Cangjue Kangning heard Prince Jing''s name, and he was indeed holding Prince Jing''s token in his hand. As the old saying goes, the enemies are hidden in darkness while we are in bright daylight. I can do nothing but stay at home to heal my wounds now. As long as Prince Jing doesn''t show up, we won''t accuse him. What''s the rush? "


    Qian Yin was rendered speechless by Yun Shang. After a while, she murmured, "I''m just afraid that your highness will be hurt. I have learnt a lesson from it. And I worry too much."


    Yun Shang chuckled and whispered, "if you are really free and have nothing to do, you can ask people to tell the suspicion you just said to the public and let them trust the men in teahouses one by one. There is an old saying, which says, justice is one''s conscience, isn''t it?"


    Qian Yin giggled, "yes, I can do that." Then she rushed out excitedly.


    The smile on Yun Shang''s face disappeared as soon as Qian Yin ran out. A touch of confusion appeared in her eyes. Luo Qingyan, where are you? Was he imprisoned by someone? But why didn''t his secret guards tell Yun Shang if he was really imprisoned. If he has not lost his freedom, why don''t he appear?


    Yun Shang, lady Jin, Emperor Ning and Qian Yin always kept quiet as if they didn''t worry abou


    re buying, they can take the news out. "


    Qian Yin nodded repeatedly. Yun Shang continued, "send the butler to get some doctors here, and then send for an imperial physician in the palace. Tell the physician that I''ve already been hurt and worried about Prince Jing. In the end, I cried in front of the emperor of the state of Xia and passed out."


    Qian Yin didn''t understand what Yun Shang meant. But she still left in a hurry as Yun Shang ordered. Yun Shang stood up and walked to the table. She picked up the writing brush and wrote the characters "Calm yourself" on it. She stared at the writing brush for a long time before she put it down. Then she walked to the bronze mirror and read it carefully. She picked up the powder on the table again and put the thick layer of powder on her face until her face turned paler.


    She walked to the bed, and lay down on the bed in her clothes without looking at her hair in a bun. She took out a small bottle from the pillow, poured out a pill, and swallowed it. Then she put down the bed curtain. She breathed lightly as if she was asleep.


    The pills in the bottle were given to her by her grandfather. When she first came back to the Imperial Palace, she had been pretending to be ill for a long time thanks to the pills, so that even the imperial physicians didn''t notice her weakness.


    After a long time, Yun Shang heard Qian Yin speak with a bit of anxiety, "I don''t know what''s wrong. When her highness met the emperor of the state of Xia just now, lady Jing was in a good condition. But before I entered the room, she suddenly turned pale and suddenly fell down to the ground. I was scared to death and hurried to get her up. "


    Qian Yin led the physicians into the room. Qian Yin looked at the bed, which was well covered, and walked to the side of the bed. She drew a mosquito curtain, and the physicians in the room vaguely saw the white and terrifying face of Yun Shang. Just in a moment, Qian Yin lowered the curtain in a hurry, and revealed Yun Shang''s hand. She said gently, "please have a look at her highness. What the hell happened to lady Jing? "

 Chapter 373 Exploring The Mystery Of Visiting The Patient (Part One)

    The head of the physicians took several deep breaths and walked up to put his hands on Yun Shang''s wrist, and then withdrew to the other side. The other physicians took the pulse one by one. When all the other doctors finished, Qian Yin asked in a hurry, "how''s Her Highness?"


    The doctors looked at each other and said in one voice, "She is just too angry and fainted."


    Then the first physician, who was the first to take a look at the other physician, ran his fingers through his beard, and said in a low voice, "Her Highness has always been weak. Judging from her vital energy, I can tell that she was worried too much. In addition, her anger overwhelmed her all of a sudden, making her collapse at once. As a result, she passed out."


    "So when will her highness wake up? Please prescribe some antipyretics for her highness. " Qian Yin frowned at their words. With tears in her eyes, Qian Yin sniffed and sobbed, "the prince Jing is out. If Her Highness gets sick again, I really doesn''t know what to do."


    The doctors discussed with each other and said, "the prescription is okay. But her highness needs to be taken good care of. She doesn''t eat too much in the ordinary days. One more thing, it is important to ease her highness. And Her Highness will wake up after four hours at most. "


    Qian Yin nodded her head. She fetched the pen and the paper and the ink at once for the doctor to make a prescription, and then she left with the other doctors.


    After sending the physicians out of the mansion and got back to her highness'' room, Yun Shang had already sat on the couch and read a book. Qian Yin carefully examined Yun Shang''s face before she said with a smile, "I''ll get


    true message delivering. " Qian Yin grinned and said. She had only been there for a day and found this out.


    "You smart girl." Yun Shang chuckled, "I have instructed Yan''er to visit me tomorrow again. Ask the secret guards to keep an eye on the gas and don''t hide themselves too much. Also, ask the men who had saw Prince Jing being drunk that day."


    Qian Yin lowered her head and remained silent for a while. Then she said gently, "Your Highness, Mister Liu came here before, but I sent him away. I saw him standing at the door for a while before he left. "


    "Mr. Liu? Who is Mr. Liu? " Yun Shang asked in confusion, then she suddenly remembered that there is only one Mr. Liu she knew, whice was Liu Yinfeng.


    "He is the military counsellor of the state of Xia, Liu Yinfeng." Qian Yin said gently, "that day his highness was at odds with your highness because of Mister Liu. I was mad at him for that, so I refused to tell him about your condition and just sent him away without telling you. Mister Liu stood for a while and only asked me about your highness'' health. He left after I told him that you are okay. "

 Chapter 374 Exploring The Mystery Of Visiting The Patient (Part Two)

    Yun Shang slightly nodded her head, and leaned against the bench, closing her eyes for rest. "If you refused him, then so be it. If he comes back again, just send him back again."


    Qian Yin answered cheerfully. Then she left quietly as she saw Yun Shang closing her eyes and looking tired.


    The next day, the wife of Jing Kui did come. Yun Shang, with a pale face, was lying on the bed and having a brief conversation with her. She was covered with a thin quilt. Lady Jing looked at Yun Shang, and found that she had only been seated for a short while, with beads of sweat on her forehead. She sighed, "I was impressed when I saw your highness capable of handling ten arrows at the banquet. I also heard about your poor health condition before, and I thought that you is able to pull away the bow, so you must have recovered well, but I didn''t expect you to to fall ill again. "


    Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "his highness forced me to learn some self-defense skills as he wished after I recovered a bit. But I''m as weak as the next person, and I''ve learned only the arrow from him."


    Lady Jing sighed again. "My son is an idle good for nothing. He likes to hang around, find some rare things and sell them. He also collected a lot of precious herbs from other places, and I bring them here. But I don''t know if you can use them or not. If you need them, just send someone to tell me."


    Yun Shang thanked her in a low voice. Lady Jing saw that Yun Shang was sweating more and more heavily, so she stood up to say goodbye. Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to send the woman out.


    When Qian Yin came back, she said with a smile, "Lady Jing must have been sc


    rd ''Jing'' on the ticket, presumably from the Jing mansion."


    "That''s what I think. Since that person didn''t know sister Qian Shui worked for you, he wouldn''t deliberately deceive you. So I was thinking whether we should start with the Jing clan or not." Qian Yin said gently.


    Yun Shang nodded, "let''s start with the Jing clan. There are some people in Jing mansion who hate me so much. I''m afraid they have something to do with it. I wonder where Jing Wenxi was kept by Prince Jing." She thought for a while and ordered Qian Yin, "you have some one to have Qi''er''s portrait drawn. Ask a servant of the Jing''s mansion to ask, after that, kill that person. Make sure no one find out about it. "


    "Qi''er?" Qian Yin thought for a while, and then remembered who Qi''er was. She thought for a moment, and said, "is it the pompous maid who works for Meng Jieyu?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Then Qian Yin said gently, "if the people of Jing''s clan did something indecent, I''m afraid they wouldn''t have been so careless."


    "It''s just a chance of luck." Yun Shang said softly, "it''s better than nothing."

 Chapter 375 The Clue (Part One)

    Yun Shang didn''t intend to be sure of anything. She just wanted to have a try because it was better than doing nothing. But she didn''t expect that it would have such a result, like a cat met a dead mouse.


    Excitement was obvious in Qian Yin''s voice. "Qi''er indeed came from the Jing family. She worked for Mr. Jing before, but her personal maid often took her out. So people are familiar with her face. All the rich men came out with their male servants, and Qi''er had been waiting in the inner yard all the time. She had never been out of the mansion, so nobody had never seen her before. I''m afraid it was Jing Wenxi''s idea to send her into the palace. But she didn''t expect that we would find out, so she sent a servant girl in the mansion. "


    "Really?" Yun Shang shook her head while hearing Qian Yin''s words, "Jing Wenxi is a thoughtful girl. How did she make such a mistake and let others find out about it? Besides, Qi''er has been with Qin Meng for two months. It is not a short time. At that time, Jing Wenxi didn''t know she couldn''t be the empress, so she could not have arranged Qi''er to be with Qin Meng so early. I thought it was Jing Wenxi who framed my mother, but on second thought, I found that it wasn''t Jing Wenxi who made the plot. "


    Qian Yin felt that Yun Shang''s words made sense, but she couldn''t think of any other reason. "If it was not Jing Wenxi, then who plotted the whole thing, your highness?"


    Yun Shang meditated for a moment and said flatly, "then whose maid is Qi''er?"


    "It''s Mr. Jing''s," Qian Yin replied honestly although she had no idea why Yun Shang asked that.


    Yun Shang smiled, "since it was Mr. Jing''s maid, why couldn''t it be Mr. Jing who did


    hat else have you heard? I have specially told you to investigate it carefully. Don''t miss any details. " Yun Shang said softly, looking at the pale face of the stunning woman in the mirror.


    Qian Yin took the comb and combed Yun Shang''s hair. She said gently, "I remember your Highness'' words. At the first banquet, Meng Jieyu was drunk, so she left in the middle of the banquet. Mr. Jing had left for a period of time, about half an hour or so. Then every time Mr. Jing came to the Imperial Palace, if Meng Jieyu didn''t appear, she would go to the imperial garden alone, or if she showed up, she would leave early, while Mr. Jing would leave for a while every time as well. Qi''er was the maid who came to live with Meng Jieyu during that period, and the servants around her were given away because of stealing Meng Jieyu''s things. Meng Jieyu was short of servants, so several servants were hired recently for her, and Qi''er was one of them. I heard that someone in the palace seemed to have seen that Meng Jieyu and Mr. Jing were very close, but the servants didn''t see it clearly and didn''t dare to make a hasty statement. "

 Chapter 376 The Clue (Part Two)

    Yun Shang sneered coldly, "I heard that it was at that time when father was in good relationship with Jing Wenxi and grand councilor Jing just took office not long ago. I heard that Jing Wenxi always has a good relationship with her brother. Grand councilor Jing wants to win favor for her daughter, but her brother didn''t want to do that. But he couldn''t go against his father''s will either, and he wanted to find a help for his sister. However, the concubines he could meet at the banquet are all above the imperial concubines. Now the imperial household has declined, and few concubines have come. He only thought that Qin Meng was the most suitable one for him. One is a gentleman, and the other is an emperor concubine that hasn''t been favored by the emperor for a long time. If they have the intention of seducing each other, they will be easily ignited like fire meets wood. "


    However, Qian Yin didn''t expect that. She stayed silent and stunned for a while and said, "you mean there is an affair between Meng Jieyu and Mister Jing?"


    Yun Shang smiled. "Isn''t it obvious? What do you think of Qin Meng''s personality? "


    "She''s an extravert, and she is grumpy and wanted much, and a fence sitter." Qian Yin pouted and judged.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Qin Meng has been in the palace for a long time. You know she is a fence sitter as well, but she is just trying to measure how to make things best for herself. Such a person would always be careful with everything around her, and she would never easily believe in a maid who had been with her for less than two months. But in the past, she treated Qi''er with all her heart. There was only one possibility: it was the man who gave Qi''er to her and she trus


    heavenly prison thing. But Yun Shang just didn''t know where they were staying since they had to entered the imperial city. She made up her mind. Since she were sure that they did this, why not go and find them directly? Maybe when Yun Shang find them, she can find new clues, thought Yun Shang.


    In the evening, Yun Shang finally got some information about the piles in the imperial city.


    "The other day his highness quarreled with Cangjue Kangning at the Yuman tower. The Yuman tower is our property. But the owner was not in the shop when he went out for business. Since his highness have the compartment, and the place where he quarreled with Cangjue Kangning was at the door of the private room on the second floor, the guests downstairs could only hear the noise and didn''t see the specific situation. They didn''t see Cangjue Kangning until he went downstairs, but from the beginning to the end, no one had really seen Prince Jing. It''s just because the voice is indeed Prince Jing''s. someone claimed that he called himself Prince Jing and saw Cangjue Kangning as well. So they said that they saw the two of them had a dispute. "

 Chapter 377 The Assassins Appearance And The Search In The City (Part One)

    Yun Shang said with a cold sneer, "gossip really is a fearful thing. They just regarded the man who had a quarrel with Cangjue Kangning as Prince Jing without even looking at him with their own eyes. Then they can reasonably blame the death of Cangjue Kangning on his highness."


    Qian Yin sighed, "but why didn''t his highness come out to explain?"


    "I also want to know why." Yun Shang said indifferently, "if someone dares to set a trap on us, he must be sure that his highness won''t show up."


    But where was his highness right now? Why didn''t he appear? Yun Shang leaned against the bench and tapped the edge of the bench with her fingers. She frowned and pondered.


    Prince Jing had never shown up. His mansion was under close surveillance. Since there was nothing to do, Yun Shang always stayed in the mansion watching books and sleeping. Occasionally, she talked with Wang Jinyan who came to visit. To Yun Shang''s surprise, Mrs. Jing had been very busy in the past few days. She came here only to have a brief conversation with Yun Shang everyday. Yun Shang kept an eye on what she said, it seemed that Mrs. Jing was trying to find out whether Prince Jing had contacted her in secret or not.


    Yun Shang was surprised and wondered why the grand councilor mansion was so concerned about this matter.


    The crown prince of the state of Xia''s body had already been transferred back to the state of Xia, but Xia Huanyu was still staying in the imperial city. On the surface, he was only looking for the criminal who had killed the crown prince of the state of Xia, but he was not very keen on investigating the case. He had come to the prince''s mansion twice, and Yun Shang was no longer aggressive. She came here to serve the emperor of the stat


    meone like Jing Kui, who held power, he was afraid of being seized by others, as if treading on thin ice. Therefore, every spending in the grand councilor''s mansion was clearly written on the account. Yun Shang had tried every means to bribe the steward in charge of the account book. In the past few months, Jing Wenlan had bought several money, with a number of jewelry on it.


    Yun Shang had asked someone to inquire about everyone Jing Wenlan had seen in recent months. She carefully combed her information into a pamphlet, and to her surprise, she found Prince Jing among them.


    Yun Shang frowned and wondered, ''why did Jing Wenlan meet Prince Jing?'' Judging from the date, it should be not long after she and Prince Jing returned to the imperial city.


    Yun Shang called the Butler in a hurry to inquire about this matter. The Butler thought for a moment and said, "that day, his highness did go out. I remember that he rarely went out since he was injured and went back to his mansion. Your highness should have been in the palace at that time, and the grand councilor''s mansion sent him an invitation, in which it wrote grand councilor Jing''s invitation."

 Chapter 378 The Assassins Appearance And The Search In The City (Part Two)

    Yun Shang remembered after hearing the Butler''s words. When she left the imperial palace the other day, she saw Jing Wenxi appearing on the street covered in a veil. When she returned to the mansion, the butler told her that Prince Jing had got an invitation from the grand councilor, so that Prince Jing went to see him.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the pamphlet that she had collected. It said that Prince Jing was the only one who had met Jing Wenlan that day. That is to say, in the name of grand councilor Jing, Jing Wenlan invited Prince Jing to meet him? But why did Jing Wenlan want to see his highness?


    Yun Shang asked the butler to leave. When she looked up, she saw Qian Yin looking at her in confusion. Yun Shang smiled and asked, "has anyone been following Mrs. Jing since she left her mansion these days?"


    Qian Yin shook her head, "No."


    Yun Shang bent her fingers slightly and looked at the edge of the bench. She frowned as she murmured, "am I wrong? It''s not them."


    Qian Yin was confused by Yun Shang''s words, but she could do nothing about it. She went to the table and poured another cup of tea for Yun Shang.


    At night, when Yun Shang was almost asleep, she suddenly heard Qian Yin rush in and speak with excitement, "Your Highness, we have found it. We have found it!"


    Yun Shang sat up and looked at Qian Yin with puzzlement. "What have you found?"


    Excitement was obvious on Qian Yin''s face. "I''ve asked the girls working for Qian Qian''s subordinates to seduce Jing Kui. Jing Kui is an erotic, so every time he go back, he actually take the girls upstairs to his house. One of them told me that Mr. Jing always talked to one wall in his yard alone these days. She


    r and the generals of the imperial city guards, to block the imperial city and search house to house.


    And so did grand councilor''s mansion. Having a quarrel in the middle of the night, Jing Kui, who only wore a robe, had a terrible expression on his face. He shouted at the soldier who had just rushed in, "do you know where this is? Do you have any problem with that? "


    Then the imperial commander, the governor of the Imperial City, and the commander of the imperial city''s guard came into the room together. At the sight of this, Jing Kui quizzed for a moment before he realized that something had happened in the imperial city.


    he stepped forward and asked, "what happened?"


    The three of them slightly made an obeisance by cupping their hands and said, "an assassin has appeared in the palace, but he escaped from the palace. His majesty has ordered to investigate it thoroughly, and I have no choice. I hope you can understand."


    Having heard that they made it so clear, Jing Kui of course did not have something to say, but his face was still a little gloomy. He replied in a low voice, "Then search the house."

 Chapter 379 The True Criminal (Part One)

    Jing Kui want to assume that now with his identity, even if these three people were together, they didn''t dare to really search the house. They could only walk through the field. The truth was just as what he had expected, the soldiers of the house had only looked around in every yard, not even entering any house.


    Jing Kui want to breathe a sigh of relief secretly. He is afraid that there won''t be anything wrong with it. The beautiful concubine of the new place was still waiting for him in bed, so he told Jing Wenlan, who was a little stiff and standing beside him, "you stay here to watch. If there is nothing important, just wait for them to search..."


    Hardly had his voice faded away, he heard a loud shout from the distance, "master, we found something here." The voice came from the yard where Jing Wenlan lived.


    Jing Kui was stunned. He turn his head to look at his son in surprise. His face is pale and there are even beads of sweat on his son''s forehead. He was shocked and frightened in his heart, and he walked quickly towards the yard of Jing Wenlan.


    There was some peculiar smell in the night wind, and Jing Kui''s face couldn''t help but darkened. He quickened his pace and walked to the entrance of the yard, seeing a soldier knocking the back of an axe to the wall. Jing Kui could no help but frown. He remembered that wall. Jing Wenlan had said to him that the color of the wall faded a few days ago and he wanted to brush it again. He had agreed to it, but later he got no idea of what had happened then.


    "What''s wrong with the wall?" Jing Kui want to calm down. And he walked over and asked in a deep voice with a calm look on his face.


    The govern


    as the two of them entered the palace, Jing Kui and his son were invited to the qinzheng hall. Just as they entered, he saw a woman in a pale purple dress playing chess with emperor Ning. Master Zheng stood aside and made a gesture of silence to them. Jing Kui''s hands quietly made a fist in his sleeves in anger, and his eyes fell lightly on the woman''s body.


    After a while, the woman chuckled and then threw the piece into the can. "I quit. When I entered the palace, I thought that the emperor must be distracted as he encountered an assassin. However, father, you was much calmer than me. It''s late. I came to visit you in the middle of the night, but why didn''t you give me any gift, father? "


    Her voice was quite coquettish.


    Emperor Ning laughed. "You''re such a rascal! You''ve cheated on me just because you were about to lose. Now, you want to ask for my reward? It''s just a small punishment. It''s just a tribute to his Highness''s favorite tea. Here you are. "


    "I have accompanied father, not Prince Jing. Father favors him only, but not me." Yun Shang sighed and said softly with endless grievances.

 Chapter 380 The True Criminal (Part Two)

    Emperor Ning smiled again. "Well, well, shang''er, I haven''t rewarded you enough. You are going to move the imperial palace to your mansion, and there is no reward for you now. I''ll owe you one, and you can ask me for anything you want when you get something."


    "That would be great. Thank you, father" Yun Shang squinted her eyes and smiled. When she turned around, she saw Jing Kui standing in the hall. Next to him was a young man with a good-looking face. The man was surprised to see her, but he quickly put it away.


    "The grand councilor Jing must have known that you have met the assassins, so he came here specially to inquire about you." Yun Shang smiled, but didn''t plan to leave.


    Seeing that emperor Ning didn''t blame her, the imperial commander thought for a moment and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, we found something in the grand councilor''s mansion... It is Meng Jieyu''s corpse. "


    Emperor Ning''s hand holding the chessboard paused, but he didn''t say anything. He slowly separated the chess pieces from the chessboard and put it into the jars.


    Yun Shang seemed to be surprised. "Meng Jieyu''s body? Didn''t Meng Jieyu kill herself in the palace? Why was the body in Grand councilor Jing''s mansion? Where did you find it? "


    The imperial commander took another careful look at emperor Ning and answered, "Your highness, we found it in the wall in Mister Jing''s yard."


    Emperor Ning nodded his head slightly, "did you call someone to make an autopsy of the corpse? Are you sure it''s Meng Jieyu''s corpse? "


    The imperial commander instantly answered, "I''m in a hurry to report, so I''ve told the other master to keep watch on the coroner and let him examine the body. I''m sure it won''t be long before we get t


    is son.


    But it was the emperor Ning was seated on the chair in the front. Even if Jing Kui was the grand councilor now, he don''t dare to defend his son at this moment in front of the emperor.


    "Mr. Jing, what else do you want to say?" Emperor Ning furrowed his brows and looked at Jing Wenlan with intense eyes. he was indeed a majestic man.


    Jing Wenlan kept having cold sweat running from her face, so he went down on his knees and said, "I don''t know what to say now."


    Emperor Ning''s face became colder and colder. He ordered the guards, "guards, take Jing Wenlan under control and punish him with a death sentence."


    A trace of pain flashed on Jing Kui''s face. He had just a single child, Jing Wenlan, and if he lost his son like that, he would have no grandchild at all. Thinking of this, he couldn''t care about anything else but shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, it''s unfair. The matter that Prince Jing killed the prince of the state of Yelang is also evidence. Why didn''t you give Prince Jing any punishment at all? We still has many doubts about Meng Jieyu''s matter, and his majesty seems to be too hasty on punishing my son to death. "

 Chapter 381 The Master Of Fakery (Part One)

    Silence reigned in the hall. After a while, Yun Shang chuckled and grabbed the piece in the can, holding it without any emotion. The pieces fell into the can one by one, making a clear sound. "Mr. Jing has admitted his crime just now. I don''t know what is wrong with my father''s punishment. Speaking of Prince Jing... " Yun Shang smiled in a mocking way to Jing Kui. "If grand councilor Jing can find him and arrest him, I will thank you here, Grand Councilor Jing."


    Jing Kui''s face shaked and he kept silent after hearing her words. But after all, he can''t bear to see Jing Wenlan taken away by guards, so he turned his head.


    "You can stay at home and reflect on what you have done, Grand Councilor Jing, for you have let your son comit a crime. It''s unnecessary for you to go to the court in the following days. But if you don''t have anything to do with your family, you can stay at home." Emperor Ning glanced at him and waved his hand, "You can leave now."


    Jing Kui turned around. His feet trembled slightly. After a long time, he suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and slowly walked out of the qinzheng hall. Behind him came the voice of emperor Ning and Yun Shang speaking.


    "It''s getting late, and I''m worried about you going home alone. I''ve been having the servants clean your Qingxin palace everyday. The servants that used to work in your palace are all there except those you brought in Prince Jing''s mansion. You can have a rest in the Qingxin Hall tonight." Emperor Ning said in a doting voice towards Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled at the emperor''s words, "father, you are the best. I am a little sleepy, so I will leave now. Father, you have been so shocked tonight. Go to bed early, too."


    Emperor Ning shook his head, "it''s almost time for the morning court. I''ll go to bed after going the morning court."


    Yun Shang nodded h


    Highness, this is the jade badge that his Highness has carried with him."


    Yun Shang frowned at the prince''s jade badge. It suddenly occurred to her that when the crown prince of the state of Yelang died, it was said that the crown prince was holding the jade badge in his hand. That was why everyone believed that Prince Jing had killed the prince in the first place.


    Yun Shang asked, "did they tell you where did they find it?"


    The Butler shook his head. "The purchase servants only said that this letter was very important and needed to hand it over to Her Highness in person. They didn''t say anything else to me."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a moment. Suddenly, she opened the envelope and saw the letters the size of a mosquito in the inside of the envelope. Yun Shang looked at the words carefully and frowned, "the token that Cangjue Kangning was holding in his hand is a fake one."


    "A fake one?" Both the butler and Qian Yin were surprised. The Butler frowned and said, "it''s weird. It shouldn''t be. His Majesty gave the jade token to his highness in person. After Prince Cangjue Kangning died, it was said that the jade token was handed over to his majesty. How could his majesty not recognize that it was a false one?"

 Chapter 382 The Master Of Fakery (Part Two)

    Yun Shang sneered in a cold way, "the real culprit must have spent a lot of money for the fake jade token. This jade pendant is forged by the famous make master Li Qian. It''s not much different from the real one. The fake master Li Qian died in a ruined temple a few dozen miles away from a small village last night. "


    "They Killed him to keep the secrets?" Qian Yin frowned.


    Yun Shang shook her head. "If they killed him to keep a secret, the murderer wouldn''t have left this drawing on Li Qian''s body, waiting for my shadow guards to get it. Besides, the man who killed Li Qian seemed to attract my secret guards to get the drawing. The original dark guards couldn''t find Li Qian, but someone hired a little beggar to inform them the information about Li Qian. "


    "Is there a trap?" Qian Yin frowned and asked.


    Yun Shang shook her head. "I know that Li Qian is a fake master, because my grandfather was deceived by him in the past too. He is good at faking. But he has a habit of leaving his own marks on his faked things." Yun Shang pointed to the painting in her hands. She could see faintly some visible lines on it, which seemed to be a Li character from a fine take-up, as if the lines were not well acquainted with ink and had a gap.


    "I just came back from the imperial palace. If I go back to the palace again now, I''m afraid people will feel suspicious about it. Tomorrow, I''ll go to my father and take the jade badge to see if it is really a fake one prepared by Li Qian." Yun Shang said calmly, putting the drawing away carefully.


    Besides the jade badge, the crowds also thought it was the evidence of Prince Jing''s murder of Cangjue Kangning because


    and Yun Shang felt much more relaxed now. But the wind in the spring was warm and comfortable, and she felt a little sleepy when it blew. She yawned, walked to the yard and was ready to sleep.


    Stepping into the room, before Qian Yin came back, Yun Shang put a thin quilt on the couch with her hands, and unfolded her clothes on her own. Just when she was about to rest in bed, she saw Qian Yin rushing in and said to her. "Your Highnesses, those eyes outside the mansion seemed to be ready to leave. Just now, I asked my guards to keep an eye on those people outside the mansion. I was told that there were more than twenty people watching over us, but now, they seemed to have fewer people. "


    "Are the other ten pairs of eyes still keeping watch on our mansion?" Yun Shang looked at Qian Yin and asked.


    Qian Yin nodded her head. "But what are the other ones who left going to do?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "send a secret signal to the piles outside the mansion and tell them to keep an eye on the dozen people who have left just now. Send more people to keep an eye on them closely."

 Chapter 383 The Artists Of Voice Imitation (Part One)

    Qian Yin responded to Yun Shang and left in hurry. Staring at her figure, Yun Shang let out a soft laugh. She took a deep breath, lay down on the bed and fell asleep.


    Yun Shang didn''t wake up until it was in the morning. She was a bit surprised. She seldom slept so deep these days. Because of the absence of Prince Jing, she didn''t get used to sleep at night, and always woke up several times at night. It was not easy to sleep well these days for her.


    "Qian Yin..." Yun Shang called out, but there was no response for a long time. With a frown, Yun Shang lifted the quilt and got up. The side room was always where Qian Yin slept at night. As long as Yun Shang didn''t sleep with Prince Jing in the main room, Qian Yin would sleep in the side room for fear that she might need something when she woke up. Yun Shang went to the door of the side room and found no one was there.


    However, a maid standing outside the chamber saw Yun Shang and came in hastily. "Your Highness, are you looking for Qian yin?"


    Yun Shang nodded. The maid hurriedly said, "Qian Yin was very busy last night. She has visited your highness several times at night. She left after seeing your highness asleep. Qian Yin has ordered me to help you get dressed if you wake up. "


    This maid was asked to serve her after Yun Shang married Prince Jing. Her name seemed to be He Yun? Yun Shang nodded her head, "Then come in."


    "How do you like this, your highness?" He Yun hurridly walked into the room and asked, turning to Yun Shang. She took out a white and blue dress from the drawer.


    Yun Shang glanced at the dress in her hand and nodded slightly. Then He Yun took the dress from the drawer, and she carefully helped Yun Shang get dressed. She said, "Your Highness, I think your highness'' ha


    o ask for your Highness'' permission. But when I came back, I saw that your highness was asleep, so I only sent one of my men to spy in the Qing Jiu Alley. I thought that if it was a trap, we would lose nothing but a secret guard. As expected, the artist of voice imitation was really in a small yard in the Qing Jiu alley. "


    "have you sent someone to check who is the owner of the yard?" Yun Shang lowered her eyes to hide her emotion.


    Qian Yin hurriedly answered, "yes. Then I asked my secret guards to investigate the owner. He seemed to be called Xiao Yan. But it was probably a fake name. They have investigated him for a long time, but still didn''t find out his identity."


    Yun Shang sat on the couch and squinted. "Have you hidden the master of voice imitation? Have you interrogated him? "


    Qian Yin answered, "yes, we have. He was the one who was brought into a room upstairs in the Yuman tower the other day. No one saw him but he sat in a room and read the words given by others while imitating Prince Jing''s voice. Later, he was imprisoned in the Qing Shui Alley. Those men didn''t kill him immediately because they seemed to have something for him to do later. "

 Chapter 384 The Artists Of Voice Imitation (Part Two)

    Yun Shang knocked on the edge of the bed. She squinted her eyes, "all the interrogation have been arranged on line?"


    Qian Yin promptly grabbed a roll of parchment, nodded and said, "yes, it''s here."


    Yun Shang opened the box, took a close look at it, and nodded. "I''m going to visit father now. You''ve stayed up all night. Have a rest first."


    "Okay." Qian Yin thought about it for a while and said, "Your Highness, please take He Yun with you."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. Qian Yin hurried out of the room, and asked the servants to prepare the carriage. She also gave some orders to He Yun about some things that needed to be done in the palace, before she went in. Then she said to Yun Shang in a soft voice, "Luo Yi told me that He Yun is a hidden guard in his Highness'' hands, but I thought it was enough for me to be with you, as your highness is also good at Kung Fu, you would be fine. But after your highness encountered an assassin and got hurt on the way back to Prince Jing''s mansion, his highness told me repeatedly not to separate you from anybody. "


    Yun Shang was stunned at Qian Yin''s words. She kept silent for a while and said, "I see. You can go to bed now."


    Compared with Qian Yin who likes to talk a lot, He Yun was rather quiet. But Yun Shang didn''t take offense at her silence. When they arrived at the palace, the emperor Ning was still in the court, Lord Zheng and Emperor Ning were not present. Seeing Yun Shang walk in, the eunuch who was standing at the door hurriedly said, "His majesty is not over with the morning court yet, your highness. I''m afraid you have to wait for some time."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "Then bring me a pot


    d, but they didn''t find Prince Jing. So they had to write a letter and go back to the state of Yelang. I heard that the emperor of the state of Yelang also heard of the news and was enraged. He is about to come here to the imperial city."


    Yun Shang nodded, "since we have found Li Qian and the master with skill, there is no escape for the real murderer. Although I am not supposed to interfere in this matter, it is related to Prince Jing. I hope that I will personally investigate the murderer. The murderer didn''t plan to kill the artist of voice imitation, but he suddenly changed his mind. I''m afraid that he felt that he might leak the news. Father always sends officials in the court. Their investigation has always been big. I''m afraid they''ll alert the enemy. "


    Emperor Ning remained silent for a while. Then he said, "I know what you''re worried about. I''ll keep my promise. But you have to make an investigation of it before the emperor of Yelang arrives at the Imperial City..."


    Emperor Ning didn''t finish his words. Yun Shang thought for a while and knew what he wanted to say. "I will do that."

 Chapter 385 The Interrogation (Part One)

    Although emperor Ning had already asked her to investigate the case, Yun Shang didn''t dare to let go of it because there were too many people watching her. Knowing that there must be many people following her, she asked the coachman to go to the Yuman tower directly after she went out of the palace.


    Yun Shang slowly followed the attendant upstairs and sat down by the window. She saw several men with swords appear in front of the Yuman tower all of a sudden. Yun Shang''s mouth twisted in a smile. She turned to look at He Yun, who was standing beside her, and she pondered for a moment before she said, "I''ll have my meal here today. Go out to the left, two streets, and go to Qian Shui''s jewelry store to pick some new jewelry for me. I opened the dresser yesterday, only to find that I have not bought any new jewelry since the wedding with Prince Jing. In the past, I would sent someone there every month as usual. I have forgotten these days. " Then she took off the purse and handed it to He Yun.


    Hearing her words, He Yun frowned with worry. Suddenly, she remembered what Qian Yin had said to her before she went out. She nodded her head, took the purse, bowed to Yun Shang, and left the room. Yun Shang looked out of the window again. Within a short while, she saw He Yun appear at the door of the Yuman tower. Within a short while, two men with swords just now were following He Yun.


    Yun Shang turned around and knocked her fingers on the table. The shopkeeper came running to her. "Your Highness..."


    Yun Shang made a gesture of silence to the shopkeeper, and the latter closed his mouth in a hurry. Yun Shang took a cup of tea, dipped some water in it, and wrote several words with the water on the table. She sa


    the He Yun bowed to Yun Shang.


    "I''ve also finished my meal. We can go back home after I put away my stuff." He Yun nodded her head, closed the box made of mahogany, and followed Yun Shang downstairs.


    When they returned to the mansion, Qian Yin had already got up. She took the box from He Yun, and followed Yun Shang into the inner chamber. Qian Yin said, "Your Highness, according to the message you sent to the waiter of the Yuman tower, I have brought the master of the voice imitation to our mansion."


    Yun Shang let out a sigh of relief after hearing Qian Yin''s words. "Being tailed, it''s not easy to do something with them following me. In order to keep the people with me outside, I have to send the message secretly. It feels like my grey hair is growing out."


    Qian Yin giggled at her words, "my lady, thank you for your hard work. But there are only three people who had been monitored us outside the mansion when you go out. I''m sure it''s convenient for me to do something. How about this? If you have nothing else to do, don''t stay in the mansion anymore. Go shopping more, buy some jewelry, clothes, and eat something delicious. "

 Chapter 386 The Interrogation (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh when she saw Qian Yin''s triumphant expression. She waved her hand and was about to hit the maid. Qian Yin dodged her hurriedly and said with a smile, "Your Highness, are you going to see that artist of voice imitation now?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "Okay, I will go and see him. My father ordered me to investigate this matter in the imperial city before the emperor of the state of Yelang came into the city. I don''t have much time left." Then she stood up and said, "let''s go. Where do you lock him up?"


    Qian Yin took Yun Shang to a remote yard in the mansion. It looked empty. "The Butler said this is a house for the servants. But there are not many servants in the mansion, so many of them are left idle. And I just use one of them." Then she opened the door. There were two maidservants sitting in the room. The maids bowed to Qian Yin as soon as they saw her, and studied her curiously.


    Qian Yin couldn''t help laughing, "she is your master. You can''t look at her like that."


    Hearing this, the two maid servants became excited. "Wow! It''s your highness! You are so young and beautiful!" Although it was sort of tease, there was a faint admiration in both their eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled at that. "I don''t need any compliment. I''ll blush."


    Qian Yin smiled too. "You can leave now. The highness has something to ask that person."


    The two maids responded yes and left the door. When Yun Shang entered the inner room, she saw a middle-aged man standing in the room, who was looking outside blankly.


    As if hearing the footsteps, the man turned his head to look at


    did you get the money? "


    The man thought for a while and said, "I haven''t seen the real master behind them either. A man with a saber took me to the Yuman tower and then imprisoned me in the Liu Shui alley since then. The money I received should be from the bank, Hui Feng Bank. " He took out a piece of paper from his wallet, and turned it over and looked at it. Then he nodded his head and said, "it is indeed from the Hui Feng Bank."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "when you went upstairs and read those words they gave you, did anyone talk to you?"


    "Yes, there was someone talking to me. It should be a man in his thirties. His voice was a little harsh, and his accent was not like that of the state of Ning. From his appearance, it should be a man from the state of Yelang. Later, I heard something about Prince Jing and got to know that the man I was talking to was the crown prince of the state of Yelang. "


    Yun Shang frowned as the two of them had gotten to the point of the conversation. "You mean, you have seen that man in the Yuman tower? And he also saw you as well?"

 Chapter 387 The Detailed Investigation (Part One)

    The man was stunned by her words. He nodded his head, looking strange. "Yes. He passed by my room when he went downstairs. He glanced at the box and stared at me for a very long time. Finally, he lowered his voice and said to me," You are awesome. ". ''"


    Yun Shang could not help but frowned. She thought that Cangjue Kangning didn''t know that the man in the Yuman tower was not Prince Jing at all. Since then, it seemed that Cangjue Kangning knew about this all the time. Not only that, he had been cooperating with them the whole time. Then it was highly likely that Cangjue Kangning was involved in the plot as well. He had planned to plot against Prince Jing. When the guard heard him call "Prince Jing " before he died at night, it was more likely that he had cried Prince Jing''s name out on purpose. However, the only thing that hadn''t expected was that the assassin would actually kill him.


    "I have told you almost everything about this matter. Do you have anything else to ask me, your highness?" The man lifted his head to look at Yun Shang, with relief evident in his eyes. "I hope you can find the real murderer as soon as possible, so that I can be relieved earlier."


    Yun Shang stood up and said with a smile on her face, "I will, sir, rest assured."


    Then she made a curtsy to the master of voice imitation, and turned around and walked out of the door.


    "Have you found anything new, your highness?" Qian Yin said gently.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and ordered her, "send someone to investigate who Cangjue Kangning has met these days."


    Qian Yin nodded her head and added, "why did the man frame Prince Jing for murder of Cangjue Kangning? He has a big trouble after he pretended to kill Cangjue Kangning but he killed the crown pr


    ered.


    Hearing the order from Yun Shang, He Yun answered yes and left in a hurry. After a while, Qian Yin came back, followed by her was He Yun with a cup of tea in hand. Then, He Yun put the tea on the table by Yun Shang''s side, and slowly stepped outside when Yun Shang didn''t order He Yun to serve the tea.


    "The artist of voice imitation said that the money they gave to him was from the Hui Feng Bank. You can ask people to go to the Hui Feng Bank and ask what kind of big families they have put money in it. There are a lot of wealth in the Imperial City, and the Hui Feng Bank is not the most famous bank here. A person who can plot to murder the crown prince is not an ordinary person. By this way, we can narrow the target. It''s always better than nothing." Yun Shang said indifferently, rubbing her forehead. Then she put her hand down, and saw the figure of He Yun disappeared at the door.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and then sighed, "it''s getting more and more complicated. I can''t calm down right now. So I''m practicing the calligraphy quiet now." Then she stood up, and walked to the desk and said to Qian Yin: "come and prepare the ink for me."

 Chapter 388 The Detailed Investigation (Part Two)

    Qian Yin was surprised. She picked up the tea from the desk took in by He Yun just now, poured some water for the inkstone and ink stick. Yun Shang stared at the ink stone for a while before questioning, "you are still not good at preparing the ink. Look at the ink stone, there is also a small piece. What should I do about it?"


    Qian Yin pouted. "Then why did your highness ask me to prepare the ink?"


    Yun Shang chuckled at Qian Yin''s words. She raised her hand and grabbed a writing brush on the brush rack, and filled it with some ink. Then she wrote some words on the paper, indicating Qian Yin to have a look. When Qian Yin turned her head to have a look, she frowned, and her face gradually became more and more serious. She pondered for a while before she slightly nodded her head.


    Yun Shang pondered for a moment, folded the paper, and put it into her chest. She changed another paper and wrote another sentence. Then she shouted out aloud, "what are you doing here? The ink you prepared is so bad that my words cannot be read at all. Forget it. I won''t write it anymore." She took the paper and tore it into small pieces. With a sigh, she threw the pieces out of the window. She made a gesture to Qian Yin, and Qian Yin hurriedly responded and left the room.


    Yun Shang walked to the soft couch and lay down. After lying down for a while, she called out to the door, "He Yun."


    He Yun walked in the room hastily and stopped three meters away from Yun Shang. Yun Shang frowned and said, "the incense in the room is about to be finished. Qian Yin has left for some bus


    tokens are easy to get. You can kill one of them, then you can get a secret guard token. But you didn''t know that His highness had told me a long time ago that he only has one female shadow guard around him. I''ve met the female shadow guard, and she is not you."


    Crouching for a moment, He Yun said after a long moment''s silence, "I really made a mistake."


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at He Yun, without a trace of smile on her face. "You did it last night? Did you kill the master of voice imitation and my maids? "


    "Yes, it''s me. So what?" said the He Yun with a snort.


    Yun Shang smiled, "not really. Qian Yin, pull her out and deal with her."


    Shocked by Yun Shang''s words, He Yun glanced at Yun Shang in disbelief, "you didn''t even want to interrogate me? Don''t you want to know who sent me here? "


    Yun Shang laughed as if she had heard a funny joke. After a while, she said, "if I ask, will you tell me the truth? I would rather deal with you directly than believe your made up lies. It is worth it to remove a spy after all. "

 Chapter 390 Jings Mansion Was On Fire (Part Two)

    The guards of the imperial city were fetch the water to put out the fire. Yun Shang circled the whole place, but she didn''t see the fight as the secret guard said.


    The commander of the guard army found her too. Surprised, he hurried forward to her. "It''s late. Why is lady Jing here?"


    Yun Shang turned around and glanced at him. "I heard that the Jing mansion was on fire. Thinking that the grand councilor jing is also a backbone of the state of Ning, if anything happens to him, it will be the great loss of the state of Ning. So, I''m here in a hurry. How is grand Councilor Jing doing? What about the others in the mansion? "


    The commander was skeptical about Yun Shang''s words, but Yun Shang''s words were reasonable, so he had nothing to refute. He immediately said, "grand councilor Jing and other ladies are all fine, except for about ten servants. The grand Councilor and his family are all frightened. Now they are staying in the original Mansion, and the emperor has sent imperial physicians from the palace, which is fine for the time being."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "then I can rest assured. Have you seen some suspicious people around here? Why did the mansion suddenly on fire?"


    "I didn''t see it. The reason for the fire has to be checked by the governor after it is extinguished."


    Yun Shang frowned, gritted her teeth and nodded slightly. "Well, I''ll go back to my mansion now. Since the grand Councilor jing and his family are all safe, I''m also relieved."


    Yun Shang felt disappointed in her heart. She finally got the news about Prince Jing, but they still didn''t meet each ot


    ress you up?"


    The Chamberlain was a male after all. It was late at night, and the prince was not home. It was improper for a lady to meet a man ihe bedroom. Moreover, lady Jing had just gotten up from the bed with her hair disheveled. There were many servants here. If they saw her, they would gossip at her.


    However, Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "don''t bother comb my hair. I just want to ask him a few questions. I am going to sleep later. It would be troublesome to comb my hair."


    Qian Yin had to walk to the door, thinking that if the Butler came, just tell him to reply. But she kept looking at Yun Shang, and was surprised that the princess today seemed very excited.


    After a short while, the Butler came in a hurry. Although he just got up from the bed, he didn''t look tired. Seeing Qian Yin standing at the door, he pondered for a while, and said to her, "Your Highness, what can I do for you?"


    Yun Shang, with disheveled hair, walked to the door, expressionless and staring at him intently. "His Highness is at home, right? Take me to see him."

 Chapter 391 The Appearance Of Prince Jing (Part One)

    The Butler dazed for a moment. Then he answered to Yun Shang, "I thought his highness was missing? Even your highness don''t know where his highness are, how can I know? "


    Yun Shang snorted and sat back in the chair, "You don''t know? You don''t know the answer, do you? Well, okay. I''m tired of it after all. I have married to Prince Jing for nearly a year, and I have spent countless time with him. Since his highness don''t treat me as his wife, and he never tell me what happened to him or discuss anything with me, and even hide himself from me. I''m not strong enough to protect myself, so it''s meaningless to hide here in this mansion with you. You can leave now. You probably think that I''m going mad. I''ll stay in the palace for some time, starting tomorrow. Since his highness is not here, I don''t think it''s safe for me to stay here. The grand councilor''s mansion was on fire today and the imperial city''s guards are guarding them. No one knows when the assassins will come to my mansion. I will stay in the palace for a while. Whether I go back to this mansion or not depends on my mood. "


    After such a long conversation, Yun Shang felt a little thirsty, so she stretched out her hand to Qian Yin. Seeing this, Qian Yin quickly went back to the room and poured a cup of tea for her. But she frowned and said, "the tea is cold, your highness. Let me prepare a new cup for you."


    Yun Shang shook her head and picked up the tea cup, "that''s it. The housekeeper, you can leave now. I''m sleepy as well."


    The Butler hesitated. He pondered for a moment before he left the room.


    Qian Yin listened as the Butler left. Then sh


    froze for a while when she saw the man in the bed. Then she put down the bed sheet and stepped back. Her mind went blank for a while and then became clear. Why did his highness come here? And how did he sleep by her highness'' side? There was no one at her side last night before she left? By the way, Qian Yin was shocked again by the scene she saw just now. Lady Jing was holding a dagger, and it seemed that she wanted to stab the prince, but the prince caught her hand before she could do it. Thinking of the scene of Her Highness gnashing his teeth in bitter hatred last night, Qian Yin became more anxious. It was possible for her highness to start a fight right now.


    Her mind was in a mess again. She hesitated for a while before she asked, "Your Highness, are you getting up?"


    Yun Shang didn''t answer, but Prince Jing said with a hoarse voice, "you go downstairs first. You don''t need to clean up. Come to us at lunch time."


    Qian Yin responded yes and hurried toward the door. But before she reached the door, she heard Yun Shang''s voice with a bit of anger, "come back!"

 Chapter 389 Jings Mansion Was On Fire (Part One)

    Before He Yun could say anything else, Yun Shang waved her hand and ordered, "you can take her out now."


    Qian Yin drew the rope and walked out of the room with He Yun. After a while, she came back. "Your Highness, you have known that He Yun is a fake a long time ago? Why didn''t you get rid of her at that time? Otherwise, she wouldn''t make such a mess. "


    "My memory is not that good. I have forgotten the matter that his Highness has told me about the female shadow guard before. But didn''t I take her into the palace yesterday? On my way back to Prince Jing''s mansion, I went to the Yuman tower because I wanted to attract some people who would keep watch outside and make you take that master of voice imitation to my mansion. Before this, I just noticed that there was a slight coincidence with He Yun''s appearance, and I was a little skeptical. So I told her to go to the rge QianShui shop to buy some new jewelries. I had specifically told Qian Shui to find out the information of the person I sent there except you or Qin Yi. " Yun Shang frowned and paused before answering.


    "Qian Shui sent someone to report to me yesterday afternoon that after He Yun took the jewelry from her, she met a man in grey at the street corner, and talked with him before returning to the Yuman tower. The man in grey.... He is from the Jing clan. "


    Qian Yin blinked her eyes, feeling strange, "the grand councilor Jing? Why did he want He Yun to kill the master of the voice imitation to keep the secret? "


    Yun Shang squinted slightly, her hand bent slightly, and she tapped her fingers gently on the edge of the bed with her fingertips, "it''s not necessarily Jing Kui." After thinking for a while, she continued to speak, "I have been suspicious that Li Jingyan a


    e ran out of the mansion, and I saw many men in black surrounding the people who escaped from the mansion. They started fighting without saying anything. In my opinion, those men in black who guarded outside the mansion were acting like Prince Jing''s Secret guards, so I hurried back to report to your highness. "


    "His Highness'' Secret guard?" Yun Shang frowned slightly, for two reasons. One was that someone had the same idea as her, and the other was that the man who might be the prince Jing had disappeared for nearly half a month and finally appeared.


    "Let''s go to the Jing mansion." Without even changing her clothes, Yun Shang hurried out of the inner room and went out from the back door. She got on her horse and went straight to the Jing mansion.


    The Jing mansion had already turned into a sea of fire. It was lucky that Jing Kui had moved to this place after Jing Kui had become the grand Councilor. It was the most bustling place in the imperial city and the most rare was a single mansion, which made Jing Kui more distinguished and noble. Now, however, he had been able to prevent anybody else from suffering. That could be considered a lucky thing.

 Chapter 392 The Appearance Of Prince Jing (Part Two)

    Qian Yin paused. She heard Yun Shang say, "go on packing. Tell the servants to prepare the carriage for me."


    Qian Yin was in a dilemma. She was supposed to be the maid of the princess, and it was natural for her to obey the order of her highness. But she hesitated when she thought of the frightening look of the prince jing.


    Just when Qian Yin was wondering whether she should listen to Yun Shang or Prince Jing, Prince Jing said to Yun Shang with a touch of fondness, "well, that''s enough. That''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have disappeared on you. I make you tired. It''s all my fault. Don''t get angry."


    Qian Yin stood still as if she was struck by lightning. There was a rumble of thunder in her head. It was obviously Prince Jing''s voice, but his spoiled tone couldn''t be thought of Prince Jing''s cold face.


    Qian Yin was in a trance when she heard Yun Shang groan like a little girl who was ill tempered. Then she said, "go away. I don''t want to see you."


    But her voice was not like the tone of ordinary ladies when they were angry, but with a bit of girlish charm.


    Qian Yin shivered again and left in a hurry.


    On the bed, Prince Jing had taken off the dagger from Yun Shang''s hand and held her in his arms. He forced a smile and said, "honey, I''m sorry. Could you please give me a chance to explain to you? Huh? "


    The last word "huh" rose slightly, which made Yun Shang tremble. Then she sighed, "what to explain? In the end, you are always right, whatever you do is reasonable."


    Prince Jing heard her and hurriedly said, "no, it''s my fault this time. I


    hing gradually smooth and he soon fell asleep.


    Yun Shang smiled at it. A few days ago, she was too tired after all the drama. Now since Prince Jing was back, she felt at ease as if she had found a backbone. She yawned and fell asleep as well.


    "Your Highnesses, it''s time for lunch now." Qian Yin called them after the lunch is ready. Yun Shang let out a groan and woke up. When she opened her eyes, she saw Prince Jing staring at her with burning eyes and her ears started burning. Prince Jing smiled and kissed her on the forehead. Then he let go of the hand that had been holding her, opened the bed tent and got up.


    Since Prince Jing didn''t like others to serve him, Qian Yin took Yun Shang''s clothes and put the bed tent on the hook by both sides. "Get up, your highness."


    Yun Shang nodded her head and stood up. After watching Prince Jing enter the bathroom, Qian Yin said gently, "Your Highness, I heard that his majesty ordered the head of court of justice to investigate the fire in the grand councilor Jing''s mansion this morning."

 Chapter 393 Wake Up To A Huge Mess (Part One)

    "Of course his majesty have to have someone to check it out. Jing Kui is the grand Councilor of the state of Ning after all, and his den has been burnt out. If my father doesn''t check it out, I''m afraid it will cause the complaints of the officials. I will ask his highness whether he has cleaned the marks or not. After he has done the cleaning, it will not matter if my father will do a thorough investigation or not. as for my Father, I''m afraid that if he knows I did it, he will cover it well for me. " Yun Shang put on her clothes. Seeing that Prince Jing came out of the bathroom, she went in with Qian Yin. Then she washed her face and walked out again.


    Prince Jing was reading on a couch with a book in his hand. It seemed that he was not going out since he didn''t even put on a coat. Qian Yin helped Yun Shang fix her hair in a bun. Yun Shang went to the bench beside the collapse and sat down, "Your Highness, aren''t you going out today?"


    "Yes." Prince Jing nodded his head, "I have nothing to do today. I haven''t been with you for a long time. I can stay at home and stay with you."


    Yun Shang smiled with a cunning look, "Well, I can not stay at home today, I have to go to the Imperial Palace today. Moreover, Mrs Jing visited me everyday when I was sick the other day. Now that something serious has happened in the Jing mansion, I should visit her and comfort her as well."


    "What?" Prince Jing raised his eyebrows, put down the book in his hand, and grabbed Yun Shang''s arm. "Don''t run around today. Li Jingyan and the seventh Prince of the state of Xia are missing, and their people must be looking for them everywhere. It must be very chaotic outside. I''m worried about you if you go out."


    Hearing this, Yun S


    many people downstairs, so they didn''t kill me and chased me all the way. "


    "There are nearly sixty or seventy people in the group, all of whom are first-class fighters. I have only a few shadow guards around me, so I didn''t dare to fight against them head-on. I had no choice but to escape into a mansion, which is also the residence of famous people in the imperial city. It''s a large mansion, so we found a place to hide. But the guards didn''t give up. Instead, dozens of guards were sent to search for me in the mansion, so I had to wait. We just waited for the news, but the news said that I killed Cangjue Kangning. It seems that they have got enough evidence. If I show up that time, I don''t need to say anything and I will be caught by them. I have to stay in the prison for some days until his majesty finds out the truth. "


    Yun Shang also knew what happened that day. They had human testimony and material evidence. All the guests in the Yuman tower heard Prince Jing''s voice, and the guards in the inn heard Cangjue Kangning calling Prince Jing clearly, and the jade token was unique to Prince Jing. It was all unfavorable to Prince Jing.

 Chapter 394 Wake Up To A Huge Mess (Part Two)

    "I know the level of investigation of the court of justice. After all, I don''t feel safe to put my life on their hands. Now that I was missing in others'' eyes, I would have better keep being missing. Originally, I planned to tell you about this, but I didn''t expect that there were so many people watching you." Prince Jing let out a sigh and continued. "I''m afraid most of the people beside you can sense it as soon as something is wrong with you. But I underestimated my shang''er. She is so calm and wise. An ordinary woman can''t be mentioned in the same breath. "


    Yun Shang sneered at his words, "where are grand councilor Li and the seventh Prince right now?"


    Prince Jing smiled, "don''t worry. They are not in our mansion. It would be terrible if someone else learns from us to burn our mansion."


    "Did you find out the truth? Did they do it? " Yun Shang asked again.


    "We haven''t interrogated them yet. Don''t be anxious. Anyway, if they did it, some clues will be left. We can investigate it step by step. Now that we have the hostage, we can easily find the truth, right?" Prince Jing smiled coldly and led Yun Shang to lie down on the bench. The bench was narrow, and it was crowded for two people to lie on. Yun Shang twisted her body in discomfort, but Prince Jing still didn''t let her go.


    After lying on the bed for a while, Qian Yin''s voice came from outside the room. "Your Highness, Mister Liu is here. He has something to ask to see you. I''ve told him that your highness hasn''t recovered yet. Mister Liu heard that you appeared outside the Jing mansion last night, an


    igate Liu Yinfeng before and knew he was the teacher of the seventh Prince of the state of Xia. What was more important was that many officials of the state of Xia only knew Liu Yinfeng was a gay, who was in a relationship with the seventh prince of the state of Xia as his student. It was said that the seventh Prince of the state of Xia looked like a woman when he was young. And because of his poor health, he seldom participated in activities like horse riding and arrow shooting, and followed Liu Yinfeng all day long. It was said that every time the seventh Prince of the state of Xia fell ill, Liu Yinfeng would surely visit him in his mansion. Unfortunately, someone happened to see them hugging together. As a result, the story of them being gay spread around.


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and looked at Liu Yinfeng''s anxious face thoughtfully. Then she thought about Liu Yinfeng''s question just now and shook her head. "No, the seventh Prince is not in my hand." It was only that he was in Prince Jing''s hand. Yun Shang didn''t say the last sentence.

 Chapter 395 Dispute (Part One)

    Then Liu Yinfeng raised his head and looked at Yun Shang. He saw her calm face and knew she was telling the truth. He fell silent for a moment and asked, "didn''t you set the fire in the Jing''s house last night?"


    Yun Shang chuckled, "I hope it was me. I did plan to do that. However, it was too late. Before I went out, I heard that the Jing mansion had been burnt down. I hurried there, only to see the imperial city guards cleaning up the scene."


    "So that''s how it is." Liu Yinfeng frowned and looked a little disappointed after hearing her words. Then he made a bow to Yun Shang and said, "well, in this case, I have to go now."


    Yun Shang nodded and told the butler to see the guest out. Then she followed them to the front hall door as well.


    Liu Yinfeng turned his head and looked back at Yun Shang, "I heard that you were seriously ill the other day. I came to visit you several times, but I didn''t see you. Although you still doesn''t look well today, your spirit is better. I think that you should be fine now. I''m relieved. "


    Qian Yin had informed Yun Shang of Liu Yinfeng''s visits before. Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled, "it''s not a big deal. I''m just not very well since I was a child. In addition, I heard that his highness had an accident. So I passed out when I was in a hurry. It''s better for a few days of recuperation now."


    "It''s not a small problem having poor health. I know many famous doctors with good medical skills, but most of them are in the state of Xia. I''ve heard that you will return to the state of Xia with Prince Jing some time later. I''ll ask them to check on you then." Liu Yinfeng said gently. Fearing that Yun Shang might turn him down, he added immediately, "I know that there are also many


    always thought that I had won. At least, I have one grandson of the seventh Prince of the state of Xia, but he didn''t. But Luo Qingyan suddenly appeared. My grandson hides his strength for so many years and escaped from the Empress'' scheme by pretending to be sick. Now that our plan was about to succeed. I don''t want anyone to ruin my plan. "


    Liu Yinfeng still remained silent. After a long while, he replied, "His Majesty, he wanted to give the throne to the seventh prince before."


    "Give the throne to the seventh prince?" The old man sneered in a cold way, "the emperor is unpredictable. I''ve been with his majesty for so many years, and I still don''t know what he''s thinking about. If his majesty wanted to give the throne to the seventh prince, how can he be indifferent when the empress tried to murder my grandson?"


    Liu Yinfeng did not say anything. The old man let out a sigh, "Well, forget it. I''ll go and beg the emperor. Since the crown prince was newly dead the other day, if something happens to the seventh prince now, I''m afraid that the public will not be peaceful. Even the emperor favors that bastard, he won''t ignore anything. "

 Chapter 396 Dispute (Part Two)

    "The death of the crown prince must have something to do with the seventh prince. If we ask his majesty to solve the problem, his majesty might be enraged." Liu Yinfeng said emotionlessly.


    "Get angry? I remember that his majesty once said that it was not easy to be the emperor of the state of Xia. He doesn''t has many sons, but his sons are also not that few. They has competition among them. If one son can get rid of the others, it should be him to be the emperor. If the seventh prince killed the crown prince, that would be regarded as the crown prince''s inability! " The old man withdrew his crutch and lifted it with both hands. The crutch made the sound of "beep" in the carriage.


    A grim smile spread across the young man''s face. "Luo Qingyan is also the son of his majesty, just as you have said. If he was really gets rid of the seventh prince, his Majesty would probably prefer Luo Qingyan. His majesty will thinks Luo Qingyan is a capable man."


    The old man looked embarrassed all of a sudden. "You are really insane. the seventh prince is your student and you used to be good friends. But now, you''ve been loving that bitch too much to forget that she is Luo Qingyan''s wife! Shame on you! You loved... before... " The old man paused and snorted, "And now you fell in love with a married woman again."


    Liu Yinfeng closed his eyes, pretending not to hear his words, but he clenched his hand in the sleeve tightly. His nails pierced into the flesh of the palm, which was painful.


    The old man felt a little sorry for what he had said as he saw the young man''s look on his face. But since it was impossible for him to ma


    ng''er is really smart and invincible."


    Yun Shang didn''t hear Prince Jing''s praise, but she thought about it in her mind. They had no grudge against Prince Cangjue Kangning, so they didn''t have to use Cangjue Kangning to slander Prince Jing. She had a vague idea. After a while, she walked out of the room with a sure smile on her lips. "Yes, I know it." Then she ran outside, as if going to find Qian Yin.


    Prince Jing couldn''t help laughing as he saw Yun Shang being so passionate. He shook his head and bowed his head to read the book. Suddenly, a few knocks came from outside the window. Prince Jing didn''t look up but whispered, "tell me."


    A cold voice came through the window. "your highness, the fish has been hooked."


    Prince Jing closed his book and stood up. After a short silence, he sat down slowly again and said to the man outside the window, "you go first. I''ll come back after I tell my lady about it."


    The man outside the window seemed stunned, and after a while he responded: "yes, your highness. My men will wait for you in the woods in the south of the city."

 Chapter 397 The Truth (Part One)

    However, Yun Shang didn''t come back. Prince Jing asked the butler to look around the mansion for her, but he couldn''t find her. He guessed that Yun Shang must have gone out. After thinking for a while, Prince Jing told the Butler about Yun Shang''s whereabouts, and left a letter to her. Then he rushed to the small forest in the south of the city, waiting for his people to meet him.


    At this time, Yun Shang was in the Yuman tower. In the wing room, there were all kinds of people, including beggars, prostitutes and peddlers.


    "I asked you to pay attention to the movements in the imperial city a few days ago, but I am afraid that my guards didn''t get my intention loud and clear. That is why I came here myself today to ask you something, something small but important." Yun Shang took the only seat in the wing room, and scanned the people in the room with a casual glance.


    Everyone gazed at Yun Shang. They dared not to breathe heavily in fear of disturbing this beautiful woman.


    "How about the price of the oil in the city a few days ago?" Yun Shang said gently.


    The others didn''t expect that Yun Shang would ask such a question. They were silent for a moment before someone said, "the price has increased a month ago. It is one kilo of oil. It has increased about four hundred. I asked the owner some days ago and dared not buy it because I can not afford it."


    Yun Shang knocked her fingers slightly on the table and asked, "is there any store selling oil? Do you know which store is the first to rise the price of the oil? "


    "At the beginning, it is the Li''s shop in the south of the city who rose the price. The price of his store didn''t soar that much at first. It just increased one hundred per kilo. But later, I foun


    of Yelang."


    Yun Shang fell silent on the old beggar''s words. It was about a month ago when Cangjue Kangning came into the city. With their status, they would not hide the fact that they were from the state of Yelang at all. The people the old beggar saw was probably... They were probably the people of Cangjue Qingsu. But she didn''t know if Cangjue Qingsu was among them as well.


    At the thought of Prince Cangjue Kangning''s death, Yun Shang suddenly realized that she had been somewhat puzzled before. Killing Prince Cangjue Kangning would only lead to discontent in the state of Yelang. If it were Li Jingyan and the seventh prince of the state of Xia who killed him, they wouldn''t have done that.


    Cangjue Qingsu and Li Jingyan had always been in touch with each other because of Hua Jing. It was not surprising that they would join hands to make the plan.


    Yun Shang suppressed her guess in her heart and turned to everyone. "I want to know things like this, especially the details that are a bit strange. It''s not as big as you think. It doesn''t have to be any big events. Think it over again. Is there something like this happening in the city?"

 Chapter 398 The Truth (Part Two)

    Hardly had Yun Shang''s voice faded away, a middle-aged man came out and said, "the other day Prince Jing and the crown prince of the state of Yelang had a quarrel, I was in the Yuman tower too, and a middle-aged man was making a fuss. In fact, we didn''t recognize the voice of Prince Jing before. That man said, ''wasn''t that Prince Jing speaking upstairs? Why did he have a quarrel with someone?'' After that, everyone knew that the voice belongs to Prince Jing. "


    Yun Shang then asked Qian Yin to lead the shopkeeper of the Yuman Tower in. "Do you know the identity of the cheering man?"


    The shopkeeper pondered the man''s words for a while before he answered, "he seems to be the younger brother of the butler of the grand councilor Jing''s mansion. He seems to be idle and wandered in all kinds of restaurants and inns all day long."


    Grand councilor Jing. Yun Shang knew that Jing Kui had sent someone to monitor her. During her illness, Mrs. Jing came to visit her every day. And Yun Shang wasn''t sure of her intention. She had always thought that Jing Kui just wanted to know the whereabouts of Jing Wenxi. But now it seemed that he didn''t want to know the whereabouts of Jing Wenxi. Jing Wenxi seduced Cangjue Kangning in a seductive way, and she must want more than just going to the palace.


    An enchanting woman said as she heard the shopkeeper''s words, "by the way, the profligate brother of the butler of the grand councilor Jing''s mansion asked me which person in the imperial city was good at faking things? He told me that he had lost money in gambling and wanted to gain some money by imitating a bank seal. I knew his character and I believed him, so I told him about Li Qian. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was astonished. Was this how the fake master


    e younger brother of the butler to look for the master of fakery and the artist of voice imitation. Cangjue Kangning had a close relationship with Jing Wenxi, and he was insulted by Yun Shang in the previous banquet. Thinking of this, Cangjue Kangning couldn''t bear it, so he agreed to participate in the plan. They asked the artist of voice imitation to quarrel with Prince Cangjue Kangning in a feigned manner, and the younger brother of the butler to clamor at the bottom of the Yuman Tower. Then they saw Prince Cangjue Kangning coming down curtly from the upstairs. They all thought the prince Jing had a dispute with him.


    At that night, Cangjue Kangning cried out in surprise and deliberately called Prince Jing''s name, holding the fake jade badge made by the fake master in his hand. He had planned to have a fight with the prince jing and pretended that he was hurt by him. But he didn''t expect that it was set up by Cangjue Qingsu and he was killed by the assassin.


    However, they did not expect that Prince Jing would be able to escape from their hands, and also they did not expect that Liu Yinfeng had smelt the scent of the Buddha and told Yun Shang about that.

 Chapter 399 Capturing Them (Part One)

    All the trivial details were kind of related. Yun Shang suddenly opened her eyes and said, "go and get the brother of Jing Kui''s butler."


    Qian Yin quickly responded and ordered the secret guards to start.


    Yun Shang stood up and said, "let''s go back."


    When Yun Shang went back, the butler told her that the prince had something urgent to deal with and asked her not to worry about him.


    Yun Shang nodded. When she went back to the yard, she saw the letter left by Prince Jing again. She couldn''t help laughing. It seemed that she had a fit yesterday, which made Prince Jing learn a lot. Qian Yin also had a look at the letter, and laughed. "Isn''t he a slave for his wife?"


    Yun Shang squinted at her and said lightly, "if you are capable, just say it again in front of Prince Jing when he comes back. What do you think?"


    Hearing this, Qian Yin waved her hands and said, "no, no, No. I''m not good at it."


    "I haven''t heard from the news about the state of Yelang recently? Do you know that the Third Prince of the state of Yelang is in the imperial city? " Yun Shang murmured to herself.


    Qian Yin thought for a while, tilting her head. "It should be. A few days ago, I heard that the crown prince of the state of Yelang is dead. And the emperor of the state of Yelang is on his way to the Imperial City, isn''t he? I remember in the letter, it mentioned that the emperor left and the third prince was guarding country. So I guess the third prince should be there. "


    Yun Shang thought for a while, but she didn''t remember anything. She just remembered that her father told her that the emperor of Yelang was coming to the state of Ning. Later, the spy from the state of Yelang sent a letter to tell her this matter. Since she had known, she told Qian Yin not to read it anymore. She believed that she missed it at that time.


    "Since Prince Cangjue Qingsu is in the state of Yelang, he shouldn''t be here. I think he has sent some people to follow them. Hua Jing is Prince Cangjue Qingsu''s direct force, and grand councilor


    all. She still laughed happily.


    Qian Yin came with a teapot. She curtsied to the ladies and said, "Your Highness, I have brought the tea with gold and silver."


    Yun Shang chuckled. She took a glance at the teacups in front of the two guests before she nodded and said, "okay."


    Qian Yin poured a cup of tea for Yun Shang and took it aside. Xia Huanyu swept across the cup in front of Yun Shang and whispered, "it''s a nice day today. I come here to play chess with you."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and saw that Liu Jin was about to speak but hesitated. She smiled, "OK, if you insist."


    She asked Qian Yin to go and fetch the chessboard and chess pieces. Yun Shang took the lead in taking the black piece and smiled, "Your Majesty, do you mind if I take the piece first?"


    Since Xia Huanyu shook his head, Yun Shang took her leave.


    The game lasted about an hour. After six times of calling for a cup of tea and a few times of using the bathroom, Liu Jin intended to say something. However, after three times he looked up at Xia Huanyu''s face, he closed his mouth in silence.


    Yun Shang was curious about what Liu Jin was going to do, but she slowed down carelessly.


    After the game was over, Yun Shang lost, but she didn''t seem to care about it. She just smiled, "Your Majesty is incredibly good at playing. I''m impressed. Why not..."

 Chapter 400 Capturing Them (Part Two)

    Fearing that Yun Shang would order another game, Liu Jin quickly said, "Your Majesty, it''s getting late." he seemed to remind him of something on purpose.


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu kept silent for a while. Raising his eyes to look at the sky, he frowned slightly and said, "it is really late. By accident, we played a chess for quite a long time. It''s over today. I''m going back."


    Yun Shang smiled and stared at Liu Jin for a long time. When he saw Xia Huanyu stand up, she quickly said, "Your Majesty, we have something to ask Lady Jing!"


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu was dazed for a while. Then he seemed to be enlightened and said, "well... Did Prince Jing tell you when he would come back? I have something to deal with. If Prince Jing comes back, tell him to tidy up. I''ll go back to the state of Xia with him. "


    It couldn''t be Liu Jin who wanted to ask. Yun Shang saw that he almost wanted to speak in person, and she couldn''t help laughing. She quickly replied, "his highness didn''t tell me anything about it. The case we''re talking about hasn''t been fully understood, and it''s a matter of great importance. If we don''t get the result by ourselves, I''m afraid his highness won''t be able to go to the state of Xia."


    "Well..." As he mumbled to himself, he added, "I know that." Then he turned around and left.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while. The seventh Prince of the state of Xia also took part in the frame of Prince Jing. If the plot was exposed, it would be hard to get a good end. The choice between the two sons would be made up.


    Yun Shang suddenly knew the reason for Liu Jin''s coming. Liu Jin was the grandfather of the seventh prince, and he came here only for one purpose: to ask the whereabouts of his grandson. The seventh Prince of the state of Xia was suddenly missing, which might get people involved, not to mention that the crown prince of the state of Xia was already dead.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and turned to the yard. W


    ple, I heard from Liu Yinfeng that the guards in prison were captivated by the incense of Buddha, so how did they enter the prison?" Yun Shang squinted, "I guess it''s not Prince Cangjue Qingsu, so I figured it out. It must be Hua Jing. Hua Jing slandered me that way not to harm me, but to put herself into jail. "


    Prince Jing heard her and nodded. "It''s almost the same as my guess. I didn''t think too much about it and couldn''t find any evidence. I only know that some people of Yelang state have entered the imperial city. And today, these people wanted to take Hua Jing away from the imperial city when Li Jingyan fell into my hands."


    Yun Shang''s eyes suddenly lit up. She stopped and asked, "you mean you left Prince Jing''s mansion earlier to pursue the Yelang soldiers?"


    Prince Jing nodded, "I have been in a war with Cangjue Qingsu for so many years. I know exactly what he does as I have arranged many spies around him."


    "How is it going?" Yun Shang hurriedly asked, "did you catch them? Where is Hua Jing? "


    Prince Jing turned to Yun Shang and smiled like a fox. "I know you want to ask Hua Jing. Don''t worry. Of course I made it. I arrested them all. If you know this, you''ll definitely ask about Hua Jing. So I send someone to bring her back. If you want to see her, you can go later. "

 Chapter 401 Testing (Part One)

    "I want to see her?" Yun Shang chuckled, "of course I have to see her. Since she has finally fallen into my hands, I certainly won''t let go of this opportunity. But if you want to torture her for any information, you''d better not let her see me, or she won''t say anything. "


    Prince Jing was confused hearing her words. "Why is that? I heard that your shadow guards are also very good at extorting confessions. Is that true? "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes. "Your Highness, please let her tell you what she should say before I go and see her. We have been competing with each other since childhood. Hua Jing is not a lady of integrity. But if she knows that it is me who have her arrested, she would rather die than let me know any information. Maybe this is the so-called dignity. " Yun Shang smiled faintly, "if I were her, I would do the same."


    Prince Jing thought for a while and nodded his head. "Since you said so, I''ll send some people to interrogate her first. I''d like to know if she has any evidence of Prince Cangjue Qingsu''s involvement."


    Prince Jing beckoned his shadow guards and gave orders to them. Then he reached out, pulled Yun Shang into his arms, and whispered, "it was too late last night. I haven''t told you yet. I miss you so much these days."


    Yun Shang felt a little surprised as if her heart was throbbing violently with a feather after she heard Prince Jing''s words. Prince Jing was always a cold man. Unexpectedly, his words of consolation worked for her.


    Prince Jing lowered his head to kiss Yun Shang''s forehead, and let out a sigh before saying, "people always say that I''m a cold man, but no one would expect that


    f her fighting for his love.


    "It''s not that I''m young and ignorant of love. It''s just that in the Imperial Palace, there''s no love between the royal family members, and I don''t believe in love after the tragedies that I''ve seen. But I''ve begun to believe it now. I''ve been expecting that I''ll marry you and live a happy life with you from now on. " Yun Shang said gently with a smile.


    Prince Jing''s eyes gleamed with joy. He burst into laughter and carried Yun Shang up to the bed. After a few steps, he put Yun Shang down on the bed and dragged the bed sheet to cover them. There was only a chamber full of incense left.


    Yun Shang felt much more relaxed since Prince Jing had returned. Prince Jing didn''t want her to get involved in those complicated affairs anymore, so she chose to leave them alone. As she had plenty of time, she could spare some time to go into the palace and take a walk. Sometimes she would ask Wang Jinyan out for a gathering.


    For some reason, Yun Shang felt that the eyes that followed her behind seemed to disappear all of a sudden. She was still not used to them.

 Chapter 402 Testing (Part Two)

    "It''s almost summer soon. I saw his Highness'' clothes were worn out. No one knows whether he is home or not. I''ll measure his Highness'' size later and suggest you prepare some summer clothes for him in secret. When I entered the palace the other day, I asked my father to give me several superior brocade clothes, which are much thinner than the clothes you wore. It feels good to wear it in summer. " Yun Shang gave Qian Yin another order, "don''t prepare too many clothes. I''ve heard that the clothes in the state of Xia are of different style with that in the state of Ning. It''s no use to make too many clothes for him right now."


    Qian Yin nodded her head, "are we going to the state of Xia soon?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head as well, "yes, I suppose so. It''s said that all the men in the state of Xia are urbane and scholar like. Don''t worry. In the state of Xia, I will find a good man and make him marry you. "


    Qian Yin suddenly widened her eyes and waved her hand after she heard what Yun Shang said. "No, no, No. I have heard that the men in the state of Xia are very beautiful, some are even more beautiful than women. I don''t want them. After all, men are better being handsome than beautiful. "


    "Well, do you think Luo Yi handsome or not?" Yun Shang pretended to ask casually.


    "Not bad. But I haven''t fought with him before. I wonder if his kung fu is as good as it''s said. Since he''s the leader of his Royal Highness''s shadow guards, it shouldn''t be too bad if he wants to know kung fu." Qian Yin bowed her head and helped Yun Shang with the belt tied, answering softly.


    "Really?" Yun Shang''s li


    looked at the assassins coldly. She asked loudly, "who sent you here?"


    Someone answered coldly. "In such a big mansion, you just sent a woman out? Aren''t you afraid that we will kill such a beauty lady? "


    Yun Shang chuckled, "I''m not afraid that you will kill me, but I''m afraid that you men will never have the chance to speak again."


    Yun Shang felt it needless to ask any more. Their presence was exactly as she expected. They are here for Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang waved her hand, "Go and kill them without mercy."


    There were already a lot of secret guards lurking around them. Upon hearing her words, they all made their way from their hiding places and rushed towards the assassins. About half an hour later, all the sixty seven assassins were killed.


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and looked at the corpses all over the ground. She squinted a little, thought for a moment, and said, "such a big thing happened. So many people died. I''m afraid the palace will soon receive the news. Qian Yin, follow me back to my room, and get ready to go into the palace now."

 Chapter 403 Be Suspicious (Part One)

    But there was nothing to pack up. Yun Shang had her dress stained with blood and some foundation, which made her look paler.


    Prince Jing was back. He stared at Yun Shang for a moment, and then smiled. "Are you going to the palace to get your father''s sympathy again?"


    Yun Shang chuckled and frowned again. She didn''t want to tell Prince Jing the truth. In fact, she doubted his majesty, just because she had met him several times in the palace the other day. On the previous day, her father suddenly said to her, "you look much better and seems to have more free time. Is there any progress?"


    Yun Shang only smiled and said, "I''ll keep my promise and find out the truth before the emperor of the state of Yelang arrive at the imperial city."


    She was afraid that her performance in these days would arouse the emperor''s suspicion.


    Yun Shang could not help but frown. She didn''t mean to hide Prince Jing''s whereabouts from emperor Ning intentionally. However, even though the situation was clear now, she still needed to find out some details about it. If emperor Ning knew that Prince Jing was back, it would be not good for Prince Jing''s actions.


    Yun Shang exchanged a careless glance with Prince Jing, and then she went into the palace with Qian Yin. They hurried to the qinzheng hall, where Lord Zheng was standing at the door. When he saw Yun Shang like this, he was also startled. "What happened, your highness?"


    Yun Shang said in a hoarse voice, "there were assassins entering the mansion just now. About a hundred people were affected. The whole mansion was almost affected."


    Master Zheng was also a little surprised after hearing her words, "is your Highness alright?"


    "I am fine. I was just a little shocked. Is my father at the Qinzheng Hall?" Yun Shang shuddere


    this and squinted her eyes. ''father has really doubted me. Is that what he wants to do?''


    "The secret guard is supposed to protect father. I felt sorry for you as I used it once on my own when I went to the KY City. I think the assassins are so aggressive because of the person I kept in my mansion. " Yun Shang calmed down a bit and her voice became clear but she still had a frown on her face.


    "Really?" Emperor Ning raised his eyebrows at Yun Shang''s words. It seemed that his interest was intrigued. He walked back to the imperial case with a smile on his face, picked up the teacup on the table, and turned to Yun Shang, asking softly, "who is the person?"


    After a short silence, Yun Shang said, "I didn''t want to tell you so early, father. Now that we don''t have enough evidence, if we tell you earlier, I''m afraid you won''t believe my words." She paused before she continued speaking, "grand councilor Li and the seventh Prince of the state of Xia are now grounded in shang''er''s mansion."


    Emperor Ning grabbed the lid of the teacup and hit it hard. The tea water spilled out but emperor Ning ignored it. "What did you say? Li Jingyan? The seventh Prince of the state of Xia? "

 Chapter 404 Be Suspicious (Part Two)

    Yun Shang compressed her lips and nodded her head. She walked back and forth in the hall before she turned to Emperor Ning and said, "actually, it''s just my guess. Do you still remember that day I was stabbed and hurt a few days ago?"


    Emperor Ning nodded his, wondering why Yun Shang brought this up all of a sudden.


    "Last time when I was assassinated, I only had a coachman with me. The coachman tried to fight with them with all his strength, but he only delayed for a moment. In no time, those assassins caught up, and I had no choice but to hide in a small yard in the alley, where the owner of the yard is exactly Liu Yinfeng." Yun Shang said slowly and thought about the words in her heart.


    "In fact, Yun Shang had met Liu Yinfeng in the KY city before. He caught me when I was investigating the terrain, but he didn''t know who I really was. He caught me as a citizen of the state of Ning lest I expose his marching route. That was why I knew him. Besides, the man in the prison was the crown prince of the state of Xia. The other day I escaped into his yard. At the mention of this, he told me that he had investigated in the prison as well and found that the oil in the prison was actually covering up a smell of the incense. It was a kind of incense usually used by the people in the state of Xia, which would bewitch the mind and make people in a coma. I suspect the seventh Prince of the state of Xia did it. After all, he is the only one who wants to kill the crown prince of the State of Xia and he is also in the State of Ning right now. "


    Yun Shang looked up at emperor Ning in secret. Empero


    d better keep them in your mansion now. As you said, we don''t have enough evidence. Li Jingyan is fine. Born rebellious, his death is not to be regretted. The other one is also the prince of the state of Xia. If he is caught in the palace, it will be difficult to explain. "


    "Well... Your worry is reasonable, father. In that case, there are still some people we can use. Father, I guess that you don''t know it yet, right? I met Mr. Qing Cang when I was in the KY city. And I have become a student of Mr. Qing Cang at that time. Mr. Qing Cang is also in the imperial city right now. He is good at setting up unique arrays. I will ask my master to set some arrays in my mansion fore me, and no one else can break through. " Yun Shang said hurriedly.


    "Really?" Emperor Ning squinted at Yun Shang and nodded his head. "In that case, you can make your own arrangement." After thinking for a while, he added, "As for Jing Kui, since you said that he is suspicious, I''ll send more people to keep an eye on him. If you have any evidence, you can go and arrest him at any time."

 Chapter 405 Sworn Enemy

    Even if emperor Ning said once she had some evidence, she could do whatever she wanted and arrest Jing Kui immediately. But Yun Shang knew that as the grand Councilor of the state of Ning, it was not easy to capture him. Yun Shang sneered. If they committed the crime of treason, they would be executed, and even their clans would be executed.


    "Your Highness..." Qian Yin whispered to her. "What are you thinking, your highness?"


    Yun Shang was taken by surprise. She put down the book and asked casually, "what happened? Is there anything wrong? "


    Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang with curiosity and said, "his highness sent Luo Yi here to inform your highness that Hua Jing has confessed everything and is of no use. Would you like to see her?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "of course! I have been waiting for this day for so many years. "


    Qian Yin smiled weirdly, "it''s a pity, Princess Hua Jing. It''s said that she was punished a lot the other day. Now Lady Jing is going to visit her. I wonder whether she can take it or not."


    Yun Shang sneered, stood up and went out of the yard. There was a secret chamber in Prince Jing''s mansion too. Yun Shang was led by Luo Yi into a secret passage from the rockery in the garden. After about an hour, they arrived in a secret chamber. The room was lighted up in the middle, which was not too bright.


    Hua Jing was tied to the grill. Her clothes were in tatters, and her exposed skin was covered with deep and shallow scars. Some were wrapped with rope, and some were minor cuts. Her hands were all black and blue. She was probably clamped. It seemed that she had suffered a lot in the past. Now she was closing her eyes. It was hard to tell whether she had passed out or just fallen asleep.


    Luo Yi''s face darkened. He glanced at Ning Hua Jing, and then turned to Yun Shang with respect. "Your Highness, Hua Jing is in a coma. Shall I wake her up?"


    Yun Shang gave a bland smile and said gently, "of course you should. If she is in a coma, I can do nothing but watch her. What''s the point of it?"


    "Yes." As soon as Luo Yi received the order, he quickly asked someone to bring a basin of water. Luo Yi took the bowl and poured the water on Hua Jing''s body. It was not until then that Yun Shang noticed that it was not clear water, but bright red liquid. After thinking for a while, she knew the answer, "Red pepper water?"


    Luo Yi nodded. But before he could answer, Ning Hua Jing screamed, "ouch! It hurts... " Her voice was weak, but her body began to tremble.


    Sweat dripped from her face as she spoke. Her face was as pale as death, but it seemed that she had been distracted by such an extreme pain. She kept struggling, as if trying to slow down the pain, but she paid no attention to Yun Shang sitting on the chair.


    "Sister, how does it taste?" Yun Shang spoke with a


    if something interesting had happened. Yun Shang uttered a "hum" softly and looked up at Hua Jing. "Sister is pregnant with a tenacious child, and it hasn''t been killed even if you have been tortured like this. I thought you has taken so many aphrodisiac to seduce Prince Cangjue Kangning in the state of Yelang. If so, the baby would have been dead. "


    Hua Jing''s eyes were filled with horror, "what do you want?"


    Yun Shang didn''t answer her but put on a smiling face. "By the way, do you still remember the child you lost in the horse race last time?" Yun Shang chuckled again, "how do you feel when a child dies slowly from your body? Is it impressive? Would you like to witness the death of your child? What do you think? " A murderous look flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes, but there was a deep pain in it. "Sister, I''ve been thinking about it day and night. How about letting you feel the pain again?"


    Hua Jing ground her teeth and burst into laughter. "You bitch, Yun Shang. Come on! Why should I be afraid of you? I''m not afraid of death, so what should I be afraid of? Yun Shang, do you know that if I die, your brother will be dead as well. Do you really think you can easily remove the power that I have cultivated with my mother for so many years in the palace? Do you know why I could change clear water into oil so easily on that day when I exposed you in the hall? Even if there are changes in the palace, and my mother is dead, it''s still a piece of cake for me to kill a person in the palace. Yun Shang, just wait and see. If you attack me, I will make you regret. "


    Yun Shang clenched her fists, and pondered for a moment before she said. "I don''t think it''s a big deal to replace water with oil? I only took a look at it, and know your plan, right? Nobody can do anything bad to Chenxi. Thank you for your warning, sister. I''ll be on my guard when I get back. "

 Chapter 406 Father And Son (Part One)

    Hua Jing couldn''t help but frowned after hearing Yun Shang''s words. "What! Yun Shang, good for you. I can''t beat you, but you win. But you can win only because prince Jing will protect you, and you are lucky to have him. I don''t believe you can always be so lucky like this. Do you really think that Prince Jing will protect you for the rest of your life? I''ve heard that he is the prince of the state of Xia. No one will remember you if he become the emperor and you become one of his 3000 concubines? Yun Shang, just smile now. You will cry one day in the future. If I were dead, I would be watching you the sky and see how long you could be proud like this. "


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled at her words. "Don''t be ridiculous, sister. A filthy person like you will go to hell, not heaven. How can you keep looking at me in the sky?" Then she raised his voice and ordered, "Luo Yi, take a stick! It should be thick and strong enough to hit her belly hard!"


    Luo Yi hurriedly responded yes. Then he asked the eunuch to find a stick of wood from the execution set and show it to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, what about this one?"


    Yun Shang chuckled and nodded her head. "Good. It is exactly what I want. Beat her belly hard!"


    Luo Yi took the order and gave Hua Jing a hard blow on her stomach. Hua Jing gritted her teeth and could not help but groan in pain. She opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, there was a thick sweat on her forehead. Her face was pale, as if she was in great pain. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she did not say a word.


    Without Yun Shang stopping Luo Yi,


    You have been trapped by your hatred for too long." After these words, he pushed Yun Shang away from his arms, held her hand, and led her to the yard. "I am the God of war in the state of Ning. I have killed countless people in the battlefield. People say I am a cold faced man, and I am no exception. I used to be a mighty warrior when I was young, so I killed everyone as long as they upset me. But gradually I found out that I did so just to conceal the void and hatred in my heart. Even though I''m a prince of the state of Ning, and have a different surname, I still hate it in my heart. "


    Prince Jing said in a hoarse and low voice, which reassured Yun Shang for no reason. "I have always hated everything. I hate myself, for not being the real son of the late emperor. I hate my humble origin. I always thought that the throne would belong to me if I were the real child of the late emperor. Maybe I was thinking too much. So I fell into a trance, and I made up my mind to take that position. Recently, I suddenly realized that resentment is also a very tired thing. "

 Chapter 407 Father And Son (Part Two)

    Yun Shang stared at Prince Jing in amazement when she heard his words, and she couldn''t imagine what Prince Jing looked like when he was being so cruel. In her impression, Prince Jing was a cold-blooded man ever since the two of them met, even to her, but he was not the murderous type as people had described Prince Jing.


    Yun Shang had something on her mind, so she looked a little listless all day. She couldn''t figure out why she was not as happy as she had thought.


    At dusk, the Butler came to report that Xia Huanyu had come. Yun Shang was surprised at the news. Just as she stood up and was about to go to the front hall, she saw Prince Jing also stand up. "Can I go with you?"


    Yun Shang was taken aback by his words. The news that Prince Jing had returned has not been announced to the public. If Prince Jing appeared in front of Xia Huanyu now, it would be difficult to conceal it from others.


    Prince Jing seemed to understand Yun Shang''s worries. He smiled and said to her, "it doesn''t matter. I''ll have the housekeeper lead him to the backyard. Nobody will know if he comes and we cleaned in the backyard."


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while. He was right. Prince Jing had a good management of the mansion. Although there were few servants in the mansion, he seldom hired people who are suspicious to sneak in. Moreover, Yun Shang had made a thorough investigation of all the people in her mansion after the He Yun accident. Those who didn''t know the ins and outs were dismissed. Now, Prince Jing''s mansion was as full as a bucket that couldn''t be filled with more water.


    When Yun Shang and Prince Jing a


    rince Jing. Prince Jing snorted again and said nothing.


    Xia Huanyu was enraged at this. "As a man, you would not even dare to speak when you are controlled by a little girl. How could you act like this?"


    Yun Shang was speechless. She was afraid that they would quarrel and it would be out of control. They share the same character. Both of them are stubborn. If they started a quarrel...


    Xia Huanyu frowned at her and refused his kindness. Prince Jing frowned and he said, "if you don''t like it, just leave the door there. Get out yourself."


    Yun Shang stopped persuading both of them and sat in the distance obediently.


    "I''m your father! How dare you argue with me for a little girl! Good for you!" As Xia Huanyu stood up, he pointed at Prince Jing and scolded him. Seeing that Prince Jing was not willing to give him a look, he felt that his self-esteem was hurt. He snorted coldly. "As I have said, it''s on the eighth day of next month. You should wait for me at the gate of the city! Besides you, the seventh prince must also be there! " Then Xia Huanyu left in a huff.

 Chapter 408 Make A Move (Part One)

    Yun Shang and Prince Jing both frowned. It was not until quite a while after Xia Huanyu left that Yun Shang frowned and looked up at Prince Jing. "What does he mean?"


    Prince Jing sneered, and coldness filled his eyes. "What does he mean? He must have guessed that his son is in my hands and wanted to ask me to let him go. However, after sitting for a long time, he couldn''t give up his noble Royal Highness''s dignity to discuss with me, so he simply gave the order. "


    "But the seventh Prince had killed the crown prince of the state of Xia!" Yun Shang was a little surprised, "the emperor of the state of Xia also agrees?"


    Prince Jing narrowed his eyes slightly and said with a smile, "I''m afraid that they don''t want to kill a son just because he has already lost a son. Xia Huanyu doesn''t have many sons, so the princess has six or seven, but only three sons. They are Xia Houjing, Xia Houyan, and Xia Houchang, who is not even ten years old."


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while and asked, "what are you going to do? Release him? "


    Prince Jing stared at the jade hairpin on Yun Shang''s head for a long time before he answered calmly, "of course I will. Since I want to go to the state of Xia and now go against his will, I''m afraid it will be difficult for me in the future. If I let him go for now, so what? Since I''ve caught him once, I can get him the second time, the third time... "


    Prince Jing paused again and sighed, "it has been delayed for too long. It''s time to get the things done."


    Yun Shang knew that he was talking about the first two cases. She asked curiously, "Your Highness, you''ve found out?"


    Prince


    urriedly responded and left the qinzheng hall. It was a matter of great importance for him to cancel the imperial court.


    The servants had dressed emperor Ning''s robe. Emperor Ning walked back and forth in the palace before he turned to the head of court of justice. "I''ll follow you to see it. Somebody, get the carriage ready." Then he strode out of the hall.


    The head of the court of justice replied and followed the emperor in a hurry.


    The corpse of Hua Jing was placed in a room in the head of court of justice and placed on the bed. There was a soft couch in the room. This was the woman who had been spotted with Hua Jing.


    Emperor Ning looked at Hua Jing''s body in silence for a long time before he turned to the head of court of justice. "Have you examined the body?"


    The head of the court of Justice said, "we have checked the body and the coroner is waiting outside. Shall we call him in?"


    "Call him in." Emperor Ning said calmly. The head of court of justice winked at his servant. Then he fetched a wooden chair, stooped down and said, "please sit down, your majesty."

 Chapter 409 Make A Move (Part Two)

    Emperor Ning nodded and sat down. The coroner came in, and slowly walked in front of emperor Ning. Emperor Ning asked, "how''s the test going?"


    The coroner said, "Princess Hua Jing died miserably. There are many scars on her body, including the marks of whips and the holes in the path cut by a thin blade, and her fingers were clamped. Moreover, the belly of Princess Hua Jing seemed to have been hit heavily, leading to the miscarriage in her belly. What really increased her death was the scars on her neck, which should be caused by a sword. And she took a fatal blow from it.


    Emperor Ning put his hand on the armrest of his chair, and he knocked his fingers carefully. He had not loosened his brows since he left the Imperial Palace, and now his brows knitted more tightly.


    "Have you found anything else?" Emperor Ning''s voice was quite calm.


    The coroner said hastily, "I found this in Princess Hua Jing." The coroner took out a few things from his sleeve and handed them to Emperor Ning. The eunuchs standing by the side immediately took them over, and opened one by one for emperor Ning.


    "I found that there are letters and tokens from the Third Prince of the state of Yelang as well as letters of her and Li Jingyan." The coroner said softly.


    Emperor Ning nodded and looked at the letters in the eunuch''s hands. He read them one by one carefully, without saying a word for a long time, and said faintly, "put them away."


    Emperor Ning''s eyes fell on the woman lying on the couch. She was dressed in a servant girl. Emperor Ning felt that the maid looked familiar, so he did not speak for a long time.


    The head of court of justice re


    with her all the time. Later, the yard where we stayed was on fire. We ran out together and saw that a young man with Grand councilor Li was surrounded by a group of men in black. I was so scared that I grabbed Princess Hua Jing''s hand and ran away. In the halfway, I met a group of people who were holding swords but didn''t look like people from the state of Ning. Princess Hua Jing said we were saved, so they took me and Princess Hua Jing with them. "


    As these words were uttered by Qing Mei, her body began to tremble. After a long while, she continued, "her highness and I thought we could be saved, but what we didn''t expect is that after we were taken to a yard, those people caught her and questioned her brutally, as if they were asking her where the contract was. Since her highness can''t endure the punishment, she told them where the contract is. But they didn''t want to let her highness go. They took the stick and aborted the child in her womb. They scolded and scolded her as they thought of giving birth to a child for the third prince. They said that her highness didn''t deserve it. "

 Chapter 410 The Prisoner (Part One)

    Qing Mei trembled violently, tears streaming down her face, and she sobbed, "they had the princess''s child aborted, and then they brandished a sword on the princess'' neck. I was so scared that they insulted me, and they locked me up with the princess. When they were asleep beside me, I ran out with the princess. It was just that I wanted the princess to escape with me. The Imperial Palace has no way to enter for us. It occurred to me that the head of court of justice is in charge of such cases. Last time, she was locked in the prison of justice by the Head of the Court of Justice, so I brought her there. But as soon as I arrived at the door, I fainted... "


    After a long time, the Qing Mei restrained her emotions a little. She kowtowed to Emperor Ning and said, "Your Majesty, please help us. Please help the princess."


    Emperor Ning kept silent for a long time. Then he turned to the head of court of justice and said, "send someone to Prince Jing''s mansion to invite Princess Yun Shang here."


    The head of the court of justice was surprised. He didn''t know why Princess Yun Shang should be invited here. After a moment''s silence, he replied, "yes, your majesty." Then he walked aside and ordered the servants to do so.


    When the eunuch took the order to see Yun Shang, Emperor Ning sat silently and tapped the arm of the chair as if he was absorbed in thought. The head of court of justice frowned when he saw Princess Hua Jing''s corpse and the maid who was sobbing on the ground and almost fainted.


    About half an hour later, Yun Shang slowly walked in from outside in a leisurely pace. After coming in, she went to Emperor Ning and bowed, "father, you are s


    ly, "but..."


    Then she paused and looked up at emperor Ning and said. "Father, would you like to go to my mansion and have a talk with the two guests about this? Maybe, you can find something there? "


    Hearing this, Emperor Ning glanced at Yun Shang. He thought for a moment, and finally nodded his head. "You are right. It is indeed time for me to meet them." Then he stood up and said to the head of court of justice, "send the corpse of Princess Hua Jing back to the Princess Palace. I''ll arrange for someone to settle down, and this maid should also go back. Send some bodyguards to protect her well, and don''t let anyone take advantage of it."


    The head of the court of Justice said yes. Seeing that emperor Ning was about to leave, he followed him. Emperor Ning glanced at him and said, "you don''t have to meddle in this case. Just stay here." Then he walked out of the wing room.


    The head of the court of justice could not help but frown. ''what does his majesty mean by that?'' Was it because his majesty had already known the culprit, or perhaps he didn''t care at all about Princess Hua Jing''s death?

 Chapter 411 The Prisoner (Part Two)

    Emperor Ning and Yun Shang boarded the carriage together. Emperor Ning looked at Yun Shang, who was unusually silent, and asked, "what are you thinking about right now?"


    Yun Shang froze for a moment before she came to her senses. She smiled with a little bitterness and said to him. "Father, I believe that you always wanted sister and I can live in peace. However, she and I have finally come to a deadlock. Now she dies, I don''t have any feelings about that."


    Emperor Ning said with a sneer, "girls like you are all asking for trouble yourselves. You can hate each other for a lifetime for such a little thing. You grew up together. How could you have so many grudges with each other?"


    Yun Shang let out a sigh and said, "my father is the emperor of a country. What he cares about is naturally the world''s big things. Of course he doesn''t know what happened in the imperial household. Yun Shang was brought up by the empress. Without mother''s care, the empress could be good to me on the surface, but in order to earn a good reputation, she tolerated the servants to bully me and let Hua Jing bully me behind my back. Hua Jing had always been smart since her childhood, and father had always praised her. I''m the one who set off princess sister. I don''t like doing girls'' things and don''t like reading and writing. Your majesty only saw that I don''t like these things, but you have no idea why is that. "


    "Then tell me why." Emperor Ning frowned after hearing her words and was confused.


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly at his words, "You want to know why? Because sister Hua Jing kept on telling m


    out the flint and took a torch from the wall and lit it. Then, the others on the wall were lit up as well. Li Jingyan and the seventh Prince of the state of Xia were locked in the stone chamber by chains. They were not used to the sudden light of fire, so they raised their hands to cover their eyes. After a while, they slowly put down their hands and looked at emperor Ning and Yun Shang.


    "Hahaha, your majesty, I can''t believe that we will meet again." Seeing emperor Ning here, Li Jingyan started laughing. But after a short moment, he slowed down and couldn''t laugh out anymore. "I didn''t expect that I would be like this when we met again. I always thought that you would be the king of a dead country when I see you again. I had been kneeling to you for so many years, and one day I would have you kneeling to me back."


    "Unfortunately, that day will never come." Emperor Ning said calmly to him. He glanced at Li Jingyan''s pale face. Having not seen the sun for a long time, he looked morbid pale. "Do you know that Hua Jing was killed by Cangjue Qingsu?"

 Chapter 412 The Lawsuit (Part One)

    Li Jingyan remained silent for a while after hearing Emperor Ning''s words. Then he burst into laughter and said, "She is dead? I don''t care. It''s good for her to be dead. She is good for nothing after all. I don''t want her to live a miserable life." Then he turned to look at Emperor Ning and snorted coldly, "don''t try to get any information from me. I won''t say a word even if I have to die."


    Yun Shang chuckled and said, "you have been faking in the state of Ning for so many years. You must be very loyal to the state of Xia? You made the prince of the State of Xia in prison. What will Xia Huanyu think of you if he knows this?"


    But Li Jingyan remained unmoved, "so what? You little girl knew nothing. Though I have waited in the state of Ning for decades. No matter who I met and what I do, I have a clear conscience. "


    "Yeah, you are warm and nice to everyone. But I wonder if you could say these words to your family. In order to reach your goal, you have to send your daughter to the imperial palace to compete for love. You also need to make a decision in the life of your grandchildren. You want to woo Zhao Yingjie, a general, from Ning Hua Jing''s marriage, so it ended like that. You want to draw him over to your side. That''s why you ended up like that. After you rebelled, you took away some of the Li clan members, leaving behind some of its branches. The others were all killed because of you. And the ones you took with you was now on the way to the imperial city. You have a clear conscience you say? How about letting someone send a person of your clan in everyday so that th


    g liked to get up late. When she woke up, Prince Jing had already got up. It turned out that Prince Jing was not as indifferent as usual when he was asleep. His long eyelashes left a shadow under his eyes, and he looked a little tired.


    After a while, Yun Shang felt sleepy as well, so she lay down on the edge of the bed and fell asleep too. After a while, Yun Shang felt as if someone was gently stroking her hair, which made her feel a little annoyed. So she opened her eyes with a whine and raised her head. She saw Prince Jing looking at her playfully.


    "Why did you fall asleep with your head on the edge of a bed?" Prince Jing smiled, and his smiling face amazed Yun Shang.


    "Are you still asleep yet?" Prince Jing patted her on the forehead and said with a smile.


    Yun Shang blushed a little. She lowered her head and said, "No. I just came back and saw you sleeping well here. I felt sleepy as well, so I lay down beside you and fell asleep for a while."


    "Yes, I see." Smiling, Prince Jing raised his hand to touch Yun Shang''s face. "How is it?"

 Chapter 413 The Lawsuit (Part Two)

    Yun Shang sat up straight a little and said, "we''ve followed his highness'' order. His highness is really smart. He sees everything clearly."


    Prince Jing smiled when he saw Yun Shang flattering him. "What''s the matter? Do you think you are so lucky to marry me now? "


    Yun Shang nodded her head without hesitation. "Yes, what are you going to do next, your highness?"


    Prince Jing didn''t expect that she would even nod her head without thinking. He was so embarrassed that he suddenly realized what Yun Shang had asked. He said quickly, "you''ll know it tomorrow."


    Yun Shang was unhappy to see him keep her guessing. She snorted and stood up, "never mind."


    It was rare to see Yun Shang acting like a spoiled child. Prince Jing was surprised again. He held Yun Shang''s hand and said something irrelevant. "How do I feel that you have become much more outgoing recently?"


    Yun Shang froze at his words. She turned her head and thought for a long time before she said softly, "after Hua Jing died, I suddenly figure it out. For the past seven or eight years, I was too obsessed with my hatred. I have always hated Hua Jing, the empress, the Li clan, and... " As for Mo Jingran, Yun Shang decided to not mention the name as "Mo Jingran", but after a pause, she continued, "I''m busy with learning how to plot, and all the skills that might be used to revenge, such as lyre playing, chess, calligraphy, painting and even military arts. I am spoiled in it, but I''ve forgotten that hatred is not the only thing in my life. I have mother, father, Chenxi, and... I have you, your highness. "


    Prince Jing looked at her for a while and sighed


    t is said that her body to be extremely soft? It''s said that many officials in the imperial city are fond of her. No wonder she looks like a seductress. "


    The governor was also shocked. After a while, he patted the fine wood, "be quiet."


    The people outside stopped talking. Then the governor asked, "tell me in detail what happened and why you came here today."


    Die er''s face was slightly pale. She gritted her teeth and said, "what Die''er did today is related to the death of Princess Hua Jing and death of the crown prince of the state of Yelang, Cangjue Kangning."


    Hearing that, the governor widened his eyes abruptly in shock. After being silent for a moment, he said, "how can a prostitute girl be involved in these two big cases? Don''t talk nonsense. "


    Die''er then kowtowed to the prefect and said, "I am a woman serving my body. But because I am a woman serving my body, some dirty things are clearer to me than ordinary people. If you can make a decision, please listen to Die''er''s detailed report. If you can''t, I have to beat the imperial drum in front of the palace. "

 Chapter 414 Interrogation (Part One)

    The governor was in a dilemma. It was a lot of things that involved many people and could only be handled by the head of the court of justice. But if the head of the court of justice was invited, it would be a waste of his time if couldn''t tell the truth. But if he couldn''t invite the head of the court of justice, he couldn''t make a decision.


    After a moment of silence, the governor asked, "it''s true that I can''t make any decision on this matter. I can ask someone to make a decision for me, but I''m not sure if you''re lying. Tell me, how did you get the news?"


    Die''er bit her lips, and after a long time, she sighed and said softly, "before the grand ceremony was laid out, Jing Wenxi, daughter of grand councilor Jing, has invited me to the Pure Peak Temple, which is out of the imperial city. Miss Jing is noble, and I have no idea why she invited me there. But she bid a high price, so I accepted her invitation. After I left, Miss Jing asked me to seduce a man. Not long after, a strange man came to my room. Miss Jing said that he was the crown prince of the state of Yelang... "


    Seeing Die''er''s expression and presence, the prefect thought it must be true. After hesitating for a while, he called a servant to the head of court of justice and called the head of court of justice to come here.


    Die''er had been kneeling in the hall. Her face turned paler, but her body was still kneeling straight.


    Since they couldn''t be judged for a while, the people outside began to discuss heatedly.


    "Isn''t miss Jing the one who his majesty had wanted to title The Empress? Later on, Mr. Lingxuzi and Master Wu Na both said that she was the bewitching talent of the state?"


    "Yes, it''s her. What did sh


    foreign race as a plaything, but his father turned a blind eye to it. Fortunately, the foreign guy died, or else his father couldn''t figure out what to do next. "


    Everyone in the Fuya was surprised.


    And then Die''er''s voice was clearly heard, "master, you haven''t asked who I am referring to. I am charging the Grand Councilor, the Grand Councilor of the state of Ning, Mr. Jing Kui. I suspect that the grand councilor jing is related to the death of the crown prince of the state of Yelang and Princess Hua Jing. "


    "Guess? If it''s just suspicion, do you have any evidence? " The head of court of justice who sat next to the governor said slowly before the governor finished speaking.


    Die''er was silent for a while and then whispered, "I have evidence."


    "Really? What kind of evidence was it? Submit it to me. "


    Die Er took out two pieces of paper from her sleeve and handed them to her master. Her master took them and presented them to the governor. The governor waved his hand and the master immediately presented them to the head of court of justice. The head of court of justice did not refuse. He took them and opened.

 Chapter 415 Interrogation (Part Two)

    Die''er continued, "at the first time I heard this matter, I kept an eye on it. After all, the crown prince of the state of Yelang was once a benefactor of mine. It seems that this matter has something to do with Miss Jing, and it is also related to her. I thought that miss Jing invited me to attend to the crown prince of the state of Yelang that day, so I was afraid that it might have something to do with me. People should cherish their lives, and that''s why they came to this. With that thought, I found two paper in Mr. Jing''s clothes while he was asleep. I found them strange and hid them in secret. "


    The head of the court of justice looked at the papers in his hands. They were two pieces of records showing that he took the money. On the column of uses, one of them was for a token from Li Qian, while the other was for an artist of voice imitation.


    After a moment''s silence, he said, "close the door of Fuya."


    The governor was stunned. Then he realized that it was a serious matter, so he ordered his people to lock the Fuya behind the bars, and put all the people who had gathered outside into the prison.


    "I have a sister in the rouge house. She has a close relationship with the younger brother of the housekeeper of the Jing mansion. She told me that the younger brother of the housekeeper had asked her who was the most talented in fakery in the city and that he wanted to make a token of his own in private. My sister is omnipotent, so she recommended Li Qian to him." Die''er continued.


    The head of the court of justice looked at the word "


    the door of qinzheng hall was opened. Liu Qiyan came out with a ruddy face, looking a little excited. The head of the court of justice looked at the stereotype that was often mentioned by his comrades, but he saw that Lord Zheng was very polite to him. He thought for a while and lowered his eyes. After he walked a few steps down, he turned back and hurriedly said, "please tell his majesty that I have something very important to report, Lord Zheng."


    Lord Zheng nodded his head and walked into the hall.


    After a short while, Lord Zheng came out and said, "Head of the Court of Justice, please follow me."


    The head of the court of justice thanked him and hurried into the hall. Emperor Ning was reading the memorial, without raising his head, and said indifferently, "I heard that you are here to report? What''s the matter? "


    The head of the court of Justice said momentarily, "Your Majesty, someone has submitted evidence that the crown prince of the state of Yelang is assassinated, which has something to do with the Jing clan."

 Chapter 416 The Secret (Part One)

    "Really?" Emperor Ning looked up at the head of court of justice and said to him, "you said it had something to do with the Jing clan. What happened? What evidence do you have? "


    The head of the court of justice quickly told emperor Ning what had happened in the Fuya. Emperor Ning thought for a moment and frowned. "According to what you said, it does have something to do with the Jing clan. However, the woman of the brothel said that it was planned by Jing Kui from Jing Wenlan words, but there is no real evidence to prove it has something to do with Jing Kui. The two papers on Jing Wenlan''s body could be at most blamed for Jing Wenlan, but he is dead right now. As for the rest, if you bring these evidences to Jing Kui''s mansion, Jing Kui just needs to say a few words to make him look innocent. That''s enough. I can only blame him for not being able to control his son. "


    The head of court of Justice said after a short silence. "As for the two girls, although I have ordered to arrest the onlookers and arrest them temporarily, grand councilor Jing will receive the news sooner or later. Isn''t it a good idea to alert the enemy?"


    "Wouldn''t we alert the enemy by doing this?" Yun Shang asked the same question to Prince Jing in Prince Jing''s mansion.


    Prince Jing nodded his head, "it''s exactly because this action will alert the enemy, so Jing Kui would not suspect it had something to do with me and think it is indeed a coincidence. He is even afraid that such a coincidence will cause the attention of his majesty, so he will definitely erase the traces that had not been able to remove before. Thus I have a chance to get the evidences."


    Yun Shang figured it out in her mi


    ked up and glanced at Prince Jing. Then she whispered to him, "Your Highness, how about having a try with Xia Huanyu?"


    Prince Jing''s face changed immediately. He snorted coldly and refused to speak. Yun Shang smiled secretly and let out a sigh, "since your highness is unwilling to do so, I will ask Liu Yinfeng myself."


    Prince Jing''s face darkened even more. Yun Shang bit her lip and said, "if not, I don''t have any other choice. I could have sent the letter to Ning Qian from the state of Xia, but it will take at least a month for the letter to be delivered. Things will get colder one month later. "


    "You want to see Liu Yinfeng, right?" Prince Jing looked into Yun Shang''s eyes. His expression changed several times. Yun Shang was about to deny it when Prince Jing said to her, "then go to Liu Yinfeng for help. But I''ll go with you."


    Yun Shang was taken aback by his words. The outcome was different from what she had imagined before. "If you go with me, the news that you are here will be discovered."


    Prince Jing said flatly, "since Xia Huanyu has already seen me, how could Liu Yinfeng not know about it?"

 Chapter 417 The Secret (Part Two)

    They agreed on the plan and asked the butler to arrange a carriage for them. Prince Jing boarded the carriage and left for the post. Yun Shang grasped Prince Jing''s hand and said, "we will definitely meet Xia Huanyu when we arrive at the post. Besides, Liu Yinfeng doesn''t live at the post. He lives in the small yard where you saw me when I was assassinated last time. We can go there directly."


    It was the best thing that he was not able to see Xia Huanyu. Prince Jing thought for a while and called the carriage to go to the yard directly. Far away the door was closed. Prince Jing and Yun Shang got out of the carriage. Yun Shang knocked the iron ring on the door. After three rings, a man''s voice came from inside, "there I come. Wait a moment."


    Yun Shang could not help but frown. She was thinking that it wasn''t Liu Yinfeng''s voice at this moment when the door was opened. A man dressed as a servant came out from the door and looked at Yun Shang curiously. His eyes were sparkling with amazement when he saw her. Then he looked back at Prince Jing behind Yun Shang. He asked with hesitation, "who are you?"


    Yun Shang smiled to him and said: "we are looking for Liu Yinfeng, mister. Can I know his whereabouts?"


    The attendant nodded his head immediately. "Yes, yes. My master is here. But he has never met any guests before. Please wait a moment. I''ll report to him now." Then he rushed back without even closing the door.


    After a short while, Liu Yinfeng came out from the yard himself. He looked at Yun Shang and smiled. "A Yun? Why did you... "


    Before Liu Yinfeng could finish his words, a hand appeared on Yun Shang''


    Yinfeng nodded his head with a smile and said, "since you want it, of course I won''t say no to you." While saying that, he turned his head to look at the attendant beside him. "Go to my bedroom and take the small jade bottle on the fourth table from the third row of my bookcase over."


    The attendant answered yes and walked out of the garden house. Soon he came back with a small bottle made of jade. He handed it to Liu Yinfeng. Liu Yinfeng took it over and smelled it. Then he smiled, "this is the incense of the Buddha. It''s useless for it now. It''s just an ordinary pill. The incense of the Buddha will give off an aroma as soon as it is ignited. Be careful. Don''t smell it by yourself." Then he handed it to an attendant and asked him to present it to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang immediately took it over and smiled, "thank you very much, Mr. Liu."


    When Yun Shang had got what she wanted, Prince Jing opened his mouth to speak. "I heard that Mr. Liu was the teacher of the seventh Prince of the state of Xia and the adopted son of the Master of the court of the state of Xia, Liu Jin?"

 Chapter 418 The Temptation

    On hearing this, Liu Yinfeng''s hand paused for a moment before he tapped the teacup cover to pour the tea. Then, he nodded, "that''s the truth. My parents passed away when I was a child, and I was saved and adopted by Master of the court. In order to repay him, I have promised to be a teacher of the seventh prince."


    Prince Jing narrowed his eyes and said, "you and Master of the court are both officials at the same time. Could you please tell us where you should start if Master of the court and the emperor of Xia don''t get along?"


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng was dazed for a moment, his eyes shining. After a while, he replied gently, "I am a official, and naturally I should respect the people above me."


    Prince Jing glanced at Liu Yinfeng who had a calm face and smiled. "No wonder the emperor of the state of Xia praised you a lot. Now I understand it."


    On the way back, Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing for a while and asked softly, "Your Highness, why did you ask Mister Liu those questions? It is an offensive request for us to come here. Although Mr. Liu has answered you, I don''t think he really meant it. "


    Prince Jing patted Yun Shang''s head with a smile and whispered, "I don''t like you mention any other men in front of me."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said nothing.


    After a short while, the carriage stopped. Prince Jing got off the carriage first and extended his hand to hold Lady Jing. Then Yun Shang found they wasn''t in front of Prince Jing''s mansion. Yun Shang was surprised. She turned to Prince Jing. He said, "didn''t you just receive the incense of Buddha? Let''s go and see how it worked. "


    Yun Shang''s eyes flashed with surprise. She nodded, "OK."


    So Jing Wenxi must be held here? As Yun Shang looked around, she saw a small yard, which was even more dilapidated than the one where Liu Yinfeng lived. Prince Jing grabbed her hand, knocked at the door, and the door opened. A head came out of the room and looked at Prince Jing. With excitement in his eyes, he said, "your highness? I thought you forgot there was someone kept here. "


    Prince Jing


    om of the Pure Peak Temple?"


    Jing Wenxi stated coldly, "I''ve asked die''er of the Yan Zhi Tower to seduce Cangjue Kangning. I saw they made love in front of me, and then I joined them."


    Yun Shang nodded to Prince Jing and shouted, "Jing Wenxi, what is your relationship with your father Jing Kui?"


    "Jing Kui is not my father, but my master. Jing Kui asked someone to teach me lyre playing, chess, calligraphy and painting, how to seduce men, and personally teach me how to seduce men. He asked me to call him my father."


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes. This was the same as what she had investigated. She smiled and continued, "I want to know why Jing Kui want you to seduce Cangjue Kangning?"


    "Jing Kui want me to be taken into the palace by Prince Cangjue Kangning. He wants me to be with his majesty alone. He wants me to drug his majesty, so that I can become his Majesty''s woman and smoothly enter the palace. Jing Kui also want me to tell Cangjue Kangning that Lady Jing insulted him like that at the royal banquet. He should take a revenge. If he wants to take revenge, he can ally with Jing Kui. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t understand why Jing Kui wanted to cooperate with Li Jingyan to fight against Cangjue Kangning. As he had already become the head of the officials, it was understandable for him to try every means to send Jing Wenxi to his majesty.


    "Why did Jing Kui do that?"

 Chapter 419 The Things Settled (Part One)

    "I want to be a illegitimate child of the late emperor. However, the former Emperor and the empress have made an agreement, so their son has been made to the throne. The former Emperor intended to get rid of me because he was afraid that he would fight against the emperor. However, the former Emperor thought that I was his son after all. As a result, he castrated me and failed to have children to carry on his family name. Then he asked a servant to take me to live in the folk. After Jing Kui know this, he want to take revenge. He wants the emperor''s life, and Jing Wenlan is just his adopted son as well. The reason why he contacted Qin Meng is actually just to carry out Jing Kui''s revenge plan, " Jing Wenxi''s voice was loud and clear. Yun Shang and Prince Jing were both shocked.


    Yun Shang only knew that Jing Kui had something to do with this matter, but she didn''t know that there was such a secret. Yun Shang hurriedly said to Prince Jing, "I must go to the imperial palace now. Please keep on interrogating her. If there is a result, just send someone to the Imperial Palace directly. It''s a big issue and I''m afraid..."


    Prince Jing nodded. Yun Shang left the yard in a hurry and headed for the imperial palace.


    When Emperor Ning was in Qiwu palace, Yun Shang asked her servants to deliver a message, saying that there was something important to report to Emperor Ning. Liu Qingya worked for her, so Liu Qingya would not force emperor Ning to stay with her.


    In less than half an hour, Emperor Ning came. "What''s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? " Emperor Ning was surprised to see the thin layer of sweat on Yun Shang''s forehead, as Yun Shang seldom sweated like this.


    Yun Shang looked around at the servants, and Emperor Ning ordered them to leave. Then Yun Shang told empero


    nce Jing was already there. "The evidence has been prepared and sent to the palace. We will soon get to know the results about it."


    Yun Shang nodded slowly, "well, father agreed. He will spare the seventh prince this time."


    After a short silence, Prince Jing held Yun Shang in his arms. "There are only seven or eight days left. Why don''t you go back to the palace and stay with Lady Jin and your father for some time?"


    Yun Shang opened her mouth. She felt her throat ached. After a while, she said in a dry voice, "no need."


    No need. She had to leave anyway. If she had met too much, she would be even more reluctant to part with them. Yun Shang went back to her room in silence. Lying on the soft couch, she soon fell asleep as if she was extremely tired.


    The crown prince of the state of Xia and the crown prince of the state of Yelang both died in the state of Ning, which made the Three Kingdoms, who were in war, feel even more subtle. A few days ago, after the state of Xia and the state of Ning issued an alliance statement together, this matter happened again. Everyone in the world was watching, and the truth was told to the world by imperial edict, but everyone was shocked.

 Chapter 420 The Things Settled (Part Two)

    Li Jingyan had once launched a political change with the help of the state of Xia, but he didn''t want to lose. Li Jingyan then presented her granddaughter, Princess Hua Jing, to the Third Prince of the state of Yelang, and allied with Prince Qingsu. In exchange, Prince Qingsu killed the prince of the state of Yelang in exchange. Li Jingyan instigated Hua Jing to kill the prince of the state of Xia in order to exchange for the Alliance of the seventh Prince of the state of Xia. But the prince of the state of Xia was furious when he knew it. Without his consent, Li Jingyan held the prince as a hostage. After getting the chance to take Jing Wenxi as a hostage, the seventh Prince of the state of Xia and the grand Councilor Jing Kui of the state of Ning wanted to unite.


    Jing Wenxi, Jing Kui''s daughter, intended to disgrace the crown prince of the state of Yelang at the imperial banquet. She got to know the crown prince of the state of Yelang and claimed to avenge him. The crown prince of the state of Yelang believed her words and fell into the trap. She pretended to plot against Prince Jing with an identity token of Prince Jing, which was made up by a fake master of the state. But he didn''t expect to be killed by the killers arranged by Li Jingyan and cangjue Qingsu. Later, as soon as the matter was exposed, Jing Kui wanted to escape punishment and commit suicide in his house. Li Jingyan had also been arrested, and was supposed to be executed at a proper time. As for Prince Cangjue Qingsu, he was now at the disposal of emperor of the state of Yelang.


    The truth announced in a very carefu


    en servants respectively. " Qian Yin bowed her head and answered. She smiled at Yun Shang, "Your Highness, what else do you want to add?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head, "I don''t have anything left. I don''t need anything else. I''ll purchase some when we are there." Then she looked up at Prince Jing and said, "since his highness is in the state of Xia, he should be a prince at least. It''s easy for him to buy ordinary things, right?"


    Prince Jing smiled and patted her head. "What are you talking about? I''ll ask the butler to transfer all my own stores and accounts to money. I''m not good at these. I will ask the butler to take the money to you. "


    "In that case, his highness will have to ask for your permission if he wants pocket money." Qian Yin also made fun of Prince Jing with a smile.


    Prince Jing didn''t get angry. He smiled and said, "I think I don''t need muc money. A hundred silvers per month is enough for me. If I can save some money, I can also buy your makeup and jewelry." All of a sudden, the room was filled with laughter.

 Chapter 421 A New Start (Part One)

    Jing Kui was assassinated by the emperor, and Li Jingyan had just been put in prison and died. Jing Wenxi and Yun Shang had been given all of them to Emperor Ning, so they didn''t ask anything about it. Soon it was eighth of the April.


    On April 8th, the weather was a bit cloudy, which was a good day for parting. Yun Shang looked down at the plum blossoms embroidered on the hem of her dress and thought to herself.


    Xia Huanyu and Prince Jing went to the palace together to say goodbye to Emperor Ning. As a woman, she was not allowed to enter the palace on such an occasion. At this moment, she could do nothing but wait outside the Imperial City, waiting for Xia Huanyu and Prince Jing to come back. Then they could all set out.


    Qian Yin and Yun Shang were in the same carriage. Qian Yin poked her head out of the window and looked out. She said in a somewhat disappointed voice, "Your Highness, is something wrong in the palace? Why didn''t lady Jin come here to see you? "


    Yun Shang glanced at Qian Yin and said to her, "no need to look. Mother will not come here. I didn''t tell her that I will leave the imperial city today."


    Qian Yin turned her head abruptly at Yun Shang''s words. As she was about to hit the wall of the carriage, she lowered her head and looked at Yun Shang with her eyes wide open in surprise. "Didn''t your highness tell lady Jin about this? Why is that? "


    Yun Shang looked down, "for no reason, what I fear most is to leave. If mother cries, I''m afraid I will regret doing this."


    A noise came. It seemed that someone came from outside. Qian Yin glared at Yun Shang and put her head out again. After a while, she said excitedly to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, his highn


    k. I can protect you anyway. "


    Yun Shang nodded her head, and flashed her mother a smile. But then she put on a forced smile as if she had just learned how to smile.


    "You''d better have a child as soon as possible, or you will be lonely in the State of Xia." Lady Jin softly ordered her.


    "Okay." Yun Shang could only say "yes". She was afraid that with one more word, she would be unable to hold back her tears.


    Lady Jin smiled at her response. "Well, I''ll go back now. Just go back, in case they go away and you can''t catch them up." Then she held the reins firmly, turned around and walked towards the gate of the city.


    Looking at her retreating back, Yun Shang choked with sobs, standing there.


    "Shang''er, it is time to go." A voice came from behind her. Yun Shang wiped the tears off the corner of her eyes, turned around and said with a forced smile, "okay. Let''s go... " Then she rode to the man who was waiting for her not far away. ''Now I only have him, '' she thought to herself.


    Prince Jing walked to Yun Shang''s side, got on the horse, and held her in his arms. He said softly, "shang''er, thank you so much."

 Chapter 422 A New Start (Part Two)

    After returning to her carriage, Yun Shang slowly opened the crumpled letter and took out a piece of paper. At the beginning, there were two words on it: Secret decree.


    Yun Shang quickly finished reading the imperial edict with a startled look. She studied it again and found that the handwriting was really her father''s. The seal was his imperial seal as well as his little seal. It couldn''t be counterfeited.


    "What happened, your highness?" Qian Yin noticed that Yun Shang went silent and her expression was strange, so she asked.


    Yun Shang came to her senses and answered lightly. "Nothing." But she still folded the letter carefully and put it into her sleeve.


    However there was still all kinds of emotions surging in her heart. It was written on that imperial edict that the emperor Ning was leaving the throne to Chenxi. Did her father give such a secret order to her to make her happy and reassured? Or is he on guard against something?


    Having just experienced a separation, and Emperor Ning''s secret order, Yun Shang''s mind was in a state of anxiety along the way. On the way to the imperial city of the state of Xia, she fell ill.


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang and was worried about her. He gave up the horse and sat in the carriage. He would take care of Yun Shang day and night. However, his move attracted many people''s attention. Emperor Xia scolded him several times. How could a man do something like that for a woman? This was what he said. On the other hand, Liu Yinfeng paid Yun Shang a visit several times. He saw her flushed face due to the high fever and an unhealthy mental state. On the other hand, he was also worried about her health, so he sent for a doctor back to


    reet me, did you? It''s the first time for Prince Rui to arrive here. He doesn''t know the way. Just take him back to his mansion now. "


    "Yes, your majesty." The eunuch walked up to Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "are you prince Rui and Lady Rui? This way, please. "


    Yun Shang looked up at Xia Huanyu, only to find that he had already taken the empress, the officials and other officials into the palace. She frowned and wondered why he had arranged Prince Jing to stay in the former crown prince''s house since he had just arrived in the city. Obviously, he wanted to irritate the public. But what was his intention by doing so?


    Yun Shang feel someone was watching her, and she looked in the direction of a malicious gaze, and saw a young woman looking at her. She frowned and wondered, ''Who is she?''


    "Your Highness?" Yun Shang came to her senses when she heard someone calling her. She smiled at the eunuch, Liu Wenan, and followed Luo Qingyan. She thought to herself that the imperial palace of the state of Xia must be more complex than that of the state of Ning. Since then, she had to be even more careful from now on.

 Chapter 423 Getting Into The Mansion

    In the crown prince''s mansion. Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at the plaque above the door, and frowned. Liu Wenan had been keeping an eye on their expressions. He said to Prince Jing with a smile, "Your Highness, please forgive my negligence. The emperor''s decree came so suddenly that I didn''t have the chance to change it. However, the servants of the crown prince are still here and cleaned it every day. It should be clean as well."


    Yun Shang turned to look at the somewhat cold door. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "no women? What should we do with the people who used to live here? "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Liu Wenan glanced at her and said, "don''t worry, your highness. The emperor of the crown prince''s family has already moved to another yard. According to the rule of the state of Xia, they have to guard the tomb for three years. Since the crown prince is no longer here, they can''t stay in the crown prince''s house any more."


    Yun Shang listened in silence for a long time without saying a word. Liu Wenan had served the emperor for many years, but for the first time he found the unexpected appearance of Prince Rui and Lady Rui confused him. He bowed and said, "Prince Rui, lady Shun Rui, let''s go inside."


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. He took her hand and said gently, "come in. From now on, it will probably be our home."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and smiled bitterly. They were in the state of Xia now. No matter what intention Xia Huanyu held and made such an arrangement, they could only accept it.


    As they followed Liu Wenan entered the crown prince''s house, Yun Shang found that the mansion looked rather luxurious. Even the path was paved with jade. However, it was splendid, but less refined. As soon as they entered the house, he saw a large garden, filled with various kinds of precious flowers and plants, especially with peony. The garden led to the flower room. In the flower room, there were various kinds of jade. On the wall were several grand landscape paintings. The tables and chairs were all made of expensive rosewood, and the teacup on the table was also rare colored porcelain.


    The head of the f


    and went out.


    Qian Yin brought servants in and out to place things. Yun Shang had slept a lot in the carriage these days, so she didn''t feel sleepy. She held Luo Qingyan''s hand and sat in the room while speaking, "I always feel that I have suddenly arrived at this strange place, and I feel a little nervous because I have met so many strangers. Just now at the gate of the palace, I thought that the empress should be cunning and scheming. What''s more, as soon as Xia Huanyu came here, he made you the spot of danger and gave the crown prince''s mansion to you. I wonder what he was up to. "


    Luo Jinyan gave a wee smile and shook Yun Shang''s hand, "it doesn''t matter. We just need to be careful."


    Yun Shang nodded. Qian Yin, who was placing the things aside, said, "Your Highness is in the state of Xia now. You still call him ''Xia Huanyu''. It will be bad if someone hear it."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Qian Yin is so considerate."


    Hearing this, Qian Yin came over. Seeing that Prince Jing was reading a book beside, she approached Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, when will we meet Qian Qian?"


    Yun Shang smiled and touched the tip of her nose. "Don''t worry. We just came here. There are many people watching us. We''d better be careful at this moment."


    Qian Yin pouted. When she was about to say something, a voice came from outside. "Your Highnesses, the doorman is reporting that the Lord Hua Guo and his wife are here."

 Chapter 424 Family Member

    Lord Hua Guo? It took Yun Shang a long time to react. This should be the Lord Hua Guo coming to them. But Prince Jing didn''t seem to hear that and sat on the chair, reading, with no reaction. Yun Shang reached for Luo Qingyan''s hand and said, "Your Highness, Lord Hua Guo and his wife are here."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I know."


    But Prince Jing still kept silent when Yun Shang said to him. Yun Shang was afraid that he was not pleased with Lord Hua Guo''s arrival. But she didn''t know what was the past between lord Hua Guo and him. She held Luo Qingyan''s hand and said, "Your Highness, we are in the state of Xia now."


    Luo Qingyan''s hand holding the book paused for a while. Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan must have heard what she said and understood what she meant. Now that they were in the state of Xia, if they wanted to gain a firm foothold, they swore that they must make good use of some people or power. Yun Shang took a look at Prince Jing and immediately ordered the servants outside, "lead Lord Hua Guo and his wife to the garden hall and wait there. We will be there with you soon."


    Yun Shang held Luo Qingyan''s hand and stood up. They changed their clothes together and went to the flower hall.


    When they arrived at the flower hall, Yun Shang saw two people sitting and standing in the garden house. The Lord Hua Guo was standing with his hands clasped behind his back to enjoy the landscape painting hanging on the wall. The other old lady, who seemed to be about 50 years old and had gray hair, was looking anxiously into the flower hall from time to time.


    Yun Shang heard the old lady murmuring, "old master. What else do you want to see? Landscape painting? Qingyan has come back. Why hasn''t he come yet? Have you asked a servant to invite him? "


    Lord Hua Guo snorted, "how can he keep the elders waiting? He is so rude and ill bred."


    Before lady Hua Guo could say anything, Prince Jing sneered. "If you don''t like me being ill educ


    state of Xia was not as grand as that in the state of Ning, it looked more gentle. Yun Shang saw the servant lead them to a garden. The garden was full of peach flowers, and red lanterns were tied on the trees. What a breathtaking place.


    A seat had been set up in the innermost vacant area, but the screen with Peach Blossom Fan in the middle was separated from it. A servant whispered, "your Highnesses, on the left of the screen is a female guest seat, and on the right is a male guest seat. I will arrange for two seats."


    Yun Shang nodded to Luo Qingyan slightly, and then followed a servant to the middle of the queue and sat down. As soon as she sat down, she received gaze from all sides. Yun Shang had always been in the center of attention, but she did not have too much emotion. She quietly sat in her seat, watching, smelling, and thinking.


    After a while, she heard a familiar voice. "Shang''er, grandmother can sit with you."


    Yun Shang turned around and saw Lord Guo''s wife, with a bland smile, sit down next to her. Yun Shang curtsied to her.


    As soon as her ladyship sat down, the sound of the court maid''s singing came from the bottom of the table, "the emperor is coming! The empress is coming!"


    All the people rose to their feet and knelt down, "Your Majesty, good to see you."

 Chapter 425 The Feast (Part One)

    After that, everyone stood up. Yun Shang looked up at the empress in the center seat. The empress didn''t have a very pretty face, but she had a kind of inborn dignity.


    Yun Shang felt someone was looking at her, so she raised her eyes and saw a dim figure sitting beside the throne. A touch of surprise flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes when she saw the person. How could she forget that Ning Qian was the beloved concubine of Xia Huanyu? Of course she should attend such a serious occasion.


    But they didn''t dare to let the others detect that they knew each other. They looked at each other for a short second and hurriedly moved away. But Yun Shang''s glance with her was still caught by the empress. The empress smiled and looked at Ning Qian. "Lady Xiang has been looking at Lady Rui the whole time. But what''s wrong with Lady Rui?"


    Hearing this, Ning Qian flashed a smile at her. She turned to Yun Shang again, and said, "I''ve wondered why this lady is so beautiful and I have never seen her before. Turns out she is lady Rui. No wonder."


    The empress smiled softly. "When I first met lady rui today, I was also shocked. I think how is there such an elegant and refined lady in the world. She is as beautiful as you, Lady Xiang, but you are more refined than her and Lady Rui is more elegant than you."


    Yun Shang quickly curtsied to the empress and said, "your majesty and your highness really have flattered me. I am not as good as you said."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, the empress smiled again and said, "but speaking of Lady rui, I have to mention that Prince rui really has a handsome face, almost the same as his majesty when he was young. When I saw him earlier, I was shocked. It''s really father and son, they l


    resent looked over at Prince Rui.


    Yun Shang''s lips curled into a smile as she glanced around the crowd to see the expressions on their faces. Then she heard her Lady Hua Guo speak beside her in a small voice. "Watch out for Princess Tai An."


    Yun Shang didn''t know why Lady Hua Guo said that, but she knew that Lady Hua Guo wouldn''t say that for no reason. So she lowered her voice and responded yes, glancing at Princess Tai An. Although she was in her thirties, she looked well preserved. She looked like she was only twenty-five or twenty-six, and she looked calm and charming. With a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, she stared at Luo Qingyan, with darkness in her eyes.


    As if sensing Yun Shang''s gaze at her, Princess Tai An looked away after smiling to Yun Shang.


    "It''s said that there is no concubine nor other women in Prince Rui''s mansion. Lady Rui was the only woman that Prince Rui has. All women in the world must be so jealous of you, Lady Rui." The empress said calmly, as if she was talking about it unintentionally. But Yun Shang kept an eye on it. Was it possible that the empress wanted to sent Prince Rui other women?

 Chapter 426 The Feast (Part Two)

    Luo Qingyan had been wearing a cold face all the time. He didn''t say a word from beginning to end as if he was watching an irrelevant farce.


    Hearing the empress'' words, he raised his head and glanced at the empress. he sneered and said, "are you blaming your majesty for having three thousand women in the imperial household so you can not be the only woman of his majesty?"


    Hearing that, the empress'' face changed slightly, but in an instant, she put on a smile again. "Why did you say that, Prince rui? I am only admiring your love for your wife, but I also know that it is a crime for women who are jealous and can''t tolerate other women of her husband. Of course I didn''t mean that."


    Prince Jing sneered coldly and retorted, "actually, my wife is not jealous of anyone at all. It''s just that I''m so jealous that I don''t allow anyone to get any attention from her. I don''t want my wife to distract her attention on other things that she can''t stay with me all the time. "


    When the banquet was quiet for a while, Luo Qingyan''s cold voice sounded again, "I''m always having a bad temper. If someone always likes to harass my wife in my mansion, then don''t blame me for being rude to you."


    The empress was embarrassed by Prince Jing twice. She kept silent for a moment and said, "Your Highness has just arrived at the state of Xia. Don''t be so cold to us. Be careful not to frighten the delicate ladies here." Then she added, "Your Majesty, didn''t you ask us to have a small competition together? Will you reward the person who wins a lot?"


    Xia Huanyu nodded his head with a smile. "The state of Xia has always worship a man who worships the literature, so let''s play the flower poem


    highness! I didn''t mean it! Please forgive me!"


    There was a sudden silence at the table. With a "snap", Luo Qingyan''s glass was thrown on the table and he looked at the maid with a hostile look. The maid trembled more and more.


    Yun Shang saw that the atmosphere was a little cold, so she smiled softly. She turned and helped that maid stand up, "I''m fine. It''s not your fault. Did his highness frighten you?"


    The maid stood unsteadily, and the empress said slowly, "She should be punished for what she did."


    "Your Majesty, it is clear that the sudden order of Prince Jing scared the maid. If the maid were to be punished, his highness would be punished more severely. The maid is innocent." Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan, who sat opposite her with a cold face.


    Xia Huanyu pondered for a moment before he said, "it should be a good thing for Prince Rui to return. Since it is a good thing, we should not spoil the atmosphere because of a small thing. Just get the maid out of here."


    The maid kowtowed to them and withdrew quickly. Yun Shang''s eyes darkened when she looked at the spilled wine on the table.

 Chapter 427 Princess Qian Ling (Part One)

    As her clothes were soaked with wine, Yun Shang took an excuse to leave early. Prince Jing stood up to make an apology and left with her. They went out of the palace and went to the prince''s mansion in a carriage.


    "Is the wine poisoned?" Luo Qingyan squinted, with intense coldness in his eyes.


    Yun Shang nodded, "that maid is really smart. I have been drinking tea before. If she has added the wine to the table very early, I would be suspicious about it. People paid close attention to Vice Minister Su and Princess Tai An at that time. She got the courage to pour the wine, probably because she saw that I didn''t pay attention to my table. I was not suspicious at first, but she changed the seats of my tea cup and wine cup before pouring the wine. I was suspicious about it, so I gave you a secret signal, letting you shout so she could spill the wine. After the wine was spilled, I confirmed that the wine was really poisonous. " Just now, when the chopsticks were touched by the wine on the table, their color changed a little. All the chopsticks in the palace were made of silver.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hands, frowned, and let out a sigh. "After knowing my identity, I sent some people to the state of Xia. However, the situation was not clear at that time, because those people were useless. Now that we have just started our new life here, and someone is plotting against us that we are not familiar with this place and wants to kill you. It seems that I should transfer my power to the state of Xia as soon as possible. But other people who cast greedy eyes on us will be on the alert, so we will wait at least three months. Shang''er, you''d better stay at home and pretend that you get sick during the thre


    n. When she saw Yun Shang, she released her grip on the bead curtain, took a step forward and walked to her with a smile, "What are you doing?"


    Before Yun Shang could answer, Princess Qian Ling stood on tiptoe and looked at the book in Yun Shang''s hand. She said with a frown, "women''s rules? What''s so good about women''s rules? "


    When Yun Shang was about to say something, Princess Qian Ling patted her head again. "Oh, sister-in-law you must not know who I am. My name is Qian Ling, and you can call me Seventeen."


    Yun Shang grinned as she noticed that Princess Qian Ling didn''t seem to be about to say anything. Then she turned to Qian Yin, who was standing beside, and ordered, "make a cup of fruit tea for Princess Qian Ling, and bring the cakes I made before."


    Hearing this, Qian Ling''s eyes lit up. "On that day in the Palace Banquet, I got sick, so my mother didn''t let me go. Later, I heard from my sister that you are very beautiful, so today, my mother finally allowed me to go out of the palace. I hurriedly came here to see you. You are really so beautiful, sister-in-law. You even know that I love eating. You are so kind. "

 Chapter 428 Princess Qian Ling (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled at the Princess Qian Ling and said gently, "the imperial cooks in the palace are all superb. It seems that they haven''t prepared any food for you."


    "Yes, they didn''t. Because of my illness these days, those imperial physicians and maids are so annoying. They don''t allow me to eat what I like. They are really disappointing me. " Qian Ling blinked and looked at Yun Shang. "Sister in law, I heard that there are a lot of delicious food in the state of Ning. You are the princess of the state of Ning, so you must have eaten a lot of delicious food, right?"


    Yun Shang chuckled, "not really. I spent seven years in the temple before I was fifteen. I had no meat to eat at all."


    After hearing this, Qian Ling stared at Yun Shang with a pitiful look in her eyes for a long time, and said, "a vegetarian meal in the temple is terribly awful, sister-in-law, it must be really hard for you."


    Just then, Qian Yin brought a plate over, on which a cup of fruit tea and some cakes were placed. Without looking at the fruit tea, Qian Ling grabbed a piece of cake and began to eat. Her eyes were bright, "what''s this? It tastes very good."


    Yun Shang looked up and said, "yes, it''s osmanthus cake. I''ve always liked osmanthus cake. The osmanthus cake in the Yuman tower in the imperial city of the state of Ning is unique and I don''t want to leave it behind. So I brought the chefs of Yuman tower here."


    "Yummy! Yummy!" After that, she ate another piece of Osmanthus cake. Then, she took the fruit tea and drank a large cup of tea.


    After finishing the osmanthus cake, Qian Ling suddenly shouted, "O


    and smiled. "Everything is fine. I''m not unaccustomed to the state of Xia. It''s just that we just settled. I have to take care of the mansion''s affairs. I''m quite busy recently, your majesty. "


    "Really?" The empress smiled. "Speaking of which, Prince rui should also call me mother. You''ve just arrived. If you are busy and need help, just tell me. Do you have enough servants? I''ve heard that you only brought thirty-six servants with you? "


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "yes, we don''t need too many servants. Both his highness and I don''t like many servants to serve us, so we just need enough."


    "I had wanted to send some people to you. Since you are not happy with many people, then that''s fine." The empress said in a casual manner, "if the mansion has been well arranged, you should also come in the palace often."


    Yun Shang nodded and answered yes.


    While they were talking, a servant came in and bowed to the empress. "Your Majesty, his majesty heard that lady rui is in the Yunqi palace, so he asked me to came to ask Lady Rui to go to the Xiang Zhu Hall."

 Chapter 429 The Warning

    The Xiang Zhu Palace should be where Ning Qian lived. When Yun Shang was thinking about it, a hatred flashed in the empress'' eyes and she concealed it immediately. She smiled indifferently. "I wanted to have a good talk with you. Now that his majesty wants to see you, then go first."


    Yun Shang curtsied to the empress and left with the servant.


    "I haven''t seen my father for a long time. I want to go with you." Princess Qian Ling''s voice came from behind her, "sister in law, wait for me."


    Yun Shang paused for a while, and then she was held by Princess Qian Lingg. After they left the Yunqi palace, Princess Qian Ling glanced at the servants who walked in front of them and said in a low voice, "tell you a secret. The lady from the Xiang Zhu Palace is even more beautiful than you. It''s just that she doesn''t pay any attention to me. I don''t like her. "


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on Qian Ling who looked innocent. She was a little annoyed that the girl growing up in the palace was so scheming at the age of twelve that she told her first that Lady Xiang was even prettier than her to get her annoyed. Women were always narrow-minded, especially with a beautiful face. There was always a slight enmity between women who were more beautiful than themselves. That was exactly what Qian Ling wanted. She wanted to make Yun Shang dislike the Lady Xiang in the first place. Then, she told Yun Shang that Lady Xiang chose to ignore her because she didn''t like her. She wanted Yun Shang to know that they were on the same side.


    "Really?" Yun Shang frowned. "She is really more beautiful than me?"


    "It''s not my words. Since you came, people all hold a comparison between you and Lady Xiang."


    Yun Shang smiled and said no more.


    A lot of Hunan bamboos were planted in the Xiang Zhu Palace. Yun Shang heard someone playing when she walked in. Someone was playing the zither behind a piece of white veil.


    "Father, father." However, Qian Ling hadn''t seen the emperor, before she had thrown away Yun Shang''s hands and rushed into the palace, shouting and yelling.


    "It''s Qian Ling." Xia Huanyu''s voice came through, which sounded indifferent and emotionless.


    It suddenly came to Yun Shang''s mind that there was information in her pamplet, on which Princess Qian Ling was the apple of Xia Huanyu''s eye. Yun Shang paused for a second and walked in. It turned out that Ning Q


    nd then went in. After a while, Luo Qingyan walked out of the door quickly. His cold face softened a little as he saw Yun Shang outside the palace. He walked to her and said, "what are you doing here? How long have you been waiting? "


    Yun Shang smiled. "Just now, Princess Qian Ling came to our mansion. I sent her back to the palace and stayed with Lady Yun for a while. Then the emperor called me to the Xiang Zhu Palace. I played chess with his majesty there."


    Luo Qingyan nodded. "Wait a moment. I''ll go back to pack up and then we''ll go back home."


    Yun Shang said yes and waited at the door of the meeting hall. After a while, Prince Jing came out with several officials. Yun Shang smiled at him as he said goodbye to the officials and then walked to Yun Shang, holding her hand and leading her to the gate.


    "I have met Princess Qian Ling twice, well... She seems quite ''innocent''... " Luo Qingyan said in a light voice. With a heavy accent on the simple and innocent words, Yun Shang smiled and understood what he wanted to say.


    "Okay, I''ll keep that in mind."


    However, Yun Shang didn''t expect that Princess Qian Ling still had an accident. The next morning, as soon as Yun Shang got up, she saw Prince Jing frowning slightly. Prince Jing turned to Yun Shang and said, "Princess Qian Ling suffered from abdominal pain last night. The imperial physician said she was poisoned. Now the palace is in a mess. Qian Yin said that Princess Qian Ling had some osmanthus cake in our mansion yesterday?"


    Yun Shang nodded to him. She was fully aware that the target was her.

 Chapter 430 The Interrogation

    Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to help her get dressed and made her hair in a bun. Then an eunuch by the empress'' side came to visit, and he was not Liu Wenan. "Your Highness, Princess Qian Ling had a stomachache last night. The imperial physician diagnosed that she was poisoned. The empress is calling for you to come to the Imperial Palace."


    Yun Shang lifted her hand and held the plum blossom hairpin in her bun. She frowned as if she was very surprised, "Princess Qian Ling was poisoned?"


    The eunuch hurriedly said yes and continued, "the empress has summoned all the people who have contact with Princess Qian Ling yesterday. Princess Qian Ling went to her highness'' mansion yesterday, and Lady Rui sent her back to the palace in person. The empress said that lady rui was so kind that she would never do such a thing. But she also said that she had to go through the proper procedures, or people would not believe it."


    "Well..." Yun Shang squinted and nodded her head, "I''ll go to the imperial palace with you."


    When Yun Shang arrived at the palace, lady Yun''s Yunqi Palace was full of people. The empress was the first to see her. "Lady rui, you are here? Come and sit here. " Then she asked some maids to bring a stool for her. Yun Shang curtsied to the empress, and sat down beside her. She looked worried, "I heard that Princess Qian Ling was poisoned in the early morning. How is she now?"


    "The physician has been making a diagnosis and treatment for her stomach for a whole night. I went to see her just now and her face was so pale. I feel very sorry for her." The empress looked miserable.


    "Have you found the culprit yet?" Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at the people in the hall. In addition to many maids and eunuchs, there were also two or three imperial concubines sitting in the hall. All of them had heavy faces.


    The empress shook her head, "not yet. His majesty has always loved Princess Qian Ling. Now someone has committed such a terrible crime. The culprit must be punished." Then the empress turned around and looked at an old maid who was a little old. "Madam, it seems that Qian Ling also went to the Xiang Zhu Palace yesterday. Has the Lady Xiang come yet?"


    The lady whom she have been talking about is Ning Qian?


    Yun Shang was stunned for a while and then said to the empress, "Princess Qian Ling went to the Xiang Zhu Palace with me yesterday. The emperor was there and the princess was in his Majesty''s arms. But it seems that she didn''t get in contact with the lady."


    "Well, it''s not necessarily a solid evidence to prove she''s innocent. I also didn''t get in contact with Princess Qian Ling, but she''s always fond of food. She ate almonds in my palace, and maybe she had some in the Xiang Zhu Palace as well." A woman who was dressed a little coquettishly snorted and responded dismissively.


    The empress frowned and seemed a little displeased. She glanced at the lady and ordered quietly, "send someone to the Xiang Zhu Palace to invite the lady Xiang."


    Xia Huanyu was not here. Yun Shang thought to herself. When she received the news today, Luo Qingyan had not gone to the palace to the court yet. Lady Yun had no reason to keep it a secret if something bad happened to Qian


    ard."


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu ordered somebody to go to the prince''s mansion to fetch it.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the door of the inner hall. Her eyes flashed. Who was to blame for the drama? Is it Lady Yun? Or is it the empress?


    On the previous day when Princess Qian Ling suddenly came to the prince''s mansion, Yun Shang sensed that something was wrong and was a little vigilant. But everything seemed to be normal and nothing special happened. Yun Shang was also on her guard, lest something bad would happen to the Princess Qian Ling. Everything went well yesterday, but she still had an accident.


    After a short while, the cakes were brought back. Xia Huanyu asked someone to send them into the inner hall, and asked the imperial physician to do a thorough examination of the cakes. The imperial physician said that the cakes were all right, but Yun Shang didn''t feel relieved at all.


    The empress said, "this piece of cake looks dry. Just eat it and won''t you feel thirsty?"


    Yun Shang smiled and answered honestly, "yes, the princess was thirsty. Her Highness drank some fruit tea at the prince''s mansion yesterday. But the fruit tea was already drained, and even the cups and plates were washed."


    The empress narrowed her eyes and turned to Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty, please send more people to search the prince rui''s mansion. We can''t make any investigation merely by bringing those cakes."


    Hearing no response from Yun Shang, Xia Huanyu turned to look at her. "What do you think, lady rui?"


    Yun Shang smiled. What did she think? The empress had a good idea. She could search the mansion. On the one hand, she wanted to know how powerful Prince Rui''s mansion was now. On the other hand, it would be easy for her to hide something in the mansion.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang raised her head, "I am not afraid of it because I didn''t do anything guilty You can search my mansion. I''ve never done anything malevolent. Of course I''m not afraid of it. But I have a request. Your majesty, please send someone you can really trust to find out whether I''m innocent or not. I''m afraid that I would be framed by the real culprit. "

 Chapter 431 Cut The Crap (Part One)

    After thinking for a while, Xia Huanyu turned to look at Liu Wenan and said to him, "Liu Wenan, take some people with you to search the Prince Rui''s mansion."


    Hearing this, the empress said, "since Prince Rui''s mansion needs to be searched, a search in this palace should also be searched. Don''t forget to search everywhere that Qian Ling stayed yesterday in the afternoon."


    Xia Huanyu turned around and stared at the empress for a while before he nodded his head and said, "let''s search it all."


    Liu Wenan answered yest and ordered some eunuchs to go out with him. Yun Shang stood quietly with a faint smile on her lips.


    "Qian Ling, Qian Ling!" Suddenly, a hysterical scream came from the inner palace. Yun Shang was startled and looked at the door. Then she heard lady Yun''s screaming voice. "Doctor! Doctor! Come here! Qian Ling can''t breathe!"


    Hearing the words of Lady Yun, Xia Huanyu''s face darkened immediately. He turned around and walked into the inner hall in a hurry. The empress followed him closely. Yun Shang thought for a while and tipped Ning Qian a wink. They followed the emperor to the inner room as well.


    There were many imperial physicians standing in the inner hall. One of them was an old man with a white beard, kneeling in front of the bed and holding Princess Qian Ling''s wrist to feel her pulse. Lady Yun also knelt in front of the bed, touching her baby''s forehead in a gentle way, and her face was filled with tears. "Qian Ling, Qian Ling, wake up. Look at me. Please don''t leave me alone. I won''t let you study writing, calligraphy and embroidery anymore, okay? Don''t sleep now, Qian Ling. "


    Yun Shang felt a sharp pain in her heart. She knew it must not be Lady Yun who planned all this.


    Yun Shang recalled


    e up to Yun Shang, took out a cloth, and dressed Yun Shang''s wound before he stepped aside.


    Lady Yun knelt down beside the bed once again, tears keeping streaming down her face. "Breathe, baby. Qian Ling can finally breathe again." Her voice sounded hoarse because all the shouting and crying.


    Yun Shang smiled again and stepped aside, took her seat.


    Princess Qian Ling was out of danger now, and Liu Wenan also returned to the palace with the searchers. After Xia Huanyu led the others out of the inner hall, Liu Wenan reported to him, "the whole mansion of Prince Rui has been searched, and there is nothing suspicious. But... "


    "But what?" he asked with a frown on his face.


    Liu Wenan raised his head and glanced around the palace before he said again, "but we''ve found the poison mentioned by the imperial physician at both the Xiang Zhu Palace and the Wei Yang Palace."


    All the people were surprised at his words. The Xiang Zhu Palace was where the lady Xiang lived. And Princess Qian Ling also went to the Xiang Zhu Palace yesterday. But the Wei Yang Palace, it was just the Empress'' residence. Why was there poison in the Wei Yang palace as well?

 Chapter 432 Cut The Crap (Part Two)

    The empress'' face immediately changed before she pounded the table angrily, "nonsense! How could it be possible for this poison to exist in my palace?"


    Liu Wenan lowered his head and said in a low voice, "I can''t lie to you, your majesty. This package of poison powder was really found from the Wei Yang Palace. It was said to be a maid''s room and we found in a corner by the room of a maid named Ya Nu.


    "Ya Nu?" Xia Huanyu frowned after hearing this and looked at the empress. "Is she your maid in charge of your makeup?"


    The empress nodded her head and frowned even more tightly. "I don''t know why it appears in the Wei Yang Palace. I will interrogate Ya Nu after I go back to my place. It''s just that Ya Nu had been in the Wei Yang Palace all day yesterday, and she haven''t seen Qian Ling in the afternoon. Yesterday, after Qian Ling returned to the palace, she went to the Xiang Zhu Palace. His majesty, why not ask Qian Ling''s hidden guard who has contacted her in the Xiang Zhu Palace yesterday? "


    Xia Huanyu didn''t make any comment at her words. Instead, he made a gesture at Liu Wenan, who nodded his head and clapped his hands. Then two bodyguards came in.


    "Think carefully. Who did the Princess Qian Ling meet yesterday afternoon?" Turning his jade ring on his finger, Xia Huanyu said in a low voice.


    The two bodyguards looked at each other and immediately replied, "Your Majesty, after the afternoon yesterday, her highness went to Prince Rui''s mansion and had some contact with Lady rui. Then, her highness went back to the palace and met lady Yun. When her highness arrived at the Xiang Zhu Palace, the emperor held her highness to sit for a while. When her highness left, and her highn


    d, "what''s special about her clothes?"


    Liu Wenan took over a plate from another eunuch, on which lay a pink robe covered with mud. "I don''t know, either. I have to take it here and let the imperial physicians have a look at it."


    The imperial physician quickly came to surround them. He spread out the robe to check for a moment before he said gently, "Your Majesty, on the sleeve of this robe is the poison''s powder. It''s the poison that Princess Qian ling has been poisoned."


    Hearing this, the maid named Zhu''er, who was kneeling on the ground, trembled slightly with fear. She bit her lips, her eyes glittering with fear. Yun Shang smiled at this. What a fabulous actress she was.


    Hearing the imperial physician''s words, the secret guard standing by said immediately, "the princess fell yesterday. She was raised up by the maid by her hands, and she even wiped the princess'' face with her sleeves."


    The imperial physician looked at each other in dismay. "I''m afraid that at that time, the poison had already entered her Highness'' mouth. her highness us so young. A small amount of poison will be enough to kill her highness."

 Chapter 433 Who Was The Real Culprit (Part One)

    Before Xia Huanyu could say anything, the empress asked, "Lady Xiang, is this Zhu''er one of your servants in your palace?"


    Hearing this, Ning Qian turned around and looked at the maid kneeling on the ground who was trembling with fear. She smiled and said, "he who has a mind to beat his dog will easily find his stick. The maid must work for me. Lord Liu said just now that she is a maid of my palace who cleans the ground. But I don''t know why she harmed Princess Qian Ling. "


    The empress sneered after she heard her words, "you mean I wronged you, Lady Xiang? Or do you think that no one is behind this maid who poisoned Princess Qian Ling? She did it herself? "


    Xia Huanyu frowned, but did not speak. Logically, he was not supposed to interfere in the affairs in the imperial household, but it did not mean that he knew nothing.


    Frowning, Ning Qian also said, "I''ve been wondering how someone could hurt such a lovely and lively child like Princess Qian Ling." While speaking, she turned to look at the maid that was kneeling on the ground. "I''m a little curious as well, your majesty. Where did this maid get the poison powder? Generally speaking, a maid couldn''t get that kind of thing. Moreover, the usage of the Xiang Zhu Palace was granted by the Imperial Household Bureau. I don''t have any relatives outside the palace, so there is no other thing except the things sent by the emperor and the Imperial Household Bureau. You and your majesty can also check how long it has been since the last time I left the palace. "


    With that, Ning Qian paused and set her eyes on the empress. Then she looked around blandly.


    The empress snorted coldly at her words, "of course you won''t let the peo


    the girls with different expressions in the hall, and his eyes darkened.


    In a short while, the master of the imperial household department came in. Ning Qian smiled and handed the eardrop and the silver to him. "Mr. Deng, please have a look. Where are the two things from?"


    The director of the imperial household department took the book from the eunuch beside him. He picked up a book, and looked through it for a while before he replied, "yes, your highness. The cat''s eye drop and the silver were sent to Lady Mei three months ago."


    "Lady Mei?" With a smile at the corners of her mouth, the empress turned her eyes to look at Xia Huanyu. "Your Majesty, Lady Mei..."


    Hearing the empress'' question, Xia Huanyu turned around and looked at the empress, poker faced. "You''d better ask yourself why the maid in charge of your make-up has something that belongs to the palace of Lady Mei."


    The empress kept silent at his words. Seeing that Xia Huanyu looked somewhat unfriendly, she quickly replied to him, "yes, I am so sorry. I was not careful enough. I let something like this happen in my Wei Yang Palace. It''s my fault."

 Chapter 434 Who Was The Real Culprit (Part Two)

    Then she asked an eunuch to take Ya Nu from the Wei Yang palace.


    But the eunuch didn''t take Ya Nu with him. "Ya Nu hung myself in the chamber, your majesty. I''ve found a letter in her room. Your majesty and your majesty, please have a look at it. " With that, he presented the letter to Xia Huanyu.


    Frowning, Xia Huanyu took it over and read it with a frown, then he handed it to the empress. The empress quickly took the letter and read it carefully. She frowned and said, "Ya Nu left a letter to us, saying that it was Lady Mei who ordered her to do so. It was written in the letter that the Lady Mei belonged to the same place as her. Lady Mei asked people to arrest her sister and brother as a threat and force her to do such a heinous thing. She thought Lady Mei would free her sister and brother after she finished the job. But she heard that Lady Mei were in the cold palace now. And she knew that she couldn''t hide it anymore. So she hung in there. "


    There was a moment of silence in the room. Seeing Ning Qian''s cold smile on her face, Yun Shang knew that Lady Mei was just a scapegoat.


    Xia Huanyu stood up and said, "according to the order, took away the title of the nobleman of Lady Mei and began to discuss the matter in the name of murder of emperor''s daughter. Kill Lady Mei immediately." Then he stood up and walked towards the inner hall. "It''s all settled. You guys can leave now. It''s so noisy here. Qian Ling still needs some good rest."


    Everyone responded yes. The empress stood up after she saw Xia Huanyuenter the inner hall. She stared at Ning Qian for a moment, and then turned her gaze to Yun Shan


    ed around and walked out of the palace.


    "Mister..." The servant boy standing behind him carefully looked at Liu Yinfeng and said softly, "Mister, we rushed here as soon as we heard that Princess Qian ling was poisoned. Why don''t you get in the palace?"


    Liu Yinfeng went blank for a while and stopped in his tracks, and then he replied in a low voice, "didn''t you hear lady rui mention it just now? The real murderer has been captured, and Princess Qian Ling''s body is fine. What else can I do in the palace? I''m not an imperial physician. "


    The servant immediately nodded his head and said, "yes, yes." But in fact he thought to himself, ''Mister Liu has only met Princess Qian Ling for a few times, and they are not even familiar with each other. Why didn''t he give any reaction when he heard that Princess Qian Ling was poisoned? After studying the situation in detail, he suddenly changed his expression and rushed to the imperial palace. He even left the imperial palace without going into to the imperial palace now. It is really hard to guess what he is thinking right now.''

 Chapter 435 A Visit (Part One)

    After Luo Qingyan returned to his mansion at night, Yun Shang told him everything that had happened in the palaca in detail. Luo Qingyan could not help but frown and sat for a while before he said gently, "now we are like jelly fish, everyone can beat us as long as they want." Then he took Yun Shang''s hand and said to her, "pay more attention to the mansion of Lord Hua Guo these days."


    Yun Shang pondered his words for a while. She remembered that Xia Huanyu had also asked her to do so before. She nodded her head and said with a smile, "I''m afraid the result will be better if his highness go there in person."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan just frowned and said nothing more. Yun Shang knew that her husband didn''t like Lord Hua Guo''s temperament, and he was also too embarrassed to go there, so he asked her to do so. But she didn''t say it directly, and she changed the subject with a smile.


    "I paid much attention to the ladies in the imperial household today and thought that Ning Qian was my spy. Now that we are here, we don''t have to avoid her carefully, it''s better to approach her in a aboveboard way. Ning Qian wasn''t as powerful as other ladies in the palace. Without her family''s support, she had a hard time in the palace. And since we''re new here, it''s normal for us to choose a concubine who is good to control to get close to. In the view of others, it''s a wise choice to follow the law of time. In this way, I can get familiar with the state of Xia much earlier through Ning Qian. "


    Luo Jinyan nodded his head with a smile, "I know that you must feel anxious and wanted to talk to her when you see Ning Qian these days. But after a few days'' thinking, you finally come up with this excu


    have been in the state of Xia for a few days, why haven''t I seen this princess at all?" Yun Shang frowned, feeling strange about it.


    "The oldest princess has always been a Buddhist, your highness. Last month she went to the palace of Buddha to pray, and I''m afraid she won''t be able to come back for the time being. Nominally, I''m always on her side, and although the oldest princess appear to be quiet and serene, she is in fact as scheming as any concubines in the palace." Ning Qian replied gently, "Her Highness said she made me come here for her brother''s sake and didn''t ask me to do anything for her, but I believe that day will come sooner or later."


    Yun Shang remained silent after hearing her words. If there was such a barrier, she should think it over carefully.


    Seeing that Yun Shang was rendered speechless, Ning Qian added with a smile, "Master, you should think it over carefully. By the way, these are the materials I have collected these days, and the secret spies I set in the state of Xia some time ago. I have kept it on me since you arrived in the state of Xia. I want to give it to you as soon as possible. "

 Chapter 436 A Visit (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded her head and put the sachets into her sleeve. Then she said in a low voice, "although I''ve just been here for a short time, I can see that every woman in this palace is a lot more troublesome than those in my father''s palace. I trust your ability, but we should be cautious as well. "


    Ning Qian giggled hearing her words, "I understand."


    They talked more before leaving the pavilion and returning to the Xiang Zhu Palace. Yun Shang sat for a while and then left for the house. She didn''t stay long in the mansion before she went to the mansion of Lord Hua Guo in a hurry.


    Yun Shang had never been to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion before. It was on the most bustling street in the east of the city. Qian Yin knocked at the door, passed over the invitation, and said, "we belong to the prince Rui''s mansion..."


    Before she finished her words, the boy''s eyes lit up. He looked at Yun Shang, interrupted Qian Yin, and asked, "Are you lady Rui?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head. The boy said immediately, "Lady Hua Guo has said that if Prince rui and his wife come here, there is no need to report. Please follow me."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised at Lady Hua Guo''s words. Then she understood and said yes, followed the doorman into the mansion of Lord Hua Guo. "Lady Hua Guo should be examining the homework of the misters now. This way, please."


    The mansion was luxuriously arranged. The pavilions, terraces and towers around were simple and elegant. Yun Shang followed the doorman to a little yard on the second floor. The doorman took her to the door


    her, Hua Ling.


    Lady Hua Guo smiled and waved at them, "well, your examinations are all over today. Go and have fun. We can have dinner together in the garden house later. I''ll ask the servants to prepare your favorite food."


    The kids cheered and left with the paper in a hurry.


    Then Lady Hua Guo patted her chair and said, "shang''er, come over to grandmother."


    Yun Shang stood up, and walked to Lady Hua Guo. As she sat down, Lady Hua Guo smiled, "how are you doing in the state of Xia? Is there anything wrong with the servants in your mansion? "


    "I''m fine, grandma. Don''t worry." Yun Shang smiled and replied.


    Lady Hua Guo nodded her head with a smile, "that''s good. If you have anything wrong, please tell me. Qingyan is a gentle person and he is shy, and he has a distinguished identity. You are a good and kund kid. He has been living outside for more than 20 years, but now you suddenly come back, there must be many people against the two of you. Don''t be afraid, the mansion of Lord Hua Guo will always be on his side."

 Chapter 437 The Family (Part One)

    Lady Hua Guo was silent for a moment before she continued, "I have several sons, but I have only one daughter. She is the apple of my eye. I doted on her ever since she was just a little baby. I didn''t want her to join the imperial household at first, but she was chosen by herself. The emperor has also promised us that he will keep his promise as she is the only one in the imperial household. And he did it. But she was still very young. She died before she even reached twenty years old. "


    Tears welled up in Lord Hua Guo''s wife''s eyes. Yun Shang hurriedly held her hands in hers and said, "grandmother..."


    "When I knew Qingyan''s existence, I was so happy. I thought since Qingyan had survived, Ling''er should also be fine too." Lady Hua Guo shook her head and said, "Well, it''s in the past. I''m fine. I''ve accepted the fact for a long time."


    Yun Shang opened her mouth to say something, she wanted to tell her that Hua Ling was still alive, but finally she swallowed it down.


    Lady Hua Guo stood up and said, "let''s go. Your grandfather is coming back soon. Let''s wait him in the garden house. Your aunts, uncles and cousins are all here. They must be happy to see you, but unfortunately... "


    Yun Shang knew what she meant, but unfortunately the prince wasn''t there. Yun Shang thought for a while and said with a smile, "grandmother, I have a way to ask Prince Rui to come here."


    "What is it?" Lady Hua Guo''s eyes lit up and she looked at Yun Shang like a child.


    Yun Shang smiled, "it''s easy. I can stay in the mansion to accompany you later."


    Lady Hua Guo meditated for a moment and knew Yun Shang''s plan. She giggled and said, "you just


    ble. They asked Yun Shang something about the state of Ning, and introduced the situation in the mansion to her. Yun Shang heard their words and smiled. She had investigated the mansion before.


    After dinner, Lady Hua Guo held Yun Shang''s hand and chatted with her in the garden house. The others didn''t leave, and stayed in the garden house.


    "Your Majesty said you are good at chess. Come and play with me." After playing with his great grandson for a while, Lord Hua Guo looked up at Yun Shang and said.


    Yun Shang smiled and said yes. When the servant came with the chessboard, she sat down beside it. The others rushed to them. Yun Shang was surprised, but when she saw the sympathy in the eyes of her aunts and uncles, she thought for a moment and became more confused.


    But soon Yun Shang knew why they were all so excited, because Lord Hua Guo was very fond of repentance.


    "No no no, you can''t get down here." As soon as Yun Shang put down the piece, Lord Hua Guo quickly took up the piece she had just put down and said, "get down here instead." He pointed to another place as he spoke.

 Chapter 438 The Family (Part Two)

    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang put the piece on the place he pointed out.


    "Well, no. You should place it here instead." He regretted for his decision once again.


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang was silent for a moment, "grandfather, do you usually play chess with yourself?"


    The rest nodded their heads in silence.


    Yun Shang hesitated for a moment and wondered if she should pretend to be sick and then leave as soon as possible. At this moment, a voice suddenly came from the outside of the flower hall, "my Lord, my lady, Prince rui is here."


    Everyone in the hall was shocked at the words. Yun Shang hurriedly raised her head and looked outside. She was about to cry with joy.


    A man in black walked out from behind the attendant. He looked around and stopped at Yun Shang, with a slight frown on his face.


    Yun Shang quickly stood up and asked, "have you had dinner yet, your highness?"


    Lord Hua Guo''s wife regained her composure and asked, "I''ll arrange for some food. What would you like to eat, your highness?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said to Lady Hua Guo, "his highness is not particular about food. He just doesn''t like sweet food."


    "Okay, I see." Lady Hua Guo immediately turned to her maids and told them to get ready.


    Luo Qingyan slightly frowned. Yun Shang walked up to him and pulled him to the table and sat down.


    Luo Qingyan glanced at her and sat down in silence. He glanced at the people in the hall indifferently and fell on the chair, staring at Lord Hua Guo who had been staring at the chessboard. Then he said indifferently, "his majesty has already o


    "Okay, I promise you."


    "In fact, I have been thinking about it the other day that his majesty is still in love with the late empress. Now that you have returned to the state of Xia and the position of the Crown Prince is hanging in the air, if his majesty will seek an opportunity to help you establish your own career quickly and all the officials in the court have seen your strength. The collapse of the Ya clan was a good opportunity. As a supervisor, you didn''t have to fight, so you were naturally safe and sound. If the rebellion was averted, the credit must be considerable. Moreover, when you are together with Lord Hua Guo, you two can look after each other. Lord Hua Guo can also take this opportunity to return to the court. If he will assist you, it will be much better. " Yun Shang said gently.


    They kept silent for a while, and then Yun Shang sighed again. "But it won''t be that easy this time. If I were the empress or the seventh prince, I would definitely take the opportunity to kill you and make you never come back."

 Chapter 439 The Witchcraft (Part One)

    Prince Jing touched Yun Shang''s hair with a smile on his face and squinted his eyes. "I know. Don''t worry about me. I have promised you that I will take good care of myself, and I will definitely come back safe and sound."


    After a pause, he then added, "take care of yourself when you are in the Jin City. I don''t allow the shadow guards to leave you alone at any time."


    Yun Shang chuckled and said to him, "it seems that we are about to split up immediately. Your highness will leave half a month later."


    Prince Jing couldn''t help laughing as well. He touched her forehead and let out a sigh. "You..."


    As Yun Shang and him returned to Prince Rui''s mansion, she saw the Butler waiting anxiously at the door. Judging from his expression, Yun Shang knew that something must have happened. She quickly got off the carriage and frowned. "What happened?"


    The Butler looked around and said to Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan, "Your Highness, your ladyship, please go back now. I have something to tell you."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other. Then they followed the Butler into the mansion and went back to the yard. "What''s the matter? Look at your pale face. What happened?"


    The Butler lowered his voice after a moment''s silence. "When the servant cleaned the study today, he found a doll with the birthday of His Majesty on it, and it was covered with silver needles. When the servant found it, he didn''t report it to me. Instead, he told others about it, and he was dead now and the doll was gone. "


    Yun Shang''s face suddenly turned pale at his words, and Luo Qingyan also had a bad look on his face. No matter whose generation or country it was, the sorceress skill was forbidden, and the birth time of the royal family was also top secret. If it was related to the witchcraft, it


    "Where were you going? Why were you running?" The secret guard suddenly threw the man to the ground, and the man''s face wrinkled in pain.


    The Butler soon came over and reported to them, "Your Highness, this man is Zhou Yi. He is in charge of fetching the water in the kitchen. Just now when we searched the yard where he is living, we saw him digging soil in the house secretly. He seemed to be burying something. As soon as he saw the servants coming, he rushed outside, and when he found that there were guards at the back door, he returned immediately. "


    Yun Shang gave him a glance, and saw his chest bulging up. She couldn''t help but frown and ordered, "take out the thing in his arms."


    The secret guard walked up to the man and kicked him to the ground. When Zhou Yi saw the secret guard wanted to grab the thing in his arms, he immediately hugged his arms together and blocked the secret guard from approaching him.


    The two secret guards rushed up to him together and kicked his back. The man who felt the pain slightly loosened his body, and a secret guard took the opportunity to break apart his hands that were holding his knees. The two guards together took the thing in his arms.

 Chapter 440 The Witchcraft (Part Two)

    It was a pink bellyband embroidered with flowers on it.


    Yun Shang could not help but frown and she asked, "what''s this?"


    The pain made Zhou Yi frown. As the pink bellyband was exposed to the public, he knelt down and shouted out loud, "please spare me, your highness. I shouldn''t have colluded with the maid in the mansion. Please spare my life."


    Yun Shang let out a sigh and looked away from him, "take him away. Do whatever you are going to do with him."


    Yun Shang didn''t expect that this search also made her found out a lot of things that the servants did in secret. It said that the servants under the same roof had stolen other people''s jewelry, and the property in the mansion. It could be said that many of them had done such a thing in secret. But they still didn''t find the sorceress doll at all.


    Yun Shang had a frown on her face and looked at Luo Qingyan. After a moment of silence, she said, "Your Highness, more than two hours has passed, but there is still no clues. Now we have to make a plan B."


    Luo Qingyan was also silent for a moment and nodded his head. "What do you think we should do, Shang''er?"


    "It''s better to take the initiative than standing still and waiting for death." Yun Shang said indifferently, no longer anxious as she was before. "The emperor''s birth date and time was written on the witchcraft doll. I suddenly realized that, in fact, whether the witchcraft doll was sent out of the mansion or not was not crucial at all. Obviously, someone did it deliberately. It was unnecessary for us to set up a trap to get the doll. The person who did this just needed to prepare another one, and then went to the palace to find the emperor, saying that it was found fro


    don''t want to forbid your highness to see his majesty. But his majesty has ordered that no one should interrupt them. We dare not disobey His Majesty''s will."


    Princess Tai an sneered in a cold way.


    The maid beside her immediately advised, "Your Highness, we''d better come here early tomorrow morning. We have been waiting here for his majety for more than two hours. You know his Majesty''s temper. If his majesty gets angry, the loss would outweigh the gain."


    The Princess Tai An didn''t say anything. She stood still for a while before she shook her sleeves and said angrily, "let''s go back to the Princess Palace now."


    Seeing that the two had left, Yun Shang came out from behind the hidden tree and walked to the gate of the Xiang Zhu Palace. She looked at the guards and smiled. "I am Lady Rui, and I need to see his majesty and Lady Xiang immediately. I have something urgent to report. Please tell them."


    Those servants looked at each other and then said in a flattering tone, "Your Highness, please come in. The master has said that if you come here, you can just go in. There are already people waiting for you inside."

 Chapter 441 The Crisis Resolved (Part One)

    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly at their words and walked in directly. The entrance of the Xiang Zhu Palace was lit up. A court maid was waiting for her at the gate. When she saw Yun Shang, she greeted her with a smile and immediately came to her. "Please wait a moment here, your highness. I''m going to inform his majesty."


    Yun Shang agreed, and then sorted out her thoughts in silence.


    "Your highness, the emperor is inviting you to come inside." A servant hurried out and whispered to her, leading Yun Shang into the Xiang Zhu Palace.


    Xia Huanyu was reading a book in the dim light. When he heard footsteps of Yun Shang, he looked up at Yun Shang and then at Ning Qian, who was embroidering. He then asked indifferently, "it''s so late. What brings you here in such a hurry?"


    Yun Shang quickly knelt on one knee, curtsied to him and said, "Your Majesty, when Prince Rui and I moved to the mansion, we were in a hurry and didn''t clean it up. Today, I went to the mansion of Lord Hua Guo and ordered the servants to clean our mansion up. But I didn''t expect to find a witchcraft doll in a deserted courtyard. It has your Majesty''s name and birth time on it. "


    "What?" A hint of coldness and menace flashed across Xia Huanyu''s eyes when he heart this.


    "I wasn''t there during that time. The servant who found the doll was an old man. He didn''t report it to the butler. Instead, he spread it out privately. When the steward found out the news, the old servant was dead and the doll was gone. I think it''s a matter of great importance, so I came to the palace late at night to report to your majesty. It''s lucky that your majesty hasn''t rested yet. " Yun Shang lowered her head after this. She was in a hurry, and a thin layer of swe


    let out sigh when she saw Ning Qian call in servants to take care of everything in an orderly way. "Living in the imperial palace is really a good way to exercise your ability. You used to be reliable, but you never went in the wrong way. Now you have your own plan. I don''t know if it''s a good thing or not."


    Ning Qian had arranged everything quickly. She turned to look at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "in this palace, food and drink are the best. I think it''s good for me. I was born in a brothel. If I weren''t saved by you and your father, I would have watched my mother being tortured to death. And I will face the same fate. I know you feel sorry for letting me into the palace, your highness. But this is my own choice and I''m very satisfied with my life right now. "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and smiled without saying anything.


    "Your Highness, since you don''t go back to your mansion tonight, you''d better take a rest in the side palace. I''ve heard from the servants that Princess Tai an will come tomorrow early in the morning. Your highness just needs to recuperate and wait for tomorrow to watch a drama." Ning Qian smiled and advised.

 Chapter 442 The Crisis Resolved (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded her head. Then Ning Qian held the light and accompanied Yun Shang to the side hall. "The bed, and the quilt and other things are all new. I''ll ask Qian Meng to help you freshen up."


    Then, a woman dressed as a maid walked inside the room. Yun Shang knew that she was her people when she heard that her name was Qian Meng. She smiled and nodded her head slightly. "You don''t have to call me ''master'' in the palace in the future. If someone overhears it, it will certainly cause uproar."


    Ning Qian said yes, curtsied to Yun Shang with a smile, and left.


    The next morning, a voice really came from outside. "Last night you said that my brother had given the order not to let anyone see. Now it''s almost time for the morning court. Why hasn''t my brother come out yet?"


    The voice outside was a bit bossy, as if she was blaming the servants outside the palace. Yun Shang sat up with the quilt in her hands, and saw Qian Meng waiting aside for her.


    "Are you getting up, your highness?" Qian Meng asked with a smile on her face.


    Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and nodded her head, "get me dressed."


    After getting dressed and done her hair in a bun, Yun Shang walked out of the side hall and saw Ning Qian also coming out from the main hall. Ning Qian nodded her head at Yun Shang with a smile before she raised her head and said to the maid at the door, "open the door."


    As soon as the door was opened, the voice of Princess Tai An suddenly rose, "you bastard servants, after I report to my brother, I will ask him to take your lives."


    As soon as she finished her words, a person in purple appeared at the door. Princess Tai an wore a purple long dress and a head was full of ornament.


    a knife."


    "If so, then the people behind her should be able for us to find out. Then we wouldn''t have been used without knowing who the enemy was." Yun Shang said indifferently, but in her heart, she disagreed with what Ning Qian had said just now.


    Just as Ning Qian said yesterday night, schemes were always in the palace. A princess who enjoyed such high social status, Born and raised in a public place, she had never been treated unfairly. Most of the time, she was used to such tricks. As a princess in her thirties, Yun Shang didn''t believe that others could easily incite Princess Tai An to do such a dangerous thing.


    The imperial palace of the state of Xia was indeed much more interesting than the palace of the state of Ning. Yun Shang flashed a smile at this thought. As an old saying went, women are good at playing tricks. Just a dozen concubines in the state of Ning had made a scene before, but now it was known to all that the emperor Xia''s concubines were outnumbered.


    "Are the sorceress dolls all ready? Then it''s time to choose a place for the witch doll to appear now. " Yun Shang said with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 443 Breaking The Trap (Part One)

    Ning Qian giggled at Yun Shang''s words, "you are indeed a very capable woman, my lady. You have planted our people everywhere in the state of Xia less than a year after you came here. Yesterday, I made great efforts to send almost all the secret guards who were all kung fu masters to do it. I only chose six weakest place to place the dolls. I placed six dolls and it was even difficult for me to do that. There is no choice to make. I have assigned my men in only two of the six places. After some time, the talents we train will show themselves in the court, by then, it will be easier for us. "


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "that''s hard for you to do. As a concubine, it''s not easy for you to sneak in and get our people in the court."


    While Yun Shang was talking, Luo Qingyan appeared at the door of the palace, followed by Liu Wenan, who kept company with Xia Huanyu all the time.


    "What brings you here, your highness?" Yun Shang smiled when she saw him and walked to him promptly.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and replied, "we had a long meeting with his majesty at the Meeting Hall yesterday. Now, I am a little tired, so I ask for leave in the morning court and we can go back to my mansion first."


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while and nodded her head. Yesterday, she had asked the butler to continue searching the mansion with their men. Since it was almost dawn, it would be difficult to search again. She didn''t know if they had found anything or not. Besides, she hadn''t told Luo Qingyan what she had done yesterday night yet.


    "Well, okay, let''s go back first." Yun Shang waved at Ning Qian with a smile on her face. But Ning Qian called Yun Shang over, and handed her some clothes and silk threads. Yun Shang was a little surprised, and then immediately re


    silk thread for the embroidery was silver, which could not be used by ordinary people.


    "Qian Yin does a good job in needling. I brought some clothes and silk threads from the palace. Change the clothes and silk threads of the witch doll and make it again with those I brought back. Now go and do it quickly. I need to use it after the meal. And don''t throw away the changed clothes and silk threads. Keep them. " Yun Shang ordered Qian Yin softly.


    Qian Yin said yes, took the stuff from Yun Shang and got into the inner room with the doll in her hand. Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang and said, "is this what you arranged last night?"


    Yun Shang replied with a smile on her face, "if our prince mansion is the only place where someone has discovered this kind of stuff, someone will make mischief on purpose and also find an excuse to punish us. The sorceress skill is no other than what we have imagined, and the fears of the royal family for it are much more serious than we have imagined. Anyway, we can''t escape from it no matter what we try. But if such things are found in other prince mansions and palaces, and the fabric is from the palace, then it has little to do with us. "

 Chapter 444 Breaking The Trap (Part Two)

    After a moment''s reflection, Luo Qingyan whispered to her, "you are really thoughtful."


    "It''s not my idea at all. It was Ning Qian''s idea. Her stay in the imperial palace of the state of Xia has not been in vain these days. She got smarter than before." Yun Shang thought for a while before she added, "but there is still something missing. I will ask Qian Yin to find out if we can invite the honored Buddhist monk in the state of Xia to..."


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while, "maybe I can''t help with other things, but if that''s the case, I can find someone for you."


    "Really?" Hearing this, Yun Shang stood up in high spirits and said, "Then it''s definitely a perfect plan." Then she got closer to Luo Qingyan and whispered to Luo Qingyan, "Your Highness, you should let that monk..."


    After finishing their breakfast, Yun Shang took the witch doll into the palace. Just as she was in the palace, she was stopped by a servant. "Prince rui, lady rui, his majesty is in the Wei Yang palace. I''ll take you and your ladyship there."


    His majesty was in the Wei Yang palace, Yun Shang paused and wondered what had happened after they left the palace.


    When the servant took Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan to the Wei Yang palace, Yun Shang found that many palanquins were parked outside the palace and they entered it. There were many servants waiting at the entrance of the main hall of the Wei Yang Palace.


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang entered the hall together. It was lively inside the hall as well.


    "Mother hasn''t returned yet in the spirited mountain, so your majesty doesn''t dote on


    s here. " Luo Qingyan took the witch doll from Yun Shang''s hand and handed it to Xia Huanyu.


    Xia Huanyu took the witch doll with a frown on his face. After he examined the two dolls in his hands for a while, he said, "the fabric is the same and the thread is the same. It''s just that the needle technique does not seem to be from the same person."


    The empress raised her eyes and took a glance at Xia Huanyu and Yun Shang before saying. "You also have a witch doll in the mansion of Prince Rui. What does this person want to do?"


    Since Xia Huanyu didn''t say a word after that, they all kept silent and waited. Then a servant hurried in from the outside, went to Liu Wenan, bowed to him, and whispered something in his ear. After being silent for a while, Liu Wenan turned around in a hurry and walked up to Xia Huanyu. He also whispered something in Xia Huanyu''s ear.


    Xia Huanyu could not help but frown and his eyes fell on Princess Tai an, which made her shrink with anxiety. After a while, he let out a cold hum and said, "bring the person here."

 Chapter 445 The Test (Part One)

    Liu Wenan gestured to the entrance of the palace. Then an old maid was escorted in by the guards. The princess Tai An''s face darkened at the sight of the old woman. "What happened, brother? Why did Master. Liu arrest my madam? What did she do? Madam is... "


    Xia Huanyu turned around and took a look at Princess Tai An. Startled, Princess Tai An tried to swallow her words that she hadn''t finished.


    "You want to know what I arrest her for?" Turning the jade ring on his thumb, Xia Huanyu said in a somewhat cold voice, "Madam Qi, tell us about what you did today, will you?"


    Upon hearing this, madam Qi didn''t panic at all. She got rid of the guards behind her, and touched her hair to make it perfect again. She coiled her hair into a bun, and then bowed to Xia Huanyu and opened her mouth. "Your Majesty, I didn''t do anything today. I just found a ragged doll under her Highness'' bed this morning when I cleaned Her Highness''s bed. I saw a broken doll. I thought it looked old, so I cut it into pieces, took it out and threw it away. "


    Xia Huanyu then said in a even colder voice. "Did madam Qi find the needles on the doll when you cut it?"


    "Yes, I found needles on it. I think it''s a good idea to have the needle pricked in a doll''s body when her highness are embroidery. So she won''t get hurt by the needles." Said madam Qi as calmly as she could.


    The Princess Tai An must have guessed that there must be something wrong in her palace by their conversation. Her face immediately turned pale. She hurried to explain to his majesty, "I''m sorry, your majesty. Madam Qi hasn''t gone to school and hasn''t seen any world. It''s hard for her to tell the difference between a play doll and a witch doll."


    The old maid fell her eyes on the Princess Tai An. She swept her gaze throug


    t, Xia Huanyu was stunned slightly, as if he did not expect that Luo Qingyan would say such words. He thought for a while and turned around to look at the seventh prince. "What about you? What do you think? This thing also appears in your mansion. What do you think? "


    The seventh Prince immediately made a bow to him and said, "Your Majesty, I think my brother are right. This is related to the safety of your majesty, so we can''t let down our guard. Master Kong is the most famous person in the state of Xia now. Your majesty, why don''t you call him over and have a look?"


    "Then, just do as you say. Invite Master Kong over to have a look." Xia Huanyu said flatly. After a while, he added again, "but I believe that someone did it deliberately. We can also ask the Ministry of Justice to investigate it carefully at the same time."


    It will take Master Kong about half a day to get to the Jin city, so Xia Huanyu asked the people to go back to their own palaces and issued a decree, asking the imperial members to look for other witch dolls in their own palaces.


    Luo Qingyan went to the meeting hall with the seventh Prince, and the empress kept Yun Shang in the Wei Yang Palace.

 Chapter 446 The Test (Part Two)

    "I heard that you were the first to discover the evil thing in the mansion. Are you scared?" The empress smiled amiably and asked Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang replied hastily to her, "you are right, your majesty. Yesterday I wasn''t in the house during that time. A servant found the doll. But he didn''t report the news to the butler. Instead, he spread the news to the other servants. When the Butler found out, the servant was killed and the witch doll was also missing. When I came back in the mansion, I was so anxious when I heard the news. The evil thing must cause trouble for so many people. What if it was let out? What if it got out of the mansion?" Then she let out a sigh. "I thought before that his highness and I just arrived in the state of Xia, so we are not very familiar with the people and the traditions here. Some of the old servants in the mansion are good for helping us, and they can give me some advice as well. I don''t expect that such a terrible thing to happen because they don''t want to be taught by the butler and made things worse."


    The empress'' face was a bit pale when she heard the words. She sank into silence for a moment, and let out a sigh. "How unlucky my son was! He was very young when he was killed. If I knew it earlier, I wouldn''t let him go to the state of Ning at all. The people in his mansion are all loyal to the rules. I''m afraid they are not used to the new master so they did such a thing. "


    Yun Shang sneered in her heart. If the crown prince hadn''t known who his royal highness really was and had planned to assassinate her and Prince Jing, he wouldn''t have been put in jail. and the seventh prince wouldn''t have thought of such a plan to kill him, the crown prince asked for it when he planned to kill Pri


    but now that he was dead, and she had nothing to be proud of.


    "Your Majesty, Lady Xiang and Lady Shu have also found a witch doll in their palaces." While they were talking to each other, a servant came in and knelt on the ground, reporting in a low voice to the empress.


    The empress was silent after hearing this. She took out a silk handkerchief carelessly and wiped her mouth. "The Lady Xiang? And Lady Shu? "


    After a while, she asked again, "have you brought the witch dolls here?"


    The servant immediately answered: "yes, your majesty. I brought them here. I''ve just found the same cloth and thread on the dolls that I found in the two princes'' mansions. But the embroidery techniques don''t look like the same as them. They are all not made by the same person."


    "Not embroidered by the same person? It''s very strange. If the embroidery wasn''t made by one person, then it means that the culprit who did it was not only one person? " The empress could not help but frowned and rubbed her forehead in a worried way, "Have the masters of the embroidery in the palace has recognized the dolls? Can they tell from the embroidery that who made these dolls?"

 Chapter 447 The Doubt Rises (Part One)

    The servant shook her head and said, "all the maids in charge of the embroidery in the palace have been called together by me. But no one can tell who did it."


    "And the witch doll in the princess Tai an''s palace has already been the fifth one..." The empress kept silent for a long time and let out a sigh, "what about the fabric of the fifth doll?"


    "The fabric is used to make clothes from the maids in the palace, and also used to make underwear. This is even more difficult to find who did this. Every maid has the same fabric, and every maid has a lot of it." The maid answered in a hurry again.


    The empress kept silent for a while after hearing this and waved the maid away. Then she turned to Yun Shang and asked. "Lady Rui, in your opinion, who have done this?"


    "I have no idea. Since this fabric belongs to the palace, it must be belonged to the people in the palace and is difficult for others to get. However, we just arrived in the state of Xia and rarely enter the palace. We have no enmity with the people in the palace. I have no idea who is that vicious." Yun Shang lowered her eyes and let out a sigh, her voice filled with grievance.


    The empress choked in one breath. She clenched the handkerchief tightly in her hand. After a long time, she stood up slowly and changed the subject. "It''s good that the peach blossom blooms in the spring. Lady Rui has to wait for the master Kong to come into the imperial palace. There is nothing to do during the wait. Why don''t you accompany me to the imperial garden and watch the flowers?"


    The peach blossom was in full bloom in the Imperial Garden. Pink and gorgeous. Following the empress, Yun Shan


    and my father and brother both take an important position in the court. Your enemy is also my enemy. If you join hands with me... " The empress chuckled, looking at the peak of the peach tree.


    "It is easy to reach the highest position for you." Then she turned to look at Yun Shang. "I don''t ask for too much. I just hope that my status of the empress will be more stable. After the new emperor ascends the throne, I will still be the old empress."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and looked at the peach flowers in the ground with her eyes. When she heard the empress'' words, she smiled secretly and answered in a low voice, "I can not decide such a big matter on my own. I have to discuss with Prince Rui before I can give you a reply, your majesty."


    "Then I will wait for your good news." Then she walked on.


    Yun Shang accompanied the empress to walk in the imperial garden for half a day, and then had dinner in the Wei Yang palace before a servant came to invite the empress, "Your Majesty, master Kong is in the Meeting Hall now, and his majesty is asking your majesty to come to the Meeting Hall."

 Chapter 448 The Doubt Rises (Part Two)

    The empress nodded her head and turned to Yun Shang, "then let''s go."


    In the Meeting Hall, Yun Shang saw that the people she saw this morning in the Wei Yang palace were all there. She also saw some officials in court uniform, and Lord Hua Guo was among them. The only monk in the Meeting Hall that was sitting like Xia Huanyu was also there.


    The monk was sitting still with his eyes closed, his beard white. There were pen and ink on the paper in front of him, and the paper was blank.


    All the eyes in the Hall fell on him. After a long time, the monk opened his eyes. "If according to the majesty, he must have set up an array. But I don''t know the layout of the city. May I ask someone to come to draw a picture for me?"


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu looked around the hall and said lightly, "seventh prince, you can come."


    The seventh Prince nodded his head as soon as he heard the monk''s words. Then he walked to the opposite of Master Kong and sat down on his knees, "go on, master."


    "His majesty said we found it in the mansion of Prince Rui, the seventh Prince, Princess Tai An, lady Xiang and Lady Shu respectively. Please draw the general locations on the paper." Said Master Kong softly.


    After pondering for a while, the seventh Prince draw the general outline of the city, and then put the paper back in front of Master Kong.


    After studied the map for a long time, Master Kong drew two points on the paper. Then he looked up at the man opposite and asked, "prince, do you know where the two places are?"


    All eyes were on the paper. Before the seventh Prince could answ


    ruined was Princess Tai an''s doll. Did his lordship want to pull her out and break her position first?


    "Bring those witch dolls here," the empress ordered immediately.


    The maids immediately took the five witch dolls and put them on the plates. They marked each place with paper.


    However, Xia Huanyu waved his hand and said, "take your time. Let''s find the two witch dolls first."


    Yun Shang noticed the glance of Xia Huanyu at Master Kong and the paper in front of him. She frowned and knew that Xia Huanyu was suspicious.


    Yun Shang frowned and felt nervous about it all of a sudden.


    The guards arrived quickly. About an hour later, they brought two witch dolls in, "Your Majesty, as Master Kong said, we found the witch dolls in these two places."


    Xia Huanyu kept silent for quite a while before he said, "unfold them all."


    Liu Wenan immediately asked a servant to bring a pair of scissors and took away the dolls. Seeing that, Yun Shang frowned all of a sudden.


    "Your Majesty, blood is in the witch doll found in Prince Rui''s mansion."

 Chapter 449 The Confession (Part One)

    Yun Shang immediately frowned. It couldn''t be. Something must be wrong. Qian Yin had just unwrapped the witch doll and sewed the outer layer this morning. If there was blood, Qian Yin would tell her.


    Turning his eyes from the Master Kong to Luo Qingyan, Xia Huanyu asked, "Prince Rui? What do you say, Prince Rui? "


    With a cold sneer, Luo Qingyan walked slowly from the side to the servants who were carrying the plate. When he passed by the broken witch doll, he suddenly grabbed the scissors on the other side of the plate and threw them at the Master Kong.


    Everyone was shocked at his action. The empress suddenly let out a scream. There was only one voice left, "Prince Rui, you want..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, the sharp part of the scissors had been cut into the master''s chest. The Master Kong opened his eyes wide, pointing at Luo Qingyan with his shivering hand. But before he could say anything, he fell down with his body lying on the ground.


    Yun Shang glanced at the Master Kong''s face and looked up at Ning Qian. Ning Qian nodded her head at Yun Shang''s gaze and touched her face.


    "Prince Rui, what are you doing? How dare you act so presumptuously in the palace! " Xia Huanyu frowned and looked at him, confused but without any blame in his eyes.


    Yun Shang pondered for a while. Before Luo Qingyan could open his mouth, she walked up to the dead body of the dead man and squatted down. She raised her hand and touched the face of the dead man.


    "Lady Rui, what are you doing? It''s not proper for women to touch men, although..." The Princess Tai An stood out, stared at Yun Shang, and said hurriedly. But her words stopped abruptly.


    .


    Yun Shang looked around and saw a man in his 30s walking out, "I''m here, your majesty."


    Yun Shang took a look at the young and good-looking Vice Minister of Ministry of Justice with a slight frown and looked at his neck for a while.


    "Have you ever given the witch dolls to anyone else?" Xia Huanyu knocked on the hand of the chair and said in a somewhat cold voice, "Li Huai, you have to think it over before answering it. If you can''t figure it out clearly, then I must think it was you who set up the imperial heir. What crime is it? You should know it."


    Then Li Huai raised his eyes and swept over the crowd. His body trembled, and his face was pale. He fell into silence for a long time, and then fell to the ground. "I don''t know. After I got the witch dolls, Mr. Liu had instructed me that I couldn''t take them out of the palace, so I found a secluded palace to watch them. But when I was halfway through, I heard a voice coming from outside. Then I put down the witch dolls and walked out of the palace to look around but I didn''t find anything. Then, I came back. Maybe someone used them then. "

 Chapter 450 The Confession (Part Two)

    Xia Huanyu stared at him for a long time before he laughed grimly and said, "you are telling lies. Liu Wenan, take him away and flog him for 30 times before arresting him in jail."


    Yun Shang frowned a little when she saw that Li Huai lowered his head and was taken out of the palace by the guards silently.


    "No one in the Meeting Hall is allowed to leave the Meeting Hall. Liu Wenan, send more people to find Master Kong. I thought of asking for his help on a whim this morning. I didn''t expect that those evildoers could take Master Kong anywhere else in a hurry. Most likely they are still in the Ju An temple." Xia Huanyu stood up and turned around to enter the inner hall.


    Liu Wenan said yes and left the palace. Then, many guards came to surround the Meeting Hall.


    Luo Qingyan walked to Yun Shang, and took her to a corner. His face softened as he spoke, "what do you think? No one in the palace was hard for you before, right? "


    Yun Shang chuckled at Prince Jing''s words, "you must be kidding. It is always me who embarrass others. How can others embarrass me?"


    Then she said in a lower voice, leaning against Luo Qingyan''s arms, "his highness had sent someone to see Master Kong in the Ju An temple, and the person he saw was the real Master Kong?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head, "I sent Luo Yi to find him. If the person he met was a fake one, he would have recognized it. The real Master Kong must be the one who was kidnapped after Luo Yi had given him the order. And the man sent by the emperor had b


    hall. This way, please."


    The servant walked in with the guard, and after a while, the guard returned and left in a hurry. A while later, it was Xia Huanyu who came out. He walked back to his chair and sat down. He looked at the door indifferently, "bring him up."


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to the door, and saw several guards dragging a person into the room. With a closer look, she found that it was the Vice Minister of Ministry of Justice, Li Huai, who was dragged out of the room not long ago.


    In less than half an hour, there was all kinds of wound all over his body. His face was pale, and his face was full of sweat, and even his hair was wet. As he was dragged by the guards, he seemed unable to stand up.


    "Your Majesty, Master Li said he has something to report." The guard threw Li Huai to the ground and stepped aside.


    Li Huai reached out his hands, but he had no strength to grab anything. "I... I will tell you everything, your majesty. It''s Princess Tai An... Princess Tai An has come. "

 Chapter 451 An Extremely Shocking Secret (Part One)

    Hearing this, Princess Tai An was red in the face and anger and bloody veins were in her eyes, "Li Huai, what nonsense are you talking about?"


    With great difficulty, Li Huai moved a little closer to Xia Huanyu. he raised his eyes and pointed his finger at Princess Tai An then said. "It''s Princess Tai An. It''s her who did that." Then he coughed a few times again.


    Seeing this, Princess Tai An moved two steps towards Li Huai and was about to kick him.


    Xia Huanyu glanced at Princess Tai An and said lightly, "since Princess Tai An can''t listen to you carefully, then someone come here and give a seat to her."


    Although the guards were given an order to give her a seat, they didn''t hesitate to press the princess on the chair. Yun Shang saw that the Princess Tai An tried to struggle, but she seemed to be controlled by the guards. She looked at the man on the ground with anger burning in her eyes.


    It was not until then that Li Huai came to his senses again, but his breath was still weak as if he was on the verge of dying. "I''m sorry, your majesty. Although I am not a lover of Princess Tai An in her palace, in face... Tai An... Princess Tai An deliberately seduced me when she saw my handsome face, and she had made love with me... We had a secret relationship with each other... This covert relationship had lasted for more than two years by now. Today I got the witch dolls from the eunuch... After I got the dolls, I took them to a remote palace for inspection, but... But when I was halfway through the inspection, Princess Tai An came.


    Princess Tai An said that... She said that she had to wait in the palace... Waiting for the Master Kong to come in the palace and she was boring, so she had to have sex


    ave anything for lunch. "


    The woman called Chun Tao nodded her head repeatedly and ordered, "Let''s go to the imperial kitchen."


    While they were speaking, the four maids glanced at the closed door of the palace and quietly left, not knowing that they were already tailed after.


    The four maids sneaked into the imperial kitchen and saw the golden cake in the pot. They hurried to look at the maids in the imperial kitchen who were doing chores. "Miss, can I have this cake? Princess Tai An is hungry. She wants to eat something."


    The maid looked at the four people, pondered for a moment, and nodded her head, "since her highness wants it, just take it. After all, time is still enough. I''ll just cook another dish."


    After looking at each other, the four maids took a plate, took a few cakes from the pot and put them on the plate. Then they started to eat in a corner after getting out of the imperial kitchen.


    In the middle of the meal, an eunuch came in a hurry, and the four people hurriedly hid the cakes behind them. The eunuch saw them, and quickly came over to them, as if he was relieved. "Hey, four sisters, why are you here?"

 Chapter 452 An Extremely Shocking Secret (Part Two)

    "What''s wrong?" Chun Tao asked in a hurry, "is her highness looking for us?"


    "You''re right." The eunuch patted his chest and said, "Her Highness, when she went out of the meeting hall, she didn''t find you everywhere. You are making her highness angry. Why don''t you go to see her highness now? Her highness is in the Qian Ling Palace now."


    The Qian Ling Palace where Princess Tai An went to rest was the palace of the emperor''s mother. The emperor''s mother loved Princess Tai An so much. Even if she was not in the palace now, the Princess Tai An would go to the Qian Ling Palace whenever she came.


    After the eunuch left, the four people stood up and said, "it''s all because of Chun Tao. She asked us to come to eat. What if the princess really gets angry?"


    "You are just a coward, Xia He. Don''t worry. I, Chun Tao, will protect you. her Highness wouldn''t get angry." Then she took out the cakes behind her. There were only four of them left. Chun Tao giggled and rearranged the whole situation, which made the cakes look agreeable. "We told the guards that it would be some time before her highness could come out. Thinking that her highness didn''t have much breakfast today, we went to the imperial kitchen to take some cakes for her highness to eat. But we didn''t expect her highness to come out so soon."


    The other three people nodded their heads and followed Chun Tao towards the Qian Ling Palace.


    As soon as the four of them made their way to the inner palace of the Qian Ling Palace, they heard the sound of the cups fall to the ground. They looked at each other and stopped in their tracks.


    "You are finally back? I thought you would never come back. " Princess Tai An''s voice came from inside, with a bit o


    princess who did all this, I''m afraid even your highness'' mother can''t protect you, your highness. "


    "Such being the case, should I let Prince Rui live happily then?" Princess Tai An sneered in a cold way.


    "Your Highness, since the crown prince has already gone, we must take his revenge. But Your highness should not be in a hurry doing this. Calm down, your highness. There are many people who want to take revenge after his crown prince is dead. The empress should be the first to take the lead. Why are you acting so aggressive right now? The old empress always said that the princess was impulsive and asked us to persuade your highness to be calmer. You should also take the painstaking efforts of the old empress. She brought you up in the hope that you would become the empress of the new emperor and rejuvenate the Lin Clan. Now that the crown prince is already dead, there will definitely be a new Crown Prince. No matter who the new Crown Prince is, he will definitely be your future husband. Your highness, why do you always persist in the man who is already dead... " Chun Tao continued to persuade the Princess Tai An in a low voice.

 Chapter 453 The Return Of The Emperors Mother (Part One)

    "Become the empress of the new emperor and rejuvenate the Lin Clan." A burst of laughter suddenly came from inside the palace. The four of them widened their eyes in shock, and the plate with pastries in their hands fell to the ground with a loud bang, their faces filled with fear. Before the four maids could react, they heard the high pitched voice of the emperor, "come on, guards, take them inside the palace!"


    After the four people were brought into the palace by guards, they figured out what was going on in the room. The emperor was sitting in a chair in the front. There were many people in the hall, including many imperial concubines, several princes and ministers in the court. Their princess was escorted by several guards. Her mouth was stuffed with the peach blossom handkerchief that she usually liked. Her face was pale and her eyes were closed, as if she didn''t want to face the situation again.


    "I don''t know that my mother and my sister planned this in their minds. As the old empress'' clan, I have been particularly lenient to the Lin Clan for what they had done in those years. According to the crime of treason, all the nine clans were supposed to be executed, but I just exiled them. Even if the old empress had committed so many crimes with them, I had always respected her as my biological mother. It was not until today that I knew the only one she cared about was still the Lin Clan. What a good surprise! Good! This is so good! "


    Xia Huanyu glanced coldly at the Princess Tai An and the four maids kneeling on the ground. He called out, "guards, take the Princess Tai An to the prison. These four maids have ill minds, beat them to death with a stick."


    "Yes, your majesty," answered Liu Wenan in a


    Qian Ling Palace as well.


    In the next few days, nothing special happened. Yun Shang thought carefully. It was probably because of Luo Qingyan and Lord Hua Guo were going to tame the rebellion. The rebellion hasn''t subsided yet, so the people of the late Crown Prince of the court was probably still in watch. They were waiting to see what Luo Qingyan and Lord Hua Guo would do after they came back.


    Four days later, the old empress returned to the palace.


    As a member of the royal family, Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang had to go to the palace to greet the old empress. The empress had sent someone to inform them early in the morning.


    When Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang arrived at the palace, Xia Huanyu was already waiting for the old empress with his concubines, sons, and daughters at the palace gate. About an hour later, a carriage slowly drove from the outside of the palace to the gate. The door was opened, and four maids got out. Then the four maids stood stately and stood quietly on both sides, with a hand with wrinkles on it. A moment later, a woman with a bow was seen. She got out of the carriage and held the maid''s hand to get off it.

 Chapter 454 The Return Of The Emperors Mother (Part Two)

    It was not until Yun Shang got off that she saw the woman clearly. Her hair had turned gray and her face had been covered with a few wrinkles, but her eyes were a little shrewd.


    "Mother." Xia Huanyu walked forward and reached out his hand, in an attempt to hold the old empress'' hand. When the latter looked up at him, she only wore a cold smile at the corners of her mouth. Then she passed Xia Huanyu and walked forward without a word.


    She was a little aggressive. Yun Shang thought to herself.


    Xia Huanyu didn''t care about it at all. He slowly took back his hand and followed the old woman to go to the palace. When they arrived at the palace, the old empress gasped for air and sat down at the top of the hall. Her eyes fell on Xia Huanyu who was standing in the hall. She snorted coldly, took over a cup of water from a servant, rinsed her mouth and spit out the water. Then she took over the teacup, took a sip of the tea, and tried to calm herself down. "You are so powerful, your majesty. You even punished your own sister. She was sentenced into the prison just by a casual word of yours."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help wanting to laugh at the old empress'' words. The old empress had fought in the palace for a lifetime. She knew that her plan had been exposed to Xia Huanyu, but she still looked dignified as if he was the one who had done a terrible mistake.


    Yun Shang looked at Xia Huanyu and saw a half side of his face. The wound in the middle of his face was horrible and cold. "Mother, why don''t you ask me what good has Tai An done?" asked him.


    Hearing this, the old empress slammed the teacup on the plate held by a mai


    Xia Huanyu secretly clenched his hands in his sleeves and waved his sleeves, shouting harshly, "you back off."


    People in the hall looked at each other and was about to leave when the abdicated old empress raised his voice. "Why do you want them to go? Are you afraid that they will know what kind of past you have? What''s done is done. Why are you still afraid of gossip? Do you think I feel good seeing the murderer of my son every day? I''m not resigned to your fate. I just can''t do anything to you when the Lin clan is destroyed! "


    The old empress roared in a hoarse voice, but she looked at them sharply. "Your sons has learned nothing from you, but what they has learned is exactly what you are good at. You are so evil to kill your brother to take the throne. "


    Xia Huanyu sneered. "So mother targeted my son? Tai An is their aunt. How can you let them do such a shameless thing? Mother, how crazy and unreasonable you are! "


    "Go to hell!" The old empress humphed and turned around and sat down again. "Unfortunately, I can''t live to see the day you die. Just release Tai An."

 Chapter 455 A Life For A Life (Part One)

    After all, the old empress was old and after shouting so many times, she felt a little tired. She sat on the chair gasping for breath, but she did not want to show weakness.


    After staring at the old empress for a long time, Xia Huanyu said in a loud voice, "since this is your choice, I will satisfy you!" Then he rolled up his robe and knelt down abruptly. Seeing that Xia Huanyu was kneeling down, everyone was surprised and followed him to kneel down as well. After kowtowing three times in a row, Xia Huanyu stood up and walked towards the door silently. Yun Shang saw vaguely that his eyes were red with tears.


    "Now that the emperor has left, why don''t you leave? Get out! " The old empress took up the teacup on the plate held by the maids and threw it to the crowd. A clear sound rang in the palace. Everyone stood up and left the Qian Ling Palace in a hurry.


    After they walked out of the Qian Ling Palace, Luo Qingyan said, "wait for me at the gate. I''ll be there soon."


    Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan must go to see Xia Huanyu now, so she nodded her head, separated from him, and went to the palace gate alone.


    After leaving the palace gate, Yun Shang got in the carriage and waited quietly.


    "A Yun." A soft voice came from outside.


    Yun Shang was stunned. She thought as no one in the world would call her like this. Then she opened the curtains and looked outside. It was indeed Liu Yinfeng.


    Liu Yinfeng smiled at her and said gently, "I heard that Prince Rui and Lord Hua Guo would together in order to rebel the Ya clan in a few days."


    Yun Shang pondered for a while and nodded her head. It shouldn''t be a secret since Xia Huanyu shou


    was stunned. It occurred to her that Xia Huanyu had made a kowtow to the old emperor when he left the Qian Ling Palace just now. What was more, the old empress told her that it was a pity that she couldn''t see him die. What was more, she asked him to release Tai An. It turned out that the old empress had chosen to trade her life for Princess Tai An''s life.


    "Her Majesty bestowed her with a dagger, white cloth and poison, and she took the dagger." Luo Qingyan said lightly.


    Yun Shang was taken aback again. Normally, if these three things were given to the culprit, most people would choose poison because they wouldn''t suffer a lot, but the old empress would choose the dagger.


    "She was a tough woman." Yun Shang let out a sigh.


    After returning to the mansion of Prince Rui, Yun Shang told the butler to prepare the dress. Although the old empress was executed by Xia Huanyu, in order to protect the royal family''s fame, the people would only know that the old empress died of illness or any other cause of death. So she thought they still had to were the white clothes to honor the old empress.

 Chapter 456 A Life For A Life (Part Two)

    It turned out that in less than half a day, the bell in the Imperial City rang, and the imperial edict was sent to the mansions. It said that the old empress died of a violent illness after she came back from a fatigue and long journey.


    Yun Shang asked her servants to put on white clothes and white dress, and hang a white handkerchief in her mansion. It was also planned by Xia Huanyu that all the princes and princesses should be in the palace to honor the old empress, but no one mentioned that the families needed to go into the palace as well. Yun Shang was happy with the idle time. As for the imperial palace of the state of Xia, she didn''t really want to enter it that often.


    After the seventh day, it was the day that Luo Qingyan joined the army to tame the Ya Clan. The white flower had been removed, and Yun Shang replaced her clothes with a light blue dress. Then she sent Luo Qingyan out.


    As soon as Luo Qingyan left, the mansion became lively instead. The Lady Hua Guo, several aunts and her sisters-in-law often came to visit her. Xia Huanyu''s daughters also came here occasionally to play with her, especially Princess Qian Ling. After that, Princess Qian Ling often took several other princesses here. The youngest prince was a little younger, so he waggled his hands to play with them.


    Yun Shang was quite familiar with the other princesses. She always prepared some snacks when they were free in the mansion for fear that the greedy monkeys would come again one day.


    She didn''t go to the palace for many times. But she went to the empress occasionally. And the empress never mentioned ally with Prince Rui again. Occasionally, Yun Shang went to the Xiang Zhu Palace


    turned to Yun Shang, "all the concubines with sons will be your enemies. Remember that. And be careful. If you are pregnant, you must protect the baby in your belly carefully. Many princes have married, and many of their wives were pregnant. But no one gave birth to any of the kids. "


    Yun Shang was taken aback at Lady Yun''s words. She didn''t expect the princes to plot such a plot to each other. She could understand the fight between them. After all, for the throne, many brothers had hurt each other for the sake of the throne from ancient times. But why did they have to hurt the children of a prince.


    Lady Yun seemed to understand Yun Shang''s puzzlement, she smiled and said, "the crown prince of state Xia, in addition to establishing the direct descendants, the prince''s descendants are also one of the most important standards. Because there is an old saying in the royal family, that only by spreading branches and leaves can the country not collapse. The more sons are born, the prosperous the state of Xia. "


    Lady Yun said indifferently, but Yun Shang clenched her fist in her sleeve while hearing her words.

 Chapter 457 Attending The Banquet (Part One)

    Yun Shang was also somewhat absent-minded when she returned home. Qian Yin looked at her for a long time and finally couldn''t help asking: "Your Highness, what''s wrong? Why are you so upset? "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "how long have I been married to Prince Jing?"


    Qian Yin was surprised. She couldn''t help but take a look at Yun Shang. Then she said with hesitation, "Your Highness, do you forget it? It''s been a year. "


    "It''s been one year..." Yun Shang thought for a while. It had been almost half a year since she and Luo Qingyan came back from Kang Yang. In the past half a year, they had sex with each other, but for the sake of her, nothing happened.


    When she left the State of Ning, her mother had persuaded her to have a baby as soon as possible, but she didn''t pay much attention to it at that time.


    Just now Lady Yun had warned her. If the State of Xia really thought highly of sons, Luo Qingyan had promised that she would be the only one wife in his life, but if that is true, it would be hard for Qingyan to have many children.


    Just as her mother said, if a man wanted to chase the world, many things would not be at his free will. She wondered what Qingyan''s choice would be if Xia Huanyu asks him to choose one between the country and concubinage.


    "Your Highness..." Qian Yin called her again in a low voice. She found that the princess had been absent-minded for a moment, and then stood by without saying anything.


    About an hour later, Yun Shang came to her senses. "You called me just now? What''s the matter? "


    Qian Yin opened her mouth and shook her head, "No." After a pause, she continued, "I just heard that Princess Tai An was released from prison."


    erved Yun Shang for rest. Since the incident of the witch doll, the elder in Prince Rui''s Mansion had been sent away by Yun Shang. Recently, a lot of new servants had been recruited. As soon as the steward was busy, Qian Yin would come to help. She was afraid that the spy was planning something sinister to plant the spy in the garden.


    When she just walked out of the yard, the Butler hurriedly walked over. When he saw Qian Yin, the Butler stopped and asked, "Is Your Highness in her bedroom?"


    Qian Yin nodded, "But she has already gone to bed. What''s the matter?"


    The Butler gave a letter to Qian Yin and said gently, "This is what Mr. Liu Yinfeng asked me to give Your highness, since she have rested, please help me in."


    Qian Yin replied. Then the Butler turned around and left.


    Qian Yin looked down at the letter in her hand, and cast a glance at the yard. Then she went back to the yard, and put the letter on the table in the outer room. She planned to give the letter to Yun Shang when she came back. After sending the letter, Qian Yin went out of the gate of the yard and headed for the yard where the servants lived.

 Chapter 458 Attending The Banquet (Part Two)

    Learning a lesson from the witch doll, the steward was asking the new servants to clean the yard one by one, and didn''t let go of even a corner. Qian Yin stood aside and watched, too. She was busy until it was getting dark.


    When Yun Shang was about to return to the yard, a servant came over with a red invitation card. "Sister Qian Yin, this is an invitation card from the Lord Hua Guo Mansion. He said that he would entertain lady Hua Guo in his mansion the day after tomorrow."


    Qian Yin smiled at the sight of the invitation, "Okay, I''ll send it to you, your highness."


    When Qian Yin returned to the yard with the invitation, Yun Shang had already woken up, leaning against the bed and staring blankly. Qian Yin quickly walked over to her, and said, "Your Highness, the Lord Hua Guo Mansion has sent the invitation card. They said that Lady Hua Guo will entertain her birthday party in the Lord Hua Guo Mansion the day after tomorrow."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She turned around, "The day after tomorrow? Why didn''t anyone tell me about it? " After a pause, she remembered that when she came to the state of Xia just now, the investigation material of the secret guards didn''t mention the birthday of the ladies in the mansion.


    "Do you have any good birthday present?" Yun Shang asked.


    Qian Yin meditated for a moment and said, "When you left the State of Ning, his majesty has also given you many things, all of which are treasures. We''ve brought them together, so we can pick some."


    However, Yun Shang was not satisfied. "Lord Hua Guo''s wife loves prince and me very much. If she only s


    and said, "Lady Hua Guo, Princess Tai An came with several princesses and little prince. They said they were going to celebrate the birthday of Lady Hua Guo."


    Lord Hua Guo''s wife raised her eyebrows and turned around, "really?"


    Then she said to the old ladies with a smile, "My friends also come here often, so you don''t have to be restrained. You can watch whatever you want."


    Prince Chun Xiang''s wife waved her hand and said, "That little fiend is not easy to deal with. Go ahead, we will not blame you for neglect."


    Then Lady Hua Guo held Yun Shang''s hand and led her out of the garden. They walked along a long corridor towards the backyard garden. "These old ladies look old, but they are also outstanding. Most of the well-known families in the Jin city are under their control. It''s good for you to see them. They''re used to bossing people around at home. Posterity always smiled at them, but they didn''t really mean it. If you say something sweet to her, she''ll take you as her granddaughter. But these Ladies sometimes is really hard to deal with. "

 Chapter 459 Imperial Households Strife (Part One)

    Yun Shang meditated for a moment and understood Lady Hua Guo''s meaning. She nodded her head, "I know."


    Lady Hua Guo responded, "but the older they are, and the more minds they have. What they said is not all true, so you have to verify what they said carefully. As for the younger ones who are about the same age as you, some of them are a little older than you. They can''t make decisions at home but act arrogantly in their own yard. They are always thinking about whether their husbands had a new beautiful concubine, whose side concubine was pregnant, and which shop had new make ups. It''s easy for you to get close to them. Just give them what they want. They are not so complex. The words they say are mostly true, but very few of them are of value. "


    Yun Shang replied in a low voice. In her previous life, she had occasionally got together with those women in the backyard. But at that time, she took advantage of her high status and ignored them, she had been so arrogant that she had made them laugh at her and gloated when she was miserable. In this life, because of Prince Jing''s years of military service, she didn''t know much about people in the imperial city and had little chance to have a good chat with those women in the backyards. Although Lady Hua Guo just said a few words, they are the most useful thing she had learned and summarized after her years of life as a wife.


    "Happy to see you, Lady Hua Guo." A maid passed by them and bowed to Lady Hua Guo, and Lady Hua Guo smiled back at the maid and nodded her head.


    Along the long corridor, she saw a lot of people in the garden, including several daughters-in-law and granddaughters in law of Lord Hua Guo''s mans


    close to Yun Shang''s ear carefully and said, "my mother told me that the food she gave should be stored in secret and not eaten."


    Yun Shang was silent for a moment before she whispered to Qian Ling in a low voice, "you have drunk my blood before. My blood is not immune to all poison, but it''s almost the same. It''s not a big deal to eat some of the food she gives. If you don''t eat anything every time, you''re too obvious. Save some each time and eat some. "


    After being poisoned last time, Qian Ling had been obedient to Yun Shang. Hearing this, she nodded her head happily. Then she touched her hair and said: "but I still have to have a word with my mother."


    Yun Shang nodded her head with a smile, "of course you should."


    "What are Lady Rui talking about with Princess Qian Ling?" A woman said with a smile, "this is the first time we meet Lady Rui. We need to have a good chat."


    Yun Shang looked up and saw a lady in rouge and pink looking at her. Before she could say anything, Princess Qian Ling said, "I''m discussing with my sister-in-law what to eat in Prince Rui''s mansion tomorrow. Don''t interrupt."

 Chapter 460 Imperial Households Strife (Part Two)

    The woman was stunned by Princess Qian Ling''s words. She lowered her head and said nothing, considering Princess Qian Ling''s status.


    Yun Shang took a look at Princess Qian Ling and said with a smile, "it''s my fault. Today is grandmother''s birthday. I''m the half host of the banquet. I should entertain every lady politely." Yun Shang smiled and looked at Lady Hua Guo, who was talking to someone else. "It''s just that I just arrived at the state of Xia, so I''m not familiar with all the ladies. I feel a little uneasy, so I''m only talking to Qian Ling."


    That lady heard Yun Shang''s words and replied: "that''s right. We also want to get to know Lady Rui. Lady Rui has such a beautiful face and smooth skin, which makes us very envious. We wonder where you bought your makeup."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised at her words. Thinking of Lady Hua Guo''s words just now, she smiled more brightly. Those young ladies were really interested in these things as Lady Hua Guo said.


    "It''s a coincidence. When I was in the state of Ning, I liked to buy makeup and hairpin from a shop called Qianshui Pavilion. The blushes and powders are exquisite there, so I didn''t feel that my skin is getting worse and worse as they are used. The accessories on the hairpins were always in the most fashionable style and of good design. And they are of good quality as well. I thought I would lose it as soon as I arrived in the state of Xia, and I bought more before I came. But when I passed by the Zhu Que Street the other day, I saw a shop named Qianshui Pavilion too. It''s on the same level with the shop in the State of Ning. " Yun Sha


    to all. We don''t know why she still has the nerve to show up. "


    Yun Shang looked at the woman who was speaking, and then at the woman who was called a seductress. The woman turned to look at her, and sneered in a cold way, "do you have any evidence to prove it''s me who killed the lady and the two kids?"


    "Evidence? Do I have to show you evidence?" Those women all sneered coldly and turned their heads away.


    Yun Shang thought to herself that most wives in the imperial household would hate the concubines who wanted to replace them by all means. Yun Shang smiled and helped the woman stand straight. "You will be put in prison if you accuse others of murder without any evidence."


    Those women had to give in reluctantly after Yun Shang''s words.


    After a while, the guests took their seats. Lady Hua Guo led them to the yard, and sat down. As soon as they took their seats, a sharp voice sounded, "where''s my jade pendant? Where is my jade pendant? " Yun Shang looked up and saw the lady in rouge who spoke to her first a moment ago was looking for her jade pendant.

 Chapter 461 The Murder (Part One)

    Lady Hua Guo frowned and talked with the oldest lady for a while. The lady nodded her head to her, and walked up to that lady. "Young Lady Liu, your jade pendant is missing?"


    The woman quickly answered, "yes, it is missing. How could it disappear in a twinkling of an eye?"


    "What does the jade pendant look like, Young Lady Liu? I''ll ask the servant to look for it. Okay? " The oldest lady of the mansion asked in a gentle tone with a smile.


    "It is a pure white jade pendant, made of very precious warm jade. It was brought back by Qianjue for me from Qin Xi City last month. I hung the jade pendant around my waist. Because I love it very much, I often carry it to my hands to play. It couldn''t be dropped by accident. It must be stolen by someone. " Young Lady Liu answered anxiously, eyes full of worry.


    But her words were not kind. Someone sneered in a mockery way, "it''s just a jade pendant. So what? It''s valuable, yes. But everyone here has a big name in the Jin city. Who will take the jade pendant away? All the jade pillows on my bed are made of warm jade. "


    Young Lady Liu glared at the woman who spoke, but didn''t contradict because of her status. She just said sulkily, "although we are all masters here, not everyone is noble." Then she turned to look at the side lady of Gu Zhaoge. After a pause, she sneered coldly again, "moreover, maybe the master is not in the mood to steal. But I''m not sure about the servants."


    The oldest lady frowned at Young Lady Liu''s words. Servants of the guests were all waited in the outer court except the servants of Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Most of them were servants here. Young Lady Liu was blaming the servant of the mansion for being impudent and stealing her jade pendant.


    o serve as his teacher and he gave all the rewards to the Liu clan. As for Liu Yinfeng, many people in the court knew him because of the emperor''s attitude towards him. If the seventh Prince ascends the throne, Liu Yinfeng will definitely assist him. It will be a good way to win support from the new emperor if the new emperor rewards him himself. "


    Lady Hua Guo stopped at the gate of the yard and said, "his majesty fancies the crown prince publicly, but in fact, many of his majesty''s plots are in secret favorable to the seventh prince."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. She had new appraisal of Lady Hua Guo. When Lord Hua Guo paid his first visit to Prince Jing''s mansion, he told him that his wife knew nothing about military tactics or war, so they had nothing to talk about. At that time, Yun Shang thought Lady Hua Guo was just a virtuous woman who took care of her husband and children in the backyard. To Yun Shang''s surprise, this old lady was even more insightful than she had imagined. Even in the backyard of the mansion, she knew everything. And she also taught carefully her how to entertain those women and get useful information from them.

 Chapter 462 The Murder (Part Two)

    "Don''t waste your time here. It''s not easy for you to get out. Just take a look around." Lady Hua Guo turned around and walked to the yard. But she stopped after a few steps. "I heard you are decorating the Prince Rui''s mansion?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "in fact, I don''t really like the previous decorations. When Prince Rui is not around, I want to think about cleaning up the mansion and decorate it."


    Lady Hua Guo nodded her head, and said softly, "if it''s almost finished, you should throw a small banquet to celebrate it. You just came to the state of Xia not long ago, and I think that you may not know each other very well. But you''ll gradually get familiar with the place, and you have to give yourself a chance to get familiar with it."


    After a short silence, Yun Shang understood what Lady Hua Guo meant. If she wanted to get what she wanted, she should get familiar with the women in the backyard as soon as possible. Holding a banquet was also a good idea to get to know them.


    "I will, grandma. But I''m not good at hosting a banquet before when I was in the State of Ning. And I''m afraid I''ll have to bother you with it then." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    "Give you some advices? Of course! Then I''m looking forward to seeing you often." As Lady Hua Guo waved to her maids, the maid helped her into her chamber.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and walked out of the yard. There was still a bit of noise outside. It must be the servant who was packing up. When Yun Shang was thinking, she saw a little kid poking his head out from the pillar in the back of the c


    instead of her title.


    Yun Shang answered with a smile, "just now when I came out of grandmother''s yard, I saw Yan''er playing here. So I came to have a chat with him. Are you looking for Yan''er, sister-in-law?"


    Lady Shen shook her hand, "No need to call me sister-in-law. I''ll call you Yun Shang, and you can call me Yilan." Then she pinched her son''s ear and continued, "he is so naughty and always walks up and down all day long. Once I turn around, he is already gone."


    While they were talking, an servant hurried over, as if he was heading for the yard where Lady Hua Guo lived. Shen Yilan immediately grabbed the arm of the attendant and said, "Why are you running? Lady Hua Guo is sleeping."


    The attendant hastily stopped, bowed to Shen Yilan, and then bowed to Yun Shang before he said, "Lady Shen, something wrong happened. After Master of the court''s daughter-in-law went out of our mansion, she bled from her nose and mouth in a halfway. The doctor said that she was poisoned. Mister Liu is coming with his servants, making a big fuss."

 Chapter 463 The Trouble Comes (Part One)

    Shen Yilan couldn''t help but frown and asked gently, "is there any other guest who attended today have symptoms of poisoning?"


    The attendant shook his head, "if there were anyone else, I''m afraid they''ve already come to look for trouble, but she''s the only one now."


    "How strange! Everyone else ate what she ate, but why was she the only one who was poisoned just now?" Shen Yilan bit her lips and kept silent for a while before she said, "you can go to report this to Lady Hua Guo." Then she said to the maid who had followed her, "tell the steward to take our mansion''s invitation to Master of the court''s mansion and look for Master of the court. Tell him what happened. If it was the mistake of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, then the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion will not shirk the responsibility. But now the truth is not clear yet, it is not proper for Mr. Liu to make trouble out of nothing."


    The maid nodded her head and left.


    Yun Shang turned around and looked at the lady standing beside her, who was biting her lips and seemed to be thoughtful. Yun Shang thought that although she looked forthright and aggressive, she was quite smart. She deserved to make friends with.


    Then the lady looked down at the boy whose ears were pinched by her, snorted and said to the other maid, "take this boy back and watch him closely. Don''t let him run around again."


    The servant answered yes immediately. She bent down and moved away with Yan''er in her arms.


    Yun Shang was stunned by this. But Shen Yilan pulled her hand and let out a sigh, "that Young Lady Liu is never pleasant. But I don''t know who hated her so much that even poisoned her. The person wanted to poison her then just poison her. It''s


    Shang and took a step back, just blocking Yun Shang tightly from his stare.


    Frowning, Liu Huansheng turned his eyes on Shen Yilan and said, "bitch." Then he shouted loudly, "as you witness, my wife was safe and sound this morning when she went out. She attended a birthday party in the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Before she arrived back home, she was already dead from the bleeding of poison. The birthday party''s meal is poisoned!"


    Shen Yilan frowned and said in a low voice, "this Liu Huansheng is just too disgusting." Then she turned to Liu Huansheng and snorted and said, "if the birthday party of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion is poisonous, then why is only your wife the one poisoned? Nobody else is hurt. Shouldn''t your wife offend someone and be murdered? You slander the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion without any evidence. I won''t be afraid of you even if you make a scene in front of his majesty. " She paused for a moment before she continued, "moreover, your wife has already died, so the dead is most important. But you brought her body to the gate of our mansion and exposed it to the public. Are you doing your dead wife good?"

 Chapter 464 The Trouble Comes (Part Two)

    Looking at the corpse covered with white cloth, the people around all whispered to each other, "even if he suspects the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, he shouldn''t do this. If he sun his wife''s corpse and she can never be reborn." "Yes, Mr. Liu is always a bully. He has done so many bad things. I don''t know what his plan is this time." "What a bad luck for the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion to get involved in this trouble!"


    Given that she knew the importance of the public''s opinion first, Shen Yilan was undoubtedly smart. As Yun Shang was thinking, she caught the familiar figure of Lady Hua Guo appear behind the door. But the door was firmly blocked. If she had not been in the back, she would not have noticed that she was here. Yun Shang looked up and saw Lady Hua Guo just standing there. But she seemed having no intention of coming out.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and didn''t say anything. She just watched what was happening in front of her.


    Being criticized by the public, Liu Huansheng became a little unhappy. "No matter what, my wife died after she came out of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. You have to be responsible for her. Otherwise, don''t blame me for being rude. "


    "Really? What do you think we should do? How will you be rude then? " Shen Yilan snorted in a cold way. She raised her eyebrows and stared at the coquettish man as if she was looking at an idiot, her face full of disdain.


    "Give me 100000 gold as compensation, and give the beauty behind you to me, then I will forgive you. If not, I will spread the news that your Lord Hua Guo''s mansion has poisoned my wife to death. " Liu Hua


    nce Rui''s maternal Grandpa, and we are a family. I felt deeply sorry for what had happened to Young Lady Liu. It was too early to find out the truth and the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion would cooperate with the investigation. If it was related to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, we would not evade the responsibility. But the truth is not clear yet and your son had made a fuss in front of the public. It was also harmful for the reputation of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. If his majesty heard the scandal, he would probably also blame Master of the court for being unable to teach his son well. "


    Liu Jin listened to Yun Shang quietly. When Yun Shang finished, he nodded his head, "I understand what you mean, your highness. I have sent the Ministry of Justice to investigate this matter. After the truth is revealed, I will explain to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. But after all, your highness... "


    Then there came an old and powerful voice, "Shang''er said what I want to say."


    When everyone turned around, they saw Lady Hua Guo walking out of the mansion slowly and steadily.

 Chapter 465 The Funeral (Part One)

    Liu Jin and Lord Hua Guo had always been competing with each other for a lot of things in the court. Although he often attended banquets and saw Lord Hua Guo''s wife for countless times, they didn''t know much about each other, nor did he know what kind of person Lady Hua Guo was. Hearing Lady Hua Guo''s words, Liu Jin remained silent for a moment before he apologized, "I''m so sorry for my son''s nonsense. Please forgive us for that, Lady Hua Guo."


    Lady Hua Guo waved her hand and said, "it''s just a fuss. I don''t care about it. As for the investigation about Young Lady Liu, since you had entrusted Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice with the task, and the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion could not intervene too much. But the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion is also one of the victims. If you have any clue, please inform the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion at once, Master of the court. And I thank you for that in advance. "


    Hearing Lady Hua Guo''s words, Liu Jin promptly answered, "of course we should. Even if her ladyship didn''t say it, we would do the same."


    "Thank you, Master of the court." Lady Hua Guo curtsied to him, and said, "as Young Lady Liu has just died, you must have a lot of things to deal with in the mansion. So I won''t keep you here."


    Hearing this, Liu Jin felt more guilty when he recalled that his wife and his daughter-in-law both came to the birthday party of Lady Hua Guo today. "I''m so sorry to make you bother yourself with such things on your birthday day. I''ll give you a big gift after returning home. I hope you don''t mind." Then he stamped his crutch and turned around to look at Liu Yinfeng. He let out a sigh as if he had grown much older in an instant. "Let''s go."


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng looked away from Yun Shang and nodded his head slightly. He then held L


    es. There is no need for me to bother the investigation. What is the new Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice called, by the way? Li Qianmo? I heard there is something fishy about the guy. He saved the eleventh Prince before, and Lady Shu discovered that he was talented, so she recommended him to the emperor. His majesty thinks highly of him after several meetings. I have inspected him. He is indeed talented, smooth and clever. Now he has been promoted to the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice in less than a year. This is the first time that I have seen this since I have been an official. "


    Nodding his head, Liu Yinfeng replied, "previously the emperor also suspected the identity of that person and had sent dozens of people to investigate him. But nothing special happened. Li Qianmo was from a rich family in the Lin Qi City and is the last disciple of Liu Yunqi, the famous hermit. On a personal visit to Liu Yunqi, I have made a background investigation of him. Li Qianmo is indeed his disciple. He has been studying under his name for nearly six years. Previously, he lived in seclusion with him. A year ago, he was sent by Liu Yunqi to toughen himself in the city. "

 Chapter 466 The Funeral (Part Two)

    Frowning, Liu Jin said, "in that case, he should be a good young man. Why didn''t we see him before the 11th prince? Lady Shu got a lucky chance to get to know him first. And one more powerful counsellor appeared on the 11th Prince''s side."


    After a while, he thought of the son in his house who couldn''t help him at all but caused many trouble for him. He gritted his teeth and said, "Liu Huansheng is too ridiculous this time. After returning home, I must teach him a lesson and forbid him from going out for a year and a half."


    Hearing his words, Liu Yinfeng said nothing again. ''I don''t know how many times Liu Jin has said this. But his wife dotes on her son very much. It won''t be long before she adores her son and let him do whatever he wants to do again, '' he thought. However, this incident is so serious that the seventh Prince must know about it. Now he is not as gentle as he was when he was a student of him anymore. Sometimes Liu Yinfeng felt that he so gloomy that he couldn''t help fearing him. He wondered what the seventh Prince would do when he knew about this.


    When the carriage stopped, Liu Yinfeng opened the door and got out of the carriage first. Then he turned around and helped Liu Jin out of the carriage as well. Because the wife of his son died at the accident, and the door was already hung with a white flag, which was especially eye-catching with white flowers. Liu Jin frowned and looked at it for a long time before he lowered his head and swore, "Damn it!" Then he walked inside with Liu Yinfeng.


    When they just walked


    s as well. Although she claimed that she hated him so much and wanted him to die, Liu Jin had kept her company for her whole life. She was panicked when she saw the accident. She urged her servants, "hurry up..."


    But she just kept shouting but could not even finish what she wanted to say.


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng stood up hastily, "take adopted father to the room and send for a doctor here. Quick!"


    The wife of Liu Jin nodded her head quickly. The servant left immediately after hearing what Liu Yinfeng said. Then the old lady went to the yard with the servant. "We can''t let anyone in this mansion get in trouble again. No accidents should be happening again, we can''t lose them all. What should we do now?"


    This was a mess in the mansion of the Liu clan, and no one was able to make the decision. Liu Yinfeng thought for a moment, and then said, "Go and buy a coffin to collect the body of the young master. Ask the steward to prepare everything, and by the way, tell me what the hell had happened to the young master."

 Chapter 467 The Investigation Result (Part One)

    "After his lordship had a fight with the young master, he ordered some bodyguards to send him back home. But he didn''t expect that young master should send the servants to surround the guards halfway and let the young master take a chance to get rid of them. Young master ran into an alley in a hurry for fear of being caught up by the guards. After the guards got rid of the servants and ran into an alley beside to chase young master, they heard a scream of young master, and then there was a loud noise of "splash". The guards found young master''s shoes by the well and felt uncomfortable, so they jumped into the well quickly and found that young master really fell into the well, but only the shoes that had been saved. When they managed to get the young master out of the well, he has already passed away..."


    "Have the guards found any trace of someone else near the well?" With a frown on his face, Liu Yinfeng asked in a low voice.


    The servant shook his head, "the guards said no."


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng frowned even deeper. He waved his hand and said, "you can leave now."


    A bad foreboding came to Liu Yinfeng''s mind when he saw the servant lift the dead body of Liu Huansheng out of the room. He was afraid that what he guessed in the carriage was true. Although Liu Huansheng was stupid, he couldn''t not see the huge well. Someone must have done it on purpose. With the prestige of the Liu clan in the city, who wants to do harm to Liu Huansheng needs to weigh the pros and cons. It must be the seventh prince who did this. No one else. What was worse, the seventh Prince acted more quickly and maliciously than he had thought. What would Liu Jin''s response be if he knew that it was the seventh prince who killed his son after he woke up.


    Meanwhile, a group of people who were discussing what had happened at the gate of


    does it have to do with Liu Huansheng''s death?"


    Yun Shang let out a soft sigh. "Judging from the fact that the seventh Prince dared to kill his brother, he is not that uninterested in the throne as everyone imagined. On the contrary, he has a strong desire to take that position. I''ve investigated the seventh Prince''s reputation among people and they all thought he was a good man. He is just a prince who is weak, but he has such a good reputation. He must have made great efforts to earn it. However, his uncle Liu Huansheng was an expert on eating, drinking, gambling and frequenting the brothels. Besides, he often offended a lot of people because of his social status, and his reputation was extremely bad. He is the uncle of the seventh prince. He must have done something bad in the name of the seventh prince''s uncle. How long do you think the seventh prince will tolerate him? "


    Shen Yilan was suddenly enlightened, "You are right! The seventh prince just thinks that his uncle is still under his tolerance before, but this incident is really too big, and it''s related to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. So the seventh prince really can''t stand it this time, so he decided to solve it and solve it once and for all?"

 Chapter 468 The Investigation Result (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded her head : "this time is the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion he offended. Who knows that the next time he will provoke the one sitting on a throne in the palace or not? The seventh prince would rather uproot it than make it a thorn in his heart. "


    "But did the seventh prince offend the Liu clan in this way?" Shen Yilan frowned and felt a little confused again.


    Before Yun Shang could say anything, Hua Kang held Shen Yilan in his arms and said, "although the Liu clan holds the position of having a Master of the court, but Liu Jin is not talented. In fact, the Liu clan could be in their position now thanks to the seventh prince. In the past, the seventh prince thought that he still needed the support of the Liu clan, but now he had enough power and felt that the Liu clan was ready to be abandoned by him. However, the Liu clan must attach themselves to the seventh prince. After all, except for the seventh prince, they only have an adopted son, Liu Yinfeng. "


    Hearing this, Shen Yilan trembled and let out a sigh, "I don''t know whether the throne is a good position or not. For the throne, they can even give up everything."


    Lady Hua Guo also sighed. She looked a little tired and said, "I don''t want to know how Liu Huansheng died. I''m afraid that the seventh prince would blame our mansion. Since his lordship is out, we are the only people in the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. This is the best time to deal with us. If the seventh prince wants to take action now, the death of Young Lady Liu will be the best chance. "


    Hearing this, everyone was silent for a long time.


    Lady Hua Guo''s guess was right. In less th


    hu who was helping behind his back. Lady Shu only wanted to cultivate him as her confidant so that he could assist the 11th prince in the future, but her scheme was doomed to fail now." Ning Qian put on her clothes and sat in front of the mirror, letting Qian Xiao comb her hair for her.


    "I''ll call Li Qianmo in later to investigate this case and see what it is going on." Ning Qian said in a low voice, "I will inform you as soon as I get any news."


    Yun Shang nodded her head and exhorted, "if lady Shu has that intention, don''t let her see your relationship with Li Qianmo, or else all your preparation will be ruined."


    Ning Qian replied yes with a gentle smile, "Lady Shu has no time to think about anything else. His majesty hasn''t been to lady Shu''s palace for more than a month ever since the matter of the Ya Clan, and she is now trying every means to regain his Majesty''s favor. But she was born in a noble clan in the Ya Clan, and her parents also had a very high reputation in the Ya Clan. This time, it might be difficult for her to regain his majesty''s favor this time. "

 Chapter 469 The Mystery Is Not Solved (Part One)

    "The Ya Clan?" Yun Shang suddenly raised her eyes to look at Ning Qian. "You mean lady Shu is from the Ya clan?"


    Ning Qian nodded her head, "yes, she is. The Ya clan is located in a remote place with mountains and forests, and it is a very poor area in the state of Xia. That''s why she was sold by her parents to be a maid in the palace. Her parents were just ordinary people in the Ya clan before, but because of her favor by the emperor, they gradually established a prestige in the clan. However, it''s somewhat strange. Because of Lady Shu, the emperor has taken good care of the Ya clan and the Ya clan is getting better and better. But somehow it is in chaos now. "


    Yun Shang''s heart sank at her words. After a long silence, she asked, "what kind of person do you think lady Shu is?"


    Ning Qian tilted her head, thought for a while, and answered, "Lady Shu was not in good health. She rarely appeared in public. She has only been seen by me three times since I entered the palace. I have also curiously asked some old maids about lady Shu. They said that she was a very gentle woman. Lady Shu used to be the empress'' personal maid. Most of the servants in the empress'' palace were more or less arrogant. Lady Shu, however, was an amiable and sensible woman. She treated everyone nicely. Even after she became lady Shu, she was always gentle and polite to the servants and concubines. Therefore, even if the empress dislikes lady Shu, Lady Shu has never been cold to anyone in the imperial household. And the people all respected her. Even in the most difficult time, the servants in the Lady Shu''s palace are all receiving the same treat as the maids in other palaces. "


    "A woman like


    en if he wanted to.


    All the evidences were clear. Yun Shang sneered coldly. She suspected that the evidence was too clear to be true. There must be something fishy about this.


    Yun Shang knocked slightly on the armrest of her chair and stood up. "It has nothing to do with Prince Rui''s mansion at all, and it''s not convenient for me to show up, but I have to go to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion now. Now the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion and the prince rui''s mansion are on the same team. It''s likely that someone wants to attack the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion first to get rid of Prince Rui''s biggest helper, since I am in the Jin City, I will never allow such a thing to happen."


    To her surprise, Lady Hua Guo wasn''t anxious at all. She ordered the servants to serve Yun Shang some fruit tea in a leisure way and then said with a smile, "The Lord Hua Guo''s mansion haven''t been in those disputes for many years. I thought that the spies in the servants have been withdrawn. I didn''t expect that there are still some. But it''s good that we got rid of one for now."


    "Grandma, aren''t you feel anxious at all?" Yun Shang asked softly.

 Chapter 470 The Mystery Is Not Solved (Part Two)

    "What''s the use in being anxious? I heard that it is a servant of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion who had something to do with it? I would like to see how he could burn the fire to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion using only a servant. " Lady Hua Guo said softly.


    Yun Shang gradually calmed herself down at her words. "But we can''t sit still and wait for death. I have my hands on the matter of the Ministry of Justice. Now the corpse of Young Lady Liu is still in the corpse room. I''ll have someone check her up again to see if there''s anything new about her body."


    Hearing this, Lady Hua Guo''s smile deepened. "His lordship praised you to me after he came back. He said that the best fortune for Qingyan is to marry you. Although you are a princess, you are gentle and kind. Besides, you are not like an ordinary lady who only knew the four arts, such as lyre playing, chess, calligraphy, and embroidering. I''ve heard about the battles in the KY City and the Jingyang City. Many generals of the state of Xia also think highly of you, and we are relieved to have you help Qingyan. "


    Yun Shang was surprised. A smile emerged on her lips after that. "Grandmother made a mistake. It''s my pleasure and luck to have Prince Rui."


    On the way back to Prince Rui''s mansion, she happened to meet Liu Yinfeng. Yun Shang didn''t know who was outside the carriage, but Liu Yinfeng stopped Yun Shang''s carriage.


    "Your Highness, Mister Liu wants to see you." The coachman said loudly outside.


    Yun Shang was surprised at that. She asked Qian Yin to open the door, and saw Liu Yinfeng standing outside the carriage. She looked around, and saw a crowd of people, because they were in the downtown.


    Yun Shang frowne


    the letter as the Lady Hua Guo had sent us the invitation to the birthday party. I completely forgot to tell you. I suddenly remember it when I heard Mister Liu ask about his highness today. "


    Yun Shang frowned at her words. As far as she knew, Liu Yinfeng wouldn''t bother to ask the butler to hand over the letter to her if there was nothing more important. And the letter must have something to do with the prince Rui''s going to the Ya clan, as he suddenly stopped her carriage and asked her two questions out of nowhere.


    "Ask the servant who is in charge of cleaning here to check if she have seen the letter." Yun Shang turned around and told Qian Yin.


    Qian Yin hurriedly responded and went out.


    After a short while, Qian Yin returned to Yun Shang''s room with a more serious frown on her face. "The maid who cleaned the outer room told me that she had saw the letter on the ground, not on the desk. Since the letter was not put on the table, it was probably left on the ground by wind. She thought the letter was a thing that your highness didn''t want, so she cleaned it up. I''m afraid the letter can''t be found now."

 Chapter 471 The Meeting (Part One)

    Yun Shang became more interested in the content of the letter that Liu Yinfeng sent to her. She kept silent for a moment and said, "send a letter to a small yard in the city. Arrange a meeting with Mr. Liu at the Long Feng Tower at noon tomorrow."


    Qian Yin knew it was her fault this time, and felt a little guilty in her heart. So she quickly responded, "yes, I''ll arrange it right away."


    The Long Feng Towerwas one of the most famous restaurants in the Jin City with a history of hundreds of years. The dishes there tasted good, and it was worth mentioning that the Long Feng Tower was located in the suburbs of the city, with a large private courtyard hidden between the bamboo and peach trees.


    Yun Shang dressed up as an ordinary lady, wearing a veil cap, and took a carriage from the back door to the Long Feng Tower with two maids who seldom appeared in front of others.


    The private room was called Juan Zhu Lian. There was a peach blossom forest around it. When they walked in, they found that the decoration was very distinctive. There was even no walls, only layers of bead curtains covered the sight around.


    Liu Yinfeng was already waiting for her in the private room. Seeing Yun Shang, he raised his head and smiled at her. Then he stood up and called, "A Yun."


    Yun Shang greeted him gently and sat down opposite him. A waiter came over and asked Liu Yinfeng, "may I serve the dishes now?"


    Liu Yinfeng made no answer but looked up at Yun Shang. Yun Shang smiled slightly and nodded her head to the waiter. The waiter said yes and took his leave.


    In a short while, a woman in pink walked slowly towards them with a tray in her hands. She placed the dishes on the table with a faint peach blossom fragrance between her actions.


    "A Yun has just arrived at the Jin City, but


    ring this, Liu Yinfeng paused slightly, and the smile in his eyes faded away immediately. "Well..." He sounded disappointed.


    Yun Shang didn''t know why Liu Yinfeng acted like this, but she also fixed her eyes on him. Liu Yinfeng let out a sigh in his heart and felt that as if he had eaten a bitter fruit, a burst of bitterness slowly spreading in the bottom of his heart.


    "Do you know lady Shu''s family background?" Liu Yinfeng asked, picked up the cup on the table and stopped looking at Yun Shang.


    "Lady Shu?" Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown, "I didn''t know her identity before, but two days ago when I came to the palace, I talked about it with Lady Xiang. Does it have something to do with Lady Shu?"


    Liu Yinfeng nodded his head slowly, "be careful of Lady Shu. She has waited for the emperor for quite a long time to be in the position she was now and desired power more than anyone of us. Lady Shu''s parents were of great importance in the Ya clan. Although lady Shu said that the head of the Ya clan had grounded her parents after the rebellion, that was not the case. I dare not say that lady Shu secretly instigated the riot, but her parents have never been under house arrest. "

 Chapter 472 The Meeting (Part Two)

    "But, apparently, the rebellion happened before we came to the state of Xia," Yun Shang frowned. She felt like she had missed something very important.


    "To be exact, it happened after the crown prince died." Liu Yinfeng took a sip of tea, and there was a hint of darkness in his eyes. "Lady Shu has the eleventh prince, and he is now eighteen years old. The Grand Tutor told me that the eleventh prince is smart and knows a lot, but his mother didn''t come from a rich family, so he is often looked down upon by others. Moreover, he has a few elder brothers ahead of him. Although the eleventh prince is an adult now, many things in the court are not up to him. He has no chance even if he wants to make a difference. "


    A thought suddenly flashed in Yun Shang''s mind. Her eyes suddenly lit up after hearing his words. "That''s why lady Shu sent her people to make the riot. She actually wanted to give the eleventh prince a chance to show his majesty his ability. The Ya clan was lady Shu''s mother clan, and since the crown prince was gone, it was reasonable for the eleventh prince to plead the emperor for taming the rebellion in the name of Lady Shu. At that time, the Ya clan would be suppressed by the eleventh prince. At that time, no matter whether his Majesty would reward him or not, the court would be able to see the eleventh Prince''s ability. Then, it will be reasonable to recommend the eleventh prince to have a position in the court."


    The corners of Liu Yinfeng''s mouth curled up into a smile. He n


    ted. Even the women in the backyard are likely to be spies for someone. "


    Yun Shang paused, not knowing why Liu Yinfeng suddenly said this to her, but she still said gently, "thank you." Then Yun Shang turned around and walked out after the maid had lifted the crystal curtain.


    Liu Yinfeng produced a forced smile and let out a series of sighs, "I just made a cocoon and get myself caught." Then he knocked on his own head and said, "it seems that she likes the shrimp very much just now. I will ask someone to send it to her everyday."


    While they were talking to each other, a servant ran to them. He lifted the curtain and entered the room. He looked around the room and made sure he didn''t see anyone else. Then he said to Liu Yinfeng, "master, something bad happened. The seventh prince went to the Liu mansion just now and was knocked out by his lordship and her lordship with a stick. Her lordship also said that she didn''t allow the seventh prince to enter the gate of the Liu mansion anymore."

 Chapter 473 Beautys Request (Part One)

    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng frowned and gave a brittle laugh. "He thinks himself a clever man, but doesn''t he know the current situation clearly? Does he still think the Liu clan was still the Liu clan fifteen years ago? If he forbids the seventh prince to enter the door of the Liu clan forever, in less than a year, the Liu clan will disappear in the Jin City. " After saying this, Liu Yinfeng let out a sigh and said, "it would be great if Yinyin was still alive."


    "Then, Mister..." The servant didn''t understand why his master was in such a rage. He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "are we going back to the Liu clan now?"


    "For what?" With a frown on his face, Liu Yinfeng patted his clothes and said, "Now Liu Huansheng has died. The two of them always fight like cannon fodder. A little spark can light them so much. Why should I go back to look for this bad luck?" Then he walked to the door, opened the bead curtains and walked outside.


    After coming out of the Long Feng Tower, Yun Shang ordered a carriage to go to the palace gate. Her mind was in a mess and she wanted to ask Xia Huanyu if what Liu Yinfeng said was true or not. Why didn''t he tell her about it if it was true?


    "Here we are, your highness." There came the coachman''s voice from outside. Yun Shang responded softly and kept silent in the carriage. After a long time, she opened her mouth, "let''s go back to the mansion."


    The coachman was stunned but still nodded his head. Then he turned around and headed for the mansion.


    As soon as they entered the gate, Yun Shang was stopped by a maid. "Your Highness, a guest has come. Sister Qian Yin led her to the garden hall."


    Yun Shang frowned and asked, "who is it?"


    The maid thought for a while and said, "I heard that Q


    are definitely going to find something in it. "


    Yun Shang was taken aback by the information. She raised her hand to touch the Jade Butterfly hairpin on her head, and smiled. "Lady Gu, do you know what the consequences your words will bring to your husband?"


    Nuxi''s face became even paler. She then said with a wry smile, "of course I know the consequences that will bring him. It is my own fault for not seeing him clear. I''ve mistaken him before. When I first knew him, I knew he had a wife, and I didn''t intend to get involved with him. But after drinking that day, something that shouldn''t have happened happened. He said that I couldn''t control my feelings, and I forced him to have sex with me when he was drunk. And I believed it. At that time, I thought he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I thought although it was not my original intention, since things have come to this way, I would let him welcome me into his mansion. I love him with all my heart. I don''t care about his social status. I''m willing to be with him no matter what. But after he picked up the old Lady Gu and his kids in his mansion, he exposed his true colors to me. "

 Chapter 474 Beautys Request (Part Two)

    Yun Shang took the tea cup from Qian Yin, and put it in her palm.


    "It is said that I am a sinister woman who want to be the legal wife of my husband, so I tried every means to murder his old wife and young kids. I didn''t get the position of his wife but a side lady, so people all thought I deserved it. But no one knows what the truth is. " Tears welled up in Nuxi''s eyes, and her face paled even more. "I didn''t know why his first wife and his kids died before. I thought it was just an accident. Once, I heard something that I shouldn''t have heard. Then I knew the truth."


    "Oh? What is it?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "the truth?"


    Nuxi nodded her head fiercely, gnashing her teeth, "yes, the truth. That night, he thought I was sleeping soundly, so he quietly went out of the room. A moment later, a voice came from the courtyard. I was a little surprised, so I got up and moved close to the door, listening to it. A man dressed in black praised him for his good job. He said, ''a real man will never love a woman who will get in the way of his career. It''s a good deal to trade his wife and kids'' life for wealth and status.'' He even said he would marry his master''s daughter to my husband one day. "


    Recalling what had happened that night, Nuxi trembled, and answered in a trembling voice, "I was so scared. I heard my husband say that the man don''t need to worry. Everyone believes that it was me who I killed his wife and kids out of love and hatred


    But don''t worry. Now that I have promised you, I won''t break my promise. You go back first and stay with him as usual. Don''t eavesdrop in the middle of the night from now on, or you will be in danger if he finds out about it. I will consider how to deal with it carefully. If I get any news, I will send someone to inform you. "


    Hearing this, Nuxi quickly kowtowed to Yun Shang several more times, and said, "thank you, your highness."


    Yun Shang helped her up and whispered, "I like your temperament. Don''t worry. A good girl like you must have a good ending."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Nuxi was stunned for a moment. Then she smiled bitterly and said, "I don''t ask for any good ending. I just hope to get out of that evil man''s control. Thank you for your help, your highness. "


    After sending off Lady Gu, Yun Shang went back to her room. She raised her eyes to Qian Yin, "You have heard what that Lady Gu said. Is she telling the truth or not, in your opinion?"

 Chapter 475 The Love In Your Heart (Part One)

    Qian Yin rolled her eyes and thought for a moment, "I think that it seems true, but I''m afraid it''s not the whole story. As she says, if it was true, then Gu Zhaoge was too careless. Why was it so easy to be eavesdropped when they were talking about matters that important? And with a coincidence, she happened to eavesdrop on the affair about the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion."


    "You''ve grown up a lot, Qian Yin." Yun Shang looked askance at Qian Yin, and curled up her lips into a smile. But when she thought of Luo Qingyan, she stopped smiling. She lte out a sigh and told Qian Yin what she had talked with Liu Yinfeng today. When Qian Yin heard the letter she had forgotten had been written with such an important thing, she jumped and cried. "What should we do now? It''s all my fault!"


    Qian Yin bit her lower lip and turned to Yun Shang, "why don''t your highness go to the palace and ask his majesty? Do you want me to take some people to the Ya clan for search? "


    Yun Shang gave a wry smile, "there is one thing I often forget, which is his highness'' current identity. Prince Rui is my husband, but he is the son of the emperor as well. If something really happens, I and the emperor are the most anxious ones. But the Emperor didn''t tell me about it, so there must be two reasons. One is that Prince Rui is doing well, and the other is that the emperor and his highness don''t want me to worry about him. Anyway, I shouldn''t have questioned the emperor for that. "


    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "when I just heard of this, I was anxious to go to the Ya clan immediately to see what happened to Prince Rui. But when I calm down and think


    jade pendant poisoned? It was not easy for the person to poison the jade pendant with so many people present when the jade pendant was handed over to Young Lady Liu. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "your conjecture is reasonable. But if Young Lady Liu was poisoned by the poison after the servant gave it to her, why did they have to take the jade pendant off her body by all means? It would be less eye-catching if they directly poison her. "


    Qian Yin was a straightforward person. She was not good at analyzing those complex things. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, her eyebrows were almost knotted. She bit her lips and looked at Yun Shang. "But the previous two ways cannot make sense. And that kind of poison must be directly exposed in the contact. Now we have to clarify the poison. Your highness, tell me, how was Young Lady Liu poisoned?"


    Yun Shang was amused by her funny expression. She thought for a while and said, "the person who poisoned her must have put the poison after Young Lady Liu''s jade pendant was lost."


    "What?" Qian Yin was stunned. "Why are you so sure, your highness?"

 Chapter 476 The Love In Your Heart (Part Two)

    "The poison''s name is dark head. In fact, it needs to be taken orally, so that servant put it in the tea cup originally. But in fact, it''s not the case. The poison was supposed to be on the jade pendant, and by touching it, she shouldn''t have been poisoned. But the person who poisoned her should know her very well, knowing that the jade pendant was a gift from Liu Huansheng. She values it very much, so she often holds it in her hands and thinks about it. " Yun Shang said peacefully.


    "A servant of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion found it and sent the jade pendant to her after it was lost. He didn''t have any feelings for the jade pendant. He just took it. In fact, he was poisoned, too. It was so light that we didn''t even know it. When you mentioned the poison just now, I suddenly remembered the day when Liu Huansheng came to make trouble, I and Shen Yilan saw the servant who had found the jade pendant seemed to have a diarrhea. He looked pale. I didn''t pay much attention to it at that time. But now I remember, it was just a sign of being slightly poisoned. "


    Qian Yin bit her lip and pondered, "this matter seems to be difficult to find out."


    Yun Shang seemed to have remembered something, and her mind was in a trance. After a long time, she answered, "not completely. First of all, the person who poisoned her must be the one in the yard that day. No one else had the chance to poison her. Secondly, the person who poisoned her knew Young Lady Liu well, at least they knew where the jade pendant came from. You can ask people to investigate them, and then choose one by one from these two directions. First, you have to narrow the sc


    She took the brocade handkerchief from Qian Yin, and wiped the sweat off her face. "Luckily, it''s just a dream."


    After such a farce, Yun Shang couldn''t fall asleep, so she told Qian Yin, "I''m sweating. Fetch some water for me. I''ll take a bath and go to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion later."


    Qian Yin looked out at the darkening sky, "it''s getting late."


    "It doesn''t matter. Although I don''t trust completely what Nuxi said, I think it''s the best to be on guard. I''ll ask grandmother to check it out, in case something bad happens." Yun Shang stood up and looked out of the window. "It''s getting hotter and hotter..."


    Qian Yin paused before she said, "I''ll have someone get some ice cubes for you, your highness. The state of Xia is indeed hotter than the state of Ning. No wonder your highness is unable to sustain the heat."


    Yun Shang''s eyes were a little unfocused. After a long while, she muttered, "it''s said that the Ya clan is also very hot there, and there''s no rain all year round."


    It took Qian Yin a while to understand that the princess must be worried about the prince.

 Chapter 477 A Person Who Stopped Her On the Road (Part One)

    "Lady Gu?" With a frown, Shen Yilan shook her fan, looked at Yun Shang and said, "her reputation is not too good. Although there are some rumors, they might not be true in my opinion. But as the saying goes, if there is rumors, there might be some truths. Even if the rumors were partly false, it was a little true. Lady Gu is definitely not as innocent as you think she is. She was born in a middle-class family. However, she was a daughter of a concubine, and her mother also died, so she was bullied a lot in her family. It''s not a good marriage if she marries Gu Zhaoge as his side lady. It''s better than being arranged casually by her stepmother. I heard that her stepmother wanted to renew her marriage with a 50-year-old man before. "


    "So that''s how it is." Yun Shang took a tumble and asked, "if so, why did she ask me to save her from her husband?"


    As soon as Shen Yilan saw a maid enter the room with a plate of iced fruit, she took a set of crystal clear grapes from the fruit tray and handed them to Yun Shang, smiling. "Have a try. They are fresh and just arrived the Jin City. I''ve asked someone to bring some ice cubes here. They are ready for eating now. "


    Yun Shang took them and Shen Yilan continued, "maybe her life isn''t as perfect as she thought, or maybe she has been associated with someone else, or maybe her husband havs found a new woman to marry as his wife, or maybe the woman he wants to marry is a woman who is not easy to deal with, or maybe what she told you is true. But no matter what has happened, I advise you to keep a distance from Jiang Nuxi. If you have a chance to make use of her, then just do it. If it doesn''t work, you''d better ke


    , but she didn''t see Lady Hua Guo at all. Moreover, she was told something by Shen Yilan that would make her blush after recalling, and even on the way back home, there was a slight blush on her face.


    Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang and grinned evilly. "Your Highness, what did lady Shen say to you?"


    Yun Shang snorted and gave her a stare. She let out a sigh, "why do you, an unmarried girl, ask about this? I''ll talk to Luo Yi for you when he''s back, and ask him when he will marry you. I can''t stand you like this anymore. "


    Hearing this, Qian Yin apologized, but her face turned red. Yun Shang knew what was going on from her blushing face. A vague smile appeared on her face. Just as they were laughing, the carriage stopped all of a sudden.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown. They left the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion for less than fifteen minutes, so they should haven''t arrived yet. "Coachman, what happened?"


    The coachman didn''t answer, but another man said in a low voice, "I ran into Lady Rui''s carriage by the way. I''m very glad to meet you here, sister-in-law. How are you recently, sister-in-law?"

 Chapter 478 A Person Who Stopped Her On the Road (Part Two)

    Yun Shang frowned and clenched her hands slightly when she heard the voice. She beckoned Qian Yin to open the door of the carriage with a smile. She looked outside and saw a carriage, which was also parked in the middle of the road. The seventh Prince stood outside the carriage and looked at Yun Shang with a smile.


    "It turns out to be the seventh prince." Yun Shang smiled as well. She knew that there were no people on the road, as it was already dark at that moment. Thus, he behaved boldly. "I''m all right recently. Thank you for your concern, seventh prince."


    The man who was standing under the carriage smiled more brilliantly. Under the light of the horseback lamp, he looked a little weird. "Has my brother sent any message to my sister-in-law recently? I''m worried about his situation. "


    "His Highness has been leading the army outside, so he can''t have too much concern about me. I''ve told his highness before that he doesn''t need to worry too much in the mansion and don''t need to send me letters if there''s nothing important. A battle is not a child''s play. You used to fight in the state of Ning before, but as you''re just a commander in the camp, you can only run the command well in the camp. No wonder you don''t know how busy the people who rush in front of the battles are." Yun Shang knew the seventh prince was here to seek information about his highness, so she straightened up with a straight face, showing no emotions.


    "So that''s how it is." The seventh prince glanced at Yun Shang. A playful look flashed through his eyes, and he quickly covered it up. He said, "it''s said that sister-in-law is extremely beautiful. I haven''t looked at you carefully before. Today, w


    shing her teeth, Yun Shang went to bed. The next day, she was woken up by Qian Yin. Qian Yin said to Yun Shang with her clothes, "Your Highness, early in the morning, Field Marshal Mr. Su took a group of people to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. They said that someone had snitched on them and said that there are disobedient things in the mansion."


    "Field Marshal?" Yun Shang immediately sobered up and had a frown on her face. "Even he is the Field Marshal, how could he search the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion like this? What''s going on now? "


    Qian Yin answered, "just now a secret guard told me that several young masters and Ladies blocked him from entering. Fortunately, Lady Hua Guo rode a horse and came back. Now she is on her way to the palace to see his majesty."


    Yun Shang''s eyes flashed coldness when she heard the words, "It is the Field Marshal, right? How dare he make grandmother to ride a horse back regardless of her health. Let''s go to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Since the status of the young masters and ladies is not enough, I have to support grandmother there. We will wait for his Majesty''s opinion there. "

 Chapter 479 The Trap (Part One)

    The Field Marshal, Su Qi, was the father of the empress, Su Ruji. Yun Shang leaned against the wall of the carriage and thought to herself, ''is it possible that the person Jiang Nuxi said who has been behind Gu Zhaoge to be the Field Marshal?'' Or, was it the empress?


    When they arrived at the gate of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, Yun Shang saw many soldiers surrounding the mansion, and many of the people of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion were standing at the gate, staring intensely at the Field Marshal who was sitting on a chair at the gate and drinking tea leisurely. Yun Shang gave a brittle laugh and got off the carriage. She said with a smile, "how carefree you are, Field Marshal. How can you serve tea in front of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion with your soldiers at such an early hour. But it''s a little hot today. It feel comfortable at this hour. I''m afraid the heat will be hotter for you to bear after the sun comes out. "


    On hearing this, Su Qi turned to Yun Shang with a flash of disdain in his eyes, "I''m not here for tea. A servant of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion came to report that there is evidence of treachery in the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. I''m here to protect the evidence from being destroyed. You''d better not meddle in it for you are a woman. "


    "Really?" Yun Shang walked to the gate slowly and comforted those people who were emotionally excited in the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. She turned around and said, "maybe I''m not familiar with the law of the state of Xia. I didn''t know that you, Field Marshal, have the right to search the mansion of the No. 1 courtiers?"


    "Lady Rui, please mind your words. Have you ever seen me searching the mansion? I''m just afraid that the evidence will be destr


    woman. If Su Qi cared too much about it, he would lose.


    Yun Shang was not just kidding. She quickly asked Qian Yin to send some people to surround the mansion of the Field Marshal. She also prepared a message and let the secret guard take her token into the palace to his majesty.


    As Su Qi sat outside the door, Yun Shang and the people from the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion sat with him. After seeing the situation, Shen Yilan knew what Yun Shang was thinking. She ordered a maid to bring some fruit from ice cubes and put them in front of the door. And there were also several pots of ice flowerpots in front of the door. Even the sun gradually rose, they did not feel hot. As a maid was fanning ice with a fan, the cool wind came incessantly.


    Shen Yilan saw that as the sun was shining on Su Qi, sweat started to trickle down his forehead. Shen Yilan was even happier. She took Yun Shang''s hand and whispered, "I thought I was the one who knows how to be unreasonable, but I did not expect that you could be like this when you are angry. Even you looked gentle and soft, but you still have a hot temper underneath. I''m really impressed."

 Chapter 480 The Trap (Part Two)

    Yun Shang also smiled and said gently, "Well, after all, I was a princess in the state of Ning. As a princess, I can be willful and unreasonable as I want to be."


    "If you were willful, there will be no women who are gentle and virtuous." Shen Yilan''s loud laughter attracted Su Qi''s attention. Seeing this, Shen Yilan stuck out her tongue at Su Qi and turned to Yun Shang and talked to her again. Instead of rouge and powder, Shen Yilan was more interested in weapons. Yun Shang knew a little about them and had a nice conversation with her.


    As the sun grew brighter, Su Qi wiped the sweat on his face. He stared at Yun Shang and sneered, "as the wife of Prince Rui, you are here to make a show. How shameless!"


    Yun Shang smiled at him, ignored him and chatted with Shen Yilan alone.


    After more than two hours, several horses galloped towards them. Everyone looked up and saw several eunuchs dismount from the horses. Su Qi gave a cold smile at them. With assurance, he looked at Yun Shang and the people of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion behind her and then he got up to meet the eunuchs. "Mr. Lin, has the imperial edict arrived?"


    The eunuch nodded his head and whispered to Su Qi, "master, we failed. His majesty is asking you to go to the imperial palace with Lady Rui. "


    When Su Qi heard that, his face suddenly changed. He clenched his hands into fists in his sleeves. After a long while, he asked, "what happened?"


    Before the eunuch could answer, Yun Shang said slowly, "Mr. Lin, what are you whispering to master Su? Did his majesty issue an imperial edict? If there is an imperial edict for us, it will be against the rules if you only tell Master Su about it.


    as so many soilders he could use in his hands. After all, the army is of great importance for our state. In my opinion, Field Marshal Su''s safety is of great importance as well, and we must protect him well. If Field Marshal Su is taken advantage of by the evildoers and committed a rebellion, it will be a fatal blow to the state of Xia. After all, except for your Majesty''s own guards, all the soldiers in the state of Xia are obedient to his orders. Field Marshal Su can order the army to besiege the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion today, or perhaps he can order the army to besiege the Imperial Palace tomorrow. Am I right?"


    Yun Shang knew that she must beat Su Qi at his weakest point. Yun Shang''s father was the emperor too, so she knew exactly what the emperor was afraid of the most. It was a taboo for the power to be too centered. Many people might understand it, but no one ever gave Xia Huanyu such a point of view.


    "Nonsense!" Su Qi was absolutely anxious after he heard Yun Shang''s words. He pounded on the table, stood up and knelt down suddenly. "Your Majesty, I have no intention of plotting against you."

 Chapter 481 A Letter From The Ya Clan

    Xia Huanyu took a glance at Yun Shang and turned the jade ring on his thumb without saying anything. No one knew what he was thinking about.


    Yun Shang smiled. "What are you doing, Master Su? I didn''t say that you wanted to rebel. I just thought that since everyone had doubts about each other and they didn''t have any real evidence, then why not search both our mansions? Master Su, what do you think? Anyway, you don''t have to be afraid if you don''t want to rebel, right? "


    Yun Shang''s words were actually a bit childish, but because of what she said just now, Xia Huanyu was silent for a moment after hearing her words. Then he turned to look at Su Qi, who was kneeling on the ground, and said lightly, "what do you think about it?"


    Su Qi was taken aback and remained speechless for a long while before he realized what Xia Huanyu was talking about. His heart missed a beat. His majesty didn''t contradict her and she was being unreasonable. Did his majesty really suspect him because of the woman''s words?


    After thinking for a long time, Su Qi gnashed his teeth and whispered, "it''s all my fault. Lord Hua Guo is an important official of the state of Xia. I should not have acted so recklessly and searched their mansion."


    Yun Shang smiled, "you are right." However, in her mind, she was thinking that most of the officials of the court are afraid of Xia Huanyu to search their mansions.


    Xia Huanyu glanced at the three of them and said, "you three are also goofing around, and the south is now full of crises. Each of you, donate 10000 silvers for the country. You hear me?"


    Since Xia Huanyu insisted on his decision, they had no choice but to obey him. "Your Majesty, of course!" they shouted, and flung themselves out of the palace in dejection.


    The three of them walked out of the palace. Su Qi gave Yun Shang a ferocious stare, and then went on the horse. Yun Shang didn''t care much about it. She held Lady Hua Guo on the carriage, and climbed on the carriage herself.


    "Su Qi is a narrow-minded man. You shouldn''t get involved in this. Now Prince Rui''s mansion still doesn''t have a firm foothold in the court. If it is suppressed by the empress and the


    un Shang''s sleeve and whispered, "Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang came to her senses. Her lips were pale as she felt her heart was tied tightly by a strip of cloth. She gasped, "I want to pay a visit to the Ya clan."


    Qian Yin had already known that Yun Shang would have made the choice as she had read the letter. So she wasn''t surprised at the decision. She just said softly, "but the situation in Jin city is not so good. As for what happened in the palace..."


    Yun Shang was not in the mood to think about it. She said in a trance, "I''ll write two letters, one for the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion and the other for Ning Qian. You go to the Ya clan with me. Qian Yin, I can''t sit still..."


    Qian Yin had seldom seen Yun Shang behave like this, so she quickly said, "don''t worry, your highness. His highness is quite powerful. He will be fine."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, but her expression was still scowling. She frowned and said, "the Ya clan is located in a remote place with many forests and various drugs. As a result, even though the place is poor, few people dare to bully the Ya clan. I should have gone with his highness. I am immune to poisons, his highness... "


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang hurried to write down a big piece of paper and gave it to Qian Yin. "Ask some people to buy all of their antidotes and anti toxin pills at the pharmacy of the city. And buy some medicinal herbs I have written on the paper. The more the better. "

 Chapter 482 Poisoned

    Despite her agitation, Yun Shang forced herself to calm down. She arranged the affairs of the mansion in an orderly manner, writing down all the matters needing attention, and wrote a letter for the butler to deliver to Ning Qian and Lady Hua Guo.


    The mansion''s secret guards were also very efficient. Within four hours, all the stores in the city had been plundered. But there were too many medicinal herbs, Yun Shang only put them in detoxifying and anti-toxic pills. She ordered the butler to prepare a carriage to send the rest of the herbs to the Ya clan. She and Qian Yin had decided to ride a horse and hurry to the Ya clan as fast as they could.


    Yun Shang was also worried about the false news. Or if some enemies knew that they were going to the Ya clan, they will ambush them along the was. So she asked Ning Qian to mobilize all the power in the state of Xia to assist them secretly on the way.


    When everything was ready, it was getting dark. Yun Shang left the city with Qian Yin, followed by forty secret guards. She galloped on her horse all day and night until she arrived at a small town. Qian Yin frowned and persuaded Yun Shang in a low voice who was about to set off again, "Your Highness, the Ya clan is still far away. If we don''t have a good rest, we will be exhausted before reaching it. If someone wants to hurt us, I''m afraid we can''t fight back."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time. She knew that Qian Yin was right, so she nodded and found an inn to rest.


    In order to move easily to the Ya clan, Yun Shang, who was wearing men''s clothes, still caused a stir in this small town. Unwilling to show her face outside, Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to send all the things to the rooms.


    Qian Yin went downstairs and soon went upstairs. With astonishment on her face, she said, "Your Highness, guess who I saw just now?"


    "Who?" Yun Shang was reading the Ya clan''s information carefully. Hearing Qian Yin''s words, she didn''t raise her head but just asked casually.


    Qian Yin came to Yun Shang and said, "I just saw Liu Yinfeng here. Mister Liu''s carriage passed. I recognized hi


    t dressed and set off. Then she mounted his horse and galloped towards the Ya clan. After about four hours, they entered a mountain forest. It was a hot summer day and the sun was scorching. Fortunately, the forest was so thick that it blocked much sunshine. It was noon when they climbed up the mountain. Yun Shang told everyone to get off the horse and rest for a while. She took some dried food from the package on the horse and drank some water from a stream beside. She rested for about an hour or so. When she was about to leave, Qian Yin suddenly frowned. "Your Highness, my stomach hurts."


    Yun Shang frowned. When she was about to ask Qian Yin to find a hidden place to ease the pain, she heard several secret guards crying out of abdominal pain. She had a bad feeling, but she also found that some people were all right. She thought about it and bit her teeth. "I''m afraid the stream is poisonous."


    Yun Shang never thought that the stream in the mountain forest was poisonous, so she was caught off guard. As she was thinking, she heard the sound of sand, as if someone was stepping on the thick withered leaves in the forest.


    The others heard the sound too. They hurriedly said to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, leave now. We will stop them."


    "Run? No one can escape today! " Someone sneered. Yun Shang frowned and ordered, "don''t start a fight. Get on the horse and run down the mountain."

 Chapter 483 Rescued

    Everyone followed the command, got on the horse, raised the whip and whipped it heavily. The horse turned its head and ran up the mountain.


    After they had run for a short distance, Yun Shang heard something flying behind the forest. She immediately turned around, drew out her sword, and deflected the arrows shooting at her.


    Qian Yin gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, my belly is really aching. You go first, I will follow behind."


    Before Yun Shang could reply, Qian Yin had already mounted her horse and rushed out. Yun Shang turned around and saw her jump up from the horse. She flew towards the men in black behind her.


    "Qian Yin!" Yun Shang shouted, "turn back to save Qian Yin."


    The leader of the secret guards raised his voice, "separate some people to save Qian Yin. As for the others who are not poisoned, help her highness go down the mountain."


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened when she saw the leader of the guards whipped at Yun Shang''s horse. The horse seemed to go mad as it rushed down the mountain. Yun Shang couldn''t stop it anyway. The other guards whipped out the horsewhip and followed her, protecting her along the way.


    In less than half an hour, the men in black behind her had caught up. Yun Shang was worried about the safety of Qian Yin and the other secret guards. She knew that if the secret guards were not poisoned, they would not necessarily lose. It was her own carelessness that she fell for such a clumsy trick. Furious, she took out the dagger tied on her leg and was about to dismount from the horse.


    "Your Highness, you can''t be hurt. His highness is still at the Ya Clan and we don''t know about his situation. Please do it for his highness. You can go back to the Qi Lan Town as there are our people to help you there. " The secret guards had been following Yun Shang to protect her secretly. As soon as they saw Yun Shang''s actions, they knew what she was going to do. They raised their voice to shout.


    Yun Shang was shocked at their words. She felt as if her heart had been stabbed by a sharp knife. After a while, she calmed herself down and shouted, "okay! You must be al


    back and stared at Yun Shang. Ecstasy flashed through his eyes. "A Yun! A Yun! It''s you! are you all right? Are you all right? You scared me to death! "


    Before Yun Shang could react, she saw the man pounce at her, fearing that the dagger would hurt him. She quickly withdrew her hand, but was hugged into his arms.


    "Liu Yinfeng?" Yun Shang''s body was stiff. She asked in a hoarse voice, which startled herself.


    "You ingrate! My master found out that you left yesterday morning. He was so disappointed that he didn''t even say a word on the way. When he found there was dead bodies in the woods, it turned out to be your secret guards. Mister Liu was almost scared silly. He jumped off the carriage and searched everywhere like a lunatic for a whole night. When he finally saw you, you rushed out with a knife. If he was stabbed by you, I will fight with you. " The servant in grey gnashed his teeth and shouted angrily.


    Liu Yinfeng stared at him threateningly and he closed his mouth and said nothing more.


    "A Yun, are you hurt? What is going on? You are being hunted down? " Liu Yinfeng turned to Yun Shang and asked in a low voice. He saw her in a mess and felt sorry for her.


    But Yun Shang fell silent. Yesterday she met Liu Yinfeng in the Qi Lan Town and the assassins appeared. She wasn''t sure if she could trust Liu Yinfeng or not. At the thought of this, Yun Shang gripped the dagger tightly in her hand again.

 Chapter 484 The Confession

    Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t answer him and there was an overwhelming murderous look in her eyes, Liu Yinfeng''s heart missed a beat. He hastily asked, "where are your secret guards and maid?"


    Yun Shang kept silent and frowned. She said in a hoarse voice, "in order to protect me, they broke up and left. Now I don''t know what happened to them." She was upset that she wasn''t strong enough. Every time she came across danger, she had to depend on her people to protect her.


    Her heart was torn with grief. Yun Shang clenched her fists secretly and thought, ''Qian Yin, be safe.''


    Liu Yinfeng said hurriedly. "You are injured. I will take you down the mountain to see the doctor. My guards are also looking for you in the mountain. Can I ask them for help?"


    Yun Shang stood still, as if she didn''t understand what he was talking about. Liu Yinfeng sighed and said, "A Yun, I do like you. No matter what happened, I will never hurt you. Trust me once, okay? Think about it. Since we met, have I ever hurt you? "


    "You like me?" Yun Shang mumbled to herself. It took her a while to realize what she had said. She looked a bit shocked. "What did you say?"


    Seeing this, Liu Yinfeng felt a dull pain in his heart. He kept silent for a moment and smiled bitterly. "I didn''t want to tell you at first. As you have been married, I see that you have a good relationship with Prince Rui. But I''m afraid you won''t let me approach you if I don''t tell you the truth. You don''t believe me. "


    "But I am a woman?" Yun Shang was surprised, and the confusion in her eyes was apparent.


    "A woman?" Liu Yinfeng was also confused as to why Yun Shang said that. He thought about it carefully for a while and said in a forced smile, "you investigated me before? I was said to be a gay? "


    Yun Shang nodded.


    Liu Yinfeng paused for a while and said, "Well, it was kind of my fault. I''m not a gay, and I and the seventh prince didn''t know each other well. On Lady Liu''s birthday, The seventh Prince and I got drunk at one time. We might have done something that led people to misunderstandings and had started a rumor. In the city, there


    nued, "a servant from the search mountain brought back some packages, and I saw a lot of detoxicating pills and anti-toxic pills in them. There is no need for you to go to the Han Yun Temple with them. You are going to the Ya clan, aren''t you? "


    Yun Shang frowned but said nothing. Liu Yinfeng had guessed it and sighed. "I should have thought about it the day before yesterday. If you are going to the Han Yun Temple, why do you dress like this? There is no need to ride a horse hurriedly as well." Then he continued, "You shouldn''t have come here. Many people in the court stared at Prince Rui''s mansion. When you and Prince Rui came to the state of Xia, Prince Rui showed obvious concern for you. Many people know that you are his weakness and wanted to control him by getting to you. If you really want to protect Prince Rui, you should protect yourself well. "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and her eyelashes quivered. She knew what he meant, but she didn''t want to be the delicate woman behind Luo Qingyan. She wanted to stand side by side with Luo Qingyan as his support, but she seemed to drag him down now.


    Liu Yinfeng felt bitterness in his heart and was about to comfort her, but outside came a hurried sound of footsteps. The door was pushed open. Yun Shang looked up and saw the attendant who followed Liu Yinfeng yesterday standing outside with sweat on his face. "Master. We found Miss Qian Yin."

 Chapter 485 The Anger (Part One)

    In a daze for a second, Yun Shang froze. After a while, she suddenly jumped out of bed and rushed to the door, "where is Qian yin?" But she had just taken two steps and almost fell to the ground again. Her chest hurt a lot. She remembered what Liu Yinfeng said just now, and it seemed that her ribs were broken?


    Liu Yinfeng hurried forward to hold Yun Shang, "no hurry." Then he looked at the attendant and asked, "how is Miss Qian Yin? Where is she right now? "


    The servant took a look at Yun Shang and said hesitantly, "Miss Qian Yin, she is seriously hurt but still has breath. The doctor is outside to examine her."


    Seriously hurt? Yun Shang frowned and felt her heart ache. But she comforted herself, "it doesn''t matter. As long as she is alive, as long as she is alive."


    "I want to see Qian Yin." Yun Shang''s throat ached and she found it hard to speak, so she opened her mouth after a while.


    Liu Yinfeng nodded his head, held Yun Shang''s arm, and led her out of the house. It was a very ordinary small yard, in which all kinds of herbs were dried. In the open space of the yard, there was a simple stretcher. Yun Shang hurriedly walked to the stretcher, and almost burst into tears when she saw Qian Yin.


    The usually lively little girl was lying lifelessly on the stretcher. Her clothes were already soaked with blood, and it was hard to tell where she was injured, and her face was stained with blood too.


    Yun Shang opened her mouth, but only found herself trembling. She was too shocked to utter a complete sentence. After a while, she murmured a name, "Qian Yin..."


    Seeing this, Liu Yinfeng looked up and asked the doctor who was inspecting Qian Yin, "doctor, this girl..."


    The doctor was in his for


    or a long time before she left.


    Seeing her out, Liu Yinfeng quickly said. "We have searched the whole mountain and found 98 dead bodies, and the 29 of them should be your men."


    Yun Shang hummed. There were twenty-nine of them dead, and more than ten of them should be alive. Yun Shang took out the white jade flute in her sleeve, put it close to her mouth and blew.


    Liu Yinfeng looked at the white jade flute, and thought for a while before he sighed, "it turns out that this little thing can really send messages. When we were outside the KY City, I was misled by your fabricated story and gave it back to you."


    Yun Shang was at a loss before she realized what he meant, but she was not in the mood to respond. She just looked out blankly. After a while, some secret guards came from the outside and knelt down before Yun Shang. "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded and started to count. The eleven people were all here. They were injured too. Yun Shang turned around to look at Liu Yinfeng. "Mister Liu, please take the injured men to see the doctor. The rest of them take the corpses of other shadow guards to a place for a good funeral."

 Chapter 486 The Anger (Part Two)

    Liu Yinfeng replied and then called his servant to take orders.


    Looking at the remaining eleven shadow guards, Yun Shang flashed a bloodthirsty light in her eyes. She, Ning Yun Shang, will remember this.


    Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t look well, Liu Yinfeng spoke, "you haven''t eaten anything for a long time. I have asked the maid to make some porridge. Do you want to eat something?"


    Yun Shang nodded in silence. ''I''ll eat it. How to take revenge if I don''t eat any food?''


    After Yun Shang returned to her room, Liu Yinfeng hurriedly brought a bowl of porridge and handed it to Yun Shang. He said softly, "I know you feel sad, but I''m afraid that we can''t go to the Ya clan anymore. Just now, we were in danger. Think carefully, who knows your whereabouts? You were fine a few days ago, but why did you suddenly think of going to the Ya clan? "


    Yun Shang meditated for a moment, took out the letter from her sleeve and gave it to Liu Yinfeng. She said in a hoarse voice, "a few days ago, I sent some secret guards to the Ya clan to investigate his highness'' whereabouts. A few days ago, I received a message from them, saying that he is very likely to break into the forbidden area of the Ya clan. I''m afraid he might be in danger."


    Silent for a moment, Liu Yinfeng took the letter from Yun Shang, and looked at it carefully for a while before he said, "are you sure this is a letter from your secret guard?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "my hidden guards and all my letters have secret marks. Each of them is different. Ex


    ou the truth because he was afraid that the letter might be taken by someone else. He is afraid that you might get worried about him. " Liu Yinfeng sighed and blamed Yun Shang in a low voice.


    Yun Shang didn''t reply. Liu Yinfeng looked at her for a while, then he opened the door and went out.


    After a long time, when it was completely dark, Yun Shang heard a knock at the window. She turned to the window, and whispered, "come in."


    The window was pushed open and a secret guard came in. He said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I have checked the situation. The ordinary purgatives are in the stream of the mountain, so it is useless for us to take the pills. I''ve looked into the corpses of the enemies, but I didn''t find any special marks on them. "


    Yun Shang knocked on the table and ordered in a cruel voice, "keep checking. Check whom the people in the Jin City have been in contact with recently. And there were so many people. They couldn''t have come silently without making a fuss. Check our route again."

 Chapter 487 Wake Up (Part One)

    Then silence reigned for a while. With his head down, the shadow guard kept silent for a long time. He couldn''t help but look up at Yun Shang. Yun Shang had a frown on her face and seemed to be thinking about something. The secret guard lowered his head again. He had no idea what Yun Shang was going to do next, so he just waited in silence.


    About a quarter of an hour later, Yun Shang continued, "withdraw all the secret guards sent to the Ya clan. There''s no need to inquire about his highness'' information any more."


    The secret guard froze for a moment. Her highness had been so anxious before, and she had sent many people to the Ya clan to search for Prince Rui. Although there was still no news about the incident, it had only been a short time. She shouldn''t have given up so early.


    While thinking, he heard Yun Shang mumble to herself, "since the letter I the secret guards sent to the Ya clan have been captured, they must have been followed. If they really find his highness, I''m afraid his whereabouts will be exposed as well."


    Hearing this, the secret guard quickly said yes. Then he heard Yun Shang speak again, "go to the Ya clan in person and find this secret guard who sent the message to you. Take out the people following him, and remember, keep those men alive." Then Yun Shang waved her hand to him, "you can leave now."


    After the secret guard left, Yun Shang went back to the room where Qian Yin rested. Liu Yinfeng was quite considerate. He had arranged a woman to serve Qian Yin, who seemed to be the daughter of the doctor in the pharmacy. When Yun Shang went there, the woman was changing the medicine for Qian Yin, she was quite familiar with every


    l town. The so-called fox military counsellor, who was resourceful, capable and good at military tactics, told her that he liked her?


    Yun Shang could not help but frown. She was not very good at things about love at all. In her previous life, she was set up by Hua Jing and the Hua Jing, so she fell in love with Mo Jingran. At that time, she liked him very much. He was talented, eloquent, and was good at saying sweet nothings. As a result, as innocent as she was, she was deceived by him. It must be because she had been living in the Imperial Palace ever since she was a little girl that she didn''t know about love in the first place.


    In this life, she had never thought about love before, but she was attracted by Luo Qingyan and got married with him defenselessly. She really didn''t know what to do when she just got married. She only treated Luo Qinyan as an older relative, not an intimate man with her. After getting along with him for a long time, she gradually began to fall in love with the man, and gradually got to know him better. It was just like a habit that her heart slowly went deep into the bone.

 Chapter 488 Wake Up (Part Two)

    As for Liu Yinfeng, they were opponents when they met for the first time. Yun Shang had sent someone to investigate him and checked a lot of things about him. It seemed that she was familiar with him. But Liu Yinfeng was a foe. She didn''t like him because he almost killed Luo Qingyan before. When she met him again in the Imperial City, he helped her once, and she was grateful to him for that. After more and more contact with him, it was gradually realized that Liu Yinfeng could be a friend. However, the deeply impression of him being gay was too impressive, and Luo Qingyan didn''t like her to get close to Liu Yinfeng, so Yun Shang didn''t think too much about it. She just kept a distance from Liu Yinfeng for many reasons.


    Since she and the prince came to the state of Xia and she only knew a few people in the state of Xia, so she regarded Liu Yinfeng as a decent man. So she slowly had more trust in Liu Yinfeng. But she knew it clearly that she and Liu Yinfeng would never be together. It was not possible at all.


    However, Liu Yinfeng''s confession that day made her at a loss, for fear that it would embarrass him deeply if her rejection was too obvious. On the one hand, she was afraid that if she didn''t make any clear reply, he might feel hope and cause unnecessary trouble for her.


    She hesitated for a long time and still didn''t know what to do.


    Yun Shang let out a gentle sigh. Regaining her composure, she went to a chair and sat down, and also picked up the medical book to read.


    In the yard, Liu Yinfeng looked up at the open window for a while, and then lowered his head to look at th


    a silly girl! She just tried to console her and make her feel better, but now she was crying outside her sight. Yun Shang wiped away the tears and walked to the yard. After a while, she saw the door of a room open and Liu Yinfeng walked out. When he saw Yun Shang, he walked to her and said, "just now, Lan Xin told me that Qian Yin woke up."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "thank you very much, Mr. Liu."


    "You are welcome. There''s no need to thank me." Liu Yinfeng said gently. He looked around the room where Qian Yin stayed and added, "Qian Yin just woke up. I asked Lan Xin to talk more with her and comfort her."


    "Okay. Thank... " But before she could finish her words, she thought of what Liu Yinfeng said just now and swallowed it back silently.


    Liu Yinfeng chuckled and said in a low voice, "recently, someone is investigating the traces of strangers in the town. I''m worried that they might come for you. Now it''s not a good time to leave. I''ll ask the govenor of the Li City to come and pick you up. They should be able to get there the day after tomorrow."

 Chapter 489 A Sudden Change (Part One)

    Yun Shang knew from what Lan Xin told her today that they would stay here for a few more days, so she nodded her head in agreement. She wasn''t surprised at the answer.


    Liu Yinfeng stared at Yun Shang''s side face for a long time, and then he smiled, "there''s another thing that may be good news for you. I asked a spy from the Ya clan to investigate and he told me that Prince Rui and Lord Hua Guo have probably not entered the Ya clan at all. I don''t know what they are planning, but at least they should be safe. "


    Yun Shang also nodded her head slightly, thinking that it was the best for them to be safe. Then she thought about the map of the state of Xia in her mind. Although there were less than a hundred thousand soldiers led by Luo Qingyan and Lord Hua Guo, it was not easy for them to hide themselves. There may be only several concealed places such as dense forest, canyons, hills, and deserts. Unfortunately, the map in her mind was only rough, and the detailed description was needed to have a look at the marks on the map.


    "There are only a few places in the state of Xia that can allow the army to hide. I''ll send people to look into them. But what we can think of is very likely that the seventh prince and the Field Marshal Su will also be able to think of it. In my opinion, Prince Rui and Lord Hua Guo will soon appear. " As if knowing what Yun Shang was thinking, Liu Yinfeng spoke first.


    "It doesn''t matter. You don''t need to send someone to investigate. As long as they are safe, then I will not worry. As you said, they''ll show themselves soon. I''m not in a hurry. " Yun Shang looked up at the waning bright moon in the


    to laugh or cry. She stayed in the mansion to read. Qian Yun sometimes came to talk with her, mostly about the contents of the books, and occasionally talked about what had happened recently.


    "It is said that they found the body of Lady Rui near the Qi Lan Town where I picked you up yesterday. I heard that Lady Rui is a very beautiful woman. Judging from her performance in the KY City and the Jingyang City''s battlefield, I think she is also a smart woman. But it''s a pity that a smart lady like her is gone so young. I heard that Lady Rui has a good relationship with Prince Rui. Now that he is out taming the Ya Clan in chaos, I''m afraid that he doesn''t know the news yet. If he knows it, he will be heartbroken. " Qian Yun couldn''t help but sigh when he talked about what happened these days.


    Qian Yin was sitting next to Yun Shang and listening. She raised her head frequently and looked at Yun Shang for several times. But Yun Shang was still wearing a smile. Yun Shang tapped on the armrest with her fingers and let out a sigh, "it''s true. It''s really a shame that she died so young."

 Chapter 490 A Sudden Change (Part Two)

    Qian Yin was astonished to hear her words, then Yun Shang took a glance at her. Qian Yin immediately turned her eyes to look at Lady Qian, who was embroidering something in her hands.


    Lady Qian continued in a soft voice, "The embroidery is very time-consuming, as long as I have a needle in my left hand. Qian Yin, you can also have a try if you want to."


    Qian Yin nodded her head. Then she carefully learned some embroidery techniques from Lady Qian, and she guessed that lady Qian was also good at taking needles in the left hand. If she cultivated it well, she might be able to use the sword in the left hand as well.


    The next day, Yun Shang received a message from the palace, saying that the emperor had ordered people to transport the corpse of Lady Rui to the Jin City, and it should arrive tomorrow. In addition, the letter also added some investigation matters that Yun Shang had ordered, saying that the person who poisoned Young Lady Liu had been found. It was the lady of the side chamber of Gu Zhaoge, Jiang Nuxi. Moreover, when the news of Yun Shang''s death spread in the Imperial City, the seventh prince sent his people to the Qi Lan Town and inquired all the people in the town, as if to ask something about Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang took out the letter, lit it in the lamp, and threw it into a pot beside after it burned to ashes.


    "It''s that Lady Gu. I didn''t expect that at all." Qian Yin murmured in surprise.


    Yun Shang was not surprised at all. She smiled and said, "that''s to say, a beautiful woman is also very dangerous."


    But in her mind, she thought that the seventh prince was not the culprit of the assassination


    had one more toe than ordinary people.


    Lady Shu had spent a lot of effort hiding the truth from the empress before. After the empress knew it, she hurried to report it to Xia Huanyu, declaring that Lady Shu was from the Ya clan and must have been cursed. Now that the princess had such a defect, she should be executed. On the other hand, although the eleventh Prince didn''t have obvious flaws, his bloodline was not very good and he should be exiled as well.


    Xia Huanyu didn''t completely agree. The twelfth Princess was seventeen years old and had reached the age of marriage. Xia Huanyu gave an imperial edict to marry her off to a general in a very remote place and carried her out of the palace on just a sedan chair immediately. The twelfth Prince was made the Prince Qi by the emperor, and he asked him to go to the Qi City and guard that place immediately. The Qi City was located in the north of the state of Xia. It was a barren land. This decision was just as exiling the prince.


    When Lady Shu woke up and heard about this, she then fell into a coma again after crying endlessly.

 Chapter 491 Going Back To The Jin City (Part One)

    Yun Shang really wanted to go back to the Jin city to see what the hell was going on in the Imperial Palace, if she had not been rumored to be a dead person.


    "You can still go back, master. Though Qian Qian is the best in disguising people, there are also many secret guards who could disguise you. Their skills are okay to fool ordinary people." Qian Yin smiled with a glimmer of light in her eyes, "Lady Shu is not a good person. I really want to see how miserable she is now. Moreover, the person who is most suspicious of attacking us is actually lady Shu. Although Su Qi has become our enemy because of the matter of the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, it was only one day before we left for the Ya Clan. It would not be easy for him to make such a big arrangement in such a short day. "


    Yun Shang chuckled at her words, "Yes, I agree with you." However, in Yun Shang''s heart, she was thinking that Qian Yin paid a heavy price for her change. She managed to become more mature due to her injuries.


    "Master, are we going back to the Jin City?" Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang, with a bit of expectation in her eyes.


    "What? You don''t think the Li City good enough? " Yun Shang turned around and asked.


    Qian Yin lowered her head and smiled. "This place is good. The Governor and his wife, they are both gentle and kind people. I like them very much, but I don''t want to get them involved in this matter. Moreover, I lost my hand because of this, and I want to find the culprit and take revenge as well." Then she looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "master, if I find the murderer, can I deal with him on my own? More than twenty lives of our secret guards were killed in that way. I want to take revenge."


    Yun Shan


    d report the master first." Then he even bowed to Yun Shang and Qian Yin before he closed the door and walked in.


    "Li Qianmo seems to be a nice person. Besides, his doorman is also well behaved and polite." Qian Yin murmured to herself.


    After a while, the door was opened again. Instead of the doorman just now, a handsome young man came out, glanced at Yun Shang and Qian Yin, and then greeted with respect, "my name is Li Qianmo. Please come in."


    Yun Shang nodded her head and said to the doorman behind Li Qianmo, who looked a little surprised, "we have brought a lot of specialties from the Li City. They are in the carriage now. Please go and get them for us."


    The doorman replied yes and Yun Shang went inside with Li Qianmo. The mansion''s decoration was simple too. Behind the yard was a garden with flowers and plants. In the middle of the garden stood a rockery. After walking inside, they saw the flower room. After walking through the flower room, they came to a large yard. The courtyard was built in a small lotus pool. The lotus pool was divided into two halves and connected by a corridor. Both sides were wing rooms.

 Chapter 492 Going Back To The Jin City (Part Two)

    Li Qianmo led Yun Shang into the room in the left side. It was a study. Yun Shang seldom saw the study of ordinary people have such a large size. There were bookshelves standing densely, which were full of books without any decorations. The study was simple as well, with only a table and a few chairs.


    After Yun Shang and Qian Yin went into the room, Li Qianmo closed the door and turned around to greet Yun Shang and bowed. "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly and said in with her own voice, "get up."


    Li Qianmo''s mouth slightly twitched. He looked at Yun Shang and said gently, "Your Highness, please speak in a man''s voice. I just feel... Well, it''s hard to accept. "


    Yun Shang smiled at his words and met his demand. "Now that the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion and Prince Rui''s mansion have been monitored by other people, I will stay here for a while. Is that okay with you?"


    "Of course it is okay. I''ll arrange for someone to clean up the right wing rooms at once," replied Li Qianmo hurriedly.


    Yun Shang nodded her head and sat down on a chair nearby. Li Qianmo stood up, took up the teapot on the desk and poured Yun Shang a cup of tea. Then he said, "I heard from Lady Xiang that your highness was still in the Li City, so I thought it would still be a long time before your highness come back."


    "I don''t think we can witness all the fun in the Jin City if we were still in the Li City." Yun Shang took a sip of the tea and asked, "how is everything going in the Jin city right now?"


    Li Qianmo promptly answered, "It is such a coincidence that your highness came back today. I heard t


    hu is in the Buddhist prayer room now, we must still keep an eye on her. She will definitely take actions, and we must also pay attention to everyone she makes contact with recently."


    Li Qianmo responded yes. Yun Shang continued, "I guess there isn''t any doctor in your mansion, is it? Send for a reliable doctor and let him take an examination of Qian Yin''s body. She is badly hurt and needs to be examined. "


    Qian Yin was grateful after she heard Yun Shang''s words. She smiled and said, "if you don''t have any doctors you can fully trust, you don''t need to do that. If the doctor sees me, he will know that I am a girl. At that time, we will draw attention and someone will certainly be suspicious."


    "I have doctor I can trust. I''ll send for the doctor at once." Li Qianmo answered quickly.


    Yun Shang said yes and went to have a rest. Li Qianmo hurried to take her to the right wing room, and asked a maid to clean up and change everything on the bed. Then Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "Okay, it''s all right."


    Li Qianmo complied and walked out of the room.

 Chapter 493 Examining The Corpse Of Lady Rui (Part One)

    In the afternoon, just after Yun Shang had lunch, Li Qianmo came in and whispered, "master, the corpse of Lady Rui has entered the city. I am going to bring the coroners into the palace to make an autopsy. Will you go with me?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "since you are going to examine my body, of course I''ll go." Then she asked Qian Yin to call her secret guards here to help her disguise her appearance. Yun Shang looked at herself in the bronze mirror and found that there was something wrong with her eyes. But if she was going to pretend to be Li Qianmo''s servant, she could just lowered her head. That would be all right.


    Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to polish Qian Yin''s hand and tie her feet with a pair of large shoes. Then she nodded her head to Li Qianmo and said, "let''s go."


    As Li Qianmo and Yun Shang walked out of the courtyard, they saw two coroners waiting by the side, and both of the coroners had a cloth bag on their back. Seeing that Yun Shang was following Li Qianmo, they handed the two bags to Yun Shang naturally. Li Qianmo couldn''t help but frown, but Yun Shang took it quickly and made eye contact with him, indicating that she didn''t mind. Li Qianmo coughed to cover his mouth and pretended to be calm.


    Li Qianmo got on the carriage, and Yun Shang and the two coroners followed behind the carriage. Yun Shang saw Li Qianmo poke his head out of the window several times along the way and look at her from time to time. Yun Shang knew that Li Qianmo was worried about her. After all, she was from a royal family that she seldom walked like this.


    She wanted to find an opportunity to remind Li Qianmo that as she had disguised herself, Li Qianmo should only treat her as a servant. If he continued to behave like this in the palac


    aring that, Xia Huanyu squinted and kept silent for a while. Then he looked at the butler of Prince Rui''s mansion and said, "Butler Luo, have you got it?"


    The Butler quickly went forward, bowed to him and said, "I understand. But her highness doesn''t like to be served by too many people, so Lady Rui is always served by Miss Qian Yin. But we don''t know where Miss Qian Yin is now. I really don''t know who can assure these things."


    "Well, it''s easy to find a pair of shoes once worn by Lady Rui. But the height is..." The seventh prince was silent for a moment. He looked down at the coffin and said, "Your majesty, I guess Lady Rui must often make clothes for herself. Go and see what the shop have measured for her."


    Hearing this, the Butler quickly responded, "yes, your highness. I''ll prepare it right away."


    Xia Huanyu nodded his head. Then the Butler left in a hurry. Yun Shang lowered her head and looked at her toes. She stood silently and said nothing. Then, she heard the Lady Hua Guo say, "Lady Rui is just a woman, but there was a vicious culprit who had asked for her death! I really want to skin the murderer alive! " She gnashed her teeth in anger.

 Chapter 494 Examining The Corpse Of Lady Rui (Part Two)

    It suddenly occurred to Yun Shang that she had forgotten to inform the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion after she sent the letter to Ning Qian and Luo Qingyan. The Lady Hua Guo loved her so much that she couldn''t accept the death of her granddaughter-in-law.


    Xia Huanyu sighed slightly and said, "please don''t be angry, your ladyship. Lady Rui''s death hasn''t been confirmed yet. The girl is very smart. She won''t die so easily."


    Lady Hua Guo stamped her crutch at his words, and fell into silence again.


    But the seventh prince said, "after I knew the matter, I sent someone to look into the Qi Lan Town. The owner of the only Inn in the Qi Lan Town told me that Lady Rui stayed there for a night. he had a very deep memory because of her beautiful appearance. Lady Rui left an inn early on the day she was killed, and they didn''t see each other afterwards. People in the town said that the next day after Lady Rui was killed, some people in the town inquired about Lady Rui''s whereabouts in house to house, and also said that they said their master had been assassinated in the mountain half a day''s distance from the Qi Lan Town, but she was nowhere to be found. I sent some people to the mountain to look for the body and traces. There are many traces of fighting in the mountain, but it seems that some people have cleaned the place, and no traces have been found, even the corpses. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown at the words. She had heard that someone was looking for her in the name of her subordinate when she was waiting for Qian Yin to wake up from the coma in the Qi L


    your grief."


    His words sounded a bit stiff, but reasonable. While he was speaking in a loud voice, Yun Shang moved to the window and whispered to Lady Hua Guo, "grandmother, it''s me..."


    Lady Hua Guo froze and turned to Li Qianmo who kept talking loudly. "Lady Rui is well-educated, gentle and generous, but a beautiful lady like her died so early..."


    Then Lady Hua Guo looked aside and finally saw Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang opened her mouth again, "grandmother, it''s me. I''m not dead. It was a fake body in the palace just now. It''s all my fault that I didn''t tell Grandma about my safety and made you worried about me. "


    Lady Hua Guo was pleasantly surprised, and her eyes shone with delight. "shang''er?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head repeatedly and said, "it''s not proper to explain to grandmother in detail later. I''m now living in the mansion of the Vice Minister of Ministry of Justice. And there are someone keeping an eye on the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, so grandmother doesn''t need to contact me. I''m all right. Don''t worry, grandma... "

 Chapter 495 A Gust Of Wind

    Hardly had her voice faded away, Yun Shang saw Su Qi and the seventh prince coming out of the palace together. She squinted a little and lowered her head. "Field Marshal Su, the seventh prince, they have come out."


    Lady Hua Guo went blank for a moment. She stretched out of the window, and a handkerchief fell from her hand. She said excitedly, "don''t tell me it''s hard for me to accept the truth. I want to know whether the woman in the coffin is my grandson''s wife or not. Although his majesty has confirmed her identity, I don''t believe it.". I have heard that the majesty has praised you for your perfect judgment, Mr. Li. I would like you to do me a favor, Mr. Li. I would like to know who tried to kill Lady Rui by all means. If we know who did this, I will not spare him! "


    Yun Shang bent down, picked up the brocade handkerchief on the ground, and handed it to her, whispering, "your ladyship..."


    Lady Hua Guo snorted coldly, took the handkerchief and shouted, "let''s go."


    The horseman looked at Li Qianmo and said apologetically, "Lord Li, could you please make some room?"


    Li Qianmo hurried to the side of the road. The coachman waved the whip, and the carriage moved slowly towards the road.


    As soon as Lady Hua Guo''s car drove away, the seventh prince said, "Lord Li."


    Li Qianmo frowned, turned around, looked at the gate of the palace, and walked up to the seventh prince, greeting, "Your Highness."


    The seventh Prince rolled up his eyes, rolled up his sleeves, and glanced at Li Qianmo. "Looks like Lady Hua Guo was angered by you."


    Li Qianmo wiped the sweat from her forehead with his sleeve and nodded: "Yeah. Just now, when I came out, I saw Lady Hua Guo''s carriage parked over there. She was sobbing inside. When the emperor asked the Prince Rui''s mansion to prepare for the funeral, I noticed Lady Hua Guo''s pale face. That''s why I wanted to comfort Lady Hua Guo, asking her to not to be too sad. But to my surprise, she called me names. She was really... " Before he finished his words, Li Qianmo heaved a sigh with dissatisfaction.


    Su Qi stood aside with a sneer, "Ha. Lady Shu


    ople would definitely jump out and tell everyone that she was still alive.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. But it was a pity. The people behind her were obviously unfamiliar with her temperament. She was good at being patient as well. She would greet her enemy in her previous life with a smiling face, as if nothing had happened, let alone she was only informed of her death. It was just a game of competing who could be more patient, right? Of course she would win.


    As well as from the Ya clan sometimes, it was said that the things of those abnormal babies had also caused a huge uproar in the Ya clan. Those who had only heard that they had given birth to an abnormal child, so they hurriedly came to the head of the clan to get rid of the child. However, they might have made an oath to keep their mouth shut. The forbidden area was on fire, but the fire made a huge dead babies'' pit found out.


    The second day the pit was spotted, a stone tablet suddenly appeared next to it with only eight words written on it, "those who intend to rebel will be punished."


    Which caused a series of internal strife within the Ya Clan.


    Lady Rui''s mourning continued. The people who went to Prince Rui''s mansion to offer incense a few days ago were in an endless stream.


    The fifth day after Yun Shang came back to the Jin City, she also knew what happened in the imperial tomb when the empress sent people there.

 Chapter 496 The Incident At The Funeral (Part One)

    "Word came from the imperial tomb that it was wet and the little grandson was seriously ill. I''m afraid he can''t survive this time." Sitting opposite Yun Shang, Li Qianmo said gently.


    "The little grandson?" Yun Shang squinted and thought for a moment without thinking who the so-called little grandson was.


    The puzzled look in Yun Shang''s eyes brought Li Qianmo back to his senses. He explained immediately, "he is the son of the former crown prince. He is three years old now. I heard he is a very smart boy. The emperor used to dote on him very much. After the former crown prince died, his son went to the imperial tomb to guard the tomb with his mother. The tomb should have been guarded for three years, but it''s only been three months till now. "


    "Really?" Yun Shang swirled the cup in her hand, sipped the tea, and said, "the empress is really very impatient. Now that the Prince Rui is out of the Jin City, and the eleventh Prince just went to guard a remote place, the only prince who has become the strongest in the imperial city is the seventh prince. Although the little grandson was young and had a different background, he was still the empress'' grandson. The royal family doesn''t have a strong relationship with their family members, let alone grandson, father and son. If they were to be imprisoned in the land like the eleventh prince, which is rarely seen by the emperor in a few years, I''m afraid the emperor will soon forget that he had a son, so the empress is worried. "


    "Master, you mean..." Li Qianmo went blank for a while and then came to his senses. "The empress intended to take the kid back to the Imperial City in the name of his serious illness, is it right?"


    "Of course it is. Otherwise how could it be a coinciden


    on to the empress and Su Qi, but found that they were very calm this time. They did not mention anything about it in front of the emperor. Yun Shang was surprised to hear that it was the seventh prince who opened his mouth first.


    Li Qianmo told Yun Shang that the emperor had sent two imperial physicians to the imperial tomb to treat the little grandson. The morning of that day, the imperial physicians reported to his majesty that the little kid was invaded by the moisture in the imperial tomb. If he stayed in the imperial tomb, he would die soon. After the report of the Imperial Hospital, silence engulfed the hall. After a long time, the seventh prince stepped forward and said, "father, the little kid is the only descendant of my late brother. The crown prince has passed away, but the little kid is still a descendant of the royal family. We worship the word of filial piety in the State of Xia, and the little kid guarded the tomb for brother because of it. But we can''t watch him sacrifice his own life because of that. "


    Xia Huanyu glanced at the seventh prince who looked so sad. After a while, he said flatly, "what do you think we should do then?"

 Chapter 497 The Incident At The Funeral (Part Two)

    The seventh Prince answered promptly. "Let him stay in the palace for now. After he recovers, we''ll make another plan."


    "What do you think?" Hearing that, Xia Huanyu raised his eyes to look at the officers in the court. All the people looked at each other in confusion. After a short while, half of the people stepped out and knelt down behind the seventh prince. "I think what the seventh prince said is very reasonable."


    After a short silence, Xia Huanyu called Liu Wenan over and said, "issue an imperial edict. Send some people to the imperial tomb to take the little kid back to the palace."


    Yun Shang smiled when she heard the news, "that''s a good idea. After all, the little kid is the son of the late crown prince. The empress and the Su clan must avoid arousing suspicion. Otherwise, the emperor will be displeased. If the seventh prince told the emperor what he said today, his Majesty would be impressed with his generosity. He can hit two birds with one stone, because he can also have a good reputation in the court. "


    The corpse of the fake Lady Rui will have to be buried after seven days'' rest in Prince Rui''s mansion''s mansion. Although she was the wife of the prince, Lady Rui could not be buried in the imperial tomb, so Xia Huanyu ordered to choose a place on a mountain to the east of the imperial tomb to bury her.


    On the day of the funeral, Yun Shang took Qian Yin with her and went out of the Li mansion with Li Qianmo. Outside the Prince Rui''s mansion, the soldiers waiting for the funeral were all dressed in plain clothes. Soon the carriage with the coffin came out of the mansion. The Butler observed respectfully, holding the memorial tablet of Lady Rui in his hands. The ghost d


    the hill quickly and after that, they was nowhere to be found.


    The Butler had already regained his composure. He shouted in a hurry, "Her highness is missing! Her highness is missing!" The crowd was so noisy that no one could hear his voice clearly. Yun Shang glanced at him and left with Li Qianmo and Qian Yin in chaos.


    "Why is the coffin empty?" Qian Yin mumbled to herself, "it''s just a fake body. How come it was gone at funeral?"


    Yun Shang was also confused by this. After a long time of silence, she said, "I''ll ask the butler secretly. Ask the secret guards to find out where they are."


    Qian Yin looked up at Yun Shang and knew who she meant by ''they''. She nodded her head and left to deliver a message. Before dusk, the secret guards had found the place. Yun Shang dressed up in a hurry and went to the inn the secret guards mentioned. She went to the door and knocked at it.


    After a long time, the door was opened, and a woman''s face came out. She looked at Yun Shang curiously, "who are you?" Yun Shang heard faintly the sound of pulling out a sword. She smiled and said, "it''s me. Why don''t you invite me in, Yan''er?"

 Chapter 498 A Friend Came From Afar (Part One)

    Hearing Yun Shang''s voice, the woman''s eyes were filled with surprise, but her eyes had been fixed on Yun Shang''s face after she had disguised her look. She seemed confused. Yun Shang raised her hand to touch her face and smiled. "Aren''t you going to invite me in, Yan''er? Let me tell you the whole story in detail. "


    The voice was indeed Yun Shang''s. after thinking for a while, the woman drew Yun Shang into the room. Yun Shang saw several people in the room, and the most obvious one was the man in red sitting at the table.


    "Wang Jinhuan?" Yun Shang had met him before, so she was not surprised. Besides Wang Jinyan and Wang Jinhuan, there were several warriors dressed like men standing in the room.


    Wang Jinyan had led Yun Shang to the table and sat down. She gazed at Yun Shang''s face with question in her eyes. After a long time, she couldn''t contain herself any longer. She stretched out her hand to touch Yun Shang''s face and sighed, "shang''er, take it down and let me have a look. It feels exactly the same as skin when you touch it."


    Yun Shang knew that Wang Jinyan still didn''t fully believe her. She took off the mask, and handed it to Wang Jinyan with a smile. "Don''t ruin it. It''s very hard to make it, and it''s more difficult to make it realistic."


    Wang Jinyan nodded and took the mask. She looked at it for a long time, but lost her interest in it. She pulled Yun Shang and said excitedly, "by the way, when we just arrived in the state of Xia, we were almost scared to death by your news. Fortunately, my brother contacted Prince Jing in time, or I would really think that something bad happened to you."


    "Exactly..." Wang Jinhuan also smiled. He looked at Yun Shang with his beautiful eyes. "Yan''er heard the news of your death before she arrived


    come, but Liu Qiyan insisted on competing with me, and I knocked him out. He is the Grand Councilor now, and the empress'' brother. How can I offend him? So I hurriedly ran away. "


    "Haha..." Yun Shang almost choked on her own saliva. Liu Qiyan?


    If she remembered correctly, he was her subordinate?


    Yun Shang looked at Wang Jinyan, who seemed very angry and unhappy, and remembered the appearance of Liu Qiyan, who was known as a polite and courteous man. She calculated in her heart and felt that they were indeed a match.


    "As an excellent scholar, how can Liu Qiyan compete with you in martial arts? You should be more lenient!" Yun Shang shook her head with a smile.


    Wang Jinyan stood up and stomped. "It''s not my fault. I saw that he dared to challenge me, so I thought he must know kung fu, no matter what. Who would have thought that he was so weak."


    Yun Shang gave a wee smile and thought to herself that she had let Ning Qian work in the imperial palace of the state of Xia, and it was impossible for Ning Qian and Wang Jinhuan to get together now. As for Wang Jinyan and Liu Qiyan, Yun Shang thought, if they could be engaged, it would be a good thing for them.

 Chapter 499 A Friend Came From Afar (Part Two)

    As Wang Jinyan and Wang Jinhuan arrived, Yun Shang was very happy to see two familiar faces in this almost strange place of the state of Xia. So she stayed at the Inn and chatted with Wang Jinyan for a whole night. The next morning, she put on the mask and prepared to go back to Li mansion.


    "Now that we are in the state of Xia, we can make a good show of our talents by taking advantage of this. I have also climbed a decent position in the state of Ning because of my father. So I would like to go to the imperial palace as the envoy of the state of Ning and question Xia Huanyu why the princess of the state of Ning died just in three months after she arrived in the state of Xia. " Before leaving, Wang Jinhuan said to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while. She didn''t think it would be of much use to her, but they people in the State of Xia had forgotten she had a special identity as well, along with Lady Rui. It would be nice if Wang Jinhuan could help them to remember that she was still a princess in the state of Ning better.


    "Well, that''s good. I have a token from my father. It will be more persuasive if you take it with you to the palace." After a pause, she continued, "when will you go? Take me with you. "


    Wang Jinhuan nodded. Yun Shang set a time before she left the inn.


    Yun Shang was talking with Wang Jinyan during the night. When she returned to Li mansion, she felt sleepy and was about to lie down for sleep when Qian Yin walked over. "I have got in touch with the butler. He told me that the dead body of the fake Lady Ru


    Jinhuan brought another three people with him as well. When entering the palace, he only said they were the ministers of the state of Ning. He also handed a token to Xia Huanyu for request.


    The eunuchs checked every one of them to see if they had any sharp weapons. After checking, Wang Jinhuan stood at the gate of the palace with four people, waiting for the summon. It was the hour in the early morning of the state of Xia. About five minutes later, Yun Shang saw Liu Wenan coming down from a long staircase in front of the Taiji Palace and slowly walking to Wang Jinhuan. He looked at Wang Jinhuan in a red robe and he paused for a moment, and then asked hesitantly, "is this Lord Wang from the state of Ning?"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but curl her lips into a smile. She had a feeling that he must thought that Wang Jinhuan didn''t look like an officer.


    Wang Jinhuan, however, was quite used to the way other people looked at him. He raised his eyebrows, "yes, I am."


    Liu Wenan immediately said, "Lord Wang, please follow me..."

 Chapter 500 The Meeting With The Emperor (Part One)

    A long staircase led to the Taiji Palace in the state of Xia. It was like the Jinluan Hall in the state of Ning, a place where the courtiers and foreign envoys came to meet the emperor. It had been more than three months in the state of Xia, and it was Yun Shang''s first time to step into the Taiji Palace.


    The Taiji Palace was paved with marble, which was extremely bright. The path paved with jade was carefully carved from the gate to the chairs with lifelike dragons and phoenixes carved in the middle. On the top of the Taiji Palace stood a big eight diagrams picture.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and followed Wang Jinhuan, walking on the jade. Of course the ragon couldn''t be stepped on casually. When they came to the end of the dragon body, Wang Jinhuan knelt down, "Your Majesty, I am Wang Jinhuan, envoy of the State of Ning..."


    "I am Xiao Yun." Yun Shang lowered her head and said in a deep voice. It was lucky that Liu Yinfeng wasn''t here. Otherwise, he would have noticed her by the name. She just didn''t know what a proper name was for the moment. So she just used her previous fake name.


    "I am Su Shang." "I am Wu Meng." "I am Zhao Wenrui."


    "Your Majesty." After everyone identified themselves, the five people said in one voice and bowed to Xia Huanyu.


    "Get up, envoys." The voice of Xia Huanyu came, with the royal demeanor, but also indifferent, without any emotion. "Give the five envoys a seat to sit."


    The servants moved the chairs in the hall. Yun Shang and Wang Jinhuan took their seats together. Then they raised their eyes to look at the two divided courtiers. Yun Shang glanced at them, which made them feel uneasy.


    That was what we wanted, Yun Shang thought to herself.


    "What


    erful brigands they were that they were even able to defeat the secret guards of an emperor. If the brigands of the state of Xia are all so powerful, why couldn''t they rule the world? " Wang Jinhuan had always been fearless. He was used to acting tyrannically in the state of Ning. He was not afraid of Xia Huanyu at all. What he said was simply unbearable.


    Yun Shang smiled in her heart, but Wang Jinhuan spoke again. "Moreover, I heard that the day before the funeral of Princess Hui Guo was messed up and the coffin was overturned. What was even more amazing was that there was no body in the coffin. Excuse me, your majesty. Is the state of Xia so messy that even a funeral would be messed up by random people? More importantly, the princess is dead. But I heard that the dead body was sent to the Jin City as your majesty had it checked. Why is there only empty coffin at the funeral? Where is the corpse the princess? Princess Yun Shang''s death was already very grieving and hateful, and now her dead body was even gone. I have sent a message to his majesty already to tell him what happened. How will your majesty deal with this matter? "

 Chapter 501 The Meeting With The Emperor (Part Two)

    Xia Huanyu did not answer. A murderous look flashed across his eyes.


    "How dare you!" Su Qi stood up and glared at Wang Jinhuan.


    Wang Jinhuan smiled, "who is this? Isn''t that you, Field Marshal Su? " After a pause, he continued, "since you think I am presumptuous, I will be. However, if you can''t give us a satisfying answer, our state is still behind us. "


    "You..." But Wang Jinhuan interrupted him. "By the way, I heard that Prince Jing didn''t know what happened to Her Highness. Everyone knows that Prince Jing loves her highness very much when they were in the state of Ning. If Prince Jing get angry, I''m afraid he will be rude to you as well. "


    "Lord Wang, it''s our great honor to have you here. We feel deeply sorry for the matter of Lady Rui. We will try our best to find the murder and the body of Lady Rui. Please forgive us and be patient. The post house is ready. You can take a rest in the post house. If we find any clue, we will inform you immediately. " The seventh prince came out, bowed to Wang Jinhuan and said in a polite way.


    When Wang Jinhuan was about to say something, there was a faint voice coming from outside, "report --"


    Yun Shang heard the voice. There should be a military notice ahead. Only the soldiers can send an arrow to the hall to inform the emperor.


    Yun Shang pondered for a while. Now the state of Xia and the state of Ning had formed an alliance. Even if it was because of her, her father would send troops, but the state of Ning would not defend her in such a short time. And the state of Xia was currently fighting with


    e ecstatic Wang Jinhuan, she couldn''t bear to upset him, "Well, I don''t think you can see that day. You have just offended Xia Huanyu and Su Qi so many times. I wonder if you still have the chance to see the sun tomorrow. "


    Wang Jinhuan turned to Yun Shang, looking at her with his pretty eyes."do you know what I''m very good at?"


    Yun Shang was stunned at Wang Jinhuan''s words. She shook her head and heard him say, "my greatest skill is the Qinggong (*TN: A Chinese martial arts technique that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.). My ability to run for my life is absolutely incomparable. Xia Huanyu is so ugly and old that he even dare to touch my Qian Qian. He should already be very glad that I don''t make a fuss about it. "


    Wang Jinhuan said these words. Then he became more serious and said, "I just smelled a strange scent on the seventh prince''s body. It''s like incense, which is only used for ordinary people. But when I smelled him, I smelled aphrodisiac, ginger, Chinese parasol and thatches, and even faint peppers."

 Chapter 502 A Surprise

    "The aphrodisiac, ginger, Chinese parasol and thatches are all kinds of aromatic substances. It is not surprising that they could be used to make pungent incense. As far as I know, the ginger and Chinese parasol are herbs. Hasn''t the seventh prince been ill in health all the time? As for the pepper... The Jin City is wet and hot. People here like pepper very much. " Yun Shang said peacefully, but then she stopped. Yun Shang and the seventh prince had seen each other several times, but she never smelled any of the smell mentioned by Wang Jinhuan.


    Wang Jinhuan, however, didn''t notice that Yun Shang slowed down her pace and said in a low voice, "no one will mix the fragrances together, because the mixed odor of these two kinds of aromatic substance is really pungent."


    "Why do you care so much about the incense of the seventh prince? Do you fall in love with him?" Yun Shang smiled and joked. She didn''t take Wang Jinhuan''s words too seriously.


    Wang Jinhuan turned around and looked at Yun Shang with contempt, "me? I like that weak man? "


    Yun Shang thought he was going to explode with rage. Unexpectedly, he raised his hand, pointed at her nose, and snorted, "you... How dare you bully me like this? I''m going to tell Luo Qingyan. "


    "¡­¡­" After a long silence, Yun Shang turned around and looked at the other three expressionless men behind her. Her mouth slightly twitched. How could she forget that she would never expect Wang Jinhuan to behave normal.


    Knowing Luo Qingyan would be back in any minute, Yun Shang was happy to hear that. And with her new identity, she didn''t have to go back to the Li clan any more, but lived in the inn with Wang Jinhuan.


    The post was originally a place to banquet the emissaries, and it was also very beautiful. Yun Shang simply brought Qian Yin here as well. The most important thing was that with the new identity, they could travel around the city without any scruple. By travelling, they also contacted with the hidden guards many times.


    Recently, the most famous coroners in the city was being followed by the secret guards, but no abnormality was found. Yun Shang frowned. Maybe she was thinking too much. Was the person who stole the body not trying to find o


    s of the state of Ning. It is really not good."


    Yun Shang also raised her eyebrows and snorted, "yes, Princess Yun Shang''s body have not been found. The envoy of the state of Ning has been wandering around the city all day long, looking as if he is not sad at all. When he was so angry in the Taiji Palace that day, now he is happily smiling. If I were Xia Huanyu, what would I think?"


    "What?" Wang Jinhuan was shocked. After a while, he said, "how can I forget that? Well, I don''t remember that. You''re always in front of me. How could I remember Lady Rui''s death? Why didn''t you remind me? I''m doomed. I''m doomed. "


    Yun Shang saw him scratching his head and scratching his ears. She couldn''t help but burst into laughter. "I''ve always been curious how you met Qingyan? How could you become friends? "


    Wang Jinhuan glared at Yun Shang, "you are still laughing. You must be on purpose. Forget it. I wanted to revenge for you, but you dared to treat me like this. Ah, I''m heartbroken. I really don''t know why Luo Qingyan married you. You''re a devil. You always have some crooked schemes in your mind. You even sold Qian Qian out... "


    Yun Shang smiled and turned to Wang Jinhuan. Before she said anything, a voice came from behind her, "You don''t need to know how I married my wife. You took advantage of my absence to bully my wife like this. Wang Jinhuan, haven''t we fought for a long time? Don''t you remember how it feels to kneel down and beg for mercy in front of me?"

 Chapter 503 The Happy Reunion

    The voice was somewhat cold, but Yun Shang was very familiar with it. A lump came into Yun Shang''s throat and she had lost the courage to turn around. She couldn''t believe what she just heard.


    Wang Jinhuan''s eyes lit up suddenly. But after he heard the person''s words, he lowered his mouth and looked wronged, "how dare I bully her? You even don''t listen to me. Your woman bullied me instead! How do I know you two heartless guys! Oh my God. " After a pause, he added, "well, it seems that I shouldn''t come to the state of Xia at all. I''m so sad. I have to go back to the state of Ning."


    Being teased by Wang Jinhuan, Yun Shang repressed the surging mist in her eyes. When she was about to turn around, she was held from behind. A faint fragrance of plum came from behind. Yun Shang was surprised. Since when did Luo Qingyan also like the fragrance of plum? It was her favorite scent.


    "I''m sorry." Luo Qingyan said, blaming himself.


    "I''m leaving. I''m going back to the state of Ning." When Yun Shang was still in a daze by Luo Qingyan''s sudden apology, she suddenly heard Wang Jinhuan''s voice coming from the side.


    "I''m sorry. I''m not with you when you needed me the most; I''m not with you when you were hurt and cried. I won''t let it happen ever again. " Luo Qingyan''s voice was so gentle that Yun Shang almost burst into tears again.


    Yun Shang lowered her head, sniffed and shook her head, "it doesn''t matter. I have never blamed you for that."


    "I have told you three times. I have to go back to the state of Ning, now. I am very irritated by you two right now." Wang Jinhuan''s voice echoed next to both of them again, accompanied by some anxious footsteps.


    "Haha..." His words ruined this extremely warm moment. Yun Shang lowered her head with a giggle. Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and turned to look at the one who started all this. "If you don''t leave now, I''m afraid I''ll throw you out myself." Then he let go of Yun Shang and pretended to walk towards Wang Jinhuan.


    Wang Jinhuan was surprised at his action. He shouted, "what are you doing? No matter what you do, do not come closer to me. If you come closer, I will shout out aloud that you want to bully me. "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and walked forward a step again. Wang Jinhuan jumped up and disappeared with a sound of swoosh. Then the voice came from far away, "Luo Qingyan, your woman''s disguise is too terrible. If you can do it, I''m convinced."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang suddenly raised her hand and touched her face. Her hand trembled a little. She almost forgot that she had disguised her look now as a middle-aged man. She smiled and heard Luo Qingyan''s voice. "Oh? Let me have a look at your face. "


    Yun Shang turned around with a smile and saw Luo Qingyan in front of her. He seemed to have been on the way for a long time with a frosty face and he had not shaved for a long time.


    When Yun Shang stared at Luo Qingyan with intense eyes, Luo Qingyan was looking at her as well. He frowned and kept silent for a long time. "I really dare not do it. If I did, you would think I''m a gay."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into


    had happened these days. Then she brought up Luo Qingyan and his men, asked him about his situation, and he told her briefly.


    "So you didn''t have grandpa with you the whole time? Instead, you sneaked into the Ya clan before the army did? " Yun Shang opened her mouth in surprise and asked in a low voice.


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head. "You have people who could disguise yourself around you. So do I."


    Yun Shang got more and more excited at his words, "so the secret in the forbidden area was discovered by you, your highness? Grandfather and the army of 100000 soldiers. After all, there are too many of them. They can''t be hidden so easily and I don''t even know where the officers in the court have gone. It was known to all that Su Qi had the military power, and there should be a number of generals who listened to Su Qi among the generals. The seventh prince must have planted spies in the army as well. "


    Luo Qingyan smiled at her words. "Grandfather knows the state of Xia very well. He hid the soldiers in a valley hidden in a forest through the cave to the valley. The valley is surrounded by steep cliffs, which means that they could only leave by the cave. As for grandpa, all he needed to do is to send someone to guard that exit. I''m sure that the person he ordered is trustworthy. "


    After a long silence, Yun Shang let out a sigh. "I''ve been listening to you for a while. I can imagine what the terrain is like. It''s indeed a good place to hide, but if it''s discovered, I''m afraid that they''ll all be wiped out. Grandfather, at least, put his stake on it. Besides, I heard that there are many poisonous flowers and plants in the forbidden area of the Ya clan? How did you get in? Why didn''t you get caught by them? "


    Luo Qingyan saw that the woman in his arms was more and more excited at his words. He couldn''t help smiling. So he turned around to block her mouth and thought, ''it''s such a wonderful night that we see each other again. We shouldn''t waste it. It should be used as something more meaningful.''


    A soft cry was heard and the room was in an uproar.

 Chapter 504 Disappearance (Part One)

    When Yun Shang woke up, it was already the afternoon of the second day. When she opened her eyes, she found that Luo Qingyan was still lying beside her, but he was also awake with his eyes wide open. Seeing that Yun Shang was awake, he reached out and held her in his arms. "Are you going to attend the imperial banquet with Wang Jinhuan today?"


    Yun Shang was still confused and looked blankly at Luo Qingyan, not knowing what he was talking about at all. "A banquet? What banquet? "


    After asking, she vaguely remembered that it seemed to be true, so she nodded her head and said, "yes, before this, I went to the palace with Wang Jinhuan as an envoy of the state of Ning. Xia Huanyu said he would give a banquet in the palace, and I naturally want to go to the palace with him."


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head as well and said, "I''ll go with you today. I have nothing to do here. And I can''t go back to the Prince Rui''s mansion."


    "What?" Yun Shang became a little sober after talking for a long time. She looked at Luo Qingyan and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry to come back to the Jin City and have nothing to do? The problem with the Ya Clan hasn''t been completely solved yet, and the emperor has not issued an order for you to go back to the Jin City. Why do you come back? "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Luo Qingyan merely smiled and let go of her hand without answering. He sat up to fetch the clothes on the stool at the head of the bed, putting on his robe. Then he turned around to look at Yun Shang, but said nothing. "Wouldn''t you get up now? It''s about time to enter the palace. "


    Yun Shang let out a sigh and was about to sit up. But she couldn''t help but frown


    e quilt, and pulled down the quilt. She looked out of the quilt, and found that there was really no one outside. Then she hurriedly opened the quilt and got out of bed, and hurriedly took out a man''s clothes from the box beside. She put the cloth over her chest, and dressed herself quickly. Only after that did her heartbeat calm a little bit.


    Yun Shang patted her red face and cursed herself. "Why are you still so shy? How embarrassing!" After that, she slowly straightened her clothes and sat in front of the mirror. She randomly made her hair into a bun and put a jade crown on it.


    "Shang''er, have you dressed yet?" Luo Qingyan''s voice came from the bathroom. Yun Shang''s hand trembled and she almost dropped the comb in her hand on the ground. She quickly put the comb on the table in front of the mirror and hurriedly turned around. "Yes, I am already dressed up."


    Hardly had the words faded away, Yun Shang heard a "yes" from the man in the bathroom, and then there came some footsteps. It was then that Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan walk out of the bathroom, dressed in blue, with his hair hanging over his back.

 Chapter 505 Disappearance (Part Two)

    Yun Shang quickly stood up and said, "Your highness, quickly come here. Let me help you with your hair."


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head and smiled at Yun Shang. He sat down in front of the bronze mirror and Yun Shang picked up a comb again. Now that she had combed his hair from the beginning to the end, she slowly tied it up. Then she put the comb down and help him wear a white jade crown. After that, she put the comb down and said with a smile, "Your Highness, please have a seat. I''m going to wash my face." Then she hurried into the bathroom.


    Looking at Yun Shang who was trying to run away, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. Yun Shang used to be calm and gentle. He didn''t expect that she could be this shy and lovely sometimes.


    After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Yun Shang went back to her room and sat in front of the bronze mirror again. She called the hidden guard in to help her change her face into a man''s. The hidden guard disguised her face and the dark guard disguised Luo Qingyan''s face as well. Then she asked the hidden guard to help Luo Qingyan change his face. She applied some more stuff on her hands to make them a little rough. After that, she put on men''s shoes and stood up. "Let''s go to find Wang Jinhuan."


    But Wang Jinhuan was not in the room.


    Seeing the guards at the gate, Yun Shang called the guards over and asked, "Lord Wang, where is him? He hasn''t come back all night?"


    The guard nodded his head, "I didn''t see Lord Wang come back last night."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown and turned to Luo Qingyan. "Last night you didn''t have any new clothes when yo


    ared in Xia Huanyu''s sight today, he must have some doubts.


    While she was thinking about that, she saw that Su Qi had said in a cynical tone, "He haven''t come back all night? He was probably drunk and lost in some woman''s arms. Lord Wang is so young that we can of course understand that. But Lord Wang looks so... I wonder what''s... "


    Yun Shang understood his words and couldn''t help but frown. She looked at him and said, "Lord Su, I''m afraid you are the regular customer in that kind of places. It''s said that the youngest child of you is not even one year old, and the kid''s mother is..."


    Sometimes, the highest level of power would be reached if one didn''t finish a sentence. Yun Shang cast a meaningful look at Su Qi with a glint of mockery in her eyes.


    "You!" Su Qi stood up abruptly, his face full of anger. Yun Shang looked around at the courtiers who didn''t say a word, and smiled in a mock way. The courtiers all pretended not to hear that. But of course they knew what identity Su Qi''s new concubine had, and Yun Shang didn''t need to make it clear anymore.

 Chapter 506 A Lawsuit

    "Lord Su, sit down." Xia Huanyu frowned and looked at Su Qi with some dissatisfaction in his eyes.


    Su Qi had stayed with Xia Huanyu for many years, so he knew him well. Judging from his tone, he knew that the high minded man was already a little annoyed. Therefore, he promptly responded and sat back to his seat, drinking the dull wine one by one.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Su Qi and remained silent for a while. Then he whispered in Yun Shang''s ear. Yun Shang frowned and nodded her head to Luo Qingyan.


    As Wang Jinhuan''s whereabouts were unknown, Yun Shang and her companions were not in the mood to have fun, and the atmosphere of the whole palace was a bit gloomy.


    Then Luo Qingyan made an excuse to go to the toilet, and left his seat quietly, walking out of the Taiji Palace.


    Yun Shang felt someone look at her, and she knew who it was even without looking. She sighed in her heart. It seemed that Liu Yinfeng did have doubts about her.


    Yun Shang kept her head down while drinking tea. The dancers in the hall were still dancing trippingly. Yun Shang calmed herself down and only looked at the teacup in front of her quietly.


    After a while, Luo Qingyan returned to his seat. He nodded at Yun Shang, and she was a little relieved.


    The upcoming banquet was boring to the guests. Only when it was almost over did someone walk up to Liu Wenan and say something in his ear. Taken aback, Liu Wenan bowed again and whispered to Xia Huanyu.


    After a long while, he raised his head and looked at Yun Shang, frowning. "Lord Wang has been found ."


    Yun Shang had a bad feeling when she looked up at Xia Huanyu. She looked up and asked, "Your Majesty, where is Lord Wang now?"


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu''s eyes turned dark slightly. Then he said, "The Zui Feng Pavilion."


    Although Yun Shang had just arrived at the Jin City, she had heard the name of the Zui Feng Pavillon because it was a brothel. Wang Jinhuan went to the brothel? Yun Shang frowned. She


    Yun Shang subconsciously paused, but Liu Yinfeng glanced at her indifferently and looked into the distance without any hesitation.


    Yun Shang felt relieved a little. She followed Luo Qingyan into the carriage, and saw Liu Yinfeng outside the window also get on a carriage. After a while, the carriage moved.


    "Did Liu Yinfeng recognize you?" Luo Qingyan suddenly spoke.


    Yun Shang looked surprised. She turned her head and kept silent for a moment. Then she nodded and said, "I met him one day when I went shopping with Wang Jinhuan."


    Luo Qingyan frowned, looking unhappy.


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat. She quickly changed the topic and asked, "what do you think of what happened today?"


    With a contemptuous look, he continued, "do I need to think carefully? Someone was obviously framing Wang Jinhuan. Drunk. Wang Jinhuan was brought up drinking. He has never been drunk before. "


    Yun Shang frowned, "I thought they said that he was drunk and unconscious? Shall we send our secret guards to find out what happened? "


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and said, "of course we should investigate. We will investigate secretly with the secretly guards as well as in bright daylight. Just take a good rest at the post house. Liu Yinfeng and I will go to the Zui Feng Pavillon and have a look."

 Chapter 507 The Seven-day Drunk (Part One)

    Yun Shang thought for a while and realized that Liu Yinfeng might have known who she was. She nodded her head and asked, "where is Wang Jinhuan? Where is he right now? "


    "He was sent back to the inn. There is no evidence to prove that Wang Jinhuan killed that woman, and he was a special person. So Xia Huanyu ordered to send him back to the inn, but there was someone guarding outside his room." Luo Qingyan put his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulder and continued. "But Wang Jinhuan has a quick temper. I''m afraid the guards won''t be able to keep an eye on him. You go back and have a good talk with him. Don''t let anything bad happen to him again. And tell him to stay low key for a while."


    Yun Shang nodded her head again. Then Luo Qingyan loosened his grip and got off the carriage.


    When Yun Shang arrived at the inn, the door was peaceful as usual. When she entered, she saw Qian Yin pace back and forth in the yard. When Qian Yin saw Yun Shang back, she was relieved and walked to her. "What happened, master? Just now the guards in the palace carried Mr. Wang back. I smelt a strong alcohol smell on Mr. Wang, but I thought he didn''t go to the banquet? Moreover, the guards are still guarding at the door after they brought Mr. Wang back. They won''t allow me to go in even if I want to see him. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown. "It''s a long story. Is Wang Jinhuan still in a coma?"


    "He was still in a coma when he was brought back. I had been outside Mister Wang''s yard for a long time, but there was no sound in the room. Mister Wang has a strong smell of alcohol. I don''t know how much he has drunk. I''m afraid he won''t wake up in a while. " Qian Yin, walking behind Y


    n Shang frowned and watched the man struggling to stand up. He covered his head with his hand and cried out in pain.


    After a while, he finally raised his head and saw Yun Shang standing not far away. Yun Shang saw Wang Jinhuan''s face changed dramatically. He was in great pain just now, and now he was able to talk to Yun Shang with a smile. "Liu Yinfeng? Why are you here? " Then he raised his head and looked around. "This should be my room, right?"


    Yun Shang snorted coldly, "Wang Jinhuan, do you still remember where you were last night?"


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Wang Jinhuan was stunned by her voice. After a while, he realized, "Your... Your highness? "


    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly and fixed her eyes on him. "I suggest you think carefully about where you went last night and what you did."


    Wang Jinhuan looked at Yun Shang with a puzzled look after hearing her words, but there was no sign of joking on her face. So he asked curiously, "what''s wrong? Is there anything wrong? " Suddenly he frowned and asked, "why is the smell of alcohol so strong in this room? Who has knocked over the can?"

 Chapter 508 The Seven-day Drunk (Part Two)

    "Yes, something did happen. You didn''t come back last night until it was time for the banquet. His majesty had sent people to look for you, but you were found in the room of a prostitute in the Zui Feng Pavilion. When they found you, you were lying on the bed with a strong smell of alcohol. And the woman was killed by the bed where you were sleeping. " Yun Shang looked at Wang Jinhuan and saw his expression changed from puzzlement to confusion, and finally shock. She opened her mouth again, "where did you go last night? Did you drink alcohol? How much have you drunk? Do you still remember what happened? "


    Wang Jinhuan was stunned with his mouth wide open. After a while, he said, "no, I didn''t drink anything at all. Yesterday after I left the post house, I went shopping on the street. When I found it boring, I casually found an inn to eat. The hall was too noisy, so I asked for a private room, but I didn''t drink at all. Later, I remembered that I was eating. A woman with the Pipa entered the room and said she wanted to play the Pipa for me, but I didn''t let her in. When she turned around and was about to leave, I smelled a fragrance, and then I lost my conscious and didn''t remember anything after that. "


    After a long silence, Yun Shang suddenly stood up, approached Wang Jinhuan and put her face in front of him.


    Wang Jinhuan was shocked and stepped back. "What are you going to do to me? No, no, No. If Luo Qingyan sees this, he will kill me. "


    Yun Shang frowned and took a deep breath. Then she stood straight again. She raised her eyebrows and said indifferently, "there''s no smell of alcohol in your mouth. And you didn''t drink. I''m


    gus soup and gave it to Luo Qingyan. "I noticed that you haven''t eaten anything during the royal banquet. I''m afraid you are hungry now. Drink a bowl of white fungus soup first and they we will talk."


    Luo Qingyan responded yes and took up the bowl to drink slowly. It was a good chance for Yun Shang to talk about what she had said with Wang Jinhuan today.


    Luo Qingyan drank the white fungus soup off. He put the bowl on the table before he pulled Yun Shang down on the couch. He said in a low voice, "So Wang Jinhuan was drugged with a drug called Seven-day Drunk? The smell of alcohol was just from his clothes because they had been soaked with alcohol? "


    Yun Shang nodded her head.


    Luo Qingyan was silent for a long time before he said, "Wang Jinhuan walked into the Zui Feng Pavilion by himself. He was reeking of alcohol. And as soon as he walked in, he said loudly that he was looking for the most beautiful girl in the Zui Feng Pavilion, and he said that he wanted to compare her with him. After the girl went downstairs, he just dragged her upstairs without even taking a look at her. "

 Chapter 509 Looking For The Drug

    Yun Shang nodded, "the Seven-day Drunk makes one look like drunk in the following seven days. What people do is completely different after getting drunk. Some people will cry, some will laugh, and some will gossip. So we don''t know what happened that day in the woman''s room. Is Wang Jinhuan the real killer or not?"


    "Things are really troublesome." Luo Qingyan smiled coldly.


    "I''ll go to the pharmacy tomorrow. The Seven-day Drunk is not common to buy, and the medicines are of complex effect. The one who drugged him may not know that we know about it, maybe they will not be wary of it. Maybe they just found a pharmacy to buy some. Maybe we will find some clues there." Yun Shang comforted him softly.


    Luo Qingyan stood up with Yun Shang, "it''s late. Go to bed early."


    The next morning, when Yun Shang woke up, Luo Qingyan was no longer in the room. Qian Yin was tidying up the cupboard. Looking at her working with only one hand, Yun Shang felt a slight pain in her heart. She sat up and whispered, "Qian Yin."


    Qian Yin walked to Yun Shang''s bed and said with a smile, "Your Highness is awake."


    Yun Shang replied, "I need to go out now. Go and get the carriage ready."


    Qian Yin hurriedly nodded, turned around and left the room. Yun Shang got up from the bed, put on a black dress, washed herself, and tied up her hair.


    When Qian Yin came in again, a maid followed behind her. She was holding a plate, on which placed some cakes and a bowl of porridge. "Your Highness, please have something to eat first."


    Yun Shang walked to the table and sat down. "When did he leave? Has he had meal? "


    Qian Yin replied promptly, "It has been two hours. And his highness has eaten."


    Yun Shang felt a little more relieved. She ate some food in a hurry and went out of the inn, heading for the biggest pharmacy in the city.


    "Sir, do you have any of these herbs?" Yun Shang took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to the pharmacist. The list was all the herbs for making the Seven-day Drunk.


    The shopkeeper took the prescription from Yun Shang''s hand. He stared at it for a while and said, "the other two herbs, we don''t have


    Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang thanked the man in white again and left the pharmacy.


    When they arrived at the previous pharmacy, the waiter had packed all the medicine and handed it to Yun Shang. Yun Shang took it, thought for a moment, and then showed the painting of the woman in white in front of the shopkeeper, "Sir, have a look, is this the girl who bought these things the other day?"


    The attendant beside him came over with another prescription and said to the shopkeeper, "Sir, that guest wants to prevent dead bodies from rotting. Check the prescription I wrote. Is it correct?"


    "Please wait a moment," the shopkeeper said to Yun Shang and then took over the prescription, "The aphrodisiac, ginger, Chinese parasol and thatches. Yes, that''s right. Tell the guest that he''d better buy some peppers as well. "


    The attendant said yes and left.


    Yun Shang was stunned. These medicinal herbs...


    The shop owner got close and nodded his head, "yes, you''re right. It''s her."


    Yun Shang put away the painting in a hurry and asked, "Sir, what do you use, aphrodisiac, ginger, Chinese parasol, thatches and peppers for?"


    The owner was stunned for a moment and smiled, "to prevent dead bodies from rotting. Normally, the dead people have to wait at home for at least three to seven days before the funeral. It''s hot and the dead body may decay, so many people buy some fragrances and herbs to prevent dead bodies from rotting."

 Chapter 510 Unexpected Favor (Part One)

    "I just smelled a strange scent on the seventh prince. It seemed to be the incense of ordinary people, but only one incense was used for ordinary people. Then I smelled the aroma of aphrodisiac, ginger, Chinese parasol and thatches, and even a faint smell of peppers."


    Yun Shang suddenly remembered what Wang Jinhuan said to her when she came out of the Taiji Palace that day. Her heart trembled when she recalled it. The seventh Prince''s scent... The corpse... To keep the body from rotting.


    It was the seventh prince who stole the body of the fake Lady Rui.


    Yun Shang thanked the shopkeeper and rushed out of the pharmacy. She got on the carriage and said to the coachman, "back to the inn."


    When Yun Shang arrived at the inn, she saw a carriage at the door. She stopped and turned her head to look at the carriage. There were four bells hanging on the four sides of the carriage, with a small word "Liu" written on it.


    Liu, it was Liu Yinfeng.


    Yun Shang stepped into the post house and walked towards her own yard. Qian Yin was sitting in her room in a daze. In front of her was a branch embroidered with several small flowers, which were not neatly embroidered.


    "Qian Yin?" Yun Shang called her softly.


    Qian Yin shivered as if she was startled by the sudden call. She looked up at Yun Shang and breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Highness is back."


    Yun Shang nodded her head : "Liu Yinfeng is at the post house now?"


    Qian Yin put aside the embroidered brawny and nodded her head slightly. "Yes, he just came here with his highness. He went directly to Wang Jinhuan''s yard after coming. I don''t dare to go there because I don''t want to be seen by M


    d, "thank you for saving my life, Mr. Liu."


    "It''s not a big deal." Liu Yinfeng chuckled. He looked at Yun Shang''s and Qian Yin''s faces for a second before he said with a smile, "the disguise master next to A Yun did make a very delicate job. I almost failed to recognize you."


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing.


    "When I was in my hometown that day, I was shocked when I heard the news of Lady Rui''s death. I immediately sent a letter to the Li City. It was not until then that I knew you were okay. Luckily you were fine. Otherwise, I would regret it for a lifetime." Liu Yinfeng kept staring at Yun Shang, which made her a little bit uncomfortable. Her mind fluctuated several times, but she did not speak.


    Liu Yinfeng then said again, "A Yun, did you visit Wang Jinhuan in disguise as me yesterday?"


    That was the point. Yun Shang was not surprised and nodded her head with a smile. "Yes. I heard Mister Wang was in a coma and hadn''t woken up. I''m afraid there''s something wrong, but the guards wouldn''t allow me to go in and check on him. So I had to disguise as you. We are so sorry to offend you."

 Chapter 511 Unexpected Favor (Part Two)

    The smile in Liu Yinfeng''s eyes deepened as he heard her words, "A Yun, you don''t have to say that. The guard asked me when I arrived. He said, Mister Liu came again. I felt something was wrong. When I was about to ask, I suddenly thought of you. I thought it must be you that went in Mr. Wang''s words. So I just said yes to that guard. Fortunately, I didn''t ask. "


    Yun Shang smiled and bowed her head to express her gratitude. But she felt a bit remorseful in her heart. Yesterday she just wanted to find a way to get in, but she didn''t expect that she owed Liu Yinfeng a favor again because of this. Now what she was unwilling to do the most was to owe a debt to Liu Yinfeng. She didn''t know whether Liu Yinfeng liked her for real or not, but as she was married now, she didn''t want to have any relationship with others, so it was unfair to both Liu Yinfeng and Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and thought for a while. Then she raised her head and said, "Mr. Liu has helped me many times. I can''t be an ungrateful person. Although I''ve just arrived in the state of Xia now, and there are not many things I can do. But soon the secret guards in the state of Ning will all be all transferred to the state of Xia. Although I can''t tell Mr. Liu how many secret guards I have, if all of them are in the state of Xia, it should be convenient for many things to be done. Here, I will give you three times'' chance to have my secret guards work for you as my gratitude, Mr. Liu. Thank you very much. If you need anything, just let me know. "


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng''s fingers moved sligh


    hat Liu Yinfeng likes you?"


    Yun Shang was taken aback by his question. She didn''t expect Luo Qingyan to ask such a question. She stared at him, speechless. She wasn''t sure how to answer him.


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan immediately knew the answer. He gave a cold smile and said, "Liu Yinfeng is not stupid. He knows how to make you feel guilty."


    Yun Shang didn''t understand why the prince said that. Then the prince said again calmly, "Now that he saved you, and we are a couple. I should repay the favor for you. You don''t have to worry about it. I will repay him for what he had done for you."


    Yun Shang gently nodded his head. She changed the topic when she noticed Luo Qingyan''s cold eyes, "I went to the pharmacy to prepare the herbs for making the Seven-day Drunk. I heard from the pharmacy boss that someone had bought the same herbs secretly a few days ago. I have asked him to draw a picture of the woman who bought them. But the painting is in Qian Yin''s hands right now. I''ll ask her to give it to you to have a look later."

 Chapter 512 The Night Meeting

    After lunch, Luo Qingyan left the inn again. Yun Shang stayed and read in the inn. In the morning, the thing that Qian Yin asked the hidden guards to investigate had gained some clues.


    "The seventh prince''s mansion is heavily guarded, so it''s difficult for the secret guards to sneak in. They noticed that there seems to be someone else investigating this, and I told him to look for a group of people from the palace. When those people entered the palace, I sent a message to Qian Qian, asking Qian Qian to send someone to follow them, only to find that they stayed around the Buddhist Prayer Room for a while and then left. " Qian Yin said in a low voice.


    Yun Shang clenched the tea cup in her hand, a grim smile on her face, "it''s indeed her."


    Qian Yin heard her and opened her mouth, but then fell silent. Lowering her head, she looked at her empty right arm.


    "I thought have no enmity with her, but she has already bullied me, and I can no longer sit by and watch." Yun Shang said indifferently, "I will go to the Imperial Palace tonight. Tell Ning Qian to find a way to meet me."


    Qian Yin replied yes.


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to Qian Yin, and said with a smile, "don''t worry. I will give you a chance to kill your enemy."


    Qian Yin nodded with tears in her eyes, "okay."


    Qian Yin paused before she continued, "I have investigated the woman in the portrait, but I haven''t found any information yet. The man at the San Cun Alley is also a mysterious person. It is said that he came to the state of Xia three years ago and opened a small shop. It seems that he has a lot of friends. From time to time, there will be distinguished guests who visit him at any time. But they were also people of mystery, and we don''t know who he really was yet.


    After dinner, Luo Qingyan came back. Yun Shang told him that she would come to the palace in the evening, but she just said that she had something to do with Ning Qian. Luo Qingyan asked her to be careful before letting her enter the palace.


    But Yun Shang didn''t change her fa


    er eyes and suddenly heard a voice from inside, "guest outside, don''t you come in and have a seat?"


    Yun Shang was stunned. A murderous look flashed in her eyes. Then the window was pushed open. Yun Shang meditated for a moment, clenched the silver needle in her hand, raised her eyes, and looked at the hidden position of the secret guards. She went to the window, and rolled in.


    This should be the inner room behind the Buddhist prayer room. The room was simple with only a bed, a table, a few chairs and a dresser. There was a woman sitting on the edge of the bed. She wore white underwear with her hair down. She had a beautiful face. Against the dim yellow light, she looked even more gentle.


    The woman looked Yun Shang up and down. Then she smiled and said, "it''s said that Lady Rui is extremely beautiful. It''s hard to find a woman who looks more beautiful than her. I thought he was exaggerating. Unexpectedly, you are really amazing."


    Yun Shang smiled as well and said gently, "I''ve heard that lady Shu is gentle and elegant. Now it''s really touching to meet her."


    Lady Shu let out a light laugh and seemed not to be able to stop. She laughed in a low voice for a long time before she looked up at Yun Shang. "Lady Rui, you are so young that you are good at flattering. But if you come alone at night, aren''t you afraid that I will kill you?"

 Chapter 513 The Confrontation (Part One)

    Yun Shang smiled and looked at Lady Shu. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Lady Shu, if your words are heard by others, the virtuous image you''ve spent a lot of effort to build will disappear all of a sudden."


    "Don''t forget that this is the place where I live, Lady Rui. I know every time you come here, let alone others." Lady Shu touched her long hair on her shoulder and said softly, "but I''m a little surprised that lady rui really has the courage to break in my room on her own."


    Yun Shang walked to a stool and sat down. She said with a smile, "I have been in the state of Xia for almost three or four months, but I have never visited lady Shu. I think that''s the reason why lady Shu sent people to assassinate me as a warning. When I knew it was lady Shu who plotted against me, I quickly came to the palace to greet you and ask you about it. I don''t know what I did wrong. Please give me some advice. "


    Lady Shu looked at Yun Shang and sneered, "did you do something wrong? That''s because you married the wrong man. " Then lady Shu stood up, barefoot on the ground, and said with a smile, "the Prince Rui is second to none in the State of Ning. Why did he come back to the state of Xia to compete with my son, Qi''er? The state of Xia is not a place where he can act wildly. But now he is in full swing, I don''t want to hurt him. "


    "I''m afraid it''s not because you don''t want to hurt him. It''s that you can''t hurt him right now. That''s why you regard me as your first target. " Yun Shang smiled as she saw the anger on Lady Shu''s face. She then said softly, "you are a smart lady. You have also taught me something, Lady Shu."


    Lady Shu looked at Yun Shang coldly and said nothing.


    "I should also start with the people the enem


    it if I really died in her hands?" Yun Shang curled her lips into a cold sneer, "I know lady Shu is a lady of noble birth, but I''m also clear that even though the one who died that day was my secret guard, his majesty wouldn''t have been able to see me if the secret guards hadn''t risked their lives to protect me."


    After a long time of silence, Xia Huanyu still didn''t speak. Yun Shang suddenly burst into laughter. "Your Majesty likes to threaten others. You have threatened the prince Rui to spare the seventh prince''s life, but now you threaten me in the same way. But your majesty, I have always hated to be threatened by anyone. "


    Xia Huanyu turned around and looked at Yun Shang. He frowned for a long time and said, "what do you think Prince Rui will choose between the state and the beauty if I asked him to make a choice? Just tell me."


    Yun Shang was surprised at the emperor''s words. But she then burst into laughter. After a while, she said, "Your Majesty, do you think the emperor is alive and it will always be his majesty''s. you can give the state to whoever you want? Hahaha! I have never known that your majesty is so ignorant and naive. "

 Chapter 514 The Confrontation (Part Two)

    "How dare you!" Xia Huanyu''s eyes became cold all of a sudden, "How dare you say that! Do you know that I can send you to hell at once!"


    "Your Majesty, who is going to be executed?" Yun Shang heard a voice before she could answer, which was even colder than the words of Xia Huanyu.


    Hearing the voice, Xia Huanyu couldn''t help but frown and looked to the distance. Yun Shang turned around too. She saw Luo Qingyan standing not far away and looking at them with a sword in his hand.


    "Your Majesty, who do you want to kill?" Luo Qingyan asked again as if he didn''t get any reply. Then he walked towards Yun Shang, stood beside Yun Shang and looked at Xia Huanyu. "Your Majesty, you can ask me whatever you want to know. As to what I want to choose between the state and the beauty, right?"


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes swept across Yun Shang. After reaching out to hold Yun Shang''s hand, he said gently, "if it were me, I would choose my wife no matter what. In my eyes, she is my state. As for the throne, it is a mere position in my eyes. I can take it if I really want to. The princes and princesses of the state of Xia are all useless idiots. If I try to kill them, I''m afraid none of them will be my opponent at all. "


    Yun Shang smiled after hearing his arrogant words. She raised her eyes to look at Luo Qingyan, who looked a little cold and rigid, and her heart melted by his words.


    Seeing that the expression on Xia Huanyu''s face looked increasingly worse, Luo Qingyan continued, "not everyone is like you. In order to stabilize your position, the person who killed your wife and children had been sa


    , after you ascend to the throne, you will still need to rely on the power of the Su clan. " Yun Shang said smilingly, "if the empress really wants to do that, we might as well take advantage of her power to eliminate some obstacles."


    Luo Qingyan caressed Yun Shang''s hair and said with a smile, "if shang''er were a man, I would be afraid that shang''er would be my enemy."


    Luo Qingyan paused and looked down at Yun Shang, asking gently, "I heard that you are getting along well with those princesses in the palace?"


    "Yes, they are all brought here by Princess Qian Ling. They are all young and cute. They often have fun in the Prince Rui''s mansion." Yun Shang replied honestly although she didn''t understand the reason why he asked that.


    Luo Qingyan smiled softly. "I''m giving you advice. These princesses seem to be young and innocent. It will definitely benefit if you get on well with them. Behind them are the emperor''s concubines. You should also understand that some concubines seem to be inferior in rank, but sometimes they can be very useful in hand."

 Chapter 515 Getting Into The Tigers Lair (Part One)

    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly. In this dangerous state of Xia, they must seize every opportunity to find a possible ally.


    "Your ladyship, the secret guard said that someone was following you when you went to the pharmacy the other day." Qian Yin was standing at the gate of the yard. When she saw Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan coming back together, she said hurriedly, "that person was not following you that closely, so the secret guards didn''t notice him at first, but later they heard him asking the owner of the pharmacy about what kinds of herbs you have bought."


    "Did it happen when you went asking the shops about the Seven-day Drunk that day?" Hearing this, Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and asked.


    Yun Shang nodded her head. "Yes, I changed my face yesterday when I went out. I was a mere envoy in the state of Ning, but I was followed by someone. I guess that he must be the person who have done something bad to Wang Jinhuan. It was them who drugged Wang Jinhuan with the Seven-day Drunk. Now that they know what I have bought in the shop. They must have known that we know the thing about the Seven-day Drunk right now. "


    Qian Yin nodded her head and continued, "there is one more thing, your highness. We have been investigating the portrait your highness gave us before, but we didn''t find anything. But today in the afternoon, the secret guard saw the woman in the portrait walk through the door of the post house several times, so he followed her. According to the investigation done by the secret guard, she is a servant working in the kitchen of the Zui Feng Pavilion. She just started working there a few days ago, but now she seems not to be there. As for what ha


    Hearing her words, the woman looked down at the dagger on the ground and cried out in shock. All of a sudden, the wooden door aside was opened. The woman rushed into the door, ignoring the dagger left on the ground.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown and whispered, "keep up with the woman."


    A secret guard followed her. Qian Yin moved two steps forward, with her eyes fixed on the dagger on the ground, and was about to reach for it. Yun Shang stopped her, "wait, be careful. We don''t know if there''s poison on it."


    Qian Yin was surprised. She then quickly took out a brocade handkerchief from her waist, squatted down, carefully wrapped the dagger with it, and handed it to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes to have a look at the dagger, and said with a slight smile, "this dagger is inlaid with pearls of this size. Its owner must be very wealthy. Take it with us. I''d like to see what they are up to. "


    Not long after they returned to the post house, her secret guards came back. "I didn''t catch her up. There seemed to be a hidden path in the yard. I''ve searched everywhere, but I didn''t see her at all."

 Chapter 516 Getting Into The Tigers Lair (Part Two)

    Yun Shang flashed a smile, majestic as she said, "In this case, it sounds like a premeditated plan."


    "Or, I can send someone to ask who is the owner of the yard?" Qian Yin hurriedly said.


    Yun Shang shook her head and refused. "It must be premeditated. We won''t have any clue about the owner. It took us about fifteen minutes to see that woman and find her. I bet she would take us to that place wherever we meet her."


    Yun Shang looked at the dagger and said, "in order to give this dagger to us, she took great pains with it. I wonder what''s wrong with the dagger."


    Qian Yin remained silent for a while, and then she said, "do you want me to go and find his highness to ask?"


    "What time is it?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    "It is half past four." Qian Yin hurriedly responded.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head, "forget it. His highness is coming back soon. We are not in a hurry."


    Qian Yin also nodded her head after hearing Yun Shang''s words. She said in a low voice, "then I''ll go prepare dinner now."


    Since Qian Yin had left, Yun Shang had nothing else to do and simply sat on a couch to read. After a while, a servant girl rushed in. "Your highness, there are some people outside the inn. They dressed like the people from the Fuya. They say that Mr. Liu is asking for you. Please go to the inn with them."


    "Liu Yinfeng?" Yun Shang stopped turning over the pages and wondered why the people of the Fuya was looking for her when Luo Qingyan and Liu Yinfeng should be together now.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and then said to the maid: "please go and inform


    the Fuya followed him.


    They walked for about an hour before the man said finally, "here we are, my Lord."


    Yun Shang looked up at the place she was in. It was the Imperial Guard command camp. Yun Shang seemed surprised at where they were. She turned to the man. "Wasn''t it Mr. Liu who was looking for me? Why are we in the Imperial Guard command camp? "


    "I don''t know why he asked us to take you here. Maybe there are some clues in it, and you''ll know after you go in." The man said in a low voice.


    Noticing the man''s poor hidden sneer on his face, Yun Shang smiled too. "I see. Thank you very much." Then she walked in without another word.


    As soon as Yun Shang entered the mansion, the door was closed immediately. She looked back and saw several imperial guards standing behind the door. Then she walked forward and saw a middle-aged man surrounded by many imperial guards. She saw the man, but didn''t know who he was. She couldn''t help but frown and asked with a puzzled look, "who are you, mister? I thought that they say Mr. Liu is looking for me? "

 Chapter 517 An Unexpected Thing

    "Mr. Liu?" The middle-aged man chuckled and looked at Yun Shang as if she was an idiot. "If it is not in the name of Liu Yinfeng, will you come? I''m Li Qian, the commander of the Imperial Guard camp. Get down on your knees, culprit! "


    Yun Shang looked confusedly at the middle-aged man who claimed to be the commander. She was stunned for a moment and said, "what culprit? You must be mistaken? I am an envoy of the state of Ning. "


    On hearing this, Li Qian sneered again, "of course I know you are an envoy of the state of Ning, but I also know it was you who instigated someone to kill the top courtesan of the Zui Feng Pavilion and frame another envoy of the State of Ning, Wang Jinhuan."


    "What?" Yun Shang couldn''t help screaming. She looked at him coldly for a long time before saying, "what are you talking about, Lord Li? How could I do that? I asked someone to kill the woman? Frame Lord Wang? "


    "Wang Jinhuan is the son of the Minister of Defence and War of the state of Ning. He has been friends with the Prince Rui since childhood. This time he is here to visit his old friend and send himself to the state of Xia. The reason why you frame him up is to make Prince Rui misunderstand that it is the spies of the state of Xia and make Prince Rui estrange from the state of Xia. " With a righteous and stern look on his face, Li Qian stared at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at him. "There is an old saying among the people. One may eat whatever he likes, but he shouldn''t say whatever he wants. Is there any evidence to prove your words? Besides, his majesty has given the authority to Mr. Liu to investigate this matter. As the commander of the Imperial Guard, Lord Li is in no position to inquire about this matter. "


    With a sneer, Li Qian answered, "I''m not qualified. But someone is qualified. Besides, I have the evidence. We are the officials of the state of Xia. We should work for the people of the state of Xia. We can''t allow you to do anything


    secret guards following Yun Shang. The voice was played by the secret guards, so they thought the secret guards didn''t know her true identity. Therefore, the secret guards thought she was just imprisoned. By the time the secret guards reacted, they could not find her anymore.


    But she didn''t know who was behind all this.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She had only figured out part of their plan. She thought that someone was trying to frame her, so she had decided to proceed with their plan. As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. However, Yun Shang didn''t expect that they came after her not only to frame her, but also aimed at her from the very beginning.


    Yun Shang sneered coldly in her heart, but the people behind still underestimated her.


    "Who are you? What are you doing?" Yun Shang looked at the men in black and shouted.


    The man in black stretched out his hand to hold Yun Shang, and a handkerchief was covered over her mouth. Before the handkerchief got close to her, Yun Shang smelled a faint fragrance. She held her breath and pretended to pass out.


    "Fainted?" Yun Shang heard someone asking.


    "Yes." Someone answered, "I heard that she is immune to any poison, but this kind of drug is not toxic. It is indeed useful."


    "Okay. Take her to the master as soon as possible."

 Chapter 518 The Fireflies Scheme

    Yun Shang only heard a "yes" before she was carried on somebody''s shoulder. As her head was upside down, Yun Shang simply opened her eyes and counted her steps.


    About half an hour later, a loud bang was heard again. As if a stone door was opened, a ray of light suddenly shot in. Yun Shang closed her eyes in a hurry, but her hands began to shake some powder on the ground slightly.


    "Is she coming? Master is waiting in the study. " A voice came. The man who carried Yun Shang answered in a low voice, "I''ll take her there at once."


    Along the way, some white powder dripped from Yun Shang''s sleeve, but no one noticed. Yun Shang tried to tell the direction in her heart, and after a while, she heard the man in black who was carrying her. "Master, she is here."


    The door creaked open. Yun Shang was carried in and placed on a couch.


    "Master, do you want me to wake her up?" Someone asked in a low voice.


    "Yes." The voice was weak. But Yun Shang knew who the person was.


    A pungent smell suddenly came under her nose. Yun Shang frowned and opened her eyes slowly with a whine. Her eyes seemed to be hurt by a sudden light. She raised her hand to cover her eyes and asked with confusion, "where is this place?"


    "Lady Rui, you are wearing a mask, but you still have to change your voice and speak. Aren''t you tired?" The soft voice came. Yun Shang frowned and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a screen and a figure coming out of it.


    "Who are you?" Yun Shang frowned and asked.


    A light smile came from behind the screen. "Lady Rui has fooled all of us completely. If it weren''t for your eyes and the fragrance of plum blossoms on your body, I would have thought that something really happened to lady rui."


    Yun Shang raised her hand to rub her forehead. She smiled, "there are too many people in the city who want to kill me, so I have to wear a mask to make a living. But even so, I am still tied here by you? Tell me, what do you want to do to me? "


    "What am I doing? Lady Rui, don''t you know that many people are targeting you for your beauty? Most of them want to use you as a hostage to lure the Prince Rui into a trap and kill him. " The man behind the screen raised his hand and put it to his mouth. Yun Shang heard him coughing.


    "Really? You mean, you are the latter? " Yun Shang said casually, "but if you want to lure Prince Rui to save me, what you did is inappropriate. You eliminated all my tracks. How can Prince Rui find me?"


    "Found you?" But the person behind the screen burst into laughter, after a long while, he stopped laughing. "Why do I let him to find you? Lady Rui is not the only one in the world who can change her looks. "


    Yun Shang was stunned at the man''s words. She looked at the screen emb


    ireflies. I was so excited when I was young and asked people to catch them specially. You can use the veil to cover the fireflies later when you go back home, using them as a lantern. "


    San Niang frowned and felt something odd: "I saw fireflies gather in the suburbs of the state of Xia, but here in the Jin City..." She suddenly felt nervous and said to the maid: "serve the girl here. I''ll be back soon."


    Yun Shang smiled and said in a soft voice while watching San Niang go out, "it''s said that the fireflies here are brighter than lanterns. I wonder if it''s true."


    The maid fell her eyes on Yun Shang and didn''t understand what she was talking about until a long while later. She hurriedly said, "it''s true. I can even see the leaves over there."


    "Really?" Yun Shang squinted her eyes and heard faintly the sound of fighting and the secret guards coming from outside. She curved the corners of her mouth and said, "finally, you''re here."


    While she was thinking, she saw a man with a mask on his face in purple rushing in, followed by San Niang, who had just left. Yun Shang frowned and thought they came really quick.


    The masked man walked in and looked at Yun Shang. He said coldly, "I forgot that you are lady Rui. You schemed to set up Liu Yinfeng and made him suffer a lot. I didn''t expect that you could be so scheming to lure your men here. But unfortunately, I noticed it before they came." The masked man said in a weak voice. He was the one who talked to Yun Shang through the screen in the afternoon.


    Yun Shang smiled, "yes. I thought you had left. I didn''t expect..."


    Before she finished her words, the man gave an order, "servants, take Lady Rui to the dark room and help her bathing. Make sure to wash her carefully from head to toe. Change her into the clothes we have prepared, and then take her there."

 Chapter 519 The Lotus Withers (Part One)

    After the man gave his order, San Niang went to the bed, and as if she had turned a gear, the bed was moved aside, revealing a secret stone door. With a bang, the door was opened.


    San Niang walked to Yun Shang, took Yun Shang''s hand and dragged her into the stone door. Yun Shang knew that she could not succeed this time, so she followed San Niang into the stone door without hesitation. The stone door was shut up with a loud bang once again after San Niang took a few turns and entered a stone room with a surrounded fire. San Niang locked Yun Shang in the stone room and locked her in it. After a while, the door of the stone room was opened again and several servants came in. They quickly put the bathtub in the stone room and filled the bathtub with hot water. After getting the clean clothes ready, they left the room quickly.


    "Take a bath, miss." San Niang said to her in a low voice, but it was clear that she was on the alert.


    Yun Shang knew that the fireflies made her more alert to her, but she calmly nodded her head, took off her clothes and walked into the bathtub without a word. San Niang helped Yun Shang wash her hair and body, and then helped her change into new clothes. The dress in plain color was prepared for Yun Shang. It was elegant and gauze in good quality. Yun Shang smiled and touched her clothes. San Niang wiped her hair dry and took her out of the stone chamber. They walked in the other side of the secret passage.


    Yun Shang didn''t know how many turns she had made to come to the end of the trail. San Niang looked at the stones beside the stone chamber a


    was a lotus leaf porridge for breakfast. It smelled delicious. Yun Shang ate two bowls of porridge before putting down her chopsticks. After the meal, Yun Shang sat at the table and played with the Guqin randomly, which made San Niang have a frown on her head.


    San Niang packed the things and went out of the room. There was no one else in the room to serve her, but Yun Shang knew that there were guards everywhere, so she didn''t bother to investigate. She continued to play with the expensive Guqin.


    After a while, San Niang came back. She frowned when she saw Yun Shang still playing the Guqin. She walked to Yun Shang and whispered, "my lady, the master said you can walk around the yard as you like."


    Yun Shang nodded with a happy smile on her face. Instead of going out in a hurry, Yun Shang seemed to be very interested in playing the Guqin. She played the Guqin for a long time and felt a little pain in her hand. Then she sat on the bench and drank a cup of tea before standing up. "Let''s go. Let''s go out for a walk. We have nothing to do anyway."

 Chapter 520 The Lotus Withers (Part Two)

    Then Yun Shang went to the courtyard. San Niang paused and followed Yun Shang out. She walked around the lotus pool, picked a blooming lotus and asked San Niang to find a vase, put it into the room and put water in it. San Niang did what she asked, found a glass bottle, put lotus flowers in it and put it on the table.


    Yun Shang didn''t look like a prisoner at all. She excitedly asked San Niang to move the soft couch under the tree shade on the side of the pond. With a cup of tea beside her hand, Yun Shang fell asleep soon.


    Fortunately, it was quite cool today. The sun was not very vicious, and there was also a breeze. Seeing that Yun Shang was asleep, San Niang went back to her room, took a thin quilt and covered her with it.


    When Yun Shang woke up, it was time for lunch. She had only eaten for a short time in the morning, so she didn''t feel hungry. After eating a little, she rubbed her stomach and lied on the bench, feeling a little full. After lying down for a while, she stood up and went for a walk around the yard, as if she was trying to digest the food.


    San Niang stood under the roof and watched Yun Shang for a while, and then let her go. There were secret guards everywhere in the courtyard, and she had nothing on her now. She believed that Yun Shang wouldn''t make any trouble for them right now.


    Yun Shang didn''t think too much. She turned three or four circles around the yard and then lay down on the bench to sleep just as San Niang expected.


    After a day''s sleep, Yun Shang got up early the


    en she walked to the couch under a tree and lay on it for a while. Because of the sultry weather, her face turned red a little.


    That night, there was no cicadas, frogs or even crickets seemed to have stopped. Yun Shang had a good night''s sleep.


    The next day, Yun Shang took a walk in the yard and asked San Niang to find several books for her to read. Then the day passed quickly.


    In the next few days, Yun Shang was safe and sound, but her face became paler and paler as time went by. San Niang looked at Yun Shang and hesitated for a long time before asking, "do you feel uncomfortable, Miss?"


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head, "I''ve been in poor health ever since I was a child. But my face looks a little pale before my period."


    Yun Shang didn''t walk into the yard that often. The lotus in the pond began to wither and even the leaves turned yellow. She felt boring.


    San Niang frowned and murmured to herself, looking at the lotus pool in the yard, "why does the lotus wither so soon this year?"

 Chapter 521 The Golden Lock (Part One)

    Yun Shang followed San Niang''s eyes and looked out through the window too. She let out a sigh, "I''ve only been here for a few days and the lotuses already withered, and I''m getting more and more bored these days."


    San Niang glanced at Yun Shang and then looked away without saying a word.


    At dinner time, Yun Shang picked up some food on her plate, but she put down her chopsticks after only a few bites. She said with a bitter face, "I remember that on the first day I came here, you promised me to ask the cooks in the kitchen if they can make some dishes in the State of Ning. These are all kinds of food everyday, and I really don''t have the appetite to eat them at all. San Niang, look at me, I''m thinner than before."


    San Niang looked at Yun Shang and found that Yun Shang looked really pale and thinner these days. She kept silent for a while and finnaly said, "I''ve asked the chef, but he couldn''t cook the dishes in the State of Ning. I can do nothing about it."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang said in a hurry, "it''s not difficult to cook dishes of the state of Ning, but some ingredients are necessary. I''m afraid that you only need to buy some. I can give you the recipe. San Niang, please go to the market and ask the cook to pick up some ingredients. Please try to cook some dishes for me."


    San Niang thought for a while and nodded her head. Yun Shang''s face lit up at her reaction. She hurried to take out a piece of paper, write down some ingredients and recipes, dry her ink and handed the paper to San Niang.


    Yun Shang added again, "by the way, I also want to eat osmanthus cake. When the cooks go shopping, please bring me some osmanthus cake as well. What do you think?"


    San Niang took the paper, folded it


    t looks very tempting with the orange color, but few people know that there is a secret inside the cake."


    Yun Shang abruptly lifted the piece of osmanthus cake in her hand and took out a piece of gold lock inside the cake. She looked at San Niang, whose face had changed a lot, and said, "the gold lock inside the cake is very exquisite. I guess the person who made it must have put a lot of efforts on it. An auspicious word was engraved on its face. It should be the name of a child, ''Xiang''. It''s said that name could best reflect parents'' love for their children. And the meaning of the name is very good. Presumably, the children are also loved by the parents.


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes and passed the gold lock to San Niang. San Niang looked very pale. Yun Shang smiled at it.


    San Niang lowered her head and looked at the gold lock with a look of disbelief in her eyes. She bit her lips, shook her head and said: "no, how could it be possible? All your things have been taken by us. Now all the things you used were our things, and there are guards around this yard as well. I stayed by your side every day. How can you get in touch with..."

 Chapter 522 The Golden Lock (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled, running her fingers through the hair on her temples, and said, "I remember that San Niang asked me yesterday why the lotus bloomed this year would wither earlier than before? By the way, San Niang, did you find that the yard these days is much quieter than before? Crickets, frogs, cicadas, and even cicadas are common in the summer night before. But now the night is very quiet. "


    San Niang was even more confused after hearing her words. Yun Shang reached out her left hand, and her sleeve slipped to her wrist. San Niang then saw that there were several wounds on her arms, deep and new.


    "Do you still remember that I broke the vase by accident one day? At that time, I secretly hid a piece of the broken vase in my sleeve. I have eaten many poisons since I was a child. My blood can detoxify hundreds of poisons, but it is also a very strong poison. I found this yard is near a street. Every day when I took a walk, I cut my wrist in the sleeve. Then I dripped a circle of blood around the yard. Since my blood is a strong poison and those crickets and frogs will definitely run away everywhere because of my blood. Nobody noticed that. But the people outside the fence might be surprised. I have many secret piles in the city. That''s why they noticed the yard. " Yun Shang rolled down her sleeves and spoke in a soft voice as if they were talking about daily life.


    "The lotus in the yard was affected because my blood poison is too strong. Fortunately, there is no fish in the


    g and found San Niang''s face darkened. As soon as she saw Yun Shang open her eyes, San Niang asked in a hurry, "what have you done?"


    Yun Shang knew her guess was right, and her plan worked. She said with a smile on her face, "I didn''t do anything."


    San Niang wanted to speak but stopped on a second thought. The next morning, she gave Yun Shang a letter. Beside the letter was a bottle of medicine. It was sealed in it. Yun Shang took it and had a look at it. A slow smile appeared on her face.


    Yun Shang went to bed early in that night, but she kept her eyes open. The night keeper knocked at the door for the third time. "The weather is too dry. Be careful of the candle."


    As the sound faded away, a loud bang echoed. San Niang, who was sleeping in the outside room, was awakened by the sound. Then there was a sound of fighting outside, and San Niang hurried in with a lamp in her hand and shook Yun Shang. She stared at Yun Shang. "It''s you who did this, right? Where are my children?"

 Chapter 523 A Cold War (Part One)

    Yun Shang rubbed her eyes as if she just woke up. She stared at San Niang, eyes confused, "San Niang, what''s wrong? What are you doing? "


    "What am I doing? Did you frame my master? Did you call the people outside to save you? " San Niang had a murderous look in her eyes. "I''ve read the letter you sent out earlier, but it was only a pile of crap on it. But why... It must be you! Do you really think you can leave when the master is not here now?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and raised her head to look at San Niang. She smiled at her and said: "sure enough, you have read the letter I sent out. San Niang, have you forgotten that your children..."


    San Niang bit her lips and snorted coldly : "as long as you are still under my control, your people dare not do anything to my kids." Then she walked quickly to the table beside, and made some light taps on it. Soon they heard a sound was coming under the table. Yun Shang squinted her eyes at her move. No wonder she could not find a tunnel in the room. It turned out to be here.


    San Niang walked to Yun Shang, but Yun Shang took out her hand all of a sudden. With a flash of silver light in her hand, San Niang was stunned by her.


    "You..."


    Yun Shang stretched out her hand again. San Niang was immediately silent. Yun Shang drew back her hand, and put the silver needle back into her sleeve. She said indifferently, "that day, you saw the gold lock and got too excited, so you forgot to check whether there was anything else in the meal. In fact, the drug that came with the letter later was only to fool you. After I told you, you had no idea what kind of pill it w


    g. Luo Qingyan was already back in the room. He was reading a book on a chair beside and a middle-aged man was standing behind him.


    Yun Shang looked at the middle-aged man in confusion. The man hurried up to her and said, "Your Highness, I''m the doctor. Can I have a look at your wounds?"


    "My wounds?" Yun Shang was surprised at his words. What kind of wounds of her?


    After a while, she seemed to remember something. She glanced at Luo Qingyan who didn''t even look up, and remained silent for a while. Then she rolled up her sleeves and reached out her hand to the doctor. "It''s just some minor wounds. It''s not a big deal." she said softly.


    The physician, however, did not respond. He continued to dress the wounds in silence, and then said gently, "Your Highness'' wounds are not serious, but they are a bit deep. Please be careful not to let the wounds touch water. Otherwise, it will fester easily, and it''s easy to leave a scar. Your highness seem to have lost too much blood. Pay more attention to your diet recently. Ask the chef to cook some bone soup for your highness. "

 Chapter 524 A Cold War (Part Two)

    Yun Shang said yes, and saw Luo Qingyan, who had been reading, raising his head seemingly insouciantly and casting a casual glance at her arm. Then he frowned and lowered his eyes again.


    The doctor prescribed some medicine for her and left with Qian Yin.


    Noticing that Luo Qingyan looked a little cold, Yun Shang kept silent for a moment before she quietly walked to Luo Qingyan''s side and whispered to him, "Umm, it''s almost dawn. You haven''t slept all night. Let''s have a rest first."


    But Luo Qingyan suddenly stood up and said coldly, "no, I''m not sleepy. Go to sleep first." Then he just walked out of the room.


    "Alas..." Yun Shang went blank again and stayed where she was, lost in thought.


    As soon as Qian Yin came in the room, she saw Yun Shang''s anxiety. She craned her head into the room, but didn''t see Luo Qingyan either. Then she walked to Yun Shang and asked, "where''s the prince?"


    Yun Shang''s face darkened after hearing her question. She said sulkily, "I don''t know what he is angry about. He didn''t sleep the whole night. I just asked him to get some sleep. Then he just stood up and left."


    "What?" Qian Yin''s eyes widened in shock. She stared at Yun Shang''s arms for a long time before she said, "that should not be the case. His highness would not send for a physician to check your wounds if there was something wrong with his highness and your highness'' relationship."


    Silence reigned for a long time before Qian Yin pulled Yun Shang''s sleeve and said, "I remember that day when his highness learned from the secret guards that a lot of ants, crickets and crickets suddenly ran out of a courtyard. The secret guard told


    ards, which made you worried even more. "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyes but only shot a glance at Yun Shang with a poker face. Then he quickly looked away. Yun Shang was panicked. She thought for a moment and then squatted down, carefully leaning her head on Luo Qingyan''s lap, whispering, "I will never do it again, you... Please don''t ignore me like this. "


    Luo Qingyan''s hand holding the book trembled a little. After a long time, he put down the book and looked down at Yun Shang. His eyes softened, but what he said was still cold, "hurt yourself? That day when the people from the Imperial Guard camp came to you, you already knew that a plot was brewing. If you didn''t want to go with them, even if they tried to attack you by force, they wouldn''t be able to hurt you at all. But you still went with them out of curiosity. If it weren''t for that, none of these things would happen! "


    Yun Shang remained silent. Luo Qingyan raised his head again and snorted coldly, almost grinding his teeth, "Ning Yun Shang, sometimes I really want to tie you up and make you stay by my side all the time."

 Chapter 525 The News (Part One)

    Hearing no response from Yun Shang for a very long time, Luo Qingyan felt strange. He stretched out his hand, intending to lift Yun Shang''s head up. His hand felt something wet and cold. Luo Qingyan''s heart trembled and stopped what he was doing.


    After a long silence, he let out a sigh and raised Yun Shang''s head up again. "I didn''t scold you. Why are you crying now?" But his eyes were full of love and pain for her.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes, feeling sour in her heart. But she still had a smile on her lips. She shook her head and said, "no, I just feel that his highness treats me very well, so I can''t help but feel..."


    Luo Qingyan frowned as he raised his hand to wipe the tears on Yun Shang''s face carefully. He said with a cold face, "I''m angry with you, but you still think I''m good to you. You are not moved by what I have said to you with tenderness."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang lowered her head with a faint smile on her face. She felt a little embarrassed, but her heart was as warm as it had been. After she had gone through many things, she knew better than others that sometimes, being sincerely kind might not have to be pampered and given everything she wanted. Sometimes, a touch of worry and blame was rare and precious.


    "Well, don''t cry." Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang into his arms and whispered to her, "I don''t mean to blame you. I just blame myself for not protecting you well. Good girl, don''t cry. After you disappeared, I haven''t had a good sleep the past days. Let''s have a good sleep together, okay? "


    Yun Shang took a deep breath, smelling the fragrance of Luo Qingyan, and nodded her head, "okay."


    Luo Qingyan abruptly bent down, lifted Yun Shang up, and


    back to the Jin City."


    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised. She looked up at Luo Qingyan, "aren''t we in the Jin city right now?" She paused for a moment before she realized what Luo Qingyan meant. "But the news of my accident has almost spread throughout the whole state of Xia. Even if I have to return to the Prince Rui''s mansion, we still need some time to prepare."


    Luo Qingyan hugged Yun Shang and whispered, "I''ve already arranged it for us. We''ll leave the city tomorrow, and then return to the Jin City in glory."


    Yun Shang blinked and hesitated for a while, and then blinked again. After a while, she said, "okay."


    The next morning, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan left the Jin City. On the afternoon, something happened outside the Prince Rui''s mansion. Several men in ragged clothes came to the gate of the Prince Rui''s mansion, saying that Lady Rui sent them to look for the butler of the Prince Rui''s mansion. They also mentioned that the south had a serious trouble caused by the flood. Lady Rui was making a diagnosis and treatment for the infected persons in a city named the Yue Qian City a month ago in the south.

 Chapter 526 The News (Part Two)

    A lot of people gathered outside the Prince Rui''s mansion very soon. They were talking about the news that Lady Rui was assassinated and murdered on the way to pray at the temple a few days ago. It was so thrilling. According to these persons'' dress, they must be swindlers.


    However, the leader of these people suddenly took out a jade pendant from his body and handed it to the Butler who came in a hurry. "A few months ago, the disease was serious. There were not enough medicinal materials in the Yue Qian City. Lady Rui asked us to come to the Prince Rui''s mansion to find the Butler. She asked the butler to buy some medicinal materials and send them to the Yue Qian City right now. Lady Rui gave us a token before she asked us to come. She asked us to give it to the butler. Here is the list of purchasing materials written by her. " The man hurriedly took out another piece of paper that had been folded many times and rubbed to ashes.


    The Butler quickly took the jade pendant and the paper. After a long while, he said excitedly, "yes! Yes! Yes! It''s her highness'' jade pendant. Her highness wrote it. Her highness is fine, her highness is fine. "


    Then he turned to a servant behind him and said, "invite these guests in now and send more people to buy the medicinal materials according to her Highness'' list. I have to go to the palace and report to his majesty."


    Then he ordered servants to prepare a horse and went to the palace on the horse.


    This news quickly spread in the Jin City, and it was quickly becoming a topic of conversation in the taverns and restaurants, and it was also spread to man


    ssue a decree ordering... Ordering Liu Yinfeng to transfer some professional imperial doctors from the the Imperial Hospital and bring them to the Yue Qian City to help Prince Rui and Lady Rui save refugees. Ask the department to donate one million silver to prepare some relief supplies and medicinal materials for the disaster relief. Ask Liu Yinfeng to take them to the severe areas in the south to help the disaster relief as well. " Xia Huanyu said in an indifferent tone while putting down the documents from his hand. He handed the documents over to his subordinate without stopping.


    Liu Wenan listened carefully and went aside to take out a bright yellow scroll and unfolded it, recording what had been said by Xia Huanyu just now, and then presented the memorial in front of him. Xia Huanyu glanced over it indifferently, nodded his head and said, "go ahead."


    Liu Wenan bowed and left. He went to the Liu clan''s residence to announce the message.


    In the hall, Xia Huanyu stopped writing and murmured, "Prince Rui, Liu Yinfeng... A brave man, and a wise man... "

 Chapter 527 Coming Back

    "His majesty ordered Liu Yinfeng to go to the Yue Qian City. But we were not there. Will there be anything wrong?" Yun Shang sat in the compartment of the tea house and looked down at the long queue, Liu Yinfeng in a green suit slowly rode over, followed by a long carriage that was transported medicinal materials and supplies.


    Luo Qingyan smiled softly, "it doesn''t matter. Don''t be afraid. I have arranged it well. I promise Liu Yinfeng can only miss us at any time. It''s the end of August. We will be able to show up in the Jin City publicly in mid September."


    Since Luo Qingyan said so, Yun Shang had no doubt of his words. She said with a smile, "okay." Then she thought of the news sent by her secret guard. "I heard that Lord Hua Guo has come back. He will come to the Jin City in a few days. His highness fled from the camp without a word. How could you explain it to Lord Hua Guo? "


    Luo Qingyan frowned and whispered, "what am I afraid of? Why should I explain to him? " With Yun Shang''s skeptical look, Prince Rui couldn''t help rubbing Yun Shang''s nose and said with a smile, "You know whom I did all these for."


    A few days later, Yun Shang learned about Luo Qingyan''s way. He just let people change to be Yun Shang and him. In the name of the Prince Rui and Lady Rui, they did charity in the places where the flood was the most serious. They provided porridge, took care of patients, sent clothes to them, and bought a shelter for the homeless.


    But he also arranged his men around Liu Yinfeng to make things easy for them. They could always go to the next place a few days before Liu Yinfeng''s arrival. They played hide and seek with him for a few days and then went back to the Jin City in an exaggerated way.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t lie to her. When they returned to the Jin City, they were in a good mood. The people of the city came to the gate of the city to receive them spontaneously, and these people followed them all the way from the gate to the palace gate.


    Xia Huanyu also came to meet them at the gate of the palace. Luo Qingyan got off the horse and walked to the carriage. He helped Yun Shang get off the carriage. Then they walked up to Xia Huanyu and bowed to him, "Yo


    looked at Yun Shang, who was gloating, and thought for a moment. Then he bent down and lifted Yun Shang in his arms.


    Yun Shang exclaimed. She hugged Luo Qingyan''s neck and asked gently, "what is your highness doing?"


    "I''ll let you know whether I''m a gay or not!" Luo Qingyan left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang immediately understood what Luo Qingyan meant. She blushed and hurriedly explained, "no, No. his highness is not a gay. Put me down, your highness. Many servants have been watching. "


    However, Luo Qingyan gave a snort of contempt, and had no intention of letting her go.


    As soon as they entered the yard, Qian Yin ran to them and whispered, "your ladyship, the empress sent a message to tell you that her birthday party will be held in the palace the day after tomorrow and your highness will attend it."


    Yun Shang nodded her head and struggled to get off, but Luo Qingyan stopped her. Qian Yin took a look at the two and quickly said, "when the servant was passing on the message, I discovered that there was a little tail following the servant. The person works for lady Shu. "


    "Lady Shu?" Yun Shang frowned, "isn''t she still in the Buddhist prayer room?"


    Qian Yin shook her head, "a few days ago when Lady Shu was sick, the emperor ordered her to move back to the Shuya Palace. By the way, the child of the previous crown prince was moved to the palace the day before yesterday. It is said that he is temporarily kept in the Wei Yang Palace. "

 Chapter 528 The Empress Birthday Party (Part One)

    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. The empress, as she had expected, still brought the kid back to the palace, and put the treasure in the hands of a three-year-old child. It seemed that the empress was really an impatient person for doing this.


    "I heard that the kid is seriously ill? How is it going then? " Yun Shang patted Luo Qingyan''s hand. Seeing that the two of them were talking as if no one was around, Luo Qingyan found it both funny and annoying. He let out a sigh and put her down. He walked sulkily to the desk beside and randomly drew a book to read.


    Yun Shang found the drama a little funny, but she was secretly glad that she had gotten away with it. She quickly took Qian Yin to a soft couch and sat down with her.


    "Qian Qian told us that she went to see the young kid of the former crown prince yesterday, and the physician was making a diagnosis for him. The physician said that the imperial tomb was heavily wet and the wetness was invaded in his body, so he needed a good rest. But Qian Qian said she didn''t think the baby was sick, but was really poisoned. " Qian Yin pouted, "but she also said that she doesn''t know much about poison, and she doesn''t know what was poison the little kid is poisoned with."


    "Being poisoned?" Yun Shang sneered coldly, "it doesn''t matter. He will be fine after some time. It must be the empress who did this to him. If the empress is not in such a clumsy way, how can she bring the young son of the late crown prince back to the palace? But in this palace, no one is stupid. I''m afraid that all of them know it very well in their hearts. "


    Qian Yin said. "What


    Grandfather is not a stubborn person. If you go and explain to him, he will not be angry."


    "You don''t even believe what you are saying yourself." Luo Qingyan was as steady as a mountain, and his pen never stopped.


    "Oh my God! Mr. Wang is fighting with Lord Hua Guo in the garden hall." The servant rushed in and reported. He looked very serious as if he was facing a formidable enemy.


    "Mr. Wang? Wang Jinhuan? " Yun Shang frowned and thought, "how did he get to the room?"


    The servant said hastily, "just now Mr. Wang was taking a rest in the garden when he saw the servants coming in and out in a hurry, picking up a few cups of tea. Then he asked randomly whether there were guests in the mansion. Why did they make a few more cups of tea every time the servant came back and forth. The servant answered. Then Mr. Wang ran to the garden house to have a look. Unexpectedly, they quarreled with each other in a few words and then fought with each other. "


    Luo Qingyan was even happier, "that''s right, Wang Jinhuan. We can buy whatever they destoryed in the garden house."

 Chapter 529 The Empress Birthday Party (Part Two)

    Not only didn''t Luo Qingyan go to the garden house, he also asked Yun Shang not to go there either. Yun Shang knew that he was afraid that Lord Hua Guo would get angry and spill his anger on her, so she had to stay in the room with him.


    Four hours later, Lord Hua Guo left angrily after his fight with Wang Jinhuan. Wang Jinhuan couldn''t wait to show off in front of Luo Qingyan that he had won. "Haha, you didn''t see it just now. No matter how badly he cursed me, I wouldn''t go down. He couldn''t catch up with me. It''s so funny."


    Yun Shang looked at Wang Jinhuan in surprise, "you didn''t fight?"


    Wang Jinhuan nodded, "No. It''s just I kept running and provoking him with words. But he couldn''t catch me."


    "¡­¡­"


    The next day was the Empress'' birthday. As soon as they returned home, the empress had sent someone to invite them. Yun Shang didn''t dare to neglect it. She ordered the housekeeper to pick a colorful dress from the things they had brought from the state of Ning and ask the maid to bring it with her to the palace to celebrate the Empress'' birthday.


    "There are many concubines in the palace of the state of Xia, and also many big banquets. It''s not a good idea to always send gifts with what you have brought from the state of Ning. Let the housekeeper pick some good things for you to prepare when he is free." Luo Qingyan looked at the colorful gauze dress held by a maid and frowned.


    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly. She was well aware of this saying. She had been to the state of Xia for only a few months, but she had never received invitations to all kinds o


    can make her skin gentler. I was so excited that I couldn''t help it. I should control my emotions. "


    "You are so glib tongued. The Lady Xiang is at a loss how to reply you." Lady Yun laughed and said to them, "although it''s already autumn, it''s still a little hot today and there''s no wind today. Let''s go inside and have a rest."


    Yun Shang and Ning Qian cast a glance at each other and said yes. Then they followed lady Yun into the palace.


    After they disappeared in the distance, some whispered, "Did she mention the Yue Qian City? Is she Lady Rui?"


    "I think so. It''s said Lady Rui is as beautiful as the Lady Xiang. She really lives up to the name."


    The woman who was talking let out a sigh. When she was about to say more, she was hit by someone from behind and almost fell to the ground.


    "Who is it? How dare you!" The woman frowned and turned her head to scold the person behind her. She saw a little kid standing there. The kid seemed small. The kid''s face was very pale, but his eyes were big. The kid looked at the woman with a frown.

 Chapter 530 The Son Of The Former Crown Prince

    The woman made sure it wasn''t a royal child, so she snorted, "who is this brat? How dare he make trouble here? Where are the maids? Drive him out! The empress is about to come back. If he disturbs her, what punishment will he get?"


    The woman who was talking to her immediately pulled her sleeve and said, "those who are able to enter the Imperial Palace should be the children of the family of the ministers, and their status should not be low. You don''t want..."


    "I''m his Majesty''s concubine. I was offended by an official''s child. Can''t I teach him a lesson?" she interrupted. Then she pointed at the kid and ordered, "guards, take the kid away. Don''t let him stand in our way."


    "What did you say, Beauty Yuan?" An indifferent voice came through, but it sounded very powerful.


    The crowd hurried to get out of the way, and saw the empress standing at the door of the Wei Yang Palace. The empress had a glance at Beauty Yuan indifferently, with her brows slightly wrinkled. It was hard to tell whether she was happy or angry.


    Beauty Yuan was also a concubine in the imperial household, but she was a weak woman. As soon as she saw the empress, she felt her legs weak and fell to her knees. "The child was rampaging in the Wei Yang Palace. I was almost knocked down by him. Afraid that he would offend the empress, I asked the maids to take him out and find a place to settle down."


    "Huh." The empress smiled coldly. She glanced at Beauty Yuan, and looked at the child standing in front of her. It was then that her face softened a little. She waved at the child and said, "come here to grandma, Yunxi."


    The little boy looked up at the empress and walked silently towards the empress. He looked up at the empress, with tears in his eyes. He stood there for a moment, biting his lips and whispering, "grandma."


    Hearing this, Beauty Yuan crooked her half kneeling body to one side. The thick make-up could not cover her pale face.


    "Why did Yunxi get out of bed? Did the babysitter follow you? " The empress


    wly and quietly having the chestnut cake, but he didn''t eat up a single piece.


    "Lady Shu is here." suddenly a maid''s voice came from outside.


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to the door, and saw a woman in apricot clothes coming in, with bun and a gold hairpin inlaid with jade. Last time when Yun Shang saw lady Shu, it was at night. She was only dressed in her underwear with her hair hanging down. Now when she saw her dress up, she was a little amazed. Yun Shang sneered in her mind. No wonder that Xia Huanyu had interest in her.


    Lady Shu looked at them tenderly and smiled to them. She walked aside and sat down, but her eyes fell on the little boy by Yun Shang''s side. She paused for a while and asked with a smile, "is the little prince feeling better?"


    It seemed that someone was calling him. Hearing the woman''s calling, Xia Yunxi was surprised. He lifted her eyes to look at Lady Shu, and then turned to Yun Shang. After a short silence, he lowered his head again and continued to eat the chestnut cakes in silence.


    Noticing that the anger in Lady Shu''s eyes was soon suppressed, Yun Shang said, "the boy is too young to know that. Lady Shu, please forgive him."


    Hearing this, lady Shu lifted her eyes and looked at Yun Shang. She curved her lips into a mysterious smile, "is it chestnut cake that the little prince is eating?"

 Chapter 531 Being Tricked

    Yun Shang bent over and picked up a cup of tea. When she heard lady Shu''s question, she paused for a second, and then slowly picked up the cup of tea. She looked at Lady Shu with surprise in her eyes, "Lady Shu, you are so discerning. The little guy ate the chestnut cake sent here by a maid. Is there anything wrong with it?"


    Hearing this, lady Shu smiled faintly, raised her hand, wiped the corner of her mouth gently, and shook her head, "nothing, I am just asking casually."


    Although she said she was just asking, her eyes were full of mischief as if she was waiting for something to happen.


    Yun Shang was not in the mood to guess what was behind Lady Shu''s smile. The chestnut cakes were sent to the little prince by the maids, and were given to him by the maid herself. She believed that no matter what happened to the little prince, she would be safe. She had learned how to not give a damn about anyone else through all these years living in the palace.


    Yun Shang took a sip of the tea and looked at the little boy next to her. The maid was about to serve the prince a cup of tea. Yun Shang beckoned to his maid, "serve the little prince and let him have some tea."


    The servant immediately responded yes, and handed the cup to Xia Yunxi''s mouth. Raising his head, Xia Yunxi gave Yun Shang a glance. Then he bowed his head, put the cup in his hand and began to drink water.


    Right at this moment, a woman who was in her twenties walked up to Yunxi and said worriedly to him, "Oh, my dear, I just went to help someone else for a while. You were gone in a twinkling of an eye and I was almost scared out of my heart."


    The worried look on the lady''s face didn''t seem to be lying, and Yun Shang was trying to figure out who she was. Then, she heard a timid voice called, "Nanny..."


    The servant woman took the little boy in her arms and curtsied to everyone. Then she was about to take Xia Yunxi off the hall. Yun Shang thought for a while and said indifferently, "the empress just asked Yunxi to wait for her to change her clothes. Today is her Majesty''s birthday, so please let Yunxi stay with you."


    The maid stopped in her tracks and looked up at Yun Shang. She immediately responded, "yes, yes, I understand." Then she put down Xia Yunxi on a nearby chair. Seeing that he was holding a small piece of chestnut cake, she said hastily, "I hope you won''t eat too much this time." Then she took the half piece of chestnut cake from the boy''s hand and put it aside.


    Yun Shang took a glance at the maid, and thought, ''since Xia Yunxi''s nanny is here, nothing bad will probably happen.'' Then she turned her head to start talking to Lady Yun casually.


    While the two of them were talking, Yun Shang smelled a faint fragrance. She was surprised and frowned. She took a few deep breaths and a murderous look flashed in her eyes. Yun Shang looked around quietly and saw only lady Shu looking at her with a smile on her face. Yun Shang thought what had happened just now over in her mind. Then she picked up the teacup on the table and sniffed it. Suddenly, her face turned pale because of it.


    "What''s wrong?" Ning Qian looked at Yun Shang and asked in


    this, and his highness will be here soon. Let me help you get dressed."


    "Okay." Yun Shang said yes, and sat on the bedside again. She felt dizzy, so she looked up at the maid and frowned, "my arm was burned. Go get some medicine for me first."


    The maid frowned and whispered, "there is no available ointment in the Xiang Zhu Palace. Let me change your highness'' clothes first and then go to the imperial physician to fetch some for you." Then, without waiting for Yun Shang''s response, the maid took the robe, walked to her, and put her on the bed. She stretched out his hand, intending to take off Yun Shang''s robe.


    No sooner had the hand touched Yun Shang''s, Yun Shang suddenly stood up and shouted with a frown, "help! Help! Help! Help! Assassin! Assassin!"


    The face of the maid suddenly changed. She pounced on Yun Shang, and Yun Shang lifted her foot and kicked her. But due to the dizziness, she couldn''t stand very firm. Then she fell sideways, just avoiding the attack.


    The voice of Yun Shang had been heard by the people outside. As soon as the voice fell, someone rushed in.


    Hearing the noise, Yun Shang moved aside a little and sat on the ground, looking at the maid in fighting with her people.


    But the maid was also a martial artist, and was not caught in the siege when fighting with a few people, so she slipped away.


    Yun Shang breathed heavily at the servants who saved her, "where is the maid who took me back? Where did she go? "


    "Just now Lady Rui asked her to find Prince Rui immediately, so Qian Yu had gone to do it." Someone responded.


    In a daze, Yun Shang looked at them and couldn''t help but frown. "What happened to that woman? What''s wrong with her? Didn''t I tell you to keep an eye on everyone else secretly and don''t let anyone in? "


    Before anyone could answer, Yun Shang heard Qian Yu''s voice again, "What''s wrong? I heard the noise just now. "


    "A maid came here just now and said that the empress had something to tell her highness. We couldn''t stop her, so we let her in. But we didn''t expect that she came to hurt her highness." Someone responded.

 Chapter 532 The Anger

    Sweat kept oozing out from Yun Shang''s forehead. She bit her lips and said softly, "just now, that man was dressed as a woman. As soon as he came in, he kept asking to change my clothes for me. If he got what he wanted, my reputation would be ruined."


    The people in the room all turned pale on hearing her words. Yun Shang gritted her teeth and whispered, "your name is Qian Yu, right? I''m afraid I can''t hold on any longer. I can''t even see your face clearly now. Knock me out now."


    Qian Yu frowned and gritted her teeth after hearing her order. After a long time, she finally made up her mind and knocked Yun Shang out all of a sudden.


    As soon as she knocked Yun Shang unconscious, she heard a man''s voice coming from outside. Qian Yu frowned and quickly walked out of the Xiang Zhu Palace. She saw Prince Rui standing outside, followed by a maid who had been following Yun Shang before. And he looked very anxious. "What''s wrong? Is there anything wrong with shang''er? "


    Qian Yu looked at Prince Rui and saw two servants standing on the side of a man behind her. The man was dressed like a servant girl, but it seemed something was wrong with him. She was silent for a moment before asking, "who is this?"


    Luo Qingyan glanced at the palace guards behind him and said coldly, "when I came here just now, I saw him running out of the Xiang Zhu Palace in a hurry. I saw that he didn''t look like a court maid, so I caught him."


    Qian Yu immediately knew that the culprit was the one who had attempted to do something to Yun Shang a moment ago. With a murderous look, she answered, "yes, he ran out of our palace just now."


    Then she raised her eyes and looked at Luo Qingyan. She pondered for a moment and said, "Your Highness, can I have a check on your face to see if you are disguised or not?"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan frowned and looked at Qian Yu with coldness. Qian Yu said quickly, "someone who disguised as a maid wanted to harm lady Rui just now. And it is the man you caught. I dare not take it lightly."


    Hearing what Qian Yun said, Luo Qingyan''s face darkened. With a tight face, he turned to the man in the maid''s uniform and said with a frown, "check my face then."


    Qian Yu touched the place on his hair and withdrew her hand after a gentle touch. "Your Highness, please follow me. Lady Rui was drugged and poisoned in tea when she was in the Wei Yang Palace. I have to take her back to this palace. She was drugged and got knocked out by me."


    "She is knocked out by you?" Luo Qingyan squinted his eyes. There was coldness in his eyes.


    Qian Yu immediately answered, "Her Highness ordered me to do so. The illusory power is so strong, but we don''t know what it will do to her. Her highness is afraid that something bad will happen, so she told me to knock her out. But the effect of the illusion is very strong and it moves very fast. It will disappear in about half an hour. "


    As Luo Qingyan hurried into the room, he saw Yun Shang sleeping on the couch, with sweat on her forehead. Luo Qingyan frowned and held Yun Shang in his arms. He looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "what happened? Why was she drugged? "


    Qian Yu was quick to explain, "th


    d as a woman was caught by me and his master still didn''t know about it. What do you think?"


    After a short silence, Yun Shang called Qian Yu over and asked her to take the man away. As soon as Qian Yu answered, noise came from outside. "I heard something happened to Lady Rui, so I''m here to see her. Is Lady Rui at the palace? "


    Yun Shang looked up and exchanged a glance with Luo Qingyan. Both of them could hear the voice of someone coming from outside. "It''s the empress."


    Yun Shang heard Qian Yu whisper outside, "I was so reckless that I knocked over her highness'' teacup and stained her highness dress. Her highness is changing her clothes. Please wait for a moment, your majesty."


    Yun Shang listened to Qian Yu''s words and knew that not only the empress, but also many people had come. She didn''t know who suggested it.


    While she was thinking, Ning Qian spoke. "Your majesty, her Highness has just got her clothes dirty and changed. His majesty is still waiting in the Wei Yang palace. Your majesty, shall we go there first?"


    Lady Shu immediately continued after hearing Ning Qian''s words, "it would be more unnecessary to change clothes in such a long time, wouldn''t it? It has been two hours. Is she alright? What''s more, since we are already here, why not wait for lady Rui to change her clothes and go with us? "


    Yun Shang sneered when she heard what lady Shu said. She thought that lady Shu might know the matter, even if she didn''t do it herself.


    "Yes, it has been a long time since she came to dressed up and came over from the Wei Yang palace. Hasn''t she recovered yet? Send someone in. " The empress said calmly.


    Ning Qian lowered her head, looked up at Qian Yu, and said yes


    Before they could say more, they heard a man''s voice coming from the inner hall. The people outside all froze. After a while, the empress frowned and said, "did you hear it just now?"


    Many people nodded their heads. The empress snorted coldly, "didn''t Lady Rui say that she was just changing her clothes? Let''s go. I want to see how lady rui changed her clothes. " Then she walked into the inner hall.

 Chapter 533 The Treasure Collection Picture (Part One)

    The empress stepped into the inner hall, and saw Yun Shang sitting on the bench with her back to the door. She vaguely saw a man half crouching in front of her. The empress frowned and said coldly, "Lady Rui?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang turned her head suddenly and looked surprised at the empress. "Your Majesty?"


    The empress was about to speak when she suddenly saw the face of the man kneeling in front of Yun Shang. She paused and her eyes flashed a surprised look. "Prince Rui? Why is Prince Rui here? "


    Luo Qingyan didn''t respond her question. He fetched a small bottle of jade, poured some ointment from the bottle on his hand, and carefully applied it on Yun Shang''s arm. Yun Shang looked down at Luo Qingyan, and then turned back, "just now my arm was burned by accident in the Wei Yang Palace. The servants were too nosy, so they went to the Taiji Palace to report it to the prince. The prince heard about this, and then hurried to come here."


    Everyone who came in with the empress looked at the harmonious scene in front of them and had a strange expression on their faces. The empress frowned and said unhappily, "this is the Lady Xiang''s bedroom. How can Prince Rui get in and out freely?"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan glanced up at the empress, stuffed the small bottle of jade into the box, put it aside, and stood up. "You are right. I really shouldn''t have come to the palace of the imperial household. But the first time I came to the palace, I had made it very clear that shang''er is my treasure. If anyone who dares to hurt her even a little bit, I will pay them back in ten times or even a hundred times. "


    The empress was in a rage. Hearing what the Prince Rui said, she was even more displeased. She snorted coldly. "It''s just the servants'' carelessness.


    just ignored him and didn''t go out to see him. Then he met Wang Jinhuan, who was good at making trouble. He must have been angry for several days. However, there was something wrong with this occasion.


    Yun Shang thought for a while, and then said to Lord Hua Guo with a smile, "I don''t think you look good. Although it''s late autumn now, the weather is a bit hot. Please take care of yourself, grandfather. His majesty and the empress will arrive soon. Grandfather and grandmother, please take your seats first. I will definitely to go to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion tomorrow to pay respects to you two. "


    Lord Hua Guo shot a glance at Yun Shang discontentedly, and Yun Shang looked back fearlessly with a smile on her face. Lord Hua Guo snorted coldly and quickly went back to his seat. His wife smiled at Yun Shang and followed him back.


    "I''m afraid the trouble his Highness has caused should be solved by himself." Yun Shang murmured in a small voice, sitting down again.


    Luo Qingyan acted as if he hadn''t heard what Yun Shang said. He took Yun Shang''s hand and said, "I have just tasted the wine. I''m afraid it will have a strong delayed effect. Don''t drink the wine later."

 Chapter 534 The Treasure Collection Picture (Part Two)

    Just when he finished his words, a voice was heard. "Here comes his majesty and her majesty," an eunuch sang outside.


    Yun Shang hurriedly pulled Luo Qingyan up and knelt down, "Your Majesty, Congratulations!"


    After a long while, Xia Huanyu said in an indifferent tone, "get up." Only then did they stand up and take their seats again.


    Xia Huanyu glanced at the people in the hall and said casually, "today is the Empress'' birthday. The empress has been gentle and virtuous over the past few years, managing the imperial household in good order and taking good care of it well. She will take the role of a model woman in the world, so she host a banquet here to celebrate the Empress'' birthday."


    "Happy birthday, your majesty." Everyone raised their glasses and looked at the empress Su Ruji, who was high in the seat.


    The empress smiled slightly and picked up a cup of wine from the table. "Today is my birthday, as well as the joy of the state of Xia. I am here to wish the state of Xia permanent prosperity and peace." Then she drained the cup with one gulp.


    There was another overflowing sound in the palace. Then they all raised their glasses and drank up their wine.


    Since the Empress'' birthday was today, giving birthday gifts by the princes and princesses of the state of Xia was next. The music faded slowly. Luo Qingyan was now called the eldest prince, and without the Crown Prince, he should be the first to give the gift. He slowly drank the wine in his cup, looked at Yun Shang, and stood up. Yun Shang took the birthday gift she had prepared in the hand of a maid, and walked into the palace.


    ? Is he framed by someone? "


    "It doesn''t count whether we think he was framed or not. We will make a detailed investigation before we can come to a conclusion. But this remind me of one thing. " Luo Qingyan suddenly withdrew his hand and replied with a smile.


    "Really? What''s up? " Everyone looked at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang and said slowly, "the other day I saw a book in my mansion and it told me a story. An old man was very rich. He worried that a few sons would fight for property and kill each other in order to get the treasures. So he hid all the fortune. He hid all the fortune in a cave, and the location of the cave was drawn in a treasure collection picture. But there was also a problem with this picture. If he put the treasure collection picture in his own hand, he was afraid of being burgled or lose it. But if he placed the picture in the hands of others, he was afraid that the person would stole his money. But if he gave it to his sons. But he did not know which son he should give it to. What do you think he should do about it? "

 Chapter 535 They All Had Different Thoughts (Part One)

    Luo Qingyan paused a moment after asking the question, and then he said with a smile, "It was in fact her highness who actually helped me to find the most reasonable way to solve this problem up to now. She said if you were worried about the sons killing each other, why didn''t you divided the treasure collection picture into several parts and let each of your sons keep one part by themselves? In this way, no one has the complete picture. So they can only watch the whole picture with each other then. Only in this way can they work together to get the treasure. "


    As soon as Luo Qingyan finished his words, Yun Shang saw that Liu Jin''s face changed with a bit of anger in his eyes. Luo Qingyan continued to laugh and said again, "I don''t know whether the seventh Prince really colluded with the imperial guards in private or not. But the safety of the imperial guards is the safety of the emperor. The safety of the imperial guards is of course very important, so the imperial guards can''t have any problems at all. As for the seventh Prince, we haven''t found out the truth yet. Today is the Empress'' birthday party. The seventh prince should be released for now. We will decide whether he is guilty or not after everything is settled. "


    With his eyes fixed on Luo Qingyan''s face for a long time, Xia Huanyu smiled and said, "Prince Rui is quite reasonable. Come one, someone go bring the seventh Prince here and tell him to wash himself before going to the Taiji Palace."


    "Yes, your majesty." Liu Wenan immediately answered and then he went to the door and told the guards about this order.


    Xia Huanyu then continued, "the imperial guards are of great


    ts walked into the hall in succession, with the lantern in their hands. They walked to the pillars and blew out all the lights in the hall. The hall immediately became much dimmer, and the only light in the room was weak and red.


    As the music started, a woman in white flew in, her body leaning back. Then, several other women danced in, and surrounded her in the middle. The woman in white then straightened up, wearing a veil, and her eyes filled with emotions.


    Yun Shang saw it clearly. The whole dance was said to be shared by all the young ladies from the Ya Clan, but only the real ones who were dancing was this woman in white. Her eyes were beautiful, but when it came to dancing, she was much inferior to Ning Qian. The empress had recommended the beautiful woman to his Majesty in her birthday banquet. The empress came for the sake of winning his Majesty''s favor.


    When the music was over, the lights in the hall were on again. All the people were immersed in dancing. The dancing women went to the hall and bowed to Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty, good morning, your majesty. Congratulations!"

 Chapter 536 They All Had Different Thoughts (Part Two)

    Xia Huanyu smiled and said, "rise."


    Then he clapped his hands, turned around, and looked at the empress, "this dance is extremely beautiful, but you rarely see a masked dancer on the stage..."


    The empress laughed when she heard his words. "Since your majesty insist, let her take off her veil."


    The girl in white raised her head and took off her veil after the empress'' order.


    The woman had curved eyebrows like the crescent moon, dark eyes, and slightly raised the corners of her eyes, which made her more attractive beyond description. Her nose was straight and delicate, and her cherry like mouth invited in silence, which made everyone in the palace somewhat absent-minded.


    Yun Shang glanced at her and thought that she was not as beautiful as Ning Qian. The dance and the mystery of the veil surprised the people here.


    Xia Huanyu didn''t say anything. The empress smiled, turned her head and looked at Lady Shu, who had fixed her eyes on the woman''s face. The empress then said, "to be honest, something is going on between this Miss Qing Ming and Lady Shu. According to Miss Qing Ming, they have known each other since childhood."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu also turned to look at Lady Shu. Lady Shu smiled, but the smile was so faint that could not be seen in her eyes. "Yes, I am very familiar with Qing Ming. She is seven years younger than me, and the two families live close. She has been brought up by me since she was born."


    "Really? I didn''t expect that you have such deep friendship with her. " The empress turned to look at Xia Huanyu with a smile. "Your Majesty, lady Shu h


    "


    The servants hurried to add more tables and chairs to the room, and the empress said, "you look a little pale, but have you suffered a lot in the prison? Just take a seat. Alcohol is not a good thing for you today. Take care of your health. "


    The seventh Prince did not rush to sit down at the table. Instead, he bowed to Xia Huanyu and said, "I''m sorry to disappoint you and mother, but I''m greatly wronged. Please uphold justice for me, father and mother."


    Yun Shang''s eyes flickered across the seventh prince in mockery. A mocking smile appeared on her face. ''an injustice? He was fully aware that if there really was an injustice he had suffered. Although he had deliberately lowered his voice the other day, Yun Shang could still hear it clearly. It was the seventh prince who kidnapped her. Considering that not many people knew that Yun Shang was in the Jin City at that time, now everyone knew that she came back from the Yue Qian City, and the seventh prince must be sure that she didn''t dare to say it out. He was really better and better at acting.

 Chapter 537 Brothers

    "Well, we will figure it out whether you are wronged or not. Today is the birthday of your mother, so don''t mention these bad things any more." Xia Huanyu frowned and said.


    The seventh prince said yes as soon as he saw the displeasure on Xia Huanyu''s face. He kowtowed again before he got back to his seat.


    There were dancers dancing on the stage. The music gradually became louder and the crowd was a little relieved. They lowered their heads and drank the wine in front of them.


    Suddenly a servant rushed in and broke into the dancing crowd. There were screams all around the hall.


    Xia Huanyu looked at the panic stricken dancers in the hall, frowning, and patted the armrest of the chair. "Get down on your knees!"


    All the other people knelt down in a hurry. Frowning, Xia Huanyu looked at the servant and said, "how dare you panic? What happened? Tell me! "


    The servant shuddered at emperor Xia''s words. Then he stammered, "your majesty! Your majesty! The son of the former crown prince is shivering violently all over. He seemed to have been poisoned. The imperial physician sent me to report this to your majesty."


    The empress'' face suddenly turned pale. She hurriedly stood up and brought the wine pot on the table in front of her. The wine pot fell on the ground, and the wine in the pot fell down.


    "What?" With astonishment in her eyes, the empress turned around and bowed to Xia Huanyu. "Yunxi is in danger. Please allow me to leave."


    Xia Huanyu thought for a while and said, "Yunxi is also my descendant. I should go to see him as well. You can stay here. I''ll be back soon with the empress."


    They said yes immediately and watched him walk out of the Taiji Palace with the empress.


    Yun Shang sat straight and frowned. "When I was in the Wei Yang palace, the empress went to change her clothes and entrusted me to take care of the boy. What happened? Is this a coincidence? Could i


    o my family. "


    Yun Shang was shocked. She knew Luo Qingyan didn''t like the seventh prince, but she didn''t expect Luo Qingyan to embarrass the seventh prince in public. As a result, it would put the prince an unfriendly reputation.


    Yun Shang gently tugged at Luo Qingyan''s sleeve, and said with a smile, "The seventh prince, don''t be angry. His highness always speak in such a rude way, but in fact, his bark is worse than his bite. He hopes that you can be healthy. It''s said that the seventh prince was weak from his childhood, and among his highness'' friends, there are some people whose medical skills are superb. If you don''t mind, his highness can ask them here to have a look at your condition. "


    A hint of darkness flashed in the seventh Prince''s eyes, but he still kept smiling. "The same has always been in my body since I was a child, and my father has also sent many famous doctors to examine me, but to no avail. Brother, sister in law, don''t bother to worry about me, I already give up. I don''t want to disappoint you."


    While they were talking, a maid came in, who seemed to be a servant of the empress. Yun Shang paid attention to the maid in secret, and then saw the maid walk up to her. "Lady Rui, the empress wants to see you in the Wei Yang palace."

 Chapter 538 Feeling Sorry For Her (Part One)

    The Empress asked for her? Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She was afraid that the empress would think she had done something bad to Xia Yunxi.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment, turned to speak to Luo Qingyan, and then stood up to go to the Wei Yang palace. However, just as she stood up, she saw Luo Qingyan put down his glass and also stand up as well.


    "Your Highness?" Yun Shang stopped and looked at Luo Qingyan with curiosity.


    "I''ll go with you. I just thought that I haven''t seen my nephew, and I should go with you no matter what." Then Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s shoulder and walked out of the Taiji Palace slowly.


    The Wei Yang Palace was brightly lit, and the servants led them to the door of the side hall where the servants were scurrying back and forth. Yun Shang thought for a moment, and stepped into the hall with Luo Qingyan. Many servants were waiting in the side hall, some with washbasin in their hands, and some with towels in their hands.


    Luo Qingyan glanced at them indifferently, and then led Yun Shang into the inner hall. Xia Huanyu and the empress were both sitting on the chair opposite the bed. Three imperial physicians with white beard were standing by the bed, and they were examining the little boy. Two servants were standing beside him, one holding a pot in hand, and the other holding a towel.


    "Are you here?" Xia Huanyu turned around and said to Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang agreed. They stepped forward together before Yun Shang said gently, "The little prince..."


    Before Yun Shang finished her words, the empress cast a cold glance at her, and said coldly, "in the afternoon today, I went to change my clothes


    t cakes."


    "Have the rest chestnut cakes delivered to me. And ask the nanny of the little prince how she deal with that half piece of cake." Xia Huanyu ordered Liu Wenan who was standing behind him.


    Yun Shang sank into deep thought for a while. Then she looked away and fixed her eyes on Xia Yunxi.


    Xia Yunxi''s face was deathly pale. Sweat kept oozing from his forehead. Yun Shang kept silent for a long time before she looked up at the imperial physician and asked, "what''s wrong with the little prince?"


    One of the imperial physicians turned to look at Yun Shang and Xia Huanyu before he answered, "he should be poisoned."


    "Being poisoned?" Yun Shang frowned and wondered if it had something to do with Lady Shu?


    But Liu Wenan had already returned to the hall, with a plate of chestnut cake in his hand. After Xia Huanyu waved his hand, he took the bowl to the imperial physician. The three imperial physicians had tested the poison with the silver needles and examined them one by one. Then they frowned and said, "these in this plate are indeed ordinary chestnut cakes. They are not poisoned."

 Chapter 539 Feeling Sorry For Her (Part Two)

    Xia Huanyu couldn''t help but frown. "Chestnut cakes are not poisoned, and tea cups are not poisoned. Tell me, how did the little prince get poisoned?"


    Yun Shang kept her eyes fixed on Xia Yunxi. She didn''t walk to the bed until the men kept asking and answering the questions.


    "Shang''er." Suddenly, Luo Qingyan''s voice came from behind. Yun Shang turned her head and saw the disapproval in Luo Qingyan''s eyes. Yun Shang gave him a smile, reassuring him. Then she turned around to look at Xia Huanyu. "I have learnt some medicine before, your majesty. May I have a look at his condition?"


    The imperial physicians were a bit hesitant and looked up at Xia Huanyu. After a while of silence, Xia Huanyu nodded his head and said, "it''s up to you."


    The empress was about to speak, but she held back what she wanted to say when she heard what he said.


    Yun Shang took Xia Yunxi pulse, and felt a slight heat in his forehead. Yun Shang opened his mouth looked at the piles of moss under his tongue. She then asked in a low voice after a while, "did the little prince have a headache and diarrhea before?"


    The maids standing by the side replied in a hurry, "yes. He had a headache at first and had no strength. Then he felt pain in his stomach and passed out."


    Yun Shang listened carefully and nodded. She turned to the three imperial physicians and said, "In my opinion, the little prince was indeed poisoned. But it wasn''t someone else who poisoned him with a drug. It was food poison."


    "Food poisoning?" Everyone was surprised at Yun Shang''s unusual response. Both Xia Huanyu and the empress loo


    un Shang pulled Luo Qingyan''s sleeve and asked with a smile, "are you angry with me? Are you blaming me for not listening to you and taking care of him? "


    Luo Qingyan still didn''t say anything. Yun Shang continued, "but your highness, I can''t bear to see that such a little child died in front of me. I..." Yun Shang felt her throat was dry. The scenes of her previous life kept flashing through her mind. It was only after a long while that she sighed and didn''t go on, Suddenly, her hand was grasped. Yun Shang raised her head and looked at Luo Qingyan, whose eyes were somewhat dim. After a long time, Luo Qingyan said, "I''m not angry with you. I''m angry with myself. In the past few months, I went to the state of Xia but I was not completely prepared. Since the secret guards were not properly arranged, it''s impossible for them to enter the palace at all, and there''s not any of my power in the court. There''s no force hidden among the people, and no one in the palace are my people. So you have been in trouble frequently these days, but I can''t protect you. "

 Chapter 540 The Master And The Servant

    Luo Qingyan stayed silent for a long time until Yun Shang thought he had finished. When she was about to speak, she heard him say in a depressed voice, "shang''er, I''m sorry."


    Yun Shang felt like her heart was plucked fiercely. It was like being shaken for a long time and she couldn''t calm down. After a long time, she came to her sense and quickly held Luo Qingyan''s hand, saying softly, "Qingyan, you don''t have to blame yourself." Then she smiled gently. "I have suffered much more than you have imagined, and I can bear these things, because now, I have you by my side."


    Yun Shang continued, "but we will find a way out soon. I never thought that I would get involved in the fight among the state of Xia. Therefore, when I was training the secret guards and dark gangs, they got familiar with all the information about the envoys and courtiers of the state of Ning, including the geographical terrain of the state of Ning and the imperial household situation of the state of Ning. It''s not their turn to be so arrogant if we were still in the state of Ning. It''s indeed a mess these days, but everything is slowly in order. I remember everyone who set us up and bullied us these days. After a while, I will return the favor. "


    Luo Qingyan felt warm in his heart. He took Yun Shang into his arms and said with a smile, "okay. I''ve arranged everything well. I''ll get it ready in ten days. At that time, whatever you want to do, I will certainly support you to the end. "


    Yun Shang smiled. After she was reborn, she had always been thinking about revenge. Before she met him again, all she wanted was to take revenge. She was glad that she had met him. She had known that there was still someone who loved her and loved her so much in the world. From then on, the power she owned before was not for revenge, but for protecting the people she loved, her family.


    When they arrived at the Prince Rui''s mansion, Qian Yin was already waiting at the door. Seeing Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, she greeted them with a smile, "your Highnesses, how are you today?"


    Yun Shang smiled and didn''t answer, "ask the servants to prepare hot water for him."


    "Yes, it''s ready. The water has been burning. I got the news when the prince and the princess entered the mansion. I''ve already prepared the water." Qian Yin had a smile on her face, but there was a sense of inferiority in her eyes.


    Yun Shang paused and smiled, "Qian Yin is more considerate now." Then she helped Luo Qingyan unbutton his robe and put it aside.


    Luo Qingyan bowed his head and kissed Yun Shang''s forehead before going to the bathroom.


    After watching Luo Qingyan walk into the room, Yun Shang held Qian Yin''s hand and led her to sit on the couch. She let out a sigh,


    see his weakness. Luo Yi is different from you. He is the prince''s shadow guard, so he could never show up in front of anyone. Even if he dies one day, no one will know about his existence."


    Qian Yin sank into silence again.


    "It is an expedient for you to marry Luo Yi. He is the person that his highness trusts, and it''s also a good opportunity for his highness to have him transferred to work for us in bright daylight. Even if it''s just a fake marriage, you will get married. " Yun Shang asked again with some expectations in her eyes, "are you willing?"


    Qian Yin said nothing for a long time. Yun Shang waited quietly.


    "Luo Yi... Is he willing to do that? " Qian Yin lowered her head and answered in a soft voice with uncertainty.


    "Of course he is." Luo Qingyan walked out of the bathroom with only his underwear on. His hair was still dripping. Yun Shang quickly stood up, took a cloth towel and pulled Luo Qingyan over. She let him sit on the couch, and then knelt behind him. She wrapped his hair with the cloth and dried it carefully.


    Qian Yin was shocked again. She stared at Yun Shang in disbelief.


    She spoke after a long time, "well, since it''s a fake marriage, I''ll accept it." Qian Yin lowered her head in a flurry and said, "I''m leaving."


    Seeing Qian Yin leave the room, Yun Shang asked in a low voice, "is Luo Yi back?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and smiled, "not yet. But he is my subordinate. I am clear about his mind. He also likes Qian Yin. Moreover, he was not such a superficial person. He wouldn''t leave Qian Yin as Qian Yin now lost her arm. And just as you said, I really need a person, a person who can help me do something, not in the dark. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked down and smiled faintly. "In that case, let''s pick a day to summon Luo Yi back and let them marry."

 Chapter 541 The Jewelries (Part One)

    Yun Shang wasn''t in the mood to care about what happened in the palace the other day. She only heard that the little prince had changed a new babysitter whose surname was Liu, and her name was Liu Qianyan. Liu Qianyan was one of the maids serving the old lady in the Su family. Not long after she got in the Su mansion, she heard that her child was taken away by some villain. On the way of looking for the child, she met the old lady. The lady pitied her, so she took her in as her maid. She even made every effort to find out the whereabouts of Liu Qianyan'' child and save her child, which made her even more loyal to her.


    "Very loyal to the lady..." Yun Shang was playing with the parrot which Luo Qingyan gave her just now in the yard. Hearing this, she chuckled and repeated it twice faintly.


    "Yes, yes, yes. Loyal to you. Loyal to you." The two parrot came one after the other, following Yun Shang, and even their contemptuous tone was somewhat similar to hers. Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing at their actions. She threw the valley parrot into the birdcage and said, "these two parrots are very interesting, but I don''t like to keep these strange things in the yard. Send them to the palace and give them to Ning Qian."


    Qian Yin replied yes in a hurry. She asked someone to take the birdcage and took the birdcage out of the courtyard.


    Yun Shang went back to her room and lay down on the soft couch. Before long, Qian Yin followed in. She looked around and then whispered, "I''ve heard that many officials of the court have asked for the emperor''s consent. They said that the three-year girl-picking event is coming soon and that the emperor is calling for a lady."


    Yun


    Qian Yin hurriedly said yes, and then helped Yun Shang up. She said gently, "I''ve dispatched two maids to serve your highness. All of them have been selected thousands of times before. I''ll bring them here to let your highness have a look. It''s not a serious occasion for you to enter the palace this time, so your highness can take them to see the world."


    Yun Shang smiled and said yes. She looked at the person in the mirror up and down, and then took an unused pen and made some pink rouge, outlining the shape of a peach flower between her eyebrows and painting it in white. After that, she nodded her head with satisfaction.


    "Your Highness, they are coming." Qian Yin''s voice came from behind. Yun Shang turned around and saw two maids standing in front of them. They were around 14 or 15 years old and had a pretty face. Yun Shang nodded her head to them and asked with a smile, "what''s your names?"


    The girl who stood on the left, who seemed to be quiet, bowed to Yun Shang, "Your highness, my name is Qian Liu." The maid who seemed perky on the right side also said, "Your highness, my name is Qian Zhuo."

 Chapter 542 The Jewelries (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly, "they are all very good names. Since Qian Yin has said that you have been carefully chosen, I also believe her taste. Please follow me."


    The two girls bowed to her with joy in their eyes. Yun Shang chuckled and stood up, "have you asked the butler to prepare the carriage for me?"


    Qian Yin answered, "yes."


    Yun Shang nodded, took Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo out of the door, and went to the Imperial Palace in a carriage.


    At right time, when Yun Shang arrived at the gate, she saw Luo Qingyan walking toward the gate, followed by seventh Prince and Liu Yinfeng. Yun Shang stopped and smiled at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan''s eyes lit up when he saw her. He quickly walked to Yun Shang and looked her up and down. "Why are you dressed like this? Are you going to the palace? Where are you going? The Xiang Zhu Palace? "


    Yun Shang smiled. "His Highness has asked me so many questions at one time. Where should I answer them?"


    Then she bowed to the seventh Prince and Liu Yinfeng, "Your Highness, Mister Liu."


    "Oh, it''s sister-in-law." The seventh prince chuckled, "then I will wait for brother outside the palace with Yinfeng." Then he made an obeisance to Yun Shang and headed for the palace gate.


    Liu Yinfeng glanced at Yun Shang and paused. Then he quickly followed the seventh prince and left.


    "Where are you going at this hour?" Yun Shang asked with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and said gently, "the beauty-choosing event will be held in a month. I''m in charge of it. The seventh prince, Liu Yinfeng and I are going to the Ministry of rites to check if everything is ready. The list


    of making tea, so I sent someone to invite her here."


    Yun Shang glanced at all the ladies in the room. She had read the portrait before, and thus she was able to match every concubine of the emperor. All of them were under the emperor''s power, but it was a good deal.


    "Lady Rui, you have put on a stunning makeup." The person who spoke was Lady Cao. Her father was a sixth grade officer, so she was looked down upon by many people in the palace. However, she was a beauty, not the type that would be shocked at the first glance, but she was clear about everything and was also a calm person, not making trouble.


    Another lady heard her words and said, "If I guessed right, Lady Rui''s clothes and jewelry today have helped a lot with her beauty. I don''t know where she bought them."


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Ning Qian, and she smiled at her too. She said faintly, "it''s bought at a store in the city, called the Qianshui Pavilion. I have visited it once, and I found I really like it. Then I ordered them to deliver some new jewelries to the Prince Rui''s mansion every few days."

 Chapter 543 Identification

    "Really?" The woman kept her eyes on Yun Shang''s clothes. She nodded and said with a smile, "no wonder I didn''t know it. It turned out that it was a newly opened shop."


    Ning Qian smiled. "I heard that lady Xian liked collecting fresh clothes and jewelry before she came to the imperial palace. She hasn''t changed her taste in clothes and jewelry."


    Hearing that, Lady Xian smiled somewhat complacently. "It''s not that I''m bragging about. In the city, there is a shop where the clothes are dyed well, and the hairpins are unique. There are almost no kinds of rouge that I don''t know. In the past, I thought the stuff sent by the imperial household department were very gorgeous, but they always looked gorgeous. It seems that only a few tricks are in hand, so they''re boring. "


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and remembered that this Lady Xian seemed to be the daughter of Wang Congwen, the richest man in the Jin city. She said with a smile, "Lady Xian''s family is the richest in the Jin city. The things you see must be extraordinary in daily life. It''s my honor to be praised by you."


    Hearing that, Lady Xian seemed very happy. She said with a smile, "if there are some new stuff in the Qianshui Pavilion, I''ll be very interested in them. I will ask my mother to have a look later."


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and nodded her head with a smile. She glanced at other ladies and found that they also had interests in their eyes, which relieved her a little.


    After chatting with them for a while, a maid came in and bowed to everyone. "The empress heard that Lady Rui came into the palace, so she invited her to have a chat in the Wei Yang Palace."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and quickly stood up. She said to the people, "since the empress is inviting me, I can''t accompany you. Please excuse me."


    Everyone nodded their heads. Yun Shang, together with Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo, walked out of the Xiang Zhu Palace and headed for the Wei Yang palace.


    When they arrived at the Wei Yang palace, they saw the empress was leaning against a chair with her hands on her head and her eyes closed for rest.


    paused on the empress'' words. With a questioning look, she looked sideways, "osmanthus? I heard people say the city was famous for sophora flowers? Is it also sophora flower honey? It was a pity that it was not the day of sophora flower blooming in September, so I didn''t see the rumor that the city is full of the sweet taste of sophora flower, but the sophora flower honey was sent to me by the people of the Yue Qian City a month ago. It really lives up to its reputation. I also brought some home with me. If you like, I''ll send some to the palace when I come back, your majesty. "


    The empress'' face slightly darkened, but she also grinned. "Really? I must have made a mistake. "


    Then she continued, "before you went to the Yue Qian City a month ago, you were assassinated in the Qi Lan Town. Did Prince Rui find out who gave the orders?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "His Highness has never mentioned this to me. Why does her majesty ask about it all of a sudden? Do your majesty have any clue? "


    The empress never thought that Yun Shang would ask such a direct question. Her face fell. She was silent for a moment before saying, "I also asked Field Marshal Su to investigate the case, but the person behind it was somewhat unexpected..."


    After a short pause, the empress looked at Yun Shang again. When she saw the curiosity in Yun Shang''s eyes, she frowned and said, "it seems that it was lady Shu..."

 Chapter 544 Teaming Up With A Dangerous Woman (Part One)

    "Lady Shu?" Astonishment appeared on Yun Shang''s face when she heard what the empress said. She was silent for a long time before she asked curiously, "I have no enmity with Lady Shu before. But why did she send people to assassinate me?"


    The empress smiled coldly and let out a slight sigh. "You do have no enmity with her, but don''t forget that lady Shu has a son, and the eleventh prince is talented and was often praised by his Majesty in all the princes. The crown prince was dead and the seventh prince is weak. It was supposed to be a great chance for the eleventh prince to take the power. However, Prince Rui came out halfway. Prince Rui was courageous and resourceful, so the emperor thought highly of him. Lady Shu was unwilling to accept the fact that the throne was farther and farther away from the eleventh prince. But you... You are lady Rui, and the person that Prince Rui values the most. Of course she will laid her hands on you. "


    Hearing what the empress said, Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown and said sadly, "but Prince Rui has never thought of competing for anything with the eleventh Prince... When it came to power and influence, his royal highness was second to none in the state of Ning. If my father had no heir, the throne would belong to him sooner or later. The reason why Prince Rui chose to come back to the state of Xia is that he wants to live with his families. Prince Rui has no biological parents since he was a child, and he always felt lonely. Then he finally knew the truth of his birth, and he cherished it very much. "


    The empress let out a sigh, full of disappointment on her face. "La


    shook her head. "I tried many ways to do so, but they were all ruined by Lady Shu. Shang''er, could you do me a favor? If the emperor dotes on Qing Ming, lady Shu''s good days will come to an end then."


    "I don''t know. What can I do for you?" Yun Shang frowned, eyes full of hesitation and confusion.


    The empress waved at Yun Shang, and Yun Shang went closer to her. The empress whispered something in Yun Shang''s ear, and Yun Shang nodded her head repeatedly. After a while, Yun Shang straightened up with a smile on her face, turned around and bowed to the empress. "I understand."


    The empress nodded her head with a smile, "then I''ll wait for your good news."


    Yun Shang curtsied to the empress and walked out of the Wei Yang palace. As soon as they left the palace, Qian Zhuo immediately asked, "Your Highness, do you really want to cooperate with the empress? I think the empress is just taking advantage of you. "


    Yun Shang stopped and frowned. She asked coldly, "why not? We don''t have any power in the state of Xia. If we can borrow the power of the Su clan, why not? "

 Chapter 545 Teaming Up With A Dangerous Woman (Part Two)

    Qian Zhuo still wanted to say something, but Qian Liu pulled the hem of her clothes and stopped her.


    After the three of them went out of the palace and got on the carriage, Yun Shang said, "everyone in the palace heard and knew something. There are some things you couldn''t say in the palace. I''m afraid the conversation between you and me just now has already reached the empress'' ears. Don''t do it ever again."


    Qian Zhuo was stunned before she realized what Yun Shang meant. With a guilty look in her eyes, she said, "Your Highness, I''m sorry."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "it''s good that you have realized your mistake. Following me, you must be careful in the future."


    Qian Zhuo nodded her head. Qian Liu was silent for a while before asking, "but since you have known someone was eavesdropping, why did you say you want to borrow the power of the Su clan?"


    Yun Shang sneered in a cold way, "I don''t know much about the empress, but I''m afraid she won''t believe me as she is the empress. If I shout loudly to show my determination to follow her, she will be suspicious. She will be reassured if I pretend to be close to her with a purpose. "


    Qian Liu nodded her head understandingly. Her eyes were full of thoughts.


    Back at the Prince Rui''s mansion, Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to tell the maids in Qianshui Pavilion to prepare some new dresses and jewelries. As soon as Qian Yin left, Yun Shang heard the maid''s greetings outside. It was Luo Qingyan coming back.


    Yun Shang ran to him, took the robe he had just taken off, and whispered to him, "is everything going well today?"


    " Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s shoulders again and said.


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head, "the empress told me today that she would join hands with me to wipe out lady Shu."


    Yun Shang calmed down. She walked to the window and looked outside. "She just wants to kill lady Shu. Without a scapegoat, so she thinks of me. It''s good to kill two birds with one stone. If she can put the blame on me and frame me, she will win this time."


    "Really?" Luo Qingyan paused. "The empress is not as simple as she looks. Behind her is the Su clan. The Su clan is different from the Liu clan. The Liu clan has only been in the rise for more than twenty years, but the Su clan is deeply rooted in the state of Xia. They can''t be pulled out in a short time. You have to be extremely careful when dealing with the empress. If you have anything that you can''t solve, you must let me know. "


    Yun Shang answered yes with a smile and said, "don''t worry, your highness. The empress wants to plot against me and make me take the blame, but I don''t have to listen to her..."

 Chapter 546 Lady Qing

    Yun Shang was quite busy these days. She would change into different styles of clothes and jewelry every day. She took a seat at the Xiang Zhu Palace and sometimes she even went to the Wei Yang Palace. And she met lady Shu once in a while when she went to the Wei Yang palace occasionally. Yun Shang had a resplendent and magnificent life in the imperial household now, even the empress paid attention to her.


    "The clothes you''ve been wearing these days are good-looking with nice style and good jewelry. This morning when the concubines came to greet me, I heard them talk about you in the inner hall after I got dressed." The empress took a sip of rose tea and glanced at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang hurriedly answered, "I''m just wearing ordinary clothes from the stores outside the palace, which cannot be compared with the clothes carefully prepared by the imperial household department. But the ladies have been used to the dignified and noble style in the palace, so sometimes they''ll feel fresh to see my crude clothes. When you have been used to eating fish and meat, and it feels good to occasionally replace the meat with clear soup and vegetables. "


    The empress took the hint. She nodded her head, "how is the thing I ordered you to do?"


    "It''s all settled." Then she took out a piece of paper bag from her sleeve and handed it to the empress. "I have seen many different kinds of medicine. Although they are all of the same efficacy, this one is the most startling, colorless and tasteless. Besides, the efficacy is not so fast. It is also convenient for the empress to make arrangement."


    The empress nodded and put it down. She said with a smile, "you''re also a person who knows medicine well. Of course you''re right about it."


    Yun Shang flashed a smile, but soon regained her composure. "But all the stuff at his Majesty''s meal has been tested by servants. And..."


    "Don''t worry." The empress sneered, "if it''s a poison, the eunuch can get it out of shape after trying it. But he''s not a full man, and he''s unable to feel it. Besides, as you said, the drug works slow."


    Yun Shang n


    own, so no expression could be seen on her face. The woman who was crying and kneeling on the ground with her back to the palace gate should be Qing Ming.


    Yun Shang frowned, walked into the palace, and curtsied to the emperor and the empress. Then she looked curiously at Qing Ming, who seemed to have a palm print on his face. She hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "what happened? Why is miss Qing Ming crying so sadly? "


    The empress looked at Yun Shang, sighed, and said lightly, "now her name has been changed to Lady Qing."


    "Lady Qing?" Yun Shang was surprised, but she suppressed it quickly and said, "I didn''t know it was lady Qing now."


    However, Xia Huanyu interrupted their conversation and said coldly, "yesterday, Qing Ming drugged me. Although the drug was not fatal, it was unforgivable. How could she be a lady with an evil heart?"


    The empress frowned worriedly when she heard the words. "Your Majesty, you are wrong about Lady Qing. Lady Qing has nothing to do with the drug. The maid called Huai Ya beside Lady Shu admitted that it was her who drugged your majesty."


    Xia Huanyu sneered and kept silent. Yun Shang clearly saw the murderous look in his eyes.


    The empress immediately looked at Yun Shang and said, "Shang''er, Huai Ya said you gave the medicine to her. I felt it weird and couldn''t believe what she said, so I called you here. What do you say?"

 Chapter 547 Framing

    Yun Shang was astonished. "Me?" Yun Shang smiled and let out a small sigh, "it''s a puzzling charge. I don''t know any servant named Huai Ya. Why did I give her the poison? I don''t know why I have always had such troubles recently. Am I not lucky enough this year? "


    The empress smiled and said gently to her, "Well, it doesn''t matter. It''s not a complicated matter. I will have that Huai Ya here and confront you." After saying that, the empress turned her eyes to look at Xia Huanyu and Lady Shu, who both looked indifferent. The empress sent her maid out of the palace, and soon she went in with a maid following her. The maid must have been punished, too. She was in a difficult position, with her hair tousled, and her face was wet. It was hard to tell whether her face was wet with sweat or tears. She was thrown into the palace by the guards, but her legs trembled badly and she suddenly knelt on the ground because she couldn''t stand.


    The empress looked calm and said calmly, "you said Lady Rui gave the drug to you earlier, but now Lady Rui is here. Just tell her when and where Lady Rui gave it to you."


    The maid raised her eyes and glanced around the hall. Then she fixed her eyes on Yun Shang. She stared blankly at Yun Shang for a while, and burst into tears all of a sudden. "Your Highness, help me, help me. I''ve done everything according to your highness'' instructions. Your highness, please help me."


    What a good show! Yun Shang looked at her painful face and frowned. "Help you? I''ve never seen you before, but you framed me up. Why should I save you? "


    Hearing this, the maid was stunned, and her eyes were filled with disbelief. After a long time, she said, "Your Highness, you can''t leave me in the lurch. I''ve handled everything for you."


    "Since you insist that you have done what I asked, I want to ask you a few questions in front of everyone. Would you like to answer me?" Yun Shang stood quietly and her eyes were calm as well.


    Hearing this, the maid called Huai Ya nodded her head quickly and said, "go ahead, your highness."


    Yun Shang smiled and whispered, "you said the drug was given by me and I have instructed you to do something, but then I''d like to ask you when and where I gave the drug to you and what I''ve told you."


    Hearing these two questions, Huai Ya replied without hesitation, "Your Highness gave the medicine to me under a osmanthus tree beside the imperial garden yesterday at 2 p.m. and asked me to put the medicine on the goblet of his majesty when his majesty came to the Shuya palace. Your highness also asked me to go to the side hall and tell Miss Qing Ming about it, and she will know what to do. After I followed your orders and did all these things, I went to serve outside the hall. But I don''t know what happened inside the hall. "


    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly. Three days ago, in the afternoon. She recalled what she had done at that time that day. It must be on the way from the Xiang Zhu Palace to the Wei Yang Palace. She did have to pass the imperial garden at that time. Pres


    ollow in the middle? Yun Shang raised her eyebrows in surprise. She didn''t know that her purple jade hairpin was hollowed out. If it was, then Qian Shui would also tell her about it. Someone had changed Yun Shang''s hairpin especially for today''s event.


    "Shang''er, is this your hairpin?" The empress turned to Yun Shang with a frown on her face.


    Yun Shang hurriedly turned around and shook her head, "my hairpin is not hollowed out."


    "Really?" The empress thought for a while and said, "in that case, shang''er, you may as well take your hairpin out, and the truth will come to light."


    Yun Shang froze and her eyes darkened after hearing her words. This gold-shaped hairpin was made especially for her by the Qianshui Pavilion. Although she didn''t know whether the maid named Huai Ya had taken it from her, she couldn''t give the hairpin to her in any case now.


    Yun Shang meditated for a moment and slowly said, "my hairpin is not hollowed out, but my purple jade gold hairpin is also missing. We didn''t see each other the day before yesterday. I was hit by a maid near the Wei Yang Palace. I was also suspicious that I lost it, so I called someone back to search. The guards at the gate of the palace can prove it."


    The empress frowned at her words. "So you mean Lady Rui doesn''t have that purple jade hairpin right now?"


    "No, I didn''t..." Yun Shang said calmly. In fact, she wasn''t in a hurry at all. In her mind, the empress had told her that the maid would point out that she was the one who sent the medicine to the emperor, and it was enough for her to deny. The empress would do everything she could to frame lady Shu, saying that lady Shu was the real one who poisoned the emperor.


    Yun Shang gave a brittle laugh. It was a normal case at the beginning, but it seemed to go further and further. All the evidences were pointing to her instead.


    Yun Shang looked up at Lady Shu and the empress, and had a bold guess in her mind. Was it possible that the two of them had cooperated with each other to get rid of her?

 Chapter 548 The Plot

    Yun Shang thought carefully and found that this kind of reason seemed ridiculous, but it was the most reasonable one. In the past, she didn''t think much about it. She always thought that the empress and Lady Shu were sworn enemies, and that the feud between them might be very difficult to solve. But it never occurred to her that there would be no everlasting friend or enemy in the world, but everlasting interest.


    Yun Shang felt it strange when she heard what Huai Ya said. Even if the maid named Huai Ya had drugged Xia Huanyu, lady Shu should be in the palace now, but why didn''t she know about it? Liu Wenan was the one that Xia Huanyu trusted. He would never lie to others. If what lady Shu said was true, she had lost consciousness last night and woke up at the end of the bed today. How could he not hear her? The only explanation was that lady Shu had told a lie.


    Did the empress and Lady Shu work together to make her admit that she had sent some medicine to the palace? Anyone who charged her with such a crime would only be punished. The empress and Lady Shu would not make a fuss about it. They were plotting something else.


    Yun Shang was well prepared that she dared to come in. If she wanted, she could make the so-called evidence of the gold hairpin without any use. But if the empress and Lady Shu still had other filthy ideas, it was not wise for her to show her trump card now.


    With this in mind, Yun Shang said gently, "I think the hairpin must have been taken away by someone who knocked into me outside the Wei Yang Palace."


    The empress frowned and sighed. "But even if you don''t have that gold hairpin, that doesn''t mean the maid is lying."


    She hesitated before she continued, "the maid said the medicine was put in the hairpin. Why not call for an imperial physician to check if there was any trace of medicine in the hairpin. Is it the same with the one that was put on the emperor''s tea cup?"


    Yun Shang slightly moved aside her eyelids and thought, ''the medicine has been drugged for such a long time. Why didn''t the empress call for a physician to check what ki


    prison, probably for the sole purpose of waiting for Luo Qingyan to break into the prison. If Luo Qingyan was here to break into the prison, they would prove that Yun Shang was forbidden to take drugs into the palace and she also tried to murder Xia Huanyu. Luo Qingyan, who came to break into the prison, must be heavily punished. Even if Luo Qingyan didn''t do anything, if she was convicted of this, they could accuse Luo Qingyan of instigation. If Luo Qingyan wanted to be the emperor, it was impossible.


    Thinking of that, Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter. The empress and Lady Shu had really made much effort.


    Yun Shang couldn''t wait to know what more evidence they had.


    "Put me into the jail? With such a hairpin and a stupid maid, I''m afraid it''s not appropriate to accuse me." Yun Shang gave a bland smile and said: "this maid, whose name is Huai Ya, works for lady Shu. I just came to the state of Xia and seldom go to the palace. How did I get to know her? Why did she work for me? And everybody knows that the Hanshi Drug is a banned drug and it is very difficult to buy in the ordinary people. How did I get this kind of drug? Besides, I''ve never seen Miss Qing Ming in person since that night. Why should I... help her? Why are you so anxious to declare my guilty when the so-called evidences are full of doubts? Wouldn''t it be a joke if anyone else knows about it?"

 Chapter 549 Put Into Prison (Part One)

    Hardly had Yun Shang''s voice faded away, she saw a maid rushing over in a hurry. The maid seemed to be somewhat panicked. She was stumbled on the way into the palace and fell heavily to the ground.


    When the empress heard Yun Shang''s words, she was about to retort. But she saw the maid''s inelegant look in her eyes and frowned as she glanced at Xia Huanyu. "Piao Xu, how could you be so unruly? What happened and why are you in such a hurry?"


    It turned out to be a maid in the Wei Yang Palace. Yun Shang turned her eyes to the maid called Piao Xu, and saw her get up from the ground in a hurry. She bowed to the people in the palace and said, "Your Majesty, I used the medicine that Lady Rui sent into the palace. After taking the medicine, the little prince began to get hot all over and had a headache."


    Hearing this, the empress stood up abruptly and looked at Yun Shang, her body trembling with rage. "Lady Rui! How can you be so vicious? I thought that you found the reason why Yunxi was poisoned by poison in a short time, and thought you''re a good doctor, so I let you give the medicine to cure Yunxi. I didn''t expect you to want to hurt him. He is just a three-year-old kid. Why did you do this to him? "


    "Medicine? What kind of medicine? " Frowning, Yun Shang looked at the empress and the maids with the name Piao Xu and fell silent. She knew what was going on right now. When the empress asked her to take some drugs which were harmless to the body into the palace, she sent them in. When she were chatting in the Xiang Zhu Palace, other concubines asked her why she went to the Wei Yang Palace every day. Yun Shang also f


    head, "no need, thanks."


    The guard bowed to Yun Shang and left.


    Yun Shang smiled coldly. She sat down on the bed and closed her eyes. She recalled all the events that happened today and realized that they were all fated.


    At the time when the little prince Xia Yunxi was poisoned, the empress learned that she knew medicine, so she tried to make her ally with the empress. Then she threw out her chips, saying that the woman Qing Ming worked for her. As long as she supported the Qing Ming to ascend to the place and become the lady of Xia Huanyu, she would be able to make lady Shu doomed forever. She also mentioned that Xia Huanyu knew everything happening in the palace and it was not easy to hide it from him. As Lady Rui was now in favor of Prince Rui, she was more free to do anything she wanted so that Yun Shang could take some aphrodisiac from outside the palace to the palace. The concubines who had asked Yun Shang why she went to the Wei Yang Palace frequently must have worked for the empress. The empress was thoughtful, and she knew exactly how Yun Shang would respond.

 Chapter 550 Put Into Prison (Part Two)

    As time went by, Yun Shang successfully fell into the empress'' scheme step by step. The empress had already connected with Lady Shu in private a long time ago. In Xia Huanyu''s opinion, lady Shu, who had done such a great thing in the past, was the only one whom he was not on guard of and who was cared about by his children while she had no family support. So he trusted Lady Shu a lot besides Liu Wenan. Therefore, it was easy to plot against him in the Shuya Palace. Even if the evidences of Huai Ya was full of loopholes in the evidence, she pretended to be refined not because she couldn''t use the purple jade hairpin to lure a doctor to examine the powder, and to tell Xia Huanyu that it was not an ordinary philter, but the Hanshi Drug.


    The Hanshi Drug was the forbidden drug in the palace, which could make people change their attitude. When Xia Huanyu knew that it was used on him, he must be very angry about it. Once people got angry, they would easily lose their normal judgment. Now, a servant came to him and reported that the little prince Xia Yunxi had been poisoned with the Hanshi Drug, which was mixed with the medicine that Yun Shang sent into the palace. Seeing this, Xia Huanyu was even more furious about it.


    In the Wei Yang Palace, there must be sufficient evidence, enough to convict Yun Shang of her guilt.


    Yun Shang smiled and closed her eyes, wondering what kinds of evidences the empress would prepare the evidence for her? The first thing was to prove that the poison was sent into the palace by Yun Shang. And


    n your own. Although it seems that the empress wants to frame and convict you of murder. But we have to be careful of her jumping over the wall and try to kill you while you are still in prison. "


    Yun Shang said yes. Luo Qingyan looked at her for another time before he turned around and was about to leave. But then he stopped again. Luo Qingyan turned around, took out a pill the size of a thumb and handed it to Yun Shang.


    "I have sent some people to guard near the prison. If there is something urgent, you throw this thing to the ground hard, so that they can rush in in time to help you." Luo Qingyan said softly to her.


    Yun Shang nodded her head with a smile on her face, "Okay, I see."


    Then Luo Qingyan finally left.


    Because Yun Shang had nothing to do in the prison, she lay back in the quilt again and closed her eyes for rest. After a while, she felt a sharp pain in her back, which was so low that she could hardly feel. Then she stood up and looked at the quilt, but there was nothing unusual about it.

 Chapter 551 Narrowly Escape From Death

    Yun Shang squinted her eyes for a long time before she carefully crouched down and put her hands on the quilt. She also did not find anything unusual. Then someone started to walk towards her. It seemed that the person was coming this way. Yun Shang paused for a second and made sure that it was not Luo Qingyan. She thought about it for a while and then sat down again to pretend to take a nap. Then she walked away from the quilt, but with a little more distance away, she looked as if she was leaning on the quilt.


    The footsteps drew closer but were more light. Yun Shang had a sensitive ear, so she could hear it clearly. The footsteps stopped next to her cell and were about three steps from it.


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while. She had also checked her surroundings before coming here. It was empty, and Luo Qingyan had swaggered in just now. If there was anyone, he wouldn''t have said those words.


    It was just then that Yun Shang smelled a faint peach blossom fragrance. She held her breath, but she kept listening around. She heard that the man seemed to move two steps towards her prison. After a long time, the person finally left.


    After the man left, Yun Shang quickly opened her eyes and took out a small bottle from her waist. She poured some pills from the bottle and took a quick breath. The air was still filled with a faint peach blossom fragrance. Yun Shang walked to the iron bar and looked over, and saw a few incenses on the ground, rising smoke.


    It seemed what Luo Qingyan worried about was not groundless worry. Someone really wanted to take advantage of her being still in jail to put her to death.


    Yun Shang stood up and pondered for a moment. Then she lifted the quilt and ripped a hole open in it. She grabbed the cotton pad inside. Then she suddenly froze and quickly moved two steps back.


    A small grey green bug emerged from the thick batt, but it only stuck its head out and went back. A feeling of nausea overwhelmed Yun Shang. She frowned, and thought for a long time. Then she raised her hand and put her finger in her mouth. She bit it hard, and the blood came out. In a hurry, she dropped the blood on the quilt, five or six drops in succession.


    After that, Yun Shang took a few steps back and her eyes tightly locked on the quilt. After a while, she saw several gray green insects emerged from the bloody place on the quilt and spiraled around the blood stains. Soon, more and more insects climbed up. They looked about thirty to forty of them and covered the quilt.


    Yun Shang took two steps back, her hairs standing on end.


    She knew it because it was called leech. It was commonly seen in the lake and in the pond. Even though it didn''t look very impressive, it was also extremely ferocious, which would suck people''s blood. Every time it absorbed blood, it would enter human body and scurried back and fo


    ht for a while and nodded his head at her. He agreed with Yun Shang and took her back to the prison.


    When they walked to the cell, they saw a faint figure in it. The guards took a step back to protect Yun Shang and waited for a chance. More than a dozen people surrounded the cell tightly.


    Yun Shang saw that they were all surprised when they saw the man in the prison. The head of the guards frowned and looked at the perplexed man in the prison. He said coldly, "Lin Liu, didn''t you say you were going to the toilet? Why are you here? "


    Slowly, Yun Shang walked from the side to the outside of the cell. She looked inside and saw that the little beard guard standing there, with a quilt that she had just leaned on, and the ground was covered by leeches.


    Yun Shang sneered and snapped, "it turned out that you wanted to kill me. I have no animosity against you. Someone must have instigated you to do so. Who is it?"


    The guard with mustache stood still and said nothing with a stiff face.


    Yun Shang turned to the head of the guards and said, "this guard wants to hurt me. Please go and get him to the meeting hall. I''m afraid this has something to do with my being framed."


    The leader of the guards was silent for a long time before he nodded, "come and tie Lin Liu up."


    Then some guards opened the door and tied the man up. Yun Shang said, "the bed and quilt are evidences. Take them with you."


    The head of the group of guards silently nodded and ordered them to pack the sheets and the quilt covered with leeches and other bugs. Then they went to the meeting hall together.


    Xia Huanyu and the empress had been waiting impatiently for a long time. When they saw Yun Shang, the empress snorted coldly. "You''re so slow. Your good days are about to be over."


    With a slight smile, Yun Shang curtsied to Xia Huanyu and the empress and said in a low voice, "your majesty! Your majesty!"

 Chapter 552 A Stunning Reversal

    "She sneaked into the palace with the Hanshi Drug and planned to murder the emperor and the son of the former crown prince. Lady Rui, do you plead a crime?" Said Xia Huanyu lightly and slowly to her.


    Yun Shang looked up at Xia Huanyu and asked, "what crime? Your majesty, is there any evidence to prove that I did it? "


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu turned to look at the empress. "Did the empress just say that you already have proof? Show Lady Rui the evidences. "


    The empress nodded her head. She looked at Yun Shang, who was half kneeling in the palace, with a cold sneer in her eyes, and said, "I have the evidences, and so does the witness." The empress clapped her hands, and the door of the meeting hall was opened again. Yun Shang turned around and saw several people walking in. Three of them were the ladies in the imperial household, whom she had met in the Xiang Zhu Palace before. Judging from their clothes, Yun Shang assumed that there are two of them who were ordinary people. She narrowed her eyes and assumed that they must be someone in the pharmacy of the Jin city. But she didn''t know what they were doing.


    The empress said coldly, "you admitted in front of other ladies that you brought the poison into the palace for Yun Xi. I think you have no objection. Lady Yu, Miss Wang, and Miss Liu can all testify."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows at her words. She had no objection to the empress'' decision. But she was afraid that only the empress and herself knew what had really happened when it came to bringing the drug into the palace.


    The empress glanced at Yun Shang, and then pointed at the three persons in the middle. "This afternoon, I had sent someone to take your picture to the pharmacy of the Jin city. This is the shop assistant of the Zi Yan Pharmacy in the Yan Yu Alley. According to him, they have seen you three days ago, but because you are dressed in men''s clothes instead of women''s clothes, your appearance is too outstanding, so they have no choice but to look at you. They remembered them clearly. The prescription you gave me contains five ingredients to make the Hanshi Drug. " Then she handed a piece of paper to Liu Wenan, who was standing aside. She gestured him to take it to Yun Shang for her to have a look.


    "This is your prescription sent to the Zi Yan Pharmacy. Have a look. Is this your handwriting?" The empress'' gaze grew colder and colder.


    Yun Shang took a closer look at the handwriting. It was almost the same as hers. Yun Shang smiled but said nothing about it.


    The empress then pointed at the last three servants and said, "these three servants are the servants of the Wei Yang Palace. A few days ago, when the son of the former crown prince entered the palace, I asked them to serve him. Actually, it should be four people. There is a maid named Yan Yu and you should be familiar with her. Today, after the boy had an accident, you were found out and sent to prison. The maid named Yan Yu committed suicide in fear. The guards found these things in her room. Do them look familiar to you, Lady Rui? "


    Liu Wenan took the things over and handed them to Yun Shang. Yun Shang straightened


    rst answers, the rest answers are different."


    Yun Shang smiled: "Your Majesty, the three of them must have made up their mind. They were bribed to slander me. If they don''t remember the color of my clothes, what''s wrong with my medicines? And I don''t remember the materials of the Hanshi Drug in the prescription? I bet they don''t even know what the Hanshi Drug is made of. "


    Keeping silent for a while, Xia Huanyu said, "take the three of them away and interrogate them. Find out who let them smear lady rui."


    The three were hurriedly excused, but were dragged down by the guards. Yun Shang meditated for a moment before she said, "since the confession of the pharmacy is fake, and the paper found in the maid''s room that I sent the drug and not the Hanshi Drug into the palace, but for someone instigated a person to do so, my crime cannot be convicted. I''d like to ask for your help, your majesty. "


    Xia Huanyu frowned and asked, "about this piece of paper?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. "This is just one of the two things. The other is that when I was locked up in prison just now, a guard pretended to be the emperor and said that the emperor had brought me a quilt. I believed in him and rested on the bedding. But unexpectedly, the bedding was tampered with, and there were thirty or forty leeches hidden inside. And there was also someone who added incense in my room when I was asleep. If I hadn''t noticed something wrong, I would have fallen asleep on the quilt made with all the leeches in it. When I was deep in sleep, those leeches would climb into my body. They will eat my blood and I will die soon. "


    Yun Shang glanced at the empress and saw her sitting on the chair with a calm expression. But Yun Shang noticed that her lips were slightly pale.


    "I pretended I didn''t hear anything. The guards who summoned me left the prison. The man immediately found an excuse and went back to the prison to check. I and other guards caught him. They are afraid that I might have seen through their plot and try to frame me. Your majesty, please uphold justice for me. " Yun Shang added.

 Chapter 553 Abandoning The Most Useless One

    The coldness in Xia Huanyu''s eyes deepened with Yun Shang''s words. After Yun Shang finished, Xia Huanyu pounded the table and said with a frown expression, "Bring him up."


    The guards escorted Lin Liu into the hall, and then put the quilt and dead leeches on the floor. After glancing at them, Xia Huanyu said, "Take the quilt to the Imperial Household Department and ask them to check whether it''s from the Imperial Palace." After a pause, he added, "Take the guard out and punish him severely after making a thorough investigation of him and his family."


    Hearing about investigating his family, Lin Liu''s expression changed slightly, clenching his hands secretly in his sleeves.


    Yun Shang pondered for a while. When the guards were about to drag Lin Liu out, she said, "I think someone must have something on Lin Liu or threaten him by someone he cares about. Your Majesty, you might send someone to check whether all his family members are safe."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and said, "Do as Lady Rui said."


    Yun Shang added, "I noticed a smell of peach blossom from the incense brought by Lin Liu, and I wonder if there is anything special about it."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Liu Wenan said, "A smell of peach blossom? In the Imperial Palace, There is an incense for soothing nerves that smells like peach blossom, but it is not psychedelic."


    Soothing nerves? Yun Shang squinted and said after a short silence, "Is there someone who is good at making incense? The guards have kept some of the burning incense as I told."


    Turning to look at Liu Wenan, Xia Huanyu said, "Go to find one."


    Liu Wenan said yes, bowed to the head of the guards, took over the thing in his hand and left the Meeting Hall.


    Yun Shang smiled and thought about everything in her mind. Then she looked up at Xia Huanyu and said, " Among the evidences of both cases, the one about Lady Qing and the one concerned the son of the former Crown Prince, there are jewels from the shop I often visit. The purple jade hairpin presented by Huai Ya in the morning was from Qian Shui Pavilion, and so were the earrings found from Yan Yu. I do have the same hairpin and earrings. However, my hairpin has been lost and I could ask my maid to find my earrings out. Since those things are all from that shop, why not ask the shop owner to have a look at them? Perhaps we can get some clues from her. "


    Xia Huanyu looked at Yun Shang for a while and said, "Well, ask the shop owner here."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at the Empress. The Empress still sat upright in her chair. Frowning and pondering for a while, she turned to look at Yun Shang.


    Noticing that Yun Shang was staring at her, the Empress also fixed her eyes on her. After a long time, she turned to Xia Huanyu. "Your Majesty, I''ll go to check how Yun Xi is."


    After being silent for a while, Xia Huanyu nodded and said, "Okay."


    The Empress slightly bent down and


    om the Jin Clan had bought one pair. Another pair was bought by a girl I didn''t know. She didn''t look like a lady from a rich family, but more like a maid. However, her tender and white hands were less likely to be hands of a working maid." After Qian Shui told the whole story in details. She checked them carefully again and shook her head. "The pair is not Lady Rui''s. Lady Rui is a frequent visitor of our shop. I specially made a unique mark for her. There was a word "Yun" at the bottom of each earring of hers.


    After a pause, she went on, "Lady Rui is the only one who has bought this kind of hairpin from my shop and there is indeed a ''Yun" on this one. But all the hairpins sold in my shop are solid, and this one is hollow. It must be made by someone who is proficient in making hairpins. Judging from the marks on it, it should be hollowed out yesterday or the day before yesterday."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and looked at Qian Shui. "You said that the last pair of earrings was bought by an unknown person. Can you draw that person''s face?"


    Qian Shui paused before she continued, "I can draw patterns of all kinds of jewelry but I''m not good at painting portraits. I do remember her appearance. If there is any skilled painter in the Imperial Palace, I can describe it to him."


    "Go and ask Zhang Ziqian to come here." Xia Huanyu ordered loudly. Then the guard left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang looked at the Empress and found that she seemed fidgety. Yun Shang smiled slightly. Although she could not reveal the Empress, it is worth it to make her in such a panic.


    The painter came very soon. After the writing brush, ink sticks, paper and ink stone had been prepared as Xia Huanyu ordered, the painter walked to the table. Qian Shui went to him and sketched the girl''s face. The painter named Zhang Ziqian drew it quickly. The picture wasn''t presented to Xia Huanyu until Zhang Ziqian corrected some details as Qian Shui added.

 Chapter 554 The Illusory Love

    Xia Huanyu glanced at the portrait indifferently and frowned, "I seem to have seen this person. She is a maid in Shuya Palace." Then he turned to an eunuch, "Take some people to Shuya Palace and bring this person here."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. The paper with Lady Shu''s handwriting on it and Qian Shui''s identification had made lady Shu the most suspicious person. But Xia Huanyu didn''t mention bringing her to the Meeting Hall to confront her. He might plan to deal with her when there was some concrete evidence, leaving Lady Shu no chance to defend herself, so as to keep the Empress out of the case.


    The Empress seemed relieved, but looked terrible. There was a murderous look in her eyes when she looked at Yun Shang, which made it difficult for Yun Shang to ignore.


    While they were waiting for the maid from Shuya Palace, Liu Wenan came back. "Your Majesty, I showed the incense to several people. They all said that it is an incense for snoothing nerves made in the Imperial Palace."


    Glancing at him, Xia Huanyu asked indifferently, "Which palaces have the incense?"


    Liu Wenan hurriedly replied, "The incense is fiddly to make, but it''s highly effective. Only Lady Shu, Lady Yun have it and the old Empress used to like it."


    Now that there were only three people concerned, it would be easy to investigate.


    "The quilt was also from the Imperial Palace, but it''s an ordinary one, which makes it hard to find any clue." Liu Wenan added.


    Nodding slightly, Xia Huanyu asked, "What about the interrogations of those people?"


    Liu Wenan hurriedly sent someone to inquire about the current situation. After a short while, the guard came back in a hurry and knelt down in front of Xia Huanyu. "Your Majesty, the three people from Zi Yan Pharmacy confessed that someone gave them some gold and asked them to identify Lady Rui. They didn''t know who the person was because the one''s face was hidden in a curtained hat. Judging from the figure, the person should be a woman. I''ve seen the gold they were given and there is a mark of Hui Tong Bank on the gold. It''s difficult to find out the owner of the gold as countless amount of money is circulating through Hui Feng Bank every day."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and then asked, "How about Lin Liu?"


    "Lin Liu hasn''t admitted. The guard I sent to his house for investigating found that his tow little kids were not at home. He asked his wife and mother where the kids were. They all said that they had been taken to their aunt''s house by Lin Liu. The guard, however, went to his two sisters'' houses, but didn''t find the kids." The Commander of Yulin Guard lowered his head and said slowly.


    Yun Shang thought for a while, "I''m afraid that someone has kidnapped his kids and threatened them."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and whispered to Liu Wenan in a low voice. Then, Liu Wenan left in a hurry.


    After a while, a guard escorted a maid in, and threw her to the


    I didn''t want to marry Lady Qing. Although I had to give her the title, I will never let her get pregnant. "


    Lady Shu felt a little weak and took a small step back, but was quickly held by the maids behind her. Lady Shu looked pale with a bitter smile on her face. She closed her eyes and said, "Ha-ha, it seems that it''s all my illusion. I thought Your Majesty tolerates me because you''re still fond of me. I always feel that I am special to you among all the ladies in the imperial household. I''m not from an influential family and I just entered the Imperial Palace as a maid. But you''ve been adoring me and never neglected me over the years, even after I was injured and not able to get pregnant anymore, even after the shocking secret of the Ya clan has been exposed. But I have finally figured it out. I see... "


    "Haha..." Lady Shu smiled coldly, "Now I understand that the emperor''s love is just an illusion. You cares about me not because I''m special, but because I still have some value. However, the value will be nothing to you when it threatens the interest of some more useful person. I''m favored by you because I''m not supported by a strong family. You don''t have to worry that my family would wield too much power. And I lost your dote also because I wasn''t born in a noble clan. If your Majesty wants to kill me, there''s no need to worry about any opposition from my family... "


    "The truth hasn''t been found out yet. You''d better go back to Shuya Palace first." Frowning, Xia Huanyu interrupted her with a trace of displeasure on his face.


    Lady Shu sneered, drew back her hand on the maid''s arm, and stood up straight, "haven''t been found out? What else can you find out? "Haven''t Your Majesty already determined to accuse me? We have been married for eighteen years. Now that Your Majesty has decided to abandon me as a scrap, I will accept it. Your Majesty, you don''t need to investigate anymore. I did it all by myself!"

 Chapter 555 Lady Shu Failed

    What? Yun Shang raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had seen people try every means to prove their innocence, but she had never seen someone who was this eager to admit her guilt before the truth was even proved. Lady Shu had been controlling the rest of the matter. She knew very well that whether the so-called evidence was true or fake. There was no need for lady Shu to take all the responsibilities so easily.


    But what Xia Huanyu had said just now sounded a bit threatening. It was too unreasonable to threaten lady Shu with her child.


    The empress kept silent and looked coldly at Lady Shu. She was quite pleased with herself.


    In this case, the greatest beneficiary of the whole matter was the empress. Although she did not expect the final result, it was also her last choice to cooperate with Lady Shu. Lady Shu and her were not good friends. They must weigh the pros and cons for a long time. If lady Shu did not get any benefits, she was afraid that she would not cooperate with her. During the nearly twenty years of fighting with Lady Shu, the empress had been wishing that lady Shu could die at any moment. Now she was watching the fight from a high place as Lady Shu was about to lose, and her wish was finally realized. She could not be happier as long as she got what she wanted.


    "Lady Shu is in poor health. You take her back to the Shuya Palace first." Said Xia Huanyu lightly with a frown on his face.


    The maids who were standing by the side answered yes and quickly went to lady Shu. Lady Shu snorted coldly and waved her hand. "Of course I will go. There is no need for you to hold me."


    Then she turned around and stopped. She pondered for a while and turned around to look at the empress. When she saw the expression of the empress, she raised her lips slightly and bowed to the empress. Her voice was very soft. "I''m here to congratulate the empress. After I lose my life, nobody in the imperial household dares to say anything to the empress."


    Yun Shang was alarmed and immediately knew what had happened. She looked up at Xia Huanyu, and the latter''s eyes darkened at Lady Shu''s words. He turned to look at the empress. He stared at the empress for a while before he looked away.


    Lady Shu was really something. She seduced Xia Huanyu with the affectionate love of the husband at first, and then told Xia Huanyu clearly that she did not have the family as the backer, which would not pose a threat to his status, and there would be no means for her clan to take charge of the whole country. While the empress was the opposite. Then she went deep into the plan, but still failed. She wanted to make it clear to Xia Huanyu that if lady Shu was gone, the empress would be the only one who owned the imperial household.


    Lady Shu was so smart because she clearly understood what had happened and what had great advantages beyond Xia Huanyu''s expectation.


    The empress was too proud to say anything. Hearing lady Shu''s words, she just sat there, smiled at her and said nothing.


    Lady Shu smiled coldly, turned around and walked out of the meeting hall in ease.


    Xia Huanyu kept silent for a long time and did not speak a word.


    An eunuch pushed open the door of the meeting hall


    herself down. She knew that if she flinched now, it would be hard for her to achieve her goal.


    "It''s not enough time for me and Prince Rui to come to the Jin city. Our foundation is unstable, and we are controlled and schemed. I think this is certainly not what your majesty wants. Even if your majesty wants to test his highness, he should at least be placed at the same starting point with others. We can''t be too different if we are at the same starting point. If the disparity was too huge, his highness would be really in danger. I didn''t ask you to be partial to his highness wherever he went. We would do whatever we could to help him. But it would be great if your Majesty would like to help us. " Yun Shang said calmly, with determination in her eyes.


    Xia Huanyu looked down at the girl in the palace. Despite his indifference on the face, he showed admiration in his eyes. He kept silent for a long time before he sat down and said flatly, "it''s almost ten o''clock p.m. Prince Rui has been waiting outside the palace for a long time. You should go back home with him."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s heart trembled. She couldn''t help but smile. She bowed to Xia Huanyu and said, "I''ll leave now." Then she stood up hurriedly and walked out as soon as the servant opened the door.


    Luo Qingyan was indeed waiting at the foot of the steps outside the hall, with his back to the meeting hall, as if looking up at the sky. Yun Shang also raised her head. It was almost fifteenth. The moon in the night sky was round and only a small piece of the sky hadn''t been filled. The soft moonlight poured down and shined softly on Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan seemed to have noticed Yun Shang''s gaze. He paused and turned around to look at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang saw the man in cyan smile at her, and his voice was so soft that it was not like words. "What are you looking at as if absorbed in it? What? It''s late. It''s time to go home. "


    Tears welled up in Yun Shang''s eyes. But she quickly pulled out a bright smile and said with a smile, "Okay, we''re going home."


    She was afraid that he would be the only person in her eyes all her life.

 Chapter 556 Overbearing

    However, Luo Qingyan changed his face as soon as they got in the carriage. He looked at Yun Shang with a cold face and frowned. "Didn''t I tell you that there would be secret guards coming to save you after you had thrown on the ground the stuff I gave you in the jail? Have you forgotten what I said? Without more than 40 bodyguards around, you can''t go out from now on. I have to keep you company in places that you can''t enter easily. "


    Yun Shang stared at Luo Qingyan and giggled. She tried to muddle through, but Luo Qingyan grabbed her clothes and pulled her away. "Hum?"


    "I forgot." Yun Shang''s voice softened a little. She blinked her eyes and smiled again. "You said that I couldn''t go to the imperial household, but his highness is a courtier, so you can''t go to the imperial household at will..."


    Luo Qingyan interrupted her, "Then just don''t go."


    Yun Shang stared at Luo Qingyan with wide eyes. Luo Qingyan stared at Yun Shang coldly for a long time before he sighed and held Yun Shang in his arms. "You are always like this. Since I met you, I always feel that I will be scared by you again and again, and I''m afraid I will not live long."


    Yun Shang frowned, "don''t say that again!"


    Luo Qingyan smiled at her words, "I''m just saying, and you''re like this. Do you know how upset I was every time I knew that you were in danger? Today, I almost couldn''t control myself and wanted to rush into the meeting hall to punch you with my fist, but when I walked to the door, I felt that I was reluctant to do so, but I wanted to see if you were safe so I asked some servants in waiting. I was afraid that you would suffer losses, so I waited outside the palace. I didn''t feel relieved until I saw you come out. "


    Yun Shang''s nose twitched. She raised her head and kissed Luo Qingyan''s chin. "Don''t worry, uncle. I will protect myself well."


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and looked down at Yun Shang. "Why do you call me uncle all of a sudden?"


    Yun Shang smiled with a cunning look, "because I suddenly want to c


    he way, I''ve seen the information about that pretty girl. She is from the Chao City. Her father is an official from the Chao City. But she has no background. The selection will begin in ten days. By the way, has she entered the Jin City yet? "


    Yun Shang nodded her head and said, "yes. I bought a yard in the name of her father in the Jin City, and that''s where she lives. I am afraid that the empress will also pay attention to these beauties in the coming days. It''s a good chance for us to secretly meet and remind her. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head, "you can arrange it. But remember what I said, if no more than forty shadow guards follow you, you will not be able to go out."


    A smile flashed across Yun Shang''s face. She said in a low voice and yawned. "Now that LLuo Yi is back, his marriage with Qian Yin can be arranged. At the beginning of the selection, it will be chaotic for a period of time in the city. It''s good time to fish in troubled waters."


    Luo Qingyan answered carelessly, and his eyes fell on Yun Shang''s feet on the bench. Because of the bath, Yun Shang didn''t wear socks. With a pair of white feet casually resting on the bench, it was very sexy.


    Yun Shang raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned again. Before she finished yawning, Luo Qingyan picked her up and put her on the bed. Then the bed curtain was down.

 Chapter 557 A Visit (Part One)

    It was almost noon when Yun Shang woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Qian Yin standing in the room and looking at her with burning eyes. Surprised, Yun Shang asked, "what''s wrong?"


    Qian Yin giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "You haven''t slept well like this for a long time since you set foot in the state of Xia. It seems that......" While speaking, Qian Yin''s eyes were flickering with a touch of ridicule. "His Highness, he is so unscrupulous that he even forgot self-control."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s face turned red. Luo Qingyan did spend more time in bed with Yun Shang last night, probably because of what happened yesterday. Yun Shang gave Qian Yin a reproachful look and sat up.


    Qian Yin immediately asked Qian Liu to bring some hot water to the bathroom. Yun Shang put on her shoes, washed her face and rinsed her mouth. Then Qian Yin took her dress and gave it to Qian Zhuo, letting her dress it for her. Qian Yin then said in a low voice, "It''s time for lunch. Prince Rui is in the garden house talking with Mister Liu. His highness has ordered that the lunch is placed in the garden house. His highness asked you to go there if you wake up. "


    Yun Shang was surprised at her words. She turned to Qian Yin. "Who did you say? Who is his highness talking to right now? "


    "Mister Liu Yinfeng." Qian Yin said with a smile. Then she covered her mouth with her hand and continued, "Your Highness, you seem surprised too. A servant informed his highness of his visit today. I thought he was here for you, but he said he was here for his highness. This scared me, too. I have always felt that his highness doesn''t like Mister Liu at all. But looking at his highness just now,


    s children have reached 21, only a few princes have been born. The officials all think it''s time to select them once for the sake of the royal family."


    Yun Shang listened quietly and thought what Liu Yinfeng said was true. Although the princes and princesses in the palace seemed outnumbered, many of them died before they reached ten years old and only some of them were still alive, except seven princesses and four princes.


    Luo Qingyan was separated from the royal family when he was young among the four princes. He didn''t come back to the state of Xia until this year. The seventh prince was ruined by others when he was very young. Prince Qi, on the other hand, was clever and healthy. Unfortunately, lady Shu was born as a maid, so he must have been ignored in the eyes of the other princes. The youngest one was the 19th prince. They heard that the youngest Prince was also a premature child. He was so weak that he had a narrow escape from danger a few days ago. He almost died. The imperial physician tried every means to take him back from death. However, he was severely injured. Now he could not even walk down a few steps.

 Chapter 558 A Visit (Part Two)

    No wonder the ministers were so anxious about the emperor''s offsprings. However, in the dangerous imperial household, it was not easy to have a prince. Even if it was born, growing up safely was an extravagant hope.


    Liu Yinfeng paused and glanced at Yun Shang indifferently. Then he continued, "his majesty had a chat with me a few days ago. It seems that his majesty is planning to stop the selection after this year''s selection is over... So it is understandable that we have to get more girls this time. "


    Yun Shang clenched the chopsticks in her hand. What Liu Yinfeng meant was to remind her that Xia Huanyu would not hold the selection after this year. So if she wanted to recruit some more people in the palace, she must seize the last opportunity.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and regained her composure. She bowed her head and ate the food in her bowl in silence.


    "The beauty selection this time is also the most spectacular in recent years. Almost all of the three major clans have female candidates. Master of the court Liu''s niece, Liu Chuchu, is known as the most talented girl in the Jin City. The Hua clan have a daughter like Hua Yutong, a girl of both literature and martial arts. She is also forthright in character. The Su clan has a girl named Su Ruying, and Su Ruying has the most beautiful appearance. They think she is the most beautiful girl in the Jin City." Liu Yinfeng curled his lips and taunted.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and realized that the girl named Hua Yutong must be Lord Hua Guo''s niece. She had been in the state of Xia for more than three months, but she


    flicker of curiosity came over her eyes. She pouted and pretended to be unhappy, "at the sight of Lady Rui, aunt even forgot me. I feel so disappointed."


    "No no, I don''t forget you. My Tong''er is also a good girl." Although Lady Hua Guo said so, her eyes were fixed on the door.


    The curiosity in Hua Yutong''s eyes was not disguised. She also looked at the door, "I''ve only been back for four or five days, and my aunt has told me about Lady Rui dozens of times. I want to see who can make my aunt like her so much."


    At the same time, Yun Shang came in from outside. Hua Yutong felt that the room suddenly brightened up because the woman who slowly walked in wore a long light green dress, which looked ordinary, but with her unparalleled beauty, she felt that the original unremarkable long dress became lively.


    "Nice to see you, grandmother." Yun Shang curtsied to Lady Hua Guo in a soft voice.


    Lady Hua Guo immediately smiled. "I thought you might have forgotten me." Then she turned to a maid who was standing aside, "take a seat for Lady Rui, quickly."

 Chapter 559 Test Luo Yi

    Yun Shang also saw the lady next to Lady Hua Guo. She swept across her quickly and knew she must be Hua Yutong. Yun Shang sat down and said with a smile, "Grandmother, You must have forgotten me as you got such an outstanding lady to accompany you."


    "Naughty girl." Lady Hua Guo laughed out loud. She took Hua Yutong and introduced her to Yun Shang. "This is Yutong, the youngest daughter of your grandfather''s younger brother. She ranks as your senior in the clan. Since you are about the same age, you could just call her by her name.


    Hearing that, Yun Shang nodded to Hua Yutong gently and said, "I''ll call you Tong''er and you could call me Shang''er."


    Hua Yutong agreed with a smile. Then she sighed and said, "I gotta learn courtesies and etiquette from the senior maid. With your company, aunt won''t feel boring today."


    Lady Hua Guo patted her hand and said, "Go ahead. Learn by your heart. I know it''s the last thing you want to learn, but now you have to. I will check up on you anytime."


    Hua Yutong smiled at Yun Shang and said, "Shang''er, you see, this old lady is not kind at all." She giggled and walked away.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling. "Tong''er is really a genuinely sincere girl."


    Lady Hua Guo nodded with a smile, but a concerned look appeared on her face. Yun Shang had been gazing at her, so she noticed it. "I seem to have seen her name on the list of candidates for this year''s selection. Does grandfather want Tong''er to enter the Imperial Palace?"


    Lady Hua Guo froze for a moment before she nodded and said with a smile, "Over these years, we have seldom engaged in politics, turning a blind eye to matters both in the court and in the imperial household. We used to feel at ease in that way, but now we feel a bit regretful. We have nobody to rely on in the Imperial Palace and it is somewhat inconvenient."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while, and then walked to Lady Hua Guo''s side. She whispered, "I know you and grandpa are doing this for His Highness. But Tong''er is just a teenage girl, and His Majesty is around fifty. Besides, I''m afraid she is too innocent to fit in the imperial household." Yun Shang paused before she continued, "Grandmother, don''t worry. His Highness and I have made some arrangement for the selection."


    Lady Hua Guo held Yun Shang''s hand and said gently with a smile, "It''s very considerate of you. Both the Liu clan and the Su clan have married ladies into the Imperial Palace. If no one from our clan could be chosen into the imperial household, people will gossip about us. It has nothing to do with Qingyan."


    Then she changed the subject. "I heard that you were being set up and involved into the case of Hanshi Drug? I was so worried about you. Yesterday I kept asking your grandpa to send someone to inquire about the situation. We got the news that you were fine, but we had no idea what was going on exactly. Tell me what happened?"


    Yun Shang told her everything that had happened yesterday.


    After a long silence, Lady Hua Guo sighed. "Given the power of the Su clan, His M


    glanced at the bathroom from time to time, Yun Shang was a little startled. Was Qian Yin in the bathroom?


    Yun Shang was thinking about it when Luo Yi spoke up. "Your Highness, I don''t want to..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang clenched her hands in the sleeves and then slowly loosened her grip. "Well..."


    Before Yun Shang could finish her sentence, Luo Yi interrupted, "I don''t want to have a fake marriage with Qian Yin. I hope we could be a real couple. I like Qian Yin. It doesn''t matter that she lost her hands. I''m willing to be her hand. "


    Yun Shang was surprised. She felt much more relieved.


    "Well, since you said so, I know what to do. You could go back to prepare for your marriage. Although Qian Yin is just a maid, you still should conform to the traditional marriage rituals and give at least 500 taels of silver as the bride money." Yun Shang smiled and wanted to make fun of Luo Yi.


    Giggling like a fool, Luo Yi scratched his head and stammered, "Okay, okay, okay. I''ll go to find a matchmaker. No, no, I''m going right now." Then he hurriedly ran out of the room.


    Yun Shang, Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo exchanged a glance and couldn''t help bursting into laughter.


    "This idiot..." Yun Shang sighed and said aloud, "Qian Yin, why don''t you come out?"


    There was no reply from Qian Yin. After a long time, she moved out from the bathroom slowly. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been crying. And she seemed a little shy.


    Yun Shang burst into laughter. "You''ve always teased me and made fun of me. Now it''s my turn. I''ve told you that you didn''t need to worry. Luo Yi is not a heartless man. You can rest assured now."


    Qian Yin blushed. After a while, she said, "But where could he get so much money..." A trace of blame could be felt in her tone.


    Yun Shang goggled at Qin Yi, "I am helping you..." Then she waved her hand and said, "Never mind. Now you haven''t been married yet, but you''ve already care about him more."


    Looking at Yun Shang, Qian Yin chuckled shyly. Soon, laughter filled the room.

 Chapter 560 The Bossy Luo Qingyan

    While the maids and Yun Shang were making fun of each other, it occurred to Qian Yin what Yun Shang had order before. She hurriedly said, "The guards have checked one by one. And they found that every lady new in the Imperial Palace is being secretly monitored. And much more attention has been paid to those from noble families or with outstanding appearance and talent.


    Yun Shang nodded, "So have you made an appointment with Lin Youran?"


    "Yes, It''s almost time. Are you going out?" Qian Yin asked softly.


    Yun Shang nodded, thought for a while, and said, "Give me a curtained hat."


    Qian Zhuo quickly fetch a hat and helped Yun Shang wear it. Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, you are hiding your face inside the curtained hat, but didn''t you say that you would deliberately let those people notice you?


    Yun Shang knew her concern. She smiled and said, " In this way, I''m more eye-catching. If they notice me, they''ll follow me after I see Lin Youran. By then, they''ll know everything."


    Qian Yin thought about it for a while and agreed with Yun Shang. Yun Shang went out with Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu.


    Arriving at Louwailou Tavern, Yun Shang went straight to the private room where Lin Youran was waiting for her. Seeing Yun Shang come in, Lin Youran stood up and curtsied to her.


    Yun Shang smiled and asked her to sit down. She took off the curtained hat and handed it toQian Zhuo. Then she looked at Liu Youran and said with a smile, "I haven''t seen you for a long time. How is everything going in the Chao City?"


    "Thank you for your concern. Everything is fine. My adoptive father treats me like his own daughter, and my adoptive mother is a gentle woman."


    Yun Shang smiled. "Don''t call them ''adoptive'' parents. If anyone hear it, you may get you into big trouble."


    Liu Youran nodded in a hurry.


    Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to fetch a pot of tea downstairs and said, "The first round of selection will be held in a few days. It will be easy for you to pass. I have told Qin Yi that you will be the first one recommended by me. After today, I''m afraid that a lot of people in the Imperial Palace will pay attention to you, and you will have to bear it. "


    "Your Highness, I see. Please rest assured." Lin Youran responded quickly.


    Yun Shang looked at her up and down. She looks just like a lady from an eminent family with an outstanding appearance and an elegant manner. Yun Shang nodded to her in satisfaction. It seemed that Qin Yi had done a good job in training her. She has changed Lin Youran into a real lady in less than a year.


    Yun Shang actually had nothing more to say. Anyway, she would stay in Jin city from now on, and Ning Qian could take care of her in the imperial palace. What she did today was just to lure the snake out of his hole.


    After a while, Yun Shang put on the hat and went out of Louwailou Tavern. Not long after getting in the carriage, Yun Shang heard the signal from the secret guards. She knew that someone was f


    y, "Your Highness, His Majesty has come with Prince Rui."


    Ning Qian rose to her feet in a hurry. "Okay."


    Yun Shang also stood up and followed Ning Qian out of the inner hall. She heard that Xia Huanyu and Luo Qingyan were chattin. They seemed to be talking about peach blossom.


    While they were listening attentively, they saw two figures appear at the door of the hall. Ning Qian and Yun Shang stepped forward and curtsied, "Your Majesty."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and said, "please stand up." Then she sat down and said to Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, "Now that you are here, just have meal with us before you leave."


    When Ning Qian was about to arrange, Luo Qingyan quickly said, "No, I have something to deal with in my mansion."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu waved his hand casually and said, "Alright, You can leave now."


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang bowed to him and left the Xiang Zhu Palace.


    As soon as they went out of the Imperial Palace, Yun Shang said to Luo Qingyan, "Ning Qian is a imperial concubine. If you come to her palace frequently, people will gossip about it. You may not mind, after all you''re Prince Rui and no one dares to say anything in front of you. If her reputation is ruined by the gossip, what can she do? "


    The corners of Luo Qingyan''s mouth curled up. He patted Yun Shang on her head. "Since you know it''s not appropriate for me to go there, you''d better not go to the Imperial Palace often ."


    Yun Shang had no choice but to glare at him and turn her head aside, "there will be a lot of my people in the palace after the selection, and then you don''t have to worry about it."


    Luo Qingyan just faked a yawn and pretended that he didn''t hear her. Yun Shang waited but didn''t hear anything from Luo Qingyan. She turned to him and stared at him.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "let''s leave it later. It''s still too early to talk about it."


    Yun Shang snorted and said, "I''m afraid there will be a bloody storm in the Imperial Palace after the selection."

 Chapter 561 The Empresss Plan

    Soon it was the day for the selection. The candidates would be sent to the gate of the Imperial Palace by the seniors of their families. After taking a bamboo card from Deputy Minister of Revenue, they would be led into the Imperial Palace by the eunuch and checked by the senior maids. This was all for the first round of the selection. If the senior maids recorded a candidate''s name in the list, it meant she had passed the first round. And those who didn''t pass could come back home and arrange their own marriage.


    Yun Shang had already prepared a carriage and waited at the palace gate, even though she was not a noble lady. The candidates arrived one after another. Deputy Minister of Revenue enrolled their names, handed out the bamboo cards and asked them to line up. When a certain number of people arrived, he asked the eunuch to take them into the Imperial Palace.


    Yun Shang lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the young ladies. In fact, the first round of the selection in the Imperial Palace was not their first test.


    The pre-selection took place a month ago. Local officials selected out all ladies who are at the suitable age and reported their background to the Ministry of Revenue for check. As a result, most of the candidates were young and good looking. But some of them are not that good. Yun Shang looked carefully at everyone. If they looked outstanding, she would inquire Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo in a low voice and asked them to remember them.


    The first round almost lasted the whole morning. Yun Shang was exhausted after looking every young lady from head to toe.


    As she was about to leave, a gentle and elegant voice came from outside, "Is it A Yun?"


    Yun Shang frowned at the words. It was Liu Yinfeng. Every time she went out, Luo Qingyan''s secret guards would follow to protect her. She was afraid that Luo Qingyan would know she had met Liu Qingyan very soon. Luo Qingyan was a jealous man. Yun Shang could even imagine that he would come home with a cold face and said nothing to her.


    However, Liu Yinfeng had called out her name. It seemed odd that she made no response.


    Yun Shang beckoned Qian Liu to open the door of the carriage and looked at the man in green with a smile, "Mr. Liu, why brought you here? Are you here to watch the first round of selection? "


    Liu Yingfeng nodded, "His Majesty asked Prince rui and me to monitor the selection. Prince ray was sorting out the materials of selection in the Ministry of Revenue, and I came down to have a look. I felt that the person in the carriage looked like you from afar. But I was busy with my work, so I didn''t come to greet you."


    Liu Yingfeng smiled, but lowered his voice all of a sudden, "I saw the eunuch who was sent to distribute the cards beside the Deputy Minister of Revenue looked at you from time to time..."


    Yun Shang froze and thought for a while. Then she realized that the eu


    ed in the State of Xia, I felt that you were walking on the tip of a knife. If I really hope that we could go back to the State of Ning. Then you won''t be bullied by anyone."


    Yun Shang felt sad after hearing her words. But she still smiled, "Silly girl. I''m afraid that we can''t go back to the State of Ning anymore. But it doesn''t matter. I still have you. You won''t let me feel wronged. "


    Qian Yin hurriedly answered, "Of course. If anyone dares to hurt you, I will be the first one to rush over to him with my sword."


    With Qian Yin''s comfort, Yun Shang calmed down a little.


    Qian Liu and Qian Yin brought the materials. Yun Shang took them over and told Qian Liu to bring the writing brush and ink to the couch. Yun Shang leaned on the couch and read carefully.


    As the sun set, Yun Shang finished reading and handed it to Qian Liu. "Keep an eye on the people I have marked."


    Qian Yin also had a look and asked, "Is there anything wrong with these people?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "It''s not a big deal. They have some relationship with Lady Shu or the Su clan. If they enter the Imperial Palace, they will be their helpers. Although Lady Shu is in the Cold Palace now, she can''t put our guards down. I won''t let them pass the selection."


    Qian Liu responded and left the room with the materials.


    When the signal of the secret guards came from outside, Qian Yin got up and hurried out. After a while, she came back with a parchment in her hand. "Your Highness, here is the shortlist of the first round." Then she gave it to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang took it and scanned it. Then she nodded, "It''s almost the same as I expected."


    Qian Yin smiled and said, "it''s a good thing that none of our ladies was eliminated."


    Yun Shang smiled too. Then a greeting came from outside, "Your Highness."


    Luo Qingyan came back. Yun Shang stood up and gave the list back to Qian Yin. Luo Qingyan opened the curtain and came in.

 Chapter 562 Being Drunk In The Long Feng Tower (Part One)

    As soon as Luo Qingyan entered the room, he kept staring at Yun Shang. Yun Shang was a little stunned. She looked up at him carefully and found that he didn''t seem to be angry at her. She wondered if he was really angry with what happened with Liu Yinfeng?


    Just as she was thinking about it, she heard Luo Qingyan say, "you all go out first." He was asking the maids in the room to get out.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows at his words. Did Prince Rui mean to close the door and blame her? Yun Shang thought it was the best time to start the conversation first, so she immediately said, "I just wanted to go to the palace gate and see the appearances of the beauties, but I only opened the curtain of the carriage and was about to leave. But Liu Yinfeng happened to see me, so I had to talked to him."


    After these words, Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan again to check his expression. Luo Qingyan looked strange, which made Yun Shang feel confused.


    Just as she was wondering what was happening now, Luo Qingyan suddenly took Yun Shang in his arms and whispered, "shang''er, you don''t have to worry about it. You will be my only wife. I will never have any other women."


    Yun Shang was stunned at his words. After a while, she finally realized what he meant. The secret guard must have told him not only what she had said to Liu Yinfeng, but also what Liu Yinfeng had said to her.


    Yun Shang smiled and rested her head on Luo Qingyan''s chest. Listening to his heartbeat, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Of course I trust you."


    Luo Qingyan gently stroked Yun Shang''s back and whispered to her, "I''ll deal with it. When I first arrived in the state of Xia, I made some things very clear. But there were always some people who want


    ."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. She felt strange that Luo Qingyan seldom engaged in social events. He must have declined the invitations before. She wondered who invited him today as he had agreed to have dinner outside.


    As Luo Qingyan would not come back for dinner, Yun Shang had her dinner early and read a book in the room.


    Until the midnight, Luo Qingyan still hadn''t come back. Yun Shang frowned and was about to tell the maid to help her wash and go to bed. Then the Butler came and said anxiously, "is lady Rui already asleep?"


    When Yun Shang heard the butler''s words, she ordered Qian Zhuo to lift the curtain to let him in. The butler hurried in, but he had no time to make a salute, and he quickly said, "Your Highness, something happened."


    Yun Shang''s heart jolted at his words. The first one that came to her mind was Luo Qingyan.


    Sure enough, the Butler continued, "a secret guard reported that his highness had a quarrel with Lord Hua Guo in the Long Feng Tower and it''s said that a man''s life was involved."


    Yun Shang frowned. "Lord Hua Guo? Was his highness having dinner with Lord Hua Guo at the Long Feng Tower today? "

 Chapter 563 Being Drunk In The Long Feng Tower (Part Two)

    The Butler nodded his head and said, "yes, but Lord Hua Guo is not the only one who was having dinner with his highness today. There are many other honorable guests like the seventh prince, Mister Liu."


    "What happened? You mentionned a man''s life was involved? Where is his highness right now? " Yun Shang didn''t even have her hair done in a bun as they were in the room, and she only wore a tunic. So, while gesturing for Qian Zhuo to help her change her clothes, Yun Shang asked the butler.


    The Butler quickly answered, "I don''t know much about it, but I heard from the shadow guards that his highness was drunk, and it was because of a woman. He''s still in the Long Feng Tower now. I heard that the Ministry of Justice has also gotten the news."


    Yun Shang frowned and thought, ''Because of a woman?''


    After getting dressed, Yun Shang ordered Qian Yin who came in a hurry, "where is my sober up pill? Take some for me, and have someone prepare the soup for his highness. I''ll take his highness back. "


    Qian Yin replied yes. Then Yun Shang took the Butler, Qian Liu, Qian Zhuo and several guards with her to the Long Feng Tower. The gate of the Long Feng Tower was closed, but there was light and they could hear someone talking inside.


    The Butler hurried forward and knocked on the door. After a long time, someone came to open the door, but there was only a small gap in the door. Looking out through the crack, the Butler took out his jade badge and said, "Lady Rui is here, open the door."


    That man opened the door immediately, "I''m so sorry, I didn''t know it''s your highness." His eyes were fixed on Yun Shang for a long time.


    Yun S


    rds to her. Besides, since she came to the state of Xia, she often went to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. She knew that Lord Hua Guo seldom talked to her, but he would never said something like that to her.


    Yun Shang''s eyes ran down everyone''s face. She realized that things were not as simple as she had imagined.


    There was a slight move on the palm of Yun Shang''s hand. A surprised look flashed through her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. She looked down at Luo Qingyan in her arms. He was apparently pretending to be drunk right now.


    Did he just pretend to get drunk and kill someone?


    The doubt in Yun Shang''s heart grew more severe. She hesitated for a long time before she said, "I don''t know what happened today. But the news alarmed the Ministry of Justice. It must be a big deal. But Prince Rui is so drunk now. Even his majesty is here, I''m afraid it is impossible for his highness to cooperate with the investigation. Let me take him back to the Prince Rui''s mansion to wake up. And tomorrow I''ll ask his highness to go to the emperor to make an apology himself. What do you think? "

 Chapter 564 Punish One Man As A Warning To Others

    Lord Hua Guo''s mouth twisted in a contemptuous sneer, and his face fell. But he didn''t say anything. So did the rest. Yun Shang thought to herself. If they didn''t speak, she would just take Luo Qingyan with her and leave.


    While thinking, Luo Qingyan, who was leaning in Yun Shang''s arms, suddenly whispered. Yun Shang was a little stunned and looked down at Luo Qingyan, but was pushed away by him. "Who are you? who are you? Tell me, who are you! Or I will kill you. "


    Yun Shang frowned at his action and wondered what he was up to when he was obviously pretending to be drunk.


    Although confused, she cooperated and said, "Your Highness, I''m shang''er."


    Luo Qingyan waved his hand and swept the plates on the table to the ground. "No, no, No. you are all pretending to be my shang''er. None of you are her."


    Yun Shang turned around and looked at everyone in the room. Her suspicion was deepened. All of them pretended to be her? What did Luo Qingyan mean by that? All the people lowered their heads except the seventh prince and Liu Yinfeng, but Lord Hua Guo cast a hostile glance at them.


    "Uncle, it''s really me." Yun Shang noticed that Prince Rui used his hand to touch a broken teacup edge. The edge of the teacup cut his finger a little, and blood was oozing out. She quickly grabbed his hand to prevent him from waving around again.


    Luo Qingyan shook his head with a ferocious look on his face, "liar, liar." Then he opened his eyes in a daze and looked at Yun Shang. "My shang''er is the most beautiful woman in the world. You..."


    But he suddenly stopped, staring at Yun Shang with a dull look in his eyes, "Oh, you look like shang''er..." Then he pulled Yun Shang closer and said, "let me smell you. My Shang''er smells so good, the same smell as mine."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan helplessly and didn''t know what to say to respond him.


    Luo Qingyan took a deep breath and quickly held Yun Shang in his arms, "it''s really you, Shang''er..."


    Then he added, "Shang''er, I want to go home. I want to go home."


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, let''s go home." Then she asked the guards to come and carry Luo Qingyan away, but he said in a low voice with a bit of sadness, "I don''t want to go back to the Prince Rui''s mansion. I want to go back to the Prince Jing''s Mansion, the Prince Jing''s Mansion..."


    Yun Shang was stunned at his words. She hesitated for a long time before she took a deep breath and smiled. "Alright. I''ll take you back there."


    Then she helped Luo Qingyan get up. The guards who were on her side came to help her. But Luo Qingyan shook them off, "you go away, all of you. Don''t touch me. Only Shang''er can touch me."


    Yun Shang let out a sigh. She gritted her teeth and helped Luo Qingyan walk out. Luo Qingyan didn''t hesitate and put his entire body''s weight on Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang was thinking that a bloody path must be made by the secret guards, but no one came to stop her from going. She went smoothly all the way to the gate of the Long Feng Tower, and she helped Luo Qingyan got on the carriage, only to see Liu Yinfeng following behind.


    Yun Shang frowned and looked at Liu Yinfeng in confusion. Liu Yinfeng


    for my career. Lord Hua Guo and I have reached an agreement before. We can take this opportunity to make a further plan and make things more natural. "


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief, but she was still a little worried. "But we must not let the culprit plot against us. The woman''s slave identity is extremely important. We must get the evidence."


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head gently, "I know. Thank you for your concern, my wife." A smile appeared on Luo Qingyan''s face.


    Yun Shang looked at him and found that he seemed to have a well thought out plan. She said with a smile, "All right, I trust you."


    After a small smile, Luo Qingyan changed the topic and asked, "what are you going to do about what Liu Yinfeng said to you just now?"


    Liu Yinfeng? Yun Shang paused and pondered for a long time before she said, "although lady Shu has been spoiled by Xia Huanyu for nearly twenty years, without the support of any ministers, her strength is relatively weak. The people I worry about most in the state of Ning are my mother, Chenxi, and my father. They are all in the palace, and I have assigned many secret guards to protect them. My father also has his own secret guards. It''s not easy for lady Shu to hurt them. I''m afraid that she will play some dirty tricks. "


    Leaning against the wall of the carriage, Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "I''ll send a message back to the state of Ning later to tell father and mother to take care of themselves and protect themselves well. And I will also send a message to the secret guards. Let them be on the alert recently. Don''t let anybody take advantage of it and also send people to look for the people who enter the imperial city of the State of Ning recently. If they are not clear of the identity, then follow them one by one."


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head. "You have made a complete arrangement, but you should also guard against the escaped ones. If necessary, you can come to catch the turtle in its hole."


    Yun Shang was a smart girl. Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, she knew what to do. She nodded her head and said, "I understand what you mean."

 Chapter 565 The Argument (Part One)

    As soon as Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan entered the yard together, they saw Qian Yin standing at the gate waiting for them. Qian Yin''s eyes lit up at the sight of Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. Qian Yin ran to them and looked at Luo Qingyan up and down. Then she asked with a puzzled look, "his highness don''t look like he is drunk, your highness."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "But still bring the sober up soup for him. Drinking too much is bad for his health. Even if his highness is not drunk, he should still drink some soup."


    Qian Yin did as Yun Shang ordered.


    After Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang entered the room together, Yun Shang turned around and helped Luo Qingyan unbutton his coat and take it off. Then she ordered Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo to prepare hot water for him to wash himself.


    Seeing that Yun Shang was still yawning, Luo Qingyan hurriedly said, "it''s almost midnight. Go to bed early and don''t wait on me. I''ll be fine by myself."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and nodded her head. She asked a maid to help her change her clothes. Then she took off her shoes and socks directly and lay on bed. She fell asleep before Luo Qingyan even came out of the bathroom.


    When Yun Shang woke up, Luo Qingyan was nowhere to be found. Seeing that Yun Shang was awake, Qian Yin hurriedly went to the bed and asked softly, "Your Highness, are you getting up?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head.


    Qian Yin asked Qian Liu to prepare water for Yun Shang to wash herself and ordered Qian Zhuo to help her with her clothes. Yun Shang yawned and sat up, somewhat dazed. "Has Prince Rui gone to the morning court?"


    Qian Yin glanced at Yun Shang and answered, "I don''t know. But early this morning, there are many Fuya''s men guarding outside th


    one might do something bad to you because of the rumors outside, so he asked me to bring some guards to pick your highness up. Would you please come with me, your highness?" Liu Wenan smiled broadly and kept observing Yun Shang in secret.


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo said yes. Qian Yin meditated for a moment and then nodded her head to Yun Shang. Yun Shang turned around and left the mansion with Liu Wenan. The carriage stopped at the gate of the mansion. Yun Shang didn''t expect that what Liu Wenan said was true. There were many people outside the mansion, both men and women. Seeing Yun Shang walk out of the mansion, they started to gossip. Yun Shang paused, and got on the carriage unhurriedly.


    From time to time, Yun Shang heard discussions outside the carriage. They were all talking about what had happened in the Long Feng Tower yesterday. Yun Shang listened carefully for a while and found that most of the words were compliments. It was said that the prince Rui was so affectionate that they all felt very lucky on lady Rui''s behalf for having someone who loved her so much. A woman even said bluntly that she hoped to marry a man like Prince Rui.

 Chapter 566 The Argument (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled at their words. It seemed that Luo Qingyan was well prepared. People are the foundation of the country, and people''s belief is the belief of the country. People believed Luo Qingyan was a good man and what he did was not wrong. Then it was difficult to convict his crime for others.


    While Xia Huanyu was waiting for Yun Shang in the meeting hall, Liu Wenan led Yun Shang to the hall where Xia Huanyu was reading the documents. The sound of the documents being turned was heard clearly. Yun Shang walked to the hall, and when Liu Wenan stood behind Xia Huanyu, she knelt down and bowed. "Your Majesty, I am here."


    As if he hadn''t heard Yun Shang''s voice, Xia Huanyu fixed his eyes on the documents in his hands and didn''t even raise his head at her. Yun Shang didn''t hear Xia Huanyu''s voice after a long time. She didn''t seem anxious at all. She lied on the ground quietly, thinking that perhaps Xia Huanyu was still in the mood to ignore her, and that his highness'' situation wasn''t as bad as Yun Shang had imagined.


    About an hour later, Yun Shang heard Liu Wenan coughing slightly as a reminder to Xia Huanyu that she was still here. After a short pause, Xia Huanyu asked in surprise, "Lady Rui, you are already here? Just now, I was looking at the documents, so I didn''t see you there. Why didn''t Liu Wenan remind me?''. Get up, Lady Rui."


    Yun Shang had a mild smile on her face and said, "thanks, your majesty." Yun Shang looked up, but still knelt on the ground.


    Xia Huanyu didn''t ask her to stand up again. He lowered his eyes and kept silent for a long time. It was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry from his voice. "Lady Rui, you


    ok in Xia Huanyu''s eyes. She knew that he valued Luo Qingyan much more than she thought. After all, Luo Qingyan was the child of the woman who once was his favorite. Perhaps he did not show too much care before this incident, as Xia Huanyu thought that he did this to protect Luo Qingyan.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled. "What did your majesty feel when the emperor Hua left? Perhaps in retrospect, his Majesty would know Prince Rui''s choice. By the way, I have to remind you, your majesty, I''m just a princess in the state of Ning. In the past, I called his highness uncle. Prince Rui, who was loved and doted on by the people of the state of Ning. He held such a high position as the Prince Jing not because he was the sworn son of the late emperor of the state of Ning, but because he won his title with his own blood little by little in the battlefield. Even if I''m dead, he can still be prince Jing in the State of Ning. When we left the state of Ning, father said that if one day his highness wants to go back, he will always be prince Jing in the State of Ning. "

 Chapter 567 Get Out Of Danger

    A fierce look flashed in Xia Huanyu''s eyes. When he was about to say something, Yun Shang said in a softer tone, "Your majesty, you don''t know Why his highness has kept missing the State of Ning, do you?"


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Xia Huanyu raised his eyes and kept silent for a while. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t go on with the topic, he finally asked, "why?"


    "The main reason is that in the State of Ning, there was not so much intrigue. Although my parents and brother had some little conflicts in the past, they were very harmonious in general. When he stayed in the State of Ning, his highness could do whatever he likes, fight against the enemy and defend our country. In the State of Ning, even when I went out with only two maids, his highness didn''t need to worry about me. But in the State of Xia... " Yun Shang smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty might not know, now when I go out, his highness sends nearly forty secret guards to follow me. And he also forbids me to enter and exit the court without his company."


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu was lost in thought.


    Yun Shang continued, "besides, in the State of Ning, his highness at least didn''t need to worry about being surrounded by strange people at all times."


    Noticing a bit of inquiry in Xia Huanyu''s eyes, Yun Shang added with a smile, "his highness dislikes others forcing him to do things he doesn''t want to. If someone forces him, I''m afraid he will not accept it."


    "All in all, you are jealous." Xia Huanyu sneered.


    A mocking smile appeared on Yun Shang''s face. "Your Majesty, if his highness falls in love with someone else and insists on living with her, do you think I can stop him?" Although I''m not a good wife, I''m not narrow-minded. "


    Xia Huanyu pondered for a while and then said, "I see." Then he waved his hand and said to Liu Wenan, "send Lady Rui back to Prince Rui''s mansion."


    Yun Shang flashed a smile, and curtsied to Xia Huanyu.


    Liu Wenan quickly led Yun Shang out of the Meeting Hall and headed for the palace gate. Liu Wenan walked with his head down while Yun Shang heard him say in a low voice, "Lady Rui, you are a smart person, but you shouldn''t have mentioned the empress Hua in front of his majesty. It''s a taboo of his majesty."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''m afraid his Majesty wouldn''t listen to me carefully if I didn''t mention her. It was a kind of helpless action. Treat others as they please. Don''t do to others what you don''t want others to do to you. I thought his majesty knew it very well after she had gone for years."


    Hearing that, Liu Wenan stopped. After a while, he continued, "don''t worry, Lady Rui. His majesty trusts Prince Rui very much. He won''t give anybody any chance to hurt him."


    Hearing his words, Yun Shang knew the truth. She was relieved as she felt that Xia Huanyu would do something to save Luo Qingyan''s life. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "thank you for your advice, Mr. Liu."


    As soon as Yun Shang returned to the mansion, she was surrounded by a crowd. "Your highness, are you alright


    hyness of Yun Shang, so he laughed out loud. "Shang''er, you have slept with me for so long, but you are still so shy."


    Then he held Yun Shang''s hand and whispered, "Would you like to have a rest early with me in such a beautiful night?"


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes at Luo Qingyan, "playboy."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms and whispered, "I am grounded at home, and you are not allowed to go out. As the saying goes, husband and wife should share happiness and hardships together."


    "Boo, you are grounded, not me. You might not know that there is another old saying, husband and wife are birds in the same forest, but when disaster strikes they fly off in different directions for safety. Yun Shang was pretending to be angry, but her eyes were full of happiness.


    "What?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows. "What did you just say? Birds in the same forest? Fly off in different directions?


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter. "You don''t know that? Come on, let me teach you. Husband and wife are birds in the same forest, but when disaster strikes..."


    Yun Shang''s scream was followed by giggling. Then Yun Shang gasped, "Stop... I was wrong, I was wrong, I will never do it again."


    In the room, Luo Qingyan rested his hands on the bed. Yun Shang was lying on the bed, her clothes and hair in a mess. But the smile on her face was bright. People would laugh out when they saw her face. "What? Begging for mercy so soon? How dare you talk nonsense? "


    Yun Shang wiped the smiling tears in the corner of her eyes, and quickly said, "Please spare me. I dare not do it again. You are really shameless that you tickled me. You used a dirty tricks. I''m not a patch on you."


    "What? Dirty tricks? " Luo Qingyan lifted his hand again and said with a smile, "who''s shameless?"


    Yun Shang curled herself up and answered, "Me! Me!''


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and couldn''t help laughing. After a while, their laughter filled the room and the servants waiting outside couldn''t help but smile.

 Chapter 568 Lady Hui

    Although Luo Qingyan was grounded, the selection was not affected at all. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan read, played chess, and enjoyed flowers every day at the mansion, but they were still concerned about the selection.


    "I have a pair of sleepy generals. I can fight against four men with one more move. Be careful, your highness!" Yun Shang held the piece in her hand and smiled.


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows. "You know, I''m a double headed snake. You should be careful."


    Yun Shang was amazed. She took a close look at the chessboard and found that Luo Qingyan had made a double headed snake in no time. Yun Shang frowned and snorted, "You''re so crafty. But it''s still unknown who will emerge victorious. Let''s continue."


    Luo Jinyan smiled, "the second round of the selection will be held tomorrow. Are you ready, your highness?"


    Yun Shang looked at the chessboard and put one piece on it. She smiled, "I also have a double headed snake." Then she changed the subject. "I''ve already figured out how to get Su Ruying out of the selection."


    "What?" Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang, "what do you think?"


    "Not only Su Ruying, but also some girls who have a close relationship with the empress, as well as Lady Shu, I will not let them pass the second round." But how? I''ll keep it a secret. " Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and placed his piece on the table, smiling, "well, I will see."


    The second day, Yun Shang got up early to accompany Luo Qingyan to practice martial arts on the training ground and then read and practice the calligraphy in the study after breakfast. After taking a nap after the lunch, she got up and went for a walk in the yard. When she came back, Qian Yin was already waiting for her. "Your highness, your highness, I have received the list of second round."


    Yun Shang nodded, took it, unfolded it and looked at it with Luo Qingyan. The smile in her eyes deepened. "How do you feel, your highness?"


    A ray of light flashed in Luo Qingyan''s eyes. He gave a thumbs up gesture to Yun Shang and said with a smile, "your highness, you are so brilliant. Now, can you tell me how you get those girls out?"


    Yun Shang''s eyes flashed a smile. "Well, this method is not very aboveboard. Let Qian Yin tell you."


    Qian Yin heard her and laughed with her mouth covered. "The second round of the selection is to examine the girls'' bodies and see if they have any obvious flaws, such as scars. Of course the girls that the empress and Lady Shu support were being protected was protected. We couldn''t add some scars on their bodies through assassination. And if we do so, the empress will certainly try her best to investigate. It''s risky. The spies we placed in the palace came in handy..."


    Qian Yin chuckled, "the girls need to take off clothes in a separate room, and then receive inspection from the female officers. We had someone put some powder in the tea water in their dressing room. It was not toxic and couldn''t be detected by silver needles. It would on


    forehead, and then fell to the ground, rolling a few circles. "Get out!"


    The woman trembled and kowtowed twice before she stood up and exited the room.


    Seeing this, a maid standing by the side asked another maid to clean the teacup and stains on the ground while she walked behind the empress to rub her shoulders. She said softly, "Your Majesty, don''t be angry. Miss. Su is beautiful and is a recognized talent in the city. When you are free, you could call her to the palace to accompany you more. If His Majesty sees her, he must be tempted. "


    The empress raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. Seeing this, the maid quickly helped the empress rub her forehead.


    The empress sighed softly. "I planned to arrange Su Ruying to marry Prince Rui. But someone might have revealed the news. Prince Rui seemed to have known it. The thing happened in the Long Feng Tower the other day was obviously made to show me.". Since she couldn''t marry Prince Rui, it''s not bad if she could come into the palace to help me. Now the emperor is staying in the Xiang Zhu Palace all day, and there would soon be a new group of people in the palace. But people could only hear the laughter of the new ones, not the crying of the old ones. The emperor had not stayed at Wei Yang Palace for nearly twenty days. Things would get worse if he continued to do so. But now, Su Ruying was eliminated. I have no one to rely on in the imperial household. "


    The maid hastily said, "if you are interested, your majesty, after the new comers come into the palace, you can select some people to join your camp. Though they are not as close as Ru Ying, it is not difficult to control them if we take advantage of their weakness."


    The empress sighed slightly and said, "that''s the only way. When you''re free, take the contraceptive pill and see if there''s any better one. At least, the one who is stronger than Ellie will be sent to investigate his background and choose the one with a cleaner background. Then hand the list to me."


    "Yes."

 Chapter 569 The Return Of The Eldest Princess

    It was getting cooler. Yun Shang summoned tailors for new clothes. As she got measured, everyone in the room suddenly hold their breath and became alert.


    Yun Shang frowned and listened carefully. Someone was approaching quietly. Yun Shang winked at Qian Liu. The two maids exchanged looks and walked to the window. They pushed the window open and rushed out of it in a flash. With a scream, the comer had been caught.


    Yun Shang walked to the window and looked out. She saw Wang Jinghuan in red was pressed against the wall by the two maids in an extremely twisted posture.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    "Oh, Your Highness, I''m wang Jinhuan, Wang Jinhuan. I''m not a sex manic. Moreover, I don''t dare to mess up with you, or Luo Qingyan will break my leg. Your Highness, ask your two maids to let go of me. How could you two be so rude? Nobody will marry you." Just as he finished speaking, a cry followed. He wailed, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''ll shut up."


    "You ask for it." Yun Shang rolled her eyes and waved to let Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo go.


    Wang Jinhuan straightened up and moaned for a while. Then he jumped in from the window, rubbing his arms. He looked around and asked, "eh, is Luo Qingyan not here?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "He is at the training ground and may just need someone to practice his fists with. Go to him quickly."


    Wang Jinhuan stepped back and looked at Yun Shang in an exaggerated way. "Your Highness, what''s wrong with you? You''re being cynical like Luo Qingyan. That''s not good."


    While they were talking, there was a voice coming from outside, "what is not good?" Luo Qingyan came back.


    Wang Jinhuan coughed and smiled. He walked to Luo Qingyan who was lifting the door curtain, "Oh, Your Highness, These days I''ve been working for you outside the Imperial Palace. I''m so exhausted and I could only sleep for two hours every day. Some time ago when it was still hot, I was bitten by mosquitoes all over my body. Look at me, does my skin look much worse than before?"


    Luo Qingyan snorted, "really? Why did I hear from our secret guards that you indulged yourself in the brothels all day and almost forgot your work? What''s more, you ignored their advice and said that I can''t do anything to you anyway. And you just leave all the work to the guards."


    Wang Jinhuan stepped back, coughed slightly, and said, "Your Highness, the Eldest Princess has already entered the Jin City."


    Yun Shang smiled and listened to Wang Jinhuan''s gags. Suddenly she heard him say this. She was surprised, "the Eldest Princess?"


    Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang and nodded, "You''ve mentioned that it was the Eldest Princess who recommended Ning Qian into the Imperial Palace. I felt that she was not simple, so I asked Wang Jinhuan to trail her."


    Yun Shang remained silent. She agreed with Luo Qingyan. Wang Jinhuan shouted, "Your Highness, you seem to be interested in the Eldest Princess too. I''ve met a secret guard of yours."


    "Yes. Sev


    State of Ning, the status is useless in the State of Xia. And you refused to marry any concubine, so you won''t be involved into political marriages. His Majesty appointed Liu Chuchu and Hua Yutong to the Seventh Prince. The Seventh Prnce will not get anything he wants from the their families. In this way, there is no way that he can use the position of being his princess as a bait to unite with other forces in the court. After all, the influential officials are definitely not willing to marry their daughters to him as his concubines."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan paused for a long time before he said faintly, "maybe."


    Yun Shang knew that he still had grudge against Xia Huanyu, so she stopped talking about it. She changed the topic with a smile and said, "The selection is almost over, and the outcome is quite satisfying. We have enough time now, what about we find a suitable day to hold wedding for Luo Yi and Qian Yin? Luo Yi has been serving you for so long, and Qian Yin has done so much for me. Their wedding should be more ceremonious.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, held Yun Shang''s shoulder and said, "It''s up to you. This will be the first ceremony held in our mansion since we got married. Well, both of us have some bad experiences recently. It''s good to have it sweep away our bad luck."


    While they were talking, the butler came in and stood at the door.


    Luo Qingyan glanced at him and stopped smiling. "What''s wrong?"


    The butler bowed his head and said, "Your Highnesses, the Eldest Princess has arrived and handed the invitation card. I told her that you are grounded and I am not sure if you could see any guest and I''ll come to ask you first. Your Highness, what should I reply her?"


    "The Eldest Princess?" Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang looked at each other in surprise. They didn''t expect she would be so desperate.


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment, and then said to the butler, "Since she''s here, ask her to wait in the flower hall for a moment. We''ll be there soon."

 Chapter 570 The Eldest Princess Visits

    The butler answered and left. Yun Shang frowned. "It''s just been the third day after she came back to the Jin city. And it''s already late in the afternoon. What does she come for?" Then she fetched the robe of Luo Qingyan and put it on him.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and looked down at Yun Shang. "For us, she''s indeed in a hurry, but maybe for her, she''s been waiting for a long time. If she is really targeting the throne as Wang Jinhuan said, then I am also a thorn in her side. I''m afraid she has been keeping an eye on me from the moment I returned to the State of Xia. She hasn''t come to me until now. It''s really a long time for her."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and agreed with him. She smiled, "seems that she is really good at endurance."


    After helping Luo Qingyan get changed, Yun Shang asked Qian Liu to get in the room and dress her. She chose a willow green dress and a long lunar white robe. Then she went to the flower hall with Luo Qingyan.


    In the garden, there sat a lady dressed in a purple dress. She must be the Eldest Princess. Unlike other princesses Yun Shang had seen, her clothes and hair accessories look very simple. But even so, her noble temperament couldn''t be concealed. Although she was over 50 years old, she looked like a lady under 40. If she was not the only one sitting in the flower hall, Yun Shang would not recognize her.


    After Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang entered the flower room together, the woman put down her teacup and looked at them with a warm smile. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang stepped forward and bowed to the Eldest Princess, "Your Highness."


    Hearing this, the Eldest Princess stood up immediately and lifted them up. "You don''t need to be so polite and formal. Just call me aunt." She then stood still and looked them up and down with a smile before she continued, "When I was in the Palace of Buddha, I heard that His Majesty has found the Eldest Prince who is handsome and talented in both literature and martial arts. Now that I meet you, I know you really are. And your wife and you really make a perfect couple." Her voice was gentle, and she seemed not supercilious.


    "Your Highness, thank you for your praise." Yun Shang smiled and said.


    The Eldest Princess smiled and said, "You don''t have to be so restrained in front of me. You are the hosts. Let''s sit down and talk."


    Luo Qingyan said yes, led Yun Shang to the chair and then sat down next to her. Yun Shang turned and smiled at Luo Qingyan.


    Their every move was noticed by the Eldest Princess. She sighed slightly and said, "Look at you, you''re so in love with each other. It reminds me of the past when Empress Hua was still alive. We had been good friends since childhood. Now seeing you are being so excellent, Ling''er could rest peaceful in heaven. When I meet her after I died, I could tell her the good news."


    Yun Shang saw a touch


    e trust me so easily? "


    "She talked a lot. I can''t figure out what is true and what is not." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan snorted, "almost all her words are not true except that she and the Empress Hua knew each other since childhood and all kids in the Imperial School called her unruly girl."


    Yun Shang paused for a second. "How do you know so clearly?"


    Luo Jinyan smiled, "Of course I know. The one who disliked the Empress Hua the most in the Imperial School was the Eldest Princess. Because she thought the Empress was so vulgar that she didn''t qualify to be the daughter of the royal family. She often played tricks on her with her friends. The Empress was new in the Imperial School and unfamiliar with others, so she suffered a lot. Later, His Majesty couldn''t stand it any longer, so he helped the Ling''er several times. After a while, they two became familiar with each other. When they were in the Imperial School, Ling''er always followed His Majesty. Gradually, they fell in love with each other."


    Yun Shang listened to Luo Qingyan talk about the past of Xia Huanyu and the Empress Hua. His voice was calm, but there was a trace of confusion in his eyes. Yun Shang paused and sighed. It seemed that Luo Qingyan valued Xia Huanyu and the Empress more than she thought. Luo Qingyan would ignore all this if he really didn''t care about it. However, he has such a detailed understanding of their past. He even knows many people who were almost irrelevant in their story clearly.


    Seeing that Yun Shang was in a trance, Luo Qingyan said no more. He took Yun Shang''s hand and went to the yard, murmuring, "She came when we were about to have dinner. You must be hungry. We are going back for dinner now. I wonder what they have prepared in the kitchen today."


    Yun Shang smiled and thought, ''Luo Qingyan still looks awkward. He doesn''t want others to know what''s on his mind.''

 Chapter 571 A Letter From The State Of Ning

    "Sixteen ladies has been chosen into the Imperial Palace. In the latest ten days, His Majesty spent six days in the imperial household, four days with Lady Xiang in the Xiang Zhu Palace and two days with Lady Hui who just got the title. Qian Yin read the letter to Yun Shang who was doing her make-up. She had just got the letter from the Imperial Palace.


    After reading the letter, Qian Yin said, "Why does His Majesty ignore these chosen ladies? What is he up to? What if they can''t be favored by His Majesty?"


    Yun Shang smiled slightly. She looked at the plum blossom hairpin in Qian Zhuo''s hand through the mirror and nodded to her. Then she replied, "That''s a good thing. As Ning Qian and Lin Youran are being favored while others are being ignored, it will be convenient for the Empress to take action. All the ladies recommended by the Empress have been eliminated. Ning Qian and Lin Youran were favored by the Emperor. Now the Empress has no choice but to draw some of the new ladies over to her side and help them to compete for the Emperor''s favor."


    Yun Shang shook her head when she saw Qian Zhuo was about to put a tasselled hairpin into her bun. She said, "No need. I don''t go out today. It''s better to be simple and elegant."


    Qian Zhuo nodded in a hurry. Yun Shang continued, "That''s why I asked Lin Youran to win the Emperor''s favor first. I''ve sent so many ladies into the Imperial Palace. I asked them to get the Emperor''s affection and be our spies in the imperial household. What''s more, I hope they could win the trust of the Empress or other concubines and be their allies or even their pawns. Once they get their trust, the Empress and other concubines may ask them to help with somthing. Then they could get the chance to collect the evidences of their crimes, and give them a fatal blow when necessary. "


    Hearing this, Qian Yin''s eyes flashed with admiration. "Your Highness, you are so wise."


    "Come on, don''t flatter me." Yun Shang said with a smile, "By the way, your wedding is coming seven days later. Why do you have time to come here instead of preparing your wedding dress?"


    Qian Yin blushed and exclaimed, "Your Highness, you just made fun of me. As your Highness''s maid, I should be here to serve you."


    Qian Zhuo chuckled and said, "Qian Yin has already prepared the wedding dress. I''ve seen it with Qian Liu yesterday. It''s very beautiful. Now Qian Yin is really good at embroidering with her left hand. She has even prepared the groom''s wedding robe. I sent it to Luo Yi for her yesterday. Luo Yi was so happy. He couldn''t help but run around the yard for twenty laps. "


    Yun Shang didn''t expect this. Looking at Qian Yin''s flushed face, she couldn''t help laughing. "The butler said the red words of "wedding", red candlelight and red lanterns are ready. Tomorrow morning, he''ll start to decorate, so that the mansion will be filled with joy early."


    Qian Yin lowered her head, "Your Highness, it''s really thoughtful of you."


    Yun Shang smiled for a long time.


    en they stood up.


    Luo Qingyan took the Imperial Edict. After a pause, he asked softly, "why did His Majesty exempt me from the punishment suddenly?"


    Liu Wenan smiled and said, "His Majesty didn''t mean to punish you. The Eldest Princess came to the Imperial Palace yesterday and talked about this matter. She pled with His Majesty for you. Then His Majesty issued the edict immediately."


    "The Eldest Princess?" Luo Qingyan frowned, and then said to Liu Wenan with a smile, "please give my thanks to Her Highness."


    Smiling, Liu Wenan replied, "His Highness, you''d better come to the Imperial Palace to express your appreciation in person."


    Luo Qingyan replied with a "hm". Liu Wenan said goodbye and left the Prince Rui''s mansion.


    "I thought the Eldest Princess just mentioned it casually that day. I didn''t expect that she would plead with His Majesty." Yun Shang smiled.


    Luo Qingyan snorted, "No loss to her. If His Majesty agreed, I would owe her a favor. If not, I still should say thanks for her effort."


    "The Eldest Princess must have some other intention. Why don''t you just go to tell His Majesty about her ambition?" Yun Shang frowned. She hesitated for a moment and then said, "Forget it. You can''t do this. It''s not appropriate for you to tell His Majesty. Besides, we don''t have enough evidence. And we don''t know the real relationship between His Majesty and the Eldest Princess. If you tell him rashly, I''m afraid you won''t get any benefit but end up in a mess."


    However, Luo Qingyan remained silent. After a long time, he replied, "His Majesty is smart. since we could notice that something is wrong, less likely he knows nothing about it."


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while and found he has the point. She frowned. If His Majesty has known about it, why does he favor Ning Qian recently? After all, Ning Qian was recommended into the Imperial Palace by the Eldest Princess.


    Is it possible that His Majesty is setting a trap? He plans to use Ning Qian as a bite?

 Chapter 572 An Incident In The Imperial Garden

    Thinking of this, Yun Shang felt a little upset. She said quickly, "Your Highness, could you take me with you when you go to the Imperial Palace?"


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, he said, "You''ve been staying at home with me since I was grounded. You haven''t entered the Imperial Palace for a long time. Go with me.


    Yun Shang nodded and went back to the room with Luo Qingyan. They got changed and went to the Imperial Palace in a hurry. The morning court must have been over at this time. Xia Huanyu should be handling state affairs in the Meeting Hall. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang separated from each other near the Meeting Hall.


    Instead of heading to the Xiang Zhu Palace, Yun Shang went to the Yunqi Palace.


    Yun Shang used to visit the Yunqi Palace frequently for a period of time, so the maids at the gate knew her. When they saw Yun Shang, they immediately curtsied to her, "Your Highness, you haven''t come to visit Her Highnesses for a long time. Lady Yun and Princess Qian Ling are missing you. They must be very happy to see you."


    A maid led Yun Shang to the main hall''s door. Yun Shang saw Lady Yun embroidering at the table, and Princess Qing Ling practicing calligraphy with a writing brush.


    "Mother, have a look. Is this character very good? The teacher praised me yesterday. " Princess Qian Ling looked up at Lady Yun, full of expectation in her eyes.


    Hearing this, lady Yun put down the embroidery and turned around. Her eyes flashed with joy when she saw Lady Rui standing at the door. She quickly stood up and said, "Your Highness, come in please. Why are you standing at the door? Come in and have a seat."


    Hearing this, Qian Ling also turned around. As she saw Yun Shang, she put down her writing brush and rushed to her, "sister-in-law, are you here to see me?"


    Yun Shang hurriedly stretched out her arms to hold Qian Ling and said with a smile, "Yeah, I heard that your writing has improved a lot recently, so I came here specially to have a look."


    Hearing this, Qian Ling giggled, freed herself from Yun Shang''s arms, and ran to the table. She took out a piece of paper and handed it to Yun Shang. "Sister-in-law, look! I can write the character of ''Rui''. How is it?"


    The characters on the paper were not perfect, but they looked very neat. Yun Shang smiled and hurriedly said, "Great, you did a good job."


    Qian Ling became happier. Lady Yun looked at them with a smile and ordered the maids to serve Yun Shang a cup of tea. Then she called Princess Qing Ling''s nanny who was standing beside, "Qian Ling has been writing for half day. Since Lady Rui praised her, take her to play in the garden for a while. Take care of her and don''t let her get into trouble."


    Qian Ling jumped to her feet with excitement. "Sister-in-law, I will come back later. Wait for me. I will play for a while," said Qian Ling as she was about to go out with the nanny''s hand.


    Yun Shang was amused by Qian Ling. She waved at Qian Ling, "Ok, I''ll wait for you. Go to play and come back earlier."


    Qian Ling had already run out of the main hall. She disappeared after a loud reply.


    Lady Y


    wanted to pick some. But this lady rushed out and said that these chrysanthemums were sent into the Imperial Palace by her father and no one could pick them. Princess Qian Ling is unwilling and she insisted on picking some black chrysanthemums. Perhaps the lady was too anxious, so she pulled Princess Qian Ling, trying to stop her. Unprepared, Princess Qian Ling fell on the ground. I hurried to lift her up, but I was pushed by the lady and hit on the stone table behind me."


    Yun Shang nodded. She turned to the lady kneeling on the ground and asked, "Are you one of the new chosen ladies? Lift your head. Let me have a look. What''s your name? "


    The lady trembled slightly and raised her head slowly. She said softly, "my name is Zhao Xianwu."


    Yun Shang had seen this name in the list of beauty selection for several times. She looked at her up and down. The lady had fair skin and looked gentle and elegant. But it seemed she was not suitable to live in the imperial household with such a personality. Yun Shang asked, "do you know who you pulled just now?"


    The lady''s eyes fell on Qian Ling, and then on Lady Yun. She lowered her head quickly. "I was being reckless just now. I didn''t expect that she is the princess."


    Yun Shang was about to speak when Lady Yun pulled her sleeve. Yun Shang turned around to look at her. Lady Yun shook her head and looked behind her. Yun Shang turned her head and saw the Empress walking towards them with a few concubines. It seemed they were also enjoying the chrysanthemums in the Imperial Garden.


    Lady Yun gently patted Qian Ling''s back. Then she said to the lady, "You are new in the imperial household. I forgive you this time. I just hope you can remember that most of the people who could enter the Imperial Garden are of noble status. Don''t be so rude anymore, or you''ll be in trouble if you mess up with some of them."


    While they were talking, the Empress came close. She was surprised at the scene and stopped near Lady Yun and Yun Shang. She glanced around before she asked, "What happened? Eh, why is Princess Qian Ling crying?"

 Chapter 573 The Empress Intervenes

    Lady Yun paused for a while and replied with a gentle smile, "Your Majesty, it''s not a big deal. Qian Ling was being naughty. She was playing in the Imperial Garden alone and wanted to pick some black chrysanthemums. These black chrysanthemums were sent into the Imperial Palace by the lady''s father. The lady must have been missing her family too much, so she was anxious to protect the black chrysanthemums. She pulled Qian Ling down on the ground by accident. It''s also Qian Ling''s fault. I will take her back to the Yunqi Palace right now and teach her. "


    "Really?" Hearing this, the Empress looked at Qian Ling who was rubbing her eyes. She smiled and said, "Just some flowers. Since they''ve been sent into the Imperial Palace, they all belong to His Majesty. Princess Qian Ling is His Majesty''s daughter. She did nothing wrong for wanting some flowers." "Someone, pick some black chrysanthemums and give them to Princess Qian Ling."


    Lady Yun hurriedly answered, "Your Majesty, don''t indulge Qian Ling. The black chrysanthemums are very beautiful. If picked, they will wither in just three or two days. If not, more people could enjoy them."


    But before she could finish, the maid had picked some and handed them to Qian Ling.


    Qian Ling was slightly stunned. She took a step back and didn''t take the flowers.


    "The smile of the princess of the State of Xia is much more important than the black chrysanthemums. Qian Ling, look at the flowers. If you like them, just take them. " The Empress said with a warm smile, "if you want anything, just let me know."


    Yun Shang noticed that Lady Yun looked a little pale. After a while, she forced a smile and lowered her head to look at Qian Ling. "Since Her Majesty gives the flowers to you, Qian Ling, why don''t you say thanks?"


    With a quivering hand, Qian Ling reached for the chrysanthemums and got out of Lady Yun''s arms. She went to the Empress and knelt down before her, "thank you for the flowers."


    The Empress smiled and patted Qian Ling''s head, "good girl." Her eyes fell on Qian Ling''s elbow, where it was stained with some mud marks.


    The Empress crouched down and rolled up Qian Ling''s sleeves. "Did you fall down? I saw your dress is dirty."


    She rolled up her sleeve. Everyone saw a scratch with some blood on her arm. The Empress''s face darkened. She stood up and said, "Lady Yun, since Qian Ling''s arm was hurt, take her back quickly and call an imperial physician for her." Then she turned to the lady kneeling on the ground and asked coldly, "what''s your name?"


    The maid trembled and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I''m Zhao Xianwu."


    "Zhao Xianwu? Are you the daughter of the governor of Jingzhou? " The Empress asked coldly with a bit of irony on her lips.


    ''Oh, no!'' Yun Shang thought to herself. Then she heard the Empress say, "You are lucky to be chosen into the imperial household. It''s a pity your father is just a military officer. Or you won''t be educated into a lady who doesn''t know how to beha


    w he is waiting at the door.


    "Shang''er, you are lucky. Prince Rui loves you so much. It is rarely seen even among ordinary people. But there are always some people in the royal family who is unwilling to see other people''s happiness. You should be careful. Since Prince Rui is waiting for you, I won''t keep you here. Go back with him. " Lady Yun looked at her with a faint smile.


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile. She stood up and said, "Then I''m leaving. Her Highness, don''t be too strict with Princess Qian Ling. As the Empress said, Qian Ling is a princess after all. It doesn''t matter if others say she is arrogant or aggressive. As long as His Majesty loves her, she can marry anyone she wants. "


    Lady Yun''s eyes flashed. She looked at Yun Shang for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "Shang''er, you are a smart girl. No wonder Prince Rui loves you so much. I see."


    Yun Shang smiled and left the inner hall. When she walked out of Yunqi Palace, she saw Luo Qingyan standing at the gate, and the maids were all looking at him up and down. But Luo Qingyan was unaware of this. He lowered his head, lost in thought.


    "Your Highness." Yun Shang called him with a smile. Luo Qingyan looked up and walked to her. "Haven''t you gone to the Xiang Zhu Palace?"


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile, "I''m not going to the Xiang Zhu Palace hall today. Have you finished everything? If it''s done, let''s go back home. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and walked forward, putting his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulder. Then he lowered his head and whispered to Yun Shang, "His Majesty said except the chrysanthemums, there were also some plum blossoms sent into the Imperial Palace these days. I thought there were only peach blossoms in our mansion, so I asked for some plum blossoms. Let''s plant them in our courtyard. What do you think?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Good idea. But the winter in the Jin city should be much warmer than that in the State of Ning. I wonder if the plum blossoms could be alive."

 Chapter 574 The Handsome Monk

    The wedding ceremony of the Seventh Prince was to be held on December 23. The invitation had already been delivered. As soon as Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan returned to the mansion, the butler presented them the invitation. While Yun Shang was reading it, Luo Qingyan came closer. "The Seventh Prince is going to marry his wife and his concubine on the same day. Seems he wants to provoke the conflict between the Liu clan and the Hua clan. The Liu clan will definitely be very dissatisfied that the most outstanding lady from their clan could only be a concubine. On December 23, the princess-to-be will be escorted to the wedding by the Seventh Prince and enter the Seventh Prince''s Mansion from the front door. While Liu Yiyi even can''t wear a red wedding dress. And she has to enter the mansion from the side door.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I''ve never met Liu Yiyi before, but Hua Yutong seems to be a straightforward girl."


    Luo Qingyan lay down on the bench. "In the Seventh Prince''s Mansion, a straightforward person is the least suitable. Besides, I don''t think a crafty man like Lord Hua Guo would send an naive girl into the imperial household. "


    Yun Shang chuckled, "how could you say your grandfather like this?" But she didn''t contradict Luo Qingyan. It''s hard for a straightforward person to survive in the Imperial Palace. Yun Shang knows it. Lord Hua Guo must also know it.


    "I''m afraid Lord Hua Guo also had expected that Hua Yutong wouldn''t be chosen into the imperial household." Luo Qingyan said lightly.


    "Eh? How could? " Yun Shang was confused by Luo Qingyan''s words. If Lord Hua Guo knew that Hua Yutong couldn''t been chosen, why did he make every effort to send her to the selection?


    Luo Qingyan smiled, took Yun Shang''s hand, helped her sit down on the bench, and whispered, "This time, the purpose of the three big clans is very obvious. The Liu clan supports the Seventh Prince. Lord Hua Guo is my nominal grandfather, and Su Qi is the Empress'' father. All the ministers were waiting to see which lady from the three big clans would be chosen into the imperial palace. Then they could tell who would most likely be appointed Crown Prince.


    Yun Shang was surprised. "Aren''t they thinking too much? Even if His Majesty married a lady recommended by one of the clans, he might not plan to appoint anyone Crown Prince."


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "even if His Majesty didn''t have the intention, those ministers would think the same. The former Crown Prince''s death has left the position absent. It is the most sensitive period. Moreover, I''ve been brought back suddenly. All the ministers are anxious to know who is the Crown Prince-to-be in His Majesty''s mind. Even the slightest signs would be noticed by them. "


    Yun Shang sighed. She was quite familiar with the fights in the imperial household in her previous life and in this life, but she had never experienced the political struggle.


    "His Majesty didn''t marry Hua Yutong into the imperial household, but why did he made Lin Youran Lady Hui?" Yun Shang meditated for a moment and then said with confusion.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "


    When it was getting cold, You would feel chilled to the bone. More braziers were needed to keep the room warm.


    "Frost occurred last night, I feel extremely chilly when going outside. It has become much colder. Put on your cloak later, Your Highness." Qian Liu walked into chamber. She rushed to the wardrobe and took out a silver purple cloak decorated with fox fur, put it on the chair next to the furnace to get it warm.


    Yun Shang nodded and ordered, "bring Prince Rui''s cloak as well."


    Qian Liu nodded, and then took one out.


    It was already afternoon when Luo Qingyan came back. Yun Shang noticed that his hair was wet, so she asked him to take off his official robes and change into casual clothes. Then she ordered a maid to bring him a steaming bowl of soup. "It''s cold outside. Drink some hot soup to warm yourself, and we''ll go out after you finish it."


    "I''m not that weak." Saying so, he drank the soup obediently.


    The maid helped them put on their cloaks. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang took the carriage to the Princess Mansion which located in the south of the city. On arrival, Yun Shang asked her maid to knock on the door and show the invitation. A servant opened the door and craned his head from it. Seeing Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan, he hurriedly walked out, respectfully bowed and took the invitation. He unfolded it and took a look. Then he said," Your Highnesses, please wait for a moment, and I''ll inform Her Highness right now. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded. He reached out to hold Yun Shang''s hand. "Your hand is so cold. I''ll ask Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo to make a thermos, then pour some hot water in it and wrapped it with a fox fur bag. You can take it wherever you go."


    Yun Shang smiled at Luo Qingyan, "I''m not that fragile. The State of Ning is much colder than here."


    While they were talking, the door was opened again. A young man walked out, "Prince Rui, Lady Rui, please come in."


    Yun Shang froze for a moment. The young man was way too handsome. He has a shaved head and dressed like a monk, which was somewhat confusing. Who is he?

 Chapter 575 Collusion

    The handsome monk led Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang into the Princess Palace. As soon as they entered the door, Yun Shang perceived a smell of sandalwood, which, though very faint, made her frown slightly.


    Since the Eldest Princess posed as a Buddhist, Yun Shang wouldn''t feel strange if there were figures of Buddha or an odour of sandalwood. But it was the first time that she even could detect the smell in the yard of a Buddhist.


    They walked across a yard full of bamboos, and entered an extremely elegant flower hall. There were only tables and chairs made of rosewood, a picture of Avalokitesvara and many pictures related to Buddha.


    The handsome monk bowed to Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang with his hands folded and said gently, "Amitabha! Your Highnesses, please have a seat and wait for a moment. Her highness is praying in the Buddhist Prayer Room. I''ll go to inform her."


    "Praying? Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Even the Eldest Princess had no faith in Buddhism, she had spent seven or eight years in the temple. Generally, Buddhists always prayed early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Now it was around 3 clock in the afternoon. It was too late for the morning pray and too early for the evening pray. How could she pray at this time?


    After Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan sat down, a maid quickly served two cups of tea. Yun Shang glanced around the flower hall and saw another maid cleaning up the table nearby. It seemed the cup of tea on that table was not steaming.


    Yun Shang withdrew her gaze, and thought to herself that there must have been another guest in the flower hall before they came. But, if the guest had left, the teacup must have been taken away by the maids. Since it was unmoved, it meant that the guest was still in the mansion. The guest hadn''t left, but now the maid took away the teacup when they didn''t notice. Perhaps the Eldest Princess didn''t want them to know who the guest was.


    Yun Shang picked up her teacup and blew on the hot tea. After taking a sip, she turned to Luo Qingyan and said, "The tea is very unique. It tastes bland, but has a delicate fragrance."


    Luo Qingyan shook Yun Shang''s hand with a smile, "if you like it, you can ask the Eldest Princess how to make the tea. Later you could ask someone in our mansion to make some for you."


    "It''s not easy to make good tea. I wonder if Her Highness is willing to give me her recipe." Yun Shang smiled and put down her teacup.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a gentle voice was heard. "It is very simple. If you like it, I''ll tell you how to make it."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked to the direction where the sound came from. The Eldest Princess came in and sat on the host seat. She smiled and said, "This tea is just made from new bamboo leaves that came out after spring rain. The Master in the Palace of Buddha likes to drink it. I got used to it when I was in the temple. Now I make it myself every year."


    Yun Shang looked at the Eldest Princess with a smile. She lowered her eyes to hide the astonishment in her eye


    ughing. "Liu Jin is almost sixty years old. Seems he is really vigorous. Even the butler in the Princess Mansion is so handsome, how could she be interested in the aging Liu Jin. She made such a big sacrifice!"


    Luo Qingyan was also a little surprised, but he concealed it in an instant. After a moment of silence, he said, "The Seventh Prince has become powerful, so he wants to kick Liu Jin out. Liu Jin had a meteoric rise because of Lady Liu. The Liu family doesn''t have a deep foundation. If the Seventh Prince tries to get him in trouble, it would be difficult for him to make a foothold in the court. That was why Liu Jin wanted to send Liu Yiyi into the Imperial Palace. He needed someone in imperial household to rely on. But in the end, Liu Yiyi was appointed to the Seventh Prince as his concubine by His Majesty. Liu Jin is cornered. He plans to unite with the Eldest Princess to gain a foothold in the court. The Eldest Princess also wants to have more support from the court. Although Liu Qingyan is already a spent arrow, he is still the Master of the court anyway. Moreover, he has Liu Yinfeng as his adopted son.The Eldest Princess must be pleased with that. "


    Yun Shang nodded and sneered, "they collude with each other."


    "I suppose the Eldest Princess was afraid that Liu Jin would regret, so she drugged him and slept with him. It seems that she is indeed an ambitious woman. You should be careful when you have any contact with her. I''m afraid nobody could be more scheming than her." Luo Qingyan said lightly.


    Yun Shang nodded. She hesitated for a moment before she said in a low voice, "I think we should tell the Seventh Prince about it."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan''s eyes lit up. Smiling, he lowered his head and patted her head, "you little fox. If the Seventh Prince knows it, I''m afraid there will be a good show to watch. "


    Yun Shang curved her lips into a smile. They had always been framed since she came to the the State of Ning. Now it was time for them to watch the show.

 Chapter 576 Meeting Su Ruying For The First Time

    Just as Yun Shang expected, the banquet in the Princess Palace was not casual at all. The important officials and their families were all invited. It''s almost at the same level as the Palace Banquet. Before Yun Shang got off the carriage, she saw Liu Jin get off the carriage with his wife and enter the Princess Palace.


    Yun Shang chuckled, "so blatant! Does the princess really think everyone is deceived as she claimed to worship Buddha?"


    Luo Qingyan also smiled at people coming in and out, "I''ve heard that the princess holds three or four small banquets almost every year, and invites these people."


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. The princess is a smart person. She knows how to hide herself and she has the patience.


    Luo Qingyan opened the door of the carriage and got off. He held Yun Shang''s arm and helped her get off. The servant had seen Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang the day before yesterday. He walked up and bowed to them, "Prince Rui, Lady Rui, come in please."


    After entering the door, the gentle monk also came up, holding a plate in his hand, with four bamboo signs inside, "Good day, Prince Rui and Lady Rui. The banquet will be held in four yards today. Which yard you could go depends on the card you chose. May I know who will choose the card?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and looked down at Yun Shang, "Shang''er, you choose."


    Yun Shang giggled, "I heard that sometimes the emperor decides which concubine he will dote on by turn over a card randomly. Today, I''m lucky enough to have a try." Then she reached out her hand and took a bamboo plate. She turned it over and saw the word "plum blossom" on it.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Excellent. My favorite is plum blossom."


    "Congratulations, your highness. It''s the plum blossom garden." The gentle monk smiled and said, "Your highnesses, I''ll send someone to take you there." Then she called a maid to lead Yun Shang into the garden.


    Last time when they came here, they stopped at the garden house and didn''t see the scene inside. The maid cut through the garden house, passed through a long corridor, and turned right. After a while, they came to a garden with "plum blossom garden" written on it.


    The maid bowed and said, "This is plum blossom garden. Your highnesses, please come in."


    It was winter. As soon as Yun Shang stepped into the plum blossom garden, she smelled the fragrance of plum blossoms. She looked around and saw a few young women standing in the courtyard, smiling and admiring the plum blossoms. Yun Shang didn''t know any of them, but they had outstanding looks. Several men were sitting under the gallery. While they were talking, Yun Shang noticed that many people were staring at the several women who were admiring the plum blossom.


    "Prince Rui." Yun Shang was looking around when she heard someone called Luo Qingyan. At once, everyone looked at Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang turned around with Luo Qingyan, and saw a young man waving at h


    Ruying is also not good person. She knew what the empress was up to, and she came here today to approach you. You might not notice that her eyes lit up when she saw Prince Rui. I thought Prince Rui was outstanding and it was normal that many girls were attracted by him. But I didn''t expect all this. Prince Rui did well. If I were him, I would slap her. "


    Yun Shang pulled her closer and said, "you have a bad temper. Although Su Ruying is the daughter of a concubine, she is also a lady of the Su clan. Anyway, you should give her the due respect. Even if you want to teach her a lesson, you need to find a secluded place. We can''t let others misunderstand us."


    "You are right." Shen Yilan curled her lips and grabbed Yun Shang''s hand, "forget it. Outside the room are all young, pretty boys and girls who are meretricious. Let''s go inside. My mother and my aunt are also inside."


    Yun Shang thought for a while, and realized that her mother and aunt must be the aunts of Luo Qingyan. She nodded and said with a smile, "why didn''t you tell me earlier they are in the room? I''ve been standing here for a long time and haven''t greeted them. It''s really impolite."


    "We are family. You don''t have to be so polite." Shen Yilan didn''t take it seriously. She held Yun Shang''s hand and led her into the room.


    When they were about to enter the room, they saw white fog rose from the plum blossom forest, which seemed dangerous. Yun Shang frowned and entered the room with Shen Yilan.


    As expected, in the room are all married women. As soon as Yun Shang entered, she heard them talking about the shop named Qian Shui Pavilion, which was popular in the city recently. The women in the room looked quite familiar. She had seen many people in the birthday banquet held in the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion before. They greeted Yun Shang, "Haha, by the way, Lady Rui is a frequent guest at Qianshui Pavilion. Look at the pair of mandarin duck hairpins on her bun. They are from Qianshui Pavilion."

 Chapter 577 Tangled Red Threads

    Yun Shang raised her hand to touch the hairpin. She smiled faintly, "His Highness said mandarin ducks represent lasting love and asked me to wear it. I think it''s not bad in style and I like it a lot."


    After Yun Shang finished her words, Shen Yilan Hua took her hand and led her to the chair next to several senior ladies from the Hua Family. As soon as they sat down, a servant came into the room. "Good day, everyone. The Eldest Princess prepared a little game in the courtyard and invited all of you to take part in it."


    Hearing that, Luo Qingyan''s aunt smiled. "Ask the young people to play the game. We''re too old to jump or run."


    The servant hastily answered, "Lady Hua, don''t worry. It''s just a drinking game. You don''t have to move. You''ll be divided into pairs, but you can''t choose your partners by yourselves. So let''s play a little game to decide who will be in the same group.


    "Really?" As the senior ladies present were all proficient in the four arts when they were young, drinking game would definitely be easy for them. And the way of grouping intrigued them. "We''ll be divided into pairs by a little game?" Interesting. I wonder what the game is."


    The servant replied, "Please follow me."


    They looked at each other and followed the servant. When they stepped out of the room, they couldn''t help but exclaim in astonishment. The plum-tree forest was covered in mist.


    Rushing to the plum-tree forest, the servant smiled and said, "Fifteen red threads has been put in the misty forest. And we happen to have ten ladies and ten gentlemen here. Five ladies and five gentlemen, please stand on the left side and pick up a red thread casually. The rest, please stand on the right side and do the same.


    Raising her eyebrows, Yun Shang exchanged a look with Luo Qingyan. Coldness suddenly flashed in their eyes. Yun Shang had once been framed by Hua Jing in the Qianshui Tower. She was getting suspicious of the mist. There must be something fishy in the plum-tree forest.


    All the other people obeyed. As Shen Yilan held Yun Shang''s hand and stood together with two aunts, Su Ruying quickly ran to Yun Shang and stood next to her side. Luo Qingya glanced at Yun Shang and smiled, then he stood on the other side. The other people also followed the servant''s order and took one red thread respectively. Yun Shang secretly cut her finger with the red thread, a drop of blood rolling own along the thread in Yun Shang''s hand.


    "Have you all chosen a red thread yet?" The servant asked in a low voice.


    Everyone responded with a "yes". The servant smiled and said, "I''ll send someone to get rid of the mist." Then he ordered some servants to take the prepared braziers into the plum-tree forest. After a short while, the mist disappeared. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. It shouldn''t be a mist. It seemed they just sprayed water in the forest. As it was the coldest time in the Jin City, the wate


    g was about to say a bird name, a loud scream came from afar. Everyone quickly stood up and looked in the direction.


    As they were on the second floor of the pavilion, there was a wide view of the surroundings. Yun Shang saw a mess in a small yard in the distance, but she couldn''t see clearly what was happening. Yun Shang looked in the direction carefully. According to the servant, there should be four yards in the Princess Palace, a plum blossom garden, an orchid garden, a bamboo garden and a chrysanthemum garden. That yard looked golden, it should be the chrysanthemum garden.


    The servant was also stunned for a moment, and then he quickly said, "Don''t worry. I''ll send someone to see what''s happening in the chrysanthemum garden soon. We..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, another cry sounded. "Let go of me! You crazy woman!"


    The servant, who had been trying to calm himself down a moment ago, changed his face. "It''s Her Highness."


    Then he rushed downstairs and ran out of the pavilion hurriedly.


    All the people in the pavilion looked at each other. Luo Qingyan stood up and said, "Let''s go and see what happened."


    They all agreed and walked out of the plum garden. Several people who had attended banquets here before were very familiar with the Princess Palace, so they led the others to the chrysanthemum garden.


    As they reached the entrance of the chrysanthemum garden, they heard so many different sounds. It was bustling inside, some women screaming, someone comforting and some men cursing. But when they listened carefully, many rude and abusive words came to their ears such as bitch, slut and so on.


    They exchanged a look and then walked into the chrysanthemum garden. As soon as they entered, they found that the Eldest Princess''s clothes standing there in a mess. Her overcoat had fallen to the ground, and her long dress had been torn. The other woman who was also in a mess was Liu Jin''s wife.

 Chapter 578 hidden murderous intent (Part One)

    Both the Eldest Prince and Mrs. Liu were noble ladies, so the servants dared not to come up and stop them. Mrs. Liu scolded, "Whoever dares to help this bitch, I''ll rip his mouth. What a shameless bitch! You claim to be a Buddhist, but you actually have affairs with so many men. If I were the Buddhist, I would have sent you to the hell."


    Mrs. Liu used to be an ordinary woman. She had never learned any etiquette until she was going up in the world. Now that she was getting fury, she forgot all the manners.


    However, the eldest princess was brought up in the Imperial Palace and she had been taught even the slightest etiquette since childhood. She was put in a fluster by the desperate old lady who was fighting with her. However, since she was younger and stronger than her anyway, she got the upper hand after a while. "What are you doing? Didn''t you hear that she is slandering me?" Get her away! "


    The servants suddenly come back to their senses and hurriedly stepped forward and pulled they two apart. The Eldest Princess straightened her clothes and stood up. Then she shouted, "Somebody, take the bitch!"


    Mrs. Liu also stood up and picked up her crutch slowly. She snorted, with coldness and cruelty in her eyes. "The best way to hide a misdeed is not to commit it." As a noble princess, you could easily get young and handsome men you want. I guess the young monk I saw today is more than a butler to you. Why do you have to seduce my husband? He is almost seventy years old. Except for his power, what else does he deserve your concern? "


    Yun Shang saw the Eldest Princess''s face suddenly darkened.


    "You must be insane. How could you come to my palace to make such a scene just because of a rumor you heard


    relatives and sent to take part in the selection in the Imperial Palace. "I don''t know either. If I meet her in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion next time, I''ll try to figure it out."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "The Seventh Prince is a handsome, gentle man, and he''s not bad at coaxing girls. If she falls in love with him, it will be troublesome."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and also nodded. "I''m afraid we have to keep an eye on her to find out whether the messages sent out by her is true or not. But the Seventh Prince''s Mansion is strictly guarded, and it''s not easy to arrange our people in."


    While whispering, they followed the servant walked back to the plum blossom garden and sat in the pavilion. Before long, all the other guests also came back.


    The servant apologized before continuing, "Now you''ve all known how to play the game. Let''s start officially." This time, every group need to quote a line of a poem. Since we''re in the plum blossom garden, the poem line has to be related to the plum blossom, not necessarily with the words ''plum blossom''. What''s more, the line must contain at least one word from your name or your partner''s name."

 Chapter 579 hidden murderous intent (Part Two)

    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and felt the game would be much more difficult.


    The servant went on, "If you failed to give a poem line after five drumbeats, you lose. And you can''t say one that have already been said. Again, let''s start from Mr. Liu. "


    Liu Yinfeng smiled and quoted a famous poem line with ''willow'' which represented ''Liu" in it, "Clouds bring dawn on the sea; Early spring reds the plum blossom and greens the willow tree."


    "He returns to earth with a load of cold red snow, A fragrant cloud cut far from the dusty world." Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand with a smile and speak the poem line with ''cloud'' representing ''Yun''.


    Sitting next to Yun Shang was Su Ruying. She quickly quoted one line with ''cherry flower'' indicating ''Ying'', "Plum trees and cherry trees, as well as apricot trees and peach trees, came into blossom one after another."


    "..." At the end of this round, three group had been eliminated.


    Lady Hua smiled and said, "I''m afraid those who have the world meaning ''snow'' or ''plum blossom'' in their name will be the winners."


    Amanda clapped her hands and laughed, "That''s hard to say. With Mr. Liu in my group, we are bound to win."


    Su Ruying had kept her eyes on Luo Qingyan. She thought for a moment before she opened her mouth, "I heard that Lady Rui is loaded with talent, so the game must be easy for you. How about you represent your group in the next round?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang just smiled faintly. She did not promise or refuse. Liu Yinfeng was the first in the second round, "Swallows have not come back from the sea, people are already competing in games of grass. Riverside plums past their bl


    en she stood behind Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Lady Rui, you are so brilliant and beautiful. I''m really impressed."


    Yun Shang smiled slightly and said nothing. Then, Su Ruying lowered her voice and said, "Prince Rui is indeed a genius in both literature and military. I heard from the Empress that His Majesty is deeply in love with the Empress Hua. He thinks that Prince rui is capable to take on the throne, but without strong support, there is no chance of winning in the turbulent court now. It''s a pity that you are the princess of the State of Ning. If you were a daughter of a minister in the State of Xia, it would be quiet beneficial for Prince Rui.


    Su Ruiying seemed to be expressing concern to Yun Shang, but she was overstepping the boundary. Yun Shang''s face darkened. "I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for you to say like this. The Empress would probably not say that. Miss. Su, aren''t the words made up by you?"


    Su Ruying said in a hurry, "How could that be possible? The Empress dotes on me and often asked me to the Imperial Palace to accompany her. I heard all this from her."

 Chapter 580 Testing

    Yun Shang smiled and looked at Su Ruying in the bronze mirror. "You are lucky that the Empress adores you and is willing to say intimate words to you. I''ll just forget what you said just now. But If I say that in front of others, I''m afraid it would bring trouble to the Empress. It was forbidden for ladies in the imperial household to get involved in politics. If His Majesty knew it, you''ll have to face his wrath and punishment."


    Su Ruying realized that she had walked into Yun Shang''s trap. She gritted her teeth and said, "I am just trying to help. Now rumors said that you are a jealous woman, forcing Prince Rui not to marry any other concubines. People in the State of Xia all think that a man should marry a virtuous woman as his wife. The rumors about you will be unfavorable to both you and Prince Rui.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Her expression didn''t change at all. "Whatever, I am not able to make others shut up. And I don''t care what they talk about me. It''s my own life, none of their business."


    Su Ruying didn''t expect such an answer. She paused for a moment and said, "it''s not a bad thing for you if Prince Rui marry a concubine. And if she has a good family background, Prince Rui would get more support, which would make it easier for him to get the highest position. Even if Prince Rui marry some concubines, you are still his wife. The higher position Prince Rui gets, the more honorable you are."


    After fixing Yun Shang''s hair and putting the mandarin ducks hairpin in the bun, Qian Liu lowered her head and asked Yun Shang in a low voice, "Your Highness, do you like it?"


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "Pretty good." Then she turned to look at Su Ruying and asked, "Miss. Su, does the hairpin look good?"


    Su Ruying was confused why Yun Shang asked, but she still cast a glance at the hairpin. "The color is bright and the mandarin ducks pattern is exquisite. It looks good."


    "That''s what I think as well. Qingyan once praised this hairpin, not because how bright the color is or how exquisite the pattern is, just because the pattern of this hairpin is a pair of mandarin ducks. Mandarin ducks are thought to be representing everlasting love. They are also known as love ducks. Once they get separated, they won''t be able to live for a long time. They become lonely and keep waiting for their partner to come back till death does them apart. Polygamy is common in the world and most men are changeable and capricious and always had new women around. Qingyan and I love each other deeply and don''t want anyone come between us. Those people think it''s not good and normal, but how could they understand our happiness unless they experience it themselves?" It''s good to have power and wealth, but that might not be what Qingyan and I pursue. Even if it is, we don''t necessarily need help from others to get it." Yun Shang flashed a gentle smile, and fixed her eyes on Su Ruying. She hesitated before lett


    months, almost none of the ministers have visited him. It''s easy to distinguish who is the sincere one. She is such a kind and gentle woman. How could she be like what Mrs. Liu said? Mrs. Liu might have been deluded by someone else and she couldn''t even tell whether it''s true or not. So just pretend as if you don''t know the matter and don''t spread rumors."


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo said yes. Then they started to talk about some other trivial things. About fifteen minutes later, Qian Liu said in a low voice, "gone."


    Yun Shang curled her lips. "His Highness and I happened to visit the Eldest Princess the other day when Liu Jin was in the Princess Palace. Even we didn''t see him, I''m afraid she was still suspicious of us. So the one outside just now must be sent by her. We''d better not talk about this since we''re in her palace."


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo nodded. When Yun Shang was about to go on. Qian Zhuo suddenly said, "Someone is coming."


    "Is Lady Rui in the chamber?" Someone asked outside.


    Qian Liu rushed to the door and opened the curtain. "Yes, she is. Do you have anything?"


    The servant answered, "Prince Rui was waiting Lady Rui in the fifth gust room on the left hand. He ordered me to inform."


    Qian Liu thanked him, and heard the man''s footsteps receding.


    Qian Zhuo hold the cloak and said, "It''s dry and warm. Put it on, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded. She stood up, put on her cloak, and handed over the thermos flask. Then Yun Shang took it and walked towards the door. When she arrived at the door, she suddenly stopped, "something''s wrong. Your highness told me to send a servant I don''t know at all."


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo also paused. Qian Liu thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, you think there is a trap?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and went back to the room, "Qian Liu, go and check whether His Highness is really in that room."


    Nodding in a hurry, Qian Liu lifted the curtains and left.

 Chapter 581 A Good Play

    Not long after Qian Liu went out, Yun Shang heard footsteps coming towards her. Someone said that Luo Qingyan was waiting for her in another guest room, but someone walked towards her room.


    Yun Shang winked at Qian Zhuo. Qian Zhuo looked around in a hurry, held Yun Shang''s waist, and climbed up to the roof beam. Yun Shang quickly drew back her attention and hid herself on the beam when she saw the door curtain being pushed open.


    After a long time, no one spoke. Yun Shang carefully raised her head and saw Prince Rui looking at her with a smile. Yun Shang was stunned. Then she heaved a sigh of relief and jumped down from the roof. The man underneath immediately reached out his arms to hold Yun Shang together.


    "Why are you here? Just now, an unacquainted person told me that you were waiting for me in the next guest room, and I was suspicious, so I sent Qian Liu there. " Yun Shang smiled at Luo Qingyan and asked softly.


    "Really?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "a person also told me to wait for you in the fifth room on the left. I thought Qian Zhuo had mentioned that you were resting in this room, so I came to have a look, but I found two rats on the beams. " Luo Qingyan said with a touch of irony in the end.


    Yun Shang blinked and wondered why the man wanted Luo Qingyan and her to go to that guest room.


    Luo Qingyan also winked and said with a smile, "go and see?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "let''s go and see what they want to do."


    Luo Qingyan walked to the window and opened it. Then he jumped out with Yun Shang. They stopped at the fifth room on the left.


    A low rustling sound came within the mansion. Then, Yun Shang suddenly heard the voice of Su Ruying. It sounded nervous and her voice was trembling. "Your Highness, why did you cover my eyes? Ruying is ready. Please come in. "


    Your highness? Yun Shang was surprised. She turned to look at Luo Qingyan. Then she immediately understood what was happening. They wanted to make Luo Qingyan have sex with Su Ruying, and then invite her here to play a trick on her.


    But who was the person in the room when Luo Qingyan was here with her?


    Just as Yun Shang was curious about it, a man''s voice sounded in the room. "I like to cover my eyes when doing this. Only in this way can I completely feel the joy of my body." He bit the last word heavily. As soon as he finished speaking, Su Ruying gave a cry of pain, and then a voice intermittently said, "ah... Your highness, I feel very uncomfortable... "


    Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan. The voice in the room quite resembled that of Luo Qingyan. But someone who was familiar with it could tell the difference.


    Yun Shang listened carefully


    little cold. "Go get some cold water and pour the cold water on these two people and wake them up. That''s really out of line."


    The servants around lady Hua immediately responded and went out for some cold water. They threw it on the two persons on the bed and they shivered at the cold water and regained consciousness.


    "Who doesn''t want to live? How dare you pour cold water on me?" Su Ruying pulled over the quilt to cover her body and turned around. However, she was shocked by the man in front of her and stepped back two steps. She retreated to the corner of the wall, with fear on her face. "Who are you?"


    The man was much soberer than Su Ruying. In Yun Shang''s opinion, he must have never been fascinated by the philter. He must have pretended to be, looking at the pretty woman in front of him, and smiled innocently. "Hey, I''m a servant in the Princess Palace."


    The color of Su Ruying''s face went pale. As soon as she turned around, she saw Yun Shang and a group of people standing in the room, glaring at them. She quickly pulled the quilt a little higher and asked, "Why are you here? Where is Prince Rui? Where is Prince Rui? "


    The man patted his head. As everyone was watching, his body was trembling, but he spoke in a clear way. "I''m Wang Ye. Just now when I was cleaning the yard, I suddenly heard you call something like Wang Ye. So I rushed in. Looking at you, I thought that you wanted my help, so I..."


    Su Ruying''s face turned pale and hurriedly said, "nonsense, nonsense! Prince Rui was in the room just now. I heard his voice. "


    Yun Shang sneered coldly. When she was about to say something, Qian Liu''s voice was heard from outside. "Your Highness, his highness asked me to find you. He is playing chess with Lord Hua Guo. He asked me to take you there..."

 Chapter 582 Spare All Future Troubles

    The smile on Yun Shang''s face froze when she heard the words. She looked at Su Ruying who was huddling in the corner of the bed. When they were in the shared guest room, she just thought that Su Ruying was eager to get close to Luo Qingyan because she got used to doing everything the Empress and Su Qi''s instructed and she was even trying to persuade her to give up and find her own Mr. Right.


    But Su Ruying might have thrown Yun Shang''s words to the winds the moment she went out.


    "Miss. Su, you said Prince Rui was in your room just now? It must be your illusion. My maid was asked by me to take something to Prince Rui just after you left. Qian Liu, tell Miss Su what His Highness was doing just now. " Yun Shang sneered, staring at Su Ruying with some pity in her eyes.


    There was still a trace of confusion in Qian Liu''s eyes. When she found that everyone was looking at her, she lowered her head and said, "Your Highness, when I found His Highness, he just finished chatting with Mr. Liu and was about to leave. Then he met Lord Hua Guo on the way to the guest room. Lord Hua Guo complaint the drinking game was too boring and asked His Highness to play chess with him in. Many servants in the Princess Mansion should have seen them in playing chess in the pavilion.


    Upon hearing this, Yun Shang turned her eyes back to Su Ruying who was shocked. She smiled and said, "Miss. Su, you are an unmarried girl. What happened to you today must have something to do with the philter in the room. I''m sorry for your suffering. Since we happened to witness it, we could prove for you. But you can''t talk nonsense. His Highness is a member of the royal family. It''s not appropriate for you to slander him. "


    Su Ruying gritted her teeth, trembling. Yun Shang sighed. "If we stay here, I''m afraid it''s hard for Miss. Su to calm down after suffering all this... We''d better go out first. Where is Miss Su''s maid? Why is she not here? Why not come to serve Miss. Su to get changed?"


    From behind the crowd came out a girl who dressed like a maid. She walked to the bed, biting her lips.


    Yun Shang gave them a quick glance and turned around. She walked out of the guest room and walked towards the pavilion with Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo.


    "Her Highness... Su Ruying..." Qian Zhuo chuckled and said.


    "Ahem!" Qian Liu quickly took Qian Zhuo''s hand and interrupted her.


    Yun Shang pretended not to hear her. She walked into the pavilion, and saw Luo Qingyan and Lord Hua Guo playing chess there. They were in a stalemate. Lord Hua Guo scratched his ears and racked his brains, while Luo Qingyan looked very calm. He glanced at Yun Shang and waved at her with a smile.


    Yun Shang walked to Luo Qingyan and stood behind him. Looking at the chessboard, she couldn''t help laughing. The black is in check, no wonder Lord Hua Guo was thinking very hard.


    "It''s done?" Y


    should not do. You and Qian Zhuo were being trained together and came to me at the same time, so there is a special friendship between you. I think it''s a good idea that you have a talk with her." Yun Shang nodded. Then she fixed her eyes on her book again.


    After a while, the desserts were served and Luo Qingyan returned to the room. Yun Shang put down the book, helped Luo Qingyan take off his cloak and handed it to Qian Liu. Then, she reached out to touch Luo Qingyan''s hand and said with a smile, "Your Highness''s hand is warm. There are many braziers in the room and it might be stuffy for him. Qian Liu, open the window."


    "Open the one next to the desk. I''ll be reading there." Luo Qingyan added with a smile.


    Qian Liu replied and opened the window at the desk. Luo Qingyan took a piece of dessert from the plate at Yun Shang''s hand, put it into his mouth, and ate it slowly. Then he turned to Yun Shang with a faint smile, "After what happened with Jing Wenxi, I''ve known that all the women who have a crush on me are vicious beasts. Today I have relieved our worries. Are you satisfied with it?"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing when she heard Luo Qingyan''s joking tone. She raised her hand and patted Luo Qingyan on his arm, saying, "Your Highness, I''m quite satisfied with it." But then she frowned and said, "I''m afraid that Susan has been ruined. What a pity! She is such a beautiful girl." However, even we have got rid of Su Ruying, the Empress will certainly not give up. I''m afraid she will trying every means to marry some ladies into our mansion. Maybe some Li Ruying or Zhao Ruying."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan frowned and said seriously, "It might happen. If that''s the case, I''m afraid there is only one way to make the Empress give up."


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled. "I''m afraid the only way is telling her that I''m impotent."

 Chapter 583 Suspicions

    Yun Shang didn''t expect Luo Qingyan to say that. She was stunned for a while before she realized what he meant. A flush appeared on her face. She raised her hand and slapped him. "What nonsense."


    Then he sat down on the bench. ''Humph! Luo Qingyan is becoming a real rascal. I''ll ignore him from now on," thought Yun Shang.


    But Luo Qingyan suddenly changed his face and said seriously. "By the way, do you want to know why the Eldest Princess was summoned to the Imperial Palace before?"


    Yun Shang was about to reply, but when she thought of the frivolous words Luo Qingyan had said a moment ago, she snorted again and turned to look at the book in her hand, ignoring him.


    "Mrs. Liu went straight to the Imperial Palace, taking advantage of the fact that her daughter has once been the Emperor''s favorite concubine. But she ran into assassins halfway. There are many assassins, but Mrs. Liu only brought two maids and four servants with her... " Luo Qingyan paused and did not continue. He looked at Yun Shang with burning eyes.


    Yun Shang ignored him and thought, ''I know it''s you or the Seventh Prince who have sent people to save Mrs. Liu and escort her into the Imperial Palace. You want to seduce me to ask you? No way!''


    Luo Qingyan went on, "But Mrs. Liu still failed to meet His Majesty."


    Yun Shang was shocked by the sudden turning point. She raised her head and asked in surprise, "Why? Hadn''t she entered the Imperial Palace? Did something happen in the palace? "


    Just then, Yun Shang the smirk on Luo Qingyan''s face. She realized that she was fooled by him. Yun Shang felt remorseful for a long time in her heart. Then she raised her head and snorted. Since she had already speak to him, why not ask more? "Are those who saved Mrs. Liu sent by you? Why did she fail to meet His Majesty? Mrs. Liu didn''t see His Majesty, then why did His Majesty summon the Eldest Princess? "


    Luo Qingyan sat down next to Yun Shang, holding back the m


    exchanged a look, and saw the same doubt in each other''s eyes.


    Yun Shang waved her hand and left the confusion behind. She asked again, "You said Mrs. Liu didn''t see His Majesty, but why did His Majesty suddenly summon the Eldest Princess?"


    Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang and said with a smile, "The Seventh Prince is indeed capable."


    Yun Shang didn''t understand why he said this. She looked at Luo Qingyan with a bit of confusion. Until then, Luo Qingyan ceased smiling and said, "I just let someone tell him the affair between the Eldest Princess and Liu Jin. He followed the clues and started to investigate the Eldest Princess. In just one day, he has found something." Luo Qingyan squinted slightly and said coldly, "The Qian Fo Temple where the Eldest Princess often prays was little-known ten years ago. It had only three or four monks then. Later, the present abbot visited Qian Fo Temple while wandering around the world and then settled down. After a short while, the former abbot died. "


    Yun Shang suddenly realized something and looked down at her hand in a daze.


    "Somehow, the former abbot left a note, passing the position to the present abbot." The new abbot was really competent. Since he was in charge of Qian Fo Temple, the temple has attracted more monks and become famous."

 Chapter 584 The Good News (Part One)

    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked, "did the seventh prince find something wrong with the Master?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head slightly, looking like a man who was watching a drama. "That master is a condemned prisoner who assassinated the late emperor. That Master, who should have been dead for a long time, suddenly appeared in the Qian Fo Temple, and also became a Master of the temple. It was very strange, wasn''t it? The seventh prince asked the governor of the Qian Fo Temple to present the matter to the emperor, and it was handed over to the emperor this morning. "


    Yun Shang frowned at his words. "But it has nothing to do with the oldest princess? After all, this matter couldn''t harm the eldest princess at all. "


    "Yes, you are right." With a slight smile on his face, Luo Qingyan replied, "in the name of concern for the eldest princess, the seventh prince told the governor to report this to the majesty. He just wanted the majesty pay more attention to the princess." Luo Qingyan paused and continued with a smile on his face, "moreover, the eldest princess don''t know about it. Lady Liu was stopped by Lady Yun, but it happened too coincidentally. She would probably think that the trouble was exposed to his majesty by someone else."


    Yun Shang suddenly realized why Luo Qingyan looked like he was watching a drama.


    Yun Shang meditated for a moment and then sighed softly. "Since we came to the state of Xia, many people who have been lurking in the shadows are ready to make a move. I don''t understand why no one ever noticed her before since she just came back in the Jin City and was already exposed. "


    "It''s not that nobody n


    on your side."


    After the two of them had a brief conversation, Yun Shang went back to her chamber. After the dinner, Luo Qingyan came back leisurely with a faint smile on his face. Yun Shang knew that he must have made some progress, so she hastily took off his cloak and asked, "what''s wrong? Why did his majesty call you in? " She handed the cloak to Qian Liu and asked, "have you had dinner?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head, "I stayed in the palace to keep his majesty company and ate something with him."


    "I''m afraid you didn''t have enough. Please go and ask the servant to prepare some food for his highness, Qian Liu." Yun Shang ordered softly.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang with a smile and pulled her to sit beside him. "Do you still remember who is in charge of the Imperial Guard token after the accident last time?"


    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan, wondering why he asked that. "Of course I remember. His majesty gave the token to Lord Hua Guo, Su Qi and Liu Jin. It needs the emperor''s order. The three of them could make a complete token to mobilize people in the Imperial Guard camp."

 Chapter 585 The Good News (Part Two)

    Luo Qingyan nodded his head with a smile. He checked the rail with his fingers and said with a smile, "as I thought, the eldest princess really thought the emperor summoned her to the palace for something happened in the Princess Palace. As soon as she entered the Meeting Hall, she knelt down immediately and accused lady Liu of being the one who wronged her. She said that lady Liu slandered her indiscriminately. But his majesty didn''t interrupt her at all. He waited for a long while and asked, ''what happened with Lady Liu?''"


    Yun Shang chuckled, "I''m afraid her face must have turned blue."


    "Yes, but she had to tell his majesty what happened in the Princess Palace today. The reason why his majesty summoned me to the palace is that he guessed that she wants to attach herself to some important ministers... "


    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised. She lifted her eyes and asked, "did his majesty tell you this in person?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and replied, "His Majesty didn''t tell me about it in person, but he just told me that there would be some chaos in the city recently. He gave me the other complete imperial guards command token and asked me to transfer the imperial guards if there was an emergency."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up at his words. The imperial guards were connected with the safety of the emperor. It was a good omen that the Emperor gave such an important thing to Luo Qingyan for safekeeping. It indicated that Xia Huanyu had full trust in Luo Qingyan.


    "I really hope this token is useless in a short time. If it is used too early, all of us will be the target of public criticism." Luo Qingyan said gently, closing his eyes.


    malities. We have experienced a lot together. No need to be so complicated."


    Then he turned to Yun Shang and said, "They are so reserved when we are here. Let''s get inside and wait for the new couple."


    Yun Shang smiled and followed Luo Qingyan into the room. Before long, a joyful voice sounded outside. The crowd rushed out to see the groom kicked the curtain, and took the bride into the yard. After that, they stepped over the braziers and shattered the tiles, entered the main hall. Luo Yi hurriedly knelt down with Qian Yin. The matchmaker said hastily, "take it easy, bride and groom. It will be only fifteen minutes before the time arrives. Let''s take the ritual at the auspicious time. "


    Everyone laughed. "Groom can''t wait, hahaha..."


    When they were joking, a guard broke in and said to Luo Qingyan, "Your Highness, something happened." Then he whispered something in Luo Qingyan''s ear. Luo Qingyan changed his face and turned to Yun Shang, "something happened in the city. I have to leave first. You stay here to prove Qian Yin and Luo Yi''s marriage." Then he hurriedly followed the guard out.

 Chapter 586 Trouble Arises

    Something happened in the city? Yun Shang frowned. Judging from his clothes, the man must be an Imperial bodyguard. But Yun Shang was not sure which troop he belonged to. However, since he could find their mansion easily, he was most likely a spy arranged in the city by Luo Qingyan. But what on earth had happened?


    Yun Shang turned around and cast glance at Qian Liu. Qian Liu understood what Yun Shang meant immediately. She nodded and left quietly. Yun Shang said to everyone with a smile, "Just ignore them. Today is a big day for Luo Yi and Qian Yin. We can''t spoil the atmosphere because of these trifles. Check how much time left before the chosen hour. I''m afraid the groom is eager to start the wedding ceremony and take the bride to the bridal chamber."


    They all burst into laughter on hearing Yun Shang''s words. Luo Yi blushed, scratching his head.


    The matchmaker said quickly, "No hurries. Seven minutes left."


    Suddenly, the matchmaker exclaimed, "Wedding time! Groom and bride, please get ready."


    Luo Yi hold Qian Yin''s hand and knelt down with her. The matchmaker went on, "Kowtow to worship parents."


    Luo Yi said with a smile, "Both Qian Yin and I have lost our parents. Without Prince Rui and Lady Rui''s kindness, it would be impossible for us to reach where we are. It is them who have given us a new life, and they deserve our worship." Then he and Qian Yin kowtowed to them.


    Yun Shang''s eyes became a little wet. After a while, she smiled and said, "Okay, okay."


    "Now kowtow to worship the heaven." Then Luo Yi and Qian Yin turned around and kowtowed toward outside.


    "Kowtow to worship your spouse." Luo Yi and Qian Yin kowtowed to each other.


    "It''s done. Send them to the bridal chamber. " As soon as the matchmaker finished, everyone began to tease the groom again. "You have to come out and drink with us. Don''t be reluctant to come out of the bridal chamber because of the bride''s beauty."


    Luo Yi blushed scarlet. She held Qian Yin and walked towards the back hall. But he was in a panic and almost tripped over the big red flower made of red silk pulled in the middle. Everyone laughed again before they send the new couple in


    ing had happened in the Imperial Palace, not in the city. Things happened in Yunqi Palace. There was no doubt that Lady Yun was working for the Eldest Princess. The Eldest Princess was afraid that things would be exposed, so she took the initiative to gain the upper hand.


    A few moments later, the secret guards came back, confirming the maid''s words that there was nothing unusual in the city, but the Imperial Palace was suddenly guarded. And he said the Prince Rui had gone straight to the Imperial Palace after left the wedding.


    "I''ve ordered to keep an eye on the Princess Palace. Is there anything unusual in the Princess Palace these days?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    The secret guard quickly shook his head. "After the banquet, no one has come or left the Princess Palace except the servants in charge of daily shopping."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. There must be something wrong with the servants.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and stood up. She told the servants to prepare a carriage, "I''ve got to visit the Princess Palace."


    Qian Zhuo quickly flung out an arm to hold Yun Shang back and said, "Your Highness, I''m afraid the Eldest Prince has already left. If you go there now, you might be in danger."


    "I have to go to check. There is nothing unusual in the city now. I can pretend that I haven''t known anything. Prepare the gift and the invitation. We are going to visit the Princess Palace. " Yun Shang said and went out.

 Chapter 587 Panic (Part One)

    However, Yun Shang was stopped as soon as she got out of the door, and she was stopped by the secret guard sent to her by Luo Qingyan. "Your Highness, his Highness has given me an order before leaving. If you return to the mansion, you''d better not go out again. The situation is unpredictable in the city now. His highness is worried about your safety, please go back to the mansion."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She recalled that Luo Qingyan had sent a lot of secret guards to follow her, but she didn''t expect that she was really stopped. She let out a sigh and could do nothing about it, though anxious. She frowned and turned back to the Prince Rui''s mansion.


    She felt restless even after she got back to her room. If the eldest princess really kidnapped Xia Huanyu, she had no way out. There were only two ways for her to do so. One was to pretend that the emperor had given the order, which was extremely risky. She had to prevent someone with greater ambition from saying that Xia Huanyu was dead and became an emperor himself. After all, the eldest princess was a woman, which was against the common sense. She was afraid that it''s not going to be good if someone had taken advantage.


    The second was to hold the other princes in the court in hands, or simply kill them, so that they could directly ascend to the throne. Although this method was a little difficult, it was the safest one for them. Now Xia Huanyu was in the hands of the eldest princess, and Prince Qi was not a threat to them when he was still in the Qi City. The eldest princess'' next target was either the seventh prince, or Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang paced back and forth in the room anxiously. She turned around and saw Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo in the room. She said to them, "you don''t have to be here with me. Go to help the prince."


    Qi


    Lord Hua Guo were summoned in the palace."


    Yun Shang''s hand with the pen paused a little before she put the pen on the pen shelf. She looked at the map on the table silently and murmured, "Su Qi, Liu Jin, Lord Hua Guo..."


    The three of them were the head of the state, civil and military officials. It was normal for them to be summoned into the palace. However, it could also be the imperial guards'' military order tokens in their hands. Although Luo Qingyan got another token, it was not ready to show it unless it was a critical moment. Since something had happened to Xia Huanyu, he should have dispatched the imperial guards to search for him.


    But if they really transferred the imperial guards, the news of Xia Huanyu''s accident could no longer be concealed. Once the news came out, the court would certainly be thrown into chaos immediately.


    Yun Shang stood up and turned to Qian Liu and said, "go and find me the map near the Qian Fo Temple on the bookshelf."


    Taking the order, Qian Zhuo walked to the bookshelf and looked for the map one by one.


    Just when she was looking for it, a maid came in from the outside, "your highness, Lady Hua Guo from Lord Hua Guo''s mansion asks to see you."

 Chapter 588 Panic (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was surprised. Why did grandmother come here? Did she come here for the same reason? Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "please welcome grandmother in." After a pause, she turned around and said to Qian Liu again, "you look for the map first. I will come here later. I will go back to my room first." Then she said to the maid who came to inform Yun Shang, "please lead Lady Hua Guo in my room."


    The maid said yes and left. Yun Shang hurried out of the study and returned to her room. She randomly took a book from the desk in the room and sat on the couch.


    After a while, footsteps came from outside and the door curtain was lifted. Yun Shang looked up and saw Lady Hua Guo come in with a calm look on her face. Yun Shang couldn''t tell what she was thinking. Yun Shang put down the book and stood up with a smile on her face. "Grandmother, what brings you here? You should have told me beforehand, and I can get ready for your arrival. Today is the wedding day of Qian Yin, the maid who have served shang''er earlier for a very long time. Fortunately, I came back after I served as a witness for them, or grandmother would be unable to find me. "


    Then Qian Zhuo served the tea for them. Yun Shang took over the tea cup with a smile, and handed it to Lady Hua Guo. "This is my favorite plum tea. Grandmother, try it and see if it tastes good."


    Lady Hua Guo looked at Yun Shang for a moment, as if she was observing her facial expression. Yun Shang raised her hand and touched her face nervously. Then she asked lady Hua Guo softly, "is there anything on my face, grandmother?"


    The old lady shook her head and took the cup. She opened the lid of the cup and had a casual look at it. Then she used the lid to brush off


    s the banquet. We think that since the eldest princess don''t want to see the guests, we''d better not bother her after the feast. "


    "She was good friends with Empress Hua?" Lady Hua Guo raised her eyebrows at these words. She smiled, but said nothing.


    Yun Shang nodded her head and said with a smile, "that''s right, grandmother. It will be new year''s Eve in a few days. This is my first time here in the state of Xia, so I don''t know much about our local customs. And I hope you can help me with it then."


    Lady Hua Guo nodded her head. After a moment of silence, she said again, "I wanted to talk to Qingyan. But since he''s not here, so I have to go back now."


    Yun Shang was surprised and said to her, "grandmother, why are you leaving so early? Why don''t you wait for him? Perhaps Prince Rui will be back soon."


    Lady Hua Guo smiled and shook her head. "No. I have something to deal with in my mansion."


    Yun Shang couldn''t make her any longer after hearing this. She stood up and sent Lady Hua Guo out, and returned to the study. Qian Liu had found the map near the Qian Fo Temple. Yun Shang walked to the desk and started to look at it carefully.

 Chapter 589 Prince Rui Is Back In The Mansion (Part One)

    When it was getting dark, Yun Shang handed the map to Qian Liu. "I marked these places on the map. Send someone to check them. Be careful. These places are easy to defend and difficult to attack. If the eldest princess wants to hide the army in a hidden place, these are good choices. Do not alert the enemy."


    Qian Liu said yes, curtsied and left. There was no news in the palace. Luo Qingyan spread a message that he might not return home tonight. Yun Shang didn''t care much about it. She asked the messenger about the situation in the palace in detail.


    "The empress ordered us to guard against the leak of the news and only tell the other concubines that his majesty is ill, and the imperial physician said that his majesty should have a good rest quietly. The other concubines are forbidden to disturb his majesty. Few people know what happened in the Yunqi Palace, because lady Yun seldom visited other ladies." The attendant answered Yun Shang''s question in a low voice.


    "How about those people from the court? Are they in the palace now?" Yun Shang asked peacefully, staring at the armrest of the chair.


    The attendant answered quickly, "His Highness, the seventh prince, Field Marshal Su, Master of the court Liu, Lord Hua Guo, Mister Liu, they are in the palace right now. Other officials are not in the palace."


    "Have you heard what they talked about today?" Yun Shang''s hand paused when hearing his response. She thought that Liu Yinfeng had a special position in the state of Xia. In fact, he was neither a royal member nor an official of the court, but he could freely go to the court without permission, and Xia Huanyu didn''t hide such an important thing from him. It was really a special favor that Liu


    ang ordered in detail, "bring back the list of their ordinary goods and today''s items to me."


    Qian Zhuo said yes, stood beside Yun Shang for a while. When she saw that Yun Shang didn''t have other orders, she left the study.


    Yun Shang stayed in the study until midnight and went to bed. The next day, she got up very early. As soon as she got up, she heard Qian Liu saying, "Your Highness got up early today and the news got out. In the city, it was rumored that his majesty had an accident. It was said that his majesty hadn''t gone to the court for two consecutive days and several ministers had entered the palace yesterday. Since they didn''t come out again, they are afraid that something bad has happened to his majesty. "


    Yun Shang nodded her head and sighed. "Who told them? It must be the eldest princess. Seducing people is her first step."


    "How long has the rumors been spread?" Yun Shang wore only a night robe. She walked to the window and opened it. It was dark outside, so it was early in the morning. It was the time when people got up and went shopping. The street was bustling. Even if there was a rumor, it would not take long.

 Chapter 590 Prince Rui Is Back In The Mansion (Part Two)

    "Two hours? But the rumors spread so fast that almost everyone has known it." Qian Liu said in a low voice, glanced at Yun Shang, who was wearing very thin, and she hastily took a cloak and put it on Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang nodded her head, "it''s not difficult to spread rumors. All they need to do is to let people disguise as small vendors in the street and ordinary people who are drinking morning tea in the teahouse. It will pass out very quickly and very difficult to find the source of rumors."


    Qian Liu replied immediately, "yes. The butler told me so and I asked my people to find out who is spreading the rumor. But somehow I can''t find him."


    "A lot of servants who purchase goods in the government houses have already come back home at this time. Send someone to keep an eye on the officials," Yun Shang thought for a while and said.


    Qian Liu curtsied to Yun Shang, and then asked Qian Zhuo to help Yun Shang get dressed. She left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang calculated the time. The Qian Fo Temple was a little far from the city. She guessed the hidden guard who went to the place would come back before noon. Luo Qingyan told the guard not to let her out. It seemed that she could only spend the morning in the study.


    After breakfast, Yun Shang was about to go to the study when she heard Qian Liu''s surprised voice coming from outside. "His Highness, he is going back home?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang opened the door curtain and walked into the outer hall. Seeing Qian Liu standing at the door, Yun Shang asked, "is Prince Rui back


    ll. The empress intended to ask Su Qi and the other two to take out the tokens of the imperial guards to secretly transfer the imperial guards to see the majesty, but Liu Jin said that the token of the imperial guards he had received had been burgled the day before yesterday."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She thought about it for a while and said, "the day before yesterday, was it the night his majesty disappeared? How could it be such a coincidence that the token was gone when his Majesty was missing? Besides, Field Marshal Su and Lord Hua Guo also has a token. Why has he been the only one who was burgled? "


    Luo Qingyan gave an ironic laugh, "He didn''t lose it. I had been wondering why the eldest princess would hook up with Liu Jin, after all, he was so old. I thought the eldest princess was trying to make Liu Jin, who had a stiff relationship with the seventh prince, join her side. It was not until yesterday that I knew the fact that what the eldest princess wanted to get from Liu Jin was the token the imperial guards. "

 Chapter 591 Being Kidnapped (Part One)

    Yun Shang was puzzled at his words and said, "but he just had a third of the token to mobilize the imperial guards. Even if the eldest princess gets it, it''s impossible for her to dispatch the guards. What''s the use in doing that?"


    Luo Qingyan had a sip of soup and smiled, then he said to her, "she has never thought of using the imperial guards. What she wants is just preventing us from using the imperial guards ourselves."


    "It was a slip of the tongue. The highness had prepared something for her in advance..." Yun Shang said. Then she paused and raised her head to look at Luo Qingyan. "His Majesty is smart enough to give the token to order the imperial guards to you in advance. How could he be fooled by the eldest princess so easily? We have mentioned the other day that though his majesty seems to be fond of Lady Yun and Princess Qian Ling, he should have been prepared for that a long time ago. Now that the eldest princess planned to use lady Yun and her daughter as bait, how could his majesty not be prepared for that? "


    Luo Qingyan, with the bowl in his hand, paused for a moment before he continued, "now no one knows what happened that night, neither did the people in the Yunqi Palace. All the servants were killed by a knife, clean and neat."


    Yun Shang bit her lips. She felt that it was unusual that Xia Huanyu would be so careless and fall into the trap of the eldest princess. She thought for a while and said, "may I come to the imperial palace?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head. "Not yet. Just stay at our mansion. I''ll take you out some time later."


    Yun Shang knew Luo Qingyan meant to protect her and was afraid that the eldest princess would take revenge on her. Moved as she was, she smiled and sai


    ce ordered one of the secret guards in low voice to think of a way to get out of the trouble and report the incident back to us. After about fifteen minutes of fighting with the assassins, Prince Rui was kidnapped by them. "


    Yun Shang''s hand clenched tightly on the map after hearing the news, which made the map wrinkle. After a while, Yun Shang calmed herself down. Luo Qingyan said he wouldn''t let her bail the eldest princess out, and then he went to be the bail himself. Hearing that Luo Qingyan left his secret guards in the mansion, Yun Shang knew what he was up to.


    The secret guard looked at Yun Shang anxiously. "Your Highness, what should we do now?"


    "What should we do?" Yun Shang stood up and told Qian Liu to bring a cloak and put it on her. "I''m going to the palace."


    The secret guard glanced at Yun Shang and hesitated. "Go to the palace? But... His highness... "


    Yun Shang knew that he wanted to say that his highness meant to forbid her from going into the palace. She said with a cold sneer, "now that Prince Rui has already been kidnapped, who cares about me, a mere Lady Rui? Get the carriage ready. Let''s go to the palace. "

 Chapter 592 Being Kidnapped (Part Two)

    Yun Shang''s face was so hideous that the secret guard dared not disobey her order. They got the carriage ready in a hurry, followed by many secret guards, and they escorted Yun Shang to the palace gate.


    Many officials and dignified officials gathered at the entrance of the palace, talking to each other in a low voice. The gate was closed, and there were a few guards standing in front of it. Yun Shang glanced at all the officials and then said to the guards, "Please let me in. I have something urgent to report to his majesty and the empress."


    Yun Shang had been in the palace quite often. The palace guards knew her well. They looked at her hesitantly and said in a low voice, "Lady Rui, it''s not that we don''t want you to go in. I just received an order from the high ups..."


    Yun Shang heard him and said immediately: "I know. Please inform the empress that Prince Rui had an accident. As long as the news gets to her, it doesn''t matter whether the empress wants to see me or not."


    The guard kept silent for a while, then nodded his head, turned around, opened the gate and went in.


    "Lady Rui, are you going to the palace too?" Yun Shang stood in front of the palace gate with Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo, and then heard an inquiry from behind.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and turned around. There was a man in an official robe standing behind her. She recognized him. He was Qiu Guangji, and she immediately frowned. She bit her lips, and then nodded her head. "His highness had been discussing business with his majesty and the seventh prince yesterday in the palace. He went back to our mansion early this morning, and stayed for a while before he went back to the palace again, saying that


    sty."


    The empress''s eyes darkened at her words. "Who told you that his Majesty was captured? Prince Rui? "


    Yun Shang remembered that the empress had ordered to block the news of Xia Huanyu''s accident. She thought for a while and said, "Prince Rui has never told me anything about affairs in the court, but this news has already been spread in the city. There are even several versions of the story by the master of the teahouse. The servants in charge of purchasing goods in the morning heard of the rumor, and when they returned to the mansion, they reported it to me. It''s not surprising that your majesty never stayed up late for meetings even though he called his highness in. In addition, when I went into the palace earlier, I saw many officials guarding outside the palace. The empress had ordered some servants to tell us that his majesty is sick and recuperating from his Majesty''s illness. But now, her majesty and the rest lords are in the Taiji Palace, but you are not in the inner palace. I''ve been guessing since then. It''s only likely that his majesty is not in the palace now. I''m afraid that the rumor is not groundless. "

 Chapter 593 Clues

    The Empress stared at Yun Shang. After a long time of silence, she asked, "How do you know Prince Rui and His Majesty were kidnapped by the same person?"


    Yun Shang meditated for a while and said, "I also grew up in the Imperial Palace, so I know a lot about the things in the palace. This purpose of abducting an emperor is most likely for the throne. The Emperor was captured, then His highness disappeared. And they all relate to the throne, so it must be done by one person. "


    Since Yun Shang accidentally slipped that she knew Xia Huanyu has been missing, she said every word after careful consideration to avoid showing her real strength. She spoke with a girlish charm, being a gentle and spoiled royal princess.


    The Empress kept her eyes fixed on the Empress. After a while, she said, "The Ministry of Justice will investigate. You don''t need to worry about it, Lady Rui."


    Ministry of Justice? Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Before she could say anything, Liu Yinfeng cut in. "Your Majesty, I''m afraid it''s not appropriate to leave the matter up to the Ministry of Justice. If the matter of Prince Rui really has something to do with His Majesty''s missing, the rumor will get around soon."


    "Really?" The Empress then looked at Liu Yinfeng with a bit of contemplation. "Then who do you think could investigate it?"


    Liu Yingfeng remained silent for a while and said, "if the Empress and Lady Rui don''t mind, I''ll give it a try."


    No one spoke in the hall. After a long time, the Empress said calmly, "Since you take the initiative to ask for the task, I''ll let you do it." After that, the Empress waved at them and said, "Go to the Meeting Hall and discuss it. I will take care of everything here. If you stay here for a long time, everyone will be suspicious."


    They exchange a look, bowed and left. Just as they opened the door and walked out of the side hall of the Taiji Palace, they saw a woman in a silver purple overcoat coming around the corner. Seeing them, the woman paused and smiled awkwardly. "Your Highness, Your Lordships, I didn''t expect you were h


    g was a little stunned. "What''s wrong with the Mansion of the Liu clan?"


    Yun Shang nodded and said directly, "My secret guard has found out today''s shopping list of Mansion of the Liu clan contained a lot more items than usual. There are much more food ingredients including mandarin fish, sour bamboo shoots, bamboo fungus and guinea fowl and so on. And there are some new clothes for both men and women, which are all made of the best cloth. "


    Liu Yinfeng paused for a while and said, "Isn''t it normal? After all there are also several hundred people in my mansion."


    Yun Shang shook her head. "Mr. Liu, you might not know it well as you never manage the household affairs. Usually, the daily purchase in a mansion like yours has a fixed amount. If there is any change, it should be reported to the hostess of the mansion. Given the relatively fixed number of people in the mansion, even if there are some changes, the total amount of purchased goods is always stable. It is rarely that so many more things are needed all of a sudden. Besides, these clothes new purchased are all winter clothes, but the servant in your mansion has already brought winter clothes not long ago... And the ingredients I said just now... "


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Liu Yinfeng, "Mr. Liu, you goes to the Imperial Palace frequently and you must know those are all His Majesty''s favorites..."

 Chapter 594 Strange Clues

    Liu Yinfeng looked at Yun Shang and remained silent for a long time. Then he nodded and said, "Okay."


    Lord Hua Guo suddenly realized what Yun Shang meant. "What? How dare the Liu clan! I''m going to crush their mansion! "


    Yun Shang hurriedly took hold of Lord Hua Guo. "Grandpa, please calm down. It''s just my guess. I don''t have any evidence. That''s why I asked Mr. Liu to check, instead of telling the Empress directly."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Lord Hua Guo glared at her and said, "Are you out of your mind? As Liu Jin''s adoptive son, Liu Yinfeng will definitely help him. How could you ask him to check?"


    "Mr. Liu is also trusted by His Majesty. Grandpa, please believe me." Yun Shang pleaded in a low voice.


    Liu Yingfeng remained silent for a while and said, "I''ll go back to check now." Then he said to Yun Shang, "I know you are worried about Prince Rui, but I advise you to go back and wait for the news. The Empress is very suspicious. It''s not good for you to stay too long in the Imperial Palace. I will inform you as soon as I get any news."


    Yun Shang planned to go to the Yun Qi palace, but she hesitated when she heard Liu Yinfeng''s words. After a long time of silence, she said, "Okay, I''ll go back now and wait for your news."


    Hearing that, Lord Hua Guo was unhappy. "Go back? How could you leave before getting the news about Prince Rui? I have to go out of the Imperial Palace and check if there is any clue in the place where Prince Rui was taken away. You said that there were two secret guards following him when he was kidnapped and later one of them returned to report. Call them and I''ll question them carefully. And the people around the place of the incident should also be questioned."


    Yun Shang knew Lord Hua Guo was worried about Luo Qingyan, so she didn''t stop him. Then they came out of the Imperial Palace together. Liu Yinfeng went straight back to the Mansion of the Liu clan. Lord Hua Guo followed Yun Shang to the Prince Rui''s mansion.


    Yun Shang asked the butler to bring the secret guard who reported the news. She said to him, "Take Lord Hua Guo to the place where His Highness has been taken away and answer Lord Hua Guo''s inquiries in details."


    The secret guard nodded and left with Lord Hua Guo.


    When Yun Shang went back to the yard, she saw Qian Yin waiting for her at the gate. "Your Highness, a secret guard who has been sent to inquiry Qian Fo Temple has come back. He said that they found traces of camping at two spots among places you circled on the map."


    Yun Shang nodded and hurried back to her room. The secret guard was waiting for her in the room. On seeing her, he immediately handed her the map she gave them earlier. "Your Highness..."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, unfolded the map, and asked, "Which two places?"


    The secret guard pointed two spots on the map and said, "There are traces showing that many people was living there not long before. Lots of trees and grasses in the forest nearby have been cut. There are also some new


    Why is it under my pillow? "


    Yun Shang unfolded the parchment in a hurry. It was a map that she was quite familiar with. She had studied the same map for many times since yesterday.


    "Isn''t a map of areas around Qian Fo Temple? " Qian Yu looked at the map and then looked at Yun Shang in confusion.


    Yun Shang stared at the map for a while and found that many places have also been circled on this map including the two spots the secret guard reported today. Yun Shang was taken aback, and then she realized that it might be the troop deployment plan of the Eldest Princess. The small character at the left corner also proved Yun Shang''s idea. There were four words on it, ''the army is here''.


    It turned out that she was not the only one to have such an idea. Luo Qingyan had already ordered people to find out all these places. But why didn''t Luo Qingyan lead the imperial guards to take over these places? There was no doubt that the Eldest Princess must have no idea that Luo Qingyan had already known the places where she hidden soldiers and weapons. Luo Qingyan could take advantage by launching a surprise attack. In that case, the Eldest Palace would lost her chip and be like a rat in a hole.


    Why did Luo Qingyan risk his life to abduct the princess in the fastest way even though he had known the truth.


    Yun Shang thought Luo Qingyan planned to explore the Eldest Princess''s secrets by this way and then send the news to Yun Shang or any other people to rescue. But if so, why did he leave both the imperial guards token and the map under her pillow...


    Qian Liu and Qian Shui were also confused. "Your Highness, what does His Highness mean? Does he mean that you could summon the imperial guards to rescue them after he sends message to you? "


    Yun Shang didn''t answer, but silently took the two things in her hands. She stood there, frowning. No one knew what she was thinking about.


    At this moment, a servant ran up to Yun Shang and reported, "Your Highness, Lady Hua Guo has come."

 Chapter 595 Congratulations

    Yun Shang kept silent for a while, and then handed the two things to Qian Liu, "Put them back under my pillow." Then she turned around and went to the garden house.


    Lady Hua Guo looked very anxious. She kept staring at the door of the garden house. The maid served a cup of tea, but she shook her head and said, "Remove it. I am not in the mood for tea now."


    Hearing that, Yun Shang paused, took a deep breath, and called gently, "grandmother..."


    Lady Guo hurriedly stood up and walked to Yun Shang. She took hold of Yun Shang''s hand, and looked her up and down. Then she asked, "Why is your face so pale? Are the rumors true? Did something happen to Qingyan?"


    Yun Shang paused for a while and sighed softly. Her face was full of bitterness, and said in a low voice. "Yes. This morning, His Highness came back from the Imperial Palace to take something. After breakfast, he rushed back to the palace. After a short while, a secret guard came back and reported to me that they met many assassins on the way to the palace. His Highness only took two secret guards with him and was took away by the assassins. Seeing this, one of the shadow guards hastily came back to report. "


    Lady Hua Guo trembled, patted her thigh, and asked anxiously, "how could it happen? How could it happen? "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and said nothing, with tears in her eyes. She felt touched that Luo Qingyan had relatives who cared about him so much after he had been alone for such a long time.


    Lady Hua Guo murmured to herself for many times, "How could this happen?" She suddenly stood up. "I have to go into the Imperial Palace and beg the Empress to send someone to save Qingyan. He is my only grandson. I can''t lost him again."


    Yun Shang quickly reached out her arm but failed to hold her back. Lady Hua Guo was too fast. Before Yun Shang could say anything, she had already arrived at the gate.


    "Nonsense!" A low voice came from outside, followed by a cold snort.


    Yun Shang hurried to the door, and saw Lord Hua Guo standing there. He looked at Lady Hua Guo coldly, with his hands clasped behind his back. But there was no anger in his eyes.


    Yun Shang looked behind Lord Hua Guo. Liu Yinfeng wasn''t there. He must have left.


    Lady Hua Guo suddenly stopped when she saw Lord Hua Guo. As if she had recovered from her own thoughts, she said, "Oh, I forgot. The Empress is no longer Ling''er." Then she held Lord Hua Guo''s hand and ordered, "Please save Qingyan."


    Lord Hua Guo frowned and pulled his wife towards the gate of Prince Rui''s mansion. Lady Hua Guo stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but was dragged out by Lord Hua Guo. She asked anxiously, "What are you doing?"


    Qian Zhuo intended to hold Lady Hua Guo, but Yun Shang stopped her. After a short while, she said calmly, "Lord Hua Guo won''t hurt her."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo recalled that Lord Hua Guo quickly raised his hand to pull Lady Hua Guo up when she was about to fall. She replied, "Yes."


    Yun Shang


    pricked up their ears as if they were listening carefully.


    Yun Shang''s face was pale. She smiled bitterly, "Yes. Yesterday His Highness met some trouble. I have reported it to the Empress. We haven''t got any news yet. I am just going into the Imperial Palace to ask."


    Hearing this, Qian Yin quickly said, "Let me go to the palace with you, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No, thanks. You are busy with a lot of things. I have Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo with me. You just go back." Then she walked to the carriage parked outside the mansion and got on the carriage with the help of Qian Liu. But as soon as she got on the carriage, she felt dizzy, and her face became paler immediately. With a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, her body became weak and she fell backwards.


    Qian Liu and Qian Liu, who had been keeping an eye on Yun Shang, shouted in a hurry, "Your Highness!" Then she reached out to put Yun Shang into her arms.


    For a moment, it was in chaos outside Prince Rui''s mansion.


    "Take Her Highness back to her room!" Qian Yin shouted. Then she ordered the doorman behind her, "Go and call the physician. Hurry up!"


    With great strength, they got Yun Shang back to the yard and helped her lie down on the bed. Yun Shang slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed her forehead and asked, "Has anyone outsider left?"


    Qian Ying nodded, "Two people have left."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and struggled to sit up. "They must have gone back to report."


    Qian Yin smiled and hurriedly said, "I''m afraid the news that Lady Rui was so sad after Prince Rui''s missing that she fainted at the gate of the mansion will spread out quickly in Jin city."


    Yun Shang nodded. The butler came in with a physician. The physician bowed to Yun Shang and then knelt down beside the bed. The physician felt her pulse carefully, and raised his eyebrows before he bowed to Yun Shang. The physician said with a smile, "Congratulations, Your Highness. Congratulations, you are pregnant."

 Chapter 596 Pregnancy

    All the people in the room were shocked. After a while, Yun Shang took back her hands and said calmly, "I see." Then she turned to the butler and said, "Take the physician to get his pay."


    The physician was stupefied at her words. He hesitated before replying, "Your Highness, you don''t look well. I''m afraid it''s induced by overwork. What about I prescribe you some medicine that can prevent miscarriage?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No, thanks."


    The butler immediately led the physician out. Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo looked at Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, pregnancy hasn''t been mentioned when I discussed with the physician. I''ve only told the physician to say that you are not in good condition because of excessive sorrow. Will we still follow the original plan? "


    Yun Shang''s fingers on the edge of the bed moved a little. Then she raised her head and said, "Go. Why not? Isn''t being pregnant more persuasive than being heartbroken?"


    "But..." Qian Liu frowned. Yun Shang knew what she was going to say. She waved her hand and said, "Don''t try to persuade me. I have made up my mind. We have been in the State of Xia for more than half a year. Although His Highness looks like a prince with a noble identity, he has been isolated by the officials in the court. No one else can support him except Lord Hua Guo. This is a good chance for him to gain a firm foothold in the State of Xia. Now that he leaves such a big thing to me, I will surely not let him down. "


    Yun Shang drew back her hands, and put them on her belly. A smile emerged on her lips as she thought that she was going to be a mother again. In her previous life, Huan''er was always being despised and didn''t live a good life for even one day. Yun Shang hoped that the baby in her belly would still be her huan''er. In this life, Yun Shang would do everything she could to love huan''er, making him the happiest child in the world.


    Yun Shang smiled and said gently, "Don''t worry. I will protect myself and the baby in my belly well. I will not let him get any harm. Do as I have instructed you. "


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo exchanged a glance, and nodded. Qian Yin, who had been standing beside Yun Shang silently with a big smile on her face, said, "I''m so happy for you, Your Highness. You and his Highness are both extraordinary. Your child must be very outstanding." After a pause, she suddenly stood up and said, "Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo have no experience of taking care of a pregnant woman. Since It''s your first pregnancy, you also don''t have any experience. Shouldn''t we find a trustworthy nanny?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "It doesn''t matter. We do need a nanny, but no hurries."


    Qian Yin nodded with a smile. Then she turned to Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo and said, "Don''t be too nervous. Her Highness is always careful and prudent, and this plan is not too risky. But make sure to keep Her Highness within your sight. Besides, more secret guards


    ur pulse."


    Imperial physician? Yun Shang smiled coldly. She knew that the Empress wouldn''t believe what she had said, but she didn''t expect that the imperial physician would come so soon.


    Lady Hua Guo was also unhappy. "There is nothing wrong with her. Why sending an imperial physician?"


    However, it''s not appropriate to neglect the one sent from the Imperial Palace. So Yun Shang immediately asked the butler to bring the imperial physician in. Along with the imperial physician was an eunuch. Yun Shang''s eyes swept across him. The eunuch immediately smiled and bowed to Yun Shang. "Your Highness, after hearing that you are pregnant and you''ve sent for many physician this afternoon, the Empress worried that the baby would be affected by your anxiety about Prince Rui. She said the physicians outside less likely have higher medical skills than the imperial physicians. So Her Majesty ordered me to bring the imperial physician here."


    Yun Shang smiled, and asked Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo to help her sit up. "Thanks for Her Majesty''s concern." Then she turned to the imperial physician with white beard and said, "Thank you, sir."


    The imperial physician made a hasty bow and kneel down beside the bench. As Yun Shang reached out her hand, the imperial physician opened the medicine box, took out a white handkerchief from the box and put it on Yun Shang''s arm. Then he put his hand on the handkerchief to feel her pulse.


    Everyone looked at the imperial physician silently. After a while, the imperial physician took his hand back and bowed to Yun Shang. "Congrats. It''s true that you are pregnant. But according to your pulse, you get deficiency of vital energy which might cause deficiency of blood, feverish sensation, mouth parched, shortness of breath and dizziness. You need to have good rest and don''t worry too much. Strenuous exercise is also not allowed. For the health of the baby, you''d better keep a quiet and calm mind. "

 Chapter 597 Leaving The Mansion

    On hearing this, Lady Hua Guo immediately asked, "No medicine? Doesn''t she need some medicine? "


    The imperial physician shook his head and said, "Diet cures more than medicine. Besides, pregnant women should be more careful to take medicine for every medicine has its side effect. Her Highness could have more nourishing food such as white wood ear mushroom, tofu, lily, yam, soft-shelled turtle, crab, duck and so on."


    Yun Shang nodded and told Qian Liu to write them down.


    Then Yun Shang asked the butler to award the eunuch and the imperial physician with some money and send them out.


    Lady Guo was a little nervous. "Shang''er, keep in mind what the imperial physician has told you. Don''t worry about the rest. Just leave Qingyan''s matter to your grandfather. Lie in bed more often every day. If you are tired of lying, just take a walk in the yard."


    Lady Hua Guo told her a lot of things that needed to be paid attention to during pregnancy, almost wanting to live in Prince Rui''s mansion. She said more than half an hour before she got up and left.


    Then Yun Shang lifted the quilt and went down from the bed. She walked to the table and picked up the note Qian Liu wrote. Sneering, she tore the paper apart and threw it into the brazier.


    Qian Liu was surprised. She asked, "Your Highness, what''s wrong? Is there something wrong with the ingredients?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "The Empress did really think hard on it. The imperial physician seems to be quite professional, saying that medicine is not as effective as nourishing diet. But if I do as he told and eat them every day, I''m afraid that I''ll lose my baby within three months."


    "Why? Aren''t these just ordinary food?" Qian Liu looked confused, and she Qian Zhuo looked at Yun Shang with great expectation.


    Yun Shang then said, "The imperial physician has recommended seven kinds of food materials. They are indeed good for health, but not all of them are suitable for pregnant women. The Empress knows well about the situation in our mansion. She must know that most of my maids are young girls and that I know little about must-nots during pregnancy. Though I know some medical skills, but I don''t know too much about pregnancy. She planned to take advantage of this to kill my baby."


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo were furious. "The Empress is so vicious!"


    Qian Liu quickly asked, "Your Highness, which food ingredients are not suitable?"


    "Both crab and soft-shelled turtle are cold in nature. They are nourishing and have little side effect to most people, but they should be avoided by pregnant women, especially the crab claws and turtle shell which could easily lead to a miscarriage." Yun Shang said slowly and lied down again.


    Qian Liu frowned and said, "It seems we have to find an experienced nanny. And I and Qian L


    "


    The gate was opened suddenly. A middle-aged man looked outside with a dim lamp in his hand.


    As he saw the token, a trace of coldness flashed through his eyes. He quickly drew them inside, looked around, and quickly closed the gate.


    The man lifted the lamp and walked in the front. He pushed open the old cracked door which had holes hidden by the straws. Inside the room, there were only a dusty table and several crippled long chairs.


    As soon as the man entered the room, he turned around and looked at them up and down. "Who are you?"


    Hearing his words, Yun Shang took a step forward, took off her veiled hat and said, "Sir, are you Liu Ming? The adoptive son of Mr. Liu Wenan and the commander of the palace guards? "


    Liu Ming frowned at Yun Shang''s words, but didn''t make any answer. He just frowned and asked, "Who are you?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''m Lady Rui, Ning Yun Shang." Yun Shang took out the jade badge from her sleeve to Liu Ming as she spoke.


    "Lady Rui?" He looked at the jade badge in his hand and asked with doubt, "How did you get the army token? How did you find this place? "


    "Have you heard about His Majesty''s missing?" Yun Shang also didn''t answer him but asked him another question.


    Liu Ming didn''t replied, but Yun Shang knew his answer through his expression.


    "It seems that you have known it. Your adoptive father must also have known it for he is His Majesty''s most trustworthy person. The Emperor has gave the token to Prince Rui." Yun Shang looked calm. Her eyes fell on Liu Ming. "However, His highness was also kidnapped several days ago.


    "Before that, Prince Rui had given the token to me and told me your address. He asked me to take a chance to meet you and ask you for a favor." Yun Shang said with a smile, "It is matter concerning the future of the State of Xia. Commander Liu, are you willing to take it?"

 Chapter 598 Test Yun Shang

    Liu Ming looked at Yun Shang and remained silent for a long time before he said, "Lady Rui, now that the token is in your hand and you could find me, I will definitely obey your order."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded. She walked Liu Ming through what happened recently. She took out the map left by Luo Qingyan and handed it to him. "The Eldest Princess has hidden her soldiers in nearly ten different places, each of which has about 20, 000 or 30, 000 soldiers. There must be a way to contact each other among these spots. Once there was something wrong at one spot, they would quickly send a signal to others, letting the soldiers in the other spots either rescue or be alert. So we must have enough people to attack these spots at the same time, and destroy them all in one go. "


    Liu Ming didn''t respond. He looked carefully at the map on his desk. After a long time, he raised his head and said, "It''s the best that we can take them down at the same time as Lady Rui said. But if we can''t, we still have to try every means to stop them from sending signals, so that we can buy time."


    After saying that, he turned to Yun Shang again. "Your Highness, if you were the Eldest Princess, what kind of method will you use to send a signal that could be seen by soldiers in all these places at the same time?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled. She knew that Liu Ming was not convinced. She took the token to him at the midnight, wanting to order the palace guards. But, Liu Ming was being polite to her because of the token in her hand, not because of her. So, he wanted to test Yun Shang to see if she was capable enough to make the palace guards convinced.


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the map. She had studied it many times and almost remembered it in her mind, but she never thought how the soldiers in different places get contact with each other.


    If it was some common method, it would be fireworks, letters, pigeons or sound signals. But these methods were all limited. Fireworks could not be seen in the day. Letters or pigeons would take a long time, and the special sounds could only be heard from close distance.


    Obviously, none of these methods could be adopted by them.


    Yun Shang looked carefully at the spots circled by Luo Qingyan, which scattered around the Qian Fo Temple.


    Yun Shang''s hands trembled. What did she think of just now? All these spots were scattered around the Qian Fo Temple. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. The Eldest Princess claimed to be a Buddhist and spent most of her time in the Qian Fo Temple, so these soldiers were all hidden near the temple.


    Yun Shang put her hand on a spot next to the Qian Fo Temple. She squinted a little and a bright smile appeared on her face. Then she rai


    sion."


    Yun Shang answered in a low voice. She felt her head heavy. As soon as she closed her eyes, she could no longer open them. Soon she fell asleep.


    It was already afternoon when Yun Shang woke up. She opened the bed curtain, but didn''t see Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo. So she called them slightly, and Qian Liu pushed the door open and came in.


    "Are you awake, Your Highness?" Qian Liu smiled as she helped Yun Shang put her clothes on. "The clothes was specially prepared for you by Sister Qian Shui. It''s not like the clothes with wide sleeves you usually wear, but it''s very light and convenient to move."


    Yun Shang smiled after a pause. "I prefer men''s clothing."


    Qian Liu was stunned. She patted her own head and said, "I have forgotten that Qian Yin once told me that Your Highness likes wearing men''s clothing when going out. I will prepare it now. It''s cold outside. You''d better go back to your bed, Your Highness."


    As soon as Qian Liu went out, Qian Zhuo came in. "The maid told me that Lady Liu went to our mansion to visit you afternoon. The butler told her that you are taking a nap and the physician asked you to stay in bed. Lady Liu left just after sitting in the garden house for a while."


    Yun Shang frowned at her words and turned to Qian Zhuo, "Lady Liu? I am not familiar with her. Why did she visit me? "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "Keep an eye on the Mansion of the Liu clan. If anything goes wrong, send the secret guards to report to me."


    Qian Zhuo nodded and went on, "The rumor about His Majesty grew more and more. Some even said that his Majesty was seriously ill. Someone said that His Majesty had been missing and boded ill rather than well. Because of these rumors, everyone is jittery, and the contacts between officials are getting more frequently ... "

 Chapter 599 Setting Off

    Yun Shang closed her eyes slightly, nodded and said with a smile, "that''s a good time to see through those courtiers who know nothing but how to flatter the emperor. They can''t wait to speak when an accident occurs to his majesty. I''m afraid that the threshold of the seventh prince''s mansion will be broke by these courtiers. But I don''t know what the seventh prince will do. "


    Qian Zhuo recalled that she had heard something about the seventh Prince these days. "I''ve heard that the seventh Prince has been staying in the palace these days, and he even slept in the meeting hall at night in the name of guarding his majesty."


    "Guarding his majesty?" Yun Shang let out a sneer. She was somewhat impressed by the mild smiling prince. "He is a smart man. He can do two things at one stroke. This way, he will earn a reputation of filial piety among the commoners, and also in time to understand the situation in the palace. If there is any bad news, he will directly wear a yellow robe and ascend to the emperor. No one in the imperial palace is innocent. "


    Qian Zhuo was anxious when she heard her words. "Your highness, if his majesty really have an accident, the seventh prince will be the first to take the initiative."


    "His majesty will be fine." Yun Shang said firmly, "if the eldest princess killed the emperor, she would have no chance to get the throne. On the contrary, it will only benefit the seventh prince. As smart as the eldest princess, she would not do that. Only by threatening the emperor to command the world could she have the chance to be the emperor herself. Although she will not be outstanding in the history book, she will be able to achieve her goal. If the seventh Prince did something wrong, I''m afraid the rumor would spread out."


    "Then let''s just stand by and let the seventh Prince wait in the palace like this?" Qian Zhuo said quickly.


    Yun Shang didn''t take her words seriously. She smiled and said, "if the seventh prince wants to guard the Imperial Palace, then he can. But this time, the seventh prince is doomed to fail. But he will seem to be too impatient. His majesty is not stupid. It only takes a little thought to understand what the seventh prince wants to do and will be hostile to him. At that time, i


    e.


    The Qian Fo Temple was about five or six days away from the Jin City. If they travelled day and night, it would only take three days or so. However, Yun Shang was not as strong as she used to be. She decided to find an inn to stay in the middle of the road in two days so that everyone could have enough rest.


    It was smooth all the way to the temple, and Yun Shang didn''t have any discomfort. On the fourth night, she arrived at the city not far from the Qian Fo Temple. The city was called the Qian City, which was not a small city. It was just because there were many soldiers in the imperial army. If all of them entered the city, it would be too eye-catching. Only half of them were scattered outside the city, and the other half were sent into the city.


    In the evening, it was a quiet night in the city. Yun Shang and her companions went to an inn and knocked on the door. The shop assistant looked at them for a moment, and said, "gentlemen, do you want to have a meal or a place to sleep?"


    Qian Liu replied in haste, "We''d like to rest here!"


    The attendant replied with a frown, "what a coincidence. I don''t know why so many people have come to the city recently. I don''t know if it is because of the birthday of his majesty next month. The inns are almost full."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. It seemed that the news of Xia Huanyu''s accident hadn''t been spread too far. Yun Shang nodded at the attendant and said, "well, thanks a lot, man. We will try to find another way... "

 Chapter 600 The Qian City

    Yun Shang was about to lead them to the next inn. The attendant had been staring at them for a long time before he opened his mouth again. "Forget it. We have several staff rooms in the backyard. Given there are only seven of you and you are all men, I could spare three rooms for you. I''m afraid that you can''t find a vacant room no matter where you go at this time. "


    Yun Shang thought for a while, and realized that the attendant was telling the truth. She nodded and said, "Thank you."


    The attendant sent someone to settle the horse and then led them into the inn. "Guests, please wait in the hall for a moment. The rooms are being cleaned. Would you like me some tea?"


    "Yes, and we need some dishes. We haven''t have even one good meal during our journey." Qian Zhuo ordered.


    The waiter quickly responded. Qian Liu added, "make two or three light dishes and some signature dish here."


    The attendant''s eyes lit up as soon as he heard the words. "Okay!"


    A smile curved Yun Shang''s lips as she listened to Qian Liu''s words. She quietly put her hand on her abdomen. Fortunately, the child in her belly was sensible. Although the journey was hard, there was no discomfort in it.


    It was not lunchtime, so there were only them in the hall. But there were guests coming downstairs from time to time, looking for the attendant.


    After a while, the dishes were served and they had some food. Then the attendant came and said, "Guests, the rooms are ready. This way please."


    They followed the attendant to the back yard, which was simple with only two stone tables and several stone chairs. In front of them was a row of rooms. The attendant led them to the rightmost room and said, "Sir, these three rooms are all yours. The rooms are very simple, please forgive us for that."


    Qian Liu took out some pieces of silver from her sleeve and gave it to the attendant, smiling, "Thanks."


    The attendant exited in delight. Liu Ming said, "One room for Lady Rui, one for two girls and the rest of us share another room"


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head. "No, I and Qian Liu, Qian Zhuo just need one room. I''m get used to having they two accompany me." Commander Liu, please come with me. Let''s discuss the plan for tomorrow. "


    Before Liu Ming could say anything, Yun Shang had already turned around and opened the door. Liu Ming was stunned for a while. Then he followed in. The room was indeed simple as the attendant said. There was only a bed, a table, and a shelf with a basin and a handkerchief.


    But Yun Shang didn''t care about it at all. She went to the table and sat down. She smiled to Liu Ming, "Take a seat, Mr. Liu."


    Before Liu Ming could react, Yun Shang took out the map and spread it on the table. "It has already started drawing attention that man


    diately, "I''ll go to check out."


    Yun Shang nodded and followed Liu Ming out of the inn.


    The house Liu Ming found was near the inn. It was small, but clean and quiet.


    Victor Liu sat behind Yun Shang. He frowned, as if he had something on his mind. Yun Shang looked at him for a long time and asked with a smile, "Commander Liu, is there anything on your mind?"


    Liu Ming paused as if he was in a dilemma. Yun Shang stared at him for a long time before he stamped his feet. He said anxiously, "I heard that Your Highness is pregnant?"


    Yun Shang smiled. Commander Liu was a good man, but he was honest in character. If she told him that she was pregnant, he would kneel down and beg for Yun Shang to stay. Thinking of this, Yun Shang smiled. "Commander Liu, what rumors have you heard in the Jin City?"


    Liu Ming blushed and shook his head. "I have never paid attention to these rumors. I was told by a palace guard."


    Yun Shang understood, "Oh, I see. Did he tell you everyone in the Jin City knows that because of worrying too much about Prince Rui, I have been in bad health and the unborn baby is in danger at any time. Hence, I can only rest on the bed every day, even hard to get off the bed. Commander Liu, look at me, do you believe it?"


    Liu Ming shook his head in a daze. The lady in front of him wearing men''s clothing had rode a horse for four days. If she was really pregnant, she wouldn''t have let herself be so exhausted.


    Yun Shang continued, "Commander Liu, you know the news of Prince Rui''s missing. The Eldest Princess took both the Emperor and Prince Rui away. She is very ambitious. And There have been a lot of people keeping an eye on us outside Prince Rui''s mansion for a long time. If I didn''t play tricks, how could I escape from the eyes of the Eldest Princess and walk out of the mansion without being noticed? "

 Chapter 601 Learn The Whole Situation From A Small Detail (Part One)

    Looking into Yun Shang''s cunning eyes, Liu Ming remained silent for a long time and believed her.


    Liu Ming opened the door for Yun Shang and hurried out. After Yun Shang entered the room, she found the room better than she expected. Simple as it was, it was much better than an inn. It had everything she needed, even a make-up box and a bronze mirror. Qian Liu and Qian Zhui were packing and making the bed for her. Yun Shang took out a piece of paper from the desk, and stared at it.


    Qian Zhuo saw her action, turned to look at the table, and found that there was not good ink in the ink stone. She immediately put down the thing in her hand, poured a cup of tea, and added some water in the ink stone. Then she took the ink stone and gently rubbed it.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t move for a long time. After a long while, she looked up and asked Qian Zhuo, "how many rices does our ordinary people eat every month?"


    Qian Zhuo was stunned by the question. Qian Liu giggled, "Your Highness, I know our servants have a petite appetite of about 30 kilograms per month. The servants who have good appetite could eat about 40 kilograms each month. Why do you ask this, your highness? "


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "since I got up this morning, I walked around the city for three times. There are nine stores that sell rice in total. All of them are selling 3600000 kilograms of rice in total every month. The monthly food is about 35 kilograms of rice per person, which is equivalent to the monthly food of one hundred thousand people. There are forty thousand people in the Qian citywide total... "


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo immediately knew what Yun Shang meant. "You mean there are 60000 soldiers


    ion, can I send a message to them and ask?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and shook her head, "No, there''s no need to do that. It will take six or seven days for the news to come back. I''d better get to deal with what is happening here and go back early. I''ll ask the secret guards to get ready, and try to settle it tonight."


    Qian Liu replied in a low voice, "OK."


    Yun Shang lay down and closed her eyes, trying to have a nap.


    When Yun Shang woke up, it was already 5 o''clock in the afternoon. She lay down in bed, and got up. Qian Liu fetched a fox fur cloak for her, and helped Yun Shang put on her shoes. Yun Shang stood up, walked to a bronze mirror, and sat down. Qian Liu brushed Yun Shang''s hair with a comb, and said with a smile, "We were talking that we haven''t heard anything from the mansion before you went to bed. But I received a message just now. As your highness was asleep, I didn''t wake you up. " Then she took the letter out of her sleeve and handed it to Yun Shang. "Take a look, your highness."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, opened the letter and read it line by line. She could not help smiling.

 Chapter 602 Learn The Whole Situation From A Small Detail (Part Two)

    Qian Liu giggled at her face expression, "is there any good news? You look so happy."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked through the letter again. "It''s not a happy thing. It''s just that grandma discovered that I am gone and is angry now. The Butler said she had scolded all the servants in our yard, but she knew I had no choice this time. What she could only do is to repress her anger. According to the letter, she didn''t even go back to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Instead, she stayed at the prince''s mansion and always blamed the servants in the yard. "


    Surprised, Qian Liu said with her mouth wide open, "your ladyship, I always thought that Lady Hua Guo was calm and loving. I didn''t expect her to be so angry. I thought that Lord Hua Guo were the only one who would do such a thing. But Lady Hua Guo is just worried about your highness'' safety."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "what does you mean?"


    Qian Zhuo giggled beside and said to Yun Shang, "She was saying that only Lord Hua Zhuo had a quick temper. Every time Lord Hua Guo talks with his highness, he always gets irritated. H3 is angry and has fierce eyes. It''s fun."


    Yun Shang also chuckled. "That''s also a proper description. I''m afraid that after we return to the Jin City, we will have to go to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion as soon as possible to make an apology, or grandmother will surely be mad at us."


    When they were talking and laughing, there was a gentle knock on the door. "Are you up, your highness?" It was Liu Ming.


    Yun Shang gestured for Qian Zhuo to open the door for Liu Ming. When Liu Ming came in, he saw Qian Liu brushing Yun Shang''s hair. He lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, wha


    he hidden guard to leave. Then he went out of the room again.


    Liu Ming kept staring at the dark guard and after he left, he kept silent for a while and asked, "what did the shadow guard say that there are fifty thousand people and thirty thousand people? What''s the matter? Can you tell me, your highness? "


    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly and said, "I was going to tell you. I walked around a few times in the Qian city this morning and inquired about how much food could be sold out of the city by going into the rice stores. With the average eating volume of each person, the amount of people is about 60000 more than the number of the people in the city in total. The two of the places of the eldest princess were close to the Qian city, and they would surely need compensation from the city. The two places should be the group of sixty thousand. I asked the dark guard to check around and from the first secret guard just now, the number was 20000 in the place where he checked. There are probably forty thousand people hiding in the Mount Kirin, and twenty thousand people are responsible for each of the rest places.

 Chapter 603 Unexpected Situation

    Hearing this, Liu Ming looked at Yun Shang with admiration in his eyes. He murmured, "I didn''t expect to use this method to speculate the number of the enemy. Your Highness, you are really smart."


    Yun Shang smiled. "According to the number, your arrangement is very reasonable. Each of our group have 10, 000 more people than theirs. In this way, we will have 80% of the chance of winning. And the other 20% will depend on the situation tonight. "


    He then continued to talk with Yun Shang for a while, and left.


    Another two secret guards came back and their reports were almost the same as the first one. Yun Shang became more confident and smiled. "As long as nothing serious happens tonight, we will win this battle."


    But she still felt worried. So she ordered Qian Zhuo to bring the secret guards who had been sent to ask around the Qian Fo Temple and asked them a lot of questions.


    After dinner, Yun Shang, along with her companions, left the city. There were no torches in the forest at the foot of Mount Kirin. The palace guards were gazing through the moonlight.


    Liu Ming and Yun Shang walked to the middle of the line. After that, Liu Ming whistled and started to climb the mountain.


    Mount Kirin was very high. It was winter and the top was covered with a thick layer of snow. Liu Ming said in a low voice, "I''ve checked the condition of Mount Kirin earlier. I''ve asked all the soldiers to get two sets of clothes for it, black one for walking in the forest, and white one for marching in the snow."


    Yun Shang nodded, "The mountain road is slippery. Tell the soldiers behind you to be careful and not to fall."


    Yun Shang frowned and thought, ''I seemed to be too optimistic this afternoon. Looking at this road, I don''t know whether these palace guards trained in the Jin city could adapt to it or not.''.


    Fortunately they have good physical strength. As it was snowing, they took off their black clothes and threw them away.


    After about four hours, they were close to the top of the mountain. From a distance, Yun Shang saw the signal sent by the secret guards at one spot showing that they were ready. Gradually, the other groups were all ready.


    According to the plan, they will take down the spot on the Mount Kirin first, in case some other spot send signals to it.


    Now other groups are all ready, only this one hadn''t arrived the top of Mount Kirin yet. The later they took action, the more dangerous they were.


    Yun Shang discussed with Liu Ming in a low voice for a while, and then ordered the secret guards to send a signal to the other spots and let them take action now.


    After sending out the signal, they continued to move towards the top slowly.


    Suddenly there was a cry from the mountain. Yun Shang was taken aback, and then she saw many so


    . Yun Shang''s face darkened. "What happened? Didn''t they say that the message stands had been occupied? Why is the fire suddenly on? "


    A secret guard ran down in a hurry and said, "Your Highness, the remnants of soldiers on the top lit up all their tents as there was no hope for a breakthrough."


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth. These desperate people even lit up their tents.


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. The rest spots have all been taken over. It''s useless even if they lit up the tents to send a signal." Qian Zhuo comforted her softly.


    Yun Shang frowned and said nothing.


    After a while, Liu Ming came down from the cliff and walked to Yun Shang. "There are 40, 000 soldiers on the mountain top as you guessed, 12, 000 of them have been injured or dead, and the rest have surrendered. We finally succeed."


    Yun Shang still didn''t say anything. She stared at the firelight.


    He looked into the direction where Yun Shang was staring and said, "Some of them wanted to break the siege and run down the mountain. When they failed, they just lit up a tent. Since their tents are quite close to each other, they began to burn in a flash."


    After a short silence, Yun Shang asked, "In which direction did they try to run away?


    Liu Ming didn''t know why Yun Shang asked this question, but he still answered honestly, "Southeast."


    Yun Shang thought carefully about the condition in the southeast, and her face changed.


    Liu Ming didn''t know what Yun Shang was thinking, but he remembered the matter a soldier reported to him. "Your Highness, have you met a patrolling soldier?"


    Patrolling soldier? A ray of light flashed across Yun Shang''s mind.


    "Oh, no! Jin City is in danger, and His Majesty and His Highness are in danger. Go down the mountain now. We will return to Jin City soon! " Yun Shang said hurriedly, and walked down the mountain.

 Chapter 604 Go Back Home Hurriedly (Part One)

    Everyone hurried to keep up with Yun Shang and went down the mountain. The road was slippery and Yun Shang was on the verge of collapsing several times, held up by Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo.


    When they reached the mountain foot, it was already dawn and the road ahead was already very flat. Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo were relieved and asked, "Your Highness, what''s wrong with the Jin city?"


    Yun Shang frowned all the way. Hearing Qian Zhuo''s question, she said in a low voice, "near the peak of the mountain in the south of Mount Kirin is the Qian Fo Temple. I should have been more careful. I didn''t ask anyone to control the monk in the Qian Fo Temple in the first place. When we occupied the top of the mountain, the last guard lit up all the tents. In order to warn the other seven places, the soldiers who fought recklessly the last minute proceeded to the southeast. There might also be people of the eldest princess of the Qian Fo Temple, and even in the Qian city. As for the fire in the mountain, it was reported to a spy of the eldest princess. The spy must have arrived at Jin city that night and reported the situation here to the eldest princess. "


    Qian Zhuo still didn''t understand why Yun Shang said that, "Your Highness, the eldest princess will know it sooner or later. Didn''t your highness say that if we all take all the hidden soldiers of the eldest princess, the eldest princess will have no way to retreat and can only become a rat in the net, being caught by us?"


    "Yes, she will have no way back, but if we want her to be a rat in the net, we have to set the net up as early as possible. Otherwise, if her messenger got into the Jin City before us and informed her of the current situation, she would surely m


    n two hundred thousand soldiers startled the governor of the Qian City. He hastily inquired about the news and knocked at the door of the courtyard.


    Since things had come to this, there was no need to cover up. Yun Shang resumed her female dress and sent Liu Ming out to meet the Governor of the Qian City.


    No one knew what Liu Ming said to the Governor of the Qian City. In a short while, the Governor rolled into the yard and knelt down in front of Yun Shang. "Please forgive me, your highness. I really don''t know there are so many soldiers around."


    The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth lifted. She looked at the Governor. She remained silent for a long time before she spoke. Her voice was slow but depressing. "Oh? Although I have just came to the Qian City for two or three days, I know that the rice stores in the city sell enough to feed a hundred thousand people every month. There are only forty thousand people in the city, but you have sold the rice by more than sixty thousand people for no reason. As a Governor of the city, you don''t know this at all? I should be reporting this to his majesty. How can you play such a disloyal role?"

 Chapter 605 Go Back Home Hurriedly (Part Two)

    Trembling like a lamb, the governor of the city replied, "it''s a long story. Since six or seven years ago, there have been many gangsters in the Mount Kirin, who specially rob people and food. I have also brought my men up the mountain to suppress bandits, but those bandits are too rampant and much outnumbered. We were defeated several times. I turned to look for the governor of higher rank for several times, but he didn''t deal with it. Fortunately, those people had never done something bad to the people in the Qian City, so I turned a blind eye to them. Therefore, we can sell more rice per month than we actually use. I think the blunders around are the doing of... "


    "Aha... What kind of robber would it be? Sixty thousand? It was a good excuse. We are going back to the Jin city to report this matter to his majesty. Governor, if there is nothing else, please leave. I will report the matter to his majesty. The majesty will determine which is the truth. Commander Liu, see him out!" Yun Shang ordered Liu Ming to send the Governor out.


    Soon the palace guards came to a halt. Yun Shang went out of the yard with Liu Ming, got on the horses and headed for the Jin city with them.


    As the palace was flanked by several soldiers, they moved a little bit fast. Worried about Yun Shang, Qian Zhuo found a carriage to let her rest.


    Although Qian Liu was on her way to the Jin City, she kept sending letters about the progress of the case on her way here.


    As for the progress of the matter, so far, it had been very smooth. The secret guard who had searched for the messenger of the eldest princess had found three people of her, and had dealt with them on the way, and had found letters on them. It was exactly as Yun Shang had expecte


    tle slow to go with the palace guards in such a carriage, so prepare a horse for me. Let''s go to the Prince Rui''s mansion first. Nothing will happen this time."


    Qian Zhuo thought for a while before she responded yes. She found a horse, as well as enough secret guards and a small team of palace guards, and galloped to the Jin city.


    The next day, Yun Shang arrived at the Jin city just after dawn. Because Qian Yin had already received the news, she came to pick her up early in the morning. Without being stopped, Yun Shang went straight back to the Prince Rui''s mansion from the back door as soon as she entered the city.


    As expected, Lady Hua Guo really stayed in the mansion. When she saw Yun Shang, she goggled at her and shouted, "how dare you! Ning Yun Shang!"


    While they were talking, the Butler came in a hurry. When he saw Yun Shang, he seemed to be surprised and relieved immediately. He said in a hurry, "you''re finally back, your highness. A servant in the Palace said that the empress was asking you to go to the palace, and I''m just thinking about discussing what to do with it with Lady Hua Guo, your highness. Fortunately, you''re back."

 Chapter 606 A Secret Investigation (Part One)

    Yun Shang thought for a while. The empress summoned her into the palace, and it must have something to do with the imperial guards'' token.


    Yun Shang turned around and said to Qian Zhuo, "go get prepared. I''ll go get changed."


    Lady Hua Guo held Yun Shang''s hand and said to her, "you don''t need to pay attention to it. You have spread the news that you are pregnant, but you are weak and it''s dangerous for you, and you might miscarry at any time. You have to lie on the bed everyday. Even I, your grandmother worried about your unborn baby so I moved into the Prince Rui''s mansion to look after you. Now that if you go to the palace safely and you seem very healthy, don''t you tell the empress plainly that you made up all these things? "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and couldn''t help but frown. "But anyway, the empress is the emperor''s wife. I''m afraid it''s not good for me to publicly refuse the decree, isn''t it?"


    Lady Hua Guo glared at Yun Shang after hearing her words. Then she said unhappily, "why did you say that? It''s not a big deal. I will meet the people from the palace, and if it comes to the worst, I will go with them. I will cry to the empress in her face, regardless of my old age. Then she will know that the old woman is a fount of wisdom and don''t mess with me. "


    "But..." Yun Shang was about to say something, but Lord Guo''s wife interrupted her with a frown on her face. "All right. No buts. you look so tired. If you go back now, I''m afraid you haven''t got a good rest on your journey day and night? If you go back to the palace like this, you will arouse the empress'' suspicion instead. You go to wash yourself and brush your teeth, and then lie on the bed and rest. Don''t worry and sleep. I wi


    by, and it was gradually out of sight. After a moment of silence, she called out in a small voice, "grandmother..." Then she seemed to be very disappointed and muttered to herself, "Oh, it''s grandma."


    Noticing that the empress was staring at Yun Shang the whole time, Lady Hua Guo immediately said to Yun Shang, "shang''er, don''t you see? The empress is here to see you."


    Yun Shang was surprised at her words. She turned slowly and looked at the empress for a long time with dull eyes. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t get up and make a salute to her, the empress had a frown on her face, but she quickly stretched her brows and said, "shang''er, I''m here to see you."


    Yun Shang finally seemed to be out of her trance, turned around and was about to lift the quilt to make a salute to the empress. But she frowned painfully in the quilt halfway. Covering her belly, she bent down and buried her face in the quilt. She dared not move any more.


    The empress was also startled by that. She quickly said to her, "since you are not feeling well, you don''t have to be courteous."


    Lady Hua Guo asked worriedly, "your belly aches. Is there anything wrong?"

 Chapter 607 A Secret Investigation (Part Two)

    Yun Shang forced a smile on her face and shook her head, "I''m fine, grandma."


    The empress quickly said, "Dr. Chen, take a look at Her Highness immediately."


    A deep look flashed in Lady Hua Guo''s eyes as she stared at Yun Shang with questioning eyes. Yun Shang held Lady Hua Guo''s hand as if to comfort her.


    The physician put a white handkerchief on Yun Shang''s wrist and began to feel her pulse.


    Everyone turned to look at the imperial physician. After a while, the physician frowned and whispered, "Her Highness is very weak. She suffered from a loss in both vital energy and blood. The baby is in an unstable condition, but it will be all right for now. Your highness, you have to pay special attention to rest and diet. You must not worry too much and do not work too hard as well, otherwise it will lead to a miscarriage or the baby will die in the womb. "


    The empress frowned after hearing his words. After a long time, she asked, "is there any way to help the baby? Or can you give her some medicine for her to take?"


    Doctor Chen meditated for a while and said, "the medicines for miscarriage prevention are a the same. Her Highness must have taken a kind of medicine every day. Now, lady Rui needs some medicine that can comfort herself and make her relax. But this kind of medicine is not good for the baby. I don''t recommend her highness to take it."


    Yun Shang smiled after hearing his words. "The imperial physician that the empress sent earlier said the same words. He just recommended me some tonic formulas. I''ve been eating these days. But it''s not as effective as medicine. It''ll work after some days, I believe. "


    A complicated light flashed in the empress'' eyes when she hea


    e any news about his highness, grandfather will surely let me know. "


    The empress was silent for a while before she said, "I was going to talk with you about Prince Rui. Now that you say so, you do not want to hear it?"


    Yun Shang nodded her head and bowed her head slightly to the empress with a smile on her face. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I don''t want to know."


    The empress smiled somewhat coldly and said, "generally speaking, you and Prince Rui should call me mother. Since Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo wish you two well, I also wish that. In that case, I won''t say anything more to you. By the way, before Prince Rui disappeared, has he given something to you to give to Lord Hua Guo? "


    A dark light flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes at her question. It turned out that the empress was suspecting that Xia Huanyu had given the imperial guards'' token to Luo Qingyan. Yun Shang sneered to herself in her heart. She wondered whether Luo Qingyan was in charge of the imperial guards'' token or Lord Hua Guo made any difference.


    Yun Shang thought to herself and smiled. "Your majesty, are you talking about a black token?"

 Chapter 608 Strife Secretly

    The Empress''s hands stiffened slightly, and she looked at Yun Shang with a bit of curiosity in her eyes. She was silent for a moment, and then slowly smiled. "Yes, it''s a black token. What''s wrong? Have you seen it before? "


    "Yes, I have. And the token is lying under my pillow at the moment." Smiling more brightly and looked at the Empress and asked curiously, "But why did you ask about the token?"


    Then the Empress looked at the pillow that Yun Shang leaned against with burning eyes. "Under your pillow?" The Empress pondered for a while and said with a smile, "I don''t really want it. After all, it belongs to the Emperor. It makes sense that His Majesty gave it to Prince Rui and There is nothing wrong with His Majesty showing particular favor to his son. However, though Lord Hua Guo is Prince Rui''s grandfather, he is not a member of the royal family. His majesty had divided the token into three parts and given to Commandant Su, Minister Liu and Lord Hua Guo, in case that the token might be taken by someone to do evil things."


    The Empress stopped, and then smiled. "If Lord Hua Guo holds a whole token alone, I''m afraid it''s not appropriate. The Imperial Guard was a military unit devoted to the protection of the Emperor, the royal family and the Jin City. How could they be dispatched by an outsider? If there is something wrong, I''m afraid His Majesty will blame it on Prince Rui."


    The empress sat down on the edge of Yun Shang''s bed, holding Yun Shang''s hand with a smile. "The day before yesterday, Lord Hua Guo took the token to dispatch the imperial guards and search the His Majesty all over the city. In this way, if someone finds it, he will guess that his majesty is in trouble. I''m afraid he court is going to be in chaos. "


    After the Empress talked for a long time, Yun Shang said with a little confusion, "The imperial guards? What does it have to do with the imperial guards? "


    The empress frowned and said. "Isn''t the black token the imperial guard token?"


    "Of course not..." Yun Shang shook her head and took out a black token from under her pillow. The Empress quickly took it, and her face suddenly darkened. The token was indeed black, but it had a word "Luo" on it.


    Yun Shang replied momentarily, "The other day I knew that something happened to his majesty. After breakfast the next morning, His Highness returned to the mansion and gave the token to me. This token was used by His Highness when he was in the State of Ning to dispatch his secret guards. His Highness asked me to take good care of myself as the Jin City is in chaos now. He also said that he has arranged all the secret guards to protect me and that I could order them whenever I need. That''s the reason why His Highness was captured. He only brought two secret guards with him that day, rushing to the palace. "


    Yun Shang lowered he


    n, and everyone in the room turned around. Joy filled Qian Liu''s eyes. She lifted the quilt and was about to get off the bed.


    Yun Shang hurriedly went to the bed and held her back. Then she sat down on the end of the bed, "Don''t get up. You are so badly hurt."


    Qian Zhuo asked the maid to leave. Then Yun Shang looked at Qian Liu reproachfully, "You always persuade me to take good care of myself, but you have no mercy on yourself. It was an emergency, but you don''t need to risk your life. Let me have a look at the injuries. I have a lot of good medicine. I''ll ask Qian Zhuo to bring some to you later. You silly girl. You always look calm and cool. But sometimes you are just so desperate."


    Qian Liu smiled and said, "Don''t look, the wounds are ugly. It looks really terrible, but, In fact, it''s not that serious. Lady Hua Guo has given me many valuable medicines and ordered the maids to apply them for me. Don''t worry, Your Highness. I''ll be as energetic as before after a couple of days. "


    Qian Zhuo stood beside Yun Shang, looking at Qian Liu with worry in his eyes. "Her Highness is right. You are calmer than anyone else, but why didn''t you take care of yourself? You must recover as soon as possible and serve Her Highness with me. It''s impossible for you to rest all the time. "


    Qian Zhuo blamed Qian Liu, but full of concern in her tone.


    Hearing Yun Shang and Qian Liu''s words, Qian Liu asked for forgiveness and quickly changed the topic. "A lot of things have happened in the Jin City these days. The officials seemed to have heard the news of His Majesty''s missing. Many officials are very active recently. I''ve sent some servants to observe, ask around and record their actions. I''m free now, and I''ll sort it out for your highness. It contains who they have contacted, their unusual behaviors and even their wives''. By the way, have you heard that Lady Liu has gone? "

 Chapter 609 A Strange Hairpin (Part One)

    Yun Shang was surprised. Shock was evident in her eyes. "What did you say? Lady Liu is gone? You mean... She... She is dead? "


    Yun Shang was afraid that she might have misunderstood what Qian Liu meant, so she expressed her curiosity. Shock was written all over her face.


    Qian Liu nodded her head and said, "yes, four or five days after we left the Jin City and she died. When I just got to know it, I was also shocked. The Liu clan held a funeral for her, and they said that she died of illness. But the last time we saw Lady Liu in the Princess Palace, she was in good spirits and didn''t look like a patient at all. Moreover, I have sent people to inquire about it secretly. No doctor was ever called in the Mansion of the Liu clan during that time. "


    "That is to say, her dying of illness is very likely to be an excuse of the Liu clan. There must be a lot of hidden facts about her death, so they do not dare to make it to the public." Yun Shang has a frown on her face and murmured to herself. Then she went silent for a while, biting her lip, and finally said, "I remember that when we were about to leave the city, we received a message from the mansion. It said that lady Liu had come to visit me, but the Butler found an excuse to make her go back because I was not in the mansion at that time."


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo also thought about it when Yun Shang mentioned it. Qian Liu also felt a little strange, "is there something that Lady Liu wanted to tell her highness?"


    After a short silence, Yun Shang stood up and said, "have a good rest. I''ll ask the butler about it. Don''t worry about everything in the mansion. I''ll arrange for someone to take care of it. Your task is to take good care of yourself these days and recover as soon as possible."


    Qian Liu replied with a "yes". Then Yun Shang took Qian Zhuo out and went back to her room. At that time, the Lady


    d continued, "when I arrived at the garden house, I saw lady Liu. She seemed to be in a trance. Seeing me, she stood up in a hurry and almost overturned the teacup on the table. She said she heard that Lady Rui was in poor health and wanted to visit her as she passed by the Lady Rui. And she asked me is it convenient for her to visit your highness.


    Your Highness, you were not home. I have to reply to her that your highness are very weak. The physician said your highness can only stay in bed for recuperation. I''m afraid that she can''t see the guests for the time being. Lady Liu asked me many times. Although I felt strange, it was impossible to let her see you when you were out. So I refused her. In the end, I saw lady Liu. She looked pale and spiritless. I''ve asked her many times about her health, but she always said she was okay. I aske her if she had something urgent to talk to your highness, and if she needed me to convey the message. Lady Liu seemed to hesitate before she waved her hand and told me to forget it. Then she sat in the garden house for a while before she stood up and left. " The Butler had noticed that both Yun Shang and Lady Hua Guo paid much attention to the accident, so he explained it in detail as much as possible.

 Chapter 610 A Strange Hairpin (Part Two)

    "She is in a trance and repeated the question for several times. She looks pale as if she has lost her soul..." Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown and a question kept looping in her mind. "Why did lady Liu come to my mansion to look for me? What did she want?"


    Lady Hua Guo also had a frown on her face, as if she was lost in thought.


    Yun Shang waved to the butler and asked him to leave. The Butler bowed to them again and retreated to the door. When he was about to turn around and leave, something suddenly came to his mind. He stopped and turned around in a hurry. He said to Yun Shang, "by the way, your ladyship, there is something strange. A few days ago, a little beggar brought a box and wanted to give it to your ladyship. He said someone ordered him to do so."


    "A box?" Yun Shang looked up at the butler and asked, "what''s that box?"


    The Butler quickly answered, "Your Highness, you were not home. So I''ll put the box away and I will fetch it for you right away."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. Then the Butler left in a hurry to get the box for her.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Lady Hua Guo, confusion evident in her eyes. "The Butler said that lady Liu wanted to tell me something. But I''m not familiar with her, so what is it?"


    Lady Hua Guo was also confused. "I don''t know either. And I can''t think of anything. As she is gone, we can''t find a way to ask her anymore. But you can find a


    d, "but we''d better call someone to bring the little beggar here and ask a painter to draw the portrait of the women''s hair accessories, facial shape, eyebrow shape, nose shape and mouth. The little beggar will identify which one looks like the woman more, and then combine all these features before letting the little beggar have a look. And by the way, ask the little beggar if he had seen that woman these days. If he had seen her, then where have they met? "


    The Butler answered yes and left.


    "Few people in the Jin City can afford a purple jade hairpin like this. You can inquire about it in secret. And I believe that you will find it out soon." Said Lady Hua Guo in an indifferent tone.


    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly, "but if the hairpin has something to do with a serious matter, I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for me to investigate around like this. Let''s ask the little beggar first to see if we can get some clues."

 Chapter 611 Rumors

    Lady Hua Guo sighed, "It has been ten days since Qingyan was missing. There''s still no news. I''m really worried about him. The imperial guards have also been looking for him for two days. When can they get some clues? "


    Yun Shang was also very worried. Seeing that Lady Hua Guo frowned and worried, she comforted, "His Highness deliberately sent himself to the kidnapper and that morning when he left, he left the secret guards in the mansion. He wouldn''t have taken the risk if he didn''t have full assurance. Please don''t worry, mother. I believe there will be news soon."


    Lady Hua Guo patted Yun Shang on the hand, and nodded, "I hope so. Qingyan hasn''t known that he will be a father soon. I''m sure he''ll be very happy if he knows this. "


    Hearing her words, Yun Shang was also started looking forward to the birth of the baby. Her pregnancy made both surprised and delighted, but less delighted with no one to share with. If Luo Qingyan knows this, he must be very happy. He has been wanted a baby for long.


    Lady Hua Guo stared at Yun Shang for a while before she said with a smile, "I was so worried when I heard that you were pregnant and left the Jin City secretly. Now that you and the unborn baby are all fine, I''m relieved. I haven''t been back to my mansion for several days. I will go back to have a look. Your mansion is so big and you are the only master here with no one to talk with. Why don''t you come with me to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion? I felt you get on quite well with my granddaughter-in-law..."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head. "I''ll stay here and wait for His Highness. He will feel lonely and uncomfortable if few people are in the mansion when he comes back."


    "Well, you are so good to my poker faced grandson. I''ll go to pack up and return to my mansion. I''ll come to see you often." Then she stood up, and walked out with the help of her maids.


    Noticing that grandmother''s legs were a little stiff, Yun Shang followed her out of the inner room, and said gently, "It''s getting colder these days. I''ll take some tonics for you and grandpa to your mansion when I''m free. You could boil and drink it and your knee joints won''t hurt so much even on the cold and wet days."


    Lady Hua Guo turned to Yun Shang and smiled, "you have a pair of sharp eyes. I wander around every day in your mansion, and no one found that. But you''ve noticed it just after I walked a few steps. I''ve heard that your medical skills are also good. Then I''ll wait for your tonics."


    Yun Shang escorted Lady Hua Guo back to her room, and watched her maids packing. Yun Shang asked the servant to prepare the carriage and put a thick cushion made of fox fur on the stool. Then she sent someone to put a brazier in it to warm the carriage up.


    Look


    "Who is it? Lady Shu has been in the Cold Palace for a long time, but someone is thinking about her."


    Qian Yin shook her head, "The Imperial Palace is heavily guarded recently. The news is sent out by Qian Qian. She said that the one masked his face and he is so good at Qinggong that the secret failed to catch up with him. But he seems to be familiar with the environment of the Imperial Palace. He must be from the palace."


    Yun Shang grinned and said in a low voice, "Go on watching the Cold Palace, the cat will come out of the bag. We don''t have time to find out who the one is."


    Then she took another sip of tea and looked up at Qian Yin. "Well, how long has Lady Liu died?" Is there any funeral?"


    Qian Yin turned her head and thought before answering, "It''s been five days. No funeral yet. It''s said that funerals will be hold seven days later after death in the State of Xia."


    "Then it will be the day after tomorrow." Yun Shang murmured.


    Qian Yin hurriedly asked, "What do you want to do? You are pregnant now. It will be ominous to go to the funeral. Now the whole Jin City knows that your pregnancy is not stable and you need to have a rest quietly. If the people of the Liu clan invite you, you could take it as an excuse to refuse. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Ominous? I didn''t say I''m going. I''m just checking. Grandmother told me that I could ask Lady Liu''s maids something about Lady Liu. I think it must be chaos at the funeral, so I can send someone to take one of Lady Liu''s maid out."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Yin was a little relieved. She said, "I''ll ask someone to make an arrangement. By the way, there are some rumors out there about the death of Lady Liu. It was said that three or four days before her death, she had a big fight with Minister Liu, which almost made her faint with anger."

 Chapter 612 The Person Who Sent The Hairpin (Part One)

    Yun Shang smiled and turned to look at Qian Yin, with a hint of tease in her eyes, "I didn''t expect Qian Yin to hear these rumors and believe them. You''ve been with me for a long time, so you must know that they are all inconceivable. Maybe someone is spreading these rumors there."


    "But the rumor does not seem to be fake at all. I heard that it was from a man not far away from the yard where I live. He said that his niece was a servant in Lady Liu''s yard." Qian Yin frowned and said in a light voice, as if thinking of something.


    Yun Shang smiled at Qian Yin and asked, "then have you ever asked why Lady Liu and Master of the court Liu had a fight?"


    Qian Yin was speechless at Yun Shang''s question. She said through gritted teeth, "maybe it''s because of the affair between Master of the court Liu and the eldest princess. Lady Liu is always jealous. Your highness, see, it has been for so many years, and there is only one concubine besides lady Liu by Master of the court Liu''s side. It is said that he fell in love with the woman at the brothel. Lady Liu didn''t want the woman to enter their house at first, but she suddenly got pregnant. At that time, it was a critical moment in the official field for Master of the court Liu. Lady Liu didn''t want him to have a bad reputation, so she was successfully persuaded to let the woman enter the mansion. But then that woman miscarried without any reason. I guess lady Liu must have done it. "


    "Well, it seems that you have heard a lot of rumors." Yun Shang smiled and said.


    The curtain of the room was opened while they were talking. The maid who was asked to cut the plum blossoms by Qian Yin came in with several plum blossoms in her hands. She said with a smile, "Your Highness, here are the plu


    token to the palace already.


    "How did her majesty arrange the palace guards then?" Yun Shang asked the butler.


    "The empress sent someone to get a large mansion to be temporarily cleaned up in the Jin City, and asked commander Liu to move in. Then, the army can camp out of the city. But commander Liu said that he would join the army and be with them, so he rejected the Empress'' arrangement. " The Butler immediately responded.


    Yun Shang heard him and smiled, "Liu Ming is such a serious man who doesn''t know how to enjoy life. If I were him, I would accept the empress'' gift."


    The Butler had nothing else to report to Yun Shang anymore, so he took his leave.


    Nothing happened that day. It was very calm all day.


    The next day was the day of Lady Liu''s funeral. As it was sunny, Yun Shang had a walk in her mansion with her maids. People could hear the cries and music even through the walls.


    Yun Shang stopped and listened for a while, then she returned to her room. Hardly had she walked in the room when the Butler rushed over. "Your Highness, the little beggar with the hairpin box earlier just came. He said that he saw the woman on the street."

 Chapter 613 The Person Who Sent The Hairpin (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was surprised at his words. She immediately turned around and said, "go and bring the little beggar here. I''ll ask him myself."


    The Butler answered yes and left. Soon he led a boy about the age of seven or eight with him. The boy was plainly dressed and didn''t even wear shoes in such cold weather.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang hurriedly asked Qian Zhuo to select a coat and shoes of a servant for him to wear. Then she asked him, "you just told the Butler that you saw the woman who asked you to sent the box the other day. Where did you see her just now?"


    The little beggar looked at Yun Shang timidly and answered in a low voice, "just now in the street outside. There is a funeral there. And I saw the woman follow the group of people not far away from the man who was holding a wooden sign in his hands."


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and sorted out the little beggar''s words. He meant that he saw the woman who asked him to send a box at the funeral group, who was not far behind the man holding the celestial tomb.


    There were funeral procession near the Prince Rui''s mansion just now. It was lady Liu''s funeral, and the woman was following the funeral procession. It was not far behind the man. So she must be someone who was very close to lady Liu.


    Perhaps the woman sent the hairpin to her under Lady Liu''s instruction.


    The butler said that the second day after lady Liu passed away, the hairpin was sent to Yun Shang.


    A few thoughts flashed through Yun Shang''s mind quickly. She quickly raised her head and ordered the Butler, "take him to identify that woman, and arrange for some people to create some turmoil. Take that woman back here in the man


    he asked some details about the princess'' past, and about an hour later, the Butler finally came back, followed by a woman who was dressed in white clothes.


    Lady Hua Guo couldn''t help but frown and said, "who is this? It''s ominous to come here wearing all those white clothes."


    The woman hurriedly walked to Yun Shang, and fell on her knees with a whimpering voice. "I finally see you, your highness. My master is dead unjustly. Please uphold justice for her, your highness."


    "Who is your master?" Lady Hua Guo asked unhappily before Yun Shang could open her mouth.


    Yun Shang immediately explained, "grandmother, this is lady Liu''s maid. She asked the little beggar to give the purple jade hairpin to me."


    Lady Hua Guo was shocked after hearing her words. Yun Shang turned to look at the woman and asked: "You said your master was dead unjustly. Why is it?"


    The woman quickly answered, "my master was killed by his lordship and the eldest princess together. Because my master saw something that should not be seen by her, and knew things that should not be known by her and she was found by his lordship..."

 Chapter 614 A Silver Lining (Part One)

    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes, with astonishingly bright light in her eyes, and asked, "Your master, what did your master see?"


    The woman shuddered at her words. Biting her lips, she cried out, "yes, my master! My master saw his majesty and Prince Rui!" Then the woman fell to the ground as if she had lost all her strength after the words. She then said in a low voice, "that day, my master went to her husband''s yard to look for him, but he wasn''t there. As my master saw many books scattered on the ground in the messy room, she cleaned the room by herself for him. But she accidentally bumped into something on the shelf. With a loud bang, the shelf was moved away. "


    The woman''s voice kept trembling, as if she was still frightened. "After the bookshelf was moved, there was a dark cave. On that day, I was the only one following my master that day. My master and I were shocked and watched outside for a while before she dragged me with her and walked in. However, we walked for only a short while before we saw an iron gate. Curious as my master was, she peeped through the gate and saw the emperor and Prince Rui sitting inside.


    My master was scared and dared not stay any longer. So she and I rushed back into the room. She searched back and forth in the shelf for several times before she finally moved the shelf back. And being afraid of being discovered by her husband, she could only restore the room to what it looked like before with only the help of her memory. "


    Yun Shang remained doubtful about the woman''s words. After a short silence, she asked her again, "Lady Liu saw the emperor and Prince Rui that day, so she wanted to go to the palace to report the empress as soon as she saw the emperor and his royal highness?"


    The woman shook her head, "My master and her husband have been married for so many years. At the beginning, my master was just frightened. At that time, the rumors of the emperor''s accident and the disappe


    ed a message to me, saying that my master had a sudden illness and died. She, along with the maids who accompanied my master, was not found. I guess that my master must be so anxious that she told his lordship that she knew about the matter of his majesty and Prince Rui, and was killed by the eldest princess and his lordship."


    With tears streaming down the woman''s face, the woman kowtowed to Yun Shang for several times and begged, "please help me, your highness!"


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "if what you said is true, of course I will help you out. Did you give me that purple jade and Phoenix shaped hairpin? How did you get that hairpin?"


    "After my master died, I wanted to avenge my master. This morning when I went out of the mansion for shopping, I came to the Prince Rui''s mansion for many times, but the door was closed every time, and there were guards in the mansion, so I couldn''t get close. Then I went back to the mansion. When there was no one in his lordship''s yard, I went into the yard, pretending to be the maid who had sent presents to him. I saw the hairpin placed in the outer room, so I took it over. I can''t go in because there were guards at the inner door. I''m not sure whether his majesty and Prince Rui are still in the mansion or not. " The woman said in a low voice.

 Chapter 615 A Silver Lining (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded her head and asked again, "do you know anything else besides these?"


    The woman shook her head and said, "I''ve told your highness all I know. There''s nothing else."


    Yun Shang then asked Qian Zhuo to take the woman away. Then she turned to Lady Hua Guo to ask for help, "grandmother, what do you think of it?"


    Lady Hua Guo had a frown on her face, and remained silent for a long time. Then she finally said, "her story is too bizarre to believe. I don''t know if I can trust her."


    Yun Shang nodded her head as well, "it sounds really strange, but most of them are true. When his majesty had just disappeared, I noticed the abnormality in the Jin city from the dark piles. The first thing I noticed was the Mansion of the Liu clan, because it had been bought more recently, and many of the food they bought were the favorites of his majesty. But I asked Mr. Liu Yinfeng to go back to the mansion to check. An he told me that they said that there were some relatives of Mrs. Liu''s family visited them for a period."


    "Really? I didn''t know that." Lady Hua Guo asked in surprise.


    Yun Shang nodded her head again and continued, "I have been investigating why lady Liu came to my mansion to see me these days, so I sent someone to find out where she went that day. The result was almost in line with what the maid had just said. That day, lady Liu wanted to enter the palace before dawn, but she was stopped by the palace guards, and then she came to the Prince Rui''s mansion. "


    Hearing her words, Lady Hua Guo stood up and said, "in that case, what


    but frown as well. "Liu Ming? What is he doing here? "


    Yun Shang quickly told the butler, "please call him in." Then she turned to Lord Hua Guo to explain to him, "please wait a moment, grandfather. He went to the Qian City with me and captured the people of the eldest princess. He returned to the Jin city with the palace army just to find out his Majesty''s whereabouts."


    Liu Ming quickly came in and bowed to Yun Shang as soon as he entered the garden house, as if he was in a hurry. Before he could get up, he said, "Your Highness, I have found some clues of my adoptive father."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s eyes lit up and she asked hurriedly, "where is he?"


    Liu Ming was about to speak when Lord Hua Guo interrupted him. "Wait a minute. Who is your adoptive father?"


    "My adopted father is Liu Wenan. He''s the servant of his majesty," explained Liu Ming in a hurry. After that, he he turned to Yun Shang and said again, "I saw my adoptive father''s secret mark on the street just now. It seems that he is walking out of the Jin city."

 Chapter 616 A Head On Confrontation (Part One)

    Heading outside the Jin city?


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown, with puzzlement evident in her eyes. Why was he going out of the city? Yun Shang thought it over and suddenly stood up. She slapped on the armrest and said, "I see! It''s the funeral group of Lady Liu! "


    As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Zhuo whispered in Yun Shang''s ear. She told Yun Shang that the secret guard who went to the Mansion of the Liu clan to investigate came back.


    Yun Shang immediately asked the secret guard to come and asked him. The secret guard answered in a hurry, "Your Highness, I was ordered to find lady Liu''s personal servant in her mansion, but I found her body lying in a remote room in the mansion."


    The dead body of Lady Liu was still in the room, but who was in the coffin of the funeral group?


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat as she hurried to speak to Lord Hua Guo and Liu Ming, "Mr. Liu, gather the imperial army and lead them to check on the Mansion of the Liu clan while grandfather goes to stop the funeral procession."


    Lord Hua Guo and Liu Ming immediately said yes and hurried out of the flower house.


    Yun Shang''s face was pale. Her heart was beating very fast. After a moment of silence, she stood up and said, "no, I have to go and have a look as well."


    Hearing her words, Lady Hua Guo immediately held Yun Shang by the arm and said, "everyone can go except you. You''re pregnant now. It''s not safe for you to go. Don''t worry. Since things have gone this far, your grandpa will surely bring Qingyan back safely. "


    Yun Shang had no choice but to sit down again. After a while, Lady Hua Guo suddenly couldn''t sit still. She stood up and said to Yun Shang, "I ha


    ying tears on his face, but he was pointing at Lord Hua Guo, with blue veins on his forehead and a loud voice. "What are you going to do? Are you not afraid of karma if you do something like this? "


    Lord Hua Guo sneered in a cold way, unwilling to show weakness. "I should have asked you that question. How dare you, Liu Jin! " After that, he waved his hand and ordered the guards without looking at Liu Jin, "search!"


    "Wait a minute!" A voice suddenly rang up. Yun Shang turned around and saw Liu Yinfeng come out of the procession to the very front, "Lord Hua Guo was so aggressive. He has brought the imperial guards to stop the procession of my adoptive mother''s funeral. Anyway, you should explain to us what is happening."


    Lord Hua Guo''s face darkened at his words. He sneered coldly, "ridiculous!"


    Yun Shang didn''t want Lord Hua Guo to be in conflict with Liu Yinfeng, so she said quickly, "grandfather, take the imperial guards to search for him. I''ll explain it to Mister Liu."


    Only then did the people find Yun Shang coming near. Lord Hua Guo frowned seeing her. "What brings you here? You are too careless!"

 Chapter 617 A Head On Confrontation (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled and looked at Liu Yinfeng, "Mister Liu, would you believe me?"


    Liu Yinfeng meditated for a moment and then nodded his head.


    Yun Shang said to him, "the corpse of Lady Liu is still hidden in a remote woodshed in the Mansion of the Liu clan. Who is the person lying in the coffin, I wonder?"


    Yun Shang''s voice was loud enough to be heard clearly by the people around Liu Yinfeng. On the other hand, Liu Jin was agitated by her words. "What nonsense are you talking about? I am a courtier. How could you make a false charge against my wife''s funeral and interrupt it like this? Guards! Stop them and catch that woman! "


    The imperial guards around Lord Hua Guo drew their swords from their waists, and the secret guards around Yun Shang all stood in front of her. Lord Hua Guo sneered coldly and shouted out loud, "search!"


    With a frown on his face, Liu Yinfeng stared at Yun Shang for a while and then turned his head silently to look at the white carriage pulling a coffin not far away. Then he kept silent for a long time, but finally he said nothing.


    The people in the mourning procession also drew out their weapons from their waists. For a moment, the battle was on the verge of breaking out.


    Liu Yinfeng frowned even more deeply after seeing this. He quietly moved to block Yun Shang''s way in front of her.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and silently took a step back.


    Lord Hua Guo shouted loudly. "The imperial guards are going to search no matter what. No one can stop them! Search! "


    The imperial guards took the order and rushed at those people with swords directly. The chaos began all of a su


    the spiritual carriage and walked around it. She didn''t say anything.


    Liu Jin shouted angrily. "You stopped my funeral procession, and I am in a hurry to bury my concubine right now so I won''t fight with you. When I go back, I''ll make you pay the price."


    Lord Hua Guo was displeased. He snorted, "what are you going to fight me back?"


    Liu Jin snorted coldly. "Let go of me quickly."


    Yun Shang still didn''t say anything. She walked around the coffin, and knocked gently at the bottom of the coffin and the spiritual carriage. After that, a loud "thud" sound was heard.


    Yun Shang frowned and knocked on the carriage for several more times. Then she turned to look at Liu Jin thoughtfully, and saw that although he was fighting with Lord Hua Guo, he was still peeking at her.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while, and turned to the imperial guard who was standing aside. "Take the coffin down from the carriage, and take the corpse out to see if there is a layer on the coffin, and then check if the carriage is empty inside. I knocked on it, and there was something wrong with the sound."

 Chapter 618 Being Saved And Reunited

    Yun Shang said in a low voice, so Liu Jin only saw her mouth open and close but didn''t hear anything. Just when he was guessing what she was talking about, he suddenly saw that the imperial guards lifted the coffin down from the spirit carriage and moved the corpse out of the coffin. Seeing that, Liu Jin''s face changed abruptly. He shouted, "Lady Rui, what are you doing?"


    Paying no attention to him, Yun Shang ordered the guards to insert the sword from the edge of the coffin carefully.


    Blue veins stood out on Liu Jin''s forehead, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Lady Rui, why didn''t you do good for your child? Why didn''t you let my concubine go after she was dead! Just wait and see... "


    But before he could finish his words, his mouth was covered by a rag covered by blood by Lord Hua Guo. Yun Shang turned to look at him, with a murderous look flashing in her eyes.


    The Imperial Guard carefully took out the board under the coffin, and his face suddenly changed color. "Your Highness, it''s Mr. Liu."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang hurried to pass the spiritual carriage to the coffin. She saw Liu Wenan lying in the coffin with his eyes closed. Yun Shang put her hand under Liu Wenan''s nose in a hurry and felt a little relieved when she found that he was still breathing. Thinking of this, she said to the imperial guards hastily, "spiritual carriage! Open the board on the spiritual carriage. Be careful! "


    Lord Hua Guo hurried toward Yun Shang, and looked at the coffin, his face filled with excitement. He immediately inserted the sword into the scabbard and grabbed a board beside the spiritual carriage. With a snap, the board was torn apart.


    Hua Guo and Yun Shang hurriedly crouched down. They indistinctly saw through the dim light that the inside was indeed hollowed out, but it was too dark to see clearly what was inside.


    The imperial guards also unfolded the wooden board one after another. When they were able to see what was going on inside, Yun Shang was shocked, but could not speak.


    "Somebody! Somebody help! His majesty and Prince


    wall..."


    Qian Zhuo lowered her head. A faint smile flashed across her face. She nodded, "I see, your highness. It''s time to get off the carriage."


    A trace of embarrassment flashed across Yun Shang''s face. Half of her body was so numb as she had been under Luo Qingyan''s head all the way that she was unable to move at all. She whispered to Qian Zhuo, "ask the butler to help his highness get up. I can''t stand up."


    Hearing his words, Qian Zhuo immediately held Luo Qingyan''s body and called the doorman to come out. The Butler rushed out. There was a flash of joy in his eyes when he saw Luo Qingyan, but he was a little stunned when he saw that Luo Qingyan seemed to be totally unconscious. He observed Yun Shang''s and Qian Zhuo''s faces. Judging from their expressions, he knew Luo Qingyan was fine. He immediately walked up to them and helped Luo Qingyan get off the carriage, heading to the mansion.


    Yun Shang took a rest and got off the carriage to enter the mansion.


    The Butler turned to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, let me escort his highness back to the yard first. The empress is here. She is having tea with Lady Hua Guo in the garden hall. She doesn''t look well. Your highness, you''d better pay a visit to her. "


    Yun Shang was slightly taken aback. She looked at Luo Qingyan and thought for a moment. Finally, she sighed and walked towards the garden hall.

 Chapter 619 Love Between Us

    Yun Shang stopped outside the garden house, and listened attentively to the sounds in the garden house for a long time, but she didn''t hear anyone speak. She thought for a moment, and then managed to collect herself. An excited look appeared on her face as she walked quickly into the garden house.


    Yun Shang looked up and saw the empress sitting on the front seat. Before the empress said anything, Yun Shang quickly stepped forward and knelt down. "Congratulations, your majesty. His majesty has returned safely!"


    The empress was about to scold Yun Shang when she saw Yun Shang walk in. She frowned when Yun Shang spoke in such a manner. Then she heard what Yun Shang said and stayed where she was, as if surprised.


    After a long while, the empress asked incredulously, "what did you say?"


    Yun Shang hurriedly added, "Your Majesty, just now Lord Hua Guo with the imperial guards stopped the funeral procession of the Liu clan, and found the emperor and Prince Rui in the spiritual carriage. The emperor and Prince Rui were fed with soothing soup, but they were fine now. Lord Hua Guo has sent his majesty back to the palace... "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, the empress couldn''t wait any more. She stood up and walked out with her servants.


    After the empress had gone far, Lady Hua Guo held Yun Shang up and asked, "is it true? Is Qingyan all right? "


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded. She looked at the excited Lady Hua Guo and said, "yes, grandmother. Qingyan is fine. The Butler has sent him back to the yard. Grandmother, come with me to see him."


    "Okay." The Lady Hua Guo said to Yun Shang excitedly. Then she held Yun Shang''s hand, rushed into the yard. Qian Zhuo just helped Luo Qingyan settle down. When she saw Yun Shang and the Lady Hua Guo, she greeted, "your highness, Lady Hua Guo."


    Noticing that both of them fixed their eyes on the person on the bed, she continued, "I have helped the prince lie down just now. His Highness is fine, and the soothing soup is a bit rapid. I will decoct some medicine first. Af


    to get them, and she couldn''t be too far away. Maybe she ran away when the imperial guards and the funeral procession clashed. " Said Lady Hua Guo, smiling at Yun Shang when she saw there was a serious look on Yun Shang''s face.


    "Don''t worry. The power she has worked hard to build up has been taken away by you. Even if she wants to do something, she doesn''t have the ability. I''m sure the emperor is going to make big efforts to catch her. She is going to have a hard time. "


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "I hope so."


    Lady Hua Guo stood up and said, "Qingyan is fine. I''m going back. When Qingyan wakes up, bring him to our mansion and chat with me. The weather is getting colder and colder, and I don''t want to go out. "


    Yun Shang consented, and escorted Lady Hua Guo out of the yard, asking Qian Zhuo to escort her out. Then she returned to her chamber. Back in her room, Yun Shang stood at the bedside and looked at her for a while. Then she lay down next to Luo Qingyan, who was warm. Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief and fell asleep soon.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t know that the man by her side opened his eyes soon after she fell asleep. He looked around in surprise, and turned his head to see the woman sleeping soundly beside him.


    "Shang''er?" With a bit of surprise in his eyes, he called her and his voice was a little hoarse.

 Chapter 620 The Joy Of Reunion (Part One)

    The woman next to her didn''t wake up. She just frowned and buried herself into Luo Qingyan''s arms. She groaned and then fell asleep with a smile on her face.


    Luo Qingyan went blank for a moment, and then his body stiffened. After a while, he hesitantly reached out his arms and held the woman in his arms. But he was shocked on his face when he saw the warm body of the woman in his arms. Although her breathing was light, it was so real.


    With ecstasy in his eyes, Luo Qingyan curled his lips into a big smile and held Yun Shang tighter in his arms. Yun Shang was still asleep, but she felt a little uncomfortable. She moved her body a little and frowned again. Luo Qingyan released her a bit in a hurry, but he never closed his eyes again and just stared at her.


    When Yun Shang woke up again, she saw a pair of dark eyes staring at her. She was startled and shrank back. It took her a while to realize what was happening. She was amused by her own reaction and laughed.


    Luo Qingyan smiled as well. He carefully held Yun Shang in his arms and said with a bit of tease, "how can you sleep so well? I''ve been staring at you for a long time. You haven''t waken up yet." He asked in an extremely gentle voice.


    Yun Shang twitched her mouth and snorted, "It''s me who should ask you that. you are indeed a fast sleeper. You have slept for a long time. I am tired as I watch you sleep so I fell asleep as well."


    They couldn''t help but laugh out again when they finished their bantering.


    The smile alerted Qian Zhuo, who was waiting outside the room. Qian Zhuo pushed the door open and walked in, "Your Highness, your highness, are you going to get


    rom the bathroom. "I haven''t rinsed my mouth for several days," said the man complacently.


    Yun Shang sniggered like a child, thinking that he was still like a kid when he was about to be a father. But she suddenly remembered that Luo Qingyan might not know about the baby in her womb yet, so she must hide it from him for a while to punish him.


    After Luo Qingyan finished bathing, Qian Zhuo had already prepared a table of dishes for them. Yun Shang went over and took a clean towel to dry his hair. Then she put on his robe for him. She said gently, "I have told the kitchen to prepare his Highness'' favorite food, and the you will have a good appetite."


    Luo Qingyan had never taken his eyes off Yun Shang since they finished bathing in the bathroom. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, he looked at her waist with a smile and said, "did you eat many things when I was away? I feel your waist getting thicker than before. "


    Qian Zhuo was distributing the dishes beside them. When she heard Luo Qingyan''s words, she couldn''t help but burst into laughter. "Your Highness, you wronged her highness..."

 Chapter 621 The Joy Of Reunion (Part Two)

    Yun Shang heard her and knew that she was about to tell Prince Rui that she was pregnant. She interrupted her immediately, "I work day and night for his highness. But his highness dislikes me for getting fat as soon as he came back. I''m so disappointed."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and said seriously, "I must have misjudged you. Your Highness is the most beautiful woman in the world."


    Yun Shang glared at him, and pulled out her hand from his, "You are talking nonsense." Then she turned around and walked to the table.


    Yun Shang sat down, looked at the dark sky outside and asked, "what time is it now?"


    Qian Zhuo paused for a moment before saying, "It''s already ten o''clock now, Prince Rui and lady Rui are really sleepy last night. Yesterday, I came in and knocked several times, but didn''t wake you up as you were sleeping soundly."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She didn''t expect that she slept so long because she had gone to bed at dusk last night.


    Luo Qingyan also walked to the table and sat down. After listening to Qian Zhuo, he thought of something and quickly asked, "How about his Majesty?"


    "His majesty should be fine. Although this morning he wasn''t in the court, he looked well after getting the news from the palace. What happened outside the city yesterday was stopped. Many people heard that something happened to the funeral procession of the Mansion of the Liu clan, but they don''t know what it is. People are talking about it everywhere. " Qian Zhuo said gently.


    With the sake of the soothing soup, Luo Qingyan had no idea what had happened yesterda


    Hua Guo and Lord Hua Guo took good care of her while he was away. And they had contributed a lot to the reunion of Yun Shang and him. Luo Qingyan was patient enough to answer Lady Hua Guo''s questions.


    Lady Hua Guo was more than happy to see that. She smiled at Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, nodding her head with satisfaction, and said, "Qingyan is very good. Shang''er is also very smart. If you have a few more children, it will be a perfect life for you two. It''s Shang''er''s first baby. Qingyan, please take good care of her. Stay at home with her these days. "


    Yun Shang was stunned by her words at first, then she smiled gently. She wanted to hide the truth from Luo Qingyan for a while, but she forgot that the people around her cannot always keep the secret for her.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan. He nodded his head at Lady Hua Guo''s words with a smile when hearing her words. But on second thought, he felt something was wrong. He looked at her and Yun Shang for a while before asking with hesitation, "wait, what do you mean by ''her first baby''?"

 Chapter 622 Different Prince Rui

    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s question, Lady Hua Guo froze. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Isn''t it? Is it not your first baby? " Then he turned to Yun Shang, who was listening to them with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan looked in the direction of Lady Hua Guo.


    Yun Shang smiled and said gently, "Of course it''s my first baby."


    Lady Hua Guo meditated for a moment. Then she looked at Luo Qingyan, who was in a daze, and asked, "Prince Rui hasn''t known about your pregnancy?"


    Yun Shang smiled more brightly. She nodded and said, "No. His Highness has just woken up. I have so many things to talk with him that I forgot to tell him."


    Yun Shang made light of her pregnancy.


    Luo Qingyan hadn''t recovered from the shock.


    Lady Hua Guo grinned. "How could other things more important that this matter. You must di it on purpose."


    Oh, No. Lady Hua Guo had laid out her intention.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and curled up a big smile on her lips.


    "Shang''er, are you pregnant? Really? Are you really pregnant? " Back to his senses, Luo Qingyan rushed to Yun Shang and knelt before her.


    Yun Shang nodded and winked to Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan was waiting for the response of Yun Shang. Seeing the situation, he suddenly held Yun Shang in his arms, laughing. "How lovely! You''re pregnant! We have a baby. Our baby..." Then he began to sob.


    Yun Shang almost burst into tears.


    Lady Hua Guo said worriedly, "Watch out! Shang''er can''t bear it now."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan quickly put Yun Shang back on the chair and looked at her up and down nervously, "Shang''er, are you okay? Did I hurt you? II didn''t mean it. I was just too happy. " Then he let go of Yun Shang with hesitate. He wanted to hold Yun Shang but was afraid of hurting her. There was panic in his eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head. She held Luo Qingyan''s hand and smiled at him.


    "Idiot." Lord Hua Guo snorted at Luo Qingyan''s response, but her eyes were full of smile.


    She pulled Lord H


    Luo Qingyan turned around suddenly and said, "There is no brazier in the garden house. It''s a little cold. Let''s go back to the room."


    Then he lifted Yun Shang up and went to the yard.


    Seeing that from a long distance, Qian Yin was surprised. She quickly ran over, "What''s wrong with Her Highness?"


    Yun Shang shook her head as a sign to let her ignore him. Qian Yin, though confused, retreated and looked at Luo Qingyan strangely.


    After they returned to the room, Luo Qingyan ordered the maid to examine all the things in the room while saying, "Don''t use the cosmetics. It''s not good for the baby. And get all the incense out of the room. If you want the aroma, just pick some flowers and put them in the room... "


    He walked back and forth in the room and ask about everything, from food to clothes.


    Yun Shang didn''t bother to dissuade her. She sat on the bench with a smile, and looked at them with tenderness in her heart.


    After a long time, Luo Qingyan finished all the orders he could give. Then he walked to Yun Shang and said with a grim face, "All right. I can settle accounts with you now. Yun Shang, how dare you risk yourself and your unborn child? How could you go to the Qian City in person after you know you are pregnant? I''ll give you one chance to explain it. Do you admit your fault? "

 Chapter 623 An Incident At The Wedding

    Yun Shang had already known that Luo Qingyan would ask about it if he had known the truth. So she had made a detailed statement. "It was very important to get rid of the hidden army of the Eldest Princess. But the palace guards were only familiar with the terrain of the Jin City. I was afraid that there would be some troubles, so I decided to go with them. I had been ready for it before we set out. We didn''t hurry on with the journey. Besides, I know some medical skills. It''s nothing serious. "


    Luo Qingyan sighed, "I know you were doing this for me. But don''t do this again. No matter what happens, you can''t ignore your own health."


    Yun Shang didn''t expect Luo Qingyan could forgive her so easily. She nodded and agreed.


    Xia Huanyu had not gone to the court for several consecutive days. Luo Qingyan had gone to the Imperial Palace once. When he came back, he had a worried look on his face and only said that Xia Qingyan intended to take this opportunity to clean up the court. After that, Luo Qingyan stayed in the mansion, accompanying Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang didn''t bother to ask more. Besides, part of the guards in the Imperial Palace had been withdrawn, so Yun Shang could get news of the Imperial Palace. That day, Ning Qian sent a message saying that Luo Qingyan and Xia Huanyu had a big fight. The servants said they seemed to keep mentioning Lady Rui in their conversation.


    Yun Shang had been guessing for a long time, but she couldn''t figure out why they quarreled. She didn''t ask Luo Qingyan about it.


    It was not until the sixth day that Xia Huanyu issued a decree to resume the morning court.


    On the first day when the morning court was restored, several imperial edicts were issued. A number of officials in the court were punished and Liu Jin was sentenced to death on a treacherous crime. Many officials, whom Yun Shang had never heard of, were also affected. Some of them had been downgraded, and some had been killed.


    However, these officials who had been punished were mostly those who the secret guards had reported to Yun Shang that they had unusual behaviors during the period when Xia Huanyu was missing.


    It was easy to see that Xia Huanyu was well prepared as he took action so fast.


    Well prepared... The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curled into a smile. She was afraid that the whole disappearance thing was under the control of himself.


    Old fox. Yun Shang thought to herself, ''Poor me. I have also fooled by him.''


    Two days later, it was the wedding day of the seventh prince. Yun Shang had been grounded again by Luo Qingyan, and she hadn''t been out of the mansion for a long time. Taking advantage of the wedding of the seventh prince, she went to celebrate them with Luo Qingyan in a carriage.


    Yun Shang was a little curious. Liu Jin was about to be beheaded, then there would be no Liu clan. In that case, could it be possible for Liu Chuchu to marry into the seventh prince''s mansion?


    Yun Shang asked Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "why couldn''t? Although Liu Chuchu doesn''t have a noble identity now, she is the most talented lady in Jin City and she will marry the seventh princess just as a concubine. She entered the Mansion of the Liu clan. No one knows what would happen then. "


    Yun Shang was surp


    asked, "Did the empress make things difficult for you?"


    Yun Shang tilted her head and thought, ''it was Luo Qingyan who had made trouble for the empress.'' At the thought of this, she burst into laughter and shook her head, "His Highness really pissed the Empress off."


    Lady Hua Guo felt relieved when she saw Yun Shang was fine.


    Having rested for a while, the housekeeper came and reported, "Distinguished guests, the groom and the bride are about to come. Please come to the garden house."


    Then they all stood up and walked to the garden house with the servant.


    Many people were already standing outside the garden house. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were arranged to seats aside. A moment later, the empress came in, walked to the main seat, and sat down.


    Everyone bowed. The empress said lightly, "Get up."


    After a while, a voice of joy was heard, "The new couple is coming. The new couple is coming." Cheers came through.


    Yun Shang looked out of the door and saw that the seventh prince was dressed in a red wedding clothes, which made him look more handsome and attractive against his pale face. The prince was holding a red silk, the other end of which was held in the hand of the bride. The bride looked very petite, but her face couldn''t be seen clearly with the handkerchief covered.


    The new could slowly walked to the door and entered.


    "Wedding time!" The courtier said loudly. Then the servant took the bride and groom to the garden house and knelt not far away from the empress.


    "The couple may now kowtow to worship the heaven..." The guests watched the prince and the bride turn around and kowtowed toward outside.


    "Now, kowtow to worship the Emperor and the Empress..." Then the seventh prince and the bride turned around and kowtowed to the empress. Yun Shang noticed that the noticed the seventh prince fixed his eyes on the empty seat next to the empress and squinted.


    "Kowtow to worship your spouse..." The new couple kowtowed to each other. But the seventh prince''s face turned pale all of a sudden when he was halfway through his kneeling. He staggered and fell to the ground.


    "Your Highness!" All of a sudden, exclamations rang out

 Chapter 624 The Smell Of Blood

    The crowd rushed up. Luo Qingyan promptly held Yun Shang in his arms and stepped back. He frowned at the sight of the situation in the garden house.


    The seventh prince had been lifted up, but he seemed unconscious. Yun Shang looked at him from head to toe. She pressed her lips and didn''t say anything.


    "Send the seventh prince back to his room and send for the doctor." The empress gave an order with a frown. Then the butler came to his senses and answered yes. While sending the seventh prince back to the inner yard, he also sent for a doctor. The empress and some people who were close to the seventh prince all hurried into the inner yard. The butler quickly apologized again and told the guests to wait in the place where they had rested for a while.


    Yun Shang found that the bride was left alone in the garden house, standing there without anyone noticing her. The handkerchief covering her head trembled slightly as if she was trembling.


    Yun Shang stopped the butler, who was in a hurry. She frowned and said, "Hurry up! Send your new master into the bridal chamber!"


    The butler took a look at the bride and frowned. He seemed to be in a dilemma. "But the wedding is not finished yet. I''m afraid it''s inappropriate to send her into the bridal chamber."


    Before Yun Shang could say anything, Lady Hua Guo sneered, "As a butler, how can you be so disrespectful? Although the ceremony is not finished yet, her name has already been written in the royal family records and no one can change it. If the emperor blames you, can you take the responsibility? "


    The butler responded submissively and let someone hold the bride into the courtyard.


    Lady Hua Guo stomped on her crutch angrily and followed them into the yard.


    Yun Shang frowned. "Your Highness, what do you think? I think the seventh prince did it on purpose. But today is his own wedding day. He is making fool of himself in front of so many people. He fainted on her own wedding ceremony. Well, it''s so..."


    Luo Qingyan gave a wry smile and stated in a cold tone, "It''s probably because a few days ago, when many officials in the court learnt that the emperor had given the imperial guard token to me, they launched a disturbance. Now that I don''t allow you to take care of the matters in the mansion, you have no idea how many people have paid visits to our mansion. The seventh prince must have noticed that. Besides, his majesty didn''t show up on his wedding. That''s why he is making such a scene. But I think they also has other purposes."


    Luo Qingyan looked around, and found that all the people around dispersed, and there was no one in the garden house. Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and said, "I have to go to the backyard to see my seventh brother. But I can''t rest assured if you stay alone. How about I ask someone to send you back home? If anyone asks about you later, I will tell them that you feel uncomfortable all of a sudden and leave first."


    "It''s not that serious. I just want to accompany grandma and talk with


    s and raised his voice so that everyone in the room could hear.


    "Why did you feel a stomachache after just walking for a while in the yard? The doctor said that the seventh prince might not wake up soon. There''s nothing we can do to help him. Let''s go back."


    Then he took Yun Shang out of the room and walked to the gate.


    Qian Zhuo had already asked the coachman to drive the carriage to the gate of the seventh prince''s mansion. Luo Qingyan helped Yun Shang into the carriage and was about to step on it when a voice with a certain anxiety came, "Prince Rui! Prince Rui..."


    Luo Qingyan slightly paused and turned around. Yun Shang also heard the noise. She opened the curtains and looked over.


    It was the butler of the seventh prince. He looked a little worried. "Prince Rui, his highness is still in a coma, but doctors can''t find the reason. The empress said Lady Rui has superb medical skills. She may be able to cure him. Please bring Lady Ray to see him."


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang and said with a frown, "I''m really sorry. Lady Rui has some abdominal pain after she has just walked for a while. I''m afraid she can''t help."


    The butler was also in a dilemma. He said in a hurry, "Your Highness, since Lady Rui has a stomachache, you shouldn''t be in such a hurry to go back home. The doctors in your mansion are all here. Let them check on her. Then she could take a pulse for the seventh prince when she gets better."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while. She saw that the people gathered around to pay attention to what was going on here, so she made a decision and said gently, "Your Highness, I''m all right. I just have a little abdominal pain. What the butler said is right. Doctors are all in the mansion of the seventh prince. I''ll let them check for me. The seventh prince is your brother. Now that the butler asked, I should try to help. "


    Luo Qingyan was still frowning. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, he knew that he couldn''t refuse, so he helped Yun Shang out of the carriage.

 Chapter 625 Different Thoughts

    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s waist all the way, and followed the butler to a yard with the words "wind tower" written on it. The yard was well decorated, but the servants in the yard were very anxious.


    The butler led Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang through the outer hall and entered the room. The room was spacious, but it was a little crowded with a dozen people. Yun Shang raised her sleeve and coughed, throwing a small pill into her mouth secretly.


    Several people stood beside the seventh prince''s bed. An old man among them said something to the empress. The empress frowned tightly as if she was not happy.


    "Your Majesty, Prince Rui and Lady Rui are here." The butler stepped forward, interrupted the old man who was talking, and reported, "Your Majesty, Lady Rui feels uncomfortable. When I went out to look for her, Prince Rui was about to take Lady Rui back home. There are so many good doctors in the mansion and they could check for Lady Rui.


    The empress raised her eyes and glanced at Yun Shang indifferently. She nodded and ordered the people standing in front of her, "In that case, go to help Lady Rui first."


    They must be the doctors. Yun Shang thought as a servant quickly fetched a stool for her, and Luo Qingyan helped her sit. He whispered in her ear, "Will they know we are lying after taking a pulse for you?"


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile and gave Luo Qingyan an an reassuring look. Seeing this, Luo Qingyan remembered that his wife was not only smart, but also an excellent doctor.


    Yun Shang smiled and extended her hand. The old doctor who had just talked with the empress extended his fingers on Yun Shang''s wrist. After a while, he stood up, and the other doctors took turns to take Yun Shang''s pulse.


    "How is it? How is Lady Rui? " The empress asked as everyone stood up.


    All of the doctors turned back and bowed to the empress. "Your Majesty, Lady Rui is pregnant. She has a poor blood circulation. In addition, she had a cold stomach just now, so her condition is indeed not good."


    Luo Qingyan frowned at their words. He reached out and held Yun Shang''s hand tightly. Although he knew that it might be Yun Shang''s trick, he still looked worried.


    Yun Shang gently pinched Luo Qingyan''s hand to relieve him. Then she turned her head and spoke in a weak voice, as if she was so weak to say every word, "I''m afraid I''ve got a cold. I have been resting in the room these days, and there are always braziers in my room. Today, I have been outside for a long time. Just now, I saw that the seventh prince had an accident. I wanted to go to the bridal room to see the bride, but I felt a sudden pain in my abdomen on the way, so I have to inform his highness in a hurry. "


    The empress frowned and looked at the doctors. "Is there any way to relieve it first?"


    The doctors shook their head and said, "Lady Rui must have taken medicine for miscarriage prevention all the time. Now we could only offer her some warm water to drink and see whether


    Yun Shang smiled and glanced at the spot where Luo Qingyan was about to put his piece. She quickly hold the chessboard and said, "No, no, you can''t put it here."


    Luo Qingyan heard it and raised his eyebrows, with a touch of tease in his eyes, "can''t I put it here? Why?"


    "Because if you place it here, I will lose." Yun Shang winked and took it for granted.


    Luo Qingyan and Qian Zhuo both laughed out loud. "I''ve never seen any player like you. What a coincidence! I just want to place it here, so what?"


    Yun Shang pouted. She suddenly waved at the chessboard, and looked at Luo Qingyan with an innocent look. "Oh, my sleeve is too long. Look, the pieces are in a mess. Forget it. It''s almost the time to go out. If I don''t set off now, I''m afraid the empress will blame me. " Then she stood up and said, "Qian Zhuo, gave me my overcoat."


    Qian Yin said yes in a hurry, took a overcoat and put it on Yun Shang. Yun Shang laughed, turned around and walked out with Luo Qingyan.


    "You don''t get better in playing chess, but much better in acting shamelessly." Luo Qingyan sighed and looked at Yun Shang with helplessness.


    Yun Shang grinned, pretending not to hear him, and ordered Qian Zhuo to prepare the carriage.


    When the two of them arrived at the mansion of the seventh prince, the door was already closed. Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to knock at the door. The door was opened from the inside. The doorman craned his head and saw Yun Shang, so he opened the door in a hurry and walked out with a flattering smile. "Your Highnesses."


    Yun Shang nodded. After entering the mansion, she headed towards the wind tower.


    As soon as she reached the door, the empress''s voice came, "It''s ominous that such a thing happened in the wedding. She could officially be the concubine after kowtowing to the seventh prince''s wife. But the wedding ceremony hasn''t completed because the seventh prince fainted. In that case, Liu Chuchu hasn''t married into the seventh prince mansion yet..."

 Chapter 626 Good Acting

    The empress paused a little and continued, "since she doesn''t belong to the seventh Prince''s mansion, they carry she back using the carriage that brought her here, saying that she had met a group of gangsters on the way, and none of the entire team leading the way to send the bride has escaped alive."


    Yun Shang stopped and gave Luo Qingyan a gesture of silence, and then the Butler said, "but, your majesty, is it too much..."


    Before the butler could finish his sentence, the empress interrupted him. "The bridegroom fainted in the hall. This is enough to cause various rumors among the people. If the rumor goes that his side concubine was killed as soon as she entered his mansion, people will say the seventh prince is an ominous person."


    Yun Shang''s mind changed when she heard the empress'' words. Her mouth curved in a smile as she thought of the idea of the seventh prince being an ominous person.


    The Butler kept silent for a short while, the he said yes. Then she realized that the butler was about to walk out. Yun Shang hastily took Luo Qingyan back, and walked to the entrance of the yard. As expected, the Butler came out.


    The Butler stopped his steps as soon as he saw Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang. He hurriedly raised a smile and said, "Prince Rui and Lady Rui, you are finally here. I had thought that if you still didn''t come, I would send someone to the Prince Rui''s mansion to invite you."


    Yun Shang nodded her head slightly and said with a smile, "I still feel a little uncomfortable after I used the pill, so I sat in my mansion for a while. I didn''t come here until the pain was a little relieved. I''m sorry to keep the empress and the seventh prince waiting."


    The Butler immediately led Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang into the room. The empress glanced at Yun Shang and said indifferently, "you''re here? Go and see the seventh prince. "


    Yun Shang said yes and followed the butler to the bed. The seventh prince looked pale. Yun Shang thought for a while and was about to put her hand on his wrist. But the seventh prince''s f


    she said with a smile, "since the seventh Prince has woken up, I have nothing else to do here. Prince Rui and I will say goodbye and go back home."


    The seventh prince tapped the bedside and said with a smile, "brother and sister-in-law are here to attend my wedding party. And you are leaving so soon? Stay for dinner before you leave. "


    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "you''re welcome. I''m not very well today, so I''d like to go back and have a rest." Then she stood up. "Well, your wife was worried about you when you fainted before. If you are fine, send someone to deliver a message to her."


    The seventh Prince pondered for a moment and agreed.


    Then Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan went out of the yard. Before they reached the gate of the garden house, they heard the hurried voice of the Butler from behind. "Prince Rui, lady Rui, please wait."


    Yun Shang stopped and smiled coldly. She looked up and exchanged a glance with Luo Qingyan. Both of them saw the look in each other''s eyes, and got it.


    The two of them turned around and saw the Butler rushing over in a hurry.


    "What can I do for you?" Yun Shang smiled.


    The Butler gasped. "I''m so sorry. The Lord of the Ministry of Justice heard that Prince Rui was in the mansion, so he sent me to ask Prince Rui and Lady Rui to go to lady Liu''s yard. He said he had something important to ask his highness."

 Chapter 627 No Clue

    When Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan followed the butler to the long corridor they had passed before, they saw a woman in red walking towards them.


    Yun Shang felt that the lady looked familiar, but she didn''t remember who she was. When she was thinking, the lady said softly, "Shang''er." Then she turned her eyes to Luo Qingyan, who was standing beside Yun Shang. Stunned, she curtsied to him and said, "Your Highness."


    Hearing her voice, Yun Shang stopped. It suddenly dawned on her that there was only one woman in red in this mansion today. She was the bride of the seventh prince, Hua Yutong.


    Seeing the butler also looked at Hua Yutong in bewilderment, Yun Shang quickly walked to her, held her hand and said, "Yutong, why do you come out?"


    Hua Yutong smiled. Although she had not taken off her make-up, she looked a little pale, and even her body was a little trembling. She said, "I heard servants talking about the concubine Liu Chuchu while I was resting in the bridal chamber. I didn''t meet her before, but I think it''s a kind of fate that we could marry into the mansion on the same day." He glanced at Yun Shang again and hesitated. "Shang''er, are you also going there? You''re pregnant now, so I''m afraid you''ll feel uncomfortable if you smell the blood. Besides, there''s a lot of blood in the yard, it looked like a hell even her corpse is not there."


    Yun Shang finished listening to the first part of her words with a smile. But she suddenly frowned at the last part, "Her corpse is not there? Why?"


    Stunned for a while, Hua Yutong said, "There''s no corpse in the yard. Just now, the official of Ministry of Justice was also confused. He was wondering why the butler was so sure that Liu Chuchu and the servants in the her yard were killed? "


    Yun Shang and the butler both frowned. Although Yun Shang didn''t enter the yard in person, the secret guard had clearly reported the situation in the yard.


    "That''s not right. I had gone to the yard. There were many dead bodies on the ground. I just cast a glance at the gate and didn''t dare to step forward. How come... How come they were suddenly gone?" Said the butler hurriedly.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang again and said in a low voice, "Let''s go and have a look at Liu Chuchu''s yard."


    Yun Shang hurried to catch up with him. Seeing that, Hua Yutong hesitated for a moment before following up. She walked to Yun Shang, held her arm and whispered, "Shang''er, is the seventh prince alright?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang remembered that the seventh prince had fainted on the day of their wedding. No matter whether Hua Yutong was on behalf of Lord Hua Guo, she was just an ordinary woman, who look forward a happy marriage. The seventh prince was her husband now, and she was very worried about him. However, she hadn''t officially been his wife since the marriage ritual was not completed, so she dared not to ask anyone in the mansion...


    Yun


    d stepped into the room. The inside was not the same as she had imagined. She had thought that all the things in the room should be red at the first sight, but when she entered, she found that all the things in the room were new. There was a slight smell of paint, mixed with the aroma of pine, which was a little pungent. However, there was no red candle or bright red wedding sheet on the bed, only the words "wedding" written on the boxes that were just put in.


    The butler noticed that Yun Shang was looking at the boxes, so he quickly said, "These are the boxes brought by the new concubine."


    Yun Shang opened the four suitcases. Two were filled with clothes. One was full of books, and another contained things for daily use.


    Yun Shang searched the cases casually and closed them.


    It was merely Liu Chuchu''s first day in the mansion. There was nothing else in the room, and it was also very clean.


    Yun Shang ran her eyes over the room from one end to another. Perhaps it was because the scent in the room was not so good, she just had a quick look at it and hurried out of the door.


    When Yun Shang went out of the room, Luo Qingyan followed her, so did other people.


    Yun Shang took a short break and turned to Li Qianmo. "What do you want us to do?"


    Hearing this, Li Qianmo glanced at the butler behind her and said: "I checked around the yard but didn''t find any clue. There is really no clue. I heard that Prince Rui and Lady Rui were here, and I thought that you might have some opinions. Thus, I took the liberty to ask the butler to bring you here."


    Seeing Li Qianmo''s face, Yun Shang knew that he must have something to say. But in consideration of the butler''s presence, he didn''t say it. Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "I''m not feeling well. I feel a little uncomfortable as soon as I enter this yard. There is nothing to talk about."


    Li Qianmo thought for a while and then nodded, "It''s my fault."

 Chapter 628 Hua Yutong visits

    Luo Qingyan had remained quiet all the time. When he heard that Yun Shang was not feeling well, he frowned and said, "You are pregnant now, so you don''t need to worry about it. Let me send you home first."


    Yun Shang nodded, turned around, smiled at Hua Yutong, and said, "I''ll go back now. You''ve just arrived at the mansion of the seventh prince, and if you have anything, just tell the butler. I don''t think the butler will ignore you."


    The butler, who was standing beside, quickly responded, "Of course. If you have anything, just let me know."


    Hua Yutong nodded immediately and smiled at Yun Shang, "Okay, I see."


    Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang out of the seventh prince''s mansion and went back in a carriage. Yun Shang frowned and asked Luo Qingyan, "Is anybody following us?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "No, what''s wrong?"


    After the carriage turn around and enter a small alley, Yun Shang asked the driver to stop the carriage. Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and frowned. "What happened?"


    "Nothing." Yun Shang smiled and rested her head on Luo Qingyan''s chest, "Your Highness, guess who is behind all this?"


    Luo Qingyan was silent for a while, and then said, "If I have to say a suspect, it would be the seventh prince. The yard is way too clean... "


    "Yes, it''s so clean that people have to suspect it was done by someone from the seventh prince''s mansion." Yun Shang answered in a hesitant voice.


    After about fifteen minutes later, and the sound of the horseshoes came. Luo Qingyan opened the curtain and looked out of the carriage. He frowned and looked at Yun Shang. "It''s Li Qianmo, are you waiting for him?"


    Hardly had his voice faded away, they heard Li Qianmo speak in a low voice, "Master."


    Yun Shang responded and asked, "What did you want to say when we were in the courtyard?"


    Li Qianmo replied, "When I investigated the crime scene, I found something strange in a rockery of the courtyard. I thought it was weird, so I wanted to let you have a look."


    Rockery? Yun Shang frowned as she thought of the rockery in the yard Liu Chuchu stayed. Yun Shang lifted the curtain of the carriage, and Li qianmo handed her something like a parchment. Before Yun Shang stretched out her hand, Luo Qingyan had taken it and unfolded the parchment.


    Yun Shang reached out her head and had a look. Then she frowned.


    It was a map, which was very detailed. It marked the seventh Prince Mansion on the map. Every courtyard, even the path and the face of every yard were marked in detail.


    "A map?" Yun Shang frowned. No matter what, this map was not supposed to be in the yard. That garden was so clean, but only this map stayed. It was clearly used to confuse people.


    "The empress and the seventh prince asked you to investigate this case. Why didn''t you report it to them when yo


    Yesterday I was busy sorting out a dozen boxes I brought to the mansion, and I didn''t find the appropriate time to see him."


    "A dozen boxes?" Yun Shang smiled too. "What did you bring with you?"


    "I don''t think there is anything special. They are just clothes, shoes, jewelries, my favorite books, as well as writing brush, ink sticks, paper and ink stone, instrument, chess, calligraphy, paintings, embroidered kit. There are three boxes of books alone. When I saw them yesterday, I was also shocked. How could I need so many things? " Hua Yutong smiled and said, "But I have got used to them. I will feel not right if I have to use some new things instead of them."


    Yun Shang smiled too. "You are right. I brought a chef from the State of Ning here when I came to the State of Xia. I feared that I would not get used to the food here."


    After a pause, something suddenly flashed through her mind. She frowned and said, "Are you familiar with Liu Chuchu?"


    "Liu Chuchu?" Maybe it was because of what happened yesterday, the smile on Hua Yutong''s face disappeared when they talked about Liu Chuchu. "I''ve heard about her before, but I was sent out of the Jin City when I was young because of my poor health. I only heard that she was so talented that she could write elegant composition when she was only seven or eight and she was proficient at the Four Arts. I have heard her playing Guqin at a banquet before. It was indeed impressive. And the Guqin she played was a Jiao Wei Qin awarded to her by the emperor... "


    "Really? A Jiao Wei Qin awarded to her by the emperor? " Yun Shang frowned and murmured.


    Hua Yutong nodded her head and replied, "I heard that at a banquet held by the emperor, Liu Chuchu, who was only nine years old at that time, was highly praised by the emperor for the tune ''High mountains and Running water'' and was awarded the Jiao Wei Qin.

 Chapter 629 The Mystery Of The Jiao Wei Qin

    Yun Shang smiled coldly and turned to look at Hua Yutong. "It''s a pity. Yesterday, I checked tall the things she brought to the seventh prince''s mansion, but I didn''t see the Jiao Wei Qin. Otherwise, it could broaden my vision. However, Liu Chuchu is really special. She even didn''t bring her favorite Guqin. Both of us are the kind of person who would like to take all our favorites with us. The things she brought to the seventh prince''s mansion were really too few."


    On hearing this, Hua Yutong became silent. It seemed that she was thinking about something. After a while, she said, "I just remembered that she brought four boxes with her. Nothing else in them except some necessities. Although I don''t know her well, I know she is very talented and is picky at the four arts. In recent years, she only plays the Jiao Wei Qin, uses the peach blossom stationery and the Hui ink-stick. But these things were all not seen in the boxes brought by her yesterday. "


    Yun Shang slightly upturned her fingers. It was abnormal. Something was wrong. But Yun Shang didn''t know why there was such an abnormality.


    Hua Yutong talked with Yun Shang for a while and then stood up to say goodbye.


    Yun Shang sat on the bench for a while before she waved at Qian Zhuo, "Try to ask about a Guqin named Jiao Wei in Liu Chuchu''s house."


    Qian Zhuo kept slient for a while and said, "Your Highness, I''m afraid it''s going to be a little difficult. It''s not difficult to go to Liu Chuchu''s home, but it''s not easy for the secret guard to find the Jiao Wei Qin."


    "The most obvious feature of the Jiao Wei Qin are some scorch marks at the end of it and that''s why it is called Jiao Wei." After a pause, Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "Wait a minute. Go and bring Qian Yin here. I''ll ask her to buy a dummy Jiao Wei Qin. When the secret guard finds the real one, ask him to replace the original one with the fake one."


    Qian Zhuo said yes and left in a hurry to look for Qian Yin.


    After giving Qian Yin the order, Yun Shang lied down on the bench for a rest again.


    When Yun Shang woke up again, Luo Qingyan had returned home and was reading a book on the bench. Seeing that Yun Shang was awake, he smiled, stretched out his hand to touch Yun Shang''s hair, and said softly, "I heard from Qian Zhuo that you didn''t wake up until noon. But you fell asleep soon after you had lunch. Why are you so sleepy?"


    Yun Shang patted Luo Qingyan''s hand and glared at him. "What time is it?" Then she leaned forward and looked out of the window. It was dark. She frowned, "Have you ordered Qian Zhuo to prepare the supper?"


    "I have. You like eating except sleeping." Luo Qingyan said and laughed.


    Yun Shang sat up and lifted the quilt, put on her shoes and a robe, then turned to Luo Qingyan, "Is there any clue about the incident in the seventh prince''s mansion?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "No. The yard was too clean. Today the Vice Mini


    eyes. But when his eyes fell on Yun Shang''s belly, he looked a little more determined.


    "Wait for some time. When I get everything done, I could accompany you to go wherever you want." Luo Qingyan said lightly.


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled at Luo Qingyan.


    The next day, when Yun Shang woke up, it was almost noon. As soon as she got up, Qian Zhuo reported, "Yesterday, I asked the secret guard to go to the Liu Chuchu''s house to look for the Jiao Wei Qin. There was a table for Guqin in her room, but the Guqin wasn''t placed there. What''s more, there are many things missing in the room, including writing brush, ink sticks, paper, ink stone and even the comb on the dresser. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang paused for a while and said, "It makes senses that Liu Chuchu might take them with her when she got married. But all these things are not in the boxes she brought to the seventh prince mansion..."


    Qian Ying also felt strange, but she was unable to figure it out.


    Yun Shang stood up and let Qian Zhuo get her dressed. She thought for a while and said, "Send a message to Li Qianmo. Ask him to check the mansion of the seventh prince again and write down a list for all the things in the four boxes. Then bring the list to me."


    Qian Zhuo said yes and helped Yun Shang wear her underwear.


    Yun Shang then entered the bathroom. When she was washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she heard the butler''s voice from outside. But his voice was not too loud, so she didn''t hear him clearly.


    She quickly washed up and walked out of the bathroom. In addition to the butler and Qian Yu, there was a woman in a willow green clothes standing with her back to her. She seemed to be somewhat familiar with the figure.


    Yun Shang was about to speak when she saw the lady turn around. When the woman saw Yun Shang, she smiled softly, "Your Highness, I knew you didn''t get up until this time. So I came a little late. It seems I''m just in time."

 Chapter 630 The Reunion Of Master And Servant

    "Qin Yi!" Hearing what Qin Yi said, Yun Shang called out her name with obvious joy in her voice. She walked to Qin Yi, held her hand and asked smilingly, "Why are you so late? I''ve been waiting for you for a long time. Why didn''t you tell me before you came here? I will send someone to pick you up. " Before Qin Yi could answer, Yun Shang added, "By the way, it has been three months since you said you had something to deal with when I asked you to come here. What''s wrong?"


    Yun Shang kept asking a lot of questions. Qin Yi was listening to her with a smile, but Qian Zhuo couldn''t help laughing. "Your Highness, you ask so many questions at one time. How could Qin Yi answer you?"


    Yun Shang was taken aback at Qian Zhuo''s words. Then she also burst into laughter.


    The gentleness in Qin Yi''s face became more obvious. She answered, "I heard that your highness was pregnant on the way here, so I was in a hurry to come here, but I forgot to inform you in advance. I didn''t come here because I wanted to go back to the imperial city of the state of Ning to visit her highness."


    Yun Shang heard what Qin Yi said and asked: "How is my mother? Has Chenxi grown up a little? Chenxi should be more than a year old now and should be able to speak now. I''m afraid he has forgotten me. Has my father been good to mother and Chenxi?"


    Qin Yi nodded with a smile, "Her highness is fine. But I didn''t know that you had been pregnant when I was in the state of Ning. Otherwise, her highness would''ve been happier if I had told her."


    "I forgot to write a letter to tell mother. I''ll write to her later." Yun Shang hurriedly said.


    Qin Yi nodded slightly, "You should. After I knew it, I thought her highness would be very happy if you tell her about this. The little prince has grown up a lot. He is much more handsome than before and looks like a doll. Now he can speak some complete sentences. He has a sweet tongue and makes her highness and his majesty happy every day."


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "of course he is very smart."


    "Your Highness, you don''t have to worry that the little prince couldn''t recognize you. Her highness have ordered someone to draw a portrait of you and hang it in Jinxiu Palace. She must have often told him that this is his sister. That day I saw that he went to the picture with a piece of Osmanthus cake and asked if you want some. He can definitely recognize you when he see you next time. His majesty went to Jinxiu Palace every day to accompany her highness and the little prince. He treats them very well. Don''t worry, your highness."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help thinking of that while listening to Qin Yi''s words. Her eyes were filled with tears. She bit her lips to hold back her tears. After a while, she smiled with a touch of bitterness in her voice, "That''s excellent. So good that they are all great."


    Qin Yi too


    t her, "Didn''t you say that Qin Yi would stay here to help you? You have plenty of time in the future, and you don''t have to rush at the moment. You are pregnant now. Why do you still stay up so late?"


    Yun Shang lifted her eyes to glare at Luo Qingyan, "You said I only knew sleeping except eating. Now it''s just a little late and you start nagging."


    Then she held Luo Qingyan''s hand and said with a smile, "I''m so happy to see Qin Yi."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Well, that''s good. Since she''s here, you have a helper, you don''t have to be so busy."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Thinking of what happened these days, she asked, "Is there any progress about the case of Lady Liu?"


    "No, there is no progress. Today Liu Chuchu''s parents was being interrogated. Her father is the younger brother of Liu Jin. He is more gentle compared with Liu Jin. Normally, if parents lost their loved daughter, they must be very sad. They did cry for a while, but I didn''t saw the sadness in their eyes." Luo Qingyan frowned and said with confusion, "I wonder if the seventh prince has talked something to them in advance."


    Yun Shang frowned at the his words. She hesitated for a long time before asking, "Has Liu Chuchu always been favored at home?"


    "I didn''t inquire into it carefully. But I heard that her father is so proud of her talent." Luo Qingyan said casually.


    Then he changed the topic, "I have also sent your message. Today, when I went out of Taiji Palace after discussing with His Majesty, I happened to meet Ning Qian. Then I passed on your message."


    Yun Shang nodded, but her mind was still on the matter of Liu Chuchu. It was a bit weird, but she could not figure it out.


    But Luo Qingyan didn''t want Yun Shang to think too much about it. He said, "It''s late. Go to bed early."


    Yun Shang agreed and then asked Qian Zhuo to serve her. She untied her hair, washed her face and went to bed.

 Chapter 631 Trapped In The Mist (Part One)

    Yun Shang felt much more relaxed after Qin Yi''s arrival. Although Qin Yi had just arrived at the state of Xia, she must have made a thorough investigation in advance. She clearly knew about the customs and the traditions of the state of Xia, as well as the preferences of the ladies and misses who came in and went out of the imperial palace.


    Yun Shang looked at Qin Yi, who was busy preparing the things needed for the new year and said with a big grin on her face, "it''s so good to have Qin Yi here, which saves me a lot of trouble."


    Qian Zhuo, who was standing aside, nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, I also feel relaxed, your highness."


    Qin Yi looked back and forth between Yun Shang and Qian Zhuo, and sighed, "Your Highness, you don''t look like a master in the mansion. That''s not good. No female master in the imperial household was as lazy as your highness. You only cared about the affairs in your own yard, as if it was not Prince Rui''s mansion outside your yard. The Spring Festival is coming. Your highness haven''t prepared anything except for the things the housekeeper asked the servants to buy. "


    Yun Shang spat out her tongue secretly. Although she was a married woman in her previous life, Yun Shang was not qualified to worry about it as her mother-in-law took care of it. This life, after her marriage, there was only one new year and it was celebrated only in a battlefield, so she didn''t know too much about the trifles in this mansion. As Luo Qingyan was often not at home, the butler hardly had time to deal with these things as well. He still remembered the first time when Luo Qingyan held a birthday party, the butler had called her for help. She was not so good at the manag


    sed, Qin Yi comforted her immediately. "But lady Rui, you just got married and you are surrounded by young girls, so it''s not your fault that you doesn''t know how to deal with them well yet. I will pick two experienced madams from the Butler later. They are smart and good at those things, and they should help you."


    Yun Shang nodded her head and said yes.


    As expected, in the afternoon, Qin Yi brought two madams into the yard and took them to pay their respect to Yun Shang.


    "This is madam Qi, and this is madam Qiu." Qin Yi pointed at the two madams who stood in front of Yun Shang and introduced softly to her.


    The two madams hurriedly bowed to Yun Shang and said, "Nice to see you, Your Highness."


    "Okay. Get up." Yun Shang said with a smile on her face and looked back and forth between the two madams.


    Yun Shang looked at the two madams in waiting. They were both dressed in dark purple dresses, without any wrinkles on their dresses, and their hair was meticulously combed. They were reliable, calm and meticulous in the way they spoke and walked. It was said that they must have been carefully selected by Qin Yi.

 Chapter 632 Trapped In The Mist (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded her head in approval in secret, and said with a smile on her face, "it''s fate that you are joining in this yard. Although it''s our first meeting, I still have to make the rules clear for you in case there are troubles in the future. You don''t need to be restrained in the yard normally. I don''t like punishing you for some small mistakes as long as there is no big mistake. It''s just that sometimes it''s reasonable for you to make small mistakes, but if it happens a lot, don''t blame me for being strict with you. All I ask you to do is being absolutely loyal to me. I''m a very nice person in normal times, but if someone crossed the line, I wouldn''t be easy to deal with. Qin Yi will tell you everything about the rest of the rules. I''m not in the mood to talk about it anymore. Do you understand? "


    The two madams immediately responded, "yes, we understand."


    Yun Shang waved to Qin Yi, asking her to take the two of them to meet Qian Zhuo and arrange a place for them to settle in first. After packing up and getting ready, they would come back again to start their work.


    Qin Yi went out with the two madams following her. Not long after, Qin Yi returned in the room, but the two madams were not behind her anymore.


    Yun Shang glanced at her, "Qian Zhuo had taken the two madams out?"


    Qin Yi nodded her head, walked to Yun Shang, and said with a smile on her face, "you are behaving like a real lady when you told them the rules."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing at Qin Yi''s words. "Don''t you think I''m not a decent lady of the mansion normally?"


    "Yeah, you are being too mild and too gentle." Qin Yi nodded


    or a moment, and then said, "I''ve been wondering before that if Liu Chuchu really got married to the seventh Prince''s mansion, why she only brought so few things with her, even her favorite Jiao Wei Qin wasn''t with her. It seems that she doesn''t plan to live in the mansion for a long time after she marries into the seventh Prince''s mansion. Besides, the prince said that Liu Chuchu''s parents didn''t show any grief after they knew about her death. It can explain if it wasn''t Liu Chuchu who was carried into the seventh Prince Mansion. "


    Yun Shang said these words and frowned. After a long silence, she said again, "if so, what happened that day in the seventh prince''s mansion may not be done by the seventh prince. It could also be the people from the Liu clan who did that. They did it deliberately to disguise that the person who was carried into the mansion was not Liu Chuchu at all. "


    After thinking for a while, she shook her head and said, "but the Liu clan has been ruined so far. It is impossible to do such a big move in the seventh Prince''s mansion before being discovered."

 Chapter 633 The New Years Eve (Part One)

    "Maybe it''s all just a coincidence?" Qian Zhuo listened to Yun Shang''s murmur and opened her mouth, "maybe that Miss Liu just didn''t want to marry the seventh prince, so she sent someone to marry him instead. But she didn''t expect that such a thing would happen."


    "Is it a coincidence?" Yun Shang''s hands trembled. She hesitated for a long time before she shook her head. "It''s not a very complicated thing. Send more capable secret guards to the yard and take the woman in the yard out. Ask the woman what the hell happened in person and we will know."


    The prince drank some wine and withdrew with the secret guards.


    Yun Shang lay down on the couch again and fetched a book to read. As soon as Qin Yi came in, she saw Yun Shang acting like this. She couldn''t help but frown, grabbed a cloak and draped it on her. "It seldom snows in the state of Xia, but it feels even colder than it is in the state of Ning. But today''s weather is good. If your highness are free, you''d better wear more clothes. Ask the servants to remove the fire from the pot, open the window and get some fresh air. It''s not good to stay in the room all the time. "


    Yun Shang smiled and answered yes. Then she stood up and asked Qin Yi to add a piece of cotton clothes to her robe, put on the robe, and put on a cloak outside.


    Qin Yi went to her bed and opened the window for her. A delicate fragrance of plum blossom wafted in. Yun Shang felt much better with the scent. She walked to the window excitedly and looked out of the window. A few days ago, when Lady Hua Guo ordered someone to pick up the plum blossoms, they were still in buds. Now, all the plum blossoms in the yard have been in fu


    you could only visit some relatives and do nothing else. Shops on the street won''t open until the early fifth day of the lunar calendar, and there won''t be any shops, nor a lot of restaurants. But if your highnesses are willing to, it''s fine. We can go to the temple and burn the incense of new year. "


    Yun Shang was surprised with her mouth wide open. Even Luo Qingyan was surprised as well, "why don''t the shops open the door?"


    Qin Yi nodded her head, "yes, it''s a tradition."


    On hearing that, both Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang felt disappointed. After a moment of silence, Luo Qingyan said, "it''s not a bad idea to take a walk in the temple. I''ll send someone to have a look at the temple nearby."


    ''Better than nothing.'' Yun Shang thought to herself and nodded her head as well.


    Luo Qingyan accompanied Yun Shang to walk in the mansion and then went back to her room. Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan about the fact that Liu Chuchu might not die. Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and said, "today, we have made some progress as well. We have found out that the blood in the yard is not human blood at all."

 Chapter 634 The New Years Eve (Part Two)

    "It''s not human blood?" Yun Shang was confused and asked, "what is that?"


    Luo Qingyan sneered coldly, "It''s just the blood of some living birds. I am afraid that the scene of the crime was deliberately misled by someone. The garden found by the secret guards might be a breakthrough point. Take more secret guards to go and investigate. I''ll send some people with them as well. "


    Yun Shang nodded her head and agreed.


    Luo Qingyan picked Yun Shang up, went to the bench, and sat on it. He touched Yun Shang''s belly and asked softly, "is he behaving well today? I met Lady Hui in the imperial palace before. She was vomiting with her hands on a tree. She threw up so badly as if she was going to faint. Fortunately, our child has not made you suffer so much. Otherwise, I would rather not have the baby if I have to see you suffer like this. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang turned around and gave him a stern look. She said unhappily, "don''t say anything more. Although the baby is still young, it can hear us. Be careful that it won''t get close to you in the future."


    Hearing her words, Luo Qingyan smiled and quickly said, "Okay, okay, forget it."


    Yun Shang frowned and asked worriedly, "is it really that serious as you said? I mean Lady Hui''s morning sickness. When you see her, did anyone see her? "


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "there is a rockery next to the imperial garden, as you know, and there is a pavilion on it. I was tired from the meetings today, so I took a rest there, and then I saw her. She deliberately found a very hidden place, and no one else saw her."


    "If the cause of the morning sickness is that bad, it is really dangerous fo


    the court, and only the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion can be regarded as the elders. Then it''s the palace. But you don''t have to go there because there''s no tradition like that in the royal palace." Madam Qiu smiled and said.


    Yun Shang was suddenly enlightened.


    After breakfast, a servant told that the seventh prince''s wife was here.


    Yun Shang was surprised. Then she asked the servants to lead Hua Yutong in. Hua Yutong smiled as soon as she entered. "The arrangements in your mansion are very delightful."


    Yun Shang knew that Hua Yutong must have a hard time this new year. She had just married to the seventh prince, and now things happened to Liu Chuchu. The mansion must be in a mess. How could it be possible for her to celebrate the new year. Thinking of this, Yun Shang said with a smile, "you have suffered a lot this year. If you need anything, just let me know."


    Hua Yutong nodded and sighed slightly, "I can get it, but now I''m not eligible to attend to the seventh Prince''s mansion. I''m so idle all day and except for some things, I have nothing to worry about. It''s all right for me."

 Chapter 635 Three Princesses

    Yun Shang could not help but feel a little guilty when she saw Hua Yutong in a total gloomy state. Anyway, the Hua family sent her to the selection mainly for Luo Qingyan. So, Prince Rui''s mansion should take certain responsibility for her current situation.


    Hua Yutong smiled again and said, "But there are some benefits. Before I married, there were too much rules and I was not allowed to go around. Now I''m more free.


    Yun Shang didn''t know how to comfort her. She asked with a smile, "How''s the seventh prince? Is he feeling better?"


    "I heard from the servant that he was better. He went to the court this morning, so I think he is alright now." Lydia said casually, "by the way, these days, Prince ray has been in and out of the seventh Prince''s mansion for two or three times. He seems to be investigating lady aria. Does the emperor hand this over to Prince ray?"


    Yun Shang was a little surprised. She shook her head, "I don''t know. Isn''t the Vice Minister ofMinistry of Justice in charge of the case? His Highness has never told me about it."


    "Really?" Hua Yutong meditated for a while and didn''t ask more questions. Then she changed the topic with a smile on her face.


    After a while, a servant came to report that three princesses came with their husbands.


    Yun Shang thought about it and knew that they were most likely to be the three senior princesses. But she was not familiar with them. She only knew a few about them through the information sent by the secret guards and had seen them once at the seventh prince''s wedding. After a moment''s reflection, she turned around and said to Hua Yutong, "There princesses has come and my room is too small for all of us. Let''s go to the garden house."


    Hua Yutong knew nothing about these princesses. She seemed to be a little nervous and asked, "Are they easygoing?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I don''t know much about them. I just met them once on your wedding day."


    Hearing this, Hua Yutong appeare


    ad the army all the time when he was in the state of Ning. When he was leading the army, he was still young, about seventeen or eighteen years old. If he was still smiling all the time, it would be difficult to convince others. Moreover, it''s a military camp, which pursues force. So his highness was used to wearing a long face in front of others. Maybe he thought he could look bossy with that. If you are free, come to our mansion more often. You can naturally see his other side once you are familiar with him. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, they were stunned for a moment, and then they laughed. "I didn''t know the reason. He seemed so cold that we were afraid to talk to him."


    The atmosphere in the room eased a little and they started to chat with each other. Although Yun Shang seldom gathered with people, she was not bad at it. Soon the topic was changed to dressing and make-ups. The emperor''s sons in law started to talk about their topics.


    They chatted for a while. Yun Shang thought no one would come at this time, so she ordered Qin Yi to prepare for the banquet.


    After the meal, they took a walk in the mansion for a while. Then everyone stood up and said goodbye. Yun Shang ordered the maid to give the gifts for the Spring Festival to each person and then asked the butler to walk them out.

 Chapter 636 Secret Worry

    "These three princesses are senior to some other princesses, and their mothers are of humble status. They are gentle in character. The eldest princess is steady. The second princess is adorable and the fourth princess is quiet." Qin Yi helped Yun Shang into the yard and said with a smile, "They seem to get on well with each other, but I''ve heard that these princesses are in different factions in private. The eldest princess is close to the seventh prince; the second princess and the fourth Princess make friends with the empress. Both of them are not on the same side with us."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She got up early this morning, so she was a little sleepy. She went back to her room, sat on the bench, and smiled, "As the saying goes, no friends forever and no enemies forever. We are not in the same league today, but who knows about tomorrow."


    Qin Yi nodded, "Although these princesses are women, they may be useful. I''ve inquired about them, and I think the fourth princess might be our breakthrough. She only has one child who is not in good health and takes medicines all the year round. She makes friends with the second princess because her husband is a businessman who owns many medicine shops."


    "OK, collect all these materials, and let me have a look when I''m free a few days later." Yun Shang yawned and said.


    Noticing that Yun Shang was sleepy, Qin Yi helped her remove her cloak, took off her robe and removed the hairpins on her head. Then she said in a low voice, "Your Highness, have a rest if you feel sleepy. I''ll call you later and we have to go to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion."


    Yun Shang took off her shoes and lay down on the couch. Qin Yi turned around and fetched a quilt for her. By the time she came back to the couch, Yun Shang had already fallen asleep.


    Qin Yi tucked Yun Shang in and saw Qian Zhuo running in reckless


    rself up beside the brazier. After that, change your clothes and we will go out."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and turned to Yun Shang, frowning. "Add some clothes. It''s cold outside."


    Yun Shang didn''t even bother to retort. She just smiled and asked Qin Yi to bring her a robe.


    Luo Qingyan sat down on a stool. Yun Shang said, "Liu Chuchu has really been found at the place I told you yesterday. I have already had someone brought her into our mansion."


    Luo Qingyan nodded. "My secret guard has told me earlier. I didn''t expect that Liu Chuchu is still alive."


    He warmed Yun Shang''s hands with his, and then took her two steps closer to him. He touched Yun Shang''s belly, frowning, and whispering, "Why is it still so small?"


    Yun Shang smiled at his words, "You touched it every day. Of course you can''t feel the difference. I feel that my waist is getting thicker... " Yun Shang said with a frown, "I''m afraid I will not be able to wear my clothes soon." She looked at Luo Qingyan with bright eyes.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t get the real meaning of Yun Shang''s words. He just smiled and put his arm around Yun Shang''s waist. "We can make some new clothes."


    "I won''t look beautiful in any clothes with a thicker waist." Yun Shang murmured.

 Chapter 637 A Good Time

    Luo Qingyan went blank for a while, and then couldn''t help smiling. "How could it be? Is it possible that there is any woman more beautiful than my wife?"


    Yun Shang''s face turned red all of a sudden. She broke herself free from Luo Qingyan''s arms, bit her lips, and stood aside, feeling her heart beating fast. The man looked so indifferent, but he could say love words without a blink.


    Qin Yi brought Yun Shang the clothes and a cloak, and helped her dress. Standing beside, Luo Qingyan stared at her. Under his gaze, Yun Shang didn''t even have the courage to look back. She just stamped her feet and said, "Why haven''t you changed your clothes yet? We''re going out. "


    Luo Qingyan smiled in a low voice, and then stood up to take the clothes to the bathroom.


    When the two of them went out, it was almost five o''clock in the afternoon. As they were going to have dinner at the palace in the evening of the new year''s Eve, they would have a family reunion in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion on the night before. All families would be there and it would be very lively.


    When Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were led into the yard by the butler, they saw red lanterns hang on the yard. Children were playing in the yard, and bangs of firecrackers were heard from time to time. The ladies all sat under the plum blossom trees in the yard, chatting and laughing from time to time. Men stood under the eaves as if they were talking about something, and they were all smiling.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan stood at the door, in a trance.


    "It''s rare to see such a situation. When I was in the Imperial Palace, the new year''s Eve was also very lively, but I was always afraid of doing something wrong, which made me less delighted." Yun Shang said gently.


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said after a moment of silence, "Let''s have a few more kids, so that they can also have fun on New Year''s day."


    Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo went a few steps behind them. Although they spoke in a low voice, they heard it clearly. They couldn''t help but laugh.


    Their laughter attracted everyone''s attention here.


    "Aunt, aunt..." Yun Shang often came to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, and all the children were familiar with her. As soon as they saw her standing at the door, they all ran to her.


    "Be careful. Your aunt is pregnant with a little brother or sister. Don''t hurt her." Shen Yilan shouted and ran to them in a hurry.


    Luo Qingyan quickly stood in front of Yun Shang to protect her. Seeing this, those kids frowned and looked up at Luo Qingyan. Seeing the displeasure on his face, so the kids stepped back. Shen Yilan''s son, Yan''er, was the boldest. He stepped forward and looked at Luo Qingyan with a frown, "Hey, who are you with such a long face? Why do you stand in front of my fairy aunt?"


    Yun Shang was standing behind Luo Qingyan and could not help laughing.


    Shen Yilan hastily stretched out her hands and patted Yan''er on his


    u has committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. Generations of your family will be implicated."


    Liu Chuchu trembled slightly and smiled. "You think you could see his majesty that easily? And as you said, everyone knows Miss Liu is dead. How can you prove that I am Liu Chuchu? "


    What an intelligent woman she was! Yun Shang smiled and wrote something on the paper. Qin Yi said immediately, "Of course we have an evidence. The Jiao Wei Qin."


    Liu Chuchu bit her lip and frowned. She did not speak for a long time. It seemed that she was thinking about how to deal with it.


    Qin Yi spoke again, "Miss Liu, I brought you here with no malice. I just want to ask why you ran away from the wedding. And who was killed in your mansion? "


    After a moment''s silence, Liu Chuchu finally opened her mouth and said, "If I was asked to marry to the seventh prince a year ago, I would be overjoyed. But now, my uncle has been sentenced to death. Although his majesty is so kind that he doesn''t blame the Liu clan, the Liu clan has become a scrap to the seventh prince. At this moment, I will be a stain to the seventh prince if I marry him. He won''t allow that. My parents thought I would have a hard time if I entered the mansion of the seventh prince, so they risked the accusation of deceiving the emperor to let my maids take my place in the sedan chair and sent me out of the Liu clan. They found a place for me to settle down. "


    Liu Chuchu paused, her voice trembling slightly. "I knew I wouldn''t be happy if I had married into the mansion of the seventh prince, but I didn''t expect that such a thing happened on the day of the wedding. My parents are grateful that they sent me out early, or I will be the person who suffers. I don''t ask for wealth or fame. I just want a lifetime of peace. Now that Liu Chuchu has passed away, please help me to get rid of her." Liu Chuchu suddenly knelt down and kowtowed to Qin Yi for three times.

 Chapter 638 The Schemes

    "Miss Liu, do you know who did this?" Qin Yi asked coldly, paying no attention to Liu Chuchu.


    Liu Chuchu shook her head and answered, "I was sent out on my wedding day. Then my maid took the palanquin to the seventh prince''s mansion for me. I was afraid of being exposed, so I hid in the courtyard and didn''t dare to go out. The maids who sent food to me the next day told me the incident happened in the seventh prince''s mansion. After that I never went out. I didn''t expect that you could find me. "


    Yun Shang knew that no matter how many questions she asked, she still couldn''t get the answer. So she shook her head at Qin Yi and gestured for Qian Zhuo to take Liu Chuchu away.


    After Liu Chuchu left the yard, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan, "What do you think?"


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "she didn''t say anything useful. I don''t know if she is really silly or just pretending to be."


    Yun Shang also sensed that Liu Chuchu didn''t tell her the truth. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I''ll ask the secret guards to interrogate her."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said, "if she still doesn''t say the truth, just send her back. Keep an eye on her. We may gain something from it."


    Yun Shang uttered a soft "yes".


    The royal banquet began from five o''clock in the afternoon. As it was an official ceremony, Yun Shang couldn''t dress up as she liked. She had already asked Qin Yi to dress her up and make her up. She was wearing the palace uniform for the princess, which meant she should wear makeup according to her grade.


    After dressing up, Yun Shang had to sit upright. Luo Qingyan looked at her frequently and fixed his eyes on the complex crown on her head. "I didn''t notice it before. These clothes and jewelries are really heavy. Do you feel uncomfortable?"


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly. "They make me a little tired, but it''s not unbearable. There are not many official dinners in the palace, and I''ll go through it."


    Luo Qingyan opened his mouth but said nothing. Noticing that it was time to leave, he helped Yun Shang out of the mansion, got on the carriage and headed towards the palace.


    Many carriages had already been parked at the gate of the palace and the street was packed with people. Yun Shang went into the palace with them and went up the stairs. Then she went into the Tai Chi palace and sat on a front seat in the Taiji palace. Yun Shang glanced around the hall, and had a rough understanding of the situation in the hall today. The positions of concubines and princes under age were on the left side of the hall, and the imperial concubines with titles should have arrived as well. On the right side of the hall were the officials and their families, and their positions were arranged according to their ranks.


    Yun Shang stared at the positions of the concubines. Since Lady Yun had disappeared and Lady Shu had been grounded, the positions of the four noble consorts were almost empty. Ning Qian became the one


    so he turned his head and asked softly, "What''s wrong? Is there anything wrong? "


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile, "No."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and smiled softly. "If you feel uncomfortable, tell me. We will leave earlier."


    Yun Shang nodded. Then she turned her head and looked at the dancers. A sneer appeared on her face. How could a battle dance be so soft?


    At the end of the melody, the audience applauded.


    While everyone was absorbed in the last song, the empress''s voice was heard before the light was on, "The next one is called moonlight on the lake."


    Before the crowd could react, they saw a sudden scene that looked like flowing water on the ground of the hall. There was the sound of water ringing in their ears, and a moon slowly rose. A graceful figure suddenly stepped out of the moon and danced gracefully.


    The empress had spent a lot of energy for the performance. It was not easy to create the lake water and moon scenery in the palace alone.


    Everyone was attracted by this wonderful scene, and even Xia Huanyu narrowed his eyes and stared at the round moon. However, Yun Shang''s gaze met Ning Qian''s. Ning Qian turned to glance at Lady Hui before she nodded at Yun Shang.


    When the music was over and everyone was still immersed in the scenery, the lights were on and the empress said, "Your Majesty, do you enjoy it?"


    Before Xia Huanyu could say anything, a huge sound was heard.


    All the eyes of the crowd were attracted. It turned out to be the wine pot on Lady Hui''s table accidentally fell to the ground. Her face was a little pale, and everyone thought she must be shocked. Frowning, the empress fixed her eyes on Yun Shang, who was drinking the fruit wine calmly. The empress said lightly, "Clean it up."


    After saying that, she turned around and said to Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty..."


    "Oh..."


    The others saw that Lady Hui kept retching, holding the table, as if she was very uncomfortable.

 Chapter 639 Consolidate At Every Step

    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on Lady Hui, thinking that it was known to all that she was recommended into the palace by Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan''s, so It would be strange if she didn''t say something.


    "Your Majesty, It seems that Lady Hui has some slight symptoms of poisoning." Yun Shang said indifferently with a frown, "Your Majesty, may I take a pulse for Lady Hui?"


    After thinking for a while, Xia Huanyu nodded and said, "okay."


    Yun Shang curtsied. Luo Qingyan hurried to help her stand up, passed through the middle of the hall, and went to Lady Hui.


    "Lady Hui?" Yun Shang spoke softly.


    Hearing this, Lin Youran hurriedly reached out her hand. Yun Shang took her pulse carefully and stared at her pale face. After a while, Yun Shang turned around and bowed to the emperor. "Congratulations, your majesty. Lady Hui is pregnant."


    Silence reigned in the hall for a while. As Yun Shang saw the empress suddenly tightened her hand and sharp nail cover passed by her palm, she frowned sharply. But she quickly reacted and raised a smile. "Really? Lady Hui is pregnant? Congratulations, your majesty! "


    The crowd followed, "Congratulations, your majesty."


    Staring at Yun Shang for a moment, Xia Huanyu kept silent and then smiled. "Excellent. Good things come in pairs."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "But, there is something wrong..."


    The hall quieted down again and everyone looked at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang hesitated for a moment before she said, "I''m not a good doctor. It''s better to have the imperial physician treat her."


    "What happened? Don''t worry. Why are you hesitating? " Xia Huanyu looked at Yun Shang coldly.


    "I''m afraid she has eaten or used something unclean in the palace. If I''m right, she should have taken some musk or saffron flower. Luckily, not too much yet. The one who poisoned her may have been trying to gradually make her childless. However, they didn''t expect she could get pregnant at such a short time. Because of this, she suffers from severe sickness occasionally. I''m afraid that if she continues to do so, she might lose her baby. " Yun Shang hurriedly asked.


    Frowning slightly, Xia Huanyu turned to the empress and asked, "What do you think about it?"


    The empress looked embarrassed too. Hearing Xia Huanyu''s question, she slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed, "How could there be such an insidious person in the imperial household who dares murder the royal child. I''ll investigate it thoroughly and give Lady Hui an explanation."


    Lady Hui looked pale and kept vomiting as if she was very uncomfortable.


    The empress added, "It seems like Lady Hui is badly sick. Now that she is pregnant and in poor health, escort her back early and send for an imperial physician to see a


    n where the sound came from.


    The weeping woman was wearing a white gauze skirt without even a cloak. Perhaps because of the cold, her body was trembling.


    Yun Shang called softly, "Lady?"


    The woman seemed to be startled. She shivered and looked up at Yun Shang. With the light of the lamp, Yun Shang saw the woman''s face pale, her eyes red and swollen, and her delicate makeup somewhat ruined.


    The woman seemed to recognize Yun Shang. She was surprised and asked with uncertainty, "Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Are you the woman dancing in the moon in the hall just now?"


    The woman nodded. After a short silence, she said, "I''ve met you before, your highness. But you might have forgotten that I offended Princess Qianling in the imperial garden."


    Yun Shang acted as if she suddenly remembered, "You are the the chosen lady new in the palace and your name is Zhao Xianwu, right?"


    Zhao Xianwu nodded and stood up, "Why is your highness here but not in the Taiji Palace?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s a bit stuffy there. I''m coming out for some fresh air. Why are you crying so sadly?"


    Zhao Xianwu paused and shook her head, "Maybe it''s because it''s new year''s Eve today, I just miss miss my family so much." Then she stood up and said, "I''m going back to the Yuxiu Palace..."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "It''s getting dark and it''s not easy to walk through the imperial road. Qian Zhuo, give the lantern to the lady."


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly hand the lantern to her. Noticing that the maid behind Yun Shang still had a lantern in her hand, she didn''t refuse and took the lantern walking to the direction of the Yuxiu Palace.


    Watching the fading light, Yun Shang smiled, "She is a good girl, but it''s a pity that..."


    Yun Shang turned around and whispered, "Let''s go. It''s time to go back."

 Chapter 640 New Year

    When she went back to the Taiji hall, she was playing a lute. Yun Shang quietly went back to her seat. As soon as she sat down, she saw a maid coming in from outside and standing behind the empress.


    Yun Shang stared at the lady who was playing Pipa, but saw the servant girl bow down and whisper to the empress from the corner of her eye. Yun Shang flashed a smile. Suspicion was not a good thing sometimes.


    Gradually, the sound of the Pipa became lower and lower, and the hall became brighter. Luo Qingyan turned around and saw Yun Shang''s smile. He said gently, "You seem to be in a good mood? Is her Pipa so melodious?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "It''s good." Yun Shang smiled and said, "I feel the jewelry on my head is too heavy today. His highness, shall I go back to the mansion now?"


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and said, "The banquet is boring anyway. I''ll go back with you. Please sit here for a while. When the next show begins, I''ll report it to his majesty and then leave."


    Yun Shang nodded. The light went down again after the empress reported the name of the next show. This was a sword dance.


    Luo Qingyan stood up, walked to Xia Huanyu and said something to him. Then he looked up at Yun Shang with a stern look, and nodded in agreement.


    Yun Shang knew that Yun Shang must have agreed, so she stood up and left the Taiji hall with Luo Qingyan.


    They walked down the long steps outside the Taiji hall together, and went out of the palace gate. After they got on a carriage, Luo Qingyan said, "I saw you go out just now, and it seemed that the empress had sent a maid to follow you?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Yes, her majesty has always been suspicious of me. Just now, Lady Hui was found pregnant, and I went out of the Tai Chi hall. I''m afraid that she''s suspecting me of tampering with it, so she ordered her servants to follow me."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "The empress..."


    But he didn''t finish what he wanted to say. Yun Shang saw him frown slightly and there was a murderous look in his eyes. She didn''t ask what he wanted to say afterwards. She just withdrew her gaze and looked at her own hand.


    "The empress of the State of Xia is just like Empress Yuan Zhen of the State of Ning. They don''t get the emperor''s love, but only get support from their families. But they are different. The Su clan has a deeper foundation in the state of Xia and Su Ruji is and more ruthless. " Yun Shang said indifferently, touching her belly with her hands, and her eyes grew colder. But so what? She could get rid of Empress Yuan Zhen, and so could she get rid of Empress Su.


    After returning to their mansion, Yun Shang asked Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo to remove her formal clothes and hairstyle. After changing into casual clothes, Yun Shang was a little relieved. "Even though I have strong endurance, I still feel it''s lucky


    ith a smile, "It''s time for you to set off the firecrackers at the gate of the mansion."


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang walked to the gate together. Seeing them, the butler handed each of them three incenses. He smiled and said, "Your Highnesses, you just need to light up the firecrackers hung at the gate and then put the incenses in the censer."


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang took the incense. When they opened the door, they saw a number of people gathering outside, but almost all of them were the commoners in the city. Yun Shang smiled and lit up the firecrackers with Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan drew Yun Shang back and covered her ears. But Yun Shang still heard the firecrackers crackling.


    The sound stopped after a long time. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang put the incense in the censer.


    "Prince Rui, Lady Rui, happy new year." "Happy New Year! Happy New Year!" All kinds of voices were heard to wish a happy new year. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang were also constantly responding them. Madam Qiu brought a plate with many red packets in it. Fearing that someone might run into Yun Shang, Luo Qingyan asked Yun Shang to stand at the door. Then he took the red envelope and gave it to the commoners one by one.


    Yun Shang looked at the smiles on the common people''s faces and also raised the corners of her mouth. Her eyes fell on the red paper of the firecrackers. She thought to herself, it was her first new year in the state of Xia. A glimmer of fighting will rose in her heart. This year probably wouldn''t be calm. But now, with Luo Qingyan and the servants in their mansion accompanying, she was not afraid at all.


    In the past year, she had also experienced a lot of things, including grief, adventure, happiness, warmth, etc. Every step she took was like walking on thin ice, but she was willing to take them all with her heart. She only wished all in the mansion were weal in the new year.

 Chapter 641 Pearl (Part One)

    After sending the red packets to the commoners, Luo Qingyan went back with Yun Shang. The butler said to them, "Your Highnesses, please have breakfast in the garden house today. I''m afraid that the people will soon come to visit."


    Luo Qingyan responded yes. The butler immediately ordered his servants to prepare breakfast for the guests in the garden house.


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang went straight to the garden house. The servants had already prepared the dishes, including red bean porridge, some side dishes and cakes.


    Just when they were eating, they suddenly saw Qian Zhuo run over to them in a hurry. "Your Highness, your highness, something happened." When she entered the house, she accidentally knocked over the vase placed by the door. The vase fell to the ground and broke into pieces with a loud bang. Qian Zhuo also staggered because of it and almost fell.


    Qin Yi hurried up to her and held her. She whispered, "it''s new year. Why are you so in a hurry?" Then she stared at the pieces of vase on the ground and said, "It means that we are going to be safe this year."


    Yun Shang put down the chopsticks and looked at Qian Zhuo, who was startled by the broken vase. Yun Shang asked, "what happened? Why are you in such a hurry and still in a daze? "


    Qian Zhuo then completely collected herself and replied, "Your Highness. Lady Rui, Liu Chuchu is dead."


    "Dead?" Yun Shang knocked the bowl heavily with the chopsticks and made a clear sound. Even Luo Qingyan raised his head when he heard the news.


    "How did she die? Our mansion is heavily guarded. If anyone gets close to the yard where Liu Chuchu is imprisoned, he will definitely be found. Is there anything wrong? " Yun Shang immediately asked.


    Qian Zhuo had a stern look on her fa


    e seventh Prince again. "Your sister-in-law''s medical skills are learned from Master Wu Na of the state of Ning. The medical techniques of the state of Xia and the state of Ning are divided into two groups. Although it is said that the famous doctors of the state of Xia have all seen your body and you can''t be cured completely, it is hard to say that the State of Ning doesn''t have effective medicine as well."


    Yun Shang also smiled and said, "last time I visited the seventh prince, I didn''t have the time to feel his pulse. Fortunately, the seventh Prince woke up. If you don''t mind my medical skills, I can have a look at you now."


    The seventh prince couldn''t find a chance to speak. After hearing Yun Shang''s words, he said hurriedly, "I''m in such a weak condition now, so I''m afraid there''s nothing anyone can do. But the imperial physician has a point. He said that I can''t change the imperial physician''s prescription at will, so there''s no need for you to examine me now, sister in law."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, you are right. It''s not appropriate to change the doctor''s prescription if you are used to it. Well, forget it."

 Chapter 642 Pearl (Part Two)

    Yun Shang turned around and saw Liu Yinfeng looking at her. She was surprised, so she smiled at him and looked away.


    The seventh prince smiled and said, "since brother moved here, I haven''t seen the splendid mansion for a long time. If you don''t mind, would you like to give us a tour of the mansion?"


    Hearing the seventh Prince''s words, Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang both became vigilant all of a sudden. After a moment''s silence, Yun Shang laughed, "Of course we don''t mind. You are our brother. After Prince Rui and I moved in, we didn''t have time to take care of the mansion. Except for our own yard, everything has been the same as before. Nothing has changed. If your highness wants to have a tour around the mansion, then let''s go. "


    Luo Qingyan also nodded his head and helped Yun Shang to stand up. Then they walked out out of the room from the other side of the garden house.


    "If my memory serves me right, this should be a peach garden," The seventh prince said as he walked out of the garden house.


    "That''s right. But it''s not the time for the peach blossoms. It should be in the next two months. By then, the peach blossoms will be in full bloom and it will be beautiful." Yun Shang replied with a smile on her face.


    After passing through the peach blossom garden, they entered a circular door, and the road was divided into a lake in the middle, and hallway was at both sides. On the left was the yard where Yun Shang lived now, and on the right was the main yard where the former crown prince lived before.


    The seventh prince walked out of the door and turned right, saying with a smile, "I used to fish in this lake before, and the crown prince was still alive at that time. Once we had a dispute over some trifles


    Prince Rui''s mansion in the Jin City would surely become notorious, even if it wouldn''t take Luo Qingyan''s life.


    Yun Shang smiled and thought, ''fortunately, I am still ahead of him this time...''


    While she was thinking, she heard a "click" as if someone had stepped on something. Then he heard a shout from Hua Yutong. Yun Shang turned around, and saw that Hua Yutong was going to fall.


    Seeing what was going on, Qian Zhuo held Hua Yutong in her arms in a hurry.


    "Are you okay, your highness?" Yun Shang asked with concern.


    It seemed that Hua Yutong was also frightened by that. She didn''t recover from the shock, and after a while, she replied, "I''m fine. I just slipped on something."


    Hearing this, all the people looked down. They saw a white pearl on the ground, which seemed to have fallen from someone''s shoes or hairpins. The pearl was also covered with red embroidered cloth.


    Qian Zhuo bent down and picked up the pearl. She asked curiously, "what''s this?"


    Suddenly, Lady Liu rushed to them, staring at the pearl in Qian Zhuo''s hand. Her face turned pale all of a sudden. "It''s my daughter''s. This is the pearl on Chuchu''s shoes."

 Chapter 643 Dangerous Move

    Yun Shang was surprised at her words. She looked at Lady Liu and asked, "Your daughter... Is your daughter the concubine of the seventh princes? Hasn''t she... Why was the pearl on her shoes here? Is it because you miss her so much that you took the pearl on her shoe with you, and it fell down accidentally just now? "


    Mrs. Liu shook her head and said, "No, No. That''s just the pair of shoes Chuchu wore when she had the accident. I remember that I personally embroidered the shoes for her. I know exactly the stitches on the shoes."


    The seventh prince also looked over. He thought for a moment and said, "A few days ago, Lord Li found out that the bloodstains in the yard were not human blood. Moreover, we haven''t found Liu Chuchu''s body. The shoes... The shoes have also disappeared with her corpse. "


    "Really?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, with a sneer and a bit indifference on his face. "You mean you suspect that Liu Chuchu''s corpse or Liu Chuchu herself is in my mansion?"


    The seventh prince shook his head and said, "No. I don''t think you would do such a thing. But if the pearl was indeed from her shoes, someone must want to frame you. Since Lord Li from the Ministry of Justice is here, we might as well ask him to search your mansion in order to spare you from suspicions."


    "Spare me from suspicions?" "You must be joking. How could you make such a scene on the New Year''s Day?" he said with a smile.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "After all, the accident happened to the seventh prince''s concubine who is the daughter of Mrs. Liu and Mr. Liu, so it was very exciting to see something related to Miss Liu. However, after we moved into the mansion, we chose a relatively quiet yard to live in. The main yard is opposite to a lake, and we seldom come on the other side. Perhaps what the seventh prince has said is right. Someone might have planned to frame us. If we couldn''t find out the truth, no body could be relaxed to celebrate the New Year''s Day. Even I felt so scared. Let''s just ask Lord Li to investigate it thoroughly?"


    Although Luo Qingyan seemed reluctant, he nodded at Yun Shang, "Okay. It''s up to you. It''s really a bad luck to have something like this on the New Year''s Day. You''re pregnant now, so don''t get yourself involved in such things."


    "It''s just a pearl! And the seventh prince has said that Liu Chuchu might not have died!" Yun Shang patted Luo Qingyan''s hand with a smile and turned to Liu Yinfeng and Li Qianmo, "Thank you."


    Li Qianmo works for her. She trusts him very much, but she cannot let the seventh prince notice that. So she brought Liu Yinfeng in on purpose, showing the seventh prince that she didn''t believe Li Qianmo but only Liu Yinfeng.


    Raising his head, Liu Yinfeng glanced at Yun Shang. He kept silent for a moment before he made an obeisance by cupping his hands.


    Li Q


    nch."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and ordered the butler to look for Liu Yinfeng and Li Qianmo.


    After a short while, Li Qianmo and Liu Yinfeng, together with Mr. Liu and Mrs. Liu entered the garden house. Frowning slightly, the Liu couple looked anxious, while Liu Yinfeng and Li Qianmo looked quite calm.


    Yun Shang smiled and ordered servants to prepare tea for them. Then she said gently, "The four of you have searched here for almost half a day. Have you found anything?"


    The four looked at each other in dismay. Then, Li Qianmo opened her mouth, "Except for the previous pearl, nothing else was found. Although there is something odd about the pearl, we can''t find it out, "


    The seventh prince frowned as if he had a suspicion. Yun Shang thought for a while and asked, "Have you searched everywhere in the mansion?"


    Li Qianmo replied: "Yes. I have also sent people to check the yard where Prince Rui and Lady Rui live and found nothing."


    "What a coincidence! I and his highness seldom went there. But it happened that the pearl appeared there and nearly tripped Yutong over. It''s really odd. But I feel that, as the seventh prince said, someone deliberately wanted to frame us. " Yun Shang said indifferently and fixed her eyes on Mrs. Liu.


    "By the way, after the seventh prince said something happened to his concubine. I and his highness went to the yard to check it with Lord Li. We found that Miss Liu only brought four boxes with her when she married into the mansion. And there were only some clothes and daily necessities in those four boxes. Even the books in the boxes are ordinary ones that almost every family have. I''m quite curious. I heard that Liu Chuchu had a Jiao Wei Qin from his majesty and she liked it very much. And she only used the peach blossom stationery and the Hui ink-stick. Why didn''t she bring these things with her into the seventh prince''s mansion?"

 Chapter 644 Discuss To Fight Back

    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, they paused. Yun Shang clearly saw a flash of panic in Mrs. Liu''s eyes and she quickly lower her head.


    As nobody responded, Mrs. Liu added, "After all, Chuchu was just a concubine. Besides she and the seventh prince''s wife married into his mansion on the same day. Chuchu was worried that too many things would draw too much attention, so she only brought some daily necessities. She planned to find a chance to move other things later. But we didn''t expect that such things would happen as soon as she entered." Then she wiped her tears with her sleeve.


    Yun Shang sneered. The second lady of the Liu clan was indeed from the collateral relatives of the Liu clan. Compared to Liu Jin''s wife, there were too many loopholes in her words and she was really not adorable. It sounded like how aggrieved it was for her daughter to be a concubine.


    Yun Shang took a look at Hua Yutong, who was sitting quietly beside. She was smiling, but the brocade handkerchief in her hand was crumpled into a ball. It seemed that she was aware that Yun Shang was looking at her. She lowered her head in silence and straightened her sleeves.


    Yun Shang stood up and said with a smile, "We could''ve refused when you wanted to search Prince Rui''s mansion. After all, even the Ministry of Justice can''t search our mansion casually as they like. But I don''t think it''s a good idea to have a fight on the New Year Day, and I don''t want to disturb his majesty. Though your request was not reasonable, I still allowed you to search my mansion, because I understand that you are worried after such thing happened to your family. Now we have searched my mansion. Is there anything else?"


    The seventh prince and the two from the Liu clan didn''t look well. They stood up and said, "We''re so sorry to bother you. We''ll leave now."


    "Butler, see the guests off for us." Yun Shang ordered aloud.


    Before the others walked out of the garden house, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan, "I''m a little tired after sitting for such a long time..."


    Luo smiled, stood up and said, "Then go back to the yard and have a rest. If someone comes to visit you, ask the butler to keep him away." Then she helped Yun Shang up and walked towards the yard.


    Yun Shang sat on the edge of a couch as soon as she entered the room. She sneered, "The seventh prince has gone too far today. He totally ruined our day."


    "It''s also our fault. We were not considerate enough and fell into others'' trap. Someone took advantage of it," he comforted in a soft voice


    Yun Shang nodded and sighed, "There are traps and crises everywhere. If we are not careful enough, we will lose our lives. We have to be very careful."


    Seeing that Yun Shang was a little depressed, Luo Qingyan held her in his arms and patted her on the shoulder, smiling. "Well, I''m not afraid of that at all. No matter what happens, as long as we''re together and have our child, we can overcome all the obstacles." After finishing his word


    very quiet. Seeing Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang coming, the empress''s maid quickly said, "Your highnesses, please sit for a moment, the empress is taking a nap."


    A nap? Yun Shang paused. It was already half past four. Is the empress still sleeping? It was most likely that She was displeased because of Lin Youran''s pregnancy thing yesterday and thus she planned to ignore them today.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything. He just helped Yun Shang to sit down. When they sat down, the maid said, "I''ll go to see if the empress is awake." Then she entered the inner hall.


    The maid hadn''t come back for a long time. The servants in the hall were standing still and no one served tea for them.


    They had sat for about thirty minutes before Luo Qingyan stood up with a sneer and said to Yun Shang, "Since the empress is still asleep, we don''t have to disturb her. Let''s go to the Taiji hall to see his majesty."


    He said to Yun Shang, but his voice was quite loud.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and flashed a gentle smile. When she was thinking whether she should get up and pretend to leave with Luo Qingyan, the empress''s voice came from the inner hall. "Are Prince Rui and Lady Rui in the main hall?"


    Yun Shang smiled and saw the curtain being lifted up by a maid. The empress came out of the inner hall in a red formal dress with a pattern of phoenix embroidered on her clothes and a gold phoenix coronet on her head. She glanced at Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang before turning around and scolding the maid who was holding her: "Why didn''t you wake me up when Prince Rui and Lady Rui arrived?"


    The maid bowed and pleaded.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan watched the drama coldly. They thought this drama was too old-fashioned, and it had been used more than once. It was really boring.


    After a long rebuke, the empress found that Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang had no intention of making a sound. Embarrassed, she turned around and looked at them with a smile. "Have you been waiting for a long time?"

 Chapter 645 Complicated Imperial Household

    The empress must have thought that Luo Qingyan was like the others. Reluctantly as he was, he could only swallow the truth in his heart and responded, "not too long."


    But she didn''t expect that Luo Qingyan just sneered with a hint of sarcasm on his face. "Yes, we''ve waited for a long time. Your majesty''s nap time is really a little strange. I''ve heard that the empress always has a nap at about 2 p.m., but it seems your majesty has changed the nap time today."


    The empress was embarrassed. She smiled awkwardly. "Maybe it''s getting cold at night, so I got a headache today, and decided to have more sleep since I was free. But the maid didn''t report to me that you were waiting outside as she didn''t want to disturb my sleep."


    Luo Qingyan was surprised, "Really? I thought the servants in the palace were all trained strictly, but I didn''t expect the grand maid of your majesty dared to ignore what you said, which opened my eyes. "


    The hand that the empress was holding on the maid tightened. Yun Shang saw that the maid was trying her best to control her uneasiness. After a while, the empress smiled slowly and whispered, "Your Highness, are you blaming me for not educating my maid well? I''m sorry that she neglected you. " Then she released her hand on the maid and sneered, "Did you hear Prince Rui? Go to take your punishment. "


    The maid shuddered at her words, and obeyed.


    Then the empress walked to a chair and sat down. The smile on her face softened a little. "Prince Rui, Lady Rui, is there anything important?"


    Luo Qingyan remained silent. Yun Shang said with a smile, "today is the first day of the lunar new year. I come with his highness to wish your highness a happy new year."


    The empress also laughed. "Good. You are pregnant now. I am very happy this new year. Except for Yun Xi, no other princes have children now."


    Yun Shang''s face changed when she heard the emperor''s words. The smile on her face became brighter. "Yes, the imperial palace will soon be filled with noise and excitement again. Besides me, Lady Hui is pregnant now..."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, she saw the empress''s face darken, but her voice was still very gentle. "Yes. It has been a long time that no concubine in the imperial household gets pregnant. It''s really a happy thing."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything again. Yun Shang talked with the empress for a while and then left. When the two of them walked out of the Wei Yang Palace, Yun Shang smiled. "This time, your majesty must be very angry." Then she turned around and whispered to Qin Yi, "Send a message to our ladies in the palace, asking them to be prepared..."


    Qin Yi replied in a low voice.


    Luo Qingyan looked around, frowning, and then looked at Yun Shang, "go to the Tai Chi hall?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "You could go, but it''s not appropriate for me to go there too. I''ll go to the Xiang Zhu Palace first. Now Ning Qian and Lady Hui are all there. I''ve just provoked the empress, so I''ll make it."


    en it before."


    After they chatted for a while, the others stood up and left. Now there were only three of them in the palace, Yun Shang, Ning Qian and Lin Youran. Yun Shang looked at Lin Youran carefully and said with a smile, "Now that everyone in the imperial household is watching your baby, you should be careful."


    Lin Youran nodded and stood up in a hurry, "I got it."


    "You don''t need to bow in the palace. Everything goes by the rules here. There are eyes everywhere in the palace. It will be bad if someone sees that." Yun Shang sipped her tea and said peacefully.


    Ning Qian smiled and fixed her eyes on Lin Youran''s belly. She continued, "This baby is probably a thorn in the empress'' heart. She just can''t wait to pull it out. Do you know that his majesty went to the Xiang Zhu Palace to see Youran after the banquet was over yesterday? This morning, I was told that the empress lost her temper in the Wei Yang Palace last night, and that all her servants were forced to kneel down outside the palace for a whole night in such a cold weather."


    After a pause, she continued, "Since Youran has been pregnant, normally she should''ve promoted. His majesty also mentioned it yesterday, but the empress claimed illness this morning, probably unwilling to affix her seal on the edict."


    Yun Shang wasn''t surprised at the Ning Qian''s words. "The Empress always feels imperial household is under her control all the time, so the sudden thing out of her control makes her unhappy. She wanted to recommend Zhao Xianwu to the emperor yesterday, but before she could speak it out, we interrupted her. I''m afraid the empress is filled with pent-up anger. But she couldn''t pretend it for a long time. She was a model of the imperial household, and she dared not to act jealous in any case. Within three days, she had to be submissively stamped with a phoenix mark on the edict, and also pretend to be happy. She won''t make any trouble publicly, but I''m afraid that she might do something secretly. "

 Chapter 646 Hint

    Ning Qian nodded, "I think so too. Now that Youran lives in the Xiang Zhu Palace, I could help to look after her. But yesterday you said at the banquet that Yourran had a strong sickness because of the incense of musk or the saffron flower. This morning, his majesty sent people to her palace to search, but they found nothing... "


    Yun Shang and Ning Qian had known each other for many years, and they had a good tacit understanding. Hearing Ning Qian''s words, Yun Shang understood what she was thinking about. She smiled at Ning Qian and said, "You are smart. In fact, I''ve already made a plan. You could go there when you''re free, claiming that you''ll accompany Youran to pack up. You''d better go with his majesty. If you can''t go with him, try to take Liu Wenan with you. "


    "There is a pot of black chrysanthemum on the table of the inner hall. Ask a maid to deliberately knock over it when she was cleaning up." Yun Shang picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea.


    "Those are hidden in the flower pot?" Ning Qian''s eyes sparkled with excitement, and the corners of her mouth curved up. She asked in confusion after a moment''s reflection, "But, what''s the matter with the black chrysanthemum? Even if we find, so what? "


    Yun Shang didn''t answer Ning Qian''s question, but just asked in a soft voice, "How''s the relationship between the Empress and Zhao Xianwu recently?"


    "Zhao Xianwu?" Ning Qian was confused. She looked at Lin Youran.


    Lin Youran thought for a moment and said softly "Did you mean the chosen lady Zhao Xianwu, the daughter of the governor of Jingzhou, Zhao Butong?"


    Ning Qian was suddenly enlightened. "Oh, it''s her. She was the girl who danced in moon last night? I heard that the empress intended to recommend her to his majesty. It seems that the plan was well planned. But her Highness has messed it up. I didn''t remember her name."


    After a moment''s pause, he remembered Yun Shang''s question. Ning Qian meditated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Among all the chosen ladies, Zhao Xianwu was closest to the empress. It''s said that the empress had punished her because she had a conflict with Lady Yun in the imperial garden. But soon after that, the empress quickly summoned her and awarded her many gifts."


    "The empress must have planned everything well." Yun Shang put down the teacup and gently covered it. "As you can see, the only lady in the imperial household who danced the moon dance is lady Zhao. Clearly, the empress was behind it. You just need to let more people know this fact. Make everyone know that she works for the empress. "


    "All the black chrysanthemums in the imperial palace..." Yun Shang smiled faintly. "The 24 pots of black chrysanthemums were all sent as tributes by Zhao Xianwu''s father, but the one in Youran''s palace was given by Zhao Xianwu. Youran might not remember. S


    I will go to the Wei Yang Palace to have a look. Although my rank is not very high, the empress also regard me as seductive woman before. She is afraid of losing her manners in front of me..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang thought for a while and realized that she was too impulsive. She stood outside the palace for a while and said, "Okay, go ahead. I''ll wait for you to come back."


    Ning Qian nodded. Then she called several maids to go to the Wei Yang Palace with her.


    Standing outside for a while, Yun Shang returned to the inner hall. It seemed that Lin Youran had been taken to a side hall to have a rest. Yun Shang sat back on her chair and kept silent for a while. Then she picked up her teacup and took a sip of tea quietly.


    "I''m afraid Yutong must have her own difficulties. She just married into the seventh prince''s mansion. And such an incident happened on her wedding day. I''m afraid that no one in the mansion takes her as the real princess. Although Yutong was straightforward, it was not easy for her to serve the seventh prince. In the morning, when they came into the imperial palace, they didn''t talk much. Although they were a couple, their relationship was not so good. She might feel worried about it, but she didn''t dare to plead the seventh prince, so she went to the Wei Yang Palace alone." Qin Yi poured a cup of tea for Yun Shang and said gently.


    "I felt that Yutong is... really hard. " Yun Shang sighed.


    Qin Yi replied with a gentle smile, "I''ve heard that the seventh princess was recommended to the selection by Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo. I don''t think Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo could send an innocent girl into the palace. On the contrary, I think the seventh princess is really capable. She was new in the mansion of the seventh prince, so many people pay attention to her. Her being stubborn and a little silly will make them feel more relieved."

 Chapter 647 The Darkness (Part One)

    Yun Shang knew that Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo wouldn''t choose a woman like Hua Yutong to the palace. Hua Yutong was straightforward, but in the palace, it was very difficult for a woman like her to survive.


    But during this period of contact with Hua Yutong, Yun Shang did not find anything wrong with Hua Yutong. Was she pretending to be someone else too when she was with her?


    Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi, "Qin Yi, you have been in the palace for so many years, and you have seen all sorts of people. In your opinion, do you believe what Yutong said to me before? Is it true or not?"


    Qin Yi thought for a while and said, "I think she looks like a person who doesn''t hide things in her mind. But when your highness talked to her in the imperial garden earlier, I noticed that she kept glaring at a maid behind her."


    "You mean... Is there someone keeping an eye on her? That was why she acted like that? In fact, she is just making a show to the person behind the maid? " Yun Shang frowned and asked in a low voice.


    Qin Yi smiled, "anyway, your highness, she is at least on the side of the Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo. I believe that she won''t hurt you."


    Yun Shang kept silent and waited in her chair. She waited for a long time. Before Ning Qian came back, Luo Qingyan had arrived. The servants led Luo Qingyan into the palace. Seeing that Yun Shang was the only one in the palace, Luo Qingyan felt a bit strange. He looked around and then walked to Yun Shang and asked. "Why are you here alone? Where is Lady Xiang? "


    Yun Shang smiled and said indifferently, "we made the empress lose her temper in the Wei Yang Palace a moment ago, and Yutong ran into us and was scolded by the empress. So I sent Ning


    iting by the side. When she heard the words, she couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and frowned, "what do you mean?"


    Luo Qingyan put down the book in his hand, and thought for a while. "I think you were particularly calm in the past, but recently you seem to be easy to get anxious and emotional. And you are more fond of glaring at others. "


    Yun Shang snorted and turned to ignore him. She thought about what had happened these days in her mind, and realized that what Luo Qingyan said made sense. She had been more impatient recently. When she heard about the accident of Hua Yutong today, she didn''t think too much abou tit and immediately wanted to go to the Wei Yang Palace to save her. When she calmed down and thought about it, she couldn''t go there at all. After all, the empress was so angry just because of her and Luo Qingyan. At that time, Luo Qingyan wasn''t there. So, she wasn''t sure that she could save Hua Yutong from the empress. But more likely, the empress became more furious at the sight of her. Since Luo Qingyan was no longer on her side then, the empress had no need to worry about him.

 Chapter 648 The Darkness (Part Two)

    Night fell. After finishing her dinner, Yun Shang lied on the couch and took a nap. It was almost midnight when she woke up, but Luo Qingyan was not in the room, nor was Qian Zhuo.


    Qin Yi saw her awake, and she hurriedly helped Yun Shang up and whispered to her, "His Highness has gone to arrange the things tonight. The secret guard is about to carry the statue of the Buddhist prayer room out of the mansion."


    "Where is it?" Yun Shang rubbed her eyes and asked in a hoarse voice.


    "In the study." Qin Yi replied softly.


    Yun Shang nodded her head and stood up. She raised her hand to touch her hair in a bun which was still neat even though she had slept for a long time. So she put on her shoes and walked out of the door.


    Seeing this, Qin Yi hurriedly took her cloak and put it on Yun Shang. "It''s cold at night. Put the cloak on, or his highness will scold you again."


    Yun Shang nodded her head and put on her cloak. She walked to the study which was separated from other rooms. Outside the study, she heard Luo Qingyan talking in a low voice. "You can go straight out of the mansion and attract some people in the west, and then the people you arranged earlier came out of the mansion with the statue of Buddha and went to the east suburb. Our secret guards will pay close attention to those around who were watching us and go straight to the seventh Prince''s mansion when they got the chance. Make sure no one follows us behind. Put these things in the seventh Prince''s Mansion, and pl


    and said, "I remember what you like to say the most. We a problem arrives, we will find a way to deal with it. Why should we be worried? I am taller than you even if the sky falls. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. While they were whispering, they both fell asleep.


    When Yun Shang woke up, it was already five o''clock in the morning. Luo Qingyan had already gone. Yun Shang sat up abruptly. She drew aside the curtains and shouted, "Qin Yi?"


    Qin Yi came in quickly. Yun Shang asked, "where is the prince? How is everything going in the seventh prince''s mansion? "


    Qin Yi shook her head, "His Highness has left for about two hours. Qian Zhuo didn''t return the whole night. I don''t know what happened outside."


    Yun Shang heard her words and frowned immediately. She asked Qin Yi to help her dress, and casually made a bun. Then she put on the cloak and walked out.


    The Butler stood in the yard. Yun Shang said quickly, "prepare a carriage. I''m going to the seventh Prince''s mansion."

 Chapter 649 The Death Of The White Fox

    As soon as Yun Shang reached the door of the mansion, she heard the sound of horses'' hooves. She turned around hastily and saw Luo Qingyan, followed by several secret guards.


    As soon as Luo Qingyan saw Yun Shang, he got off the horse and took a look at the carriage. Then he turned to Yun Shang with a frown. "Why are you out at this late hour? It''s not funny."


    Yun Shang let out a sigh of relief and quickly said, "You have been out for so long. I''m worried and want to see how it is going."


    Luo Qingyan looked around, and then walked inside with Yun Shang in his arms. "Let''s go back first."


    When they got back, Luo Qingyan tossed his cloak to Qian Zhuo and ordered, "It''s late now. Let all the secret guards retreat to have a rest."


    Qian Zhuo responded and left. Then Luo Qingyan went to wash his hands in the bathroom. He took Yun Shang to sit on the couch and said, "Don''t go out late at night again. If I hadn''t come back in time today, we would have missed each other. What if something happens then?"


    Yun Shang nodded and asked, "How is it going?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and sneered, "The seventh prince is really a tough nut to crack. Before the two groups of secret guards were out of the city, he asked his men to abduct them. When he found that they didn''t have what he wanted, he quickly returned to his mansion. And the secret guards hurried back."


    Yun Shang also frowned at his words. They had thought that the city would be in danger, so they thought the seventh prince would send some people to follow the shadow guards out of the city. They didn''t expect that the seventh prince would be so bold, which messed up their original plan.


    "What should we do now?" Yun Shang frowned, "What did the secret guard put in the seventh prince''s mansion?"


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and said, "A corpse."


    Then he continued with a frown, "But if we can''t light up a fire, then the corpse won''t work. On the contrary, the seventh prince will doubt it. By that time, it will be much harder for us to do anything else."


    Yun Shang sighed. Things had gotten worse.


    Luo Qingyan stood up and smiled, "It''s midnight now. We might not come up with any good idea even we are so worried. Let''s get some sleep."


    Yun Shang saw that he also looked unwell, so she nodded, helped Luo Qingyan take off his clothes, put down the bed curtain and went to bed.


    Yun Shang had just got up. With all the mess, she wasn''t too sleepy now. She tried to think about how to deal with it. The most important thing was that since it failed, she couldn''t let the seventh prince find the corpse.


    ''should I tell Hua Yutong this thing and ask her to take the corpse water to deal with the corpse?''


    Yun Shang hesitated. She didn''t know Hua Yutong very much. If what Qin Yi said was true, Hua Yutong was pretending all the time, which confused Yun Shang. Would she trust her or not...


    She was struggling with these thoughts, bu


    ua Guo she saw Yun Shang, she smiled. "How lovely, Shang''er."


    Yun Shang nodded and walked towards the stone table with a smile. She looked at the fox on the table and said, "This little fox looks very beautiful. No wonder grandma is so happy."


    Hua Yutong stood up in a hurry, "Shang''er, sit here."


    "It doesn''t matter. I have been sitting in the carriage for long and just want to stand for a while." Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    She looked at the little fox up and down for a long time. Yun Shang reached out her hand from her sleeve to touch the head of the little fox. But the little fox suddenly rushed toward her face as if it were going nuts. Yun Shang dodged. Qian Zhuo walked up hurriedly and stood in front of Yun Shang, stretching out her hand to hit the little fox. The little fox was slapped away by her hand. It fell heavily on the ground, struggled for a few times, and then died.


    Everyone was shocked. Lady Hua Guo stood and walked to Yun Shang. She examined her carefully, but still felt worried. She asked worriedly, "Are you hurt?"


    Yun Shang''s face was pale. She kept silent for a moment and shook her head. She looked at the fox''s body with a frown. "Nothing. It''s just this little fox..." Yun Shang looked up at the seventh prince and the stunned Hua Yutong, and shouted at Qian Zhuo, "Apologize to the seventh prince and the seventh princess."


    On hearing this, Qian Zhuo instantly knelt on the ground and apologized, "Your Highnesses, please forgive me."


    Lady Hua Guo sighed, "I''m glad you''re all right. It''s just an animal. We could hunt another one."


    "But I heard Yutong say that this one was caught by the seventh prince himself. It means a lot. But now..."


    The seventh prince regained his composure and said with a smile, "It''s the beast''s fault. I thought it was lovely, so I gave it to Yutong, but I didn''t expect him to go mad and almost hurt sister-in-law. If you don''t feel well, I''ll be the one to blame. "

 Chapter 650 Confrontation

    Before Yun Shang could reply, Lord Hua Guo said coldly, "An animal is an animal. After all, it''s hard to tame the wild, and it''s more obstinate to be used as a plaything." After saying that, he walked slowly to the body of the snow fox, bent down and picked the snow fox up. Then he turned his head to look at Yun Shang. "It is useful to make a cloak, and it can still block the wind and snow."


    Lord Hua Guo''s words were not nice at all. Yun Shang noticed that the seventh prince clenched his hands in his sleeves. But he dared not lose his temper. The only thing he could do was to clench his fists and keep coughing.


    Hua Yutong was embarrassed. She just stood quietly behind the seventh prince with her head down. It was hard to figure out what she was thinking.


    Lord Hua Guo threw the snow fox to the servant standing aside and ordered, "take it away and deal with it." Then he raised his head and said to Yun Shang: "I haven''t played chess with you for a long time. Let''s go to the study to kill some time."


    After saying that, his sight fell on the seventh prince again. He curled his lips coldly and said, "Seventh prince, if you don''t mind my poor chess skills, I can play with you as well. Since Yutong seldom comed back, you''d better have a chat with you aunt."


    Yun Shang was surprised and had no idea why Lord Hua Guo made such an arrangement, but she had to follow him. Since Lord Hua Guo said so, the seventh Prince and Hua Yutong had to follow his arrangement.


    When they entered the study, Yun Shang saw a chessboard. There was still an incomplete chess game on it. Lord Hua Guo had already sat down beside the chessboard. He raised his head and said to them, "this is the chess game someone played with me a few days ago. The game wasn''t finished yet. Take a look. Who wants to finish the game with me?"


    Yun Shang and the seventh prince turned to look at the chessboard. Yun Shang was a little surprised as she examined the chessboard carefully. There was a fierce intention hidden in the game. Lord Hua Guo was holding the black pieces, which was neck and neck with the white pieces, but the black pieces had a better advantage.


    What surprised Yun Shang the most


    almost forget. Seventh prince, you were so worried about lady Liu''s incident yesterday. I wonder if there is any news about her case. Now that the seventh prince still has time and mood to catch the snow fox himself, it seems that you don''t pay much attention to that. It''s a pity that lady Liu is so young and beautiful. She is a famous talented lady in the Jin city, but now she is gone. "


    After a pause, she continued before the seventh prince opened his mouth, "by the way, if the seventh prince is determined to give someone a snow fox, do remember not to let it eat something that it shouldn''t eat. Otherwise, if anything happens, it''s not good for you either. An I right?"


    The seventh prince''s face darkened. He stared at Yun Shang for a long time and said with a smile, "sister in law, you don''t have to worry about lady Liu. I don''t believe a living person can vanish like that."


    "A living person?" Yun Shang laughed as if she had heard a joke, "Your highness, are you sure that she is alive?" Then she turned to look at the seventh prince, "if you want to hide something from others, you shouldn''t do it. Once you have done it, you will certainly leave some clues. What do you think? I remember clearly what you have done in the state of Ning. You don''t have to pretend in front of me. Don''t you ever feel tired? "


    Yun Shang glanced at the seventh Prince and smiled. She didn''t want to waste time on him, so she headed directly to the yard.

 Chapter 651 Scheming

    The seventh Prince didn''t seem to have the slightest idea to continue to pretend in front of Yun Shang. He sneered, "I admit that I was not as good as Luo Qingyan when we were in the State of Ning, or even worse than you. But It was just because you have been in the State of Ning for many years with a deep foundation and have some advantages. You should have come to the State of Xia and competed with me. That thing should belong to me. How could I let you take it away so easily? "


    Yun Shang burst into laughter as if she had just heard a big joke. It was only after a while that she opened her mouth and said, "Really? Belong to you? Your highness is always a good actor, but your acting is so good that the emperors and courtiers thought you were really in poor health. Don''t you know that a country can accept an ordinary emperor, but not an emperor who is extremely weak and could die at any time, even if he is talented and bold?"


    The seventh prince shivered and stared at Yun Shang.


    "Because the former makes people disappointed, and the latter could make people in despair at any time." Yun Shang turned to the seventh prince and smiled faintly, "Your Highness, you may also feel that you are popular, but I want to tell you a truth. That is, the commoners don''t have so much spare time to care about who the emperor is, and they are more interested in whether they are safe and comfortable, and what kind of life they live."


    The seventh prince frowned and his hand trembled. Yun Shang pulled her cloak tighter, and touched the white fox fur on it with a smile. Her smile became gentler. "Besides, I don''t think Prince Rui is inferior to your highness. As for the support of the officials... "


    Seeing a maid walking towards them slowly, Yun Shang turned around and said quickly, "Most officials of the court support the one favored by the emperor."


    Then she went to Lady Hua Guo''s yard without looking back.


    Lady Guo and Hua Yutong were no longer in the yard. The maid said that Lady Hua Guo felt cold in the yard, so they went back to the room. When Yun Shang entered the room, she saw Lady Hua Guo sitting on a rosewood chair, and Hua Yutong squatted in front of her, pointing at the piece of embroidery cloth on her knees.


    Yun Shang deliberately made some noise from the jade pendant pressing on the hemline of her dress. Both of them looked up. When Lady Hua Guo saw Yun Shang, she smiled and said, "Shang''er, come here. Do you like the fabric?"


    Yun Shang smiled and walked quickly towards it. It was a piece of material embroidered with peony, which was lifelike and beautiful. The color added a sense of solemnity to it.


    "I don''t know much about embroidery. It''s difficult for me to judge whether it''s good or not, but as an outsider, I think the peony is very beautiful and the cloth makes it look even more dignified." Yun Shang smiled softly.


    "You are not good at needlework


    the palace?"


    Yun Shang was puzzled again. "Grandma, you mean that Yutong..."


    "Yutong is indeed a straightforward girl" Lady Hua Guo burst into laughter. "But the seventh prince couldn''t think so. He only believes that Yutong is putting on a show. He will keep an eye on Yutong, and the more he tail, the more he knows what Yutong has done. On the contrary, he will think that Yutong is a scheming woman and then pay more attention to her. So that''s the best chance."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up, "Moreover, I have just said to the seventh prince that neither his majesty nor the officials in the court will accept a man without a descendant to take the throne..."


    Lady Hua Guo laughed out loud again. "Haha... Maybe you have done us a great favor by chance. But don''t provoke the seventh prince this way next time. He has a bad heart. "


    Hearing her words, Yun Shang felt relieved and admired Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo even more. As the old saying goes, The older the wiser. After so many years in the Jin City, even if he retired, he could still keep a invincible position.


    "Ahem!" The maid at the door coughed, and Yun Shang was confused. Before she could react, she heard Lady Hua Guo changed the topic, "Now you''ve just been pregnant for two months. It will be the hottest time when you give birth to the baby. Besides, it''s not so convenient for you to stay in confinement of childbirth. You''d better prepare in advance. By the way, have you arranged nannies? "


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "Yes, your ladyship. His highness has brought nannies into the mansion. Grandmother is right. Having nannies is of great importance. I don''t know anything about it, and thanks to them. "


    "That''s good." Lady Hua Guo smiled.


    "Your Highness." The maid greeted the seventh prince at the door. Yun Shang lifted her eyes to cast a glance at Lady Hua Guo. Then she realized that the maid must be sending a message to them just now.

 Chapter 652 A Secret Investigation

    Yun Shang turned to look at the door, and saw the seventh prince enter the room, followed by the pale faced Hua Yutong. Yun Shang frowned, and Lady Hua Guo said, "It''s windy outside today, I''m afraid it''s a little cold. I''ve asked the maid to make ginger soup for you. Yutong, fetch a bowl of soup for the seventh prince to warm him up."


    Stunned for a while, Yutong nodded and left with her maids.


    Lady Hua Guo asked a maid to move a chair for the seventh prince, and asked him to sit down. Yun Shang sat quietly on the chair next to him. Lady Hua Guo looked at the seventh prince indifferently and pondered for a while before saying, "It should have been his majesty and the empress who ask the questions. But his majesty and the empress are too busy everyday. I''m afraid they don''t have time to ask the questions. Would you mind me asking you the questions as a senior to you?"


    The seventh prince seemed surprised. He didn''t look at her, but turned to Yun Shang. He thought for a while and said, "Go ahead, your ladyship."


    Lady Hua Guo smiled, touched the Buddha in her hand, and said gently, "I''ve heard that Yutong and you haven''t slept together yet since you got married?"


    Yun Shang lowered her head and raised her eyebrows. She smiled as she thought to herself, ''Your ladyship, you are so smart.''


    "Since I fainted in the wedding hall, my health has been not very good. I have summoned doctors to recuperate at home these days. It''s still a little difficult to do that." The seventh prince''s voice sounded low. No matter who he was, he would be embarrassed if he had to say that in front of others.


    "Really?" Lady Hua Guo paused and turned to Yun Shang, "Shang''er, you are good at medicine. Do you have any idea how to cure the seventh prince?"


    Yun Shang almost laughed out. After a while, she raised her head and thought for a while, "I think you can try nourishing food. I remembered that I''ve read in the book that stewing caterpillar fungus together with pork bone or mutton bone is effective. But I don''t know whether it really works."


    "It''s not bad to have a try. Write down a prescription and give it to Yutong. Then she can cook it at home for the seventh prince." Said Lady Hua Guo indifferently.


    Yun Shang noticed that the seventh prince''s face flushed, but his eyes were full of anger. She said with a smile, "That''s good. His majesty always thinks that there only a few royal sons. The Crown Prince died, only leaving his little son. Both Prince Rui and the seventh prince married late. Prince Qi had many concubines, but had no children. The seventh Prince is in his prime of life. If he takes good care of himself, he could many children soon."


    The seventh prince fixed his eyes on Yun Shang''s belly and frowned. He seemed to be thinking about something.


    Yun Shang knew her words had hit him hard, so she just smiled and said nothing. After a while, it was quiet in the room. Hua Yutong came in with


    rived, Lady Hua Guo had already rested, and the maid was surprised to see Yun Shang. "Her ladyship has just taken a rest. If your highness have something important to tell her, I''ll talk to her right away."


    Yun Shang waved her hands, smiled and said, "No big deal. It''s just my silk handkerchief is missing. I thought it might be left in the room. I''ll have a look."


    Yun Shang then went into the outer hall. Not paying attention to the maid standing by the door, Yun Shang casually threw the brocade handkerchief on the ground. Qin Yi quickly picked it up and said, "Your Highness, it is really here."


    "Good." Yun Shang replied, "Luckily, we found it." Then she walked out of the yard with Qin Yi.


    Qian Zhuo had been waiting at the door. Seeing her nodding, Yun Shang walked out.


    The carriage driver was still waiting there. Qian Zhuo went up in a hurry and opened the curtain. Qin Yi helped Yun Shang get on the carriage.


    "Let''s go back." Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi also followed Yun Shang into the carriage. Qian Zhuo ordered gently and got into the carriage.


    The carriage moved. Yun Shang said gently, "I wonder if his highness had been back in the mansion."


    Qin Yi smiled, "His highness never comes back too late. And he only pays a visit to the general today."


    "You know his highness likes about battle so much. He forgets everything once he goes to war. It''s possible that he could lost track of the time if he talks battle things with the general." Yun Shang smiled. The sound was soft, but the ears and eyes were full of vigilance.


    The three of them chatted casually for a while. Then Yun Shang suddenly said, "I haven''t been to Qianshui Pavilion for a long time. I don''t know if it''s open during the holiday. Let''s go and have a look, shall we?"


    Qian Ying didn''t know why Yun Shang said so, but she also nodded and opened the curtain. The carriage driver was close to the curtain. Yun Shang sneered, "Go to the Qianshui Pavilion."

 Chapter 653 Special Rouge

    Qianshui Pavilion was open at the moment, but there weren''t many guests in the shop. Qian Shui was taking care of the shop herself and walked out as soon as she saw Yun Shang''s carriage. "Your Highness..."


    Qian Zhuo drew aside the curtain and got off the carriage with Qin Yi. Then she helped Yun Shang get off. Yun Shang smiled gently, "I was just thinking about whether you had closed the shop in the new year. Luckily, you didn''t."


    Qian Shui smiled, "Your Highness, what a coincidence. We had closed the shop for several days and just opened it today."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and walked into the shop. "I remember there is a kind of rouge called butterflies in love with flowers. Do you have it now?"


    "Butterflies in love with flowers?" Hearing this, Qian Shui paused for a while and quickly caught up with them. When she entered the shop with them, she said with a smile: "I have, but only one box."


    "That''s enough. One box is enough. Go get it for me." Yun Shang said gently, and then went to the second floor with Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi. Walking into a room on the second floor, she walked to the window, opened the window a little bit and looked down. The coachman was standing next to the carriage and looking around, as if on high alert.


    Yun Shang closed the window before she sat down and said to Qin Yi, "I ordered Qian Shui to bring the rouge here. It doesn''t have strong fragrance, but it is specially made by the secret guards. The secret guards can track down people with the scent. I paid attention to the coachman just now. He was breathing lightly, and we didn''t talk much, but he should hear us clearly. He must be a kung fu master. He definitely couldn''t be just some ordinary servant. "


    Qin Yi nodded. Yun Shang continued, "It''s not surprising that the prince has his own shadow guards or bodyguards around him, but we don''t know how many he has as he is always hiding so well. This is an opportunity."


    "Do you want to use this coachman to get rid of all the cultivators around the seventh prince?" When Qian Zhuo understood what Yun Shang meant, her eyes twinkled with excitement.


    "It would be great if we can. But the seventh prince has always been very cautious, and I''m afraid it''s not easy. But it doesn''t matter. At least, we can know where these people are hiding. The fragrance can only last for three days, and our time is limited. " Yun Shang smiled and turned to Qin Yi, "Qin Yi, take the box of rouge and make a false slip when you get on the carriage, sprinkling the rouge on that man."


    Qian Zhuo said in a hurry, "Your highness, Qin Yi is not good at Kung Fu. What if the man dodges? Let me do it."


    "I''m afraid the coachman must be better than you in Kung Fu and he must have known that you know some Kung Fu. It would be suspicious if you fall down so easily. Qin Yi knows nothing about Kung Fu. That''s why I ask her to do it." Yun Shang explained indifferently.


    The door was pushed open. Qian Shui walked in with an exquisite carved box, smiling, "This is the only one I have. It''s really troublesome to make it." Then she walked to Yun Shang, opened the box, an


    rince Qi?"


    "Yes, the son of Lady Shu, Prince Qi." Qian Liu replied in a hurry.


    Yun Shang walked to the couch and sat down on it. She took up the cup and frowned, "Lady Shu is in the cold palace now. Do we need to worry about it?"


    Qin Yi smiled, "Before I came here, I''ve already known some things that have happened after your highness came to the State of Xia. As far as I''m concerned, Lady Shu is by no means simple. Don''t underestimate her. Even if she is in the cold palace now, as long as she is alive, there will be a chance to turn over."


    "You are right." Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "Someone went to the cold palace to visit Lady Shu, but we still haven''t found out who the person is until now. I''m afraid Lady Shu hasn''t given up. She''s just waiting for an opportunity. It''s indeed a good chance when Prince Qi to return to the palace for the Wanshou Festival."


    "Your highness, let''s find an opportunity to get rid of Lady Shu in case of any future worries, shall we?" Qian Zhuo asked.


    Yun Shang shook her head, "Let''s put aside the fact that our people didn''t haven''t got so many infulences in the palace that we can''t get rid of them so easily. Though Lady Shu has been put in the cold palace, the emperor sent many guards to protect her, which means his majesty still cares about her. If we do it so rashly, we might get into trouble. Just leave it later. I will consider how to deal with it. "


    Everyone responded. After taking a sip of tea, Yun Shang lied on the bench and closed her eyes for rest. She woke up after a while, washed her face and rinsed her mouth. Then she ordered the servants to prepare the dinner. However, before the dinner was ready, Luo Qingyan had come back.


    Yun Shang smiled and asked Qin Yi to prepare some water for Luo Qingyan to wash his hands. After Luo Qingyan finished, Yun Shang asked with a smile, "How is it going? I thought you would come back a little late. "


    Luo Qingyan poked at Yun Shang''s forehead and sighed, "Why didn''t you tell me about this? I was almost scared to death when I heard of it."

 Chapter 654 The Ruse Of Self-injury

    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "I heard the second day of the New Year is traditional for married women to pay a visit to their mother''s home with their husbands for a reunion with their family. I thought the seventh prince would probably go to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion with Hua Yutong. Even though the seventh prince doesn''t like Yutong and was on high alert to her, he would do a good job in this aspect. After all, this marriage was granted by the emperor himself. A chance is when the seventh prince is out. Besides, he would never think that we could take action in broad daylight, so I decided to send the secret guards there to see if there is any chance. I wasn''t sure, so I didn''t tell you. I didn''t expect that we would make it. "


    "The seventh prince is so angry. Today the wind blew a lot and the temperature was rising. It affected the surrounding yards. His majesty had already got the news before the seventh prince came back. His majesty went out to check in person. It was said that those things were taken out in front of his majesty." Luo Qingyan seemed to be in a good mood with a smile. He walked to the couch and sat down, stretching himself.


    "Last night, the body of the female prisoner in the mansion of the seventh prince was burned into pieces and cannot be identified. Beside the body, there was a Jiao Wei Qin. The body was holding it tightly. It seemed that it was not burned too badly. The head of the Guqin was burnt off, and the thing in it was revealed. Your majesty flared up at the sight of these things. " Luo Qingyan smiled.


    Yun Shang sat down next to Luo Qingyan. Seeing that Luo Qingyan was in such a good mood, a tinge of happiness in his voice, "Of course. That is the phoenix seal... Although it was the fake one, it was a serious crime. There was a letter inside the Jiao Wei Qin, containing the handwriting of the seventh prince. The letter promised Liu Chuchu a bright future. Most importantly, these things showed that the seventh prince was an ambitious man. His Majesty must think that Liu Chuchu was the concubine of the seventh prince, and If he couldn''t get that position, how could he let her be the empress? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Excellent."


    "The seventh prince must be very regretful. He had sent several people to keep an eye on me, Qian Zhuo, and Qin Yi. But he forgot that I have a close maid who was recovering from an injury." Yun Shang said smilingly, "Thanks to Qian Liu this time, we''ll have to award her.


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly. While they were talking, the maids came in with dishes and placed them on the table one by one.


    Yun Shang stood up and smiled, "Have the dinner first."


    After the dinner, Luo Qingyan ordered the secret guards to be more careful, in case the seventh prince would be furious and do something bad. It''s a special period now, and we can''t be careless.


    After dinner, they had a walk in the mansion, then went to bed early.


    The next day was the third day of New Year, and the court was still closed. H


    the secret passage leading to another place."


    Qian Liu curtsied to Yun Shang, and obeyed.


    Not long after, Luo Qingyan went back to the room. His face was cold. Looking at him, Yun Shang knew that he had figured out what was happening outside the Taiji hall.


    Looking at Luo Qingyan''s frown, Yun Shang thought about it for a while, and then took Luo Qingyan''s hand, saying, "Your Highness, look at my waist. It''s getting bigger. Our child has grown up again."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang, and his eyes softened. He looked at her for a long time and shook his head, "No, I feel your waist is still slim..."


    Yun Shang burst into laughter. "It''s the third day of the New Year, the last day off. We were so busy the last few days. Why don''t you go out with me today? You promised me to go to the temple with me during the Spring Festival."


    Hearing that, Luo Qingyan frowned and said, "But..." He raised his eyes and saw Yun Shang looking at him expectantly. Something occurred to him, so he nodded and said, "Okay, let''s go out for a walk."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "We are not very familiar with the city, so I will ask two old maids to follow us and find a good temple."


    Luo Qingyan agreed. Yun Shang asked Qin Yi, Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo to make preparation for it. After lunch, they got on the carriage and set off.


    There were also many temples in the Jin City. The one they chose was a nearer one, Ling Yin Temple.


    The Ling Yin Temple was located in the east of the Jin city. When the carriage got out of the city, Luo Qingyan frowned and said, "Someone is following us." Then he opened the curtain and was about to order someone to get rid of it.


    Yun Shang hurriedly held his hand and said with a smile, "In the State of Xia, everyone is paying attention to us. Recently, so many things have happened. If they are willing to follow us, then let them be. As long as they don''t take any action, just ignore them. After all, we just went to offer incense. "

 Chapter 655 A Favorable Draw

    Hearing his words, Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment, then put down the window curtain and sat there gloomily. After a while, he said, "You suddenly said you would go out of the city to pray. Is it because you knew that the seventh prince had knelt down outside the Taiji hall the whole night and knew what his majesty was going to do, so you took me out of the city with you because you worried that I would be unhappy?"


    Yun Shang was surprised at Luo Qingyan''s sudden thought. After thinking for a while, Yun Shang said with a smile, "We can''t control everything. Sometimes we could only watch things happen. Instead of upsetting ourselves, we''d rather live our own lives."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan understood a bit. He forced a smile and said, "I just don''t understand why his majesty is so indulgent to him?"


    "I also don''t understand. But I believe that things always happen for a reason. We failed this time, but the emperor must have a grudge against the seventh prince. We should make adequate preparations before we carry out our next move. First, we need to find out the reason why his majesty allowed the seventh prince to be so arrogant. Then, we''ll find the right solution and try to do it in a short time." Yun Shang chuckled, "There are a lot of days ahead. And this time, I''ve learned a lot from it, at least..."


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while and said, "at least we can use this incident to provoke someone..."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan turned his head, frowned, and thought for a moment before saying, "You mean the empress?"


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded. "The seventh prince is the murderer of the crown prince. Now we are trying to tell the empress that the emperor himself asked to set him free. And for the matter happening now, his majesty must have ordered not to tell anyone about it. The empress may not know what happened yesterday in the seventh prince''s mansion, and why the seventh prince knelt down in front of the Taiji hall. If the empress knows about it one by one, I don''t know what she will think."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and remained silent for a long time.


    "I''m afraid the empress hated him most for losing her son in her middle age." Yun Shang smiled coldly.


    untain behind and then go down the mountain."


    Then he bowed to the abbot and left the room.


    Yun Shang was fiddling with the bamboo stick. She gently touched the words on the sticks, and then threw it away. She poured out all the bamboo sticks from the lot pot and looked at them one by one.


    "There are thirty-two sticks in the lot pot, twelve of which are the best ones, ten second best ones, five third best ones, but only five second worst ones, and there is no worst one..." Yun Shang shook her head with a smile and put all them back into the lot pot.


    "People just want some good signs. No one cares what other sticks are." "Don''t you want to have a walk? I didn''t expect there were so many people in the temple. Just now when I came here, I noticed that there were not many people in the back hill. We could walk around there."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up. "Since we''ve already been here, let''s go have a look."


    All things had withered in the winter. There was nothing but a few plum trees in the withered season. Luo Qingyan walked with Yun Shang and felt a bit disappointed. When they were about to go down the mountain, they heard someone talking in the bamboo forest. There was a word that made Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan pause. Prince Rui.


    A young woman replied confidently, "Among all the young men in the court, Prince Rui is the only one that deserves me to marry. Wait and see. No matter who is the present wife of Prince Rui, I will get that position."

 Chapter 656 Madness Talks

    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and turned to the frowning man by her side. Yun Shang smiled and said, "She is really arrogant... What do you think, your highness? "


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. He remained silent for a moment, and then turned to Qian Zhuo with a smile, "Qian Zhuo, go to beat the one who is talking madly. Today, I''ll support you."


    "Your Highness, you must keep your words. Please don''t push me away as the scapegoat," giggled Qian Zhuo with excitement, as her eyes lit up Then she glanced at Yun Shang. "I''m a maid of your highness. You have to support me. If his highness goes back on his words, I won''t agree."


    Yun Shang burst into laughter and shoot a glance at Luo Qingyan. "What are you talking about? How dare you talk nonsense without knowing who the one in the forest is?"


    "Who she is? No matter who she is, I''m not afraid of anyone. Since she dared to say something like that, she must learn to bear the consequences. Qian Zhuo, go ahead. I''ll be on your side. " Luo Qingyan wrapped his arms around Yun Shang''s waist. Although he wore a smile, it seemed that the smile could not penetrate into his eyes.


    Qian Zhuo replied in a loud voice, and then trotted two steps into the bamboo forest.


    Qian Zhuo is a reckless and tough girl. Now she had someone to rely on, and she must be more unscrupulous. Yun Shang was afraid that she might be at a disadvantage if she provoke someone. So she quickly followed her.


    However, Yun Shang dared not go too fast as she was pregnant. Before she walked into the bamboo forest, she heard Qian Zhuo say in disdain, "Who the hell are you? Do you think you are a pretty fairy or a talented lady? How shameless you are to say that you could take place of Lady Rui. You should take a good look in the mirror. How dare you speak so rudely here!"


    Yun Shang almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Luo Qingyan walked beside her and hurried to hold her, but she couldn''t help laughing out.


    Yun Shang blushed. After a while, she said, "I''ve never taught her that."


    Qin Yi and Qian Liu also burst into laughter.


    Luo Qingyan nodded gently, "Well, I believe that you didn''t teach it. I''m afraid you couldn''t do it better than her."


    When Yun Shang was still in surprise at Qian Zhuo''s words, the woman spoke in a trembling voice, "Who the hell are you? How dare you talk nonsense to me? Do you know who I am?"


    Yun Shang listened carefully for a while. She really wanted to know who the woman was and why she dared to say something like that.


    "Oh?" Qian Zhuo snorted, "Then speak your name and let me see if you can scare me."


    The woman shouted in a rage, "I''m the daughter of the richest man in the Jin City, and


    on''t worry. I have seen Wang Congwen before. He is a man who a wise man who always suits his action to the current situation. Officials rank higher than businessmen. And it is his fault that he failed to educate his daughter well. He would not fall out with me for this matter."


    Yun Shang pondered for a while, nodded, and walked toward the front of the mountain with Luo Qingyan.


    Qian Zhuo got back in a hurry with a cheerful look on her face when they were about to get the carriage. Seeing her in such a hurry, Yun Shang didn''t want to get even with her. Besides, when she heard the woman''s words, she was also unhappy. She was not a gentle and obedient person, and Qian Zhuo avenged her.


    Yun Shang smiled without rebuke.


    It was dark when they got back. After having dinner in the yard, Qian Zhuo got some news back. "The seventh prince is still in front of the Taiji hall. He woke up after a coma, and then knelt down again. His majesty has never been out of the gate of the Taiji hall all day."


    Yun Shang frowned and thought for a while. Then she turned to Luo Qingyan, "Does his majesty want all the officials see him kneeling in front of the Taiji Hall tomorrow morning?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded at random, "maybe."


    Yun Shang let out a sigh, "His majesty seems not worried that the weak prince couldn''t bear this."


    "He is showing he has given him a severe punishment." Luo Qingyan gave a brittle laugh and slammed the book he was reading.


    Yun Shang pondered for a moment, stood up, walked to Luo Qingyan and sat down. She nudged Luo Qingyan and said, "Your Highness, this is a good chance. The emperor doesn''t like it when his sons are fighting for the throne. If I were you, I would go to the palace immediately and kneel down in front of you to plead for the seventh prince. "

 Chapter 657 Fraternity

    "Plead for him?" Luo Qingyan sneered and said nothing.


    Yun Shang knew that he must be quite unhappy now. She said in a softer tone, "That''s right. Plead with his majesty for him. Now we all know that his majesty is not going to do anything to him. Since you have known this result, you''d better go to the Taiji hall to plead for the seventh prince, and in this way, you might get a good reputation for caring your brother."


    Although Luo Qingyan was a little unhappy, he was considering her advice. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, he understood her plan. He was silent for a moment, and then nodded. He stood up and sighed. "Okay, I''ll go."


    Yun Shang hurriedly stopped Luo Qingyan and smiled, "Don''t rush. It''s windy at night. Put on more clothes... " Then Yun Shang turned around and asked Qin Yi to bring the warmest underwear and robe to help Luo Qingyan put them on. She also took cotton trousers for Luo Qingyan to put on. "Since you decide to do it, you should make it more real. Your knees won''t hurt with the thick trousers."


    Seeing that Yun Shang busy with the preparations for him, Luo Qingyan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. "How could you ask your husband to kneel in front of the Taiji hall for a whole night..."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "You are good at Kung Fu. It''s no big deal to kneel for one night. Besides, you could get some benefits in the future if you do it."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, bent over and kissed Yun Shang''s forehead gently. He smiled and said, "Well, my shang''er, you are always thinking for me. I will listen to you." Then he put on clothes as Yun Shang told.


    Seeing that Yun Shang was about to fetch the thermos, Luo Qingyan hurriedly held Yun Shang''s hand and said with a smile, "No need. How could I take a thermos with me to kneel on the ground with seventh prince? It''s inappropriate."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and realized that it was not a good idea, so she had to give up. She quickly ordered Qian Liu to make a bowl of ginger soup. "It''s cold at night. There is no need to rush at this moment. Drink it before you leave."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. He stopped Yun Shang and said, "If I don''t be quick, the palace gate will close."


    Yun Shang then stopped and walk him out of the yard. She sighed gently, "What should I do? I''m a little regretful."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and touched Yun Shang''s head. "Only one night. As you said, people all think I am cool and even indifferent. Sometimes, it''s not a good thing. Why don''t I go if I had such a chance? "


    Yun Shang nodded and watched Luo Qingyan leave the yard. After a long time, she went back to her room.


    The moment Luo Qingyan left, Yun Shang appeared a little depressed. She walked back and forth in the room for several times before she whispered, "No. Now that his highness is in the palace, I''ll let Ning Qian or Lin Youran help."


    The three maids were standing by. Qian Liu smiled at Yun Shang, "What do you want? I''ll ask someone to


    h prince will be fine. Yesterday, Prince Rui went to the palace to plead for him. I am also ready to go there and take a look."


    Hua Yutong thought for a while, held Yun Shang''s hand and said, "Shang''er, take me with you into the palace."


    "Okay, please sit down for a moment. I''ll go into the palace with you after I finish making up." Yun Shang smiled mildly.


    Only then did Hua Yutong nodded. She walked aside and sat down. The embroidered handkerchief in her hand was crumpled into a ball. After a long time, she sighed, "I''m just afraid that as soon as I married into the mansion of the seventh prince, something bad happened to him. In the future, what should I do?"


    Yun Shang understood Hua Yutong''s fear. She nodded and said softly, "I understand."


    After Qin Yi dressed Yun Shang up, Yun Shang stood up and went outside with Hua Yutong. But Hua Yutong hurriedly said, "Shang''er, put on a cloak. It''s a little cold outside."


    Yun Shang answered with a smile. After Qin Yi put a silver cloak on Yun Shang, they got in the carriage and went to the palace.


    As soon as they entered the palace, Yun Shang walked to the Taiji hall to have a look. The officials of the court stood stately in front of the gate, but she didn''t see the figures of the seventh prince and Luo Qingyan kneeling on the ground.


    Yun Shang pondered for a while, then she drew Hua Yutong aside, bypassed the Taiji hall, and headed for the imperial household. "I didn''t see the seventh prince and his highness. I guess they are probably in the Taiji hall now."


    Hua Yutong turned around, looked at the direction of the Taiji hall, nodded gently, and followed Yun Shang to the Xiang Zhu Palace.


    As soon as she entered the Xiang Zhu Palace, she saw Lin Youran taking a walk outside the side hall. When she saw Yun Shang enter the door, she was excited. But before she walked forward, she saw Hua Yutong following Yun Shang. After thinking for a moment, she slowly walked up and said, "Your Highnesses."

 Chapter 658 Sisters

    Yun Shang approached her and helped her up. She said with a smile, "Lady Hui, you don''t have to be so courteous to me. You are pregnant now." Then she looked back at Hua Yutong and continued, "It''s said that the seventh prince knelt in front of the Taiji hall for a long time. Last night, Prince Rui also came to the imperial palace. Do you know is it going now?"


    Lin Youran looked at Yun Shang and then at Hua Yutong, and then she said, "Yesterday when I went to the Taiji hall to deliver soup to the emperor, I saw the two princes. I heard that the two princes were called into the Taiji hall by the emperor early in the morning, and they should be fine."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Thank you, Lady Hui."


    Smiling, Lin Youran bowed to Yun Shang. She asked in a soft voice, "Your Highness, would you like to have a seat in the palace?"


    "No. since his Highness has been called into the Taiji hall, I will go there to wait for him with the seventh princess." With a faint smile, Yun Shang bowed to Lin Youran and walked out of the Xiang Zhu Palace with Hua Yutong holding her hand.


    "It''s not much different from what I expected. I think they should be out of the imperial palace after the morning court. Let''s wait for them outside the Taiji hall." Yun Shang turned around and said to Hua Yutong.


    Hua Yutong nodded slightly and followed Yun Shang quietly with her head down.


    Walking out of the Xiang Zhu Palace and entering the imperial garden, they heard a girl''s voice. "Sister, it''s her. She hit me yesterday. Sister, you must avenge me."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and turned to look at the direction of the noise. She saw two women sitting in the pavilion. One of them was dressed in peachy imperial costume and she had met her twice. She was Lady Xian in the imperial household. The other one who dressed in a light yellow dress was not a stranger to her. She just met her in the Ling Yin Temple yesterday. The one who said she would definitely become the wife of Prince Rui.


    When Lady Xian saw Yun Shang, she hurriedly came over and bowed to her, "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang smiled, walked to Lady Xian and bent down to help her up. She glanced at the lady who was still standing in the pavilion, and asked, "Is she your relative?"


    It seemed that Lady Xian was a little embarrassed. She bowed her head and said gently, "Yes, she''s my sister."


    "Really?" Yun Shang took back her hand and said with a


    said with a smile, "Let''s go back home first. You stayed up all night. I''m afraid you are too tired."


    After a moment''s silence, Luo Qingyan walked out of the palace with Yun Shang. When they were back in the yard, Yun Shang ordered some hot water to help Luo Qingyan take a bath and wash his face, change into a white underwear, and push him to bed.


    Yun Shang put down the bed curtain for him. When she was about to get up and leave, Luo Qingyan held her hand. "I heard that you went to the palace early this morning. Why don''t you have a rest with me?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. But then she was pulled by Luo Qingyan and fell down on the bed. Luo Qingyan emitted a loud laughter from the bed curtain, followed by Luo Qingyan''s melancholy voice, "Shang''er, now that you are pregnant, we can''t do that, can we? It has been a long time since the last time we did it."


    Yun Shang choked on her saliva and coughed for a while before she snapped: "No way!"


    "But they said that as long as we are very careful..." Luo Qingyan said with infinite grievance as if he was a spoiled child.


    "They?" Yun Shang chuckled, "Who are they?"


    After a long time, Luo Qingyan said hesitantly, "Lord Hua Guo."


    "What? You are asking Lord Hua Guo about it?" Yun Shang screamed suddenly and whined, "How can you ask Lord Hua Guo? How can I face him in the future?"


    Yun Shang kept muttering why Luo Qingyan told Lord Hua Guo about it. Soon her tone changed and her breath became more heavily.


    "Be gentle..." Yun Shang cried, "My clothes! It''s new! "


    A moment later, she didn''t even have the strength to complain.

 Chapter 659 The Undercurrent

    It was not until about 4 o''clock in the afternoon that the bed curtain was lifted. Luo Qingyan stretched out his hand to pick up the clothes on the ground and put them on. He picked up the robe on the stool and put it on before he walked out of the inner room.


    In the outer room, Qin Yi was sitting on the chair embroidering a pair of shoes. From the size of them, it seemed that they were for a small child. The shoes had a delicate yellow tiger head embroidered on them.


    Standing aside and looking at her doing her work for a while, Luo Qingyan asked, "for whom?"


    Qin Yi hadn''t noticed Luo Qingyan''s sudden appearance. Hearing his sudden voice, she was startled and the needle nearly went out of her hand. Qin Yi quickly put the shoes into the embroidery basket, stood up, and bowed to Luo Qingyan and greeted softly, "Your Highness."


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head, and pointed to the shoes in the embroidered basket, "you made it for whom?"


    Qin Yi smiled and said, "it''s made for the little prince or princess. I don''t know whether it is a boy or a girl. I''ve embroidered a pair of flowers before, and now I''m making this little tiger on another pair."


    Luo Qingyan nodded as if absorbed in thought. After a while, he asked, "why haven''t I seen Shang''er doing embroidery?"


    Qin Yi, hearing his words, hurriedly answered, "Your Highness, her highness has grown up without being around lady Jin, so no one ever taught her how to do embroidery. Later, his majesty sent her to the Ningguo temple for recuperation. She didn''t return to the palace until she came of age. If your highness wants to have something embroidered or make clothes, just tell me... "


    Only then did Luo Qingyan realize that Qin Yi might have misunderstood what he meant. "It''s just that I haven''t seen shang''er doing anything like this, so I''m just asking. I don''t know how shang''er looks like when she is doing embroidery." Then he laughed as if he was amused by his own words.


    Qin Yi noticed that Luo Qingyan did not seem to be angry, so she quickly changed the subject, "Your Highness has not eaten anything. I''ll ask someone to prepare some food."


    Luo Qingyan nodded his head and said, "call me in the study when the food is ready." Then he intended to go out. But when he reached the door, he turned around and said, "wake up her highness when the food is ready. She must be hungry because she didn''t even have lunch."


    Qin Yi said yes, watching Luo Qingyan go out of the room, and then told the maids to get ready.


    Qin Yi went into the inner room after giving orders to the maids. Her eyes lighted up when she saw the clothes scattered over the floor in front of her highness'' bed. She picked them up in a hurry and put them aside. The clothes was torn a little. Qin Yi put the new clothes aside and cleaned the room again before she stood at the bed and called, "Your highness... "


    Yun Shang answered softly from the bed curtain. In fact, she was awake when Luo Qingyan got up. She knew clearly that they must have heard what they had done in the daytime, as Qin Yi and other servants were waiting outside. She also knew what Qin Yi was doing when she went to clean up t


    has chosen these people, we will try not to contact them in the future. She is very cautious and will arrange someone to watch around them, so be careful not to let her discover." Yun Shang smiled and ordered.


    Qin Yi responded and threw the parchment into the brazier.


    "The messenger in the palace just now said that after the early morning court this morning, Lady Hui was promoted." Qian Zhuo quickly told Yun Shang the news.


    Yun Shang nodded her head and said, "I''m afraid the empress was unable to prevent Lady Hui from getting a promotion, so she took the initiative to find the five persons in a hurry."


    "Tell madam Qiu to go to the storehouse and check if there is anything suitable in the warehouse. Then choose one gift and send it to Lady Hui and tell her that I congratulate her on her promotion." Yun Shang stood up from the couch and rubbed her aching and limp waist. "Let''s take a walk in the yard. I''m still a little tired after lying here for a long time."


    Qin Yi helped Yun Shang out of the inner room, and gently said, "will it be a bit inappropriate for us to do so? As for other concubines in the imperial household, we rarely send gifts to the palace when they get promoted or their birthday. But now, Youran is only a concubine, and even if she got promoted, she will still be Lady Hui."


    Yun Shang held her waist and walked out, smiling, "that''s why we need to send her the gift. The empress knows that Lin Youran is my person. It''s unnecessary for me to avoid arousing suspicion. I can take this opportunity to let them all know that she is on my side."


    "They always pay attention to Lady Hui since she is pregnant with a child of his majesty. If you meddle in it, I''m afraid..." Qin Yi was a bit worried.


    "It is true that she has become the enemy of all the women in the palace when Lin Youran is pregnant. Even if some women didn''t show it, it doesn''t mean that they are happy. What I want is to give a warning to those who are too stupid to know who is behind her. " Yun Shang walked to the plum tree, picked a branch and smelled it. A cold smile emerged on her face.

 Chapter 660 Household Affairs

    Yun Shang took a walk in the yard and then walked out of the yard. She walked slowly along the long corridor by the lake to the garden house. When she passed the garden house, she saw the servant at the gate roaring in disgust with a frown, "Go away. This is not a place for you to come. If you don''t leave now, I''ll hit you with the stick... "


    Yun Shang stopped and walked to the door. She asked with doubt, "What''s wrong? Who are you talking to?"


    The doorman turned around and saw Yun Shang. He bowed to Yun Shang and said, "She is an old beggar. She has been begging at the gate of our mansion these days. Every time when you and Prince Rui came back, she avoided you. She always crouched in the corner beside the gate with a broken bowl in her hand. I don''t think it''s good to be seen by the people, so I wanted to drive her away, but she didn''t leave, and she came back after a short while every time. "


    "Really?" Yun Shang heard him and walked to the door. There was indeed a beggar crouching in the corner of the wall. She was a woman. Judging from her grey hair and stoop, she must be in her fifties. In rags, she seemed to have not washed her hair for a long time. It was winter today, but she didn''t wear shoes.


    As if aware of Yun Shang''s gaze, the beggar turned around and glanced at her. Then he shrank back and leaned against the corner of the wall.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "It''s the New Year. Give her some food and a quilt. Don''t need to drive her away. "


    The servant kept nodding and answered with courtesy. Then Yun Shang turned around and walked back to the mansion. She was about to go back to the inner yard. The servant standing behind him whispered: "you are lucky to meet a good person like her highness."


    "It''s indeed indecent for a beggar to squat at the door. Besides, if others see her, they will say that your highnesses are merciless and won''t help a beggar." Qin Yi said gently after looking back at the gate.


    Yun Shang nodded, "I know. But I''m sure I can''t let a stranger come into our mansion."


    "It''s indeed not right to take her into our mansion. And it''s suspicious that she begs in front of our mansion and doesn''t leave even we drive her away. If we can''t take her into our mansion, we could think about other ways. We have several vacant mansions in the suburbs and we could ask the butler to send the beggar to one of them. Even if there is something wrong with the beggar, she could not make any trouble. " Qin Yi thought for a while and said slowly.


    "That sounds a good idea." Yun Shang smiled and said, "Do it as you said. Tell the butler later."


    Qin Yi hurriedly responded. The two of them walked through the garden house again. Yun Shang looked at the fork in front of her and thought for a while. Then she said: "I seldom go to the right way. I heard that the former crown prince and his wife lived in the yard here when it was the crown prince''s mansion. The yard where we live now was their guest yard back then. Let''s have a


    ng time before she said gently, "Your Highness, you are the master of the mansion. You have to do something by yourself. Before I came to Jin City, I heard a lot of rumors that Lady Rui was a jealous woman who doesn''t allow Prince Rui to marry any concubine. The backyard of the mansion is indeed empty."


    Yun Shang stopped and turned to Qin Yi, "I always feel that it is excusable if someone else comes to persuade me. But you can''t. My mother had been in the cold palace for more than ten years because his majesty married someone else. Mother didn''t like father having other concubines, either. I always felt that she was always cold to him. Even though my mother is favored by the emperor now, she may not feel happy. As a woman, I naturally hope that I am the only one of my husband."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''m so lucky. His Highness has never thought about having a concubine. And he often told me that I''m the only one in his life. In this case, I should keep this promise. I don''t care if others think I''m jealous or vicious. How could we get happiness if we can''t even stand firm on our own? "


    Qin Yi wanted to say something, but finally she said nothing. She just sighed, "In this way, your highness will have to bear the bad reputation. People won''t say anything bad about his highness. They only blame you... "


    Yun Shang smiled. "It''s our own thing. None of other people''s business. They can say whatever they like. I don''t care."


    Since Yun Shang had made up her mind, Qin Yi didn''t say more.


    Yun Shang smiled and said to Qin Yi, "Let''s go back to the yard. It''s time to prepare dinner, but I feel we''ve just finished lunch for a while." After a moment''s pause, she continued, "I''ll take more responsibility to deal matters in the mansion. As you said, I should take care of the mansion. Although I''m not good at it, I can learn it. But luckily I could have your help. Madam Qi and Madam Qiu seem to be capable. I''m not worried. "


    Qin Yi nodded, and followed Yun Shang into her room.

 Chapter 661 Threatening

    The next morning, Luo Qingyan got up early and went to the palace. Yun Shang woke up just after Luo Qingyan left. Yun Shang asked Qian Liu to help her with her dress and make-up. Then she asked the butler to give her the account books containing all things she should be in charge of in mansion.


    Yun Shang got up early this morning. Although she was still sleepy, she started to look into the account books. But she didn''t know much about the expenses, so she asked Qin Yi and two madams to help. It took her the whole morning to finish it.


    After lunch, Yun Shang was about to have a rest when the butler ran over again. "Your Highness, Mr. Wang and Mrs. Wang want to see you."


    Yun Shang blinked, still confused, "Mr. Wang and Mrs. Wang? Which Mr. Wang? "


    "Wang Congwen, the richest man in the city." The butler hurriedly answered, "I heard that his highness hurt Miss Wang in the palace yesterday morning. I guess that they are here for this.


    "Haha..." Yun Shang grinned. She quickly came up with an idea. Yesterday Qian Zhuo told her that Miss Wang must have been hurt badly by Luo Qingyan''s palm, so she had asked all the famous doctors in the city. That was most likely why they came here today.


    "Just tell them her highness is taking a nap. Let them wait. I have always felt that Miss Wang''s arrogance is most likely due to her parents'' pampering. I don''t know how they teach her. She has no excellent talents and good qualities. How could they let her out to harm others?" Qian Zhuo had a fit of anger when she heard the parents of Miss Wang have come. She was still in a state of shock at the thought that Yun Shang was almost pushed to the ground by the woman yesterday.


    The butler gave a short pause, and looked at Yun Shang with hesitation.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "Tell them I''m taking a nap. We should teach them a lesson. It''s them who are begging us, so we don''t need to be in a hurry. After reading the account books the whole morning, I can''t open my eyes any more. Let me sleep first."


    The butler bowed to Yun Shang and left the hall.


    Yun Shang raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned slightly. Then she stood up and went into the inner room. She stretched out her hand an let Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu to take off her cape and robe, as well as all the hair accessories. After that, she went to the couch and lay down on it.


    "You can wake me up in one hour," Yun Shang ordered Qian Liu. Qian Liu extinguished the incense beside her and left the inner room with Qian Zhuo.


    An hour later, Qian Liu woke Yun Shang up on time. After freshening up, Yun Shang went to the garden house with her maids and two madams.


    She stopped at the door of the garden house and looked inside through the window. There were a middle-aged man in his fifties and a woman in her forties. They both looked anxious and worried.


    The lady frequently looked at the door of


    n raised his head and said in surprise, "Thank you very much, your highness."


    "It''s too early to say thanks. I can spare her life, but I have one condition." Yun Shang flashed a cunning smile.


    Wang Congwen froze and thought for a while before he said, "Your Highness, what do you want from me?"


    "The condition..." Yun Shang smiled and looked at the cherry tree in the yard outside. After a long silence, she said, "Your Highness should know that Prince Rui and I don''t have a stable foundation in the State of Xia as we have been here only for a short time. Besides, we didn''t prepare well when we leave the State of Ning. Now, we have some difficulties. We have spent a lot of money on running our mansion. We''re really running out of money now. Mr. Wang, to tell you the truth, we don''t have any decent ornaments."


    Wang Shun Qing listened quietly, with blue veins standing out on his forehead.


    Yun Shang paused for a while and said, "It is said that you are the richest man in Jin city and owns a great deal of property. I am not that kind of person who ask for too much. I just hope that you can offer one fifth of your property to Prince Rui''s mansion."


    There was sweat oozing from his forehead, but he kept silent.


    Yun Shang smiled and said in a casual tone, "You could just ignore it. But if so, Miss Wang... There''s nothing I can do about her. You have another daughter in the imperial household. Is she Lady Xian? I heard that his majesty hasn''t been to her palace for a long time. Oh, have you heard that the emperor himself has given the imperial guard token to Prince Rui a few days ago. If you give one fifth of your family property to Prince Rui''s mansion, they would naturally be in the same boat, but if... " Yun Shang smiled without saying anything.


    Wang Congwen clenched his teeth. After a while, he said word by word, "Your Highness, I will consider it. But I wish Prince Rui could marry my daughter..."

 Chapter 662 Refusal

    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing at Luo Qingyan''s words. He is so popular that everyone wanted to get a share, but no one asked if she was willing to share with others.


    Smiling, Yun Shang stopped laughing. Her face suddenly turned cold. She picked up her teacup and threw it toward Wang Congwen. The sound of breaking teacup was very clear in the garden house. Wang Congwen and his wife were frightened, their faces turning pale.


    Yun Shang stood up and walked slowly to Wang Congwen. She sneered, "Mr. Wang, do you think I''m trade with you?"


    After a pause, she waved her sleeves and said: "Since you are pleading in this way, please go back. Anyway I''m not the one who is suffering. I don''t like those people who are always coveting my position. Why will I save her?" Then she turned around and walked out of the garden house without looking back.


    Wang Congwen and his wife looked at each other, both shocked by Yun Shang''s anger.


    After a while, Mrs. Wang gave a howl, and patted on the ground. "Oh, my dear daughter. What should we do? You are so young, but you are badly hurt by the unreasonable Prince Rui."


    Just outside the garden house, when Yun Shang heard the noise made by Mrs. Wang, she laughed again and shouted: "Someone! Throw the bitch out of my mansion!"


    The servants standing outside the garden house heard the order and dashed into the house. Mrs. Wang screamed and shouted, "What are you doing? You... " Before she could finish speaking, her mouth was covered with a piece of cloth. The servants lifted her up and carried her towards the gate.


    "Your Highness..." Qin Yi frowned and said gently, trying to persuade Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled faintly and turned to Qin Yi, "It''s the truth that the world is always dominated by strong people. Wang Congwen dares to bargain with me like this, which means he doesn''t think Prince Rui and I are powerful enough. If I don''t want him to stay in the Jin City, he will have to get out of here, even he is the richest man in the city. I''ll let him know this. After he got this point, he would know how to plead. I''ve been short of money recently, so I have to get some from Wang Congwen."


    Qin Yi nodded and smiled, "Your Highness is smart. I believe in your capability. But Mrs. Wang is so shameless. I''m afraid that she will ruin Prince Rui''s reputation if she go out and clamor."


    "Haha..." Yun Shang wasn''t worried at all. "Although he is not an official, he is a respectable man in the city. He is afraid of being laughed at. Mrs. Wang doesn''t dare. Even if she does, Wang Congwen won''t allow her to do. Mrs. Wang could only pretend to cry in our mansion. If she goes out, she won''t dare to mention what happened today."


    Qin Yi thought for a while, and then gently nodded, "Your Highness, you have a point. What do you want to deal with it?"


    Yun Shang thought for


    ber something. "Oh, you are pregnant now. Since you can''t drink, I''ll drink yours for you?"


    Yun Shang felt angry and amused. She didn''t prevent Luo Qingyan from telling the servants outside to prepare the wine. She just smiled and thought that Luo Qingyan was just making an excuse to drink.


    After ordering the servants to prepare the wine and water, Luo Qingyan lowered his head again and looked at Yun Shang, "I have invited some of my colleagues to have dinner outside. I''m afraid I can''t come back for dinner. Don''t wait for me."


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled.


    Luo Qingyan was in high spirits and drank a lot. Then, he held Yun Shang to rest. But he still got up early the next morning and went to the court.


    Qian Yin was quick. The next afternoon, several customers who had bought clothes came back to Qianshui Pavillion.


    Yun Shang had nothing to do in the mansion, so she wanted to go to Qianshui Pavilion to have a look. After arranging some secret guards, she went out with Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu.


    When they arrived at the gate, several exquisite carriages had already been parked there, and the two-story small building had been packed with people, but most of them were onlookers. Yun Shang asked the secret guards to separate the people, and then she got off the carriage and slowly walked towards the shop.


    Hardly had they stepped into the shop, a loud and angry voice reached their ears, "I heard the items in Qianshui Pavilion are fabulous, but I didn''t expect it is a lie. It was the first time for my mistress to wear the clothes, and the fabric suddenly cracked open. The clothes from your shop are expensive, how could you..."


    Others echoed. "Right, our clothes have broken even before we tried them on."


    Yun Shang heard some noise and heard Qian Shui''s gentle and polite voice. "Please calm down, ladies. I''ll ask my people to find out what the problem is."

 Chapter 663 By All Means (Part One)

    Yun Shang walked in with a smile on her face, and glanced blankly at the people in the shop. From the look of it, most of them were maids in the mansion, and there were also some bad tempered and impatient ones, so they came in person.


    "What''s going on here? So crowded!" Yun Shang turned to look at Qian Shui with a smile on her face.


    Yun Shang''s appearance also attracted the attention of everyone in the shop. Yun Shang rarely appeared in front of everyone, but many families of officials of the court had seen her at the imperial banquet. Their eyes were full of amazement and confusion at the same time.


    Qian Shui smiled at her, but her smile was with bitterness. She curtsied to Yun Shang and said. "Lady Rui, please have a seat upstairs. I''ll go upstairs after I deal with the matter here."


    The people in the shop who didn''t see Yun Shang before heard Qian Shui''s words and knew who Yun Shang was. They expressed their respects to Yun Shang hurriedly.


    Yun Shang smiled at them and got them out of embarrassment. Then she said, "I heard that some cloth was torn just now outside the shop? What''s going on here? "


    Qian Shui had a frown on her face and let out a deep sigh, "a batch of clothes was sold today, and I did not expect that there would be a problem. It''s said that all the clothes suddenly cracked."


    "Really?" Yun Shang glanced at the people in the shop for a second, and said after a moment of silence, "I''m a regular customer of this shop. The styles and workmanship of their shop are exquisite, and I have never encountered such a problem before. I hope that you can listen to me, all right?"


    Given Yun Shang''s social status, the people in the shop dared not disobey her, so they all responded obediently.


    Yun Shang smi


    hought that your highness would come upstairs very soon..."


    Yun Shang smiled gently at her, walked to the table and sat down on the chair. She took a sip of the tea which was already served on the table, and said, "The things about the Wang clan I just heard, did you do those things?"


    Qian Yin nodded her head gently, "I think that if we want to do something, we''d better do it big. It''s true that I set the store that sells rice and the restaurant up, but the case was serious and real. It really happened. I just let more people to know about it. And I also sent a message to the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. He happened to pass by when the mother of the dead man complained to the Fuya. "


    "Wang Congwen must have a very bad headache now." Qian Zhuo couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Perhaps he will be able to keep his patience, or perhaps he will want to use money to settle this matter. At this time, we have to let him know that all this is done by us, the Prince Rui''s mansion and let him suffer a lot." Yun Shang smiled, with coldness evident in her eyes.


    "How much money can we use right now?" Yun Shang turned to look at Qian Yin and asked.

 Chapter 664 By All Means (Part Two)

    Qian Yin cocked her head, thought for a short moment, and quickly said, "not much, we can use about ten thousand taels of silver."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. Qian Yin was right. It was not much.


    "If we have set up the secret piles in the city according to my requirements, we should have many shops in our hands. You can sell these shops one by one and open some shops aside the shops of the Wang clan. We will sell the exact same things beside any of the shops of them. But the prices should be a little lower than that of their shops. Open as many shops as we can. As for the money, I''ll think of another way. " Yun Shang ordered quietly in a gentle tone, "But remember to hurry up!"


    Qian Yin didn''t know what Yun Shang was going to do, but she quickly responded, "yes, I understand."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. Then a strange man''s voice came from downstairs. He seemed to be the man in charge of the Wang''s Fabric Store. As soon as he entered the shop, he kept saying that these clothes that had a problem were not bought from his fabric store.


    Yun Shang heard Qian Shui''s voice. She turned to the man in charge and said angrily, "Huh, I guess you are too busy to remember things. It happened yesterday, and you immediately turned your back on me today. I still have the evidence of buying the fabric at your shop. The color and price of the fabric are clearly written on it. You also have a handprint on it yourself. Moreover, there is a sign of your own on the fabric from the Wang''s Fabric Store. You can come here by yourself and see if it is really the fabric from your shop. "


    There was a hint of impatience in the man''s voice. He said, "Even if the fabric is sold in our shop, this piece of cloth has been touched by your hands. Who knows


    forgive me and get off with my family. I''m willing to do what you said last time."


    Yun Shang stopped pretending anymore. She sneered in a cold way, "what I said last time? Mr. Wang also knew that it was the thing happened last time. Last time, Mr. Wang, you didn''t agree. Now if Mr. Wang wants to go back on his word, it''s not the same price as last time. "


    Yun Shang laughed even more happily when she saw Wang Congwen''s grave expression on his face.


    After a long while, Wang Congwen gnashed his teeth and asked, "what do your highness want to add?"


    Yun Shang bowed her head, and played with the jade pendant hanging on her waist. She said casually, "last time, I mentioned a fifth, and today, let me tell you, I want a third..."


    With these words, she looked up at Wang Congwen and asked, "Mr. Wang, what do you think?"


    Wang Congwen paled even more and all his body trembled. He remained silent for a long while. Yun Shang wasn''t worried at all. She just smiled lightly at Wang Congwen and said, "Mr. Wang, you should think it over carefully. But if there''s still no deal between us today, the price will be different when you come to me again next time."

 Chapter 665 Compete For A Win (Part One)

    Wang Congwen''s body trembled violently. He was silent for a long time without saying a word.


    Yun Shang was not in a hurry at all. She lightly patted the armrest of the chair, stood up and said to him, "Mr. Wang, don''t worry. Just take your time. I have nothing else to do, so I have plenty of time to wait for your answer. Mr. Wang, think of it carefully. I''d like to take a walk outside. When I come back, I hope I can hear your answer. "


    Then she raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned, as if she was talking to herself, "Ever since I am pregnant, my mood has become more and more gloomy. And my thoughts chang all the time. As the saying goes, for a woman, changing her mind is faster than turning a page of a book."


    Yun Shang said while walking out of the garden house. Seeing this, Wang Congwen was all of a sudden anxious and shouted. "Please don''t go, your highness. I''m willing to take your offer. I am willing to take your offer!"


    "Oh, really?" Yun Shang covered the smile in her eyes and turned around, "will you regret it, Mr. Wang?"


    "No, no, No. I will never do that." Wang Congwen promised her very quickly. With a sad face, he said those words.


    Yun Shang was looking forward to the answer. She laughed and shouted to her servants, "Someone! Take the ink and paper here and ask Mr. Wang to sign the paper."


    When Qian Zhuo took out pen, ink, paper and inkstone to them, Wang Congwen was shocked again. There was already a note on the paper that said that he agreed to transfer a third of his property to Yun Shang. Wang Congwen raised his eyes and look at Yun Shang, who had a gentle smile on her face, but her eyes were as cold as ice.


    Wang Congwen''s heart skipped a beat at her gaze. He im


    e to take advantage of the victory and try to get him spit out the things he should, or things will be difficult for us when Wang Congwen recovers. "


    Yun Shang thought for a while, turned around and said, "Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo are both good at Kung Fu. Qian Liu is a smart person. You go to Wang Congwen''s mansion tomorrow to supervise them in settling their accounts, and bring some secret guards with you. If anything unwanted happens, just teach Wang Congwen a lesson. Don''t hesitate."


    Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu nodded their heads and said yes. Yun Shang was still worried about this matter. She thought for a while and said, "be careful. In case Wang Congwen asks for help from the seventh prince."


    They agreed and said yes again. Yun Shang felt a little relieved. She was a little tired after spending the whole morning reading the account book. She beckoned them to leave and lay on the couch to have a short rest.


    When she woke up, it was just 4 o''clock in the afternoon. Luo Qingyan was already reading a book on the soft couch beside her. Yun Shang was surprised seeing him and said, "why didn''t you wake me up after you came back?"

 Chapter 666 Compete For A Win (Part Two)

    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "I heard from Qin Yi that you got up very early this morning and you have checked the account book the whole morning. So I didn''t have the heart to wake you up. Isn''t it said that pregnant women need a good rest? The doctors also say so. Why did you suddenly want to check the account book and the background of all the servants? You can just leave all these things to the butler. Even if he is too busy to handle them, Qin Yi can surely help him. "


    Yun Shang sat up straight and raised her hand to feel her hair in a bun which was still neat. She then said with a smile, "the hostess of the ordinary mansion needs to see these things every day, right? Since I married you, I have few things to do in our mansion because your parents are not here and you don''t have any other concubines. Besides, your Butler is competent, so I took a rest. But I still have to learn something that I should learn. Because I''m pregnant now, I''m much more free than before. I can think about it and learn to deal with it. "


    Luo Qingyan listened to Yun Shang quietly and nodded his head. "Well, it''s all up to you. But don''t tire yourself out. I''m worried about you. If you are tired, I will feel sad."


    Yun Shang smiled at his words and stood up from the couch.


    Luo Qingyan also put down the book in his hand and looked at Yun Shang. He said, "By the way, I saw several female officials around the Emperor today. Two of them were among the ones I saw in the maids when the emperor was selecting the girls. Did you arrange it?"


    Yun Shang was surprised at Luo Qingyan''s casual question. She kept silent for a long time before sayi


    As soon as they arrived in the palace, Liu Wenan took Yun Shang straight to the Xiang Zhu Palace. The emperor, the empress and Ning Qian were all nestled in the side hall. The empress'' face was full of anger. With a frown on his face, Xia Huanyu kept rotating the jade ring on his thumb, while Ning Qian knelt in the hall.


    Yun Shang stopped and swept her gaze across Ning Qian''s face. Then she curtsied to the emperor, "your majesty and your majesty!"


    Xia Huanyu nodded his head slightly and said, "stand up. Now that you are pregnant, you can forget about these unimportant etiquette. Don''t kneel so frequently."


    She wondered why Xia Huanyu said such words all of a sudden, and she thought that he cared about her child so much, so she thanked him and stood up.


    "Lady Hui is in the bedroom now. You can go in and have a look at her." After Xia Huanyu said that, he stood up and walked into the bedroom first.


    Yun Shang also stood up quickly and followed Xia Huanyu in, but her eyes fell on the empress and Ning Qian and found the atmosphere between them seemed to be very strange.

 Chapter 667 The Blood (Part One)

    Then Yun Shang followed Xia Huanyu into the bedroom. Xia Huanyu walked to the chair by the window and sat down on it. Yun Shang glanced around the bedroom. Although it was in the side hall, the decorations in the room were not bad either, and some of them should be newly replaced in the room. For example, the patterns on the screen and the carved flowers on the tables and chairs were all in new style recently.


    Faintly, Yun Shang could see someone standing behind the screen. He seemed to be a servant. She took a look at Xia Huanyu, seeing that he was looking at the screen coldly. She thought for a while and directly went around it.


    Behind the screen there was a big bed carved with red wood. Lin Youran was lying on the bed with a pale face and a little cold sweat on her forehead.


    "Lady Rui..." At the sight of Yun Shang, Lin Youran seemed finally relieved a little, her eyes welling up with tears, "Lady Rui, someone tried to kill my child, but it was not Lady Xiang."


    Of course it couldn''t be Ning Qian. Ning Qian was on her side. How could she do harm to the child of Lin Youran? Yun Shang didn''t know why Lin Youran would say that to her as soon as she saw her, so she was surprised for a while and sat down on the edge of the bed, saying softly, "Lady Hui, please give me your hand and let me take your pulse."


    Lin Youran nodded her head and took her hand out of the quilt. Lin Youran''s hand was a little cold. Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown and took a good look at her. The child inside her body was indeed unstable.


    Yun Shang took a closer look at the piles of moss on Lin Youran''s tongue and then examined her eyes carefully. She concluded that she wasn''t poisoned, nor d


    g time of standing or sitting for a long time may cause miscarriage, but..." The empress interrupted Yun Shang before she could finish her words.


    "As far as I know, the Lady Xiang indeed has a very bad intention. Last time when the imperial banquet ended, she invited lady Hui to come and live in the Xiang Zhu Palace. I suspected that there was something wrong with her. What I guessed isn''t wrong after all. It was obvious that this was the trick of the Lady Xiang. Lady Hui was intimate with Lady Xiang when they lived in the same palace and Lady Xiang specially invited her to have a walk in the imperial garden. The baby in her womb was not very stable. She walked with her for more than two hours, so Lady Hui almost had a miscarriage! " The empress said in a calm tone with a murderous look in her eyes.


    Yun Shang frowned at her words. It seemed that the empress was determined to put the blame on Ning Qian. Yun Shang began to understand why Lin Youran had told her that it must not be Ning Qian who wanted to kill her unborn baby in the first place. It was because of this. The empress wanted to harm Ning Qian by this.

 Chapter 668 The Blood (Part Two)

    Yun Shang clearly saw a look of regret in the Empress'' eyes. It was a pity for her that Lin Youran only lost a bit blood today and didn''t get her baby killed. If she really had a miscarriage, Ning Qian would be accused of murdering an emperor''s heir.


    But on the surface, it was the eldest princess who sent Ning Qian to the palace. Now that the eldest princess had clearly lost her support, the Empress shouldn''t think Ning Qian as a big threat. Why did the empress suddenly target Ning Qian?


    With this thought in her mind, Yun Shang hurried to explain. "Her Majesty must have misunderstood lady Xiang. Long standing and sitting may put a risk to a pregnant woman whose fetus isn''t steady as before, but it will take at least six hours to stand and sit for a long time. I just asked Lady Hui about it. Lady Hui just had a walk with Lady Xiang in the the Imperial Garden for about an hour. Walking is good for her health and won''t cause miscarriage. "


    The empress couldn''t help but frown again at Lady Rui''s words, "Then tell me, Lady Rui, what''s the reason for Lady Hui''s sudden pain?"


    Yun Shang said with a smile on her face, "there must be some reasons behind it. But I''ve just arrived, and many things haven''t been solved yet. I can''t come to a conclusion yet. Your majesty and the empress, please wait a moment. I''ll do a thorough examination of the matter."


    Xia Huanyu nodded his head and said, "then you can have a thorough check." Then he stood up and walked outside. Yun Shang heard his voice from outside, "Prince Rui, come to the meeting hall and have a talk with me."


    Yun Shang heard Luo Qingyan''s response, and there was no more


    gain at her words. "That''s a little weird. Since they are neither food nor clothes, you must have been very cautious with the things you touch. Besides, you didn''t eat any poison or medicine. What the hell is the problem?"


    Yun Shang thought for a long time, but still had no idea. She just felt a little dizzy. She then stood up and said, "forget it. My mind is in a mess right now. I''ll go out for a walk." Then she walked out of the side hall of the Xiang Zhu Palace with the help of Qian Liu.


    Yun Shang walked in the yard and stood outside for a while. Then she went in again. As soon as she entered the room, she couldn''t help but frown. She asked the two people who were talking, "you say, there is no incense in this room?"


    The two ladies had no idea why Yun Shang asked about it again, so they nodded their heads.


    Yun Shang breathed in. After a short silence, she said, "but why do I feel that there is a faint fragrance in the room? I didn''t feel it when I stayed here just now. As soon as I went out and stood for a while, I felt it was very obvious when I suddenly came in again."

 Chapter 669 A Strange Scent (Part One)

    Both stunned, Ning Qian and Lin Youran took a deep breath, looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, we didn''t smell anything."


    Yun Shang frowned a little and turned around to look at Qin Yi who was behind her, "did you smell the scent?"


    Qin Yi pondered for a moment, and then said hesitantly, "when I entered the room just now, I faintly smelt something. But the smell was so bland that I couldn''t smell anything even if I stood in the room for a moment. I recall it carefully and found the scent a little familiar. I think I have smelt it before somewhere else. "


    Yun Shang thought Qin Yi would also say that she didn''t smell it either, thinking whether it was her illusion, but she didn''t expect Qin Yi to have the same feeling, and her eyes flashed with excitement after hearing her words.


    "Now that Qin Yi has also smelt it, it''s not my illusion at all." Yun Shang said gently.


    Realizing that there was indeed a strange faint fragrance in the room, Yun Shang went in and out of the room with Qin Yi, intending to find something from the instantly flashed fragrance. However, it didn''t make any progress after ten times of walking in and out like this.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown and realized she had used the wrong method. Now that the scent was only in this room, she should find it out in the room.


    On the new year''s Eve, when Yun Shang felt the pulse for Lin Youran, she was all right. But now the fetus was hurt. It must be what happened in these days.


    Besides, the side hall where Lady Xiang lived was usually uninhabited, so it shouldn''t be a big problem. It was a great surprise for Lin Youran to live in the side hall as well...


    "What did Lin Youran bring here when she moved in?" Yun Shang walked to the bedside and sat down, asking in a soft voice.


    Lin Y


    and chairs were newly made, and the bed was also newly made. Even the screens on the bedside were newly made. If there was indeed a problem with the scent, it could be seen how shrewd the person behind it was.


    But the most important thing now was to make sure that the matter on Lin Youran''s baby had something to do with the scent of the oil on the furniture.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said to Lin Youran, "I don''t know whether it''s because of these things or not, but I''m afraid you can''t stay here for the time being."


    Ning Qian also nodded her head and said, "you can have a rest in my palace until lady Rui finds out the truth."


    After keeping silent for a while, Lin Youran said yes. Then Ning Qian told a maid who was waiting by her side to help Lin Youran walk towards the main hall. After she left, Ning Qian said in a low voice, "I think it''s probably these things that made lady Hui''s body became weak. I didn''t order my servants to tell the imperial household department to bring a new set of furniture the next day Lin Youran moved here. I remember the reply my maid told me, there is ready-made furnishings in the imperial household department and it will be here soon. "

 Chapter 670 A Strange Scent (Part Two)

    Ning Qian pondered for a while, and said again, "But they didn''t bring the furniture here until the third day. I think someone has been involved in the plot, and they want to make something bad to Lin Youran, so the imperial household department has to make another set of furniture and send them here. On the one hand, they were afraid that we would find out the truth, so they sent the furniture to us in a hurry before the smell dissipated."


    Yun Shang was also full of doubts. She thought for a while and turned to Qin Yi. She said, "Qin Yi, you go out of the palace and ask the coachman to take you to Qian Yin and find a reliable carpenter for us."


    Qin Yi nodded her head and was about to go out. Ning Qian frowned and said, "but even if a carpenter has been found, this place is still a place where people can''t come and go so easily..."


    Qin Yi heard her words and stopped. She turned around to look at Yun Shang. Yun Shang was silent for a moment before she looked around. Then she bent down and took out the dagger tied to her leg. She thought for a moment, and made a big carved wood from under the bed curtain. She took it out and handed it to Qin Yi. It had a length of about a foot. "Be careful. Take this thing out of the palace. Qian Yin will find a carpenter for you. Ask the carpenter have a look at the wood and see if there is anything wrong with it."


    Qin Yi answered yes, took the wood and looked around. Then she took a rope from the side and tied the wood to her thigh. She bowed to Yun Shang and said, "I''ll go now."


    Yun Shang nodded her head, took


    inner yet?"


    Ning Qian shook her head and went up to the emperor, "I''ve arranged for some food. Your majesty, what would you like to eat?"


    "I want nothing special to eat. How about Prince Rui? What do you want to eat?" Turning around, Xia Huanyu looked at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and said softly, "make some osmanthus cakes."


    On hearing this, Ning Qian quietly turned around to look at Yun Shang, and, with a smile on her face, ordered her servants to do as the Prince Rui said.


    Xia Huanyu walked to a chair nearby and sat down. Taking a look at the three of them who were still standing, he asked, "sit down. Why do you stand there?"


    After the three of them sat down, the maid hurriedly brought tea here. Xia Huanyu took up the tea cup at hand, picked up the lid, and casually swept the foam in the cup. After a long while, he raised his head and looked at Yun Shang, as if asking in an extremely casual tone, "How is it going? How is the investigation going on with Lady Hui''s matter? Have you got any clues? "

 Chapter 671 A Guess

    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows at the emperor''s words and replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, that''s too exaggerated. I''m just an ignorant woman. It''s good for the Ministry of Justice to look for the murderer. I''m just good enough to cure the patient."


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu wore a cold smile at the corners of his mouth. After a while, he opened his mouth, but what he said seemed to have nothing to do with the question he had asked just now. "Lady Hui is smart and self-centered. She knows what she is doing and is reasonable. However, she is a bit too naive to be tricked so easily."


    Yun Shang looked up and had a quick glance at Xia Huanyu. As she was about to look away, she happened to meet Luo Qingyan''s eyes. Yun Shang pondered for a while and said with a smile on her face, "I have heard that you always like hunting, your majesty, so I think you should know that intelligent animals always hide behind large targets. A hunter usually sees the big target, but he doesn''t know that the things behind it might be the real treasure. "


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu''s hand paused for a while. Then he wore a meaningful smile at the corners of his mouth and said, "Oh, really?"


    Yun Shang smiled and continued, "but it also depends on the big target how long the animal can hide behind the big target before the hunter finds it."


    Xia Huanyu slightly narrowed his eyes, put down the tea cup cover, and turned the jade ring on his thumb. He was silent for a long time before he said, "in that case, I have to try our best to keep a close eye on it, so as to make sure that the huge animal will survive in the dangerous forest for a long time."


    Ning Qian smiled and stood up. She interrupted, "It won''t end once you talk about hunting. Please have dinner, your majesty."


    Xia Huanyu nodded his head and said, "okay."


    Ning Qian replied with a "yes" and then asked the servants to deliver the meal. After the servants had prepared a full table of dishes, Xia Huanyu walked to the table and sat down. Then he raised his head and said, "please sit down. You are all casual people, so why do you only pretend to be so polite now?"


    Yun Shang smiled as she didn''t know whether the emperor was praising them or giving them a reminder.


    Rules were very strict in the palace, so no one could make any noise while having dinner. After the dinner, Xia Huanyu stayed at the Xiang Zhu Palace to play chess with Luo Qingyan.


    Ning Qian ordered servants to prepare some food for Lin Youran and sent it to the inner hall. After that, she sat with Yun Shang and watched them playing chess.


    Qin Yi came back in the middle of the game. She left in a hurry and gasped for breath. Yun Shang looked at the two people who were fighting fiercely on the chessboard. After a moment''s consideration, she called her to go to the inner hall with her.


    "Just say it here. Where are we going?" Said Xia Huanyu all of a sudden. He spoke in a steady tone, which sounded somewhat cold.


    Yun Shang looked up at Xia Huanyu, who was still concentrating on the chessboard. She hesitated for a while and sat down again, asking Qin Yi: "how is it going? What did the carpenter say? "


    Qin Yi looked at Xia Huanyu with car


    ng tighter and sighed heavily. He buried his head in Yun Shang''s shoulder and muttered, "I really want to hide you. We''re going to live in seclusion and not care about the world. You don''t have to work so hard."


    Yun Shang didn''t know Prince Rui was sulking over it, but he acted like a child. Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "I''m not tired at all. These days, due to my pregnancy, I''ve been staying at home all day long. I had to look through the account books for fun. Now with this matter, and I''m quite excited about what''s happening because I finally have something to do."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan looked up and knocked on Yun Shang''s head, "I don''t care if you just want to check the account book. But there are so many cunning people in the palace. You are pregnant now. I''m afraid that someone will plot against you. Thus, I''m not liking that you go to the imperial palace. Now you have Ning Qian there, and now Lin Youran can also help you keep an eye. You can have a rest at home when you can have a rest. After all, the empress is a tough nut to crack. There are many enemies in the palace we know little about. Now what I care most is your safety. "


    Yun Shang felt warm in her heart. She smiled and leaned her head against Luo Qingyan''s chest. She said in a softer voice, "I know what to do. I will be careful and take good care of myself. After this matter is settled, I can rest at home. Now there are more and more our people in the palace, I can also have a good rest."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled and planted a kiss on Yun Shang''s forehead. "That''s my girl."


    All of a sudden, a trace of interest came into Yun Shang''s mind. She smiled to Prince Rui, "do you want to have a guess, Prince Rui? Who is behind all this?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and smiled, "who else could it be? It must be the empress."


    "The empress?" Yun Shang tilted her head, thought for a while, and shook her head. "I don''t think it''s the empress. Let''s make a bet. If you lose, you have to promise me one thing. If I lose, I will promise you one thing."


    Hearing that, Luo Qingyan smiled. "Okay, I accept your bet."

 Chapter 672 Send News Secretly

    Yun Shang stayed up late in the night. She got up a little late the next day. Just after she finished her breakfast, the butler brought the account book to her. "Today''s account books are about other mansions. They contained every detail about the mansions we bought after we came to the State of Xia. Your highness, you don''t have to read it in one day."


    Yun Shang looked through it and nodded, "OK, I see."


    When Yun Shang opened the account book, Qian Liu came in, "Your highness, the servant reported that the seventh princess has come."


    "Yutong?" Yun Shang thought for a while. Since the seventh prince had knelt down in the Taiji hall, Hua Yutong hadn''t come to her for days. And the incident of the seventh prince had been left unsettled, just as Yun Shang expected.


    "Ask the seventh princess to come in." Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    Qian Liu answered and went out again. After a while, she led Hua Yutong in.


    When Yun Shang saw Hua Yutong come in, she closed the account book in her hand and stood up with a smile. "You have known my habits well. I''ve just got up and now you are here."


    Hua Yutong smiled lightly, but only sighed softly, "It''s turned so cold today. When I came here just now, I felt as if my face was cut into pieces by the wind."


    Yun Shang listened and looked at Hua Yutong carefully. She couldn''t help but have some feelings. Hua Yutong was different from what she was before she got married, although she had been married for less than a month. For these days, her eyes were full of sadness.


    "The spring will come after several cold months. I heard that the most beautiful time in the State of Xia is spring. All the peach blossom bloomed, like a paradise on earth. I missed it last year when I came to the State of Xia. I have to take a good look this year." Yun Shang said with a smile, taking the seat beside her.


    Hua Yutong answered, seemingly absent-minded. "Yes, peach flowers are all over the mountains. They''re very beautiful." While speaking, he looked around casually. "I saw you looking at the account book just now? I didn''t see you do that before. I thought you have no interest in these things."


    "Yes, you''re right. I''m not into it. But I have no idea. I have to learn." Yun Shang replied casually and asked Qian Liu to pour tea for Hua Yutong and fetch some cakes.


    "I heard that after the seventh prince knelt down outside the Taiji hall last time, he sent for a doctor. Is he all right?" Yun Shang asked softly. She had heard about it from Luo Qingyan that the seventh prince had asked for a leave and hadn''t attended the morning court since then. The seventh prince had knelt for about twenty hours in coldness. Even an ordinary person couldn''t bear it.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, a bitter smile appeared on Hua Yutong''s face. She lowered her head and said, "To tell you the truth, after that day, I haven''t seen the seventh prince at all. Every time I went to bring him some tonic soup, I was stopped outside the door by his servant. I''ve never come in. "


    Yun Shang didn''t expect such a terrible thing to happen. Sh


    Shang sighed and knew that she had no time for the account book today. Thinking of this, Yun Shang put aside the account book and said to the butler, "I see. Ask him to wait in the garden house. I thought I didn''t need to meet guests today, so I just dressed in some casual clothes and combed my hair in a casual style. I''ll change first."


    The butler responded and walked out of the room.


    Qin Yi quickly took out a pink dress embroidered with cloud patterns and help Yun Shang change. Then she changed Yun Shang''s hairstyle and put on a pink flower crown.


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head. "It''s likely that she will come to the imperial palace. The empress always dislikes others to dress too bright. It''s New Year, and there''s nothing wrong with it. But just take it off and put on some hairpins." Then she called a maid in and said, "if Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo come back, tell them I''m going to the imperial palace now. If they have nothing to do in the afternoon, go to Wang Congwen''s mansion and keep an eye on him."


    The maid said yes. Qin Yi took off the crown and put on two golden butterfly hairpins and a pink hairband on her bun. Yun Shang nodded. Putting on a silver cloak, she stood up and went to the garden house with Qin Yi.


    It was just as Yun Shang expected that the servant from the palace came to pass on the empress''s decree, and commanded Yun Shang to enter the palace.


    Yun Shang smiled and took over the decree. Then she asked the servants to prepare a carriage.


    Qin Yi lifted the curtain and cast a glance at the person riding the horse to the front. Then she put the curtain down and whispered to Yun Shang, "The empress is calling you to come to the imperial palace. It''s most likely for the matter concerning Lady Hui. What are you going to do?"


    Yun Shang smiled and raised her eyebrows. "What are you afraid of? There are so many people in the palace. Even if she wants to do something to me, she won''t be able to plot against me in such a situation."


    Qin Yi replied in a low voice, and then they stopped talking.

 Chapter 673 Pregnancy

    As Qin Yi expected, the empress was so displeased about what happened yesterday. As soon as Yun Shang stepped into the Wei Yang Palace and knelt down to show her respects, the empress said in a lukewarm tone, "I thought you would disobey my order and not come."


    It was a serious charge. Yun Shang thought to herself and showed a timid expression, "I dare not."


    No sooner had Yun Shang finished speaking than the empress sneered, "You dare not? Is there anything Lady Rui dares not to do? Yesterday when I left the Xiang Zhu Palace, I specifically ordered you to send someone to inform me when you have any result." If I didn''t summon you, I''m afraid you wouldn''t remember it."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Your majesty, please don''t be angry. I can explain."


    "Well, tell me. I''d like to see what excuses you have." The empress looked at Yun Shang with a sneer.


    "When I investigated for a while yesterday, his majesty came to the Xiang Zhu Palace and asked me about it. Then I reported to him. It was near midnight when I left the Xiang Zhu Palace. Thinking that your majesty must have gone to bed, I didn''t dare to disturb you, so I left the palace directly. Besides, his majesty said he would tell you when I left. So I thought he had... It''s all my fault..." Yun Shang said in a low voice. She even pushed the blame directly to Xia Huanyu. She believed that the empress dared not to question Xia Huanyu and would never think that she dared to lie to her.


    The empress felt as if she had punched in cotton. The more she frowned, the more nervous she became. After a long time, she said coldly, "Of course his majesty will tell me. He went to the court early in the morning. Haven''t you thought of this? You didn''t explain to me what happened. It''s your fault. Will you admit your guilt? "


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "I''m to blame."


    The empress snorted again. "So what did you find yesterday?"


    Yun Shang hurriedly ordered, "I have checked all the things in the room but found nothing unusual. Maybe it''s because of her weakness and the cold weather."


    The empress''s eyes flickered a little. She picked up the teacup by her hand and said coldly, "She should have stayed in the room as she is too weak to walk in the imperial garden. She shouldn''t have been so careless since she has a baby."


    Yun Shang kept silent. She didn''t know whether she meant it or...


    If the empress said it on purpose, then there must be a lot of meanings behind her words. There are many new furniture in the room, which was extremely bad for the unborn baby of Lin Youran. If they still put the braziers in the room with the window locked, her unborn baby would be dead in no time.


    "Yes. I''ve told her to have a good rest in the inner hall, and she can go out and walk when her pregnancy is more stable." Yun Shang answered softly.


    The empress nodded and said coldly, "Get up. You are pregnant now. If you are seen kneeling here by the Prince Rui, he might blame me."


    Yun Shang a


    play this role, or how will the play go on?"


    Ning Qian nodded, "I know."


    After a moment''s silence, Ning Qian lowered her voice and said to Yun Shang, "The empress summoned Lady Su to the imperial palace a few days ago. And according to the attendant at the Wei Yang Palace, it seems that the empress wants her to find out some ways for pregnancy." Ning Qian giggled while speaking. "The emperor has conferred several chosen ladies titles. The empress is really worried now."


    Yun Shang also laughed. "She must be anxious. Although she is the empress, she only has the crown prince''s son. Now the crown prince is already dead. And there will be more and more new concubines in the imperial household. Seeing that some new concubines are pregnant, how can she not be anxious? "


    Ning Qian nodded, and drew closer to Yun Shang, "I think it''s a chance..."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and understood what she meant. Her lips curled up. "Indeed, it''s a good chance."


    On the way back to her mansion, Yun Shang kept thinking about what Ning Qian had said. When the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, Yun Shang had some plans in her mind. As soon as she entered the mansion, she said to the butler, "I remember that when I was pregnant, I invited many doctors to the mansion to check on me. Several of them are said to be the gynecologist. Ask them to the mansion tomorrow. "


    The butler dazed for a moment. "Your highness, are you feeling uncomfortable?"


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile, "Nothing. I just want to ask them something."


    Luo Qingyan had already come back. He was reading at the desk. Hearing Yun Shang lift the curtain, he looked at the door and said, "When I came back, I saw no one in the yard. Where have you been?"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "There are clearly several maids outside. How could you say there''s no one? Didn''t you ask the butler? "


    Luo Qingyan curled his lips, "I didn''t bother to ask." It seemed that he was a little angry.

 Chapter 674 The Prescription

    Yun Shang was taken by surprise. She stared at Luo Qingyan for a long time before she burst into laughter. She walked behind Luo Qingyan and hugged him. She said with a smile, "Why do I always feel that there is resentment in the room?"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan also smiled and said gently, "Yes, isn''t it?"


    Yun Shang released her hands from Luo Qingyan with a smile. She walked to sit next to him and said, "I was called by the empress. I thought you would ask the butler if you didn''t see anyone in the yard."


    "The empress?" Hearing this, Luo Qingyan frowned and turned to Yun Shang, "What did the empress call you for?" Did she make things difficult for you? "


    Yun Shang shook her head and smiled. "Nothing. She was just asking me about the matter of Lady Hui. She had nothing to say as I pushed all the blame to his majesty."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled. "You''re smart. But next time when she calls you, send a message to me, or I''ll be worried."


    Yun Shang agreed with a smile. Luo Qingyan continued, "By the way, the Wanshou Festival is coming in dozen days. At that time, almost all the other countries will send people to the Jin City to congratulate his majesty. Do you know who will be sent here by the State of Ning?"


    Yun Shang turned her head and thought for a while. "I think it will be Liu Qiyan. He is an important man in the court, and the brother of the empress. It''s appropriate to send him here."


    But Luo Qingyan smiled mysteriously and shook his head, "No, No."


    Looking at his complacent expression, Yun Shang couldn''t help but pat him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "My father wouldn''t have come in person, would he?"


    "Not really. But the one who will come will make you happy." "Brother will send Xiao Yuanshan here."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up, but she was confused. "Grandpa? But hasn''t grandpa already retired for a long time? The Wanshou Festival is indeed a significant event. How could father send grandpa here?"


    With a smile, Luo Qingyan pulled Yun Shang into his arms, letting her head lean on his chest. Then he said in a soft voice, "Don''t you know? Brother appoint your grandpa to hold the post as the grand tutor and teach Prince Chenxi."


    Yun Shang was delighted. "Great. I was thinking about inviting Liu Qiyan to be Chenxi''s teacher, and I didn''t expect that father had asked grandpa back. That''s wonderful. I''m sure, with grandpa''s titor, Chenxi will be a good emperor in the future."


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "If I remember correctly, Chenxi is only one year old. Why are you so sure that he will be the emperor?"


    Yun Shang straightened her back. She flashed a confident smile on her face, and said, "I know. He will be the next emperor in the State of Ning unless he doesn''t want to."


    Luo Qingyan also smiled. He remained silent for a long time. Yun Shang thought for a while and told Luo Qingyan about what Hua Yutong said today. "Yutong came here today, saying that the seventh prince su


    ity. I think 40 years old is a bit old. But it doesn''t mean that she can''t get pregnant. If she can''t have children for a long time, it probably because her uterus is cold. It will improve a lot if you adopt some prescription for treating it. "


    Yun Shang nodded. She asked a few more questions, and asked the butler to give them some money and send them out.


    Qin Yi could hear the conversation clearly. After all the doctors left, she walked out of the inner room and asked in a low voice, "Who did you ask for, your highness?" She was confused. She didn''t know that Yun Shang has any friend in her forties?


    Yun Shang took a sip of tea and smiled. "I asked this for her majesty. The empress is quite worried about it. Now that our people want to win her majesty''s favor, they will deal with the problem for her majesty."


    Qin Yi was stunned for a moment and then understood.


    Yun Shang smiled and went back to her bedroom. She went to the desk and wrote down all the herbs mentioned in the doctor''s prescription. She stared at the prescription for a long time and crossed out two of them and changed them into two another herbs.


    Yun Shang turned around, fetched out a medical book from the bookshelf, and pondered for a while before she added two herbs to the prescription. Then she changed the writing brush in her left hand, rewrite the prescription, and handed it to Qin Yi.


    "Ask someone to take it to the imperial palace. Hand it to a suitable person you think and ask her to try to let the empress know the prescription."


    Qin Yi took it over and said hesitantly, "But the empress is so suspicious. She won''t use such an unidentified prescription."


    Yun Shang smiled with confidence in her eyes, "Normally, she won''t. But now, things were different. I believe that she will probably send people to check the reliability of the prescription. Even the imperial physician cannot find out the problem of the prescription. She will definitely use it, because she has no other choice. "

 Chapter 675 The Past Secrets Of The Palace (Part One)

    After lunch, the sun was brighter. Yun Shang went out with Qin Yi and drove towards Lord Hua Guo''s mansion in a carriage. But within a quarter of an hour, the carriage suddenly stopped. Yun Shang frowned and heard a voice of inquiry from outside with a bit of gasps, "Is Lady Rui in the carriage?"


    Yun Shang winked at Qin Yi. Then Qin Yi lifted the curtain of the carriage and peeped out while asking, "What''s up?"


    Yun Shang looked at the man who spoke from the curtain of the carriage and frowned. The man standing outside seemed to be the servant of Liu Yinfeng.


    The servant also saw Yun Shang and smiled. "Your Highness, my master wants to have a cup of tea with Lady Rui upstairs."


    After a short silence, Yun Shang nodded and said to Qin Yi, "Let''s go."


    Qin Yi had no idea who his "master" was. But judging from Yun Shang''s expression, Qin Yi thought that she must know him. So she nodded, opened the door, and got off the carriage first. Then she helped Yun Shang come out of the carriage..


    The servant smiled and led Yun Shang in the opposite direction for a while until they arrived at the gate of the Long Feng Tower. On the way, the servant said politely, "My master was drinking tea just now. When he looked out, he saw the carriage of Your Highness. Thus he asked me to invite Your Highness to come up for tea. I ran after the carriage for a long time before I caught up with it. Luckily, it''s in the downtown area. The carriage can''t run fast. Otherwise, even if I had an extra leg, I couldn''t catch up with it. "


    Yun Shang didn''t respond. The servant went on saying as if to himself, "My master has such sharp eyes. He could see your carriage even if he was sitting up on the second floor."


    Yun Shang frowned. The servant noticed it and said nothing more. He led Yun Shang to the second floor, wal


    otect him..."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Liu Yinfeng lowered his head and smiled bitterly. Then he said frankly, "It''s my fault. The seventh prince'' mother doesn''t want him to be ambitious. She just wants him to be safe all his life. But I couldn''t refuse his request. I have taught him too much that he shouldn''t have learned. Only until one day when I found that I didn''t know him well did I realize that I was wrong. "


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked curiously, "His mother, Lady Liu?"


    Liu Yinfeng nodded without saying anything more, but a flash of pain quickly flashed across his eyes. It was so quick that Yun Shang couldn''t even notice it.


    Yun Shang''s interest was aroused by Liu Yinfeng. She thought for a while and then smiled. "I''m curious about something. I heard in the State of Ning, the seventh prince was considered to be the murderer who killed his brother in person. His brother, the Crown Prince, actually died under his plot, but the emperor had been protecting the seventh prince all the time. In fact, the seventh prince had been captured by the lord. His majesty came to intercede in person and asked the lord to spare the seventh prince. I just can''t figure out why that way."

 Chapter 676 The Past Secrets Of The Palace (Part Two)

    Liu Yinfeng''s hands shook slightly. He frowned and seemed to be lost in thought. After quite some time, he said, "Maybe it''s because His Majesty thought he was guilty about the seventh prince."


    "Guilty?" Yun Shang was surprised. She then smiled and said, "Speaking of guilt, His Majesty should be more guilty about Prince Rui, right?"


    Liu Yinfeng shook his head, his eyes full of pain. He told Yun Shang, "This is a taboo in the palace. You''d better not know it. Knowing too much is not a good thing."


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled. She didn''t ask further but said, "The seventh prince doesn''t look very well all the time. I know some skilled doctors. If the seventh prince agrees, he can have a try. I can''t guarantee that the medicine will cure his disease completely, but it should be much better than what it looks like now."


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng remained silent. After a long while, he smiled at Yun Shang and said, "The tea is getting cold."


    Yun Shang smiled. It was he who had mentioned the seventh prince a moment ago, but now he changed the topic calmly. This aroused her curiosity. But it didn''t matter. Since this had happened, someone would know it.


    Yun Shang picked up the tea cup and took a sip. The sweetness of the date spread in her mouth. She smiled and stood up saying, "It''s getting late. I''m going to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Or it will be dark if I don''t go now. Bye."


    Liu Yingfeng nodded and asked a servant to send Yun Shang downstairs. Liu Yinfeng looked out of the window. He didn''t turn his g


    veral kids were sitting straight, and even the most naughty Yan''er was holding a book properly while shaking his head and reciting, "The situation of the enemy is already clear, but the attitude of our friends is still uncertain. We can guide the friends to kill the enemy. We need not pay the price by ourselves. This is a stratagem deduced from the hexagram ''Loss''". The sound of reading came in bursts, and Yun Shang couldn''t help but laugh. Lord Hua Guo''s mansion was indeed a place where martial arts had been practiced for generations. Even when the children were so young, they were already learning the art of war by heart.


    "Aunt, Aunt..." Yan''er greeted. Just now he was sitting upright, but as soon as he saw Yun Shang, he put the book away, stood up and waved at her.


    "Yan''er," Frowning, Lady Hua Guo ordered, "Sit down."


    Yan''er could only sit down obediently, and continued reading with his mouth pouted.


    Yun Shang was amused by his cute behavior. She flashed a smile, and went to greet Lady Hua Guo, "Grandmother..."

 Chapter 677 The past

    Lady Hua Guo nodded with a smile, and turned to the maid behind her. "Bring a chair for Lady Rui." After giving the order, Lady Hua Guo turned to Yun Shang, "How is it going? Has the baby been troubling you recently?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and smiled, "The baby is really sweet. Since I got pregnant, I have never had any symptoms except for feeling sleepy. And I have no trouble eating and drinking.


    "Good. You are so considerate to your mother now. I''m sure you will be a good kid when you grow up." Lady Hua Guo smiled at Yun Shang''s words.


    As the maid lifted the chair out, Yun Shang sat down beside Lady Hua Guo.


    Yun Shang thought of what Liu Yinfeng had said before. She lifted her eyes and looked at the children who were reading military books. She thought for a moment and said: "I met Liu Yinfeng on my way here. We talked for a while and somehow mentioned the seventh prince..."


    Hearing this, Lady Hua Guo turned to Yun Shang, "Oh? What happened to the seventh prince? "


    "Not really. Recently, he has made such an scene for the matter of Liu Chuchu. A few days ago, the seventh prince was kneeling outside the Taiji hall for two days. It also reminded me of the time when we were in the State of Ning. Has grandfather ever mention some matters happened in the State of Ning?" Yun Shang thought it over and glanced at the expression of Lady Hua Guo from time to time.


    Lady Hua Guo shook her head. "No. He''s never mentioned"


    Yun Shang continued, "The death of the crown prince was actually a scheme of the seventh prince, together with Li Jingyan and Cangjue Qingsu. The seventh prince tried to frame Qingyan, so Qingyan arrested him and imprisoned him. It was his majesty who came to his mansion and asked Qingyan to set him free."


    Yun Shang noticed that Lady Hua Guo frowned. She continued after a pause, "I was surprised at the emperor''s attitude towards the seventh prince. It seems that his majesty is so indulgent to him."


    "I''ve asked around about the reason. It seems to be related to Lady Liu. I''m confused now. Normally, Qingyan should be the one his majesty feel most sorry for. But why his majesty treats the seventh prince more... What''s the secret?" Yun Shang looked up and asked softly.


    Hearing this, Lady Hua Guo sneered. After a long while, she sighed. "It''s been a long time. In fact, your grandfather and I almost didn''t care about these affairs back then, so we don''t know much about it. Since you want to know the truth, I''ll tell you."


    The maid served Yun Shang a cup of fruit tea. Yun Shang tried the temperature of the fruit tea before she took her hand back and listened to Lady Hua Guo.


    "Lady Liu is called Liu Feixue. His majesty met her not long after Ling''er died. The Emperor didn''t believe Ling''er has passed away. He had been searching for her with his guards for a whole year. It''s almost the death anniversary of Ling''er. His majesty intended to go for a walk in the place where Ling''er disappeared


    n Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang turned around, and saw several ladies of Lord Hua Guo''s mansion walking towards them. Yun Shang meditated for a moment, sat up straight, and said with a smile, "It seems not so good. She just came to my mansion yesterday, saying that she seldom see the seventh prince. It seems that the servants in the mansion also neglect her. But she seems to have realized the truth... "


    "Although she looks lively and cheerful, and very warm-hearted to people, but she is not a decisive person. If she can''t defeat those servants in the seventh prince''s mansion, then it will be her fate. In that case, you should make the plan as early as possible for the thing I told you before. Don''t let others take the lead. " Lady Hua Guo ordered in a lower voice.


    Yun Shang said yes. Then she turned her head and looked at the young women walking towards them. Seeing Yun Shang, the women curtsied to her. "Your highness."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Please get up, sisters. You don''t have to be so courteous in your own mansion."


    Lady Hua Guo glanced at them casually and then turned to the boys who moved their eyes from the books in their hand to peep at their mothers. She smiled and said, "They''ve been reading for an hour. Let them take a rest."


    The four boys immediately cheered and rushed towards them. They stood in front of their own mother, but Yan''er walked to Yun Shang and asked with joy, "Aunt, how is the little sister? Has she grown up a little? "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. Hearing that, Shen Yilan''s face changed. She walked two steps to Yan''er, pinched his ear and said, "Boy, are you asking for this? I am standing here, but you didn''t come to greet. You just kept stepping forward to your beautiful auntie."


    "Oh, Ouch!" Yan''er''s face crumpled. He shouted in pain, "Oh, my god! Stop pinching. If my ear becomes ugly, no girl will like me."


    Shen Yilan''s face darkened, while the others all laughed. Yun Shang looked at them with a smile.

 Chapter 678 Something Happened

    When Yun Shang returned to the mansion, Luo Qingyan hadn''t been back yet. Qian Zhuo was waiting for her in the courtyard. Yun Shang was surprised to see her. Then she asked, "Did Wang Congwen make things difficult for you?"


    Qian Zhuo shook her head. "He wanted to make things difficult for us, but we were not easy to deal with. Haha, Qian Liu had smashed his marble table in front of him, which terrified him. Now he is as meek as a lamb and dares not to disobey us."


    Yun Shang smiled. Qian Zhuo continued, "Actually, Prince Rui must have warned him. The other day, I heard he quarreled with Lady Wang and mentioned about Prince Rui. He said he met Prince Rui on the way. I guess his highness must have said something to him. "


    Luo Qingyan? Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. How come he has never mentioned it?


    "In that case, why did you come back?" Yun Shang asked while walking into the room. She took off her cloak and handed it to Qian Zhuo who was walking behind her.


    Qian Zhuo smiled, "I have got some news from the secret guard who is keeping eyes on Feng Ming."


    "Really?" Yun Shang turned to look at Qian Zhuo, "Tell me."


    "It is said that this afternoon, a man''s voice suddenly came from Lady Feng''s house. Then the guard secretly hid himself in front of the courtyard and saw Lady Feng talking with a middle-aged man through the open door. But he was a little far away from them, so he didn''t hear their words clearly. There seemed to be a quarrel between them. Lady Feng was very excited. One sentence has been heard clearly because it was shouted by her. She said, "If you don''t go back, I''ll knock the imperial drum and tell his majesty that I don''t have an unfaithful son like you."


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while and guessed that Lady Feng must be very angry when she knew that Feng Ming had come back to the Jin City without being summoned by Xia Huanyu.


    The man fell to his knees and kowtowed three times to Lady Feng before leaving in a hurry. The secret guard came back to report in a hurry as he saw that Feng Ming was about to leave the city. I came here in a hurry, only to find that you were not in the mansion. " Qian Zhuo hung her cloak aside and walked to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "It''s highly likely that he will return to the frontier. It doesn''t matter. We don''t know his relationship with the seventh prince and what they talked about. If we make a move now, we''ll definitely alert the enemy. Just let him go, "


    Qian Zhuo responded and then asked, "Do I have to se


    , there was another woman. It turned out to be Lady Xian. Lady Xian also looked restless in her seat, with her eyes darting to the door of the inner hall from time to time, seemingly in anxiety. After a long while, she couldn''t help but raise her head and look at the empress, "Your majesty, shall we go to the Taiji hall and inform his majesty?"


    The empress snorted coldly, "I have my own arrangement."


    Lady Xian clenched the handkerchief in her hand and stopped talking.


    As soon as Yun Shang stepped into the hall, she greeted the empress and Lady Xian. The empress laughed coldly and looked at Yun Shang. "Lady Rui, you''d better hurry to see if Lady Hui can keep her baby or not. It''s extremely urgent, but she still refuses the imperial physicians to treat her and insists to wait for you. If she failed to keep the baby, I will certainly punish her! "


    Yun Shang said yes and hurried into the inner hall.


    Ning Qian had already prepared for this. Inside the inner hall, there were only trustworthy people. Yun Shang saw the maids took out the chicken blood and poured it into a bowl and carried it out quickly. Lying on the bed, Lin Youran was sweating, but no pain was seen on her face. She was trying to screech painfully.


    Yun Shang smiled, walked to the bedside, and took Lin Youran''s pulse. She was sure that the baby was fine.


    Yun Shang sat on the edge of the bed. She threw a glance at the bed made of mahogany and turned to Ning Qian, "How many maids are there in the hall who you suspect?"


    Ning Qian replied promptly, "Four."


    "Four maids..." Yun Shang nodded, "Ask them to the imperial hospital one by one to fetch some anesthetic and keep an eye on them."

 Chapter 679 Make A Painstaking Investigation

    Ning Qian replied and left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Lin Youran and asked softly, "Has anyone come to Xiang Zhu Palace to see you these days?"


    After thinking for a while, she gestured to Yun Shang. Yun Shang pondered and frowned. "Her majesty, Lady Xian, Lady Min, the seventh princess?"


    Lin Youran nodded while keeping screaming.


    Yun Shang could understand why the first ones came to see Lady Hui. But how could Yutong come? Why did Yutong pay a special visit to Lin Youran at the Xiang Zhu Palace? It was really strange


    After a while, Ning Qian came back and whispered, "I''ve given my order."


    Yun Shang answered softly. Then she turned to look at Ning Qian. "Lin Youran said that the seventh princess has come to the imperial palace and visited her in the Xiang Zhu Palace, right?"


    "Yes." Ning Qian nodded slightly and replied, "She entered the imperial palace yesterday afternoon. After greeting the empress, she went straight to the Xiang Zhu Palace. I thought that the seventh princess is from the Hua clan, and she is a good friend of you, so I brought her here to visit Youran. It''s just that she is a little bit quiet and doesn''t like to talk much. She chatted with us for a while and then left."


    Yun Shang frowned and thought, ''it seems unusual. The seventh prince had not returned for two days. Not daring to enter the palace by herself, Hua Yutong specially went to Prince Rui''s mansion to look for her. But this time, she came to the imperial palace by herself and even visited the Xiang Zhu Palace.


    Yun Shang thought about it for a while and figured out the possible reason. The seventh prince had heard that something happened to Lin Youran''s unborn baby, so he sent Hua Yutong here to check.


    But, in this case. I think the seventh prince has nothing to do with the furniture thing. His sending Hua Yutong to inquiry shows that. If it has anything to do with the seventh prince, he wouldn''t have done that.


    Yun Shang frowned again. Of course, there was another possibility. The seventh prince wanted to frame Hua Yutong. If it was the seventh prince who had committed the crime, Yutong will be suspected as she specially visited Lady Hui yesterday.


    Yun Shang kept thinking about it. After a while, a maid came in with a bag of medicine. She looked around and said lightly, "Her highness, there is nothing wrong with Lian Rui. This is the anesthetic she brought here just now. I have been following Lian Rui all the way, and she has never gone to other places. She directly went to the imperial hospital, and came back quickly with the anesthetic."


    Ning Qian took the anesthetic over and handed it to Yun Shang. She said to the maid, "Next one."


    The maid curtsied and left. Yun Shang took the bowl and kept silent for a while. Then she turned to Lin Youran. "You don''t have to scream now. I''ll go out and tell her majesty about this. Or I''m


    Then come out with me in fifteen minutes."


    Ning Qian didn''t know what Yun Shang was going to do, but she just said yes. After a quarter, Yun Shang stood up and ordered, "Ask the servants to carry the screens, tables, and chairs out."


    Then Ning Qian ordered her maids to carry them out of the room. Yun Shang then took Ning Qian out of the inner hall. Xia Huanyu, the empress and Lady Xian all looked at Yun Shang. With some contemplation in his eyes, Xia Huanyu asked, "How is ͬLady Hui and her unborn baby?"


    Before Yun Shang could answer, the empress asked with a frown, "Has they gone? Or why do you take these things out? "


    Yun Shang smiled at the emperor and the empress, "Your majesties, both Lady Hui and her unborn babies have been saved. They are out of danger, but Lady Hui is still very weak and has fallen asleep."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, they all looked a little shocked except Xia Huanyu.


    "Out of danger? Didn''t you just say that it''s ahard to keep the baby?" The empress said slowly, her eyes filled with cruelty.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang nodded with a smile. "It was really very dangerous just now, but after I fed her some pills, Lady Hui gradually recovered."


    "Then why do you take the screens, tables and chairs out?" The empress spoke indifferently again, her eyes falling on the tables and chairs.


    Yun Shang grinned, "Your majesty, These is something wrong with these tables, chairs, and screens, even the bed made of mahogany, which Lady Hui is sleeping on. I ordered servants to take them out just because it was these things that made Lady Hui in danger."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, the empress frowned and her sight deepened. "Is it related to these things?"


    "Yes, exactly." Yun Shang smiled and walked to the lamps beside. She took out an oil lamp and lit it up. Then she walked to a table, dropped a few drops of hot liquid on it, and a faint fragrance spread in the palace.

 Chapter 680 The Murderer Behind The Scenes

    Yun Shang raised her sleeve to cover her mouth and nose with it. Then she turned around and asked, "did you smell a scent?" Before they could answer, Yun Shang had already put down the oil lamp in her hand, smiled and said, "it is the scent that almost killed Lady Hui''s unborn child."


    As soon as Yun Shang stopped, Luo Qingyan was the first one to react. He hurriedly walked in front of Yun Shang and threw the table, chair and screen out of the hall.


    "Is the scent special?" The empress opened her mouth. There was confusion in her eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled and said gently, "the freshly made furniture will be covered with a layer of oil in case of worms or cracks. The oil''s scent was extremely strong by nature, and the excessive smell would do no good to human body, especially to pregnant women. And those things were just fresh made and had not dissipated the smell of the oil. They were sent to Lady Hui''s bedroom. In order to cover the strong smell of the oil, they added some lily flowers. The lily flowers looked very beautiful, and the fragrance was fresh and elegant, but it would cause miscarriage. The combination of these two things is fatal to the baby in Lady Hui''s belly. "


    Frowning, the empress pondered for a moment and said, "but you grilled the table with the fire just now, which gave off the scent. Normally, lady Hui wouldn''t roast those things for nothing, right?"


    "Your Majesty, as it is in winter, there is always a pot of fire in the hall, and the scent will be much stronger."


    Yun Shang hesitated before she continued, "In fact, when the baby in Lady Hui''s womb was instable last time, I found something strange in these furniture. I have reported it to his majesty. But we didn''t know who was behind all this, so I followed his Majesty''s orders and he asked me not to make any sound. So I came up with a way to let the furniture be covered with a thick layer of candle oil. After the wax cool down, these smell could be prevented from spreading. I have used the fire to melt the wax. "


    The empress frowned. It seemed that she was somewhat


    Lady Xian didn''t answer, her face pale. But Yun Shang didn''t want to get any answer from her, so she continued, "you''re the most frequent one who visits her, especially after the accident that happened to Lady Hui. And you just wanted to know how those things would work. You wanted to know whether Lady Hui was using them or whether I had found them. Do you feel at ease every time you enter the inner hall from here and see those furniture in her bedroom? "


    Yun Shang sneered and suddenly changed her tone, "Even if you saw Lady Hui had been using these pieces of furniture all the time, even today when there was an accident to Lady Hui and the baby in her womb was dying, you still felt very worried. You were afraid that the baby in Lady Hui''s womb would be too lucky and survive, so you deliberately bribed a refinery assistant in the imperial hospital called Ming Cai, whose mother was a servant in Lady Xian''s father''s mansion. When I asked someone to fill the prescription in the the Imperial Hospital, you asked the assistant to put some musk in it. "


    The sweat quietly slipped down from Lady Xian''s forehead, her face bloodless. The brocade handkerchief in her hand was also condensed into a ball. Perhaps it was because of too much force that her fingernails stained with rouge were broken.


    "Lady Xian, am I right?" Yun Shang smiled coldly and looked her in the eye.

 Chapter 681 A Break In The Chain

    Lady Xian kept sitting straight and said nothing.


    Xia Huanyu cast a cold glance at her and said, "Someone, take the craftsman here. Then send someone to search the craftsman''s house and the pharmacist''s.


    Lady Xian still kept silent.


    The empress kept frowning, seeming incredulous. After a while, she looked at Lady Xian and said, "I never thought it was you."


    "If you are out to condemn someone, you can always trump up a charge." As soon as the empress finished speaking, Lady Xian smiled coldly with a hint of despair in her eyes. "Lady Rui has prepared all the evidences, what else can I say? My father was just an ordinary businessman and could be at Lady Rui''s disposal. Lady Rui could say whatever she likes. I have nothing to say."


    She paused for a moment, and continued with a smile, "What reason do I have to murder Lady Hui who is junior to me? Because of my background, I didn''t get a high position in the imperial household and has never the emperor''s favorite. I was not lucky enough to give birth to children for his majesty, but his majesty visited me at least twice a month. Not much, but much better than many ladies in the imperial household. I have always been contented. You might say that I was jealous of Lady Hui for she was having a baby, but there are a lot of princes and princesses in the imperial palace. Why should I envy the one with an unborn baby?"


    In Yun Shang''s opinion, lady Sharon was only a lady who liked dressing and beautiful jewelry. She was the same as many concubines in the deep palace who didn''t fight with each other for anything. She was scheming, but not that sophisticated. However, Yun Shang seemed to have a completely new appraisal of Lady Xian. She looked like a desperate person who was telling her last words, but she tried her best to defend herself.


    Yun Shang smiled with appreciation. "I have asked myself the same question Lady Xian asked when I found that the apprentice pharmacist called Mingcai works for the Wangs'' mansion."


    Yun Shang took a quick glance at Lady Xian. She was in a light purple imperial dress and wore two blue gemstone hairpins on her bun. She was wearing an exquisite makeup. Although she was in her thirties, her skin was as white as jade, and her lips were bright red.


    "I was thinking about this question before I went out, but when I got out, I suddenly understood. I''m afraid Lady Xian couldn''t stay calm when it comes to his majesty''s favor. And I think it''s most likely the reason she has done such a thing. It hasn''t been long since I came to the State of Xia, so I have just met Lady Xian for several times. But I found that Lady Xian loves to walk around in the palaces of the concubines who are being favored by his majesty. When Lady Xiang was being favored, I could always see Lady Xian when I visited Xiang Zhu Palace occasionally. And it was the same after Lady Hui got fav


    I have been sitting here for more than two hours and drunk too much tea. I have to go out for a walk."


    Xia Huanyu frowned and nodded slightly. The empress smiled, bowed to Xia Huanyu, put her hand on the maid''s arm, and went out of the hall.


    As time passed, a maid came out of the bedroom and whispered something in Yun Shang''s ear. Yun Shang stood up and said to Xia Huanyu, "Lady Hui is awake. I''ll go to have a look."


    Xia Huanyu also nodded. Yun Shang turned around and entered the inner hall.


    After Yun Shang entered the inner hall, Qin Yi took out a blue sachet from her sleeve and handed it to her. "His highness gave it to me secretly just now. I didn''t find a good time to ask you to come into the inner hall."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She picked up the blue sachet, and recognized it was the one that Luo Qingyan often wore.


    "When did it happen?" Yun Shang reached out to untie the knot on the top of the sachet and asked in a soft voice.


    "When you were curtsying to his majesty after going out, his highness gave this to me without being noticed." Qin Yi replied softly.


    Yun Shang had already opened it, and there was a piece of paper inside. She unfolded the paper, and stared at the words on it. After a while, she slowly smiled.


    "Did his highness find any evidence?" Qin Yi asked softly.


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No, it''s not the evidence." Then she walked to the bed.


    Qin Yi was stunned. Since it was not the evidence, why did his highness give it to her highness?


    Lin Youran was sitting on the bed and smiled at Yun Shang when she saw her, "Your highness."


    "What''s wrong?" Yun Shang sat on the edge of the bed and asked in a soft voice.


    After thinking for a while, Lin Youran said softly, "I heard what you said just now, and I never thought it would be Lady Xian. But it suddenly occurred to me that before the banquet for New Year, she had sent me a box of rouge."

 Chapter 682 Twists And Turns

    "Rouge?" Yun Shang frowned and was confused. "If it happened before the banquet for New Year, is the rouge a gift for you getting a title?"


    Lin Youran shook her head. After thinking for a while, she said, "I don''t think so. When I was conferred the title, Lady Xian also sent me a gift, and I remember that she sent me bolts of the finest brocade. She gave the rouge to me not long after I found out I was pregnant. I remember it clearly. I didn''t use any makeup after I was pregnant. That day, when Lady Xian came to my palace, she suddenly mentioned that there was a shop named Qianshui Pavilion. The fragrance of rouge in the shop is pure and elegant, which is a rare quality. Her mother bought many boxes of the rouge for her, and then she gave me a box."


    Lin Youran paused for a while and continued, "I know Qianshui Pavilion. Lady Xiang had told me that it belongs to us, so I didn''t suspect and just accepted it. Later, I asked someone to check the rouge. There was no problem with the it and it was indeed made by Qianshui Pavilion. But Lady Xiang had exhorted me not to use makeups when I was pregnant. A few days later, Lady Xian asked why I didn''t use it. I felt a little guilty. Later I used it occasionally."


    Yun Shang frowned. "Where is the rouge?"


    "When I moved to Xiang Zhu Palace, I didn''t take any old things here. I guess they are in the original palace. But I don''t know if the servants have thrown them away. No one has lived in the palace after I moved out. Your highness could send someone to look for the rouge and check it. Now when I remember it, I felt that Lady Xian had already doubted whether I was pregnant, so she gave me the rouge to test."


    Yun Shang nodded. It could be possible. With this in mind, she carefully asked Lin Youran where the rouge was, and asked the maid standing beside to send a message to the secret guard hidden in the imperial palace, telling him to look for the rouge.


    A maid lifted the curtain and walked in, whispering to Yun Shang, "Your highness, the empress''s maid has contacted the spy she placed in the Xiang Zhu Palace. It seems that someone has sent out a message."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and sneered. "Our empress is not stupid. She was more than willing to see that we were going to get rid of a concubine for her. She has probably asked someone to fiddle with it."


    Yun Shang was worried that it would be difficult to get in once they went out. So she waited in the hall until the secret guard came back to report.


    "Your highness, the empress asked if Lady Hui has any discomfort? Does she need an imperial physician? " Another maid opened the curtain and whispered.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and replied: "Go and report to the emperor and the empress that she is fine. She is just having a chest tightness. I''ll check her and get out soon."


    The maid curtsied to her


    could he be so stupid?" Then she looked at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled, stood up and said, "I would rather believe that Lady Xian was most likely framed by someone. But no matter who framed her up, she was still the murderer who intended to murder Lady Hui and her unborn baby." While speaking, she set her eyes on Lady Xian. "I have always been fond of collecting some rouge and jewelries. Just now, I kept watching Lady Xian''s hairpins. I know this pair, it is made by Qianshui Pavilion. I have always been using things from the shop and like them very much. And I even have a same pair of the hairpins."


    Taking a look at Lady Xian, Yun Shang slowly walked to her side and said, "But it seems that something is wrong with Lady Xian''s hairpins."


    "Really? What''s wrong? " The empress was also attracted by the hairpins and asked softly.


    "I have just said that I also have the hairpins in my mansion. But they are a pair and both of them are a little curved. I have specially asked someone in the shop.I was told that it was because the tassel pendants on the hairpin are too heavy. If you only wear one, the hairpin couldn''t keep balance. Though Lady Xian is wearing a pair, they still lost the balance. Yun Shang said with a smile and quickly took down the two hairpins from Lady Xian''s head.


    Lady Xian was shocked and stood up, "How dare you, Lady Rui? Although I''m not in high position, I''m a concubine in the imperial household. What you did is too arrogant."


    Yun Shang smiled. "If there is nothing wrong with the two hairpins, I''m willing to take the punishment." While saying that, she walked to Xia Huanyu and estimated the weight of the two hairpins. "This morning when I arrived at the Lady Xian, Lady Xian wore only one hairpin. When I came out again, I found that she had added one more. And these twp hairpins are much lighter than mine. So I assume that the hairpins have been hollowed out. "

 Chapter 683 A Lot Of Doubts

    Yun Shang lowered her head to check the hairpins carefully. After a short while, she smiled and twisted the hairpins. It turned out they were really hollow inside. Yun Shang squinted her eyes and flicked the hairpin on the table. Then two small pieces of paper were poured out of the hairpin.


    Yun Shang unfolded the paper and, after a long time of silence, gave it to Daniel.


    Looking at the words on the paper, Xia Huanyu frowned and put it aside in an indifferent manner. Then he added, "What is it in the other?"


    Yun Shang took the other hairpin and shook it for a while. Then some grey powder was poured out from it. A fragrance wafted from it. Yun Shang immediately covered her nose and said gently, "Your majesty, there are two kinds of aromatic substances in it. One is the lily aroma that is used on the furniture, the other is the jasmine fragrance. The rouge Lady Xian had given to Lady Hui before also had jasmine smell. Lily and jasmine were the most common perfume used among women''s rouge, not as special as musk which might draw attentions. If a pregnant woman smells these two kinds of fragrance too often, she will miscarry. "


    Hearing that, great coldness burst out from Xia Huanyu''s eyes all of a sudden. With a sneer, he said, "Guard, take Lady Xian away and lock her in the cold palace."


    The guard came in at once. Lady Xian''s face turned pale. She smiled bitterly and waved her hand. "Don''t bother. I can walk myself." With these words, she took a look at Xia Huanyu, and then turned around and walked towards the gate. Her figure was more straight and elegant than any time before, but a bit desolate.


    "I''m tired. I''m going back to the Taiji hall now." After Lady Xian walked out of the room, Xia Huanyu kept silent for quite a while. Then he stood up and coldly said that, and left.


    The empress sighed and said, "I have always treated Lady Xian as my own sister. I didn''t expect her to be so ungrateful and do such a bad thing." After that, she left with her maids.


    There was only Yun Shang and her companions left in the hall. Yun Shang went to the chair where Xia Huanyu had just sat and picked up the piece of paper he had left on the table. She kneaded it into a ball at first glance and threw it into the brazier beside.


    Luo Qingyan also stood up and said lightly, "Let''s go back home."


    Yun Shang nodded, told Ning Qian something, and left the palace with Luo Qingyan. The farce was brought to an end. Yun Shang felt as if all her strength had been sucked out. After getting in the carriage, she leaned on Luo Qingyan''s shoulder and closed her eyes for rest.


    The carriage headed towards Prince Rui''s mansion. The sound of the wheels on the road was heard continuously. Yun Shang sighed slightly and asked, "How did you know the secret of Lady Xian''s hairpins?"


    Luo Qingyan stroked Yun Shang''s long hair, patted


    lightly. She felt it was weird. Only three people have bought the hairpins, so the two Lady Xian wore was most likely bought by the young women. But who was she?


    "Do you still remember her appearance?" Yun Shang asked.


    Qian Shui shook her head and answered after thinking for a while, "That woman wore a veil. I didn''t see her appearance, but I judged from her figure and hands that she was only 17 or 18 years old. But I have heard her voice. If I hear her voice again, I will definitely recognize her. "


    Yun Shang took a look at the table and shook her head. If we only have these clues, we can''t find out anything. There are many young ladies in the city who can afford the jewelries in the Qianshui Pavilion. It''s hard to find that lady by hearing her voice.


    Yun Shang had a lot of doubts in her mind, but she could not find out the identity of the culprit, so she could not investigate into it.


    "If you meet the woman again, send someone to follow and inquire about her identity. Then report to me." Yun Shang ordered Qian Shui.


    Qian Shui nodded. She asked Yun Shang if she had any other orders, and left the mansion.


    Seeing Yun Shang frowning and unhappy, Qin Yi asked gently, "What''s the matter with you, your highness? You were in a good mood just now, but now you look unhappy. "


    Yun Shang sighed slightly and said, "I think there is something we don''t know about lady Sharon."


    Qin Yi had just heard the conversation between Yun Shang and Qian Shui. She thought for a while and said, "Your highness, you always say that we will deal with the situation as it comes. Now that Lady Xian has just been banished to the cold palace. If the mysterious woman is in Jin City, we will certainly find her one day. And the evidence that Lady Xian murdered Lady Hui is conclusive. Your highness, please don''t mind it anymore."


    Yun Shang nodded and sighed, "Well, we have no better way."

 Chapter 684 Turn Around

    Yun Shang felt time passed quickly as she spent the morning reading her account books every day and slept in the afternoon. The Lantern festival arrived soon.


    Yun Shang was delighted at the coming of the Lantern festival. On the day, Luo Qingyan intended to sleep more with Yun Shang, but Yun Shang got up early in the morning, but she didn''t read account books as usual. Without combing her hair, she put on her cloak and stood outside with the thermos in her hands, watching the two madams directing the servants to hang the lanterns.


    A variety of lanterns were all hung up such as golden fish shaped, rabbit shaped... They looked very interesting, full of childishness. Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing at this sight.


    As soon as Luo Qingyan went out, he saw Yun Shang looking up at the lanterns and smiling happily. With a smile on his face, he went to Yun Shang and stroked her head, smoothing her slightly messy long hair, smiling, "What are you looking at? What makes you so happy?"


    Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan''s side face and said with a smile: "I am looking at the lanterns. Speaking of that, I hardly have celebrated the lantern festival. As you know, all the festivals in the palace are just about palace banquets, full of women who make themselves up gorgeously. Later, I was sent out of the palace. In fact, I stayed with grandfather most of the time, but there was no woman around him who could help manage all these things. And he himself didn''t care about these festivals. This is the first time in my life that I feel like I''m celebrating a festival."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang into his arms and said with a smile, "Well, in that case, I have to thank you. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t even know what the Lantern Festival is like."


    They stood under the eaves for a long time. After Qin Yi brought some food, they went into the room together.


    "Sweet dumplings are often served on the Lantern Festival in the State of Xia. And we have dumplings in the the State of Ning. so I have asked them to prepare both sweet dumplings and dumplings, you could eat whatever you like." Qin Yi took the food out of the box and placed them on the table.


    "The dumplings are stuffed with cabbages and meats, and sweet dumplings are filled with sesame seeds. Your highnesses, please have a try."


    Yun Shang ate a dumpling and nodded, "It''s very delicious." Then she put a sweet dumpling in her mouth and after a while, she stuck out her tongue and said, "So sweet."


    Qin Yi and Luo Qingyan looked at her and laughed.


    "Your highness, you seemed very happy today." Qin Yi said gently.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Of course I''m happy. Today is the Lantern Festival, also a day for family reunion. My grandfather sent a message to me, saying that he will arrive at Jin city today."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan suddenly realized why Yun Shang was so excited today. It turned out that Xiao Yuanshan was coming.


    "I''m taking a day off. Let''s go to the suburb to pick up Grand Tutor Xiao." "Besi


    his majesty. My grandfather has been sent by the State of Ning. We have discussed going out of the city to pick him up. When I passed by the shop, I wanted to pick up some jewelries here and asked the owner to make some clothes for me. "


    Luo Qingyan had also got off the carriage. He nodded at Hua Yutong and walked to Yun Shang. "Why are you standing at the door? Aren''t you going to choose jewelries?"


    Then Yun Shang took Hua Yutong with her into Qianshui Pavilion. "The jewelries and clothes in this shop are very beautiful. I often a frequent guest here. Since we happen to run into each other today, just tell me if there is anything you like. It seems that I have never given you gift."


    Hearing this, Hua Yutong smiled. "OK, if you insist."


    Qian Shui brought out the latest styles for Yun Shang and Hua Yutong. She cast a casual glance at Hua Yutong and said with a smile: "It should be your first time to come here. You can tell me the style you like."


    Yun Shang picked some hairpins, two pairs of earrings and a pair of bracelets and asked Qian Shui to wrapped them up for her. Then she ordered her to make a few more clothes for her.


    Hua Yutong strolled around the store and picked a jade hairpin with butterfly and flower pattern. Then she refused to pick more. Yun Shang knew that Hua Jing was a littleshy. So she didn''t make it clear to her. She just smiled and handed a pink peach blossom hairpin to Hua Yutong. "I think you must look very beautiful with this one. Do you like it?"


    Hua Yutong nodded. Yun Shang asked Qian Shui to wrap it together with the other one.


    They walked out of the shop after Qian Shui gave the items to them. They talked for a while and then Hua Yutong said goodbye and left. Yun Shang got on the carriage with Luo Qingyan. When they were about to set off, they saw Qian Shui come out of the shop and walk to the carriage. She whispered to Yun Shang, "Your highness, the young woman who bought the blue gemstone hairpins that day was the one who were with you just now..."

 Chapter 685 Relative Comes From Afar

    Maybe it was because it had been several days since they talked last time, it took Yun Shang long to realize what Qian Shui was talking about. She was shocked and asked, "Are you sure?"


    "Absolutely sure. Her voice and figure are the same as that young woman, and her temperament cannot be imitated by others." Qian Shui replied with certainty.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and nodded, "Okay, I see."


    Then she put down the curtain. Qin Yi looked at Yun Shang and said to the coachman, "Start."


    Luo Qingyan was confused, "What did she say to you? You were in a good mood just now. Why did you frown suddenly? Does it have anything to do with the seventh princess?"


    Yun Shang sighed before turning to Luo Qingyan, "It''s still about the matter of Lady Xian. I thought the two blue gemstone hairpins she wore were bought by her family from Qianshui Pavilion and brought into the palace, but Qian Shui said nobody from the Wang''s mansion had brought them. The person who bought the hairpins that day was a lady about seventeen or eighteen years old, but she didn''t see her appearance as the lady was wearing a veil. So I told Qian Shui to keep it in mind and report to me when she met her again. Just now Qian Shui told me that the young lady who had bought the hairpins was Hua Yutong."


    "Hua Yutong?" Luo Qingyan frowned. "Why did she brought the hairpins for? And how could the hairpins appear on Lady Xian''s head? "


    Yun Shang shook her head. She was also full of doubts. After a long silence, she said: "I will send someone to find Hua Yutong later and ask her in person. Since Hua Yutong is from the Huas, it was impossible for her to hurt us."


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment, "She wouldn''t, but the seventh prince would."


    "Are you suspecting that it was the seventh prince who asked her to do this?" Yun Shang turned around and looked at Luo Qingyan with a frown. It''s possible that Hua Yutong was trapped by the seventh prince as she was innocent.


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and said, "I see that you are close to the seventh princess. But no matter how much you like her, you can''t tell everything to her. Otherwise, you might hurt yourself and hurt her too.


    Yun Shang thought about it for a long time. Then she sighed and nodded.


    Before long, the carriage had gone out of the city. There was a slope outside the city, and a pavilion on the slope. Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang to the pavilion, waiting.


    It was cold and windy in thepavillion. Fortunately, Qin Yi had well prepared. She fetched two thick overcoat from the carriage and put them on for Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan.


    According to the secretly guard, Xiao Yuanshan would arrive at the gate of the imperial city about an hour later. Yun Shang held the thermos in her arms and looked at the road.


    It was less than a year after she left the State of Ning, but she had gone through a lot in the State of Xia this year, and she had been plotted by a lot of people. The more she recalled the State of Ning, the more she missed it. There were her families there, whom she had decided to protect. But it would be impossible for her to go back to the S


    prepare some."


    Then she went back to the yard with Qin Yi, and told the servants to prepare the food, then she sent someone to buy some wine.


    When she was making the preparations, the butler reported, "Your highness, Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo are here."


    Yun Shang was surprised. Today was supposed to be a family reunion, but why do they suddenly come?


    Yun Shang rushed to the garden house. As soon as Lord Hua Guo saw her, he asked, "I heard Xiao Yuanshan has come? Where is he now? "


    Yun Shang replied momentarily, "Grandpa has gone to the imperial palace to greet his majesty. I''m afraid it will take a while."


    Lord Hua Guo frowned and seemed to be unhappy. "Oh."


    Lady Hua Guo smiled and said, "Ignore him. He admires Grand Tutor Xiao. To be honest, military officers are enemies to each other, but his lordship appreciated Grand Tutor Xiao so much. That''s why he couldn''t wait to come here when he heard his coming. I told him Grand Tutor Xiao might have gone to the palace to see his majesty, but he didn''t believe it."


    Yun Shang understood why they came. She said with a smile, "A hero always cherishes other heroes. Grandfather is a civil official, but he knows well about military science and battle. If grandfather becomes a military official, he could also do a good job."


    Lord Hua Guo snorted, "Xiao Yuanshan is a weak man. How could he become a military official. Even if he''s in the military, he''s just going to be a military adviser."


    Yun Shang and Lady Hua Guo exchanged glances and burst into laughter.


    Lord Hua Guo felt bored and frowned. "Xiao Yuanshan hasn''t come back yet. Come and play chess with me."


    Yun Shang had to agree and ordered the maid to bring the chessboard and basket.


    Lady Hua Guo immediately asked servants to prepare braziers. It was cold in the garden house, and their hands and feet would get colder after sitting for long.


    Before they finished the third round, Luo Qingyan and Xiao Yuanshan came in together.


    Lord Hua Guo stopped playing chess. He stood up and said to Xiao Yuanshan, "Xiao, come here. Let''s kill."

 Chapter 686 Trouble Again On The Border

    Yun Shang looked at her grandfather, who was stunned by Lord Hua Guo''s words. She smiled and stood up while saying to them, "It''s almost time for lunch. You two may fight against each other for this round. But after that, it''s time to have lunch."


    Lord Hua Guo waved at her and said, "Got it. Got it. You chatterbox." With that, he pulled Xiao Yuanshan''s arm and asked Luo Qingyan where the martial arts performing field was. Luo Qingyan obeyed and hurriedly took them there.


    Yun Shang looked at her grandpa being held tightly by Lord Hua Guo in his arm, and was worried about his poor strength. Lord Hua Guo was very strong, so her grandpa''s arm might be black and blue all over. Suddenly, she realized they had planned to play chess at the beginning. Then why would they change to the martial arts performing field? Being worried, she hurried there to have a look.


    Lord Hua Guo held Xiao Yuanshan''s hand and ran quickly. Yun Shang and Lady Hua Guo were left behind. By the time Yun Shang and her partner arrived, both of them had already set up to start.


    Yun Shang suddenly realized that the first round mentioned by Lord Hua Guo was actually a sandbox battle. Lord Hua Guo took the red small flag, and Xiao Yuanshan took the blue one.


    On each flag was written all kinds of things that would be used in the battlefield, including generals, commanders, infantry, cavalry, even siege crossbows, siege shields and catapults.


    Lady Hua Guo laughed too. She turned around and said to Yun Shang, "Let them be. Let''s go back to the yard."


    Yun Shang agreed and went back to the yard with Lady Hua Guo. There were several big boxes in the outer Hall of the yard. Qin Yi was tidying up the things one by one. The boxes were open. Yun Shang saw that there were indeed many small clothes inside, all of which were very cute. She smilingly picked one up randomly and couldn''t help exclaiming, "It''s so beautiful."


    Lady Hua Guo turned around, and saw it was a red bellyband embroidered with a little tiger.


    "Did Grand Tutor Xiao bring them here?" inquired Lady Hua Guo. She looked around the room and found nine boxes there. Five o


    of Xia. He was indeed more daring after he became the emperor. Yun Shang squinted her eyes and said with a slight smile, "When it comes to deterring enemies, I think His Highness is more suitable."


    Lady Hua Guo patted Yun Shang on the hand and shook her head. "Of course, I''ve heard that Qingyan and Qingsu are sworn enemies. But if the war really starts, I don''t know when they can come back. You are pregnant. I think Qingyan should stay in Jin City, "


    pausing for a while Lady Hua Guo continued, "Moreover, Jin City is not so peaceful. the seventh prince is not a coward. In my opinion, he has become more daring these days. Although I don''t pay much attention to state affairs, I sometimes gather with the ladies of the ministers. Some of the ladies were unable to keep their words well, so they boasted about how good terms the seventh prince and their husbands were on and that recently, they often drank and ate together."


    Lady Hua Guo lowered her voice, "I suppose the seventh prince is getting more and more worried when he heard Qingyan is so influential in court. The situation in the court is also constantly changing. At this critical moment, how can Qingyan go away? Though your grandfather is old, he likes to do things in the war. So just let him go. If you let him spend all day in this court full of intrigue, he will feel uncomfortable, but if he wins the battle, it will be good for Qingyan, too."

 Chapter 687 Lantern Festival

    Yun Shang nodded and thought for a while. "I''m afraid the method I discussed with grandmother to plot against the seventh prince has to be taken earlier. I have some candidates, some girls who has been trained for being sent into the imperial palace. I''m afraid Hua Yutong is so innocent that she might fall in love with the seventh prince."


    Lady Hua Guo shook her hand, "You don''t need to worry about that. Even she is innocent, she knows very well that she shouldn''t fall in love with the seventh prince. She is outgoing and could easily get on well with others, but she has self-control. But I think it''s a good idea to take action earlier. Then we don''t have to worry about it."


    After they talked for a while, a servant knocked on the door. "Your Highness, His Highness asked me to invite you to the garden house."


    Yun Shang stood up with a smile, "I''m afraid grandpas have already finished a round. Let''s go to the garden house for dinner." Then she asked Qin Yi to order the maids to serve dishes.


    Lord Hua Guo and his wife left after dinner. Yun Shang wanted to have a good talk with Xiao Yuanshan, but Luo Qingyan rejected her. "Grand tutor must be exhausted with the long journey. Let him have a good rest today."


    Xiao Yuanshan nodded with a smile. "I will stay in the State of Xia for a while. I have plenty of time."


    Although Yun Shang was reluctant, she had to agree. She took Xiao Yuanshan to the guest house and went back to the yard with Luo Qingyan.


    Back in the yard, Yun Shang lied down on the soft couch. She looked at Luo Qingyan, who went straight to the desk, and smiled, "Who won just now?"


    Hearing that, Luo Qingyan smiled. "Of course your husband is the winner."


    "You are shameless! How could you contend for the winner with two seniors?" Yun Shang reprimanded him with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said with a smile. "My lady, you are wrong. There is no father and son in this battlefield. Whether the two armies are close or not, their only purpose is to win."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and asked, "You have known matter of the State of Yelang, haven''t you?"


    "What?" Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and smiled. Then he nodded, "Well, maybe I knew it earlier than His Majesty. Is it Lady Hua Guo who told you about it?"


    Yun Shang nodded and sighed. "You''d better be kind to Lord Hua Guo in the future. Grandfather has done a lot for us. As an old man who should live a peaceful life, he has to lead the army to fight. You know Cangjue Qingsu the best. He is a scheming and vicious man. I am a little worried."


    Luo Qingyan opened a book randomly and looked down at it. Then he said, "Yes, but Lord Hua Guo is not bad. His Majesty has appointed Liu Yinfeng as his military counsellor. Although I don''t like Liu Yingfeng because he is coveting you, I have to admit that he is a cunning fox during the battle. Lord Hua Guo is brave and Liu Yinfeng is resourceful. It''s enough for them to fight against Cangjue Qingsu together."


    Liu Yinfeng? Yun Shang didn''t know Liu Yinfeng was a


    mountain and a pearl from the South Sea."


    As he spoke, the middle-aged man pointed at the box on the table. The box was open, facing the crowd. Yun Shang looked at the box and found that it seemed to be a treasure, but it''s hard to tell whether it''s real without holding it in hand.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. These two things were rare treasures. But as the saying goes, all business people are profiteers. It was impossible for a businessman to use these things as prizes without reason. He must have a purpose.


    Sure enough, the middle-aged man changed the subject, "But remember, the riddle and the lotus lamp are indispensable. If you can''t guess the riddle, then it is useless to take the lotus lamp. We all know that there''s no such thing as a free lunch. If you want to attend the competition, you have to pay ten taels of silver. No matter what the result is, you can''t ask the money back. The change to get these treasures worth ten taels of silver! "


    The onlookers were all eager to give it a go. Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang, "Do you also want the two items?"


    Yun Shang curled her lips. "Apparently, he''s a swindler. Just now he emphasized the condition for the lantern riddle. It should be extremely difficult to obtain one. Each person pays ten taels of silver. And if there are many attendants, the income would be considerable. But if both were not fake, they were rare treasures. Snow lotus from the top of the snowy mountain is a superior herb, and the pearl from the South Sea is a rare treasure for beauty maintain. If we can get it, it will be the best. "


    "It doesn''t matter. Even if it''s a fake one, it''s only ten taels of silver. I will try my best to get them for you. " Then he took out some money from the purse on his waist and put it on the tray the middle-aged man had picked up.


    "OK. We got the master as the first participant." The middle-aged man said with a smile.


    Yun Shang turned around and said with a smile, "It''s a rare thing that you remember to take the money with you."

 Chapter 688 Rushed To The Emperors Rescue

    Perhaps it was because of someone taking the lead that not long after, ten more people signed up. The middle-aged man said that they would take ten people in a round, and then asked everyone to begin preparing.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang, and meditated for a moment before saying, "Wait for me on the bank. Don''t walk around. Try not to be too close to the crowds."


    Yun Shang smiled while replying, "Okay."


    Luo Qingyan got on the boat alone. There were festive lanterns hanging at the bow and the stern. The festive lanterns were also lotus lamps, but the lotus lamps in the middle of the lake were more exquisite and bigger.


    There were a row of festive lanterns on each boat from the shore all the way to the middle of the lake. Lantern riddles were hanging under each of the lanterns. Yun Shang smiled at Luo Qingyan and wondered how he looked when he was rowing the boat.


    But before Luo Qingyan picked up the oar, the boat had already moved. Yun Shang frowned but soon she realized what happened. Yun Shang couldn''t help but curl her lips and thought that Luo Qingyan was shameless and took advantage of the middle-aged man. That man only said that those would win if they arrived at the center of the lake first and took back the lotus lamps. But he didn''t make clear that they had to paddle to the center of the lake. So Luo Qingyan used his internal force to drive the boat forward, stopped before the lantern and looked at the riddle hanging under the lantern in his hand.


    But the other participants were much more embarrassed. They had to row with oars in their hands. When they reached the lantern, they had to stop the boat to read the riddles. Some even couldn''t row very well, so they couldn''t get close to the lantern at all. Their boats kept spinning in the lake, so they were in a hurry.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. Suddenly, she felt someone was looking at her. The eyesight was too sharp that Yun Shang couldn''t help but stop smiling. She turned her head in the direction of the gaze.


    Yun Shang''s eyesight met the man''s


    Under the cover of secret guards, Luo Qingyan was about to break free from the assassins and come to them.


    In the blink of an eye, Luo Qingyan stood in front of Yun Shang and protected her behind him. He brandished his long sword, and ordered Yun Shang, "You go back."


    Yun Shang was unwilling to do so. Crowds around had long disappeared. She seemed to hear footsteps and guessed that there were many people coming. Yun Shang frowned. If the assassins outnumbered them, they might not be able to stop them. Yun Shang took out the white jade whistle from her sleeve and blew it for help.


    The footsteps got closer and closer, and Yun Shang found that the seventh prince was in the lead. Far away from them, the voice of the seventh prince was heard. He shouted unprecedentedly, "Hurry up! Save His Majesty! Protect His Majesty! "


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief. Anyway, it was good that they were not the assassins.


    The seventh prince and his men quickly joined in the battle. After a while, the assassins looked a bit dispirited. Yun Shang observed the situation and sent a message to her guards with her white jade flute, telling them not to come.


    The assassins were all killed in less than a quarter after the seventh prince arrived.


    The seventh prince went to Xia Huanyu in a hurry and knelt down. "It''s too late to help. Please pardon me, Father."

 Chapter 689 A Miscalculation

    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the seventh prince. He was dressed in a white robe and a silver overcoat made of fox fur. His hair was tied up with a silver hair band. He looked like a languid noble man.


    Yun Shang smiled and thought, ''Things are getting more interesting. From the assassination to the rescue with guards, it took less than an hour. How could the seventh prince know the news and bring people here so quickly?''


    Neither joy nor anger could be seen in Xia Huanyu''s eyes. He looked at the seventh prince indifferently. After a long time, he said, "Rise. What crime would you commit?"


    The seventh prince quickly responded and stood up. He raised his head and looked at Xia Huanyu, only to find Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan standing beside him. His eyes darkened before he smiled and said, "It turns out that Brother is with Father."


    Luo Qingyan kept silent. However, Xia Huanyu suddenly asked, "Where were you just now?"


    It seemed that the seventh prince had expected this question from Xia Huanyu, so he responded calmly, "I was having dinner with her highness in the Long Feng Tower when I saw crowds of people running around, saying that there was an assassination of Father. As my mansion was not far from the Long Feng Tower, I hurried back to summon all my people to rush here. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled lightly. Just now people ran away not because of the murder of Xia Huanyu, but because of the murder to Luo Qingyan. Even the seventh prince intended to help, he couldn''t summon nearly one hundred soldiers so quickly. They must have already packed up and been waiting for something to happen.


    However, the seventh prince didn''t expect that Luo Qingyan was also here, and he was first assassinated, so there was a flaw.


    But in this way, it should not be the same person that assassinated Luo Qingyan and Xia Huanyu.


    But Luo Qingyan didn''t care about the rumors at all. He walked to Yun Shang, looked her up and down, and then asked lightly, "Are you tired after all this?"


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu turned his head back too. After being silent for a while, he said in a low voice, "I didn''t e


    at Luo Qingyan had said a moment ago. She frowned and asked softly, "Wasn''t you adopted by my grandpa?"


    Luo Qingyan curled his lips and said coldly, "That''s the end of the story. I used to beg for living around before I was seven. In fact, I remembered that a grandma brought me up at the very beginning. Later, she died, and I wandered around alone. "


    Yun Shang sighed and held Luo Qingyan''s hand tightly. She could not imagine what kind of life his life would be at that time. Although she had suffered a lot in her previous life and this life, it was still nothing compared to Luo Qingyan. At least, she appeared to be the noble princess in the State of Ning. Although the Empress didn''t like her and planned to kill her, she had to care about her identity as an empress. She was also afraid that His Majesty would blame her for this, so she didn''t treat her badly in food and clothing.


    Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang and smiled, "You silly girl, it''s not that bad to think of it now. Maybe it''s because I was so young at that time that I couldn''t remember many things. Only the sight of seeing other people''s happiness and the pain of starving made me remember it. Now I am in a high position, enjoying the peace of marriage, and soon I''ll be a father. I am already satisfied. "


    Luo Qingyan waved the rattle in his hand and handed it to Yun Shang with a smile. "I''ll give it to my child after he is born."

 Chapter 690 Look One Way And Row Another

    Yun Shang took it over and looked at the rattle. The rattle was poor, only worth twenty cents. Yun Shang shook the rattle slightly. The sound of beating the drum was very weak in the noisy crowd.


    "Okay." Yun Shang smiled and put the rattle into her sleeve carefully.


    "Let''s go home." Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and went to the their mansion.


    Yun Shang finally realized that Luo Qingyan had changed the topic. Yun Shang shook her head and sighed softly. She had already had an answer in her mind.


    When she returned to the mansion of ray, Qin Yi was already waiting for her in the courtyard. Yun Shang glanced at Qin Yi and asked softly, "Has grandpa gone to bed?"


    Qin Yi nodded slightly, walked up to Yun Shang, took off her cloak, and said gently, "He asked me to take some books from your highness''s room earlier, read them for a while, and went to bed early." Qin Yi put the cloak aside and hung it up. Then she turned her head and continued, "He has suffered bumps for several days on the road. His Lordship is old now, so he must feel tired. He will recover after two days'' rest."


    "Okay. I''ll make a prescription for grandfather tomorrow. Jin city is not as dry as the State of Ning. The winter here is cold and wet. It might cause sore in body. Warm tonic food will do much help." Yun Shang smiled and turned to look at Luo Qingyan. "You went to the palace with grandfather today. What did His Majesty say?"


    Luo Qingyan had already hung his cloak. After hearing Yun Shang''s words, he turned around and said with a smile, "His Majesty is very polite to Grand Tutor Xiao. He talked about something about the State of Ning with him and asked his current situation. Then he told him to go back to the mansion for a good rest."


    Yun Shang nodded. After a short silence, she asked, "Has the State of Yelang sent anyone here for the coming Wanshou Festival?"


    "Yes, and the new Emperor of the State of Yelang will come here in person." Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes, his voice becoming cold.


    "Cangjue Qingsu?" There was a hint of surprise in Yun Shang''s eyes. How arrogant Qingsu was! He had order


    he wants to attack is Lingxi, so you might place troops in Lingxi. In this way, he''ll choose Canglan as his target. "


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled, "Shang''er, you are really smart."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and asked, "So where will grandfather go?"


    With Yun Shang in his arms, Luo Qingyan put one of his hands on the map and pointed at somewhere. "Here, of course."


    "Here?" Yun Shang remained silent for a long time before she seemed to figure it out. Her eyes lit up. "That''s a good place."


    They chatted for a while, and then each of them washed up and went to bed.


    Holding Yun Shang in his arms, Luo Qingyan said gently, "Ask Hua Yutong to our mansion tomorrow and ask her about that matter. But remember what I said. You should know you have a world of your own. You are always smart. If the seventh prince really takes advantage of Hua Yutong to plot against us, you don''t have to be soft hearted. There is a trick in the book of war, called sowing discord among the enemy."


    Half asleep, Yun Shang nodded. After a long while, she sighed, "What a poor girl Yutong is."


    "We should find her a good husband in the future. With the support of Lord Hua Guo and us, it''s not difficult for her to marry into a rich family." Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang on the back and comforted her.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time before she nodded and sighed softly, "That''s all we can do."

 Chapter 691 Grandfather And Grandchild

    The next morning, Yun Shang got up early. After getting dressed she asked Qin Yi, "Has grandfather been up?"


    Qin Yi nodded and smiled, "Yes. His lordship seems to be in a good mood today. He is fishing by the lake. There is mainly koi fish in the lake. When I went there earlier, seeing his lordship caught them and then put them back into the lake. "


    Hearing it, Yun Shang got interested. "Let''s go and have a look."


    Outside the door, Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi, "Send a message to the seventh prince''s mansion later afternoon. Ask the seventh princess to come to our mansion, and tell her..." Yun Shang thought for a while and said casually, "Tell her that I have some new stuff. I''ll invite her to have a look."


    Qin Yi replied in a low voice. Then Yun Shang walked slowly towards the lake. There was a long corridor along the lake, and occasionally there were some arbors for rest. Xiao Yuanshan sat on a bench in the long corridor beside a arbor, holding a fishing pole in his hand, and his butler stood next to him, watching the scene with a smile.


    Yun Shang stepped forward and said with a smile, "Grandfather, you seem very happy. Did you have a good rest last night?"


    Xiao Yuanshan looked at Yun Shang and smiled. "You seldom get up so early. I slept well. I can sleep anywhere as long there is a bed. "


    The butler said with a smile, "I still remember the time when you stayed in the mansion. Although you have to learn a lot every day, you still stayed in bed until it was almost noon."


    Yun Shang pouted as she was teased by them. "It''s been a long time since the last time we met. How could grandpa and uncle make fun of me?"


    Xiao Yuanshan and the butler burst into laughter.


    Yun Shang walked to the pavilion and sat down. Seeing the cork on the fish line moving, she said quickly, "We got it."


    Xiao Yuanshan cast a glance at Yun Shang and lift the pole up. There was indeed a small red koi fish on it. "How noisy you are! You''ve scared the big fish away."


    Yun Shang stuck out her tongue


    ight sigh. After a while, she said, "But it will be a cruel thing to father."


    Xiao Yuanshan smiled and didn''t want to talk about this with Yun Shang. The butler happened to come back. Xiao Yuanshan said to Yun Shang, "Go to see the letter your brother wrote to you."


    Yun Shang''s eyes sparked with delight when she heard him. She stood up, walked to butler and asked, "Where is my letter?"


    The butler took out a neatly folded brocade handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to Yun Shang. Yun Shang saw the plum blossoms embroidered on the handkerchief at the first glance. She smiled and said, "It''s mother''s Brocade handkerchief."


    The butler replied with a smile, "Exactly."


    Yun Shang couldn''t wait to unfold the brocade handkerchief, wanting to see what her brother wrote on it. She saw that besides the plum blossoms embroidered on the handkerchief, there was only a large ink stain.


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened in surprise. But she saw nothing else on it. She was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Then she understood why the butler had tried hard to hold back his laughter when he heard about Chenxi''s letter.


    Yun Shang sighed and put the brocade handkerchief into her sleeve. She sighed, "After all, it''s Chenxi''s work."


    Xiao Yuanshan raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Chenxi said you would definitely know what he wrote."

 Chapter 692 A Trail Of Clues

    Yun Shang had to pretend that she didn''t hear anything. She blinked with a smile and muttered to herself, ''I haven''t seen the bill today. I need to go to read the account book.'' Then she made a curtsy to Xiao Yuanshan, "Grandfather, I''m leaving now."


    Both Xiao Yuanshan and the butler burst into laughter.


    Yun Shang indeed went to read the account book in her room. After having lunch with Xiao Yuanshan, she went back to her room and was about to take a nap, when someone told her that the seventh princess was here.


    Yun Shang then remembered that she had asked Qin Yi to send for Hua Yutong at noon.


    Yun Shang nodded and asked the servants to take Hua Yutong to her room. As soon as Hua Yutong entered, she smiled and greeted, "What treasure do you want to show me by sending someone to the seventh prince''s mansion to invite me here? Shang''er, show me quickly, please. "


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at Hua Yutong indifferently, "The treasure is not here, but I''d like to talk to you."


    Stunned for a while, Hua Yutong sat down next to Yun Shang. With a confused look on her face, she asked, "What''s the matter? What happened? "


    Yun Shang smiled and looked out of the window. The frost on the bamboo leaves hadn''t faded away. She asked softly, "Did you buy two blue sapphire butterfly hairpins in the Qianshui Pavilion the other day?"


    Hua Yutong was stunned again. Then she nodded and answered, "Yes, it''s been a long time."


    Yun Shang didn''t expect that Hua Yutong would admit it so quickly. She was absent-minded for a moment, then she said slowly, "Did the seventh prince tell you to buy it? A few days ago, these two hairpins were seen to be on Lady Xian''s head in the palace. Have you heard of it? Did you send them to her in the palace in person? "


    "Indeed, his highness asked me to buy them, but I don''t know why he did so. He only said he had to send a gift to a woman. It''s not very convenient for him to buy hairpins, so he sent me to the shop and especially told me to put on a veil. I haven''t paid attention to it since I bought them back and gave them to his highness. Perhaps it was his highness who had sent the hairpins to Lady Xian," wit


    e lied down on the bed, but her brows were furrowed.


    About an hour later, Yun Shang woke up. When she opened her eyes, she saw Qian Liu standing by her soft couch. Yun Shang was a little surprised. After a while, she said, "Qian Liu, are you back?"


    Qian Liu nodded with a smile and helped Yun Shang sit up.


    Yun Shang yawned and said to Qian Liu, "Please open the window for some fresh air."


    Qian Liu replied and opened the window. It was a bit cold outside, and a gust of cold wind blew through the window. Qian Liu quickly fetched a cloak and put it on Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang was brought back to her senses by the cold wind. She asked Qian Liu to help her with her hair and then asked softly, "How is everything going on in Wang Congwen''s mansion?"


    Qian Liu replied softly, "I''m back to report this to your highness. Wang Congwen is now quite cooperative. Things are going well these days. And everything is almost done. However, the secret guards found by chance that Wang Congwen seemed to have some secret connections with the seventh prince. He seemed to be well behaved in the daytime as he knew our secret guards were following him. However, he sneaked out of the mansion at midnight twice and went to the seventh prince'' mansion. He stayed there for about two hours each time. "


    "Wang Congwen? The seventh prince'' mansion? Lady Xian? The seventh prince? " Yun Shang sneered and thought, ''Things were getting more interesting.''

 Chapter 693 The Situation Analysis

    Since Wang Congwen had some contact with the seventh prince, then Lady Xian was not likely to be set up by the seventh prince. In fact, they had a collusion. However, with the wisdom of the seventh prince, it was impossible for Yun Shang to see through their plot so easily. Yun Shang thought carefully about what happened that day and realized that everything seemed to be planned, and the hairpins seemed to be a flaw they had deliberately left to her.


    But Yun Shang didn''t know why they deliberately left such a flaw behind?


    Yun Shang was silent all the time. Qian Liu was at a loss what to do. She asked in a low voice, "Your ladyship, is it necessary to give Wang Congwen some warning?"


    Yun Shang came to her senses and shook her head, saying, "It''s not necessary. You just need to speed up, check the financial accounts, and transfer the money that we deserve to our account, so that we can be assured."


    Qian Liu replied in a low voice.


    After Qian Liu left, Yun Shang was again in a daze. The seventh prince had been really busy recently. Quite a few people and things were related to him - from the frontier general Feng Ming, to Lady Xian, to Wang Congwen, and to yesterday''s rescue of the emperor. It seemed as if everything was knitted into a net. But Yun Shang didn''t know what the net looked like or what its purpose was.


    Yun Shang even felt that Cangjue Qingsu''s harassment tactics at the border were instructed by the seventh prince. Yun Shang would not forget that Cangjue Qingsu had cooperated with the seventh prince before. In their cooperation, the Crown Prince of the State of Yelang and the Crown Prince of the State of Xia both died in that battle.


    If what Cangjue Qingsu had done at the border was colluded with the seventh prince, then their purpose was not hard to guess. It was actually a trick to divert the tiger from the mountain. As the State of Xia advocated culture, there were not many military generals available. At present, Cangjue Qingsu came to power and he was well known for being cruel and ruthless. Thus Xia Huanyu would definitely send somebody who was able to fight ag


    After dinner, both of them took a walk in the yard. After that, Luo Qingyan went to the study. As soon as Yun Shang picked up a book, Qin Yi came in with a smile and said to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, there is good news."


    "Really?" Yun Shang looked up and asked, "what good news?"


    Qin Yi replied momentarily, "I was informed from the imperial palace that the candidates for the female official have been chosen. The emperor selected Wang Wanzhi at last."


    Yun Shang was quite familiar with the name. She smiled and nodded, "Good news indeed. Wang Wanzhi is now the female official of his majesty, which means every memorial the officials have passed to his majesty and every imperial edict from his majesty will be well known by us. It''s really good for us. "


    "That''s exactly what I think. But as Wang Wanzhi was just selected as a female official, I think we''d better not intervene too much at this time. Otherwise, Wang Wanzhi will surely be targeted by many people and if she moves a little, she will be found. Thus, I''m thinking that we''d better take some actions when things become less eye-catching," Qin Yi said gently.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "I will do as you said. Tell Wang Wanzhi to stay with his majesty and be careful. The royal position is indeed a good position, but it is also risky. Any carelessness may result in a loss. "


    Qin Yi curtsied to her, and withdrew from the room.

 Chapter 694 A Quarrel with Su Qi

    Yun Shang felt relieved when she finally finished going through all the account books. She handed them to Qin Yi and shook her head, "Send them to the butler. The account books are very complicated. It seems that we need some competent accountants for the mansions."


    Qin Yi giggled, "It''s difficult to find a good accountant. Even we could find some, they probably won''t agree to go to the remote mansions.


    "You are right." Yun Shang let out a soft sigh. Suddenly, a man came up in her mind. "I think the accountant in Yuan mansion is great. If the others are all like him, I will be much relieved."


    Qin Yi thought for a while and suggested, "It''s better to have the butler gather the accountants from all the mansions for training. Your highness could pick the best one every month and award the one with some money. In this way, they will be more willing to learn."


    Yun Shang also laughed. "Good idea. When you give them to the butler, tell him the idea and let him make arrangements."


    She pondered for a moment and said, "We have been in the State of Xia for a long time, so I know which mansions we have. But I haven''t gone to visit any of them. In a few days, when his highness is in his recuperation, why don''t we pick a mansion and visit it?"


    Qin Yi nodded, "It''s necessary. Which one do your highness want to visit?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while before she raised her head and said to Qin Yi, "Let''s go to the Yuan mansion. I''ve heard that it has a good place, and it is close to here. What''s more, I''m also curious about the new accountant."


    Qin Yi replied, "I''ll arrange it soon."


    "Well, I''ll talk to his highness when he''s done with the court." Yun Shang waved and asked Qin Yi to take away the account books. She stood up and went to bed.


    After a short while, Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan enter the room. She was surprised, blinking her eyes and staring at him. Luo


    Yun Shang on the bed and took her shoes off, he heard a servant''s voice from outside. "Your Highness, Grand Tutor Xiao invited you to the pavilion by the lake."


    Luo Qingyan stopped and sighed. Looking at Yun Shang''s smiling face, he pointed at her nose and said, "I''m afraid Grand Tutor Xiao must have heard of our fight. I''ll go to relieve him. You should have a rest and don''t wait for me."


    Yun Shang nodded and watched Luo Qingyan leave the room. After a while, she called aloud, "Qin Yi..."


    The door curtain was lifted up, and the sound of pearls colliding with each other. Qin Yi walked in from the outside and stood by the bed, "Is there anything wrong, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "Send someone to Yuan mansion and tell them that Prince Rui and I will pay a visit tomorrow."


    Qin Yi nodded. Yun Shang kept silent for a long time before she continued. "Send someone to the palace and ask what happened today in the early court." He paused for a moment and ordered, "I want all the details, but don''t ask Wang Wanzhi."


    Yun Shang didn''t believe that Luo Qingyan would cause so much trouble for such a trifle that even Xia Huanyu ordered him not to go to court.


    Qin Yi responded, and Yun Shang ordered her to leave.

 Chapter 695 Unforeseen Event

    After a long while, Yun Shang felt the bed sink a little. She opened her eyes in confusion and saw Luo Qingyan''s face smiling at her. She also smiled. After getting close to him, she fell asleep again.


    Yun Shang was still in a daze when she heard Luo Qingyan''s voice ringing in her ear, "Shang''er, wake up. There''s news from the palace that Lady Xiang was poisoned and in danger."


    Yun Shang heard and frowned. She turned over and wanted to go on sleeping. Suddenly, she realized that the Lady Xiang was Ning Qian. She was surprised and sat up.


    Luo Qingyan was also startled by Yun Shang. He paused for a moment before saying quickly, "Be careful. Don''t hurt yourself."


    Yun Shang quickly lifted the quilt and stood up from the bed. After putting on her shoes, Qin Yi stepped forward to help Yun Shang change her clothes.


    Yun Shang walked to the dresser quickly and asked, "What happened? Why was Ning Qian poisoned all of a sudden? "


    Qin Yi shook her head, "I don''t know yet. The secret guard reported that Lady Xiang was poisoned and it wasn''t serious. They didn''t tell the details."


    Yun Shang frowned and watched Qin Yi''s moves in the bronze mirror. "Don''t bother. Just make a simple bun."


    Qin Yi responded. But Luo Qingyan, who was standing by, suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Make her highness the bun she always has when she goes to the palace." After that, he turned to Yun Shang and explained, "The incident hasn''t been spread in the palace. Besides, no one knows that Lady Xiang works for you. If you rush into the palace, they will suspect that you have placed many informers in the palace and that you have a special relationship with Lady Xiang.


    Catching Yun Shang''s attention, Luo Qingyan added, "You can''t go straight to the Xiang Zhu Palace after you get dressed up. You should go to


    made a curtsy to the Empress and said in a calm voice, "Your Majesty, I''m here to greet Your Majesty. I heard that you went to the Xiang Zhu Palace. I''ve been waiting here for a while and was about to leave for the Xiang Zhu Palace."


    The empress''s eyes flashed with a touch of light, and her mouth curved up slightly, but her eyes were a bit cold. "Oh? Really? Since I''m back now, come in and have some tea."


    Then she walked in with the concubines.


    Yun Shang clenched her teeth and waited quietly for the Empress to enter the Weiyang Palace. Then she straightened up and followed the Empress.


    "Your Highness..." Qin Yi called softly behind Yun Shang.


    Looking at the Empress''s back, Yun Shang slowed dowm her steps. She turned to Qin Yi and said, "Give me the box with coral bracelets, and you take the earrings to the Xiang Zhu Palace."


    Qin Yi responded, and handed a small box to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang took it over and quickly followed the others into the Weiyang Palace.


    The empress gave them a seat. Yun Shang sat down and glanced around the hall, finding many strangers.


    While she was lost in thought, the voice of the Empress was heard, "Lady Rui, Do you come here only to greet me?"

 Chapter 696 Hope Or Fear

    Yun Shang stood up at once when she heard the empress. She said with a smile, "My grandpa has brought some stuffs from the State of Ning. There is a pair of red coral bracelets which are very suitable for Your Majesty. So I bring them into the palace to see if Your Majesty like them." Yun Shang took the box on the table and presented it to the Empress.


    "Really?" The empress opened the box with a smile and took out the coral bracelet. The bracelet was as wide as a thumb, with exquisite pattern of phoenix carved on it. The corals were red and vivid. The empress looked at the bracelet for a moment, and she seemed joyful. "The red coral looks good."


    Seeing that the Empress liked it, the other concubines around tried their best to praise her. "Yes, this is the first time I''ve seen such beautiful coral bracelets. Besides, I''ve heard that this red coral can exorcise evil. They will bring good luck to Your Majesty."


    "Yes, The bracelet flatters Your Majesty''s delicate skin, and the color of the coral matches Your Majesty''s fingernails for today."


    The Empress was pleased to hear these comments. She smiled and wore the coral bracelet in front of everyone. Her smiled brighter as she said, "The size is also perfect." Then she turned around and gave Yun Shang a rare smile. "You are so considerate, Lady Rui."


    Yun Shang noticed that they all talked and laughed as usual as if nothing had happened to Ning Qian. She could not help but feel confused.


    The empress stared at the bracelet for a long time before putting it down, and her eyes fell on Yun Shang. "Well, I just saw a maid following you. How could she disappear in a twinkling of an eye?"


    Yun Shang didn''t expect the empress to notice Qin Yi. The more sh


    rom the empress, but she still felt worried. "Why didn''t Ning Qian tell me about it?"


    Qin Yi replied quickly, "She said she herself hadn''t know about it until today."


    "How long has she been pregnant?" Yun Shang frowned and asked.


    "Less than a month." Qin Yi replied softly.


    In less than a month, no wonder Ning Qian didn''t notice it. Yun Shang sighed slightly. Ning Qian''s beauty had attracted much attention in the imperial household, and the promotion of her rank had come a little fast. It''s been only one year since she was sent to the imperial by the Eldest Princess. It would definitely not be a good thing for Ning Qian, who had no support at all in the imperial household. And now she was pregnant, she must be a thorn in the flesh of others.


    Yun Shang bit her lip. She knew Xia Huanyu must have some purpose by promoting her, but she couldn''t figure out why he did that. She only knew that Ning Qian was not in a good condition now.


    "Your Highness?" Noticing that Yun Shang lost in her thought, Qin Yi called her promptly.


    Yun Shang came to her senses. After a moment of silence, she said, "Let''s go to the Xiang Zhu Palace."

 Chapter 697 Pulse Condition

    When they arrived at the Xiang Zhu Palace, they saw all the attendants being cheerful as they were supposed to be. As their master got favored and promoted, they could also live easier in the imperial palace full of snobbish people. Now that their master had been pregnant. It was no wonder that everyone was happy.


    "Your Highness." As soon as Yun Shang entered the main hall, a maid raised the curtain to welcome her into the inner hall.


    Ning Qian was not lying on the bed, but sitting on a chair behind the desk. She was not as happy as the attendants were.


    At the sight of Yun Shang, Ning Qian raised her head, smiled at her, and dismissed the maids. The maids backed out the room, but Ning Qian didn''t speak. Instead, she closed her eyes and pondered for a long time.


    Yun Shang knew that she was probing the surroundings with her internal force, so she sat down and waited quietly.


    After a long while, Ning Qian opened her eyes, stood up, walked to Yun Shang, and stretched out an arm, "My lady, I don''t believe those imperial physicians. Help me take my pulse. I felt there must be something wrong. I took the pills every time after I served His Majesty. It was made according to the prescription given by Your Highness..."


    Frowning at Ning Qian''s words, Yun Shang put her fingers on Ning Qian''s wrist. None of them spoke anything. After a long time, Yun Shang took back her hands.


    Ning Qian''s gaze was fixed on Yun Shang. Yun Shang meditated for a moment before she opened her mouth.


    "There is a sign of slippery pulse, but it is not obvious. Maybe it has been less than a month."


    Surprise was written all over Ning Qian''s face. She shook her head, "No way."


    After a short silence, Yun Shang said, "Give me the pills, and I''ll see if someone has tampered with the pills."


    Ning Qian rose to her feet at Yun Shang''s words. She too


    for a long time, but said nothing.


    Ning Qian stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, seeming somewhat fidgety. After a while, she continued, "What about I asked His Majesty to issue an order that no one is allowed to come in the Xiang Zhu Palace?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "If it''s a trick, then there must have been someone planted around you. What''s the use of locking the Xiang Zhu Palace?"


    Ning Qian sighed and sank back into her chair, downcast.


    They kept silent for a long time. Then Yun Shang continued, "There''s no other way now. We could only wait and see whether your pulse is true or not. During this time, you can think about who might plot against you."


    Ning Qian had no choice but to nod.


    Yun Shang stood up and thought for a while. Then she said to Ning Qian in a low voice, "I will go back and prepare something for you. After Qin Yi send it to you, you just sprinkle it on the people you suspect. By then, I will know whether there is something fishy."


    Ning Qian stood up and sent Yun Shang out. Ning Qian pondered for a moment before she whispered to Yun Shang, "Last night, I heard some report to His Majesty that there was some clue about the Eldest Princess. She should be hiding near the Jin City."

 Chapter 698 The Meaning Beyond The Emperors Words

    It''s been a long time since Yun Shang heard about the Eldest Princess. She smiled and said, "I thought she wouldn''t leave the Jin City. People like the Eldest Princess were so desperate for power. She wouldn''t go far if she thinks she still has the chance. But she is really daring. If she is caught by the emperor, I''m afraid she will suffer. "


    Ning Qian nodded. "But her plan was almost ruined by Your Highness. I''m afraid that she will take revenge on you. You are pregnant now. You must be careful."


    Yun Shang replied in a low voice and walked out of the Xiang Zhu Palace.


    Yun Shang stopped at the imperial garden. She was lost in thought. It wasn''t difficult to change one''s pulse, but it must be done from the food. Ning Qian was not careless person. The Xiang Zhu Palace was where she lived, and she wouldn''t put herself in danger. Her attendants must be people trusted by her, and she had faith in Ning Qian''s loyalty.


    Yun Shang''s eyes darkened. She pressed her lips and silently looked at the plum blossoms in the imperial garden. If someone could play tricks on Ning Qian who has been on alert and careful enough, the opponent could not be underestimated.


    Yun Shang was still immersed in her own thoughts when Qin Yi saw someone coming from a long distance. She quickly stepped forward, walked behind Yun Shang, and whispered, "Your Highness, His Majesty is coming."


    Yun Shang came to her senses and looked up. She saw that Xia Huanyu was still wearing the court uniform, followed by Liu Wenan and a few maids and eunuchs. It was too late to avoid him, Yun Shang walked up to him with Qin Yi.


    "Your Majesty." Yun Shang curtsied to Xia Huanyu.


    Xia Huanyu looked at Yun Shang indifferently and nodded slightly. "Get up."


    When Yun Shang got up, Xia Huanyu looked into the distance. "Did you just come out of the Xiang Zhu Palace?"


    Yu


    g the pills. It''s impossible for her to get pregnant. Besides, I took her pulse. The slippery pulse is not obvious, but the imperial physicians are very sure that Ning Qian is pregnant."


    Yun Shang lay back on her bench. She was silent for a long time before she sighed softly. "From Feng Ming to Lady Xian, and the war with the State of Yelang, as well as Ning Qian''s pregnancy, I always felt that someone planned this, and we were the target."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s shoulder with a smile, "So you are still upset about these things. Don''t worry. I''ve sent someone to investigate. They won''t have any chance."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. After a pause, she said, "His Majesty must be investigating the matter of the Eldest Princess. Ning Qian happened to hear someone report to His Majesty that she is around the Jin City."


    A murderous look flashed in Luo Qingyan''s eyes, and his smile grew colder. "Well, I always thought that she would not hide far away, but she is very good at hiding. We have many spies in the city, but she still didn''t get caught. She is really capable."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said with a smile, "Indeed. It''s not easy to hide one''s real ambition for such a long time."

 Chapter 699 The accountant (Part One)

    The next morning, Yun Shang and Xiao Yuanshan had breakfast together. After telling Xiao Yuanshan their plan, Yun Shang left Qin Yi in the mansion to attend to him. Then she called back Qian Zhuo to accompany them to the mansion.


    The Yun mansion was to the east of Jin City, which was a short distance of four hours'' drive. In addition, Qin Yi has covered the seat of the carriage with thick cotton and soft fox fur. It was comfortable to sit on it. Then Yun Shang slept all the way. They arrived at the Yuan mansion at noon.


    Luo Qingyan helped Yun Shang get off the carriage, but he frowned and glanced back from time to time. Yun Shang was puzzled. She turned to look at Luo Qingyan. "What happened? Is there anyone following us?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded and sneered, "They''ve been followed us all the way. I''ve been thinking whether I should send some secret guards to get rid of them."


    Yun Shang smiled as she listened to Luo Qingyan''s words. The displeasure was obvious in his tone. She said, "It doesn''t matter if they want to follow you. Yesterday you had a quarrel with Su Qi and was forbidden by the emperor to the morning court. You went straight out of the city to this manor today. There must be someone who might think that His Majesty must have assigned you some secret mission..."


    Luo Qingyan compressed his lips. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, he looked at her and said, "Do you think we should ignore them?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Leave them alone. If our secret guards kill them, the people behind them will convince themselves that their speculation is right. We''d better ignore them. We just relax and do what we want to do as we planned. In this way, they will be confused. Isn''t it better? "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words full of teasing, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laugh. He caressed Yun Shang''s long hair and said, "I agree."


    The servants in the mansion had been waiting for them at the gate for a long time. Seeing that the carriage stopped, they knelt dow


    hang said in a gentle tone. Steward Liu immediately responded and left. After they went out of the hall, Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief. She thought, ''His Highness deserves his reputation as a cold prince. He is really frightening.''


    The meal was not as rich as that in the mansion. But the vegetables really looked fresh and delicate. Qian Zhuo carefully tested them with a silver needle, and then helped pick up food for Yun Shang. Yun Shang felt that the food tasted much better than the food they bought and made her a good appetite.


    Looking at Yun Shang, Luo Qingyan joked, "I would have thought that I mistreated you in our mansion if I didn''t know you always have a good appetite."


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and said nothing.


    After dinner, Luo Qingyan came to the bedroom to rest, with Yun Shang in his arms. When Yun Shang woke up, Luo Qingyan had already got up and the bed curtain was put down. Outside came Luo Qingyan''s voice, as if he was ordering a secret guard, "I knew that. As soon as I left, He can''t stand it anymore. Keep an close eye on him, and report everything to me if there is something happening."


    After the secret guard''s reply, Luo Qingyan said, "You may leave now."


    After a while, Luo Qingyan''s voice came from outside the bed curtain, "Shang''er, you are awake?"

 Chapter 700 The accountant (Part Two)

    Yun Shang opened the curtains and looked at Luo Qingyan. "What happened?"


    Luo Jinyan hanged the bed curtain with a smile, and then sat down at the bedside. He touched Yun Shang''s tousled hair, and said with a smile, "It''s not a big deal. Steward Liu is already waiting outside. Are you going to get up?"


    Yun Shang nodded. Luo Qingyan fetched her shoes and helped her get up.


    Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to fix her dress and hair and then went out with Luo Qingyan. Steward Liu took Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang to the field himself. "It''s winter now. There are only radishes and cabbages, as well as some eggplants and garlics."


    Yun Shang nodded. She just liked walking in the countryside and having the rare leisure time. There were some farmers in the fields. Maybe it was Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang were so outstanding that everyone paid attention to them as they walked by.


    After they walked around for some time, Luo Qingyan said it was too cold outside and asked Yun Shang to go back.


    Yun Shang drank a cup of hot tea and said to Steward Liu, "I have been checking the account books these days. Did you change the accountant last month? I think the latest account book is particularly detailed... "


    Hearing this, Steward Liu smiled and said: "Yes, we have a new accountant thanks to Your Highness. A few days ago, a beggar woman was sent here by the butler. It surprised me that the beggar woman could read and write. Since the former butler happened to retire since his wife had given birth to a baby. So I asked the beggar woman to be the accountant."


    "Beggar woman?" Yun Shang was also confused. She turned to look at Qian Zhuo.


    Qian Yu thought for a while before she said, "She should be the beggar woman You Highness saw at the gate of Prince Rui''s mansion last time. The doorman said that the beggar woman always begged at the gate. The doorman thought it was not good for the reputation of our mansion, but he failed to drive


    er all the accountants for some training. I want you to be in charge of this. What do you think? "


    Hearing this, the old maid felt flattered. She hurriedly said, "It''s my honor to work for you, Your Highness."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang lifted the corners of her mouth a little. Then she dismissed them.


    After they left, Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan, "It''s really a coincidence. What do you think, Your Highness?"


    Luo Qingyan tapped his fingers on the armrest before he said gently, "She doesn''t know martial arts."


    Yun Shang nodded. Seeing she was walking with heavy steps, Yun Shang guessed that she should not know any martial arts.


    "The simple wooden hairpin she wore was made of aloewood." Luo Qingyan added.


    Yun Shang took up the tea cup while thinking. After a while, she said, "She also said that her family was well-off when she was in the Yue Qian City. Perhaps it is because the hairpin has some special meaning to her, so she begged along the way and was not willing to give up the hairpin? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and smiled, "maybe. But for safety, you''d better send someone to Yue Qian City to investigate whether there is such a person."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, turned around and said to Qian Zhuo, "Go arrange it later. The more details, the better."

 Chapter 701 Rain On The Plantain Leaves

    Yun Shang was indeed here to relax, but Luo Qingyan didn''t. Looking at Luo Qingyan, who had been commanding the secret guards all the time, Yun Shang found him a little funny. He seemed even busier here in the Yuan mansion.


    It was getting dark. After Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan had supper, Yun Shang went to bed early. Luo Qingyan was still reading a book under the light. Seeing that Yun Shang was looking at him, he smiled and said, "I''ve asked the secret guards to investigate something and they haven''t come back yet. I''ll wait a little longer. You should rest early."


    Yun Shang nodded to him. She raised her hand and put down the bed curtain. It was quiet in the room. It began to rain outside. The rain fell on the plantain leaves. The constant pattering of raindrops mingled with the sound of turning the pages, making her feel peaceful inside.


    Yun Shang soon fell asleep and only vaguely heard someone talking. She recognized that it was Luo Qingyan''s voice, then turned over and went on sleeping.


    She woke up in the middle of the night. There was no one beside her, and dim light could be seen through the bed curtain. Unknowing what time it was, she raised the bed curtain and looked at it. Luo Qingyan was still reading books under the light. Seeing that Yun Shang was awake, he was also a little stunned. He stood up and walked to Yun Shang, with a bit of apology. "But I''m sorry."Did I wake you up? "


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile, "I just had a dream, and woke up all of a sudden. ''what time is it now? Hasn''t the shadow guard come back? "


    "It''s 2 o''clock." Then Luo Qingyan sat down beside the bed and held Yun Shang on his laps. "My secret guard found the whereabouts of the Eldest Princess in the Jin City, and I have ordered them to follow up."


    "The Eldest Princess?" Yun Shang was surprised. She just heard the news from Ning Qian yesterday, and the Eldest Princess suddenly appeared today after they went out of the city. It''s such a coincidence.


    Luo Qingyan nodded. He slipped his hand through Yun Shang''s hair and said with a smile, "During our nap, the secret guard reported that they seemed to have found the traces of the Eldest Princess."


    "How did they find it?" Yun Shang frowned and asked.


    "The spy I install in the city found it. He saw the Eldest Princess appear in a rice store. She bought fifty pounds of rice and rode out of the city. The secret guard followed her all the way and found that she lived on a mountain outside the Jin city. It''s a thatched cottage provided for the hunters on the mountain where they went hunting. There were very few hunters going to the mountain in winter. She must have lived there for several days. " Luo Qingyan said softly.


    "And she is very vigilant. She raised a lot of strange birds outside the cottage. As soon as the secr


    yard with the accountant.


    Came steward Liu''s low voice from outside. Yun Shang heard the maid say yes, "Your Highness just got up and haven''t washed up."


    As Qian Zhuo is not good at making buns as Qin Yi and Qian Liu, Yun Shang asked her to make a simple Yun Ding Braids and put two white jade hairpins on it.


    After that, Yun Shang went out of the inner room with Luo Qingyan, and the breakfast was ready. Steward Liu and granny Ying greeted them promptly.


    Luo Qingyan looked as cold as usual, but Yun Shang was wearing a smile on her face. She asked them to stand up and sat down at the table. "You are early, aren''t you?"


    "Your Highness, It''s so rare that you could come here, so I want you to see our account book for this month," said Steward Liu.


    Luo Qingyan frowned. He put a pancake into Yun Shang''s bowl and said coldly, "Just put the account book aside."


    Stumbling all over, he dared not disobey. He put it on the table beside the chair, and hurriedly left with granny Ying.


    Yun Shang looked at them for a short while, and then looked away, as if nothing had happened. She smiled at Luo Qingyan and said, "Why such a long face in the early morning?"


    Luo Qingyan gave a brittle laugh. "How could they bother you with such a trifle early in the morning?"


    Yun Shang burst into laughter while hearing the words. She shook her head and looked at the two people walking out of the room. She picked up the pancake and took a bite, smiling, "This pancake tastes good. Have a try."


    In this case, Luo Qingyan had his breakfast in silence, and put some food in Yun Shang''s bowl.


    After breakfast, Yun Shang asked the servants to remove the table, and went into the room with Luo Qingyan. She said softly, "Granny Ying went out on a long trip last night, and she just came back. Do the secret guards have any way to find out where she went last night?"

 Chapter 702 Close Relationship

    Luo Qingyan was surprised. He turned to Yun Shang, "Why are you so sure?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "We walked around yesterday, and I noticed that the land in the Yuan mountain villa is all red soil, and the nearby places should be the same. Just now, I saw some yellow soil on the shoes of Granny Ying."


    "It has been raining all night. Although her dress was dry, her trousers were a little wet from under her dress, and the tips of her shoes were a little wet. Her hairstyle was the same as yesterday''s and even her hairpin was in the same position. Her hair end was also a little wet. I think that it was highly possible that she hadn''t slept at all last night." Yun Shang said in a low but firm voice.


    Luo Qingyan knocked on the chair gently. After a while, he said, "We didn''t set any spies around the mountain villa. Last night, except for those secret guards I sent out, the others were guarding around our room all the time. If she left the mansion without being noticed, it would take us some time to investigate where she went."


    After a pause, he continued, "But it''s not completely impossible. Let the secret guard have a try.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "I don''t know why she left. Let''s look into it first. It doesn''t matter if we can''t find it out. Maybe it''s just some personal reason. In addition, since it''s once, there must be a second time. We could leave someone here to keep an eye on her. Anyway, a fox cannot hide its tail."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and said nothing, pressing his lips.


    "Qian Zhuo, give me the account book they sent." Yun Shang ordered softly.


    Qian Zhuo walked to the outer hall, got the account book in, and handed it to Yun Shang after carefully examination. Yun Shang opened it and found nothing unusual, so she put it aside.


    After breakfast, Yun Shang didn''t feel sleepy. She took Qian Ying out for a walk. Last night, she went through the bamboo forest in front of the house, behind which was the front yard of the mansio


    d for us to meet His Majesty. It''s true that people could only hear the laughter of the new ones, not the crying of the old ones. No wonder Lady Xian could not wait to take action..."


    Yun Shang had no interest in their topic. When she was about to turn around and change a path, she heard another voice.


    "Lady Xian has also been in the palace for a long time and hasn''t got pregnant, but the Emperor still visits her occasionally. Poor us! However, that''s all because of Lady Shu. Lady Xian used to work for Lady Shu and always eat her toads. But it worth doing. If I had known it earlier that I could get favored by His Majesty, I would have been willing to do that. " There was a touch of self-mockery in her tone.


    "Yes, but there is nothing to envy. Now that Lady Shu and Lady Xian have all been sent to the Cold Palace, they are probably holding together and crying now. Although we are not favored by the Emperor, there are still some servants serving us. Our situation is much better than they are now."


    The moment she finished speaking, there were several laughter.


    Yun Shang frowned and turned away. She thought about the words of the concubines, and sensed something fishy. Why hasn''t anyone told her that Lady Shu and Lady Xian have such a close relationship? And it has never appeared in the information she had collected.

 Chapter 703 Good News And Bad News

    When they left the imperial garden, Yun Shang lost her interest. After a moment''s silence, she turned to Qian Zhuo, "Let''s leave the palace."


    Qian Yu glanced at Yun Shang and said gently, "Your Highness, do you want me to inquire about the concubine''s words?"


    Yun Shang stopped and thought for a while. Then she said, "Don''t bother to do the investigation. Help me search for some servants who have served Lady Shu and Lady Xian and the concubines who entered the palace earlier than Lady Shu. If there is, gather their information and give it to me."


    Qian Zhuo asked in a soft voice, "What do you want to do, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang smiled. "I haven''t decided yet. I just want to know the truth first."


    When Yun Shang went out of the palace, the carriage was still waiting for her. Luo Qingyan stood outside the carriage with his back towards Yun Shang. He seemed to be talking to someone.


    Luo Qingyan must have heard the footsteps, so he turned around. Yun Shang saw the person in front of him was Li Qianmo.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and walked to Luo Qingyan. Li Qianmo bowed to Yun Shang with a smile, "Lady Rui."


    Yun Shang nodded gently. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t look well, Luo Qingyan said goodbye to Li Qianmo and got Yun Shang into the carriage. The carriage was heading to Prince Rui''s mansion. Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms and whispered, "I thought it would be some time before you went out of the palace. But you came out so early. What happened?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head. "Nothing. I just went to the Weiyang Palace to greet the Empress."


    Luo Qingyan was surprised, "Didn''t you go to the Xiang Zhu Palace?"


    "No, I didn''t. I went to the Xiang Zhu Palace yesterday. I would draw attention if I went there too frequently." Yun Shang explained indifferently and didn''t mention what she had heard in the imperial garden. Thinking of Li Qianmo, she asked with curiosity, "What were you talking about with Li Qianmo just now?"


    Luo Qingyan had a smile in his eyes. "Li Qianmo saw our carriage parking outside the palace. He thought you were in it and came here to greet you. He said he planned to go to our mansion later and didn''t expect to see you here, then he threw a note into the carriage."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She reached out her hand and asked, "Where''s the note?"


    Luo Qingyan took the paper out of his sleeve and handed it to Yun Shang. Yun Shang asked while unfolding the paper, "So you denied and then got off the carriage to talk with Li Qianmo?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded. "Isn''t he your subordinate? Does it matter for me to talk with him?"


    Yun Shang smiled. It doesn''t matter, but Li Qianmo had always pretended to work for Lady Shu. Although she is now in the Cold Palace. Chatting with Li Qianmo at the gate of the palace might cause rumors.


    Luo Qingyan s


    to look for the medicine. I have also asked the doctors about the prescription. Infertility is usually caused by uterus, I can guess what medicine could be used to treat it. The prescription the Empress has received will not be much different from the one we sent in the palace... "


    Yun Shang closed her eyes. She smiled and patted on the armrest of the chair. She paused and said, "But she will definitely use our prescription, because the imperial physician will tell her that our prescription looks dangerous, but it will work sooner."


    "If it is not poisonous, there is no good for us." Qian Zhuo said with a look of confusion on her face.


    Yun Shang was in a good mood after hearing that. She smiled. "You will know later. That prescription is really a good thing for us."


    Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan about the matter of Lord Hua Guo as soon as he came back from the study. Luo Qingyan sneered, "Apologize? Is he daydreaming? "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing at his words. "Well, we''d better go to his mansion tomorrow. What if he really has something important to discuss with us?"


    "Something important?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "I still remember that every time he hurries to our mansion is just to ask someone to play chess with him. Oh, last time, he came here in a hurry just to compete with Grand Tutor Xiao."


    Yun Shang smiled and stopped discussing with Luo Qingyan. Early in the next morning, she took Luo Qingyan to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion.


    Luo Qingyan''s face darkened all the way, which made Yun Shang feel a little funny. When they got out of the carriage, they saw the butler rush out in a hurry and order the gatekeeper to prepare the carriage. Just after the order was finished, he saw Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang get off the carriage. He hurriedly ran to Luo Qingyan and said, "Your Highness, His Lordship is sick. I was just about to go to your mansion to report."

 Chapter 704 Poisoned

    Lord Hua Guo has been ill? Hearing that, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan both frowned. Yun Shang asked, "What happened? I heard from the servants that Lord Hua Guo had been to Prince Rui''s mansion yesterday. Why did he suddenly fall ill?"


    The butler answered hastily, "I don''t know, Your Highness. It was not until this morning that I found it. His Lordship has the habit of morning exercise, but he was still sleeping after 7 o''clock. I felt something was wrong and knocked the door. No one answered, so I pushed the door open and saw His Lordship looked pale with his eyes closed. He seemed to be suffering from great pain, and his body was cold. Besides, his pulse was weak."


    Yun Shang''s heart sank when she heard the butler''s words. She hurriedly said, "Please lead the way. I''ll go and have a look."


    The Butler answered yes, and led Yun Shang into the mansion. They reached a turret after a quarter of an hour''s walk. The butler led them to a room on the second floor, and opened the door for Yun Shang, "Please."


    The room is very quiet. The moment Yun Shang stepped into the room, she felt the scent of sandalwood. The furniture in the study were all black, which was quite different from Lord Hua Guo''s impression on her.


    Lord Hua Guo entered the bedchamber. It had the same style as the study. There were only two maids serving him in the room. Lord Hua Guo was lying on the bed, motionless.


    "Where is grandma?" Yun Shang looked around and didn''t see her, so she turned to the butler.


    The butler answered promptly. "I haven''t informed Her Ladyship yet. I''m afraid she is too weak to bear this. In fact, other masters are all in the court. The first thing I thought of was to report to your highnesses."


    Yun Shang nodded, walked to the bedside, and sat down. She raised Lord Hua Guo''s hand to feel his pulse, and frowned. After a long while, she put his hand down.


    "Are you alright, your highness?" Anxiety was written all over the butler''s face. Even Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang


    d me to bring him a brazier."


    "Felt cold?" Yun Shang repeated it in a low voice, "Is there anything else wrong?"


    Another maid immediately added, "His Lordship slept earlier than usual yesterday. His Lordship always sleeps around ten o''clock in the evening. But yesterday evening he went to bed before nine."


    Yun Shang nodded and asked again, "What did His Lordship do after dinner? And when?"


    The two maids thought for a while and answered, "His Lordship had dinner at 5:30 p.m. After the dinner, he accompanied Her Ladyship to take a walk in the courtyard. Then he went to the training ground at about 6:30 p.m. and came back at a little past 7 p.m. He took a shower and then read a book in the room. Then he went to bed at about 8:40 p.m."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Since Lady Hua Guo had the dishes with Lord Hua Guo and she''s been fine, and there was nothing wrong with the liquor, the dinner had no problem. Lord Hua Guo might get poisoned during the period of practicing martial arts, taking bath, and reading books.


    Yun Shang was about to go to the martial arts performing field when the doctor came. She was stunned when she found she had seen this doctor before. He was the man in white in the inconspicuous pharmacy in the San Cun Alley of the city. Yun Shang didn''t expect that he was working for Luo Qingyan.

 Chapter 705 The Poison of Fluffy Snow Lotus

    The man in white looked at Yun Shang calmly. It seemed that he had already known who Yun Shang was. He greeted her with a smile, "Your highness."


    Yun Shang quickly regained her composure and said, "Doctor, Please help check what poisoned Lord Hua Guo?


    The man in white nodded, walked to the bedside, observed and took a pulse for Lord Hua Guo. He turned to the maids and asked, "Has His Lordship eaten the snow lotus?"


    The maid was stunned. She seemed to have recalled something before she nodded. "Yes, His Lordship has some tonic soup every night when he comes back from the training ground. And the soup sent yesterday was just the snow lotus soup."


    "That''s it." The man in white stood up and said to Luo Qingyan, "there is a kind of plant looking similar to the snow lotus. It''s called fluffy snow lotus and it''s toxic. After being poisoned, the person will be as if he was frozen."


    When Yun Shang heard what the man in white said, it suddenly occurred to her that she had seen this kind of thing in a book and it was even rarer than a snow lotus. She didn''t expect that she would encounter this rare poison.


    "Is it life-threatening? Do you have any antidote? " Luo Qingyan didn''t care what the poison was. He only cared about whether the poison could be removed.


    The man in white hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I happen to have one of the most crucial herb to detoxify it. This poison is not fatal, but it is difficult to detoxify. Even if all the herbs are well prepared, it will take about two months to completely detoxify it. And there is no other way."


    The poison was not fatal, but it would take a long time to get rid of it. Yun Shang frowned. She figured out why the murderer chose this poison.


    The purpose was to prevent Lord Hua Guo from leading his army out. If Lord Hua Guo couldn''t lead the army, then Luo Qingyan was the only person who was able to lead troops and terrify Cangjue Qingsu.


    Yun Shang''s smile turned to a cold one. She raised her eyes and looked at Luo Qingyan who was lost in thought as well. He nodded at the man in white and said, "You go prepare the herbs to cure Lord Hua Guo."


    Then he turned to Yun Shang, "Lady Hua Guo hasn''t been informed yet, I''m afraid you have to bother to tell her."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. It would take about two months to recover. It was impossible to hide that long. Yun Shang glanced at Lord Hua Guo in the bed, turned around, and went downstairs to the yard where Lady Hua Guo lived.


    When Yun Shang arrived, she told her the whole story in detail without reservation. Lady Hua Guo looked pale when she heard that Lord Hua Guo was poisoned. After Yun Shang told the details, she gradually came to herself. She was silent for a moment before she said, "I always thought that no one is suspicious in our mansion, but I didn''t expect that I fell into the trap. It''s my fault. I felt sorry for Qingyan."


    Then she stood up and hurried to Lo


    paler than a while ago.


    Just then, Hua Yutong opened the curtain and came in. She was surprised to see Yun Shang and immediately walked to the bedside. She sat down and asked with a clear voice, "Shang''er, what''s wrong? Why are you looking so pale?"


    Yun Shang was surprised. She touched her face and asked, "Am I looking that pale?"


    Qin Yi opened her mouth but didn''t say anything. Only then did Lydia realize that she might have said something wrong. She just bit her lips and said, "Just a little bit."


    Yun Shang let out a soft sign. "Have you known Lord Hua Guo has been poisoned?"


    Hua Yutong was stunned. "Poisoned?"


    "What? Din''t you know?" Yun Shang opened her eyes wide and remained silent for a moment. Then she said, "Yesterday, Lord Hua Guo was poisoned. The physician found out that he ate something similar to snow lotus by accident. The poison was not fatal, but it was very troublesome to detoxify it. It would take at least two months even we could get all the herbs."


    A tinge of panic flashed across Hua Yutong''s eyes. She said hastily, "How could? I haven''t heard of it at all. I''ll go back to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion to have a look later."


    She paused for a while before continued, "But if it''s not fatal? Why are you so worried?"


    Yun Shang sighed slightly and smiled bitterly. "Tong''er, you might not kmow that the State of Yelang has been making trouble at the frontier a few days ago. Our soldiers and generals there have been suffering a lot. The Emperor has specially ordered Lord Hua Guo to lead the army to the frontier, in order to frighten those savages there. Everything has been ready, but Lord Hua Guo was poisoned all of a sudden. Now only His Highness could take the mission.


    Yun Shang forced a smile and continued, "But I''m pregnant now and I''ve been in poor health. I''ve always hoped that His Highness could be with me, but... The interest of the country is more important, and I don''t want to be his burden."

 Chapter 706 Heaven Bestows Upon Luo The Position

    Hearing that, a sympathetic look flashed across Hua Yutong''s eyes. She sighed and said, "Alas, how could Lord Hua Guo be poisoned at this time?"


    Yun Shang kept her head down and didn''t say a word. She looked quite dispirited.


    Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t look good, Hua Yutong didn''t want to disturb her. She comforted Yun Shang for a while and said that she would go to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Then she stood up and said goodbye. Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to send Hua Yutong out.


    After Hua Yutong left, Yun Shang uncovered the quilt and stood up. She walked into the bathroom to wash her face before coming out.


    In the afternoon, the secret guard came back He not only got the information that the Eldest Princess liked to copy others'' handwritings, but also found out something written by her from her palace.


    Yun Shang looked at it carefully and a sneer emerged at the corner of her mouth. "It''s really a good skill."


    When she took over the book, a piece of paper dropped from it. There is a poem written on it: A heavenly god in charge of the mountains and rivers. Heaven has bestowed upon me a wild and untamable nature. Able to summon the winds and the rain, I can easily maneuver nature. Full of knowledge and holding my liquor well, I''ve never fancied the position of power. I don''t even want to live in the Heavenly Palace, I would rather be enchanted in plum blossoms in Luoyang City.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes. She found out it was written by herself at the banquet held in the Eldest Princess''s palace. At that time, the attendant took away the paper and said that the Eldest Princess had invited a learned scholar to take an assessment...


    Her lips curled into a cold grin. It turned out the reason the Eldest Princess asked to take the paper away was to imitate her handwritings.


    "Heaven bestows upon Luo the position?" Qian Zhuo frowned and murmured.


    Yun Shang was stunned. She looked at Qian Zhuo and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    Qian Zhuo stuck out her tongue and pointed at the paper in Yun Shang''s hand. "I am not talking nonsense, Your Highness. It is written on the back side of the paper and it seems to be Your Highness''s handwritings..."


    Yun Shang was taken aback. She turned the paper over, and her heart skipped a beat. As Qian Zhuo had said, on the back of the paper, there were six words "Heaven bestows upon Luo the position" and the handwriting was exactly the same as Yun Shang''s.


    But these six words were definitely not from Yun Shang. She turned the paper over and looked carefully at poem, finding that all these six words could be found in the poem. The handwriting was the same as that of the poem Yun Shang wrote. Every line was identical.


    Yun Shang clenched the paper tighter. After a while, she sneered, "Good, very good."


    These were just six simple words, but the meaning the words conveyed was enough to represent a crime of treason. Yun Shang sneered.


    A trace of cruelty flashed across her eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "Ask the secret guards to arrest that old woman in Yuan mansion n


    o hear a snort from his mouth.


    "Sister-in-law is an excellent doctor. There must be a way to save brother, right?" The seventh prince''s voice was light, but full of irony.


    Yun Shang sighed. She bit her lip and said, "I have never seen such a strange poison before. I have especially investigated about the poison because ͬLord Hua Guo was poisoned yesterday. But it''s really difficult to find the antidote. Even if all the herbs are well prepared, it will take two months to completely detoxify. If the poison is not completely cleared, the person who is poisoned will not wake up. I just know some medical skills, but I have no idea about these poisons."


    Yun Shang looked a little anxious. She stood up and walked around the room before she raised her head and said to the seventh prince, "There is one thing I can''t figure out. In the afternoon, His Highness told me that the seventh prince asked him to have a meal in the Long Feng Tower. Could Your Highness tell me what happened during the meal? Why did His Highness get poisoned while you didn''t get any hurt?"


    The seventh prince narrowed his eyes and said with a cold smile, "Sister-in-law, are you blaming me for not protecting brother well?"


    "I don''t mean to blame you. But now that Qingyan is laying here lifelessly, as his wife, I just want to know why he has been poisoned." Yun Shang calmed down. She stared at the seventh prince.


    The seventh prince sneered, "I don''t know why. I ate all the food that brother had eaten, but I was completely fine..."


    While they were talking, footsteps came from the stairs outside. It seemed many people had come up together. Yun Shang turned around, holding Luo Qingyan''s hand tightly, and looked sad.


    The door was pushed open, but Yun Shang didn''t look back. She heard a hurried kneeling voice from behind, "Your Majesty..."


    Yun Shang seemed not aware of it. She just held Luo Qingyan''s hand tightly.


    After a long while, Xia Huanyu''s cold voice was heard, "Lady Rui, step aside and let the imperial physician take Prince Rui''s pulse."

 Chapter 707 The Woman Being Caught

    Yun Shang nodded and made way for the door. The imperial physician quickly walked to the bedside and carefully felt Luo Qingyan''s pulse. He also carefully looked at Luo Qingyan''s hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. After a moment of silence, he turned around and said, "Your Majesty, the poison of Prince Rui is exactly the same as that of Lord Hua Guo. It is the poison of fluffy snow lotus."


    Hearing the imperial physician''s words, Yun Shang kept silent for a long time before she turned around and knelt down in front of Xia Huanyu. She kowtowed heavily and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please help us find the murderer."


    Xia Huanyu''s gaze fell at Yun Shang''s back for a while and then said in a calm voice, "Then according to Lady Rui, who poisoned?"


    Yun Shang had no idea why Xia Huanyu asked her that question. Yun Shang meditated for a moment and replied hastily, "I don''t know who did this. I just heard that this fluffy snow lotus grows in the northwest part of the State of Yelang and it is hard to pick it up. It''s rare. I think we can find from the background of fluffy snow lotus. "


    "Really?" Xia Huanyu pondered for a while and asked Yun Shang, "Your Highness, who do you think is the most suitable person to investigate the whole thing?"


    Yun Shang frowned and a lot of thoughts flashed through her mind. The room was silent for a long time. Then she said, "I think a lot of things relate to it. Both Lord Hua Guo and Prince Rui are rae generals in the court. In the confrontation between the armies of the State of Xia and the State of Yelang, both generals who are likely to lead troops to battle were suddenly poisoned. It is really too strange, and should be thoroughly investigated. I don''t know much about politics. But when his majesty asks about this, I think it''s more appropriate for the seventh prince, Vice Minister and Mister Liu to investigate it together. "


    "Haha..." Xia Huanyu gave a chuckle with some vague meanings. After quite some while, he said lightly, "Do as Lady Rui said. Your highness, take the edict."


    The seventh prince kne


    , the light that came in faintly from outside dimmed and the door was closed.


    However, the man next to Yun Shang suddenly moved. He raised his hand, took Yun Shang into his arms, and bowed his head to kiss her on the forehead.


    The next morning, Qian Zhuo was waiting outside the door. Yun Shang glanced at the man who was lying beside her with his eyes closed, and a flash of smile appeared in her eyes. But she was pulled back again the moment she sat up.


    "Don''t you always like sleeping? Stay with me for a while. " A lazy voice came to her ears.


    Yun Shang could do nothing but let the man hold her tightly in his arms. Since she couldn''t move, she had to let him be. She closed her eyes and thought about taking a nap. When she finally woke up, however, it was already noon.


    Yun Shang hurried to get up. Although he was nominally poisoned, she still had a lot of things to deal with.


    Yun Shang stood up and turned to look at the empty bed. She thought for a moment, raised her hand to draw the curtains back. Not until the back part of the bed was out of sight did she call out, "Qian Zhuo, Qin Yi."


    Both of them rushed in. Qin Yi took out a coat from the wardrobe beside and helped Yun Shang to dress. Qian Zhuo walked quickly to Yun Shang, lowered her head and whispered, "Your Highness, Granny Ying was caught by us..." Her voice was full of excitement.

 Chapter 708 To See The Sun Again

    Yun Shang was surprised. She turned to Qian Zhuo and looked at her in astonishment. Although she had instructed the secret guards to catch the Eldest Princess, who was pretending to be the Granny Ying, at all costs, it was not an easy task. She knew that the princess had made adequate preparations as she hid herself under her eyes.


    Even though the princess didn''t expect that Yun Shang could know her identity so quickly, it was not easy to catch her.


    "How did you catch her?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Qian Zhuo was pleased and said with a smile, "That old lady is very crafty. so in order not to alert her, the shadow guard told her that it was her highness to send for her to guide other clerks in the Jin City.


    Of course Granny Ying believed, but when she just walked out of the Yuan mansion, she seemed to sense something was wrong. She told a lie that she needed to go back to get the account book and wanted to run away. And there were still forty or fifty people waiting for her outside. Unfortunately, she was not familiar with the setting of the environment. The shadow guards chased after her for a whole night and finally caught her. " Qian Zhuo face was full of smiles.


    Yun Shang grinned as she heard that the Eldest Princess was not familiar with the terrain. Qin Yi had helped Yun Shang dressed. She wore a long light green dress and a robe outside of the same color. Yun Shang sat in front of the dresser, picked up the sandalwood comb and handed it to Qin Yi. Then she said in a low voice, "The Eldest Princess, has run away."


    Qian Zhuo was still immersed in ecstasy when Yun Shang''s voice suddenly broke the silence. She stood still, and said with doubt, "No. the secret guards caught her after a day and a night."


    Yun Shang chuckled, "Qian Zhuo, who do you think is more familiar with the terrain of the State of Xia, the secret guard or the Eldest Princess and her people?"


    Qian Zhuo didn''t know why Yun Shang asked such a question. She quietly thought about it for a long time and answered sulkily, "The Princess and her people. But... "


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "What''s more, she is running for her life."


    Qian Zhuo lost her spirit when she hear


    s yellow, making her look like an ordinary woman who worked in the fields. However, the part under her neck was white and her skin was as smooth as milk.


    Yun Shang frowned and said, "your face and your head have been disfigured?"


    The woman repeatedly nodded and began to rub her neck, only to find that her skin turned a little red and that her face easily bulged because of not being smooth.


    Yun Shang looked at her and thought for a moment. Then she knew what the woman meant. She asked the woman, "The Eldest Princess made this for you with drug?"


    The woman hurriedly nodded, and anxiety filled her eyes. Yun Shang stared at her eyes, and found them familiar.


    Yun Shang thought carefully about the possible people in her mind, but she didn''t find anything. She then asked the woman directly, "Can you write?"


    The woman nodded.


    Yun Shang told Qian Zhuo to prepare pens and ink. Qian Zhuo was afraid that the woman might hurt Yun Shang, so she asked the shadow guard to protect Yun Shang. After a while, she came out with pen and ink.


    Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to put the pen and paper in front of the woman and asked, "Who are you? Write it down and show me... "


    The woman quickly took the pen and wrote something on the paper. Qian Zhuo had a curious look on her face. After a while, she stopped writing and raised the paper to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled when she saw her handwriting on it. There were three words on it, Lady Yun.

 Chapter 709 The Trap

    Yun Shang hadn''t recovered from the shock that the woman in front of her was Lady Yun, who had disappeared for a long time, when Lady Yun took back the paper and wrote a few more words on it. Then she held the paper up so that Yun Shang could see clearly. The handwriting of this time was illegible, especially the last two words - Save Qian Ling.


    Yun Shang stared at the words for a long time before she slowly raised her head and looked at the woman who claimed to be Lady Yun. Again she raised the corners of her mouth, and her eyes met the woman''s. Yun Shang didn''t dodge, but asked directly "Why?"


    Yes, why? The woman seemed to be confused by Yun Shang''s question. She was motionless for a long time without even a blink.


    Although Yun Shang''s smile was still quite cold, she was now a little more relaxed. She ordered Qian Zhuo to fetch a chair, and sat down opposite Lady Yun. Her voice was calm, "I think I know you well, Lady Yun. Maybe it''s because I grew up in the palace, I know very well what the women living in the palace are thinking. Therefore, after I arrived at the State of Xia, I kept a distance from the Imperial concubines. Lady Yun, you were one of the few that were intimate to me. "


    Lady Yun didn''t seem to understand why Yun Shang said these words. She just looked at Yun Shang blankly. Yun Shang smiled more brightly and went on, "but Lady Yun, you made me quite disappointed... "


    After being silent for a long time, Lady Yun slowly put away the paper and sat on the chair, lowering her eyes.


    Yun Shang ordered Qian Zhuo to find the antidote for dumbness as well as the liquid medicine for the facial disguise. Although the woman said she was Lady Yun, Qian Zhuo still did not trust her to stay in the same room with Yun Shang, so she stayed in the room and only gave the orders to the servants.


    Lady Yun kept sitting quietly all the time, so Yun Shang didn''t speak. About an hour later, the shadow guard found medicine Yun Shang asked for. Qian Zhuo took it over, fed an antidote pill to Lady Yun, then ordered someone to take some water, poured the liquid medicine to remov


    ath. Such strong poison must have entered her mouth to cause such a result.


    Yun Shang stared at the corpse of Lady Yun for a while, and then looked up at Qian Zhuo. She ordered, "Ask the shadow guard. Where did he get those two herbs for Lady Yun just now?"


    Qian Yin responded in a hurry. Then she called in the guard who had taken the medicine and inquired about it. The guard was surprised and quickly replied, "I got them from Qian Yin''s Magic Pharmacy, which was just opened last month."


    Yun Shang''s hand stopped while hearing those words, and her smile grew colder. She realized the Eldest Princess was much more difficult to deal with than she had imagined. How dared she make a move from Yun Shang''s own pharmacy so brazenly?


    Yun Shang wasn''t surprised how the Eldest Princess knew the Magic Pharmacy was her shop. Two months ago, the princess used to be the accountant of the mansions, where some common medicinal materials are planted, and of course there are related accounts to be recorded.


    Yun Shang stood up slowly and walked out of the room. She took a deep breath and felt a little relieved. She was about to order Qian Zhuo to send a message to Qian Yin, when she heard a knock on the door from outside followed by someone shouting, "Open the door! We are in charge of the cases in the Jin City. Someone reported that there is a murder here. Hurry up! Or we will break into it... "

 Chapter 710 The Enemy

    "Haha..." Yun Shang chuckled, with a touch of disdain in her smile.


    "Clean up the spot, and keep the corpse of Lady Yun." Yun Shang ordered calmly.


    Qian Zhuo was surprised. She turned to look at the woman on the chair in the room. "But if we don''t deal with it..."


    Before Qian Zhuo could finish her words, Yun Shang had gestured the secret guards to take her out of the yard quickly. Qian Zhuo paused for a while and said the last part, "We might be framed by others."


    However, Qian Zhuo always obeyed what Yun Shang said. Though confused, she quickly collected herself and ordered the secret guards to rearrange the yard. She asked the secret guards to keep a close watch on what happened in the courtyard. After that, she jumped over the wall behind the courtyard in a hurry.


    After returning to Prince Rui''s mansion, she lied down on the bench. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t look well, Qin Yi only served her a cup of tea in silence and stood quietly by her side.


    Sitting on the chair, Yun Shang suddenly burst into laughter, but her eyes were filled with coldness.


    The Eldest Princess was really an interesting woman, more resourceful and cunning than Yun Shang had expected. Yun Shang even her taking down the soldiers prepared by the Eldest Princess before owed to good luck.


    What kind of person was the Eldest Princess?


    At the thought, Yun Shang straightened up all of a sudden. That''s what she had neglected!


    As an old saying went, if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. However, after she had fought with the princess for so many times, her understanding of her was only a piece of paper that the secret guards found out when they lurked in the State of Xia.


    Ning Qian was recommended by the Eldest Princess, the Eldest Princess seldom contacted Ning Qian and hadn''t asked her to do anything, just like what she did to Lady Yun. Therefore, even Ning Qian was not familiar with the Eldest Princess


    shocked. She looked up at Luo Qingyan.


    "Maybe it''s because I''m the only outsider in the battle for the throne." His voice was surprisingly calm, which calmed Yun Shang down.


    Outsider.


    Yes, there must be fights in the Royal Court of the State of Xia, but there was also a balance between them, and they didn''t expect Luo Qingyan to appear.


    When Luo Qingyan suddenly got involved in this war, they all sensed danger. That''s why they worked together to get rid of Luo Qingyan at all costs.


    Yun Shang''s heart twisted. She looked at Luo Qingyan with unspeakable pity in her eyes.


    Luo Qingyan giggled. He gently patted Yun Shang''s back and smiled, "Yun Shang, are you scared?"


    Yun Shang calmed down as he still kept his voice as calm as before. She suddenly smiled. The smile on her face was so bright that it looked like a beautiful peony in blossom, which dazzled Luo Qingyan.


    "Why should I be afraid? Aren''t you with me?" Yun Shang moved closer to Luo Qingyan''s arms.


    Hearing that, Luo Qingyan froze and smiled as well. "Yes, we have nothing to fear as long as we''re together.


    After a while, Yun Shang raised her head and looked at Luo Qingyan for a long time before she said slowly, "Luo Qingyan, I''m ready and everything is ready. Let''s join each other and kill them together. How about that?"

 Chapter 711 The Military Maneuver

    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang, who was staring at him determinedly. Her eyes became particularly bright under the slightly dark bed curtain. A touch of warmth arose in his heart. He smiled, pulled Yun Shang into his arms, and then said with a loud voice, "All right."


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and smiled. She lay in Luo Qingyan''s arms and closed her eyes for a rest.


    Qin Yi was punctual. And two hours later, she did come to wake Yun Shang up. Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan, who was still on the bed, and smiled, "I seldom get up to see you still sleeping on the bed."


    Luo Qingyan turned around and looked at Yun Shang with a brighter smile, "I have to sleep for two more months." But it seemed that there was a hint of helplessness in his voice.


    Yun Shang got up and closed the bed curtain. Then she walked to the dressing table. Probably Qian Zhuo had heard Yun Shang''s voice, so she walked in from outside and said, "Your highness, the dead body of Lady Yun was sent back to the imperial palace. I heard that his majesty had ordered some coroners to make an autopsy of the corpse. Your highness, I''m afraid..."


    "What are you afraid of? We didn''t poison her," Yun Shang said calmly.


    Qian Zhuo sighed and said in a low voice, "I was just afraid that someone would deliberately frame you. I told you that we should have destroyed the body."


    Yun Shang was a little taken aback. She looked at Qian Zhuo from the bronze mirror, who was standing behind her, and smiled. "Even if someone has deliberately framed me up, so what? "It''s always my principle to play our enemy at their own game. Let''s not say that it''s not what we did. Even if we did it, I''m not afraid. "


    Qin Yi gradually calmed herself down and took a sandalwood comb from the dresser. Yun Shang said gently, "If we kept Lady Yun''s corpse at that time, it would easily be seen. In that case, it would be more difficult to escape the trouble, and what''s more, dealing with the corpse was also troublesome. If in the end someone found it, that would be a really unnecessary problem. Moreover, her hig


    , but her smile faded quickly. After a while, she asked, "Your highness, if Cangjue Qingsu really starts an attack, who will his majesty send?"


    "Who?" Luo Qingyan smiled. "If they are sure that I was indeed poisoned, the seventh prince will never let go of this chance. If he did collude with Cangjue Qingsu, it''s a good deal. Thus he will surely take the initiative to ask for his majesty''s order."


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell between Luo Qingyan''s eyebrows, and an idea came to her mind. "But if your highness takes the lead, and if you want..." Yun Shang paused before she continued, "I''m afraid it''s going to be much harder. The seventh prince is suspicious, so he must be very strict in the army. I''m afraid it''s not favorable for us."


    Yun Shang paused again and said, "How about I go to his majesty and recommend myself to the army?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan gave a quick glance at her and said in a low voice, "Nonsense. You are pregnant now, so you can''t go anywhere. You can just stay at home."


    "But..." Yun Shang bit her lips and didn''t say anything more. Then she had to smile and said, "All right. If the seventh prince takes the lead of the army, things will be much easier here. It''s a good opportunity to take Jin City."


    "If Lady Shu and the seventh prince have cooperated with each other, what do you intend to do?" Luo interrupted her with a smile

 Chapter 712 A Clue

    Yun Shang was slightly taken aback. Then she burst into a scornful smile. "The seventh prince thought he had controlled Lady Shu. But he seemed to have neglected that Lady Shu had a son, as Prince Qi wasn''t around. It is impossible for Lady Shu to plan and work for the seventh prince wholeheartedly. As I said before, she has a weakness. It will be the Wanshou Festival soon. Has His Majesty issued an imperial edict to ask Prince Qi back to celebrate his birthday? "


    "By convention, he should come back." Luo Qingyan answered in a low voice.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "I think Lady Shu will try every means to keep Prince Qi in Jin city. When Prince Qi was ordered to leave the Jin City, I said I would take advantage of him to restrain Lady Shu. Now it''s a good chance... "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and stopped asking any more questions. After thinking for a while, he said, "The eldest princess and the seventh prince are hard to deal with, but we will find a solution."


    Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang, who was still lost in thought, and pulled her to sit on the bed. Then he said: "In order to hide her identity, the eldest princess even dressed herself as a beggar. But she has been a noble princess all her life, she must have not been totally used to that kind of life. Think about it carefully. When she worked as an accountant in Yuan mansion, the hairpin on her head seems very simple, but it is very precious. Let''s start from here. "


    Yun Shang didn''t realize what he meant until she pondered over Luo Qingyan''s words. She ordered Qian Zhuo in a hurry, "Go to the Yuan mansion and search for the room where the eldest princess lived. Pay special attention to her tunics and socks, which are not conspicuous."


    Qian Zhuo, though not knowing what was going on, quickly ordered the secret guards to go.


    Luo Qingyan continued, "With the clue, we can start fishing and wait for the fish to get hooked..."


    "As for the seventh prince..." Luo Qingyan smiled, so unreadable that Yun Shang could not tell what he was thinking. "I''m not in a hurry. I''ll eliminate his allies first, and then see how long he can be arrogant."


    Yun Shang smiled too when she saw Luo Qingyan''s face. In Yun Shang''s eyes, Luo Qingyan was like a well prepared hunter who was staring at his prey. Instead of killing him, Luo Qingyan was going to getting rid of his companions one by one first, and enjoyed the flustered look of his prey.


    "You old fox." Her lips curled into a smile.


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, gently patted on Yun Shang''s head and chuckled, "you little fox."


    After laughing for a while, they took the map and sat on the bed to read it. The room was quiet. Both Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo smiled when they read the map.


    Luo Qingyan''s speculation was very accurate. He found the key point immediately. The next morning, Qian Zhuo went into the roo


    un Shang hadn''t been out of the room today, so walked Hua Yutong out of the yard and then return to the room after taking a walk in the yard.


    Luo Qingyan had already sat up. He was reading a book behind the desk. Seeing Yun Shang come in, he looked up, as if to study her face. After a long time, he looked away and said softly, "Fortunately, Shang''er is the only one in the backyard. I can''t imagine how it would be like with so many women sobbing and complaining."


    In a daze for a second, Yun Shang realized that Luo Qingyan must have heard what she and Hua Yutong said. Yun Shang gave an angry stare and said, "How could you eavesdrop girls'' talk?"


    "What are you talking about? I don''t want to hear it, but your voices are quite loud. And Lydia has been crying all the time. She is really annoying." Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows.


    Yun Shang smiled. Seeing that, Luo Qingyan had no intention to continue on this topic. So he continued, "The secret guards came just now when you sent Hua Yutong out. He reported that the Empress has arranged something in secret and is going to do harm to Ning Qian."


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "now Ning Qian is the target for all. She''s got the title of a consort and has conceived a royal baby within a year. Everyone in the palace must be watching her. The empress would definitely try to get rid of Ning Qian when her foundation was still weak just like what she has done to Lady Shu, so as to avoid endless troubles. But I wonder what the Empress is going to do... "


    Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang and said, "Ning Qian, you are wrong from the very beginning. If you want her to be alive, you should not try to guard against the Empress."


    Yun Shang was taken by surprise. She turned to look at Luo Qingyan who then continued with a smile, "What Ning Qian should do most is to let His Majesty know that she is still of value to him..."

 Chapter 713 The Investigation At Home

    ''Xia Huanyu?'' Yun Shang lowered her head and thought for a while. What Luo Qingyan said made sense. In the imperial household, although the Empress seemed to be in the charge, Xia Huanyu knew the tricks well. If he felt Ning Qian was still of value, he would find a way to protect her.


    "Ning Qian is bearing his child!" Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan, thinking that at least Xia Huanyu wouldn''t let anything happen to his unborn baby.


    "Unborn baby?" said Luo Qingyan with a sneer, "Xia Huanyu has never been short of sons. Think about it. The concubines in the imperial household are focusing on three things: to get Xia Huanyu''s favor, to bear his son, and to be close to his royal throne. He had many sons before and many of them died. If he cared about that, he should have tried to save them! "


    Yun Shang fell silent. When Luo Qingyan mentioned these three things, he added Xia Huanyu in front of them. If it was all because of him, it could only be put out by him.


    Yun Shang suddenly recalled the peaceful look on Xia Huanyu''s face when the Crown Prince of the State of Xia died in the State of Ning. A shiver ran down her spine.


    Just then, a maid''s voice came from outside, "Your Highness, the seventh prince, Lord Li, and Mister Liu want to see you."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan glanced at each other and then looked out at the door. They wondered if the three of them came together. Did they have any clue? Yun Shang thought for a moment, stood up and said gently, "I''ll go and see them."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t make a comment. He just said indifferently, "Keep some distance from Liu Yinfeng."


    Yun Shang was a little taken aback at his words, but then she burst into laughter...


    Yun Shang went out of the room and asked, "Where are they?"


    The maid answered, "The Butler has led them to the garden house."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. She was about to go out, when she saw Qin Yi come in and say to her, "Your Highness, are you going out? I''ll go and get an overcoat for her. It''s quite frosty and cold outside today. "


    Yun Shang nodded and left the room after Qin Yi helped her put on her cloak. Walking in the long corridor, they saw Xiao Yuanshan fishing outside the arbor with the butler.


    Yun Shang felt guilty as she was too busy these days and forgot that her grandfather still lived in the mansion. She thought for a while and went to greet Xiao Yuanshan, "Grandfather."


    Xiao Yuanshan looked up at Yun Shang with a smile on his face. After a long while, he said, "Go for your business. The guests are waiting for you."


    Yun Shang was surprised that Xiao Yuanshan knew there were guests waiting for her. She slightly nodded and smiled, "I will go fishing with Grandfather after meeting the guests."


    "Nonsense. I''m surprised that you still have the mood to go fishing with me after the accident. Isn''t it a good way to arouse others'' suspicions? You don''t have to look after me these days. Just do what you should do. " Xiao Yuanshan waved his hand. He t


    ye. Yun Shang also stood up to send them to the door in person. The seventh prince stepped out of the mansion first, and a servant led the horse. The seventh prince rode on the horse and bowed to Yun Shang before leaving on his horse. Li Qianmo waved her goodbye and left quickly. Liu Yinfeng stood beside Yun Shang. After a while, he said gently, "A Yun, take care of yourself. I see that you look pale. Have a good rest. I''m with you."


    Yun Shang was shocked at his words. It sounded casual but heartbreaking. Yun Shang was at a loss for words. Liu Yinfeng didn''t seem to care much about it. He smiled and walked out of the mansion.


    Yun Shang watched Liu Yinfeng get on his horse and leave. She stood at the door for a while before she turned around and went back to her mansion. Yun Shang''s heart beat a little faster about Liu Yinfeng. She was lost in thought, ''Maybe we need to talk it through. He is a talented, decisive man and takes good care of his loved one. He deserves a better girl.''


    Yun Shang felt guilty in her heart, which kept her poker face until she returned to her room.


    "What''s wrong?" Luo Qingyan sat up and looked at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang turned around and thought for a moment before she said, "I regret using Liu Yingfeng as bait."


    Luo Qingyan frowned at Yun Shang''s words. Just as he was about to say something, Yun Shang said, "Liu Yinfeng may have some sort of good impression on me, but he is indeed a nice person. I don''t like him. I don''t want to have anything to do with him. I also hope he can find a good wife. But now I have taken advantage of him. If anything happens to him because of this, I''m afraid I will feel guilty. "


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang, speechless.


    But Yun Shang didn''t expect that things would happen so fast.


    The next morning, a bodyguard reported: "Your ladyship, Mister Liu disappeared last night. The seventh prince and Lord Li have heard of the incident. The seventh prince has gone to the palace to see his majesty. "

 Chapter 714 The Chess Game

    Yun Shang was stunned. She kept silent and her brows puckered. At last, she satirized, "Why didn''t they also poison with the fluffy snow lotus, so that they could show that it was done by the same person?"


    Luo Qingyan kept staring at Yun Shang until she calmed herself down. Then he answered, "I guess it''s because Liu Yinfeng is a counsellor." He paused as Yun Shang was still confused. Then he went on, "A military general is easy to obtain, but a counselor is hard to find. Especially, such an outstanding counselor as Liu Yinfeng is more difficult to get.. Our enemy wanted to draw Liu Yinfeng into their side, so they didn''t poison him with the fluffy snow lotus, but took him away directly. "


    Yun Shang nodded and relieved a little. She told herself, ''Good, then. Now that we want to make use of Liu Yinfeng, we don''t need to worry about his life.''


    Qin Yi stood aside, listening to the conversation between they two. She observed the expression on Yun Shang''s face carefully. After a while, Qin Yi asked in a low voice, "I don''t know what the seventh prince and his majesty are talking about. What about asking someone to inquire Wang Wanzhi about it?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head, "It''s not the time to contact her yet. Being around the Emperor is as dangerous as accompanying a tiger. We''d better keep a distance from Wang Wanzhi so that she will be safer. As for the seventh prince... " Yun Shang said with a sneer, "I don''t care much about what he is saying to the emperor. After all, he has been hiding himself for more than ten years. It''s impossible for him to abruptly show his strength to the full."


    Qin Yi didn''t quite understand what Yun Shang was talking about, but she just nodded and didn''t say anything more.


    There was a long silence in the room. Then Yun Shang took out the account book of the mansion and read it.


    "Your highness, his majesty is calling," the housekeeper''s voice came from outside.


    Yun Shang was surprised. She looked up and exchanged a glance with Luo Qingyan. Then she asked with doubt, "Xia Huanyu? Why did he call me into the palace? "


    Some thoughts flashed through Luo Qingyan''s mind. He pondered for a moment before he said, "I''m afraid it''s related to the matter of poisoning. It doesn''t matter. You just need to remember to stay calm. Don''t talk too much. If he asks something that you don''t know how to respond, just say that you don''t know it."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and asked Qin Yi to find a slightly more grand-looking butterfly flowered brocade dress to put on, and outside she wore a satin fox fur pleated cloak. Then she had her hair combed into a Lingxu Bun with a long jasper edged flower hairpin. Everything getting ready, Yun Shang stood up and left the mansion with Qin Yi.


    Xia Huanyu summoned Yun Shang in the rear Hall of Taiji Palace. When she entered the rear Hall, she saw Xia Huanyu sitting on the chair, with a set of chess in front of him. And Liu Wenan was standing quietly beside him.


    Seeing Yun Shang come in, Liu Wenan coughed lightly and said, "Your majesty, Lady Rui is here."


    Yun Shang flashed a slight smile, and curtsied to Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty, Long live your majesty."


    Xia Huanyu raised his eyes from the chessboard and glanced at


    of your majesty as well as a supreme commander. He doesn''t have to fight in person. I think the seventh prince is physically weak, but he is smarter than anyone else in intelligence and strategy. "


    Xia Huanyu was about to speak when they heard footsteps. Both of them turned around and saw a eunuch walk in hastily. "Your Majesty, the Empress asks to see you."


    The empress also came for fun.


    Yun Shang smiled and raised her eyebrows.


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu frowned in an almost invisible way and said in a loud voice, "Call her in."


    Yun Shang rose to her feet to welcome the empress. She heard the faintest sound from her clothes coming from the doorway. Yun Shang lowered her head and listened to the footsteps as they approached. The empress paid her respects to Xia Huanyu.


    Yun Shang bowed to the empress as soon as Xia Huanyu asked her to straighten up. "Nice to see you, your majesty."


    "Oh?" the Empress sounded a little surprised at seeing Yun Shang there, Lady Rui is here? "


    Yun Shang was amused by her words. She had been in the palace for an hour, and had already finished a game of chess with his majesty. The Empress, of course, should have been informed of Yun Shang''s arrival, so her surprise revealed her affectation.


    "Hm, I summoned her to the palace. Prince Rui has been poisoned for a few days. I ask her about the situation and play chess with her, " before Yun Shang could answer, Xia Huanyu replied.


    The empress was suddenly enlightened and asked, "Is Prince Rui all right? The person who poisoned is really too arrogant, so we should find out the truth and give her a certain punishment as soon as possible. "


    Yun Shang replied, "His highness is still in a coma, but he won''t be in danger."


    The empress said softly "Oh", and before she could say anything, Xia Huanyu said, "the Empress is in a hurry. What''s the matter?"


    The empress glanced at Yun Shang and smiled. "I''ve heard that the State of Yelang has been very arrogant at the frontier these days. Now that Lord Hua Guo and Prince Rui have been poisoned, his majesty has not yet found someone to lead the troops out. That''s why I''m here. I have a recommendation... "

 Chapter 715 The Competition

    "Really?" hearing this, Xia Huanyu didn''t replied positively. He just looked up at the Empress and then turned to Yun Shang. "The game is not over yet. Lady Rui, let''s sit down and continue."


    Yun Shang was stunned. She didn''t expect that Xia Huanyu would reject the Empress so obviously. When she came to her sense, she sat down in a hurry, quickly picked up a white stone and put it down on the board.


    The Empress'' face changed slightly, but she recovered quickly. With a smile on her face, she said softly, "My younger brother, Su Ruhai, is a third grade general in the court. Besides, he has been training new recruits in the military camp outside the city these days. I think that he has fought a lot in the army before, so he is rich in experience. And Yan''er also appreciates her uncle... So why not let him lead the army this time? "


    After taking a calm glance at the Empress, Xia Huanyu turned his head and said, "There is no need for the Empress to worry about that. I have already had somebody to choose."


    The smile on the Empress'' face quickly faded a little. She clenched the handkerchief with more mightiness and asked in disbelief, "You have found a suitable person? Is there another general in the court who can lead the army to fight? "


    "I have my own plans," Xia Huanyu replied in a cold voice. He paused and sneered, "The Empress has been in charge of the imperial household for many years, and of course, the imperial household is managed in an orderly way. But why did Empress He deliberately make such a mistake? The concubines in the imperial household can''t interfere with state affairs. It''s an important law left by my ancestors... "


    The Empress'' face turned pale. She panicked. "I''m sorry, your majesty. Please pardon me."


    Xia Huanyu put down a stone on the chessboard. The sound of the chess pieces falling on the chessboard was particularly clear in the empty hall. "Considering this is your first time, I''ll let you go this time. If it happens again, don''t blame me for not reminding you," Xia Huanyu said lightly.


    The Empress bit her lips so hard that they turned pale, but she still stared at Yun Shang coldly. Yun Shang smiled bitterly. Xia Huanyu, however, did not avoid her presence and embarrassed the Empress in front of her. Yun Shang was afraid that the Empress would put the blame on her. Thus she would live a hard life in the future.


    "Anything else, your majesty?" Xia Huanyu said to the Empress in a plain tone.


    The Empress'' face froze. She lowered her head and said softly, "No. I''ll leave now."


    Xia Huanyu replied in a low voice. The Empress did another small curtsy, but her eyes fell on Yun Shang again. "Lady Rui hasn''t been in the palace for a long time. How about coming to the Wei Yang Palace later to have lunch before going back home?"


    Yun Shang was alarmed by her words, but she had to reply submissively, "Yes, I will. Thank you, your majesty."


    Then the Empress retired.


    Yun Shang was thinking about how to deal with the situation later, so her mind was not on the chessboard. After her making a few more wrong steps, Xia Huanyu looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "Are you being distracted? Why? "


    ''You should know why?'' Yun Shang thought. She flashed a wry


    estaurant, Qian Yin opened a Xiao''s Restaurant selling the same things, but the business was inferior to Wang''s.


    Yun Shang frowned. As soon as she returned to the mansion, she ordered her maids to send for Qian Yin.


    As soon as she entered the mansion, she saw Luo Qingyan sitting in the room with a book in his hands, but his eyes peeping from time to time. He didn''t stop frowning until he saw Yun Shang coming in.


    "Did he make trouble for you?" Luo Qingyan stood up, walked to Yun Shang, and asked softly.


    Yun Shang shook her head and smiled, "No, but he asked about you. He said he knew from the seventh prince that I was suspicious of the State of Yelang and asked me about it. He also asked me which general should be sent to the frontier to lead the army since the generals who had been planned to send were poisoned? "


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment before looking up at Yun Shang. He asked, "what''s your answer?"


    Yun Shang smiled. "Didn''t your highness say that the seventh prince might want to lead the army and collude with the State of Yelang to show himself off so that he would turn around his weak image? So I recommended the seventh prince to the Emperor... "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, "The seventh prince? Now that you have recommended him, how are you going to deal with him? "


    Yun Shang walked to the couch and sat down. She shook her head and said, "I didn''t think too much. I just feel that even if I didn''t do that, the seventh prince might probably have asked Xia Huanyu to let him lead the army. If he leaves the city, I just think it''s a chance for us. "


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan sighed and patted Yun Shang on the head, "You..."


    He paused for a while and continued, "That''s really a good chance. If we can find the evidence of collusion between Cangjue Qingsu and the seventh prince, the seventh prince will be in trouble."


    Yun Shang smiled at Luo Qingyan, "I knew your highness is able to deal with it."


    Luo Qingyan sat down next to Yun Shang and held her waist. Just before he spoke, a maid came from outside and reported, "Your Highness, Miss Qian Yin asks to see you."

 Chapter 716 Candidates of The Commander

    Yun Shang patted Luo Qingyan''s hand around her waist and stood up with a smile. "Go to bed and pretend to be unconscious."


    Looking at his empty hand, Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly. "Qian Yin is your confidant. It doesn''t matter."


    Yun Shang glanced at him coldly and then asked Qian Yin to come in.


    As Qian Yin raised the curtain and came in, she saw Yun Shang standing beside the bench, and Luo Qingyan leaning against it. She paused for a moment, and then quickly walked up to Yun Shang and bowed to her. "Your Highnesses."


    Yun Shang walked to a desk and sat down before she spoke up, "On my way back to the mansion, I noticed that many Xiao''s shops has been opened for business which sell the same items as the Wang''s shops do as I instructed. You''ve done it really quickly." Is the price of the items lower than that of the Wang''s? "


    Qian Yin hurried to answer, "Yes, all the items are cheaper than those of their shops, but not too much. The price of inexpensive ones are about 3 or 5 pennies lower while the expensive items are two taels of silver cheaper."


    "I have observed carefully all the way, only to find that although we offer lower prices, our business is not as good as the Wang''s. Is that true? What''s going on? " Yun Shang asked again.


    Qian Yin nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness is right. I have also been paying attention to it recently. A few days ago, I had someone inquire around in the street. Most customers still prefer the Wang''s as it''s been a time-honored brand people in the Jin City are familiar with. They don''t want to risk just for a small price difference from the Xiao''s.


    Hearing what Qin Yin said, Yun Shang fell silent. She should''ve expected that people would grow bond with the shop they frequently visited and become loyal to some certain brand.


    Once they got used to it, it''s not easy to change their habit.


    "Do you have a solution?" Yun Shang looked up at Qian Yin and asked softly.


    Qian Yin kept silent for a while before responding softly, "Well... I have come up with some ideas. I think we could make some more trouble for them as we did last time, to totally ruin the reputation of the Wang''s."


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "Wang Congwen and the seventh prince have colluded with each other. If we use the same trick, he might find out that I am behind that fabric incident. In this way, he will know that the Xiao''s is mine. If he invents a charge against us, it will be difficult for us to regain everything we have in the Jin City as we don''t have a deep foundation."


    Qian Yin replied in a low voice. After a while, she smiled and said, "Your Highness, these days I''ve noticed that there are many businessmen in the Jin city who travel between the two countries for trade. Recently, the news that the State of Yelang harasses the people at the border of the State of Xia and wants to start a war has provoked a lot of public indignation. And His


    eventh prince, I can foresee that something terrible will happen. Xia Huanyu does have a brilliant tactic."


    "Although I don''t know why Xia Huanyu made such an arrangement, I know that they can''t win this battle. If he wins, the Su clan will be more powerful, which is the last thing Xia Xia Huanyu wants to see." With hands under his head and feet crossed, Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes and looked very relaxed.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan, "It seems that everything is under Your Highness'' control?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded gently, "I won''t let you down. Just wait and see."


    At the moment, another thing suddenly occurred to Yun Shang. "The eldest princess..."


    Have the secret guards ordered to investigate the whereabouts of her got any news?" Hearing Yun Shang mention the eldest princess, Luo Qingyan turned to her and hastily asked.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while before she shook her head. "I''ve been so busy recently that I almost forget it." Then she turned to Qin Yi and asked, "Where his Qian Zhuo? Send someone for Qian Zhuo and I''ll ask her about the matter."


    Qin Yi received the order and exit.


    After a while, Qian Zhuo hurried into the room. "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. "How is the investigation going? Have the secret guards found any clue through the clothes and hairpins you got from the Yuan Mansion?"


    Qian Yin shook her head and said, "I''ve placed secret guards in all the stores selling those items, but there''s no news yet."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. After a long time of silence, she said, "It''s really an ineffective method..."


    Patting on the armrest of the chair, Luo Qingyan frowned. "It''s hard to look for a needle in a haystack."


    Yun Shang contemplated for a moment and said, "I want to start from the Palace. What do you think, Your Highness?"


    "From the Palace?" Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, he asked, "You mean Lady Shu?"

 Chapter 717 A Plot In A Plot (Part One)

    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "After Lady Shu was sent to the Cold Palace, I sent many people to monitor her. I used to find that there was a man in black who came into contact with her, but as he was not weak in Kung Fu, our secret guards weren''t able to follow him. I think now that Lady Shu has joined hands with the seventh prince and Lady Xian is also in the Cold Palace, it''s normal for them to have news delivered among themselves. Since the seventh prince is determined to go to the frontier, I''d like to stop the person who sent the news, and then replace him with our people. "


    Luo Qingyan lost in thought while knocking on the chair lightly. After a while, he said, "Try it as you said."


    "Then your highness will lend some powerful secret guards to me. I''m afraid that my guards will lose those messengers again. Actually I''m not afraid of losing them. What I''m afraid of most is not only losing the secret messengers, but also alerting the enemy," said Yun Shang smiling at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. He replied, "That''s exactly what you wanted to do when you told me this. All right. It''s up to you. The best secret guards in my hands are all by your side. "


    Yun Shang had supposed to be joking, but she did need one or two secret guards with higher martial arts. Yet she didn''t expect Luo Qingyan to answer her like this. Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat as if someone had scratched it. After a while, she said softly, "Okay, I see."


    Just as the two of them were talking, Qin Yi came in from outside and reported in a low voice, "Su Qi is here."


    Yun Shang was stunned at the news. She stood up and said to Luo Qingyan, "You can go back to bed f


    ss pieces were scattered on the chessboard. Xiao Yuanshan held the white piece, and Su Qi held the black stones.


    Although they had only played less than ten moves, the style of the two was somewhat obvious. Yun Shang was familiar with Xiao Yuanshan''s chess style. He was gentle and didn''t take risks to advance, but Xiao Yuanshan was good at observing and predicting. He first carefully observed the opponent''s chess style, and then predicted the opponent''s next step or the next few steps. Then he set up the trap first.


    As for the chess style of Su Qi''s...


    Yun Shang smiled faintly. Different from many chess players, Su Qi used a very strange method. He had been following Xiao Yuanshan''s steps, intending to determine every move of his.


    However, what Su Qi didn''t know was that such a method was too traceable, and it happened to give Xiao Yuanshan a chance.


    After watching for a while, Yun Shang knew that the winner was determined, so she looked away indifferently. She thought that the reason why Su Qi came here today must be not only to learn chess skills. ''However, what exactly did he want...'', Yun Shang asked herself.

 Chapter 718 A Plot In A Plot (Part Two)

    "Thank you." Xiao Yuanshan''s voice came lightly. Yun Shang looked at the chessboard again. The black stones had won, and almost ate half of the white stones.


    Yun Shang saw a flash of cruelty in Su Qi''s eyes, but it was quickly concealed. Su Qi laughed, "Ha ha, Mr. Xiao''s chess skills are really extraordinary. No wonder even his majesty praised you. All right. If I continue to go on playing, I will humiliate myself. I bow to your superior skill. "


    Xiao Yuanshan nodded without even raising his head.


    The expression on Su Qi''s face changed again. He stood up and said, "Since I am already in Prince Rui''s mansion, it''s unreasonable not to visit him. Although Prince Rui probably doesn''t care about it now, the etiquette still has to be done. "


    Yun Shang stood up with a smile.


    Xiao Yuanshan raised his head and said, "All right. Let''s go."


    Yun Shang walked in the front and took the two people back to their yard. As soon as they entered the yard, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. The secret guards in the yard seemed to have been removed a lot. It should be Luo Qingyan''s order. Without stopping, Yun Shang turned around and whispered politely, "Please, Field Marshal."


    Su Qi and Xiao Yuanshan entered the room together.


    The screen in the room was opened, but the bed curtain behind the screen was still there. Yun Shang asked Qin Yi to put away the screen, and everyone saw what was happening on the bed.


    Luo Qingyan lay quietly on the bed. His face was snow-white, and his eyebrows and eyelashes were covered with frost. Even the tip of his hair was a little white, as if he was frozen by ice and


    definitely abandon Lingxi and attack Cangnan. But now Qingyan has announced that he was poisoned. I know you must suspect that Xia Houjing and Cangjue Qingsu have colluded with each other. If this is true, when Xia Houjing goes out to fight, Cangjue Qingsu will at most pretend to attack Lingxi, but both of them will not really use a killing move. But the situation is that since Cangjue Qingsu has already gone out and he is at the frontier. will he be willing to return without any achievement? "


    Yun Shang''s face darkened. "He won''t. He will abandon Lingxi and attack the south of the State of Noing."


    Luo Qingyan knocked on the armrest of the chair in silence.


    Xiao Yuanshan''s eyes fell on Luo Qingyan''s face. He looked at him up and down for a moment and said, "Qingyan, have you come up with a solution?"


    Luo Qingyan raised is head, with a serious look in his eyes. "Mr. Xiao, please send a letter to his majesty and ask him to dispatch troops to be on guard, but don''t worry too much. Cangjue Qingsu must have no time to attack the south of the State of Ning."

 Chapter 719 Attending The Banquet

    Yun Shang didn''t know why Luo Qingyan was so sure, but his confidence calmed her down. Since he said there is no need to worry too much, he must have a point.


    Xiao Yuanshan looked at Luo Qingyan for a long time before he stood up and said goodbye to them.


    After Luo Qingyan left, Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms, bent down and kissed her softly. Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan and finally asked what had been bothering her, "Do you have a backup plan?"


    Neither nodding nor shaking his head, Luo Qingyan beamed and replied, "You''ll know when the time comes."


    Yun Shang squinted at Luo Qingyan, the man who always wears a long face in front of others but smile a lot when he is with her. Staring at the faint smile on his face, she couldn''t help saying, "Uncle, has anyone ever said that you look like a fox when you smile?"


    Only when Yun Shang was in a good mood would she call Luo Qingyan uncle like a spoiled child. Luo Qingyan squinted at Yun Shang with a bigger smile, "You are the first one..."


    Yun Shang thought he meant that she was the first one to say that he smiled like a fox, but Luo Qingyan continued, "who''ve seen me smiling like this."


    Yun Shang was stunned for a while before she realized what Luo Qingyan was talking about. Her heart softened as if she had eaten countless osmanthus cakes.


    There was hardly ten days to the Wanshou Festival. In the letters sent by Cangjue Qingsu, it was said that he had passed the border. He even wrote to Xia Huanyu about the local customs of every city he had passed by in detail. However, the letter from the secret guards to Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang reported that Cangjue Qingsu had stopped at the Mohuai, the city next to Lingxi, where about one hundred thousand soldiers of the State of Yelang was stationed.


    Xia Huanyu must also have received the news.


    Most of the soldiers of the State of Xia were stationed around the cities so that they could be gathered at any time. The provisions had been prepared early and taken the lead. The seven princes and Su Ruhai went out with only a few thousand guards. They might have left overnight and almost no one noticed them.


    For three or four days in a row, the two of them did not go to the court. The explanation given by Xia Huanyu was that they were preparing for the expedition. It was not until the sixth day that some people gradually sensed that something was wrong.


    Now that someone had discovered it, Xia Huanyu didn''t hide it anymore. He announced that there was someone deliberately causing trouble at the border, destroying the friendship between the State of Yelang and the State of Xia, and that has ordered tthe seventh prince and Su Ruhai to lead troops to frighten them.


    Everyone was aware that something was wrong, when Qingsu, the Emperor of the State of Yelang, who had been delivering the letters all the way and friendly saying that he was already on the way for the Wanshou Festival, had been delayed for a l


    ress is here." Hearing the singing tone of the eunuch announcing the Empress'' arrival, Yun Shang stood up with the other ladies in the hall.


    Soon, Su Ruji appeared in front of everyone. She was wearing a scarlet phoenix robe and a golden phoenix crown. Her makeup looked delicate and flawless.


    Everyone hurriedly knelt down and bowed, "Your Majesty."


    "Rise." Su Ruji said indifferently, "It''s just an ordinary banquet today. You don''t need to be so formal. Take your seat."


    There was a touch of mockery in Yun Shang''s smile. The Empress wore a phoenix robe and a phoenix crown at an ordinary banquet?


    The Empress'' eyes swept over the people in the hall and paused on Yun Shang for a while before she said with a smile, "Tomorrow is the Wanshou Festival. By convention, the imperial household will have a small party before it, and this year is no exception. During this period of time, all the officials, as well as envoys from other countries have sent me many good birthday gifts to the Emperor. His Majesty is so kind that he has given me many good things. I can''t use them all. Today, I will show them to everyone. If you like any of them, just tell me."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled slowly. The Empress is like a favored wife who is showing off in front of the concubines.


    But Yun Shang still didn''t understand why she was invited to such a banquet?


    While she was thinking, the empress looked at her with a smile. "The red coral bracelet given by Lady Rui a few days ago is also very exquisite. I heard that the State of Ning boasts many resources and treasures. As the princess of the State of Ning, Lady Rui must have a lot of experience in appreciating treasures. I have some said-to-be rare treasures I have never seen before. That''s why I specially invited Lady Rui here.


    The expression on the empress''s face was very soft, and her voice could be considered gentle. However, a thought almost immediately emerged in Yun Shang mind: There is a trap.

 Chapter 720 The Hairpin

    However, Yun Shang still stood up slowly. The smile at the corners of her mouth was exactly the same as that when Luo Qingyan smiled occasionally in front of others, with a bit of indifference and alienation. But her voice was still gentle, "I''m really terrified that her majesty thinks highly of me, but I''m afraid I''ll let you down. Although I''m the princess of the State of Ning, I was sent to a temple to rest because of my poor health. As a result, I don''t know anything about treasures."


    The Empress still looked indifferent, as if she hadn''t heard Yun Shang''s refusal. She only ordered the servants beside her, "Go and take out all the things sent here by his majesty today."


    The other concubines seemed to notice that there was something wrong with the atmosphere in the palace, so they just did what they should do silently without saying anything.


    After a long time, Ning Qian''s voice was heard in the hall, with a bit of regret, "Oh, no, I forgot that his majesty said that he would have dinner in the Xiang Zhu Palace today..." Then she turned to look at the maid behind her, "Qian Xin, go to the Taiji Palace and tell his majesty that her majesty is giving a banquet today and I''m not eating in the Xiang Zhu Palace."


    The Empress turned around and glanced at Ning Qian. There was a touch of irony in her eyes, but she didn''t say anything. Qian Xin nodded slightly and walked out of the main hall of Weiyang Palace quickly.


    After a while, the servants came up with several plates. With a row after a row, the plates were covered with cloth, making it difficult to see what was under the cloth.


    Yun Shang still kept her head down, and the light in her eyes changed. She kept thinking about the Empress''s intention.


    Then the Empress asked the servants to remove the cloths on the plates one by one, revealing the things underneath while she told people present the origins of the things in a soft voice, and gently asked all the concubines if there was anything they liked.


    "It is said that this South Sea black pearl is the biggest black pearl that has been found so far. Its color is even, bright and flowing. It is breathtaking. Does anyone like it? " The Empress chuckled.


    A concubine, who was not at a high grade, looked up and seemed to be completely attracted by the Pearl.


    Seeing this, the Empress smiled and said softly, "It seems that Lady Lu


    d, "It can''t be wrong."


    Ning Qian frowned. It was too eye-catching for both of them to stand there. She pulled Yun Shang by the hand and walked together towards Xiang Zhu Palace while asking "Something happened to Lady Jin?"


    Yun Shang didn''t respond. After a while, she said, "His highness and I have sent many secret guards to protect my mother in secret, and my father won''t let anything happen to my mother. It will take a long time to get the hairpin from the State of Ning to the Empress'' hand. Besides, I haven''t received any news from the secret guards about it yet. Thus, I believe that my mother is fine. "


    Qin Yi bit her lips and said, "But the hairpin..."


    Yun Shang sneered, "Eighty percent of it is the Empress'' scheme. The hairpin was indeed my mother''s. The Empress had been checking my reaction just now, but she didn''t do anything to me after she saw that my reaction was cold. She probably thought that if I looked at the hairpin, I would be in a mess. The State of Xia and the State of Ning are so far away. Even if I send someone to investigate, it will take a lot of time. I may not be able to wait. I think she is waiting for me to take the initiative to find her.


    As for the hairpin..." Yun Shang paused for a moment, and then went on saying, "It''s not uncommon for a servant to secretly take her master''s jewelry to the market. Maybe the Empress had just got it luckily."


    Yun Shang''s voice sounded a little anxious, but she kept analyzing in her mind. Her guess must be right, she believed. She told herself, ''Mother will be fine. She will be fine.''

 Chapter 721 Secret Affairs In The Palace

    When Ning Qian and Yun Shang hurried to Xiang Zhu Palace in the rain, they didn''t see Xia Huanyu. Ning Qian frowned and looked up at the attendant standing quietly aside. "Where is His Majesty?"


    Hearing this, the servant replied in a hurry, "Your Highness, His Majesty has just been sitting in the palace before leaving in a hurry when the female official came to report that there was an urgent report from the frontier.


    Urgent report from the frontier? Yun Shang frowned slightly. Has Cangjue Qingsu taken actions?


    Ning Qian sighed and turned to Yun Shang, "His Majesty has left, but I don''t want to go back to the bleeding banquet in Weiyang Palace. Your Highness, since you''ve been pregnant, it''s not safe for you to return to your mansion in the dark and rainy night. Just rest in my palace tonight. Perhaps it was because Ning Qian was so annoyed in the Wei Yang Palace just now that she became a little irritable.


    Rest in your palace? Yun Shang shook her head slightly. "If I sleep here tonight, people may gossip about me tomorrow. Don''t worry. I have many secret guards around me. I''ll be fine. "


    Ning Qian looked up at Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, she said, "If the Empress knows that you are leaving the Palace now, I''m afraid it''s not appropriate. Why don''t you stay for a while? I''ll ask the servants to prepare some cakes. You didn''t eat anything in the Wei Yang Palace just now."


    It was raining heavily outside. The raindrops dripped from the eave and splashed, even wetting the ground under the eave. Ning Qian frowned and asked the servants to close the door.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and nodded. She walked to a chair and sat down. She took out the hairpin from her sleeve and looked at it carefully.


    "Do you have any plan?Your Highness." Ning Qian kept looking at Yun Shang and asked.


    Plan? Gently stroking the hairpin in her hand, a cold grin crept onto her face. "I''m going to beat her at his own game." I''ll just act as the Empress expected. She thought that I would be panicked when I saw the hairpin and knew something might''ve happened to my mother. Now she might think I was just pretending to be calm in the Weiyang Palace and I might be overwhelmed by the sudden change with no one to discuss with and rely on as His Highness is still in coma. I''d like to see what she''s up to."


    After a brief pause, she looked up at Ning Qian and asked, "To which concubines the Empress has closely connected recently?"


    Ning Qian thought for a while before answering, "Among the five candidates for female officials the Empress personally selected from the new ladies, only Wang Wanzhi has been chosen by the Emperor. But, the other four often visited Wei Yang Palace recently. And I''m afraid that the Empress has spent so much energy that the four ladies have been conferred the title one after another. The lady named Qin Xianglan ranked highest among the four.


    "


    ''s reaction, she pinched her dress awkwardly and said, "Mister Liu was only about ten years old at that time, but he could go to the battlefield with Lord Hua Guo at the age of seven or eight. At that time, there were rumors everywhere that the intelligent young master had a feeling for Lady Liu and he even professed his love in front of Lady Liu. I also heard it from others and I don''t know the details.


    Yun Shang thought for a long time before she waved her hand and asked Madam Liu to leave.


    Ning Qian looked up at Yun Shang, "Your Highness, do you think what she said is true?"


    "It should be true." The madam''s answers to Yun Shang''s questions sounded a little strange, but Yun Shang knew that it should be true.


    However, she didn''t expect that Liu Yinfeng and Lady Liu had such a relationship.


    Yun Shang smiled, feeling that many things in the Palace were getting more and more interesting.


    Ning Qian looked at Yun Shang and asked, "Then I''ll keep Madam Liu?"


    "Absolutely no." I just ask her questions casually, but she almost told us everything she knew. I''m afraid that such a person will confess everything we have done as long as she is threatened and tempted. " Yun Shang took a sip of the tea and put it down.


    Ning Qian nodded, "Do you still want to ask the other three ladies?"


    "Of course I should ask." Yun Shang asked Qian Xin to bring another madam in.


    This one was a portly woman, who looked very kind with a smile on her face.


    "This is Madam Wang. She has served the Empress Dowager before." Ning Qian whispered.


    "Oh... The Empress Dowager? " Thinking of the cruel and straightforward Empress Dowager, her lips curled into a sneer. After a while, she said slowly, "I just took Lady Xiang''s pulse, and her slippery pulse is still weak though she has been pregnant for a month. I know some medical skills, but I don''t have much experience in pregnancy thing. Madam wang, do you have any idea?"

 Chapter 722 An Accident (Part One)

    Hearing this, Madam Wang smiled and answered, "If the imperial physician said there is nothing serious, you don''t have to worry about Lady Xiang. Every woman has a different physique, and her pulse is also different. Did Lady Xiang feel stomachache during her menstrual period? "


    Ning Qian didn''t understand why Yun Shang asked this question. She was about to answer Madam Wang when she heard Liu Wenan''s voice from outside, "Your Highness, I''ve brought the jade pendant for you."


    Ning Qian frowned and looked outside. There were still two old madams waiting outside, and many servants guarding there, too. She wondered why didn''t anyone announce when Liu Wenan came.


    Yun Shang didn''t seem to be surprised. She patted the back of Ning Qian''s hand. Ning Qian came to her senses and said to the maid, "Open the door and invite Master Liu in."


    The servants opened the door in a hurry. Liu Wenan came in and glanced around the hall. Then he bowed to Ning Qian and Yun Shang with a smile and presented the jade pendant to them.


    Ning Qian asked Qian Xin to take it and said with a smile, "Thank you, Master Liu. Just now, after I returned to the palace, the servants told me that the frontier had an urgent report and that his majesty had returned to the Taiji Palace. "


    Liu Wenan nodded and then said, " All right. I''ll leave now."


    Ning Qian nodded and told Qian Xin to send Liu Wenan to the door of the palace. Yun Shang smiled and said, "Since madam Liu and Madam Wang said there is nothing serious, I think there must be nothing serious. You don''t have to worry too much."


    Ning Qian was surprised and then smiled. She glanced at Madam Wang and turned to Yun Shang, "It seems that I h


    on''t she? In fact, I... I''m a little worried," said Yun Shang. There was a bit of hesitation in her voice, as if she had lost her previous decisiveness and firmness in front of her husband.


    Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang on the head and nodded, "Yes, everything will be fine. Since you said that someone might hurt Lady Jin in the State of Xia, I have gathered all the secret guards in the State of Ning to protect your mother. If anything happens, we''ll have already received the message. "


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her head and looked at Luo Qingyan with wet eyes, like a frightened deer.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms and confirmed, "Yes, it''s true. Just trust me."


    Yun Shang felt relieved. She thought for a moment and said, "I''ve thought of a way to deal with the Empress. I''m going to beat her at her own game."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and replied calmly. "Okay, tell me what you your plan is. I''ll see if it''s workable."


    Yun Shang sat up straight and told Luo Qingyan about her plan in detail. Luo Qingyan listened quietly. All the way long, only Yun Shang''s soft voice could be heard in the carriage...

 Chapter 723 An Accident (Part Two)

    The second day was the Wanshou Festival. The Spring Festival had just been over, but the city was filled with joy, again. Xiao Yuanshan came to the palace early in the morning. According to the tradition, Xia Huanyu would hold a birthday banquet in the Taiji Palace at noon today. As Yun Shang was a woman, she didn''t have to go to the banquet at noon. But there was still a palace banquet in the evening, so she had to attend it. Luo Qingyan was in a coma because of being poisoned, so he didn''t have to go to the palace.


    From the street outside came bursts of firecrackers. Yun Shang asked Qin Yi to shut the windows and the room was a little quieter.


    Qian Zhuo lifted the curtain and walked in. She frowned and complained, "why do I feel that there are more eyes watching us outside our mansion today?"


    Yun Shang was playing chess with Luo Qingyan. Hearing this, her hand holding a chess piece paused for a moment. She looked up at Qian Zhuo and asked softly, "How many more are there?"


    "There should be forty or fifty people almost surrounding our mansion," Qian Zhuo answered softly.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and put down another piece on the chessboard. Then she ordered Qian Zhuo, "Send a few secret guards out of the mansion now to go to the State of Ning to see if my mother is really fine. Ask them to report to me directly as soon as they are back."


    Qian Zhuo frowned. Yesterday, Her Highness told her that Lady Jin would be fine. However, although she was a little confused, she quickly responded and turned around to perform her task.


    "When I was in the palace yesterday, I heard that there was an urgent report from the frontier. Did Cangjue Qingsu start the war?" asked Yun Shang wh


    ine. Luo Qingyan was still in the mansion, and there were many secret guards in it, but her face suddenly turned pale...


    There was a dead silence in the hall. With a bit of anger, Xia Huanyu asked, "What happened? Let''s go and have a look. "


    As Xia Huanyu spoke, he quickly walked down from the throne. When Yun Shang came to her senses, she quickly stood up and winked at Qian Zhuo. She ordered Qian Zhuo to send the secret guards back to the mansion to inquire about the news, and she then hurriedly followed behind Xia Huanyu.


    As Xia Huanyu was about to leave the palace, the imperial guards brought hundreds of people with them. They hurried out of the palace and headed straight for Prince Rui''s mansion.


    It was completely dark outside. Before they arrived at Prince Rui''s mansion, they saw a faint flame in the direction of his mansion, though the flame was not too strong. Yun Shang frowned. She was afraid that someone had missed fire to some yards in the mansion.


    When they arrived at Prince Rui''s mansion, they smelled a strong smell of blood. The dead bodies of the doormen fell at the door, blood all over the ground

 Chapter 724 The Missing Jewelry Box

    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat and she hurried into the mansion. But the court dress she wore was so complicated that she was almost tripped over by it. Regardless of the presence of Xia Huanyu and the others, Yun Shang lifted her dress and ran into the mansion in a hurry.


    The whole mansion was filled with a dead silence. From the gate to the inside, through garden house, to the long corridor by the lake, there were some servants'' corpses scattered. Yun Shang''s eyes swept across the dead bodies and walked faster and faster.


    "Slow down, Your Highness. Be careful." Seeing this, Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo were also in a panic, but when they saw Yun Shang running desperately, they were also shocked. Qian Yin hurriedly used Qinggong to catch up with Yun Shang and grabbed her arm.


    "Creak..." A strange voice came from afar, which was particularly clear in the silent Prince Rui''s mansion. Yun Shang halted and looked up in the direction of the sound.


    Boom... An even louder sound was heard. With light of the moon the lanterns along the corridor, Yun Shang saw a yard in the distance collapse with a loud bang.


    That is.. The yard where she and Luo Qingyan lived.


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the yard, and her eyes lit up in the night.


    Xia Huanyu, who followed in, and a group of Ministers behind him had caught up. Seeing that Yun Shang stood still, they hurried forward. Xia Huanyu glanced at Yun Shang and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Yun Shang didn''t say anything, but Qin Yi said softly, "Just now, we saw the courtyard where Her Highness and His Highness live collapsed."


    A hint of gloom flashed through Xia Huanyu''s eyes. He waved to the guards and ordered, "Take someone to check."


    The imperial guards quickly ran towards the direction pointed by Qin Yi. Standing in front of Yun Shang, Xia Huanyu turned to her and asked, "Is Prince Rui in the yard?"


    Yun Shang''s voice trembled uncontrollably. "Yes, His Highness has been resting in that yard since he was poisoned."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu nodded slightly and walked towards the courtyard.


    It was not until all the ministers who came with Xia Huanyu passed by Yun Shang that she looked up at Qin Yi and said, "Qin Yi, help me. My legs are too weak to make a move." Her voice was neither loud nor low, but Xia Huanyu who was walking in the front, could hear it faintly.


    Qin Yi was stunned. She didn''t expect that Yun Shang stood still for this reason. She quickly stepped up to Yun Shang and held her. Yun Shang slowly turned around and sat down by the corridor.


    After everyone walked towards the yard, Yun Shang slowly lowered her head, moved her feet a little, bent down and picked up something from the ground.


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin all looked at the thing in Yun Shang''s hand. It was a dark red ribbon with a blue bow at the bottom.


    Qin Yi''s eyes widened, "Isn''t this..."


    Yun Shang calmly put the thing into her sleeve and slowly stood up before she a


    ound before saying, "There are imperial guards around, but they are fifty feet away from us and can''t hear us."


    Yun Shang nodded and took out the silk ribbon from her sleeve.


    Qian Yin was confused. She looked at the silk ribbon for a long time and asked softly, "Your Highness, what''s this?"


    Yun Shang raised her head and smiled coldly, "It''s from the Palace, something eunuchs wear on their waist. From the color, this one should belong to some eunuch who attends to His Majesty."


    Qian Yin was taken aback. "Belong to His Majesty''s servant? Why is it here? "


    "That''s what I want to know." Yun Shang put the thing aside and looked at the blaze of the lamp with a bit of confusion in her eyes. She murmured, "No wood oil, no worry. His highness is fine."


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin both looked at Yun Shang, wondering why Yunshang was so sure.


    After a long time, Yun Shang said indifferently, "From the moment we entered the mansion, I haven''t seen any familiar face of the corpses littered in the mansion. They were all not our people. Secondly, that male corpse is definitely not His Highness. Since His Highness began to recuperate in the name of poisoning, he had mostly worn ordinary clothes, and he doesn''t like to wear a jade pendant on his waist. Even if he wears, he will put it in his sleeves. Besides... "


    Yun Shang''s lips curled into a smile. "I checked the room just now and found almost everything was unmoved. But one thing is missing. I''ve been looking for it in the room for a long time, but I still can''t find it. "


    "What is it?" Qin Yi looked up at Yun Shang in surprise.


    Yun Shang looked at Qin Yi, "Something you use every day."


    Qin Yi thought about it for a while, and a light flashed in her eyes. "I see. It''s...the jewelry box."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "Yes, the jewelry box." Although it is made of wood, if it is burned, the jewelries inside should''ve been fine. But I haven''t seen any of them on the ground."

 Chapter 725 Imprisoned

    "It could only prove that the jewelry box has been taken away." Yun Shang''s voice was calm. The panic and despair she showed in front of Xia Huanyu had disappeared.


    Qin Yi was also confused. "But who took away her Highness''s jewelry box?" Why did he take that thing alone? What for? "


    Yun Shang tapped her index finger on the armrest of the chair gently. After a long time, she said, "I guess that the jewelry box was probably taken away by His Highness. He wanted to leave a sign to me, but he was afraid that someone else would discover it before me. He knew that once something happened to the mansion, it would be strictly guarded by the royal guards, just like now, which would make it difficult even for the secret guards to send any information. That''s why His Highness chose such a method to send a message to me... "


    "But what does His Highness mean by taking away the jewelry box?" The three of them were very confused.


    Yun Shang contemplated for a long while, muttering, "the jewelry box, hairpins, earrings, bracelets... No, No. The jewelry box, make up, pretend... "


    Yun Shang''s voice paused for a moment, and she raised her head suddenly, "Pretend! That''s it!"


    "His Highness wants me to pretend." Yun Shang''s voice was clear and affirmative. "He wants me to pretend as if I''ve found nothing and just follow the development of the matter."


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin exchanged looks of confusion with each other.


    However, Yun Shang had already lowered her head and quickly sorted out all the clues in her mind: the silk ribbon from a eunuch, the jade pendant, no wood oil, and the jewelry box. Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan must be delivering some message to her, but she didn''t know if her guess was correct.


    Especially the silk ribbon.


    Yun Shang frowned. The eunuchs in the Palace seldom came to the mansion. And even if they came here, normally the servants in the mansion would lead them to the garden house instead of the inner courtyard. And the silk ribbon must have been dropped there not long before the incident, or the servants in charge of cleaning the mansion would''ve found it.


    In this case, some eunuch from the Place must have come to our mansion.


    Was the one behind the incident from the Palace?


    Luo Qingyan must be fine, but where is he now? Yun Shang still felt uneasy, as if it was a conspiracy.


    The yard they were staying was just beside the previous one. She could faintly hear the sound over there, as if there were many people talking.


    Yun Shang sat quietly on the chair, looking down at the patterns on her clothes for a long time.


    Not knowing when, Yun Shang heard faint footsteps coming from the yard. Qian Yin and Qin Yi stood on both sides of Yun Shang and looked at the door with burning eyes. After a while, they saw a eunuch approaching followed by two old men with white beards.


    "Your Highness, His Majesty ordered me to take the imperial physicians here to feel your pulse." The eunuch said in a low voice.


    Yun Shang seemed to be in a daze and looked up at the person at the door. After a long silence, she reached out her hand.


    Seeing this, the two imperial physicians hurried forward. One of them took out a silk handkerchief from the medicine box and covere


    or the identity of the person behind it, and wanted to counterplot."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang nodded subconsciously. No wonder Luo Qingyan asked her to pretend.


    When the two were talking, they heard footsteps from outside. Then Liu Wenan came in. He didn''t feel surprised to see Xiao Yuanshan. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, please. The carriage is ready."


    Yun Shang and Xiao Yuanshan stood up together and went out of the house. There were guards around the yard. When they walked out of the yard, they saw the imperial guards passing by in a hurry with torches in their hands from time to time.


    Yun Shang turned around and took a look at the burnt yard. She paused for a moment and soon came to her senses. Then she followed Liu Wenan out of the mansion.


    Before long, they arrived at the Palace.


    Perhaps Xia Huanyu had sent someone to the palace a long time ago. When Yun Shang and Liu Wenan arrived at Linglong Palace, the close maid of the Empress had already been waiting outside the gate.


    Seeing Liu Wenan coming with Yun Shang, the maid glanced at Yun Shang indifferently and then quickly moved away. "Your Highness, Zhaoxia Hall has been cleaned for you as Her Majesty ordered."


    Yun Shang curtsied torwards the direction of Weiyang Palace. The maid took a look at Yun Shang before she curtsied to Yun Shang and left.


    Liu Wenan took Yun Shang to Zhaoxia Hall and said gently, "It just happened all of a sudden. Your highness, please make do with it for the night. I''ve sent some servants from the TTaiji Palace to serve you for the time being. If you need anything, just order them. I''ll ask the Imperial Household Department to arrange some servants for you tomorrow."


    Yun Shang nodded and Liu Wenan left.


    Yun Shang looked around the hall. It was very clean. There were several tables and chairs in the main hall. Behind the chair, there was a screen covered with a layer of gauze. Although it was not very gorgeous, it carried a unique sense of dignity. Yun Shang turned around and saw many servants standing outside the palace.


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly. She seemed to be imprisoned in this magnificent and noble palace.

 Chapter 726 Greet The Empress

    Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo were looking at the servants outside with displeasure on their faces.


    Seeing the expressions on their faces, Yun Shang burst into laughter. "It''s been quite a day. Go get some hot water for me. I''ll wash myself and go to bed early."


    Qin Yi and Qian Yin looked at each other before Qin Yi stepped to the door. Qin Yi smiled at a maid standing at the door and asked, "Could you please send some hot water here?"


    The maid nodded and left.


    Yun Shang turned around and walked to the inner hall, which was very magnificent. There was a big bed made of rosewood with complex black patterns, and the bed curtain was embroidered with blooming peonies. Then she noticed a purple bead curtain hanging in the room, which was stunning and breathtaking. Yun Shang vaguely saw a table with a Guqin on it behind the bead curtain.


    Around the bedroom there were all kinds of fans with different pictures like a portraits of ladies or flower patterns. They were all very exquisite. Randomly placed there, they had their own charm.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi and asked softly, "Do you know who has lived in the Zhaoxia Palace before?"


    Qin Yi thought for a moment and said, "I''ve seen it from the information collected by the secret guards. It seems to be the place where the eldest princess lived before she got married."


    "The eldest princess?" Yun Shang was taken by surprise. Why did the Empress arrange her in the palace where the eldest princess had lived? How much did she know about the eldest princess?


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and kept silent for a while. Then she took Qin Yi''s hand and whispered in her ear, "Find an opportunity to ask Su Luo if she had told the Empress about the news that the eldest princess and the seventh prince have joined hands?"


    As Qin Yi nodded slightly, they heard footsteps coming from the outer hall. "Your Highness, I''ve brought some hot water. Can I bring it in?"


    Hearing this, Qin Yi walked quickly to the door, opened the curtain, and smiled at the maid. "Thank you. I''ll take it in for Her Highness. By the way, may I have your name? Now that Her Highness lives here, but I''m not very familiar with the Palace. I''m afraid I''ll have to bother you and ask for your help."


    Yun Shang heard the maid''s sweet voice from outside. "I''m flattered. My name is Cai Yi."


    Qin Yi thanked her several times before she brought the water into the bathroom.


    After Yun Shang washed her face and rinsed her mouth, she took off her robe, untied her hair, and lay down on the bed. Qin Yi was afraid that Yun Shang couldn''t fall asleep in a strange room, so she left a small lamp, and covered it with an orange lamp cover. The room was darker.


    Qin Yi put down the bed curtain and discussed with Qian Zhuo in a low voice for a while. Then she went to rest in the small night-watch cabin in the outer room. After putting a quilt on the couch in the hall, Qian Zhuo lay down and fell asleep.


    Behind the bed curtain, Yun Shang kept staring at


    ress said with a smile, "At that time, the eldest princess was very favored by the former Emperor. The State of Xia was relatively weak compared with other states as it values literary grace more than martial virtues. So many princess have to sacrifice for political marriages. The deceased Emperor had seven daughters and five of them had been married to other states, except the eldest princess and Princess Tai An. The eldest princess was favored by the former Emperor, so she didn''t marry far away. Princess Tai An was the youngest princess who was regarded as a treasure by the Empress Dowager. Moreover, she had a high vision, so she hasn''t got married."


    Speaking of Princess Tai An, the expression on the Empress''s face changed slightly, but she quickly concealed it.


    "I couldn''t believe the eldest princess did such a thing. It''s really a pity."


    Yun Shang listened quietly. After the Empress finished speaking, she said softly, "Yes."


    "I heard that Prince Rui has been searching for the eldest princess. Is there any news?" The Empress asked as if she just mentioned it casually.


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat and became alert.


    After thinking for a moment, she said in a low voice, "A few days ago, His Highness received news that the eldest princess appeared in a rice store in the Jin City and that she went to a bank to withdrew money. But when they wanted to follow here, she was nowhere to be found. "


    "Oh?" The Empress raised her eyebrows and looked at Yun Shang, "Have they checked the rice shop and the bank thoroughly?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "His Highness has sent someone to investigate. I don''t know much about it. But I heard that the bank seems to be owned by the seven prince."


    The Empress paused for a moment, and then she smiled again. She picked up the tea cup beside, took a sip of the tea, and said softly, "The seventh prince and the eldest princess have always been at odds, I didn''t expect that the eldest princess would deposit her money in his bank."

 Chapter 727 A Shadowy Situation

    ''The seventh prince didn''t get along well with the Eldest Princess?'' thinking of this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. She had never heard anyone talk about it. And she lowered her head and kept silent.


    The Empress continued, "I heard that you are quite close to the seventh princess, but the child doesn''t come to the palace often. She looks lively, but she is an introvert actually."


    Yun Shang didn''t know why the Empress mentioned Hua Yutong. She smiled and said gently, "The seventh prince is now leading the army to fight. She is the only female master in the seventh prince'' mansion. I''m afraid that she has to worry too much, so she has neglected the chance coming to the palace."


    The Empress smiled and replied softly, "You are right."


    Then she raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned slightly. She said smilingly, "I got up early this morning, and I am a little tired. I''m afraid you also didn''t sleep well last night. So go back and have a good rest."


    Yun Shang curtsied and retreated, standing at the gate of Weiyang Palace in a daze.


    "Your Highness, how about going to the Xiang Zhu Palace?" asked Qian Zhuo in a hurry.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and shook her head. "Now I have a lot of trouble. I''d better keep a distance from Lady Xiang." Then she walked towards the Linglong Palace.


    Linglong Palace was located in the west of the palace, and by the Yan Cui Lake. It was a good place. Yun Shang walked to the Yan Cui Lake. There were many willows planted there. Although the winter had not passed, the willows were sprouting.


    Yun Shang was walking slowly by the lake when she heard a woman''s voice, "She moved in last night. You don''t know yet? I heard it from a servant today, and it has spread out early in the morning."


    "According to the Empress, Prince Rui is likely to die this time, though his whereabouts is still unknown. Lady Rui has already been in the palace, and I don''t know what Prince Rui will think if he comes back safely in the future. Ha ha..."


    "I think she is not a simple woman. She is only a princess, but I heard that his majesty had ever played chess with her alone. Although his majesty is the father of Prince Rui, he should at least avoid playing chess with her. I thought it was like this in the State of Ning before, but now I understand. It seems that there is an ulterior motive. But Prince Rui has suffered a lot. I don''t know how many times he has been cuckolded. I heard that she is pregnant. Who is the father of this child then? "


    Their voices were not low, accompanied by a burst of laughter, which sounded particularly harsh.


    Anger was written all over Qin Yi''s and Qian Zhuo''s faces. Qian Zhuo was an impetuous person. She could not help to teach those gossips a lesson, but Yun Shang held her hand. Yun Shang shook her head at Qian Zhuo, turned around and walked in another direction.


    "Your Highness... You just let them talk nonsense like that? As the saying goes, three people make a tiger. If these rumors spread out, it will be extremely bad for the reputation of your highness," reasoned Qian Zhuo. She was a little impatient.


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s our first time here. If you do so, we''ll have offended someone


    with each other. Fortunately, these familiar faces were not seen last night among the dead bodies.


    Li Qianmo read again, "On most of the servants who were killed outside were sword wounds, and most of them were killed by a sword strike. There were not too many signs of fighting, and even no signs of struggling. This meant that the murderers had done it very quickly, and the number of the murderers should not be small. Among the three people who were burned to death in the yard, two were women, and the other was a man. Both of the women were more than 30 years old. On their waists, we found the token of Prince Rui''s mansion, which showed that they were purchasing, which meant they were purchasing servants in the kitchen. "


    "The man is twenty-seven to thirty years old. He is tall and has strong muscles texture. He should have practiced martial arts all year round. Judging from the bones and textures of his hands, he should be a person who usually used his left hand. The token of the Prince Rui''s mansion on his waist is also fake."


    Yun Shang remained silent for a moment. As far as she could remember, no one in the yard had such a characteristic.


    "By the way, I found two rat catchers in a garden at the gate of the yard. One of them seems to have some blood stains and a piece of torn cloth hung on it," said Li Qianmo. He walked aside, picked up a plate and walked to Yun Shang.


    There was a piece of dark blue cloth on the plate. It seemed to be of good workmanship, but it was not a good one. There were some patterns embroidered with black silk threads, but the cloth was only the size of a palm. Yun Shang couldn''t figure out what the pattern was.


    Yun Shang glanced at them and said nothing.


    Li Qianmo put the plate aside and said in a low voice, "That''s all we can find now. I''ll go to the mansion to have a look later. Maybe there will be some new clues."


    Yun Shang nodded but still kept silent. At last, she asked, "Is there any progress in Liu Yinfeng''s case up till now? Since you said that his highness'' disappearance has something to do with Liu Yinfeng''s disappearance, I want to read the file."

 Chapter 728 The Conflict Outside The Zhaoxia Palace

    Hearing this, Li Qianmo looked a little embarrassed. He glanced at Xia Huanyu, who was sitting on the throne, and said softly, "It''s not that I don''t want to show it to your highness, but that scroll is put in the database of the Ministry of Justice. I really can''t give it to your highness now."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. After a moment''s silence, she raised her head and said softly, "I don''t know anything about the case, so please take care of it. I just hope that if there is any progress, please inform me of it so that I know about it and feel relieved."


    Li Qianmo replied in a hurry, "I dare not to conceal it. It''s my duty to work for you."


    Yun Shang smiled again and looked up at Xia Huanyu. She bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have a general understanding of the situation now. But I don''t know how to solve the case, so I''m afraid I can''t help much, so I''m leaving now."


    Xia Huanyu nodded, "Okay, you can leave now."


    Yun Shang went out slowly. Qin Yi was waiting outside the palace. SeeingYun Shang come out, she frowned but didn''t ask anything in detail. She just followed Yun Shang slowly towards the Zhaoxia Palace.


    On the way, she saw a maid rushing over. When she saw Yun Shang, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Highness..."


    Yun Shang remembered her. She was the maid waiting outside the Zhaoxia Palace. Her name seemed to be Cai Yi? Seeing her anxious face, Yun Shang asked, "What''s wrong? What happened? "


    The maid nodded repeatedly. She seemed to be tired after running for a long time. While gasping for breath, she said, "Your Highness, please go to the Luoxia Pavilion by the Yancui Lake lake and have a look. The maid serving you is having a quarrel with Lady Wu in the Mingcui Palace."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help frowning and felt a little annoyed. "I told Qian Zhuo not to be impulsive. Why did they quarrel as soon as she turned around?" Then she hurried to the Yancui Lake.


    Although the Yancui Lake was not small, it was not difficult to find the so-called Luoxia Pavilion. Yun Shang saw many people surrounding a pavilion, so she went straight to it.


    "You are just a maid. How dare you quarrel with masters in the palace? I don''t know what your master has taught you. If you follow her orders, draw a turtle on your face, and walk around the lake for three circles, we will spare you," a sharp female voice came with undisguised sarcasm.


    Yun Shang frowned slightly. Then she heard Qian Zhuo''s voice, "What a joke. She is just a low-grade lady, but she dares to slander the reputation of her highness. I don''t know what the rules in the palace have taught such a person."


    "How dare you say that I''m ill bred? Come on, Beat her!" the exasperated voice should be Lady Liu''s as Cai Yi mentioned.


    "Stop!" Cai Yi beside her shouted angrily.


    The people surrounding the Luoxia Pavilion turned around and looked at the three of them. One of them, who was dressed as a delicate maid, frowned and looked at Cai Yi unhappily. "Where did you come from?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled slowly. She understood that most of the concubines he


    Liug has been in the palace for six years. Don''t you know what to say and what not to say. I''ve just said that if you just contempt me, it can be big or small. I''m not a person who haggle over every ounce. Twenty slaps on the face is just a small punishment. I just hope you can realize your mistakes. "


    Lady Liu fell to the ground, her face deathly pale. "But you not only don''t know how to repent, but also talk nonsense. You not only slandered me, but also slandered the emperor''s reputation. This is a serious crime. It''s useless for you to plead with me. As I said just now, this is not something I can decide. "


    While they were talking, Yun Shang saw Ning Qian and several concubines coming from a distance. Surprised to see what was happening outside the Luoxia Pavilion, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Why are you crying and shouting here? What happened?"


    Yun Shang stood up with a smile, "I''m sorry, your highness. Why are you here?"


    Ning Qian took a look at Lady Liu and walked into the pavilion. She took Yun Shang''s hand and sat down next to her. Then she said softly, "I took a walk with everyone. I thought you were in theZhaoxia Palace, so I wanted to have a look. But I didn''t expect to meet you halfway."


    The other concubines who came with Ning Qian also walked into the pavilion and bowed with a smile. "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Take a seat."


    Ning Qian looked at Lady Liu again and asked with a smile, "what''s wrong? But who irritated you? "


    Yun Shang also took a look at Lady Liu, who seemed to suddenly see so many high-grade ladies and they were so polite to Yun Shang. So Lady Liu was surprised and stared blankly.


    "It''s not a big deal. It happened too suddenly last night. Prince Rui''s mansion is not safe now. His majesty and her majesty pitied me for being pregnant and asked me to move to the Zhaoxia Palace, but I didn''t expect to cause some unnecessary misunderstandings. These low-level concubines just said that I seduced his majesty, and the proof is my entering the palace," said Yun Shang.

 Chapter 729 Drowning

    Hearing this, Ning Qian''s face suddenly turned cold and snapped, "Nonsense!"


    Seeing blue veins standing out on her forehead, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "It''s indeed absurd. But don''t worry too much. Be careful of your baby."


    Ning Qian glanced at the people outside the pavilion, and they were all trembling with fear.


    Ning Qian said in a low voice, "Why am I so angry? I''ve heard a lot about Lady Rui and Prince Rui. It can be said that the two of them are the typical couples in the State of Ning and in the State of Xia."


    Seeing that everyone was listening carefully, Ning Qian continued, "When Prince Rui was in the State of Ning, he was twenty-seven years old and unmarried. Though he was a well-known God of war, he had never had a relationship with a lady until he met Lady Rui. Before that, he even didn''t have a maid by his side. Lady Rui was the most honorable princess in the State of Ning at that time. After they played the popular melody, Courting A Phoenix, they fell in love with each other. After the two got married, many women wanted to marry Prince Rui as his concubines for he was in a high position, but they were rejected by him one by one. Prince Rui promised that he would love Lady Rui all his life and wouldn''t marry anyone else."


    Yun Shang smiled. It seemed Ning Qian had learnt a lot after living in the Palace for a year. She knew how to use some roundabout ways to dispel the suspicion of others.


    But thinking of Luo Qingyan, Yun Shang sighed and murmured, "Wish I can find the true love of my life that I would never leave until the end of time."


    Then she stood up and said, "Cai Yi will deal with it. Since you''re here to look for me, let''s go back to the Zhaoxia Palace and have a rest. It''s near the lake and the wind is a little strong. You didn''t wear enough clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold."


    Ning Qian nodded and followed Yun Shang to stand up. Then she led the ladies to the Zhaoxia Palace.


    The woman behind Ning Qian was interested in the story that Ning Qian had just told. She said softly, "I''ve heard that Prince Rui was adopted by the late Emperor of the State of Ning, so he was Lady Rui''s..."


    "Uncle." Yun Shang smiled. "Yes, Prince Rui was my uncle at that time."


    The woman was stunned at her words. Then she smiled and said, "Then it must have been harder for you two to get together. But it''s really enviable that the cold prince could be totally enamored of Your Highness."


    The tips of Yun Shang''s mouth lifted in a smile. She thought, ''It''s not too hard. It should''ve been a scandal that uncle and nephew being married in the royal family, but Luo Qingyan was so confident and strong that he didn''t even care about what others said.'' Besides, Luo Qingyan and she were not real uncle and nephew, so it was not a big deal.


    Yun Shang paused for a moment when she realized that she couldn''t help but think of Luo Qingyan again. A bitter smile appeared on her face. She thought to herself, ''Look, Luo Qingyan is so strong that he broke into her heart unconsciously, making her always be concerned about him.''


    When they arrived at the Zhaoxia Palace, Yun Shang ordered the servants


    a scene. He waved his hand casually and said, "Carry the corpse back and examine it carefully. Is this Lady Liu who lives in the east side hall of the Mingcui Palace? "


    Lord Qi nodded and said casually, "Take all the servants in her palace back to the Imperial Office Bureau."


    After some eunuchs behind him left for Mingcui Palace, Lord Qi looked at the people by the lake and frowned. "There are so many people here that the scene has been destroyed. Check carefully to see if there is any clue."


    Yun Shang looked at the situation and turned to Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo, "They will inform us when it''s time for us to show up. Don''t worry. Let''s go back first."


    Qian Zhuo bit her lips and followed Yun Shang back to the Zhaoxia Palace. As soon as she entered the hall, Qian Zhuo knelt down with a pale face. "It''s all my fault. I was too impulsive and caused trouble for Your Highness."


    Yun Shang glanced at Qian Yin indifferently and sighed, "You are impulsive. You won''t regret until you suffer some losses. Forget it. Just take it as a lesson. Remember to think twice before you do something in the future."


    Biting her lips, Qian Zhuo nodded.


    Qin Yi said in a low voice, "I think there is something weird. Yesterday, Cai Yi reported that she had taken Lady Liu back to Mingcui Palace, waiting for Lord Liu to deal with it. Since she said so, she must have sent someone to keep an eye on her. How could it be... "


    After a moment''s silence, Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi and asked, "Where is Cai Yi?"


    Qin Yi went out for a while and brought Cai Yi back. Yun Shang said to Cai Yi, "You must have heard that Lady Liu died of drowning. I''m afraid many people will suspect me as she just had a conflict with me yesterday. I want to ask you some question. Did you say that you had sent Lady Liu to the Mingcui Palace? "


    The maid understood what Yun Shang wanted to ask, so she answered, "Yes, Your Highness. I took Lady Liu back to the east side hall of the Mingcui Palace yesterday, and sent someone to keep an eye on her. She is guilty, so she can''t go out before the Emperor gives the order."

 Chapter 730 Jasmine In Winter

    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her head and looked at Cai Yi up and down, "Who were sent by you to guard the Mingcui Palace last night. Could you bring them here? I have some question to ask them. I''m just curious how could Lady Liu get out of the eastern side hall of Mingcui Palace and arrive at the Yancui Lake?"


    Cai Yi frowned and kept silent for a while before she answered in a low voice, "Two eunuchs, Xiang Fu and Xiang Wen, were guarding Mingcui Palace last night. To be honest, Your Highness, I haven''t seen them since this morning. I have been looking for them since I heard Lady Liu was drown."


    "They are missing?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, lost in thought.


    Cai Yi''s face also darkened. Then she said, "I can''t make a conclusion yet. The servants who went to find the two of them have been there for about a quarter of an hour. The result should be coming soon."


    Yun Shang thought for a while, and her hand, which was tapping on the table, paused slightly. "Since it still needs a while, you can go get me the files of the two eunuch first."


    Cai Yi nodded slightly. "The files are kept in Neishi Bureau. I''ll go get them now." Then she left.


    Yun Shang frowned. Yesterday, many people witnessed that she punished Lady Liu at Luoxia Pavilion by Yancui Lake. The two eunuchs who guarded Lady Liu disappeared and Liu''s corpse appeared in the lake. Everything was more like a trap specially aimed at her. But she didn''t know who set up the trap.


    "Your Highness, do you think Cai Yi is not reliable?" Qin Yi whispered when she squatted down and poured a cup of tea for Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head. "Since Liu Wenan selected her to serve me in the Zhaoxia Palace, she should be reliable. However, she had served Xia Huanyu in TaIji Palace before, she must''ve hoped that she could get Xia Huanyu''s favor one day. Liu Wenan sent her to the Zhaoxia Palace all of a sudden. She must be a little reluctant, so she didn''t look very hospitable, but she did what she should do. I don''t suspect her. But Xiang Wen and Xiang Fu... "


    Yun Shang squinted slightly, "I have an intuition that there must be something wrong with them."


    However, before Cai Yi could send the information about Xiang Wen and Xiang Fu, the officer of Neishi Bureau had come. It was Lord Qi whom she had met by the Yancui Lake.


    Lord Qi was very polite to Yun Shang. After being led in by the servants, he bowed to Yun Shang in a hurry and said, "It''s my honor to meet Your Highness. I''m the officer of Neishi Bereau Qi Ruihai."


    Seeing this, Yun Shang smiled, "Lord Qi, you''re being too polite. Please rise. Qin Yi, take a seat for Lord Qi."


    Qin Yi hurriedly put a seat behind Qi Ruihai who then thanked her and sat down.


    Yun Shang lifted her hand and removed the teacup lid before


    ease the Empress, but the Emperor has sent it here directly."


    Hearing what Ning Qian said, Yun Shang frowned. "Have you talked with Xia Huanyu?"


    After a moment''s silence, Ning Qian nodded slightly and said, "Of course I did. When His Majesty came to Xiang Zhu Palace, I told him that these rewards were too precious and asked him not to do this." His Majesty has agreed, but then he continues to act like this. I don''t dare to use these things. If I use them or give them to others, I''m afraid they will think that I''m showing off. So I have to keep them in the storehouse."


    Yun Shang nodded, thinking that it was impossible for Xia Huanyu not to know the consequences of these rewards, but he still acted on his own. He might want to use Ning Qian as a bait to target Su Ruji and the Su clan.


    But not everyone could afford to offend the Su clan. That might put Ning Qian in great danger.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and said indifferently, "Reach out your hand and I''ll feel your pulse."


    Hearing this, Ning Qian stretched out her hand in a hurry. Yun Shang put her fingers on it. after a while, she said, "The slippery pulse is still weak. You''ve been pregnant for more than a month. It''s not right."


    Hearing this, Nian Qian withdrew her hand and said nothing.


    Yun Shang didn''t mention it anymore. She looked around and saw two pots of jasmines in the room. It was just February, but the white flowers had bloomed with a faint fragrance.


    Yun Shang frowned, "Why does the jasmine bloom now?"


    Ning Qian''s eyes fell on the jasmines, and the corners of her mouth curved up slightly. She said with a bit of playfulness, "His Majesty likes jasmine for its elegance, so I have tried a lot of methods. I put a lot of braziers in the house during the winter, so the jasmines have bloomed in this season. There are more jasmines in my bedroom."

 Chapter 731 A Familiar Person

    Hearing this, Yun Shang raised her head to look at Ning Qian. After a long time, she said, "You learned almost the same thing as I did in the State of Ning. Although you are not good at medical skills, you should understand some general knowledge..."


    Before Yun Shang finished her words, she saw the smile at the corners of Ning Qian''s mouth fade. Ning Qian said lightly, "Yes, I know. I know that pregnant people can''t smell strong fragrance of flowers and I know that Jasmine may cause miscarriage, so I did it on purpose."


    Yun Shang''s face changed slightly and asked, "Why did you do that?"


    "Ha ha..." Ning Qian smiled again, but there was a bit of coldness in her smile. "Since Your Highness came to check my pulse last time, I have some doubts. I''ve had pills every time. How could I be pregnant? And the attitude of those imperial physicians is too strange. As for as I know, your medical skills must be above those lousy physicians. You couldn''t come to a conclusion that I have been pregnant, but they are so sure."


    Ning Qian paused, "I feel it''s a plot. I don''t want to be calculated, but I have no power to fight back. Half a month ago, I placed these jasmines in my palace. There are seven pots in my bedroom, and I can smell the strong fragrance of jasmine as soon as I enter the bedroom, but I never feel uncomfortable. It''s most likely that I am not pregnant at all. Even if I am, I have never thought of having the baby... "


    Yun Shang frowned and looked at her. Her eyes were full of determination, and the smile at the corners of her mouth was somewhat cold.


    "You won''t regret it?" Ning Qian nodded slightly, "No, I won''t. Since someone wants to convince me that I have been pregnant, I must use the child properly."


    Yun Shang fell silent. As Ning Qian said, if her bedroom was really full of jasmines, and she hadn''t felt uncomfortable for more than half a month, the baby in her belly was very likely to be fake. But if it was true, it would be a living life.


    Noticing that Yun Shang didn''t look well, Ning Qian changed the topic with a smile, "I''ve just heard about the matter of Lady Liu. I''m afraid Your Highness have to be careful."


    Yun Shang smiled, "what can I do? As soon as I entered the palace, I became a thorn in their flesh. But there is one good thing. When I was in my mansion, it was not inconvenient for me to arrange something in the Palace. Now that I''m here, there must be many things to do."


    Hearing this, Ning Qian also became interested. "What do you want to do, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang discussed with Ning Qian in Xiang Zhu Palace for a long time. After having lunch with Ning Qian, Yun Shang bid a goodbye and left for Zhaoxia Palace. However, before shewalked out of Xiang Zhu Palace, she ran into a maid.


    Yun Shang was surprised and called out the maid''s name, "Yan''er."


    The maid was Wang Jinyan, who had traveled thousands of miles to the State of Xia


    e accident.


    "Has your brother never sent you any message since he left?" Yun Shang turned to Wang Jinyan.


    Wang Jinyan shook her head at first, and then suddenly remembered something. She quickly said, "Four days ago, when he went out of the Palace, he told me that Prince Jing asked him to do something with him. The second morning, he came back to tell me that he would probably go somewhere far away and asked me not to worry about him."


    Somewhere far away.


    Yun Shang curled her lips, and an idea occurred to her.


    The news she got from Wang Jinyan coincided with her previous guess.


    Seeing that Yun Shang kept asking her about her brother, Wang Jinyan felt relieved and asked, "I heard that you had a conflict with a concubine in the Palace and forced her to die?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "So rumor goes like this among the servants." Then she said nothing more about it.


    After a pause, Yun Shang walked to a chair and sat down. She looked up at Wang Jinyan and said, "Well, now could you tell me why you become a maid in Xiang Zhu Palace?


    Hearing this, Wang Jinyan pouted and whined, "I thought you''ve forgotten this..."


    Yun Shang just raised her eyebrows and said nothing.


    Wang Jinyan sighed and said in a somewhat depressed tone, "In fact, I was forced by my brother. He said I should do him a favor in return for that he help me run away from the wedding. He asked me to sneak into the Palace and meet Lady Xiang in Xiang Zhu Palace. I told Lady Xiang that I was Wang Jinyan from the State of Ning and I was sent here by Shang''er for some mission."


    Wang Jinyan lowered her head dejectedly, "She believed it and let me stay in her palace."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Why did your brother ask you to go to Xiang Zhu Palace?"


    Wang Jinyan waved her hand casually and said, "My brother said that Lady Xiang would become my sister-in-law sooner or later. He asked me to protect her."

 Chapter 732 Cooperation

    "Sister-in-law?" Yun Shang was shocked. "Your brother hasn''t given up on Ning Qian yet? Ning Qian has been Lady Xiang of the State of Xia, and she has been pregnant. The baby in her belly is a prince and princess of the State of Xia. "


    Wang Jinyan lowered her head and drew circles on the ground unconsciously with her feet. She murmured, "I have persuaded my brother, but he said that he will marry her no matter what. I''ve tried my best to persuade him, but he''s still like this. I have no choice... "


    Yun Shang frowned and sighed. After a long time, she said, "I know. You can go back first. Be more careful in the Palace. Try your best to avoid being seen by His Majesty and Her Majesty. If someone noticed something, just ask Ning Qian for help. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Wang Jinyan knew that Yun Shang had forgiven her, so she was happy and said with a smile, "Okay. It''s so boring in the Palace. Now that you''re here, I''ll have your companion." Then she ran away with a smile.


    Seeing her run out, Yun Shang smiled helplessly and sighed, "Why are you still so reckless?" After a pause, she remembered that the excuse she asked her to come here was to take osmanthus cake, but she didn''t take anything. What should she explain if someone asked her?


    Although Wang Jinyan was straightforward, she was not stupid and was able to deal with it. Thinking of this, Yun Shang picked up the files and unfolded it.


    It turned out that Xiang Wen and Xiang Fu were twins. They were both born on the leap April 31st in the 7th year of Mingqi. They were born in Xinghua village next to the Jin City. In the 21st year of Mingqi, his father was addicted to gambling and lost all his money. He had no choice but to sell his two children to the Palace. The two of them used to be eunuchs in the Empress Dowager''s palace. After the Empress Dowager died, Xia Huanyu transferred the two of them to the Taiji Palace to do some chores.


    Qin Yi also looked at the files behind Yun Shang and murmured, "It seems there''s nothing wrong. If they used to serve the Empress Dowager and then transferred to the Taiji Palace, they should be reliable."


    After a long silence, [ÔÆÉÑ] asked, "is it the emperor''s year?"


    Qin Yi nodded her head and didn''t know whether she should laugh or cry. "Your Highness has been in the State of Xia for such a long time, but you don''t even know the present reign tile of the state. If others know, those madams in the Palace will definitely say that you are impolite."


    Paying no attention to Qin Yi''s words, Yun Shang calculated in her mind and said indifferently, "The 7th year of Mingqi should be twenty-two years ago. If I''m not wrong, there was only thirty days in the leap April of that year, so April 31st didn''t exist."


    Qin Yi was stunned. Seeing Yun Shang''s determined look, Qin Yi asked, "Your Highness, do you mean that there is some mistake in the files?"


    "It''s not a mistake. The files are fake." Yun Shang smiled coldly. "Generally speaking, since Xiang Wen and Xiang Fu entered the Palace in the 21th year of Min


    because your mother had been living in the Cold palace when you were young. Is that true?"


    Yun Shang pushed the strings of the Guqin hard and smiled, "What Your Majesty said is true. When I was young, I thought it was annoying to have a biological mother in the Cold Palace My mother should be the noble Empress. At that time, I was young and ignorant. If anyone mentioned my background, I would definitely teach her a lesson."


    "Really? So you are not close to your biological mother? I heard that later the Emperor of the State of Ning has taken your mother out of the Cold Palace, and now she has been promoted as a noble consort. Besides, she has given birth to a prince who is the only prince in the State of Ning." The Empress kept staring at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang didn''t know what the Empress wanted to do, so she raised her head and smiled calmly. "It might be offensive, but just imagine if Your Majesty were abandoned by your biological mother and couldn''t see her for 15 years, What would Your Majesty do?


    Hearing this, the Empress smiled quietly, with a bit of indifference in her eyes, but did not answer.


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Sorry, I was being impolite."


    Then she continued, "It is an undeniable fact that she is my mother. I respect her, but I don''t have an affinity with her. After all, the loss in fifteen years is an irreparable regret in my life. "


    The Empress smiled quietly. "You are really a straightforward woman."


    "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty." Yun Shang didn''t bother to beat around the bush with the Empress anymore, so she said, "That''s why I haven''t recognized her hairpin and handkerchief until my maid, who used to be my mother''s close maid, told me. Why did Your Majesty give these two things to me?" Yun Shang plucked the strings for a while and the music was melodious. When her eyes fell on the strings, she noticed some blood stains. She got a cut on her finger probably because she hadn''t played for a long time. Yun Shang lightly wiped the blood off the strings.

 Chapter 733 Suspicion

    Hearing this, the Empress laughed in delight mixed with a bit of irony. "Lady Rui, you don''t have to pretend to be weak and ignorant in front of me. I know you''ve defeat the army of the State of Xia in the KY city and I actually have carefully studied every battle. You are really capable woman. You don''t perform as well as you did in the State of Ning, but that owes to the fact that the State of Xia is not your space. These days, I have been thinking that if I were at your age, I''m afraid I wouldn''t be as good as you."


    The Empress looked at Yun Shang with burning eyes, but Yun Shang just smiled and said lightly, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."


    "I gave you those two things in order to make you cooperate with me, and you have no choice but to do so. Because you don''t know what''s wrong with your mother and you don''t dare to risk her life." The Empress looked a little cold, but her eyes lit up.


    Yun Shang had to admit that the Empress was right. Although she knew it was most likely that the Empress only ordered people to find some of her mother''s belongings to threaten her, she dared not bet.


    "Your Majesty, if you have any orders, just tell me. Why did you bother to do this..." A bitter smile emerged on her lips.


    "Why did I bother? Lady Rui, you are by no means a simple woman, so I have to be more discreet, or I''m afraid I''ll lose all. Lady Rui, I''m here to ask you, are you willing to cooperate with me? Now that Prince Rui is missing, you have no one to rely on anymore. " The Empress looked straight into Yun Shang''s eyes. Her voice was soft, but it made Yun Shang breathless.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and looked at the withered plum blossoms behind the Empress. The petals of the plum blossoms fell to the ground and were stepped into the soil by people coming and going.


    "What are you planning, Your Majesty?" Yun Shang said quietly.


    The Empress smiled. "I''ve got the news that the seven prince, Lady Shu, Lady Xian and the eldest princess have joined hands. Both the matter of Prince Rui''s mansion and the case of Lady Liu are likely to be done by them. Once they succeed, none of us will have a good end. I need to keep the position as the Empress, and you want to find Prince Rui. Prince Rui and they are sworn enemies, so it''s better for us to join hands to defeat them all."


    The the Empress looked at Yun Shang with a bit of firmness in her eyes. "What I want from you is your intelligence. And I could offer is my power and the support of the whole Su clan."


    Yun Shang pondered for a long time before she replied with a smile. "I don''t seem to have any reason to refuse."


    Hearing this, the smile on the Empress''s face became brighter. "Then I wish we could have smooth cooperation. But I have to remind you that you''d better not play tricks with me. If I find anything wrong with you, I will definitely not show mercy."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and nodded. The Empress smiled again and stood up. "If you could be obedient, I can ensure


    n. I hope they won''t punish her."


    Cai Yi nodded in a hurry. After a moment of silence, she said, "Qi Ruihai is the kind of person who always bully the weak and fear the strong. Just now, I saw that he was very respectful to Your Highness. I guess he won''t punish Qian Zhuo."


    "I hope so." Yun Shang frowned and replied carelessly. Then she turned around and entered the inner hall. She didn''t expect that the maid called Cai Yi was paying attention to what was happening inside. She might not be as credible as she had thought.


    Cai Yi didn''t know that Yun Shang was suspicious of her. She kept whispering, "I''ll send someone to Neishi Bureau." Then she turned around and walked out of the inner hall.


    Yun Shang walked to the couch and lay down, frowning. Obviously, the one behind all this knew her well. He knew that Qian Zhuo knew kung fu, so he deliberately aimed at her. But who could the person be?


    It shouldn''t be the Empress. If it were her, she would have threatened her with this matter.


    After a while, Cai Yi came in with a tea pot in her hand. She poured tea for Yun Shang, bowed to her, and left. Yun Shang picked up the teacup and took a sip, but her tongue was scalded by the hot tea. Frowning, she put down the teacup, and swallowed the tea silently.


    After a while, Qin Yi returned to the inner hall. Seeing that Yun Shang was lying on the couch for a rest, Qin Yi stood aside and said nothing. Yun Shang heard her footsteps. She opened her eyes and asked softly, "How''s it going?"


    Qin Yi hurriedly replied, "I have inquired carefully. After Qi Ruihai left Zhaoxia Palace, he went to Weiyang Palace. And... "


    As Qin Yi continued, Yun Shang interrupted her abruptly, "I see. The tea is a little cold. Go and make another pot of tea for me."


    Qin Yi was a little confused, but she saw Yun Shang staring at the door of the inner hall with a bit of coldness in her eyes. She suppressed the doubts in her heart, picked up the teapot and turned around to leave the inner hall.

 Chapter 734 Riddled With Mystery (Part One)

    After Qin Yi left the inner hall, Yun Shang followed her out. She saw Cai Yi standing quietly at the gate of the outer hall, her dress swaying slightly in the wind. Yun Shang felt colder in her heart. She stood in the outer hall for a while, and when she saw Qin Yi coming near, she looked up at Cai Yi and said, "It''s about to spring, but the grass in the front yard is frosted today. I almost fell when I passed by. Take someone to get rid of the frost."


    Hurriedly, Cai Yi turned around and bowed, "All right."


    Yun Shang didn''t look at her anymore. She turned around and entered the inner hall with Qin Yi. But the first thing she did after entering the inner hall was to open the window. She stood by the window and looked out. She saw Cai Yi standing in the front yard, commanding the servants to pour out all the frost on the grass with bamboo branches, and then asking someone to bring some grass ashes to pave a layer with them on the wet road.


    After the servants went to get the ashes, she looked up at the direction of the inner hall from afar, but her eyes met Yun Shang''s unexpectedly Cai Yi was stunned and turned away in a hurry.


    Seeing what Yun Shang was doing, Qin Yi also walked to Yun Shang and stood beside her. She happened to see this scene, so her heart jolted and a suspicion came to her, "Just now, Cai Yi was eavesdropping on us outside there?"


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled coldly. "You just mentioned Qi Ruihai. How about Cai Yi?"


    Qin Yi came back to her senses and said, "I didn''t find anything wrong with Cai Yi up till now. After coming out of the Zhaoxia Palace, she went straight to the Neishi Bureau. And I heard that the Neishi Bureau was


    Huan''er in her previous life...


    Yun Shang smiled again and continued, "It''s not as noisy as the child in Lin Lin Youran''s belly."


    "Yes," Qin Yi replied. She knew nothing about Yun Shang''s previous life, of course. She also smiled and went on saying, "After you get pregnant, your belly will be bigger and bigger. We had prepared many clothes before, all of which were wide robes and big sleeves. Your highness, you could wear them just in time, but unfortunately, they are all burnt up."


    "Just a few clothes. Let''s make more. Are we still short of clothes in the palace? " Yun Shang asked casually.


    "Yes, your highness," Qin Yi smiled and wiped Yun Shang''s long hair with a towel.


    The weather was cold and the water was getting cold easily. Qin Yi was afraid that Yun Shang would catch a cold, so she helped her bath quickly. After helping Yun Shang out of the bathtub, Qin Yi hurriedly picked up the clean clothes on the side. As soon as she picked up the trousers, she saw a white drop from the trousers. Both of them turned around and looked at the place where the thing fell. It was a piece of paper.

 Chapter 735 Riddled With Mystery (Part Two)

    Yun Shang and Qin Yi looked at each other. Qin Yi picked up the paper in a hurry, unfolded it, and handed it to Yun Shang. Yun Shang glanced at it, nodded, and said to Qin Yi calmly, "Help me get dressed."


    Qin Yi obeyed, folded the paper and put it into her sleeve. Then she helped put on the underwear and underwear for Yun Shang in a hurry.


    After both of them went out, Qin Yi immediately ordered someone to bring in two more pots of charcoal, and wiped Yun Shang''s hair carefully with a towel.


    After a while, Cai Yi came in. Seeing that Qin Yi was busy with her work, she said hurriedly, "Aunt Qin Yi, thank you for your hard work. Let me do it."


    Qin Yi took a look at Yun Shang and stood up with a smile. She handed the handkerchief to Cai Yi. Cai Yi sat down on her knees, wiping for Yun Shang as Qin Yi did just now.


    After a long time, Yun Shang asked slowly, "How is Qian Zhuo now? Did the Neishi Bureau put her to torture? "


    Cai Yi hurriedly replied, "I''ve asked the eunuchs about it, but they didn''t put her to torture. I heard that Lord Qi was very good to Qian Zhuo, so he only asked a few questions and put her in the prison. The prison is the best one. I''ve ordered them to prepare more quilts for her in the cold night."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, squinted, and nodded, "That''s good."


    Cai Yi dried Yun Shang''s wet hair. Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "All right. thanks. I''ll dry it next to the fire pot."


    Cai Yi obeyed and put away the handkerchief, t


    The air after the rain was fragrant with the smell of soil. Qin Yi got up early. It was still early in the morning. Qin Yi pushed the window open, turned around and looked at the bed. She dressed neatly and opened the door of the inner hall.


    There was still a narrow compartment between the inner hall and the outer hall. Qin Yi looked around and found that Cai Yi was not inside. The quilt was folded neatly, as if it had been a while since she left.


    Qin Yi called the servants to prepare water for washing. Then she returned to the inner hall and hung up the bed curtain. But she saw Yun Shang was looking at her with her eyes wide open. Qin Yi was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, "Your highness, it''s time to get up. We have to go to Weiyang Palace to pay respects."


    Yun Shang nodded and sat up. Before she got out of bed, she heard some messy footsteps, and then the voice of Cai Yi came from the outer hall, "Your highness, something happened. Qian Zhuo is missing."

 Chapter 736 Bright Red Handwriting

    Qian Zhuo is missing. It was really a euphemism. What the officer from the Neishi Bureau said was that Qian Yin escaped from punishment and she even killed the eunuchs who was guarding.


    With a bitter look on his face, Qi Ruihai, who was sitting opposite Yun Shang, didn''t dare to look up at her. He kept repeating, "Your Highness, I didn''t apply lynching. Qian Zhuo is a suspect, so she must be imprisoned in prison. But I prepared the best prison for her, and even the quilt she used was the best. I worried that it would be cold at night, so I even prepared a spare quilt for her.


    Tapping on the armrest gently, Yun Shang stared at Qi Ruihai. She looked so calm that it was hard to tell what she was thinking. "So, Lord Qi means that she, a maid who knows a little kung fu for self-defense, killed several guards after breaking the lock of the prison, and then disappeared in the heavily guarded Palace?"


    Qi Ruihai was stunned and didn''t retort.


    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "Does His Majesty that know the guards in the inner Palace are so weak? I''ll go to see His Majesty later and tell him about it. If the Palace hasn''t been guarded strictly, His Majesty might be in danger at any time. His Majesty''s safety is related to the whole country."


    Qi Ruihai felt a little embarrassed and said, "I don''t know either. Maybe Qian Zhuo is very familiar with the situation in the inner Palace and has hidden somewhere? Or maybe there is someone in the inner Palace who could help her?"


    Hearing what Qi Ruihai said, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. Qi Ruihai looked at her with confusion. After a long time, Yun Shang raised her head and said, "Lord Qi, are you sure that the person you are talking about is a maid of mine? If that''s the case, then I have to admire her for that she could know the inner Palace so well after coming to the Palace for just several times. She is just a maid in my mansion, how could she has someone in the inner Palace to aid her?"


    Qi Ruihai was choked by Qi Ruihai''s words. He kept silent for a long time before he said, "Your Highness, what do you think it should be?"


    Yun Shang looked out of the palace. The sky was blue and clear after the rain. After a long silence, Yun Shang asked softly, "Did anyone witness that Qian Zhuo opened the door herself and killed the prison guards?"


    Qi Ruihai paused and shook his head. "No."


    Yun Shang then looked away and said, "So, what you said to me just now was all your wild speculations? Why can''t it be that the real murderer who killed Lady Liu took Qian Zhuo away from the prison in order to create the illusion that Qian Zhuo escaped from punishment?"


    Qi Ruihai was stunned again, but he couldn''t find a good word to refute Yun Shang. He had to keep silent and lower his head.


    Yun Shang took a look at Qi Ruihai and stood up. "Lord Qi, why don''t you take me to the prison and see if there is any useful clue?"


    Seeinhg Qi Ruihai was hesitating, Yun Shang said with a cold face, "Oh, I forgot that I''m also a suspect of Lady Liu''s death. Lord Qi definitely can''t al


    nd tucked the flute in her sleeve before she stood up and made Feixian Braid for Yun Shang. Then she inserted several light colored silk flowers and two white jade hairpins into her hair.


    Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the inner hall. She smiled at Liu Wenan and said, "Lord Liu, I''m ready. Let''s go."


    Liu Wenan nodded slightly and led Yun Shang to Meeting Hall.


    "Your Highness, you have been in the palace for two days. Are you used to your palace? Did you sleep well?" Liu Wenan walked a step away from Yun Shang and asked her in a low voice, "If the bed or quilt was not suitable, please let me know."


    Yun Shang smiled with a sad look, "Everything is fine in the palace, and there is nothing that I am not satisfied with. The maid Cai Yi sent by you is really considerate and she''s arrange everything well. But because of all kinds of things that have happened recently, I really can''t sleep well."


    Hearing this, Liu Wenan comforted him in a soft voice, "God blesses the good man. Prince Rui will be fine."


    So many people had said this to Yun Shang. Yun Shang only smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, Lord Liu."


    Liu Wenan smiled and said nothing. He led Yun Shang into the Meeting Hall.


    In addition to Xia Huanyu, Su Qi and Li Qianmo were also in the Meeting Hall. Xia Huanyu quickly curtsied to Xia Huanyu. Xia Huanyu waved his hand and asked Yun Shang to stand up.


    After Yun Shang stood up, Xia Huanyu handed the thing in his hand to Yun Shang. Yun Shang was slightly stunned and saw the familiar handwriting on the paper. The handwriting was bright red. Yun Shang leaned the paper to the tip of her nose and smelt it. It still had a smell of blood, which made her feel a dull pain in her heart. After a long while, she looked at the word. Maybe it was written in a hurry, the handwriting was a little sloppy. It read: Cangjue Qingsu, southeast...


    There seemed to be something that hadn''t been written down next to the word "southeast", but there was only a large bloodstain there which was horrifying.

 Chapter 737 Nightmares

    Yun Shang was caught by shock and didn''t say anything for a long time. Then she heard the voice of Xia Huanyu, "This was found in this morning. It was tied on a horse which was rushing straight to the Palace gate and was stopped by the guards at the gate."


    After a pause, Xia Huanyu looked at Yun Shang and said indifferently, "I''ve just seen it. It should be Prince Rui''s handwriting. But I''m afraid that I might make a mistake, so I specially ask you here to have a look."


    Yun Shang opened her mouth and said in a dry voice, "Yes, it''s His Highness'' handwriting."


    Xia Huanyu nodded slightly and then looked at Su Qi and Li Qianmo. "Now that we''ve confirmed it''s Prince Rui''s handwriting, but what does the words mean on the paper? And how did the horse get to the palace gate? "


    There was a long silence in the hall until Su Qi cleared his throat and said, "Cangjue Qingsu is the name of the Emperor of the State of Yelang, so what Prince Rui wanted to say is most likely that it was Cangjue Qingsu who killed the people in Prince Rui''s mansion and kidnapped him. As for the word "southeast", it was hard to guess. It seemed that the sentence was not finished yet. It was hard to tell whether Prince Rui was in the southeast or something has happened in the southeast. And I don''t know if it''s the southeast of the Jin City or the southeast of the State of Xia... "


    Su Qi''s words were reasonable, but not useful at all. Yun Shang gave Xia Xia Huanyu a glance and then looked at the letter written in blood again.


    "And this horse was heading straight for the Palace gate. I thought we could send someone to the go to the Zhu Que Road and ask around if anyone has seen the horse. In this way, at least we can know where the horse came from. I don''t believe it was able to find the Palace gate from afar alone. "


    Xia Huanyu glanced at him indifferently, and then turned around. "What do you think, Lady Rui?"


    Yun Shang''s eyes swept across Xia Huanyu, Su Qi and Li Qianmo before she she lowered her head and said, "I didn''t think that much


    Cai Yi took a look at Yun Shang and left in a hurry.


    Qin Yi held Yun Shang''s arm and walked into the inner hall. She quickly opened the window and whispered, "You need some fresh air."


    Yun Shang nodded gently and lay down on the couch. After a long silence, she turned to Qin Yi and said in a low voice, "What was on the note that fell from my clothes when I took a bath last night?"


    Qin Yi was stunned for a while before she lowered her head and whispered, "Don''t listen. Don''t look. Don''t hear. Wait for me."


    While listening to Qin Yi who was speaking slowly word by word, the corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curved up slightly. "I don''t believe anyone. I''ll wait for him."


    Perhaps it was because Yun Shang didn''t sleep well last night, she fell asleep quickly on the couch. Seeing that Yun Shang was asleep, Qin Yi ordered someone to take good care of her, and then went to carry out Yun Shang''s order.


    In Yun Shang''s dream, she saw bright red of blood. Luo Qingyan''s voice rang out in the void, "Help... Help..."


    Yun Shang panicked and looked around for the direction of the voice. "Qingyan, where are you? Qingyan... "


    While they were looking for Luo Qingyan, Yun Shang felt someone was looking at her. The gaze was like a venomous snake, twining around Yun Shang. Cold sweat broke out on Yun Shang''s forehead. She suddenly sat up, "Qingyan."

 Chapter 738 Wu Yan Palace

    When she opened her eyes, she saw the luxuriously decorated bedchamber. A voice with a bit of eagerness sounded, "Your Highness, what''s wrong? Are you having a nightmare? "


    Yun Shang turned around and looked at her. After a long silence, she said in a hoarse voice, "Oh, Cai Yi. It''s a dream." However, Yun Shang was still in a state of shock thinking of the gaze in the dream. She stared at Cai Yi in a daze for a long time before she calmed down. "Give me a cup of tea. Where is Qin Yi?"


    With a smile, Cai Yi poured a cup of tea, and touched the edge of the teacup with her hand to test the temperature before she handed it to Yun Shang. "Sister Qin Yi has gone to the Imperial Household Department for some incense which could help sleep. She said that Your Highness didn''t sleep well in the past two days."


    She was lying.


    Yun Shang''s hand holding the teacup paused for a moment. Without thinking, she made a conclusion in her heart. After her pregnancy, almost all the servants knew that it was better not to use incense for pregnant people. There had been no incense in her room for a long time, but why did she say that Qin Yi went to the Imperial Household Department to take the incense?


    However, if she was lying, didn''t she fear that her lie would be exposed when Qin Yi came back?


    Yun Shang looked up at Cai Yi and put down the teacup. After a long silence, she asked, "How long has she left?"


    Cai Yi seemed to think for a while and said softly, "About an hour."


    Yun Shang raised her head and rubbed her forehead to sober herself up. Then she said indifferently, "I dindn''t know I have slept for such a long time. By the way, how is it going in the Neishi Bureau? Do they have any new clues about Qian Zhuo?"


    Cai Yi shook her head and said softly, "The rain last night was really coincidental, and many traces were covered up. I went to the Neishi Bureau earlier and found that Lord Qi seemed to be at a loss."


    Yun Shang knocked on the armrest of the chair and said softly, "A living people has disappeared in the inner Palace. Will they search the Palace?"


    Hearing this, Cai Yi shook her head and said, "It''s almost impossible to search the Palace. There are more than a hundred palaces in the imperial household. It''s not difficult to hide a person, but it''s very difficult to search it. There are many forbidden areas in the imperial household, where nobody is allowed to approach."


    Yun Shang rubbed her forehead again. Seeing this, Cai Yi hurriedly said, "The tuckahoe and licorice decoction is done. Do you want to drink it now, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. It was just an excuse to send Cai Yi away. "I forgot that I''ve been pregnant. I''d better not take these medicines. It doesn''t matter. I''ll be fine in a while."


    Cai Yi nodded and stood aside without saying anything.


    After a while, Qin Yi came in with nothing in her hand. Cai Yi said first, "Eh, didn''t you say that you were going to the Imperial Household Department to get the incense? Didn''t you get it?"


    Yun Shang raised her h


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    All of a sudden, Yun Shang remembered the news from the secret guards. When Lady Shu was locked up in the Cold Palace, the Empress wanted to go in and ridicule her, but was stopped by the guards at the door. At last, the Empress had to leave in anger.


    Yun Shang glanced at the arrogant and cold Empress and thought, ''Although Lady Shu has made such a big mistake, Xia Huanyu still tries his best to protect Lady Shu. I''m afraid that made the empress hate her even more.''


    The imperial guard took the token from the servant and examined it carefully. Then he nodded slightly and waved his hand, opening the door of the Cold Palace.


    Yun Shang frowned and said, "The palace is really heavily guarded. If I didn''t know this is the Cold Palace, I would think there must be an extremely important person living here since there are so many imperial guards guarding here. It seems that only Taiji Palace has so many guards like the Cold Palace."


    Yun Shang saw clearly that the Empress'' face suddenly changed.


    The door was opened. In front of the hall was a yard, which had already been covered with weeds, looking dilapidated. Yun Shang saw the situation in the yard at a glance. There was an old rattan chair in the yard, on which lay a woman in plain clothes, with her hair disheveled and her eyes slightly closed. An old madam stood beside the woman and seemed to be talking about something.


    Hearing the sound of the door opening, the people in the yard turned around.


    The woman''s face could be seen clearly. She had thin arched eyebrows, almond eyes and a delicate face. Though she looked pale, her eyes were full of spirit.


    The smile at the corners of the Empress'' mouth became a little cold when she saw the woman. "Lady Shu, it seems that you have a good time in Wu Yan Palace."


    Lady Shu smiled and turned her head, "Not bad. Although it''s a little shabby, it''s quiet without any disturb. How come Your Majesty look more haggard than me? Standing next to beautiful Lady Rui, you are overshadowed. Tsk, tsk..."

 Chapter 739 Kill Two Birds With One Stone

    Seeing that the Empress'' hand on the maid''s arm clenching tighter, Yun Shang couldn''t help but smile bitterly in her heart. Lady Shu was really restless. Even in this situation, she didn''t forget to provoke the Empress, making the Empress have a grudge against her.


    Yun Shang looked up at Lady Shu, who was wearing a calm face. She smiled and said, "Lady Shu, you must have suffered a lot these days. It was the Wanshou Festival a few days ago. And this year, Her Majesty has to run it alone without anyone to assist as Lady Xiang and Lady Hui have been pregnant, which delayed the time to send rewards to Lady Shu and Lady Xian."


    As soon as Yun Shang said this, the Empress understood her intention at once. With a smile on her face, she said, "Yes, as three blessings have descended upon, His Majesty has issued an imperial edict to hold a grand ceremony. We''ve been so busy with it that we neglected you. Someone, bring the gift up."


    Yun Shang''s eyes were fixed on Lady Shu, and she could even see the slightest change on her face. Lady Shu turned pale at once. Her hands trembled slightly, and she sneered, "What a good news! I''m honored, it''s hard for His Majesty to remember me in such a situation."


    Lady Shu wanted to piss the Empress off. She wanted to tell the Empress that even if Lady Xiang and Lady Hui were pregnant, Xia Huanyu still remembered to give her a reward.


    Obviously, the Empress was also not easy to get along with. She smiled and said, "You can''t blame His Majesty. He was so busy these two days. If it weren''t for Shang''er''s reminder, I would have forgotten it."


    Although the Empress mentioned her, Yun Shang just stood there with a smile and looked around secretly.


    Lowering her head, Lady Shu didn''t say anything, and the blue veins on her hands bulged.


    "We''ve been here for a while. Where is Lady Xian?" The Empress glanced around and said indifferently with a bit of disgust in her eyes.


    Lady Shu still didn''t raise her head. She just replied casually, "Lady Xian is lying inside. It has been raining for two days and she caught a cold and felt dizzy."


    "I see." The Empress waved the brocade handkerchief in her hand indifferently. "Then have a rest. I won''t go in. Lady Rui is also pregnant. Let''s go first, in case we get sick."


    Yun Shang hurriedly responded and helped the Empress out of the gate of Wu Yan Palace.


    After the Empress came out, the guards at the gate quickly waved their hands and said, "Close the door."


    Yun Shang turned around and saw Lady Shu looking up at their backs, smiling weirdly. Seeing that Yun Shang was looking back, Lady Shu just raised her hand and gently held her thumb, index finger and middle finger together.


    Yun Shang frowned, hurriedly turned around and left with the Empress.


    After walking far away, the Empress stamped her feet heavily, squinted her eyes and said coldly, "Lady Shu w


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    our Highness, please forgive me. It''s my fault. I will send more people to search."


    Yun Shang nodded and looked at Qi Ruihai, "So what did you come here for?"


    Qi Ruihai was stunned by Yun Shang''s question. After a while, he said, "Nothing important. I just passed by Zhaoxia Palace and came in to ask if there is anything unusual in Zhaoxia Palace recently."


    Yun Shang looked up at Qi Ruihai and sneered, "My maid is missing? Is it unusual? "


    Embarrassed, Qi Ruihai lowered his head and didn''t know how to answer.


    Yun Shang snorted and stood up. She ignored Qi Ruihai] and went straight into the inner hall.


    Cai Yi also came in and said to Yun Shang softly, "Your Highness, you shouldn''t have embarrassed Lord Qi like this. In this Palace, institutions like the Neishi Bureau and the Imperial Household Department seem to be of little use, but the staff are the last people we should offend."


    Yun Shang didn''t say a word. She went to the couch and lay down. She knew very well why Qi Ruihai came here. When Yun Shang entered Linglong Palace, she saw several eunuchs standing outside. It was highly possible that Qi Ruihai wanted to search Zhaoxia Palace.


    Now that she had guessed his intention, she had to take the initiative. She was at least a princess, and now she was living in the Palace, and many people were watching her. If she showed a little weakness, she would definitely be trampled underfoot.


    Qin Yi took the teapot and went out of the inner hall. Seeing that Yun Shang ignored her, Cai Yi didn''t mention about the matter of Qi Ruihai any more. She said softly, "Your Highness, you need a rest. I''ll bring the quilt for you."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and picked up a book to read.


    After getting the quilt, Yun Shang waved her hand and asked Cai Yi to leave. When Qin Yi made tea for her, Yun Shang had a cup of tea and said softly, "I''ll sleep for a while. Wake me up in two hours."

 Chapter 740 Deeper Investigation

    Qin Yi responded, and then took out the embroidery support from the adjoining cubicle. Cai Yi was next to her. She chuckled, "Qin Yi, do you want to embroider something? What is it? "


    Qin Yi looked at the embroidery support in her hand and said with a smile, "As her highness is sleeping, I can embroider some small bellybands, shoes and so on for her unborn baby."


    Cai Yi nodded with a smile, "I see."


    Qin Yi entered the inner hall with the embroidery support. She found the window was still open, and that Yun Shang was lying on the couch under the window. Fearing that Yun Shang would catch a cold in the wind, she quickly walked to the window to close it. There, she noticed Cai Yi walking towards the outer hall.


    Feeling that someone was looking at her, Cai Yi turned her head and looked at the direction of the bedroom. Qin Yi quickly lowered her body and only raised her head slightly to look outside. She found Cai Yi had turned around and walked out of the hall. So Qin Yi stood up and closed the window.


    "Your Highness, Cai Yi has gone." Qin Yi whispered.


    Yun Shang was lying on the couch with her eyes closed. She slowly opened her eyes and sneered, "Did you send someone to follow her?"


    Qin Yi nodded slightly, took out a brocade handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Yun Shang, saying. "This is the message from the secret guard outside the palace. The information about Cai Yi, Qi Ruihai and Wen Xiangfu is all in it."


    Yun Shang unfolded the handkerchief, which was densely written with words. Yun Shang read it carefully for a long time before she threw it away. The handkerchief then fell on the charcoal pot, and a fire suddenly sprang up on it. After a while, the handkerchief was burned.


    Yun Shang leaned against the couch, slowly closed her eyes, and murmured, "I see."


    Qin Yi was a little surprised to see Yun Shang''s reaction after reading the message handkerchief, so she quickly asked in a low voice, "Your highness, do you have any new clue?"


    Yun Shang smiled coldly, "I have more than just some clues. I know everything about Lady Liu''s case."


    Qin Yi was stunned. She looked at Yun Shang and asked, "Including the traces of Qian Zhuo?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, including clues about the traces of Qian Zhuo."


    Qin Yi wanted to ask Yun Shang what was going on, but seeing Yun Shang''s tired face, she had to stand quietly aside and pour a cup of tea for her instead.


    Yun Shang picked up the teacup and took a sip. After a long time, she said slowly, "Cai Yi was the leader of Lady Liu''s murder. Xiang Wen and Xiang Fu were the perpetrators."


    Qin Yi was dumfounded. Even though Yun Shang had suspected it on the second day, and had ordered people to keep an eye on Cai Yi, Qin Yi didn''t believe that she was the murderer. She just thought that Cai Yi was unhappy because she was suddenly transferred to the Zhaoxia Palace from the Taiji Palace. Although Cai Yi seemed to look down upon many people, she was respectful to Yun Shang.


    Moreover, she was the servant of Xia Huanyu. Qin Yi couldn''t understand why she framed Qian Zhuo and Yun Shang this way.


    Thinking that Yun Shang was convinced by the message from the handkerchief that Cai Yi wa


    That day, Cai Yi looked a little depressed after she went out of the Neishi Bureau. Yun Shang asked her about it. She answered that it was because she knew someone among the dead guards.


    If Cai Yi, Xiang Wen or Xiang Fu asked to send something to Qian Zhuo in Yun Shang''s name, it wouldn''t be difficult for them to enter the Neishi Bureau prison.


    Besides, there weren''t many people guarding there at night, so it was a good chance to take action.


    Since that day she came back from the Neishi Bureau prison, Yun Shang had been thinking about these two questions.


    One, two of the four prison guards'' wounds were in the front, and the other two were behind. There was no trace of fighting around them. How could this happen?


    It took Yun Shang a long time to figure it out. This meant that the murder should be performed by at least two people, and they were at least acquainted with the guards. The four guards were patrolling the cell. At that time, the murderers should be in the same place, and they should be walking in the middle. While speaking, the two people turned around together and killed the two guards who were walking behind. Then they turned around quickly and killed the two people walking in the front from behind.


    The second question was the lock. Although Yun Shang only took a look at it that day, she found that the lock was open although it was cut off by a sharp blade. Since the lock was open, why did she split it open?


    Yun Shang thought that they probably came in the name of Yun Shang and took the key from the guards to visit Qian Zhuo. Later, when she opened the door, she remembered that if she took Qian Zhuo away like this, it would arouse others'' suspicion, so she split the lock open again.


    It was raining that day and night, but it helped them wash away all the traces.


    "Then where is Qian Zhuo now?" Qin Yi asked eagerly.


    Yun Shang looked up and smiled, "I know there is no guard in a place. Even the eunuchs will most likely ignore that place, but there is indeed a special place for Cai Yi."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up and she said thoughtfully, "That''s Lady Yun''s Yunqi Palace."

 Chapter 741 Plot (Part One)

    Qin Yi was a little surprised. Yun Shang smiled and continued, "Since the accident of Xia Huanyu in Yunqi Palace, entrance to the palace was then forbidden and later the order was withdrew. However, no one was willing to go there as so many people died in the palace. Although Yunqi Palace was Lady Yun''s palace at that time, it was far away from Taiji Palace. Now it was very desolate. What''s more, Yunqi Palace is the place where Lady Mei was being accused and took into the Cold Palace from, so it has some special meaning to Cai Yi."


    "Let''s go to Yunqi Palace and save Qian Zhuo." Qin Yi stood up immediately.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang held Qin Yi''s hand and said, "No hurry. Order some secret guards to see if it was as I expected lest we alert the enemy if I guess wrong. Even if I am right and we find Qian Zhuo, we couldn''t prove that it was done by Cai Yi. Besides, since Cai Yi wants to avenge Lady Mei, her goal will definitely not be Qian Zhuo. I''d like to see what Cai Yi wants to do."


    Qin Yi looked a little hesitant. Yun Shang said so confidently and Qin Yi always believed in her ability. But after all, they were not in the State of Ning, not even in Prince Rui''s mansion. Moreover, both Prince Rui and Qian Zhuo are missing. If something happened, there would be no one who could protect Her Highness.


    Looking at Qin Yi''s face, Yun Shang knew what she was worried about. With a smile at the corners of her mouth, she took Qin Yi''s hand and asked her to sit down next to her. Then Yun Shang said with a smile, "Maybe it''s because His Highness has protected me too well in the past two years. So many people have forgotten that I am not a weak person, and I also know martial arts


    d Palace, it was better to stay by the side of Prince Qi and wait. As for Wu Yan Palace, I''ll have to find a way to visit the palace in person."


    After the two of them talked for a while, Yun Shang felt sleepy and lay down on the couch.


    When Cai Yi came back, Yun Shang hadn''t woken up. She walked to Qin Yi, looked down at the embroidery in Qin Yi''s hands, and smiled, "Qin Yi, what are you embroidering?"


    Qin Yi didn''t raise her eyebrows and made a gesture of silence. Then she smiled and said in a very low voice, "I don''t know whether the baby in your Highness''s belly is a boy or a girl, so I''m going to embroider clothes of both styles. And this one is for the little princess."


    Cai Yi nodded and looked at the beautiful woman on the couch. After staring at her for a long time, she withdrew her gaze and said, "Qin Yi, it''s so lucky for you to be with Her Highness. Her Highness is a little different from what I thought. I heard from other servants that Her Highness is brave even on the battlefield. Before I saw her highness, I thought her highness was very fierce. I didn''t expect her to be such a gentle lady."

 Chapter 742 Plot (Part Two)

    Qin Yi looked up at Cai Yi with a smile and said, "Yes, I''m honored to be serving Her Highness."


    After saying that, Qin Yi lowered her head and embroidered a few more stitches. Then she asked casually, "Cai Yi, where do you come from? Have you been into the Palace since you were a child?"


    Hearing Qin Yi''s question, she took a glance at Yun Shang who was asleep and said softly, "I''m from the Jin City and I didn''t come to the Palace until I was seventeen years old. I was eliminated at the second round of the selection, so I stayed in the Palace as a maid."


    "Ah... So you are a candidate of the beauty selection? But how could you be eliminated? I think you are even better in appearance and personality than some of the concubines I have seen." Qin Yi looked at Cai Yi with a bit of pity on her face.


    Cai Yi smiled with self mockery and said, "I''m not as good as you said. I was not being chosen probably because of my humble background. My father is just a county magistrate, and I''m the daughter of his concubine. When I took part in the selection, I was already seventeen years old, a little older than the other candidates. So, being eliminated was within my expectation."


    Qin Yi nodded and continued to embroider.


    Cai Yi was also curious about Qin Yi, so she asked, "How did you become Her Highness'' maid?"


    Qin Yi smiled and said, "Well, when Her Highness, the little princess of the State of Ning, was only eight years old, she was framed by a traitor and her palace caught on f


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    e. Yun Shang sneered in her heart and walked out of the bedroom with Qin Yi without waiting for her reply.


    After walking out of Linglong Palace, Qin Yi said softly, "Your Highness, are you afraid that Cai Yi will follow us secretly?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "If I''m not wrong, Cai Yi wasn''t well prepared when she murdered Lady Liu. She must have panicked when I said a maid from Mingcui Palace noticed something that day. As the saying goes, a cornered beast will do something desperate. I want to see what she will do with it."


    In fact, Yun Shang was not familiar with Lady Xi. She just pretended to pass by Mingcui Palace and went in to talk about clothes and jewelry with Lady Xi, but stayed for half an hour before leaving the palace.


    When they returned to Zhaoxia Palace, Cai Yi hadn''t come back yet. Yun Shang and Qin Yi entered the inner hall together. Qin Yi frowned when she looked at a vase by the window. She walked to the vase and moved it away. There was a letter under it.

 Chapter 743 Assassin

    Qin Yi took out the letter and handed it to Yun Shang who then unfolded it and read it. After a moment of silence, she threw the letter into the brazier.


    "Is there any news?" Qin Yi asked in a hurry.


    Yun Shang seemed to be relieved, but there was also a bit of doubt and shock in her eyes. After a while, she said softly, "It''s from Wang Wanzhi. She said that the seventh prince and Su Ruhai had led troops outside the Lingxi City."


    Qin Yi was stunned. It seemed that the news had nothing to do with Her Highness.


    Yun Shang continued, "Xia Huanyu claimed that he had sent out an army of more than 500, 000 soldiers. But the number of soldiers led by the seventh prince and Su Ruhai was only 150, 000."


    "So?" Qin Yi still didn''t understand. She looked at Yun Shang blankly.


    Yun Shang stared at the flickering fire in the brazier, and there was also a flame dancing in her eyes. After a long time, Yun Shang said softly, "When the two armies are fighting, they tend to overstate the number of their soldiers in order to deter the enemy. But the number being claimed can''t be too exaggerated, or it would be dangerous if the spies from the enemy found out the truth."


    Yun Shang suddenly raised the corners of her mouth and seemed to be very happy. "Since Xia Huanyu dares to declare that there are 500, 000 soldiers, there should be at least 350, 000 to 400, 000. It''s impossible that there were only 150, 000 soldiers. If three 350, 000 soldiers, where were the other 200, 000 soldiers going? And who is leading them? "


    The smile on Yun Shang''s face suddenly disappeared, which was so fast that Qin Yi was confused.


    "What''s wrong? Is there anything wrong? " Qin Yi said in a hurry. As soon as she finished speaking, she found that Yun Shang''s body trembled slightly and her eyes were red.


    "Your Highness, what''s wrong with you? Don''t scare me! " Qin Yi was also a little flustered.


    Yun Shang grabbed Qin Yi''s hand and said in a hoarse voice, "I see."


    "What?" Qin Yi was stunned, her eyes full of confusion.


    Yun Shang bit her lips, and suddenly loosened her grip on Qin Yi. "I know who poisoned Lord Hua Guo, who took away Liu Yinfeng, and who killed the people in Prince Rui''s mansion and took His Highness away."


    Qin Yi didn''t expect what Yun Shang figured out was bout these cases. She asked with shock in her eyes, "Who is it?"


    Just as Yun Shang opened her mouth and was about to say something, she heard footsteps from the outer hall. Yun Shang was taken aback, and quickly withdrew her hand, pretending that nothing had happened. She leaned against the couch and closed her eyes, slowly calming herself down.


    "Your Highness, osmanthus cakes has been sent to Xiangzhu Palace." The voice of Cai Yi was sounded, gentle and respectful.


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Ok, It''s good. Is His Majesty in Xiang Zhu Palace?" When Yun Shang slowly opened her eyes, the surging emotions had been covered behind her calm eyes.


    Cai Yi nodded slightly and said with a smile, "His Majesty has hi


    When the hairpin was only two inches away from Yun Shang, Yun Shang suddenly opened her eyes and quickly grabbed the hand holding the hairpin. Cai Yi was shocked and wanted to go all out to stab the hairpin down, only to find that her hand was tightly grasped. Her arm was so sore and numb that she could not move.


    A hint of panic flashed through Cai Yi''s eyes. She couldn''t help but stare at Yun Shang, "How come you know kung fu?"


    Yun Shang sneered, "I never said that I don''t know kung fu." As speaking, Yun Shang lifted her foot and kicked Cai Yi''s belly hard. With the sudden pain, Cai Yi couldn''t help but bent down and dropped the hairpin on the quilt.


    Hearing the noise, Qin Yi put on a robe and ran in the bedroom. Seeing such a scene, Qin Yi was stunned for a while and then looked at Yun Shang.


    "Qin Yi, come here." Yun Shang said to Qin Yi calmly.


    Qin Yi nodded and walked to Yun Shang''s side. Yun Shang chopped down from Cai Yi''s neck with her hand. Cai Yi blacked out and fell to the ground. Yun Shang raised her head and said to Qin Yi, "After I leave, just shout to draw the guards here and tell them we are attacked by an assassin. If the guards ask you where I have gone, tell them that the assassin has an accomplice. After I subdued her, I went to chase her accomplice."


    Qin Yi was confused, "But I only saw Cai Yi just now."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Just do as you are told."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi nodded at once. Yun Shang stood up, put a robe on, pushed the window open and was about to go out.


    "Your Highness, it''s still raining outside. You should wear more..." Qin Yi was about to fetch clothes for Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Have you seen anyone dressed neatly chasing an assassin in the midnight?" Then she jumped out of the window.


    After a while, Qin Yi shouted, "Help! Assassins!"


    The sound of thunder and rain outside was much lower, and Qin Yi''s cry was especially clear in the quiet night. Messy footsteps rang out in Zhaoxia Palace...

 Chapter 744 The Assassins Whereabouts

    The guards opened the door curtain and came in. When they saw only Qin Yi and Cai Yi who was lying on the ground, their faces turned ghastly pale. "Her Highness has been taken away by the assassin?"


    Qin Yi knew that they must have misunderstood, so she pointed at Cai Yi on the ground and said, "She is the assassin. Just now, she attacked Lady Rui with another two assassins. Lady Rui knocked Cai Yi to the ground, and her accomplices ran away from the window. Her Highness followed them out. Leave two of you to take her away, and the rest of you should hurry up to chase other assassins. It''s raining so heavily outside and Her Highness is pregnant. If anything happens to her, I''m afraid we can''t bear the consequence."


    The leader of the guards was a little surprised. "But isn''t this Cai Yi who is serving in the palace? How could she become an assassin? Besides, we were patrolling outside just now and didn''t see any assassin."


    "Her Highness is missing. Have you seen her? Go and find her!" Qin Yi looked pale and raised her voice.


    "Hurry up. You two, go to report to His Majesty. And you two, take her away. The rest of you, go with me." Seeing that Qin Yi was so agitated, the leader of the guards ordered and took the lead out of the bedroom.


    After the two guards took Cai Yi away, Qin Yi was pacing back and forth in the hall, her face full of anxiety. She regretted that she hadn''t stopped Yun Shang. How could she let the pregnant princess run in the rain?


    It was getting dark and the rain was getting heavier. It had been an hour since the guards went out, but there was still no news. Qin Yi became more and more worried.


    Suddenly, Qin Yi heard footsteps coming from outside. She was overjoyed and hurried out of the inner hall, only to see Xia Huanyu rushing in from outside.


    "Your Majesty." Qin Yi curtsied to him in a hurry.


    Xia Huanyu walked to a chair and sat down. He looked at Qin Yi and asked hurriedly, "What happened? The guards'' report made me confused. What on earth happened? Where is Lady Rui?"


    Qin Yi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the maid Cai Yi who was sent serve Her Highness by Lord Liu, allied with some outsiders and tried to assassinate Her Highness. Cai Yi was caught and knocked out by Her Highness on the spot, but her two accomplices had run away from the window, and Her Highness followed them out. The guards have gone to look for them, and there is no news at present."


    "Nonsense." Xia Huanyu suddenly patted the armrest of the chair and said, "How could she chase the assassins in person? She has been pregnant and it''s raining so heavily outside."


    Qin Yi knelt down in a hurry and dare not to say a word.


    "Liu Wenan, ask the imperial guards to search for Lady Rui. If Lady Rui can''t be found, you will all die." Xia Huanyu''s face darkened.


    Liu Wenan looked pale. He received the order and left in a hurry.


    Sitting on the chair, Xia Huanyu didn''t say anything more. Without his order, Qin Yi didn''t dare to stand up.


    It was not until Liu Wenan returned to the palace that Xia Huanyu asked Qin Yi again, "Why did Cai Yi a


    y to send guards to investigate."


    Xia Huanyu took a look at Yun Shang and didn''t say anything for a long time. Yun Shang''s heart trembled slightly. Then she heard Xia Huanyu''s voice, "Lead the way."


    Yun Shang nodded. Qin Yi fetched an umbrella in a hurry. Xia Huanyu walked out of the palace first, and Yun Shang followed him.


    On a rainy winter night, it was freezing cold. Qin Yi hurriedly held the umbrella for Yun Shang, and a group of people stepped into the rain. After a long walk, they arrived at a red wall. Yun Shang pointed at the mottled red wall and said softly, "The two assassins jumped in from here."


    Under the light of the lantern, Xia Huanyu looked up at the palace wall with coldness in his eyes. After a long silence, he asked, "Where are we?"


    Looking around, Liu Wenan answered in a hurry, "It seems to be Wu Yan Palace."


    Hearing the name of the palace, Xia Huanyu''s eyes darkened in an instant. He stared at the red palace wall and fell silent.


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up and asked in surprise, "Wu Yan Palace? Aren''t Lady Shu and Lady Xian in this palace? What if the assassins hurt them? Please send someone to search the palace."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu frowned and turned to look at Yun Shang with obvious suspicion. Yun Shang''s heart trembled and she looked at Xia Huanyu without dodging.


    "Your Majesty?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Xia Huanyu said indifferently, "You should be mistaken. There are many red walls in the inner Palace. No wonder you made a mistake. Wu Yan Palace is guarded by the royal guards everywhere. Even a fly couldn''t fly in without my permission, let alone assassins."


    Then he said indifferently, "Go back and interrogate Cai Yi carefully." Then she turned around and was about to leave.


    A deep gaze flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes and she couldn''t help saying, "I remember clearly that the assassins entered the palace. But I don''t understand why Your Majesty favor and indulge Lady Shu and the seventh prince, but only treats Prince Rui like this, which almost destroyed Prince Rui''s mansion."

 Chapter 745 Confrontation

    Hardly had her voice died when she saw everyone''s face changed. Qin Yi was agape with shock and looked up at Yun Shang, and then secretly gave a glance at Xia Huanyu, whose expression was hard to tell what he truly felt.


    "Lady Rui, do you know what you are talking about?" Xia Huanyu''s voice was cold, accompanied by night wind and rain, making Yun Shang feel that her cloak was not enough to resist the coldness.


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang smiled with a hint of mockery, and said in a cold voice, "Of course I know, but I can''t help asking you these questions. Why?"


    Xia Huanyu didn''t answer for a long time. It became deadly quiet that everyone''s breath could be heard clearly as if the sound of rain falling and leaves rustling suddenly disappeared.


    It seemed that it had been a long time before Xia Huanyu let out laughter. "Well, since you asked such a question, I''ll tell you the reason." Then he glanced at Yun Shang again, his eyes full of coldness. "Go back to Taiji Palace."


    While Xia Huanyu turned around, Yun Shang still stood there, looking at the mottled red palace wall, with a cold smile on her face. As Qin Yi came up and hold her hand, Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi who then smiled and whispered, "Don''t be afraid, Your Highness. I''m always with you."


    Realizing that Qin Yi thought she was scared, Yun Shang felt warmth rising in her heart. She also smiled at Qin Yi and said lightly, "Let''s go."


    When the two of them arrived at Taiji Palace, Xia Huanyu had just entered. Yun Shang followed Xia Huanyu and saw Liu Wenan take off Xia Huanyu''s cloak and hang it aside. Then he poured a cup of tea and put it on the royal table.


    Xia Huanyu walked to the dragon throne and sat down. He looked at Yun Shang and said in a voice with undisguised anger, "Kneel down."


    Yun Shang was stunned. When she realized that Xia Huanyu was talking to her, she quickly knelt down, but there was a trace of pride in her eyes.


    "Who told you those words you said? Who told you I am the one behind the case of Prince Rui''s mansion?" Xia Huanyu frowned and asked.


    Yun Shang smiled, "No one told me. It''s my own deduction." Yun Shang raised her head and stared at Xia Huanyu. Seeing that Xia Huanyu had no intention of speaking, she continued, "That day when the incident happened, I happened to be in the Palace for the Wanshou Festival banquet. Therefore, I knew that the person behind it must be someone familiar. And I haven''t mentioned that I found something in the corridor when we entered the mansion that day. It was a silk ribbon. As I often visited the Palace, I recognized the silk ribbon at a glance. It''s something that only the eunuch who serves Your Majesty could decorate around his waist. I was confused when I saw it. As Prince Rui''s mansion was cleaned every day, how could it appear there if no one from the Palace had come into the mansion that day?"


    "So you started suspecting me?" Xia Huanyu looked at Yun Shang with contempt.


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile. "Of course not. But later in the Meeting Hall, Lord Li showed me another thing found in the mansion, a piece of clot


    and Qin Yi were shocked, while Xia Huanyu was looking at Yun Shang indifferently and no one knew what he was thinking about.


    "Ning Yun Shang, do you know that I can sentence you to death because of the words you said? Xia Huanyu said calmly, staring at Yun Shang.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled wantonly. "I haven''t spoken so wantonly since I came to the State of Xia. I feel so good. But, Your Majesty won''t kill me, will you? After all, the soldiers of the State of Yelang have gathered around Lingxi City, but Su Ruhai could only fight a war on paper and the seventh prince has secretly colluded with the State of Yelang. Otherwise, Your Majesty wouldn''t have played tricks to gather His Highness, Liu Yinfeng and Lord Hua Guo to deal with the State of Yelang. Am I right? If anything happens to me, His Highness will be furious, and the State of Xia will be in danger."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu burst into laughter. After a long time, he said, "believe it or not, even if I kill you in the hall now, no news will come out of the Taiji Palace."


    Yun Shang also let out laughter and said with confidence, "Your Majesty, do you want to have a bet with me? If I don''t leave Taiji Palace by myself tomorrow morning, the news that I was secretly killed by Your Majesty in the Palace will be known in the Jin City and other nearby cities before dusk. In five days, it will spread throughout every corner of the State of Xia and come to His Highness'' ear no matter where he is."


    Thinking that Xia Huanyu might have never been threatened like this in his life, Yun Shang felt very happy. After a long time, Yun Shang heard Xia Huanyu sneer. He gently knocked on the table with his hand. After a long time, he said in a low voice, "Ning Yun Shang, I have underestimated your ability and I have underestimated your influence in the heart of Prince Rui. I have never thought of you could find out the truth so soon and dare to talk to me like this. And I hadn''t expected that Prince Rui would disobey me. He said that he won''t go to Cangnan City until I let you go out of the Palace."

 Chapter 746 The Impudent Yun Shang

    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Xia Huanyu in a daze. What did he say just now? He said that Prince Rui won''t agree to go to Cangnan unless she leaves the Palace.


    So Luo Qingyan is still in the Jin City?


    Before Yun Shang came to her senses, Xia Huanyu continued, "I admit that you are really smart and good at analyzing. Although I have set many barriers, you can still see through some clues. But have you ever thought that many things are not as you see it? You have lived in the Palace since you were a child, but you are a woman, so you will never understand the struggle between men for the throne."


    Xia Huanyu''s voice was faint, but a little depressed. "In order to get this position, I have been stained with blood of many compatriots. Naturally, I know how cruel it is. I have my own reason to do so and I don''t think you have the right to blame me. "


    With a hint of disdain in her smile, Yun Shang replied, "Can the reason be the excuse for Your Majesty to disregarded the lives of more than 100 people in Prince Rui''s mansion? Can the reason be the excuse for Your Majesty to watch your children cutting each other''s throat? Can the reason be the excuse for Your Majesty to poison your ministers?"


    "Definitely." Xia Huanyu sneered, but he didn''t want to waste time on this matter. He just changed the topic and said, "You know that Prince Rui is still in the Jin City, so don''t you want to know where exactly he is? Don''t you want to see him?"


    Yun Shang smiled and answered without hesitation, "Your Majesty, you don''t have to keep me in suspense. I know His Highness is in the Taiji Palace."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu was a little surprised. "How did you know?"


    His question proved that Yun Shang''s guess was right. Yun Shang smiled and said, "I found a note from His Highness in Zhaoxia Palace the day before Field Marshal Su shown us the letter written in blood. The note could only be sent by some servant in the Palace. But all the servants in Zhaoxia Palace were transferred from Taiji Palace by Lord Liu. I was wondering why His highness send the message to me through the servant. And I understood when Your Majesty said that His Highness hadn''t left the Jin City."


    It was at that moment Yun Shang understood why she couldn''t get any news about Prince Rui after he disappeared even she had used all the people she placed in the Jin City and understood why Xia Huanyu brought her to Taiji Palace to listen to her accusation. The answer is because Luo Qingyan had been hidden in Taiji Palace by Xia Huanyu.


    Xia Huanyu''s eyes changed a few times before he smiled slowly. "No wonder he is willing to not marry any concubine." As Xia Huanyu spoke, he raised his hand and pulled a brush on the rack.


    Yun Shang was in a daze for a moment, and then she heard a light sound. Behind the Dragon throne, the golden wall carved with flying dragon slowly was slowly moving away.


    Yun Sh


    , Your Majesty."


    Xia Huanyu said indifferently, "In that case, I''ll take it as Lady Rui has been taken away by assassins from Zhaoxia Palace. I''ll arrange everything well. You two just stay here tonight and I''ll send someone to send you out of the Palace tomorrow."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, but suddenly thought of Qian Zhuo. She kept silent for a while and said, "My maid has been taken away by Cai Yi. She should''ve hidden her in Yunqi Palace. Please save her, Your Majesty."


    Xia Huanyu nodded, "I see. I have my own arrangement." Then he stood up and slowly left the main hall from the left side of the dragon throne. After taking a look at the three people in the hall, Liu Wenan followed Xia Huanyu out.


    As soon as they left, Luo Qingyan turned around and what he had been wanting to do. He held Yun Shang in his arms and said in a softer voice, "Thank you. you must have suffered a lot these days."


    Yun Shang''s nose twitched again. She smiled and said, "Your Highness, it must be hard to stay in the dark room for a few days."


    After helping Yun Shang stand up, Luo Qingyan caressed her hair as usual, but suddenly frowned. "Why is your hair being wet?"


    Yun Shang was taken aback and said, "I was exposed to the rain earlier. It was impolite to meet the Emperor with disheveled hair, so I tied it into a simple bun."


    Luo Qingyan took out the hairpin from Yun Shang''s bun, and her hair became unrestrained.


    While fondling her hair, Luo Qingyan said after glancing at Qin Yi, "You can''t take Qin Yi with you this time. Qin Yi will stay in the Palace for the time being and cover for you. Qin Yi, you could go back to Zhaoxia Palace."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi replied and exited.


    After Qin Yi left, Luo Qingyan looked around at the empty Taiji Palace, then took Yun Shang''s hand and walked towards the room behind the dragon throne. He said gently, "Let''s have a rest. We''ll have to hurry along the way in the next few days."

 Chapter 747 The Stone Tablet In Front Of The Ancestral Temple (Part One)

    In the past few days, Yun Shang had been worried since something happened in Prince Rui''s mansion. Now that the big stone that had been hanging in her heart was finally relieved, Yun Shang had a good sleep.


    The second morning, as soon as she woke up and before she opened her eyes, she heard the sound of the carriage''s wheels, and her body was a little bumpy. Yun Shang frowned, and after a long time, she realized that she might be on the road. She was shocked and suddenly opened her eyes. She saw Luo Qingyan staring at her blankly.


    Yun Shang was surprised and relieved. She had thought that Luo Qingyan would send her somewhere else instead of Cangnan.


    Yun Shang looked up at the carriage in front of her. It was wider than her usual one and she was covered with a thick brocade quilt and a tiger skin on the top. Luo Qingyan was sitting next to her, holding a book in his hand and looking at her with burning eyes.


    "Are you awake? Are you hungry? " Luo Qingyan put down the book, held Yun Shang in his arms and asked softly.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Where are we now?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "We''re out of the Jin city. We have to make a day''s journey today. We''ll get to the Jin An town before night." Luo Qingyan answered Yun Shang''s question in a low voice. Then he took the teapot down from the small furnace in front of him, poured a bowl of ginger soup and handed it to Yun Shang. "Have some ginger soup first. You got wet in the rain yesterday, and your body is a little hot."


    Yun Shang was still in a daze, so she nodded, took the ginger soup and drank it up.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Good girl." Then he took the empty bowl and put it aside. He took out a plate of smanthus cakes from a wood grid on the wall of the ca


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    th prince worked together. It was most likely that cangjue Qingsu helped the seventh prince to get the throne, and then the seventh prince gave the cities at the border to cangjue Qingsu.


    If the seventh prince wanted to be an emperor, they must break the rumor that he was weak and incompetent. The best way was to make a military achievement.


    All of a sudden, Yun Shang remembered what Xia Huanyu used to say, "Have you ever thought that many things might not be the way as you have seen?"


    Might not be the way as she had seen? What did he mean? Did he mean Lady Shu? Or the seventh prince?


    In Yun Shang''s impression, since the death of the Empress Hua, Xia Huanyu had been living in the imperial household. He should not be a person who was obsessed with beauty. Although he seemed to dote on Lady Shu, there was no love in his eyes every time he mentioned her. Lady Shu used to be a maid of the Empress. Even though Yun Shang hadn''t seen it in person, she could imagine that the Empress would definitely object it when Xia Huanyu wanted to select Lady Shu as his concubine not long after Su Ruji became the the Empress, when she was still new and arrogant.

 Chapter 748 The Stone Tablet In Front Of The Ancestral Temple (Part Two)

    Since Xia Huanyu dared to fall out with the Su family for Lady Shu, there was only one possibility that Lady Shu was a chess piece chosen by Xia Huanyu.


    But after Yun Shang came to the State of Xia, she found what Lady Shu had done like inciting her clansmen to make trouble and secretly allying with the seventh prince was a serious crime.


    If Lady Shu was just a chess piece, she should have betrayed Xia Huanyu. After knowing this, Xia Huanyu didn''t abandon this chess piece, but indulged in maintaining it. There was only one possibility, which was, Lady Shu did not betray Xia Huanyu. All her actions were instigated by Xia Huanyu


    Including instigating the clansmen to make trouble, and working with the seventh prince and the Eldest Princess.


    Yun Shang''s eyelids twitched, and many thoughts flashed through her mind. Perhaps it was because she was too shocked, Yun Shang opened her mouth wide and couldn''t hide the surprise in her eyes.


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes fell on Yun Shang from time to time. Seeing Yun Shang like this, he turned to look at her and asked, "What''s wrong? But what happened? "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while, shook her head and said softly, "I''m thinking about something, and I''m scared by my own thoughts."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. "What are you thinking about? You are scaring yourself. You are pregnant now. Don''t think too much. It''s not good for your health. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing and nodded slightly. She thought that what she had just thought was indeed a little strange. Why should Xia Huanyu tolerate Lady Shu''s clan


    er began his speech with his face full of unfathomable expression, "We just talked about the ghost incident in the Li clan in the west of the town. Let''s talk about another thing about the ghost power. Many people must have known that it had happened today in the town. It doesn''t matter if you don''t know it. Let me tell you now."


    "By the way, this morning, in front of the ancestral temple of the hundred clans in the east of the town, a big piece suddenly appeared, three feet high and three feet wide. It was said that it fell from the sky at dawn this morning and landed in front of the main gate of the ancestral temple. Guess what it is? "


    "Tell us, what is it?" there''s a lot of buzz among the listeners.


    The storyteller beat his startling wood again and said in a loud voice, "It''s a stone tablet. On top of it there are characters that seem to be a person''s birthday, under which were four words: the mandate of heaven."


    The listeners whispered. A thunder flashed through Yun Shang''s mind, ''Isn''t that... the way she told the Empress to deal with Lady Shu?''

 Chapter 749 Regaining Favor

    Noticing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan gave a glance to the storyteller who was talking excitedly and then turned to Yun Shang, "What''s wrong? Is there anything wrong with the storyteller?"


    Yun Shang shook her head slowly. She thought for a while and said, "Go with me to see the stone tablet outside the ancestral temple before it gets dark. I''ll tell you what happened on the way."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and stood up with Yun Shang. They walked out and headed for the ancestral temple in the east of the town.


    Along the way, they hear many people talking about the person the stone tablet which appeared from nowhere. After Yun Shang''s narration, Luo Qingyan asked softly, "You feared that the eldest princess would frame me after you saw the note with the words "Heaven bestows upon Luo the position" in your handwriting imitated by the eldest princess. So you came up with the stone tablet idea to strike Prince Qi and Lady Shu first and instigated the Empress to do it. In this way, even if the eldest princess spreads the words on the note later, His Majesty and others will think it must be that someone copies the method to frame me."


    While talking, they arrived at the ancestral temple.


    There was indeed a high stone tablet at the entrance of the ancestral temple. The stone tablet was mottled, and the words engraved on it were a little light, as if it had existed for a long time. It had been almost a day since the stone tablet was found, but there were still many curious people around it. The local officials had sent guards to protect the stone tablet from being destroyed.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms, separated the crowd and walked to the stone tablet. The words on the stone tablet were very big, especially the four words "the mandate of heaven". They were bright red, as if they were stained with blood.


    After staring at it for a while, Yun Shang asked a guard beside, "Sir, what are you going to do with the stone tablet?"


    The guard felt like to talk with Yun Shang when he saw her slim figure though her face was covered under the curtained hat. He smiled and said, "Our magistrate said


    stone tablet to the Jin City tomorrow morning, but..."


    The Empress listened quietly and nodded from time to time. But when she heard the word "but", she frowned and asked, "But what?"


    The madam''s face darkened. She kept silent for a long time and said, "Your Majesty, just now, the Emperor took Lady Shu out of Wu Yan Palace."


    The Empress seemed to be stunned for a long time before she came to her senses. "What did you say?"


    "Lady Shu has been taken out of the Cold Palace by the Emperor, Your Majesty." The madam gritted her teeth and repeated.


    The Empress''s face suddenly turned ghastly pale. She turned to the madam and asked, "Why? His Majesty allowed Lady Shu out of the Cold Palace even she has committed such a serious crime. Won''t His Majesty be ridiculed by the ministers?"


    The madam hurriedly said, "I heard from a servant in Taiji Palace that it might be because of Prince Qi. After Prince Qi presented a memorial to His Majesty in the assembly, His Majesty summoned many ministers to Taiji Palace. They stayed there for more than two hours before coming out. After that, His Majesty went straight to Wu Yan Palace."


    "Has my father attend the assembly?" The Empress asked in a hurry.


    Seeing the madam nod, the Empress stood up and said, "Send a message to my father, saying that I have something urgent to see him. Ask someone to prepare some ginseng soup. I''ll send it to Taiji Palace myself. "

 Chapter 750 The Wretched Empress

    When the Empress arrived at Taiji Palace, she saw that the gate was closed, but Liu Wenan was standing outside. Obviously, Xia Huanyu was in the palace, talking something important with someone.


    After thinking for a while, the Empress approached the gate.


    "Your Majesty. Please wait a moment. His majesty is discussing some important affair in the hall." Liu Wenan greeted the Empress with a smile.


    The Empress was a little displeased, but she didn''t lose her temper as the eunuch in front of her was a favorite by Xia Huanyu.


    "Lord Liu, who is the Emperor with?" The Empress asked calmly.


    Liu Wenan seemed to be in a dilemma. "Well..."


    The Empress frowned, "I''m not asking you what His Majesty is discussing. I''m just asking who is in the hall. Why are you hesitating?"


    Liu Wenan was about to reply when the door creaked open from inside. The Empress turned around and saw a smiling face behind the door.


    The Empress''s face suddenly turned pale. After a long silence, she suddenly sneered, "Oh... It turns out that Lady Shu is here? No wonder His Majesty refused to see me."


    Lady Shu seemed to be surprised too and she swept a custsy to the Empress. But after listening to the Empress''s words, she slightly raised the corners of her mouth and said, "Your Majesty, you must be kidding. Your Majesty can''t meet you just because he is talking with Prince Qi. And Your Majesty should have just arrived, right? I have been in the palace all the time, but I haven''t heard Lord Liu announce Your Majesty''s arrival."


    After saying that, Lady Shu ignored the Empress and turned to Liu Wenan, "His Majesty said he was hungry and asked you to prepare lunch." After glancing at the hamper in the hand of the maid next to the Empress, Lady Shu continued with a smile, "His Majesty must be very tired after dealing with political affairs for the whole morning. Please prepare some ginseng soup. Prince Qi has brought many valuable wild ginseng from the Qi city, which is said to be very nutritious."


    Liu Wenan replied and took a glance at Liu Wenan and Lady Shu before he stepped back and ordered another eunuch.


    Clenching her hands in her sleeves secretly, the Empress looked at Lady Shu up and down. Lady Shu''s face was still a little pale, as she saw it in Wu Yan Palace the other day. And she did lose a lot of weight and her eyes look much bigger on her pinched face, which made her look more pitiable.


    Staring at her watery eyes, the hatred in the Empress'' heart thickened. "I forgot to congratulate you, sister. You are such a beautiful lady, how could anyone have the heart to let you stay in the Cold Palace for long."


    Lady Shu lifted her eyes to glance at the Empress and said with a smile, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    "Since you are serving the Emperor in Taiji Palace, I''m relieved. I''


    become capable generals His Majesty could rely on."


    "The infantry of the State of Xia is the strongest while the cavalry is the weakest. This time, Prince Qi brought a group of excellent war horses from Qi City. Besides, Prince Qi found that although Qi City is barren, the quality of the water plants is very good. The war horses raised in Qi City were not as fat and strong as those in the State of Yelang, but they are better in terms of endurance and are more suitable for long-term travel in all kinds of terrain as there are many mountains in Qi City." Lady Su sighed, "Prince Qi is a filial son. He said he was willing to offer all the war horses, but on condition that Lady Shu should come out of the Cold Palace."


    "Prince Qi''s request is not excessive, so all the officials in the court have no objection." Lady Shu patted the hand of the Empress and said softly, "Now the Emperor is in use of Prince Qi. You must remember that no matter how unhappy you are, you can''t go against the Emperor. It doesn''t matter that there is one more concubine in the imperial household. Besides, Lady Shu is also the enemy of other concubines. You should know how to murder a person with a borrowed knife."


    The Empress nodded slightly. After a long time, she said, "I have endured it for so many years. It doesn''t matter to tolerate her for a while more. And she will not be arrogant for long. Prince Qi... Huh..."


    Hearing her words, Lady Su hurriedly said, "You''d better not play tricks on Prince Qi for the time being. We need to wait for a suitable time. Why are you in such a hurry?"


    Hearing this, the Empress lowered her head and didn''t say anything. She thought, ''Tomorrow, I''ll see how arrogant Lady Shu and Prince Qi can be when the stone tablet is sent to the Jin City? She couldn''t expect what she will suffer just one day after she went out of the Cold Palace.''

 Chapter 751 Battle Between The Empress And Lady Shu

    Words spread fastest in the imperial household. While Lady Shu was still in Taiji Palace, the news that she had been taken out of the Cold Palace by Xia Huanyu spread all over the inner Palace.


    When Lady Shu returned to Shuya Palace, concubines came to greet her one after another.


    Lady Shu didn''t refuse. When the palace quieted down a little, it was already dark. Only then did Lady Shu have the chance to look around her palace.


    There was almost no change in Shuya Palace and it should cleaned every day. However, most of the maids had gone after Lady Shu was put into the Cold Palace, only left a few senior maids.


    After a busy day, they finally had the chance to look at each other in tears.


    "Your Highness, you''re finally back. It''s been really desolate in the palace since you''re gone. In the past, His Majesty seldom stayed in Shuya Palace because of Your Highness'' poor health. But many concubines often paid visit to show respect to Your Highness as Your Highness has Prince Qi. After you left, none of them has come again." A madam sighed, but full of joy and excitement on her face. She had never expected that her master could come back one day as very few people could come out from the Cold Palace.


    Hearing this, Lady Shu looked at the maids kneeling in the hall and said with a smile, "You didn''t leave me when I was at my darkest time. I will definitely ensure you a good life in the future."


    Lady Shu looked up indifferently. She was finally back.


    "Thank you, Lady Shu," the maids replied loudly. There was a faint smile in Lady Shu''s eyes. The imperial household was her battlefield. She had the strongest support, and she firmly believed that she would win this battle.


    "His Majesty is here!" Hearing the singing tone of the eunuch, everyone in the palace was cheerful. It was a great fortune that their master could serve His Majesty as soon as she came out of the Cold Palace.


    Lady Shu stood up slowly with a smile on her face. She walked quickly to the door of the main hall to greet His Majesty.


    At this night, someone was happy while some others are sad.


    "You mean His Majesty stayed in Shuya Palace last night?" In the morning, the Empress was dressing up in front of a bronze mirror. Her eyebrows were tightly frowned, as if she was suppressing something. Weariness could be seen on the delicate face in the mirror.


    The eunuch who was slightly bending replied, "Yes. Your Majesty."


    The Empress nodded slightly, and finally suppressed the hatred in her heart. She said indifferently, "Has Lady Shu been here to pay respects?"


    "Not yet." The eunuch answered in a hurry.


    The Empress sneered, "Well, it seems she still likes to put on airs." As saying this, she suddenly frowned and gasped. "Ah, it hurts. You pulled my hair. Be careful!"


    The maids behind her immediately knelt down and


    for a while, Lin Youran nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I will be careful."


    Ning Qian raised her hand to touch her flat belly, and a deep look flashed through her eyes.


    The news about the stone tablet was widely spread in the Jin City. Some people associated it with the story of Emperor Yuan. And storytellers in teahouses even started making up stories. Thy told that the State of Xia was going to end, and the new emperor''s birthday had appeared on the stone tablet in Jin''an Town. The rumors quickly spread in the Jin City.


    In the afternoon, the county magistrate of Jin''an Town escorted the stone tablet into Jin City in person with the guards. Along the way, people gathered around to watch it, and the date carved on the stone tablet were remembered by many of them: August 12th, the eighth year of Mingqi.


    When the news reached the imperial household, the Empress was taking a nap. The eunuch who reported the news the waited outside.


    When the Empress woke up, he hurried to the inner hall and reported the news. The Empress nodded slightly. She thought for a moment and said, "Go spread the news that Prince Qi has kept many war horses in Qi City. I hope the topic in tea houses tomorrow will be that Prince Qi has raised war horses secretly and intended to rebel."


    The eunuch nodded and hurried out.


    The Empress raised her hand and rubbed her aching eyes. She asked the madam beside her, "Has His Majesty known about it?"


    The madam thought for a moment and said softly, "I''m afraid not. The assembly has been over."


    The Empress nodded slightly, "Then ask someone into the Palace as soon as possible and report this to the Emperor."


    The madam hesitated, "Your Majesty, we don''t have many people in the court. I''m afraid..."


    "Afraid? Why should we be afraid? Just do as you are told. This time, I will make Lady Shu and her son never have a chance to turn over."

 Chapter 752 The Empress

    In order to hear or even see the Emperor''s anger at Lady Shu and her son as soon as possible, the Empress couldn''t wait and rushed to the Taiji Palace.


    However, Xia Huanyu was not in Taiji Palace. The Empress frowned and asked the eunuch at the gate in a somewhat angry voice, "Your Majesty has already left the morning court, hasn''t he? Where is he now? The Meeting Hall? "


    The eunuch at the door hesitated for a while. Before he could answer, he saw Lady Xiang coming out from the corner and slowly walking towards the Taiji Palace.


    The Empress also saw Lady Xiang, so she concealed her displeasure, raised a dignified and generous smile, and chuckled, "You are also here for the Emperor? His majesty is not here. "


    Ning Qian smiled and shook her head slowly. "Just now, I met his majesty and Lady Shu in the Imperial Garden. His majesty said that he would go to the Xiang Zhu Palace after dinner in the Shuya Palace and asked me to bring the documents on the imperial table to the Xiang Zhu Palace. His majesty wants to read them later." Then he took out a gold card from his sleeve and showed it to the eunuch at the door.


    The Empress narrowed her eyes and recognized that the gold plate was Xia Huanyu''s belongings.


    The eunuch opened the door. Ning Qian smiled gently and bowed to the Empress. "Then I''ll go to get the documents for the Emperor." Then, without waiting for the Empress''s reply, she gracefully entered the Taiji Palace.


    As the head of the imperial household, the Empress was refused to enter the Taiji Palace for two consecutive days. The Empress''s eyes were full of indifference. She sneered, turned around and left the Taiji Palace.


    When they returned to the Wei Yang Palace, the Empress''s eyes were full of scarlet. She sat quietly on the chair with a cup in her hand and closed her eyes for a long time before the scarlet in her eyes faded a little.


    "Lady Shu, Lady Xiang..." the Empress murmured to herself and sneered. She suddenly put the teacup on the table heavily.


    A maid slowly walked in with a dark green bowl in her hand, in which there was some dark brown juice.


    "Your majesty, th


    take medicine. His majesty said that your majesty have a piece of a-thousand- year-old warm jade. He asked Qian Xin to fetch it from your majesty and let Lady Xiang wear it... "


    "They''ve gone too far!" The blue veins stood out on the Empress''s forehead. She gritted her teeth and said after a long silence, "Go to tell the maid outside that my warm jade disappeared a few days ago. I''ve been asking people to look for it these days. Now I''ve almost searched every corner of the Wei Yang Palace, but I haven''t found it yet."


    The maid saw that the Empress was angry and trembled, so she quickly obeyed and went out of the inner hall.


    After a while, there was no sound outside. The Empress calmed down a little and then called the madam, who was standing next to her, "Go and bring Su Luo and the others here."


    The madam nodded and thought for a while. Then she raised her head and asked, "Your majesty, how about Wang Wanzhi.."


    The Empress frowned and repeated the name in a low voice. After a long time, she said, "Wang Wanzhi still has other uses. She is now in the most common position to the emperor, and the memorial and decree have to be passed from her. She is a useful chess piece. If she is pregnant, this chess piece will be useless. "


    The madam obeyed softly and left the inner hall. The Empress lay on the bed, her eyes filled with tears. In fact, she thought she was the biggest loser in the palace.

 Chapter 753 Congratulations

    After talking with Su Luo and some other ladies, the Empress too nap. But she was woken up by the madam after less than an hour. "Her Majesty, Lord Wu has entered Meeting Hall.


    The Empress immediately came to her senses and ordered, "Send someone to keep an eye on Meeting Hall. If the Emperor sends a eunuch to the Shu Ya palace, come and report to me. I''ll personally go to see the wonderful show. I''m afraid she will fall to the bottom this time, as well as his son this time."


    Seeing the rare joy on the Empress'' face, the madam replied, "Your Highness. I''ll arrange it right away."


    The Empress didn''t want continue her nap. After the maids help her up and get her dressed, she sat quietly on the chair, waiting for the messenger to come back.


    About an hour later, the messenger rushed back.


    Perhaps it was because the eunuch ran so fast that he kept panting and could not say a complete sentence. The Empress was a little anxious, so she just ignored him and ordered the madam to go to Shuya Palace with her.


    Hardly had they stepped out of the door, the eunuch hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it''s not Lady Shu. Your Majesty..."


    The Empress halted her step and turned around with a frown. She asked in confusion, "Not Lady Shu? What do you mean?"


    The eunuch replied, "Lord Wu asked me to tell Your Majesty that he failed."


    "What?" The Empress''s face was a little stiff. "Failed? What''s going on?" Her voice became cold.


    The eunuch knelt on the ground and said in a low voice, "Lord Wu said that His Majesty''s face suddenly changed when he heard the birth date on the stone tablet. However, just as His Majesty ordered to call Lady Shu and Prince Qi, Lord Li Qianmo from the Ministry of Justice suddenly came in."


    "Li Qianmo? Does he work for Lady Shu? What did he go there for?" The Empress frowned and had a bad feeling about it.


    The eunuch continued to report, "Lord Wu said that Li Qianmo went to report to His Majesty that an old craftsman who is good at carving in Jin City has died."


    "Why did he report the trifle matter to His Majesty? Yamen could investigate the case," said the Empress unhappily.


    "What a coincidence! Li Qianmo said that he found a note in the craftsman''s house. The words on it were exactly the same words on the stone tablet that has been found in Jin''an Town." The eunuch lowered his head and said in a trembling voice.


    Astonishment flashed through the Empress'' eyes. She thought for a moment and said, "Is that old craftsman..."


    The eunuch replied in a hurry, "Yes, he is the one who carved the stone tablet for us."


    Hearing this, the Empress'' face darkened. She thought that nobody would think the stone tablet had anything to do with her and the inner palace since she placed it in Jin''an Town. But she didn''t expect that something would go wrong with the craftsman. "What''s going on? Didn''t I specially tell you to get rid of the craftsman and cle


    e maid kneeling in front of her, "Tell me what is worth to congratulate?"


    The maid hurriedly said, "the [»Êºó] doesn''t know anything about it. Just now, the emperor ordered me to inform the [»Êºó] that I will come to Weiyang Palace tonight..."


    Hearing this, the Empress'' eyes flashed with disbelief. Then she quickly turned to the maid and asked, "What did you say? Is it true? His Majesty is really coming to Wei Yang Palace tonight? "


    "Yes, His Majesty said that he hasn''t had dinner in Wei Yang Palace for a long time and he''ll come for dinner tonight."


    The corners of the Empress'' mouth lifted into a smile. It seemed that she had changed into the noble and dignified empress in just a short time. "Reward her."


    The maid next to the Empress hurried forward and stuffed an ingot of silver into the servant''s hand. The servant took it with a smile, and thanked the empress before leaving.


    With a long lost smile in her eyes, the Empress stood up and said, "Clean up the palace as soon as possible. Go to the Imperial Garden to pick two bright flowers and put them in vases. Order the kitchen to prepare some sour bamboo shoots. His Majesty likes it. When the madam comes back, ask her come in to make up for me."


    After a pause, she ordered in a hurry, "Hurry up. Ask someone to decoct the medicine for me. I need to drink it."


    After giving a lot of orders, the Empress sat down, with joy in her eyes. Looking at the pattern of phoenix spreading its wings embroidered on the screen, the corners of her mouth slightly curled up.


    After a while, the madam came in. Seeing the happy look on the Empress'' face, she paused for a while and then hurried forward to curtsy, "Your Majesty."


    It was not until the moment that the Empress came to her senses and said, "Get up quickly. Make up for me and make some popular hair style. Then take out my new phoenix coronet and put it on me. His Majesty is coming to Wei Yang Palace tonight."

 Chapter 754 True or False

    Looking at the Empress who was full of expectation, the madam moved her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something. But when she saw the bright smile on her face, she held it back and just said softly, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    As formal dressing was not needed at night, the madam just made the Empress an simple but elegant Han Yan Braid and insert a purple jade hairpin with a few pear flowers hanging at the bottom of the tassels. After doing her a light but delicate makeup, the madam help her put on a light purple court dress with a small pear flower patterns, and a white gauze dress outside, which made the Empress look graceful and attractive.


    The madam smiled at the woman in the mirror and said softly, "Your Majesty seldom wears such clothes. Your Majesty look much younger in them, much more beautiful than Lady Shu."


    Hearing this, the Empress smiled for a while, but with a bit of disappointment, "Even if I look more beautiful than Lady Shu, so what? His Majesty has seen all kinds of beauties. Lady Xiang was the most beautiful one among the imperial concubines. Her appearance was probably incomparable in the world. Although Lady Rui is not as beautiful as Lady Xiang, she has a unique charisma no other ladies possesses. If they two stand together, people will first be attracted by Lady Xiang, but their eyes will linger longer on Lady Rui.


    After a long pause, the Empress smiled again, "However, there is only one stunning woman in His Majesty''s heart."


    Although the Empress didn''t say who the one was, the madam got it and fell silent.


    After dressing up, the Empress stood up and walked to the outer hall. It was almost time for dinner. The Empress asked the madam to check how it was going in the kitchen.


    After the dinner was ready, the Empress sat in the outer hall and waited. She was wondering how long it has been since His Majesty last came to Weiyang Palace? One month? Two months? Maybe longer...


    After a while, a voice came from o


    "Lady Shu has had a poor health and become weaker after staying in Wuyan Palace for a long time. She needs the warm jade to keep her warm."


    After a pause, Xia Huanyu continued, "I''ve heard that you ordered someone to find for carving shops in Jin City a few days ago? What for?"


    Hearing this, the Empress suddenly became vigilant. She smiled and said softly, "My father''s 60th birthday is coming. When I was thinking if there was any surprise gift, it struck me that my father mentioned he hadn''t found a satisfactory ink slab since he gave his to my brother. Then I decided to give him a Duan inkslab as his birthday gift, but the stone produced in Duanxi was really difficult to find. I heard that many craftsmen who liked to carve words on the stone might have some in their hands, so I sent someone to ask around."


    These words sounded reasonable. Duan ink slab was the best among all the ink slabs and the stone was indeed hard to find.


    However, after hearing the words of the Empress, Xia Huanyu looked up at the Empress with a bit of coldness in his eyes. "Really? I didn''t expect that."


    The Empress didn''t understand what Xia Huanyu meant. She looked at him in a daze. It was not until then that Xia Huanyu smiled and said, "I have never known that you have ordered someone to look for craftsmen..."

 Chapter 755 The Strange Pulse

    The Empress was stunned, and a gust of cold air rose from her feet. She had never expected that Xia Huanyu would tricked her to draw the secret out of her.


    "Your Majesty, what do you mean?" The Empress gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in her sleeves. After a while, she sneered, "I just wanted to prepare a gift for my father, why do Your Majesty make such a fuss? Do you think it''s wrong for me to look for a stone? Or do you think I have anything to do with the stone tablet thing?"


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu just looked at her coldly, which made the Empress straighten her back. After a long time, Xia Huanyu said softly, "Since the establishment of the State of Xia, ministers from the Su clan has always been the most trusted assistants of the emperors. Do you know why, Your Majesty? "


    "Of course it''s because the Su clan has been very loyal and devoted to the State of Xia for generations." The Empress didn''t dare to look into Xia Huanyu''s eyes. She only turned her head to look at the phoenix carved on the porch pillar.


    Xia Huanyu nodded, but then shook his head. "You''re only partially right. In addition to the loyalty, the Su clan always knows its place. They never ask what they are not supposed to."


    The Empress''s face became more stiff. Xia Huanyu continued with usual coldness in his voice, "Loyalty and humility are the foundations of the Su clan''s prosperity. But what you and Field Marshal Su have done made me a little disappoint..."


    Xia Huanyu said in a lower voice, but to the Empress, it was as if the words had weighed a thousand pounds.


    "Sometimes people should know to be content. How could a minister intervene with matters about heir to throne? That''s Xia clan''s own business. You haven''t grown any smarter even though you have been in the Palace for so many years. If it weren''t for your parents'' guidance, you would have lost everything. People should learn to be content. You have already been the empress, only second to me..."


    The Empress''s face turned deadly pale, overwhelming shock surging in her heart. After a long time, the Empress managed to calm down. With tears in her eyes, she gritted her teeth and sneered at Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty wants to pass the throne to that woman''s son. Do you think I don''t know that? Your Majesty make me bitterly disappointed. I''ve been accompanied you for more than 20 years, but you care more about that woman who has just been in the Palace for several years!"


    Xia Huanyu''s face darkened, but the Empress couldn''t hold back her emotions anymore. "It was Your Majesty who chose me as your wife and the empress. But after I entered the palace, I''ve got nothing but the title. Your Majesty even occasionally cares about other concubines, but when it comes to me, you''ve always been so cold, not even a word of concern..."


    Tears welled up in the Empress'' eyes, and she couldn''t say anything more.


    However, Xia Huanyu just looked at her coldly. Seeing tha


    Doctor Liu from the Imperial Hospital is here to check your pulse."


    Ning Qian restrained her expression and nodded slightly, "Lead Doctor Liu in."


    As the door curtain of the inner hall was lifted, the imperial physician followed two maids in and bowed to Lady Xiang. "Greetings, Your Highness."


    Ning Qian smiled, "Doctor Liu, please get up."


    The old physician stood up. After Ning Qian put the handkerchief on her arm, he began to feel her pulse.


    Noticing a strange look flashed his eyes, Ning Qian frowned and asked softly, "What''s wrong with my pulse? Is there anything wrong with my baby?"


    The physician knelt down in a hurry and said, "No. Everything is fine with the baby and your pulse is stable."


    "Oh..." Ning Qian looked at Doctor Liu with a faint smile and said, "Thank you, Doctor Liu."


    Doctor Liu smiled, bowed again, stood up and said, "I''m leaving."


    Ning Qian nodded slightly, "Lady Hui seems to be a little uncomfortable and has a bad appetite. Doctor Liu, go and check Lady Hui''s pulse."


    Doctor Liu replied and left.


    Seeing Doctor Liu walk out of the inner hall, Ning Qian waved her hand coldly and said, "I''ll have a rest. You could leave. Qian Xin, stay here to help me change my clothes."


    After the others left, Ning Qian put her right hand on her left arm and frowned slightly after a long time.


    Seeing this, Qian Xin was a little worried. "Your Highness, is there anything wrong with the pulse?"


    Ning Qian smiled, "no problem. It''s really no problem at all. If you don''t believe me, why don''t you take my pulse?"


    Hearing this, Qian Xin put her hand on her wrist, but her expression became more and more strange. After a while, she suddenly withdrew her hand and said, "Your Highness, how could it be..."


    The smile at the corners of [Äþdz]''s mouth became colder and colder. "From the beginning to the end, I have never been pregnant. But why does this faint pulse suddenly become normal? I really want to know."

 Chapter 756 Assist To Run The Imperial Household

    In the evening, Liu Wenan went to the Xiangzhu Palace to deliver an imperial edict that Xia Huanyu would have dinner there in the evening. However, Ning Qian still looked indifferent. After sending Liu Wenan away, she ordered to prepare dinner.


    Perhaps it was because he was not too busy with political affairs today, Xia Huanyu came before dinner was ready.


    Ning Qian was a little surprised, so she walked up to meet him in a hurry. Before she could make a salute, Xia Huanyu helped her up and said, "You''re pregnant now. I''ve told you that no matter who you meet, you don''t have to make a salute."


    Ning Qian smiled gently. She looked up at Xia Huanyu and asked, "Your Majesty, why are you so early today? Dinner is not ready yet. "


    However, Xia Huanyu didn''t care at all. "If they are not ready, let them continue to prepare. There is nothing important today. I thought that I haven''t seen you for a few days, so I came first. I don''t have anything else to do now. Why don''t you play chess with me? "


    Ning Qian smiled, "Your Majesty, you have no opponents to play chess recently, right? Now Prince Rui and Lady Rui ... " After a pause, she remembered that Prince Rui and his wife were both missing in the eyes of outsiders, so she quickly took them over. "Your Majesty, if you want to play chess with me, I should be with you. But I''m not good at playing chess, your majesty can''t complain about me."


    Xia Huanyu smiled, "That''s for sure. Can I still be bothered by you?"


    Ning Qian ordered the servants to prepare the chessboard. Then both of them began to play chess while chatting.


    The first round ended. Ning Qian was completely defeated by Xia Huanyu. Seeing the defeat scene on the chessboard Ning Qian frowned and said in a spoiled manner, "No, no. Your majesty said that you wouldn''t make a fuss with me. I''m a woman, and I''m pregnant. Your majesty, please let me win."


    With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Xia Huanyu said, "Lady Rui is also a pregnant woman. Why didn''t she act like a spoiled child like you after losing a game of chess?"


    Ning Qian pouted, "Her Highness'' chess skills are su


    ian said indifferently, "Help me up."


    Qian Xin helped Ning Qian get up and get dressed. Then Ning Qian slowly walked out of the inner hall. Her voice was still as gentle as usual. But Qian Xin always felt that today''s Lady Xiang seemed to be colder than usual.


    "Mister Liu, why are you here? Shouldn''t his majesty be in the court now? " asked Ning Qian in confusion.


    Liu Wenan also smiled and cupped his hands in front of [Ning Qian. "I didn''t go to the court with his majesty today. His majesty ordered me to come here. Lady Xiang is overjoyed. I''m here to congratulate on you."


    "Overjoyed?" Ning Qian was more confused, "What happiness?"


    Liu Wenan smiled and said, "His majesty has just issued an imperial edict, saying that her majesty is in poor health these days and can''t manage the imperial household. He has specially ordered Lady Xiang and Lady Su to help her lead the imperial household, and Lady Xiang temporarily holds the seal of the Empress."


    Lady Xiang''s eyes were full of astonishment. The Empress couldn''t manage the imperial household? She and Lady Su worked together?


    In this case, the Empress was really in danger. But why did Xia Huanyu let her have the seal of the Empress? If she had the seal of the Empress, it meant that she was the person in charge. But anyway, this person who was in charge of the imperial household should be Lady Su.


    What was Xia Huanyu''s real idea?

 Chapter 757 Speculation

    "Your Highness? Lady Xiang?" It was not until Liu Wenan called her twice in a row that Ning Qian came to her senses and smiled, "Oh, I was just so happy. Thank you, Lord Liu."


    Then she knelt down.


    Liu Wenan nodded with a smile. He ordered the eunuch behind him to give the golden seal to Ning Qian. Ning Qian quickly kowtowed three times and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    After Liu Wenan left, Ning Qian was still in a daze. The hall was already full of cheers. All the servants were very happy for their master being favored and being put in an important position.


    "Congratulations, Your Highness." Everyone hurried to congratulate Ning Qian.


    Ning Qian smiled faintly, "It''s just temporary. There''s nothing to be happy about. But since you are so happy, I''ll reward everyone of you with an extra monthly allowance. Don''t gossip around. I take charge of it temporarily just because the Empress feels ill and needs some rest. If there is any word inappropriate from you spreads to the ears of the Empress, I won''t spare you."


    The servants quickly replied and expressed their thanks repeatedly. Ning Qian asked them to leave and let Qian Xin take the gold seal into the inner hall.


    "Find a place to put it away. It''s hard for me to sleep and eat since it''s placed here. I''m afraid that something might go wrong. His Majesty has given me a difficult problem this time." Ning Qian frowned and lay down on the couch, without even glancing at the seal that everyone in the imperial household wanted.


    "Your Highness, you can''t say like this. This is something many people long for but even couldn''t get a chance to see. His Majesty giving it to you means that he trusts you." Qian Xin said with a smile, "Master Qian Qian is really marvelous. You''ve even got the seal of the empress within two years. I think, maybe soon, you will become..."


    "Don''t talk nonsense." Ning Qian''s brows had been knitted tightly since she received the imperial edict.


    Hearing Qian Xin''


    "


    Ning Qian''s eyes fell on the golden seal that had been put in the box. She sneered, "I''m just a chess piece for His Majesty that could be abandoned at any time."


    "Then how are Your Highness going to deal with it? How about I send a message to ask what master what we should do?" Qian Xin became anxious after she understood Ning Qian''s words.


    Looking at the blooming white flower, Ning Qian drummed on the table for a while and said, "Master should''ve been near the border. I''m afraid that she has many things to deal with, so I don''t have to disturb her for the time being. I know what I''m doing." Ning Qian gritted her teeth and squeezed out word by word, "I, Ning Qian, am a living person, not a pawn at the mercy of others. Since His Majesty has arranged it sow well, how can I fail him? " Ning Qian said as she put her hand on her flat belly.


    Looking at Ning Qian''s expression, Qian Xin had a bad feeling. She asked in a hurry, "what do you want to do, Your Highness?"


    Seeing her nervous look, Ning Qian couldn''t help laughing and said gently, "What are you afraid of? Am I a reckless person? Didn''t you remember the question I asked you yesterday? Who do you think is the bigger threat to master, the Empress or Lady Shu? I have to get rid of one for master. It''s better to get rid of the tough one."

 Chapter 758 Provocation

    Ning Qian had the seal of the Empress, but it was difficult for her to deal with the imperial household affairs as she had only been in the Palace for less than two years. However, Ning Qian was not a stubborn person. When she met something she didn''t understand, she would go to Shuya Palace or Weiyang Palace to discuss with Lady Shu or the Empress.


    Since Ning Qian had always been humble and Lady Shu was or at least pretended to be a gentle person, Lady Shu always told Ning Qian everything she''d asked.


    However, the Empress didn''t have a good temper recently. The first time Ning Qian went to Weiyang Palace for help, she had been waiting in the main hall for about an hour before the Empress came out with a pale face and asked casually, "How come you have come here? Pay respect to me? I am a patient... Huh..." Even Qian Xin sensed the irony in the chuckle.


    Ning Qian hurriedly said, "His majesty ordered me to temporarily take over the seal, but I know nothing about the imperial household affair. Today I encountered a difficult problem which Lady Shu also doesn''t know how to deal with, so I have to take the liberty to disturb Your Majesty."


    As Ning Qian spoke, she gave the Empress a few quick glance. Although her face was a little pale, but no sign of serious illness. Moreover, it was impossible for a seriously ill person to be so domineering.


    After Ning Qian finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the hall. Then the Empress burst into laughter. "Haha! That''s great. I didn''t expect he gave the seal to you instead of Lady Shu. Haha, so good..."


    Ning Qian didn''t expect that the Empress would suddenly lose her manner in front of her. She was also a little stunned. After a while, she heard the Empress'' usual indifferent voice. "Are you here to show off to me?"


    Ning Qian hurriedly shook her head, "I dare not. It''s really difficult to deal with these affairs as I''ve been in the Palace for a short time."


    Hearing Ning Qian''s words, the Empress let out laughter again with a bit of mockery, "I''m recuperating now and I don''t deal with anything. Maids, see off Lady Xiang."


    Ning Qian was rejected as soon as she arrived, but she still looked stunned after she left Weiyang Palace. In Ning Qian''s impression, the Empress had always been an elegant and gentle person. Although she might be very scheming, she never showed any emotion that should not belong to a empress on her face.


    But why did she dramatically changed in just a few days.


    Ning Qian only heard that the Empress had a dispute with Xia Huanyu who then angrily ordered her to rethink herself in Weiyang Palace. She didn''t know why the two of them quarreled, but she really felt strange after seeing the Empress.


    However, although Ning Qian was rejected for the first time, she didn''t retreat. She frequently went to Weiyang Palace to look for the Empress with something. Later, even Xia Huanyu couldn''t help but ask her about it.


    However, Ning Qian just smiled and said, "I''ve just taken over the imperial household affairs, and I really don''t understand a lot of things, so I have to go to Weiyang Palace to bother the Empress."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu frowned slightly and said


    o a chair and sat down. "It must be hard for you to take charge of the affairs since you''ve been pregnant. Tell me, what do you visit me for?"


    Ning Qian smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I have a problem. His majesty is going to pray for good harvest on the vernal equinox. Lady Shu gave me the lists of the previous two years. I''ve read it carefully and found that although the items on the two lists were almost the same, they were some difference. For example, the animals used for sacrificial ceremony in the year before last year was horses, cattle, sheep, dogs and hogs. While the dogs had been replaced with chickens on the list of the year before last. What''s the point?"


    The Empress raised her eyes and said indifferently, "You are quite meticulous. The year before last was the Year of the Rooster, so chicken couldn''t be used in the sacrificial ceremony. And as the last year was the Year of the Dog, dogs wouldn''t been allowed."


    Ning Qian nodded slightly and understood a little. Then she continued, " The sacrificial ceremony is supposed to be hosted by Your Majesty as usual, but as Your Majesty don''t feel well, His Majesty order as an alternative to avoid exhausting Your Majesty. I dare not to wear Your Majesty''s ceremonial garment, but I don''t know which kind of dress is appropriate for the sacrificial ceremony.


    The Empress suddenly clenched her hands in the sleeves, and her eyes were somewhat cold. "You could ask the Vice Minister of the Ministry of rites. I don''t know either." Then the Empress stood up suddenly and left in a huff.


    Looking at the back of the angry Empress, Ning Qian''s lips curled up slightly.


    After a moment''s silence, Ning Qian handed the pamphlet to Qian Xin, "Go back to stamp the seal on the list and then send it to the Ministry of Rites."


    Although she said this to Qian Xin, she was staring towards the inner hall. She knew that the Empress in the inner hall must have heard it clearly.


    Qian Xin received the order and left. Ning Qian stood up and slowly walked out of Weiyang Palace. But before she stepped out of the door, she suddenly fell to the ground.

 Chapter 759 The Confrontation

    " Lady Xiang!" Exclamations rang out in the Weiyang Palace. In the inner hall, the Empress heard the noise outside before she sat down. She frowned and asked, "What happened?"


    A servant rushed in and reported anxiously, "Your Majesty, Lady Xiang fainted outside the palace."


    The Empress was surprised and suddenly turned around asking, "Yes?"


    Although she didn''t like Lady Xiang, it didn''t mean that she wished something bad to happen to her in her palace. Moreover, Lady Xiang was pregnant now. If anything happened to her, she would not be able to explain it. What''s more, she herself was in a very bad situation now.


    The Empress turned around and walked out of the palace. She found Lady Xiang looked pale, with beads of sweat on her forehead. Her brows knitted tightly as if she was in great pain.


    "Why are you still standing there? Call the imperial physicians now! " the Empress ''s voice was sharp and slightly changed.


    Hearing this, the stunned servants hurried out of the hall. The Empress calmed down a little, and said to Qian Xin, who was holding Lady Xiang in her arms, "Take her into the inner hall."


    Qian Xin was also panic. She nodded and carried Ning Qian into the inner hall. The madam beside the Empress had already made a quilt on the couch. Qian Xin quickly lay Ning Qian on the quilt.


    Looking at Ning Qian''s bloodless face, the Empress snorted coldly, "You are pregnant, but you don''t know how to take care of yourself. Why do you still run around in such a situation?" Actually, her mind was in a mess.


    The imperial physician were still on the way. All the people in the palace had been waiting for a long time. The Empress couldn''t wait any longer. She stood up and said, "The imperial hospital is only a quarter of an hour''s walk away from the Weiyang Palace. Almost an hour has passed. Why hasn''t the imperial physician come yet? Madam, go and check it yourself to see what''s going on? "


    The madam obeyed and left the inner hall.


    After a while, the madam came back, but there was no imperial physician following her. "Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that his majesty had ordered him to report the matter of Lady Xiang as soon as possible and he had gone to the Taiji Palace."


    "Isn''t his Majesty in the morning court now? The imperial physician cannot even see his majesty at this time! Why are those old bastards in the Imperial Hospital so ignorant of priority? " The Empress looked very angry. Just then, she heard a eunuch singing voice from outside. "His Majesty is here!"


    The Empress''s face twisted, with a flash of disbelief in her eyes. She turned her head and looked at the door, her hand holding the brocade handkerchief trembling slightly. Then she turned around and looked at Lady Xiang''s beautiful face, and fell silent. ''Does his majesty care about this woman so much?''


    the Empress thought to herself. Her throat tightened. After a long time, she swallowed saliva. Footsteps came from the outer hall. The Empress bit her lips and turned around again.


    The bead curtain was suddenly lifted, and Xia Huanyu walked in quickly from the outside. The Empress bowed in a hurry, but she noticed that Xia Huanyu didn''t seem to see her at all. As soon as he entered the hall, he rushed to the soft couch and fixed his eyes on the woma


    ng it," Xia Huanyu didn''t want to talk to her anymore. He just quietly lowered his head and looked at the jade ring on his thumb.


    After a long time, the bead curtain was lifted. The imperial physician''s face was a little pale. He hurried to kneel down in front of Xia Huanyu and said softly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have tried my best. The baby in Lady Xiang''s belly has not been saved."


    A maid in the palace brought out a few pots of blood and hurried out of the palace.


    Blue veins stood out on Xia Huanyu''s forehead. After a long time, he slammed the table and kicked the imperial physician, who was kneeling in front of him. The imperial physician fell to the ground, his face full of pain. "Guards, pull this quack down."


    The guards outside hurried into the hall and pulled the imperial physician out of the main hall.


    Xia Huanyu stood up, lifted the bead curtain and entered the inner hall. The others had already left. There was a faint smell of blood in the hall. Ning Qian was lying on the bed, her face still very pale, but she had already woken up, as if she was in a daze.


    Xia Huanyu walked to the bedside and sat down. Both of them kept silent for a long time before Xia Huanyu said slowly, "Our baby is gone."


    Ning Qian turned to look at Xia Huanyu calmly. After a while, she opened her mouth and asked, "Why?"


    However, Xia Huanyu didn''t answer her question. He just said lightly, "You are still young. You will have another child in the future."


    Ning Qian only smiled slightly, but her voice was somewhat calm. "Your Majesty, I have been awake just now."


    Xia Huanyu paused and a murderous look flashed through his eyes. Then he slowly looked up at Ning Qian and said, "Lady Xiang, do you know what you are talking about?"


    Ning Qian also raised her head and looked at Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty, I think you must have heard it clearly. I was awake just now. What? Do you want to send me to the Cold Palace?"


    Xia Huanyu struggled in his mind for a long time before he said coldly, "I don''t like people who think themselves smart."


    Ning Qian lowered her head and smiled, "I don''t like to be smart, either. I just want to ask your majesty, why?"

 Chapter 760 Confinement

    However, Ning Qian didn''t hear the answer from Xia Huanyu. She only felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck and lost consciousness.


    When she woke up again, She was laying on the bed in Xiangzhu Palace. It seemed to be very late in the afternoon, and the light outside the window was a little dim.


    "Qian Xin." Ning Qian''s heart sank. She called loudly while thinking, ''Why didn''t Xia Huanyu kill me to keep my mouth shut? He could just say that I died of a miscarriage and no one would doubt it.''


    As footsteps faintly came from the door of the hall, Ning Qian frowned and became alert. It was not Qian Xin, but a kung fu master.


    The door curtain was opened, and a maid came in. She stood respectfully in front of the bed and said, "Your Highness, Qian Xin has been transferred to another palace. Your Highness just lost your baby and are not in good health. His Majesty sent me to take care of you. My name is Qing Dai."


    Ning Qian looked carefully at the maid standing beside the bed. After a long silence, she said softly, ", Qing Dai, the name sounds good."


    Qing Dai''s face was cold and unmoved. She just lowered her head and said, "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness."


    Ning Qian withdrew her gaze calmly, "Has His Majesty said how long I need to rest?"


    Qing Dai''s voice came, "His Majesty didn''t order that. But Your Highness definitely have to recuperate for a long time after a miscarriage, otherwise you might suffer from lingering effect. Your Highness at least need a routine confinement for recovery.


    A routine confinement? Ning Qian curled up her lips and thought that it would be one and half months.


    She fainted in Weiyang Palace. And when she woke up, she had clearly heard Xia Huanyu questioning the Empress. It seemed the empress would have a hard time.


    Did Xia Huanyu use her as a tool to trick the Empress?


    Ning Qian slowly raised the corners of her mouth. Her purpose and the order of the eldest princess were exactly the same, which saved her a lot of trouble. She finally understood why Xia Huanyu had spared no effort to promote her to a high position and even gave her the seal. The higher her position was and the more favored she was, and the more dangerous the Empress would be.


    Then the Su clan behind the Empress would be involved. His Majesty is really ambitious.


    And Ning Qian heard that all the evidences show that the Empress was the most likely suspect of the stone tablet case. So the Empress had been involved in framing Lady Shu and Prince Qi, and murdering her and her unborn child. She would be doomed this time.


    Qing Dai looked at Ning Qian and frowned. She didn''t know why this beautiful woman was still so happy at this time. She didn''t seem to be afraid at all.


    "I''m a little hungry. Go and get some food." Ning Qian turned to look at Qing Dai. She thought for a while and added, "I am not in good condition after the miscarriage. I want some red bean soup and steam fish. It''s better to be light-favored."


    Qing Dai glanced at Ning Qian with a frown and warned, "I have to remind Your Highness that Xiangzhu Palace has already been besieged. You''d better not think


    errogate all the servants in Weiyang Palace."


    Musk.


    Ning Qian slowly raised the corners of her mouth and smiled. It was really an old trick, but it was very effective.


    Moreover, the smell of musk oil was not as strong as that of the musk. The musk oil had a light smell which was extremely difficult to find it, but its effect was also excellent.


    But she didn''t know how the Empress would react if she knew that it was a trap set by Xia Huanyu.


    Thinking of this, Ning Qian smiled again. The imperial household was more dirty and complicated than anywhere else.


    After Qing Dai went out with the hamper, Ning Qian walked to the bedside, wrote a note and threw it under the bed.


    Then she turned off the light and went back to bed. A soft voice came from under the bed, "I can''t contact Lady Rui for the time being, but I have a way to contact Prince Rui''s men."


    Ning Qian thought for a while and replied softly.


    It was the same if she could get in touch with Prince Rui as master was most likely in the same place with him.


    Ning Qian thought that there were a lot of secret guards in her palace. Although they didn''t know what had happened today, they would definitely send the news out.


    After lying on the bed for a while, Ning Qian fell asleep.


    On the second morning, Ning Qian got up early. She didn''t need to make up as no one was allowed to visit her. So she just put on an outer robe and sat in the inner hall reading. Qing Dai had been standing beside her, pouring sweet tea for her from time to time, which made her look like a dutiful maid.


    Ning Qian sat still the whole morning. When the curtain was being lifted up, Ning Qian looked up and saw a maid in the same dress as Qing Dai coming in. "Sister Qing Dai, His Majesty asked you to Taiji Palace."


    Qing Dai said yes and asked the maid to keep an eye on Lady Xiang. Then she went out.


    Ning Qian frowned and listened to the footsteps of the woman who just came in. She knew that the woman was not good at Kung Fu. The corners of Ning Qian''s mouth slightly curled up. It seemed that her chance had come.

 Chapter 761 An Incident At The Sacrificial Ceremony

    Ning Qian looked up at the petite maid and saw the maid was glancing at her, her bright eyes rolling.


    Ning Qian smiled and asked softly, "What''s your name?"


    The maid seemed to be stunned, and then smiled brightly. Her eyes lit up in an instant. "My name is Bai Su." After a pause, she boldly looked at Ning Qian and said, "Your Highness, how beautiful you are!"


    Ning Qian couldn''t help laughing, "you are so sweet."


    Then Ning Qian lowered her head and looked at the book in her hand. After a moment of silence, she ordered softly, "The tea is a little cold. Go and make another pot of tea for me."


    Bai Su nodded slightly, took the teapot on the table and walked out of the bedroom happily.


    Ning Qian stood up, walked to the desk, wrote a note, and threw it under the bed. Then she walked to the dresser and took out a lotus hairpin. She carefully poured out some white powder from it and hid the power between her nail and finger.


    After that, he put the hairpin back. She walked to the couch and sat down, turning the page in her hand with a calm expression on her face as usual. Hearing a light cough from under the bed, Ning Qian became sure about her plan.


    After a while, footsteps came from outside again. As the curtain was being opened, the sound of beads colliding was particularly clear.


    "Your Highness, the tea is ready." With a smile on her face, Bai Su walked in briskly.


    Ning Qian nodded slightly, watching Bai Su put the teapot on the table and pour tea for her. Ning Qian looked up and smiled at Bai Su. Then she took another teacup, poured a cup of tea by herself, and pushed it in front of Bai Su. "Don''t be so reserved in Xiangzhu Palace. Your Sister Qing Dai, who always wears a straight face and doesn''t speak, is not here. Sit down and have a cup of tea. Now I can''t even find a person to drink tea with me..." Then she let out a soft sigh.


    After saying that, Ning Qian lowered her head and looked at the book in her hand. She picked up the teacup and took a sip casually.


    Taking a glance at Ning Qian, Bai Su thought for a while and said with a smile, "That''s what Qing Dai is like. Please don''t mind." As she spoke, she picked up the tea Ning Qian had poured for her and took a big gulp.


    The tips of Ning Qian''s mouth lifted in a brief smile, "I didn''t blame her." However, she was counting in her heart. ''ten, nine, eight...''


    Before she could count to one, she saw that Bai Su''s body wobbled and was about to fell down. Ning Qian quickly held Bai Su in case the people outside would be alerted.


    Then she lowered her head and took off her clothes. Then she pushed her down to the bed. Qian Yan quickly got out of the bed.


    When Qing Dai returned to Xiangzhu Palace, Ning Qian was still sitting on the couch, reading books. Her posture was the same as that when she left, as if she hadn''t moved at all. Seeing Qing Dai come in, Bai Su beamed and exclaimed, "Sister Qing Dai, you''re back."


    Qing Dai noticed that Ning Qian frowned slightly, as if she was dissatisfied with Bai Su''s disturb. With a snort in her heart, Qing Dai looked up at Bai Su and said, "You can leave now."


    Sue nodded with a smile, swe


    She suddenly moved the dagger in her hand, leaving a deep mark on Xia Huanyu''s neck. Blood dripped down the dagger.


    The eldest princess looked at the blood dripping from the dagger, her eyes filled with madness. She laughed and said, "Xia Huanyu is dying. The State of Xia belongs to me, Xia Xiangru."


    The secret guards were about to make a move. The eldest princess stopped smiling and looked coldly at Liu Wenan and the secret guards. She clapped her hands and about a hundred people appeared out of wall of the Temple of Heaven. They were dressed in black, holding bows and arrows in their hands, and aimed at the people inside.


    The eldest princess said in a cold voice, "If you are willing to support me as the emperor, just withdraw from Temple of Heaven. I''ll count to ten, and those who haven''t withdrawn will be shot to death by arrows!"


    Lady Shu, who was kneeling in front of the Heavenly Altar, moved slightly. The eldest princess looked at her and said with a smile, "Thank you, Lady Shu. Without you, I wouldn''t have been able to sneak in and set up this trap so easily. But Lady Shu, you don''t have to leave today. Just stay here."


    Lady Shu''s eyes flashed with disbelief. She suddenly looked up at the eldest princess and said, "Your Highness, it''s not what you''ve promised me. The reason why I am willing to cooperate with you and the seven prince is that you two have promised me to give me and Prince Qi a chance to live. Do Your Highness want to break our agreement?"


    Hearing Lady Shu''s words, the eldest princess burst into laughter with a bit of contempt. "It''s said that Lady Shu is a smart woman, but I didn''t expect that she would be so stupid sometimes. The reason why I take action at this time is that both Prince Rui and the seventh prince are not in Jin City. How can I let go of Prince Qi and make myself unhappy. And I asked Lady Xiang to frame the Empress just because I wanted you to set up the sacrificial ceremony. Now you are no longer useful. I know the principle of removing the roots while cutting off the grass. Neither you nor Prince Qi can run away today."

 Chapter 762 The Turmoil

    Some of the officials kneeling on the ground were already fleeing in a hurry. The Eldest Princess smiled at their discomfiture and sneered in her heart, ''Haven''t these officials who claimed to come here for the sake of the country also betrayed us in order to save their lives? I will keep none of these people!''


    Though she thought this way, she put on a smile and counted, "Three!"


    In the chaos below, screams could be heard continuously.


    "Two!" The Eldest Princess seemed to like this very much, and her eyes filled with smile.


    After a pause, she roared fiercely, "One!"


    Only that sound of "One!" At that instant, it was all silence. The Eldest Princess frowned and raised her voice, "Shoot! Now!"


    Still no one answered. The men in black on the wall didn''t make any movement. The Princess was shocked and looked up but to see those men with bows and arrows falling backwards in unison.


    The secret guards and Liu Wenan, who were guarding under the Temple of Heaven, took a few more steps towards the temple.


    The Eldest Princess'' heart sank. She drew the dagger closer to Xia Huanyu''s neck and asked, "Do you want to kill Xia Huanyu?"


    No one answered. The Princess saw that Liu Wenan waved his hand and was about to ask the secret guards to rush up to her. The Princess knew that something was wrong. She turned around the face of Xia Huanyu, who was in her arms, and saw that Xia Huanyu''s face was pale and his lips were a little dark red, as if he had been poisoned.


    The Princess immediately raised her hand and put it on the tip of Xia Huanyu''s nose. Her face suddenly changed. She pushed the person in her arms down the Temple of Heaven and shouted, "It is a trap! Retreat."


    As soon as the Princess finished speaking, several monks behind her threw a few black balls in front of them. With a bang, the black balls exploded in front of them. For a moment, the smoke was shrouded and nothing could be seen.


    Liu Wenan suddenly shouted, "Don''t let her run away."


    The secret guards suddenly rushed up to the Temple of Heaven, and the smoke had gradually dissipated.


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    uanyu still kept silent.


    However, the Eldest Princess laughed out loudly. "Your Majesty, though you are always narrow-minded, I''m sincerely convinced today. But it''s a pity that if this matter is known to the public today, Lady Shu, the chess piece that your majesty has kept for more than twenty years, will be destroyed. "


    "Don''t bother, sister. Just worry about your own situation," Xia Huanyu said indifferently, "Guards, take the Eldest Princess into the water prison."


    Guards came in and led the Eldest Princes down.


    The hall was quiet for a moment. Xia Huanyu waved his hand and the door was closed. Liu Wenan poured a cup of tea for Xia Huanyu and then prepared another cup.


    "Come out," Xia Huanyu said softly.


    A person slowly walked out from behind the golden wall. She was dressed in a light pink robe with a slightly bulging belly and a beautiful face.


    The woman walked quickly to center of the hall and knelt down.


    Xia Huanyu looked up at her and said softly, "Get up. You are pregnant. If anything happens to you, Prince Rui will definitely fight me to death. Thanks to you, we win this time,"


    The woman in front of him smiled, slightly bent down and bowed, "Your Majesty, I''m flattered. I don''t deserve it." Then she stood up and looked up at Xia Huanyu.


    The woman was no other than Yun Shang, Lady Rui, who should have followed Luo Qingyan to Cangnan.

 Chapter 763 Turning Around

    Xia Huanyu stared at Yun Shang for a long time and said indifferently, "Since you''ve returned to Jin City, where are you going to live? I''ve asked someone to clean up Prince Rui''s mansion, but I''m afraid that you can''t live in the yard you used to live in anymore. And the Zhaoxia Palace is still available. You could go there if you don''t want to live in Prince Rui''s mansion."


    Without hesitation, Yun Shang smiled and said, "I''ll go back to Prince Rui''s mansion. I haven''t been back for a long time." After a pause, Yun Shang rolled her eyes and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have an unreasonable request. Please agree."


    "You have made a great contribution this time. Just tell me what you want." Xia Huanyu said in a calm voice, fiddling with the jade ring on his thumb.


    Yun Shang lifted her mouth into a brief smile. "Now that the eldest princess has been caught. Although Lady Xiang was recommended to the Palace by her, she has never done anything to help the devil. I want to take her out of the Palace."


    Xia Huanyu''s hand, which was caressing the jade ring, paused for a moment. He raised his eyebrows and said, "No matter why she came to the Palace, she is already my concubine. How can I let her go? There has never been a case of letting a concubine out of the palace since ancient times."


    "Your Majesty has just said that I have made great contributions and can ask for anything I want. An emperor could not go back on his words. Besides, His Majesty only said that there has been no precedent to let a concubine out of the Palace. But it doesn''t matter if a maid is missing in the Palace." Yun Shang knelt down and bowed to Xia Huanyu.


    A hint of doubt flashed through Xia Huanyu''s eyes. "Are you asking for Lady Xiang who is locked up in Xiangzhu Palace now?"


    Yun Shang was shocked. Why did Xia Huanyu ask this question? Did he already know that the lady in Xiangzhu Palace was no longer Ning Qian? It couldn''t be. If he had known it, how could there be no movement in the Palace?


    Yun Shang thought for a long time and finally didn''t dare to take the risk. She smiled and said, "There is only one Lady Xiang in the Palace. If you let go the one in Xiangzhu Palace, of course there will be no Lady Xiang in the Palace."


    Looking at Yun Shang, Xia Huanyu said coldly, "I know. You must be tired these days. Go back and have a rest."


    Yun Shang curtsied to him and exited.


    Before Yun Shang left the palace, the news of the eldest princess'' rebellion had been known to all in Jin City. As soon as she walked out of Taiji Palace, Yun Shang saw a servant in cyan standing aside. Seeing Yun Shang come out, she immediately walked up to her and said, "Your Highness, I''m a maid from Shuya Palace. Lady Shu sent me to invite you to her palace."


    Lady Shu...


    Yun Shang turned to look at the maid and nodded slightly. "Okay, let''s go."


    When they arrived at Shuya Palace, Lady Shu hadn''t taken off the ceremonial garment. Perhaps it was because too many things had happened today, she looked a little tired.


    Yun Shang went up and curtsied torwards her. Lady Shu smiled and sai


    e difficult for Ning Qian to promise him. Moreover, Wang Jinhuan was the only son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Defence and War, his family would probably find it difficult to accept Ning Qian''s past.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and decided not to mention it again.


    Ning Qian changed the topic, "I thought that Your Highness had gone to Cangnan. I wouldn''t have believed it if the secret guards hadn''t told me. Why did Your Highness come back? How did you find the eldest princess?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "I didn''t return to Jin City because I found the trace of the eldest princess, but because I found the secret of Lady Shu."


    It suddenly struck Yun Shang the day when she accused Xia Huanyu of indulging Lady Shu and the seven prince in Taiji Palace. At that time, Xia Huanyu had said that many things were not as she saw it.


    The Empress and Lady Shu were always incompatible. If Xia Huanyu let Lady Shu out of the Cold Palace, it meant that he was against the Empress and the Su clan. At that time, Yun Shang guessed that it was either because that Xia Huanyu loved Lady Shu deeply or Lady Shu was a chess piece of his.


    In any case, Xia Huanyu didn''t seem to love Lady Shu very much, which only meant that Lady Shu] was a pawn.


    However, Lady Shu had encouraged the rebellion of her clansmen and secretly allied with the seven prince, which was completely a betrayal of Xia Huanyu. But why did Xia Huanyu declare war on the Su clan for a chess piece that had betrayed him?


    Yun Shang didn''t figure it out at first, but after she left Jin City, she suddenly came to her senses.


    It was impossible for Xia Huanyu to be against the Su family for a secret guard that had betrayed him. There was only one possibility, that was, Lady Shu had never betrayed Xia Huanyu from the beginning to the end. Everything was just Xia Huanyu''s plan. It was Xia Huanyu''s idea to instigate her clansmen to stir up trouble, to be sent to the Cold Palace because of the Hanshi Drug case, and then to secretly ally with the eldest princess and the seven prince...

 Chapter 764 Fix Them Up

    After guessing the secret of Lady Shu, Yun Shang also received a message from Ning Qian, knowing that Ning Qian had received the eldest princess'' instructions from Lady Shu.


    At first, Yun Shang didn''t understand why the eldest princess asked Ning Qian to frame the Empress with her unborn child. After thinking for a long time, she figured out that it was the eldest princess'' trick of killing two birds with one stone. Although the Empress was grounded by Xia Huanyu, she could still turn over in a short time. And at that time, the person in charge of the Empress'' seal was Ning Qian.


    Although it was the eldest princess who recommended Ning Qian to the Palace, she didn''t completely trust her. As long as Ning Qian did as the eldest princess asked, no matter what the result was, the Empress would definitely be involved in the crime of murder a royal children. Even if the Empress had the support of the Su clan, it was still difficult for her to turn over in the short term. Moreover, if Ning Qian had a miscarriage, she would have to recuperate. In this way, Lady Shu would be in charge of the imperial household.


    The eldest princess wanted to seize the opportunity to usurp the throne when the seventh prince and Jin City were not in Jin City. She was not afraid that Lady Shu would disobey her as she had Prince Qi, who had poisoned by her, as a bargaining chip.


    The message the eldest princess was brought into the Palace by Lady Shu, so Xia Huanyu must have guessed the eldest princess'' plan. The only thing Xia Huanyu didn''t expect was that Ning Qian had found out that she hadn''t been pregnant at all, and that she had even question Xia Huanyu about this in public.


    Xia Huanyu had already arranged everything, waiting for the eldest princess to take the bait. He would definitely not allow such a thing to happen at this time, so he simply grounded Ning Qian in Xiangzhu Palace. Fearing that there would be spies of the eldest princess in Xiangzhu Palace, he also ordered all the servants leave Xiangzhu Palace to prevent the news from leaking out.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but marvel at Xia Huanyu''s thoughtfulness.


    When did this plan begin? Since Lady Shu was sent to the Cold Palace? All these things, including the war with the State of Yelang, the expedition of the seventh prince, and Ning Qian''s fake pregnancy, seemed to be within the plan.


    However, the only thing that Yun Shang didn''t understand was whether the purpose of the series of actions was to target at the eldest princess alone or to plot against both the eldest princess and the seventh prince.


    It should be the former. If the matter went on like this, the seven princes would soon know that Lady Shu was a secret guard of Xia Huanyu. She didn''t know if the seventh prince had told any secret to Lady Shu, but since the seventh prince knew about it, he would definitely take some action. Fortunately, the seventh prince were far away in Lingxi City, and couldn''t respond in time.


    Yun Shang thought that it seemed she had to remeasure Xi


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    task all herself after the experience during these days. Although she was not proficient, she was no longer impetuous and became much calmer.


    Though she was shocked after hearing Yun Shang''s description of her purposes, she also felt excited. She hurriedly said, "I''m willing to have a try."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Okay, I believe you. By the way, Ning Qian was in the mansion now. She has got much experience about these things when we were in the State of Ning. If you don''t have anything else to do later, you can have a talk with her and learn from her experience."


    Qian Yin replied happily, with excitement in her eyes.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing.


    "Qian Liu, I only have one trusted maid, Qin Yi, around me as Qian Yin has gone to Cangnan with His Highness. Now that things about Wang Congwen are almost done, you''d better go back to the mansion and stay with me. I''ll be relieved to have you around." Yun Shang looked at Qian Liu gently.


    Qian Liu replied with a smile.


    Looking at Qian Yin and Qian Liu, Yun Shang felt relieved. She smiled and asked softly, "By the way, I rarely care about things outside the Palace these days. Is there anything new recently?"


    Qian Yin smiled and said, "Of course there are a lot of new things. But recently, the one that has received most attention is the battle with the State of Yelang. I heard that the first battle was a success. Everyone is praising the seventh prince."


    Yun Shang smiled. Qingsu would definitely make way for the seventh prince. The real battle won''t start until Luo Qingyan took action against Qingsu from Cangnan City.


    "By the way, the seventh princess... Did anything happen with her? Yun Shang asked casually.


    Qian Yin thought for a while and said in a low voice, "It seems that the seventh princess has been stayed at home all the time. But recently, I heard a rumor that she has an affair with some man. It is said that she has been witnessed to go to the opera house for several times with the same young man.

 Chapter 765 The Real Murderer

    Hearing this, Yun Shang knocked on the edge of the couch and asked, "Do you know the identity of the person who went to the play with the seventh princess?"


    Qian Yin nodded slightly, "It''s said that he is the cousin of the seventh princess. The seventh princess'' mother was not from the Jin City, but it was a famous family in the local area. It seems that the cousin of the seventh princess has close relationship with the seventh princess since childhood. This time, his cousin came to the Jin City to participate in the imperial examination. "


    Yun Shang frowned. Hua Yutong was a pawn in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion to pin down the seventh prince. She knew that Hua Yutong had suffered a lot since she lived in the seventh prince'' Mansion.


    However, Hua Yutong shouldn''t have made such a rumor at this time.


    Yun Shang turned around and said to Qin Yi, "Send my invitation to the seventh prince'' mansion later. Tell them that I will invite the seventh princess to visit Lord Hua Guo''s wife tomorrow."


    Qin Yi nodded and understood what Yun Shang was going to do. She thought for a while, raised her hand and poured a cup of tea for Yun Shang. Then she said in a low voice, "I think it is not so good for your highness to ask the seventh princess about this matter in front of Lady Hua Guo, nor is it good for Lady Hua Guo to ask her directly. It was Lady Hua Guo who sent the seventh princess to the the seventh prince. If we are careless and let the seventh princess feel that Lord Hua Guo''s wife has been watching her, I''m afraid that the seven princesses will be on guard against her. "


    Yun Shang frowned and thought for a while. Then she nodded slightly and said, "It''s highly possible. What should we do according to Qin Yi''s idea?"


    Qin Yi thought for a while and then said with a smile, "I wonder which opera house the seventh princess often goes to? It seems that your Highness has never been to the opera house to listen to any drama. "


    Yun Shang went blank for a while, and then came back to her senses. She smiled and said, "Since Hua Yutong likes that place, I think they must have a good performance there." Then Yun Shang turned to look at Qian Yin and ordered in a low voice, "Go and ask which opera house she often goes to and what kind of play she will listen to when she goes there. If there is a play tomorrow, please book a seat for me. "


    Qian Yin replied in a hurry, "I see. I''ll go to inquire about it for your highness about it.


    After Qian Yin left, the sky gradually darkened. After dinner, Yun Shang took Qin Yi and Qian Yin for a walk around the lake. Because of the tragedy in Prince Rui''s mansion that day, the surrouding was much quieter. Yun Shang didn''t want to go further, so she sat down in the Pavilion by the lake to have a rest.


    "Our mansion must be most deserted among the royal and aristocratic families in Jin City," commented Yun Shang smilingly.


    There was a breeze by the lake. Qin Yi put a cloak on Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Being deserted also has its advantage. There are not so many rumors around."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said with a smile, "After seeing the farce in the Imperial Palace, I feel much better in our quiet mansio


    smile and sat down. Lady Hua Guo asked softly, "Are you all right? Is Qingyan okay? "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and got close to Lady Hua Guo, "Has Grandfather gone to Cangnan? Qingyan went there a few days ago when the Palace said that I was missing. I was about to go, but I was stopped by something and came back."


    "You are pregnant now, but you still want to go to the battlefield. It''s not safe, my dear Ling''er..." Lady Hua Guo sighed, waved her hand, and changed the topic. "Did you really catch the Eldest Princess?"


    It was not until Yun Shang heard Lady Hua Guo mention the Empress Hua that she realized that the Empress Hua went to the battlefield when she was pregnant with Prince Rui. Then something happened.


    Knowing that Lady Hua Guo didn''t want to mention her sadness, Yun Shang said, "Yes, I did. The Eldest Princess was too ambitious. She even wanted to seize the opportunity to get the throne when the seventh prince and Qingyan were not in the Jin City. His majesty pretended to be innocent, but his heart is clear. How could the Eldest Princess not be defeated? "


    Lady Hua Guo smiled, "Don''t take his majesty as a fool. So many years has passed, When he was a prince, he knew how to pretend to be weak and forcibly seize the throne. After he took over the throne, the Su mansion have been restraining him. His majesty seems to be tolerating them step by step, but in secret, he has nibbled many forces of the Su mansion, so the Su mansion cannot last long. When Ling''er was the Empress, I persuaded his highness to find an opportunity to hand over his power, in case of getting into trouble. "


    "At that time, I still didn''t understand. Because at that time, Xia Huanyu looked really gentle and elegant. Others said that he ascended the throne depending on luck. Over the years, I have seen clearly that his majesty is not simpleminded, but he can endure many things. " Lady Hua Guo smiled, but a hint of cruelty flashed through her eyes. "After ling''er died, I''ve always wanted to see how the Su mansion died. I have always suspected that the accident of Ling''er has something to do with the Su mansion. "

 Chapter 766 The Play

    It was not the first time that Yun Shang had heard this, but when she heard it before, Yun Shang was still a little hesitant. After all, Su Ruji entered the palace after the accident of Empress Hua, and now Empress Hua still...


    However, when Yun Shang heard her words again, she couldn''t help but believe her. Lady Hua Guo looked as if she was an ordinary woman in a mansion. But after a year''s contact, Yun Shang found that she was much more insightful than she had imagined. Maybe the truth of Hua Ling''s accident was not that simple.


    "I and Qingyan will send someone to investigate the matter of mother. If the Su clan really did something to mother in secret and caused such a situation, we will definitely not spare them." Yun Shang squinted, with a murderous look in her eyes.


    Lady Hua Guo was very happy to hear this. She patted Yun Shang''s hand and said, "Okay, I''m happy that you have the heart. The Su clan has a deep foundation. It''s better to avoid head-on confrontation." After a pause, she looked out of the door and said meaningfully, "The one in the high position might know the truth about Ling''er''s death. In the two years after Ling''er''s death, he looked for the murder crazily, but then he gradually fell silent. Many people said it was because there was no hope, but I always felt that it was because he knew something."


    After leaving Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, Yun Shang had been thinking about what Lady Hua Guo said.


    According to Lady Hua Guo, Xia Huanyu must have known that the accident of Empress Hua had something to do with the Su clan. But he had been holding back his anger all the time in order to one day completely destroy the Su clan.


    Thinking of the way Xia Huanyu dealt with the eldest princess, Yun Shang felt a touch of coldness in her heart. He even didn''t spare his sister. Let alone the murderer who killed his beloved woman.


    "Your Highness, are you going to the Liyuan Theater?" Qin Yi asked softly.


    Yun Shang was in a daze for a while before she realized the theater Qin Yi asked was the place Hua Yutong and the man frequently visited recently.


    "Has the seventh princess booked a table today?" Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi.


    "Yes." Qin Yi replied in a low voice, "She has booked a private room as two seats as usual."


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and nodded, "Let''s go there."


    Qin Yi replied and then ordered the coachman outside. Soon they arrived at the theater.


    Qin Yi opened the curtain and looked out. Then she got off the carriage, lifted the curtain and helped Yun Shang get off the carriage.


    As soon as they entered the Liyuan Theater, the attendants led them to a private room they have booked on the second floor.


    The private room was just a space separated from outside by two screens and a curtain. Leaning against the railing of the second floor, they could look down and saw the stage on the first floor.


    Qin Yi looked around, took a teacup from the table, and poured tea for Yun Shan


    eplied with tenderness reflected in his eyes, "Okay, go ahead."


    Hua Yutong took Yun Shang downstairs and left Liyuan Theater. She asked the coachman to take Xu Sansi back to the Inn and got on Yun Shang''s carriage herself.


    Yun Shang smiled and followed her into the carriage.


    Hua Yutong lifted the curtain of the carriage and waved at Xu Sansi, then she put it down. "I heard that you were missing a few days ago. I was so worried about you. Are you all right?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Look, I''m fine in front of you."


    Hua Yutong breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "That''s good, that''s good."


    Yun Shang stared at Hua Yutong for a long time and asked softly, "How is everything in the seventh prince''s mansion recently?"


    The smile on Hua Yutong''s face faded a little. She shook her head and said, "Same as usual. The madam and butler are in charge of all the affairs of the mansion. They seldom ask for my opinion. I was just a princess in name only.


    Looking at the bitter smile on Hua Yutong''s face, Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and said, "Although I just came back from the Palace yesterday, I''ve heard some rumor about you. Have you heard?"


    Hua Yutong was stunned for a while and then smiled, "Do you mean the rumor about me and my cousin? Of course I''ve heard it.


    Yun Shang remained silent.


    Only then did Hua Yutong realize something was wrong. She widened her eyes and looked at Yun Shang, "Shang''er, don''t tell me you believe the rumor."


    Yun Shang just smiled, but still didn''t respond.


    Hua Yutong looked a little embarrassed. She kept silent for a long time and said gently, "In fact, I''m not very close to the cousin. I''ve been watching the play with him almost every day these days for some purpose."


    Yun Shang looked up at her. Hua Yutong stuck out her tongue and smiled helplessly. "My uncle is a businessman and my cousin often goes around with him. Before he had visited Lingxi City before he came here in Jin City..."

 Chapter 767 Truth Or Lies

    Lingxi City... Yun Shang thought for a while and said nothing.


    Hua Yutong continued, "My cousin came to Jin City for the imperial examination. My uncle and aunt heard that I married the seventh prince, so they asked my cousin to visit me and see if I can find a way to help him. I dared not to promise my cousin when he mentioned it as I didn''t have the ability. So I just change the topic and ask him how he was going. He told me that he had just come back from Lingxi City and inadvertently mentioned that he had met His Highness''s servants several times."


    Hua Yutong lowered her head and smiled helplessly. "Although I''m not favored by the seventh prince, he is still my husband nominally. I heard from my cousin that the situation in Lingxi City is not good, so I''m a little worried about His Highness. But my cousin didn''t say anything more about that. I want to know His Highness'' current situation from him, but I''m really not familiar with him and it''s difficult for me to ask him. I sent people to inquire about my cousin and found out he liked enjoying opera, so I often invited him to the theater and wanted to get some information from him."


    "Have you found out what you want to know?" Yun Shang''s lips curled up slightly. She picked up the cup of tea poured by Qin Yi, but she didn''t drink it. Instead, she fixed her eyes unblinkingly on Hua Yutong.


    Hua Yutong shook her head and looked a little disappointed. "I''ve asked him two times, but the information I got was not what I wanted. My cousin only said that the war in Lingxi City was tense, and told the situation about the people and shops in the city. He didn''t say anything else."


    "It''s not that he doesn''t want to tell me, but he doesn''t know at all." Yun Shang sighed, "I''m afraid your cousin has some evil thoughts on you. You''d better not have too much contact with him. You''ve been married now, and your husband is a prince. I''m afraid that if you go on like this, rumors will drown you before you get the answer."


    Hua Yutong said nothing, clenching the brocade handkerchief in her hand.


    Yun Shang raised her hand and poked the spot between her eyebrows. She shook her head and


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ed to Yun Shang when Yun Shang talked about the recent rumors and asked her why she was so close to Xu Sansi.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and turned to Qian Liu, "Send someone to check where Xu Sansi has been recently."


    Qian Liu answered and left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes for a rest. As soon as she got up, she saw a maid, who serves in the garden house, rushing in. "Your Highness, someone from the Palace said that Lady Shu invited Your Highness to the Palace."


    Lady Shu? Yun Shang frowned, confused, "What does Lady Shu want to do?"


    Yun Shang stood up and asked Qin Yi to help her fix her clothes and hair. Then she went downstairs slowly and head to the garden house.


    As soon as she walked to the corridor by the lake, she saw Ning Qian slowly walking towards her, as if she was looking for her.


    "What''s wrong?" Yun Shang asked softly without stopping.


    Ning Qian smiled and said, "I''m setting out for Cangnan City right away. I just want to say goodbye to you, master."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang turned around and looked at Ning Qian with a smile. "Okay, be careful. No matter what happens, remember, ensuring your own safety is the most important thing."


    Ning Qian nodded with a smile, "Don''t worry, master. I do cherish my life."


    "That''s good." Yun Shang smiled, "Have a good trip."


    Ning Qian smiled and said yes. Then she stopped, waved at Yun Shang, and turned to the yard where she lived.

 Chapter 768 Self Disclosure

    When Yun Shang arrived at the garden house, she saw a eunuch waiting for her. Seeing Yun Shang, he hurriedly bowed to her and said, "Your Highness, are you ready now?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and walked towards the door. She asked softly, "Has Lady Shu said what she calls me for?"


    The eunuch answered respectfully, "Her Highness didn''t tell me. She just asked me to invite Your Highness to the Palace."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and didn''t ask anymore. After stepping out of the mansion, she got on the carriage and went straight to the Palace.


    Lady Shu seemed to have been waiting for a long time in Shuya Palace. When she saw Yun Shang enter the palace, she smiled and said, "I think I should ask the Emperor to let you live in the Palace. It takes a lot of time to come back and forth."


    Yun Shang didn''t know what Lady Shu was thinking. She thought they hadn''t been familiar enough for Lady Shu to say like this.


    Yun Shang immediately curtsied to Yun Shang. Seeing this, Lady Shu uttered an "oh" and pretended to be angry, "Why are you so polite to me? Now that you are pregnant, no curtsy next time."


    Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    Lady Shu smiled with satisfaction and said softly, "The Palace is getting more and more boring. I can''t even find a person to talk with, so I have to bring you here from Prince Rui''s mansion."


    Yun Shang felt that Lady Shu behaved strangely today. She thought for a moment and smiled, "I don''t believe you, Your Highness. I have seen at least five ladies on my way here. How could it be hard for you to find some companion? Moreover, now Your Highness is the most favored one by His Majesty..."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Lady Shu laughed. She pointed at Yun Shang and said, "Nonsense, don''t make fun of me."


    Lady Shu asked Yun Shang to sit next to her, and poured a cup of tea for Yun Shang by herself. Then she said in a somewhat casual tone, "I know you are a blessed person since I first met you. Last night, His Majesty mentioned Prince Rui when he was in Shuya Palace. His


    hat''s why the Empress began to pay attention to me. She tried every means to hurt me, but was stopped by the Emperor. The pregnancy passed smoothly. Ten months later, His majesty brought a child to me. It''s Prince Qi."


    Lady Shu said indifferently, "As a matter of fact, I don''t know who Prince Qi''s biological mother is, but I''ve raised him for so many years and have a certain feeling for him. I hope that His Majesty could allow him a peaceful life when he doesn''t need him anymore."


    Yun Shang listened quietly and thought for a long time before she smiled, "He will. I''ve heard that Prince Qi is smart and His Majesty likes him very much. As you said, he must also have feelings for him after all these years."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Lady Shu smiled and said, "I hope so. It''s good as long as he can get out of the whole plot safely. I have been in the imperial household for so many years, I can''t get out even if I want."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling when she heard the last sentence. Lady Shu finally came to the point after talking so much and even telling out the big secret of Prince Qi''s birth.


    Sure enough, Lady Shu continued quietly, "I don''t think there will be any other concubine in the Palace who knows so many secrets of the Emperor as I do. If possible, I''m willing to take out these secrets in exchange for a lifetime glory."

 Chapter 769 Entrust Liu Yinfeng

    Yun Shang''s hand holding the teacup suddenly tilted, and the tea almost spilled out. Fortunately, Yun Shang quickly came to her senses. With a flash in her eyes, she picked up the teacup, took a sip of the tea, and covered the surprise in her eyes with the teacup.


    When Yun Shang finished her tea and put down the teacup, her face had already returned to calm.


    "You must be kidding, Lady Shu. Now the Empress is grounded in Weiyang Palace, and something''s happened to Lady Xiang. In the imperial household, you are the only respected one in the imperial household. Glory has long been in your hands." With a faint smile on her face, Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the pink peach blossoms on the porcelain teacup, thinking fast.


    Lady Shu had been in the imperial household for a long time, so she naturally knew that if the concubines in the Palace didn''t have a son and a daughter to rely on, no matter how noble they were, it was still uncertain whether they could survive after the Emperor died, let alone glory.


    Although Prince Qi was just a fake prince, as long as Xia Huanyu didn''t spill the beans, he would still be the support of Lady Shu. But now, because of the eldest princess, Lady Shu''s identity had been exposed, and Prince Qi would probably be abandoned by Xia Huanyu without hesitation.


    Since she couldn''t rely on Prince Qi anymore, Lady Shu might have seen it more clearly that she was just a pawn that could be discarded at any time in the hands of Xia Huanyu. She had no choice but to find a supporter to ensure her glory and wealth.


    She couldn''t count on the seventh prince as the news that she was a secret guard should soon spread to the seventh prince. The seventh prince would definitely not believe him anymore when he knew she was just pretending to ally with him and the eldest princess and that she had betrayed the eldest princess.


    Lady Shu lost the support of Prince Qi and dared not to rely on the seventh prince, so she had only one choice left.


    Yun Shang curled up her lips, with a touch of coldness in her eyes. The imperial household was indeed the place that could change a person dramatically. Lady Shu, who was just a secret guard, was not willing to let go of the glory and wealth after she had enjoyed the noble life.


    But Lady Shu forgot that Yun Shang had witnessed that she betrayed the eldest princess. How could she trust her again?


    Lady Shu frowned slightly and fixed her eyes on Yun Shang unblinkingly. "I believe that you are smart enough to understand what I''m talking about."


    Yun Shang didn''t respond. Lady Shen paused and then smiled slowly. "Forget it. I just invited you here to have a cup of tea today. If others saw you walk out of my palace unhappily, they would think that I had bullied you. Forget it. Let''s talk about something else, something you might be interested in."


    Yun Shang smiled at Lady Shu and raised her eyebrows, "Oh? What is it?"


    Lady Shu thought for a while and said with a smile, "Let''s talk about Mr. Liu Yinfeng."


    Yun Shang''s eyelids twitched, but she couldn''t help smiling. "Didn''t Your


    arely heard that the emperor of a country would make such a promise to a person who is not even a minister. But if Mr. Liu is really as loyal and talented as Your Highness said, it makes sense."


    Hearing this, Lady Shu smiled, "Yes, but I think this is... not fair to..."


    Lady Shu didn''t speak out the name, but Yun Shang could clearly understand who she was talking about.


    Yun Shang smiled faintly and didn''t reply. Lady Shu continued, "The seventh prince is the son of Liu Feixue. Liu Yinfeng has taught him for a long time and always taken care of him. I''m afraid that Liu Yinfeng would be partial to the seventh prince because of Lady Liu and choose the wrong person."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "If Mr. Liu chooses the seventh prince, it means that he think the seventh prince have some outstanding ability and could be a good emperor. Since His Majesty trusts Mr. Liu so much and even makes such a promise to entrust the country to him, I believe in Mr. Liu''s insight and ability.


    A hint of sadness flashed through Lady Shu''s eyes. She kept silent for a long time before she said, "I''m a little tired after talking so much..."


    Yun Shang understood the implication in her words. She stood up with a smile and bowed, "Then I''ll take my leave, Your Highness."


    Lady Shu sneered and nodded. Then Yun Shang left slowly.


    After walking out of the palace, Yun Shang sneered, "She is really full of tricks. I even could see her purpose on her face. She just want me to unite with her to deal with the seventh prince."


    Qin Yi smiled and put a cloak on Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang sighed and turned to Qin Yi, "I don''t know that I have become something like a hotcake that everyone fights for."


    Qin Yi smiled and said, "Your Highness, just ignore her."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "I want to, but she is a concubine in the Palace. If I ignored her, I''m afraid I will be accused of being disrespectful."


    The two of them walked out of the Imperial Palace, got on the carriage and headed towards Prince Rui''s mansion.

 Chapter 770 Flirting

    After sitting upright in Shuya Palace for a while, Yun Shang felt a little sore in her waist. She leaned against the fur blanket on the carriage and had a rest. After passing the Wen Wu Road, they heard cries of street vendors from time to time, which was very lively.


    After the carriage went for a while, Yun Shang suddenly sensed a sweet smell from outside, like the smell of chestnut cake. Yun Shang always liked osmanthus cake, so she didn''t have much feeling for chestnut cake. But at the very moment, she was suddenly attracted by the sweet smell.


    Yun Shang sat up straight, lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out. Next to her was a shop selling chestnut cakes with a lot of customers in it. Yun Shang looked around and found there are many shops selling snacks. In addition to the chestnut cakes, there were also some snacks such as hibiscus cakes and lotus leaf steamed cakes.


    The last time Yun Shang went shopping was in Jin''an Town, and that couldn''t not be considered shopping. It was just a walk with Prince Rui after dinner.


    "Your Highness, do you want to go shopping?" Looking at Yun Shang''s expression, Qin Yi and Qian Liu couldn''t help but smile at each other before Qin Yi asked.


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes and turned to Qian Liu, "Are the secret guards following us?"


    Qian Liu smiled, "Of course. His Highness has ordered them to protect Your Highness."


    Yun Shang wasn''t afraid of encountering any assassins, but since she was pregnant now, she felt more responsible. Hearing this, she nodded and made up her mind. "Let''s go and have a look."


    After getting off the carriage, Yun Shang pointed at the queue in front of the chestnut cake shop, "Qian Liu, buy me three pieces of chestnut cake."


    Qian Liu answered with a smile. Then Yun Shang asked the coachman to go back first. It was sunny today, and the sun suddenly became brighter. Yun Shang hadn''t felt hot in the Palace, but now she felt a thin layer of sweat on her forehead after standing outside for a while. Yun Shang took Qin Yi to the shadow under the eaves of the other side of the street. Qin


    catch Yun Shang. Yun Shang clapped her hands, and several secret guards suddenly appeared to protect her.


    "Oh, you have some helpers with you..." Mr. Su was even more furious. "Beat them. I must get her tonight. Tonight will be my wedding night."


    The servants rushed up, but before they could make a move, they were beaten so hard that they had no strength to fight back. In the blink of an eye, they were all lying on the ground.


    Mr. Su was stunned. "How dare you hit my servants? You really don''t want to live."


    Yun Shang didn''t bother to talk to him anymore. She ordered the secret guards, "Catch him, take off all his clothes except his underpants and tie him up under the eaves."


    Qin Yi and Qian Liu had rushed back to Yun Shang. They were relieved to see that Yun Shang was fine.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Mr. Su howled again, "How dare you! I will ruin you and generations of your family."


    Ruin me and generations of my family?


    Yun Shang was so angry. She looked around and said, "Send someone to inform Field Marshal Su and tell him everything in detail. Tell him that I will report it to His Majesty and asked His Majesty to make a decision about his punishment." Then she turned to Qin Yi and Qian Liu, "I''m hungry. Let''s go to the restaurant opposite."


    Qin Yi and Qian Liu answered, "Yes, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang saw that Mr. Su''s face suddenly turned pale.

 Chapter 771 A Charge

    The restaurant was diagonally opposite to the spot where Mr. Su was being tied. Yun Shangspecially choose a table beside the window on the second floor and sat down. Obviously, the attendant had seen what had happened outside just now. He said softly, "You seem to be a noble person, but Mr. Su has always been arrogant and bossy. Moreover, the Su clan was very powerful in the court. You should be careful since you had treated him like that."


    Yun Shang knew that the attendant was being kind, so she nodded slightly and said, "Don''t worry. Since I dare to do so, I''m not afraid that the Su clan will take revenge."


    Since Yun Shang said so, the attendant stopped talking about it. He looked at Yun Shang for a while and said courteously, "What would you like to eat, madam?"


    "What''s the specialty here?" Yun Shang asked casually. She glanced at the man hanging on the wall through the window and thought, ''Since he is so arrogant and domineering, he must be a favored one among the younger generation of the Su clan. I''m wondering who will come to save him this time.''


    "Chicken and cucumber, stewed pork with melon, spicy stomach, mushroom hair, Buddha''s hand roll, pearl chicken, poached crab meat are all our specialty, and many guests like the red bean porridge here. What do you want, Mrs. Carla?" The attendant asked after recommend the dishes.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "I want to taste all the dishes you recommended and three portions of red bean porridge."


    The attendant''s eyes lit up and replied hurriedly, "Okay!" She ran downstairs in a hurry, and soon came up with a teapot in hIs hand. She poured a cup of tea for Yun Shang with a smile, "Madam, this is the Xinyang Maojian Tea only for our distinguished guests. Have a taste, please."


    Yun Shang nodded gently and said with a smile, "You don''t need to serve me here. Just attend to other guests."


    A hint of disappointment flashed through the attendant''s eyes. He nodded and left. Yun Shang asked Qin Yi and Qian Liu to


    you. Please forgive him and spare him."


    "Spare him?" Yun Shang seemed to have heard a big joke. She looked at Yun Shang with a smile and said in disbelief, "Lord Su said I should spare him? Do you know what he said to me? Oh, I forgot that Lord Su just came and didn''t know about it. Then let me tell you what your nephew has done and said."


    Yun Shang took a sip of tea and continued, "Just now, your nephew came to take liberties with after my maid left for shopping. I didn''t want to make things difficult for him, but he said something rude. He said he would let me kneel on the bed and beg him. I just ignored him, but he said he would ruin generations of my family."


    "Do you need me to tell me who my family members are? My husband is Prince Rui, my father-in-law is the Emperor, and my mother-in-law is Empress Hua. And my father is the emperor of the State of Ning, and my mother is Lady Jin of the State of Ning. Don''t you think I should report to His Majesty that someone has threatened to kill the emperors of the two countries? I''ve heard that your nephew doesn''t have an official post. How dare a civilian say something like that? It equals to the crime of conspiracy. Lord Su, I just want to ask you if your Su clan could bear such a charge." The smile on Yun Shang''s face disappeared, and her eyes were full of sternness.

 Chapter 772 Bring An Accusation Before The Emperor

    Su Yunzhi trembled and said, "please forgive him, Your Highness. My nephew did it unintentionally."


    "Oh? Unintentionally? " A cold smile appeared on Yun Shang''s face again. "Lord Su, are you sure it was just an unintentional mistake?"


    Su Yunzhi nodded repeatedly.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang banged the table. Both Su Yunzhi and the attendant were shocked. They couldn''t help but look up at Yun Shang. As soon as they saw Yun Shang''s face, they immediately lowered their heads.


    "But he is so bold to say such rebellious words unintentionally. If he does it on purpose, wouldn''t he overturn the State of Xia?" Yun Shang sneered, "Since you couldn''t make a decision, I don''t want to waste my time. Qin Yi, Qian Liu, let''s go into the Palace!"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Su Yunzhi''s face turned paler. He kowtowed several times and said, "Your Highness, please forgive him, please forgive him."


    "It''s not that I don''t want to forgive him. It''s just that what he said was too shocking and treacherous, and I was not the only one who heard it. If I don''t report it to the Emperor, His Majesty will probably punish me for covering up for him. I can''t afford it." As Yun Shang spoke, she stood up, bypassed the table and Su Yunzhi, who was kneeling in front of it, and went downstairs.


    Qin Yi immediately took out an ingot of silver from the money bag on her waist and handed it to the attendant. "Is it enough to cover all this?"


    It was not until the moment that the attendant came back to his senses and quickly said, "enough, enough."


    Qin Yi nodded and quickly caught up with Yun Shang.


    After leaving the restaurant, Yun Shang got on the carriage. When the carriage passed by the place where Mr. Su were tied, Yun Shang saw his smudgy face. Even in this situation, he was still shouting, "You unruly people. I''ll send someone to kill you later."


    Yun Shang sneered and put down the curtain of the carriage.


    As soon as they arrived at the Palace, Yun Shang went straight to the Meeting Hall. Outside the Meeting Hall, Liu Wen


    kly raised his hand and said, "Nonsense!"


    Yun Shang turned to look at Su Qi with a sneer, "I have no enmity with the young Mr. Su. Why did I lie to frame him? What''s more, this happened in the downtown. Many shop owners and people around have heard and seen it. Your Majesty, you could ask the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice to inquire around, then you''ll know whether what I said is true or not."


    "It''s just an ignorant boy''s unintentional behavior. Why don''t you have to argue the point to death and haggle over every ounce?"


    The sarcasm in Yun Shang''s eyes grew. "Argue the point to death? I remember very clearly that it was Field Marshal Su who said that he should be put into prison by the Ministry of Justice as he was so bold and reckless that he committed a crime of treason. Why did he change his attitude when he heard that Steven was his grandson. How could you ignore the law and cover up for your grandson in front of His Majesty and other lords? What an impartial and selfless official you are!"


    Su Qi''s face was a little pale. He gritted his teeth and looked at Yun Shang, as if he wanted to swallow her alive.


    It was not until then that Xia Huanyu realized why Yun Shang made such a scene. He couldn''t help smiling, but still looked indifferent as usual. "Lady Rui has a point. Liu Wenan, ask Li Qianmo to arrest the man."

 Chapter 773 A Little Trick

    Hearing this, Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Su is being guarded by my secret guards on the Luofeng Street."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and said to Liu Wenan, "Did you hear it clearly?"


    Liu Wenan replied, "Yes, Your Majesty." Then he left in a hurry.


    Su Qi trembled with anger, but he didn''t dare to lose his temper in front of Xia Huanyu. He was trying hard to hold it back.


    With a sneer in her heart, Xia Huanyu bowed to Xia Huanyu and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I just hope the matter could be handled impartially. Please seek justice for me, for yourself and for my father."


    "I will arrange it. Is there anything else, Your Highness?" Xia Huanyu looked at Yun Shang indifferently.


    Yun Shang shook her head, bowed again and left the Meeting Hall.


    After leaving the meeting hall, the smile on Yun Shang''s face appeared again. Qin Yi was a little worried. "Your Highness, I''m afraid that Field Marshal Su will fight back against you."


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing. She left the Palace with Qin Yi and Qian Liu and got on the carriage, heading to Prince Rui''s mansion.


    After returning to the South Yard, Yun Shang said smilingly, "Just because I have a fight with him in public, it will be more difficult for him to plot against me. If anything happened to me, he will be the most likely suspect. Unless he is confident enough not to leave any evidence."


    Since Yun Shang was so confident, Qin Yi didn''t say anything more. She just said softly, "But you have to be careful, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly with a faint smile on her face.


    However, less than two hour after Yun Shang returned home, the butler reported, "Your Highness, Field Marshal Su is here to meet you."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. She didn''t expect that Su Qi would come straight to her.


    After a moment of silence, Yun Shang said, "Send someone for a doctor, and then tell Su Qi that I couldn''t treat him today as I was suffering abdominal pain. I was frightened today and the baby in my belly is a little unstable.


    After the butler replied, Yun Shang turned to Qian Liu, "Go out of the mansion to find a doctor before the butle


    ffects such as vomiting. Could Her Highness accept it?"


    Qin Yi looked hesitant.


    Yun Shang said in an extremely weak voice, "Prescribe for me."


    Qin Yi hurriedly replied, "Please prescribe the medicine quickly." Then she hurriedly took brush and paper from the desk and handed them to the doctor.


    After thinking for a while, the middle-aged woman wrote some herbs on the paper and handed it to Qin Yi.


    After taking a look, Qin Yi hurried out of the door and gave the paper to a maid outside. "Go to the pharmacy to fill the prescription for Her Highness."


    The maid replied and left.


    Su Qi had been standing outside the door all the time. When he saw this, he frowned and looked at the swaying bead curtain unhappily, his eyes full of anger.


    After a while, the middle-aged woman walked out and bowed to him as soon as she saw him.


    Su Qi glanced at her coldly and asked in a low voice, "How is Her Highness?"


    The middle-aged woman quickly replied, "Not good. Her face is pale, full of sweat. She must be suffering great pain, and she has bled..."


    Su Qi''s face darkened. He went downstairs and walked towards the gate of Prince Rui''s mansion in a huff.


    Unexpectedly, the gate had been surrounded by people aflame with indignation. When they saw Su Qi come out, they all took all kinds of messy things and threw them at him. They kept cursing, "Shame on you. How could you bully a weak lady and her unborn child?"

 Chapter 774 The Memorial

    Su Qi grew more irritated. He stamped his feet and shouted, "Arrest them all for stirring up trouble!" Anyone? Anyone?" It was not until then that the coachman and servants outside the door found that the person who was surrounded at the gate was their master. They broke through the crowd in a hurry and rushed to the side of Su Qi.


    However, those people were not stupid. When they saw the servants of Su Qi, they quickly scattered in all directions. All of a sudden, there was no one in front of Prince Rui''s mansion. If it weren''t for all the messy things on the ground and the stains on his clothes, Su Qi would have thought that it was just an illusion.


    "Unruly people, let''s see how I will deal with you." Su Qi was so angry that his face was a little distorted. He gritted his teeth and suddenly raised his voice to the servant beside him. "What are you waiting for? Help me get on the carriage! You stupid rubbish."


    The servant answered in a hurry. He helped Su Qi get on the carriage in a hurry and drove it to his mansion.


    What happened at the door was soon reported to Yun Shang by the doorman. The master and the servants were laughing from ear to ear in the room. Qian Yin, who came in a hurry, bent over with a smile. "Oh, I didn''t expect that Su Qi would be treated like this. I''m afraid that the common people have a deep grudge against him."


    With a smile on her face, Yun Shang shook her head and said, "I''m afraid that Su Qi hates me very much this time. But the Su clan will be eliminated sooner or later. If we don''t get rid of it, it will also be a hidden problem."


    "But Your Highness, didn''t you say that it''s only a matter of time for the Empress to regain the favor? Will it do us no good to offend the Su clan at this time?" Qin Yi hesitated.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled. "I''ve said so, but it''s also only a matter of time for her to lose her power forever. His Majesty needs an appropriate chance to attack the Su clan. Isn''t it good that I offer him a chance?"


    While they were talking excitedly, Yun Shang heard a signal from a secret guard. She raise


    aid, "Call the secret guard who sent the message just now. I have something to ask him."


    Seeing that Yun Shang''s face became very serious, Qian Yin quickly restrained her expression and raised her hand to her lips, making a few strange tones.


    After a while, someone jumped in from the window and knelt down in front of Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang frowned and asked, "Have you got the chance to read the memorial?"


    The secret guard kept silent for a moment and then shook his head. "When I received the news, the memorial has already arrived outside Jin City. I wanted to take the opportunity to have a look at it, but I didn''t expect that Feng Ming had sent several martial arts masters to secretly protect the memorial. I couldn''t get any chance."


    "Is there anything wrong with the memorial?" Hearing this, Qian Yin raised her head and asked Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang shook her head and frowned, "I don''t know what''s wrong, but I feel there is something strange about it." It''s just been seven days after the eldest princess was being caught, so the seventh prince shouldn''t have known about it. However, judging from the situation, it seemed that he has already come up with a solution. There must be some spies of the seventh prince around Lady Shu or Xia Huanyu. The seventh prince had already known Lady Shu''s identity and had expected that something would happen to the eldest princess."

 Chapter 775 Unexpected Thing

    "That''s why the seventh prince agreed to meet Xu Sansi and his father in Lingxi City. Then, it must be the order of the seventh prince that Xu Sansi went to the military camp outside KY city and came to Jin City. Hua Yutong must have known something, so she lied to me." Yun Shang''s eyes darkened as she frowned.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Yin became nervous and asked, "Then what should we do?" Then she looked up at the secret guard and asked, "Where is the person who was sent to submit the memorial? Do we still have the chance to stop him?"


    The secret guard shook his head and said, "I''m afraid he''s already been in the Palace."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang quickly said to Qin Yi, "It''s not appropriate for me to go to the Palace since I just pretended to be unwell in front of Su Qi. You take my jade pendant to the Palace and see if the person who presented the memorial has seen Xia Huanyu. If not, ask Wang Wanzhi to find a way to stop the memorial."


    Qin Yi looked hesitant, but she quickly responded. She took the jade pendant from Yun Shang''s hand and walked out of the door.


    Qian Liu also frowned and said, "We don''t even know what memorial is about. If we asked Miss Wang to secretly stop it, her identity might be exposed. Is it worth it?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, and a deep look flashed in her eyes. "I''d rather kill one thousand by mistake than let one go."


    Yun Shang had been waiting for the news in her room after Qin Yi left. Time passed and it started getting dark. Qian Liu hurried to prepare dinner for Yun Shang, but Yun Shang had a bad appetite. She just ate some porridge before she ordered to take the food away.


    When the night fell, Qian Yin had still stayed in the mansion to accompany Yun Shang.


    It was not until about 11pm that there was a faint sound come from outside. Qian Yin hurriedly walked out of the door and craned her neck to look down from the railing. "Your Highness, Qin Yi''s back, but there seems to be some


    ness outside, Qin Yi seemed a little hesitant. "I''m afraid Lady Hua Guo has already been resting."


    Yun Shang nodded without hesitation, "Yes, now. We have to race against time. If the Emperor doesn''t make any movement within seven days, the seven princes will know that there must be something wrong with the memorial and he will surely report again. At that time, we may not be lucky enough to stop another memorial." So we have to hurry up. We can''t delay for even a second..."


    The three of them hurried out of the door, got on the carriage and headed for Lord Hua Guo''s mansion.


    When they arrived at Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, the door was closed. Qian Liu got off the carriage in a hurry and walked quickly to the door. She knocked the copper ring on the door and the sound was particularly abrupt in the quiet night.


    After a while, a weary voice came from inside, "Coming. Who is it? It''s late at night."


    The door creaked open. The doorman poked his head and saw Yun Shang get off the carriage. "It''s me. Open the door. I have something urgent to tell Her Ladyship."


    The doorman was stunned and then came to his senses. "Oh, it''s Lady Rui. Her Ladyship has rested."


    Yun Shang nodded and walked quickly into the door. "I see." But she quickened her pace toward the yard where Lady Hua Guo lived.

 Chapter 776 Night Meeting

    Lady Hua Guo has been resting for a while. Hearing the noise, the madam beside her hurriedly opened the door with a lantern in her hand. When she saw Yun Shang, she was startled. "Ah, Why do Your Highness come here at this time?"


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Please wake up Her Ladyship. Tell her that I have something urgent, very urgent."


    The madam noticed that Yun Shang didn''t look well, so she quickly said, "Well, Well, I''ll go now." Then she turned around and walked into the room.


    Yun Shang also followed in. As soon as she entered the front hall, Lady Hua Gua''s voice came from inside, "Madam Qi, what''s wrong? What happened?"


    The madam answered in a hurry, "Her Ladyship, Lady Rui is here. She asks to see you for something urgent."


    "Shang''er?" Lady Hua Guo asked in surprise. She came back to her senses and said, "Quick, bring Shang''er in."


    Madam Qi opened the curtain and let Yun Shang enter. After entering the bedroom, madam Qi immediately lit up the lights in the room. Lady Hua Guo had already sat up. She was only dressed in a night robe, and her silver hair was disheveled.


    "I''m old now. I can''t sleep sound at night. Even some slight might would make me wake up. Madam Qi, come and change clothes for me. Shang''er, why did you hurried here? Is there anything wrong? What happened?" Lady Hua Guo raised her hand to fix her hair and said.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang quickly walked to the bed and knelt down, which startled Lady Hua Guo. Regardless of her unchanged clothes, she quickly got out of bed and asked, "What''s wrong? Tell me what happened? Why do you kneel down?"


    Yun Shang bit her lips and handed her the memorial that Wang Wanzhi had brought out from the Palace. Lady Hua Guo was stunned when she saw the cover. "Memorial? Who wrote the memorial? Judging from the color of the cover, it was not written by Qingyan? Why is it in your hand?"


    "Grandma, please read the memorial." Yun Shang said in a hoarse voice.


    Lady Hua Guo was taken aback. She quickly opened the memorial and read it carefully. But as her eyes moved, her expression gradually became excited, her body trembling slightly. After reading it, she quickly stood up and grabbed Yun Shang''s hand. "Is it true? Is it true? Ling''er is still alive?"


    Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "Please forgive me and Qingyan for not reporting it...


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Lady Hua Guo was surprised again. "not reporting it?" What do you mean? You and Qingyan had known about this?" Lady Hua Guo frowned and looked pale, but her expression gradually calmed down. She stared at Yun Shang for a long time, and then took two steps back. She sat down on the edge of the bed and said calmly, "Tell me what happened. I hope you don''t hide anything from me."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and kowtowed to Lady Hua Guo. "In fact, Qingyan and I had known the news that Empress Hua was still alive when we were in the State


    that she noticed that Yun Shang was still kneeling on the ground. She quickly pulled Yun Shang up and said, "Why are you kneeling? The ground is cold." After a pause, she continued, "What did you plan to do?"


    Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "I came to see grandma because I want to go to KY City in person. It is only a matter of time that the Emperor gets to know what happened to Empress Hua. I think I''d better go to KY City to tell Empress Hua the story in detail and asked her opinion.


    Seeing Lady Hua Guo frowning and listening carefully, Yun Shang continued to explain, "Empress Hua is also a party involved in the story, so she have the right to learn the truth." We can discuss with her carefully and find a solution, and arrange it before the Emperor knows. Besides, I am the princess of the State of Ning, so she will believe me. Then it will be more convenient for us to deal with the matter."


    Lady Hua Guo was still silent. After a long time, she said softly, "Tell her not to worry about me and His Lordship. If she doesn''t want to, she doesn''t have to go back to the State of Xia. We know she is still alive and she is living a good life. It''s enough."


    Since Lady Hua Guo said so, it meant that she agreed with Yun Shang''s idea. Yun Shang quickly responded, and then said softly, "But there are many people watching me in Jin City. It''s not easy for me to leave the city. I''m afraid I need your help."


    Lady Hua Guo, "What do you want me to do?"


    Yun Shang then told Lady Guo her plan in detail. After a long time, Lady Hua Guo nodded.


    Yun Shang bowed to Lady Hua Guo again, saying that she would go back to make other arrangements, and was leaving Jin City tomorrow when the city gate was open.


    Lady Hua Guo answered softly. She thought for a while and said, "When you come back, tell me all you know about Ling''er in the the State of Ning."


    Yun Shang''s nose twitched. She hurriedly replied and then left.

 Chapter 777 Telling The Truth

    It was not difficult for Yun Shang to leave Jin City. All she needed to do was to ask someone to disguise as her and pretend to be ill abed in Prince Rui''s mansion. Coincidentally, the incident happened between the Su clan and she was known to all in the city. And everyone knew that she had fallen ill after that.


    Qian Liu had similar figure and temperament with her and she seldom followed Yun Shang, so she could disguise as Yun Shang.


    However, Yun Shang was a little worried. It would take at least ten days to speed up from the Jin City to KY City, and now she couldn''t afford to ride for a long time without sleep. It would take more than a month to go back and forth. Qian Liu wouldn''t be able to pretend for that long. But Yun Shang didn''t have time to think too much, so she had to play it by ear.


    Qin Yi was worried about Yun Shang''s health and didn''t allow Yun Shang to ride, so Yun Shang had to come up with a compromise. She decided to go there by carriage, but she wouldn''t have any rest along the journey. And the secret guards would arrive at every town ahead of Yun Shang, so as to change horses and replenish food and water for her.


    Seeing the anxiety on Yun Shang''s face, Qin Yi knew that it was not easy for her to make such a concession, so she stopped persuading her. She just covered the seat in the carriage with several quilts until she felt that it was thick enough to not be affected by the jolt. Then she prepared all kinds of food and medicine for her.


    It was already dawn when Yun Shang left Jin City. As it was the morning rush hour, the guards at the city gate let her out casually.


    It took Yun Shang thirteen days to arrive KY City. And it was already April. It was getting hot. Yun Shang only wore a light green dress with a moon-white lace mantle. She opened the curtain and looked out. The words "KY city" over the city gate were particularly clear in the spring sun.


    "Please open the door of the carriage for us to see what is inside." A guard at the city gate came over and said to the coachman. Although he looked a little serious, his voice was gentle.


    Yun Shang smiled. It seemed that Yingjie had managed KY city very well.


    The door of the carriage was opened, and a guard leaned in to check. When he saw Yun Shang, he was stunned, and his dark face turned red.


    "Well, sorry to bother you, madam." The guard said hurriedly.


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head, "It doesn''t matter. You are just doing your duty."


    The guard''s face turned even redder. He quickly retreated and closed the door of the carriage. "Go in. Go in."


    The sound of the wheels was heard. Yun Shang lifted the curtain again and looked out. It was exactly the same as Yun Shang had imagined. On both sides of the street, there were many vendors selling goods, but they looked in order. The street was full of laughter, which was completely different from the first time Yun Shang came here two years ago.


    Yun Shang ordered the coachman to drive the carriage to the g


    "Report?" Lady Zhao frowned and considered Yun Shang''s words. She looked at Yun Shang with confusion.


    Yun Shang nodded. After thinking for a while, she finally asked, "Do Your Ladyship know Feng Ming?"


    Lady Zhao nodded slightly. "Of course I know. Feng Ming is not far from KY City. He is the general of the State of Xia who is guarding the city at the border."


    Yun Shang also nodded. She took out the memorial written by Feng Ming from her sleeve and handed it to Lady Zhao before she said softly, "A few days ago, Feng Ming presented a memorial to the emperor of the State of Xia. Please read it, Your Ladyship."


    Lady Zhao was a little hesitant. After all, it was a memorial of another state." But since Yun Shang showed it to her, there must be a reason. After thinking for a while, Lady Zhao took it and opened it.


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on Lady Zhao unblinkingly, not wanting to miss any expression on her face.


    After reading a few lines, the expression on Lady Zhao''s face changed a little. An unreadable light flashed through her eyes, but a cold smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.


    Yun Shang sighed in her heart. She had lost her memory, so she wouldn''t believe it at all.


    Sure enough, in a moment, Lady Zhao had finished reading the memorial. She only snorted and slammed it on the table. She sneered, "The State of Xia and the State of Ning have reached some agreement. In the past two years, we have been in peace with Feng Ming. Why did he frame me like this?"


    Yun Shang sighed in her heart and said gently, "Your Ladyship, don''t be angry. Please listen to me."


    Lady Zhao looked up at Yun Shang who then said softly, "What Feng Ming said is true."


    Lady Zhao''s face suddenly changed. She frowned and looked at Yun Shang in disbelief. After a moment''s silence, Yun Shang stood up and bowed to Lady Zhao. "You bowed to me as you didn''t know the truth. I really shouldn''t have accepted it, because you are Prince Jing''s mother, his biological mother..."

 Chapter 778 The Pain Deep In Heart

    Lady Zhao''s lips moved slightly and her face darkened. She stared at Yun Shang, trying to confirm whether Princess Hui Guo was real or not.


    Yun Shang hurriedly continued, "Maybe you think what I said is also false, but please don''t refute for the time being. Let me finish the matter first."


    Lady Zhao still kept silent.


    Yun Shang smiled gratefully. Then she said softly, "In fact, I knew it at the very beginning. I knew it before I left the State of Ning last year. I saw a portrait of the Empress Hua in the palace of his majesty of the State of Xia. When I first saw it, I felt that the woman in the portrait looked much younger, but she really looked like you, my lady. "


    Yun Shang turned around to Zi Su. Zi Su handed the scroll in her hand to Yun Shang. Yun Shang held the scroll in front of Lady Zhao and whispered, "I can''t get the portrait of the Empress Hua, but I have someone secretly copied it. Have a look, madam."


    With a cold snort, Lady Zhao opened the scroll. In the picture, pink flowers were blossoming on the trees, and petals fell. There were two people standing under the trees. A woman in pink looked up at the flowers on the trees, with a faint smile on her face. Beside the woman stood a man...


    Lady Zhao frowned, "Isn''t the man in the painting Prince Jing?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and answered, "The man in the picture is not Prince JIng, but the Emperor of the State of Xia, Xia Huanyu."


    " Xia Huanyu?" Lady Zhao frowned again and looked at the man, "I''ve heard of Prince Jing''s story, but I didn''t expect him to look like the Emperor of the State of Xia so much."


    "He doesn''t look like before now. Xia Huanyu''s face was disfigured in that accident when the Empress Hua disappeared." Yun Shang looked at the man in the painting and said softly.


    Lady Zhao didn''t respond. She looked at the lady in pink and fell silent.


    Noticing the expression on Lady Zhao''s face, Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Lady Zhao must be very familiar with her own face when she was young. Do you think the woman in the painting resembles you very much?"


    "So what? There are many people who look like each other in the world, " said Lady Zhao. She closed the scroll and threw it on the table, without looking at it anymore.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "You are right. There are many people who look like each other in the world. But as far as I know, your ladyship was saved from the frontier by General Zhao? But where exactly did he save you? Back then, the time the Empress Hua fell off the cliff was quite near the time when General Zhao saved your life. The Empress Hua fell off the cliff on the Ming Xiang Mountain. I heard that at that time, the nearest city to the mountain was called Rongcheng. At that time, the defending general was exactly General Zhao. "


    Lady Zhao''s index finger was slightly upturned. She kept silent for a long time.


    Yun Shang lowered her head, sighed deeply and said, "In fact, I didn''t come here today to ask your ladyship to do anything. Prince Jing and I knew about it before. When he just knew it, he personally came to the KY City. He also asked people to


    come back for the time being." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Zhao Yingjie frowned and replied, "The Prince of the State of Xia colluded with Cangjue Qingsu? Isn''t he selling the country? "


    "Yes, you are right," Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "I won''t have lunch. I came in a hurry, and there are many things to do at home."


    As Yun Shang spoke, she looked up at Lady Zhao. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Then I''ll leave first. I''ll live in the Xiao mansion in the north of the city. If you want to see me, you can send someone over at any time."


    After saying that, she saluted and left with Zi Su.


    "Wait!" the voice of Lady Zhao suddenly came from behind. Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned around.


    However, Lady Zhao pointed at the scrolls on the table and said indifferently, "Your Highness, please take these two things with you..."


    Yun Shang was surprised and nodded. She asked Zi Su to take them and then went out.


    Walking out of the door and to the gate of the yard, Yun Shangturned around and looked at the room. Zhao Yingjie was holding the mandarin fish in his hand and talking to Lady Zhao excitedly. Lady Zhao looked up at Zhao Yingjie with a smile, and her eyes were full of tenderness.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes to hide her heartache. She felt sorry for Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan had never known what family affection was like since childhood. Later, he finally recognized Xia Huanyu. However, he didn''t enjoy the so-called family affection, but he had been involved in all kinds of open and secret fights.


    He must be very tired in the past twenty years.


    Before he became the adopted son of the late emperor of the State of Ning, he was trying to survive, enduring hunger and illness. Later, he became the adopted son of the deceased emperor. He was still struggling to survive in the blade forest and sword rain day by day. Now he had become the legitimate Prince Rui of the State of Xia, but he was still trying to survive in all kinds of schemes.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang felt a sharp pain in her heart.

 Chapter 779 A Letter From Afar

    Yun Shang said that she had something to deal with, but it was just an excuse. On her way to KY City, she had already finished reading all the books in the carriage and had even read the letters sent by the secret guards several times. There was definitely nothing for her to deal with.


    They returned to the yard and had lunch. The sun was shining brightly. There was a locust tree in the yard. Yun Shang asked someone to bring a bamboo deck chair for her to have a rest under the tree.


    When she was taking a nap, Yun Shang heard a long cry, which woke her up. Yun Shang looked up and saw two eagles hovering in the sky.


    She looked at the two eagles for a while, frowned, and closed her eyes again to continue her sleep.


    Another long hiss was heard, followed by Zi Su''s scream, "Watch out, Your Highness." Yun Shang opened her eyes and saw the two eagles swooping down from the sky at an extremely fast speed.


    Yun Shang was also shocked. She secretly clenched the silver needle in her sleeve, but the hawk loosened its claws. A bamboo tube with a red thread tied on it fell to the ground beside Yun Shang. In the blink of an eye, the two eagles had already stopped at the edge of the roof, looking at Yun Shang with a bit of pride in their eyes.


    Yun Shang thought it was funny, so she asked Zi Su to open the bamboo tube. In the bamboo tube was a letter. Zi Su knelt down in front of Yun Shang and unfolded the letter. Yun Shang looked at the letter, and the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up.


    The handwriting on the letter was very familiar to her, with a sense of unruly that she could imagine even with her eyes closed. There were only two words on it "be careful".


    Yun Shang took the letter from Zi Su''s hand and found that there was still a line of tiny words began with a date "April 9th". April 9th, it was yesterday. Following the date was a sentence which read "These are the eagles I trained to deliver letters and you could hand your letter to them".


    Yun Shang curled her lips into a warm smile.


    "Zi Su, go get the brush, ink, paper and ink stone." Yun Shang said similingly.


    She replied in a hurry and went inside to fetch the things. Yun Shang looked at the letter for a long time before pursing her lips again. The two eagles finally sent her the letter, but only two words were written on it. Judging from the words he wrote, he must have known where she was and why she came here. But he didn''t mention a word, nor did he ask how Lady Zhao was now. He didn''t tell about the situation in Cangnan City and what he planned to do. And he even didn''t ask about the baby in her belly.


    It was both pleasant and annoying.


    Soon Zi Su took the things out and put them on the chair aside. Yun Shang sat up and took the brush to dip it in the ink. After thinking for a long time, she wrote carefully, "I arrived at KY City yesterday and I''ve paid a visit to Lady Zhao...


    Suddenly she took the p


    know."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Here is the thing..."


    After walking out of the restaurant, Yun Shang said goodbye to Liu Hua and Wang Chong and then headed back to the yard.


    It was not until dusk that a knock on the door of the yard sounded. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at the door, wondering what choice Lady Zhao would make.


    But when the servant opened the door, Yun Shang was surprised to find that it was Yingjie.


    As soon as Yingjie entered the yard, he hurried to Yun Shang and knelt down. "Your Highness, Long live Princess Hui Guo..."


    Doubts flashed through [ÔÆÉÑ]''s eyes, and her face was as calm as usual. With a faint smile on her face, Yun Shang gently ordered zisu to bring a chair, and then said, "general, please sit up."


    Yingjie sat down, looking a little embarrassed. Seeing this, Yun Shang was more confused. She looked at Yingjie up and down and said with a smile, "I''m wondering what brought General Zhao here..."


    Seeing Yingjie was about to kneel down again, Yun Shang hurriedly said, "General, don''t. I just asked casually."


    Hearing this, Yingjie''s face turned a little red. He smiled and said, "Yes. Last night, my mother told me what Your Highness had said..."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised. She didn''t expect that Lady Zhao would tell it to Yingjie.


    Yingjie didn''t know what Yun Shang was thinking, so he continued, "I was shocked at my mother''s identity, and I didn''t expect that Prince Jing is... Well..."


    As if afraid of offending Prince Jing, Yingjie touched his head and didn''t go on.


    Yun Shang didn''t care at all. She smiled and said, "Prince Jing is your brother. Although you have different fathers, you have the same mother."


    Yingjie''s face turned red again. He smiled and said, "I just feel it a little unreal. Ha ha..."


    Yun Shang looked at him with a smile, "So Lady Zhao asked you to come to me?"


    Yingjie shook his head, "No. I come to Your Highness myself."

 Chapter 780 Decision

    Yun Shang nodded and roughly understood. Although she was a little disappointed that he was not here to express Lao Zhao''s attitude, she just smiled at Zhao Yingjie and said, "General Zhao, what do you think Lao Zhao should do about it? In fact, I didn''t come here to ask Lao Zhao to go to the State of Xia with me. But the emperor of the State of Xia will soon know about it. I''m afraid that he will do something to force Her Ladyship, and it''s very likely that he will do something bad to you. Besides, Lady Zhao has the right to know the truth and I think it''s better for her to know it before the emperor of the State of Xia finds her.


    Zhao Yingjie listened to Yun Shang seriously and kept nodding. After Yun Shang finished speaking, he smiled innocently and said, "I haven''t seen the emperor of the State of Xia. Will he hurt my mother? I''ve heard that there are many concubines in his harem, and now he has a new empress. How should my mother face them if she goes back?"


    Yun Shang was stunned for a while and then smiled slowly. Zhao Yingjie seemed to be a guileless man, but he was not slow in thinking.


    "I''m not sure if Xia Huanyu will hurt Her Ladyship. Xia Huanyu has loved Empress Hua very much, and she was the only one who got his love in the imperial household. As far as I know, his love for her hasn''t faded away after the accident of Empress Hua. In Xia Huanyu''s heart, it had always been a place that belonged to her. However, Empress Hua has married again and gave birth to a child as she lost her memories. I think Xia Huanyu will definitely get angry when he knows this. But he won''t let Empress Hua leave him again." Yun Shang said calmly.


    "As for the current empress, Su Ruji..." Yun Shang narrowed her eyes with a lazy smile. "If Empress Hua returns to the State of Xia, Su Ruji will definitely not be the empress anymore. The State of Xia is also very complicated. I''m afraid the Su clan won''t last long. "


    Yun Shang didn''t mind telling the honest-looking man about the State of Xia.


    Zhao Yingjie nodded and looked up at Yun Shang with a serious look. "If mother returns to the State of Xia, Prince Jing and Your Highness will protect her well, won''t you?"


    Yun Shang nodded slowly and said clearly, "Yes, we will protect her."


    Zhao Yingjie breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "That''s good. Although I am not sure if mother will go to the State of Xia with you, I know you and Prince Jing are both outstanding and reliable person. Since you have promised to protect mother, I''m relieved."


    "What will you do if Her Ladyship goes back to the State of Xia with me?" Yun Shang looked at Zhao Yingjie and asked softly.


    Zhao Yingjie paused and smiled, "I''ve grown up. I''ll take good care of myself. I have been with my mother for so many years, and she has been working hard for me. Prince Jing is also my mother''s child, but he hasn''t... I hope mother will go with you. Prince Jing is my her


    he stone tablet with the Prince Qi''s birth date, and secretly bury some guides behind these two things, making all evidences lead to the the Empress. Now prepare brush, ink, paper and ink stone for me."


    Zi Su stood up in a hurry and rushed into the room.


    Seeing Yun Shang arrange things, Lady Zhao was lost in thought. After a while, she asked slowly, "Are you going to Cangnan City in two days?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "yes."


    Lady Zhao nodded and stood up. "Then I''ll go back to pack up. Two days should be enough." Then she walked out of the yard.


    Yun Shang was stunned and suddenly realized that it meant Lady Zhao had decided to go back to the State of Xia with her.


    Yun Shang wanted to ask, but found that Lady Zhao had left the yard.


    Yun Shang recalled what Lady Zhao had said just now, and felt a little relieved, with a smile at the corners of her mouth. Then she remembered that there was still a lot of things to deal with, so she quickly stood up and walked into the room.


    If Lady Zhao goes with her, Zhao Yingjie couldn''t stay here. Otherwise, Xia Huanyu would not let him go. But if Zhao Yingjie was going to leave, there would be no general in charge of guarding KY City. Although the State of Xia and Ningguo had a friendly contract with the State of Ning. She still didn''t believe Feng Ming, so she didn''t dare to bet on the people in KY City. It was necessary to send a letter to her father, but who could replace General Zhao before the letter being received?


    Yun Shang paused and two people occurred to her. After thinking for a while, Yun Shang turned around and said to Zi Su, "You go to the military camp outside the city with my jade pendant. Tell the two generals, Liu Hua and Wang Chong, that I need them to do me the favor I told yesterday. I will temporarily entrust KY City to them."


    Then Yun Shang continued, "After that, go to find General Zhao Yingjie. Tell him I have something to discuss with him."

 Chapter 781 Reunion

    It was not too far from KY City to Cangnan City, only three cities between them, Jingyang City, Lingnan City and Lingxi City. It would take three or four days to arrive in Cangnan City.


    However, the situation in Lingxi City was tense now, so Yun Shang decided to bypass it and go through Huaiyin City. In this way, it would be safer though it would take them two more days.


    Because of Lady Zhao, Yun Shang had almost transferred all the secret guards she could mobilize to her side, and everything went smoothly along the way.


    An hour after they went out of Huaiyin City, their carriage entered a dense forest. Yun Shang heard the faint sound of horse hooves. She quickly opened her eyes, took a glance at Lady Zhao, who had also opened her eyes, and lifted the curtain to exchange a look with the attendants outside the carriage.


    The attendant waved his hand to the back, and a secret guard went to explore the way first.


    The sound were getting closer. Yun Shang frowned and ordered everyone to be on guard.


    The secret guard suddenly returned to the carriage and said with a bit of delight, "Your Highness, it''s His Highness."


    Yun Shang was slightly stunned, and a faint smile flashed across her eyes. She hadn''t sent a letter to Luo Qingyan these days as she was in a rush to get here. Why did Luo Qingyan know her whereabouts? Just by a guess?


    Seeing Lady Zhao frowning slightly, Yun Shang was stunned again. She thought that since Lady Zhao just knew that Qingyan was her child, she might''ve not fully accepted it. Now that Qingyan has come, she might still have some misgivings.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "The first time I saw you in the State of Ning is in the Princess Palace. I remember you told me that among all the young people in the State of Ning, you admire Prince Jing the most."


    Lady Zhao turned to look at Yun Shang. She didn''t know why Yun Shang brought it up all of a sudden.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Now Your Ladyship could tell yourself that the invincible God of war is your son..."


    Hearing this, Lady Zhao smiled. "Well, I did make a profitable business."


    The thunder of horse hooves were getting closer and closer. Yun Shang ordered to stop and then she got off the carriage. From a distance, she saw a group of people coming over. The first one was Luo Qingyan, whom she had been missing so much.


    At the same time, Luo Qingyan also saw Yun Shang. He rode quickly to her and stopped in front of her. He looked at Yun Shang with a gentle look. After a long time, he frowned and asked, "Why has your belly become much bigger?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and snorted coldly, "It''s all your fault!"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan raised the corners of his mouth. His smile was like a snow lotus flower that suddenly broke the ice, which stunned Yun Shang. Luo Qingyan got off the horse, held Yun Shang''s waist and said softly, "Well, it''s all my fault."


    Yun Shang stepped on Luo Qingyan''s foot, lowered her head and whispered, "Lady Zhao is in the carriage."


    Luo Qingyan''s bod


    ever said in his life.


    Luo Qingyan just took off his shoes, held Yun Shang in his arms and lay beside her.


    Looking at his chin covered with stubble, Yun Shang thought, ''Although Luo Qingyan hadn''t been on the front line, he must''ve also had a hard time these days. Yun Shang felt a twinge in her heart. She smiled and said softly, "I feel sleepy as soon as I lie down. Why don''t you sleep with me for a while, uncle?"


    Luo Qingyan patted her on the head and said, "Don''t call me uncle."


    "Okay, uncle. Let''s sleep." Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, burying her head in Luo Qingyan''s arms.


    Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang''s back gently, "Don''t sleep. Chat with me for a while."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and nodded slightly. She smiled, "Okay, what do you want to talk?" By the way, Qingyan, why did you settle Lady Zhao and Zhao Yingjie in the village?"


    Luo Qingyan said in a low voice, "I''m afraid as soon as you enter the mansion, the news that you are in Cangnan City will soon be spread out. At that time, we two will definitely be watched by lots of people. If they are by our side, they will be easily exposed."


    "Oh..." Yun Shang nodded slightly to show her understanding. After a long silence, she continued, "Lady Zhao... Oh, it''s Empress Hua. Qingyan, Do you have any plan? Should we take her back to Jin City? Or should we hide her so that Xia Huanyu would never find her? If we take her back to Jin City, she will be in great danger. We have trouble even in taking care of ourselves. I''m afraid something will happen to her. But if we hide her, His Majesty will definitely look into it."


    After saying that, Yun Shang didn''t hear any reply for a long time. She pulled Luo Qingyan''s sleeve, but Luo Qingyan still didn''t say anything. Yun Shang was surprised. She looked up and saw Luo Qingyan closing his eyes and breathing steadily as if he was asleep.


    The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curled up slightly. He had just asked her not to sleep and to talk with him. How could he fall asleep first...

 Chapter 782 The Battle On The Sand Table

    When Yun Shang woke up again, Luo Qingyan was no longer beside her. She sat up and saw Zi Su standing at the door. Yun Shang called her softly, and she hurried over to help Yun Shang tidy up her messy hair.


    Yun Shang glanced at her and asked softly, "Did his highness tell you where he went?"


    Zi Su shook her head and helped Yun Shang tidy up her clothes. She said lightly, "His highness just told me not to disturb you. He said that you can take a walk in the mansion after you wake up. He will come back to have dinner with you later."


    Yun Shang nodded, "What time is it now?"


    "It''s almost five o''clock," replied Zi Su.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and then she murmured, "It''s almost five o''clock. His highness will be back soon. Let''s go for a walk."


    After Zi Su helped Yun Shang tidy up, she stepped aside. Yun Shang walked to the bookshelf and looked at the books on it. To her surprise, they were all ordinary books, such as " Three Character Classic", "A Hundred Surnames", and "Military Science of Sun Tzu". But when she searched further, she found nothing.


    Yun Shang could even recite these books with her eyes closed. So she was not interested in it. She turned around and ordered Zi Su, "Ask someone to bring in all the books in my carriage later." Yun Shang put back the book she took out and murmured, "I''m afraid it will take some time to return to the Jin City."


    Fortunately, Luo Qingyan came back soon. Then Zi Su went out and discussed with the servants outside the door about dinner. Yun Shang took the cloak that Luo Qingyan had taken off and asked softly, "Just now on the way, we didn''t see any signs of tension that we are going to fight in Cangnan city. Where are the soldiers now? What are you going to do? "


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang with a smile, " You''ve been worried about me since you came here. There are many spies in this city. Cangjue Qingsu has already known that I have arrived at Cangnan city. I will not let him know where my soldiers are. I''m afraid he thinks that the soldiers won''t be too far away from me since I''m in Cangnan city. A few days ago, many people had searched several mountai


    the Cangnan City, how could it be... "


    Yun Shang stopped halfway. Since Cangjue Qingsu had known that Luo Qingyan was in Cangnan, the seventh prince must have known it as well. The information of Luo Qingyan''s Secret guards was absolutely accurate. If Cangjue Qingsu had set an ambush between the Ling Xi City and Cangnan City, there was only one possibility: the seventh prince...


    They had completely betrayed the State of Xia.


    To be exact, he didn''t betray the State of Xia. The seventh prince only wanted to join hands with Cangjue Qingsu to get rid of Luo Qingyan.


    Just like the time when he killed the Crown Prince.


    Yun Shang squinted, with a bloodthirsty look in her eyes.


    "I''ve arranged everything well. Madam, how do you want to attack me?" Luo Qingyan didn''t seem to be angry at all. He just looked at Yun Shang with a smile.


    Yun Shang then looked at the sand table. There were many soldiers guarding the sand table or retreating. There were many ambushes in front of the Cangnan City and theLing Xi City. She was indeed in a dilemma


    Yun Shang looked up at the black shadow under Luo Qingyan''s eyes and kept silent for a long time. Then she picked up the red flags near her and quickly inserted a whole row into the sand plate. At the front were archers, followed by riders, infantry soldiers, spearmen, and archers. They were neatly arranged in a row, which was unusually conspicuous on the sand table.

 Chapter 783 Tactics

    "From Ganying to Zha''na, bypass Mutuo and then attack Lingxi from Mohuai?" Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang with a smile, "Have you made up your mind? You won''t go back on it?"


    Yun Shang bit her lip, glanced around the sand table, and sighed, "Is there any other choice except this one?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled. He raised his hand and moved the flag set up in the Mutuo a little to blocked Yun Shang''s way. If this was the case, Yun Shang had already entered the territory of the State of Yelang, so she would fight against the army of the State of Yelang. Such a situation was very disadvantageous to Yun Shang. The amy of the State of Yelang could dispatch the reserve troops and replenish them at any time in their own country. But the State of Xia couldn''t. In this way, they would definitely lose the battle.


    Yun Shang frowned. It was obviously a dead end. What should she do?


    As Yun Shang was racking her brains, she heard a familiar sound from outside. It was the cry of the eagle that had sent Yun Shang letters. Yun Shang raised her eyes to look at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan paused for a moment, walked to the window and opened it. There was indeed an eagle circling outside the window. When the window was opened, the eagle suddenly dived and stopped at the edge of the window.


    Luo Qingyan took off the bamboo tube from its claw and took the letter out."


    Yun Shang looked at the eagle for a long time. Then she looked at Luo Qingyan and asked, "Isn''t there a pair of eagles? The two times they sent messages to me, they were being together. Why is there only one today?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "I didn''t have to send you a message today, so I only let one out." Then he finished reading the letter, tore the letter into pieces, and stretched out his hand. Yun Shang saw the eagle peck on Luo Qingyan''s hand and eat all the pieces.


    Luo Qingyan was amused by Yun Shang''s expression when he turned around, "What are you thinking about? The battle is not over yet."


    Yun Shang kept staring at the eagle by the window, lost in thought. After a while, she turned to Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "I''ll take back the move."


    "In the battlefield, once a decision is made, it will be immediately carried out. It is related to the lives of thousands of soldiers. How can it be retracted so easily?" Luo Qingyan raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    However, Yun Shang had already walked quickly to the sand table, took back all the flags that had been inserted just now, and helped Luo Qingyan move the flag that had already moved to Zha''na back to Mutuo.


    "I''m pregnant. As the saying goes, women will experience baby brain when they get pregnant. That''s why I didn''t have a quick react. And now I''ve figured it out." Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan with her arms akimbo.


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled and nodded. "Well, for the sake of your baby brain, I''ll let you regret this move."


    Hearing Luo


    un Shang snorted and lowered her head, muttering, "I don''t care. since Xia Huanyu ascended the throne, people have always been saying that he killed his brother and father, haven''t they? Now he is still the emperor, isn''t he?"


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang with a smile. Yun Shang stopped talking about it and changed the topic. "Now that Lady Zhao is here, if you have time, you can go to see her and talk with her..."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms, "Okay, I see. It''s time for bed."


    The second morning, when Yun Shang got up, Luo Qingyan was no longer by her side. Yun Shang asked Zi Su to help her up. After breakfast, she strolled around the mansion.


    She couldn''t help but feel a little confused didn''t see anyone in Chengshou Mansion. There must be a garrison commandant in Cangnan city. Has he moved out with his family for Luo Qingyan? But he didn''t need to do so. Or has the garrison commandant never lives in his mansion?


    Yun Shang was full of curiosity. She walked around the mansion and denied the second possibility. Many traces shows that there had been people living in the mansion. There were clothes, four treasures of study left in the main yard. The date left on the poetry notebook on the table was a month ago.


    Yun Shang walked around and returned to the guest yard. There were servants guarding at the door. The sun was shining brightly. Yun Shang ordered someone to move the bench into the yard, and then lay down with a book.


    The servant made tea for Yun Shang. Yun Shang thought for a while and finally asked, "I''ve been around the mansion, but why haven''t I seen the garrison and his families?"


    The attendant was stunned for a moment and then answered softly, "Your Highness, there is something you don''t know. The guard of the southern city was personally killed by Prince ray under the horse. The family members should be exiled, and the women are all enslaved and sent out of the mansion."

 Chapter 784 Betrayal

    Yun Shang didn''t expect this to happen. She asked in surprise, "Why?"


    The attendant scratched his head, but he didn''t seem to understand the reason. He only said vaguely, "The people killed by Prince Rui must be unpardonable. I heard that the garrison commandant in Cangnan City has done many evil things. I don''t know the specific reason."


    Yun Shang nodded and stopped asking. Just as the attendant said, Luo Qingyan only reward or punish those who really deserve among his soldiers, although he looked a little cold.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and asked the servant to leave.


    A little while after Yun Shang heard a signal sent by the secret guards, Zi Su rushed over from the room with a letter in her hand. Yun Shang took it over and opened it. When she read it, a cold smile appeared on her face. "There is really some traitor."


    Yun Shang returned the letter to Zi Su and said nothing more. According to the secret guard''s letter, Su Qi had sent many people straight to KY City.


    Only a few people knew that she had gone to KY City. But who... Who has been bribed by the Su clan, or the Empress, to betray her?


    Yun Shang sneered. What she hates most in her two lives was betrayal. In her previous life, she was betrayed by her husband, sister and mother. In this life, she paid special attention to the people around her. She had recruited many orphans from many places to train them, and had a special system of training various types of secret guards.


    She had a lot of secret guards, but only a few could stay around her. The secret guards chosen to stay by her side were almost the most loyal ones. Moreover, her closest maids like Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo, had to pass some poison test before being sent to her side.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She wouldn''t let go of anyone who dared to betray her.


    However, it would not be a big deal for the time being if only the Su clan knew she had been to KY City. After all, Su Qi did not know Empress Hua was still alive in KY City. Anyway, he couldn''t figure it out.


    The only person who made her worry was the seventh prince.


    As long as the seventh prince didn''t know about it, Em


    all in the State of Ning? I heard that when the shopkeeper of Yuman Tower introduced osmanthus cake to his guests, he always said that it was the favorite food of Princess Hui Guo, the most beautiful girl in the State of Ning..."


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened and her face flushed. "This is the first time I''ve heard of it."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, and then answered Yun Shang''s next question. "As for whether they are going back to Jin City with us, I don''t know. But I know that if His Majesty knows that she is still alive, even if she is unwilling, he will find a way to let her go back with him. And now we don''t know what His Majesty will do to her. We have to wait and see. As for Zhao Yingjie, he looks guileless, but he is a talent in military. I have the intention to cultivate him."


    "Are you satisfied with my answer, Your Highness?" Luo Qingyan touched Yun Shang''s belly, full of tenderness in his eyes.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan. She thought for a moment and said, "We were almost in a passive state in Jin City before. This time, I want to take back the initiative slowly. Maybe, Empress Hua is a good breakthrough. Therefore, when I was in KY City before, without your permission, I had tried my best to persuade Empress Hua to go back with me. You won''t blame me, will you?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and gently stroked Yun Shang''s belly. After a long time, he said, "If it were me, maybe I would do the same."

 Chapter 785 Creating Something Out Of Nothing

    Huaiyin City.


    Yun Shang had read the map of Huaiyin City for countless times in the past two days, but she still couldn''t figure out how Luo Qingyan hid the army in the city. As the terrain of Huaiyin City was relatively flat, he could only hide one hundred thousand people there at most. But how could one hundred thousand soldiers be compared with the army of the State of Yelang which had at least three hundred thousand people.


    The soldiers and horses were in Huaiyin City, but Luo Qingyan was in Cangnan City. Luo Qingyan did so to divert the attention of Qingsu, but he had to do it well to make it believable. There must be many people guarding Chengshou Mansion. Yun Shang leaned against the couch and looked at Luo Qingyan who was reading, thinking to herself. He was really calm as if the battlefield was under his control.


    "If you keep looking at me, I''m afraid I can''t focus on reading." Luo Qingyan''s eyes were still fixed on the book, but there was a hint of banter in his voice.


    Yun Shang''s face flushed. She glared at Luo Qingyan and snorted, "Are you reading The Art of War?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said. "This book is a primer of military science for us. Almost every general in the court has read it. Even a lot of civil officials has read it. Many people think that the stratagems in it are useless since they are well known. However, there are few people who can really use them well."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, stood up, took a book from the bookshelf and went back to the couch to read.


    But she didn''t have too much interest as she could almost recite the book. She put the book aside and held the teacup in a daze.


    Seeing that Yun Shang was really bored, Luo Qingyan looked up at her and said gently, "Your Ladyship has been in Cangnan City for three days. Have you ever been out for a walk?"


    Yun Shang was surprised to find that he was talking to her. After a moment of silence, she answered, "I went out two times in total, but I didn''t walk too far."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and asked softly, "Then have you noticed how many shops are there on the opposite side of Chengfu Mansion?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said with a smile, "There. One is a porridge shop, one is a cloth shop, and another is a grocery store."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and thought for a while. Then he said, "I had visited the three shops before I moved into Chengfu Mansion. Not long after I lived in the mansion, when I went to the shops again, all the shopkeepers and the attendants had been changed."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and asked, "Your Highness, do you mean that all the people in these three shops are here to keep an eye on us?"


    "It''s highly possible." Luo Qingyan lowered his head again, with a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Now we are under the control of people everywhere and in a passive position. This time, let''s use several stratagems simultaneously as in a chain of stratagems and show them how to apply ''coordinating one stratagem with another''.


    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan with burning


    u are really shameless. General Zhao is more than 20 years old. You are not even eighteen years old, how could you force him to call you sister-in-law."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and quickly put the chess pieces back on the chessboard. "So what? After all, I married you, uncle? Huh?"


    "You withdrew the move..." Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but rub his forehead.


    He knew that Yun Shang had kept it in mind that he thought Zhao Yingjie was a talent and wanted to cultivate him. The reason why she did so today was to get them closer, so she did it on purpose.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang dotingly. This silly girl always thought for him. But she would not understand that the friendship between men only needed a fight.


    With a sly smile, Yun Shang looked back and forth between Zhao Yingjie and Luo Qingyan. After thinking for a while, she said, "Zi Su has gone out and hasn''t come back yet. I''ll ask someone to make tea for General Zhao. Your Highness, talk with General Zhao."


    Without waiting for Luo Qingyan''s response, Luo Qingyan stood up and walked into the room.


    When Yun Shang returned to her room, she heard some faint voices coming from outside. The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curled up slightly, and she went to the couch and lay down. After a while, the sound gradually disappeared. Yun Shang''s eyes flashed with confusion. She stood up, walked to the door and quietly looked around, only to find that there was no one in the yard.


    Yun Shang was surprised. She turned around and asked the servant standing at the door, "Where are His Highness and the guest?"


    The servant replied in a hurry, "Your Highness, His Highness has gone to the Martial arts performing field with the guest."


    Martial arts performing field, Yun Shang''s eyes widened. Does Luo Qingyan want to have a fight with Zhao Yingjie? Zhao Yingjie looked taller than Luo Qingyan, but his kung fu was definitely not as good as Luo Qingyan''s. What does Luo Qingyan want to do?


    Yun Shang was worried and went to the martial arts performing field.

 Chapter 786 Weakness

    The martial arts performing field was located in the north of the mansion. It was just an open-air yard. Four rows of shelves were neatly placed in the yard, on which there were all kinds of weapons.


    When Yun Shang arrived at the yard, Luo Qingyan had already been fighting with Zhao Yingjie. Luo Qingyan was holding a soft sword in her hand, and Zhao Yingjie was holding a long spear. Yun Shang stood outside the field and watched, only to find that Zhao Yingjie seemed to have taken the initiative. His attack was fierce all the way, but Luo Qingyan with the other hand on his back didn''t counterattack. He only resisted Zhao Yingjie''s attack and stepped back.


    Although Luo Qingyan didn''t fight back, Zhao Yingjie didn''t cause any substantial harm to him. Blue veins stood out on Zhao Yingjie''s forehead, and his attack became more and more violent.


    However, although Zhao Yingjie had some brute strength and he is not bad at kung fu, he doesn''t know how to use tactics. After an hour, he was gradually losing his strength.


    Luo Qingyan seized the opportunity and quickly waved his sword and entangled it with the long spear in Zhao Yingjie''s hand. With a sudden force, Luo Qingyan drew the spear out of Zhao Yingjie''s hand.


    Zhao Yingjie was stunned, but he walked quickly to Luo Qingyan and bowed in a hurry. "Your Highness is a kung fu master. I''m impressed."


    Luo Qingyan indifferently handed the long spear back to Zhao Yingjie, "Your attacking skill is too straight and narrow. You have an absolute advantage in strength, but not all your opponents are as upright as you are. If some cunning opponent knows your weakness, you can only lose."


    Zhao Yingjie nodded repeatedly and expressed his admiration.


    Yun Shang also became excited, so she stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, how about I have a fight with General Zhao?"


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang''s belly and frowned, "nonsense." Then he took Yun Shang out, and Zhao Yingjie followed them in a hurry. Luo Qingyan slowed down his steps and said, "Although strength is very important, but we can''t avoid some tricky oppone


    not until this moment that Zi Su breathed a sigh of relief. "Do I need to boil the acorus tatarinowii schott for you now?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No, thanks. I''m feeling better now."


    Zi Su nodded, took the basket and put it away. Luo Qingyan looked up at the secret guard who then quickly said, "Everything is done according to Your Highness'' order. The deer we found is strong and runs very fast."


    "Where did it go?" Yun Shang turned to the secret guard and asked curiously.


    "It ran toward the northeast."


    Yun Shang smiled slowly. It was fun now. One to the northwest, and the other to the northeast. She didn''t know which one Qingsu would believe.


    However, whether it was northwest or northeast, they were all heading for Ganying. Qingsu would definitely think that they would attack Zha''na from Ganying...


    Yun Shang''s eyes suddenly lit up. If Qingsu transferred all the soldiers to Zha''na, there would be no defense in Mutuo. At that time, if they took down Mutuo and trapped half of Qingsu''s soldiers in Zha''na, and the army in Mohuai couldn''t support them, this would be a chance...


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang walked quickly to the sand table and moved the small flag on Mutuo to Zha''na. Then she looked up at Luo Qingyan and said, "As you said, the next scheme would be ''getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin''. How are going to play this trick, Your Highness?"

 Chapter 787 Disappearance

    The strategy of "getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin" should be used at the most chaotic time. Luo Qingyan had arranged everything, waiting for a suitable opportunity and a suitable place.


    Cangnan City was not a big city, and there were not many people. There was a market day every two days. On that day, the street was full of all kinds of stalls. People from the nearby villages would come to the city to trade if they had something to sell or if they needed to buy something.


    Then Luo Qingyan took Yun Shangout for dinner in Yingke Tower in the city. The Yingke Tower was full of guests today. Fortunately, Luo Qingyan had booked a private room on the second floor.


    Yingke Tower was a little different from other restaurants. In other restaurants, there was only one stairway leading to the hall of the second two floors and private rooms were arranged side by side at the innermost of the hall. While in Yingke Tower, there were eight wooden stairs at four sides of the hall on the first floor, and each stair corresponded to a private room on the second floor. Only the customers who had booked a private room could go upstairs from the corresponding stair.


    In this way, it showed that the guests in the private room were distinguished. On the other hand, it could protect the privacy of the guests, which was very welcomed.


    As soon as Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang out of the mansion, Yun Shang felt that there were many people following her. This feeling was particularly strong after entering Yingke Tower.


    Yun Shang frowned, but Luo Qingyan didn''t seem to care about it at all. He quietly patted Yun Shang on the back to comfort her.


    "Hello, sir, nice to have you here. Tingyu Room on the second floor has been ready for you. This way, please." The attendant hurried up and led Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang to a staircase.


    Luo Qingyan nodded and helped Yun Shnag up the stairs. Then he turned to the waiter who was about to follow them upstairs and ordered, "Go mak


    qin on it. The private room was not big, so all in it could be seen from outside the door. There was nothing inside.


    The shopkeeper hurried in, followed by onlookers and some hidden spies. There was indeed no one in the room.


    The shopkeeper''s face suddenly turned pale. Others might not know who the distinguished guests were. But he knew clearly the identities of the two. A few days ago, the servant who booked the private room had said that they were Prince Rui and Lady Rui. If anything happened to Prince Rui and Lady Rui in his tavern, it would be terrible.


    "Hurry up! Be quick to notify the authorities!" The shopkeeper shouted.


    The onlookers were confused and discussed, "Just now, we saw the two of them go upstairs and enter this room. Why did they disappear? The room is haunted?"


    "Nonsense! How could there be a ghost in broad daylight?" Someone retorted in a low voice.


    "Were they being kidnapped from the window?" Someone who was still unable to squeeze in whispered.


    The shopkeeper shook his head in a hurry and said, "It''s noisy outside. In order to make sure that the guests won''t be disturbed, there is no window in all our private rooms..."


    The people inside looked at the opposite subconsciously. As the shopkeeper said, there was no window in this private room.


    Was it really haunted?

 Chapter 788 The Reunion Of Master and Maid

    The officers from Fuya arrived in the time it took to have a cup of tea. They separated the crowd at the door and squeezed into Tingyu Room


    "There are so many people here. How can investigate the case? All of you, except the shopkeeper and the waiter, go downstairs." The leader officer frowned, and the one behind him quickly pulled out the knife from his waist. "Go downstairs, go downstairs."


    People always feared officials. Everyone went downstairs in a hurry at the officers'' order. It was rare to see such a strange case, so they were unwilling to leave the restaurant. They crowded at the stairway and watched.


    The shopkeeper whispered in the leader''s ear. The leader trembled and asked in disbelief, "What did you say? The missing guests are..."


    The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, "Sir, this matter is very serious. We''d better report it to the county magistrate."


    The leader nodded and ordered someone to do so.


    He looked at the room for a while and frowned. "There is no trace of fighting and struggle in the room."


    The shopkeeper''s heart trembled slightly. "What should we do?"


    The leader didn''t respond. He walked around the room, looked at the table behind the bead curtain, lifted up the tablecloth on the table, and went under the table to have a look. After a while, he kicked out a brazier from under the table.


    "It''s spring now. Why do you still put the brazier in the private room?" The leader raised his head and looked at the waiter with a pale face.


    The waiter quickly replied, "You know there was always a cold spell in late spring. Some guests said it was a little cold in the private room, so I brought the brazier into the room in case of need. I put the brazier under the table just because I was afraid that the guests would find it indecent."


    The leader nodded and put his hand on the edge of the brazier with a frown. He looked at the brazier and said, "There are black burnt ashes in it, and I could sti


    wonder she didn''t see Qian Zhuo in Cangnan City these days. But since she had placed Qian Zhuo beside Luo Qingyan, Qian Zhuo should take orders from him. So she hadn''t asked Luo Qingyan about Qian Zhuo. She didn''t expected that she could see Qian Zhuo here.


    Taking a look at Luo Qingyan, who was standing next to Yun Shang in silence, Qian Zhuo smiled and said, "His Highness asked me to do to some work in the village. Now all the people in the village has been bribed by me." I should have gone to Huaiyin City with Qian Qian, but His Highness said that Your Highness would come in two days and asked me to stay to serve you."


    Yun Shang was very happy to see Qian Zhuo here. She nodded and asked, "How have you been these days?"


    Qian Yin nodded and said with a smile, "Everything is fine. His Highness said there''s no need for girls to fight in the battle, so he just arranged some simple tasks for me."


    Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan with a smile, full of gratitude. She knew it was because of her that he took care of Qian Zhuo.


    Seeing her looking at himself, Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "Why don''t you go to the room to chat with each other? It will be tired standing here. Qian Zhuo, lead Her Highness into the room. I''ll deal with something in the study and come back later."

 Chapter 789 A Visit

    Yun Shang answered with a smile, and went into the main room with Qian Zhuo. Qian Zhuo poured Yun Shang a glass of water, and helped Yun Shang lie down on the bench. Then she said, "As soon as I heard that Your Highness was in Cangnan City, I wanted to go to Chengfu Mansion to pay respects to you. But there are spies from the State of Yelang all around the mansion, so I didn''t dare to go."


    "What?" Yun Shang frowned, "It''s not that serious, is it? Otherwise His highness wouldn''t have gone out of the city to pick me up. Besides, Zhao Yingjie has visited Chengfu Mansion a few days ago."


    Qian Zhuo opened her mouth exaggeratedly and said, "His Highness dared to do that because he had secret guards around him. Those stalkers just followed him in distance and dared not to get close. None of them found that His Highness had placed General Zhao and Lady Zhao here the other day. As for General Zhao, he has been placed in the garrison by His Highness. He has never come back here after he left for Chengfu Mansion."


    Yun Shang was stunned. She didn''t know that Zhao Yingjie hadn''t come back.


    Qian Zhuo looked out of the door. It would take a while for Luo Qingyan to come back. Then she asked softly, "Your Highness, you must have shaken off the stalkers when you come here, right? How did you get rid of those tails and leave the city?"


    Hearing the question, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing with pride in her eyes. "It was arranged by His Highness. Have you been to Yingke Tower in the city?"


    Qian Yin nodded, "The garrison commandant of Cangnan City gave a reception in honor of His Highness there. I went with His Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "The strategy His Highness used today is called "getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin". Before this, His Highness had secretly ordered the secret guards in the city to secretly tamper with the restaurant. Today, I went to Yingke Tower with his highness. As you said, there were many followers behind us. Before we went upstairs, His Highness ordered a pot of Da Hong Pao to send the waiter away. Then he went upstairs with me."


    "When we walked to the corner of the stairway, the people in the hall couldn''t see us. His highness had already asked someone to set a little dark room at the corne


    hang stepped into the yard. There were a lot of morning glories in the yard, which had already been in bud. They climbed all over the walls of the yard, and there were also some herbs and clothes hanging in the sun. It looked like a yard of an ordinary family.


    Sitting on the deck chair under the eaves, Lady Zhao didn''t raise her head when she heard the door open.


    Yun Shang walked to her and took a look at the book in her hand. It was a book on military tactics. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said softly, "I''m here to greet you, Your Ladyship."


    Stunned, Lady Zhao raised her head, with a flash of surprise in her eyes. She thought for a moment and asked, "Why are you here?"


    Qian Zhuo ordered a maid to fetch a chair. Yun Shang sat down next to Lady Zhao and said with a smile, "His Highness and I are living in the village now, so I come here to see Your Ladyship." Then she asked Qian Zhuo to hand over the Buddhist scripture. Yun Shang took it and handed it to Lady Zhao, "I heard from Qian Zhuo that you still pray to Buddha every day, so I transcribed a Buddhist scripture..."


    Lady Zhao didn''t refuse. She took it, flipped it over and said, "This Buddhist text also has only one existing copy in the world. I remember you gave me one transcribed by yourself the first time we met in Princess Palace."


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing.


    Lady Zhao didn''t care about it at all and continued, "You transcribed Buddhist texts without any mistakes, but I know you don''t believe in Buddhism."

 Chapter 790 The Crown Prince

    Yun Shang didn''t retort. She just smiled and said, "I think that with so many people in the world, the Buddha can''t protect them one by one, so I want to give my chance to others."


    A Buddhist? Yun Shang smiled. If the Buddha could really protect her, her child would be fine in her previous life.


    Lady Zhao nodded and sighed, "Yes. I can''t protect her."


    Then she changed the topic, "But what happened? Why did you suddenly come here? Where are you going in a few days? "


    Yun Shang didn''t try to hide something. She just lowered her head and said softly, "The seventh prince of the State of Xia and Cangjue Qingsu of the State of Yelang have teamed up to surround Prince Jing from all directions, trying to kill him. His Highness has come up with some ways to deal with them. He will go to Huaiyin in two days. "


    Lady Zhao thought for a while and turned to Yun Shang, "Is Huaiyin the place we passed by when we came here?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly.


    "That''s not a good place to accumulate the troops," Lady Zhao frowned and asked, "Is the State of Xia in such a mess? Fratricide was going on among brothers, while the Emperor of the State of Xia... doesn''t care? "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said indifferently, "Both the palms and the back of the hands are flesh. After all, the seventh prince has been with the Emperor for so many years, so they are naturally more intimate. Your ladyship know his highness well. He is always cold to everyone. It has been a year since I returned to the State of Xia, but I have never called his majesty father... "


    Lady Zhao looked up at Yun Shang. After a long silence, she said, "I remember you said that the Emperor of the State of Xia loved the Empress Hua deeply. Then Why is the Emperor so indifferent to the Empress] Hua''s child? "


    When Yun Shang heard Lady Zhao mention the word " the Empress Hua" in a calm tone, she couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows. She sorted it out in her heart and said slowly, "It''s not cold at all. The emperor''s temperament is actually somewhat similar to Prince Jing''s. Moreover, the State of Xia now is really a little complicated. The power of the imperial relatives is powerful, and the imperial household fights kept going on openly or secretly.


    re the same. Since I could remember, I have always thought that the Empress is my mother. Later I knew who is my biological mother. Although I haven''t seen her before, I felt very familiar at the first time I saw her..."


    "Silly girl." Yun Shang talked for a long time, but Luo Qingyan only said one word indifferently.


    Yun Shang snorted and turned her head away. But after a while, she couldn''t help but ask, "Your Highness, will we win this battle?"


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang tighter and asked softly, "What? Don''t you believe me?"


    "I believe you," Yun Shang hurriedly answered, "but this time, it seems that I hope we can win faster than any other time."


    There was a smile on Yun Shang''s face. If she won soon, she could go home and wait for the birth of her child. She could face a dangerous and challenging future with her family.


    Luo Qingyan seemed to understand what Yun Shang was thinking. He smiled and said, "Yes. The secret guards have already sent a message that everything is ready. This time, I want to end the battle as soon as possible. "


    After a pause, Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes and said softly, " Su Qi pretended to be sick and didn''t go the the court. Secretly he has contacted many officials in the court and submitted a letter together. He asked his majesty to appoint me as the crown prince. I have to go back to the Jin City as soon as possible."


    Yun Shang suddenly stopped and turned to Luo Qingyan, "The Crown Prince? What does Su Qi want to do? "

 Chapter 791 Confession

    Luo Qingyan shook her head slowly and said calmly, "who knows? He is just a contemptible scoundrel."


    Contemptible scoundrel. Hearing this, Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan with a smile. "It''s true for the omnipotent Prince Rui."


    Luo Qingyan also smiled and said, "The secret guard also reported that the seventh prince should have known that Feng Ming''s memorial hadn''t been seen by the Emperor. He has sent several groups of people to secretly return to Jin City. Do you think we should stop them or not?"


    Yun Shang halted her steps and looked a little serious. She looked at Luo Qingyan under the dim light of the lamp in the servant''s hand. Luo Qingyan also stopped, but he didn''t look atYun Shang. Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan pursing his lips slightly as if it was a little difficult to for him to make a decision.


    Yun Shang thought for a long time and said, "It''s time to fight back."


    Although Yun Shang didn''t give a clear answer, Luo Qingyan understood what she meant.


    "Your Highness should also understand that if His Majesty knows that Empress Hua is still alive, no matter where she hides, His Majesty will definitely find her. What we need to do is not to hide Empress Hua, but to make more plans before Empress Hua returns to Jin City and the Palace." Yun Shang said as she walked into the yard.


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly. He thought for a moment and said, "Since Empress Hua is going back, we couldn''t let Su Ruji stay. At least, she can''t stay in the position of the empress."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Okay, leave it to me."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and turned to look at Yun Shang, his eyes full of tenderness. He suddenly bent down and lifed Yun Shang up, smiling, "Since Shang''er said so, of course I don''t need to worry about it anymore."


    Yun Shang blushed and said, "Put me down. Everyone is watching. What are you doing?"


    Luo Qingyan just ignored her. He carried Yun Shang back to the room and put her down on the couch. He squatted down and looked at Yun Shang with tenderness in his eyes. "I''ve been thinking about things about Xia Huanyu and Empress Hua and it makes me feel a lot. I can''t imagine what I would be like if I haven''t met you. Maybe I would be the same as before. What was in my mind was always the art of war and the throne. Maybe there would be a prince''s mansion, but I wouldn''t have anything to worry about even if I don''t go back for ten years. But because of you, I will think of what you doing and how are you when I''m away from you... I think the most correct thing I have done in my life is making the deal with you."


    Yun Shang found herself at a loss for words. Luo Qingyan has always been a cold man, and he was insensitive to affairs between men and women. She didn''t know why he suddenly said these words to her today. But Yun Shang felt a twist in her nose.


    Luo Qingyan said that the most correct thing he has done was making a deal with her. Because of the deal, they got married. For her, it was the same.


    What happened in her previous life had left her only revenge in her life since she was reborn at the age of eight. In order to take revenge, she racked her brains to calculate and sche


    be afraid. I won''t let you down in this life." The pain in Luo Qingyan''s heart made him almost unable to breathe, but he thought to himself, ''Mo Jingran''. Luo Qingyan was not unfamiliar with this man. He also knew that Hua Jing had tried every means to make Mo Jingran and Shang''er a couple. He still remembered that the last time he saw Mo Jing, he was beaten and scolded by his current wife in the street. However, Luo Qingyan didn''t expect that he had done such things to Shang''er. An overwhelming hatred grew in his heart.


    How could he hurt the woman he loved so much? He wouldn''t spare him even it happened in her previous life.


    Mo Jingran, Luo Qingyan kept this name in his mind. He thought that one day, he would let him pay for what Shang''er had suffered.


    After a long time, Yun Shang calmed down a little. She leaned silently in Luo Qingyan''s arms. After a while, she finally asked, "Your Highness, are you scared of me? After all, I am just a reborn soul."


    Luo Qingyan carefully made Yun Shang sit up straight. He looked at Yun Shang and said gently, "How could I be scared of you? I''m grateful that I could have the chance to meet you. If it weren''t for the past, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have met you in my life."


    Yun Shangwas touched. After a while, she murmured, "thank you."


    Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang''s back and said in a softer voice, "Since you have me, I will always be by your side, take care of you and protect you from any hurt.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "okay." Then she approached Luo Qingyan and kissed him. Luo Qingyan chuckled and said in a hoarse voice, "Shang''er, don''t challenge my patience."


    Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan''s Adam''s apple move up and down as he spoke. The smile on her face deepened and she leaned forward to bite it.


    Luo Qingyan frowned and suddenly stood up. He lifted Yun Shang up and walked to the bed. "I''ve said something wrong. You don''t need to challenge my patience. I don''t have any patience for you." Then he put down the bed curtain.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, but her laughter gradually changed its tone.

 Chapter 792 The Betrayer

    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang had only stayed in An''ning Village for three days before they left in a hurry. For Huaiyin City, of course. In order to ''crossing the sea under camouflage'', Luo Qingyan applied the trick of "''making a feint to the east and attacking in the west''.


    To make Qingsu believe that the army had arrived at Ganying City without being noticed, Luo Qingyan ordered the secret guards to buy all the rice, wheat and potatoes in the grain shops in the Ganying City. At the same time, they were also collecting food in the village near the city.


    Sure enough, in less than ten days, Luo Qingyan received the news that Qingsu had led his soldiers to Zha''na in person.


    However, Yun Shang was a little worried. "What if Qingsu take down Ganying City?"


    While Luo Qingyan hadn''t shown the slightest worry. "There are high mountains as the natural barrier in Ganying City. The soldiers of the State of Yelang are only good at fighting in plain, so they are not familiar with this terrain. In order to preserve their strength, Prince Qingsu wouldn''t take the risk."


    Qingsu arrived at Zha''na City, and they reached Huaiyin City.


    As Yun Shang had expected, Huaiyin City was a small place and was as flat as a pancake, which made it impossible to hide too mant people here. That was also the reason why Qingsu had never thought that Luo Qingyan would hide his soldiers in Huaiyin City. However, there were only seventy thousand or eighty thousand soldiers led by Liu Yinfeng in Huaiyin City. They were hidden in the only mountain forest in Huaiyin City.


    When Luo Qingyan arrived at Huaiyin, Liu Yinfeng had already got the news and brought a few personal guards to greet him. However, Liu Yinfeng didn''t expect that Yun Shang would come with Luo Qingyan. He was definitely very surprised to see Yun Shang.


    "Your Highness?" [Liu Yinfeng looked at Yun Shang with burning eyes.


    Luo Qingyan stood in front of Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Shang''er couldn''t live in the camp as she is pregnant. Have you found the courtyard house in the city as I asked?"


    It was not until then that Liu Yinfeng came to his senses. He lowered his head and said softly, "I''ll take you there right now."


    When they arrived at the yard, Luo Qingyan first took Yun Shang into the inner room and made the bed for her in person. Then he went to the outer hall to discuss business with Liu Yinfeng.


    Their voices were a little low. Yun Shang could only vaguely hear them mentioning Qingsu and the seventh prince, so she had to close her eyes and fall asleep.


    When she woke up, she saw Luo Qingyan sitting on the couch and reading. Yun Shang rubbed her eyes and said softly, "Mister Liu has left?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows. "So you want him to stay for dinner?"


    "What? Is there anything wrong? " Yun Shang was confused. Luo Qingyan snorted coldly and turned his head away. Then she realized that Luo Qingyan seemed to be unhappy?


    Yun Shang stole a few glances at Luo Qingyan and finally asked, "Is Your Highness jealous?''


    Luo Qingyan''s face darkened and said coldly, "There is no vinegar in the dishes I asked the servants to prepare today."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was surer


    ect Qian Liu?" Qin Yi was a little surprised, but she didn''t show it and just asked softly.


    Yun Shang nodded. She thought for a while and said, "As Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo were brought to the mansion by Qian Yin, I trusted them very much and almost didn''t hide anything from them. Qian Zhuo is a little impatient and often speaks and does things regardless of occasion. I once wanted to transfer her away from me. As for Qian Liu..."


    Yun Shang paused for a while and said, "Although Qian Liu is young, she is very considerate. She is just not talkative. In addition, she had been injured because of me, so I cared for her more. I certainly don''t believe that it is she who has betrayed me, but except her, I can''t find a second suspect."


    "Then why did Your Highness ask her to come here?" Qin Yi was a stunned and said in a hurry.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes, "Just because I suspect her. Only when I bring her to my side can I rest assured."


    "But your highness just asked Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu to go out together. The two of them have a good relationship as they have trained and entered the mansion together. Qian Zhuo has a big mouth, what If she tell her something..." Qin Yi was still worried.


    Yun Shang smiled, held Qin Yi''s hand and said, "I did it on purpose. Only she gets to know something from Qian Zhuo, can she have a reason to contact Su Qi. I''ve ordered the secret guards to keep an eye on her. If anything usual happened, they''ll get rid of her. I won''t let any hidden trouble stay with me."


    Qin Yi nodded repeatedly, "Yes. The people around you must be absolutely loyal. It''s related to the lives of Your Highness and His Highness. We have to be extremely careful."


    "By the way, how did they find out that Qian Liu disguised as me?" Yun Shang asked with a frown.


    Qin Yi hurriedly replied, "The other day, Su Qi came to visit you. Fear that he might notice something unusual, I just said that you had been resting. Unexpectedly, Qian Liu suddenly walked out and said to me in her own voice. Then she found that Su Qi was also in the garden house. And Su Qi immediately sensed something wrong."

 Chapter 793 The Reason Of The Betrayal

    Yun Shang nodded and sneered, "If it was Qian Zhuo who did this, I would believe that she did it unintentionally. But if it was Qian Liu, it would not be that simple."


    Qin Yi also nodded and said, "I don''t know much about Qian Liu. But when I heard what Your Highness said, I felt it suspicious. Qian Liu seldom went out of the bedroom as she disguised as you. And Field Marshal Su was in the garden house which was usually only used to treat guests. Qian Liu couldn''t be that careless."


    "Besides, Su Qi hadn''t know that I went to KY City before Qian Liu was found to be pretending as me. Su Qi must have got in touch with Qian Liu after that day and found out my whereabouts from her." Yun Shang frowned and thought for a long time. "But I can''t understand. If Qian Liu really wants to betray me, she has a lot of chances to do so. Not to mention tell out my whereabouts, it''s even possible for her to kill me. But why... She did it this time..." Yun Shang frowned with a bit of doubts in her eyes, drumming on the edge of the couch.


    After a while, Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu came back with a lot of things in their hands, most of which are clothes and daily necessities. Yun Shang and Qin Yi stopped talking about it, pretending to be the same as usual. Then they all gathered together and talked about some ordinary things.


    It was getting dark. After dinner, Luo Qingyan said that he had to go to the camp and asked Yun Shang to go for bed early. Then he went out.


    With a thought, Yun Shang smiled and said, "There are only a few rooms in the yard. Qin Yi will, you live in a room alone. Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo, you two share another room. And Qian Zhuo, stay here to serve me in the night as His highness isn''t here tonight."


    In this way, Qian Liu would also live in a room alone.


    It was a little hot in June. Yun Shang only wore a chiffon coat and read a book on the couch in the room. She didn''t lie down until it was a little cooler.


    Yun Shang felt sleepier these days. She fell asleep soon after lying in bed.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" The beat from the night watchman was heard. It was 1 pm. Just at this time, a scream came from the yard. Qian Zhuo came to her senses and sat up quickly. She saw that the yard was lit up, as if a secret guard had lit up a torch. Normally, if a secret guard did this, something must have happened.


    Qian Yin stood up in a hurry, walked to the table and lit up the lamp. As soon as the light was on, she heard a knock on the door. "Your Highness, Your Highness..."


    "Wait for a second." Qian Yin walked quickly to the bedside and lifted up the bed curtain. She called softly, "Your Highness, Your Highness..."


    Yun Shang opened her eyes and looked at her in confusion, "Em?"


    Qian Zhuo said in a hurry, "Your Highness, something happened. A secret guard asks to see Your Highness..."


    "Something happened?" Although she just woke up, Yun Shang came to her senses soon after hearing the two words. She quickly sat up,


    she burst into tears with a smile.


    After a long time, Qian Liu raised her head slowly to look at Yun Shang and smiled, "Reason. I also want a reason. I want to ask Your Highness what crime my family has committed to make His Highness destroy each and every one of them."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned and looked at Qian Liu in confusion. "Family? What family?"


    Yun Shang felt very strange. The secret guards usually only took in some homeless orphans to cultivate, because normally they would be more loyal as they were free from care for their family. And it was a good deed at the same time. But judging from what Qian Liu said, she actually had a family, and her family members might have been killed by Luo Qingyan?


    Qian Liu smiled bitterly and said, "I''m different from other secret guards. I have a family. My parents are alive, and I have many siblings. My mother was not welcomed in the mansion as she had worked in a brothel before she got married .I also suffered a lot at home, so I had to run away from home. The leader of Her Highness''s secret guards thought I was an orphan, so he took me back. At that time, I thought it would be good to be a secret guard since I couldn''t be accepted by my family, so I concealed my identity and stayed. Although I ran away from home, I have kept in touch with my mother."


    "Who are your families? Why did say that His Highness destroyed all of them? What''s going on?" Yun Shang looked up at Qian Liu and gradually calmed down.


    Qian Liu''s lips trembled slightly. She kept silent for a long time and finally opened her mouth. "My surname is Zhou, and I lived in Cangnan City. My father is the garrison commandant of Cangnan City, Zhou Jingzhong. A month ago, His Highness came to Cangnan City. Because he felt that my father had killed innocent people and disobeyed him, he took the knife and killed my father on the horse. He even exiled all the male members and send all the female members out of the mansion as slaves..."

 Chapter 794 Riot

    Qian Liu sobbed, "Although my father is not very good to me, he is still my family after all. And my mother has always loved me..."


    Garrison commandant of Cangnan City? Yun Shang''s hand trembled. When she first arrived at Cangnan City, she found that Luo Qingyan lived in Chengshou Mansion and there was no one else in the mansion. She was curious, wondering why the garrison commandant of Cangnan City didn''t live in Chengshou Mansion.


    Later, a servant told her that the garrison commandant of Cangnan City had been cut down from his horse by Luo Qingyan.


    At that time, she felt that Luo Qingyan had never indiscriminately killed innocent people. Since he had killed that person, it must be that person''s fault. Maybe Luo Qingyan killed him as warning to others. Therefore, she didn''t ask any more.


    However, she didn''t expect that Qian Liu had anything to do with the garrison commandant of Cangnan city and that she was the daughter of his. In this case, a lot of things could be explained.


    Yun Shang frowned and looked at Qian Liu.


    Yun Shang always felt that Qian Liu didn''t betray her at the very beginning. When Qian Liu first came to her, she was also very loyal to her. She even didn''t complain about being hurt so badly for Yun Shang.


    And just as Yun Shang had said, if Qian Liu had worked for Su Qi from the beginning, she could''ve killed her directly after gaining her trust. Qian Liu had been with her for a long time, and Yun Shang was not wary of her at all. It was not difficult for Qian Liu to kill her.


    But Qian Liu didn''t do that. Moreover, the way she exposed herself in front of Su Qi was very easy to arouse suspicion. If she had had a secret connection with Su Qi, she could''ve spread the news in many ways that would not make herself suspicious. This meant that Qian Liu and Su Qi were not familiar with each other before.


    Why did Qian Liu suddenly unite with Su Qi?


    This question had been troubling Yun Shang for a long time, and she finally had an explanation.


    "Qian Liu, do you know what I hate the most after being with me for so long?" Yun Shang looked up at Qian Liu and said in a calm voice.


    Qian Liu didn''t respond. Yun Shang didn''t expect her to answer, so she continued indifferently, "Betrayal. What I hate most is being betrayed. You have been in Prince Rui''s mansion for so long. How could you not know what kind of person His Highness is? If your father hadn''t done anything wrong, His Highness wouldn''t have killed innocent people. Besides, your other families have just been exiled or enslaved. If you had told me the truth, I might''ve come up with some idea. But you''ve blocked the way yourself."


    Qian Liu''s face turned paler. After a while, she smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, I''m willing to be punished. But please beg His Highness for mercy and let go of my other families..."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and said, "I have my own plan. Don''t worry. I won''t kill you for the time being. When His Highness comes back, I will ask him clearly and give you an explanation."


    Qian Liu breathed a sigh of relief. She bowed


    elatives. If they die in the battlefield, someone will be sad for them."


    Blue veins stood out on Luo Qingyan''s forehead. He sneered and said, "The army of the State of Yelang had been outside the city when I entered Cangnan City. But the performance Zhou Jingzhong arranged at the reception banquet shocked me. He locked dozens of soldiers in a cage with a wild lion, letting them fight with the lion. When I was patrolling the military camp, I saw him take the lead to drink and gamble. And he even brought a group of prostitutes into the military camp for him and some other generals to play with and none of those prostitutes survived. I asked him what he would do if the State of Yelang attacked at this time? Zhou Jingzhong said that there were so many low-ranked soldiers who were still alive and they could fight the enemy on the front line. And he even asked me to play with him..."


    Yun Shang was in a daze. She only knew that Luo Qingyan killed him because he killed innocent people. She didn''t expect that Zhou Jingzhou would be such an evil... Not to mention Luo Qingyan, who had been struggling in the military camp and had a good relationship with the soldiers. Even if she saw it, she would be furious.


    Yun Shang thought for a long time and turned to Qian Zhuo, "Tell Qian Liu everything His Highness said just now."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a low voice.


    Yun Shang then turned around and said, "But his families shouldn''t been involved. Although he has committed a heinous crime, his families are innocent. His Highness, please let them go."


    Frowning and thinking for a long time, Luo Qingyan nodded gently. "It''s up to you."


    Yun Shang looked up and winked at Qian Shang. Qian Shang left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang smiled and told Qin Yi to prepare lunch.


    Before lunch was ready, Yun Shang saw a soldier coming in a hurry. He knelt down in front of Luo Qingyan and said, "Your Highness, the soldiers in Lingxi City rioted and they have arrested the seventh prince. Now General Su Ruhai has led the soldiers to attack the State of Yelang."

 Chapter 795 Rebellion

    The soldiers rioted? And arrested the seventh prince? Su Ruhai led the soldiers to attack the State of Yelang?


    Yun Shang''s eyes were full of astonishment. She just felt that the world was really strange.


    "Su Ruhai fell out with the seventh prince?" And he got the upper hand? He arrested the seventh prince?" Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and asked, "What''s going on?"


    However, Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan''s lips curl up into a faint smile. Before he could explain to Yun Shang in detail, he suddenly stood up and raised his voice to the soldier, "Let''s go. Concentrate the troops and attack Mohuai City."


    After saying that, he kiss Yun Shang''s forehead and said softly, "Don''t worry. I''ll be back soon."


    Then Luo Qingyan turned around and walked out of the door quickly. Yun Shang watched Luo Qingyan disappear at the door, but she was still in a daze.


    "Qian Zhuo, Qian Zhuo..." Yun Shang had called Qian Zhuo twice before she realized thatQian Zhuo had gone send words to Qian Liu. After a moment of silence, Yun Shang hurriedly called in a secret guard and quickly ordered, "Hurry up. Send someone to investigate what happened in Lingxi City. Report to me as soon as you get any news."


    The secret guard answered in a hurry and disappeared from Yun Shang''s sight with a leap.


    Before the secret guard got any news, Yun Shang''s heart was hanging in the air. She kept thinking about what the soldier had just reported.


    Su Ruhai...


    She still remembered Luo Qingyan''s comment on Su Ruhai. He was not good at Kung Fu, nor was he good at military strategies and had only read some primers on military tactics. But he was an extremely conceited person just as the other members of Su clan, so he couldn''t bear it if anyone disobeyed him.


    Luo Qingyan said at that time, "If he was appointed as the commander in chief of the army, he would at most lose the war and come back in dejection. But now Su Ruhai is only a general who has to obey the seventh prince, I can foresee that something terrible will happen."


    As conceited as he was, Su Ruhai must be eager to win the battle and make contribution once he got the chance to lead army to the battlefield. However, after they arrived in Lingxi City, they only had a head-on conflict with Qingsu once. After that, they had been stationed at Lingxi City wi


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    t on an expedition? He should have known the news that Luo Qingyan led his troops to fight. Why did he come? For...her?


    "Open the door." Yun Shang said in a low voice.


    The servant opened the door, and Yun Shang saw Liu Yinfeng in cyan coming in and looking at her. When he saw her, he quickened his pace and there seemed to be a flash of joy in his eyes.


    "Greetings, Your Highness." Liu Yinfeng said, all smiles.


    Yun Shang nodded slowly, looked up at Liu Yinfeng, and whispered, "Didn''t you go with His Highness?"


    Liu Yinfeng nodded slightly and replied with a smile, "There are still many things to deal with here."


    "Then why do you come here today?" Yun Shang asked Qin Yi to pour tea for Liu Yinfeng before she asked.


    Perhaps Yun Shang''s words were too stiff and her expression was a little cold. The smile at the corners of Liu Yinfeng''s mouth gradually turned bitter. "Nothing serious. I just thought that you would be very worried after His Highness left, so I came to have a look."


    Yun Shang took a sip of tea and didn''t reply immediately. After a long time, she looked up at Liu Yinfeng and said, "Mr. Liu, it''s just as well you come. I happen to have a question to ask you..."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Liu Yinfeng''s eyes lit up again. He quickly said, "Just tell me, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly with confusion in her eyes. "I want to ask about the rebellion of the soldiers in Lingxi City. Had the incident been set up by you? You did this to control the seventh prince with the help of Su Ruhai?"

 Chapter 796 Heading Towards Huaiyin City In Person

    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng smiled and said softly, "Indeed."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and asked, "But the seventh prince is powerful in the army. How could he be defeated so easily?"


    "Your Highness, you must also know that there claimed to be five hundred thousand soldiers led by the seventh prince and Su Ruhai. However, they only had one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers. In Huanying City there were about one hundred thousand soldiers. And there were less than eighty thousand soldiers led by Lord Hua Guo in Ganying City. So only about three hundred thousand soldiers in total. In fact, these are all soldiers we have." Liu Yinfeng said in a low voice.


    "What?" Yun Shang was taken aback. "But there are about four hundred thousand soldiers in the State of Yelang. Moreover, the seventh prince has colluded with the State of Yelang, so we can''t count on the soldiers in his control. Has His Majesty been expecting His Highness to defeat four hundred thousand soldiers of the State of Yelang with one hundred and eighty thousand soldiers?"


    With a hint of conceit in his eyes, Liu Yinfeng said slowly with a smile, "His Majesty did this to give Qingsu an illusion that he will win the battle. But in fact, His Majesty has already made arrangements."


    "What arrangement?" Yun Shang asked in a hurry.


    Liu Yinfeng turned to look at Yun Shang, with a flicker of flame in his eyes. "The trump card His Majesty has set is actually the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers led by the seventh prince."


    Yun Shang frowned, full of confusion in her eyes.


    Seeing this, Liu Yinfeng continued with a smile, "The commander''s tally in the seventh prince''s hand, which is used to mobilize the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, is a fake one. The real commander''s tally is in His Highness''s hand. His Highness set up this alienation trick to encourage Su Ruhai to lead the troops to attack Mohuai City. Then His Highness would led his troops there to unite with the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers and launch an attack at the State of Yelang."


    Astonishment was written all over Yun Shang''s face. She had never expect


    s. Why don''t you have a good rest? I won''t disappear."


    Luo Qingyan just chuckled, took off his shoes, and lay down on the bed with Yun Shang in his arms. His hand gently covered Yun Shang''s belly, with tenderness in his eyes. He kissed Yun Shang on the back and whispered, "I''m sleepy. Let''s rest."


    Yun Shang''s heart ached. She nodded and said, "Okay, let''s sleep."


    Luo Qingyan was very exhausted after a long journey. He fell asleep soon. Yun Shang also fell asleep in Luo Qingyan''s arms.


    The second morning, when she woke up, she found that Luo Qingyan was no longer beside her. Yun Shang was in a daze and thought it was her illusion. She propped herself up on the bed and looked into the distance with hollow eyes.


    Qin Yi came in and saw this scene. She hurriedly said, "His Highness left early in the morning. Before he left, he asked me to take good care of you."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang suddenly looked up at Qin Yi and realized it was not a dream.


    Qin Yi stared at Yun Shang for a long time before Yun Shang came to her senses. She nodded and said, "I''ll get up."


    As soon as Yun Shang put on her clothes, Qian Zhuo came in. Before Yun Shang could ask, Qin Yi hurriedly said, "Your Highness, something''s wrong. The Emperor has already known about Lady Zhao and that you have been to KY City. Now His Highness has been heading towards Huaiyin City in person, leaving all the political affairs behind.

 Chapter 797 Attitude

    "Huaiyin City?" Yun Shang frowned, with a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "After we left Cangnan City, in order to deceive Qingsu, we pretended to go to Ganying City. But why did Xia Huanyu come directly towards Huaiyin City instead of going to Ganying City?


    Qin Yi was surprised and looked up at Yun Shang with inquiry.


    Yun Shang frowned and waved her hand to ask Qian Zhuo to leave.


    "Your Highness, do you think there are still spies around us?" Seeing there were only they two left in the room, Qin Yi asked.


    Yun Shang didn''t respond immediately. She thought for a long time and said, "Maybe not around me, but around His Highness." After a pause, she continued, "Liu Yinfeng said that the commander''s tally in the hands of the seventh prince is fake. The real commander''s tally is in His Highness''s hand. Since His Highness has dispatched the army, he must have used it. Then it''s not difficult for Xia Huanyu to know our whereabouts."


    Qin Yi nodded slightly and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I thought there were still spies around us."


    "Then do Your Highness have any plan about the matter of Lady Zhao?" Qin Yi asked softly.


    Yun Shang tapped her fingers on the armrest of the chair and squinted slightly. "We''ve been in Huaiyin City for such a long time. Is there any news from An''ning Village?"


    Qin Yi shook her head and replied, "No."


    Yun Shang nodded gently and thought for a long time before she said, "It will take at least ten days from Jin City to Huaiyin City even at top speed, while it''s only two days'' trip from Huaiyin City to An''ning Village. Now that His Highness is not here, and Lady Zhao doesn''t know that Xia Huanyu is coming. Qin Yi, go and arrange it. I want to go to An''ning Village."


    Qin Yi nodded and left.


    It was already in the evening two days later when Yun Shang arrived at An''ning Village. The carriage stopped directly at the yard house where Lady Zhao lived. Yun Shang took a look at Qian Zhuo who then hurried forward and knocked on the door.


    A maid opened the door and she was surprised to see Qian Zhuo, but she quickly concealed


    d, "He is not mysterious. To tell you the truth, as an emperor, Xia Huanyu is excellent. Although the court of the State of Xia is very complicated, Xia Huanyu knows how to weigh the pros and cons. Under his rule, the people of the State of Xia live and work in peace and content, and their lives are getting better and better."


    "But as a husband, in his harem, he had only favored Empress Hua before the incident. After he lost Empress Hua, he married many concubines into the Palace, the current Empress, Lady Yun, Lady Shu, Lady Xiang and many others. Some of them do get favor from Xia Huanyu, but Xia Huanyu hasn''t really loved any of them. Xia Huanyu just acts like he could fall into love with anyone, but in fact, he is indifferent to everyone." Yun Shang frowned slightly and continued.


    "As a father... Among royal children, there are more princesses than princes, but I rarely see those princesses. It seems that he doesn''t care too much about them. As for the princes, Xia Huanyu''s attitude is really unpredictable. I once thought that he favored the seventh prince because he even didn''t look into the case that the seventh prince framed the Crown Prince to death. Moreover, he never blamed him when he schemed against Qingyan... But recently, I feel that the seventh prince is just a pawn in Xia Huanyu''s hand..."


    Hearing this, Lady Zhao frowned slightly. "It sounds interesting..."

 Chapter 798 Questioning

    A little... Interesting? Yun Shang''s eyes widened. She really didn''t think there was any interesting part of her description about Xia Huanyu. Or Lady Zhao still had some feelings for Xia Huanyu subconsciously though she has lost her memory?


    Yun Shang smiled awkwardly and continued, "But Xia Huanyu has always been merciless to those who have offended him, even if they are related by blood."


    Lady Zhao nodded slightly. After a long silence, she said calmly, "When will you go back to Huaiyin City?"


    Yun Shang looked up at Lady Zhao, only to see her calm expression and her deep and bottomless eyes. No one knew what she was thinking about. Yun Shang thought for a while and answered softly, "I''ll leave tomorrow."


    Lady Zhao nodded and looked up at the maid standing aside. "Go and pack up my things. Just the small box on the dresser and some clothes. There''s no need to take other things."


    Hearing her order, Yun Shang was amazed, "Your Ladyship..."


    Glancing at Yun Shang, Lady Zhao smiled and said, "You''ve talked so much to me for several times since you visited me in KY City. You just want me to go back to Xia Huanyu, right? Haven''t I fulfilled your wish now? Why do you look so surprised?"


    Yun Shang did feel surprised. Just as Lady Zhao said, she had told a lot of things to Lady Zhao because she wanted her to know that Luo Qingyan didn''t live a good life in the State of Xia. She had been on all sides to arouse her sympathy for her son, whom she hadn''t known for more than 20 years. Moreover, she could have asked someone to stop the messengers sent by the seventh prince, in that case, Xia Huanyu wouldn''t have known it so soon. But she didn''t as she wanted to push Lady Zhao forward.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t expect that Lady Zhao would agree without hesitation.


    "You don''t have to be so surprised. I have thought a lot these days. On one hand, I always feel that the memory I have lost is very important to me, b


    s, Xia Huanyu stared at Yun Shang coldly, "What do you want to say?"


    Yun Shang asked in a slow and calm voice, "Your Majesty, do you know that Empress Hua has lost her memory?"


    Xia Huanyu was stunned and his face was a little pale. Apparently, he had never heard of it. He must have lost his mind after he heard that Empress Hua was still alive and then rushed here as soon as possible.


    Yun Shang continued, "After falling off the cliff, Empress Hua lost her memory and was saved by a general of the State of Ning. She didn''t remember what happened before, so she married that general and had a child. Your Majesty, do you still want to see Empress Hua even if she doesn''t remember who you are?"


    Xia Huanyu''s hand trembled slightly. He fixed his eyes on Yun Shang, frowning, and his face turned pale. He didn''t answer for a long time.


    Yun Shang was not in a hurry to wait for his answer. She continued, "Your Majesty, Empress Hua got married and had a child after she lost her memory. Also during these years, Your Majesty has married another empress, countless concubines, and has had many children with them. If His Majesty insisted on seeing her, how do you want to deal with her? And how do you plan to deal with the current Empress? Have you ever thought about it, Your Highness?"

 Chapter 799 Only A Curtain Between

    Xia Huanyu didn''t say anything for a long time. He stood still and frowned. Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the blue veins on his hands, knowing that his heart must be surging. Yun Shang stopped talking and looked down at the bamboo pattern embroidered on her dress.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard. Yun Shang frowned. Everyone in the yard was there. Who could come at this time? Could it be...


    Xia Huanyu''s eyes swept over coldly. Before Yun Shang could speak, Xia Huanyu had already winked at the guard at the door, and then looked at the door with burning eyes. The guard quickly opened the door. Yun Shang looked up and saw the figure of Zhao Yingjie appear at the door.


    Zhao Yingjie looked a little anxious. As soon as he entered the room, he said in a hurry, "Your Highness..."


    When he sensed the unusual atmosphere in the room, he stopped abruptly. He looked around the yard quickly and then looked at Yun Shang, with a bit of bewilderment in her eyes.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and glanced at Xia Huanyu. She found that Xia Huanyu was staring up and down at Zhao Yingjie. Yun Shang thought for a while and looked up at Zhao Yingjie. "General Zhao, since you are here, greet His Majesty first."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Zhao Yingjie was a little stunned. He looked up at Xia Huanyu, with a flash of surprise in his eyes. But following Yun Shang''s words, he quickly walked to Xia Huanyu, knelt down and bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty. I''m Zhao Yingjie from the State of Ning."


    Yun Shang then introduced to Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty, this is Zhao Yingjie, the garrison general in KY City."


    There were complex emotions in Xia Huanyu''s eyes. He just looked at Zhao Yingjie silently for a long time without saying anything.


    Noticing the anxiety on Zhao Yingjie''s face, Yun Shang turned to him and asked, "General Zhao, why are you come here in such a hurry? Is there anything wrong?


    Zhao Yingjie gave Xia Huanyu a quick glance before replied, "Your Highness, my mother seems to have trouble with the lo


    time and attacked Qingsu off guard.


    When Yun Shang heard Luo Qingyan''s name, a smile appeared in her eyes. She nodded and said, "Yes. But it will take at least a month to go there. I hope everything goes well."


    "It will." Lady Zhao smiled and stood up. With a gentle smile on her face, she said, "It''s a little stuffy in the room. Let''s sit in the yard for a while."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was stunned and turned to look at the shoes under the curtain.


    If Lady Zhao was testing Xia Huanyu by exposing Zhao Yingjie in front of her, what did she want to do now? Thinking of this, Yun Shang couldn''t help feeling excited.


    Although Lady Zhao had lost his memory, Yun Shang had to admit that she was still meticulous and dared to do anything she wanted. As for Xia Huanyu, he had been in a high position for so many years and had experienced a lot of things. He had long restrained himself and became calm and indifferent, but he had never lost his feelings for Empress Hua. What would the scene be like when the two of them met again more than 20 years later after Lady Zhao lost her memory?


    As Yun Shang was thinking of this, Lady Zhao had put on a robe. She stood in front of the bronze mirror for a moment before she raised her hand to adjust the white jade hairpin on her bun. Then she approached the door and slowly lifted the curtain...

 Chapter 800 Deep Love (Part One)

    As soon as the curtain was lifted, the appearance of the person standing outside the door clearly reflected in the eyes of Lady Zhao. Lady Zhao seemed to be stunned. Her eyes fell on the scar that was almost through the whole face of Xia Huanyu, and she suddenly took two steps back.


    Yun Shang saw that Xia Huanyu''s eyes were full of astonishment, and he was also staring unblinkingly at the face of Lady Zhao. Although Yun Shang had always called her Old Lady Zhao, it was just because Zhao Yingjie was Hua Jing''s husband before. As Hua Jing''s sister, she should be respectful to her.


    However, although Old Lady Zhao was more than 40 years old, age hadn''t left too many traces on her face, only some slight wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. Though she was not as beautiful as Ning Qian, and her skin was not as fair as the empress who was well-preserved in in the Palace, she still looked much younger than women at her ages.


    There were so many emotions flashed through Xia Huanyu''s eyes that Yun Shang couldn''t figure out what he was thinking. She didn''t know how he was feeling when his beloved one who had always been missing stood in front of her after more than twenty years.


    When Lady Zhao came to her senses, she frowned and looked at Xia Huanyu. "Who are you?"


    Yun Shang almost couldn''t help laughing. Lady Zhao clearly knew the identity of Xia Huanyu, but she still asked in this way, which was like stabbing a knife into Xia Huanyu''s body. Indeed, everyone in the world was good at acting.


    As expected, Yun Shang saw overwhelming sadness in Xia Huanyu''s eyes.


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Lady Zhao, this is the Emperor of the State of Xia."


    Lady Zhao was stunned. It seemed that she just came to her senses. She quickly took two steps back before she steadied herself. She quickly bowed and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty."


    Xia Huanyu didn''t respond for a long time. He just stared at Lady Zhao, mixed emotions in his eyes. Seeing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help but feel a little shocked.


    After a long time, Xia Huany


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Lady Zhao''s identity. Later, His Highness had sent someone to investigate it and had gone to KY City in person..."


    After a long silence, Xia Huanyu sneered, "So you all know it and just hide it from me."


    Yun Shang didn''t explain, but quietly followed Xia Huanyu.


    After a long while, Xia Huanyu asked, "How has she been these years?"


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said softly, "Old General Zhao had been very good to Lady Zhao, but unfortunately, he passed away too early. It was definitely not easy for Lady Zhao to bring up General Zhao all by herself. Later, Lady Zhao and General Zhao had made many achievements in war, and their position in the court had become more and more stable. My father married my sister to General Zhao, but my sister is spoiled and not good to Lady Zhao. But Lady Zhao was not a weak person, so she didn''t suffer much. Before the battle in KY City, General Zhao disappeared. Lady Zhao went to the battlefield in person. After she found General Zhao, she had stayed at the frontier with General Zhao."


    Yun Shang told her everything she had known about Lady Zhao in detail, and then said softly, "Lady Zhao has been having a hard time these years..."


    Xia Huanyu halted his steps, trembling slightly.


    Yun Shang walked behind him and couldn''t see his face. She had to stand quietly behind him without saying anything.

 Chapter 801 Deep Love (Part Two)

    "It''s my fault. I didn''t protect her well." Xia Huanyu''s low voice came with endless remorse.


    Yun Shang was taken aback and felt a little depressed. She thought for a moment and said, "The reason why His Highness and I decided to hide the truth from you was that Her Ladyship has had a new family as she lost her memory. We thought it not appropriate to disturb her. Besides, we also knew that during these years after the incident of Empress Hua, Your Majesty had set up a new empress and married many concubines. And you also had many children with them. So, we really didn''t know if we should tell you the truth. We just thought it might be good for everyone if we hid it."


    Xia Huanyu kept silent. Yun Shang didn''t hear any response from Xia Huanyu until he returned to the yard house.


    Knowing that Xia Huanyu must''ve been in a complicated mood as he had suddenly got to know too many things in one day, so she didn''t say anything. She just returned to her room quietly and wrote a prescription. Then she asked Qin Yi to fill the prescription and send it to Lady Zhao.


    When Yun Shang returned to the yard, Xia Huanyu had already gone. Yun Shang was shocked and wanted to ask someone to look for him. But she remembered that since Xia Huanyu had left the Palace, he must have brought a lot of secret guards with him. There was no need to worry. She calmed down a little and ordered Qin Yi to prepare something to eat.


    But Xia Huanyu didn''t come back until the dusk. Yun Shang was a little flustered. She stood up in a hurry, took Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo out of the door, and rushed to the yard house where Lady Zhao lived.


    Huaiyin City was not big, so Yun Shang didn''t take the carriage. When she turned the corner beside Lady Zhao''s yard house, she suddenly stepped back.


    Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo looked at her with curiosity. Yun Shang took a look at them and then poked her head out again.


    Xia Huanyu stood outside the wall of Lady Zhao''s yard. After a


    City? I should go back and have a look."


    Yun Shang fell silent again.


    After a while, Yun Shang finally raised her head and asked Lady Zhao softly, "Do you feel familiar with the emperor when you saw him?"


    After thinking for a while, Lady Zhao shook her head.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but feel a little frustrated. She could see that Xia Huanyu loved her very much, but Empress Hua had forgotten everything.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and thought, ''Indeed, in love, only the one who can''t forget is most likely to be hurt.'' All of a sudden, she felt sorry for Xia Huanyu.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while. When Lady Zhao mentioned her parents just now, she remembered one more thing. She turned to Lady Zhao and said, "Your Ladyship''s father is Lord Hua Guo. He is now in Ganying City. You could see him when he comes back with His Highness after defeating the army of the State of Yelang."


    Hearing this, Lady Zhao was slightly stunned and smiled. Yun Shang saw her hand holding the teacup trembling slightly.


    Yun Shang meditated for a moment, and then said slowly and clearly, "Once the news that Empress Hua is still alive spreads out, I''m afraid it will cause a big storm the State of Xia. But since Your Ladyship has been involved, it''s too late for you to retreat even if you want to."

 Chapter 802 Poisoning

    Yun Shang wasn''t exaggerating the situation. Now that Xia Huanyu had come to Huaiyin, she was afraid the secret of Empress Hua would soon be known by others. By then, it would cause a big storm. The Empress, the seventh prince and many other people would definitely not want Empress Hua to go back to the Palace.


    They will try their best to get rid of Empress Hua in the shortest time so as to avoid future trouble.


    Yun Shang sighed and leaned back against the couch, looking a little tired. "Mobilize all the secret guards that can be used in the State of Xia to Huaiyin City, and protect Empress Hua at all costs."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a low voice. After a moment''s silence, she said, "Your Highness, how about we find a place to hide Empress Hua?"


    "Hide?" Yun Shang smiled, with a touch of sadness in her eyes. "Where can we hide her?"


    After a pause, she continued, "I asked our people in the Palace to try every means to get rid of Su Ruji. How is it going?"


    Qian Zhuo replied in a hurry, "Empress Su is being protected by many people as she is an important chess piece of the Su clan. Though Wang Wanzhi and others can get close to her, there is no way to get rid of her..."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and said, "Time waits for no one. Empress Hua must be eliminated, but it''s not appropriate for Xia Huanyu to do it. Xia Huanyu still needs to rely on the Su group, and it''s not the time to fall out with them." After thinking for a while, she murmured, "I don''t know if there is any drug that can bewitch people''s mind..."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qin Yi, who is standing aside, said softly, "I haven''t heard of such a drug, but I''ve heard that in the southwest of the State of Xia, the Hmong people breed poison used to manipulate people''s will."


    Yun Shang smiled. She just said it casually. She gently held the edge of the bed and squinted.


    "Where is Su Ruhai now?" Yun Shang turned around and looked at Qian Zhuo.


    After thinking for a while, Qian Zhuo said, "After imprisoning the seventh prince, General Su led the army to attack Mohuai City. Now he should''ve met with His Highness."


    Yun Shang''s eyes flashed with a murderous look.


    Yun Shang spent the whole afternoon lying on the couch, waiting for the eagle. It was not until dusk that the eagle finally brought her the letter. Yesterday, Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan that Xia Huanyu came to Huaiyin City. Yun Shang took down the bamboo tube under the eagle''s claw and took out the letter from it.


    There was only a simple sentence on it, "Take the token to mobilize the secret guards. Be careful."


    Seeing this, Yun Shang took out the bamboo tube and turned it upside down on the table. Then a small jade pendant fell down, with only one word written on it: "Shang".


    "Shang" for "Yun Shang".


    Yun Shang''s lips curled up into a sweet smile.


    Qin Yi had already prepared the brush, ink, paper and ink stone. Yun Shang paused for a long time with the brush that had been dipped in ink before she wrote, "Su Ruhai betrays the State.".


    Yun Shang slowly wrote down the five words. After staring at it for a long time, she put down the brush, quickly rolled up the note and pu


    A pretty maid answered softly, "Lady Zhao has used it. She had a cup of tea before she went to bed. After she fell asleep, I took the teacup out and poured the tea in it. The cup has been put aside and hasn''t been cleaned yet."


    Yun Shang frowned. There was no poison in the water and tea leaves, but poison was found on the edge of the teacup. Could it be that the poison was placed on the edge of the cup?


    "Does Lady Zhao use this teacup all the time?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    The maid shook her head and said, "The set of teacups has eight cups with the same pattern and color. Lady Zhao has no habit of using a particular one."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang immediately asked someone to fetch the other seven teacups, and checked them carefully. However, there is nothing unusual with them.


    Yun Shang frowned. In this case, the poison was put into the cup after the tea had been poured into it.


    But all the servants in the yard were her trusted ones and had no motivation to poison Lady Zhao.


    Yun Shang picked up the poisoned teacup and looked at it carefully in the dim light for a long time. Then she wiped the teacup with her hand and found some dregs. Yun Shang frowned and found that among the dregs, there was a thin piece of something that was almost transparent after being soaked.


    Yun Shang raised her hand and handed it to the maid. She asked softly, "I remember that the tea leaves I checked just now were all green. What''s this?"


    The maid was stunned. She got closer to it and checked for a while. Then she said with hesitation, "It should be a jasmine petal."


    Yun Shang frowned and thought of the jasmines on the windowsill. She asked with confusion, "Her Ladyship likes jasmine?" She has the habit of adding jasmine petals to the tea?"


    The maid nodded and said, "Lady Zhao sometimes goes out for a walk. The day before yesterday, when she took a walk, she saw someone selling jasmines, so she asked us to buy one and put it on the windowsill. When I poured the rest of the tea in the cup, I found Jasmine in it."


    Yun Shang looked up and said, "I think I know who the poisoner is."

 Chapter 803 The Murder

    Hearing this, everyone was stunned and looked up at Yun Shang.


    "Who is it? I''ll bring someone to take the murder here." A maid said hurriedly.


    Yun Shang shook her head, with a helpless look in her eyes. "If I''m not wrong, the murderer should be General Zhao."


    Everyone was surprised, and so was Qin Yi. She shook her head and said, "How could it be General Zhao? Lady Zhao is his biological mother, and he is always filial. When Your Highness was busy investigating just now, I saw that General Zhao was very anxious, as if he would rather be poisoned himself than looking at her mother in pain.


    With her bulged belly, she felt tired after standing for a long time. She asked someone to bring a chair to the kitchen and sat down. Then she said indifferently, "Yes, but the murderer could only be him."


    Seeing the incredulous look on everyone''s face, Yun Shang began to explain carefully, "The poison should be put in the pot of jasmine flower. There is no poison in the teacups, water, and tea leaves and the people served here are our own people who wouldn''t poison Lady Zhao. Only the jasmine petals picked by Lady Zhao could be poisoned."


    Yun Shang paused briefly and said, "In this case, the person who poisoned Lady Zhao had to know her habits very well. If he didn''t know that Lady Zhao had the habit of adding jasmines to tea, he would definitely not poison the jasmine as the chance would be too slim. All the servants around Lady Zhao have been changed. You haven''t spent much time with her, so you can''t know her preferences at all. Only General Zhao is a suspect."


    "And I have been thinking that the seventh prince are now imprisoned. Xia Huanyu has just left Huaiyin City. Even if the some spy of the Su clan is with Xia Huanyu, it would take at least ten days for those in the Palace to receive the news. It couldn''t be so fast."


    Yun Shang paused and continued, "But there is one thing I haven''t figured out. The toxicity of the heartbreak grass is extremely high. Even if there was only some spas of the herb on the jasmine, Lady Zhao could''ve had severer symptoms."


    After Yun Shang finished her words, Qin Yi asked in a low voice, "But why did a filial man like General Zhao poison his mother?"


    Yun Shang didn''t have to think about it carefully and understood, "I''m afraid it''s because General Zhao doesn''t want Lady Zhao to come back to His Majesty."


    Yun Shang could understand what Zhao Yingjie was thinking. After all, Zhao Yingjie was the child of Empress Hua and General Zhao. Although he pretended to be indifferent, he couldn''t accept that his mother had been married before, and he didn''t want her to return to another man.


    "Your Highness, what should we do now?" Qin Yi frowned and had no idea.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and stood up. "I''ll talk to General Zhao and take out the pot of jasmine to confirm my guess."


    Yun Shang asked Qin Yi and the others to wait outside. When she entered the room alone and was about to lift the curtain at the door of the bedroom, she heard a faint voice


    the mention of Luo Qingyan, Yun Shang''s eyes softened. "His Highness was saved by someone when he was a baby boy, but soon a natural disaster grabbed everything from him. After that, he had to wander around alone. He went through all the hardships and survived.


    "Later, he met my grandfather, the deceased Emperor, and was adopted by him. However, in the Imperial Palace even some real princes might not have an easy life, let alone an adopted son. In order to survive, he started to go into war with the deceased Emperor at a very young age, shuttling back and forth between the blades, which left him countless scars over his body. Later, the deceased Emperor started to pay more attention to him. However, when he was about ten years old, the former Emperor passed away, and my father took over the throne. He was afraid that my father would be suspicious, so he had to stay at the frontier..."


    Yun Shang turned to look at Zhao Yingjie with tears in her eyes, but she still smiled, "His Highness has seldom talked about it, but I could feel the pain deep in his heart. I hope that he can be taken care of by his family. But His Highness can''t afford His Majesty''s care. As the Emperor, even if His Majesty just shows a little more concern about His Highness, that might put him in fatal danger.


    "Fortunately, he has you and Her Ladyship now. Although Her Ladyship has lost her memory, she is still His Highness''s mother, and you are his half-brother. More or less, it is a comfort to His Highness. His Highness does have many half-brothers and half-sisters in the Palace, but there is no affection between royal members. Both you and His Highness loved the battlefield so much that you could naturally have a lot to talk about. His Highness also appreciated you very much. As the saying goes, if the brothers are of the same mind, their sharpness can cut through metal. I believe that you and His Highness will be able to be invincible. General, do you think I''m right?" Yun Shang looked at Zhao Yingjie with burning eyes.

 Chapter 804 A Quarrelsome And Loving Couple

    Zhao Yingjie looked at Yun Shang in a daze and thought for a long time before he nodded in panic. "Yes."


    Yun Shang flashed a smile and nodded, "That''s good. His highness looked a little cold, but he is actually softhearted man. You will find it if you get along with him more. General, please take good care of him."


    Zhao Yingjie''s mind was in a mess. After Yun Shang finished speaking, he just nodded immediately. He might not even hear clearly what Yun Shang had said.


    The sound of something falling and smashing came from the inner room. The two of them were stunned. They quickly walked into the inner room and saw that the medicine bowl on the chair had been knocked to the ground by Lady Zhao and broke into pieces.


    Hearing the footsteps, Lady Zhao raised her head and said lightly, "I broke it by accident. Yingjie, is it my medicine? Go and boil another bowl for me."


    Zhao Yingjie replied and left in a hurry.


    It was not until then that Lady Zhao turned to look at Yun Shang. She thought for a long time and said in a low voice, "You have known it, right?"


    Her question was a little abrupt, but Yun Shang soon understood what she wanted to ask. She nodded slightly and said, "yes."


    Lady Zhao smiled and said, "I know my stupid son''s little tricks can''t be hidden from you. Don''t blame him. He is just worried about me. Since I have promised to go to Jin City with you, I will not break it."


    Yun Shang also smiled and said, "I understand. But General Zhao also gave me a reminder. If someone wants to hurt Your Ladyship, there are too many ways. I have to pay more attention. There are several unoccupied rooms in the yard. I will move here tomorrow and live with Your Ladyship. So will the secret guards around me. Then it will be much safer here."


    Lady Zhao just raised his eyelids slightly without saying anything.


    Yun Shang stood up and said softly, "Your Ladyship, you must be tired today. Have a good rest. I''ll take mu leave now." Then she stood up and turned around, intending to go out.


    After taking a few steps, Yun Shang stopped by the window and said, "The jasmine is blooming very well."


    While praising softly, Yun Shang quickly picked two jasmines from the branches, took some soil from the flowerpot and wrapped it in the brocade handkerchief in her hand before she left the inner room.


    Yun Shang bid a goodbye to Zhao Yingjie who was decocting medicine in the kitchen. Then she and Qin Yi went out of the yard with a lamp and walked slowly towards the yard house they lived.


    "General Zhao seems to be upright, but I didn''t expect him to use such a scheme." Qin Yi said in a low voice.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "After all, he is a general who could command tens of thousands of soldiers. And this is not a scheme, but a strategy. But it''s a pity that he met me, a hard-hearted princess.


    Qin Yi glanced at Yun Shang and chucked. "Your Highness, you are not hard-hearted. You are so tender, but only to one person."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, glared at Qin Yi, and snorted, "When do you have such a glib tongue? You even made fun


    xpected that one day I could see Luo Qingyan''s wife carrying a baby..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang chuckled. "Mr. Wang, do you think my prince has a passion of the cut sleeve like you do?"


    Wang Jinhuan''s face suddenly became subtle, as if he had swallowed a fly. After a long time, he stamped his feet and shouted, "Even the little princess laughed at me like this. I don''t want to live anymore. Who was I doing this for? If it weren''t for Luo Qingyan, how could I do this? Who could expect that Su Ruhai..."


    The smile on Yun Shang''s face became brighter. "You don''t have to be so angry, Mr. Wang. After all, it''s not something ordinary people can do. It proves that Mr. Wang is very good-looking. You should be happy, Mr. Wang. Don''t you Qian Qian is face-judger?


    Wang Jinhuan''s eyes lit up. He looked at Qian Qian beside Yun Shang and asked, "Really? Really?"


    Ning Qian''s mouth twitched slightly and said coldly, "How could you believe Her Highness''s words?" Then she turned around and went straight into the room.


    Wang Jinhuan chuckled, raised his hand to touch his face, and suddenly screamed, "Oh, be quick to make me a bowl of beauty soup. I''ve been so tired these days that my skin is not in good condition." Then she rushed into the kitchen.


    Yun Shang smiled and turned around to enter the room. Ning Qian seemed to be in a daze. She didn''t come to herself until she saw Yun Shang come back. She smiled helplessly and changed the topic before Yun Shang could speak anything, "I heard that Empress Hua was poisoned last night. I thought, although it was done by Zhao Yingjie this time, we have to make arrangements as soon as possible to protect Empress Hua as the news has already been spread into Jin City."


    Yun Shang nodded and said gently, "Yes, I think so too. But I''m worried that even if we are on full alert, others might still find some chance. Do you have any idea?"


    Ning Qian thought for a while and smiled, "How about letting me try the way I''m best at?"


    Yun Shang looked at Ning Qian and thought, ''The way she is best at?''

 Chapter 805 Escape From Jail

    In the next few days, the whole Huaiyin City was very quiet, which made Yun Shang feel a little worried. She always felt that it was more like a sign of a greater storm.


    As expected, ten days later, an astonishing message came from the Jin City.


    "After his majesty returned to the palace, he began to dismiss the imperial household. Now those concubines who have not served his majesty have been sent out of the palace. His majesty has promised that the concubines who have been sent out of the palace can freely marry the men they like and the men who marry those concubines can get a hundred acres of good land,"


    after a short pause, Qian Zhuo continued, "A few days ago, the evidence of Su Ruhai''s rebellion was sent back to the palace. His Majesty was so angry that he ordered to send Su Ruhai to the Jin City to meditate in seclusion. In the early court, he even revealed his idea to abolish the Empress. On the second day, Suqi went to his majesty and asked to return to his hometown. He argued that the Empress was innocent and asked his majesty not to vent his anger on the Empress. Now the court has been in an uproar. All the officials have pleaded his majesty to take back his order, and many officials have knelt in front of the Taiji Palace for several days. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and thought for a long time. Then she said, "Su Qi is a calculating man. He is quick enough to threaten Xia Huanyu like this. Send this letter to Lady Zhao. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded and left. Yun Shang frowned and said gently, "His Majesty is too anxious to dismiss the imperial household and even wanted to abolish the Empress. If I were Su Qi or Su Ruji, I would have spread the rumor that the Empress Hua hasn''t died and reappeared somewhere; Or I would tell all the officials and people that the Empress Hua has lost her memory and married someone else, and she has a son. In this way, there would be many obstacles for the Empress Hua to go back to the palace. Although Xia Huanyu is the Emperor, he can''t ignore other poeple''s feelings. "


    Qin Yi nodded slightly, "What do you think we should do, your highness?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said softly, "Now that things have changed to this way, we have to make preparati


    e was saved by Zhang Xing and asked for a letter of divorce for her. After she was divorced, Zhang Xing often took care of her, and thus they two gradually walked together.


    "There are only some banana trees and bamboos planted in front of this yard. Your highness is pregnant now, so it''s not appropriate to smell the fragrance of flowers. It''s quiet and suitable here. Are you satisfied with it, your highness? " Lady Zhang asked with a smile as she led Yun Shang to look around the yard.


    Yun Shang nodded gently and said with a smile, "Thank you, madam. Let''s go."


    Lady Zhang nodded and ordered servants to bring in Yun Shang''s luggage.


    The yard was not small, with a front yard and a backyard. There was a hall and a study in the front yard. There were three bedrooms in the backyard, including the servants'' room, a kitchen and a bathroom.


    Yun Shang lived in the middle, and Lady Zhao was placed on the right side of Yun Shang''s bedroom. Zhao Yingjie was an outsider, so he was arranged a small yard to live with Wang Jinhuan.


    [ÔÆÉÑ] watched the servants clean up [ÀÏ·òÈË]''s room before she went back to her own room and asked the servants to spread out the soft couch and have a rest on the couch.


    Not long after she lay down, Yun Shang was awakened by Qian Zhuo''s hurried running. Qian Zhuo walked quickly to Yun Shang and said softly, "Your Highness, I just received a message from the secret guard beside his highness that the seventh prince escaped from the jail of Fuya!"

 Chapter 806 Back Into Prison

    Yun Shang was surprised and sat up abruptly. "There are not so many guards in the Fuya prison, and there are also a lot secret guards around. How could he escape? Have you sent someone to chase him?"


    Qian Yin hurriedly said, "The cell where the seventh prince was locked is made of stone, and the stone room is very small. The secret guards are patrolling outside. But no one expected that someone would dig into the ground and save the seventh prince. Fortunately, the secret guards check the cell every half an hour. The seventh prince has escaped for less than half an hour, and the secret guards have already gone after him.


    Yun Shang frowned. She knew what kind of person the seventh prince was. If he wasn''t fully prepared, he wouldn''t have taken such a risk. Since he had escaped, the possibility of catching him was very small.


    But the real commander''s tally is in Luo Qingyan''s hand. Where could the seventh prince go after he ran away from the prison? What did he intend to do?


    Yun Shang was wondering where she would go if she were the seventh prince?


    After thinking for a long while, Yun Shang threw the handkerchief aside irritably. She felt inexplicably frustrated. If she were the seventh prince, she would never break the prison at this time. Now the news of Empress Hua had just spread out, and many people in the Su clan wanted to kill Empress Hua. For the seventh prince, both the Su clan and Luo Qingyan were his enemies.


    If it were her, she would definitely watch the fight from a distance. It would be the best if both the Su clan and Luo Qingyan suffer losses. The prison of Lingxi City was a rare good place for him to watch the fight. It was safe with so many secret guards guarding there and could help him lower people''s guards.


    If she were the seventh prince, she would never try to escape from the prison.


    Yun Shang looked up at Qian Shang and said softly, "Where do you think the seventh prince will go after he escaped?"


    Qian Zhuo meditated for a moment and then replied, "Your Highness often said that the most dangerous place is the safest. I think the seventh prince must be hiding among ordinary people. Lingxi City is neither too big nor too small. There are about one hundred thousand people in the city. It''s hard to find him out in a short time."


    The most dangerous place is the safest place? Yun Shang''s lips curled up, a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes. "I know."


    As Yun Shang spoke, she turned around and looked at Qian Zhuo. "Send a message to Lord Zhang, asking him to lock the city gate and forbid anyone to come in and out."


    "City gate?" Qian Yin was surprised, but she didn''t ask. She quickly responded and walked out of the room.


    The most dangerous place was the safest. Once the seventh prince left the prison, he would definitely know that she had been in Lingxi City, and would guess her thoughts just as she had guessed him. He would definitely think that she would searching him the city, so his choice was most likely to leave the city as soon as possible.


    Aft


    said in a low voice, "These days, the city is not peaceful. I''m afraid that the killers sent by the Su clan will arrive at Lingxi City in two or three days. Wang Jinhuan is better at Qinggong*. I''ll let him protect you. He could take you run away fast even if he is not able to defeat the opponent. (*TN: A Chinese martial arts technique that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.)


    Frowning slightly, Lady Zhao didn''t retort. She just nodded slightly and said, "I see."


    The two of them sat for a while, stood up and continued to walk around the long corridor before slowly returning to the yard house. Not long after they returned, Wang Jinhuan came back and said, "The fake coachman is really the seventh prince. I''ve already asked the secret guards to catch him and send him back to the prison. He has been locked in a cell in the water dungeon. I''d like to see how he can run away again."


    Yun Shang and Lady Zhao looked at each other. Yun Shang frowned and asked in confusion, "Why did he do such an unnecessary move?"


    Wang Jinhuan shrugged. Without waiting for Yun Shang''s order, he sat down on the chair, picked up a litchi on the table and ate it. "It doesn''t matter. Anyway, we have caught him."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. She glanced at Wang Jinhuan and said, "You just stay with Lady Zhao these days and ensure her safety. If anything happens to her, you will be the one to blame. Is it ok?"


    Wang Jinhuan was stunned. He gave a glance at Lady Zhao, who was sitting quietly next to Yun Shang. Seeing that Lady Zhao didn''t say anything, he grinned and said, "Okay, Your Highness. Don''t worry. I will definitely protect Lady Zhao even if I would die."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and took a sip of tea. "Since the seventh prince have been taken back and locked up in the prison, I don''t think it''s appropriate for me not to visit him since I am in Lingxi City."


    Then Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi and said, "Go check if Qian Zhuo has come back. If she comes back, let her accompany me to the prison."

 Chapter 807 Deprive The Empress Of Her Title

    The seventh prince seemed not to be surprised at Yun Shang''s arrival. He looked up at Yun Shang with a smile and pulled the iron chain that tied his hands, splashing water around.


    "Are you here to save me, sister-in-law?" The seventh prince asked, all smiles, though he was being imprisoned in the water prison, his hands and feet tied by iron chains, his clothes wet with water. But he still wore a smile on his face, as if he didn''t care at all.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang also smiled slowly, with a bit of interest in her eyes. "You''re joking, Your Highness. I''m just a weak woman. I don''t know why you are locked here, and I don''t know how to save you. Don''t make things difficult for me. I''m just here to see how Your Highness are doing..."


    The seventh prince nodded with a faint smile, "Of course I''m good. But I''m afraid my legs will broken after being soaked in the water for too long. How about sister-in-law asks them to change a cell for me for the sake of my brother?


    Yun Shang smiled more brightly, "How could it be? I heard that Your Highness had escaped, but you deliberately exposed yourself to make yourself back here. Your Highness must like to be locked here, or you wouldn''t have done that."


    "Yes, I do like here, but the water prison is really not adorable." The seventh prince smiled bitterly. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t want to make a sound, he said to Yun Shang with a smile, "By the way, I heard that Empress Hua has been found. Congratulations to brother. Father is infatuated with Empress Hua. With the presence of Empress Hua, brother will soon ascend the throne."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and chuckled, "Your Highness are right, but I''m wondering if you could witness that day. The water is really cold. I could even feel cold air here. I''m pregnant, so excuse me that I can''t stay here chatting with Your Highness.


    The seventh prince smiled, "Yes, sister-in-law, you should help brother to protect Empress Hua, as well as the baby in your belly..."


    "Thank you for your reminding, Your Highness." Yun Shang smiled, turned around and walked out of the prison slowly. Yun Shang felt as though that someone was staring at her back...


    "The seventh prince are really arrogant. Your Highness, let me send some secret guards to teach him a lesson. Let''s see how he he will behave after that." Qian Yin snorted with displeasure.


    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "There''s no need to argue with him."


    After returning to the yard, Yun Shang said indifferently, "He''s indeed the seventh prince, not a fake one. Besides, he also knows what happened to Empress Hua and that Empress Hua is in Lingxi City now. Then why did he break the prison? During the time he left the prison, he must have done something, not something like delivering news, but something that he had to do in person."


    There was no way to know what the seventh prince had done after he left the prison, so there was no way to investigate. Yun Shang thought for a whole night but couldn''t figure out the reason, so she had to give up.


    Luo Qingyan''s army had arrived at Zha''na City, and Lord Hua Guo had brought all his soldiers to the border, waiting for a fierc


    wearer knows where the shoes pain. Others said that Lady Zhang was lucky to marry a good man after a terrible marriage. But I heard that Lady Zhang and her ex-husband has a child, and her ex-husband has always beaten and scolded the child. As his mother, she definitely cares about her kid. She has repeatedly proposed to bring the child to her side, but Lord Zhang has never agreed."


    Lady Zhao kept silent for a while and sighed, "After all, he is not his biological son. How broad-minded can he be to raise a child for another man?"


    Yun Shang was stunned for a while, and then realized that she had said something wrong. When she was about to change the topic, Wang Jinhuan suddenly came in from outside. As if he had heard the conversation between the two, he naturally join in. "It has nothing to do with being broad-minded. It''s just that the man doesn''t love the woman deeply enough. For me, the child of my beloved woman, is also my child."


    It was rare for Yun Shang to see Wang Jinhuan speak in such a serious way, so she smiled, "Mr. Wang, you seem to have some feelings."


    Wang Jinhuan kept silent for a while and then smiled carelessly, "Yes, but the woman I love doesn''t believe it."


    Thinking of the entanglement between him and Ning Qian, Yun Shang kept silent for a long time. She felt that it had something to do with her. If it weren''t for her arrangement, Ning Qian wouldn''t have been in the brothel for so many years and then become a concubine of Xia Huanyu.


    Lady Zhao yawned, stood up and said, "It''s getting late. I''ll go back to my room and have a rest."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "okay."


    Lady Zhao left, so did Wang Jinhuan. Yun Shang stood up and was about to go to bed, but the thunder didn''t stop. As soon as she finished washing up, she heard the rain falling on the plantain leaves outside.


    It was raining heavily. Hearing the sound of rain outside, Yun Shang frowned, turned around and said to Qian Zhuo, "Ask the secret guards to be on high alert tonight. The worse the weather is, the more likely something will happen."


    Qian Zhuo replied in a low voice.

 Chapter 808 Assassins

    Yun Shang''s intuition was always accurate, and this time was no exception. Perhaps it was because the door and windows were closed tightly because of the rain, Yun Shang felt a little stuffy and didn''t sleep well. She turned over and over again in the middle of the night. When she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard a sound coming from the air.


    Although in sleep, she was still in a vigilant state. Hearing the sound, she quickly scooped up the quilt beside her and lifted it up.


    The sound of something falling on the ground rang out. Almost at the same time, the light in the room was on, followed by the sound from the next room, "Assassins!"


    Yun Shang lifted the bed curtain and got out of bed. Qian Zhuo was holding a sword, blocking in front of the bed. Yun Shang lowered her head and saw an arrow cut into two pieces on the ground of the room. She looked up and saw a hole in the paper pasted over the window.


    Yun Shang immediately raised her voice and ordered, "Protect Lady Zhao. The assassins are on the top of the wall. Kill them all!"


    The secret guards answered. Qin Yi came in in a hurry, took out a coat and draped it over Yun Shang''s shoulder. Yun Shang hurried out of the door regardless of her disheveled hair.


    It was still raining outside, so there was no way to light the torch. Through the lantern under the eaves, she could only vaguely see figures flashing on the wall. As soon as Yun Shang went out, the secret guards surrounded Yun Shang in a hurry.


    Seeing arrows kept heading in, Yun Shang walked quickly into the room next to her. Lady Zhao had also got up and was sitting on the couch which had been moved to the corner from beside the window by the secret guards. There was no need to worry that the arrows would shoot in.


    Qin Yi fetched a chair for Yun Shang who then sat down next to Lady Zhao and said softly, "Not too many people. They are probably here to explore the way tonight. It''s not a big deal."


    Lady Zhao nodded. There was no fear in her eyes, but excitement. She raised her head and ordered the maid standing aside, "Go and pour me a cup of tea."


    The maid answered. She couldn''t get out as the fighting outside hadn''t been over. Then she took the furnace to the side room, boiling water and making tea.


    "Last time His Majesty hurried to here and didn''t bring many guards with him. Qian Yin sent a message and said that His majesty has brought a lot of secret guards, and even dispatched more than half of the imperial guards and the palace guards. We only need to hold on for ten days. It will be fine after His Majesty arrives." Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and sighed.


    Lady Zhao glanced at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "I just found that you''ve got both brains and courage. Outside, the fighting is going on, but you are still chatting with me here. It''s really admirable."


    Yun Shang smiled, without saying anything.


    After a while, the maid done boiling the water and came to pour te


    they could handle it.


    During the seventh night, nothing happened.


    However, everyone felt something was wrong. Qian Yin guarded outside the room for the whole night, and even Lady Zhao got up twice.


    In the daytime, Yun Shang received a letter from Luo Qingyan. The soldiers of the State of Yelang in Ganying City was almost annihilated by Luo Qingyan and Lord Hua Guo, but Qingsu escaped.


    Yun Shang didn''t feel surprised. Qingsu was vicious and cunning. He was indeed a tough opponent. But after all, they have won the battle. Luo Qingyan said he would come back soon.


    Looking at the last five words, Yun Shang smiled sweetly.


    It was not the first time that Luo Qingyan had left Yun Shang. But somehow, Yun Shang felt that their relationship seemed to be deeper this time. Maybe it was because of the letters sent by the eagles every day, and his love and concern hidden between the lines.


    Yun Shang thought that she seemed to completely fall into love. Fortunately, Luo Qingyan seemed to have fallen in love with her not less than she did.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat and the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.


    For the next three days, it was peaceful during the night.


    "Maybe all of the assassins in the first group they sent have been killed by us." Qian Zhuo said gently.


    Sitting aside, Lady Zhao shook her head and said, "I think a storm is coming."


    Yun Shang listened to the two with a smile. Seeing that Lady Zhao was looking at her, she said unhurriedly, "In the past few days, I have been thinking that the assassins have come for seven consecutive nights. It makes sense that they might send a few people to come here, exploring the way at the first night. But why were there still only a few assassins in the next few days? There were three or four dozen assassins every day, two or three hundred people in total. If two or three hundred people came together, they would''ve got a greater chance to win, right?"

 Chapter 809 A Head-on Confrontation

    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, everyone was lost in thought.


    Yun Shang continued, "I think it''s more like a tactic to lower our vigilance. I''m afraid Su Qi and Su Ruji will arrive in these two days."


    The real battle hadn''t begun yet.


    Yun Shang curled up her lips, but she had nothing to fear. This battle was inevitable, but because of the appearance of Empress Hua, it had been advanced. Yun Shang turned to look at Lady Zhao, who was sitting on the deck chair with a smile, and smiled too. She had already set a trap for Su Qi.


    But to Yun Shang''s surprise, it was Su Ruji who came straight to the mansion.


    When Yun Shang heard Lady Zhang''s report, she was also surprised. She turned around and looked at the expressionless Lady Zhao. After a long silence, she muttered, "So she is here to declare a war?"


    No wonder Yun Shang made such a guess. Su Ruji''s visit to Lingxi City should have been well concealed, but she did it so blatantly. It was really out of Yun Shang''s expectation.


    Lady Zhao raised her eyebrows, with a little confusion in her eyes. After a while, she said, "I have lost my memory."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled with a playful look in her eyes. She looked up at Lady Zhang, who was surprised, and said, "Go bring the Em..." Yun Shang paused, remembering that the Empress had been abolished and now she was just a commoner.


    After a moment of silence, she continued, "Lead that lady in."


    After thinking for a while, Yun Shang ordered Qin Yi, "Go and do some makeup for Her Ladyship."


    Qin Yi answered and took Lady Zhao back to her room.


    Yun Shang stood up and went to the yard to wait. After a while, Lady Zhang led Su Ruji into the yard. Yun Shang smiled and walked up to her. She bent her knees slightly and said, "Your Majesty."


    With a mocking smile on her face, Su Ruji looked at Yun Shang indifferently and said in a somewhat cold and sarcastic voice, "Majesty? Your Highness, you don''t have to be so polite. I''m not the Empress now. I should bow to you as an ordinary citizen."


    Pretending not to sense the irony in it, Yun Shang quickly changed the way she called her with a smile, "Madam, you must be kidding."


    Su Ruji glanced at Yun Shang and looked around the yard, as if she was looking for something. After a while, she looked back at Yun Shang and asked, "Where is Empress Hua?"


    "Empress Hua?" Yun Shang still pretended, "Empress Hua? Who is she?"


    Su Ruji seemed to be irritated by Yun Shang. Her eyes were cold, as if she wanted to skin Yun Shang alive.


    Yun Shang was still smiling quietly, while Lady Zhang, who was standing aside, couldn''t help shivering and lowered her head.


    Just as the two of them were about to begin quarreling, a voice suddenly came from the room, "Shang''er, come in and have a look. Does the color look good?"


    Before Yun Shang could respond, Su Ruji''s face suddenly changed. She walked past Yun Shang, heading directly into the room.


    Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi were all in the room. Yun S


    cept it. She took a few steps back and murmured with a crying and smiling face, "How could it be possible? How could it be possible?"


    Yun Shang just looked at her silently.


    Biting her lips, Su Ruji''s face was bloodless. After a while, she said, "How could it be possible? How dare he be willing to be an enemy of the whole world for you?"


    Su Ruji kept talking for several times. She stared at Lady Zhao with her eyes wide open, and her eyes gradually turned red. After a while, she sneered and pointed at Lady Zhao, "It''s all your fault, Hua Ling. It''s all your fault! Today I will..."


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Before she could finish the last three words, Su Ruji pulled out the dagger in her sleeve and stabbed it toward Lady Zhao.


    Qian Zhuo, who had been standing next to Lady Zhao, reacted it immediately and rushed up to Su Ruji, knocked her to the ground, grabbed the dagger in her hand, and threw it out from the open window.


    After the weapon in her hand was snatched away, Su Ruji seemed to lose her strength and fell to the ground, muttering, "How could it be possible..."


    Yun Shang frowned and was about to ask Qian Zhuo to help her up. Although Su Ruji had lost her position as an empress, she was still a member of the Su clan. Now Yun Shang still had to consider the power of the Su clan.


    However, before Qian Zhuo''s hand could touch Su Ruji''s clothes, Su Ruji dodged it. Yun Shang saw that Su Ruji''s face gradually recovered. Although she was still in a daze, she seemed to have regained her composure.


    Without any hesitation, Su Ruji stood up slowly by herself and looked at Lady Zhao quietly. After a long time, she said indifferently, "Hua Ling, I lost to you once more than 20 years ago. This time, I won''t lose to you again. Just wait and see. This time, I won''t let you win at all costs."


    After saying that, she glanced at the people in the room slowly, turned around and left the room, like a peacock who had been defeated but still raised her head.

 Chapter 810 Moonlight Bay

    After Su Ruji left, Yun Shang casually walked to a chair and sat down, with a bit of thought on her face. "It''s true that When rivals in love come face to face, their eyes blaze with hate. But when we were in Jin City, I thought she was pretty good at restraining herself. Why did she come to visit us in such a hurry this time? She is just asking for an insult herself."


    Lady Zhao turned around and glanced at her, but said nothing.


    Yun Shang thought for a long time and said, "I guess Empress Hua is really a hurdle in Su Ruji''s heart that can''t be overcome. But..."


    Everyone pricked up their ears to listen, but they heard Yun Shang say gently, "His Majesty should be here soon."


    The next few days were as calm as usual.


    Right now, it was not a secret that Yun Shang and Empress Hua were in Lingxi City, so Yun Shang didn''t bother to hide it. At the beginning of July, the weather was just right. There was no scorching sun, but a warm breeze.


    Lady Zhang went to the yard in the afternoon and said with a smile, "Today is the Double Seventh Festival. The city is very lively. Your Highness have been here for a period of time, but you have never visit around the city. Why don''t we go out and have a look today?"


    Double Seventh Festival.


    Yun Shang raised her head and looked at Lady Zhang who then said with a gentle smile, "We float river lanterns and pray for our family."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded, "Well, sounds good. I''ll go and have a look." She turned around and looked at Lady Zhao, who was lying on the deck chair in the yard. Her expression changed a little. Then she walked out of the door and said to Lady Zhao, "Today is the Double Seventh Festival. Would Your Ladyship like to go out with us?"


    Lady Zhao glanced at Yun Shang and didn''t refuse.


    Yun Shang took Lady Zhao, accompanied by Lady Zhang, to stroll around Lingxi City. Compared with Huaiyin City and Cangnan City, Lingxi City was much more lively. Besides, the city was graceful and gentle, which was a little different from Huaiyin City and Cangnan City.


    Looking at the people coming and going around, Yun Shang thought, ''No wonder Qingsu wants Ling Xi.''


    The place Lady Zha


    from here."


    Lady Zhang smiled and didn''t say anything, but looked blankly into the distance. Yun Shang followed Lady Zhang''s gaze and saw Zhang Xing standing by the Moonlight Bay with a group of guards, as if they were patrolling.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Lord Zhang is also here. What a coincidence. Lady Zhang, why don''t you float a river lamp with him?"


    Lady Zhang lowered her eyes and said softly, "His Lordship is on patrol. It''s not appropriate to disturb him."


    Although she said so, Lady Zhang kept looking at him. Yun Shang just looked at him quietly for a moment, and then turned to look at the beautiful river lamps floating on the river.


    After a while, Lady Zhang said hesitantly, "Your Highness, I''m going to the bathroom. I''ll be back in a minute."


    Yun Shang glanced at Lady Zhang with a smile and nodded.


    When Lady Zhang went downstairs, Yun Shang curled up her lips and said, "Finally lost the impatience."


    It was hard to tell whether she meant Lady Zhang or something else.


    There were more and more river lamps. At this moment, the Moonlight Bay was like a sea of stars. The night wind gently stroked it, which had a different style. All kind of sounds came from outside, laughter, children''s squeal, talking, cries of street vendors...


    Yun Shang smiled and closed her eyes slowly. Suddenly, she heard a very weak swoosh sound in the air, followed by more, as if something is flying toward her.

 Chapter 811 Attack

    Yun Shang suddenly opened her eyes, and Qian Zhuo quickly stood in front of Yun Shang. When Yun Shang opened her eyes, she saw a large number of white arrows flying over from afar.


    Before the arrows reached Yun Shang, a group of secret guards in black suddenly jumped up and formed a wall in front of Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang heard the sound of arrows being cut off and falling to the ground, one after another, and the screams below.


    It suddenly occurred to Yun Shang that Su Ruji and Su Qi must have been preparing for today for a long time. This was going to be a tough battle.


    The screams outside continued. Yun Shang sensed that more and more people were approaching the Moon Tower, and they were almost encircling it in all directions.


    Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and said, "The main target of Su Ruji and Su Qi is Lady Zhao. If I''m the only one left, they won''t act blindly. Take fifty secret guards with you to protect Lady Zhao and break through the siege from the roof."


    Qian Yin quickly responded. She put her hand on her mouth and whistled. Then she suddenly grabbed Lady Zhao and jumped up through the roof. Yun Shang looked up and saw many secret guards surrounding the two of them. After they left, Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief.


    The attack outside didn''t weaken. Yun Shang thought that Su Ruji wouldn''t have thought that she would take the risk to ask Empress Hua to leave first. After all, Yun Shang didn''t know how many people had been ambushed around.


    It seemed that more and more people were approaching. Yun Shang frowned, turned around and said something to Qin Yi. Qin Yi paused for a moment and hurried forward to tell the secret guards.


    After a short while, a voice resounded through the sky from the Moon Tower. "Field Marshal Su and Empress Su is assassinating Lady Rui..."


    Yun Shang curled up her lips and wondered how Su Ruji would deal with it. Although most people around had run away because of the shooting arrows just now, the voice was not low a


    side, and now, of course I can do it again. Your Highness, do you think that she will be safe after she is taken away?"


    Yun Shang didn''t answer the last question, but stared at him in disbelief, "What did you say? Do you mean that it was you who arranged the incident of Empress Hua more than 20 years ago?"


    Su Qi sneered coldly, "I don''t like a stumbling block. Every lady of the Su clan was trained according to the standards of a empress, but I didn''t expect that Hua Ling would appear and take away Xia Huanyu''s heart. If only she could be more generous and let Ruji enter the Palace, I wouldn''t have do that. However, His Majesty refused to marry anyone else into the Palace because of her, so she had to die."


    Yun Shang''s face darkened.


    However, Su Qi laughed again and lowered his voice, "Your Highness, do you think Empress Hua is safe now? Have I told Your Highness just now that you that Lady Zhang works for us? After Your Highness''s secret guards left with Empress Hua, I''ve asked Lady Zhang to wait at the mansion. We have been confronting each other for quite a long time. Guess what has happened to Empress Hua?"


    Yun Shang was shocked and her face turned pale. Then she looked at Su Qi and asked, "What did you say? Who is working for you?"


    The smile on his face deepened. "Lady Zhang, Zhang Xing''s wife."

 Chapter 812 Yesterday Once More

    After Yun Shang heard what Su Qi said, the indifference on her face dispersed bit by bit, revealing a bit of panic. Witnessing this, Su Qi felt extremely happy. He curled his lips, and there was a bit of ferocity in his eyes, "I''ve already said that Hua Ling must die."


    Yun Shang sat still on the chair and stared at Su Qi and Su Ruji.


    Soon, a killer in a dark red uniform walked to Su Ruji and whispered something in her ear. Yun Shang saw that Su Ruji smiled after hearing the man''s words.


    "Tell your highness what you have just told me," Su Ruji said to the killer happily.


    The killer quickly responded. He turned around and said to Yun Shang, "Lady Zhang has taken Hua Ling to that place as his highness ordered."


    Su Ruji burst into laughter and looked at Yun Shang with contempt. " Ning Yun Shang, I really appreciate your cleverness. You have fooled me several times. But you are just a little clever. You will never be my opponent. Guess what kind of death Hua Ling will suffer? Let''s see if you can save her. "


    Then both she and Su Qi looked at each other, and then they turned around and left the private room together.


    After a long time, the killers around Yun Shang and the others gradually left. Yun Shang was sitting quietly in the chair, pursing her lips and keeping silent for a long time.


    "Your Highness..." Qin Yi asked in a low voice, looking worried.


    Yun Shang sighed, waved her hand and asked, "Where did lady Zhang take the Empress Hua?"


    Qian Zhuo had received a message from the secret guard. She quickly said, "They are going to Junshan."


    Junshan. Yun Shang had seen this name on the map of Lingxi City before. It was a mountain to the southeast of the place where Yun Shang was staying at present. It was an incomparably high mountain. At the foot of the mountain was a lake, all surrounding the mountain.


    Why did they take the Empress Hua to Junshan? Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip. There was a flash of worry in her eyes. More than 20 years ago, the Empress Hua fell off the cliff. Did they want to repeat the incident of more than 20 years ago?


    Yun Shang frowned and stood up abruptly. "Lead the horse here. Let''s go to Junshan."


    Qin Yi looked at Yun Shang''s bulging belly and remained silent for a while before she nodded.


    After leaving the Moon Tower, Yun Shang rode to Junshan. As soon as they left the city gate, she saw a group of people coming towards them. Yun Shang frowned at the sight of the man who was riding in the middle, and her face changed slightly.


    "Your Highness?" Someone in the crowd had recognized her. He rode to her in a hurry and said with a smile, "It''s late at night. Where are you going, your highness?"


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and calmed herself down. She said in a low voice, "Master Liu, please tell his majesty that the Empress Hua was taken away by Su Qi and Su Ruji to Junshan. I''m about to chase out of the city for them."


    Yun Shang found that Liu Wenan''s face changed dramatically and returned to the team in a hurry to report it to the man in the middle. Xia Huanyu''


    ill make trouble in Jin City early this morning. Now that you are here and no one is in the palace, it''s a good opportunity," Su Ruji said with a smile.


    Xia Huanyu frowned and stared at Su Ruji. Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "Your Majesty, we don''t have many people. We can''t fight against each other head-on."


    Xia Huanyu didn''t respond, but took two steps forward. As soon as his foot fell, the killer beside the Empress Hua raised the knife and put it horizontally on her neck.


    Xia Huanyu stopped.


    Yun Shang frowned and looked at the Empress Hua. She clenched the silver needle in her sleeve.


    The corners of the Empress Hua''s mouth lifted into a casual smile. After a long while, she said, "Your Majesty, how do you want to save your beloved one?"


    However, on the other side, Su Qi had already frowned. He turned around and said to Su Ruji, "Hurry up. Xia Huanyu has a lot of masters. If they have arranged everything well, it won''t be easy for us to kill Hua Ling."


    Yun Shang tightened her grip on the needles. Su Ruji smiled and took a few steps back. She pulled out a sword from a secret guard and put it horizontally on the neck of the Empress Hua.


    "Xia Huanyu, I want you to see your beloved woman fall in front of you, but you can do nothing about it. I want you to regret for the rest of your life." As Su Ruji spoke, she suddenly pushed Hua Ling. Hua Ling leaned back a little.


    Xia Huanyu''s eyes were completely blood red. He rushed over so fast that no one could see him clearly. Yun Shang frowned and raised her voice, "Go..."


    The secret guards still on the mountain road all jumped up and landed on the platform, quickly eliminating the killers on the top of the mountain.


    Regardless of the surrounding situation, Xia Huanyu kept on pouncing on Hua Ling. However, Su Ruji seemed to have been prepared for it. She suddenly turned around and stood in front of Hua Ling. She pushed Hua Ling hard with her hand. Hua Ling frowned and scratched in panic, but she didn''t catch anything and fell down.


    "Ling''er!"

 Chapter 813 Under Control

    After a heartbroken cry, Xia Huanyu was about to jump off the cliff, but he was held by Su Ruji. Xia Huanyu frowned and slapped Su Ruji away. Su Ruji was lifted up by the force of his palm, and then fell heavily to the ground. Her face turned pale and she spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Yun Shang turned around and took a look at Qian Zhuo who then leaped in front of Xia Huanyu.


    Yun Shang was afraid that Xia Huanyu would really jump down, so she hurried to shout, "Your Majesty, Empress Hua is fine. The one who has been pushed down is not her at all."


    Though the sounds of clashing weapons resounded around, Yun Shang''s voice still fell into Xia Huanyu''s ears, as if it was a thunder.


    For a moment, Xia Huanyu was stunned. Even Su Ruji, who had just been seriously injured, couldn''t help but turn her head back, her face full of astonishment. The secret guards brought by Yun Shang and Xia Huanyu were all by no means ordinary. Not long after, most of the killers on the top of the mountain had died.


    Xia Huanyu turned around and looked at Yun Shang with burning eyes. "What did you say? The one is not Ling''er?"


    Yun Shang nodded, glanced at Su Ruji and Su Qi, and said indifferently, "I set this trap almost half a month ago, in order to capture the two of them."


    Su Ruji couldn''t believe it. She sneered, "How could it be possible? You have been under our surveillance all the time. It''s impossible for you to change Hua Ling."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Maybe I have been under your watch since I entered Lingxi City, but I had changed Empress Hua before that."


    I started when Yun Shang was still in Huaiyin City. After Empress Hua was poisoned by Zhao Yingjie, Yun Shang was a little worried. No matter how hard she tried to guard against it, someone might still get the chance. If someone wanted to hurt Lady Zhao, she might not be able to protect Lady Zhao well.


    At that time, Ning Qian proposed to set up a trap in the way she was best at.


    What Ning Qian was best at was not honey-trap, nor the Four Arts, but changing her facial appearance. Besides her teacher, Ning Qian was unrivaled in terms of disguising as someone else.


    Then Ning Qian change herself into Lady Zhao. On the excuse of fearing the guard was not strictly, Yun Shang specially took a group of people into Lingxi City and lived into Chengfu Mansion publicly.


    Therefore, in fact, since entering Lingxi City, the Empress, who followed Yun Shang, had been Ning Qian.


    Besides...


    Yun Shang smiled, raised her hand and whistled. A red figure jumped up to the edge of the cliff and landed firmly on the top of the mountain. And there was a woman being held in the man''s arms.


    The woman looked exactly like Empress Hua.


    After the man steadied himself, he curled up his lips slightly. He raised his hand to feel for a while before he took off a thin layer of skin from the woman''s face. As soon as he put down his hand, the woman''s original beautiful face was revealed.


    Looking at Ning Qian''s face, Su Ruji was stunned for a long time before she gritted her teeth and said, "Lady Xiang. It


    after cutting off the grass, and now Su Ruji would be highly guarded against her. She was afraid that she would become a big trouble.


    Xia Huanyu turned around and asked Yun Shang, "Where is Ling''er?"


    Yun Shang then regained her composure, slowly bent down and bowed, "She is still in Huaiyin City."


    Xia Huanyu nodded. After a long silence, he said, "Take me to see her."


    Yun Shang replied and went down the mountain with Xia Huanyu. Mt. Jun was a little far from Huaiyin city. Considering Yun Shang''s health, Qin Yi ordered the servants to prepare a carriage, thinking that they didn''t need to be in a hurry since Empress Hua was safe and fine.


    After Yun Shang got on the carriage, Qin Yi let out a sigh of relief and said, "The Emperor looked really scary when we were at the top of the mountain."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and thought for a while. Then she said lazily, "It''s a good thing for us."


    Qin Yi thought for a moment and nodded slightly. "That''s right. Since His Majesty thinks highly of Empress Hua, Empress Hua will return to her position as the empress if nothing goes wrong after getting back to Jin City. At that time, His Highness will be the legitimate eldest son of the Emperor. With the presence of Empress Hua, I''m afraid it will be easy for His Highness to be the crown prince."


    Yun Shang smiled with joy in her eyes.


    It was still the courtyard house that Empress Hua had lived in before. Qin Yi knocked on the door, four heavy knocks, three light ones, then five heavy ones. After a while, the door was opened. A maid poked her head out and looked around. Seeing Yun Shang, she hurried to open the door.


    Xia Huanyu strode into the yard. There was a deck chair in the yard, on which lay a middle-aged woman. She looked completely strange, with a rare steady and dignified temperament, not inferior to any noble woman in Jin City. Hearing the footsteps, the woman also raised her head and looked indifferently at the people who came in.


    "Ling''er." Xia Huanyu''s voice trembled and he walked quickly towards her.

 Chapter 814 Miss You Every Day And Night

    There was a touch of confusion in the eyes of Empress Hua. She was stunned at the appearance of the group with still some mud stains on their clothes. After a while, she asked softly, "What''s wrong?"


    However, Xia Huanyu had already walked in front of Empress Hua. Without answering her question, he just stretched out his hand and hugged her tightly.


    Yun Shang saw that the body of Empress Hua stiffened for a moment, and her eyes flashed. In the end, she did not push Xia Huanyu away.


    A hint of ecstasy flashed through Xia Huanyu''s eyes. He quickly said, "Ling''er, follow me back to the Palace."


    Empress Hua''s face froze and she didn''t respond.


    Yun Shang turned around and winked at the people standing at the door. Then they left together.


    The yard had been besieged by the imperial guards and the palace guards. Although the corpses of Su Ruji and Su Qi hadn''t been found, they were most likely to have escaped. Yun Shang no longer worried about the safety of Empress Hua, and felt relieved. Since Xia Huanyu was here, it was not her duty to protect Empress Hua.


    It was already noon. Yun Shang had been on the way without eating anything since last night. She didn''t felt hungry until she finally relieved. Thinking that Xia Huanyu might still have a lot to say to Empress Hua, she smiled at Liu Wenan, who was waiting outside, and said, "Lord Liu, I''m afraid you must be hungry too. Why don''t you go to have meal with me?"


    Liu Wenan looked at the closed door of the yard with a smile. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "Okay, I will go with you."


    Yun Shang was indeed very hungry, so she stopped at a random restaurant. The shopkeeper noticed that Yun Shang was well-dressed and followed by several servants. He knew that she must be an extraordinary woman, so he quickly took her to a private room upstairs.


    Qin Yi asked Liu Wenan what he wanted to eat and ordered a lot of dishes.


    The shopkeeper poured tea for them and then hurried down to ask the servants to prepare food. Liu Wenan smiled and said to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, you have left Jin City for more than two months. Is everything okay?"


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "I had been on tenterhooks these days, fearing... Since Hua Ling hadn''t been restored to the throne, Yun Shang smiled and continued, "Fearing that something might happen to Her Ladyship. Now that His Majesty is here, I can finally be relieved."


    Liu Wenan nodded and sighed with a touch of emotion, "When I heard that Her Ladyship was still alive, I thought that God is really fair. His Majesty had been blaming himself for not protecting Her Ladyship well for so many years. When we were at the top of Mt. Jun, I was thinking that if Her Ladyship fell off the cliff in front of him this time, His Majesty would never be able to live. Fortunately, everything turned to be perfect. Thank you very much, Your Highness. Thank you for protecting Her Ladyship well. "


    "I''m flattered, Lord Liu. This is what I should do. After all..." Yun Shang curled up her lips and didn''t speak it out.


    A hint of understanding flashed through Liu Wenan''s eyes. He smiled and sa


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    d, overwhelming joy and excitement in her heart.


    Afraid of waking him up, Yun Shang lay down again and stared at the man unblinkingly. He became darker, thinner and his face is more angular, which made him look even colder. There were dark circle around his eyes. He might not have a good sleep for a long time.


    Yun Shang felt sorry for Luo Qingyan and held him in her arms.


    Luo Qingyan''s eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes opened with a little confusion. After a long time, he seemed to see the person in front of him clearly. With a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, he got closer and imprinted a gentle kiss on Yun Shang''s forehead. Then he said in a daze, "sleep."


    Yun Shang blinked her eyes and smiled, "Okay, let''s sleep."


    Yun Shang fell into a light sleep for a while and woke up when she noticed someone moving. When she opened her eyes, she saw Luo Qingyan staring at her.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Get up, I''m hungry."


    Luo Qingyan also smiled. He sat up, put on his shoes, and fetched a long robe for himself. Then he called Qin Yi in to dress Yun Shang up. Without washing himself, he sat on the bench and looked at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled and glared at him. Then she saw Qin Yi come in. Qin Yi helped Yun Shang into the bathroom to wash her face and rinsed her mouth. Then she took out a light green dress and a silver lace mantle for Yun Shang. After that, she help Yun Shang sit down in front of the dresser and started to comb her hair.


    "I thought you would be back in a few days." Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan in the mirror with tenderness in her eyes.


    Luo Qingyan smiled with burning eyes, "I rushed back myself, leaving Lord Hua Guo with the army."


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "I''m afraid grandfather is also in a hurry to come back. After all Empress Hua is in Huaiyin City... How could you run ahead and leave him in the army?


    Luo Qingyan raised her eyebrows. She thought for a moment and said, "your ladyship is right. Shall I go back to the army?"


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and kept silent.

 Chapter 815 Return

    Luo Qingyan not only left the army to Lord Hua Guo and went back to Lingxi City himself, but also took Yun Shang on the way back to Jin City the next day. While Yun Shang was still sleeping, Luo Qingyan carried her into the carriage. Although she heard the sound of the wheels, she thought Luo Qingyan was going to Huaiyin City. After all, both Xia Huanyu and Empress Hua were there.


    WhenYun Shang woke up, she found that it was not the case. She lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside for a long time. Then she found something wrong. "It seemed not to be the way to Huaiyin City?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t ride a horse this time. He sat in the carriage with Yun Shang. Hearing Yun Shang''s question, he nodded slightly, ''Em, we''re on the way back to Jin City."


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened in shock. She said in a hurry, "We haven''t found Su Qi and Su Qi yet. And the seventh prince is still in the prison..."


    Luo Qingyan nodded again, "I know. It''s okay. Just leave these matters to His Majesty."


    Yun Shang kept silent and glanced at Luo Qingyan from time to time. After a while, she finally asked, "Is there anything happened in Jin City?"


    Luo Qingyan looked up and smiled, "You''ve really got a baby brain since you were pregnant. Have you forgotten what Su Ruji said on the top of Mt. Jun?"


    Yun Shang stared at Luo Qingyan blankly. After a while, she shook her head and said, "She has said a lot. What did you mean? Besides, you were not there at that time. How could you know what she said?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled slowly and quipped, "Although I''m not here, I could ask the secret guard. Su Ruji did say a lot, but I''m afraid you couldn''t remember an important thing she mentioned.


    A hint of doubt flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes. She lowered her head and thought for a long time, but she didn''t remember anything important. Wasn''t Su Ruji just venting her hatred for Xia Huanyu on the top of Mt. Jun that day?


    Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang''s head and said with a smile, "Su Ruji said that they would usurp the throne during His Majesty absence.


    Yun Shang was slightly stunned. On second thought, it seemed that Su Ruji had indeed said something like that. But at that time, she thought that Xia Huanyu would deal with it by himself, so she didn''t keep it in mind. She didn''t expect that...


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan''s side face and thought, ''Luo Qingyan must have discussed it with Xia Huanyu."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and lost in thought. Luo Qingyan had won the war with the State of Yelang. This was a great credit. If he could subside the rebellion, he would make a great contribution.


    In this way, if she tried to buy people''s approval and support, Luo Qingyan would probably go further.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. Seeing that she was preoccupied, he smiled. He put the things in his hands aside, pulled Yun Shang to his bosom, and said with a smile, "What are you thinking about? Don''t think too much. Otherwise, our baby might become an old head on young shoulders."


    Yun Shang reached out and pinched Luo Qingyan''s waist. She snorted, "If he is, it must be your fault. You always keep a straight face and look cold."


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    lace, Yun Shang heard chatter and laughter come from inside, which was quite lively. Lady Shu had gathered all the ladies in the Palace to enjoy the flowers. It seemed that Yun Shang happened to come at a good time.


    Yun Shang was led into the palace and found that besides the concubines, there were also many princes and princess playing there.


    Sitting at the gate of the palace, Lady Shu looked at the group of people in the garden. She seemed to be surprised to see the servants coming in with Yun Shang. She quickly stood up and said, "Your Highness, you are here?" Then she walked towards Yun Shang with a smile in her eyes. "Why didn''t you send someone to tell me? I could''ve sent a palanquin to pick you up at the gate of the Palace. It''s not close from the Palace gate to here. You must be tired with such a big belly."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''m not that delicate."


    The concubines whose rank was lower than Yun Shang quickly stood up and curtsied to Yun Shang. Then Lady Shu asked someone to bring a chair for Yun Shang to sit down before she asked, "When did you come back?"


    "I didn''t arrive at home until 1 pm last night." Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    "Why so late?" Lady Shu seemed to be a little surprised. She shook her head and said, "You''ve been pregnant for eight months. Why don''t you take care of yourself? How can a pregnant woman stay up late like this?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Maybe because of my pregnancy, I''ve slept very well recently. Even in the carriage, I slept for seven or eight hours a day."


    Lady Shu smiled, "That''s a good thing. As long as the baby is quiet, you won''t be too tired. I heard that Prince Rui had won the battle. Did he come back with you?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly with a smile, "Yes, His Highness has also come to the Palace and he should be in the Meeting Hall. Before returning to Jin City, His Majesty asked His Highness to take charge of political affairs before he came back, and also took the opportunity to learn how to deal with these state affairs."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, she saw the expressions of many concubines present changed.

 Chapter 816 Different Thoughts

    In the State of Xia, generally speaking, the one who had the power to temporarily deal with government affairs in the court, except for prince regent, was the Crown Prince. However, as soon as Xia Huanyu took over the throne, he abolished the position of prince regent. In this case, it was very likely that Prince Rui would be... The Crown Prince.


    For a moment, everyone had different expressions on their faces.


    Lady Shu was the first one to come to her senses. She was only a secret guard of Xia Huanyu. Although Prince Qi was raised by her, he was not of Xia Huanyu''s blood. It was impossible for him to inherit the throne. What she was worried about was another thing.


    Lady Shu turned to look at him and said with a smile, "His Highness has made a great contribution in this expedition, and he deserves it. His Majesty has always appreciated Prince Rui, and often praises him for his courage and resourcefulness in front of me." After a brief pause, she continued, "I''ve heard that Prince Rui was an invincible general when he was in the State of Ning. Speaking of this, Prince Rui has inherited the talent of his mother, Empress Hua..."


    Empress Hua had been forbidden to mention in the Palace for many years. Other concubines were surprised at Lady Shu''s words, and their eyes were all focused on her.


    Lady Shu didn''t seem to care about it at all. "A few days ago, I heard that Empress Hua has been saved by someone after falling off the cliff and she is still alive. His Majesty missed her so much that he left the state affairs behind and went to look for her. Have you seen Empress Hua recently, Lady Rui?"


    Hearing Lady Shu''s question, Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "yes."


    A complicated light flashed in Lady Shu''s eyes. She kept silent for a while and then asked, "I''ve never got the chance to see Empress Hua. What kind of person is she? I heard that Empress Hua likes military tactics very much. She should be a decisive woman."


    It was really a little out of line for Lady Shu to ask Yun Shang, the daughter-in-law of Empress Hua, this kind of question. Yun Shang let out a cough with the brocade handkerchief covered her mouth before she said with a smile, "I think she is a gentle person, sincere and generous to others."


    "Really?" Lady Shu seemed to have noticed that it was not appropriate to ask Yun Shang, so she just replied indifferently and stopped asking, "I''m wondering when His Majesty and Empress Hua will return to the Palace."


    "I don''t know. It seems that Empress Hua hasn''t agreed to go back to the Palace with His Majesty. The Emperor said that he wanted to stay with Empress Hua for a period of time, so he hurried to ask His Highness to come back and take charge of political affairs temporarily." Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    All the concubines sitting there didn''t look good and just kept silent.


    The laughter of the children still echoed through the Palace. Suddenly, a little princess fell to the ground and burst into tears. A concubine sitting on the right side of Yun Shang seemed to have just been woken up from her own thoughts. She quickly stood up, ran to the gar


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ou are so courageous."


    Lady Hua Guo smiled. She lowered her head and put the account book aside. Then she looked up at Yun Shang without any smile on her face. After a long silence, she asked, "How is Ling''er?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Everything is fine. But she couldn''t remember anything about the past, and she just treated the Emperor as a stranger."


    "It''s ok as long as she is alive." Lady Hua Guo lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly. "Since I got married, I''ve always hoped to have a daughter. And I finally had my Ling''er after several sons. She was the apple of everyone''s eye in the mansion and every loved and spoiled her. Fortunately, even so, Ling''er did not turn into an arrogant girl. We didn''t want her to go to the Palace just because we knew that she would not feel at ease being restrained in the Palace. But since she wanted to, we didn''t insist. However, we didn''t expect that such a thing would happen."


    Lady Hua Guo sighed, "At that time, we felt like the sky was falling down." In the past 20-odd years, we have never forgotten her. Now that I know she is still alive and everything is fine, I''m so grateful."


    After a pause, she shook her head and said, "In fact, I don''t want her to come back. Now the Palace is much more complicated than before. Look at those ladies, they are all very scheming. Although the Empress has gone, there are still many other concubines. Ling''er is the last person to deal with such a situation, and the last thing she wants to do is to share her husband with other women. Even if she comes back, even in the high position of the empress, she still can''t be happy."


    "I don''t want my daughter to live a unhappy life." Lady Hua Guo said softly.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and said, "But the news that Empress Hua is still alive is almost known to all in the State of Xia. Those people won''t be relieved even if Empress Hua doesn''t return to the Palace. As long as the Emperor still loves Empress Hua, Empress Hua can''t really stay out of it. In this case, I''m afraid that staying with His Majesty is safer for her.

 Chapter 817 This Joyous Time

    Yun Shang stayed in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion for the whole afternoon. At dusk, Luo Qingyan came to pick her up. Then Yun Shang asked Luo Qingyan to have dinner with Lady Hua Guo. Finally seeing Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan after such a long time, Lady Hua Guo looked very happy. The dinner lasted for nearly two hour. When they went out of Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, it was already dark outside.


    Back to Prince Rui''s mansion, Luo Qingyan seemed a little tired. He didn''t go to the study, but occupied Yun Shang''s couch, leaning against it in a daze.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang walked to Luo Qingyan and sat down beside him. She smiled, "Are you tired?"


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang and leaned his head on her shoulder. He sighed and said, "I''ve been tortured by those officials for a whole day. It''s really annoying. They even present memorials for some trifles. What the court paid them for?"


    Yun Shang smiled, gently massaged Luo Qingyan''s shoulders and arms, shook her head, and said with a smile, "I''m afraid His Majesty has to live like this every day. How could you lost your patience just after one day..."


    Luo Qingyan snorted.


    Yun Shang felt that it was rare for him to look like this, so she quipped, "And His Majesty must be much more tired than you. He needs to listen to the officials in the court and has to deal with a group of concubines in his harem.


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyes to look at Yun Shang, who was smiling, and said with a smile, "Yes, His Majesty is amazing. One woman could make a man upset, how could he deal with so many?"


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang pinched Luo Qingyan''s shoulder hard and snorted, "Do you dare say it again?"


    The smile at the corners of Luo Qingyan''s mouth became bigger. He laughed, "You seem so gentle and kind, how could you be so heartless... Tut, tut..." Glancing at Yun Shang, he continued, "One woman do make me upset. No matter what I''m doing every day, I couldn''t help thinking of her from time to time. What is my Shang''er doing? Does she miss me? When she is far away from me, I am always so worried about My Shang''er. Is she safe? Is the baby being naughty to make her suffer? Do you agree?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang curled up her lips and snorted, "How dare you complain?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and begged, "My lady, I don''t dare."


    Then she raised her hand to touch Yun Shang''s belly, and her face became softer. "There is only two months before the baby comes out. I''ve ordered my secret guards to find some skilled craftsman in Jin City to make a crib for the baby. And we could let the nanny take care of the baby during night in the next room. And we need to prepare more clothes. I heard from a servant that outfitting the new born baby with a gold locket could ensure the baby a peace life."


    Yun Shang didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She hurriedly said, "These things have already been prepared. Your Highness, don''t worry."


    Luo Qingyan was stunned. He raised his hand and scratched his head before saying, "Thank you, Shang''er. I should have prepared these as a father, but I always couldn''t stay with you and the baby and take good care of yo


    Qin Yi thought for a while and said to her, "When I went to the ice storage just now, I found that the ice storage here is really big. It must be as big as three yards."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "The mansion used to be the crown prince''s. Hearing this, Qin Yi raised her head and said softly, "Go get some more ice. It''s time for the watermelons. Ask someone to ice some watermelons, then His Highness could eat it when he returns home."


    Qin Yi nodded and left.


    Yun Shang read the account books for the whole afternoon. It was about 4 pm after she finished. Yun Shang walked to the couch and said, "I''ll have a rest first. Wake me up when the butler brings the stewards here."


    Qin Yi answered softly and took out the basin of melted ice. Then she just waved the leave beside Yun Shang.


    When Yun Shang woke up, she heard someone talking outside. She raised her head to look at Qin Yi who then smiled and said, "The stewards just arrived. I didn''t have the heart to wake Your Highness up since you are sleep sound."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up. She walked to the dresser and asked Qin Yi to fix her hair. Yun Shang heard the stewards were talking about something outside. First, they talked about the price of grain in the city had increased a lot recently, and then they said that many young men and women had disappeared recently, which sounded quite mysterious.


    Yun Shang frowned, lost in thought. Qin Yi had combed her hair into a bun, and Yun Shang asked her to call the stewards in.


    After these madams bowed, Yun Shang asked them to report one by one.


    The one in charge of kitchens in all yards of the mansion said first. "Recently, the price of vegetable and grain in the city has increased a lot. We have farms around the remote mansions, which produces many products for sale every year. I think we could just ask them to send the grains and vegetables to the mansion."


    Yun Shang tapped on the edge of the couch. After a moment of silence, she asked softly, "Earlier, I heard you say that the price of grain was raised and many people were missing. What happened?"

 Chapter 818 Something Usual

    The madam hurriedly said, "I''ve inquired about it from the bosses of the grain stores. They said that the business is good recently, so the supply is not adequate to the demand. The whole city is short of grain, so they have to raise the price."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. The supply is not adequate to the demand? The number of people in each city was relatively fixed, and the consumption of food and oil was also fixed. Besides, no huge event had transpired recently, so it was abnormal that there was such an increase in demand. There must be some conspiracy behind this. If it had happened in other cities, Yun Shang would''ve suspect if there were a large number of soldiers hiding here. But Jin City was different as it was the Imperial City which had been heavily guarded within dozens of miles. Unless it was allowed by Xia Huanyu, a group of soldiers couldn''t be able to hide there.


    But why?


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while. Then she looked up and asked, "You just said that many people have disappeared in Jin City recently. What''s going on?"


    Another elderly maid said in a hurry, "Indeed, a lot of people have disappeared. My family lives in the west of the city, which is a poor area. Recently, many of my neighbors have suddenly disappeared for no reason and they are all young men and young women. Their family have no idea where they have gone. They all suspected that they have been kidnapped. But they are from rich families. What''s the point of kidnapping them?"


    "Have they notify the authorities?" Yun Shang asked in a low voice.


    "Yes. It has been almost a month, but there is still no clue. As the offices can''t find anything, they reported it to the Ministry of Revenue, the leader of which then ordered to block the city gate. People in the city could go out of the gate while no one is allowed to enter. The woman answered softly.


    Yun Shang frowned and shook her head. There must be something wrong. If there had been a lot of people missing in the city, Yamen would''ve reported it to both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice. However, Yun Shang hadn''t received any message from Li Qianmo. Moreover, if that was the case, they should''ve prohibited everyone from leaving the city to prevent the missing people from being taken out of the city.


    Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi, "Who is the Deputy Minister of Revenue?"


    Qin Yi hurriedly replied, "The Deputy Minister of Revenue is called Qian Rujun.


    Yun Shang nodded. It suddenly occurred to her that Deputy Minister of Revenue had visited Prince Rui''s Mansion during the Spring Festival. But she didn''t pay much attention to him because the seventh Prince had brought someone to investigate the case of Liu Chuchu. Now she even couldn''t remember his appearance.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. She thought that she could ask Luo Qingyan about it when he came back.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang didn''t want to show too much concern on this matter in front of the elderly maids, so she changed the topic, "Since the price of grains has increased, just ask the remote mansions to send some grains and vegetables from the farms, as you just said. You send someone to receive the food at the city gate as people outside the


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    It''s said that the Emperor''s been deeply loved Empress Hua. When Empress Hua was in the palace, she was the only one in his harem..."


    Yun Shang had knew everything she said. She kept silent for a moment and asked, "Do you feel anything unusual in the Palace recently?"


    Seeing the serious look on Yun Shang''s face, Lin Youran meditated for a while and said gently, "Something unusual... I haven''t heard of anything unusual. But a few days ago, three servants in Xiangzhu Palace suddenly disappeared..."


    "Have you sent someone to look for them?" Yun Shang asked hurriedly.


    "Yes, they''ve searched everywhere, but didn''t find them." Lin Youran replied softly.


    Again, someone missing?


    Yun Shang frowned and a strange look flashed through her eyes. It was normal for someone to disappear outside the Palace, but in the Palace...


    It was not easy to take action in the Palace as it had always been heavily guarded.


    "Have you heard of such situation in the other palaces?" Yun Shang asked hurriedly.


    "I don''t know whether or not it has happened in the other palaces. But I heard that some servants from the Treasure House and Shangyi Bureau have disappeared. But now His Majesty is not in the palace. Although Lady Shu was in charge of the imperial household, she seems not be responsible. She is afraid that it might make people in the Palace panic, so she suppressed it and asked the Neishi Bureau to investigate it secretly. But they''ve been investigating for a long time, and I haven''t heard any result." Lin Youran said in a low voice.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Have you heard that many people have bought a lot of jewelries from outside the Palace?"


    "Jewelries?" Lin Youran shook her head and said, "No Lady Shu said that considerable money was needed to supply the soldiers on the front with food. So she asked everyone in the imperial household to save money, and we haven''t bought any jewelry for several months. Almost every palace is like this. Knowing that Empress Hua is going back to the Palace, no one wants to stir up trouble at this moment."


    Yun Shang frowned. It was weird, but she couldn''t figure it out.

 Chapter 819 The Letter

    Yun Shang return to the mansion from the Palace together with Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan finished his work earlier than the previous days and didn''t look tired. Yun Shang smiled and said, "Your Highness seems to be getting familiar with those affairs."


    Luo Qingyan also smiled. "Not very familiar. It''s just that there are a lot of government affairs piled up in the 10-odd days after His Majesty left Jin City, I''ve done dealing with them in these days."


    "That''s good." Then she held Luo Qingyan''s hand, giggling, "My uncle is really capable."


    Luo Qingyan reached out and held Yun Shang in his arms. He patted Yun Shang''s head and said, "Are you praising me or making fun of me? What about you? Didn''t you complain that there were too many account books a few days ago? Why did you go to the Palace today?"


    Yun Shang smiled quietly, "I also have done with my work." There was another usual thing in the Palace recently except that jewelry purchase thing reported by Qian Yin. I heard from Lin Youran that some servants were also missing for no reason, and she had never heard of the jewelry purchase thing."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and thought for a while. Then he looked at Yun Shang and asked softly, "Your Highness, what do you think we should do about it?"


    Yun Shang pondered over for a while and said, "I hope Your Highness could offer me the number of the missing people both in the city and in the Palace."


    "Well, since Your Highness has given the order, I will definitely send someone to investigate it in two days" Luo Qingyan replied with a smile.


    As soon as she returned to her room, Qin Yi came up to her and said with a smile, "Your Highness, there is a letter from the State of Ning."


    Yun Shang was surprised, and her face lit up with joy. "Who has wrote to me? Let me have a look." As she spoke, she saw a letter on the desk. Yun Shang picked it up and saw the handwriting of her father on the envelope.


    Yun Shang opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. It was written by her mother. In the letter, her mother just told her some trivial things, and gave some detailed instructions to Yun Shang like what she needed to pay attention to when she was about to give birth. But what made Yun Shang frown slightly was the date at the bottom of the letter, June 6th, 9 pm.


    Yun Shang got some information from the date. One good news and one problem.


    The good news was that Su Ruji didn''t pose a threat to her mother. After all, it was about April or May when Su Ruji took out her mother''s hairpin to threaten her. If something really happened to her mother, she couldn''t have written the letter.


    But there was a problem. After Su Ruji threaten her with her mother, she had sent someone to the State of Ning to check. So her mother should''ve send her letters to relieve her as soon as possible. But the date written in the letter was more than a month after Yun Shang sent the secret guards. Moreover, her mother wrote the letter in June, but it was already August now. It would take at most 20 days from the Imperial City of the State of Ning to Jin City if at top speed. But why did it take two months to send this letter?


    "What''s wrong?" Luo Qing


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    m. Yun Shang didn''t want to disappoint him, so she asked the servants to prepare a pot of peach blossom wine and put it on the boat.


    Luo Qingyan helped Yun Shang get on the boat, refused the servants arranged by the butler to take the boat, and rowed into the lake by himself. Where there were many lotus flowers, the boat couldn''t move. Luo Qingyan rowed the boat out of the cluster of lotus leaves and went to a place with few lotus flowers.


    In the middle of the lake, Luo Qingyan put down the paddle, walked to Yun Shang, leaned against the rail and lay down towards Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan with a smile, "Your Highness looks very happy today. Is there any good news?"


    Luo Qingyan neither nodded nor shook his head. He poured a glass of wine with a smile and drank it up. "I could rarely be able to come back to the mansion early like today, so I just want to spend more time with you."


    Obviously, Yun Shang didn''t believe the reason Luo Qingyan gave. But since Luo Qingyan didn''t want to tell her, she stopped asking and just looked at him with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan changed the topic unnaturally, "How is it going with the problem about the letter? Have you got any result?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Someone sent assailants to chase the secret guards, which made them delay for a period of time on the way."


    "Who?" Luo Qingyan squinted, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes.


    Yun Shang shook her head. "Those people are very cautious. They didn''t take anything that might expose their identity. But the secret guard said that they have an accent of the State of Xia. It could only be someone among Su Ruji, the seventh Prince and Lady Shu. But Su Ruji is more likely to do so. After all, she threatened me with my mother''s hairpin."


    After saying that, Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and asked, "When will Empress Hua go back to the Palace? I''m afraid it won''t be safe on the way."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Luo Qingyan answered casually, "They''re already on the way. His Majesty has the imperial guards and the palace guards by his side. Nothing will happen."

 Chapter 820 A Scene Of Desolation

    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. The laughter became louder and louder, shocking the dragonfly standing on the lotus bud.


    "Your Highness, when we were in Cangnan City and Huaiyin City, your attitude towards Empress Hua was so indifferent. I thought Your Highness didn''t care about it at all. It turns out that you are just too shy to express your concern." Yun Shang laughed again.


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows. Seeing that Yun Shang was smiling happily, he suddenly pulled her over and held her in his arms. The boat jolted violently for a while. Yun Shang was so scared that she quickly reached out to hold Luo Qingyan. When she came to her senses, she raised her head and glared at Luo Qingyan.


    However, her glare didn''t pose any threat to him. Luo Qingyan smiled and whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "Are you done making fun of me?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "yes, yes."


    After a pause, she blinked and looked at Luo Qingyan, "So the reason that Your Highness is so happy today is that you have received the news that Empress Hua is coming back to the Palace?"


    Luo Qingyan sighed, "You are not afraid of me now, are you? You are not afraid that I might get angry with you."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s question, Yun Shang thought about it for a long time and answered, "Well, uncle, show me how angry you are?" I almost forget what you look like when you get angry with me..."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. He didn''t know what Yun Shang was going to say since she had caught his weakness. So he simply lowered his head and abruptly blocked Yun Shang''s mouth.


    Yun Shang widened her eyes and made some inaudible sounds. After a long time, she calmed down.


    Luo Qingyan released her and raised his eyebrows proudly. "Do you dare make fun of me again?"


    Yun Shang shook her head in a hurry, reached out her hand to touch her swollen belly, and whispered, "Alas, my baby. Your father said I was making fun of him? He always bully your mother. Isn''t he bad?"


    "Bully?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and repeated it. After thinking for a while, he said, "I''ve been busy with government affairs these days, and it seems that I haven''t bullied you for three or four days. This is a good place. If I rowed the boat into the cluster of lotus leaves, no one would see what we are doing in the boat. I''ve never tried doing that in a boat..."


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened in astonishment. She quickly broke free from Luo Qingyan''s arms and said, "no, no..."


    Luo Qingyan looked at her with a playful smile, "Well, are you still laughing at me?"


    Yun Shang shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, Your Highness. I''m sorry."


    Luo Qingyan raised her eyebrows and there was a hint of happiness in his eyes. "Your Highness? I don''t like this title..."


    Yun Shang knew that he was teasing her. But she had to face him as she couldn''t get off the boat. She pouted and snorted before addressing him, "Qingyan..."


    Drinking up another cup of wine, Luo Qingyan turned her head away didn''t respond, a


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    eror, although they have never got his favor."


    "Have you heard the story about the one from Zhang clan who live in the west of the city? She threw an embroidered ball to look for a husband the day before yesterday. The lady from the Zhuang clan was selected to the Imperial Palace last year, but she was sent back this time. There were at least eight hundred men came to her, but unfortunately, the embroidered ball was thrown into the hands of a sixty-year-old man..."


    The door of the private room was opened, and the attendant led Yun Shang and the others into it. Yun Shang ordered a pot of fruit tea and some tea, and the attendant left.


    The voice of the storyteller outside was still loud. Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to close the door, so his voice was much lower.


    Thinking of what the storyteller had said just now, Yun Shang kept silent for a while and asked, "Do you know how many concubines were sent out of the Palace by the Emperor this time?"


    Qin Yi hurriedly said, "I''ve inquired about it. I''ve heard that there are more than six hundred. Over the years, many candidates have been selected for the talent show, but only a few of them are really favored. Some of them even have a title. Most of them are only a small master until they are sent out of the palace. "


    "Over six hundred people." Yun Shang frowned. She had never thought that there would be so many. After a long silence, she asked, "So many palaces in the Palace are deserted now?"


    Qin Yi nodded and said, "Yes. In the Palace there were more than 90 palaces with nearly one thousand halls and more than eight thousand rooms. Every concubine would occupy at least one hall. In this way, almost seven hundred palaces have been deserted. As soon as the concubines were dismissed, the servants in their palaces were also sent away. Now almost nine out of ten palaces are deserted."


    There was a flash of silence in Yun Shang''s eyes. She didn''t say anything for a long time and kept thinking, ''The Palace has been so desolate now?''

 Chapter 821 A Test (Part One)

    When she was lost in thinking, she suddenly heard some noise, as if some people were quarreling. Yun Shang looked up and saw that Qin Yi had just walked to the window and opened it. "Eh?" Qin Yi uttered. Yun Shang turned to look at her. Qin Yi turned around and said, "Your Highness, it''s the seventh princess."


    Hua Yutong? Yun Shang was a little surprised. She stood up and walked to the window. She saw Hua Yutong standing beside the carriage impatiently. Her maid seemed to have a conflict with the person opposite, and both of them were arguing fiercely.


    "Isn''t the man who clashed with the seven princess Su Ruhai?" Qian Zhuo frowned and asked in a low voice, looking a little surprised.


    "Su Ruhai?" Yun Shang frowned and turned to ian Zhuo, "Are you sure?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded and said softly, "I''ve checked in Lingxi City before. It''s Su Ruhai. Has Su Ruhai returned to Jin City? "


    Yun Shang squinted. Qian Zhuo might not know, but Yun Shang was very clear about it. In order to pull Su Ruji out of the Empress'' position, she had sent a message to Luo Qingyan, asking him to make some false evidence of Su Ruhai''s rebellion and send it to Xia Huanyu. Generally speaking, Su Ruhai was to be taken back to the Jin City. Treason was not a small crime. Now that Su Ruji and Su Qi had assassinated the Empress Hua together, the Su mansion would definitely be implicated. How could Su Ruhai appear here at this time?


    "Qian Zhuo, you take some people with you and follow him," Yun Shang ordered in a low voice


    Qian Zhuo nodded, and Yun Shang shouted to outside, "Yutong..."


    Hua Yutong must have heard it


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    s cleaning up the old things in her room. I saw a colorful glazed vase with an official''s picture, so I got it from Lady Hua Guo and was about to take it home for fun. I was playing with the vase in the carriage just now, but suddenly someone rushed to the carriage. The coachman couldn''t dodge and hurriedly strangled the horse. I didn''t keep balance. My body leaned forward, and the colorful glazed vase broke. "


    A tinge of pity flashed through Hua Yutong''s eyes, and she continued, "That shameless man not only broke the vase, but also forced me to compensate him with twelve gold. He even threatened me that if I didn''t give him the gold, he would teach me a lesson. He came out of nowhere like a scoundrel, as if he was crazy of poverty. Not to mention that he was a fake Su family. With the current situation of the Su family, I don''t have to be afraid of him. I was so angry that I argued with him on the street.


    But why did that scoundrel run away in a hurry just now? It''s so strange... " Confused, Hua Yutong took a bite of the green tea Buddha cake on the plate.

 Chapter 822 A Test (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled and said, "The Su mansion is now a rat crossing the street. Everyone is shouting and fighting at them. How dare they come out to blackmail people in such an arrogant way? There must be someone pretending, but this person is probably not familiar with the situation. He doesn''t know the current situation of the Su mansion, or he wouldn''t have chosen people from the Su mansion to pretend."


    Hua Yutong nodded and finished a green tea Buddha cake. She took the handkerchief from the maid and wiped her hands before saying, "Forget it. Let''s not talk about him. I am full of anger about it. I heard that the Empress Hua is going back to the palace? Really? "


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s true that the Empress Hua is still alive. It''s true that his majesty is together with the Empress Hua now, but it''s uncertain whether the Empress Hua will go back to the palace or not."


    "Eh? Why? " Hua Yutong was a little surprised. She sighed and said, "In the past few years when the Empress Hua was absent, the Hua family had suffered a lot from the Su family. I also thought that if the Empress Hua returned to the palace, she could treat them well."


    Yun Shang smiled with helplessness. She shook her head and said, "The Empress Hua has lost her memory. She doesn''t remember that she used to be the Empress of the State of Xia. Moreover, she was saved more than 20 years ago, and then married and had children with her lifesaver. Even if his majesty wants her to go back to the palace, the officials and people in the court will not accept such an empress. "


    Hua Yutong was even more shocked. She covered her mouth and stared at Yun Sha


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ral for her to fall in love with such an excellent man who is her husband. "


    Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo both looked at Yun Shang in a daze. After a while, Qian Zhuo said, "How about I send someone to test about it?"


    "Testing? How? " Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing.


    Qian Zhuo scratched her head and said softly, "Is Qian Qian going back to the Jin City soon? Her disguise is unparalleled in the world. If she disguises into the appearance of the seventh princes, you can know it. "


    Yun Shang knocked on the armrest of the chair again and said lightly, "If Hua Yutong falls in love with the seventh prince, the seventh prince won''t let go of this opportunity and will make full use of her. Once a woman falls in love, she will rely on someone. The seventh prince will make use of it. Therefore, I''m sure that she knows the current situation of the seventh prince. And she also knows clearly who has caused the seventh prince to fall into such a situation... "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "It''s easy to know if Hua Yutong has fallen in love with the seventh prince or not."

 Chapter 823 The Hairpin

    When Luo Qingyan returned to the mansion, he was holding a small oblong rosewood box. As soon as he returned to the bedroom, he put the box on Yun Shang''s dresser, which caught Yun Shang''s attention.


    Yun Shang kept staring at the box. After a long time, she looked up at Luo Qingyan and asked softly, "What''s this?" As asking, she stood up and walked to the dresser. She took the box in her hand and looked at it for a while. Then she turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Can I open it and have a look?"


    Luo Qingyan looked a little embarrassed. He nodded stiffly and said, "It''s for you."


    "For me?" Yun Shang was a little surprised. It was not a special day. Why did Luo Qingyan give a gift to her? It must be a dagger, thought Yun Shang. Then she opened the box. To Yun Shang''s surprise, there was a gold hairpin lying quietly in the box. The hairpin was a little special, with lotus flowers and lotus leaves on its head, which looked very vivid.


    Yun Shang''s face flushed as she saw the lotus. She stamped her feet and glared at Luo Qingyan. She shouldn''t have let Luo Qingyan get what he wanted in the boat yesterday. Now he bought a gold hairpin with lotus pattern to remind her of the absurd thing yesterday.


    Seeing the expression on Yun Shang''s face, Luo Qingyan understood what she was thinking. He thought for a moment and smiled before walking to Yun Shang and put his arm around her shoulder, explaining in a rare good mood, "Well, it''s like not what you think. It''s just that I heard from my secret guard that you went to jewelry stores to look for a gold hairpin today. So I asked the craftsman of the Department of Jewelry in the Palace to make a hairpin for you. But when the craftsman asked me what pattern I wanted, I really had no idea, so I asked him to make a one with lotus pattern.


    Yun Shang was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. She snorted, put the hairpin back into the box and threw it back to the dresser.


    On the second day, Yun Shang woke up early, but she didn''t want to get up. She stayed in bed until noon and asked Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo to serve her up.


    After washing up and changing her clothes, Yun Shang sat down in front of the bronze mirror. "I''ll still go out to have a look in the city today. Make a simple bun for me."


    Qin Yi replied. She combed her a bun many ordinary ladies often made. Then she took out a jade hairpin from the jewelry box and was about to inserted in the bun. After thinking for a while, Yun Shang picked up the rosewood box beside her, opened it, took out the gold hairpin, and handed it to Qin Yi. "Use this one."


    Qin Yi glanced at the hairpin and said with a smile, "This hairpin is unique. I remember that Your Highness doesn''t have such a hairpin..." Then she took the hairpin and put it on Yun Shang''s head. But it seemed that she inserted it too hard that the tip of the hairpin went through the bun and stabbed her hand.


    Qin Yi exclaimed. Seeing that Yun Shang was looking at her, she quickly adjust the hairpin before looking at her own hand, only to find that it was bleeding.


    "Are you ok? There are some medicine for wound healing on the bookshelf


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    omething. I asked her to change another one. She said that she didn''t have a complete one, but she insisted on taking the bracelet away."


    "Let me have a look." Yi Ren said softly.


    The attendant immediately handed over the silver. A big part of the silver was missing. No wonder the attendant was in a dilemma.


    She turned to the attendant and asked, "How much is the bracelet?"


    The attendant replied in a hurry, "Sixty-two taels of silver."


    Yi Ren thought for a while and said, "Although some part of the silver is missing, it should be no less than sixty-two taels. You can go downstairs and weigh the silver. Anyway, it can be melted and cast into silver again without any loss.


    The attendant replied and left.


    Yun Shang frowned as if she was in a trance.


    Qian Yin asked Yun Shang another question, but Yun Shang didn''t answer for a long time. Then Qian Yin realized that Yun Shang didn''t hear it at all. Qian Yin called out helplessly, "Your Highness..."


    Yun Shang suddenly came to her senses, but she didn''t answer Qian Yin''s question. She said quickly, "Find a way to secretly inquire from the major banks that if there many people who came to them to exchange for cash."


    Qian Yin nodded and asked curiously, "Why do you ask about it, Your Highness? Do you want to exchange for cash?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and said coldly, "I''ve been wondering why that man bought so many jewelry. Generally speaking, only women liked jewelry. But when I heard Yi Ren say that the silver can be mold into a new one after melting, I suddenly have some wild guess."


    "What is it?" Everyone looked at Yun Shang in a hurry.


    Yun Shang sneered and continued, "Do you know that if someone want to rebel, the most difficult to find is not soldiers and food, but weapons. Accumulating weapons was extremely easy to attract attention, but without weapons, it was almost impossible for them to take any action. Just now, I understood why they only bought the jewelry made of gold, silver and copper.


    "Because they want to melt the gold, silver and copper to produce weapons..."

 Chapter 824 The Women In The Lingyin Temple

    Yun Shang stood up abruptly, "I have to tell this to his highness right away. Qin Yi, let''s go into the Palace."


    Qin Yi answered yes and followed Yun Shang downstairs in a hurry. She helped Yun Shang get on the carriage and rushed to the Palace.


    When they arrived at the door of the Meeting Hall, Yun Shang saw that the door was closed. The eunuch standing at the door walked up to Yun Shang as he saw her coming, "Your Highness, are you here for Prince Rui?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Is Prince Rui holding a meeting in the hall?"


    The eunuch shook his head and said, "His Highness has gone to the Lingyin Temple."


    "Lingyin Temple?" Yun Shang was confused, "Why did his highness suddenly go to the Lingyin Temple? What happened?"


    "Well..." The eunuch seemed to be in a dilemma. "I really don''t know what happened. I just saw that the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Lord Li, and the Deputy Minister of Revenue, Lord Qian rushed over in a hurry. After they reported something, his highness left the Palace with them. As for what happened, I really don''t know."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned. What made them come together to report?


    "Your Highness..." Qin Yi asked softly, "Will we go to the Lingyin Temple or return to the mansion to wait for his highness?"


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "Go to the Lingyin Temple."


    She also wanted to know what had happened in the Lingyin Temple.


    They arrived at the foot of the mountain, but there was still a long step that the carriage couldn''t get on. Yun Shang got off the carriage and climbed up the steps with Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo. When she arrived at the gate of the temple, Yun Shang saw many people surrounding the gate of the Lingyin Temple. They were talking and stretching their necks to peep into the temple.


    Yun Shang just caught some words like "missing" and "women", but she could not figure out what they were exactly talking about.


    There were guards at the entrance of the temple, preventing people from entering. Yun Shang winked at Qian Zhuo and handed her the jade pendant on her waist. Qian Zhuo hurried forward and whispered to the guard. The guard gave a glance to Yun Shang and nodded. Then he turned around and ordered something. Several guards separated the crowd. Qian Zhuo walked to Yun Shang in a hurry and escorted Yun Shang to the Lingyin Temple with Qin Yi.


    After taking a few more steps inside, Yun Shang saw the secret guard of Luo Qingyan. The secret guard came over in a hurry. "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Take me to his highness. What happened in the Lingyin Temple?"


    The secret guard led Yun Shang inside and whispered, "Many people have disappeared in Jin City these days. Today, they were being found in the Ling Yin Temple."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was a little surprised. Those missing people were all in this temple?


    The secret guard led Yun Shang into a hall of the temple. Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan and Li Qianmo standing inside. There were over


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    people from the city many times. However, the more people there were, the more likely they would be exposed. In order to hide the truth, they caught some women to confuse others.


    "Your Highness, a woman said she was willing to cooperate." Qian Zhuo came out in a hurry and reported in a low voice.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and was about to turn around and walk towards the hall, but she was stopped by Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan took a look at Qian Zhuo and ordered, "Bring that woman out here."


    Yun Shang stopped and smiled, "Don''t worry, your highness. I''m a doctor myself. I can protect our baby well."


    Luo Qingyan still didn''t agree. He shook her head and looked determined.


    Yun Shang had no choice but to obey, and asked Qian Zhuo to bring the woman out.


    It was a woman who looked ordinary. She was only sixteen or seventeen years old, petite, good-looking and a little timid. She looked up at Luo Qingyan first, and then turned to Yun Shang, staring at Yun Shang''s belly.


    Yun Shang smiled, "May I know your name?"


    The woman''s shoulder shrank slightly, lowered her head and said in a very low voice, "A Xiu."


    "A Xiu, A Xiu." Yun Shang murmured her name two times and smiled. "A Xiu, don''t be afraid. The man next to me looks a little cold, but he is the famous God of war, Prince Rui. He led his troops to repel the State of Yelang a few days ago. I''m his wife and I''m at your age. You are safe now. You can go home and reunite with your family soon."


    Hearing this, the girl called A Xiu looked up at Yun Shang and forced a smile.


    "Just now, my maid said that you are willing to answer my questions, I''ll just ask you a few questions. Don''t worry. Take your time and think it over before answering me. Is it ok?" Yun Shang asked with a smile.


    A Xiu nodded slightly and said in a very low voice, "okay."


    Yun Shang didn''t care about it as she knew that she must be very scared after suffering all this. She smiled at the woman and said gently, "Then I''ll start."

 Chapter 825 Premature Birth

    Luo Qingyan asked servants to bring out two chairs from the hall. Yun Shang asked A Xiu to sit down on the chair, and gently stroked her hands, as if trying to make her relax.


    "First, do you remember what happened when you were kidnapped?" Yun Shang looked into A Xiu''s eyes and asked softly.


    After thinking for a while, A Xiu trembled slightly and bit her lips so hard that her lips were a little pale. After a long time, she said, "That morning, I took dirty clothes to wash by the river. Before dawn, when I passed through an alley on the way to the river, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. Before I could react, I felt a pain in my neck, and then I knew nothing."


    Yun Shang nodded. Then A Xiu continued, "when I woke up, I realized that I was in a carriage. The carriage so dark that I couldn''t see anything clearly. My hands and feet were tied, my eyes were covered, and my mouth was blocked. But I found that there are many people in the carriage except me. They should also be kidnapped. Later, the carriage stopped, and we were pulled down. We were being carried like a cloth bag for a long time, and then we were all thrown into the dark room."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Seeing that A Xiu had finished speaking, Yun Shang asked again, "Have you ever seen the person who guarded you and brought you food in that dark room? Did you hear anything they said?"


    A Xiu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I have. The people who deliver food to us are monks." A Xiu''s body trembled for a while, and then she continued, "It''s said that the Buddhist disciples are the most kind people, but they are all evil spirits. Three women among us were very good-looking, so they were taken away by the group of monks. When we left, we clearly heard them say that although they were all useless women, such beautiful women must be very tasty. Later, the three of them never came back. We all vaguely guessed what had happened to them, and we were also very scared. We feared that such a fate will fall on us. Fortunately, you came to save us."


    As Yun Shang expected, the three women must have been killed.


    "Think about it carefully. Did those people say anything strange?" Yun Shang''s smile was still as gentle as the spring breeze.


    A Xiu was stunned for a while. Then she quickly lowered her head and said, "Let me think. Let me think."


    After thinking for a long time, she hurriedly said, "I remember that I once heard them talking. One of them asked the other whether the other group of people had been sent there. The other one replied that they might have already started working in that city. I haven''t heard anything else."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "Okay, that''s all I want to ask. Where do you live? I''ll ask someone to drive you home."


    With gratitude and excitement written all over her face, A Xiu expressed her thanks in succession and said, "I live in Xisan Alley."


    Xi San Alley was said to be the poorest area in Jin City.


    Yun Shang nodded and turned to look at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly. Then he turned around and ordered the secret guard to take the


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    sitting on the chair outside the hall, looking very calm. Lin Youran''s screams came from the hall one after another, sound very miserable. The servants hurried out with basins of blood in their hands.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan hurried to greet Lady Shu before asked, "How is it going, your highness?"


    Lady Shu then looked at Yun Shang, sat up straight and said to her, "You came just in time. The imperial physician said that they could only save one of them. Your highness, you have good medical skills. Why don''t you go in and have a look?"


    Yun Shang nodded and walked quickly towards the inner hall.


    The inner hall was filled with the smell of blood. Lying on the bed, Lin Youran seemed to be soaked in sweat, as if she had used up all her strength, staring blankly at the ceiling. The midwives voices shouted in a hoarse voice, sweat dripping from their forehead. One of them took a piece of ginseng from the tray holding by a maid and handed it to Lin Youran''s mouth. "Your highness, please take another piece of ginseng. Let''s have a try again."


    Unconsciously, Lin Youran opened her mouth and take the ginseng into her mouth. It seemed that she even didn''t have the strength to make such a simple move and her eyelids gradually drooped.


    Yun Shang walked to the bedside and called softly, "Youran."


    Lin Youran turned around and looked at Yun Shang stiffly. It seemed that she finally recognized Yun Shang. A light flashed through her eyes. She hurriedly said, "Your Highness, help me. Save my baby."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I will try my best." Then she took out a silver needle from her sleeve. She pricked it into Lin Youran''s palm and then do that to her belly. After that, Lin Youran calmed down. Yun Shang turned to her and said, "You''re running out of strength now. Have a rest first."


    Lin Youran didn''t even have the energy to nod, and her eyelids fell. The midwife was stunned and quickly said, "Your highness, please don''t do that. Her highness has a difficult delivery. If she falls asleep, I''m afraid she will never wake up again..."

 Chapter 826 Conflict

    Yun Shang turned around and glanced at the midwife indifferently. Without saying anything, she took the ginseng slice out of Lin Youran''s mouth and threw it aside. She said loudly, "Somebody, pull down these midwives and all the maids in the room and kill them with cane."


    The midwives were stunned. The one in the lead shouted, "Your Highness, what do you mean? What did we do wrong? Even if you want to kill us, you have to give us a convincing reason, right?"


    Yun Shang pressed her lips tightly and didn''t respond. She just stretched out her hand to take Lin Youran''s pulse, and then uncovered the quilt to check, frowning more tightly.


    Seeing this, another midwife was a little unhappy and shouted, "This is the imperial Palace. Do your highness think you are in your own mansion? We are all working in the Palace. Even if we have to be punished, it''s not your highness''s turn to do it..."


    While they were talking, several guards rushed in, grabbed the midwife and the maids who had been standing in the room, and pulled them out. For a moment, the screams in the room almost overturned the entire Xiangzhu Palace.


    Yun Shang asked Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo to look after Lin Youran in the inner hall before she followed them out. When Yun Shang came out of the hall, she saw Lady Shu standing up with a pale face and Luo Qingyan standing aside with a cold expression. Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan and Lady Shu must have quarreled just now. After all, as the midwife said, she was indeed not qualified to order the guards in the Palace. But since Luo Qingyan was here, everything was fine.


    Lady Shu snorted and looked at Yun Shang, "What do you mean, Lady Rui?"


    Yun Shang smiled slowly and said coldly, "They murdered the royal child and intended to murder the imperial concubine. According to the rules of the Palace, they should be punished to death with a stick, shouldn''t they?"


    "It seems that your highness''s action is inappropriate. Even if it is the truth, there is still someone to deal with it, let alone there is no evidence yet." Lady Shu''s face darkened.


    "Your highness, you are wrong. Just now, those evil servants said that Lady Hui was experiencing premature labor and also had some difficulties giving birth. I checked her just now. It was clear that her amniotic fluid was not broken, so how could have a premature birth? It was obvious that someone wanted to murder the royal child maliciously. These bad servants not only didn''t report the situation, but also tried to push the baby out directly, which caused the baby suffocated to death. And Lady Hui had lost too much blood and nearly died. If I hadn''t been here today, I''m afraid that she would have died." Yun Shang stared at Lady Shu and said slowly and clearly.


    "Your highness, don''t you think such vicious servants shouldn''t be punished to death?"


    Lady Shu opened her mouth and was about to say something, but was interrupted by Luo Qingyan. "Although it''s a matter of the imperial household, it''s also a matter of the Emperor''s heir which related to the state. Since his majesty has asked me to


    g, "I see."


    Yun Shang''s words were a little abrupt. Qian Yin''s eyes were full of doubts, but Yun Shang didn''t give her any more explanation. She lay down again and said, "I''ll overturn their den when I wake up."


    Qian Zhuo stared at Yun Shang blankly. After standing by the bed for a while, she heard Yun Shang''s breath becoming lighter and slower. Qian Zhuo took a look at Yun Shang who had fallen asleep. She kept silent for a while and left.


    Yun Shang slept for a long time. When Luo Qingyan returned home, she was still sleeping. Luo Qingyan asked in a low voice, "Have her highness had dinner?"


    Qin Yi hurriedly shook her head and said, "No. when she came back this morning, Her Highness seemed to be very sleepy. She lay down without having breakfast. She has been sleeping till now."


    Qian Yin shook her head and said, "Her highness woke up once and shouted "I see". I came in and asked her what happened, but she just smiled and didn''t say anything. Later she said that she would overturn their den when she woke up. I was confused, but when I was about to ask, her highness fell asleep again."


    "Did her highness somnambulate?" Qin Yi asked hurriedly.


    Qian Zhuo thought about the situation at that time and shook her head with uncertainty. "No, it''s not like that. her highness seems to be very sober."


    Luo Qingyan looked thoughtfully at the woman sleeping quietly on the bed, and then turned to Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo, "What did you encounter when you came back this morning?"


    Qian Zhuo frowned and thought for a while. She shook her head and said, "Nothing special. This morning, when we got out of the Palace, the guard asked us to show him the token, and then let us go out of the gate. After that, we went straight back to our mansion."


    After Qian Zhuo finished her words, Qin Yi added, "When we were at the gate of the Palace, I heard a servant chatting with the guard. Your highness seemed to have listened to them and seemed to be thinking something all the way."


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "What did they say?"

 Chapter 827 The Clue

    Qin Yi thought for a while and said softly, "It seemed that the servant was complaining that the number of people in the Palace was fewer, but the weight of the vegetable transported every day was not reduced."


    "Fewer people? The weight of vegetable was not reduced?" Luo Qingyan frowned and murmured. After a short silence, her eyes lit up. "I see."


    Then he said to Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo, "I''ll go to the study to deal with something. When Her Highness wakes up, let her come to the study and I have something to discuss with her."


    After Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo nodded, Luo Qingyan stood up and went downstairs.


    At dusk, Yun Shang finally woke up. When she asked Qin Yi to come in and serve her up, she was still in a daze. Qin Yi helped her put on her shoes. Thinking that Yun Shang wouldn''t go out as it was already dark, Qin Yi chose a green slip skirt from the chest and put it on Yun Shang. Then she made her a bun casually and inserted the lotus hairpin into the bun.


    "His Highness has returned home. He asked you to go to the study when you wake up. He said he had something to discuss with you." Qin Yi said softly after making the final adjustment for Yun Shang.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang stood up in a hurry with joy on her face. "Well, I also have something to tell him." Then she was about to go out.


    "Don''t hurry, your highness. You haven''t had dinner yet. I''ve asked someone to boil red bean soup for you. You should eat first." Qin Yi said. Then a maid came in with a tray, on which there was a bowl of red bean soup. Yun Shang picked up the bowl and drank it up quickly. She put down the bowl and went downstairs in a hurry.


    As Yun Shang''s belly had been big, she couldn''t see the steps under her feet when she went downstairs. Seeing that Yun Shang walked fast, Qin Yi was anxious and hurried to catch up with her. "Slow down, your highness. Be careful when you walk. Don''t fall."


    Yun Shang smiled and waved her hand.


    Yun Shang didn''t know which study Luo Qingyan was in. When she checked the study next to the stairs and found Luo Qingyan was indeed there, as if he was giving orders to a secret guard. For some reason, as soon as Yun Shang stood at the door of the study, Luo Qingyan turned to her and smiled. "You''re downstairs? Have you eaten anything?"


    Yun Shang walked in with a smile and nodded, "I just had a bowl of red bean soup and the dinner will be ready soon."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and said, "Sit down for a while. I''ll talk with you when I''m done."


    "Okay." Yun Shang replied obediently and sat down on the chair. Seeing this, Luo Qingyan turned around and continued to talk to the secret guard.


    Yun Shang heard Luo Qingyan say, "Be careful. Don''t alert the enemy at this time. Figure out the situation first and report it to me in time."


    The secret guard nodded.


    Luo Qingyan continued, "If we can get some evidence, it will be the best. But It doesn''t matter even we couldn''t get any. You could leave now..."


    The secret guard retreated. It w


    Yun Shang nodded gently and said with a smile, "Leave it to me. Don''t worry, uncle."


    Luo Qingyan also laughed. He held Yun Shang''s hand and stood up. "Okay, okay, I believe you. But you haven''t eaten anything today, and I am worried. Your highness, please go to have dinner with me."


    The second day, Yun Shang got up a little early. After dressing up, she had breakfast and was about to enter the Palace when a servant reported, "The seventh princess wants to see you."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and nodded slightly, "Bring her here."


    When Hua Yutong came in, Yun Shang was sitting on the chair, reading a book. Seeing Yun Shang''s clothes, Hua Yutong asked softly, "Shang''er, where do you plan to go?"


    Yun Shang put down the book and said with a smile, "I''m going to the Palace. The day before yesterday, something happened to Lady Hui, and she had premature birth. She has lost her baby and she herself has just escaped from death. I think that she must be in a bad mood because of the accident. So I want to go to the Imperial Palace and have a chat with her."


    "Is that true?" Hua Yutong seemed to be a little surprised. After a while, she said, "Lady Hui is young and it''s her first pregnancy. It must be a heavy blow to her."


    Yun Shang nodded and asked, "Do you have anything important, Hua Yutong?"


    Hua Yutong hesitated for a while and looked up at Yun Shang. "One of his highness''s maids was found to have been pregnant for about four months. She said it was his highness''s baby. I want to send a message to his highness and report this to him, but you know that I have no status in the seventh prince''s mansion all the time. Now I find that I can''t even compare with a maid. I really can''t find someone to send a message for me. Shang''er has been in the Ling Xi for so long. Can you help me send a message to his highness?"


    Yun Shang lowered her head and looked at the white flower pattern on the teacup. She narrowed her eyes and wondered whether Hua Yutong was testing her?

 Chapter 828 Happen To See

    Yun Shang forced a smile and said, "Well... To tell you the truth, when I was at the border, I spent most of my time in Cangnan and Huaiyin. I did live in Lingxi City for a few days, but I hadn''t seen the seventh Prince. But don''t worry. When I was in Lingxi City, I was treated by the Governor of Lingxi City, Zhang Xing. I could send a message to him for you. If he could see the seventh Prince, he will give your letter to him."


    Hearing this, Hua Yutong kept silent for a while and then nodded slightly. She took out a sealed letter from her sleeve and handed it to Yun Shang, "Thank you, Shang''er."


    "My pleasure. You don''t need to be so polite in front of me." Yun Shang smiled and handed the letter to Qian Zhuo in the presence of Hua Yutong. "Send two secret guards to Lingxi City."


    Qian Zhuo took the letter and went out.


    Hua Yutong thanked her again and said with a smile, "I haven''t been to the Palace for a long time. Since you are going to the Palace, I''ll go to greet Lady Shu with you."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "Okay, let''s go."


    Hua Yutong and Yun Shang went to the Palace together. As soon as they entered the Palace gate, they saw a group of officials in court clothes coming over. They seemed to be about to leave the Palace. The group was led by Luo Qingyan, who was talking to the people beside him. As soon as he turned around, he saw Yun Shang. Luo Qingyan stopped and walked quickly towards Yun Shang. "Why are you in the Palace?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I''m going to visit Lady Hui."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and looked at Yun Shang. He frowned and said, "It''s a little far from here to Xiangzhu Palace. I''ll ask someone to carry a palanquin here." Then he turned around and was about to give an order.


    Yun Shang hurried to stop Luo Qingyan and said gently, "No, thanks. There is a rule for the use of the palanquin in the Palace. I''m not that fragile. I''d better follow the rule lest someone else will gossip about us. If you have anything to do, just go ahead with your work. I have Hua Yutong with me."


    Luo Qingyan looked up at Hua Yutong, who was standing next to Yun Shang. He was silent for a moment and then nodded slightly. "Okay. Be careful. I''ll come back to the Palace after I deal with something outside the Palace. Wait for me at Xiangzhu Palace. I''ll pick you up later."


    Yun Shang broke into a big smile and nodded, "okay."


    Luo Qingyan reached out to help Yun Shang fix her haipin before going back to the group of officials.


    Yun Shang took a look at them quietly, and then walked towards the inner Palace. Hua Yutong looked at Yun Shang with admiration, "Prince Rui looks cold and indifferent, but he is really gentle to Shang''er."


    As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered, and she looked a little sad.


    Yun Shang reached out to hold Hua Yutong''s hand and said softly, "A good woman like you is bound to meet someone who is willing to love and protect you."


    Hearing this, Hua Yutong smiled b


    le woman on the bed. She smiled and asked, "Do you know where you were hurt?"


    The woman shook her head in a hurry and lowered her head, not daring to look at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang said with a playful smile, "I can tell you that you didn''t hurt your internal organs. You are just pregnant. It has been one month. And it has been affected by the fall.


    Hearing this, not only the maid, but also Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo were surprised.


    The maid''s body trembled, and she didn''t care about the pain anymore. She grabbed Yun Shang''s dress and looked up at Yun Shang with pleading eyes. Her body kept trembling. "Your Highness, please spare my life."


    Yun Shang looked indifferent. After the maid begged for a long time, she said slowly, "It''s not impossible for me to spare your life and keep this secret for you. You just need to tell me who is the father of your child."


    The maid didn''t seem to expect that Yun Shang would ask for it. Her face stiffened and she didn''t say anything for a long time.


    Yun Shang smiled, "I always keep my words. As long as you answer my question, I can give you two choices. Tough the baby is affected because of your falling, it''s not a big deal. If you don''t want it, I can give you some medicine and let you abort the child secretly. At that, you can still stay in the Palace as a maid. If you want to keep baby, I can also find a way to take you out of the Palace and let you give birth to him safely."


    Hearing this, the maid was silent for a long time before she said, "Then the child''s father..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "It depends on your choice. If you are all right, the child''s father will be fine. Think it over. If a maid gets pregnant without permission, she will be hanged."


    The maid trembled all of a sudden and hurriedly said, "I''ll tell you. I''ll tell you."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at her quietly. She gritted her teeth and said painfully, "The father of the child is a servant from the Jingyang Palace, called Yu Shu."

 Chapter 829 A Scheme

    "Oh?" Yun Shang''s eyes were still fixed on the maid," As far as I know, all the servants in the palace are cleaned. How can you be pregnant then?"


    The maid hurriedly replied, "I''m not lying. Yu Shu used to tell me that he narrowly escaped from the test when he entered the palace."


    "How long have you known each other?" Yun Shang asked again.


    The maid thought for a while and said softly, "Less than two months."


    "I hope you didn''t lie to me. Qin Yi, go to ask if there is a servant named Yu Shu in the Jingyang Palace." Yun Shang turned around and whispered to Qin Yi. Qin Yi replied and left.


    Seeing that the maid''s face was pale with pain, Yun Shang took out a silver needle and said to her, "Lie down."


    Looking at the silver needle in Yun Shang''s hand, the servant was a little scared. But she didn''t dare to disobey her. She quickly lay down on the bed without batting. After Yun Shang finished, the maid felt much better.


    Qin Yi also came back soon. She frowned and shook her head at Yun Shang saying, "Your Highness, there is no servant named Yu Shu in the Jingyang Palace. In fact, the Jingyang Palace has been empty for the past two years. There is no one else except the cleaning servants."


    Hearing this, the maid, who was still lying on the bed, suddenly raised her head. The astonishment on her face did not seem to be false. "How can it be? It''s impossible. I have met him many times in the Jingyang Palace. There are also many servants in the palace, as well as many patrols coming and going at night. "


    Yun Shang understood. She looked up at the maid and asked, "When did you meet him most of the time? And how did you know each other? "


    The maid hurriedly said, "We usually meet at night. More than a month ago, the maid in my room had a high fever, so I went to the Imperial Hospital to look for a physician. But I lost my way when I went back. I met Yu Shu outside the Jingyang Palace. He sent me back. "


    "So he is quite familiar with the palace?" Yun Shang frowned.


    The maid nodded, "Yes."


    Yun Shang paced back and forth in the room before turning to the maid, "You lied to me just now, but I''m willing to give you a chance to make amends. Do you want it?"


    The maid nodded incessantly, "Yes, I do."


    "Good..." Yun Shang smiled, "You can rest here today. I''ll tell you later how you will ...?" Make amends. "


    Yun Shang left Qian Zhuo in the room to look after her, and then took Qin Yi to the side hall to look for Lin Youran.


    Lin Youran had just lost her baby, and had just gone through hell. She was very weak, so she had to lie in bed and have a rest. As soon as Yun Shang entered the outer hall, she saw Qian Bi, Lin Youran''s maid, come up in a hurry, "Your Highness, please help persuade his highness."


    Yun Shang frowned, "What''s wrong with your higness?"


    Qian Bi hurriedly said, "Since the accident of his highness, she has been depressed. She has been lying on the bed and crying all day long, and she is unwilling to take medicine."


    "Nonsense,


    ay. If there is any news later, I''ll send someone to the Meeting Hall to send you a message."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and went back to the Meeting Hall.


    As soon as Luo Qingyan left, Yun Shang entered the room where the previous maid stayed. The maid seemed to have recovered. Seeing Yun Shang come in, the maid drew back her neck and curtsied to her.


    Yun Shang sat down, stared at her for a long time, and said, "I don''t know your name yet."


    The maid trembled again and hurriedly said, "My name is Ming Shui served in the Zhongcui Palace."


    Yun Shang nodded. She not surprised at all. The other masters'' palaces were strictly guarded with a curfew, after which, no one was allowed to enter or leave the palace at will. The Zhongcui Palace was the place where beauty candidates lived before they were conferred the title. Now that Xia Huanyu had dismissed the imperial household, most of the beauty candidates selected last year must have been sent out of the palace. There was no one in the Zhongcui Palace now, and that was why the maids met their lovers in private every night.


    "It''s not difficult to make amends. You will go back to the Zhongcui Palace later. If others ask you, tell them that you have been cured by me. Everything will go on as usual. Don''t let anyone notice anything wrong. At night... " Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled, "I tell you, pretend that nothing has happened today and go to meet Yu Shu again."


    "Well..." Ming Shui frowned and seemed to be in a difficult state.


    Yun Shang smiled, "He hides everything from you. Do you still want to cover him up? And now you have no choice. "


    "Yes, I will," Ming Shui said in a hurry.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Then you can go back to the Zhongcui Palace."


    Ming Shui bowed to Yun Shang again and staggered to her feet.


    "Qin Yi, go and see her off," Yun Shang ordered Qin Yi with a smile. Qin Yi turned around and glanced at Yun Shang. Both of them exchanged glances quickly. Then Qin Yi followed Ming Shui out.

 Chapter 830 Fancy Finding By Sheer Luck

    It seemed that Lady Shu couldn''t sit still when she heard that Luo Qingyan was going to deal with political affairs all night in the Palace. Yun Shang was summoned to the Meeting Hall by Luo Qingyan for dinner. As soon as she returned to Xiangzhu Palace, she saw Lady Shu coming over with several servants.


    Yun Shang curtsied to her, "Your highness."


    Lady Shu nodded slightly and said, "I''ve heard from a servant from Xiangzhu Palace that Lady Hui is not in good health and mood. I thought of this when I took a walk in the Imperial Garden after dinner. So I came here to have a look. Where have you been, your highness?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "His highness has been dealing with political affairs in the Meeting Hall. I just went to have a look and had dinner with him."


    "Ha ha." Lady Shu curled up her lips and said after a moment''s hesitate, "Prince Rui and Lady Rui surely love each other very much."


    Then she turned around and walked into the door of Xiangzhu Palace.


    When the servants in Xiangzhu Palace saw Lady Shu and Yun Shang coming in together, they bowed and greeted them loudly, "Greetings, your highnesses."


    Lady Shu nodded casually, went through the outer hall, lifted the bead curtain at the door of the inner hall, and walked in.


    Seeing Lady Hui, Lady Shu seemed to be surprised. She walked quickly to the bedside and asked, "What''s wrong with you, Lady Hui? Look at your eyes. Why are they so red? You looks so haggard."


    Lady Shu let out a sigh and continued, "I know you are sad as you lost your baby. But you are still young, and you will have a child sooner or later. If you get hurt, it''s really not worth it. You are still in the routine confinement for recovery, you have to avoid crying. Otherwise, you will suffer lingering effect.


    With her head down and nose slightly red, she replied in a hoarse voice after a while, "Thank you for your concern, your highness. I''m fine."


    "It''s not easy for you to say that you are fine at such a situation." Lady Shu sighed, "Don''t think about anything these days. Just take good care of yourself. Lady Rui has excellent medical skills. She must be able to nurse your health. The Emperor is coming back soon. You were so favored by his majesty. After his majesty came back, he will surely give you more his favor. When you recover, you will have a baby soon."


    Hearing what Lady Shu said, Yun Shang almost couldn''t help laughing. Although Lady Shu was just a secret guard, she must have forgotten that she was just a secret guard after being a concubine in the Palace for so many years.


    What a sinister plan! She knew how much Xia Huanyu loved the Empress Hua. Since Empress Hua will return to the Palace, Xia Huanyu might not be able to step into any other lady''s palace for a long time. At this moment, she was trying to urge Lin Youran to fight for his majesty''s favor.


    Lin Youran was not a fool. Hearing Lady Shu''s words, she was about to cry again. She bit her lips and sobbed, "I don''t have any extravagant hope now. I just want to live peacefully in this pala


    with refined weapons, most of which were arrows, blades and spears.


    "As the saying goes, fancy finding by sheer luck what one has searched for far and wide. These things can prove that these people are making weapons in the Palace, but we can''t find out who is behind it." Yun Shang frowned and said to Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "We don''t need to find out. We all know who the person behind, so does his majesty. What we need to do is just to make these people we arrested confess to charges under torture. As the saying goes, if you are out to condemn someone, you can always trump up a charge.


    Yun Shang widened her eyes and knew what Luo Qingyan was up to. She laughed and nodded, "You are quite right, your highness."


    They had all been caught, but there were still a lot of things to deal with later. Cleaning up the scene, protecting the evidence, and interrogating those people, Luo Qingyan would probably be busy all night.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang and smiled, "Thanks to your highness, or we couldn''t handle it so smoothly. But don''t stay up late as you are pregnant. Go back to sleep first."


    Yun Shang knew that she couldn''t change Luo Qingyan''s mind, so she agreed and followed Luo Qingyan to Xiangzhu Palace.


    On the way, she saw Lady Shu rushing over. She seemed to have just woken up, only wearing a robe, and her hair was tied casually.


    Seeing Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan, Lady Shu''s face darkened. She stopped and frowned at the two, asking coldly, "What are Prince Rui and Lady Rui doing? I''ve heard that the Palace is very noisy tonight."


    Luo Qingyan sneered and stared at Lady Shu.


    Yun Shang chuckled in her heart. In terms of being indifferent, Lady Shu was probably not a match for Luo Qingyan.


    "His majesty entrusted your highness with the imperial household when he left Jin City. It seems that your highness have managed the imperial household in an orderly manner. There are about seven hundred unidentified people in the Palace, but your highness don''t know it at all."

 Chapter 831 Many Doubts (Part One)

    "Unidentified people?" Lady Shu seemed to be a little surprised, "What do you mean?"


    Obviously, Luo Qingyan wasn''t a patient person. He sneered, "Your highness, didn''t you say that someone reported to you that the Palace was very noisy tonight? Didn''t the one who reported to you tell you what happened?"


    After Luo Qingyan finished speaking, he walked past Lady Shu with Lady Shu in his arms and headed for Xiangzhu Palace without looking back.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling, and her body trembled with laughter. Luo Qingyan was really good at infuriating people sometimes, but Yun Shang was surprised to find that she really liked Luo Qingyan''s temperament.


    After sending Yun Shang to the door of Xiangzhu Palace, Luo Qingyan left. Qin Yi held Yun Shang back to the hall, undressed her, picked up the comb, and whispered, "Just now, a maid we planted in Lady Shu''s palace gave me this."


    Qin Yi reached out her hand with a note in it.


    "What is in it?" Yun Shang took the comb from Qin Yi, combed her hair and asked casually.


    Qin Yi read the note and said with a frown, "Not long after your highness and the seventh princess left Shuya Palace this afternoon, the seventh princess went back to the palace."


    Yun Shang stopped combing her hair and smiled, "What did they talk?"


    Qin Yi shook her head and said, "No mention. The maid was just serving in the outer hall of Shuya Palace, so she might not know what they were talking about. But aren''t the seventh princess from Lord Hua Guo''s mansion? Why..."


    Yun Shang''s smile disappeared, and there was a touch of pity in her eyes. After a long time, she said slowly, "I''m afraid my guess is right. Last time when I saw her cousin, I found that she had hidden something from us. This time, it confirme


    still believe in her after knowing that she had betrayed the eldest princess? Doesn''t he fear that Lady Shu might make a false charge against him?" Yun Shang drew a circle on the table.


    "Second, making weapons illegally is a serious crime. If Lady Shu found it or she had already told the seventh Prince, the two of them would make a great contribution no matter who reveals it. Why did they give this opportunity to his highness?"


    "Third, Lady Shu works for the Emperor. Generally speaking, the most important thing for her is to show her absolute loyalty to the Emperor. As long as she is loyal to the Emperor, the Emperor will definitely treat her well. No matter she was a concubine or just the Emperor''s secret guard. But why did she choose to unite with the seventh Prince? In this way, she was standing on the opposite side of the Emperor. If the seventh Prince is defeated, she will definitely come to no good end. Even if the seventh Prince won, what could she get from him? Besides, she has been in the State of Xia for many years, so she must have known the seventh Prince well. The seventh Prince will most likely get rid of her when she becomes useless to him."

 Chapter 832 Many Doubts (Part Two)

    Yun Shang had drawn three circles on the table in a row. She frowned and thought for a long time, but she couldn''t come up with any result. Frustrated, she sat on the chair and didn''t speak for a long time.


    After a while, Yun Shang pushed the teacup away and stood up. "I''ll have a rest first. Qin Yi, go to find his highness later and tell him the three doubts word by word."


    Qin Yi hurriedly agreed. She helped Yun Shang to the bed, covered her with the quilt and put down the bed curtain. After everything was done, Qin Yi winked at Qian Yin. The two went to the door. Qin Yi talked with Qian Yin for a while and then hurried out of Xiangzhu Palace to look for Luo Qingyan.


    Qian Zhuo turned around and went back to the inner hall. She blew out all the lights in the hall, leaving only one. Then she bent over the table, napping.


    It was getting bright. Qin Yi hadn''t come back yet. Qian Zhuo opened her eyes and looked at the bed curtain embroidered with hibiscus flowers. She thought Yun Shang would wake up late as she had been exhausted last night. She was not very familiar with Xiangzhu Palace. So she had to find someone to prepare breakfast, or Her Highness will have nothing to eat when she woke up.


    While thinking, she left the inner hall. Lady Xiang had been very favored by his majesty when she was in the Palace, so Xiangzhu Palace also had its own small kitchen. Qian Zhuo asked a servant where the kitchen was and went straight into it.


    The kitchen was filled with the smell of he


    oo many people. His highness doesn''t have enough secret guards, so I helped him interrogate them together. It has just been done. Then I came back directly." Qin Yi leaned forward and asked, "Did her highness sleep well last night?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded and said, "Yes."


    After the two of them talked for a while, a maid came over in a hurry. "Sisters, has her highness got up? Prince Rui is at the door and said that he is going to take her highness back to the mansion."


    Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo nodded and went into the room. Qin Yi stood by the bed and called Yun Shang softly, "Your Highness, it''s time to get up."


    No one answered. Qin Yi couldn''t help laughing. Her highness was really fond of sleep. But his highness was still waiting outside, so they had to wake her up. Thinking of this, Qin Yi opened the bed curtain.


    When the bed curtain was lifted up, the two of them were stunned.


    "Where is her highness?" Qian Zhuo''s face suddenly changed. She looked at the empty bed and exclaimed.

 Chapter 833 Searching

    Qin Yi was also stunned for a long time before she said, "You go to ask the secret guard if her highness has left the palace, and I''ll report it to his highness."


    Qian Zhuo''s face had already turned pale. It was she who had been serving her highness last night. If anything happened to her highness, she really didn''t dare to think about the consequence. Hearing Qin Yi''s words, she nodded repeatedly. After Qin Yi went out, Qian Zhuo hurriedly blow the whistle to get contact with the secret guards.


    Luo Qingyan waited outside the Xiangzhu Palace. When he saw Qin Yi, his eyes softened. From afar, Luo Qingyan saw that Qin Yi missed the steps and almost fell down. Luo Qingyan frowned. When he saw the expression on Qin Yi''s face, Luo Qingyan had a bad feeling.


    "Your Highness..." Qin Yi''s voice came over with a little panic. "Her highness is missing."


    Luo Qingyan''s face gradually turned cold, and his eyes seemed to be frozen. He walked into the Xiangzhu Palace and asked in a trembling voice, "What happened?"


    Qin Yi hurriedly replied, "Last night, I came back to the palace with her highness. After her highness sat down for a while, I served her to sleep. Then I went out to send the message to your highness as her highness ordered. And Qian Zhuo stayed to take care of her highness. The bed curtain was put down. Since we couldn''t see the situation inside, we thought her highness hadn''t woken up. Just now, when your highness came, I went to wake her highness up, but found that there was no one on the bed."


    "Your Highness, this way." Qin Yi led Luo Qingyan to the bedroom. Qian Zhuo was standing in the middle of several secret guards with a pale face. Seeing Luo Qingyan come in, she trembled and hurriedly said, "Your Highness."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and looked so cold that no one dared to look up.


    "Tell me, what happened? How could a living man disappear in front of you?"


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly said, "After your highness went to bed yesterday, I stayed in the room all the time and didn''t hear any unusual noise. This morning, I got up early. I thought her highness would be hungry when she woke up, so I went to the kitchen to check the breakfast. During this period, the secret guards had been guarding nearby, and no one came in and out..."


    Luo Qingyan walked to the bedside. The bed curtain had been lifted, and the bed was still a little messy. Luo Qingyan put her hand into the quilt. After a long silence, he said, "The quilt is still a little warm. It should have just happened not long ago. So, you mean her highness disappeared under the heavy guard?"


    Qian Zhuo wanted to say something more, but Luo Qingyan ordered loudly, "Someone."


    A man who looked like a secret guard came in from the outside. Luo Qingyan hurriedly said, "Summon the eagles here."


    The secret guard answered yes and walked out of the bedroom, followed by Luo Qingyan. The secret guard put his finger to his mouth and blew hard, and a long howl rang out.


    Soon, two eagles were hovering in the sky. After a while, they landed on the secret guard''s shoulders. The secret guard reached out and fed each of them a brown pill. The two e


    our later, a scream came from the west of the ice cellar, "Your highness!"


    Luo Qingyan was still looking for her in the ice cellar. Hearing the scream, he trembled and hurried to the direction of the sound. A moment later, he found the room where Yun Shang was in.


    There was not only Yun Shang in the ice room, but also a man in a coma with his upper body naked. Luo Qingyan''s face darkened. When he walked over, he found that the man was Liu Yinfeng.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang who was sitting against the ice wall. Yun Shang curled up with her arms around her knees, her face buried between her knees, her hair covered with a thick layer of frost, and her body was covered with a cyan robe. Luo Qingyan recognized that the robe was Liu Yinfeng''s.


    Luo Qingyan walked to Yun Shang in a hurry and found she had also lost consciousness. Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms in a hurry and covered her with his robe. The cold air made Luo Qingyan tremble and he hurried to the exit of the ice cellar.


    "Send for the physician and carry the man out." Luo Qingyan ordered in a trembling voice caused by the coldness and fear.


    After taking Yun Shang out of the ice cellar, Luo Qingyan found a yard nearby and put Yun Shang down. Then he ordered a servant to cover Yun Shang with a quilt and lit up several braziers in the room.


    Luo Qingyan put Liu Yinfeng''s robe aside. Yun Shang''s clothes had already been frozen. Luo Qingyan held her arm tightly, where the pulse was still faintly beating. The room was a little hot because of the heat of the braziers. Looking at Yun Shang''s pregnant belly, Luo Qingyan felt as if he was being soaked in the cold ice water.


    Yun Shang''s stiff body gradually softened, and the frost on the tip of her hair gradually melted. Luo Qingyan pressed down her trembling hand, took the clothes from Qin Yi and changed for Yun Shang in person.


    "Here comes the physician. Here comes the physician." Someone shouted outside the door. Luo Qingyan opened his mouth and wanted to ask the servant to bring the physician in, but he couldn''t utter a word.

 Chapter 834 The Birth Of The Baby

    Seeing the situation, the doctor quickly walked to the bedside without greetings. He thought for a moment and said, "Your highness, could you let go of her highness''s hand? I want to take her pulse."


    Luo Qingyan was stunned and loosened his grip on Yun Shang''s arm. But he felt empty in his heart all of a sudden. He quickly held Yun Shang in his arms. It was not until he felt that the person in his arms was still breathing that his heart fell back to where it was.


    The doctor didn''t have time to think about anything else. He stretched out his hand to feel Yun Shang''s pulse. After a long time, he frowned and said, "Your highness, I have to find a way to wake up her highness, or I''m afraid her highness and the baby will both be in great danger. But her Highness has been suffering from cold for too long. Even if she wakes up, I''m afraid it''s difficult to keep her baby."


    When Luo Qingyan heard the two of them were both in great danger, the veins on his forehead bulged. His voice was even colder than that the person in his arms. "What nonsense are you talking about?" However, if one listened carefully, he would find that Luo Qingyan''s voice was trembling uncontrollably.


    The doctor froze and didn''t dare to move. Luo Qingyan turned around and said coldly to the secret guard standing aside, "Go to Sancun Alley and invite Dr. Zheng here."


    The secret guard answered in a hurry, turned around and went out. Luo Qingyan looked up at the doctor in front of him and said indifferently, "What should we do to wake up her highness?"


    The doctor quickly replied, "Acupuncture." The doctor trembled again and said, "Not too many people know the acupuncture, and few people are proficient in it. I know a little, but..."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan got even more furious. He raised his foot and kicked the doctor hard. The doctor was forced two steps back, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.


    "Ahem..." The doctor coughed for a while before he shrank in the corner and said nothing.


    The woman in his arms gradually regained her temperature. It was still a little lower than the normal temperature, but it was much better than that when she was just taken out of the ice cellar. However, she still did not wake up.


    Luo Qingyan became more and more flustered, as if he had fallen into a deep and bottomless well.


    About an hour later, Doctor Zheng came in wearing a lunar white robe. Perhaps he had heard of the situation of Yun Shang on the way, so he entered the room without bowing. He quickly picked up the glaze lamp on the table, took off the lampshade, picked up the lampwick and lit it with a fire starter. After a while, the man in white blew out the fire, leaving only scarlet sparks. Doctor Zheng walked to the bedside and pressed Yun Shang''s temples and some other parts with the hot wick. There was a faint mark left on the spots, which made Luo Qingyan frown.


    Not long after it, Luo Qingyan saw Yun Shang''s eyelashes tremble slightly. His heart hung in his throat, but she didn''t move for a long time.


    Luo Qingyan raised his head to look at Doctor Zheng, who


    by''s head."


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were red. He couldn''t bear it anymore. He opened the curtain and walked in. "Give up the baby. Save her highness."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang was shocked. She shook her head and said, "No, no, no. I want the baby."


    "Qingyan, don''t make me hate you." Yun Shang''s voice was trembling. Her hair was soaked in sweat, and her face was also full of sweat, but her eyes were full of determination that could not be ignored.


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan stared at Yun Shang without saying anything for a long time.


    Yun Shang continued, "Qin Yi, take his highness out of here, far away."


    Standing aside, Qin Yi looked at Yun Shang who was in a mess and then gave a glance to Luo Qingyan. She walked quickly to Luo Qingyan and said in a low voice, "Your highness..."


    Yun Shang''s voice sounded again, very low, but clearly heard by Luo Qingyan, "I have lost a child. I can''t bear losing another, or I will never forgive myself."


    Luo Qingyan loosened his grip. After a long time, he closed her eyes, turned around and left the room.


    As Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan walked out of the yard. Outside the yard was a long corridor by the lake. Luo Qingyan sat down in the corridor.


    Qin Yi had never seen Luo Qingyan like this. In her impression, Luo Qingyan was always cold, confident and arrogant. And he was gentle when he was with her highness. But now, Luo Qingyan was like a defeated lion. Enduring the great despair in his heart, he could only sit quietly and wait for the final result.


    Qin Yi opened her mouth but didn''t know how to comfort him. She had no choice but to stand quietly aside, also feeling extremely anxious in her heart.


    After a long time, it was getting dark. Suddenly, a loud cry came from the yard. Both Qin Yi and Luo Qingyan were shocked. When Qin Yi came to her senses and was about to turn around to tell Luo Qingyan, she found that Luo Qingyan had disappeared.


    Then Qian Zhuo appeared in front of Qin Yi. "Her highness has given birth to a baby."


    Tears welled up in Qin Yi''s eyes.

 Chapter 835 Hidden Diseases

    When Luo Qingyan returned to the yard, the baby had been held up by a midwife. She had wiped the blood off the baby''s body and wrapped the baby with the prepared swaddling cloth. Seeing Luo Qingyan come in, the midwife quickly approached him with a smile and said gently, "Congratulations, your highness. It''s a little prince."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t even look at the baby. He went straight to the bed and sat down, only to find that Yun Shang was closing her eyes and seemed to have no reaction. Luo Qingyan''s heart sank. He turned around and asked Doctor Zheng, "What''s wrong with her highness? Why did she faint?"


    Doctor Zheng smiled and said, "Her highness is just a little weak. She will be fine after some sleep."


    Luo Qingyan was in a daze for a while. Then he held Yun Shang''s arm and found her pulse was still beating. Luo Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. He reached out and tucked the lock of her wet hair behind her ear. His hand holding Yun Shang trembled.


    He had never been so grateful in his life. He thanked the Heavenly God that his bad deeds of killing many people before hadn''t caught up with his beloved one. It was good as long as she was fine. A drop of warm water fell on the back of Yun Shang''s hand...


    The room was filled with laughter and chatter after the long tension. Qin Yi took the baby from the midwife and looked at him with a smile. The baby was pink, very lovable. Qin Yi fixed her eyes on him and heard Qian Zhuo say, "The baby looks like her highness. He must be a beautiful boy in the future."


    Qin Yi also smiled and nodded, "Yes, she looks like her highness."


    "I''ll take the little prince to have a bath first." The midwife said with a smile.


    Qin Yi nodded slightly and followed the midwife into the bathroom.


    Luo Qingyan turned to the doctor in white and said softly, "you can stay at home these days. Shang''er has been frozen in the ice cellar for so long. I''m worried about her health."


    The doctor in white nodded and said, "The little prince is premature. He is too small. I''m worried about him."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and said nothing.


    After a while, the midwife and Qin Yi took the baby out after the bath. Qin Yi held the baby in front of Luo Qingyan and bowed, "Your highness, her highness is tired. If the little prince makes a noise, I''m afraid he will disturb her highness. I''ll take him to the South Yard first and let the nanny take care of him for a while."


    Luo Qingyan was looking at Yun Shang with soft eyes. Hearing what Qin Yi said, he didn''t raise his head but nodded casually. "Go ahead."


    Qin Yi felt a little strange, but she didn''t say anything more and left with the baby in her arms.


    Yun Shang had slept for a whole day. Even though the doctor had said that she was fine, Luo Qingyan was still worried. He kept staring at Yun Shang by the bed and didn''t leave for a moment.


    It was not until the dusk of the second day that Yun Shang finally woke up.


    She opened her eyes and stared at Luo Qingyan for a long time. Then she suddenly raised her hand to touch her belly. With a flash of horror on her face, she quickly held


    red from cold and premature birth. You should eat more nutritious food and avoid cold. Otherwise, you might suffer from sequela in your limbs." Dr. Zheng replied softly.


    Luo Qingyan frowned. Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief. It was much better than she thought.


    The doctor walked to the little prince, lifted the blanket wrapped him and checked him carefully. After a long time, he turned to Yun Shang and said, "The little prince is in good health, but he is a little weak because of the premature birth. But he is too young to take supplements, but you could ask the wet nurse to eat more nutritious food."


    Yun Shang nodded in agreement. Then she asked Qin Yi to bring the child to her and put him beside her, playing with him.


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were still fixed on the doctor. He thought for a moment and stood up. "He has better medical skill. I''ll take him to check Liu Yinfeng."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang nodded and looked up at Doctor Zheng. "Mr. Liu has saved me and my baby. Please try your best save him."


    Doctor Zheng said yes and went out with Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t take him to Liu Yinfeng''s room. He led him out of the yard directly and went to the study. After sitting down, he looked up at the doctor in white and said coldly, "I noticed that you seemed to have some reservations just now, is there anything wrong with her highness and the little prince?"


    Doctor Zheng hesitated for a moment and nodded gently. "The little prince..."


    "Tell me about her highness first." Luo Qingyan interrupted him in a hurry.


    The doctor was stunned for a while and said, "Her highness has stayed in the extremely cold environment for a long time and the chill has entered her body. I''m afraid she won''t be able to conceive a baby again."


    Luo Qingyan was stunned, but calmed down instead. "It doesn''t matter. If I had known how painful it is to give birth to a baby, I wouldn''t have let her give birth to this one."


    "The little prince was hurt in the womb. I''m afraid he will have some mental problem." Dr. Zheng said in a lower voice.

 Chapter 836 Painful Concealment (Part One)

    Luo Qingyan was shocked at the doctor''s words. He closed his eyes slowly and sat on the chair dejectedly. He clenched his hands and didn''t speak for a long time.


    Doctor Zheng had never seen Luo Qingyan like this. He was also amazed. He explained hurriedly, "Her highness has been trapped in the ice cellar for more than three hours. It''s not been easy that both the mother and baby are fine..."


    "Both the mother and baby are fine?" Luo Qingyan murmured and suddenly sneered. Doctor Zheng knew that he had said something wrong, so he stood still and didn''t say anything.


    After a while, Luo Qingyan opened his eyes. The pain in his eyes had been suppressed. He tried hard to open his mouth and said slowly, "Don''t tell anyone, especially Her Highness."


    After a pause, he said something in a lower voice. The doctor tried his best but still failed to hear it clearly. "In her previous life, she had watched her child die. This time she has to suffer such pain again. How can she bear it?"


    Thinking of the gentle smile on Yun Shang''s face when she teased the baby, Luo Qingyan felt as if his throat was strangled, unable to breathe. How could she stand it? She surely would blame herself for not protecting her child well... If she knew that she could never get pregnant again...


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t bear to think about it anymore. He suddenly stood up and said, "Let''s go to check Liu Yinfeng and then go back to her highness soon. Or she will be worried and suspicious.


    Liu Yinfeng''s condition was worse than Yun Shang. Some parts of his flesh had rotten, but fortunately it was not too serious. The doctor had already removed the rotten part. However, Liu Yinfeng hadn''t woken up and had a f


    you were in the ice cellar? Who did this?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "I was in deep sleep at that time. I felt that the bed seemed to tilt and I slipped down. Before I was completely awake, I had been tied up with a strip of cloth and carried away. Later, when Liu Yinfeng untied me, I found I was in the ice cellar."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and said in a low voice, very slowly. "I will find the murderer soon. When I find the murderer, I will make him regret coming to this world..."


    Yun Shang didn''t doubt that Luo Qingyan would do it. She nodded slightly and said, "If I know who he is, I won''t let him go either. He almost made me lose my baby."


    Yun Shang was still in her confinement for recovery, so she couldn''t go out. Most of the time, she had to lie on the bed. Qin Yi didn''t make a bun, but simply tied a hair band on her hair. Then she took out the curtained hat and put it on Yun Shang. Yun Shang walked up to the wet nurse, touch the baby''s face with her finger, and lifted her eyes. "After all, he is a premature baby, much smaller than other babies. He needs extra-nutrition."

 Chapter 837 Painful Concealment (Part Two)

    Qin Yi nodded and said softly, "But the baby is so little now. I''m afraid it might be too early for him to take tonic. No hurry. Let''s go."


    Yun Shang had walked out of the room. Luo Qingyan clenched his trembling hand in his sleeve. After a long time, he took a deep breath and followed her out.


    Yun Shang returned to the South Yard by a sedan chair. Since she hadn''t fully recovered, she rested after having some porridge. Luo Qingyan sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Yun Shang, who was sleeping with a smile on her face. His eyes were bloodshot. He sat there for the whole night, not sleepy at all.


    The second morning, When Yun Shang was awakened by the sound of talking downstairs, she found that Luo Qingyan was not in the room. Yun Shang looked around and found that Qin Yi, the wet nurse and Bao''er were also not there. Only Qian Zhuo was standing at the door. Noticing Yun Shang was awake, she ran over and said with a smile, "Lady Hua Guo is here. His highness has asked the wet nurse and Qin Yi to take little prince downstairs."


    Yun Shang couldn''t expose herself to the wind, so she had to lie on the bed. After a while, she heard the sound of someone going upstairs. Yun Shang sat up, and soon Lady Hua Guo came in with the baby in her arms, smiling, followed by Qin Yi and the wet nurse. Lady Hua Guo walked to the bedside and sat down. She smiled and said, "I was scared by your accident yesterday. Fortunately, both you and your child are safe. Thank god, thank


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    I told him that you were all fine and that he could stay here to recuperate. When he recovers, he can come to visit you."


    "That''s good." Yun Shang was also very happy. "Mister Liu has saved me several times. I owe him a lot. I''m afraid it''s difficult to pay him back."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and held Yun Shang''s hand, without saying anything.


    Yun Shang continued in a low voice, "If it weren''t for him, Bao''er could''ve been safe and healthy. How about letting him be Bao''er''s godfather? What do you think?"


    Luo Qingyan was stunned. Then he nodded and said, "Okay, as long as you think it''s good."


    After a while, he continued, "We have found out that the secret tunnel in the Palace leads to Princess Tai An''s mansion. And there is also a secret tunnel in her mansion that leads to the ice cellar in our mansion. My secret guard reported that Princess Tai An left the city in a hurry the day before yesterday. I''ve sent someone to chase after her. I think she could be caught soon."

 Chapter 838 The Crown Prince

    Yun Shang was stunned. She didn''t expect that it had something to do with Princess Tai An. She thought for a moment and said, "It''s not surprising that Princess Tai An chooses to join hands with the seventh Prince. After all, for her, she might think that the seventh Prince is a member of the Xia clan, while we are just outsiders. Not long ago, we also exposed her secret, which made her suffer a lot. It''s natural that she wants to take revenge."


    "She used to have an immoral affair with the former Crown Prince and Prince Rui''s mansion used to be the Crown Prince''s mansion. So it makes sense that there is a tunnel from Princess Tai An''s mansion to this mansion. But, why is there a also one from Princess Tai An''s mansion to Xiangzhu Palace?" Yun Shang frowned and whispered.


    Luo Qingyan gently smoothed Yun Shang''s messy black hair. After a moment of silence, he said, "It''s not easy to dig a tunnel. Moreover, the distance between the Palace and Princess Tai An''s mansion is not short. It must''ve at least half a year to complete such a long tunnel. It is impossible that his majesty doesn''t know it. The tunnels in the Palace were mostly designed and dug out at the early stage of the Palace''s construction for emergency situations. I''m afraid this one is also one of those built at that time."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and couldn''t figure out any reason why Princess Tai An would pass through a tunnel to Xiangzhu Palace. She nodded, but then frowned and said, "Even if that tunnel is just a coincidence, there must be some spy in Xiangzhu Palace. I stayed overnight in Xiangzhu Palace on whim. They couldn''t have been prepared in advance. They must have sent someone to lead me to that room when they heard that I was going to stay in the Palace."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes, I''ll do a thorough investigation. I''m sure to find out the person."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled. Perhaps she thought Luo Qingyan''s expression was too serious, she beamed and said, "Grandma said that I couldn''t take a shower or wash my hair in the next forty days. What should I do, uncle? I''m about to be smelled. It''s so hot. But I''m not allowed to take a bath or wash my hair. It''s so terrible. "


    Luo Qingyan felt a dull pain in his heart when he saw Yun Shang laughing happily, but he didn''t dare to show anything unusual. He touched Yun Shang''s hair with a smile, lowered his head, leaned over to smell it, and whispered, "Well, it''s indeed a little sour."


    Yun Shang thought he would comfort her, but she didn''t expect him to react like this. She blushed and raised her hand to hit Luo Qingyan''s chest. "Stop teasing me."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "I''ve asked Doctor Zheng. As long as the water is hot enough and the room is airtight, you could take a bath. But you need to be quick. You are also a doctor. It''s up to you."


    "But both grandma and Madam Qi said..." Yun Shang frowned, thinking about it. After a long time, she said, "No, no. I could bear that I''m not allowed to expose myself in the wind or use the ice to cool myself. But if I don''t take a bath for such a long time, I''m afraid I can''t even stand myself."


    Luo Qingyan smiled faintly with pity in his eyes.


    After a while, the wet nurse brought the baby back. Seeing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She quickly took the


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    had made great contributions many times, and dealt with state affairs in an orderly manner recently, which was obvious to all in the court. His Highness has a child now. It''s time to issue this decree."


    Yun Shang was very happy, but she felt that Liu Wenan''s words were not convincing. Yun Shang glanced at Liu Wenan. Liu Wenan smiled and looked around. "Where is the little prince? I also want to see the royal baby."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and ordered Qin Yi to ask the wet nurse to carry the baby downstairs. Liu Wenan walked over and looked down before he smiled, "The baby is very beautiful. His Majesty will be happy to see him."


    Then he stretched out his hand to tease the baby for a while before he said goodbye with a smile. Luo Qingyan ordered someone to send him out. When he looked at the imperial edict in his hand, he frowned.


    Yun Shang knew that the Su clan, Lady Shu, the seventh Prince, and Princess Tai An were all watching them with hostility and that the imperial edict didn''t come at a right time. But Yun Shang smiled and said, "It''s a good thing anyway. As long as we get it, we can keep it, right?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded and gently held Yun Shang in his arms, still frowning.


    Yun Shang was also a little worried. "Now that you are conferred the title of Crown Prince, the celebration must be held. I am supposed to arrange it, but now I am still in the confinement for recovery, which is a little inconvenient."


    Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang''s back and comforted her, "It''s okay. Qin Yi and the butler will do it well. You don''t need to worry about it. And I don''t want to specially hold a grand ceremony for this. Later, we''ll hold a banquet on the 100th day after the bay''s birth and we could celebrate this thing together with that. Besides, I''m afraid this is not what we need to celebrate recently."


    "Well, then what else to celebrate?" Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes and said, "The Emperor''s imperial edict is for another imperial edict after returning to the Palace."


    "What imperial edict?" Yun Shang was still confused.


    "The imperial edict to confer the title of the empress." Luo Qingyan said indifferently.

 Chapter 839 Cheerful Laughter

    The imperial edict to confer the title of the empress? Yun Shang frowned. Did Luo Qingyan mean that the reason why Xia Huanyu couldn''t wait to appoint him as the Crown Prince was just to make it easy for him to restore Empress Hua''s title?


    After thinking for a while, Yun Shang finally understood that although Lord Hua Guo''s mansion had made a lot of contributions and its position in the court had become more and more stable, its foundation was still too weak. Empress Hua was Xia Huanyu''s wife, but she only been the Empress for two or three years. Many people of the State of Xia probably only knew Empress Su and didn''t know who Empress Hua was.


    Yun Shang had tried her best to spread Empress Hua''s good deeds among the people, and the people were easy to manipulate, but the officials in the court were all smart people who knew how to weigh the pros and cons.


    In the consideration of the advantages and disadvantages, the most important thing was the battle for the throne. Every official hoped that his position would be higher and last longer. It would be the best if the person he supported could finally ascend to the highest position. At least, it was important for him to have a good impression on the Crown Prince.


    Xia Huanyu had seen it through. So he issued the imperial edict to make Prince Rui the Crown Prince before Empress Hua arrived in Jin City. The position of crown prince was settled, and Empress Hua was Luo Qingyan''s biological mother. In this way, even if they didn''t want to see Empress Hua become the Empress again, they didn''t dare to go against Luo Qingyan at this moment.


    Xia Huanyu was really a calculating man.


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan knew she had already figured it out. He smiled and handed the imperial edict to Yun Shang, "Ask someone to put it away. It''s a good thing, isn''t it?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, but it was inconvenient for her to go out. She smiled and handed the imperial edict to Qin Yi.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were unexpectedly indifferent to the imperial edict, but the servants were all very excited. After all, their master has become the Crown Prince which was a much higher rank than just a Prince. As soon as their master''s status was raised, even the servants could take advantage of reflected glory, and they happily spread the news.


    When Yun Shang heard it, she just smiled and asked Qian Zhuo to pass on a message to the butler, "Tell the butler to keep an eye on them. Don''t let them go too far. It''s a good thing that His Highness has become the Crown Prince, but there will be more people staring at us, waiting to find fault with us. If anyone dares to do something out of line outside and disgrace our mansion, he will be driven out of our mansion directly."


    Qian Zhuo answered yes and went to send the words.


    After a while, Luo Qingyan sent someone to tell her that Princess Tai An had been found and the secret guards were taking her to the mansion for interrogation and asked if she wanted to have a look.


    Yun Shang frowned and thought, although her baby was born safely in the end, she will never forgive anyone who put the two of them in danger. Then she nodded and said, "Tell His Highness to bring her to the South Yard for interrogation. It''s not


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ry, with joy on her face. Then she went downstairs in a hurry to make preparations.


    After a while, Luo Qingyan returned to his room. It was quiet in the room. Yun Shang was reading a book. He was surprised and raised his eyebrows. "Didn''t they send Princess Tai An here?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Yes, but she is in high spirit now. I''ve asked someone to send her to the private prison. I''ll interrogate her later."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and said thoughtfully, "I''ll go to have a look after dinner."


    "She''s just a little girl, and she''s stupid. There''s no need for the Crown Prince to deal with her in person." Yun Shang said smilingly, with a touch of tease in her eyes. "I''ll ask Qian Zhuo to frighten her. I''m sure she will confess everything."


    Seeing Yun Shang''s happy smile, Luo Qingyan''s eyes softened. He reached out his hand to rub Yun Shang''s hair and said with a smile, "Shang''er, you''re more fond of making fun of me now. It''s a pity that you are still in the recovery period, otherwise I could''ve taught you a lesson... I''ll have to get even with you later. My lady, count it, it has been five days since your confinement..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s face turned completely red. She quickly pulled the quilt and covered herself in it, only revealing a pair of smart eyes. While she was rolling, Yun Shang''s muffled voice came from the quilt, "Your Highness is now the Crown Prince, and you are still so flirtatious. Be careful that His Majesty will deprive your title when he knows it. I''m afraid you''ll cry at that time."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang, who was wrapped in the quilt, in his arms and said in a lower voice, "Shang''er is the one who loves to cry. Now she has become the Crown Princess and may become the Empress in the future. Don''t cry any more. Don''t cry no matter what happens, okay?"


    Yun Shang felt a little strange, but she just smiled and said, "Of course. What haven''t I experienced? Why am I going to cry? Let''s see who will cry first?" After saying that, she seemed to be amused by herself. She laughed and fell on the bed. "I can''t stand the silly talk anymore. We have already become parent." Then she laughed again.

 Chapter 840 The Emperor and The Empress Return

    On the second day, Luo Qingyan got up early and went to the court. Although the officials had been announced the imperial edict yesterday, they hadn''t got a chance to congratulate the Crown Prince as they were stopped outside Prince Rui''s Mansion. They arrived very early this morning and unexpectedly no one asked for leave.


    Luo Qingyan has officially become the Crown Prince. Although no one knew if he would succeed to the throne in the end, they wouldn''t miss any chance to flatter him as long as he was in the position.


    As soon as Luo Qingyan stepped into the Meeting Hall, he saw that almost all the officials were present, whispering. Luo Qingyan had excellent hearing and easily caught the words "Crown Prince", "ascend the throne".


    The noise in hall quenched at once as they noticed Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan walked directly to the chair under the dragon throne and sat down. The officials hurriedly knelt in respect. "Long Live His Highness Crown Prince."


    Luo Qingyan remained calm and waved his hand indifferently. "Arise."


    The officials were observing Luo Qingyan''s expression secretly. Seeing that Luo Qingyan was still so cold, they had to swallow their prepared congratulations and compliments.


    "Do you have anything to report today?" Luo Qingyan''s clear voice echoed in the hall.


    No one answered. Luo Qingyan nodded and stood up. "All the courtiers, I''ve been informed that he Emperor is about to enter the city soon. Since you have nothing to report, come out of the Palace with me to greet His Majesty."


    The officials looked at each other in confusion. Just now, Luo Qingyan didn''t address himself in a formal way but still call "I", why?


    The officials speculated in their hearts, but they didn''t dare to show any inappropriate expression. They quickly responded, and stood there quietly. After Luo Qingyan walked down, they slowly followed Luo Qingyan out of the Meeting Hall.


    Next to Luo Qingyan was the Minister of Defense and War and the Minister of Personnel. The two of them exchanged a look, and then the Minister of Personnel said first, "How wonderful it is to hear about Your Highness Crown Prince''s baby! We have been waiting for the opportunity to congratulate Your Highness. It''s true that good things come in pairs. Congratulations! Congratulations!"


    Luo Qingyan paused for a moment, with a touch of coldness flashing in his eyes. After a while, he replied indifferently, "You are really well-informed, Lord Lin..."


    Hearing this, Lord Lin widened his eyes and wondered why the new Crown Prince looked unhappy? Did he say something wrong?


    Seeing Luo Qingyan''s reaction, the rest of them had to hold back their congratulations. They just followed Luo Qingyan quietly.


    When they arrived at the gate of the Palace, Luo Qingyan asked someone to lead horses there and rode along the Wen Wu Road with the officials to the gate of Jin City. When they arrived at the city gate, Xia Huanyu''s carriage hadn''t arrived yet. The guard who had gone to inquire reported hurriedly that the Emperor''s carriage would arrive in about an hour. Luo Qingyan nodded, got off the ho


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    oth, but don''t add any salt."


    Of course, Xia Huanyu didn''t know that there were so many dos and don''ts. He looked down at Empress Hua with a rare smile and said, "Isn''t it too light without any salt? That''s too tasteless."


    Glancing at Xia Huanyu, Empress Hua didn''t answer. But Xia Huanyu didn''t seem to care about it at all. "It''s really hard. So many restricts."


    When they arrived at the South Yard, Yun Shang had already gone downstairs. Qin Yi and the wet nurse, who was holding Bao''er in her arms, were also standing there. Seeing Xia Huanyu and Empress Hua come in, they hurriedly curtsied, "Your Majesty."


    Xia Huanyu waved his hand casually and said, "We are family. Why are you being so polite?"


    Then he looked at the baby in the wet nurse''s arms and said with a smile, "He must be your baby. Bring him to me."


    Yun Shang immediately took the baby from the wet nurse and walked to Xia Huanyu. Xia Huanyu reached out his hand to take the baby. Seeing that he was not skillful in holding the baby, Yun Shang seemed to be a little surprised. After a while, she said, "He is really small, a small kid."


    Seeing this, Empress Hua frowned. She couldn''t bear it anymore, so she took the baby from him and said, "How could you hold a baby like that? The baby will be very uncomfortable."


    Xia Huanyu didn''t get angry at all after being scolded. He reached out his hand and teased the baby in the arms of Empress Hua with a smile.


    Yun Shang was a little shocked, but she just lowered her head to hide the surprise in her eyes quickly.


    "The baby looks more like his father." Empress Hua whispered. After a while, she asked, "Have you given him a name?"


    Yun Shang immediately raised her head and answered, "Not yet. We''ve just given him a nickname, Bao''er."


    "Bao''er, that''s good." Empress Hua smiled, "A catchy name."


    Xia Huanyu hurriedly replied, "I''ll think about it when I go back and choose a good name for him."


    Then Yun Shang bowed her head again to thank him. She thought that it was a good thing that Xia Huanyu was obedient to Empress Hua.

 Chapter 841 Family Reunion

    After staying for a while, Xia Huanyu turned to Luo Qingyan and said, "It''s not easy for our family to get together, and today is the Mid-autumn Festival. Let''s have a family reunion dinner and enjoy the full moon at your mansion before going back to the Palace."


    Both Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were surprised. The two looked at each other. Yun Shang smiled and said, "yes."


    However, she thought it was a pity that Lady Shu had specially prepared a moon-viewing banquet for them today. But it''s not a bad thing. Since Lady Shu had already known that Xia Huanyu would take Empress Hua back to the Palace, she might not let Empress Hua feel at ease on the banquet. Now Xia Huanyu arranged to celebrate the festival in their mansion, Lady Shu would probably dislike Empress Hua more. But in this way, Empress Hua could avoid falling into Lady Shu''s trap.


    Yun Shang pondered for a while and said, "Since it''s a family reunion banquet, why don''t we invite Lady Hua Guo and others here? I don''t know if Lord Hua Guo is back. Let''s have a meal together. It''s more lively."


    Yun Shang put forward the suggestion only because that she felt sorry for Lady Hua Guo who had been missing her daughter for more than 20 years.


    Xia Huanyu turned to look at Empress Hua. After thinking for a while, he nodded and said, "Okay, go ahead."


    Lord Hua Guo''s expression didn''t change much when he saw Empress Hua. He seemed to have already met her when he was in Huaiyin City. While Lady Hua Guo''s eyes had been fixed on Empress Hua since she entered the room. Considering that Empress Hua had lost her memory, she just stood at a distance, looking at her with tears in her eyes.


    However, when Empress Hua looked back at her and gently called her mother, her tears fell down uncontrollably.


    After a while, she said in a choked voice, "Ling''er has grown up."


    Hearing this, Empress Hua couldn''t help laughing. "Not only have I grown up, mother, look, I''ve even had a grandson..."


    Looking at the mother and the daughter chatting and teasing Bao''er, Yun Shang was filled with emotion. She turned to look at Luo Qingyan, who was standing beside quietly.


    He seemed to be so indifferent when he reunited with Xia Huanyu and Empress Hua.


    The full moon on the Mid-autumn was surely worth viewing, but Yun Shang could only stay indoors. She had asked the servants to decorate the yard with a lot of colorful lanterns and prepare some fruit wine and snacks for the others to enjoy the moon in the yard.


    The children of Lord Hua Guo''s mansion also came. After playing with Bao''er for a while, they went downstairs to play hide and seek. Listening to the laughter from the yard, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling.


    After Empress Hua went back to the Palace, it would be not easy for her to have such a happy time. Tonight might be the best memory in many people''s hearts.


    With the laughter and chatter, Yun Shang fell asleep soon. When Luo Qingyan went back to her room, Yun Shang was awakened by the sound. As soon as she opened


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Mr. Wang, why do you wear...umm...so simple? I almost didn''t recognize you." Yun Shang said with laughter.


    Hearing this, Wang Jinhuan cast a glance at Ning Qian and chuckled. "Qian Qian doesn''t like me dressing in raffish color. She said that I look better in simple color."


    As soon as Wang Jinhuan finished his words, he moved away quickly, and then a dagger fell on the place where Wang Jinhuan was standing just now, and was stabbed into the table made of yellow sandalwood.


    Wang Jinhuan screamed, "Qian Qian, don''t throw the dagger at random. It doesn''t matter if it stabbed me, but the yellow sandalwood is very valuable. The Crown Princess is familiar with us, so she won''t blame us. But if you damage others'' someday, I can''t afford to pay for it as I''m penniless now."


    Only then did Yun Shang realize that there seemed to be an unusual atmosphere between Ning Qian and Wang Jinhuan.


    Ning Qian frowned. She didn''t want to lose face in front of Yun Shang, so she sat next to Yun Shang and stared at Bao''er in Yun Shang''s arms. She reached out to hold Bao''er''s hand and didn''t respond Wang Jinhuan.


    Yun Shang knew that Ning Qian didn''t want to talk about it, so she looked up at Wang Jinhuan, raised her eyebrows and asked, "So you two? I suppose I should start preparing wedding gift?"


    Wang Jinhuan reacted quickly and chuckled, "Maybe I''ll also become a father in nine or ten months."


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened. What did he mean?


    But before Yun Shang could ask, Ning Qian quickly took out her sword from her waist and stabbed it toward Wang Jinhuan.


    Wang Jinhuan screamed and jumped out of the door, shouting, "Help! Qian Qian, you are murdering your husband..."


    Yun Shang looked down at her chuckling baby with a smile in her eyes. Yun Shang didn''t know what had happened between Ning Qian and Wang Jinhuan, but she could feel they had made some progress. But Yun Shang knew Ning Qian well, she knew there would still be a long way to go even if Wang Jinhuan kept pestering her.

 Chapter 842 The Abnormal Vision (Part One)

    As soon as Wang Jinhuan and the others left, Yun Shang was free. Then she remembered that Princess Tai An was still in the private prison of the mansion. Yesterday, due to the sudden visit of Xia Huanyu and the Empress Hua, she almost forgot about Princess Tai An.


    As soon as Qin Yi went back, Yun Shang ordered her to ask the secret guards to bring Princess Tai An here.


    It was unknown what kind of torture she had suffered in the private prison these two days, but the truth was that the secret guards had been constantly using their instruments extort confessions. From the situation of Princess Tai An, she might have suffered those tortures. Princess Tai An was no longer as arrogant as she was the day before yesterday. She seemed to be several years older and her face was pale. Her eyes were black and blue, and her body was trembling slightly.


    As soon as the secret guard let go of her, she collapsed to the ground as if she had lost her bones. As soon as she looked up, she saw Yun Shang. She was very frightened. She took a few steps back and said, "Don''t come over. Don''t come over. Don''t torture me anymore. I''ll do whatever you ask me to."


    Yun Shang smiled and said lightly, "I wonder who instigated Princess Tai An to set me up this time?"


    "Lady Shu. It''s Lady Shu..." Princess Tai An hurriedly confessed, curling herself up in a ball. "Lady Shu said that no matter how the the State of Xia is changed, at least it should be our descendants to inherit the position, not a bastard of an unknown origin. They also said that the Crown Prince was framed by Prince Rui. Prince Rui also wanted to hurt the seventh Prince. She asked me who I would


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    dead, so I quickly packed up my things and escaped from the city. But I was caught back... "


    Tai''an lowered her head and smiled. Then she continued, "I didn''t expect you to be so lucky. You were found so soon. You had been frozen in the ice cellar for so long, but nothing happened. You even gave birth to your son successfully."


    Yun Shang sneered, "You said you liked the former Crown Prince Xia Houyan, but you didn''t know that the real murderer of Xia Houyan was the seventh Prince. You are so stupid. "


    Tai''an stepped back again. She shouted, "Nonsense. When the Crown Prince was alive, he cared about the seventh Prince very much, and the seventh Prince also respected the Crown Prince."


    "I, Ning Yun Shang, don''t have any other advantages, but I dare to admit what I have done. Besides, now that you are in my hands, why should I lie to you?" Yun Shang sneered at Tai''an.


    "But it doesn''t matter to me whether you believe it or not. I never show mercy to those who try every means to hurt me. And you almost made me lose my unborn child this time. I will get even with you no matter what, "

 Chapter 843 The Abnormal Vision (Part Two)

    Yun Shang said while looking at Tai An pitifully, "Your former Crown Prince was set up by the seventh Prince and Cangjue Qingsu in the prison of the State of Ning. He was bewitched by the scent of Buddha and then burned to death. I heard that two lovers can meet each other in Heaven if they die in the same way. Since you miss him so much, why don''t I fulfill your wish and let you live happily with him? "


    Without waiting for Tai An''s response, she raised her head and ordered, "Guards, it''s a hot and dry today. Princess Tai An''s mansion is on fire. Hurry up and put out the fire."


    The secret guards quickly responded and dragged the pale faced Princess Tai An out of the room. But this time, Princess Tai An didn''t make any noise. She was unusually quiet.


    When Luo Qingyan returned home, Yun Shang was taking a nap with Bao''er in her arms. Bao''er was obedient. He had already woken up, but he didn''t make any noise. He just silently bit his fingers. Seeing that Luo Qingyan was staring at him, he smiled and clapped his hands, looking very happy. As Luo Qingyan was still looking at him, he stretched out his hand, as if asking for a hug.


    Luo Qingyan stared at him for a long time before he slowly looked away with a bit of coldness and toughness in his eyes.


    Bao''er saw his father''s coldness, pursed his lips as if he was about to cry. But Luo Qingyan ignored it and turned around to leave the room Then, Bao''er''s cry came out from the room. Luo Qingyan stopped, but didn''t turn around.


    At dinner time, a maid came to invite Luo Qingyan. Then he went back to South Yard. Yun Shang had already sat at the table, but Bao


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    er confinement of childbirth, so she refused all the gifts. However, many people still left the gift boxes at the door and left in a hurry. Yun Shang didn''t push them away, and ordered to put away the ownerless presents. She sorted them out one by one and asked Luo Qingyan to find an opportunity to donate them to the national treasury.


    In the past few days, the Jin City was very quiet. Except for the sudden fire in Princess Tai An''s mansion that day. Princess Tai An died in that fire, too. As Princess Tai An had always been domineering, after a few days of conversations in the Jin City, her story gradually calmed down.


    However, the peace did not last long. Only a few days later, something happened.


    There was a pestilence outside the Jin City, and soon the pestilence spread to the whole Jin city. The Imperial Astronomer asserted that this abnormal phenomenon was because a disaster star had fallen in the the State of Xia, and the disaster star had moved into the Jin City, causing the disaster. All the signs pointed to Empress Hua, who had just returned to the palace.

 Chapter 844 Lady Shus Provocation

    The newly renovated Weiyang Palace was quiet. Empress Hua only wore a moon-white long sleeved dress. Leaning against the bench, she flipped through the book in her hands, looking very focused. The sound of footsteps could be heard faintly. Empress Hua knew that it was Qian Shang. She smiled and said, "Did you lost your way? It took you so long to get some books from the library."


    Qian Zhuo pursed her lips and put the books on the chair beside the bench. "No. I just delayed for a while on the way." After a pause, she continued in a low voice, "Her Highness Crown Princess has ordered me to report to Your Majesty in time if anything happens. Her Highness asked me to be more careful as Your Majesty couldn''t be well-protected as when we were in Huanyin City. Besides, the Palace is much more dangerous..."


    Empress Hua looked up at Qian Shang, smiled and said, "Tell me, what happened?"


    "Qian Zhuo whispered, "A plague occurred outside the city and it has spread to the city. Everyone in the city is jittery. The Imperial Astronomer said, in front of all the civil and military officials, that there was a comet, which viewed as evil portent, came from the north and appeared in the sky above Jin City recently. As the comet was getting brighter, he feared that it might bring disaster to the State of Xia."


    "Oh?" Empress Hua was not surprised or confused at all. She just smiled faintly and said, "I didn''t expect that I am able to bring calamity to a state at such an age, that''s not bad."


    Qian Yin was in a daze. She opened her mouth but said nothing in the end. She thought that Empress Hua was even calmer than the Crown Princess. There must be someone who was trying to frame her. But how could she be so calm in such an urgent situation?


    A servant in front of the palace gate hurried in and reported, "Your Majesty, Lady Li from Lady Li asks to see you."


    Qian Zhuo had already known how to respond before the Empress said anything. "His Majesty has ordered that the Empress needs to have a good rest after the long trip. No one is allowed to disturb Her Majesty."


    The servant was also used to dealing with it. He just came in to ask as a mere formality, so he quickly replied and exited.


    Without raising her eyebrows, Empress Hua quietly picked up a book Qian Zhuo had just brought back. Not long after, she heard someone talking outside, followed by footsteps. "Your Majesty, here''s your white fungus soup." A soft voice was sounded when the bead curtain on the door was being lifted.


    Empress Hua said indifferently, "Put it down.


    A chuckle was heard, and the footsteps came close. When the bowl of white fungus soup was being put down on the chair, Empress Hua noticed the one''s slim fingers, carmine nail polish and a golden bracelet on her wrist.


    Empress Hua looked up and saw a calm but somewhat gorgeous face.


    Qian Zhuo squinted her eyes and looked at the person in front of her. Then she swept a curtsy and said in a low voice, "Greetings, Lady Shu."


    Lady Shu. With a smile at the corners of her mouth, Empress Hua] lowered her eyes again. Then she turned a page and said, "I''m wondering why Lady Shu bring me the white fungus soup in person. I''m flattered.


    answering all the questions, Empress Hua looked up at Lord Hua Guo, who was still standing, and said, "please sit here, Lord Hua Guo."


    Lord Hua Guo nodded and sat beside Empress Hua.


    Perhaps it was too boring to keep silent, the Empress] asked softly, "Is there anything important in the court today?"


    Lord Hua Guo was shocked. He looked at Empress Hua and thought, ''Female members of the Imperial Household are not allowed to meddle with the state affairs.'' His daughter seemed to be out of line.


    However, Xia Huanyu seemed to be very happy. He quickly replied, "We talked about the imperial examinations which is going to be held in half a month. Many positions in the court are still vacant, and it''s a good chance to select some talents. There will held exams on both literature and martial skills. I''ll order the Crown Prince to take in charge of the imperial examination and select more talented candidates for the state bureaucracy."


    Empress Hua nodded slightly. She thought for a while and said, "The imperial examination has always paid great importance to test the examinee the art of state government. I think specialists should be chosen for some certain position. For example, the Minister of the Agricultural Department should have a good understanding of farming. While the Imperial Astronomer should be proficient at observing astronomical phenomena instead of just talking nonsense like comet will bring disaster."


    At the beginning, Xia Huanyu was listening with a smile. He was happy that Empress Hua finally responded when he talked about state affairs. But when he heard it, he felt that something was wrong. He frowned as if he was displeased.


    "Imperial Astronomer did talk nonsense this time. I''ve already scolded him, but I''m wondering who is talking these nonsense in front of Ling''er." Xia Huanyu asked softly, with undisguised coldness in his eyes.


    Qian Zhuo lowered her head in a hurry, her heart beating fast.


    However, the voice of Empress Hua was heard faintly, "Previously, Lady Shu pretended to send white fungus soup and entered the bedroom of Weiyang Palace without my permission."

 Chapter 845 Achieve The Goal With Little Effort

    Qian Zhuo was taken aback. The Emperor was asking who told the Empress Hua about the Imperial Astronomer, but Empress Hua answered another thing. She said that Lady Shu had come to the Weiyang Palace.


    What Empress Hua said was a fact, but she spoke it out when Xia Huanyu asked that question, which was a little subtle. In this way, it seemed that she was telling Xia Huanyu that it was Lady Shu who mentioned the matter of the Imperial Astronomer in front of Empress Hua.


    As expected, Xia Huanyu''s face darkened. After a long time, he concealed the displeasure in his eyes and said indifferently, "It seems that the guards at the gate of Weiyang Palace haven''t done their job well. Liu Wenan, pull them down and flog everyone thirty times."


    However, the Empress only took the bowl, blew the soup in it, and then drank a spoonful of it. Then she turned to Lord Hua Guo and said in a softer voice, "I heard from Shang''er that mother is not in good health and always feels pain all over her body in cold and gloomy days. I have a prescription that I asked for in the State of Ning before, and it will be effective in a period of time. I have copied it. Father, please take it back to mother."


    Lord Hua Guo responded in a hurry, with tears in his eyes.


    However, Xia Huanyu frowned and said, "You also had this disease before? Are you feeling better now?"


    "I''ve taken medicines for many years and it''s not that serious now. I had the disease more than 20 years ago. I don''t know what caused it." Empress Hua smiled as if she didn''t care about it at all.


    After the three of them finished their meal, Empress Hua asked Qian Zhuo to take out the prescription and handed it to Lord Hua Guo. Then Xia Huanyu left Weiyang Palace with Lord Hua Guo and returned to the Meeting Hall.


    Before leaving, he turned around and said, "I''ve asked someone to prepare the dress for you for the Grand Ceremony. Later, the Shangyi Bureau will send it here. Have a try and see if it needs to be modified. If there is anything you don''t like, just tell them."


    the Empress answered softly. After Xia Huanyu left, she turned around and went back to her bedroom.


    Perhaps it was because Lady Shu had disturbed Empress Hua in the morning, Empress Hua, who always took a nap in the afternoon, seemed to be completely sleepless today. She leaned against the couch, as if in a daze.


    After a while, Qian Zhuo heard Empress Hua speak, as if asking her.


    "I heard that the Crown Prince had a premature labor. I didn''t ask her what caused that on the day I came back."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry, "It has something to do with the Su clan. After the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess returned, they noticed something usual in Jin City. After a careful investigation, they found that the Su clan seemed to have gathered all the gold and silver jewelry in the city, as well as the silver money in the bank. They had also kidnapped many people from the city, hidden them in the Palace and forced them to make weapons. Crown Prince came to the Palace to visit Lady Hui who was depressed after losing her baby and took it as an excuse to stay overnight in the


    displeasure in his eyes.


    When Lady Shu stepped into the main hall, she had already seen Xia Huanyu on the throne. She paused for a moment, and a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes.


    However, before the surprise faded away from her eyes, she heard Xia Huanyu''s indifferent voice. "Yesterday, I sent someone to inform all of you the greeting time. It should be 9 am. It is already a quarter past nine. Why did Lady Shu come in? Why don''t you kneel at the door yourself?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the hall was shocked, and Lady Shu''s face had already changed. She said in a pleading voice, "Your Majesty, I''m late because that the Shangyi Bureau sent the dress for the Empress for the Grand Ceremony to my palace this morning and I had to check it."


    "Oh?" Hearing this, Xia Huanyu raised his eyebrows and said in a colder voice, "I remember clearly that yesterday I sent someone to order the servants of Shangyi bureau to send the dress to Weiyang Palace as soon as it is ready .Who is in charge of the Shangyi Bureau? Since he couldn''t understand my words, you don''t have to be in charge of the Shangyi Bureau anymore."


    Lady Shu trembled again and her lips turned pale.


    Xia Huanyu glanced at her face indifferently. "Before I left the palace, I just asked you to take in charge of the imperial household temporarily. Now that the Empress has returned to the Palace, why do you still hold the Empress''s seal and refuse to return it? What do you want to do? Huh?"


    Lady Shu suddenly knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, after the Empress came back to the Palace, it was Your Majesty who personally ordered that no one was allowed to disturb the Empress as she was tired after the long trip. I didn''t find a chance to see her, so I couldn''t return the seal to her in person."


    Just as Lady Shu finished her words, before Xia Huanyu could open his mouth, the voice of Empress Hua came faintly, "Lady Shu, you are so forgetful. I remember that you entered the bedroom of Weiyang Palace yesterday under the guise of bringing me white fungus soup..."

 Chapter 846 Harmonious Meeting

    Lady Shu was about to explain, but Empress Hua didn''t seem to give her the chance. She just smiled faintly and said, "Maybe Lady Shu has forgotten about it. It doesn''t matter. After all, she is so busy dealing with the imperial household affairs. I''m free today. If Lady Shu has time, please send the seal of the Empress here within today."


    Lady Shu''s face darkened. She didn''t say anything for a while. Xia Huanyu frowned and said coldly, "No need to wait. I think she is leisurely now. Go to Shuya Palace to fetch the seal right now."


    As soon as Xia Huanyu finished speaking, Lady Shu''s face turned paler. Finally, she gritted her teeth and bowed to Xia Huanyu. "Yes, Your Majesty." Then she walked out slowly.


    Before the competition between Lady Shu and the new Empress, which the ladies had been looking forward to for a long time, began, Lady Shu had already lost completely. It was not because that her skills were inferior to that of the other, but that Xia Huanyu was being partial.


    After walking out of Weiyang Palace, Lady Shu kicked the corner of the wall and closed her eyes. It took her a long time to calm down. She walked to the carriage and said softly, "Let''s go back to the Shuya Palace."


    Lyu Ya, who followed Lady Shu, helped Lady Shu get on the carriage and said in a low voice, "Empress Hua is too arrogant. She thinks the imperial household is under her control just because His Majesty is on her side now. She starts to find fault with Your Highness without even knowing what''s going on in the Palace. She is really over-confident."


    Lady Shu sneered with a bit of tiredness in her eyes, "She is not overconfident. She is deliberately targeting me. Except her, I have the highest rank in His Majesty''s harem, and I have been taking in charge of the imperial household affairs for a long time. She is a smart person, and she knows that as long as I have to show respect to her, she will have a foothold in this imperial household. You''ll see, from today on, many concubines will definitely join her camp. She is now the apple of his Majesty''s eye, but I am just a nominal consort."


    Hearing what Lady Shu said, Lyu Ya lowered her head and said with a gloomy face, "Your Highness have experienced all ups and downs in the imperial household for so many years. How could Your Highness just let her do whatever she wants..."


    Lady Shu sneered. After a while, she said, "I''ve experienced all ups and downs. You are quite right. I''ve been in the Palace for twenty years. I had to pretend as a maid to serve others and I was being locked in the Cold Palace for so long. I suffered a lot and finally gained my current status. I''m not the kind of person who just waits passively for the end. If she wants the Empress''s seal, I''ll give it to her. It''s not a big deal. I''ll see whether or not she is able to hold it.


    Lady Shu went back to the Shuya Palace without any delay. She took the Empress''s seal and rushed to Weiyang Palace in a carriage.


    When she returned to the Weiyang Palace, Xia Huanyu was no longer there. The scene in


    nd said softly, "Your Majesty resembles the Crown Princess in character. Although the Crown Princess grew up in the Palace, she is also very tired of the plots in the Palace. I think the Crown Prince also likes to go to the battlefield more than stay in this city."


    Empress Hua laughed with her, but her smile was much lighter. "Although your two masters may not like this kind of life, they are born to live in the Palace. And even if they didn''t like it, they had no choice now. With his current identity and means, the crown prince would ascend the throne sooner or later. After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, Princess Hui Guo will become the Empress of the State of Xia. The Emperor and the Empress are destined to be locked in the Palace for the rest of their lives."


    Qian Zhuo bit her lips and said softly, "Fortunately, the Crown Prince said that he would only marry the Crown Princess in his life. If the Crown Prince only marries the Crown Princess, I think the two of them will be very happy no matter where they are."


    Hearing this, the smile on Empress Hua''s face gradually disappeared. "I hope so."


    After Qian Zhuo rubbed her shoulders for a while, Empress Hua asked her to stop. When Empress Hua walked to the bookshelf and wanted to take a book to read, she saw the seal on the bookshelf.


    With a smile, Empress Hua picked up the seal, turned around and said, "This is what everyone in the imperial household wants. How could you put it randomly?"


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo walked to the side of Empress Hua and said softly, "I don''t know where to put it. I''ve searched for a long time, but I haven''t found a hidden place."


    Empress Hua turned over the seal and said with a smile, "At least you could find a box to put it in. There should''ve been a box for it." When her gaze fell on the seal, she suddenly paused.


    Qian Zhuo hurried to find a box made of rosewood from the dresser. As soon as she walked in front of Empress Hua, she heard Empress Hua say in a trance, "The Empress''s seal is a fake one."

 Chapter 847 The Empresss Seal

    Qian Zhuo was taken aback. She hurried to have a look, but didn''t find anything wrong. She paused and said, "How could it be fake? Did Lady Shu do it on purpose? Has she kept the real one herself without permission?"


    With a faint look in her eyes, the Empress put the seal into the box held by Qian Zhuo and said softly, "Both the Emperor''s seal and the Empress''s seal have been engraved since the State of Xia was established and passed down from generation to generation. The State of Xia has been established for more than two hundred years. But judging from the carving technique and the jade used on the seal, I''m afraid that the seal is relatively new, at most twenty years."


    "But Lady Shu..." Empress Hua narrowed her eyes, "His Majesty asked her to return the Empress''s seal in the presence of so many ladies. I don''t think she had done anything to it. It''s too risky. If I exposed it on the spot, what could she do?"


    Qian Zhuo opened her mouth and looked at the seal in the box. After a while, she said, "Then this is..."


    Empress Hua was also confused. She kept silent for a while and said, "Put away the seal first. I''ll ask His Majesty in detail When he comes here later."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo answered and carefully hid the box in the jewelry box.


    After lunch, Empress Hua took Qian Zhuo to the Imperial Garden for a walk, and then went back to Weiyang Palace and took a nap. For the whole day, no one came to recommend themselves.


    Qian Zhuo asked anxiously, "Your Majesty has promised to promote four ladies as noble consorts. Why hasn''t anyone come?"


    Empress Hua was not in a hurry. She took a book and read it. "No hurry. They are still watching today. Tomorrow, I think someone will come. And the first one is very likely to be Lady Li."


    Qian Zhuo didn''t know why Empress Hua was so sure, but she was a little worried. "Lady Li has been in the Palace for a long time, but she is still only a low-ranked concubine. I''m afraid she can''t be qualified to the title as a noble consort."


    Empress Hua smiled, "Why couldn''t she be qualified?"


    While they were talking, Xia Huanyu''s voice came in from outside, "Qualified for what?"


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly curtsied to Xia Huanyu, who opened the bead curtain and stepped into the bedroom. Then she poured tea for Xia Huanyu in a hurry and stepped aside. Xia Huanyu sat down next to Empress Hua, smiled and said, "What are you talking about?"


    Empress Hua flipped through the book casually without raising her eyes. "In the morning, I made a promise to those concubines that I will choose four from them to help me deal with the imperial household affairs. I told them that they could come to me to recommend themselves."


    Xia Huanyu was stunned. He fixed his eyes on Empress Hua, as if he was observing her expression. After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, "It seems simple to run the imperial household, but there are a lot of trifle things to deal with every day. You do need to find someone to share the burden."


    "Okay," said Empress Hua indifferently. She put down the book and finally lo


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    the bookshelf and bring the medicine for wound healing. Apply some for me."


    Not daring to disobey, Lyu Ya hurriedly went to the bookshelf to look for the medicine, and asked someone to fetch water to carefully clean Lady Shu''s wound before applying the medicine.


    With a snort, Lady Shu continued, "Since Lady Li has been promoted, I''m afraid that all the other ladies in the Palace will be ready to make a move. Order someone to keep an eye on Weiyang Palace and report to me who have come to meet Empress Hua."


    "Your Highness, please don''t be angry about this. We have something on several ladies and we could take advantage of them. We''d better let them pretend to join Empress Hua''s camp. It will be a good opportunity for us if they could get Empress Hua''s trust. As long as Empress Hua has our people around her, it''s easy for us to set some trap for her."


    Lady Shu closed her eyes slowly and sighed, "You can arrange it."


    Lyu Ya nodded.


    Lady Shu didn''t say anything for a long time. After Lyu Ya applied the medicine on her wound, Lady Shu sighed slightly and said, "How long hasn''t His Majesty come to our Shuya Palace since he returned to the Palace? Which palaces has he been to these days?"


    After a short pause, Lyu Ya lowered her head and said in a low voice, "His Majesty hasn''t come to Shuya Palace for ten days. He has been staying in the Weiyang Palace every day since he came back to the Palace."


    "Hmm.." With a sneer, Lady Shu kept silent for a while and said, "It seems that Empress Hua do have some tricks. Why don''t we have a try and see how capable she is..."


    Lyu Ya was stunned for a moment and then understood. She quickly responded.


    On the early morning of the second day, the pestilence in the Jin City became much more serious. Rumors began to rise, and people were talking about the words of the Imperial Astronomer. Empress Hua was a comet that would bring disaster...


    In addition to this, another rumor was that the Empress''s seal in the Palace was a fake one, and the real one had long been missing.

 Chapter 848 Infected Rats

    At the same time, in the Crown Prince''s Mansion, Empress Hua was playing chess with Yun Shang. After a chess piece was put down, Empress Hua smiled and said, "Many things are like the chess game, where people are attacking each other. Shang''er, what should I do if someone offends me?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang knew what Empress Hua was referring to. She gently dropped the chess piece in her hand, and her smile became brighter. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice, get rid of you."


    Hearing this, the Empress''s eyes suddenly flashed with light. "Speaking of this, someone has already fooled me twice." As Empress Hua spoke, she put down the chess pieces, picked up Yun Shang''s chess pieces from the chessboard one by one, and put them aside. "This time, just as Shang''er said, I''ll get rid of the one."


    As soon as Empress Hua finished her words, she heard footsteps and baby''s crying outside the door. Yun Shang quickly stood up and walked to the door. She saw Qin Yi come in with Bao''er in her arms. "Bao''er, don''t cry. Bao''er, don''t cry. Your mother is here..."


    Yun Shang immediately took over the baby. As soon as Bao''er was in Yun Shang''s arms, he stopped crying and looked at Yun Shang with his big eyes. There were still tears on his eyelashes, but he was laughing with his hands clapped.


    Empress Hua walked to Yun Shang and wiped off the tears from the corner of Bao''er''s eyes. Her face softened. "Bao''er is so clingy to you and he is able to recognize his mother. Yingjie was like this when he was a child. He was happy in my arms and started to cry as soon as I let go of him."


    Hearing her mention of Zhao Yingjie, Yun Shang smiled and turned to her. "Your Majesty doesn''t seem to dislike General Zhao. Besides, many officials in the court tried to talk about General Zhao, but they were all suppressed by His Majesty. I have told Qingyan that General Zhao likes to fight. If there is a chance, he could send General Zhao to the military camp. But I''m afraid General Zhao has to start from an ordinary soldier..."


    Yun Shang kissed Bao''er on his cheek, and he giggled.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Empress Hua was very happy. "It doesn''t matter for him to start as an ordinary soldiers. The gold will shine sooner or later."


    Yun Shang nodded, "General Zhao is excellent in military tactics. It''s not difficult for him to stand out."


    Empress Hua smiled and sat down beside the chessboard. She thought for a while and said, "Compared with these, I''m more worried about his marriage. He was delayed by Princess Hua Jing before, so he didn''t want to get married again. I know he is afraid that I might be mistreated if he marries a bad tempered woman. But the situation is different now. I hope he could find someone who knows him well to accompany him."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and looked at Qin Yi. After a moment''s hesitation, she said softly, "I have a good candidate."


    "Oh?" Empress Hua''s eyes lit up and stared at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "


    un Shang thought for a moment and frowned. "I''m afraid someone is spreading the rumors on purpose. What about the pestilence? Why did it occur all of a sudden?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Qian Yin looked much more serious. She quickly replied, "I''ve sent someone to inquire about it. The pestilence came from Liu Village outside the city. It''s said that it''s caused by mice. It seems that some rats been infected with the pestilence. Then someone was bitten by a rat for no reason. After that, he began to have a fever on the second day and died after suffering for two days. At first, his family didn''t take it seriously. When they realized that something was wrong after he died, they had already been infected. Then the people in that village died one after another. It seemed that someone was afraid and ran away before the matter was exposed. As a result, they brought the pestilence into the city."


    "Rats?" Yun Shang frowned and kept silent for a while. Then she said, "Doctor Zheng is still in our mansion. Ask a servant to take you to find him later and let him accompany you to Liu Village. Find a way to catch a rat back."


    Qian Yin was stunned, but she didn''t ask Yun Shang why. She said in a low voice, "But if the rat is infected with the pestilence, it''s dangerous to bring it back to the mansion..."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "It doesn''t matter. I have my own way. But be careful when you catch it. Don''t be bitten."


    Qian Yin replied in a hurry and continued, "By the way, Your Highness, there''s another news from Lingxi City that the seventh Prince has escaped."


    Hearing the news, Yun Shang didn''t have much reaction. She just nodded and said, "It doesn''t matter. Has the pill been put into his meal?"


    Qian Yin nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."


    "That''s good." Yun Shang said softly, but the baby in her arms suddenly cried again. Yun Shang quickly stood up and walked back and forth in the room to comfort the baby. Seeing this, Qian Yin bid goodbye and left in a hurry.

 Chapter 849 Fool Me Thrice

    Qian Yin was always efficient. In the afternoon of the second day, she caught four rats, locked them in a cage covered with black cloth, and brought it back to Crown Prince''s Mansion.


    When Qian Yin arrived at the mansion, Luo Qingyan had already returned and was reading in the room. Seeing that Qian Yin came in with Doctor Zheng, his eyes fell on the cage. He frowned slightly and looked at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang didn''t explain to Luo Qingyan. She asked Qian Yin to take the rats to a yard in the mansion where very few people went. Then she washed her hands and asked the wet nurse to take Bao''er away. Then she asked Qin Yi to put on a long robe and a curtain hat for her.


    Luo Qingyan frowned and looked up at Yun Shang. "Rats? Why?"


    Yun Shang knew that she couldn''t hide anything from Luo Qingyan, so she smiled and said, "You know there is a pestilence in the Jin City recently? I asked Qian Yin to inquire about the pestilence and found out it was caused by rats, so I asked them to catch some back. I''m also a doctor. If I find out the cause of the pestilence, I will definitely find a way to deal with it."


    "Don''t go." Luo Qingyan frowned, "Are you kidding? Since you know the pestilence is caused by rats, how could you bring them into the mansion? The pestilence is raging in the city and there are people being infected every day. Many people have died of this. What if you get infected?"


    Yun Shang pouted and said, "Someone frame Empress Hua deliberately with the pestilence, so I tried to find a way to settle this matter? Don''t worry. Once I enter the yard with Qian Yin and Dr. Zheng, I''ll ask someone to lock it up and just put the food for us at the door. Even if any of us get infected, we won''t let the pestilence spread."


    Luo Qingyan''s face darkened. "You know I''m not worried about this. What I''m worried about is your safety."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and didn''t respond. Luo Qingyan could see the stubbornness in her eyes. Luo Qingyan sighed and said in a softer voice, "The antidote can''t be made in a short time. Will you three stay in the yard until you find the antidote?" After a pause, he continued, "What if Bao''er misses his mother?"


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang said vaguely, "He has the wet nurse and you."


    Luo Qingyan still disagreed, "Zheng Qiming is a disciple of Doctor Xue Yan. He has superb medical skills and could deal with it alone. No matter what, I won''t let you out today."


    After Luo Qingyan finished speaking, he called in a secret guard and ordered, "Ask Zheng Qiming to investigate the pestilence. If he needs anything, just let me know."


    The secret guard answered and left.


    Frustrated, Yun Shang took off her curtained hat. Knowing that Luo Qingyan was a man of his word, she pouted and ignored him. Luo Qingyan didn''t care about it at all. He lowered her head and read again.


    Dr. Zheng was so capable that he found out the truth on the second day. The secret guard reported Zheng Qiming''


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ease, people would definitely believe them. The visitors to the pharmacies would be officials and their family, businessmen, ordinary people, or storytellers from the tea houses. After all, everyone might get sick."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan''s eyes lit up. He stared at Yun Shang with a smile, "I often feel that I have married a brilliant wife. Besides, it''s said that women will get baby brain after they get pregnant, but my Shang''er is still smarter than others."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help patting Luo Qingyan on the chest with a smile in her eyes.


    After the news of the poison was spread out, Luo Qingyan sent Li Qianmo to launch an investigation aboveboard. Li Qianmo took out water from some wells and tested it. It turned out the wells were indeed poisoned. Li Qianmo didn''t stop the onlookers when investigating the case, so it soon spread in the Jin City.


    And the story that the Empress had risked her life helping the patients before knowing it was just a poison case was highly praised by the people. They all said that Empress Hua was courageous and loved the people. The rumor that Empress Hua was a comet faded away.


    The poisoner was being interrogated not in Yamen, but in the execution ground in the city. Many people came to watch it, surrounding the execution ground.


    The result of the interrogation was somewhat surprising. Li Qianmo asked the painter to draw a portrait based on the poisoner''s description of the culprit. When the portrait was finished, he showed it to everyone. Someone immediately recognized the person in the painting, "Isn''t that Lyu Ya? She used to live in the south of the city and she has gone into the Palace. It seemed that she was a maid of some concubine in the Palace. I often hear her parents praise her..."


    "Lady Shu, she is Lady Shu''s maid."


    Hearing the news from Qian Yin, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling. "No wonder the Empress said she would get rid the one who dared to fool her thrice..."

 Chapter 850 The Mysterious Man In The Ice Cellar

    "Bao''er, do you think your grandma is amazing? Even she has lost her memories, she is still so capable." Yun Shang kissed Bao''er forehead and touched his yellow hair. She smiled and said, "Bao''er''s hair doesn''t look good, I''m afraid it''s because of the premature birth."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi chuckled and quipped, "I''ve never seen a mother dislikes her own baby like Your Highness. He is too young now. We could ask someone to shave his lanugo when he is one month old, and then his hair will grow better."


    Just as she was speaking, she saw the new maid Hua''er running in in a hurry. Her face was full of horror. "Your Highness, Your Highness, bad news! Bad news..."


    Hua''er had only been here for two days, but Yun Shang had gotten used to her dramatic character. "What''s wrong?" Yun Shang asked without any expression on her face.


    Hua''er hurriedly said, "I was about to fetch some ice from the ice cellar to make some mung bean soup for the Crown Prince. After entering the ice cellar, I found a person sleeping in it."


    "Someone is in the ice cellar?" Yun Shang was surprised. "A man or a woman? Have you ever seen the person before? Do you know the person? Are you sure he is sleeping, not losing consciousness because of the cold? "


    Hua''er swallowed and said with horror in her eyes, "It''s a man, but he is so horrible. He has white clothes and white hair, and his skin was so white it looked almost transparent. His eyebrows and eyelashes are frosted. But his breathing is steady, and he doesn''t seem to pass out because of the cold..."


    He was a man with white clothes, white hair and almost transparent skin. And he could even sleep in the ice cellar.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. The only one she could think of in the world was...


    "Doctor Xue Yan?"


    Qin Yi, who was standing aside, was also a little surprised. "You mean the master who lives in the Changbai Mountain? Why is he in the State of Xia? Did the Crown Prince invite him here?"


    Yun Shang frowned. She couldn''t think of any other reason.


    However, Doctor Xue Yan had to live in an extremely cold place. Why dis Luo Qingyan ask him to come here? Was someone ill?


    Yun Shang couldn''t figure it out, but she couldn''t go to the ice cellar as she was still in her confinement of childbirth. So she had to keep this doubt in her heart and waited for Luo Qingyan to come back.


    "I heard from Hua''er that there is a man in our ice cellar. According to her description, the man seems to be Doctor Xue Yan. HaS he been invited here by Your Highness? Who is sick?"


    Luo Qingyan took the green bean soup from Hua''er, put it aside, and said softly, "No one is sick. I just want to invite him to see if he can help Empress Hua regain her memory." As he spoke, he took off his court robe and handed it to Qin Yi. Then he rolled up his sleeves, picked up the green bean soup and took a sip.


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang was still a little confused. "Empress Hua is fine now. Why does she have to restore her memory? Is it the Emperor''s order?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and smiled at Y


    uji had come to the Jin City. I think they probably want to make a move at the full-moon-birth banquet. But it''s impossible for us not to hold the banquet because of this. We must strengthen the security and check the people of the theatrical troupe when they enter the mansion. "


    "If there are knives and spears among the props of the theatrical troupe. Ask them to change into wooden ones. Melt the silver and brush a layer on the wood. It will look like the real ones."


    Qin Yi nodded and replied.


    When Luo Qingyan returned to the room, Yun Shang had already lain down. Luo Qingyan asked someone to fetch water and bathe before lying down beside Yun Shang. Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Has His Majesty punished Lady Shu for the poison case?"


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms and said softly, "Of course. His Majesty cherished Empress Hua so much. Even if the evidence is not sufficient, the emperor will not allow anyone to hurt Empress Hua. I don''t know how His Majesty deal with it, but there is no Lady Shu in the Palace now."


    Yun Shang was surprised, "Is the culprit really Lady Shu?"


    Luo Qingyan neither nodded nor shook his head. After a moment''s silence, he said, "Li Qianmo and I are still investigating. There are few clues we can get now, so we can only start with herbs."


    Yun Shang nodded. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "Maybe you could investigate the Imperial Astronomer."


    Luo Qingyan fixed his eyes on Yun Shang. Yun Shang smiled and said, "The pestilence broke out just after the Imperial Astronomer talked about the comet thing. I don''t think that these two things have nothing to do with each other. Besides, I''m interested in the position of the Imperial Astronomer.


    "Why?" Luo Qingyan said softly.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled. "Your Highness, don''t you think that if we choose a capable one to be the Imperial Astronomer, he might be highly respected by the people just like Master Wu Na in the State of Ning. In this way, he can be used to do a lot of things for us."

 Chapter 851 Baoers Godfather

    The second day, Luo Qingyan went to the court. Yun Shang had nothing else to do but lull Bao''er to nap. Bao''er had a crib, which could be swayed like a swing. Yun Shang shook the bed, reading a book in her hand.


    Seeing this, Qin Yi couldn''t help laughing. "My Crown Princess, you are reading these military books for the little prince. How could he understand?"


    Yun Shang glanced at Qin Yi, "He could. You see, Bao''er is listening carefully."


    Qin Yi walked to the bedside and couldn''t help laughing. Bao''er had already fallen asleep. He didn''t listen to Yun Shang at all.


    It was rare for Yun Shang to be shameless. "His father is the God of war, and his mother is not bad at fighting. Of course he likes military books. His highness said that he would take Bao''er to the camp when he grows up. I have to read military books for him every day. When he grows up, he won''t embarrass his parents."


    As saying this, Yun Shang heard a chuckle from outside. Yun Shang recognized the voice, so she turned around and asked, "Is that Mister Liu?"


    Liu Yinfeng''s gentle voice came from outside, "Liu Yinfeng wants to see the Crown Princess."


    Yun Shang stood up in a hurry and said, "Mr. Liu, please come in."


    Liu Yinfeng walked in. Yun Shang looked at him carefully and breathed a sigh of relief. Although Liu Yinfeng looked pale, he was in good spirit. He must be fine now.


    Liu Yinfeng had saved her life, so Yun Shang definitely hoped that he could be fine.


    Liu Yinfeng bowed to Yun Shang and looked at her gently with a faint smile. "I heard that Your Highness has given birth to the little prince safely, but because of my poor health, although I''ve been recuperating in the Crown Prince''s Mansion, I haven''t come to visit Your Highness and the little princess. It''s my fault."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Thanks to Mister Liu, I gave birth to Bao''er safely."


    Liu Yinfeng smiled and walked to the bedside. He looked at Bao''er in the crib and said gently, "The little prince looks very cute. Is his name Bao''er?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "His Highness said His Majesty is still thinking about his name. He might be named at his full-moon-birth party, so I gave him a nickname.


    "It''s a lucky name." Liu Yinfeng took off a jade pendant from his waist, put it beside Bao''er and said gently, "It''s my first time to meet Bao''er, so I should give him a gift. I want to give this jade pendant as a gift to the little prince."


    Yun Shang couldn''t turn him down, so she thanked him with a smile.


    Liu Yinfeng raised his head and said softly, "Thanks to the Crown Prince and Dr. Zheng, I''m almost recovered. I''m here to say goodbye to Your Highness."


    Yun Shang was stunned, but she couldn''t find a reason to let him stay. She smiled and said, "Okay, you''ve saved me many times. If there is anything that I can help, just tell me."


    Liu Yinfeng just smiled and didn''t nod.


    When he was about to leave, they saw Luo Qingyan coming in from the outside. Yun Shang and Liu Yinfeng were both stunned. However, Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything when he saw Li


    airs, Yun Shang said, "Take two wet nurses with us. If the little prince gets hungry, he will cry."


    Qin Yi agreed and asked the wet nurses to follow her. Then she turned to Yun Shang and said, "Let me hold the little prince. Although it''s autumn now, the weather is still hot. I''m afraid that Your Highness will sweat after you hold him for a while."


    Yun Shang handed Bao''er to Qin Yi and walked out of the room quickly. She took a deep breath and said with a smile, "I finally get out. I''ve been lying in the room for a whole month."


    Yun Shang walked leisurely to the garden house and saw Luo Qingyan talking to Lord Hua Guo. Seeing Yun Shang coming, Lady Hua Guo immediately came up and said, "Oh, my Bao''er. Come here, come to grandma."


    Qin Yi handed the baby to Lady Hua Guo who then chuckled and said, "He looks so joyous, like the baby in the new year painting.


    Yun Shang chuclked with her, "Yes, I was just talking about it."


    Lady Hua Guo played with Bao''er for a while and then whispered to Yun Shang, "I heard that Lady Shu is missing? Do you know what happened? "


    Yun Shang took a look at Luo Qingyan, who was glancing at them from time to time, and said softly, "It''s His Majesty''s arrangement. Lady Shu works for him, but she seems not to know her place. His Majesty is afraid that she might hurt the Empress."


    Lady Hua Guo sighed, "The Palace is really a bad place. I heard that Lady Shu is just a secret guard. She is influenced by the Palace and covet something out of her league."


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing.


    After a while, Lady Hua Guo continued, "A few days ago, I saw a familiar face in the city. She looked like Empress Su. I didn''t see her in ordinary clothes before, so I didn''t recognize her at that time. Later, I came to my senses and realized it was her. Didn''t Empress Su left the Jin City? There must be something wrong that she shows up at this time. His Majesty is coming today, we must be more careful."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was a little surprised. "Has grandma seen her?"

 Chapter 852 Giving A Name

    Lady Hua Guo nodded and frowned. "I always feel that something is wrong. If Su Ruji really came back to the Jin City, how didn''t she hid herself instead of wandering around in the city?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, lost in thought.


    Guests were coming gradually. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang were greeting the guests at the gate of the garden house. Male guests and female guests were taken to different areas in the garden for rest.


    Yun Shang took Bao''er to the place where the female guests rested. A group of ladies came up to them and said, "The little prince is so lovely. Your Highness Crown Princess is really lucky."


    Yun Shang listened to their compliments with a smile. She looked calm and chatted with them.


    "I heard that Empress Hua will come today. I don''t know what kind of person she is, but I think she must be exceedingly beautiful since His Majesty loves her so much." Then they talked about Empress Hua.


    "Is it possible that Empress Su is disposed because of Empress Hua? Empress Su has been the Empress for more than 20 years. She is virtuous and gentle. If it''s just because of this, it seems that the Emperor is somewhat unkind." A young woman said softly.


    As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was stunned. Looking at everyone''s face, that young woman seemed to realize that Empress Hua was the Crown Prince''s biological mother, and the Crown Princess was still here...


    Yun Shang bowed her head and teased Bao''er in Qin Yi''s arms. Bao''er suddenly cried. Yun Shang immediately held him into her arms, but he didn''t stop crying. Yun Shang looked at the guests apologetically and smiled, "The little prince is hungry. I''ll take him away to feed him." Then she hurriedly went back to the South Yard with Bao''er.


    Unexpectedly, Luo Qingyan was also there. He seemed to be listening to the secret guard reporting something in a low voice.


    Yun Shang handed Bao''er to the wet nurse and walked up to Luo Qingyan. "What happened?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "nothing."


    Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan what Lady Hua Guo had said before. Then she said in a low voice, "I thought about it carefully just now. Su Ruji appeared on the street so blatantly, probably because she wanted us to know that she had arrived at the Jin City. The most important thing in the Jin City recently is Bao''er''s full-moon-birth party. She wants to tell us that she will take action at the party."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly. "I''m afraid they will take action today, but their real target is not the full moon party."


    "If they are not going to take action at the full moon party, what else could it be?" Yun Shang had the same thought just now, but she really couldn''t figure out what they wanted to do. Today, Xia Huanyu, Empress Hua, Luo Qingyan, she and Lord Hua Guo were almost all in the Crown Prince''s Mansion. It was a good opportunity to kill them all with one strike.


    T


    "At least, for now, it''s a good thing. In the future..."


    Luo Qingyan lowered his head and looked down at his feet. He said in a lower voice, "I will protect him."


    Since Luo Qingyan had said so, Yun Shang couldn''t say anything more. She looked at Bao''er in Qin Yi''s arms and sighed. Most people are snobbish. As long as Bao''er is favored, at least he can suffer less grievances. Yun Shang thought.


    After Xia Huanyu sat down on the seat of honor, Empress Hua and Yun Shang sat beside him. But her eyes fell on Luo Qingyan, who was talking to someone. Noticing the black token on the waist of the man beside Luo Qingyan, she knew he was a secret guard.


    Seeing Luo Qingyan frown, Yun Shang couldn''t help but worry. Just a moment ago in the South Yard, she sent most of the secret guards away. Was there anything wrong? If they target at the Crown Prince''s Mansion, the guards left in the mansion might not be able to resist them.


    Yun Shang took Bao''er from Qin Yi and winked at Qin Yi. Then Qin Yi understood and retreated slowly. Yun Shang saw her and the secret guard gradually disappear in a corner of the yard. Then she turned around and said to Hua''er, "Go arrange the performances"


    Hua''er answered and left.


    Empress Hua looked at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "The show must be wonderful. I''m looking forward to it."


    Yun Shang smiled at Empress Hua''s words. Several boats were slowly heading towards the stage in the center of the lake. The beautiful dancers already started their performance on the boats.


    Yun Shang just glanced at them indifferently and then looked away. Qin Yi came back and whispered something in Yun Shang''s ear. Yun Shang was stunned and the corners of her mouth curved up slightly. It seemed there was a good show to watch today.


    While she was thinking, she saw Li Qianmo come in a hurry, bowed to Xia Huanyu and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Su Mansion is on fire."

 Chapter 853 A Good Show

    "The Su Mansion?" Frowning slightly, Xia Huanyu subconsciously glanced at Empress Hua. Seeing that Empress Hua had been looking at the stage, he kept silent for a while and asked softly, "Who are in the Su Mansion?"


    Li Qianmo replied in a hurry, "Su Qi''s concubines, his daughters-in-law and his grandchildren are in the mansion."


    "Send someone to check the casualties." Xia Huanyu answered indifferently. When he turned his head, he saw Yun Shang looking at him. He paused for a while and then turned to the stage.


    The beauties on the boat had already boarded the stage. Each of them held a Pipa in their hands. They danced gracefully while playing the Pipa. Their clothes fluttered in the air, which was breathtaking.


    When the Pipa dance was over, Luo Qingyan stood up and said, "Today is my son''s full moon party. Thank you for coming. I''ll drink three cups of wine to express my thanks to all of you."


    After he drank the wine, Liu Wenan took the imperial edict and stood aside with a smile. "His Majesty has an imperial edict."


    Everyone hurriedly knelt down to listen to the imperial edict, which was the same as what Xia Huanyu had said before. The Emperor named the son of the Crown Prince Chengye and bestowed him with a prince title, Ming Jin.


    As Yun Shang expected, everyone present looked at each other in dismay and bowed to the Emperor.


    Yun Shang smiled and asked Hua''er to prepare the second performance, which was an opera called Success and failure are both due to Xiao He.


    Yun Shang had asked someone to add this opera on whim. Looking at the actor on the stage whose face could not be seen, the corners of Yun Shang''s mouth slightly curled up. She turned to Empress Hua and said, "This opera is my new favorite. Do you like it, Your Majesty?"


    Hearing this, the Empress turned to Yun Shang and said with a smile, "It''s a classic. Success is due to Xiao He, downfall is also due to Xiao He. But I''m wondering who is Xiao He?"


    Empress Hua definitely knew who Xiao He was. What she asked was who the Xiao He in the play implicate.


    Yun Shang smiled and said something that had nothing to do with the opera, "I''ve heard a saying before. Noble clans could keep their prosperity for at most three generations, but there is a family in the State of Xia that has been favored by the emperors for a long time. However, the recent generation went into a rapid descent. Although there were still some people in the clan who were in high positions, they did not achieve much in both literature and martial arts. But even so, the family was still powerful in the court. I think the reason is that there is such a Xiao He among the family."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu, who was watching the opera, turned to Yun Shang, lost in thought.


    Yun Shang smiled again, "I don''t know if the fire of the Su Mansion is extinguished or not. It would be a pity if the foundation of the Su clan is destroyed in this way."


    The opera was a long one. Bao''er seemed to feel a little noisy. He pursed his lips and began to cry again. Yun Shang picked up Bao''er in a hurr


    y and his voice was very calm.


    Yun Shang nodded and made a gesture to Hua''er in the distance. Then a group of actors started dancing on the drum which were floating in the lake. With the beats of the drum, they were singing ancient song of blessing.


    From the corner of Yun Shang''s eyes, she saw Li Qianmo walking towards them quickly.


    "Your Majesty, I have inquired about it. There are one hundred and thirty-two people in the Su Mansion today. I''ve found one hundred and forty-six corpses there." Li Qianmo bowed and reported in a low voice.


    His voice was covered by the song and there was no response from Xia Huanyu. When Li Qianmo was about to repeat it, he heard the voice of Xia Huanyu, "Oh, where did the extra people come from?"


    Li Qianmo said in a low voice, "We are investigating in the mansion. But because of the big fire, the corpses were burned beyond recognition and are almost difficult to recognize."


    "Forget it. It doesn''t matter. Don''t bother to investigate it. Sit down and enjoy the performance." Xia Huanyu was as calm as ever.


    Yun Shang frowned and felt that Xia Huanyu seemed too calm today.


    Li Qianmo seemed to be stunned too. He didn''t answer for a long time. When he came to his senses, he answered in a hurry, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    The drumbeats and the song were loud, but Yun Shang always felt that she had vaguely heard some other sound which seemed to come from outside.


    As the song faded away, Yun Shang heard the voice grow louder and louder. It turned out that it was not her illusion.


    "Kill... Kill the damned emperor! Go to the Imperial Palace to kill them all, leaving no one alive!" The sound outside was very loud, and the echoing sound was even deafening. The faint sound of horse''s hooves could be heard, as if soldiers and horses were besieging the Crown Prince''s Mansion.


    The rest of the people also heard it clearly. For a moment, the scene was a little chaotic. Someone was screaming, someone was running around, and someone was shouting, "The traitors have attacked the city."

 Chapter 854 The Incident In The Palace

    "Don''t move!" in a panic, Xia Huanyu''s voice suddenly came up like a thunder, "Whoever dares to take a step forward or shout again will be killed."


    The chaotic garden quieted down in an instant.


    Xia Huanyu turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Which place is the most conspicuous in the Crown Prince''s Mansion?"


    Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang. The smile on Yun Shang''s face was still faint, as if the sounds outside had disappeared. She replied, "Your Majesty, the Pavilion across the street is the highest and most eye-catching."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and turned to look at the people in the garden. He asked, "Aren''t they going to kill me? I will go to the most conspicuous place in the Crown Prince''s Mansion then. If they have the ability, just come and kill me. Show me the way... "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, turned to the guards around and said coldly, "You all stay here to protect everyone." Then he got on the boat with Yun Shang and went to the pavilion on the other side.


    Everyone saw that Xia Huanyu, Empress Hua, Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, who was holding her baby, slowly climbed to the pavilion. The cries of killing were still going on outside, but Lord Hua Guo laughed. "They''ve shouted for so long, but no traitor has come in. It seems that there''s been lots of thunder but little rain. Since his majesty is not afraid, what are we afraid of? As a drinker, why should we be afraid of wine?"


    With guards around, everyone felt a little relieved and sat down. Only some women trembled and their faces turned pale, as if they were extremely scared.


    An hour later, the cries of killing continued. It seemed they were around the Crown Prince''s Mansion. However, just as Lord Hua Guo said, no one came in from the beginning to the end.


    Lord Hua Guo''s face darkened.


    He felt something was wrong. It sounded there were a lot of people outside, but why didn''t they make a move? If they were afraid of the guards of the Crown Prince''s Mansion, why did they make a bluff outside? Was it just to frighten them?


    Thinking of these, Lord Hua Guo couldn''t sit still any longer. He stood up and said to Lady Hua Guo, "I''ll go out to have a look."


    Knowing what kind of person he was, Lady Hua Guo didn''t stop him. She just nodded and said, "Be careful. Bring more guards with you."


    Before Lord Hua Guo walked out of the garden, he saw a man dressed like a guard rushing over and shouting, "Bad news! Bad news! The rebellious army has entered the palace and the city is surrounded by them."


    Everyone was shocked again, but they tried to behaved themselves in front of the guards. They could only whisper and dare not make loud noises. Lord Hua Guo pulled out the sword from the guard''s waist and stabbed it into his chest. The guard''s eyes widened. He fell to the ground and died before he knew what happened.


    Lord Hua Guo sneered and said in a loud voice, "I''ve been in the court for so many years, but I''ve never seen a guard wearing cloth shoes. I''m afraid you don''t have time to change your shoes. Don''t be deceived or flustered. I''ll go out to have a look. Both the imperial and the palace guards we


    forgive me, your majesty." They screamed, begged for mercy and cried.


    The smile on Su Ruji''s face became colder. She pinched a mark on the rosewood with her pointed finger and said, "I hate to see in my territory the stuff of other people''s."


    A voice came from the door, "Your Highness, his majesty ordered you to go to the Taiji Palaceas soon as possible."


    "Your Highness?" Su Ruji couldn''t help laughing out, but her laughter was somewhat cold. "I have worked so hard to plan, but I didn''t expect that I would be demoted in the end. What a joke."


    But in the end, she didn''t smile at all.


    Su Ruji raised her hand to straighten her dress and said indifferently, "Father asked me to look for the imperial seal?"


    The guard quickly replied, "Yes."


    Su Ruji nodded and glanced at Weiyang Palace for the last time. Then she said indifferently, "Let''s go." Then she stepped out of the main hall of Weiyang Palace.


    When they arrived at the Taiji Palace, Su Qi had already taken off his hat. He was amazed at the pattern of Nine Dragons carved in the sky on the wall behind the dragon throne. He clicked his tongue and a greedy look flashed through his eyes.


    Su Ruji glanced at his back and walked into the hall with a smile, "Father."


    It was not until then that Su Qi put down his hand and restrained his expression a little. He turned around and smiled warmly. "Ruji is here? Tell me, where is the imperial seal? "


    The desire in Su Qi''s eyes was too strong. Su Ruji lowered her head and said coldly, "Father, you''ve been there for so long. Why haven''t you found the imperial seal yet? The jade seal is in the wall you touched just now. "


    Hearing this, Su Qi''s eyes suddenly lit up. He turned his head back, carefully touched the wall carved with flying dragons in the sky, and after a long time, he asked, "No?"


    Su Ruji slowly walked up the steps and stood beside the Dragon chair. She stretched out her hand to touch the Dragon bead in the dragon''s mouth on the armrest of the chair. After she gently turned around, the wall suddenly moved away slowly.

 Chapter 855 A Decisive Action

    However, what they saw was not the expected imperial seal, but Xia Huanyu''s cold face. Behind him were Luo Qingyan, Empress Hua and Yun Shang.


    The faces of both Su Qi and Su Ruji suddenly blanched. Su Qi took two steps backward and shouted, "Guards! Call them now! "


    But no one came, and no one responded. Su Ruji also stepped back, pale-faced and stupefied..


    However, Luo Qingyan, who was standing next to Xia Huanyu, smiled, "Do you think there will be anyone to save you since we are already here?"


    Xia Huanyu walked out from the back of the wall and slowly came before both of them. It was not until then did they find that the secret passage was illuminated as bright as day by the torches. Behind them, were countless people in armors. They were all dressed as the palace guards.


    Su Ruji was calmer than Su Qi. Knowing that she would lose the game completely this time, she calmed down and said, "Aren''t you celebrating the first month of King Mingjin in the Crown Prince''s Mansion? Why are you here all of a sudden? "


    Xia Huanyu sneered. As soon as the imperial edict was issued that Bao''er should be King Mingjin, Su Ruji had already known the title of Bao''er.


    "You want to ask why we appear here for no reason, and why no one informed you and gave you a chance to escape, right?" Xia Huanyu''s voice was full of coldness. He stared at Su Ruji as if he was looking at a completely strange person.


    Su Ruji smiled bitterly and said, "I forgot that your Majesty was also the general of the battlefield when you were young, but these schemes should not have attracted your Majesty''s attention."


    However, Xia Huanyu didn''t want to talk to her anymore.


    Leaning against a pillar, Su Ruji tried her best not to fall down. With a bitter smile on her face, she said, "Now that the situation is over, your majesty can tell me where I have lost. Even if I have to die, you just let me know about it."


    Neither Xia Huanyu nor Luo Qingyan made a sound. Empress Hua and Su Ruji didn''t know each other, so they had nothing to say. Yun Shang looked at the three of them and couldn''t help laughing. "Your Highness, are you waiting for the news of General Su Ruhai?"


    As soon as Yun Shang finished her words, Su Ruji''s face changed.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Your highness want to buy time. Since his majesty didn''t say anything, why don''t you let me have a chat with you? What do you want to ask?


    Do you want to ask us why we knew that your highness would take action in the palace and order the ministers with the imperial seal? Or do you want to ask why no one sent a signal to you after we left Crown Prince''s Mansion? Or do you want to ask why we know what Su Ruhai has done? Or, why didn''t we go to the Su Mansion when you were badly injured in that fire? "


    From these seemingly questions, Su Ruji knew that all their arrangements had been seen through by the people in front of her, and they had no way out. Her eyes were red, but she became sober and calm. She said to Yun Shang, "If you don''t mind, you can tell me. I have plenty of time now. If you say something more, maybe I can live for a longer time. Why not?"


    Yun Shang smiled and walked up to Su Ruji, saying,


    ion, but they can''t see clearly their appearance.


    Your Majesty, you should know that I had a difficult labor before because I was trapped in an ice cellar, but you may not know how I got there. There was a passage from the palace to Princess Tai An''s mansion, and there is another tunnel from her mansion to Crown Prince''s Mansion. We first ordered the imperial army to wait in Princess Tai An''s mansion, and then they went through the tunnel to the palace. After that, we secretly dispose of all the people who your majesty and the Field Marshal had brought into the palace.


    Your Majesty asked Field Marshal Su to secretly transfer people here from the Imperial Guard camp, but you forgot that even if the Imperial Guard camp is under the control of Field Marshal Su, it is hard to guarantee that no one will discover your plot as there are so many soldiers in the camp."


    Yun Shang smiled and stood up, "I''ve said enough. What else do you want to know, your majesty?"


    Su Ruji''s face had already paled for a long time, but she still forced a smile and said, "No. How could I still have any questions? I have no choice but to die. I''m just a member in his Majesty''s imperial household. Even as the Empress, I have to call myself concubine when I meet his majesty. Twenty-eight years. I have been with his majesty for twenty-eight years. We have been together day and night for twenty-eight years. In the end, I can only end up like this. What else can I say?


    Well," said Su Ruji. She turned around and saw Empress Hua behind her, calm and silent. She said to her smilingly, "You are lucky. You have been loved by the emperor of a country for more than 20 years, but so what if you are loved by him again? Maybe you would end up with a miserable ending, too? I''m your example. Hua Ling, take care of yourself. "


    As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Shang sensed something abnormal. She stepped forward and saw black blood oozing from the corner of Su Ruji''s mouth. Her body suddenly fell to the side, but she was still smiling while murmuring, "Take care of yourself..."


    Then she tilted her head and lost her breath.

 Chapter 856 He Has Always Been There For You

    Seeing Su Ruji had died, Yun Shang touched her face subconsciously to see if she was disguised by someone else. Then Yun Shang bent down to smell, but she didn''t smell any medicine.


    This time, it was the real Su Ruji.


    Yun Shang raised her head and smiled. Su Qi panicked and stepped back in a hurry. He stared at Su Ruji''s corpse, as if he had lost his mind all of a sudden.


    Yun Shang looked at Su Qi coldly. The Su family had been favored for more than two hundred years. Su Qi was probably much worse director than the previous ones in charge of the family. He had tried every means to send Su Ruji to the Palace, but only with the prestige and the supports the Su family had accumulated in the court for nearly hundred years, he managed to hold on.


    However, Su Qi didn''t know how to restrain himself. He wanted to attract everyone''s attention, but he was not smart enough and left many hidden dangers.


    Su Ruji gradually gained a firm foothold in the imperial household and was able to help the Su family which was already on the decline. Xia Huanyu might have had the intention to take action against the Su family. The Su family''s perseverance till now had something to do with Su Ruji''s efforts in the imperial household.


    As soon as Su Ruji died, it meant that the Su clan was going to be over. Naturally, Su Qi was extremely sad.


    "Guards, drag the traitor down." Xia Huanyu''s voice was cold, and he didn''t even give a glance at the corpse of Su Ruji from beginning to end.


    The palace guards rushed in from the outside, restrained Su Qi and pulled him out.


    Yun Shang faintly heard the signal from a secret guard. She raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Xia Huanyu and Empress Hua. She smiled and said, "I''ll go out to see what''s going on outside."


    After saying that, Yun Shang bowed and walked out of the Taiji Palace.


    Outside the Taiji Palace, the palace was under the control of the palace guards. The figures of the palace guards could be seen everywhere. Yun Shang walked to a corner, and a piece of paper fell down from the beam above her head. Yun Shang took the paper and unfolded it.


    She frowned and looked at the note. There were only a few words on it: The seventh Prince has arrived at Jin City.


    Yun Shang had guessed where the seventh Princes would go after he fled. She thought he was going to the frontier to dispatch troops. But she didn''t expect him to return to the Jin City so soon. Didn''t he plan to seize the throne now?


    But now Luo Qingyan had become the Crown Prince. Even if the seventh Prince returned to the Jin City, it would be difficult for him to turn over.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang curled up her lips, rubbed the paper and put it into her long sleeve.


    All the traitors had been arrested, and the Palace gradually returned to peace. The palace guards were cleaning up the corpses of the dead servants in the Palace.


    Yun Shang stood in the corridor for a while, with mixed feelings mounting in her heart. Although she was born and raised in the Palace. The Palace was the most prosperous place in the world, and also the darkest place in the


    . "Greetings. Father and mother."


    Empress Hua was also surprised, but she just glanced at the seventh Prince and looked away indifferently.


    On the other hand, Xia Huanyu looked a little nervous. He had been checking the reaction of Empress Hua from the corner of his eyes. Seeing that Empress Hua didn''t say anything, he turned to look at the seventh Prince and said in a somewhat cold voice, "Arise."


    His eyes fell on the tied men behind the seventh Prince, and he frowned again. "What''s going on? Aren''t they the commanders of the imperial guards?"


    The seventh Prince stepped forward in a hurry and answered softly, "Yes, Your Majesty. As soon as I entered the Jin City, I heard that Field Marshal Su had rebelled and saw Su Ruhai hurried to the imperial army. I was suspicious and secretly ordered someone to follow Su Ruhai. When I arrived at the camp, I found that Su Ruhai wanted to mobilize the imperial guards to attack the Imperial Palace without permission and cooperate with Su Qi to seize the power."


    "Seeing this, I caught Su Ruhai and several commanders of the imperial guards who supported him." The seventh Prince said in a low voice.


    "Su Ruhai?" Xia Huanyu glanced at the people in the hall and found a man among the commanders of the imperial guards, who had been lowering his head.


    The seventh Prince walked up to the man, pinched his chin and raised his head. It was really Su Ruhai.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. It was interesting that they didn''t get along well with each other in the Ling Xi City. Su Ruhai sent the seventh Prince to the prison. Now that the seventh Prince had returned to the Jin City, the first thing he did was to send Su Ruhai to Xia Huanyu to ask for credit.


    Although it was not his contribution.


    Luo Qingyan had already ordered people to lurk in the imperial guards. As soon as Su Ruhai connected with the imperial guards, the secret guards found him. Then the secret guards took the token from him and avoided a disaster.


    She didn''t know when the credit would belong to the seventh Prince.

 Chapter 857 The Crown Prince Misbehaves

    The smile at the corners of Xia Huanyu''s mouth was somewhat ironic. After listening to Xia Houjing for such a long time, he nodded and said, "Really? So you have made a great contribution. When this matter is settled, you will be rewarded for your contribution."


    Hearing this, Xia Houjing seemed very happy. He kowtowed several times and pretended to be humble. "I just did a little bit to stabilize the state of Xia."


    Xia Huanyu glanced at him coldly and said, "That''s it for today. I''ll deal with it later. The Palace needs to be cleaned up. You can go back home first."


    Yun Shang, Luo Qingyan and Xia Houjing immediately obeyed the Emperor and slowly left the Taiji Palace.


    The three walked down the long stone steps together. Xia Houjing turned to look at Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, with a smile on his face. "I heard that today is the full moon party of the eldest son of Your Hignesses Crown Prince and Crown Princess. I wonder if I have the honor to have a drink at my nephew''s party?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t respond. Yun Shang smiled and said, "Of course, you are welcome."


    Xia Houjing seemed to be very happy. He grinned and said, "Thank you, Your Highness Crown Princess. I''ve just entered the city and I''ve been in a mess after the long trip. It''s not appropriate to meet guests like this. I''ll go back to my mansion and change my clothes. Then I''ll come to your mansion to congratulate you."


    After getting down the stone steps, Xia Houjing stood in front of the carriage and waited for Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang to get on it. He didn''t get on his carriage until their carriage started.


    Yun Shang opened the curtain and looked at the staggering figure of the seventh Prince. The corners of her mouth were slightly curled up. "It''s getting more and more difficult to see through the seventh Prince."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "You don''t need to see through him. Spare your time to look at me."


    It took Yun Shang a long time to realize that Luo Qingyan was flirting with her. She glared at Luo Qingyan and stopped talking.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and stopped joking. "He has a grudge against you when you were in the Lingxi City. You need to be careful."


    Without Luo Qingyan''s reminder, Yun Shang knew she should be careful. She nodded and leaned on Luo Qingyan''s shoulder, thinking about something.


    After a while, Yun Shang frowned and suddenly sat up straight. "It suddenly occurred to me that Hua Yutong hadn''t shown up at the banquet."


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. After a long silence, he said slowly, "I didn''t say anything since I saw you have a good relationship with Hua Yutong. But you must have found something wrong. I''m afraid Empress Hua is not on the same way with us. We can''t keep her."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was in a daze. After a long silence, she lowered her head.


    She had found many unusual things. She had thought that Hua Yutong might have been bribed by the sev


    rd, Lady Hua Guo was sitting in the room, teasing Bao''er with a rattle in her hand. The sound of the rattle was very cheerful, and Bao''er had been staring at the rattle in Lady Hua Guo''s hand. Qin Yi and the wet nurse stood aside and couldn''t help smiling.


    Seeing Yun Shang come in, Qin Yi hurried up to her and said, "Your Highness is back."


    Yun Shang nodded and walked to the crib. She smiled at her happy baby and said, "What a carefree baby."


    Lady Hua Guo put down the rattle and asked with a smile, "Is everything okay?"


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Everything is under control."


    Yun Shang picked up the rattle and remembered that it was bought by Luo Qingyan in the street last time. Now it came in handy. Seeing that Bao''er liked it, Yun Shang shook it to tease him.


    "That''s good. That''s good. I was so worried that something bad wound happen." Lord Guo''s wife smiled and said, "although the Su group is not as strong as before, it has accumulated for so many years. A lean camel is bigger than a horse."


    Yun Shang smiled, "It is just a dead camel now. As soon as this matter is over, there will be thorough cleanup in the court.


    Lady Hua Guo nodded, "His Majesty must known clearly who were on the side of the Su clan. He just hasn''t got a chance to get rid of them. Now that this matter has happened, it is a good opportunity to clean up some people with disharmony in the court. Fortunately, the imperial examination is about to begin, and they could spare some positions for the young people."


    After a pause, Lady Hua Guo said, "His Lordship is getting old. It''s time for him to resign."


    Yun Shang was not surprised at all. When Empress Hua was the empress, in order not to make the Emperor feel that the Hua family wielded too much power, he had retired once. Now that the Empress Hua had returned to the Palace and Luo Qingyan had been bestowed with the Crown Prince, the Hua family should avoid arousing suspicion.

 Chapter 858 Pretending To Be Drunk

    Yun Shang nodded slightly, smiled and said, "Grandpa and grandma have been working hard for the Hua family all these years. Now that it''s time for you to have a good rest and enjoy the fun with all the children and grandchildren around."


    Lady Hua Guo chuckled, "Yes. Now that both you and Ling''er are fine, I''m relieved."


    After chatting with Lady Hua Guo for a while, Luo Qingyan saw a servant of Luo Qingyan come in. "Your Highness Crown Princess, the seventh Prince is here. He is clamoring to see the little prince in the garden..."


    Yun Shang frowned and wondered what Xia Houjing was going to do. He looked respectful to Luo Qingyan today, but everyone knew what he was thinking now.


    "The seventh Prince are not easy to get along with. He is too scheming. You''d better not let Bao''er get in touch with him. I fear that he will do something to Bao''er." Lady Hua Guo suggested in a hurry.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "He hasn''t broken up with us in front of the Emperor and all the officials. If we refuse him, it will be a little unreasonable. As His Highness has just become the Crown Prince, he has to leave a good impression on the officials. Since the seventh prince has proposed to see Bao''er in front of everyone, it would be unwise for him to hurt Bao''er. It''s not easy for him to poison Bao''er in front of me. Besides, I have put pills on Bao''er to protect him from being poisoned, so he should be safe."


    Lady Hua Guo thought for a while and realized that she had overreacted. She nodded and said, "be careful."


    Yun Shang replied. Then she looked up and said to Lady Hua Guo, "Grandfather is drinking outside. If you are sleepy, you can take a nap in the room."


    After Lady Hua Guo agreed, Yun Shang went out with Bao''er, Qin Yi and the wet nurse, and headed for the garden.


    The garden was full of hustle and bustle. A group of people were toasting to Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan must have drunk a lot. Although he looked fine, he glanced at a spot from time to time.


    The seventh Prince were sitting next to Luo Qingyan and called him "Your Highness Crown Prince" in delight.


    "When Your Highness was conferred the title of the Crown Prince, I was still at the border. It''s my fault that I didn''t have time to congratulate you. I''ll punish myself by drinking a glass of wine. Fortunately, I''m on time for my nephew''s full moon party today, or I will really regret to death. Good things come to Your Highness in pairs. I drink one glass, and you''ll have to drink three glasses." Xia Houjing laughed, raising his head and drinking up a glass of wine.


    Hua Yutong also came with Hua Yutong. She sat aside and talked to the woman next to her, but her eyes occasionally swept in the direction of the seventh Prince.


    Yun Shang paused for a moment. She could lie to her, but the feeling in her eyes couldn''t. Hua Yutong must have fallen in love with the seventh Prince.


    Yun Shang withdrew her look and walked to Luo Qingyan with a smile. She glanced at the seventh Prince and said softly, "Your Highness,


    et out a soft "hiss". Yun Shang was afraid that she would really hurt Luo Qingyan, so she quickly let go of Luo Qingyan.


    But then she heard Luo Qingyan''s chest shake slightly, followed by laughter.


    Yun Shang frowned and raised her head to stare at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan''s eyes were clear. Except for the heavy smell of alcohol, he didn''t look drunk at all. "You always bully me."


    Luo Qingyan hugged Yun Shang with a smile and said gently, "If I don''t bully my wife, who should I bully?"


    Yun Shang snorted and said nothing. Luo Qingyan suddenly turned over and pressed Yun Shang under him. His eyes flashed with evil and attractive light. "Well, I heard that it would be particularly happy to do that when you were half drunk and half awake. When they came to propose a toast to me just now, I thought I might as well take this opportunity to have a try with my wife."


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened and her face flushed. "What are you talking about?"


    Luo Qingyan loved to see Yun Shang being shy. He laughed and covered Yun Shang''s body. His face was close to Yun Shang''s. He said in a lower voice, "Shang''er, don''t you like to do that with me? Huh?"


    The sound of "huh" was so sentimental that Yun Shang even had goose bumps on her back. She shook her head like a rattle, "no..."


    Luo Qingyan chuckled again, "So you like it?" Then he bent over and kissed Yun Shang''s lips.


    A strong smell of alcohol came in. Yun Shang felt it so strong that she was almost drunk.


    But it was daytime and there were so many guests in the mansion. Lady Hua Guo was still resting in the yard, and Luo Qingyan was going to do something reckless. Yun Shang certainly wouldn''t agree. Then she tried to break free from Luo Qingyan and escaped.


    But before she got out of bed, she was pulled back by Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms with one hand and said with a faint smile, "Hmm? You want to run away? Where else can you go except in my arms? Huh?"


    As he spoke, he put down the curtain with the other hand...

 Chapter 859 Diagnosis

    In following days, Xia Huanyu let all the officials rest for three days on the pretext of celebrating the full-moon-birth of the son of the Crown Prince. Yun Shang knew that although the plot of Su Qi was defeated on that day, the Palace had suffered a lot of losses. It would probably take some time to sort it out.


    Xia Huanyu had ordered his men to keep the news a secret. Many people knew the incident happening in the Crown Prince''s Mansion that day, but few people knew about the incident in the Palace. Even if they knew, they didn''t dare to talk about it.


    Yun Shang also knew that there must be spies of Su Qi among the guests who came to their mansion that day. For example, those who first exclaimed that the rebel army had been attacking the city when the sound came from outside the city that day, and those who secretly hid in the crowd and silently looked around to observe the situation. On that day, Yun Shang ordered her servants to write down the names of those people, but she didn''t give the list to Xia Huanyu.


    Now that Luo Qingyan was the Luo Qingyan, she should plan more for him.


    Although on leave, Luo Qingyan was still busy. The cleanup in the court was imperative, and the upcoming imperial examination was of great importance. Luo Qingyan had to carefully arrange some of his own people among the outstanding talents, and also secretly investigate who have been arranged by others.


    In contrast, Yun Shang was much more leisurely. Every morning, she got up to deal with the affairs in the mansion, the shop and the remote mansions. Then she had lunch, took a nap and played with Bao''er for a while. After Luo Qingyan came back, they had dinner together. After dinner, Luo Qingyan went to the study to work. Yun Shang took Bao''er for a walk in the mansion, and the days were very comfortable.


    On the second day after the full moon party, Empress Hua paid a visit to the Crown Prince''s Mansion. Yun Shang remembered what Luo Qingyan had said before. Doctor Xue Yan was still in the ice cellar. Yun Shang said that she would take Empress Hua to the ice cellar to see Doctor Xue Yan.


    Luo Qingyan seemed to have mentioned this to Empress Hua, so Empress Hua was not surprised at all. She said indifferently, "You''ve had a premature labor which is harmful for your health. Since Doctor Xue Yan is here and he has superb medical skills, we might as well ask him to take the pulse for you and Bao''er."


    Yun Shang was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. "Although my medical skills are not as good as Doctor Xue Yan''s, maybe also not as good as Doctor Zheng''s. But I''m not bad at the basic skills, right? Both Bao''er and I are in good health. We don''t need to bother Doctor Xue Yan."


    Empress Hua smiled and said, "As you said, your medical skills are not as good as Doctor Xue Yan''s. Anyway, since he is here, don''t waste the chance."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and didn''t insist as she knew Empress Hua''s temperature. Without any doubt, she ordered someone to put a thick fox fur robe on Bao''er, and asked Qin Yi to put cloaks on her and Empress Hua respectively. Then she went to the ice cellar with Empress Hu


    s robe and hung it beside. Luo Qingyan reached out and held Yun Shang in his arms. Yun Shang felt his body trembling slightly. Surprised, she reached out her hand and patted Luo Qingyan on the back. "What''s wrong? Doctor Xue Yan said that the memory loss of the Empress was caused by the violent impact. It could be cured. Today, Doctor Xue Yan has prescribed a prescription for the Empress. I''ve seen it. It''s brilliant. As long as the Empress insists on taking the medicine, it won''t be long before she can slowly regain her memory."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan answered softly, but didn''t let go of Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang patted Luo Qingyan on the back again. Then she heard Luo Qingyan say in a low voice, "I really can''t call out father and mother in front of them."


    Yun Shang suddenly understood why Luo Qingyan was being awkward. She couldn''t help laughing, "It''s no big deal. Don''t worry. You can practice slowly and you''ll call out someday."


    Luo Qingyan slowly loosened his grip on Yun Shang and smiled, "I want to drink today."


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and said, "You promise you''ll behave after drinking?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Well, I''ll ask Qin Yi to prepare two pots of wine later. I''ll drink with you."


    When Luo Qingyan was in the room, Qin Yi and the others seldom served in the room. Yun Shang walked out of the room and called Qin Yi at the door.


    Looking at Yun Shang''s back, Luo Qingyan was stiff. He clenched his hands in his sleeves, and his body was still trembling.


    The main reason why he invited Doctor Xue Yan here was not for Empress Hua, but for Yun Shang.


    He asked Doctor Xue Yan here specially to check Yun Shang and Bao''er under the guise of Empress Hua.


    He had planned all this, but he didn''t dare to tell her.


    He did go to the ice cellar just now, but he only asked about Yun Shang and Bao''er.


    Luo Qingyan slowly closed his eyes and felt a dull pain in his heart.


    Doctor Xue Yan said that Yun Shang was badly injured. There was little chance for her to recover.


    And so did Bao''er who had been mentally impaired.

 Chapter 860 Wish Him Safe And Happy

    After ordering Qin Yi to prepare the wine and dishes, Yun Shang went back to the room. Luo Qingyan was sitting on the couch and reading as usual.


    Seeing that he just sat there without turning a page for a long time, Yun Shang frowned and wondered what he was thinking. She blinked her eyes, feeling curious. She quietly walked to the edge of the soft couch. When she turned to see the book in Luo Qingyan''s hand, she found that Luo Qingyan had raised his head. Yun Shang blinked and smiled, "What are you reading? You haven''t turned a page for a long time. " Yun Shang sat down by his side.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "I''m not reading. I''m thinking about something."


    Yun Shang was more surprised. Luo Qingyan had always been calm and composed. What kind of troubles could make him frown involuntarily?


    Luo Qingyan seemed to understand what Yun Shang was thinking, so he put the book aside and said gently, "Recently, there are two things that make me a little difficult to deal with. One is the imperial examination. I don''t have many people in the court, so I can only make a decision from this autumn test. It''s difficult for the secret guards to choose some people who can participate in the autumn test. It''s easy to say that they are good at martial arts, but they are difficult tasks for the civil officials. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Your Highness, why do you have to choose from your own secret guards?"


    Luo Qingyan was silent for a moment. "Only the people of the secret guards are the best to control, aren''t they?"


    Yun Shang nodded, but then she shook her head, "Although the secret guards can work for us, but as your highness said, they know nothing about the rules of the country. From Liu Qiyan in the State of Ning to Li Qianmo in the present court. In fact, the two of them are not my secret guards. It''s because I have helped them a lot to solve their pressing problem...


    Liu Qiyan''s family is poor, so he can''t achieve his ambitions without money. I gave him silver coins and made him secretly become a disciple of my grandfather. My grandfather has a good reputation, and Liu Qiyan is very grateful to him. I also ordered someone to teach his sister the Four Arts, so they treat me as their benefactor. Although Li Qianmo''s family doesn''t lack money, he is a filial son. His mother is seriously ill. I ordered someone to take her to seek medical treatment. In fact, most of these scholars who boasted themselves of being pure and lofty attached great importance to promises. The most important thing is that they have a clean background, and no one else will doubt them," said Yun Shang smilingly, "And even if the person we choose is an official of the court, we can send our secret guards to keep an eye on him, right? If anyone has some thoughts that he shouldn''t have, we can solve them quickly. "


    Luo Qingyan kept silent for a moment and then nodded slightly, "You are right, your highness. I''ll ask my secret guards to secretly collect information about their families from the outstanding talents of all the kingdoms..."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "Your Highness just said that there are two things bothering you. The autumn test is one of them, and what is the other?"


    Hearing Yun Sha


    crystal clear, sweet and delicious. People in the State of Xia like sweet food, but I have never seen this cake in the state. You ask someone to pick up some fresh fragrans, and ask someone to make them. Send some to the seventh princess'' mansion and invite her to have a taste," Yun Shang ordered softly.


    Qin Yi looked up at Yun Shang and agreed. When Yun Shang was about to go out to prepare it, she was stopped by Yun Shang, "After dinner is ready, send it to the seven Prince''s mansion."


    Qin Yi responded and went back to her room.


    "Why haven''t I seen Wang Jinhuan and Ning Qian these two days?" Yun Shang asked curiously.


    Qin Yi smiled and replied, "Recently, Miss Qianqian has been with Qian Yin. She follows Qian Yin to inspect every shop every day. Mr. Wang must have followed Miss Qianqian."


    Yun Shang also smiled, "Both of them like each other. But I''m afraid we will have a wedding soon."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished her words, she saw the weird smile on Qin Yi''s face. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is there anything else that I don''t know happening?"


    "HMM," Qin Yi hemmed and hawed, "When I was free a few days ago, I heard an interesting thing when I chatted with the secret guards."


    "About Wang Jinhuan and Qian Qian?" Yun Shang cheered up and asked, "What interesting things? Tell me. "


    Qin Yi smiled and said, "The secret guard said that although Mister Wang followed Qian Qian every day, he would always stay in her yard until night and couldn''t be driven away. Mr. Wang hasn''t gone back to his own yard to sleep for a long time. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang burst into laughter with a cunning look in her eyes, "You can''t let Ning Qian hear that. Although Ning Qian has been living in the brothel for so many years and dares to say anything, she is an awkward person. If she hears us talking about her like this, she will definitely turn against us. I''m afraid that Wang Jinhuan really can''t even touch the corner of Ning Qian''s clothes."


    Then she thought for a moment and rolled her eyes, "I think we can not only have the wedding ceremony soon, but also prepare the one month old wine."

 Chapter 861 Her Test (Part One)

    When the two were talking happily, Hua''er''s voice came from downstairs, "Greetings, Miss Qian Qian."


    Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi, stuck out her tongue, and said with a smile, "We were just talking about her and she is really coming."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Qian''s voice came from outside, "What are you talking?" Master, were you talking about me just now?"


    With a smile on her face, Yun Shang nodded, "I was just asking Qin Yi what you were doing these days. I haven''t even seen you recently."


    Ning Qian walked to the chair next to Yun Shang and sat down. She sighed, "Master, after returning to the Jin City, you havn''t arranged any work for me. In case you will say that I''m too lazy, I have to leave the mansion and help Qian Yin to manage Xiao''s."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and quipped with a smile, "You have been with Wang Jinhuan for a long time and you''ve even learnt how to talk like him."


    Ning Qian was stunned. She raised her eyes and glared at Yun Shang impolitely. Yun Shang smiled and begged, "Fine, Fine. I''ll shut up. You''re good at doing business. Tell me, how is the Xiao''s now?"


    Ning Qian''s face became a little more serious, "Qian Yin is a talent in business, and Xiao''s is going well under her management. I have checked the account books, and they are all clear and good."


    Yun Shang nodded. She had checked the account book almost every day, so she knew it.


    "Master, I''m going to take over a brothel in Jin City and back to the salt mines." Ning Qian suddenly said.


    Yun Shang was stunned. She looked at Ning Qian with her mouth open for a long time an


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    g to do?"


    Wang Jinhuan kept silent for a long time and answered in a low voice, "I have never looked down upon her. If I looked down upon her, I would''ve not tried so hard to be with her. If she insists, I can only support her. But I will protect her well and won''t let anyone take her away from me."


    Yun Shang flashed a smile, "In this case, why do you care so much? I have just told her that she can open a brothel, but she is not allowed to show up in person. She agreed."


    "Really?" Wang Jinhuan raised his head suddenly, with a gleam shining in his eyes.


    Yun Shang took a sip of tea with a smile, "of course. I''m waiting for your wedding."


    Wang Jinhuan was so happy he stood up and walked back and forth in the room before he said smilingly, "Since Your Highness have done me a favor, I''ll tell you one thing in return."


    "What?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "What is it?"


    Wang Jinhuan chuckled, "Yesterday when I inquired about the situation in Chunlai Brothel with Qian Qian, I saw the seventh Prince staying with several officials in Chunlai Brothel."

 Chapter 862 Her Test (Part Two)

    Yun Shang squinted her eyes, and suddenly had an idea. She looked up and smiled, "Thank you."


    After Wang Jinhuan left, Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi with a smile, "What kind of girl do you think the seventh Prince likes?"


    Qin Yi meditated for a moment and said, "Maybe he likes gentle girls. Although the seventh Prince looks gentle and elegant, he is ruthless by nature. He should like obedient girls." Qin Yi smiled, "But I think it will be better to leave this problem to Qian Qian. She must know what kind of girl could win the heart of the seventh Prince, and she is able to cultivate such a girl soon."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, with a bit of sternness in her eyes. "Qian Qian just said that she had nothing to do, and now I''ll give her some task."


    Luo Qingyan hadn''t returned home at dusk, but he sent someone back to say that he was a little busy and would come back a little later. So Yun Shang had dinner herself. After dinner, she played with Bao''er for a while.


    Not long after that, Qin Yi went into the room and reported in a low voice, "The cakes have been sent to the Seven Prince''s Mansion. The servant who sent it said that he met the seven prince when he arrived. After he explained his purpose, the seventh Prince took over the basket himself and said that he would send it to the seven princess."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled, "okay."


    On the morning of the second day, Yun Shang had just had breakfast when she heard that the seventh princess had come.


    A thought flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes. She nodded and asked someone t


    again, with a touch of sadness in her eyes. "What can I do even if the Hua mansion retreats? The seventh Prince and the Crown Prince are..."


    Hua Yutong bit her lips and stopped talking.


    After a moment''s silence, she said softly, "I''m not destined to be with the seventh Prince."


    Yun Shang smiled, "In that case, if you want to leave him, I will help you. By the way, the seventh Prince have been back for a few days. I wonder if he has taken any action after he returned home."


    Hearing this, Hua Yutong was stunned. After a moment''s silence, she said softly, "In the past two days, there has been nothing unusual with His Highness. He comes back at dinner time every day, and when he comes back, he stays in the study."


    "Well, it''s really strange. I heard from the Crown Prince that the seventh Prince has been very quiet recently, acting respectfully to him every day. Now you said that he is also very quiet when he return home. I''m wondering what he is planning." Yun Shang whispered in a lower voice, as if she was talking to herself.

 Chapter 863 The Death Of Court Officials

    A gleam flashed in Hua Yutong''s eyes. She lowered her head and said with a smile, "If I find anything unusual, I will tell you as soon as possible, just like I told you about General Feng Ming last time."


    At that time, Hua Yutong might still be on the same side of her and the Hua clan, Yun Shang thought. But now, things were different.


    "Speaking of this, I really want to thank you. If you hadn''t told me that the seventh Prince had met Feng Ming, I wouldn''t have known that Empress Hua was still alive in KY City. You have contributed a lot to the return of Empress Hua and the title of the Crown Prince. We are just like sisters. I will remember your kindness." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    However, Hua Yutong seemed to be stunned, with panic in her eyes. "Because of me?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes. Don''t you know? Wan''t it you who told me that the seventh Prince had met Feng Ming? Then I asked His Highness to send someone to keep an eye on Feng Ming. I didn''t expect that the secret guard would block his memorial which said that Empress Hua was still alive and was in KY City. As soon as I saw it, I felt that something was wrong. But at that time, His Highness had already led his troops to fight, and I had no choice but to pretend to be missing. Then I went to KY City and met Empress Hua."


    Hua Yutong trembled slightly and her face turned pale. Yun Shang sighed in her heart. Empress Hua was probably afraid that the seventh Prince would blame her for this.


    How could she fall in love with the seventh Prince and be so obedient? However, the seventh Prince were the person she and Luo Qingyan had to get rid of.


    They would never be friends with the seventh Prince.


    Yun Shang raised her head and ordered Hua''er to fetch a plate of osmanthus cake. Hua''er quickly responded and left for the kitchen. Soon she returned with a few plates of osmanthus cake, mung bean cakes and some fruits.


    "Have a try. It''s almost October. Why is it still stuffy and hot? " Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Hua Yutong forced a smile, grabbed a osmanthus cake closest to her and took a bite. "Eh, what kind of cake is this? It''s delicious, with a strong fragrance of osmanthus."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s hand paused for a moment, and she asked with undisguised surprise, "Haven''t you eaten this before?"


    Hua Yutong nodded slightly, "What''s wrong?"


    Yun Shang exclaimed, "Oh, no!"


    "What happened?" Hua Yutong looked up at Yun Shang in confusion.


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Yesterday, I saw that the Osmanthus fragrans were in full bloom, so I asked someone to pick some and make osmanthus cakes. Thinking of that you like sweet food all the time, I asked someone to send a basket of Osmanthus cakes to the Seventh Prince''s Mansion. The servant who sent the osmanthus cakes came back and told me that when he went there, he met the seventh Prince. The seventh Prince said he was going to visit you and he would take the Osmanthus cakes to you..."


    Hearing this, Hua Yutong was also stunned, and gradually became flustered. "Is there anything wrong with the osmanthus cakes?"


    Yun Shang frowned slightly and said, "Thanks to you, Empress Hua could go back to


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    et up Empress Hua. Although Lady Shu was the one who took the blame for the case of the pestilence in the end, the real murderer was not necessarily Lady Shu. It might be Su Ruji.


    If it was Lady Shu, Lady Shu was still cooperating with the seventh Prince at that time.


    The two officials who had died had one thing in common, that was, they had both targeted Luo Qingyan, but it was hard to guess who was behind them. These two people were the officials that Luo Qingyan had made up his mind to get rid of in the cleanup of the court.


    From this point of view, it was very likely that the incident was aimed at Luo Qingyan.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang looked up at Hua''er and asked, "Where is His Highness?"


    Hua''er answered in a hurry, "He was working in the study before, and was just summoned to the Palace by His Majesty."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang nodded. She was a little worried. She could almost guess why Xia Huanyu called him to the Palace. It was very likely that His Majesty wanted him to investigate the case. Although as the Crown Prince, Luo Qingyan didn''t have to interfere in it in person, this was also an opportunity to let Luo Qingyan show up in front of the people of Jin City. Xia Huanyu would definitely try his best to let Luo Qingyan seize this opportunity.


    Yun Shang clenched her fists. Maybe the person who set up this trap had predicted that Xia Huanyu would let Luo Qingyan investigate this matter.


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat. She quickly raised her head and said, "Ask someone to wait for the Crown Prince at the Palace gate. As soon as His Highness went out of the Palace, tell him that I''m waiting for him at home and have something important to tell him. Ask him to come back anyway."


    Hua''er answered and hurried out of the door.


    Yun Shang stood up and walked to the window. Looking at the blurry scenery outside because of the rain, she frowned slightly. "It''s another eventful autumn."


    Qin Yi comforted her in a soft voice, "His Highness won''t be at the mercy of others. Just relax, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang nodded, but her brows were still knitted.

 Chapter 864 Framing

    After waiting in the room for a short while, Yun Shang couldn''t sit still any longer. She stood up and said, "I have to go to the Seventh Prince''s Mansion."


    Qin Yi held Yun Shang''s hand and said, "You have just told the seventh princess not to come to see you these days and the seventh princess has returned home. Now that if you go there, you''ll have to make up an excuse anyway."


    Yun Shang frowned and paced back and forth in the room, unable to find a reasonable excuse.


    Qin Yi hurriedly said, "Your Highness, why don''t you stay here and wait for the news? You don''t need to worry so much about His Highness. He will also notice that something is wrong."


    [Yun Shang nodded, bit her lips and said, "Yes, since I could notice it, he will also find it out."


    But she was still worried, so she turned around and said, "Send someone to the Ministry of Justice to look for Li Qianmo. As such a big case happened, Li Qianmo will definitely investigate it. Ask him to report the situation to me at any time."


    Qin Yi agreed and went out to order the secret guards.


    Yun Shang sat down slowly and quietly, without saying anything for a long time.


    After a while, Hua''er ran up again and said, "His Highness Crown Prince asked the servant who sent the message if anything happened to Your Highness. The servant said no, so he just asked him to send a message back."


    "What did His Highness say?" Yun Shang asked hurriedly.


    "The Crown Prince said that everything is under his control. He asked you not to worry about him." Hua''er whispered.


    Hearing this, Qin Yi smiled too. "I''ve told you. His Highness will definitely be able to protect himself. Don''t worry too much, Your Highness."


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang gradually felt relieved. As long as it related to Luo Qingyan, she would lose her mind. Even if she knew that he was fine, she would still be worried. She wouldn''t be completely relieved until she saw him safe.


    At dinner time, Luo Qingyan hadn''t returned home, but Li Qianmo arrived.


    Yun Shang asked someone to take him to the hall of the South Yard, and then went downstairs in a hurry. Not long after, Li Qianmo came in and whispered, "Master."


    Yun Shang frowned, "Why did you come in person? Did anyone see you?"


    Li Qianmo smiled, "It doesn''t matter. Just now when we were investigating the case, the Crown Prince told me in front of other officials that he was afraid that Your Highness would be anxious, so he asked me to come here to inform you. His Highness has to go back to the Palace and report to the emperor. I''m afraid it will take some time for him to come back."


    Yun Shang nodded, "What''s going on with the case? You''ve been looking into it for the whole afternoon. What have you found out?"


    Li Qianmo hurriedly replied, "The murderer is very cautious. Both Lord Qian and Lord Wei were poisoned to death before their corpses were abandoned. Lord Qian''s corpse had been soaked in the moat for a whole day, so there was naturally no trace left. There are many beasts in the dense forest where Lord Wei''s corpse was found. His corpse is incomplete, and it''s difficult to


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    k to the room and said, "As the seventh Prince has a special identity, he has been taken into the Palace. It is said that His Majesty is interrogating him in person."


    Hua Yutong became more flustered. She stood up and said, "I''ll go into the Palace." Then she went downstairs in a hurry, regardless of what Yun Shang were talking.


    Yun Shang frowned, picked up the teacup and thought about it over. Before she could think of anything, she saw Qian Yin open the curtain and come in. "What''s wrong with the seventh princess?" Just now, I saw her crying and running out of the mansion. As soon as she came out, she fell down beside the carriage as if she had fainted. Her maid quickly carried her into the carriage. Is there anything happened? I heard people around were talking about her and kept guessing if the Crown Princess bullied her."


    Yun Shang''s face froze. She suddenly put the teacup on the table with a crisp sound.


    "Damn it!" Yun Shang frowned.


    All the people in the room were stunned. They looked up at Yun Shang in confusion, "What happened?"


    Yun Shang sneered, with a touch of coldness in her eyes. "I have been so careful and alert all the time, but I didn''t expect that I have still been set up."


    Only Qin Yi knew what had happened in the past two days. She hurriedly said, "Hasn''t the culprit been caught?"


    Yun Shang nodded and closed her eyes slowly. "Yes, he has been caught. The seventh Prince. I thought he wanted to frame the death of the two court officials on His Highness, but I didn''t expect that his plan was not like this from beginning to end. The real frame is just beginning."


    "Frame what?" The three maids were still confused.


    Yun Shang sneered, "Frame what? He''ll frame His Highness by saying that His Highness has framed him."


    The three of them felt a little dizzy because of the tongue twister. It was a long time before Qin Yi tumbled to what Yun Shang meant. "Your Highness, you mean that the seventh Prince wants to frame His Highness by saying that His Highness deliberately made this case in order to get rid of him."

 Chapter 865 Coveting Gains Ahead Without Being Aware Of Danger Behind

    Qian Yin was anxious and asked, "What should we do now? Just now, it must be the seventh Prince who instigated the seventh princess to do so. The seventh Princes must have planned to create rumors to make things worse for His Highness. How about I catch Hua Yutong and ask her to tell the truth?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, but gradually calmed down. "Since the seventh Prince wants to slander His Highness and frame him, he must have prepared a lot of evidences. Now we don''t know what kind of trump card he has. If we takes action rashly, it might put us at a disadvantage."


    "Qin Yi." Yun Shang raised her head to look at Qin Yi. "Wang Wanzhi is most likely to be there when His Majesty interrogate the seventh Prince. Send a message to her and ask her to deliver a letter telling about the situation of the trial every half an hour by the carrier pigeon."


    "Qian Yin, ask all our spies in the city to be on standby. If there is any news, they''ll take action immediately."


    "Hua''er, send someone to spread some rumor secretly today. Tell them that the seventh princess came to the Crown Prince''s Mansion to complain tearfully to me that the seventh Prince paid regular visits to brothels and had never spent a night in her room."


    Yun Shang ordered in an orderly way. The three of them answered and left the room to make their own arrangements. Yun Shang sat in the room, tapping on the edge of the bench with a frown.


    She didn''t know what kind of evidences Xia Houjing would show, but she had to ensure that when Xia Houjing showed the evidence, she would be able to find the evidence before Xia Huanyu and change all the evidences.


    This time, the competition was not about wisdom, but speed. Her numerous spies in the Jin City finally came in handy.


    While waiting, time passed the most slowly. Yun Shang felt fidgety, so she took a book to read, making herself calm down. After a while, Qin Yi came in with a bamboo tube.


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up. She took the bamboo tube and took the letter out of it, only to find that it was not Wang Wanzhi''s letter, but Luo Qingyan''s handwriting.


    The letter must have been written in a hurry, with only two short lines. "All the evidences point to Xia Houjing. There is a trap. I sent Luo Qi back. You can ask him to mobilize all the secret guards for you."


    Yun Shang sprang to her feet. As she expected, Xia Houjing wanted to accuse Luo Qingyan of framing him regardless of brotherhood.


    No wonder he had been so respectful to Luo Qingyan recently. He had designed all this on purpose to frame Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang crumpled the note into a ball, with a cold expression on her face. This time, although he entangled Luo Qingyan, he ignored her. She would definitely not let him be satisfied.


    Qin Yi handed the letter to Yun Shang and left in a hurry.


    Qian Yin and Hua''er also returned to the room one after another. "Your Highness, everything is ready."


    Ning Qian also followed Qian Yin and Hua Er into the room, looking like she was watching a good show. "There is such a good show. Why didn''t master send someone


    ow why Yun Shang asked him to do so, but he quickly responded. He whistled and saw two secret guards coming in from the open window. Luo Qi handed over the things in his hands and said, "Just do as Her Highness Crown Princess ordered."


    The two of them took them and jumped out of the room quickly.


    Yun Shang frowned and asked, "Have they been standing by in the South Yard?"


    Luo Qi nodded and replied in a low voice. "His Highness has left all the kung fu masters in the South Yard. As I''m just at the medium level, so I was taken by His Highness."


    Yun Shang fell silent. Her heart seemed to be scratched hard. She felt a little painful, but more moved.


    Soon, the second piece of evidence came.


    "When the guard at the city gate was about to lock the gate three days ago, he saw the carriage of the Seventh Prince''s Mansion had left the city. Later, in the dense forest outside the city, not far from the place where the body of the Imperial Astronomer was found, the marks of the wheel were found. The patterns left by the wheels were the unicorn totems that could only be used by the royal family."


    After hearing Qin Yi''s words, Yun Shang sneered, "If it''s not Xia Houjing''s trick, I will doubt his intelligence. But if it is, why did he use his own carriage to transport the corpses. How could he bring himself into trouble?"


    "The marks here are too obvious. But how can he frame the Crown Prince by this? After all, the marks were left by a carriage from the Seventh Prince''s Mansion." Qian Yin whispered.


    Yun Shang frowned and kept silent for a long time. Then she said, "What do you think the seventh Prince would do if he planned to frame His Highness?"


    Qin Yi thought for a while and said, "Most likely, he will make a fuss about what Your Highness said just now. If it was the seventh Prince who ordered people to kill the officials, he would definitely not transport the corpses by the carriage of the Seventh Prince''s Mansion. The seventh Prince will definitely say that someone deliberately used the carriage to frame him."

 Chapter 866 Strangers From Now On (Part One)

    Yun Shang nodded, "He will definitely do so. But it''s useless for Xia Houjing to shout for justice without any evidence. After all, the guard saw the carriage of the seventh Prince, not ours. Even if he wants to overthrow it, he''ll have to show solid evidence. The patterns on the wheels of carriages of every prince and princess are different. They are all made in the Jintai Carriage Store in the city."


    "If the seventh Prince wants to reverse the confession about the carriage, he will mostly likely do from two aspects. First, let the owner of Jintai Carriage Store testify that the Crown Prince had ordered him to make a carriage with a pattern as that of the seventh Prince''s. Two, leave the evidence pointing to the Crown Prince in that carriage. We have to start from these two things." Yun Shang whispered.


    As soon as Yun Shang finished her words, Qian Yin said, "We have some business dealings with Jingtai Carriage Store and we also have some spy in the store. I wonder if the spy will come in handy."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Of course the spy will be useful. As I said, we don''t have time to investigate who has been bribed by the seventh Prince and we don''t know what benefits the seventh Prince has promised them. Now we could only solve the problem by simple and direct means. Ask our spy in the Jintai Carriage Store if anyone from the Seventh Prince''s Mansion has contacted with the people in the store. If there is, we can kidnap that person; if not, we can just kidnap shopkeeper directly, and then ask someone to disguise as him. After the officers take him to the Palace, he will insist that only the people from the Seventh Prince''s Mansion had ordered him to mak


    hey had set up had been taken away.


    Yun Shang curled his lips up into a cold smile.


    About two hours later, news came from the Palace, saying that the Emperor had ordered the Crown Princess to come to the Palace.


    The people in the room were stunned, and Qin Yi was also a little surprised. "We haven''t received any news from the Palace. Why did His Majesty suddenly order to summon Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang replied calmly. "It''s not convenient for Wang Wanzhi to come in and out of the Palace frequently. She might not spread the news which she thought was not very important. And I know roughly why His Majesty ask me to the Palace."


    "Why?" Everyone looked at Yun Shang with confusion.


    Yun Shang smiled and said unhurriedly, "Tell the messenger from the Palace that I will set off after I change my clothes. Qin Yi, come and help me change my clothes and comb my hair."


    Qin Yi changed a long purple dress for Yun Shang. Yun Shang sat in front of the bronze mirror, letting Qin Yi untie her hair. Then she said slowly, "His Majesty called me in the Palace most likely because Empress Hua made a move."

 Chapter 867 Strangers From Now On (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled thoughtfully. After a long time, she said with a little sadness, "In the end, she is still on the opposite side of us."


    "I think she probably said that I always express my dissatisfaction with the seventh Prince when I chatted with her and that I had the intention to get rid of the seventh Prince. Many people know that Hua Yutong and I are good friends all the time. Besides, Hua Yutong is a member of the Hua clan and she often comes to visit the Crown Prince''s Mansion. So everyone will believe her words." Yun Shang looked at the beautiful woman in the mirror and became more indifferent.


    "How could the seventh princess do that? It''s a waste of time for Your Highness to think for her all the time before..." There was a bit of anger in Qian Yin''s eyes. Yun Shang saw her expression in the bronze mirror, as if she wanted to kill Hua Yutong.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Think for her all the time?" Yun Shang shook her head, "I just want to win her over to work for me. It''s true that I like her as her temperature is to my appetite, but it''s also because of that kind of interests that we can be together."


    "But now that she has chosen the seventh Prince and betrayed me like this, I will no longer show mercy to her. I really admire her. Sometimes, women dare to give up more for love than we think. Hua Yutong stood out and gave up her family and friends. I don''t want to judge whether she did it right or not. I just know that we will never be on the same side in the future."


    Qin Yi skillfully smoothed her hair and nodded, "Just as the saying goes, those who have different beliefs should not work together."


    After dres


    th princess came to the mansion and cried. She said that all the evidences that have been found were pointing at the seventh Prince, and that a guard had brought him into the Palace, saying that Your Majesty was going to interrogate him in person. But the truth has not been found out yet. I don''t know who the real murderer is."


    Before Xia Huanyu could say anything, a minister''s voice was heard. "This case is very odd. It''s most likely that someone deliberately framed the seventh Prince. Just now, the seventh princess said that she felt that you seemed to be quite dissatisfied with the seventh Prince when she chatted with you. Is that true? Is that Your Highness Crown Princess who ordered someone to frame the seventh Prince?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "What Your Lordship said is really the funniest joke I''ve heard this year."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, the official''s face darkened. "What do you mean?"


    Yun Shang stopped laughing and looked up at the official. "I''m indeed dissatisfied with the seven prince, but Your Lordship might not the real reason..."

 Chapter 868 A Virgin

    People present had only heard half of the story and they were all surprised. Yun Shang''s eyes fell on Hua Yutong, who was standing quietly aside. Yun Shang kept silent for a moment and then she smiled gently. She then said with hesitation, "It''s just that this reason is not appropriate to say it in front of so many people..."


    Xia Huanyu frowned and raised his hand, "It''s related to the lives of the two important officials. The Crown Princess doesn''t have to mind it. Just say it."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "I don''t think it''s a good idea to talk about it in front of so many people, because it involves the affairs between the seventh Prince and the seventh princess. I have to ask for the opinions of both of them anyway."


    Xia Houjing and Hua Yutong looked at each other. Xia Houjing said indifferently, "Your Highness, you don''t have to hide anything. Just tell us."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded, "Then I''ll tell you. Everyone knows that the seventh princess is Lord Hua Guo''s niece and we know each other very well. We are good friends. the seventh princess and the seventh Prince have been married for more than half a year. They seem to be in harmony on the surface, but in fact, the seventh Prince is very cold to the seventh princess. During this half a year, the seventh Prince has never stepped into the room of the seventh princess. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, many people in the hall looked embarrassed. They looked at each other and lowered their heads in a hurry.


    Hua Yutong''s face turned red. She wanted to say something, but considering that she was in the Taiji Palace, she had to give up.


    Yun Shang continued, "The seventh princess has complained to me over and over again. Although I''m Crown Princess, I''m also a close friend of her. I''m defending her. I always feel that a good woman like the seventh princess is worth being treated with all his heart. Therefore, I''m dissatisfied with the seventh Prince'' punishment. "


    "The last time I expressed my dissatisfaction with the seventh Prince was yesterday. The reason is that the day before yesterday, I asked someone to pick up some Osmanthus fragrans and make crystal osmanthus cakes. Thinking that the seventh princess likes sweet food, I asked someone to send them to the seventh Prince'' mansion. When my servants sent the things, they happened to meet the seventh Prince back. He said that he would send the crystal osmanthus cakes to the seventh princess, and my servants gave the cakes to the seventh Prince. Unexpectedly, the seventh Prince didn''t send the cakes to the seventh princess. He just asked the seventh princess to come to Crown Prince''s Mansion. As soon as I heard what the seventh princess said, I thought that since the seventh Prince asked her to come to Crown Prince''s Mansion, he must not have forgotten it. He still remembered about the cakes, but he did not hand them over. It was too strange, so I complained about this in front of the seventh princess. "


    Yun Shang''s smile didn''t fade away. She raised her head and looked at the official who had spoken earlier. "Your Highness, do you think I will kill two people because of these things and then frame the seventh Prince?"


    "Well..." the official didn''t know how


    home. They should have reported it to the Vice Minister of punishment, Li Qianmo, but they couldn''t enter the palace, so they had to come to my house to inform me. "


    "Physical evidence?" Xia Huanyu looked at Wang Yuanjun indifferently, "What kind of evidence is it?"


    Hearing this, Wang Yuanjun quickly took out a memorial from his sleeve and said, "It was found in the study of the Wei clan. It was Lord Wei, who had watched the heavenly phenomenon a few days ago and calculated it. He wanted to present it to your majesty, but he didn''t expect that he would suffer this..."


    "Submit it to me," Xia Huanyu raised his voice.


    Liu Wenan walked to Wang Yuanjun in a hurry and took the memorial. He walked slowly to the Dragon chair and handed it over to the Emperor.


    Xia Huanyu took it and opened it. He frowned and looked at it carefully. After a while, he handed the memorial back to Liu Wenan and said, "Read it."


    "The purple star light is getting weaker. I''m afraid that your majesty will be hurt. The one who can affect the light of the emperor star is a new star in the south. It was found in May last year. The star''s light gradually became full and seemed to surpass the light of the emperor star. "


    The officials in the hall whispered again.


    Yun Shang heard the whispers, the Crown Prince...


    Yun Shang looked at Xia Houjing, who was still calm, and sneered. It turned out to be here.


    Since ancient times, what an emperor feared most was the instability of the throne, even if it was his son who threatened him. Xia Houjing must have known it very well, so he did it on purpose.


    "I''ve asked Lord Wei''s wife, and she said that he had submitted this memorial twice, but for some reason, it did not attract your majesty''s attention. A few days ago, he saw that the light of the new star became brighter, so he quickly wrote another one. But before he could submit it, something happened," Wang Yuanjun said softly.


    "It has been submitted twice, but why haven''t I seen any of them?" asked Xia Huanyu. He held the handrail of the Dragon chair tightly and narrowed his eyes slightly. The scar on his face showed the dignity of majesty.

 Chapter 869 Interlocking Stratagems

    Wang Yuanjun looked at Wang Wanzhi, who had been standing by the steps under the dragon throne, and sneered. Then he bent down and said, "I''m afraid we have to ask the female court official Lady Wang next to Your Majesty about it. All the memorials from the officials are presented to her except some confidential ones."


    Wang Wanzhi was a little confused when she was called. He looked up at Wang Yuanjun and then at Xia Huanyu. Then she quickly walked to the middle of the hall and knelt down. "When have Lord Wei''s memorials been presented?" Although my memory is not very good, it is not too bad. In the past ten days, I really haven''t received any memorial from Lord Wei."


    However, Wang Yuanjun seemed to have been waiting for Wang Wanzhi''s explanation. Hearing what Wang Wanzhi said, he hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "It''s easy to know whether or not Lord Wei has presented any memorial. We just need to search the place where Lady Wang usually put the memorials and her residence to see if she has hidden the memorials without permission."


    Yun Shang''s face changed slightly. She looked up and found out something. It turned out that Wang Yuanjun and the seventh Prince had known that Wang Wanzhi was working for her, so they wanted to use Wang Wanzhi to target her and Luo Qingyan.


    Many people thought that Wang Wanzhi worked for the former Empress. Xia Houjing was really smart that he could even find out they are behind Wang Wanzhi. They didn''t know how he got to know that and how many of their spies in the Palace had been exposed in front of Xia Houjing.


    During this period of time, Wang Wanzhi had grown a lot by the side of Xia Huanyu. Hearing what Wang Yuanjun said, she didn''t feel afraid at all. Instead, she smiled generously and bowed to Xia Huanyu. "I work for the Emperor, and I come into contact with political affairs of the court. His Majesty has warned me that although I''m a humble official, I''m still someone that everyone fawned on and even framed. I have always kept His Majesty''s words in mind. Since Lord Wang suspect me, I''m willing to cooperate with the search to prove my innocence."


    What she said sounded reasonable. Seeing that she didn''t panic at all and responded so calmly, most officials tended to believe her.


    Wang Wanzhi continued, "I thought I could cooperate with the investigate, but I hope Your Majesty could uphold justice for me."


    Raising his eyebrows, Xia Huanyu asked, "Oh? Tell me."


    Wang Wanzhi looked at Wang Yuanjun with a smile, "I''m one of the few female officials in the court, and I''m dealing with the memorials of Your Lordships every day. If everyone suspects me for no reason like Lord Wang and search my residence whenever they want, how can I bear that? I have a suggestion. If the things Lord Wang mentioned couldn''t be found in my residence, Lord Wang should be punished for this. What''s more, if someone deliberately put those things in my room to frame me, Lord Wang should also be punished."


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on Wang Wanzhi, and she saw Wang Wanzhi silently delivering a message to her with a gesture. Yun Shang knew that Wang Wanzhi was trying to buy time for her, so that she could have a chance to check if anyone h


    ormation. He said that if Wang Wanzhi wanted to, he would try to persuade His Majesty to agree him to marry her as his concubine."


    All the officials in the hall were stunned. Wang Wanzhi also looked surprised. Even Luo Qingyan turned around, but with a sneer on his lips.


    "So do Your Highness think this letter is true or not?" Xia Huanyu added, with a hint of interest in his eyes.


    Yun Shang''s smile widened. "Everything is possible. After all, His Highness is a handsome man. Although he is usually cold, a lot of girls like him. There are many women who try their best to marry themselves into the Crown Prince''s Mansion. I grew up in the Imperial Palace, and there are all kinds of things in it. In order to get the throne, it''s common to trade the position of a wife, let alone the position of a concubine."


    The officials were in an uproar.


    Raising his eyebrows, Xia Huanyu asked, "Really?"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "The handwriting of this letter is similar to that of His Highness, but there are still many differences. Your Majesty just need to compare the handwriting with that in the memorials written by His Highness before, and then you could find the difference. I don''t need to say anything more. If there are officials who have a lot of knowledge about calligraphy, you can also check it."


    Then Yun Shang returned the letter to Liu Wenan.


    "It''s a family matter of the Crown Prince''s Mansion. Let''s talk about the memorials first. Wang Wanzhi, Liu Wenan found these two memorials in your room. Have you seen them before?" Xia Huanyu took the memorials and handed it to Liu Wenan. "As Wang Yuanjun said, these two memorials are about the new rising star which is about to replace the pole star."


    Wang Wanzhi answered and took the two memorials. After reading them for a while, she said, "I don''t remember seeing these two memorials before."


    "Lady Wang, things are about to come to an end. You''d better not struggle. Just admit it." Wang Yuanjun coughed and urged in a low voice, "If you haven''t seen them, why did you put these two memorials and the letter of the Crown Prince under the pillow?"

 Chapter 870 The Secret In The Handwriting

    Wang Wanzhi turned around and glared at Wang Yuanjun. Then she said calmly, "I have a vague guess in my heart, but I need to see the memorial submitted by Lord Wang..."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and handed the memorial to Liu Wenan. Then Liu Wenan walked down and handed it to Wang Wanzhi. Wang Wanzhi opened it and looked at it carefully for a while. She kept silent for a long time until Wang Yuanjun was a little impatient. Then she said indifferently, "There is a reason that I said that I haven''t seen these two memorials before. Just now, this reason has also been confirmed, but I still need Lord Wang to answer a few questions."


    "Tell it." said Xia Huanyu flatly.


    Wang Wanzhi answered in a hurry, "Would you please answer some of my questions, Lord Wang?"


    A touch of impatience flashed through Wang Yuanjun''s eyes. He waved his hand impatiently and said, "Go ahead. If I know something, I will tell you."


    Wang Wanzhi nodded with a smile, "Your Lordship just said that it was Lady Wei who told you that Lord Wei had written two memorials with the same content and submitted them to the Emperor, but the Emperor had never replied?"


    Wang Yuanjun was confused and nodded slightly, "yes."


    Wang Wanzhi also nodded and said, "Okay. Has Lady Wei told you when Lord Wei submitted the two memorials respectively? It doesn''t matter if Your Lordship forgot to ask this question. We could just call Lady Wei to the Palace and ask her."


    "Lady Wei said the memorials were submitted before the full moon birth party of the little prince." Wang Yuanjun frowned and answered.


    Yun Shang curled up her lips into a smile. When she looked at Wang Wanzhi, she saw Wang Wanzhi were also smiling.


    "Okay." After saying that, Wang Wanzhi bowed to Xia Huanyu and said, "I don''t need to ask any other questions. I''ve got the answer."


    "Oh? Tell me." Xia Huanyu moved forward a little and sat straight.


    Wang Wanzhi said in a low voice, "Just like Her Highness Crown Prince doubted about the handwriting in the letter, the problem of these three memorials was also about the handwriting."


    "There are many officials who like collecting paintings and calligraphy works. They should know that the longer the writing is finished, the lighter the handwriting will be. Many collectors like light ink, but after being a female official for so long, I found that there were two court officials who had different preferences from the others. They were the Imperial Astronomer, Lord Wei, and bachelor of the Imperial Hanlin Academy, Lord Meng. Their favorite ink was Huai''an ink. I''m sure most people know the feature of Huai''an ink."


    Wang Wanzhi went on indifferently, "When you finished writing with Huai''an ink, it looked a little light, but the longer time it took, the more it would be like new ink. The longer, the deeper the outline of words would become."


    "Lord Wei has presented two memorials and finished the third one. Logically speaking, a memorial would be presented again if there was no reply. Since His Majesty was busy with government affairs, he usually replied a memorial


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    oujing would take advantage of that and then she would never be able to get rid of Xia Houjing.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan left the Imperial Palace, got on the carriage, and headed for the Crown Prince''s Mansion.


    Back to the South Yard, Ning Qian, Qian Yin and Qin Yi were waiting there. Holding Bao''er in her arms, Qin Yi looked at Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan, all smiles.


    Yun Shang flashed into a bright smile, ran quickly to her and held Bao''er in her arms. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We''ve got a narrow victory."


    Qin Yi and the others had received the message from the Palace, so they smiled and said, "Your Highness, you are being modest. I heard that the Emperor has personally issued an imperial edict to put the seventh Prince into prison, and the seventh Prince will be executed in ten days. How could it be just a narrow victory?"


    Yun Shang''s smile faded a little. "Well, the seventh Prince deserves the death sentences as he murdered the Imperial Astronomer and the Minister of Revenue. But the Emperor''s issuing the imperial edict in such a hurry this time makes people feel that he is protecting His Highness for the sake of the Empress Hua."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "No matter what His Majesty''s reason is, it''s good as long as our goal is achieved."


    Qian Yin also smiled and said, "His Highness is right. We have to celebrate it tonight."


    Laughter soon filled the yard.


    Qin Yi also smiled and said, "I think we should call Wang Wanzhi out of the Palace to celebrate together. I''ve heard that Wang Wanzhi has made a great contribution this time."


    Yun Shang chuckled and said, "Don''t be too ecstatic with joy. There must be many people watching us. We have to be careful and don''t let anyone find faults with us."


    "Yes." Everyone laughed.


    Yun Shang went back to the room with Luo Qingyan. Hearing the laughter downstairs, Yun Shang put the asleep baby on his crib and shook it gently. Then she looked up at Luo Qingyan, who was standing by the window and seemed to be thinking about something.

 Chapter 871 Improper Desire

    Yun Shang stood up with a smile, walked to Luo Qingyan''s side, and looked out. In the lake outside, the lotus flowers and leaves had withered, and Yun Shang didn''t see anything special. She turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "What are you thinking about, Your Highness?"


    Luo Qingyan put his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulder and said gently, "Shang''er, do you think Xia Houjing can be killed this time?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and gently shook her head. "I always feel that a person like Xia Houjing must have a backup plan. He is smart in everything. How can he be got rid of so easily?"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled. "Fortunately, my Shang''er is as smart as usual. She is not overwhelmed by this temporary victory."


    Yun Shang pinched Luo Qingyan''s waist and snorted before she asked, "What are you going to do, Your Highness?"


    Luo Qingyan stood there quietly for a long time and said, "I saw some memorials from the officials in Liucang City, Nanyang City and Siyang City a few days ago. They all reported that there was almost no rain in this summer in their cities."


    "What?" Yun Shang was confused. She didn''t know why Luo Qingyan suddenly mentioned this matter. They was just talking about Xia Houjing. Did these two things have anything to do with each other? Liucang City, Nanyang City and Siyang City? Yun Shang thought about the map of the State of Xia in her mind. These three cities were adjacent to the State of Ning and not far from KY City.


    Seeing the bewilderment in Yun Shang''s eyes, Luo Qingyan smiled, "I want to use this mattert to push him."


    Push Xia Houjing? How?


    Yun Shang was even more confused. But Luo Qingyan didn''t seem to want to explain. He smiled, lowered his head and kissed Yun Shang''s forehead.


    Yun Shang was about to ask more, but she heard Bao''er crying.


    Yun Shang cried in her heart, ''oh no!'' then she quickly ran to Bao''er''s crib and touched the diaper under him. It was indeed wet.


    Yun Shang scooped Bao''er up and turned around. Luo Qingyan looked at Bao''er with an expression that Yun Shang couldn''t understand. "What''s wrong with him?"


    It was rare for Yun Shang to hear him ask about Bao''er. She smiled and said, "Nothing. He just peed."


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes fell on Bao''er''s face. He was silent for a while and then looked away.


    Qin Yi and the wet nurse seemed to have heard Bao''er''s cry and hurried up. Seeing that Yun Shang was holding Bao''er, Qin Yi quickly asked, "Your Highness, did the little prince pee?"


    Yun Shang nodded and handed the baby to the wet nurse, "Take him out and change the diaper."


    The wet nurse quickly responded and went downstairs with Bao''er in her arms.


    Luo Qingyan looked at the wet nurse and kept silent for a while. Then he said, "The wet nurse looks good, but as Chengye gradually grows up, he has to learn to crawl, walk and couldn''t avoid bumps. I think, although we have Zheng Qiming in our mansion now, he can''t always be with Chengye. It''s better to find a woman who knows some medical skills to take care of Chengye in case of any accident. If there is someone who knows both medici


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    uation. Now that His Lordship has resigned, these things are useless to us..."


    Lady Hua Guo moved closer to Yun Shang and whispered something. Yun Shang seemed a little surprised. After a while, she nodded and said, "I see."


    Lady Hua Guo left after sitting for a while.


    Yun Shang sat in the room with Bao''er in her arms, her lips slightly curling up as if there was something happy.


    After a long while, Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi and ordered with a smile, "Qin Yi, go to the storehouse and find some novel accessories. Go with me to pay a visit to the Seventh Prince''s Mansion tomorrow. Now that the seventh Prince has been put into the prison, I should go to comfort the seventh princess as we have always been like sisters."


    Qin Yi widened her eyes in astonishment. "Go to the Seventh Prince''s Mansion? Pay a visit to the seventh princess? Haven''t Your Highness and the seventh princess just..." Qin Yi paused and continued, "Haven''t you broken up with each other?"


    Yun Shang touched Bao''er''s tender hand and smiled, "When did I say that I''ve broken up with the seventh princess?" Saying this, Yun Shang was about to go upstairs with Bao''er in her arms when Hua''er came in with a woman in a cloak.


    Yun Shang looked at the woman in disbelief, "Wang Wanzhi?"


    The woman took off her cloak and revealed her face. It was Wang Wanzhi.


    Yun Shang frowned, "The case has just been settled. How could you come to the Crown Prince''s Mansion at this time?"


    Wang Wanzhi smiled and said softly, "Don''t worry, Your Highness. His Majesty must have known that I work for you today. Just now when we went to the side hall, His Majesty had already asked about it. Looking at His Majesty''s expression, I knew that he had already known it, so I told him frankly."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "So it was His Majesty who asked you to come?"


    Wang Wanzhi nodded with a bright smile, "His Majesty asked me to invite His Highness Crown Prince and Your Highness Crown Princess to the Palace with the little prince and have dinner in Weiyang Palace tonight."

 Chapter 872 Father And Son Play Chess

    Have dinner in the Palace? Yun Shang looked up at Hua''er and said softly, "His Highness is in the study. Go and ask him here."


    Hua''er answered and walked out of the hall for the study. Qian Yin was quite curious about the woman who was said to have helped Yun Shang defeat the seventh Prince. She hurriedly approached her and said, "I''ve heard about what happened in the Taiji Palace, and I''ve been curious about how you found that there was something wrong with the three memorials? I always think that only Her Highness and Qian Qian have such insight."


    Hearing this, Wang Wanzhi smiled and said softly, "You are quite right. You should ask Her Highness about it. I was being very flustered at that time. If it hadn''t been for Her Highness who remind me, I woldn''t have paid attention to the handwriting on the three memorials.


    "But wasn''t everyone in the hall at that time? The seventh Prince and His Majesty are all there. How could Her Highness remind you in presence of all of them?" Qian Yin widened her eyes.


    Seeing her like this, Wang Wanzhi felt a little funny. She smiled and said, "Sometimes you don''t have to make a sound when you remind someone. A letter was found together with the two memorials. Lord Wang slandered me that it was a letter from the Crown Prince. After Her Highness got the letter, she had been finding faults with the handwriting. Her Highness was so familiar with His Highness. It should be easy to find some loopholes of the content of the letter. I was wondering why she kept focusing on the handwriting.


    "I saw your highness look at me on purpose, so I guessed that you must be reminding me of something. I heard her mention the handwriting all the time, so I tried to find the flaws in the three memorial from the handwriting. It really made me find the flaws." Wang Wanzhi looked at Yun Shang with a smile.


    There was obvious admiration in Qian Yin''s eyes. She blinked and turned to Yun Shang, "Is it really like what Lady Wang said?"


    Yun Shang didn''t hide the appreciation in her eyes. She nodded and said, "When Wang Yuanjun mentioned the memorials, I knew it would be too late for me to find out the memorials. I''d better play it by ear."


    "I thought about it for a long time and then remembered that Wang Yuanjun said that the Imperial Astronomer had submitted two memorials. And the one that was said to be found in the study of the Imperial Astronomer was the third one. However, when he made a statement to His Majesty, he said that the Imperial Astronomer just found something unusual when he was observing the astronomical phenomena a few days ago. I guessed they were not well prepared. After all, Xia Houjing didn''t return to the Jin City until the day when Bao''er''s full moon birth party was being held. So they had only had a few days to set up the trap. That was why I thought of the handwriting. Many calligraphers or collectors could tell when the words was being written just from the ink mark. I thought there must be someone who could tell it among the court officials. As long as we mentioned it and asked someone to check it, the truth would be found out." Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    "But Wang Wa


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    end.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. Luo Qingyan was never a hypocrite. He didn''t even give in to his own father.


    Noticing the situation on the chessboard, Empress Hua smiled and said, "Well, you''ve finally lost a round. You won''t play chess with others, will you?"


    Frowning, Xia Huanyu picked up a piece and knocked it lightly. He looked at the chessboard for a long time before he said, "One more round, one more round."


    Empress Hua hurriedly said, "No more round. It''s already time for dinner." Then she turned around and ordered Qian Zhuo to prepare.


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu didn''t say anything. He lowered his head and slowly put the pieces back into the basket.


    Yun Shang felt a little funny to see this scene. Yun Shang had always felt that Xia Huanyu was an emperor of great power, and his cold face was almost the same as Luo Qingyan''s. However, looking at him in front of Empress Hua, he was clearly like a cat that had been tamed, not like a tiger at all. Yun Shang couldn''t help but smile. As the saying goes, there is always one thing to conquer another.


    After the servants served the dinner on the table, Xia Huanyu put away the chess basket and walked to the side of Empress Hua. He looked at Bao''er for a long time and said, "Xia Chengye looks like Qingyan, but his eyes look more like Her Highness''s."


    Empress Hua nodded. After a moment of silence, she said, "I could imagine what the Crown Prince looked like when he was a child when I see Bao''er."


    Yun Shang noticed that Luo Qingyan''s body froze a little, so she smiled and said, "I feel Bao''er also looks like Your Majesty."


    The Empress smiled and stretched out her hand to touch Bao''er little face.


    The family had dinner in peace and chatted about some daily affairs, without saying anything else.


    After dinner, Xia Huanyu took a look at Luo Qingyan and said indifferently, "I still want to have another round with you. A few days ago, I received a set of chess pieces made of agate which feel very comfortable. Let''s go to the Imperial Study for another round."


    Luo Qingyan replied calmly and followed him.

 Chapter 873 Threatening Hua Yutong (Part One)

    After watching the two people walk out of the main hall of Weiyang Palace, Empress Hua turned around, took the hibiscus flower from her head and handed it to Bao''er before saying, "After Qingyan was conferred the title of the Crown Prince, many officials in the court have targeted the position as his concubines. I don''t like people with a group of concubines, and I don''t want Qingyan to become such a person. When His Majesty asked my opinion a few days ago, I refused..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows slightly and lowered her eyes without saying anything. A bitter smile appeared on her face.


    After a pause, Empress Hua sighed and continued, "But there must be many women who try every means to climb onto Qingyan''s bed. You..."


    Yun Shang looked up and smiled gently, "I believe in Qingyan."


    Empress Hua fixed her eyes on Yun Shang. After a long time, she continued, "I know you two love each other very much. But for most women, once they get married, they will go around their husbands. Once her husband has someone else around him, she will have to bear loneliness." For men, there were all kinds of women around him. He could marry a woman for love. But love is not the only thing in men''s world. There are also power, profit..."


    Yun Shang''s eyes twinkled with determination. "As you said, that''s just for most women, not all."


    Empress Hua kept silent for a moment. "I remind you of this because His Majesty has mentioned it two or three times in front of me recently. I said that you had just given birth to Chengye for Qingyan. It was really not appropriate for Qingyan to marry a concubine at this time. But if His Majesty brought it up after some time, I really couldn''t find any other excuse."


    Empress Hua looked at Yun Shang, "You are a princess of the State of Ning, but you have no advantage in status in the State of Xia. But I think you can use Emperor Ning to warn Xia Huanyu. After all, although the State of Ning is an alliance of the State of Xia, there are more than two countries in the world."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up.


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Bao''er on the back and asked coldly, "Is Her Highness at home?"


    The doorman answered in a low voice, "Yes. Your Highness."


    Yun Shang said indifferently, "Go inform Her Highness that I''m here to visit her."


    The doorman seemed to be shocked by Yun Shang''s expression. He answered yes and entered the mansion in a hurry.


    Qin Yi walked to Yun Shang and said softly, "Let me hold the little prince."


    Yun Shang shook her head and smiled, "No need. Bao''er is still young and not heavy. I can do it myself."


    Yun Shang stood at the door for a long time before she saw Hua Yutong come in person. She must have cried so hard last night that her eyes were a little red. And Yun Shang also saw the shock in her eyes.


    Yun Shang pretended not to notice it and said indifferently, "Your Highness, don''t you welcome me?"


    Yun Shang had never talked to Hua Yutong in such a tone before. Hua Yutong was stunned and then quickly said, "How could I? Your Highness Crown Princess, you worry too much." After explaining hurriedly, she stepped aside and said softly, "Please come in, Your Highness."


    Yun Shang walked into the Seventh Prince''s Mansion slowly with Bao''er in her arms.


    Hua Yutong didn''t lead Yun Shang to the yard she lived, but to the garden house. With a cold smile, Yun Shang looked up at the furnishings in the garden house and sat down slowly after a long time.

 Chapter 874 Threatening Hua Yutong (Part Two)

    Hua Yutong was a little flustered. She ordered a maid to make tea and then asked someone to take some tea cakes."


    Yun Shang sat quietly, watching Hua Yutong. Then she winked at Hua''er who then took out a box and handed it to Hua Yutong. Hua Yutong looked up at Yun Shang with confusion in her eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "When I cleaned up the storehouse yesterday, I saw some jewelry brought from the State of Ning. I thought you like jewelry, so I bring them to you. Have a look and see if you like them?"


    Hearing this, Hua''er opened the box and showed the jewelry to Hua Yutong.


    Empress Hua''s hands trembled slightly. She looked at them and forced a smile. "Good...they look good."


    Yun Shang pretended that she hadn''t notice her expression and said as usual, "It''s good that you like it. It''s my gift for you. Just take it. Situation in Seventh Prince''s Mansion won''t be the same as before. In the past, many people came to fawn on the seventh Prince as he was favored by the Emperor though he was not in good health. But now, since the seventh Prince has been put into prison by the Emperor, nobody is willing to visit Seventh Prince''s Mansion in case they might be get involved. In this world, many people could add brilliance to your present splendor, but fewer could help you in your hour of need."


    Hua Yutong''s face turned paler.


    Yun Shang gave Hua Yutong a good looking-over and frowned. "Your Highness doesn''t look well. I''m afraid you haven''t had a good rest recently. Your Highness need to take good care of yourself. Now that the seventh Prince is still in the prison, you need to take the responsibility to manage the Seventh Prince''s Mansion. Didn''t you often complain that you had no power in the Seventh Prince''s Mansion? This is a good chance for you."


    How could Empress Hua not sense the ridicule in Yun Shang''s words? She bit her lips and said, "I know I did something wrong to Your Highness, but do you think it''s not appropriate for you to add insult to injury


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    I come to tell you."


    Yun Shang looked at the box full of jewelry and smiled. "By the way, the seventh Prince is going to be executed in a few days. If you want, you can go to the prison to visit him. After all, you are a couple and he is the one you love deeply. The guards in the prison have a big appetite. If you feel the pinch recently, you could pawn the jewelry or just give the jewelry to the guards. Since I''ve given it to you, it was at your disposal."


    Yun Shang stood up and said, "By the way, I heard that the prison was so cold that the seventh Prince also felt a little uncomfortable. He seems to have a relapse, suffering great pain all over his body. There is a doctor with good medical skills in the Xiao''s Pharmacy in the west of the city, who has a lot of research on this kind of disease. You can ask for some medicine there and decoct it for the seventh Prince to relieve his pain."


    Hua Yutong sat still, with beads of sweat on her forehead which had wetted her hair.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "It''s your own choice. Whether it''s right or wrong, you have to finish it yourself. You have abandoned everything for him. I''d like to see how he will treat you in return."


    After saying that, Yun Shang left the garden house and went out of the Seventh Prince''s Mansion with Bao''er in her arms.

 Chapter 875 Crisis

    As soon as they got in the carriage, Bao''er fell asleep. Qin Yi took Bao''er and looked up at Yun Shang with confusion in her eyes. "Your Highness is forcing the the seventh princess like this. Won''t it make her hate you more?"


    Yun Shang smiled, lost in thought. After a long moment, she said, "I don''t care. What else do I care about her now?"


    When she returned home, she saw Luo Qingyan also there, accompanied by a young woman. Although the woman was not beautiful, she had a quiet temperament. Luo Qingyan was standing with his back to her under the eaves of the garden house and talking to the woman. His face was rare gentle.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and saw Luo Qingyan turn around before she walked over. Yun Shang smiled faintly and walked to Luo Qingyan. "Why did you come back so early today?" After that, she turned to look at the woman with a smile. "This lady is..."


    "I told you yesterday that I wanted to find a woman who knows medical skills to ensure the health of Chengye. This is Dr. Zheng''s disciple, Chen Miaosi. She knows some medical skills and poison techniques. From now on, let her take care of Chengye. Later, you can arrange a yard and two maids for Dr. Chen." Luo Qingyan said softly.


    Luo Qingyan did mention it yesterday, but Yun Shang didn''t expect that Luo Qingyan would keep it in mind and find a suitable person so soon. Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Yes, I will take good care of Dr. Chen."


    Then Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi and said, "Give Bao''er to me. Find a quiet yard and lead Dr. Chen there. Dr. Chen, if there is anything you need, just tell Qin Yi. I''ll ask Qin Yi to bring some maids to you later."


    Chen Miaosi hurriedly curtsied and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness Crown Princess." Then she left after Qin Yi.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the back of Chen Miaosi. She raised her head and looked at Luo Qingyan with a smile. "I thought you had found a sister for me, but it seemed you made me happy for nothing?"


    "Happy?" Luo Qingyan smiled and tapped on Yun Shang''s forehead, "Do you think I haven''t noticed it? You must be close to losing your temper. Others might not know, but how could I not know that? My Shang''er is a jealous woman."


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and snorted, "Nonsense. Don''t flatter yourself. You know who is jealous."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Of course I am also a jealous type." Then she held Yun Shang''s hand again. "I heard that you went to the Seventh Prince''s mansion? What happened?"


    "Nothing. I just thought of what happened to Hua Yutong, so I went to add insult to injury." Yun Shang raised her head with a smug smile.


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, showing obvious disbelief on his face. "I know you well, I''m afraid you don''t have the heart to do such a thing. Although Hua Yutong framed you, you still remember that he had once been good to you. So you want to pull her before she falls to the bottom."


    There was still a smile on Yun Shang''s face, but it faded a lot. There was a touch of sadness in her eyes. "Maybe it''s because I suff


    to the Butterfly Yard and arranged some maids for her."


    [Yun Shang nodded, "Since His Highness has specially asked her to take care of the little prince, you can take her to Bao''er room later."


    "Okay, I see." Qin Yi replied softly.


    As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Qian Yin''s chirping voice coming in from the outside. "Ah, I was so angry just now that I forgot a serious affair..."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling, with a hint of banter in her eyes, "Really? What serious affair is so unimportant?"


    Qian Yin glared at Yun Shang again and hurriedly said, "The Xiao''s pawnshop received two hairpins and a pair of earrings. The shopkeeper sent them to me as they looked like things from the Palace of the State of Ning. I have a closer look. It seems like some old stuffs from Your Highness. I don''t know why they have been sold in a pawnshop."


    As Qian Yin spoke, she took out two hairpins and a pair of earrings from her sleeve. The hairpin was a butterfly hairpin made of emerald, and the earrings were good jade earrings. Yun Shang took them over and played with them with a faint smile on her face.


    Qin Yi recognized them and said, "Aren''t they the jewelry we sent to the Seventh Prince''s mansion this morning? The seventh princess has asked someone to pawn them so soon? But if so, why did she only pawn these? These three are the most valueless among the jewelry we gave."


    Yun Shang played with the emerald earrings and lifted them up. With the sunlight through the window, she saw a word "Ning" in the middle of the earrings.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Of course she would pawn them. She has kept what I said to her in mind. Now she doesn''t have much money in her hand. If she wants to visit the seventh Prince in the prison, she has to bribe the guards. But if she takes the jewelry directly, it''s easy to be found out. The best way is to find a pawnshop and pawn them."


    Yun Shang put the earrings on the table and looked up at Qian Yin. "Take them back. If someone asks, just tell the truth."

 Chapter 876 Refugees Entering The City

    Qian Yin replied with curiosity in her eyes. She looked at Yun Shang with burning eyes, smiled fawningly and asked softly, "Your highness, what''s your plan? It looks like a profound one. "


    Yun Shang glanced at her and sneered, "You can''t keep the secret with your mouth. I won''t tell you for the time being. You''ll know in a while. Now you just need to give an order and do as I say. If someone comes to ask what the seventh princess has taken in the Xiao''s, let the shopkeeper tell him that it''s a good thing. It seems to be a treasure of the royal family from the State of Ning. Remember not to mention more details apart from that. Just follow the rules of the pawnshop.


    By the way, are these pawns dead or live?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at Qian Yin.


    Qian Yin hurriedly replied, "Dead pawn. If someone offers the right price, I''ll ask the shopkeeper to sell it."


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "The price can be a little higher. Don''t worry. Someone will buy it."


    Qian Yin''s eyes lit up and she smiled happily, "Your highness is more like a profiteer than me. Since your highness said so, I know what to do. I''ll tell them when I go back."


    Yun Shang nodded, and Qian Yin left the room in a hurry.


    Yun Shang looked out of the window at the dim sky. After a long silence, she said softly, "The weather is getting cold. It''s time to buy new clothes. Ask someone to prepare it. Let Qian Shui bring me some fashionable clothes. Bao''er''s skin is delicate and the fabric should be the best silk. "


    "Okay," Qian Yin replied with a smile. After thinking for a while, she asked softly, "In a few days, your highness will have your eighteen-year-old birthday. Do you want to have the decoration arranged well? "


    Eighteen years old. There was a touch of sadness in Yun Shang''s eyes. In her previous life, she died at the age of eighteen. She had changed her life for herself, but she didn''t know what would happen at the age of eighteen in this life.


    "No, thanks. I''m still young. There is no need for my birthday party?" Yun Shang answered softly.


    Qin Yi had a different opinion. She thought for a while and said, "Anyway, it''s the birthday of your highness. There was no good celebration last year, but this year, the status is different. I''m afraid that even if we don''t take the initiative to send out the invitation, there will definitely be countless people coming to congratulate us. It''s better to invite several ladies who have a good relationship with you to have a small banquet, so that we can show our hospitality. "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and finally nodded. She said softly, "You can arrange it. But it''s just a small banquet. I don''t want everyone to know it."


    "I know," Qin Yi replied with a smile.


    "Your Highness, Dr. Chen is here. She is waiting downstairs," Hua''er came in and reported in a low voice.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang turned around and said, "Please come up. Since she is taking care of Bao''er, I should have a talk with her in person."


    Hua''er answered and left. Not long after, soft footsteps came from outside. Yun Shang looked up at the bead curtain, and saw Chen Miaosi open the curtain and come in. "Nice to see you, your highness."


    Y


    ue Yan, there will be no problem. I''m relieved to have her by my side,"


    Yun Shang moved her eyes away and looked at the place not far away. She sighed and said, "The steward of our mansion is here. I''m afraid he has to check the account book again."


    Yun Shang turned around and sat down on the couch. After a while, there footsteps of someone coming upstairs, and then came Hua''er''s voice, "Your highness, steward Guo wants to see you."


    "Come in," Yun Shang said weakly.


    Steward Guo walked in with a lot of account books in his hands as Yun Shang expected, but he looked a little embarrassed. His originally good clothes had a long cut, and his hair was a little messy.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at her, "What''s wrong with you, steward Guo? Did you fall on the road? "


    Steward Guo shook her head and sighed, "I don''t know where many refugees have come. They all want to squeeze into the city. The city gate guards don''t allow them to enter, and I''m also blocked outside. It took me a long time to enter the city, and I ended up like this."


    "Refugees?" Yun Shang frowned, "Why are there so many refugees all of a sudden?"


    Steward Guo thought for a while and said, "I heard that there was a drought in summer this year. People got no harvest and starved to death. If they want to live, they have to leave their hometown and wander around. Perhaps they think that Jin City is under the feet of the emperor, and there must be many people coming to help them, so they are rushing to the city. There are so many of them. I was shocked just now. "


    "Drought?" Yun Shang frowned and remembered what Luo Qingyan said.


    Luo Qingyan said that he had received memorials from these three places, Liucang City, Nanyang City and Siyang City. They all said that it seldom rained in these three places this summer.


    Thinking of the day when Xia Huanyu called them into the palace, Luo Qingyan said that he knew that Xia Houjing wouldn''t be locked up for long, but it was not the right time, because he hadn''t arranged it well.


    Yun Shang frowned and wondered what Luo Qingyan''s arrangement was? And what about the refugees?

 Chapter 877 Atone His Crime By Good Deeds

    After Steward Guo left, Qin Yi poured a cup of osmanthus tea for Yun Shang. The sweet fragrance of the osmanthus soon permeated the room. Yun Shang cupped her chin with her hands, squinted her eyes, and tapped the table gently.


    Qin Yi put the teapot aside and said gently, "Your Highness, do you want all our stores to dole out?"


    Yun Shang sat up straight, pondered for a moment, and nodded. "Your Highness has just become the Crown Prince. It would be best if he can get good reputation from this natural disaster."


    Saying that, she seemed to be lost in thought. After a long moment, she continued, "But we don''t know what''s going on now. I''ll discuss with His Highness whether or not we should do that after he returns home. Maybe he could come up with some good idea. Send someone to check what''s going on now. And see that if there is any businessman providing food or other stuff for the refugees in the city?"


    Qin Yi replied in a soft voice. She looked at the teapot on the table, and seemed to be a little hesitant. "Your Highness, you might have to take precaution for one possibility. Not long ago, someone deliberately set up the pestilence to frame the Empress. Now there is also something weird with this case. The drought is indeed a natural disaster. But how could there be a large number of refugees all of a sudden? I always feel that there is someone behind this."


    Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi with a bit of admiration in her eyes, "Qin Yi is very thoughtful. You can ask the secret guards to check when the refugees have appeared outside the Jin City. You''d better ask people to disguise as refugees and sneak in. Figure out where most of the refugees come from, how long it took to get to the Jin City, and how is the situation of the disaster-affected areas."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Qin Yi agreed in a low voice, swept a quick curtsy and left.


    At dusk, the secret guards who went to investigate reported, "These refugees are all poor people from Liucang City, Nanyang City and Siyang City. The drought has lasted for almost half a year, which made them gain nothing from the fields. Before the autumn harvest, all the rice plants have died." So those poor people have no food to eat. The local officials did present memorials to the court and the court did provide relief supplies. But those relief goods haven''t handed out to the people in the stricken areas with the officials taking a cut at every stage."


    "So they had to beg along the way. Thinking that Jin City is the Imperial City and His Majesty will certainly help them, they all came to Jin City. Seven or eight days ago, some of them arrived at the Jin City. They just begged along the street, and not too many people noticed that there were suddenly more beggars in the city. It''s just that more and more refugees are swarming in and they are discovered."


    "Currently, there are three or four hundred refugees in the city, and more than one thousand people outside the city who haven''t entered the city. No one has yet been seen giving alms to them."


    Yun Shang frowned slightly, with doubts in her eyes. "Isn''t it the best time for a


    l me."


    Luo Qingyan hurriedly said, "As for the disaster relief, what I hope most is that all the relief materials can be used on the victims, saving as most as possible the people''s lives. Those relief materials were worth a lot of money and everyone was greedy. This was the reason why the relief materials couldn''t reach the hands of the victims. In the past two days, I have been wondering what kind of person is not greedy? Who is the most suitable person? I''ve considered it for a long time, but I could only thought of one person, my seventh brother."


    "Seventh brother will be beheaded in a few days because he committed a murder case. For a person, saving his own life was naturally more important than satisfying his greed. Those greedy officials knew that they would be sentenced to death once they were exposed, but some of them would still take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome. But seventh brother is different. He has been condemned. If he could be given a chance to atone his crime by good deeds and save his own life by accomplishing the task. He will definitely take saving his life as the first priority, and in this way, he will not be greedy." Luo Qingyan looked up at Xia Huanyu with deep eyes.


    Xia Huanyu kept silent, and no one knew what he was thinking.


    "I second that." Li Qianmo looked up at the officials who were whispering, slowly stood out and knelt down.


    Seeing that, several officials followed him. "I agree with His Highness Crown Prince."


    Soon, many official fell to their knees.


    Xia Huanyu looked at Luo Qingyan indifferently. After thinking for a while, he said, "But the seventh Prince has killed court two officials. A murder pay the forfeit of his life."


    Luo Qingyan clearly heard that the way Xia Huanyu addressed Xia Houjing had changed from a condemned prisoner to the seventh Prince.


    Luo Qingyan replied in a hurry, "Yes, I agree. He who murders pays the forfeit of his life. But if seventh brother could distribute all the relief materials to the victims, he will save thousands of lives, which could make it up."

 Chapter 878 Elaborate Scheme

    In the end, Xia Huanyu agreed with Luo Qingyan''s request. He issued an imperial edict in ordering the seventh Prince, Xia Houjing, to take in charge of the disaster relief, going to the three disaster-affected cities, Liucang City, Nanyang City and Siyang City.


    After reading the secret report, Yun Shang handed it to Ning Qian. With a smile at the corners of her mouth, she said, "I''m afraid the reason Xia Huanyu was surprised when he heard His Highness recommend Xia Houjing to take in charge of the disaster relief was not because Xia Houjing as a condemned prisoner had been recommended.


    After scanning through the content, Ning Qian cut in, "No matter who the officials recommend, Xia Huanyu would find a way to persuade them to let Xia Houjing take in charge of this matter. He is surprised because what His Highness said just hit the nail on the head."


    After saying that, Ning Qian turned to Yun Shang with a frown. "I still can''t understand His Majesty''s attitude towards the seventh Prince. I don''t know why the seventh Prince have been saved several times by His Majesty."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "I don''t understand either. But one day, all the truth will be revealed. I''m getting more and more curious. I''ve sent my secret guards to secretly investigate it before, but they didn''t find anything."


    Ning Qian nodded slightly and stared at the secret report in her hand for a long time. "His Highness is very thoughtful. He knew what Xia Huanyu was thinking, so he took the initiative to bring it up and said that the seventh prince could atone his crime by accomplishing the task. He emphasized that the seventh Prince would have to go all out to send the relief materials to the disaster area in order to save his life. In this way, if this task is messed up, the seventh Prince will not be able to make any contribution, and naturally he will not be pardoned. Even if it is done well, that''s just what he should do."


    Yun Shang also smiled and nodded slightly. "Yes, His Highness was indeed thoughtful. Both Xia Huanyu and Xia Houjing have to jump into this trap."


    While the two were talking, Qin Yi came in with a piece of paper in her hand. "Your Highness, have a look. His Highness has invited rich businessmen in the city to have dinner. Are these dishes suitable?"


    Yun Shang took the list over and looked down. "Tofu with Chilled Almond, Yulong Hot Pot, Sweet and Sour Lotus Root, Arhat Prawns, Bumper Grain Harvest..."


    Yun Shang frowned slightly and looked up at Qin Yi, "These dishes are comparable to the imperial banquet in the Palace."


    "Didn''t His Highness ask us to prepare a special banquet? I make the list according to the highest standard of banquet in our mansion. By the way, Your Highness, do we need to hire a theatrical troupe?" Qin Yi asked softly.


    Yun Shang shook her head and kept silent. "I feel that what His Highness wants is definitely not this kind of menu. It is not a banquet to entertain guests. His Highness have a special purpose when inviting those businessmen. Since we want to take money from them, the menu is surely not suitable..."


    Yun Shang meditated for a long time. Ning Qian chuckled, "Bumper Grain Harvest, the name of the dish has a good omen."


    He


    eyes fell on the man, who was in his thirties. He was tall and strong, with a bit of heroic spirit because he was a martial artist. Yun Shang had heard of the Gusu family before. Generally speaking, security escort agencies always did business in just one area. However, the security escort agency of Gusu family had branchies every city in the State of Xia, which worth no less than five thousand taels of silver. It was rare for Yun Shang to see someone gain such a fortune through running security escort agency. The Gusu family was quite capable.


    Luo Qingyan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you."


    Then, Luo Qingyan asked others to introduce themselves one by one. Luo Qingyan had a good memory and soon memorized all their names. All the businessmen were sitting seiza-style on both sides of the room with a short table in front of each of them.


    Yun Shang glanced around and found that there were twenty-seven people in total, only three women. The man who came on behalf of Xiao''s looked a little strange. He was a young man in her twenties with a handsome face.


    The Xiao''s was rising very fast recently, so everyone was very curious about its mysterious owner and glanced at him frequently. The man said his name was Xiao Yun.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes. She was very familiar with this name. When she disguised herself as a man, she also introduced herself like this. After the man finished speaking, he winked at Yun Shang. Yun Shang was stunned and then smiled. It turned out that it was Ning Qian who came here with a disguise.


    "Everyone is here. Let''s start the banquet." Luo Qingyan said softly and turned to look at Yun Shang. Yun Shang nodded slightly and clapped her hands. Then Qin Yi asked the maid who had been waiting outside to come in with trays in their hands. They put five plates in front of everyone, which were covered with lids.


    Luo Qingyan removed the lids first and looked at the five dishes. A smile flashed through his eyes. He raised his head and said, "Enjoy yourselves please."


    Hearing this, everyone immediately lifted the lids. When they saw what was on the plates, their expressions became very interesting.

 Chapter 879 Craftier Than Profiteers

    "What''s this?" Qian Lai asked in a low voice, frowning.


    Yun Shang smiled and slowly removed the lids on the five plates in front of her one by one. She looked at the five dishes and said gently, "It called Bumper Grain Harvest including tofu, roast wheat, rice, millet porridge and Gaoliang liquor made from fermented sorghum."


    Seeing that all the businessmen present looked unhappy, Yun Shang continued, "The biggest wish of His Majesty and His Highness is that all people could have a good harvest, living and working in delight and contentment. It''s the first time that His Highness invites you all here since he has just been conferred the title of the Crown Prince. I thought maybe this dish could better express his wish. Although you are businessmen, the status of merchants is the lowest among the four occupations, scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. However, His Highness attaches great importance to merchants. Today is the first time His Highness hosts a banquet in the mansion after he became the Crown Prince, and he invite you, big shots in the business world. His Highness is willing to join hands with you to create a prosperous world."


    Although Yun Shang''s voice was gentle, her words were brief and powerful, making all people feel like that they share a hatred of enemy. And what Yun Shang said was true. Since ancient times, although businessmen had controlled most of the wealth of a country, they were not respected. When people talked about the merchants, they would say that they had stink of money. Many families were unwilling to marry their daughters to businessmen.


    Yun Shang''s words touched their sore spot.


    Gusu Jingyang stood up and raised the bowl of Gaoliang liquor. "I''m not a good talker. It''s said that His Higness Crown Prince is a hero and Her Highness Crown Princess is a capable woman. I admire those who are wise and brave the most. Just for Her Highness''s words, I have to propose a toast to His Highness and Her Highness."


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. Yun Shang smiled and picked up the bowl first, followed by Luo Qingyan. "Cheers."


    The three of them raised their heads and drank up. Gusu Jingyang burst into laughter and sat down.


    Some of them poured scorn on Yun Shang''s words. "Her Highness is good at talking and acting. His Highness invited us for nothing but wanting us to help the refugees outside the city. But what does it have to do with us whether or not those refugees outside the city could survive? All businessmen values profit. Why should we do something without profit?"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan put down the bowl in his hand casually and said with a smile, "Boss Liu, you are right. My main purpose of inviting you to the banquet today is indeed to ask you to help me settle down the people suffering from the drought both in and out of the city. I also know that businessmen are keen on profit. I have a win-win solution which could bring profit for you and good reputation for me. There is no outsider around now. So let''s have a frank discussion about it."


    Luo Qingyan stood up, came out from beh


    him how generous Boss Xiao is!"


    The butler received the order and left in a hurry. Soon he returned with the things in hands.


    Luo Qingyan picked up the brush and wrote Xiao Yun''s name and the donated property on the memorial.


    After Luo Qingyan finished writing, someone clapped the table and stood up. "Boss Xiao is so selfless. Our Gusu family is surely not selfish. As we just provide service and don''t sell goods, we''ll pay one hundred thousand taels of silver."


    Yun Shang curled up her lips. It seemed that Gusu Jingyang was just a big and rough man, but he was smart. No wonder the branches of his security escort agency could spread all over the State of Xia. He must have already seen the situation clearly. Since Ning Qian promised to donate so much, the others couldn''t provide less than her. In this way, the earlier they stood out, the lesser they could donate.


    All the people present were not stupid. Seeing the performance of Xiao Yun and Gusu Jingyang, they shouted one after another. "I''ll donate eighty thousand taels of silver and all the refugees could have meals in Longfeng Tower for free within a month!"


    "¡­¡­"


    In less than an hour, Luo Qingyan had written three pieces of paper. As Luo Qingyan had promised, as soon as the memorial was written, he ordered someone to rush into the Palace before the Emperor rested.


    Everyone were happy to see it as they thought the contributions they made would be seen by the Emperor. And they all praised that the Crown Prince was a man of his word. Only Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan did this to prevent these treacherous merchants from going back on their words and refusing to admit the promise they made after they left the Crown Prince''s mansion. If Xia Huanyu praised these businessmen in the morning court tomorrow, they had no way to go back on their words. So they would have to be obedient and hand over as much as they had promised.


    Yun Shang laughed in her heart. It was said that all business people are crafty profiteers. But in front of Luo Qingyan, that was just a joke.

 Chapter 880 Unexpected Pregnancy (Part One)

    It could be called a happy banquet, both hosts and guests satisfied.


    It was getting dark. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang walked the guests out of the mansion before they turned around and walked towards the South Yard. There were red lanterns hanging on both sides of the corridor. The light was soft and somewhat festive. Qin Yi and Hua''er had gone back to the South Yard to prepare the toiletries. Only Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan walked side by side in the corridor. Yun Shang kept looking at Luo Qingyan along the way, which made Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but laugh. He held Yun Shang''s hand and asked, "Is there something on my face that attracted your attention?"


    Yun Shang smiled, which looked more tender and beautiful in the dim yellow light of the lanterns. "I just suddenly feel that my husband is the smartest, wisest and most handsome man in the world, and also the one I love most."


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes lit up with joy. He turned to Yun Shang and asked, "What''s that you say?" Say it again?"


    A hint of slyness flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes. She chuckled and looked up at the red lantern hanging along the corridor. Pretending to be confused, she asked, "My husband the smartest and wisest?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "No, the next one."


    Yun Shang held back her laughter, looked at Luo Qingyan seriously and asked tentatively, "Well... my husband is the most handsome man?"


    Luo Qingyan frowned. He knew that Yun Shang was making fun of her on purpose, so he held Yun Shang''s shoulders with both hands and forced her to look at him. He said word by word, "you said you loved me the most. Say it again."


    Yun Shang''s lips curled up


    but her.


    Maybe, this is way the saying goes that the husband and wife are one body. When the thought flashed through Yun Shang''s mind, she couldn''t help but be stunned. She lowered her head and slightly raised the corners of her mouth.


    "By the way, I heard that Xia Huanyu met Xia Houjing in private after the morning court yesterday. Xia Houjing had set out with the first batch of relief materials last night. Do you want me to send someone to make some trouble for him?" Ning Qian added, with a hint of interest in her eyes.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang kept silent for a while and shook her head with a smile. "It''s not necessary. As it was His Highness who recommended Xia Houjing to this trip, we''d better not get involved in it. If we are caught by others, they might think that Xia Houjing''s trip is a trap set up by His Highness to get rid of him. Xia Houjing won''t be able to complete the task smoothly this time, but the one who will set up a trap for him is not us."


    "Not us?" Ning Qian''s eyes flashed with confusion, "Then who is it? Does Xia Houjing have other opponents besides us?"

 Chapter 881 Unexpected Pregnancy (Part Two)

    "I don''t know if he has any other opponent in the fight for the throne, but he will have many enemies when it comes to disaster relief. The reason why the previous relief supplies couldn''t reach the hands of the victims was that the officials had misappropriated the supplies in order to line their own pockets. As the bureaucrats shield one another, there is almost no way to investigate thoroughly." Yun Shang looked at the account book in her hand and sighed, "That''s really complicated."


    "This time, in addition to delivering the relief materials, Xia Houjing also has a secret mission, which is to investigate and deal with the corruption. In this way, it is against the interests of those corrupt officials, so they will surely try their best to stop him. The interest chain among the corrupt officials is much complicated than we think. From the important court officials to the local officials, everyone involved in the invisible criminal network will naturally try to get rid of Xia Houjing. The mighty dragon is no match for the native serpent. Xia Houjing will definitely have a hard time." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Ning Qian also understood. She cupped her hands to Yun Shang and said, "Brilliant! His Highness''s move is really brilliant."


    Yun Shang smiled again, "Yes, I also learnt a lot."


    The two of them laughed for a while before Ning Qian said, "I''ve already taken over Chunlai Brothel. The women there are not very good-looking and not young anymore. I only asked some better ones of them to stay, gave some money to the others and sent them away. Today I came here to borrow some people from master. We also have many br


    ightly, "It tastes good."


    Yun Shang looked up at Ning Qian, only to find that she was frowning and didn''t look well.


    Yun Shang asked with concern, "What''s wrong? Don''t you like it?"


    Ning Qian raised her hand and gently waved it, but suddenly frowned tightly. She covered her mouth and ran out of the room. There was a sound of vomiting from outside.


    Yun Shang looked up at the door thoughtfully.


    Qin Yi was frightened, "What''s wrong? Is there anything wrong with the fish?" Then she ran out in a hurry.


    After a long time, Ning Qian returned to her room with a pale face.


    "Are you okay?" Yun Shang asked with concern.


    Ning Qian waved her hand, with a painful look on her face, "Nothing. I just got an upset stomach. Then she returned to the table and sat down.


    Qin Yi fetched an empty cup in a hurry. Ning Qian picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of the tea, rinsed her mouth, and spit the water into the empty cup.


    Yun Shang put her hand on the other hand of Ning Qian. After a while, she frowned slightly and said with a subtle expression, "You are pregnant."

 Chapter 882 Overjoyed Mr. Wang

    Ning Qian was stunned. She took back her hand and hid it into her sleeve. She lowered her head for a long time without saying anything, with unpredictable look in her eyes. Not much happiness of being a mother could been seen on her face.


    Yun Shang stared at her and asked softly, "How about I ask Qin Yi to call Wang Jinhuan and tell him about it?"


    Ning Qian shook her head in a hurry. After a moment of silence, she said, "Why should I call him? I''m not going to have this baby."


    "What? Why not?" Yun Shang frowned and kept silent for a while before she said, "I talked to Wang Jinhuan before, and he really loves you. Now that you have a baby, why don''t you give him a chance? Wang Jinhuan is attractive to girls, but that doesn''t mean he couldn''t be a good husband and a good father."


    After saying that, Yun Shang looked up and winked at Qin Yi. Qin Yi nodded slightly and walked out of the room when Ning Qian was not noticing.


    Ning Qian lowered her head and said nothing.


    Yun Shang let out a soft sign, "I know you think that you don''t deserve Wang Jinhuan because of what you have experienced. If you think so, you are blaming me for arranging you to do those things before. You accepted all the training together with me, and you were smarter than me. You learned everything faster than me. I have never treated you as a subordinate, and we two are more like friends. In my eyes, you are better than anyone else. But now, because of me, you don''t even have the right to pursue your own happiness..."


    Ning Qian''s face was full of pain. She shook her head and said, "No, it''s not because of this."


    "Then why? I don''t believe you have no feelings for Wang Jinhuan." Yun Shang continued, "In fact, I don''t think you need to think too much. Since Wang Jinhuan likes you, he will definitely deal with his family affairs himself. You just need to be with him."


    "Let me think. Let me think." Ning Qian murmured, her eyes full of struggle.


    Yun Shang didn''t push her anymore. She just sat quietly aside without saying anything.


    "Bao''er, good boy. You''ll see your mom soon." After a moment of silence, Yun Shang heard Chen Miaosi''s voice from outside, accompanied by Bao''er''s crying.


    Yun Shang smiled. She knew it must be Qin Yi''s arrangement.


    "Your Highness, Your Highness. The little prince has been crying. I just couldn''t stop him." Chen Miaosi hurriedly lifted the curtain and ran in.


    Bao''er''s voice became clear. Yun Shang quickly stretched her hands out and took Yun Shang over, She stood up and walked back and forth with Bao''er in her arms, comforting in a soft voice, "Don''t cry, Bao''er. Don''t cry."


    As expected, Bao''er stopped crying and looked at Yun Shang with his watery eyes wide open, which made her heart melt.


    Yun Shang''s expression changed slightly. She walked to the table and sat down. She handed Bao''er to Ning Qian and said with a smile, "Among us, you seldom hold Bao''er. Come on, if you don''t hug


    ooked up at Yun Shang in a hurry. Yun Shang glanced at Ning Qian and said with an evil smile, "Qian Qian is pregnant. You can''t sleep with her in the first three months and the last three months during her pregnancy, or the baby in her belly will be easily hurt."


    As soon as [ÔÆÉÑ] finished speaking, [Äþdz] blushed. Wang Jinhuan, on the other hand, widened his eyes in astonishment, "What? Can''t sleep with her? The first three months, the last three months, six months, the pregnancy needs ten months in total, so there is not only four months left..."


    Before she finished her words, Ning Qian interrupted him, "Wang Jinhuan."


    Yun Shang seemed to hear Ning Qian grinding her teeth, so she laughed more happily. "Well, even in the four months, you have to be careful and restrained."


    Seeing that Wang Jinhuan was depressed, Ning Qian suddenly sprang to her feet and walked outside.


    Seeing this, Wang Jinhuan was frightened. He hurriedly followed Ning Qian and said, "Qian Qian, be careful. Don''t walk too fast. There are stairs. Be careful. Don''t fall..."


    As the sound faded away, everyone in the room burst into laughter.


    "I didn''t expect Mr. Wang to be like this. So funny." Qin Yi, who had just entered the room, said with a smile, "I went to find Mr. Wang just now and told him that Ning Qian was pregnant, but she didn''t want the baby. Your Highness, you didn''t see Wang Jinhuan''s expression when he heard it. It was so interesting."


    "At first, his face was full of doubt. Then he jumped a few times and asked me if it is true. If Qian Qian really got pregnant. After I replied, he ran around the yard for two circles, and then suddenly stopped and said, ''Wait, Qian Qian said she doesn''t want it?'' Then he ran towards our mansion quickly with Qinggong. I was frightened and came back in a hurry."


    Yun Shang laughed, "With such a person accompanying Ning Qian, she will not fee bored. It''s so good. Our mansion is going to hold another wedding."

 Chapter 883 An Untimely Rain

    As soon as Luo Qingyan returned home, Yun Shang told him what happened between Ning Qian and Wang Jinhuan. Looking at the smile on Yun Shang''s face, Luo Qingyan kept silent for a moment and said, "Ning Qian''s worry is not unreasonable. Don''t be happy too early. I know you want Ning Qian to have a good husband. Although Wang Jinhuan seemed a little restless, he was reliable. And I think he could be a good husband. However, Minister Wang and Lady Wang attach great importance to family background. Ning Qian''s background is a big problem. If you want Ning Qian to marry Wang Jinhuan, you have to make good arrangement. You don''t want Ning Qian to be bullied by her parents-in-law, do you?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was a little surprised. Yun Shang had had some contacts with Minister Wang and Lady Wang when she was in the State of Ning. In Yun Shang''s memory, Minister Wang was a father who loved his children, and Lady Wang was gentle and virtuous. How could it be?


    Yun Shang spoke out her doubts. Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "Have you forgotten your status in the State of Ning? At that time, you were Princess Hui Guo, the favorite daughter of Emperor Ning. They were surely happy to see that you were on good terms with their son and daughter. Naturally, they showed the best in front of you."


    "And think it, Minister Wang and Lady Wang want Liu Qiyan to be Wang Jinyan''s husband. Although Liu Qiyan comes from an ordinary family, he is a Zhuangyuan*. Except being young and good-looking, he has been favored by the Emperor and has been put in a high position as the Grand Councilor. Besides his sister is an imperial concubine. Who doesn''t want to marry his daughter to such a man?" (TN*: title conferred on the person who scores the highest in the Imperial examination)


    Yun Shang knew that Minister Wang and Luo Qingyan were familiar when they were in the State of Ning. Luo Qingyan knew Minister Wang very well. Since he said so, it must be true.


    Yun Shang frowned and asked worriedly, "What should we do?"


    Seeing that Yun Shang was worried about this, Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "You could even push the ordinary man, Liu Qiyan, to his current position, it won''t be difficult for you to create a good background for Ning Qian. But Ning Qian is famous in the Imperial City of the State of Ning. Many noble members and senior officials have seen Ning Qian. You''ll have to think a good plan."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. What Luo Qingyan said seemed to be the only way she could do now.


    When the two of them were talking, they heard a maid downstairs shouting, "It''s raining. Move the things inside quickly."


    It''s raining? Yun Shang walked out of the window and saw the ripples on the lake. It was likely to rain heavily.


    Yun Shang frowned and said, "It''s late autumn now. The rain is still so heavy."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan, who was sitting on the couch for a rest, suddenly sprang up. "No, the thatched cottage for the refugees outside the city hasn''t been built yet. Where could the refugees hide from the rain?"


    Saying this, he hurried out without putting on her robe.


    Yun Shang also rushed to the corridor outside and shouted at the servants behind Luo Qingyan, "Take an umbrella. Don''t let His Highness get wet


    n the carriage, she ordered the secret guard to send a message to Qian Yin. "Ask her to take a doctor and some guards of the Crown Prince''s mansion to the outside of the city. As soon as they meet the refugees who were not feeling well, send them to the hospitals in the city.


    Ask the hospitals to prepare hot water, clean clothes, doctors and herbs."


    The secret guard agreed. Then Yun Shang ordered the coachman, "Go straight out of the city."


    The rain was much lighter, but Yun Shang''s face didn''t seem to be relaxed at all. If it was just a heavy rain, it would be fine. Drizzles were always relentless.


    Before they arrived at the city gate, Yun Shang saw that most of the shops along the way had been closed. There were refugees hiding under the eaves, but most of them were in rags, and they have already been wetted by the rain.


    Yun Shang watched all the way and soon arrived at the city gate, which was also crowded with refugees. It was already cold in late autumn, and the rain made it colder. The refugees hid under the city wall, and they leaned against each other to warm themselves, but they were still shivering with cold.


    Yun Shang saw a woman in the crowd with a baby in her arms. It seemed the baby was barely one year old and his face was a little flushed, but the child''s mother didn''t notice it at all.


    "Stop." Yun Shang said loudly.


    The carriage stopped. Yun Shang got off the carriage in a hurry and walked to the woman. "Sister, your child is sick. I know some medical skills. Could I check him?"


    The woman looked up at Yun Shang, lowered her head and held the child tightly in her arms, full of vigilance.


    "Sister, I don''t mean to harm you. Look at the baby in your arms. His face is flushed and he looks very painful. Do you feel his body hot?" Yun Shang tried her best to persuade her, but the woman didn''t move at all. She muttered, "You are lying. Someone has cheated me like this and taken my daughter away. A Qiang is not sick. Go away."


    Yun Shang frowned and was about to speak when she heard a voice. "Your Highness."


    Yun Shang looked up and saw Qian Yin arrive with the guards of the Crown Prince''s mansion.

 Chapter 884 Mother And Son (Part One)

    "The child is sick. Let the doctor check and see if he needs to be sent to the hospital. I''ll go and find His Highness Crown Prince." Yun Shang ordered in a low voice when Qian Yin came in front of her.


    Hearing this, the woman with the baby in her arms looked at Yun Shang blankly and asked in a tremulous voice, "You are the Crown Princess?"


    Yun Shang nodded gently and smiled gently, "Yes, I''m the Crown Princess. Don''t worry. I don''t mean to harm you. It''s just that your child is caught in the rain and has a fever. If he couldn''t be treated in time, he will be in danger. This is my maid. She brought a doctor here. You and your child will be sent to the hospital later. Medicine and clean clothes have been prepared for you in the hospital."


    Hearing this, tears streamed down the woman''s face. She knelt down and said, "Thank you, Your Highness Crown Princess. Thank you so much."


    Yun Shang helped her up and said, "When you arrive at the hospital, ask the doctor to take your pulse and take the medicine to prevent yourself from getting sick. If you are sick, who will take care of the child?"


    The woman answered with tears in her eyes. She wiped the tears on her face with her tattered sleeve and pointed at a direction, "His Highness Crown Prince is over there. Just now, someone was hiding from the rain under the unfinished shed, and his legs were pressed by the collapsed shed. The Crown Prince is saving people there."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang said in a hurry, "Thank you." Then she took an umbrella from the carriage and hurried into the rain, heading in the direction that the woman pointed.


    Qian Yin asked someone to help the woman and the child up. Seeing that Yun Shang went out, Hua''er quickly followed her with an umbrella.


    Where the woman pointed to was the southwest side of the city gate. Yun Shang had heard from Luo Qingyan that he had ordered to build some huts two or three miles away from the city to accommodate the refugees. However, the heavy rain came before it was completed. Perhaps some refugees had nowhere to hide, so they went into the unfinished huts.


    After walking for a while, Yun Shang saw three or four rows of huts.


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    d, "Do you think there is anything else we need?"


    Liu Yinfeng thought for a while and said, "Now most of the refugees have found a place to hide from the rain. The sick ones can be sent to the hospital. And we could ask someone to make some ginger soup for the other refugees without obvious symptoms, in case they get sick."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "Mister Liu, you are so thoughtful. I''ll ask someone to do it right away."


    Yun Shang ordered the secret guard to go back and deliver a message. An attendant walked to Luo Qingyan, glanced at Yun Shang, and whispered in his ear for a while. Yun Shang noticed Luo Qingyan took a glance at her and then turned away with an cold expression. Then he said with anger. "Do as Her Highness said."


    The servant replied and left quickly.


    Yun Shang guessed that the servant was here to report what had happened just now. She pretended not to know and said softly, "But it will be difficult if the rain goes on. How about I call the guards in the mansion and then gather some palace guards to set up these unfinished thatched huts? At least let these refugees have a place to shelter from the wind and rain first."


    Luo Qingyan said in a low voice, "I''ve sent someone to gather palace guards. You''re also wet in the rain. Go back home first. You can ask Qian Yin to come to me. If I have any order, I''ll ask her to prepare. It''s a little messy outside. It''s not safe after getting dark."

 Chapter 885 Mother And Son (Part Two)

    Yun Shang knew what he was worried about. She thought for a while and didn''t want Luo Qingyan to be distracted to take care of her. She nodded slightly and said, "Okay, I''ll go back home first. If you need anything, just send someone back to tell me."


    Luo Qingyan answered and ordered a servant, "Escort Her Highness to the city gate."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I have secret guards with me. It''s okay."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t change his words. Yun Shang sighed and said goodbye to Liu Yinfeng with a smile. Then she turned around and returned to the city gate. Qian Yin had already sent the woman and the child to the hospital. She was ordering someone to help the man who had just been saved from the collapsed shed get into the carriage in which there were a few refugees who had got a fever.


    "Go to His Highness later and listen to his orders. Take the guards with you. It''s getting dark. There are all kinds of people among the refugees. Be careful." Yun Shang ordered softly.


    After Qian Yin replied, Yun Shang got into her carriage.


    When Yun Shang returned home, Qin Yi was also surprised to see her in such a mess. She quickly ordered someone to prepare hot water for her. Yun Shang took a bath and changed into clean clothes.


    As soon as she changed her clothes, Qin Yi came over with a bowl of ginger soup. "Your Highness, drink some. Don''t catch a cold."


    Yun Shang took the ginger soup and gulped it down. Then she lay on the bed and breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I''ll ask someone to serve the dinner. The dishes have been kept warm in the pot." Qin Yi whispered.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. After thinking for a while, she ordered, "Prepare some dishes and send them to the outside of the city for His Highness, Mister Liu, and Qian Yin."


    Qin Yi nodded and left.


    Lying on the bed, Yun Shang suddenly felt relieved and sleepy. After a while, she almost fell asleep. When she was half asleep, she seemed to hear Bao''er''s cry. Yun Shang woke up at once and heard faint cries coming from downstairs.


    Yun Shang shouldn''t have slept for a long time as Qin Yi hadn''t come back. She quickly put on her clothes and went downstairs.


    Bao''er''s crying, accompanied by Chen Miaosi''s soft comfort was heard. "Bao''er, don''t cry. Your father and mother are very busy. Don''t cry."


    Yun Shang felt her whole heart was twisted by the cry. She hurried into the room and asked, "What''s wrong with Bao''er?"


    Hearing this, Chen Miaosi turned around in a hurry. Bao''er was crying in her arms.


    "I''m afraid he caught a cold because of the wind. I''ve asked someone to make some ginger soup for him just now. I covered him with the quilt and lulled him into sleep for a while. He sweated and didn''t have a fever. He just felt a little uncomfortable and suddenly cried out."


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    bench with the Bao''er in her arms. She put Bao''er on her chest, picked up a book and read it to Bao''er in a soft voice. "In the ancient times, people didn''t know their father. They were like babies. In the summer, they live in a nest, in the winter, they live in a cave, wandering among the deer and swine..."


    After a while, Bao''er fell asleep again. Yun Shang took Bao''er to bed and sleep with him.


    It was already four o''clock in the morning when Luo Qingyan returned to the South Yard. Hearing the noise, Qin Yi woke up and quickly took the lamp. Seeing that it was Luo Qingyan, she asked, "Your Highness is back? I''ll ask someone to prepare hot water for you."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and went back to the room. The bed curtain covered the view inside. Luo Qingyan looked at the bed curtain and remained silent for a moment. Then he sat down on the bench and saw a book on the bench. He picked up and read it. It was the Tai Yin Zhen Jing, a very famous book on a book on military tactics.


    Luo Qingyan turned two pages and put the book aside.


    Qin Yi had already asked someone to carry the water into the bathroom. Luo Qingyan went to the bathroom and took a bath for a while. After washing up, he put on her underwear and walked out of the bathroom.


    Qin Yi served the ginger soup as usual. Luo Qingyan asked softly, "Have Her Highness drunk it?"


    Qin Yi replied in a hurry, "Yes."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and drank up the ginger soup.


    Qin Yi took a dry handkerchief and dried Luo Qingyan''s wet long hair before she left. After sitting on the bench for a while, Luo Qingyan stood up, walked to the bed and lifted the curtain.


    In the soft light, Luo Qingyan saw the situation on the bed.


    Yun Shang way lying on the side of the bed, on her was a little baby who is sound asleep, his saliva wetting Yun Shang''s clothes on her chest.

 Chapter 886 The Secret of The Prunella Spike

    Luo Qingyan''s eyes darkened. After a while, he picked up Bao''er and put him next to Yun Shang. Then he lay down beside Bao''er and put out the light on the table with the flick of his wrist.


    Not long after, Luo Qingyan noticed that the soft little baby beside him held his arm with both hands and feet. Luo Qingyan''s body stiffened, but he didn''t even dare to breathe heavily.


    The next morning, when Yun Shang woke up, she saw a very rare scene. Luo Qingyan was lying beside her, with Bao''er sleeping on his belly. The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curled into a smile, but she saw that Bao''er had already woken up. He turned her head to take a quick look at her, and then turned back, moving hard on Luo Qingyan''s chest.


    Yun Shang hurriedly reached out her hands and held Bao''er in her arms. "You naughty boy! I''ll beat your butt if you wake up your father."


    However, Bao''er didn''t feel that he was being threatened at all. He chuckled and raised his hand to give Yun Shang a small fist.


    Yun Shang was helpless. He turn to look at Luo Qingyan and found that he was still sound asleep. He must be very exhausted from the hard work last night.


    "Let''s get up and eat something first. Don''t disturb your father''s sleep." Holding Bao''er in her arms, Yun Shang was about to get out of bed. When her hand touched Luo Qingyan''s hand, she suddenly paused.


    Yun Shang hurriedly touched Luo Qingyan''s forehead, frowning. Luo Qingyan had got sick. No wonder Luo Qingyan, who was always alert, hadn''t been waken up the noise made by Bao''er.


    Yun Shang panicked. Luo Qingyan was omnipotent in her heart. How could he get sick? Yun Shang shouted at the door, "Qin Yi, Hua''er."


    The bead curtain was lifted. Qin Yi came over and lifted the bed curtain. "Are you getting up, Your Highness?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and handed Bao''er to Qin Yi. Then she got out of bed, "Take Bao''er to the wet nurse first. His Highness has got sick."


    Qin Yi replied and hurried downstairs with Bao''er.


    Yun Shang put on her shoes and looked up at Hua''er, "Go boil some hot water."


    After Hua''er nodded, Yun Shang sat down on the edge of the bed, held Luo Qingyan''s hand and felt his pulse.


    After a long time, Yun Shang let go of her hand. He had caught a cold and had a fever after standing in the rain and wind for so long last night.


    Yun Shang walked quickly to the table, took a writing brush, and wrote a prescription on a piece of paper. Then she asked a maid to bring the prescription to Dr. Zheng.


    Qin Yi had handed Bao''er to the wet nurse, and then ran up in a hurry. Yun Shang turned around and ordered, "His Highness is not able to go to the court because of illness today. Send someone to the Palace and ask for a sick leave. Just tell Lord Liu and he will arrange it."


    Qin Yi answered yes and left in a hurry. When she walked to the door, she almost bumped into Hua''er who came in with a basin. Hua''er laid the basin on the chair, took the towel and threw it into the hot water in a hurry.


    Yun Shang reached out to


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    e farmers don''t grow food, what do they live on?"


    "Pull out the withered grass and sell it in the pharmacy. Then buy some food. The prunella spike is much wothy than crops. Besides, the prunella spike has a strong adaptability to the environment. It can grow well under any circumstances. They even don''t need to take care of it. Just pull it out and sell it. So they surely are willing to plant it."


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "I didn''t expect that." As she spoke, a dark light flashed through her eyes.


    "There are very few people planting curculigo orchioides, but the climate of the State of Xia is very suitable for it. I have seen it growing well in some places near the Jin City before.The environment must be suitable."


    Yun Shang had also learned medical skills and read a lot of medical books. She had a good time talking with Zheng Qiming. It didn''t take long for an hour to pass. Zheng Qiming took the medicine pot from the furnace, removed the residue, poured it into a bowl, covered it, and put it in the hamper. Then he handed it to Hua''er next to Yun Shang.


    When Yun Shang returned to the South Yard with Hua''er, she asked the maid and knew that Liu Yinfeng hadn''t come downstairs yet.


    Looking at the hamper in Hua''er''s hand, Yun Shang went upstairs. When she walked to the living room''s door, she heard Liu Yinfeng''s voice coming from inside, "The Ghost Doctor is indeed an excellent doctor, but he has a strange temperament. I''m on good terms with him, but I''m going to Liucang City soon, so I could only send someone to invite him. If he doesn''t want to come, when I come back to the Jin City, I''ll personally go to ask him for help."


    "Thank you." Luo Qingyan said in a hoarse voice.


    "No thanks. After all, he is also my..."


    Before Liu Yinfeng could finish his words, Luo Qingyan interrupted him, "Shang''er, you''re back?"


    Yun Shang smiled, opened the curtain and stepped into the room. She asked in confusion, "Who is the Ghost Doctor?" Who is sick? Isn''t Dr. Zheng at home? "

 Chapter 887 See Through

    Liu Yinfeng turned around and smiled, "No one is sick. It''s just that there is no sign of recovery since Doctor Xue Yan has been treating the Empress for a few days. So His Highness asked me to look for some famous doctors in the State of Xia. The best doctor in the State of Xia is Ghost Doctor. I happened to meet him several times, so I am about to have someone invite him."


    Yun Shang smiled. "Memory loss is different from other disease. She needs to recuperate slowly. How could she recover after just some packets of herbal medicine? Hasn''t Doctor Xue Yan told you that? You should be patient."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and sighed, "You are right. I was being too anxious."


    Yun Shang smiled gently and asked Hua''er to take out the bowl of medicine. Yun Shang reached out to touch the bowl. It was just right, neither cold nor hot, after they brought it all the way here in the cool weather.


    Yun Shang handed the bowl of medicine to Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "Your Highness, you''d better take care of yourself first. Get better soon."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and took the bowl. He raised his head and drank it up, but full of disgust in his eyes.


    It was rare for him to be so lively, so Yun Shang chuckled. She took the empty bowl from him and said, "Your Highness, have you finished your business with Mister Liu?"


    Liu Yinfeng nodded, "Everything is fine."


    Yun Shang raised her head and looked at Liu Yinfeng, "Mister Liu, why did you say you were going to Liucang City?"


    Liu Yinfeng replied with a smile, "It''s about the disaster relief. The seventh Prince has only brought the first batch of relief materials. His Majesty ordered me to send the newly raised supplies to Liucang City, and I will set out early the day after tomorrow."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a moment and said, "Recently I''ve heard some news about Liucang City and Siyang City. These news has not been confirmed, but I always feel that there is a trap behind the drought."


    "A trap? Why do you say that?" Liu Yinfeng and Luo Qingyan were both confused.


    Yun Shang walked around the room and said, "The refugees said that due to the long drought, there is no harvest in the three cities, Liucang City, Nanyang City and Siyang City. People there have nothing to live on, so they have to run away from the famine."


    Liu Yinfeng nodded slightly, "Yes, I''ve confirmed that there is indeed a drought in the three cities this year. Is there anything wrong?"


    "The drought is true. But I''m afraid it''s fake that they have nothing to live on and have to become refugees. Doctor Chen in the mansion said that she had passed by Liucang City on her way here. She told me that Liucang City indeed suffered from a drought, but she noticed that the field there was covered with weeds without any trace of crops. I thought that the crops must have been cleaned up after they died because of the drought. But on second thought, it doesn''t make sense. If the farmers had pulled out the dead crops, why they left the weeds there? Yun Shang said with a frown.


    "Jut now when I went to Dr. Zheng''s to get the medicine, he told me another thing about Siyang City. He said that when he passed by Siyang City the year before last, he found that the land there was full of prunella spike, which was a kind of herb and was expen


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    is willing to do as what you said, I could spare his life. After all, he and I are brothers by blood. We shouldn''t have fought against each other like this."


    A smile appeared on Liu Yinfeng''s face. "Thank you very much, your highness. I have to express thanks to you on behalf of the seventh Prince."


    Seeing this, Yun Shang didn''t ask any more questions. Thinking of the drugs, she went downstairs in a hurry and told Qin Yi in detail to gather Ning Qian and Qian Yin to prepare for it.


    As soon as she finished his order, he saw Liu Yinfeng coming downstairs.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Mister Liu, are you going back?"


    Liu Yinfeng nodded slightly.


    Yun Shang said smilingly, "Mister Liu is Bao''er''s godfather. Why don''t you take a look at Bao''er since you are here? If he knows it in the future, he must blame Mister Liu for not being close to him." So saying, she asked Qin Yito bring Bao''er here and handed him to Liu Yinfeng.


    Liu Yinfeng held Liu Yinfeng skillfully, and teased Bao''er in his arms with a smile. He talked with Bao''er for a while before saying goodbye to Yun Shang. Yun Shang didn''t stop him this time. She sent Liu Yinfeng out of the yard and went upstairs with Bao''er.


    Luo Qingyan hadn''t rested yet. When he saw Yun Shang come up, he frowned and said, "I''m still sick. Don''t let Chengye get infected."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Don''t worry. He won''t."


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, he said, "You are more familiar with Liu Yinfeng. Tell me, why did Xia Houjing intercede for Xia Houjing? I didn''t hear that Liu Yinfeng had too close contact with Xia Houjing before, except that Liu Yinfeng had tutored Xia Houjing for a while, and then they became very unfamiliar with each other."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "Your Highness, if others hear what you said, they may misunderstand. What do you mean by saying that I''m more familiar with Liu Yinfeng? Your Highness, what are you being jealous for this time?"


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang, but didn''t refute. Yun Shang smiled and said, "I''ve heard a secret in the Palace before, saying that Liu Yinfeng once had a feeling for Lady Liu. Xia Houjing''s Xia Houjing..."

 Chapter 888 A Henpecked Husband

    "What?" Luo Qingyan seemed to be surprised. He kept silent for a while and said, "I remember that when Lady Liu entered the Palace, Liu Yinfeng should''ve been at a tender age, right?"


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile. "Yes, he was very young then. But who can make it clear about love? Maybe it''s because Xia Houjing is the only child left by Lady Liu, Liu Yinfeng still hopes to keep Xia Houjing alive though they have different beliefs."


    Luo Qingyan frowned, but didn''t seem to believe Yun Shang''s words. He was silent for a moment and said, "Why does he always have a problem with a married woman?"


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan, and Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything. He closed his eyes and lay on the bed for a rest. After a long time, he didn''t hear Yun Shang''s movement. He quietly narrowed his eyes and looked at Yun Shang, only to find that Yun Shang was looking at him with a frown. Luo Qingyan closed his eyes again and murmured, "Alas, it''s so painful to be sick. My throat aches, my head aches, and my whole body aches. And I''ll have to inspect the examination tomorrow." He frowned as he spoke, looking miserable.


    Yun Shang was angry and amused. She snorted and said, "Go on acting. I''ll go to help with the drugs."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan opened his eyes and looked at Yun Shang pitifully. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "I''ll be very busy today, and I''ll also ask Dr. Chen for help as she is proficient in drugs. No one could take care of Bao''er. I''ll go and bring Bao''er here. Since you''ll rest all day in the room, you take care of Bao''er today." Then Yun Shang opened the bead curtain and walked out.


    "Alas..." Luo Qingyan wanted to stop Yun Shang, but before he could finish his words, he saw the bead curtain slightly shaking at the door and Yun Shang had already disappeared.


    After a while, Yun Shang returned to the room with Bao''er in her arms. Seeing that Yun Shang put the baby beside him, Luo Qingyan was about to say something, but Yun Shang interrupted him, "I''ll put Bao''er here. Just keep an eye on him. The wet nurse will come to feed him on time. If Bao''er cries, he must have peed or pooped. You can ask the wet nurse to clean it up. You don''t need to do anything else. If you have time, you''d better play with Bao''er for a while."


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned around and left in a hurry, as if she was afraid that Luo Qingyan wouldn''t agree. The two of them, father and son, sat on the bed, staring at each other. Looking at Luo Qingyan with curiosity for a while, Bao''er chuckled.


    Looking at Bao''er innocent smile, Luo Qingyan felt bitter in his heart. He was silent for a long time before he sighed and turned around.


    However, Bao''er could not bear to be ignored by others, even if this person was his father, the God of war that everyone worshiped. Seeing that Luo Qingyan didn''t look at him anymore, Luo Qingyan suddenly grabbed Luo Qingyan''s clothes and pulled him with little strength, which made himself roll around and stop just at Luo Qingyan''s hand. Bao''er grinned and bit Luo Qingyan''s hand.


    It was alrea


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    uan told Ning Qian not to walk too fast in case their baby wold be shocked, Yun Shang just couldn''t stop laughing.


    Ning Qian''s face darkened. She snorted and looked away.


    Seeing that the secret guard was still standing in the room and his shoulder was shaking as if he was trying his best to hold back his laughter, Ning Qian frowned and asked impatiently, "What''s wrong? What happened?"


    The secret guard looked at Yun Shang with grievance. Seeing that Yun Shang still couldn''t help laughing and had no intention of helping him, he had to say in a low voice, "Last night, the seventh princess left the city and headed north, with several guards who were good at kung fu protecting her."


    Ning Qian sneered, "Oh, they must have been ordered by Xia Houjing to take Hua Yutong there. Isn''t that clear?"


    Yun Shang coughed and forced a smile. She looked up at Ning Qian and said, "I just couldn''t figure out why. Judging from Xia Houjing''s attitude towards Empress Hua, he is just using her. But why did he send someone to pick up Hua Yutong at this time? It''s really unbelievable."


    Glancing at Yun Shang, Ning Qian said with undisguised contempt, "Have you ever read the notebooks about the information of the court officials I gave you before?"


    Yun Shang didn''t know why Ning Qian asked this, but she nodded honestly and said, "Of course I have read. I can remember most of it."


    "What about the information of the officials'' family members?" Ning Qian asked again.


    Yun Shang couldn''t answer her confidently this time, so she said in a lower voice, "I have just read the information of some of their close family members and didn''t pay attention to the others as I thought as I thought it wouldn''t be useful." Although she had an amazingly retentive memory, she didn''t want to remember anything irrelevant.


    Ning Qian snorted, "I know you haven''t seen it. In the introduction of the Hua clan, it is clearly written that Hua Yutong''s father is Lord Hua Guo''s younger brother who is an official in Jing''an City which is near Liucang City."

 Chapter 889 Disappearing For No Reason

    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and suddenly realized that Xia Houjing took Hua Yutong over in order to seek the support of his father-in-law.


    Yun Shang raised her head and looked at the secret guard, "Report this to Lord Hua Guo." Lord Hua Guo was the most suitable person to deal with the clearing up in the clan.


    Luo Qingyan came back late and looked a little tired. Yun Shang noticed this and quickly took off his cloak, and robe before fetching hot water for him to drink.


    Luo Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the couch.


    Yun Shang knew that the secret guard would report to him that Hua Yutong had left the city overnight, so she didn''t need to mention it. She just smiled and asked, "it seems that you are just going to inspect the examination ground. People who don''t know you might think that you have just fought a battle."


    Luo Qingyan sighed, took Yun Shang''s hand and sat down on the edge of the couch. Then he smiled, "isn''t it more tiring than a battle? Today was the first day of examinations but we''ve found out seven or eight cheating candidates. "


    Yun Shang frowned and looked up at Luo Qingyan, "Is that what he did?"


    Luo Qingyan knew who Yun Shang was talking about. He nodded slightly and said, "I''m afraid I''ll arrange many people to take part in the autumn test because I''m in charge of it. I''ve temporarily arranged some people to control the court through the autumn test. I''m afraid the people found out today are deliberately arranged to confuse my eyes. The other people who don''t cheat are probably killed by Xia Houjing. "


    Yun Shang comforted him with a smile, "There''s no need to be afraid. Just let him arrange people. There''s still a court test left, right? That will be decided by his majesty. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I won''t go to the martial arts test. Seven or eight out of ten candidates are our people. It can be said that we are very confident."


    "Your Highness, you are so thoughtful. I think Xia Houjing will get nothing in the end. By the way, two days have passed, and have the refugees'' shelters been built? " Yun Shang thought that since Luo Qingyan came back so late, he must have visited outside the city, so she asked.


    "Most of them have been built. I''ve ordered to help the refugees to settle in," Luo Qingyan answered softly.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said softly, "Your Highness, you can ask the secret guards to guard the sheds where the refugees live. If the refugees were deliberately arranged by someone, they would try their best to send a message to contact that person. If we can block the letter, maybe we can get something. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "Yes, I''ve arranged it."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled. She had thought too much. How could a person like Luo Qingyan not think of these things?


    Luo Qingyan gently touched Yun Shang''s hair. He was too lazy to move. After a long time, he remembered something. He took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Yun Shang.


    "This is a letter from Wang J


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    if she knew that she was still unable to protect her child well...


    He didn''t know how she would react, and he didn''t want to know either.


    Footsteps came from outside. They were familiar to him. Luo Qingyan quickly adjusted his expression, raised a smile and looked at the door.


    The door curtain was lifted, and Yun Shang appeared at the door, with Bao''er in her arms.


    "Honey, thank your father," Yun Shang smilingly walked to the edge of the couch with Bao''er in her arms. The baby turned to look at Luo Qingyan and chuckled.


    Yun Shang also laughed.


    Footsteps came again from the outside of the door. Yun Shang took Bao''er back into her arms, and saw Qin Yi coming in in a hurry with a pale face.


    "What''s wrong? Look at you. What happened? " Yun Shang asked softly.


    Qin Yi nodded and said, "Your highnesses, I just heard that the Empress has disappeared in the palace."


    Yun Shang was surprised and looked at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan sat up quickly and asked, "What happened? Tell me more details? "


    Qin Yi hurriedly reported, "According to a secret guard in the palace, the empress has been reading and playing the Guqin in the inner hall this afternoon, leaving only Qian Zhuo to serve her. The servants outside had been listening to the faint sound of the Guqin, so they dared not to disturb them. It was not until dinner time that the emperor went to Weiyang Palace and found that there was no one in the palace. "


    "They have just disappeared for no reason?" Yun Shang was a little surprised, "Why haven''t I heard any news?"


    "His majesty ordered that no one is allowed to spread the news outside," Qin Yi replied in a hurry.


    Yun Shang frowned, "No wonder no secret guards found it. Did Qian Zhuo disappear with the Empress?"


    "Yes, your highness," Qin Yi replied.


    Yun Shang turned around and said to Luo Qingyan, "I''ll ask the secret guards to contact Qian Zhuo. If she wakes up, she should be able to tell wherever she is."


    Luo Qingyan nodded without saying anything.

 Chapter 890 Plan

    Since Xia Huanyu didn''t allow anyone to spread the news, Luo Qingyan didn''t even have the chance to interfere. If he did, Xia Huanyu would know that they had planted people in the Palace and would be on guard against Luo Qingyan. Born in the royal family, she knew how ruthless the royal family was. When she was in the State of Ning, her father had also been suspicious of her.


    "Your Highness, don''t worry. Her Majesty will be fine. If someone wants to hurt her, he would''ve killed her directly instead of taking her away. Since the one took her away, he must have some plan." Yun Shang comforted him softly, "I''ll ask the secret guards to investigate it carefully."


    Luo Qingyan stood up and said, "No need. We don''t need to send people to investigate. His Majesty will do that. It will be trick if His Majesty people met ours."


    "I have many affairs about the imperial examination to deal with. I''ll go to the study first." Luo Qingyan said and walked out of the room.


    Yun Shang stared at Luo Qingyan''s back, sighed and said nothing.


    Perhaps because of the telepathy between father and son, Bao''er in her arms suddenly pouted and cried loudly.


    Yun Shang hurriedly comforted him softly, "Little naughty boy, why are you crying now? Don''t cry. Your grandma will be fine."


    But Bao''er kept crying. He cried for a long time before he got tired and fell asleep in Yun Shang''s arms.


    Yun Shang put Bao''er in his crib and looked at the map of the State of Xia on the desk. She frowned and sighed, "What a lot of troubles we seem to have!"


    Luo Qingyan still didn''t come back until the sleep time. Yun Shang was a little worried, so she asked Qin Yi to keep an eye on Bao''er and went out for the study.


    It was a little cold in the autumn night, and it was a little quiet without the chirping of frogs and cicadas in summer. Yun Shang adjusted her cloak and walked along the corridor to the study. The light in the study was on. She could see Luo Qingyan''s shadow reflected on the closed window. He was sitting a chair with a book in his hand, which looked a little lonely.


    She knew that Luo Qingyan was a kung fu master. If she got close, she would be found. So she just stood far away and looked at the shadow on the window. For a long time, Luo Qingyan''s did not turn a page. Yun Shang let out a light sigh, turned around and walked back to the South Yard.


    Qin Yi had just added a small quilt for Bao''er. When she saw Yun Shang come back alone, a look of surprise flashed through her eyes, but she didn''t ask more. She just said softly, "Are Your Highness going to rest?"


    Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and said softly, "yes."


    "The hot water is ready. Let me undress for you." As saying, Qin Yi took two steps forward, untied Yun Shang''s cloak and put it aside.


    Yun Shang frowned slightly and kept thinking, now that Su Ruji had been killed and Lady Shu had been dealt with. Who took away Empress Hua? Could it be Xia Houjing?


    However, Xia Houjing was around Liucang City now. If Xia Houjing really swindled the relief


    mpulsive. Since Xia Houjing dares to do so, he must have been well prepared. Besides, if grandfather write a letter to tell her father that you will go there, Xia Houjing will have a lot of time to plan. I''m afraid that he will do something bad to you."


    "What can the little bastard do to me? When I started to fight in the battlefield, he hadn''t even been born! The enemies I have killed are more than the meals he has eaten in his life. How could I be set up by him? I''m not that easy to be calculated." Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Lord Hua Guo was irritated.


    Yun Shang hurriedly comforted him, "Yes, I know grandfather is very valiant. But since Xia Houjing intends to rebel, he must have a lot of people. Grandfather doesn''t have any soldier now. You can''t resist thousands of troops by your own, can you?"


    Lord Hua Guo stamped his feet and said impatiently, "I can''t do that. Tell me, what should I do?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and looked at the lotus leaves in the lake. Although the lotus leaves had turned brown, there was still a dragonfly standing on them.


    "It must be inappropriate for grandfather to go there. But I wonder if you can find an excuse to call Hua Yutong''s father to the Jin City?" Yun Shang looked at Lord Hua Guo with a gleam in her eyes.


    "It''s not a big deal. When Ling''er came back to the palace, His Majesty wanted to promote more people in our mansion, but I refused as I didn''t want to cause any trouble to Ling''er. But I can go to ask His Majesty for help. I''ll tell him that I''m old and miss my brother and I want him to go back to the Jin City for reunion. There is no need to promote his official position. Just transferred him from the area where he is now. If my second brother is transferred, Xia Houjing will have no reason to make use of him." Lord Hua Guo seemed to have come up with a good idea. His eyes lit up. "I''m going back to my mansion to write a memorial."


    Without waiting for Yun Shang''s response, he rushed out of the pavilion and left in a hurry.

 Chapter 891 Pay A Visit To Weiyang Palace

    Seeing Lord Hua Guo rushing out of the mansion, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She thought Lord Hua Guo''s idea would be a win-win solution.


    Standing there, Yun Shang suddenly remembered something. "Is Mr. Liu going to deliver the second batch of relief materials to Liucang today?"


    Qin Yi nodded slightly and said, "It''s today. Dr. Zheng left the house early in the morning. They should be out of the city now."


    Yun Shang was stunned, thinking that she should have seen Liu Yinfeng off. Liu Yinfeng would also be in great danger this time.


    "Have you put all the drugs?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Qin Yi nodded slightly and said, "yes."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up. "I still have some account books to check. Have all the stewards arrived?"


    [Qin Yi shook her head and said, "I didn''t expect you to get up so early, so I asked them to report to you after lunch. How about I ask them to come now?"


    "Never mind. It''s just as well that they come after lunch. I can have a good rest in the morning." Yun Shang replied softly and walked towards the South Yard.


    After returning to her room, Yun Shang read the account books for a while and saw a secret guard rushing over. Yun Shang''s eyes lit up and she quickly asked, "Have you got in touch with Qian Zhuo?"


    The secret guard shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Someone among the refugees outside the city planned to send a letter by a carrier pigeon this morning. I''ve caught the carrier pigeon. When I went the Examination Hall to report it to His Highness, he asked me to hand the letter to Your Highness to deal with." Then the secret guard took out the letter from his waist and presented it to Yun Shang.


    Hearing that it was not the news about Qian Zhuo, Yun Shang was a little disappointed, but she soon pull herself together and took over the letter. Luo Qingyan probably was not in the mood to deal with it now. The matter of the autumn Imperial examination, the matter of Xia Houjing, and the matter of Empress Hua, each of them was enough to make him anxious.


    Yun Shang unfolded the letter and read it carefully. Then she sneered, "It''s indeed Xia Houjing''s spy."


    The letter was to tell Xia Houjing that Liu Yinfeng had transported the second batch of relief materials out of the city. Yun Shang handed the letter to the secret guard and said softly, "Put the letter back in its original state, and let the carrier pigeon go."


    The secret guard replied, took the letter and hurried out of the room.


    Without the news of Qian Zhuo, Yun Shang felt fidgety. She couldn''t concentrate on the account book, so she stood up and said to Qin Yi, "Change my clothes and I''ll go to the Palace."


    Qin Yi was stunned and hesitated, "But His Highness said..."


    "I know. He said I don''t need to send any secret guard to interfere in this matter, but I am not a secret guard. I often go to the Palace to pay respects to Empress Hua, and no one will doubt me. I just go to see the situation and will not do anything." Yun Shang answered softly, but she had already sat in front of the bronze mirror, with determination in her eyes.


    Qin Yi had


    o dress up and how to attract the Emperor''s attention, so we often visited each other, chanting or enjoying flowers to kill time."


    Yun Shang replied softly. She thought for a long time and said, "If you want to leave the Palace, just tell me. I will arrange it. You are only seventeen or eighteen years old now. You are still at your best age. It''s better for you to leave the Palace than stay here forever. Ning Qian is living a good life outside the Palace now, and she should be getting married soon."


    Lin Youran was stunned, with a gleam shining in her eyes. She looked up at Yun Shang, and her lips trembled slightly. "Can I leave the Palace?"


    Yun Shang smiled gently, "Of course you can. Why not?"


    Tears welled up in Lin Youran''s eyes. After thinking for a long time, she smiled and said, "Of course I''m willing to go out of the Palace..."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Okay, I''ll arrange it."


    After saying that, Yun Shang chatted with Lin Youran for a while before leaving the Xiangzhu Palace. Not long after they left the Xiangzhu Palace, they arrived at the Imperial Garden. The chrysanthemum was in full bloom, and there were also many concubines admiring the flowers in the Imperial Garden.


    Looking at the figures in the Imperial Garden, Yun Shang sighed with emotion, "I remember many new ladies had just entered the Palace this time last year. At that time, I could see well-dressed maids shuttling back and forth in the imperial garden, hoping to meet the Emperor and win his favor. The women I saw then was as lively as blooming flowers, but now, they are more like withering ones."


    Qin Yi also sighed, "All the women in the Palace are so lonely that they can even hear the sound of aging."


    Xia Huanyu favored Empress Hua only since she returned to the Palace, which made this scene. Xia Huanyu was affectionate, but only to one person, which was cruel to his other women. It couldn''t be said that Xia Huanyu was wrong, or Empress Hua was wrong...


    While Yun Shang was sighing in her heart, Qin Yi said in a low voice, "Your Highness, His Majesty is here."

 Chapter 892 One Should Be More Tolerant When In A High Position

    Yun Shang looked up and saw the brightness of the yellow robes moving slowly along the lake. Yun Shang frowned. It was unusual that Xia Huanyu still looked so leisurely when something happened to Empress Hua...


    Yun Shang saw that Liu Wenan seemed to have noticed her. He paused and whispered something to Xia Huanyu who then also took a glance at Yun Shang.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang walked over with Qin Yi, "Greetings. Your Majesty."


    Xia Huanyu nodded slightly and asked, "What brought you to the Palace?"


    Yun Shang hurriedly smiled and said, "I meant to greet Her Majesty, the servant at the gate of Weiyang Palace said that she was not feeling well and were resting. I didn''t dare to disturb Her Majesty, so I went to Xiangzhu Palace and sat for a while. I''m about to leave the Palace."


    "Hum." Xia Huanyu replied casually as if he was absent-minded. After a while, he asked, "What is the Crown Prince doing these two days?"


    "His Highness has been on an inspection tour of the autumn Imperial Examination held in the Examination Hall in the past two days. I heard from him that several examinees have been caught cheating in the examination." Yun Shang replied with a faint smile and stole a glance at Xia Huanyu.


    After a short pause, Xia Huanyu said, "The Imperial Examination is a big deal. The crown prince has to pay more attention to it." Then he asked, "Have the refugees been settled?"


    Yun Shang was confused. Wasn''t Luo Qingyan supposed to have reported this to him? Why did Xia Huanyu ask her?


    Confused as she was, Yun Shang had to answer, "Everything is going well. I heard from His Highness that the refugees have already lived in the sheds. As soon as he gathered all the money promised by the merchants, he will send someone to give every refugees some money to settle down wherever they want."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and turned around to look at the lake beside him. After a long silence, he said something that Yun Shang couldn''t understand at all. "I understand all the grievances in his heart, but seeing isn''t always believing. One day, he will understand why I arranged this, and this day is not far away."


    Yun Shang felt these words were a little familiar. It seemed that Xia Huanyu had said it before?


    Yun Shang''s body trembled slightly. She recalled that last time when she asked him that why he particularly favored Xia Houjing, he had said something similar.


    Yun Shang frowned. What did Xia Huanyu mean by saying that?


    Yun Shang thought for a long time and answered softly, "Your Majesty, I don''t understand."


    With a faint smile, Xia Huanyu said, "It doesn''t matter. You will understand soon." Without waiting for Yun Shang''s answer, Yun Shang said indifferently, "Tell the Crown Prince that one should be more tolerant when in a high position. If you don''t have anything else to do, you can leave now. It''s time for lunch. I''m going to have lunch in Weiyang Palace."


    Yun Shang was even more confused. One should be more tolerant when in a high position? Luo Qingyan was no


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    as the best to set the banquet in the courtyard. Yun Shang ordered servants to clean up the courtyard behind the garden house, which was full of cherry trees, and settled the guests down.


    When Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan arrived at the yard, there were guests everywhere in the yard, sitting and chatting. Seeing Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan coming over, they all stood up and congratulated them smilingly.


    "Many happy returns of the day!."


    "May we all be blessed with longevity."


    Yun Shang replied with a smile. After walking around the garden, she was stopped by Shen Yilan. Seeing that Shen Yilan looked a little serious, Yun Shang followed her out of the yard and stopped in the pavilion by the lake.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? " Yun Shang said with a big smile as she hadn''t seen Shen Yilan for a long time.


    However, Shen Yilan glared at Yun Shang and said in a low voice, "I want to ask you something serious. You must tell me the truth."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "Okay, okay, just ask. How could I dare lie to you?"


    Ignoring Yun Shang''s tease, Shen Yilan held her hand and said in a low voice, "I was chatting with those women in the yard just now. Why did they all say that the Empress is missing?"


    Hearing this, the smile on Yun Shang''s face disappeared, and a stern look flashed through her eyes. She asked softly, "Who said that?"


    "They were all talking about it. They even tried to avoid me, but I heard it. Tell me whether it''s true or not. Fortunately, His Lordship and Her Ladyship didn''t come today. Otherwise, how anxious they would have been if they heard it? Shen Yilan asked anxiously.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "Of course not. The Empress is in the Palace safe and sound. I entered the Palace the day before yesterday."


    "Really?" With a skeptical look on her face, Shen Yilan said, "Don''t lie to me. I wouldn''t have believed it if only one or two person said so, but how could it be groundless as so many people talked about it?"

 Chapter 893 Startling by Each Step

    "Do you believe me or them?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "I''m afraid that the news has been spread by those ladies in the imperial household. Since the Empress returned to the Palace, the Emperor favors her only. Most of the concubines in the Palace are the daughters of important officials who hope that their daughter could get the Emperor''s favor and help them. They are surely unwilling to see the Emperor spoiling the Empress. I''m afraid that''s why they make up the rumor."


    Shen Yilan still had some doubts in her eyes, "But why? As long as Empress Hua shows up, the lie will be exposed. What benefit can they get from spreading such a rumor?"


    "What benefit?" Yun Shang frowned, but suddenly a light flashed in her mind. She abruptly turned to Shen Yilan and asked, "Do you know that Empress Hua has lost her memory?"


    Startled by Yun Shang''s action, Shen Yilan nodded, "Yes, I know. What''s wrong? Does it have anything to do with this matter?"


    [Yun Shang nodded with frightening light in her eyes, "Of course."


    "They spread the rumor that the Empress disappeared in order to lure the Empress out to break the rumor. If the Empress appears, they will say that the Empress is a fake one." Saying this, Yun Shang squinted her eyes.


    Shen Yilan couldn''t figure it out. She looked at Yun Shang blankly, "But isn''t the Empress the real one? Even Her Ladyship and His Lordship said she was indeed their daughter..."


    "But it''s also a fact that the Empress has lost her memory. They will make use of it. The news of the Empress''s memory loss was not made public. The Empress grew up in the Jin City, and there were many people who knew her in the city. They only needed to ask some questions. If the Empress could not answer, they could say that the Empress was a fake. Disguising as the Empress is a serious crime." Yun Shang said in a clod voice.


    Hearing this, Shen Yilan was a little agitated. She quickly took Yun Shang''s hand and said, "Then what should we do? If the Empress doesn''t show up, they will say that the Empress was missing. If she does, they will say that she is a fake Empress. What should we do? Shang''er, you are smart. Think of a way."


    Yun Shang frowned. She had no choice now, because there was one thing she couldn''t figure out: where was Empress Hua?


    If that was the case, then Empress Hua should have shown up to break the rumor. But Empress Hua was obviously missing?


    "Your Highness..."


    While Yun Shang was thinking, she heard Qin Yi''s voice coming from afar.


    Yun Shang turned around and heard Qin Yi''s anxious voice, "Your Highness, the Empress''s car is about to arrive at the gate. His Highness ordered me to ask you to the gate to greet Her Majesty."


    With obvious surprise on her face, Yun Shang asked, "Her Majesty?"


    As Shen Yilan was by her side, Yun Shang had to suppress her surprise. She turned to Shen Yilan and said, "Let''s go to greet Her Majesty together."


    However, Shen Yilan looked very anxious. "Why is the Empress here? How could the Empress come here? What should we do?"


    Yun Shang said indifferently, "Cross the bridge when we get to it."


    Now she had to c


    hought they wanted to take the opportunity to find faults with Luo Qingyan, but it turned out that they did it for... the Empress?


    But she didn''t know if they had foreseen the appearance of Empress Hua today. If not, how could it be so coincident? If so, she had to admire the person behind it.


    But on second thought, they even discussed the rumor in the Crown Prince''s mansion, so it must have been widely spread outside. If Empress Hua didn''t disappear, she wouldn''t let the rumor continue to spread. It was surely a good chance for her to break the rumor as many people had attended the party.


    When Qin Yi returned with Bao''er, Empress Hua took Bao''er over and said smilingly, "Bao''er is stronger."


    Yun Shang saw a middle-aged woman coming over cautiously. She smiled and said, "The little prince is so cute."


    Yun Shang curled her lips up into a cold smile. In the recent two days, Yun Shang had been reading the information about the family members of the officials in the court since she was scolded by Ning Qian as she didn''t know where Hua Yutong''s home was.


    Now Yun Shang knew this woman, Lady Qian, the wife of the Deputy Minister of Revenue who had just died a few days ago.


    Glancing at Lady Qian indifferently, Empress Hua smiled and asked, "Who is this lady?"


    Seeing that Empress Hua looked gentle and spoke in a friendly tone, Lady Qian became bolder. She smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty. I''m Li Xiulan, the wife of the former Deputy Minister of Revenue."


    "Deputy Minister of Revenue, is his name Qian Rujun? Is he the victim of the case that was widely discussed not long ago?" Squinting her eyes, Empress Hua asked softly.


    Li Xiulan nodded with a sad look on her face, "Yes."


    A tinge of pity appeared on Empress Hua''s face. She said in a softer voice, "I''m sorry."


    However, Li Xiulan raised her head and looked at the Empress. "Don''t you remember me, Your Majesty? I once gave Your Majesty a kite as a gift."


    Yun Shang''s hand, which was tidying up Bao''er''s clothes, paused for a moment, and a trace of coldness appeared in her eyes.

 Chapter 894 Memory Loss

    Hearing this, Empress Hua seemed to be surprised. She turned around and looked at Li Xiulan several times. Then she said to Li Xiulan in surprise, "You mean you were Li Xiulan from the Li family of the imperial censor?"


    Both Li Xiulan and Yun Shang were stunned. Yun Shang knew that Empress Hua had lost her memory. Then why did she say so? She shouldn''t have known Li Xiulan, but she called her name so accurately. She was also called Li Xiulan, sister Xiulan. What the hell was going on? Did Doctor Xue Yan really cure Empress Hua''s amnesia?


    Li Xiulan was stunned. She had thought that Empress Hua would say she didn''t remember. But when she heard what Empress Hua said, it seemed that she remembered her. Didn''t the man say that Empress Hua had lost her memory?


    Li Xiulan thought to herself and said with a smile, "It turns out that your majesty still remembers Xiulan..."


    "I really didn''t remember when you mentioned the kite just now. But Xiulan, I remember that you are only forty years old this year. Why are your hair so white? No wonder I didn''t recognize you now. I remember that you were so beautiful when you were a child. You were only ten years old, and the person who proposed to you broke the threshold of your family. But now... " With embarrassment in her eyes, Empress Hua paused and said, "I really couldn''t recognize you just now."


    Although Yun Shang didn''t know why Empress Hua suddenly regained her memory, it was exactly what she wanted. If Empress Hua remembered everything, these people will not make things difficult for her.


    Yun Shang smiled. She had learned the sharp tongue of Empress Hua when she was still in the State of Ning. Now seeing that Li Xiulan''s face turned pale after hearing her words, Yun Shang couldn''t help but feel happy.


    If it weren''t for the inappropriate time, Yun Shang would have stood up and clapped her hands.


    After a moment''s silence, Li Xiulan said, "Since your majesty left the Jin City these years, tremendous changes have taken place in the city, so has Xiulan. But then again, where has your majesty been these years? Xiulan was really frightened by your majesty''s sudden disappearance. His majesty has almost turned the State of Xia over, but he still hasn''t found your majesty. "


    The whole yard was a little quiet, as if they were waiting for the answer of Empress Hua.


    Empress Hua lowered her head and touched Bao''er in her arms. She smiled, but there was a bit of sternness in her eyes, "Where am I going? I have to tell you? I don''t know there is such a rule. "


    Li Xiulan was stunned. She didn''t expect that the amiable Empress Hua would suddenly attack her. With a panic on her face, she quickly knelt down and said, "Please forgive me, your majesty. I didn''t mean that."


    Empress Hua sneered and raised her voice, "I haven''t been back for a long time. Perhaps I haven''t been the Empress for a long time, and my temper is much gentler than it was thirty years ago. T


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    tending not to understand her joke. She asked excitedly, "Mother, how is your amnesia?"


    Empress Hua smiled and sat down on a bench, "Of course not. You heard Doctor Xue Yan''s words at that time. You have to take your time."


    Yun Shang was stunned. She stared at Empress Hua blankly for a long time and said, "But your majesty clearly recognized those women just now, and you can tell them all? I can see from their expressions that what Mother said must have really happened. "


    The Empress nodded, smiled and said, "Yes, those things really happened, and there are some more secrets, which are impossible to know unless I really involved."


    Yun Shang was more confused, "What''s going on?"


    Bao''er fell asleep in Empress Hua''s arms. Empress Hua patted him gently and said softly, "I can tell you, but it doesn''t mean that I have regained my memory. Maybe it''s just because I have spent some time memorizing all the things that have happened in the past."


    Yun Shang was shocked, "Mother, what do you mean?"


    Empress Hua nodded slightly, but there was indifference in her eyes, "Something did happen in the palace before. Someone wants me to disappear for a period of time."


    Seeing Yun Shang''s eyes wide open, Empress Hua smiled and said, "But Qian Zhuo has been with you for a long time and is very vigilant. She has saved me several times. Then his majesty found out that they wanted to take the opportunity to slander me as the fake empress because they knew that I had lost my memory. So I decided to play along with them and take the opportunity to make everyone think that I have regained my memory, in case others want to use me for memory loss."


    "I have found the servants who have served me since I was a child. His majesty has found out who the instigator of this incident wants to use, so he recalled what had happened between me and those people before. I have pretended to be missing in the past few days and tried to recite all the stories."

 Chapter 895 An Idea (Part One)

    Empress Hua had recited all the stories. Yun Shang was stunned. It must have been hard for Empress Hua. Moreover, it had only been four or five days since Empress Hua disappeared.


    However, Empress Hua laughed brightly, "I have tried countless times to adjust my tone and mu gesture in the Palace. It''s my first time to wear a phoenix robe and a phoenix crown. It''s so heavy and uncomfortable. I just thought that if I didn''t dress like this, I might not be able to suppress those monsters, so I had to do so."


    Yun Shang laughed with her. "Mother, you did a good job. I thought you had regained your memory."


    "Some things should be solved decisively. It''s true that I lost my memory. They wanted to use it to accuse me of faking the Empress. If I don''t do like this to make them believe that I have regained my memory, maybe next time they will doubt if the Crown Prince is the child of His Majesty." Empress Hua lowered her head and touched Bao''er''s earlobe.


    After a while, she raised her head and said, "You too. If you don''t want something to happen, you should let everyone know your attitude. Of course, you should also let everyone know that you are not easy to mess with. Only when they are afraid of you will they restrain themselves a little."


    Yun Shang was stunned for a moment. Then she understood what Empress Hua was talking about. She said, "Yes, I understand. And I''m preparing now."


    Empress Hua smiled, "That''s good."


    After a pause, she said in a low voice as if she was murmuring to himself, "In three or four days, the result of this year''s Imperial Examination will be announced. And the Palace Examination will be held soon after that to decide the ranks of the top three,


    ngyan and Tanhau respectively.


    "The first one and the third one are my people, but the second one is not." Luo Qingyan had known the result the day before the list was posted. When Yun Shang asked, he said indifferently.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while, rolled up the book in her hand, and said softly, "Is it possible the second one is arranged by that person?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and didn''t take his eyes off the book in his hand. He just replied indifferently, "So what? Isn''t there still a Palace Examination around?"


    Yun Shang pouted, lost in thought. Since he could get the second place, he must not be an ordinary person. Most of the time, the Palace Examination was a mere formality and the ranking order usually wouldn''t change if there was nothing wrong.


    But judging from Luo Qingyan''s confident look, it seemed that he had arranged everything well. She didn''t need to worry about it.


    While the two were talking, Qin Yi came in, handed a note to Yun Shang, and left.


    Yun Shang was surprised. She unfolded the note and read it. After a moment of silence, she balled the note up and put it into her sleeve.

 Chapter 896 An Idea (Part Two)

    Luo Qingyan saw clearly what Yun Shang was doing. He raised his eyebrows and asked softly, "What happened?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "nothing."


    Since Yun Shang said so, Luo Qingyan didn''t ask any more. He lowered his head, turned a page, and said softly, "Liu Yinfeng will arrive at Liucang City in more than 10 days. I wonder how the situation is there."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang thought for a while and answered, "Since Xia Houjing cares so much about the money and materials for disaster relief, even if he plans to take any action, he will definitely wait for Liu Yinfeng''s arrival. We don''t have to worry for the time being."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "The Grand Ceremony for the Empress will be held in about ten days. If you have time, you can go to the Palace to help with this."


    Yun Shang answered softly and stood up. "It''s late now. Let''s go to bed."


    Three days later, the Palace Examination was held, the ranking order didn''t change at all. Zhuangyuan, Du Houjun; Bangyan, Li Ye, and Tanhua, Hua Kang.


    And someone from the Palace had come to the Crown Prince''s mansion to inform that a banquet would be held in the Palace in two days.


    Yun Shang squinted and looked up at Qin Yi. "Has Li Qianmo come to the mansion these days?"


    Qin Yi shook her head and gave Yun Shang a tentative look. Then she asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, do you have something to order Lord Li? Do you need me to send someone to invite Lord Li here?"


    "No need." Yun Shang hurried to stop her. She smiled and said, "It''s good that he hasn''t been here. Ask the secret guard to find Li Qianmo tonight and tell him to


    d to be in a brothel, it''s known to all that you were just a virgin singsong girl. If you become my grandfather''s sworn daughter, Minister Wang and Lady Wang will surely be very happy. They won''t say anything about your past."


    After a long silence, Ning Qian opened her mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you for your kindness, master."


    Yun Shang reached out and held Ning Qian''s hand. "We are just like sisters. I hope you can be happy. I am willing to let you marry Wang Jinhuan. What I value is his true love for you. Although his parents may have some prejudice against you now, if grandfather makes you his sworn daughter, your status will not be lower than any noble lady. Besides, your appearance and talent are even better than those of any of them. They will not make things difficult for you. Even if they still will, allow me to say something offensive, his parents are not young anymore. It''s Wang Jinhuan who will live with you at that time. You don''t need to endure for long."


    Ning Qian bit her lips and said in a low voice, "I understand. Thank you, master."

 Chapter 897 Not As Good As Someone

    The banquet was set in the afternoon in the Taiji Palace. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang entered the Taiji Palace, the Emperor and the Empress hadn''t arrived yet. Yun Shang looked around, only to find that many officials in the hall were completely strangers.


    Yun Shang''s eyes froze for a moment, and she realized that probably after the death of Su Qi, Xia Huanyu, together with Luo Qingyan, had had a cleanup in the court. Since she was not in the court, she didn''t have a deep feeling.


    As there were a lot of new officials, their family members were also unfamiliar to Yun Shang. She noticed that many of them were secretly looking at her, so she also glanced at those young women at the table. But she found that they were actually looking at Luo Qingyan beside her.


    Yun Shang curled up her lips into a smile.


    "What are you looking at? Why are you smiling so happily?" Luo Qingyan turned around and saw Yun Shang smiling. He followed her gaze, but saw nothing. So he asked softly.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang lowered her eyes slightly with a smile on her face, "Your Highness, you are thirty years old now, but you are still charming. I''m afraid that most of the women in the hall have been attracted by Your Highness though you are just sitting here and doing nothing Since Your Highness is so popular, I''m surely proud as your wife."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. He raised his hand for a pear, carefully peeled it and handed it to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and took it over. She didn''t know what Luo Qingyan meant. While she was guessing, Luo Qingyan said, "You are wrong, my lady. If you keep smiling like this, I''m afraid that there are many men in the hall who secretly covet you. I''ve just made Liu Yinfeng into my camp. If there are more, I can''t stand it. You''d better focus on eating the pear and spare these new officials. Otherwise, they might be suppressed by me without knowing the reason. I''m sure you don''t want them to feel that the officialdom is dark because of your husbands."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She raised her eyes and glared at Luo Qingyan, but eating up the pear in her hand quietly.


    "His Majesty and Her Majesty are here." Liu Wenan''s voice came from outside the hall.


    The people in the hall immediately stood up and knelt down. The sound of clothes swaying on the ground could be heard. The people in the hall hurriedly bowed, "Good day, Your Majesties. May good fortune shine on you always."


    After a long time, Xia Huanyu''s voice came from above. His voice echoed in the quiet Taiji Palace without any emotion. "Arise."


    "Thank you, Your Majesties." After expressing their thanks, everyone stood up and sat down in their own seats.


    Xia Huanyu''s eyes swept over the crowd, and then he quietly withdrew his gaze. After a moment of silence, he raised his voice and said, "Today we gather together to celebrate the talents we selected through the Imperial Examination. It''s is just a Palace banquet, not a state banquet. You don''t have to be too restrained. Let''s start."


    Hearing this, Liu Wenan


    arded as a talent if she displayed the Four Arts in public. However, only the dancers would perform dances in public.


    All the people looked at Du Wanyan, thinking that she was really to eager for the position of the Crown Prince''s concubine and acted like a dancer, which was inappropriate for a lady from a decent family.


    Xia Huanyu frowned, but he couldn''t blame Empress Hua. He looked at Luo Qingyan, who seemed to pay no attention to it, and asked, "Your Highness Crown Prince, what do you think of this dance?"


    Everyone''s eyes shifted to Luo Qingyan, but Luo Qingyan didn''t even look up. He smiled and said, "Not as good as someone." Then he turned to Yun Shang with a bright smile.


    Everyone was wondering who the person Luo Qingyan was talking about. When they saw Luo Qingyan''s gaze, they suddenly understood.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, not because of Luo Qingyan''s praise, but that the seemingly cold and dignified Luo Qingyan could lie without a blink.


    She had never danced in front of Luo Qingyan. To be honest, she had never danced in front of anyone, but Luo Qingyan could say something like that without blushing.


    Yun Shang had to admit that she was really happy.


    Xia Huanyu frowned and smiled, "Really? Her Highness is also good at dancing?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "That''s a secret between us."


    What he meant was that he didn''t want others to see it.


    However, Empress Hua smiled. She turned to look at Xia Huanyu with a smile and said, "Our son is just like you in the past, all hearts for one person and no room for others. But he is just not good at expressing his feelings..."


    Hearing what Empress Hua said, Xia Huanyu was stunned and fell silent.


    However, Empress Hua smiled. "Her Highness Crown Princess is also outstanding in the Four Arts. Back then, it was a well-known story that His Highness Crown Prince and Her Highness Crown Princess fell in love with each other when playing the melody, Courting a Phoenix* together. (*TN: An ancient melody usually played when a man expressed his love towards his lover.)

 Chapter 898 The Hufu (Part One)

    The faces of Du Houjun and his sister were a little pale, and Yun Shang felt a little pity for them. She just remembered that Luo Qingyan had told her before that except for the second place, the other two were his people.


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and saw that he looked as usual, so she didn''t say anything.


    After thinking for a while, Xia Huanyu smiled and changed the topic, "All right. Just forget it. The Crown Prince is always cold and expressionless. He has frightened others all the time, but he doesn''t know it yet. I heard that in addition to dancing, there are also some folk acrobatics today. Liu Wenan, call them in and let us have a look. "


    Liu Wenan nodded and clapped his hands. Then a group of people with face paintings came in, but they were all ugly, not like the ones in a play. The last few people were much taller than the others, and they came in on stilts.


    Yun Shang had heard about the coastal areas before. In order to make it convenient for fishing, many people had mastered the skills of fishing on high legs. However, Yun Shang had never been to the seaside, and it was the first time for her to see such a performance. She admired them very much when she saw them stepping on the tall wooden pole like walking on the ground.


    The joyful music rang, and the acrobatic artists on the stilts danced with it. Some of them held torches in their hands and started to spit out the fire. Some of them kept throwing iron rings. Some of them were folding Arhats together, almost reaching the beams of the hall.


    Everyone was watching intently, so was Luo Qingyan. But Yun Shang always felt that he was not concentrated, but in a daze.


    A flame


    only to find that they were all dead.


    "The poison is really strong," Yun Shang frowned.


    Xia Huanyu frowned and raised his voice, "Search them for anything that represents their identity."


    The secret guards answered and reached out to search for the assassins, but found nothing.


    Someone in the hall came to his senses and said, "Your Majesty, just now I heard the assassin''s leader shout, but it sounded like the accent of the State of Yelang. I''m afraid they are from the State of Yelang."


    They were the bachelors of the Imperial Hanlin Academy.


    The people in the Imperial Hanlin Academy were the most knowledgeable and their words were very convincing. Not only one of them heard the roar just now, but everyone nodded and began to whisper.


    Li Qianmo stood up and said, "Recently, someone from another city came to buy a lot of medicinal materials in Jin City, and someone bought a lot of good horses in the racecourse on the outskirts of the city. It is said that his accent is also like that of the State of Yelang."


    Yun Shang thought to herself, ''Li Qianmo knows how to seize the opportunity.''.

 Chapter 899 The Hufu (Part Two)

    All the people whispered, "Hasn''t the State of Yelang last time beaten by us last time? How dare they come to assassinate us? Are they going to start a war again? "


    "But the State of Yelang has their war horses, and the horses they raise are all strong. Why did they come all the way to the State of Xia to buy horses? " Some people also had doubts.


    Xia Huanyu frowned and looked around the hall. Finally, he looked at Luo Qingyan and asked, "Your highness, what do you think about it?"


    Luo Qingyan threw the bloody dagger onto the ground with a light sound. Then he patted his robe and said indifferently without any emotion, "I don''t have any opinion. If they want to fight, we''ll fight with them." Then he turned around slowly and sat back on the seat.


    Someone said in a hurry, "Your Highness, it''s not appropriate to say that. There are too few generals in the court now, and not many people can lead the army to fight. If we fight, we will suffer losses. The people of the State of Yelang are brave. It''s our common people who will suffer losses in the war. "


    Luo Qingyan sneered and turned to the old man, "What do you think we should do, Master Lin?"


    "I think we should make peace with each other. Although we have won once before, we can win because we have more or less the advantage of the terrain. If the State of Yelang starts to attack again, they must have made full preparations. The odds of victory are slim," The old man''s long beard trembled slightly. "We can give the State of Yelang some gold and silver to comfort them."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang sneered, "Mas


    Shang. He kept silent for a long time and said, "It''s still too early to say this now. I''ll send someone to investigate about it tomorrow. Just as the Crown Prince said, not anyone in the State of Xia could be bullied. Anyone who intended to assault the State of Xia have to make a plan that they would never go back. Guards, clean them away... "


    The palace guards quickly dragged the corpses out of the hall. Only the bloodstains on the ground told everyone what had happened just now.


    Xia Huanyu said indifferently, "The blood will be cleaned up later. Don''t spoil our interest. Let''s continue."


    Since Xia Huanyu said so, no one dared to leave. A woman in carmine stood up and said in a sonorous and powerful voice, "Your Majesty, everyone seems to be still in a state of mind. How about I play a war song for you?"


    Xia Huanyu''s eyes flashed and fell on Yun Shang. He thought for a moment and said, "We were all shocked just now. If we listen to the war song again, I''m afraid we can''t stand it. Let''s forget it."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled.

 Chapter 900 The Real And Fake Hufu

    The thrilling banquet finally ended in the evening.Yun Shang followed Luo Qingyan to the palace gate. On the way, people greeted Luo Qingyan from time to time. Luo Qingyan only nodded coldly to as an answer.


    A gaze fell on Yun Shang. Perhaps it was because the gaze was too unfriendly, that Yun Shang noticed it at once. Yun Shang turned around and saw a woman in a long carmine dress looking at her.


    Yun Shang recognized her at a glance. She was the woman who had volunteered to play a war song after the assassination.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t hear the footsteps of Yun Shang behind him. He turned to look at Yun Shang and followed her gaze, "What''s wrong?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "I''m afraid that lady has taken a fancy to your highness. She has been hostile to me since we were in the palace."


    Luo Qingyan looked at the woman coldly. He held Yun Shang''s hand and said softly, "Don''t worry, my lady. All the other women except you are just moving stones in my eyes."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter. She said with a smile, "Your Highness, may I ask where the rouge stone came from?"


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "She is the daughter of the Bangyan."


    "Daughter?" There was a hint of surprise in Yun Shang''s eyes. She knew that among the top 3, Bangyanwas the only person who was not controlled by Luo Qingyan. But she thought that the Bangyan, Li Ye, was at most thirty years old, but she didn''t expect his daughter to be so old.


    "Yes, it took him more than 20 years to get the top of the list. It''s really difficult for him being so old to get the position," Luo Qingyan squinted and said indifferently.


    Yun Shang turned around and looked at the woman in a long carmine dress again. She saw a middle-aged man standing next to her. He looked about forty years old. His face was sallow and yellow, and his eyes were empty.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes, but kept silent. Li Ye''s appearance was exactly the same as that of a person who had read for more than 20 years in Yun Shang''s heart. A person had been trying to get a scholarly honour for twenty years, so he was very stubborn about it. Such a person might only be able to study hard, and he might not even be able to care about his own life. What could Xia Houjing do to arrange such a rigid man in the court?


    And


    Yun Shang recalled the performance of the woman in a long carmine dress. She was more like a martial artist, with a sense of sharpness in her actions. Moreover, she just said that she wanted to play a war song for everyone.


    If the ranking had nothing to do with that woman, she would still feel that nothing was wrong.


    But that woman was Li Ye''s daughter. How could a stereotyped person teach such a daughter? Practicing martial arts was straightforward and bold, and there was a bit of pride in his expression.


    With a thoughtful look in her eyes, Yun Shang turned around and walked to the palace gate side by side with Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang heard whispers coming from the side, and the voice fell faintly into Yun Shang''s ears, "The Crown Princess is too rude. How could she w


    tter. "


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, snorted and raised the corners of her mouth, "Your Highness, don''t blame me. Tell me, what''s the matter with the assassin today?"


    "What?" Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang, "The acrobatics team was invited back by the Ministry of rites, and both his majesty and Empress Hua nodded. But I''m afraid that something has happened to Cangjue Qingsu. Cangjue Qingsu is really ruthless."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "Those daredevils are good at acting, but the leader''s words have been slightly worse."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and didn''t deny it.


    Yun Shang continued, "As soon as the troupe came out, I sensed that something was wrong. Everyone was watching carefully. Although you were also watching, you were nervous as if you were on guard at any time. You have never been like this when others performed at the beginning. If it''s because you like to play juggler very much, I don''t believe it anyway. When those people took out their swords from the tall sticks, everyone was shocked. Even I was a little surprised, but you didn''t show any surprise on your face. Instead, you quickly pressed my hand. "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "Besides, you know I don''t like eating pears, so you peeled a pear for me. There are many fruits on the plate, including oranges, plums, and bananas. But you chose the pear that I don''t like most. I didn''t understand it before, and then I came back to my senses. It was probably because the pear was the only thing that needed to be peeled in the plate. You can''t use a sharp weapon in the palace. You can ask the servants for a dagger for the sake of peeling the pear, just for the following things. "


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang with a doting smile, "Your ladyship is so smart."


    "Your Highness, you don''t want to have more concubines, do you? What do you want to do next, your highness? " Yun Shang asked with great interest.


    Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang''s forehead and said with a smile, "Just wait and see."

 Chapter 901 Subtle Aroma (Part One)

    On the morning of the second day, when Yun Shang got up, Qin Yi told her that His Majesty had issued an imperial edict in holing the Grand Ceremony for the Empress in the morning court. Yun Shang nodded. It had been a long time since Empress Hua returned to the Palace and she had already been conferred the title of the Empress. The Grand Ceremony naturally would be held.


    "Do you know when it will be held?" Yun Shang raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned, with sleepiness in her eyes.


    Qin Yi nodded slightly as combing for Yun Shang. "It will be held on October 23rd. I just checked the calendar. It''s a good day."


    "October? Isn''t it at the end of this month?" Yun Shang was surprised. She turned to Qin Yi and asked, "Why is it in such a hurry?"


    "I''ve heard from Qian Zhuo that everything, including the Phoenix robe, the Phoenix crown, and everything needed for the Grand Ceremony, has been prepared in advance. His Majesty also wants to hold the ceremony as soon as possible. But the Empress didn''t agree. I think now the Empress finally agreed." Qin Yi replied smilingly.


    Yun Shang didn''t know that. She frowned and said, "It''s a good thing to hold the Grand Ceremony. After all, an empress couldn''t be full accepted without the official ceremony. Why didn''t the Empress agree?"


    "I don''t know either. Qian Zhuo only said that the Empress didn''t agree, but didn''t say why." Qin Yi replied in a soft voice. She combed her hair to the bottom and started to make it a bun.


    Yun Shang thought to herself, Empress Hua is a smart woman. She didn''t agree at first, but now she suddenly agreed. She must have reached some agreement with Xia Huanyu.


    While Yun Shang was thinking, the door curtain was suddenly lifted and Hua''er ran in quickly. She ran all the way here and stopped in front of Yun Shang, panting slightly. But she couldn''t utter a word for a long time.


    "What happened? Why are you in such a hurry? Is there anything wrong?" Yun Shang raised her head and asked.


    Hua''er nodded and came to herself. "I just heard from the secret guards that a large number of dead horses were found in the valley in the hunting grounds west of the city."


    Hearing


    omething to do with you?"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan laughed with tenderness in his eyes. He reached out and patted on Yun Shang''s forehead, "little fox."


    "Your Highness, can you tell me what trick you are playing?" Yun Shang blinked, rubbed her forehead and asked with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan turned around and glanced at Yun Shang. Then he raised his eyebrows and said, "Your Highness Crown Princess has even showed the Hufu of the State of Ning. How could I not add more fuel to the fire? Many people had heard from Li Qianmo yesterday that someone with the accent of the State of Yelang bought a lot of horses. What they will think when they hear the news that many dead war horses were found?"


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "They will definitely think that the State of Yelang is making trouble. They want to kill all the war horses of the State of Xia. In this way, we will definitely suffer losses in the battlefield as we don''t have enough war horses. Then they will think that the State of Yelang is about to start a war."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said with a smile, "I think it''s time for Your Highness to have some party with the noble ladies in the Jin City now."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and understood what Luo Qingyan meant from his expression. Yun Shang curled up her lips into a smile. "I''m afraid I''ll have to commit to one of the seven sins women should avoid. Being Jealous is the last thing a wife should do..."

 Chapter 902 Subtle Aroma (Part Two)

    "It doesn''t matter. I like to have a jealous wife." Luo Qingyan said with a smile.


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "Qin Yi, send invitations to those noble ladies in the city, saying that I will hold a banquet at my mansion tomorrow and invite them to attend."


    Since she had decided to give a banquet, Yun Shang got busy again. She didn''t have much experience in hosting banquets, especially this kind of banquets. Among the people Yun Shang knew, Hua Jing was the only one who liked to hold all kinds of banquets.


    Thinking of the banquets Hua Jing had held, Yun Shang came up with an idea.


    "Women like to talk about how to make up and how to keep in shape. Although I''m not good at it, I do have some experience. The theme of the banquet will be mainly about incense." Yun Shang raised her eyes and ordered Qin Yi in a low voice, "Ask Qian Yin to find some experts in perfumes. Ask them to demonstrate the use of perfumes to the ladies tomorrow. Find a suitable place in the mansion and decorate it. You could ask for Ning Qian''s advice. Make it more mysterious and attractive."


    Qin Yi agreed and went to prepare.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. The incense was usually used to perfume the room or clothes. But in Yun Shang''s eyes, there was some way to use the incenses to the extreme. Some of them were refreshing, while some were bewitching. Some were pleasant, while some were intoxicating.


    Most of the ladies invited by Yun Shang tomorrow were wives from noble families. Most of the wives were not loved by their husbands. They wanted to fight for the favor, but they had no idea. They could only watch their husbands being seduced by the concubines and suppress the hate and hatred in their heart.


    She could make an issue of it at the banquet tomorrow. In this way, she could to win over their support and achieve her purpose quietly.


    Luo Qingyan sat aside and listened to Yun Shang''s arrangement, keeping his eyes on Yun Shang. When he saw Qin Yi go out, he smiled and said, "Why do you only invite the married ladies? Aren''t there many unmarried ones?"


    Yun Shang turned around and glared at Luo Qingyan. She snorted and said, "How could they be as open-minded and straightforward as those married ladies? It''s boring to see them pretending to be reserved. Besides..." With a sly smile on her face, Yun Shang continued, "The content of the banquet is not suitable for young girls?"


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan asked with interest, "What is it?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''ll teach those ladies how to win their husbands'' hearts and make them obedient to their words and stop messing around with other women."


    L


    Along with the ring, there was a delicate fragrance, mixed with the smell of the fresh bamboo leaves and flowers in the forest, which made them refreshed.


    Hearing their breaths, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling.


    After turning a corner, the pavilion was seen by everyone. The breeze blew, and the gauze was slightly lifted up. But they could only see the graceful figures of the people in the pavilion, which made them more curious. Seeing the amazement in their eyes, Yun Shang couldn''t help but curl up her lips.


    "The main theme for today''s banquet is ''Subtle Aroma''." Yun Shang said softly and walked into the pavilion. Qin Yi drew up the bead curtain. Yun Shang walked in and sat behind the table. She looked at the women who were secretly looking at her through the bead curtain and said, "Please sit down."


    Only then did everyone come to their senses and took their seats.


    Yun Shang smiled. "The pavilion is not big enough, and too many people will affect the fragrance. Please ask your servants to wait outside for a while."


    Yun Shang asked Qin Yi to take the maids out of the pavilion and said, "I''m an easy-going person. You don''t need to be restrained. I just want to get closer to you through the banquet. And we''ll appreciate and try all kinds of incenses today.


    As Yun Shang spoke, the fragrance in the pavilion slightly changed, with more sweetness.


    "I know you must be familiar with incenses. But the kinds we commonly use are no more than astorax, benzoin, sandalwood, anisum, aucklandia root, syringa, mastic and lignum. What we''ll appreciate today are those we don''t usually use." Yun Shang''s voice rose a little at the end of her words.


    "And using these incenses occasionally can bring you unexpected surprises." Yun Shang chuckled.

 Chapter 903 Jealous Wives

    All the ladies present were from noble families. They were familiar with all kinds of incenses and perfumed powders. But when they heard Yun Shang''s words, they became interested.


    Yun Shang smiled and clapped her hands. A woman in a moon-white robe slowly walked in with a tray in her hand. The woman''s face was covered by the veil, but her slender and soft waist was enough to make other women envious. The woman''s eyes were somewhat cold. She walked into the pavilion and bowed. Then she sat down at the table carved by the tree root in the pavilion and laid the tray on the table. In the tray, there were a few ice blocks, some glass, several pieces of aromatic substance, and a candle.


    The woman took a piece of ice, melted it in her palm, and poured the water to a glass. Then she took a piece of aromatic substance, gently broke a small part from it and put it into the water melted by the ice.


    After that, the woman took out the candle, lit it with a fire starter, and heat the glass on the candle.


    After a short while, a delicate fragrance came out. It was like the smell of lotus, but it was a little colder than the lotus. It was like an elegant but cold beauty. However, this kind of coldness made people more curious about her and want to have a closer look.


    "It''s said a lady is like a flower. Before a man gets her, she is like snow lotus blooming on the snowy mountain, looking beautiful and a little bit aloof, and smelling fragrant. The men can''t help but want to pick it." The woman''s voice was as euphemistic and beautiful as the yellow warbler in March.


    The candlelight grew brighter, and the woman threw another small piece of aromatic substance into it. "When a man get the woman, she will be like an elegant peony raised in the backyard. It''s dignified, gentle and generous, and the fragrance is getting stronger and stronger..."


    As saying, the fragrance in the pavilion became stronger.


    "If there is some refreshing plum blossom, enchanting evening primrose, or some elegant and beautiful lotus flower, then the peony will gradually make people feel vulgar."


    Then, the water in the glass suddenly lit up, and all the fragrance gradually dimmed in an instant, leaving only a trace of the smell.


    "Later, it might be burned out like this incense, leaving only a faint scent."


    The woman bowed to the crowd and stepped aside.


    No one spoke for a long time. Yun Shang smiled and said, "The banquet and the performance are arranged by me in person. I arranged this because His majesty always wanted to send women to the Crown Prince''s mansion some time ago. It''s said that women need to be virtuous and tolerant, not to mention that I''m the Crown Princess."


    Yun Shang laughed coldly. "But I don''t want to be tolerant. No woman wants to share her husband with other women. Even if people say that she is jealous, so what? A woman''s happiness could only be grasped in her own hands. If a woman had to compromise, then


    ich are many officials in the court. The guests I serve are chosen by Miss Qian Qian. Up until now, there are only a bachelor of the Imperial Hanlin Academy and an imperial censor from the Censorate. And I just need to play Guqin for then and play chess with them.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Since Ning Qian arranged it, she must have a point. So Yun Shang didn''t ask any more. She smiled and said, "That''s good. A real beauty should keep mysterious. From now on, there will be some people who come to you in private. You can find a way to get along well with these ladies. Whatever they want to learn, just teach them."


    Qing Han replied softly. After chatting with her for a while, Yun Shang asked her to go back to Ning Qian. After returning to the South Yard, Yun Shang felt a little tired. She lay on the bench, rubbed her forehead and said softly, "I really can''t handle such a banquet. Those ladies are all smart. It''s really difficult to deal with them."


    Qin Yi smiled and walked to Yun Shang. She reached out to help Yun Shang rub her temples. Then she went down a little and pinched her shoulder. "But I''m afraid they can''t fall asleep after they return home today. They might not accept Your Highness''s words for a moment as they were always so proud. But I''m afraid they can''t sit still when they look at the beauties who compete with them for their husbands'' favor.


    Yun Shang smiled, "That''s what I want. It''s time to stir the noble households in the Jin City. Although these ladies only care about dressing and making up, if we could take a good use of them, we could get a lot. This is what Lady Hua Guo taught me."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi smiled and said, "Lady Hua Guo is a really wise women. Lord Hua Guo is powerful and influential. Though he is quick-tempered and always complained about Lady Hua Guo, but he has only married Lady Hua Guo in his life. We could see how awesome Lady Hua Guo is."


    Yun Shang nodded and chuckled, "You are right."

 Chapter 904 Well-trained Robbers

    The following day after the banquet, rumors spread. Most of them said that the Crown Princess was so jealous she didn''t allow the Crown Prince to marry any other women. Some said that the Crown Princess was a fierce woman. Back then, on the battlefield, she had rushed into the enemy''s siege and saved the Crown Prince. No wonder even the Crown Prince didn''t dare to marry a concubine.


    Hearing the rumors reported by the secret guards in the mansion, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "I''m afraid in the eyes of people who have never seen me, I must be a fierce woman who can twist a person with one hand."


    However, Yun Shang was too busy to pay attention to these rumors. The Grand Ceremony would be held soon. As Empress Hua has lost her memory, even with the help of the old madams in the Palace, she was also very busy, so Yun Shang had to go to the Palace every day to help.


    The Phoenix robe was prepared by Lady Shu before. Yun Shang was not sure whether Lady Shu had done anything to it. If there was anything wrong with the Phoenix robe, it would cause big trouble.


    After thinking it over, Yun Shang discussed with Empress Hua and decided to make a new Phoenix robe. Since the embroidery on the robe was extremely complicated, there were only a few people in the Shangyi Bureau who knew this skill, so they had to make it all day and night.


    In addition to the Phoenix robe and the Phoenix crown, there were a lot of things to prepare. Yun Shang was preoccupied with all kinds of things. She went back home much later than Luo Qingyan did every day.


    After more than ten days, everything was finally ready. Yun Shang finally had time to rest. The first thing she did was to sleep until noon. When she woke up, she received an extremely bad news.


    Liu Yinfeng, who was responsible for escorting the relief materials, encountered robbers less than ten miles away from Liucang City, and all the materials were robbed away.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned, "Robbers? Is everything okay with Mr. Liu and Dr. Zheng?"


    The secret guard quickly said, "They are fine. Mr. Liu and Dr. Zheng have arrived Liucang City."


    Yun Shang felt a little relieved and asked the secret guard to inquire about the situation. Before the secret guard went out, Luo Qingyan came back.


    Yun Shang immediately asked, "I heard the relief supplies have been taken by robbers?"


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "Robbers? According to the Liu Yinfeng letter, the robbers were well-trained and seemed to know that he was good at arrays. They were divided into two groups from the beginning. One group rushed straight to him, and the other group fight with the soldiers who were escorting the relief materials all the way, so that the soldiers could not form an array. I''ve never heard of such brave and resourceful robbers who know both themselves and their opponents well. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang realized that the so-called robbers were most likely disguised by Xia Houjing''s men.


    Xia Houjing was really a scheming man. She had thought that Xia Houjing would take the materials away in the name of disaster relief after Liu Yinfeng sent them to Liucang City. Then he would ask the soldiers he gathered to disgu


    ve been issued. His Ladyship also wrote a letter to her second brother urging him to return to the Jin City, but I don''t know whether or not the letter has been sent. When His Lordship comes back, I''ll ask him."


    [Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "The relief materials escorted by Liu Yinfeng have been robbed. And the seventh Prince will marry the daughter of the richest man in Liucang City as his concubine in a few days."


    Hearing this, Lady Hua Guo frowned. "Robbed"? The robber must be the seventh Prince, right? "


    Yun Shang had to admire Lady Hua Guo. Judging from Yun Shang''s simple words, she knew that it was the seventh Prince who had done it.


    "The letter from Mr. Liu only said that those robbers were well-trained and seemed to know that he was good at setting up arrays. They deliberately aimed at him and destroyed the formation of the team, making him unable to form an array. Then they took the materials away." Yun Shang replied softly.


    Lady Hua Guo paused for a while and said, "That''s it. The seventh Prince is by no means simple. He could even hide his strength for so many years and get rid of Xia Houyan on the quiet. If it weren''t for the sudden appearance of Qingyan, he would have been the Crown Prince. He must hate Qingyan very much. You must be careful."


    Yun Shang answered in a low voice and said, "But it is not wise for Xia Houjing to rebel blatantly. In this way, he will become a traitor everyone hates."


    Lady Hua Guo let out a cold laughter and said, "Now he is a traitor. But if he succeeds in taking the throne, he will become a respected emperor. Since ancient times, the stronger one will rule the world. Back then, when the current Emperor was still a prince who was just a son of an imperial concubine, he killed his father and brother. The former Emperor and the former Crown Prince died miserably, and everyone cursed him for his cruelty. But the result is that the story has not been recorded in the history. Now people sing the praises of him as the State of Xia is peaceful and prosperous under his rule. I''m afraid that few people still remember the tragedy in the Taiji Palace."

 Chapter 905 Countermeasure

    Yun Shang didn''t know how Xia Huanyu ascended the throne. She had heard many people say that Xia Huanyu killed his father and brother but she never heard any detail. Hearing what Lady Hua Guo said today, the situation must have been very tragic at that time.


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Lady Hua Guo smiled and said, "It''s been so many years, and no one was allowed to mention it again. The reason why I brought it up is not that I want you to do as Xia Huanyu did. I just want to tell you that if you want that position, you have to contend for it by fair means or foul."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Although she grew up in the royal family, most fights happened in the imperial household instead of in the court of the State of Ning as her father just have a few children. It was not until she came to the state of Xia that she realized that one could really do anything for the throne. Intrigues, schemes and bloody wars. The imperial household, the court, and even the mansions were all affected.


    "You don''t have to worry too much. I know His Majesty well. He is nostalgic man. Ling''er had gone through so many things, but he still took her back to the Palace and made her the Empress. If everything goes well, the throne will surely be Qingyan''s. Everything must be under His Majesty''s control. He just hasn''t made a move. The world is still His Majesty''s after all. As for who will own it in the future, it''s up to His Majesty." Lady Hua Guo curled up her lips into a smile.


    Although Lady Hua Guo said so, Yun Shang was not really relieved. If Xia Huanyu was a nostalgic man, how could he kill his own blood relatives without mercy? Moreover, the attitude of Xia Huanyu towards Xia Houjing was so abnormal that Yun Shang couldn''t figure it out.


    Yun Shang smiled and said gently, "Don''t worry. Everything will be settled. He who laughs last laughs best. No matter how scheming Xia Houjing is, so what?"


    Lady Hua Guo also smiled, "I believe in you and Qingyan''s ability. I and your grandfather can''t help you as we are old."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Grandma, you can''t say that. We are both very busy. We are counting on you and grandpa to help us tutor Bao''er."


    Yun Shang had stayed in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion for more than two hours before Lord Hua Guo returned. He looked pale and began to scold as soon as he stepped in the yard, "How could second brother become like this? How could he!"


    Yun Shang''s face changed slightly. Wasn''t Lord Hua Guo''s second brother Hua Yutong''s father?


    Yun Shang stood up and asked softly, "What happened? Is he unwilling to go back to the Jin City?"


    Only then did Lord Hua Guo find that Yun Shang was in the courtyard. He quickly walked up to Yun Shang and said angrily, "I don''t know what kind of promise or benefit Xia Houjing has given him. His Majesty has issued an imperial edict asking him back to the Jin City, but he refused under the guise of helping deal the matter of disaster relief!"


    "Disaster


    drought, they have taken away one fourth of the money of the national treasury, let alone the food and clothing. But Xia Houjing is still unsatisfied and wants more. After he gets these materials, he will use them to rebel. What an ungrateful bastard."


    After cursing for a while, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Have you got any news about Mister Liu and Doctor Zheng? The supplies have been robbed for several days. Have they found out where they have been sent?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and replied in a low voice, "The materials were robbed at the border between Liucang City and Nanyang City, and they were sent to Nanyang City. Zheng Qiming has secretly gone to Nanyang City. Liu Yinfeng was in charge of delivering the batch of relief materials. Xia Houjing made a stand that he would try every means to get the materials back. As Xia Houjing is looking for the whereabouts of the supplies in Liucang City, Liu Yinfeng definitely can''t go."


    Wily snake! Yun Shang squinted and cursed Xia Houjing in her mind.


    "But even if Zheng Qiming finds out where those materials are placed, he can''t do anything about it. What are you going to do, Your Highness? " Yun Shang asked softly.


    Luo Qingyan raised his head to look at Yun Shang. After a long silence, he asked slowly, "What am I going to do? If I can''t take it, can''t I destroy it? Xia Houjing won''t use those supplies until he rises in revolt. And he can still purchase more materials in the shops aboveboard. Once he takes action, I will ask someone to burn them. And even if we can''t burn the supplies, you have put drugs in them, haven''t you? "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Your Highness, this method is excellent. If we burn the supplies, even if Xia Houjing rises in revolt, he couldn''t offer the soldiers enough food and clothing. Then they''ll have to get food from ordinary people. Once he begins to bully the people and rob them of food, he was doomed to fail."

 Chapter 906 Imperial Edict of Abdication

    People always didn''t care who the emperor was. As long as they could live and work in peace, they would be satisfied. If Xia Houjing could bring people a better life, the people would naturally welcome him. But if he robs them of their food, they would definitely hate him.


    The same knife cut bread and fingers. If a ruler lost the support of the people, his rule would soon come to an end.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and suddenly came up with an idea. Lady Hua Guo was right. If we wanted that position, we have to contend for it by fair means or foul.


    Yun Shang curled up her lips into a smile. Xia Houjing did whatever he could to get the throne and insisted on blocking their way. She could also do anything to deal with Xia Houjing.


    Seeing that Yun Shang smiled weirdly, Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said, "Look at your evil smile. What tricks are you thinking about?"


    Yun Shang stuck out her tongue with a smile and said, "Your Highness, you worry too much. I have no trick." Then she turned around and called Qin Yi in to wash up.


    Before the case of disaster relief had any progress, the Grand Ceremony for the Empress had arrived.


    The day before the ceremony, Xia Huanyu ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare a golden booklet and the scholar of the Imperial Hanlin Academy to write the content. He also sent the newly-appointed Imperial Astronomer and the Minister of Rites to pay respects the heaven and earth.


    On the day of the Grand Ceremony, Yun Shang went to Weiyang Palace early in the morning in her court dress. The Phoenix chariot was already waiting in front of Weiyang Palace. Behind the Phoenix chariot were the Empress''s ceremonious guards of honor.


    The Ministry of Rites had also sent the Ministry of Music to wait in front of Weiyang Palace. The whole Weiyang Palace was bustling with noise.


    When Yun Shang entered Weiyang Palace, she saw the Empress in a red robe embroidered with phoenixes and peonies. In the middle of the eight colorful phoenixes, the peonies were blooming brightly.


    After the maid straightened the Phoenix robe, she took out a Phoenix crown, which was decorated with vivid pattern of six dragons and three phoenixes, glittering with lust.


    Empress Hua had always been elegant and dignified. Now she looked more imposing in the Phoenix robe and Phoenix crown.


    "Your Majesty are so beautiful today." Shocking by Empress Hua, Yun Shang could only think of the word "beautiful" though she had read a lot of poems.


    Empress Hua slightly turned her head and looked at Yun Shang with a forced smile. "If I have to dress like this every day, I will regret coming back to the palace."


    After a pause, she laughed. "It''s too heavy. I think I can pick up a broadsword of twenty kilograms. But as soon as the Phoenix crown is pressed on my head, I feel that even my neck is not mine. Now I feel extremely painful when I turn my head around."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang hurriedly said, "There is still some time before the ceremony. If Your Maj


    ed, and I have been lonely for thirty years on the throne, and I am a little tired. Today, there is another imperial edict, Liu Wenan..." Xia Huanyu called in a loud voice.


    Liu Wenan quickly responded and took two steps forward, holding an imperial edict in his hand. "During my reign of the past thirty-two years, the state is peaceful and prosperous. With the help of all my fellow officials, we create a world where people live and work in contentment. I didn''t fail my ancestors and I''m looking forward to the achievements of my successor. The crown prince, Xia Qingyan, has a moral character and great ability as I do. I''ve made my decision to pass the throne to the Crown Prince, Xia Qingyan. I hope you all can support and assist him to create a better future."


    After reading the imperial edict, Liu Wenan unfolded it. There was a dead silence in the hall, as if everyone was too shocked by the imperial edict to make any react.


    Yun Shang raised her head blankly and looked at Luo Qingyan next to her. Luo Qingyan was also confused, and his body trembled slightly.


    How could this be? Why did Xia Huanyu suddenly issue an imperial edict to abdicate his throne at the Grand Ceremony?


    Filled with all the doubts, Yun Shang became unusually sober. No, Xia Huanyu didn''t just do it on a whim. It was obvious that he had planned all these things. No wonder he said such strange words to her that day.


    He said, "I understand all the grievances in his heart, but seeing isn''t always believing. One day, he will understand why I arranged this, and this day is not far away."


    Could it be that today is the day Xia Huanyu had meant?


    No wonder Xia Huanyu asked Luo Qingyan to stay for the ceremony when he asked to go to Liucang City after the relief supplies were robbed. No wonder in the Weiyang Palace, Empress Hua asked her not to laugh at her. She said that she only needed to endure the formality for one day and Yun Shang was the one who''ll suffer a lot in the days to come.


    No wonder...

 Chapter 907 The Die Is Cast

    But why did it happen so suddenly? Yun Shang was completely lost in thought.


    "Hail Your Majesty the Emperor. Hail Your Former Majesty the Emperor..." Many of the courtiers who were kneeling had come back to their senses. They bowed in a hurry, and their voices were loud and clear, pulling Yun Shang back from her contemplation.


    Xia Huanyu nodded with a smile, turned around and smiled at Empress Hua. He looked at Luo Qingyan and said softly, "Qingyan, come with me to the side hall. Shang''er, you too. The others of you can leave now." Then he turned around with Empress Hua and entered the side hall.


    Yun Shang stood up and turned to look at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan''s eyes were as deep as usual. When he saw Yun Shang looking at him, he held Yun Shang''s hand. The two of them followed to the side hall. They really wanted to know why all this happened.


    After arriving at the side hall, Xia Huanyu and Empress Hua sat down on seats of honor. Looking at Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, who were confused, Xia Huanyu smiled and whispered, "Do you feel a little sudden?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t respond while Yun Shang nodded her head. It was such a sudden that she was still at a loss.


    After a moment''s silence, Xia Huanyu said, "In fact, I meant to do this after Qingyan came back to the State of Xia as I wanted to look for Ling''er. I thought that since Qingyan was fine, Ling''er must be still alive. Later, Ling''er came back, but I still wanted to do this because I wanted more free time to accompany Ling''er. With so many state affairs to worry about, I can''t even enjoy a meal with Ling''er. I''ve just waited for the right time."


    "I have been on the throne for thirty years. There are not many things that can be hidden from me inside and outside the Palace. The seventh Prince..." After a moment''s silence, Xia Huanyu continued, "The seventh Prince is a little sophisticated. I always know what he has done. He thought he could hide the truth from everyone, including the natural disaster thing recently, but he was wrong. I sent him out for the disaster relief on purpose for what I''ve just done today."


    Xia Huanyu fixed his eyes on Luo Qingyan and said, "Qingyan, you will be a good emperor. I''m relieved to have you in charge of the country. However, one should be more tolerant when in a high position. The seventh Prince was born and raised in the Palace. After seeing the benefits brought by power, he began to think about something he shouldn''t have. It''s not that I haven''t thought of handing over the throne to him, but he is not suitable for the position. Qingyan, I''ve given the throne to you, but I hope you can promise me to spare his life."


    One should be more tolerant when in a high position. It was the second time that Luo Qingyan had heard such words. Xia Huanyu had asked Yun Shang to tell him the words not long ago...


    "More tolerant?" Luo Qingyan smiled, "It seems I''m not the one who is not tolerant of others."


    After a moment''s silence, Xia Huanyu opened his mouth and wante


    Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled. She was not used to the new address, so she felt a little awkward. "Lord Liu, what brings you here in such a hurry?"


    Liu Wenan replied with a smile, "His Former Majesty ordered me to serve His Majesty, worrying that His Majesty might have trouble dealing some matters as he has just taken the throne. I''m wondering whether or not His Majesty would dislike me."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan put down the chess piece in his hand and smiled, "Lord Liu, what are you talking about? I''m so grateful to you. How could I dislike you? Shang''er and I are still in a daze. We don''t know what to do for the moment, so we have to play chess here to calm ourselves down."


    Hearing this, Liu Wenan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, why don''t you send someone to send your belongs to the Palace first?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "I''ve given my order."


    "That''s good. Then Your Majesties could have lunch first. All the ministers have left the Palace, and the imperial edict in passing the throne down to Your Majesty has been issued by His Former Majesty. Your Majesty could go to the Meeting Hall to read the memorials after lunch. And Your Majesty the Empress could arrange some servants to clean up your palace after your belongings are sent into the Palace." Liu Wenan replied with a smile and arranged everything in an orderly way.


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said with a smile, "Okay. Just do as Lord Liu said."


    Liu Wenan replied in a hurry, "Then I''ll order someone to serve the meal. Your Majesties, you may as well finish this round before the lunch."


    Liu Wenan walked to the door and waved his hand. The servants waiting outside hurried up and placed the dishes on the table one by one...


    "It''s your turn." When Luo Qingyan''s voice suddenly sounded, Yun Shang suddenly came to her senses. She looked at the chessboard, only to find that the situation on the chessboard had completely changed after one move. She pondered for a moment before slowly placing her piece.

 Chapter 908 Chaos Is Coming With The Rise Of Heroes (Part One)

    There was still a big difference between the Imperial Palace and the mansion. Even when it came to the dining, one could see the big difference. Even if only two people, Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang were having the meal, the dishes were placed on the whole table. The bowls and chopsticks in front of both of them were all made in silver. Liu Wenan stood aside with a set of tableware in his hand. He picked up some of each dish and tried all of them to ensure their safety. Then he took a new set of chopsticks and began to pick up food for Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan.


    After having dinner in silence, Yun Shang followed Liu Wenan''s advice and went to Weiyang Palace.


    In front of Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang stood at the door. She looked up at the three characters on the door, with an indescribable feeling in her heart. She had been in and out of Weiyang Palace for many times, but this time her mood was different.


    Maybe in the next few decades, this cold palace would be her home.


    Yun Shang stepped into the Weiyang Palace and saw Qin Yi standing at the door of the main hall, followed by several strangers. Qin Yi, who had always been calm and composed, was also a little excited. Seeing that Yun Shang had stepped into the gate of the Weiyang Palace, she quickly knelt down with the other servants behind her, "Nice to see you, Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while. She glanced at the servants behind Qin Yi and smiled, "Arise."


    After saying that, she walked through the yard and entered the main hall. Her eyes swept around the hall, but the furnishings in the hall did not change. It was just the ordinary cups, bowls and dishes that seemed to hav


    the babbling sound of Bao''er from outside.


    Yun Shang hurried out of the inner hall and saw the maid and Chen Miaosi coming in with Bao''er. Before the maid could say anything, Yun Shang had already taken Bao''er from the maid''s arms.


    Bao''er didn''t know what had happened but smiled happily.


    Seeing his carefree look, Yun Shang felt less upset. She smiled and said, "I haven''t seen you for a long time. It seems Bao''er doesn''t miss me at all. I am so sad..."


    Hearing this, Bao''er laughed again.


    After playing with Bao''er for a while, someone sent the things from the mansion into the palace. Yun Shang stood at the door with Bao''er in her arms and watched the servants work inside. She was lost in thought.


    Qin Yi ordered the servants to put the things in their own places.


    Hua''er also hurried into the palace. When she saw Yun Shang, she ran over with a smile on her face. She should be happy that her lady had become the Empress.


    "Your majesty, when I came in just now, I saw many servants watching us secretly not far away from the gate. Do you want me to take them here and question them ?"

 Chapter 909 Chaos Is Coming With The Rise Of Heroes (Part Two)

    Yun Shang thought for a moment and shook her head, "Just forget it."


    What happened today was too sudden. Maybe all the concubines in the palace were secretly inquiring about it. Yun Shang raised her eyes to look at the red tiles on the palace gate, and sighed with emotion. Those women were probably still secretly plotting how to win the holy favor, but they didn''t know that the throne had been changed, and their plan had become completely meaningless. In the future, they would only be the imperial concubines. One more word meant a lot.


    When everything was almost ready, it was already in the evening. The Meeting Hall sent a servant to report that his majesty would come to the Weiyang Palace for dinner later.


    Yun Shang was surprised and ordered servants to prepare for it.


    After dinner, Luo Qingyan didn''t go to the Meeting Hall anymore. He just asked Liu Wenan to move the memorials to the Weiyang Palace. After reading the memorials for a while, he accompanied Yun Shang] to the outside of the palace to appreciate the moon.


    The moon only had a crescent tooth. Luo Qingyan stood beside Yun Shang, looked up at her for a long time, and said softly, "Today''s Secret guards found many informers on the way out of the city. They are everywhere. I''m afraid they are reporting what happened today. Among them, there are twelve people heading for Liu Cang. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "After all, Xia Houjing has been scheming for so many years. Although he came to the court to have a thorough wash some time ago, I''m afraid he must have a lot of lackeys around. This time we defeat him by surprise. When he gets


    , Yun Shang knew that she was not asleep, so she said, "I wonder if Overlord knows that Cangjue Qingsu led his troops to attack the State of Xia, and the seventh Prince also set up troops in Liu Cang."


    Xia Huanyu didn''t show any surprise on his face. Yun Shang thought he must have received the news earlier than Luo Qingyan.


    "Now Qingyan is in charge of the court. He has his own decision," with a smile, Xia Huanyu picked up the painting and blew it gently, trying to make the ink dry as soon as possible.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "It seems that Overlord has some ulterior motives in his abdication."


    "Ulterior motives?" Hearing this, Xia Huanyu smiled, but he was not angry. He said indifferently, "As the saying goes, it''s easy to build the river and mountains, but difficult to defend the river and mountains. I have handed over the world to Qingyan. Whether he can keep it or not depends on his own ability. This may not be a bad thing. If Qingyan has the ability to take over the State of Yelang... "


    Xia Huanyu smiled again and stopped talking.

 Chapter 910 Forbidden To Get Involved In Politics

    What Xia Huanyu said didn''t seem to be unreasonable. However, Yun Shang still held a grudge against him as he chose this time to hand the throne to Luo Qingyan though he had clearly known the current situation.


    Thinking of that Xia Huanyu even asked Luo Qingyan to spare Xia Houjing''s life yesterday, Yun Shang sneered and left the Taihe Palace. She shouldn''t have expected any real concern in the royal family. If she had known this earlier, when Xia Huanyu told Luo Qingyan to be more tolerant, Yun Shang would have asked Xia Huanyu why he killed his father and brother back then if he really thought that one should be more tolerant when in a high position.


    Yun Shang suppressed her anger and hurried back to Weiyang Palace with Bao''er in her arms. Qin Yi was instructing the servants in the palace to take out the books and bask them in the sun.


    Seeing Yun Shang coming back with Hua''er, Qin Yi walked up to her and took over the sleeping baby. She lowered her voice and said to Yun Shang, "Would Your Majesty like to take a nap first? Lady Xian has paid a visit to Weiyang Palace not long ago. I told her that you had gone to Taihe Palace and she said that she would go to the Taihe Palace to greet His Former Majesty. Haven''t Your Majesty seen her?"


    Yun Shang frowned and remembered that Lady Xian was the lady who had been promoted as noble consort by Empress Hua as she had expressed her heartfelt support to the Empress after the latter returned to the Palace. It was the second day since Yun Shang moved into the Palace. Many people might have known the current situation after secretly inquiring, but Lady Xian was the first to pay a visit.


    Yun Shang nodded and thought for a while. Now the new emperor was enthroned, and these noble concubines were now titled as Grand Imperial Concubines*. Many grand concubines had daughters, but most princesses had already been married, so they might not have an easy life in the Palace. (*TN: the concubines of the previous emperor£©


    However, she didn''t know much about the imperial household as she was new in the Palace, so she didn''t dare to get involved in many things rashly. It might be a good way for her to ask those grand concubines to help her get to know the imperial household as soon as possible. Although Luo Qingyan didn''t have his harem, there would still be a lot of things to deal with in the household.


    Since she had promised to be with Luo Qingyan all the time, she could help him handle the trifles in the imperial household though she might not be able to give him some advice on the state affairs. She could support behind him, keeping the imperial household in peace.


    "If any grand concubines pays a visit, just invite them in." Yun Shang said softly and stepped into the main hall.


    The main hall of Weiyang Palace was large and empty, with a bit of coldness. Yun Shang didn''t like it, so she went straight to the inner hall and dismissed all the servants except Hua''er and Qin Yi. Although Luo Qingyan had taken the throne and she was the only one in his harem, she still couldn''t trust anyone easily.


    "Just now, I heard that His Majesty ordered this year''s Wuzhuangyuan* and General Zhao to lead troops to Liucang


    he opened her mouth and wanted to ask whether Liu Yinfeng had sent back any message. After thinking for a while, she didn''t ask. She only ordered in a low voice, "Some of our shops always send some employees to Liucang City, Nanyang City and Lingxi City for business. Order the shopkeepers to send some smart people there to inquire about the current situation there. I''m afraid the battle will last long once it starts. It''s better to gather more information."


    While the two of them were talking, they heard a greeting voice from outside, "Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang was surprised. The assembly has been over?


    Qin Yi quickly helped Yun Shang stand up. Before Yun Shang reached the door of the inner hall, Luo Qingyan came in with Liu Wenan.


    Noticing that Luo Qingyan didn''t look well, Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan must have had a quarrel in the morning court, so she asked Qin Yi to bring a bowl of soup.


    After giving the order, he turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Your Majesty, you have been tired all morning. Are you hungry?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and lay down on the couch. Yun Shang walked behind Luo Qingyan, raised her hand to press his temple and then gently massage his shoulders.


    Liu Wenan stood aside with a smile, "I''ve asked Qin Yi to call the directors of all the departments to meet Your Majesty. Have you seen them?"


    Yun Shang looked up and sighed, "No. the Palace is too spacious. I meant to take Bao''er for a walk, but I got lost and just returned to Weiyang Palace."


    Liu Wenan''s face twitched slightly. He knew it was just Yun Shang ''s excuse. She had been to the Palace many times and had never been lost in the Palace. How could she lost her way today? But Liu Wenan couldn''t blame her as she had become the Empress, so he smiled and said, "Those servants should be punished. How could they let Your Majesty get lost? And I''m thinking that the enthronement ceremony has to be put on the agenda as soon as possible since His Majesty has been the rightful ruler of a country after receiving the imperial edict of abdication from His Former Majesty. What do Your Majesties think about it?"

 Chapter 911 Contemptible Scoundrel

    The enthronement ceremony? Yun Shang kept silent for a moment. The enthronement ceremony was supposed to be held, but now it was not a good time as the State of Xia was suffering from domestic trouble and foreign invasion. If Luo Qingyan held the enthronement ceremony in a big way, he would be denounced.


    Luo Qingyan must have known this as well. Hearing Liu Wenan''s question, he frowned and sighed slightly. He said in a somewhat heavy tone, "The enthronement ceremony? Let''s put it aside for a while. Our country is not peaceful and the war is not over yet. How could I have the mood to hold the enthronement ceremony?"


    The corners of Liu Wenan''s mouth twitched again. He looked up at the two of them and thought, The two really were family. The expressions on their faces were almost the same.


    After lying on the couch for a while, Luo Qingyan looked up at Liu Wenan, who was standing aside, and said, "Go take the memorials in Meeting Hall to Weiyang Palace. Since those officials are fond of kneeling, just keep kneeling as they like. Out of sight, out of mind. I won''t go to the Meeting Hall today."


    Liu Wenan took a look at Luo Qingyan and answered yes. Then he walked out of the inner hall.


    Yun Shang sensed something unusual. "Keep kneeling? What happened in the court?"


    Luo Qingyan sneered and closed his eyes. "The old bastards have been making a scene as I asked Wuzhuangyuan, Sun Bingzhi, and Zhao Yingjie to lead troops to go on a expedition. Now there are still several officials kneeling in front of Taiji Palace. Just kneel if they like... "


    Yun Shang sensed that Luo Qingyan was mad at them. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you don''t need to argue with them about it. If they don''t agree, then give the good chance to them to lead the army. Since they are so righteous, the male members above sixteen years old in their family should go with the army. As they are the offspring of loyal officials, they could start as centurions instead of being ordinary soldiers.


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan''s eyes lit up. She turned to Yun Shang with a smile, "You''ve really got a lot of tricks up your sleeves. Well, since they are so worried about the country and the people, I will surely give them the chance."


    Yun Shang curled her lips into a smile, but she was still a little worried. "Now the State of Xia is facing both domestic trouble and foreign invasion, but we don''t have enough soldiers to fight against them, which is really worrying. But Your Majesty seems to be very confident."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled. He reached out his hand and pulled Yun Shang] to sit down beside him. Then he said softly, "I''m not that confident. I just believe that as long as we work together, there''s no obstacle that we can''t overcome."


    After a pause, he continued, "To resist foreign aggression we must first get rid of the enemy within. Our top priority is to deal with Xia Houjing. On the surface, Zhao Yingjie and Sun Bingzhi will go for the battle, but in fact, the palace guards had already left the city on the quiet under the lead of Liu Ming. Now most of the palace guards that can be seen in the Palace are disguised by our


    d seemed to be still in a daze. After a moment of silence, he quickly responded and left.


    Looking at Luo Qingyan, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "Your Majesty, why are you angry with Lord Liu for no reason?"


    Luo Qingyan sighed, "I''m not angry with him. I just feel not at ease with him following me all day long."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang blinked. Thinking of what she had guessed before, she asked, "With Your Majesty''s martial arts, isn''t it easy for you to avoid Lord Liu?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and didn''t respond. Yun Shang was surprised. "Is Lord Liu better at kung fu than Your Majesty?"


    "He is much older than me. If he is not a kung fu master, how could Xia Huanyu let Liu Wenan stay with him for so many years?" Luo Qingyan said in a low voice, "I''m afraid that the reason why Xia Huanyu put Liu Wenan by my side is not to assist me. He might have some intention of monitoring us. I''m not happy about it."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "Anyway, His Former Majesty won''t do harm to Your Majesty."


    Luo Qingyan nodded casually, stood up from the couch, walked to the desk, and then took a memorial to read. Not long after, he heard someone outside asking to see him.


    "Your Majesty, I have some news from Meeting Hall to report." A eunuch exclaimed outside.


    Meeting hall? Hearing this, Luo Qingyan raised her head and said, "Come in."


    The eunuch, who was round and amuse-looking came in from outside and knelt down in the hall in a hurry. "Your Majesty, the Minister of Personnel, Lord Lin, and the former Minister of Justice, Wang Yuanjun, are requesting to see His Former Majesty outside Meeting Hall. He said the Crown Prince must have usurped the throne as His Former Majesty wouldn''t have passed the throne to the Crown Prince."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned. She remembered that Wang Yuanjun worked for Xia Houjing. He had helped the seventh Prince to slander Luo Qingyan and her. However, didn''t Xia Huanyu issue an imperial edict to dismiss him? The current Minister of Justice was Li Qianmo. Why did he suddenly come out to make trouble?

 Chapter 912 Tricks in food

    Luo Qingyan was also a little annoyed. "Wang Yuanjun is always on Xia Houjing''s side. He must come with ill intent. I''ll go and have a look."


    Yun Shang frowned and murmured, "But Your Majesty hasn''t had lunch yet."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Are you afraid that I will be hungry in the Palace? It''s okay. I''ll ask Liu Wenan to prepare some food later and I''ll have lunch in Taiji Palace. You don''t need to wait for me."


    Yun Shang had to agree and sent Luo Qingyan out of Weiyang Palace.


    After Luo Qingyan left, Yun Shang fell silent. The eunuch reported that Wang Yuanjun and the Minister of Personnel are requesting to see His Former Majesty as they suspected that Luo Qingyan had usurped the throne.


    Yun Shang squinted. Xia Huanyu issued the imperial edict to pass down the throne to Luo Qingyan in the presence of all the civil and military officials. All the officials were witnesses. But Wang Yuanjun jumped out at this time. He must be holding something in his hand.


    What could it be?


    He said that he wanted to see Xia Huanyu. But didn''t he know that Xia Huanyu would prove Luo Qingyan innocent as soon as he shown up?


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang was a little worried. She wanted to send someone to inquire about it, but she didn''t. She just sighed and didn''t say anything.


    "Your Majesty, do I need to ask the kitchen to cook less dishes as His majesty won''t have lunch in the palace?" Qin Yi asked softly with concern in her eyes.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head. "Don''t bother. You can have dinner with me later. Tell the other servants to leave."


    Qin Yi nodded and stopped talking. Yun Shang took out a book and read it. But she just couldn''t concentrate on it. After thinking for a long time, she raised her head and said, "Send someone to Taihe Palace to check on Their Former Majesties."


    "Their Former Majesties? Didn''t Your Majesty just come back from the Taihe Palace?" Qin Yi was confused.


    Yun Shang nodded. She had thought about it for a long time just now. Since Wang Yuanjun kept asking to see Xia Huanyu, could it be that he was sure that Xia Huanyu was not able to show up? That might be the reason why he was so unscrupulous.


    But just as Qin Yi said, when she just came out of Taihe Palace, Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling were both fine. How could someone take them away in such a short time? However, Yun Shang was still unsure. She nodded heavily and said, "Bring two bowls of bamboo fungus soup to them and check whether or not they are safe."


    Qin Yi nodded in a hurry and left the inner hall.


    The window was suddenly opened with a bang. Yun Shang was startled. She looked up and found the wind was strong outside, which made the leaves kept rustling and even blew the window open.


    Yun Shang stood up and walked to the window. She saw several servants cleaning the yard outside. A eunuch carrying a bucket stumbled over


    e and then went back to the inner hall to have a nap. When she woke up after about two hours later, she found Qin Yi and Hua''er were not in the hall. Yun Shang frowned and sat up. After putting on her shoes and getting up from the bed, she saw Luo Qingyan was sitting at the desk with a frown. There were five huge piles of memorials on the desk. If Luo Qingyan hadn''t reached out for the memorial, Yun Shang couldn''t have noticed him behind the piles.


    Yun Shang stood up and walked to the desk. She picked up a memorial and looked through it, only to find that it was about a matter happened last year. She looked carefully at the date, and it was indeed a memorial presented in last July.


    Yun Shang took another one. This one was submitted four or five months ago. And the matter reported was not at all related to that on the other memorial.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but feel a little surprised. "Your Majesty, why are you reading these old memorials? Are you looking for something? Do you need my help?"


    Luo Qingyan looked up and fixed his eyes on Yun Shang. He was silent for a long time before he seemed to come to his senses. He took two memorials and handed them to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang opened them and had a look. One was presented in last October, and the other was presented today. But even the new memorial had already been annotated with vermillion ink and stamped with the imperial seal. Why did Luo Qingyan look at it again and again? Yun Shang frowned and read the affairs reported by the memorials. One was about the beauty selection, and the other was about the frontier. They had nothing to do with each other.


    While she was confused, Luo Qingyan said, "Look at the imperial seal prints on them. Is there any difference?"


    "The imperial seal prints?" Confused, Yun Shang looked at the seal prints on the two memorials for a long time and finally found the difference between the two prints.

 Chapter 913 The Real Imperial Seal And The Fake Ones

    The two seal prints looked almost the same, but there was a difference at a closer look. It was known that on the imperial seal carved the words "Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may lead a long and prosperous life". However, Yun Shang noticed that the crossbar of the letter "t" of the word "Mandate" was missing in the seal print on the memorial presented in last October.


    She picked up the newly-presented memorial to check and found no part of the words was missing.


    Yun Shang took a tumble and quickly took several more old memorials to compare them with each other. Without exception, there was the same missing part on the each seal print.


    Yun Shang was stunned. She stared the print coldly for a long time before she raised her head and asked, "Is the imperial seal a fake one?"


    Luo Qingyan neither nodded nor shook his head. He put the memorial in his hand on the table indifferently and said in a hoarse voice, "Wang Yuanjun and Lin Jingyang had previously clamored outside Meeting Hall for meeting His Former Majesty, saying that he had evidence to prove that I have usurped the throne by plotting against the former emperor."


    Yun Shang''s throat seemed to be choked, and she didn''t even dare to breathe heavily. "The evidence he meant is the imperial seal?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Many officials have seen them as they were kneeling outside Taiji Palace after I appointed Zhao Yingjie and Sun Bingzhi to lead the army.


    "When I was about to invite His Former Majesty to Taiji Palace, Wang Yuanjun said that it was my man who disguised as the former emperor, so it wouldn''t make any difference whether or not he would show up. Then he said that I had to use a fake imperial seal to replace the real one as I didn''t find the real imperial seal after I usurped the throne and that I didn''t expect the crossbar of the letter "t" of the words ''Mandate" on the real imperial seal had been missing by accidentally knock not long after the former emperor''s enthronement. Luo Qingyan frowned with coldness in her eyes.


    "Then, Wang Yuanjun took out an imperial edict he received before. He asked me to take out the imperial seal and compare it with the seal print on the edict."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang understood why Luo Qingyan took out so many old memorials.


    If the imperial seal in Luo Qingyan''s hand was fake, where was the real imperial seal? Why didn''t Xia Huanyu mention it? Did Xia Huanyu know about it?


    "Your Majesty, how did you deal with Wang Yuanjun and Lin Jingyang?" Yun Shang asked hurriedly.


    So many people had seen this. If Luo Qingyan deal with them rashly, it would cause some suspicion. At that time, it would be particularly disadvantageous to Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but sneer. Xia Houjing''s trick was really effective. However, Xia Houjing was still in Liucang City. It had only been a day since Luo Qingyan took over the thr


    d."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and looked cold, but there was no expression in his eyes. Luo Qingyan must have an idea, so Yun Shang felt a little relieved.


    Luo Qingyan was right. Even if it was not a real one, as long as one hundred people said it was, then it would be.


    Luo Qingyan ordered someone to put all the memorials back. Then he sighed and went back to the couch and lay down. "I always felt that the dragon throne symbolized the supreme power. I have to seat myself in it. Now when I really sit in it, I find that it is probably the most unstable chair in the world."


    Yun Shang gently held Luo Qingyan''s hand and said with a faint smile, "Your Majesty, don''t worry. These messy things is going to pass."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and closed his eyes.


    Seeing the weariness on his face, Yun Shang didn''t disturb him anymore. She just took a book and sat on the edge of couch, reading.


    When Luo Qingyan woke up, it was already at dusk. He blinked his eyes and looked out of the window before he sat up. "Why do you let me sleep so long?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "You can''t deal with the memorials without a new seal. Why not have a good rest first? It doesn''t matter."


    Luo Qingyan also smiled and stood up. "I''m wondering what''s going on in Liucang City. It must be Xia Houjing who ordered Wang Yuanjun to do so. He didn''t know that I would ascend the throne so soon, but he had already arranged it. I always feel that I have underestimated him. How could such a cunning person be easily fooled?"


    Luo Qingyan''s thoughts coincided with Yun Shang''s. Yun Shang kept silent for a moment and said, "A very bold idea just flashed through my mind..."


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang who then bit her lips and looked up. "Your Majesty, is it possible that Xia Houjing hasn''t gone to Liucang City at all? He has been in the Jin City all the time?"

 Chapter 914 Planning For You

    Yun Shang''s guess was not completely unreasonable. Wang Yuanjun worked for Xia Houjing. There were only two possibilities. One was that Xia Houjing had stolen the imperial seal and arranged Wang Yuanjun to do so before he left the Jin City as he had expected that Xia Huanyu might give the throne to Luo Qingyan.


    Another possibility was that Xia Houjing didn''t go to Liucang City at all. What Wang Yuanjun did today was being instructed by him behind.


    Now Yun Shang inclined to the second possibility, because it was unlikely that Xia Houjing could predict Xia Huanyu would hand the throne over to Luo Qingyan all of sudden. Even Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan didn''t notice any sign of it.


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and said gently, "It''s less likely. First of all, if Xia Houjing didn''t go to Liucang City, Liu Yinfeng would have known it. Second, Wang Yuanjun obviously brought the matter up at a wrong time. If Xia Houjing was in Jin City, he wouldn''t have given me any chance to reverse the situation."


    Yun Shang thought it over and nodded. Luo Qingyan''s words made sense.


    After dinner, as soon as he was about to wash his face and have a rest, Liu Wenan rushed over with a bit of anxiety on his face. As soon as he entered the inner hall, he said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, I''m afraid that someone has guessed your plan. This afternoon, I secretly handed the imperial seal to a craftsman in the Palace and then specially sent someone to guard him. Just now, when I went to fetch the imperial seal, I found that all the guards have been killed and the craftsmen his disappeared with the imperial seal."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan clenched his fists in his sleeves. He raised his head, with murderous look in his eyes. "I see now. I thought Wang Yuanjun was anxious for quick success, but I didn''t expect that he deliberately chose such a time to make trouble. He knew that I would definitely, before giving out the memorials, order someone to carve a new imperial seal or mend the one in my hand according to the seal print of the stolen one. Then he kept an eye on Liu Wenan to know where I had sent the imperial seal, killed people to take the fake imperial seal away. In this way, I don''t even have the fake imperial seal in my hand."


    However, Liu Wenan shook his head and said, "I think no one can follow me without being noticed by me."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. Liu Wenan was a kung fu master. Then how did it happen?


    "Maybe there is a traitor around me, or maybe the craftsman is Wang Yuanjun''s man." Luo Qingyan sat down slowly, holding the carved dragon on the armrest tightly, blue veins standing out on his hands.


    In the end, he still underestimated his opponent.


    Lowering his head, Liu Wenan thought for a long time before he said softly, "Your Majesty, what should we..."


    Squinting his eyes, Luo Qingyan gently stroked the dragon on the armrest and said, "The top priority is to figure out how it happened."


    After a pause, Luo Qingyan looked up


    Luo Qingyan had already put on his shoes. Qin Yi quickly took out a dragon robe and put it on him. She carefully straighten the robe and said softly, "Your Majesty, let me tie up your hair."


    Luo Qingyan kept silent for a while and sat down in front of the bronze mirror. Qin Yi took out a comb to comb Luo Qingyan''s hair. When she was doing it, the two lights in the hall suddenly went out, and the hall was dark.


    Qin Yi screamed and hurriedly put Luo Qingyan''s hair down, fetched a fire starter to light the lamp, and quickly said, "Maybe the wind blew it out, I''ll close the window." Then she ran to the window and closed it.


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and bit her lips. After a long silence, she said softly, "Haven''t the craftsman been found yet? As well as the imperial seal?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded with deep eyes.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang became more worried. "We haven''t found the fake imperial seal yet. If someone asks about it in the morning court, how could Your Majesty respond?" Her voice was full of worry.


    Luo Qingyan sighed and frowned, "Just roll with the punches. I''m the one sitting on the dragon throne now. I don''t believe that I can''t deal with them."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled helplessly. She knew that even as an emperor, he still had a lot of difficulties.


    After a while, Qin Yi tied up Luo Qingyan''s hair and fix it with a gold coronet inlaid with big pearls.


    Then Luo Qingyan stood up, turned around and whispered to Yun Shang, "It''s still early. Have more sleep. Don''t worry. Everything will be fine."


    After Yun Shang replied, Luo Qingyan walked out of the inner hall. Yun Shang heard Luo Qingyan''s voice coming from outside, "Let''s go."


    The footsteps gradually disappeared. Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi. Qin Yi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, go back to sleep."


    Yun Shang replied and lay back again. She stared at the pattern of the phoenix spreading its wings on the bed tent and closed her eyes after a long time.

 Chapter 915 Someone Died

    When Yun Shang was half asleep, she vaguely heard someone screaming. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, help..."


    Then came some noise.


    Yun Shang frowned and opened her eyes, but the cries didn''t disappear. Yun Shang was a little surprised. It turned out that she was not in a dream. There was no one in the inner hall, and there was a faint male voice coming from outside.


    "Qin Yi..." Yun Shang called loudly.


    Footsteps were heard, but it was Hua''er came in. "Your Majesty, you are awake? Qin Yi is dealing with something at the gate of our Weiyang Palace. Your Majesty, do you want to get up. How about letting me serve you?"


    "What happened outside?" Yun Shang listened carefully for a while, but didn''t hear clearly what they were talking about. "I heard someone calling for help?"


    Hua''er hurriedly answered, "It''s a concubine of His Former Majesty. It is said that His Majesty has ordered to kill her, but when the guards went to her palace to arrest her, she ran away to our palace to ask for help. Fortunately, the guards at the gate of our palace stopped her."


    A concubine of His Former Majesty? Why did Luo Qingyan order to kill her?


    Yun Shang sat up and said softly, "Go and call Qin Yi here."


    Hua''er answered yes and left. After a while, Qin Yi came over in a hurry. "Your Majesty, are you getting up?"


    Yun Shang sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Qin Yi. "Who is asking for help outside?"


    Hearing this, Qin Yi answered in a hurry, "Your Majesty, it''s Lady Lin, Lin Jingya. She is the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, Lord Lin. She had had a daughter with the former emperor, but the little princess died when she was very young. The former emperor visited her palace one or two times a year."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled. "The daughter of Lord Lin?"


    "Yes, it is said that the death penalty will apply to Lord Lin and the former Minister of Justice, Wang Yuanjun, as well as their family members and friends because they smeared His Majesty in the morning court this morning." Qin Yi answered softly.


    Yun Shang looked up and exchanged a look with Qin Yi. They all saw joy in each other''s eyes.


    "Help me change my clothes." Yun Shang whispered.


    Qin Yi replied. She put on socks and shoes with phoenix pattern embroidered with gold threads. Then she took out a vermilion robe and put it on Yun Shang. She combed her hair in a bun and inserted a phoenix hairpin and a gold hairpin in it.


    After dressing up, Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the inner hall. Perhaps it was Qin Yi who ordered, Lin Jingya hadn''t been taken away. She was escorted by the guards. Her hair was messy, and her face was full of tears, with a hint of despair. Seeing Yun Shang coming out of the main hall, her eyes suddenly burst out a light. She wanted to rush forward, but was pulled back by the guards behind her.


    "Your Majesty, please, please save me and my family." Her voice was a little hoarse.


    Yun Shang walked slowly to Lin Jingya. With a calm look on her face, Yun Shang looked at her indifferently. "Do you know what kind of crime your father has committed?"


    Tears welled up in her


    Then Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang, turned around and walked towards her.


    Luo Qingyan went up to the pavilion and gave Yun Shang a good looking-over before asking, "I heard that something happened in Weiyang Palace. Is everything okay?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and smiled, "I''m fine. But Lin Jingya has died. She said she knew everything, but before I could ask, she was killed."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, as if he had already known about it. He said gently, "It''s good that you are fine."


    Yun Shang broke into a gentle smile, "I''m fine. I heard that His Majesty ordered to kill the two officials and their family, so you''ve settled the problem about the imperial seal?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Luo Qingyan nodded with a smile. He stepped back two steps and made a bow to Yun Shang. "Thank you, Your Majesty. You are really my lucky star."


    Luo Qingyan''s sudden behavior startled Liu Wenan behind him. Liu Wenan opened his mouth but couldn''t speak for a long time. After a long time, he finally found his voice. "Your Majesty scared me."


    After a pause, he continued, "But I''m curious about how Her Majesty made it?" I''ve tried every means, but I still can''t find the craftsmen. And I don''t dare to ask the other craftsmen in the Palace to engrave a seal as I fear they might disappear like that one. In that case, the fake imperial seal will be known all over the city, and it will be greatly disadvantageous to the emperor."


    Yun Shang curled up her lips into a smile, but she couldn''t tell Liu Wenan about it. After all, Liu Wenan was a servant of Xia Huanyu, so she couldn''t expose her power to him.


    "Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it." Yun Shang replied with a smile. She looked up at the chrysanthemums and the large lake in the distance. The scenery in the Imperial Garden is really good. She smiled and said, "Let''s just have the lunch here."


    Luo Qingyan agreed. Liu Wenan turned around and left to arrange the lunch. Seeing that Liu Wenan walked out of the Imperial Garden, Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "My lade, I also want to know how you made it?"

 Chapter 916 Im Only Thinking Of You

    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and couldn''t help laughing. She sat down in the pavilion and looked up at him, "In fact, it''s not that mysterious. I''m also betting whether the person hidden in the Weiyang Palace is a man or a woman."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan looked at [ÔÆÉÑ] thoughtfully. [ÔÆÉÑ] smiled again and said gently, "I arranged [ÇÙÒÀ] to take a bath yesterday. She wrote on the ground with water, without any voice or pen. After we went to bed yesterday, Qin Yi didn''t do anything else but put the lamp in her own chamber. "


    "It''s not a new thing. Qin Yi will take the lamp away every day from tomorrow, but normally she will put away the lamp cover, and only take away the oil lamp. Yesterday, she took the lamp cover with her, too." Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi and smiled more brightly, "Then, after we have a rest, I will send a message to the servants arranged in other places of the palace with my white jade flute, asking them to try their best to spread the news and ask Qian Qian to find someone to carve a fake imperial seal."


    "But even if there are craftsmen, how many have the craftsmen in the folk seen the appearance of the imperial seal? And after it is carved, how can they send it back to the palace?" Luo Qingyan frowned.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Your Majesty, you have forgotten that Qian Qian used to be the concubine of His Former Majesty. She must have seen the imperial seal. Besides, there is an imperial edict issued by your Majesty in the Crown Prince''s mansion. She only needs to take the imperial edict and show it to the craftsmen. Then she can carve the imperial seal."


    "As for how to send the imperial seal back to the Weiyang Palace, it can be considered the most difficult part in this matter," Yun Shang whispered, "First of all, the servants in the palace will start to come in and out of the palace at about three quarters past two at midnight, to buy things, and to deal with the night incense in the palace. It''s not difficult to bring a jade seal into the palace, and then the jade seal will be sent to the bathroom of the Shangyi Bureau through the bathroom in the palace. I just entered the palace, and the clothes I wore before were not in accordance with the rules. Qin Yi ordered the servants of the Shangyi Bureau to make a few ordinary clothes yesterday, and she was determined to get them this morning." Yun Shang smiled.


    "Qin Yi took the clothes and pretended to have stomachache. She went to the bathroom and hid the imperial seal in her clothes. Then she took it back the Weiyang Palace. She went back to her own chamber and put the imperial seal in the cover of the palace lamp. This morning, when I called her in to dress you, she took the imperial seal in. Then she opened the window, ordered the secret guard to blow out the light and handed it to you. Although it was a little dangerous, everything went on as planned and there was nothing wrong. It seems that the result is not bad. " Yun Shang smiled softly.


    Luo Qingyan also smiled. He held Yun Shang in his arms and said, "I said my Shang''er was the smart


    ith the food. But Liu Wenan had tested the poison, so it must not be poison. "Is the food as hot as yesterday?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, I''m wondering who this is for, his majesty or me?"


    Qin Yi kept silent for a while and said, "But today''s food was not cooked in the kitchen of our palace? It''s made in the imperial dining room. "


    "That''s why I asked you this question. If it was in the Weiyang Palace, I still suspected that there was someone targeting me. But even the food in the imperial dining room was the same, which was a little unusual. Even though there are cooks in our palace, the fresh vegetables and fruits are still delivered from the imperial dining room. Maybe the person who set up this trap is not in the kitchen, but in the imperial dining room. " Yun Shang lowered her voice.


    If it was in the imperial dining room, the target should not be her, but Luo Qingyan. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She didn''t understand if it was against Luo Qingyan. Liu Wenan had been in the palace and worked for Xia Huanyu for so many years. He had become very capable and managed everything well. He wouldn''t have known that there was something wrong with the meal for these two consecutive days. But he didn''t speak anything just now. Why?


    Liu Wenan worked for Xia Huanyu. Although Xia Huanyu didn''t treat Luo Qingyan very well, he was not bad either. At least, Xia Huanyu wouldn''t hurt Luo Qingyan.


    Since he wouldn''t harm Luo Qingyan, what was going on with this move?


    Yun Shang frowned and thought for a long time, but she couldn''t figure it out. Finally, she raised her eyes and said, "Even so, the people in the small kitchen of our palace are not completely trustworthy. You''d better pay attention to them carefully. By the way, ask the chef to prepare a crucian soup later. Keep an eye on them and don''t let them put anything else except the Kudzu powder, crucian, pig bones, dates and orange peel. Put two more pieces of orange peel in the soup. "


    Qin Yi wrote down what Yun Shang had said in detail and answered softly.

 Chapter 917 A Head-on Blow

    Yun Shang turned around and went down the pavilion. The Imperial Garden was full of blooming flowers. Yun Shang was holding Bao''er in her arms. Bao''er waved his hand gently, and a yellow chrysanthemum petal fell down on the ground. Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the scattered petals on the ground. After a long silence, she said indifferently, "There are countless flowers withering every day in the Palace..."


    Qin Yi didn''t know what Yun Shang meant. She smiled and said, "After all, it''s late autumn. The winter will come soon. These flowers can''t stand the cold weather, but the plum blossoms are about to bloom."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Yes, some others will bloom when some withered." Then she held Bao''er more tightly and headed towards Weiyang Palace.


    Weiyang Palace had been cleaned up, and no one could see that someone had died there just now. Yun Shang''s eyes flashed, and she quickly walked back to the inner hall. She turned around and ordered Hua''er, "Go to call the directors of the Imperial Household Department and Neishi Bureau here."


    Hua''er received the order and left Weiyang Palace.


    Qin Yi looked at Hua''er''s back and said with a smile, "The Weiyang Palace is so big. I think Your Majesty should choose a few confidants to be around you as soon as possible. When I and Hua''er leave for something, there is no trusted maid around you. I can''t rest assured."


    Yun Shang picked up a rattle and shook it in front of Bao''er. Bao''er stared at it and laughed happily. Seeing Bao''er''s happy face, Yun Shang felt less depressed. She smiled and said, "Okay, I''ll mention it when the directors of the imperial household department and Neishi Bureau come later. By the way, as His Former Majesty and Her Former Majesty live in the same palace now, they should have enough servants serving and protecting them. I''ll go to ask them to let Qian Zhuo come back to me when I have time."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi was overjoyed. She smiled and said, "It''s time to feed the little prince. I''ll call Dr. Chen and the wet nurse over, and then go to the kitchen to watch them cooking soup."


    "Okay." Yun Shang nodded.


    After a while, the wet nurse came. Yun Shang saw that Chen Miaosi didn''t come with her, so she asked casually, "Where is Dr. Chen?"


    The wet nurse was stunned for a while and then quickly replied, "Your Majesty, Dr. Chen said that she would pick some chrysanthemums to make chrysanthemum cakes when she saw the chrysanthemum blooming well in the garden."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She had lived in Changbai Mountain for a long time and did whatever she wanted. Did she know that most of the flowers in the Imperial Garden are precious and rare? Well, just forget it. Let her be.


    She thought for a while and remembered that chrysanthemum was effective for clearing heat. It would be good for them to eat some chrysanthemum cakes.


    "Ask Chen Miaosi to pick some chrysanthemums for me." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    The wet nurse replied, took Bao''er over and left.


    Yun Shang asked someone to make tea fo


    he Empress so soon..."


    "Yes, who would have thought of that?" Li Fuhua sneered, "who could expect that she would get the position?"


    After a brief pause, he continued, "But she seems to be an impatient and reckless person. She just made a big fuss about such a trifle. I noticed that even her face turned pale."


    However, Qi Ruihai didn''t respond and just walked silently.


    Li Fuhua continued, "Did she really think herself to be an empress? Even a woman like Su Ruji failed to hold the position. How could it be possible for her to keep it? At least, a person who only knows to get angry with us will never be able to survive in this Palace. I''m afraid she''ll soon be defeated in the complicated Palace."


    Qi Ruihai turned around and looked at the direction of Weiyang Palace. A deep light flashed in his eyes. "I think we can''t underestimate her. I heard that the current emperor has a special preference for her and he hasn''t married any concubine. And His Former Majesty also speaks highly of her. The Empress has gone to the battlefield and knows medical skills. At least, she is the one many people want to get rid of, including Empress Su, Lady Shu, the Eldest Princess and the seventh Prince. But none of them succeeded. Isn''t this young Empress still alive? On the contrary, none of those who want to deal with her have a good end except the seventh Prince."


    Li Fuhua sniffed, "She is just lucky. Besides, the current emperor is behind her, isn''t he? And the Eldest Princess and Empress Su were killed by His Former Majesty, not her. She is just a teenage girl. The number of people I have framed is even more than that of the meal she have had. How can she fight against me? How dare she humiliate me like that? I will definitely let her pay the price."


    As Li Fuhua spoke, he looked up and saw the imperial household department in front of him. He entered it without saying goodbye to Qi Ruihai.


    Qi Ruihai stared at the back of Li Fuhua. After a moment of silence, he sighed and went back to the Neishi Bureau.

 Chapter 918 Be Frank And Honest With Each Other

    Yun Shang was woken up by Qin Yi after two hours'' sleep. Yun Shang slowly opened her eyes and was still in a daze when she heard Qin Yi saying smilingly, "Your Majesty, it''s time to get up. His Majesty is waiting for your soup."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang sat up. She sober up a little after Qin Yi help her fix her clothes and hair. "Earlier I met the directors of the Neishi Bureau and the Imperial Household Department and I told them that I wanted to change all the servants in Weiyang Palace. I got mad at them and scolded them. I''m afraid they will bring people here soon. You just stay in the palace in case they came. Choose some honest-looking ones from the servants they bring. It''s all up to you and don''t need to ask me."


    Qin Yi was about to say something, but she suddenly remembered that Yun Shang had told her that there was someone watching them in Weiyang Palace, so she quickly replied, "Yes, I understand."


    Yun Shang nodded and then ordered Hua''er to take the hamper and go to the Meeting Hall with her.


    When they arrived at the Meeting Hall, they saw two eunuchs standing at the door. When they saw Yun Shang, the two eunuchs quickly bowed. Yun Shang looked in the Meeting Hall, but couldn''t see anything clearly.


    "I''ve brought some soup for His Majesty." Yun Shang whispered to the eunuch at the door.


    Hearing this, the eunuch standing on the left was a little surprise. "Eh, just now the imperial kitchen had sent some soup, saying that it was ordered by His Former Majesty."


    Yun Shang was stunned. She frowned and said nothing. Looking at Yun Shang''s expression, the eunuch realized that he had said something wrong and hurriedly said, "I''ll report it now."


    Then he hurried into the hall. Not long after, the eunuch ran out again, with a bit of joy on his face. "Your Majesty, His Majesty wants to see you."


    Yun Shang nodded, took the hamper from Hua''er, and asked Hua''er to wait at the gate before she stepped into the Meeting Hall.


    In the Meeting Hall, only Luo Qingyan was dealing with political affairs. Liu Wenan and Wang Wanzhi were standing aside. Wang Wanzhi was wearing a long plain dress instead of the uniform for female officials, which made her look gentle and demure. With a notebook and writing brush in her hand, Wang Wanzhi seemed to hear footsteps. She raised her head, smiled at Yun Shang and bowed slightly.


    There were several censers in the hall, smoking rising from the incense. The whole Meeting Hall was filled with the scent of ambergris. Luo Qingyan was reading a memorial, frowning with unpleasant look on his face, as if he was dealing with something tricky.


    After marking on it with the writing brush, Luo Qingyan put it aside. Wang Wanzhi quickly took the memorial, had a look and write something in the notebook.


    Luo Qingyan raised his head. A gentle smile appeared on his gloomy face. "Shang''er, you are here? Let me see what you have brought for me."


    Hearing this, the smile on Yun Shang''s face softened a little. She walked to the royal table and put down the hamper. When she removed the lid, the smell of food spread around. Noticing Luo Qi


    piles of memorials on the royal table and asked, "Is there any news from Liucang City? Hasn''t Liu Yinfeng sent any message?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I''m wondering whether Liu Yinfeng has been imprisoned by Xia Houjing. No one knows what''s going on there."


    Yun Shang looked a little worried. She kept silent for a moment and said, "I''ve ordered Qian Yin to send someone in our shops to Liucang City, trying to get some information from the local people and businessmen there. But they could only get some simple information. I can have someone investigate Liu Yinfeng''s current situation, but with Liu Yinfeng''s wisdom, it shouldn''t be difficult for him to escape."


    Luo Qingyan pouted and kept silent for a while before he said lazily, "You really think highly of him."


    Yun Shang sensed jealousy from his words. She didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. "How could still be jealous at such a situation? It''s not a big deal. Are you gonna remember it for the rest of your life?"


    "Not a big deal?" Luo Qingyan snorted and became serious again. "It doesn''t matter. Now Xia Houjing hasn''t made any movement yet. Since he could plant spy around me, I can also arrange people around him. If he does something, my people will also try to inform me."


    Yun Shang nodded. She knew it was an important matter. Luo Qingyan would certainly make arrangement, so she didn''t ask any more. But she saw an envelope next to him. Yun Shang was curious, so she took it and had a look. On the envelope was Luo Qingyan''s handwriting. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and saw the addressee on it "Ghost Doctor".


    Raising her eyebrows, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and asked with a smile, "Who is Ghost Doctor? A doctor?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t change his expression, and relied with a gentle smile on his face. "Yes, Ghost Doctor is the doctor introduced by Liu Yinfeng. He said that his medical skills are excellent. Doctor Xue Yan has treated Her Former Majesty for a while, but it doesn''t seem to work. I heard from Liu Yinfeng about Ghost Doctor, so I want to invite him here to have a try."

 Chapter 919 Resort To Every Conceivable Means

    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked a little surprised. "Now your Majesty have already taken the throne. Why do you still hurry to invite Ghost Doctor to treat Her Former Majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled. "It will be the best if Her Former Majesty could get back her memories. But it doesn''t matter if not."


    Yun Shang nodded and put the letter back. Then she stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I won''t delay you from handling political affairs. If I continue to stay here, someone might gossip that I''m a demon who comes down to create trouble for the country."


    "Who dares to talk nonsense?" Luo Qingyan replied with a smile.


    "They dare not say it in front of me, but who knows what they say behind my back. I''ll take my leave now. What do you want for dinner, Your Majesty? I''ll send someone to prepare it when I get back to the palace." Yun Shang put the lid on the hamper, looked up and asked with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and said, "Make more vegetarian dishes."


    Yun Shang replied softly and left.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and watched Yun Shang walk out of Meeting Hall. Then he withdrew his gaze and looked at the letter. He thought for a moment and clapped his hands. A secret guard jumped down from the beam of the hall. Luo Qingyan handed the letter to the secret guard and said, "Send someone to the Imperial City of the State of Ning and handed the letter to Ghost Doctor in person."


    The secret guard answered in a hurry. After taking the letter, he jumped up and disappeared without a trace.


    Not long after the secret guard left, Liu Wenan opened the gate and came back with Wang Wanzhi. Luo Qingyan looked up at the two indifferently, took a memorial and began to read it.


    Yun Shang returned to Weiyang Palace with Hua''er. As she expected, the courtyard in front of the main hall was full of maids and eunuchs, and Li Fuhua stood aside, talking something to Qin Yi. Qin Yi''s face was calm. She was checking the servants one by one, carefully examining their faces to see if there was any obvious flaw and asking them some questions. She called the ones who she thought were suitable to come out of the line and stand behind her.


    Li Fuhua followed Qin Yi with a big smile on his face. When he saw Weiyang Palace coming in from the gate of Weiyang Palace, he immediately came up to her and said, "Greetings. Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded indifferently and glanced at the servants in the yard. She smiled and said, "Lord Li, you''re so quick. I just left here for a short while sending a bowl of soup to His Majesty, and you''ve already brought the servants here."


    "It''s my duty. I''m trying my best to do what Your Majesty ordered." With a flattering smile on his face, Li Fuhua said, "Your Majesty, do you want to see if there is anyone you like among these servants?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, but her eyes were filled with displeasure. "Do I need to bother myself with such a trifle? Qin Yi will handle it. She''ll make the decision."


    Li Fuhua replied in a hurry. Yun Shang stopped talking and


    Yun Shang even wanted to laugh when she recalled that Wang Wanzhi didn''t wear her loose uniform in Meeting Hall. Xia Huanyu has made great efforts to set Luo Qingyan up.


    He ordered the kitchen to serve so many hot foods for meals for several days in a row, and the sent him the cow cod soup which was reputed to be an aphrodisiac. Yun Shang thought that it might not be the first time that Xia Huanyu sent this kind of soup to Luo Qingyan.


    Then he ordered Wang Wanzhi to assist Luo Qingyan, being around him all day. With the effect of these food and soup, if Luo Qingyan couldn''t control himself for a moment, Xia Huanyu''s plan would succeed.


    Qin Yi was even more furious. "His Former Majesty has been separated from Her Former Majesty for so many years. I heard that he only favored her in the imperial household before she disappeared. I thought he would understand His Majesty better, but I didn''t expect him to be such a mean person. We shouldn''t have brought Her Former Majesty back to the Jin City to spare him the bitterness of lovesickness."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang laughed. "Yes. I understand His Former Majesty, but I have still been infuriated by him. I hate it the most when someone resort to every conceivable means to plant other women around His Majesty."


    Yun Shang''s hand gently stroked the edge of the teacup. The teacup was a little hot, but sheseemed not to notice it at all. She smiled and said, "I heard that when Her Former Majesty was still Lady Zhao, she was very affectionate with old General Zhao.They used to be quite a lovely couple. Write a letter to our people in the Imperial City of the State of Ning and ask them to go to the Zhao mansion. Find a token of love between them, or some letters and gifts."


    Upon hearing this, Qin Yi replied in a hurry, "Okay, I''ll do it right now."


    After a pause, Yun Shang continued, "There are still many Grand Imperial Concubines in the Palace now. Tell them that they could go to Taihe Palace to greet His Former Majesty when they have time."

 Chapter 920 She Is There Sulking

    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Qin Yi couldn''t help laughing. "Your majesty is always very rational and calm. Now you look like an eighteen- year- old girl, who would act like a child because of unhappiness."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang also felt that she was a little childish just now, but she didn''t want to take back those words. She sat quietly in the chair and smiled. In her previous life, she was as unruly as a little girl. She was willful. She would be angry when she should be angry, and happy when she should be happy. All her emotions were shown on her face. However, she ended up like that.


    It was because of the bloody lesson that Yun Shang realized that innocence was not suitable for the royal family.


    "Is his Majesty coming for dinner today? What kind of dishes do your majesty think we should prepare? " Qin Yi asked softly.


    Yun Shang curled her lips and snorted, "Just prepare a table of vegetables."


    Qin Yi opened her mouth and seemed surprised. Yun Shang replied in a low voice, "His majesty said he would be a vegetarian."


    Qin Yi replied with a smile and left.


    After a while, she came in with several servants. Yun Shang looked up and saw two maids and two eunuchs. She remembered that Qin Yi had told her that she had chosen four servants to serve her in the inner hall. These must be the ones she would bring to see her later.


    Yun Shang glanced at the four people indifferently. Most of the maids had entered the palace through selection. Even they were not exceedingly beautiful, but at least their beauty was at a level of medium and superior. Most of the eunuchs were pretty.


    Qin Yi smiled and bowed to Yun Shang, "Your majesty, these are the new servants I have chosen." After saying that, she turned around and looked at the four men. "Why don''t you salute to her majesty now?"


    The four men knelt down in a hurry and said, "Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "Don''t be so reserved when you arrive at the Weiyang Palace. Introduce yourself to me."


    The four of them were silent for a moment. The maid on the far right said first, "I''m Banxia. I''m sixteen years old this year. I''ve been in the palace for four years. I''ve served the fourteenth princess before."


    Yun Shang pondered for a while and recalled all the things about the fourteenth princess in her mind. The fourteenth princess'' mother was just a concubine. She died a few years after giving birth to the fourteenth princess. More than two years ago, the fourteenth princess was also drowned.


    The woman next to Banxia raised her eyes and smiled at Yun Shang. There were two cute dimples at the corners of her mouth, which made her look pretty and lovely. "I''m Peilan. I''ve been in the palace for only one year. Before that, I''ve been teaching madams in the Zhongcui palace."


    The Zhongcui palace was the place where the maids lived. The madams in the Palace should be the harshest one in the palace. If she could do something in the hands of the madams, she must have followed the rules. Besides, she had just been in the palace for a year. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. It was very likely that Peila


    ''t worry. You are such a talented and beautiful wife. Who else can win my heart? "


    After a pause, he whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "I have my own way to deal with the matter of his former majesty. I will definitely ask him not to mention it again."


    Yun Shang glanced at him, stood up and walked out of the inner hall.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and smiled. He then followed her out.


    Ban Xia''s eyes fell on Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. She took them back in a hurry and followed them two quickly. She walked to the table and served the food with Pei Lan.


    Liu Wenan didn''t step back until he tested the poison of all the dishes.


    After Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan sat down, Luo Qingyan looked up at Qin Yi and asked, "Have you prepared any wine?"


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan, who smiled and said, "I haven''t drunk for a long time. Would you like to have a drink with me today, my majesty?"


    Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi in silence, and then she nodded. Qin Yi left in a hurry. After a while, she came with a pot of wine and said with a smile, "This is osmanthus wine made from fresh fragrans that her majesty ordered someone to pick and dry this year. Have a taste, your majesty."


    Then she poured a glass of wine for Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan took a sip with a smile and nodded, "It''s sweet and delicious. It''s good wine." Then she poured for Yun Shang a glass of wine and looked at Yun Shang with a smile.


    Yun Shang sighed. She knew she had lost her temper for no reason. Luo Qingyan was the real victim, and he knew nothing about all these. But she didn''t know why she always lost her mind every time something happened to Luo Qingyan. This was not a good situation.


    Yun Shang thought to herself and raised her glass, "I can''t drink too much. I''ll get drunk if I drink a few more glasses of wine."


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were unusually bright, "Don''t worry. It doesn''t matter if you are drunk in your own palace." Then he raised his glass and said, "Cheers."


    Yun Shang knew she was wrong in the case, so she clinked glasses with Luo Qingyan and drank.

 Chapter 921 Unruly Princess

    Yun Shang didn''t mean to be modest. Although the osmanthus wine tasted sweet, it had quite a kick. After half pot of wine, Yun Shang had no idea where she was. When she woke up again, it was already the noon of the second day. Yun Shang frowned and felt sore all over her body. She was very familiar with this feeling.


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth. She was resentful that last night she hadn''t recalled the time when they were still in the mansion that Luo Qingyan lured her into the lotus clusters and fool her around after a pot of peach blossom wine. She swore that she would never drink with Luo Qingyan again. It had only been a few months. She had forgotten the lesson at that time when peach blossom wine was replaced with the osmanthus wine.


    Fortunately, she was the only one in his harem now, and no one would come to greet her in the morning. Otherwise, as the Empress, she might be laughed at by others if she slept in.


    Yun Shang sat up. Although she didn''t remember what happened, the pain all over her body indicated the madness last night.


    Yun Shang buried her head in the quilt and felt ashamed to see anyone.


    Hearing the noise, Qin Yi leaned in and asked softly, "Your Majesty, are you up?"


    "Ah..." Yun Shang wailed in pain and murmured, "No, not yet."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi couldn''t help laughing. She went into the room, walked to the bedside, looked at Yun Shang, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, if you don''t get up now, you will miss the lunch. Lady Li came to visit you earlier, but you haven''t got up yet. I had to tell her that you were not feeling well."


    Yun Shang felt even more regretful. It was really humiliating.


    Yun Shang didn''t want to think about it anymore. After checking her underwear, she lifted the quilt and sat up.


    "Get me dressed." Yun Shang stood up with a sigh and walked into the bathroom. Qin Yi followed her in and poured the water. Yun Shang washed herself up and went back to the inner hall.


    After Qin Yi helped Yun Shang get dressed, Yun Shang looked up and asked, "Where are those four new servants? How come you are still working around alone? Why haven''t I seen any of them? "


    Qin Yi smiled and said, "Our palace hasn''t been cleaned up properly yet. I ordered the servants to clean it up and asked them to oversee the work."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Where is Bao''er?"


    "Dr. Chen and the wet nurse have taken Bao''er to the Imperial Garden for a walk." Qin Yi smiled and said, "It''s quite a nice day to take a walk, cloudless, cool, and not windy.


    After helping Yun Shang make up, Qin Yi asked someone to bring some food here. Yun Shang ate some casually and was about to go out to look for Bao''er when she saw Pei Lan running over in a hurry. "Your Majesty, Dr. Chen had a quarrel with someone in the Imperial Garden."


    Yun Shang frowned and asked, "What happened? Who did Dr. Chen quarrel with?"


    Pei Lan said in a hurry, "I don''t know. The eunuch who came to report only said that the woman holding Bao''er had a conflict with a master in the Palace."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang hurried out of the door and headed


    reputation."


    Chen Miaosi echoed, "She''s just a kid. I''m not angry with her."


    Yun Shang let out a light sigh. They didn''t know why she was angry. She just didn''t want anyone else to go through what she had suffered.


    Yun Shang smiled, "It doesn''t matter. I know what I''m doing."


    Then she walked up to the wet nurse and took Bao''er from her. At the sight of Yun Shang, Bao''er giggled happily, as innocent as usual.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She walked slowly towards Weiyang Palace with Bao''er in her arms, talking with Chen Miaosi. "Have you been to the the Imperial Hospital?"


    Chen Miaosi replied, all smiles on her face. "I spent a long time in the Imperial Hospital every day."


    "Have you learnt anything?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Chen Miaosi stuck out her tongue and said, "There are indeed a lot of precious medicinal herbs which have broadened my horizon, but the imperial physicians seemed not to be as superb as I thought they were. After chatting with them these days, I feel that they are just mediocre. Perhaps there are many doctors outside the Place who have better medical skills than them."


    Yun Shang nodded, no surprise at all on her face. "These imperial physicians do have good medical skills. But their patients are not ordinary people but all noble masters in the Palace. They have to be very careful of the medicine they prescribed. They would not be spared if anything happens. Therefore, they always choose conservative treatments. They just use some mild herbs to ensure that nothing would go wrong. That''s why it might take them half a month to cure even a simple disease."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s explanation, Chen Miaosi seemed to understand something.


    As soon as they stepped into Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang heard the cries of the fifteenth Princess. All the servants were standing aside, head lowered, as if they were panic at such a scene.


    Yun Shang let a cold laugh. "Go bring a madam here to teach the fifteenth Princess what to do as a princess."


    Pei Lan replied and left Weiyang Palace in a hurry.

 Chapter 922 A Strange Letter (Part One)

    The noise continued, but Yun Shang just turned a deaf ear to it. She took a book to read, but lost in thought. She had moved into the Palace for several days and had already dealt with the things in Weiyang Palace. It was time for her to manage the imperial household. Before Empress Hua returned to the Palace, it was Empress Su, and the Lady Shu, who were responsible to run the Imperial Household. Empress Hua was favored by Xia Huanyu, but she didn''t know much about the imperial household, so she paid little attention to it.


    It had been several months that no one oversaw all those departments in the Imperial Household.


    All sorts of matters in the imperial household were complicated, and there were some loopholes in the rules. With no one managing it for a long time, some unscrupulous people might have taken the advantage to line their pockets. However, if she rashly took it over and forcibly arranged everything, it might antagonize everyone. If everyone was unwilling to cooperate, she would have no way to run the Imperial Household. But if she just let it go, people would think that she was incapable of managing the Imperial Household. Someone would become even more aggravated, which would make it harder for her to deal with.


    It was really tricky. She had to calculate to a nicety.


    "Your Majesty." Qin Yi called her softly.


    Yun Shang came to her senses and looked up at Qin Yi. Seeing her expression, Qin Yi knew that she must be thinking about something else just now. She reported softly, "Lady Cao is here."


    Yun Shang was stunned. After a long time, she remembered that Lady Cao was the fifteenth Princess''s mother. She must have come to plea


    , I''m afraid she would make the family in turmoil."


    Listening to Yun Shang, Lady Cao was clutching the hem of her dress tightly.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the wrinkles she had made on her dress. She smiled and said, "As the fifteenth Princess is a royal daughter, no matter which family she will marry into, they will surely show respect to the royal family in public and maintain the seemingly harmonious relationship. But when they are alone in the family, it might be totally different. I think, for women, temperament is more important than status."


    Lady Cao smiled helplessly, "I know it, but..." Then she shook her head with a bitter smile.


    Yun Shang knew how the fifteenth Princess became like this. She smiled and said, "Among all the ladies of His Former Majesty, Lady Cao is one of the people I have a deep impression on as you are quite and calm which is rarely seen on the people in the Palace. If you trust me, just leave the fifteenth Princess to me and I''ll tutor her for a few days."


    Hearing this, Lady Cao''s eyes lit up. She quickly said, "It''s her fortune to be taught by Your Majesty."

 Chapter 923 A Strange Letter (Part Two)

    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "I seldom had chance to have a good chat with Your Highness like this as I just occasionally came to the Palace before. I''m wondering who Your Highness''s father is."


    Yun Shang actually knew that Lady Cao''s father was a sixth grade official and he seemed to be an assistant magistrate.


    Lady Cao smiled and said, "My father was an assistant magistrate in Huanyin City."


    "Really?" Yun Shang didn''t know that he was in Huaiyin city. She smiled and said, "I just passed Huaiyin city not long ago, but I didn''t know that Your Highness''s father was the assistant magistrate there. Otherwise, I should have paid him a visit."


    Lady Cao thanked Yun Shang politely.


    The two of them chatted for a while, and then Lady Cao left Weiyang Palace. After Lady Cao left, Qin Yi said with confusion. "Your Majesty, His Majesty has just ascended the throne, and you haven''t sorted out all the affairs in the imperial household yet. Why do you take the trouble to tutor the fifteenth Princess? I don''t think it''s appropriate."


    Hearing this, Ban Xia was stunned and stared at Qin Yi. She was surprised that Qin Yi dared to talk to the Empress like this. She turned to Yun Shang, only to find that Yun Shang didn''t seem to be angry at all.


    "No hurry. When did you see me do a losing business?" Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    It was undeniable that the reason she brought the fifteenth Princess back to tutor was because the fifteenth Princess was just like herself in her previous life. But in addition to that, she also had some other plan.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qin Yi didn''t say anything more ab


    Yun Shang quietly put it into her sleeve and gently pinched it. It was a letter.


    Yun Shang thought for a while, looked up at Qian Zhuo and said softly, "I''ll take a nap. Wake me up in an hour."


    Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo replied and help Yun Shang take off her robe. Yun Shang walked to the bed, sat down, took off her shoes and socks, get on the bed, and asked Qin Yi to put down the bed curtain. As soon as the bed curtain was put down, Yun Shang took out the letter from her sleeve.


    Seeing the addressee was Liu Yinfeng, Yun Shang quickly looked for the signature at the bottom of the letter and found that the addresser was Xia Huanyu. But the handwriting on the letter was neat and beautiful, which was not like Xia Huanyu''s.


    Yun Shang frowned and thought for a while. It should have been that Hua Ling found the letter which Xia Huanyu wrote to Liu Yinfeng, so she copied the letter and ordered Qian Zhuo to send it to her.


    However, Liu Yinfeng had already joined Luo Qingyan''s camp, how could he still had a connection with Xia Huanyu? Yun Shang frowned and read it carefully.

 Chapter 924 Suspicion

    The letter was not long. Yun Shang soon finished it. Then she read it again with a deep look in her eyes.


    In the letter, Xia Huanyu repeatedly asked Liu Yinfeng not to tell Xia Houjing about that thing. And he said that he only wanted to keep what happened in that year a secret forever and asked Liu Yinfeng not to reveal it unless he had no other choice. Otherwise, it would be difficult to deal with as so many people involved. Besides, Xia Huanyu mentioned in the letter that he had Luo Qingyan''s promise that he wouldn''t kill Xia Houjing under any circumstance.


    After reading it, Yun Shang was totally confused.


    She had three doubts in her mind. First, what was the thing that Xia Huanyu warned Liu Yinfeng not to tell Xia Houjing? Second, what was the secret that Xia Huanyuan tried so hard to hide it? Third, why did Xia Huanyu tell Liu Yinfeng about that he had asked Luo Qingyan not to hurt Xia Houjing?


    Yun Shang frowned. She remembered that Liu Yinfeng also begged Luo Qingyan and her to spare Xia Houjing''s life.


    She could understand why Xia Huanyu and Liu Yinfeng wanted to keep Xia Houjing alive. For Xia Huanyu, Xia Houjing was his favorite son. For Liu Yinfeng, Xia Houjing was the only child of Lady Liu.


    However, after reading the letter, she felt that there seemed to be some hidden secret in it. A question again came into Yun Shang''s mind. What was the relationship between Xia Huanyu and Liu Yinfeng? In the court of theState of Xia, Liu Yinfeng was undoubtedly a very special existence. Liu Yinfeng didn''t have an official position, but was highly valued by Xia Huanyu.


    At first, when she heard that Liu Yinfeng was hailed as a child prodigy when he was very young and that he once had affection for Lady Liu, she thought that it was because Xia Huanyu appreciated Liu Yinfeng''s talent, and because he felt sorry for Lady Liu, he adopted an accommodating attitude towards Liu Yinfeng''s choice. Liu Yinfeng was indifferent to fame and fortune and didn''t want to be an official, so Xia Huanyu didn''t force him.


    But now, Yun Shang felt that this reason seemed too farfetched...


    All kinds of questions flooded her mind. Yun Shang felt that the State of Xia was full of secrets. However, the top priority was to find out one thing, that was the reason why there had been no news of Liu Yinfeng for so long. Was it because Liu Yinfeng was trapped or because he had betrayed them? Or, Liu Yinfeng just pretended to join into their camp at the very first beginning?


    Yun Shang''s heart seemed to be gripped. She bit her lips and closed her eyes to calm herself down.


    No, no matter what, she had to discuss it with Luo Qingyan. If Liu Yinfeng might have betrayed them, they had to think of another way to prevent the situation from getting worse. There must be something that Xia Huanyu had hidden from them, and it might be of great importance.


    Yun Shang shook her head and thought she couldn''t believe Xia Huanyu anymore.


    She opened her eyes and looked at the beautiful handwriting on the letter. Yun Shang squinted, thinking


    eams are opposite of reality. Don''t worry. It won''t happen."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang calmed down. She nodded with a heavy heart and wanted to say something, but she had to give up because she didn''t know how many spies were watching them in Weiyang Palace.


    However, Yun Shang still asked Qin Yi to make her a simple bun. Then she looked up at Luo Qingyan and said, "Let''s go for a walk in the Imperial Garden later. It''s not good to go to bed right after dinner."


    Luo Qingyan looked at Luo Qingyan inquisitively, as if he was guessing her thoughts. He paused for a moment, nodded and smiled, "Okay, I''ll listen to you."


    "Your Majesties, the dinner is ready." Ban Xia''s voice came from outside. Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the inner hall.


    After dinner, Yun Shang asked the wet nurse to bring Bao''er to her and walk towards the Imperial Garden with Bao''er in her arms. After strolling around the Imperial Garden, Yun Shang looked up at a pavilion beside the lake and took a look at Bao''er who was asleep in her arms. Then she said softly, "I''m tired. Let''s go to the pavilion and have a rest."


    Luo Qingyan agreed. They went into the pavilion together. Yun Shang asked Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo to wait outside the pavilion, and sat in the pavilion with Luo Qingyan, but they just kept silent.


    "Tell me, what happened? You seem to be in a sullen mood." Luo Qingyan asked in a low voice.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "Qian Zhuo brought me a letter from Taihe Palace. It was a letter from His Former Majesty to Liu Yinfeng. Her Former Majesty found it and secretly copied it."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan frowned. After Yun Shang walked her through the letter and her guesses, he kept silent for a long time and said, "Liu Yinfeng might have hidden something from us, but he shouldn''t have betrayed us. According to some of my spies, Liu Yinfeng had a big quarrel with Xia Houjing when he tried to dissuade him from giving up the rebellion. Later, Xia Houjing got angry and imprisoned Liu Yinfeng."

 Chapter 925 Doubts Abounding (Part One)

    Luo Qingyan paused for a while and continued, "But I want to know what Xia Huanyu said about what happened that year? Why shouldn''t Xia Houjing know about it and keep everyone under wraps?"


    Yun Shang gently stroked Bao''er''s back while Looking at the ripples on the lake that were blown by the wind. After a long silence, she said, "First of all, you have to figure out which year it was. Since Xia Huanyu had told Liu Yinfeng not to tell Xia Houjing, Liu Yinfeng must have known it. Xia Huanyu knew Liu Yinfeng after Lady Liu entered the palace. What happened after Lady Liu entered the palace that Xia Huanyu tried every means to hide? "


    A light flashed in Yun Shang''s mind. She suddenly turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Is it about the death of Lady Liu?"


    Perhaps it was because Yun Shang turned around too fast and Bao''er in her arms was a little uncomfortable. He groaned. Yun Shang quickly patted him on the back to comfort him and made him fall asleep again.


    "I''ve heard a lot about Lady Liu''s death. I once asked Liu Yinfeng why Xia Huanyu favored the seventh Prince. Liu Yinfeng said that maybe it was because Xia Huanyu felt guilty for the seventh Prince. Many people in the Palace said that Lady Liu was killed by Xia Huanyu himself. Most rumors said that it was because Xia Huanyu suddenly went crazy on the anniversary of the Empress Hua''s death that he killed Lady Liu. The seventh Prince was also seriously injured by his former majesty, leaving behind the root of his disease. It was said that Empress Hua killed Lady Liu because she couldn''t bear to see the emperor had a new wife. Xia Huanyu had also specially invited many Taoists and monks. The so-called masters also said so, and t


    o Qingyan smiled and said, "I''m just guessing randomly. There''s no need to take it seriously. This matter needs to be carefully investigated before we come to a conclusion."


    Yun Shang nodded. After thinking for a while, she took the white jade flute and secretly ordered the guards to investigated the death of Lady Liu in the palace.


    Both of them sat silently for a while, and Yun Shang sighed again, "I''ve changed all the servants in the palace. I don''t know if the people who were watching us are still in the Weiyang Palace, but I think they are probably still there."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "It doesn''t matter. It''s a hidden trouble, but also a chance."


    Yun Shang certainly understood what he meant. The man spread the newsthat he had heard from them. If they could say some false news, it would be an opportunity to mislead the person behind it.


    A gust of autumn wind blew, and Luo Qingyan reached out to help Yun Shang tidy up her clothes. He said softly, "I''ll arrange these things. Don''t be too tired. It''s getting colder and colder. Put on more clothes. If you don''t have clothes, just let the Shangyi Bureau do it. "

 Chapter 926 Doubts Abounding (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I''m a martial artist after all. It doesn''t matter if I catch a cold. Your majesty only wears an outer robe, don''t you? "


    Hearing this, a tinge of pain flashed through Luo Qingyan''s eyes. He was silent for a moment before he reached out to hold Yun Shang''s hand and said, "How can it be the same? You are different. You are a woman. I heard from Doctor Xue Yan that women can''t get cold. If they get cold, they will have a stomachache during their menstrual period, and they will suffer a lot in the future. "


    Yun Shang didn''t know Luo Qingyan would say these words. Touched, she was also curious. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Doctor Xue Yan, why did he say this to your majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t change his expression and said gently, "After you were trapped in the ice cellar last time, I was worried that you would leave some root cause of disease, so I asked Doctor Xue Yan. He said that women were afraid of cold the most. The weather is cold, and the State of Xia is a little cold and wet. Now there is everything in the palace. We should pay attention to what we should pay attention to."


    "Okay." Yun Shang smiled and held Luo Qingyan''s hand tighter.


    After standing there for a while, Yun Shang took back her hand and went back to Wethe iyang Palace with Bao''er. She did washing and went to bed early.


    On the early morning of the second day, it began to rain. It didn''t rain much, but it kept raining for two days. Yun Shang didn''t want to go out, so she read books in the Weiyang Palace for two days.


    The rain didn''t stop until the evening of the third day. After tw


    ftly. She thought Luo Qingyan just mentioned it casually before, but she didn''t expect that 11 had given detailed instructions to the servants in the Weiyang Palace, asking them to wear whatever clothes and keep her safe.


    The rain had just stopped for a short while, and the ground was still a little wet. Fortunately, someone had already cleaned the dew in the grass on the roadside, so her clothes wouldn''t be wet.


    After walking out of Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang walked slowly towards the palace. When she walked to a spacious place, she asked in a low voice, "Do you have something to report?"


    Qian Zhuo answered and lowered her voice, "The secret guards have been investigating Lady Liu for two or three days. The old man who served in Lady Liu''s palace hasn''t been found yet. The secret guards must have found something strange."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "What''s wrong? Tell me. "


    "When Lady Liu was pregnant, four midwifes attended to her delivery. But the four midwifes died on the second day after the seventh Prince was born." She lowered her voice.

 Chapter 927 A Visit

    "Died? How?" Hearing this, Yun Shang stopped, turned around and looked at Qian Zhuo in astonishment. However, no matter how the four midwives died. It was queer that they all died on the same day, the second day of Lady Liu''s childbirth.


    Qian Yin answered in a hurry, "Three of them left the Jin City at the very night along with their families. The three midwives, as well as all their family members, were killed by bandits on the way, but in different places which were all far away from the Jin City. Another midwife and her family members were hacked to death by debt collectors because his husband couldn''t pay his gambling debt."


    Yun Shang fell into silence. They died in different places, some killed by the robbers and some killed by debt collectors. No one would suspect that these cases had anything to do with each other. If she hadn''t ordered her secret guards to investigate it carefully, she wouldn''t have found it out.


    But why? Was there any secret behind this?


    Yun Shang was full of doubts. She suddenly remembered that it might raise suspicion if she stood there too long, so she continued to walk towards Taihe Palace and ordered softly, "Keep investigating. Be careful and don''t miss any clues, but don''t be noticed."


    Qian Zhuo quickly answered yes, bowed her head and took two steps back, following Yun Shang.


    When they arrived at Taihe Palace, they saw Hua Ling standing outside the main hall and looking up at the sky. Seeing Yun Shang coming, Hua Ling smiled, "It''s wet everywhere. Why are you here?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "His Majesty isn''t going to have dinner in Weiyang Palace today. I''m bored alone, so I came here. Would Your Former Majesty mind me having dinner here with you?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Hua Ling couldn''t help laughing. "Not at all. But I usually eat vegetarian dishes. I''ll ask them to prepare a few meat dishes."


    Yun Shang smiled and didn''t refuse. She just looked around and found that there were many servants in the hall, but Xia Huanyu was nowhere to be seen. Yun Shang asked with a smile, "Where is father?"


    "He''s reading in the study. I had to play chess with him and can''t go anywhere in the afternoon these days. I really can''t stand it, so I drove him to the study. Why didn''t Chengye come with you?" Hua Ling turned around and entered the main hall, followed by Yun Shang.


    "Chengye is asleep. The baby is cute and quiet. But he will always cry for a long while when being woken up." Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Xia Huanyu coming in from the outside. "I just said I heard Shang''er''s voice. But Yuan Bao said it couldn''t be her. How could I hear it wrong?"


    Yuan Bao was a eunuch who was now serving Xia Huanyu. Hearing this, he explained in a hurry, "I didn''t say it couldn''t Her Majesty. I just said that Her Majesty couldn''t have come at this time as the road was slippery outside."


    Yun Shang found that Xia Huanyu was much more easy-going than before. Even the eunuchs could talk and laugh with him like this. Then Yun Shang smiled and said, "It was indeed slipper


    and had dinner with father and mother." Yun Shang said with a smile, "It has rained these days. Father was bored and played chess with mother for a few days. Mother couldn''t stand it and drove him to the study. I went here at a wrong time and was asked by father to play a few rounds with him. I lost."


    Luo Qingyan curled his lips and said, "if you hadn''t thrown the game, you would''ve at least ended in a draw.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "How could..."


    After returning to the palace, Qian Zhuo put the jewelry box that Her Former Majesty gave to Yun Shang on the dressing table. Seeing this, Luo Qingyan walked over and opened it. "What''s this?"


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang turned around and said, "It was given by mother when I went to Taihe Palace. She said that father had given her too much jewelry before, but some of them didn''t suit her. So she asked me to take them back."


    Luo Qingyan took out an oblong container made of sandalwood with carved patterns. Yun Shang had also noticed it earlier as there was only one container among the jewelry. Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan open it, and there was a phoenix-shaped hairpin in it. The hairpin was bright and lifelike.


    Luo Qingyan picked up the hairpin, turned around, and made a few gestures to Yun Shang from a distance. Then he walked to Yun Shang with the hairpin and said with a smile, "This hairpin is good. You will look gorgeous with it."


    Then he took the white jade hairpin off Yun Shang''s hair and inserted the phoenix-shaped hairpin into her bun. He stepped back and stared at Yun Shang for a long time before he smiled and said, "The beauty''s face can launch a thousand ships."


    Yun Shang glared at him, but didn''t take off the hairpin. She snorted and said, "Your Majesty, if you have nothing else to do, just have a look at the two kind of fabric on the desk and see which pattern is better. We meant to ask the Shangyi Bureau to make winter clothes for Bao''er. But Bao''er''s clothes are enough. I want to choose one to make him some clothes for the Spring Festival."

 Chapter 928 Someone Is Watching Her

    Luo Qingyan didn''t refuse. He walked to the desk and picked up the two pieces of cloth. After looking at them for a while, he chose the crimson cloth with clouds embroidered with golden threads.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I also prefer this one as the color symbolized joy and fortune. Then she took the cloth and gave it to Qin Yi, "Ask the Shangyi Bureau to make some winter clothes for the little prince with this one."


    Qin Yi replied, took the cloth and walked out.


    Luo Qingyan yawned and said, "Ask someone to get some hot water. I want to soak my feet and then go to bed. I''ve been reading the memorials all day long. It''s more tiring than a battle."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She called Ban Xia to get some water. Then she started to massage Luo Qingyan''s shoulder, reciting, "When Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man, it first exercises his mind with suffering...


    "and his sinews and bones with toil." Luo Qingyan pat Yun Shang''s hand and completed her sentence. After a moment of silence, he said jokingly, "Well, if you want, I''m willing to exercise my bone with toil for you tonight."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was stunned. She patted Luo Qingyan hard and sat far away from him. He thought to herself, Luo Qingyan is the Emperor of the state now, but why does he still behave so indecently? I should ask those civil and military officials to have a look. Their emperor''s behavior must shock them.


    Ban Xia and Pei Lan fetched hot water to serve them. After washing up, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan waved them out and went to the bed. Luo Qingyan took off the phoenix-shaped hairpin on Yun Shang''s head and played with it in his hand.


    Yun Shang leaned against the bed and read a book. After a while, she felt sleepy. She put down the bed curtain and was about to fall asleep when a light click was heard.


    Yun Shang turned around and saw Luo Qingyan take off the head of the hairpin. Yun Shang''s eyes widened and she saw that the body of the hairpin seemed to have been hollowed out, and a piece of paper was exposed inside.


    Yun Shang exchanged a look with Luo Qingyan and thought that hairpin is really the best thing to hide things in. She had seen countless people hiding things in it. It seemed that she should pay more attention to hairpins in the future. While she was thinking, Luo Qingyan took the paper out of the hairpin.


    After reading it, a touch of coldness appeared in Luo Qingyan''s eyes. Seeing this, Yun Shang quickly took the paper over. The handwriting on it was a little small. The maid had blown out all the other lights in the hall, leaving only one lamp. The light passed through the bed curtain, making it more dim. Yun Shang didn''t see the note clearly until she got closer to the light.


    "October 29th, after lunch, read three books, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Thousand Golden Prescriptions, and Six Strategies. From 3 pm, took a nap for one hour, then summoned Madam Lin from Zhongcui Palace, asking her to arrange someone to teach her etiquette. Had dinner at 5 pm, then played chess with the Emperor for two hours and rested


    or a long time. Then she looked up at Qin Yi and asked, "Has the kitchen made any soup this morning? It''s a little cold. I want to drink some hot soup."


    Qin Yi replied softly, "There is fish lip soup."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Ask someone to bring some here." Then she stood up, walked to the table where the chessboard was placed, sat down, took a white piece and played with it. "Open the window. It''s a little stuffy."


    Qin Yi answered. She opened the window and went out of the inner hall. Yun Shang kept holding the chess piece and looked at it with a smile.


    "Your Majesty, the soup is here." Qin Yi came in with a hamper in her hand. She took a jar of soup out and put it on the table. Yun Shang turned around, took the spoon, stirred the soup, and raised her head. "Send to jars of soup to Taihe Palace with Hua''er."


    Qin Yi nodded and went out with Hua''er.


    With a snap, Yun Shang placed the chess piece in the middle of the chessboard. With a mysterious smile on her face, she said, "How could you not attack your opponent to defend yourself in the chess game?"


    It took Qin Yi more than an hour to come back. As soon as she returned, she rushed into the inner hall.


    Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi and asked in a low voice, "Have you seen that person?"


    Qin Yi shook her head slightly, her face full of anger. "I didn''t see him, but I have known who he is. I have seen him before, and I actually often see him."


    "Oh? Where have you seen him?" Yun Shang looked up and asked.


    "It''s a eunuch in our palace who is in charge of carrying water for the one in charge of cleaning the yard." Qin Yi said in a low voice, "I see him several times almost every day. But I suddenly remember that he was already here when we moved into the palace. Why is he still here? Hasn''t the Imperial Household Department changed all the servants in Weiyang Palace?"


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes, full of killing intent. "How many servants in charge of carrying water?"


    "Just him." Qin Yi replied.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Then I should have seen him."

 Chapter 929 It Worked

    Yun Shang had seen him the day when she moved into Weiyang Palace. When she opened the window, she saw several servants cleaning the yard. A eunuch carrying a bucket stumbled over a branch on the ground. He stumbled and spilled out most of the water in the bucket.


    As a result, he was scolded by a maid in cyan for a long time. She saw the eunuch just stood there, bowed his head and said nothing. Several servants watched them, but no one helped him.


    At that time, she thought that the Imperial Palace was probably the darkest place in the world as most people there were snobbish and they always bullied the good and feared the bad. At that time, she even thought of asking the eunuch to serve around her, but she gave up because she was afraid of getting into trouble as she was new there and hadn''t figured out the situation.


    "You said you didn''t see him, but why did you know he is that person?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Qin Yi hurriedly said, "We delivered the message Your Majesty ordered to Her Former Majesty when we sent soup to Taiji Palace. Her Former Majesty said that His Former Majesty was meeting that person in the study. But she thought it would be inappropriate for her to go to the study rashly today as she had never disturbed him before. I asked her if she had ever seen the face of the man His Majesty had met. Then Her Former Majesty drew a portrait for us. I recognized him at a glance of the portrait."


    Saying this, Qin Yi handed the portrait to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang took it over, unrolled it, and confirmed it was indeed that eunuch. She sneered in her heart and curled up her lips, "It''s really him."


    "What are you going to deal with him, Your Majesty?" Qin Yi asked softly.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "It''s impossible to kill him for the time being, and it''s useless to kill him. Even if we kill him, Xia Huanyu will send another one. We''d better..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "We''d better put him around me and keep him within our sight. That is the best way."


    Yun Shang handed the portrait to Qin Yi, "Dispose of it. Don''t let anyone find out."


    Yun Shang stood up and walked to the window. It was windy outside. The trees in the yard rustled and shivered in the wind, many leaves falling down on the ground.


    Some servants in charge of cleaning was sweeping the yard with a broom, but that eunuch was not there. Yun Shang thought he might''ve not come back from Taihe Palace.


    Not long after, he came in from outside. As soon as seeing him, a eunuch who was cleaning the yard shouted at him and picked up the broom to hit him. The eunuch took two steps back and stumbled.


    Yun Shang''s eyes became colder. He was really good at acting. It was a pity that he didn''t go to perform on stage.


    Yun Shang turned around and said, "Let''s go out to have a look." Saying this, she stepped out of the room.


    When they


    . Seeing Yun Shang and Hua''er sitting in the hall, she looked around for a long while before opening her mouth and saying something to Yun Shang in silence.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang and Hua''er couldn''t help laughing. "Well, it''s done."


    Qian Yin patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "I am scared me to death. Your Majesty, did I behave well this morning?"


    Yun Shang was amused by her. "Well, you did a good job. You can even go to perform in the theater. I''ll send someone to ask if they are short of actress."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo widened her eyes. "Now you are just teasing me, Your Majesty."


    The three of them burst into laughter. After a long time, they finally stopped laughing. Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo and Hua''er, with a smile on her face. "The show has officially started from now on. Don''t make him suspicious, and don''t let him have the chance to be alone. I''ve asked Qin Yi to arrange him into Qing Hao''s room so that the Qinghao can keep an eye on him."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Well, how is it going the investigation of the case of Lady Liu?"


    Qian Yin answered seriously, "There is no special clue at present. All the family members of the four midwives were killed, and the servents who served Lady Liu had been dismissed after reaching the certain age. I''ve ordered the secret guards to continue the investigation."


    Yun Shang nodded, but her doubts deepened. "The servants who used to serve in the Liu mansion should also been investigated..."


    Thinking of that Luo Qingyan had mentioned the hometown of the Liu clan, she said gently, "The Liu family come from a place called Yang Liu Town. Send someone there to investigate when and how Liu Yinfeng was adopted by Liu Jin. In that kind of small town, there is always no big secret hidden between the neighbors. It could be found out after inquiring around."

 Chapter 930 An important clue

    Luo Qingyan was a little surprised to see Chen Ke when he came back. After Chen Ke had gone to the kitchen to order the dinner, Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang. "What''s going on?"


    Looking at his expression, Yun Shang knew that he must have also found out that the person who had been watching her in the Weiyang Palace was Chen Ke. Yun Shang blinked at Luo Qingyan and smiled, "It''s safer to put the spy around me."


    In fact, Yun Shang knew that since Chen Ke worked for Xia Huanyu, what he would do was just to keep an eye on her and report everything to Xia Huanyu in detail. He wouldn''t hurt her. In this case, it was best to put him around her. In this way, Yun Shang could find more opportunities to act out of his sight.


    Seeing the cunning look in Yun Shang''s eyes, Luo Qingyan understood what Yun Shang was thinking. He sighed and said, "I meant to get rid of him directly, but your method is very good."


    "Get rid of him..." Yun Shang smiled, "I have thought about it too. But if we can deal with one, there will be another one, and the next one might hide more deeply, which will cause unnecessary trouble."


    Knowing that Yun Shang had her own arrangement, Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything more. He walked to the bench, sat down, and held Yun Shang to sit beside him. Then, he stared at Yun Shang and couldn''t help laughing. Yun Shang was confused. "What are you laughing about?"


    "I received a message earlier that the State of Ning had sent troops to attack the State of Yelang." Luo Qingyan leaned back, put his hands under his head and looked at Yun Shang with a smile.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was also surprised, "Really?"


    "Of course it''s true. Why should I lie to you? The State of Ning has sent four hundred thousand people to attack the northernmost city of the State of Yelang, Qimucuo City and has taken down three cities in a row in just four days." A hint of cruelty flashed through Luo Qingyan''s eyes. "I''ve ordered Zhao Yingjie to not to t fight against the enemy head on, but just to entangle Qingsu to make him unable to go back for self-rescue."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a moment, but she was a little worried. "Although father has sent troops there and taken down three cities, as far as I know, the cities in the north of the State of Yelang are very poor, thus worthless. However, it will take at least three months for the army of the State of Ning to reach the Imperial City of the State of Yelang at the fastest speed. I''m wondering whether or not Qingsu will give up those barren northern cities directly and join hands with Xia Houjing to attack the State of Xia. If they succeed, he can also get from Xia Houjing some cities that are much richer than those in the north of the State of Yelang. In that case, it won''t be a loss for him."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I''ve thought about it before. But Qingsu is a ruthless man and he was a


    ansion."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo clapped her leg and exclaimed, "Why didn''t I think of Lord Hua Guo''s mansion? Great, I''ll send someone to arrange it now."


    "As soon as possible. I can''t wait to know what kind of secret Xia Huanyu tried so hard to hide back then." Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and the page in her hand had been wrinkled.


    Qian Zhuo agreed. When she was about to go out, she thought of something else. She turned back and said softly, "By the way, Your Majesty, I heard from Qing Hao that Chen Ke went out last night. Qing Hao could only follow Chen Ke at a distance so as not to be noticed by him. He saw Chen Ke meeting a person."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo and asked, "Do you know which palace the person is from?"


    Qian Zhuo shook her head and said, "Qing Hao didn''t want to alarm the enemy, so he didn''t ask th secret guards to investigate the person."


    "Well, there is no need to investigate." Yun Shang smiled. "It''s most likely that he is from Taihe Palace. I''m afraid Chen Ke hadn''t got chance to Taihe Palace to report to His Former Majesty for a few days .So His Former Majesty sent someone to inquire. However, His Majesty dared not to let Chen Ke go to Taihe Palace at night because of the presence of Her Fomer Majesty. How about this? You find a way to arrange Chen Ke to do a job alone. Otherwise, they might suspect that we have found out."


    Qian Zhuo replied in a low voice, bowed and left.


    Yun Shang touched the wrinkled page, lost in thought. She had the feeling that he could get some important information about Lady Liu''s case from the midwife''s husband that has been found. Recently, she always felt that a shocking secret behind Lady Liu''s case would be revealed.


    However, she was a little uneasy, fearing that the secret would be bad for Luo Qingyan. If it was against Luo Qingyan, she had to deal with it no matter how much she had to pay.

 Chapter 931 The Inquiry

    As Yun Shang had specially ordered Qian Zhuo to hurry up, and the village was not too far away from the Jin City, the man was sent to the Jin City by secret guards on the third day. At the moment, he was temporarily settled in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion.


    Qian Zhuo reported to Yun Shang the news a night earlier than schedule. Yun Shang didn''t know what kind of clues she would get from the man, so she didn''t tell Luo Qingyan about it at present.


    When Luo Qingyan returned to the Weiyang Palace, they had a chat. Yun Shang sighed suddenly, "I haven''t been to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion for a long time. Now that we have moved to the palace, it''s a little inconvenient for them to come and we have been alienated from each other. After all, Lord Hua Guo and Lady Hua Guo are the few people in the State of Xia who have treated us sincerely from the very beginning. I think we can''t completely forget them just because of our position. "


    "If you want ot meet them, just call them into the palace." Luo Qingyan was reading a book. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, he answered casually.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Your Majesty, it''s easy for you to say that. Lady Hua Guo is easy to come here, but Lord Hua Guo is a man, so it''s not easy for him to enter the imperial household. And Lord Hua Guo must be feeling bored at home. I don''t have many things to do now. How about going out of the palace and go to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion tomorrow? "


    Standing aside, Liu Wenan smiled and said, "A few days ago, I had a chat with Lord Lin from the Censorate. He told me he happened to meet Lord Hua Guo on the Longfeng Tower and was dragged by him to play chess for more than half a day."


    "Since Lord Hua Guo resigned, he has nothing to do but look for someone to play chess. He even went to the camp outside the city to train the new soldiers. I heard that the life in the new soldiers training camp was very hard," Yun Shang smiled and replied.


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and nodded, "Okay. If you want to go out of the palace, order more people to follow you. Liu Wenan, go and arrange it. "


    Liu Wenan answered and went out of the inner hall. Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang, "Are you really just going to visit Lady Hua Guo and Lord Hua Guo?"


    Yun Shang replied smilingly, "Not exactly. I haven''t seen Ning Qian and Qian Yin for a long time. As someone was spying on the Weiyang Palace, I didn''t dare to let them contact me those days. I have ordered my secret guards to pass a letter to them and let them wait at Lord Hua Guo''s mansion tomorrow. Weren''t some people sent to Liucang City a few days ago? I have to ask if there is any news about it."


    "Well then, let them go to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Don''t go to other places. Bring more people with you," Luo Qingyan ordered in a low voice.


    Yun Shang agreed, but Luo Qingyan was still frowning. After a long time, he said, "I still feel a little worried. When you are not around, I feel quite panicky."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter, "Your Majesty, when did you become so timid? How can you be that wa


    when it''s ready."


    Yun Shang responded with a smile. She didn''t enter the small room until Lady Hua Guo left the yard.


    In the room, a man was sitting on a chair, looking a little uneasy. The man was about 50 years old, dark skinned, and looked honest.


    Hearing the footsteps, the man raised his head and saw Yun Shang. There was a flash of amazement in his eyes. He was stunned for a long time before he lowered his head in panic.


    The guard quickly fetched a chair for Yun Shang to sit down. Yun Shang stared at the man for a while. Before this, in the carriage Qian Zhuo had told Yun Shang some information about the man. Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "Just now, I heard from my grandfather that he had misunderstood Uncle Liu. He supposed you knew kung fu, so he wanted to compete with you. But he didn''t expect that you don''t know kung fu. My grandfather is a martial arts maniac. Did he hurt Uncle Liu? "


    The man was surprised. He looked up at Yun Shang again, and quickly looked away without saying anything.


    Yun Shang didn''t care. She looked up at Qian Zhuo and said, "Send for a doctor for Uncle Liu."


    The man waved his hand impatiently and said, "What do you want to do and what you want to ask? Don''t play tricks. I know nothing."


    Yun Shang smiled but she didn''t ask him anything directly. She still looked calm, "I heard that Uncle Liu found another wife in the Qi Shui Village. Now you have three children?"


    Hearing this, Uncle Liu raised his head suddenly with anger in his eyes, "What did you do to them?"


    Yun Shang smiled again, "Uncle Liu, you misunderstands me. How could I do anything to them? By the way, Uncle Liu, I''m afraid you don''t know who I am, do you? "


    Seeing the confusion in Uuncle Liu''s eyes, Yun Shang smiled and said, "My name is Ning Yun Shang, the current Empress. I invited Uncle Liu here today not to hurt you or your family, but to know something about the past. So I am here to inquire about it. In the name of the Empree of the State of Xia, I will protect you and your family..."

 Chapter 932 The Vital Point

    Hearing this, Uncle Liu trembled and looked up at Yun Shang in a daze. He opened his mouth wide and asked, "Are you the Empress?"


    Yun Shang replied smilingly, "I know that your family was broken up because of that incident. You must have been tossing and turning to keep that secret in the past few years, but now it is difficult to keep the secret anymore. Your best choice now is to find a good backer to protect you and your family. Do you think there is anyone better than the Emperor and the Empress in the world? "


    Uncle Liu lowered his head but said nothing.


    Yun Shang didn''t force him. She stood up and told him, "You are now in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion of the Sthe of Xia. I will go back to the Palace this afternoon. You have time to consider it carefully. You can rest easy about this matter. Even if you don''t promise me today, I won''t hurt you or your family. "


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned around and walked out of the small room. Qian Zhuo ordered someone to lock the small room and whispered, "Your Majesty, how about letting the secret guards have a trial?"


    Yun Shang smiled with assurance in her eyes, "It doesn''t matter. He will agree to it. If he wants to see me, just send someone to report to me. "


    Qian Zhuo didn''t know why Yun Shang was so sure, but she quickly followed her orders.


    When they walked out of the yard, they saw the main hall. Lady Hua Guo was sitting inside, leaning against a chair, and saying something to a madam beside her. She seemed to be surprised to see Yun Shang come out, "You''ve settled everything inside so soon?"


    Smilingly, Yun Shang said, "He refused to say anything. Just wait a little longer. I happen to be out of the palace, so I''d like to company and have a good talk with Grandma."


    Lady Hua Guo was very pleased to hear that. She smiled and asked Yun Shang to sit next to her. She looked at Yun Shang up and down and asked with concern, "Usually, the imperial dinner in the palace is the best thing in the world. Why don''t you get a little fat? On the contrary, you look thinner. "


    "I''m not thinner," Yun Shang answered with a smile on her face, "I still feel that I haven''t lost weight since I gave birth to Bao''er. I want the imperial physician to prepare some medicine for me to lose some weight."


    "No, I don''t think it''s good," Lady Hua Guo wanted to stop her. She smiled and patted Yun Shang on the hand, "Why? Are you used to living in the palace? Are you busy? "


    "I''m quite used to the life in the palace actually. If there is anything that I am quite headache about, it''s probably because of the complexity in coming out of the palace. I''m not as comfortable as when I was in the Crown Prince''s mansion. As for the affairs in the palace, since Lady Shu left, no one has taken care of the affairs in the palace. As a newcomer, I don''t know how to deal with them. I want to have a strict management, but I am afraid that the servants might not obey me. But I am afraid if I don''t manage it strictly, it will be of little help, "


    as Yun Shang spoke, she held Lady Hua Guo''s hand with a smile and then went on, "Grandma, can you give me some advice? I''m really at a loss. I have to let it go now. I don''t care about anything


    blessing that has only been cultivated for a hundred years. No matter how tough you both are, you should support each other and raise your heads at the same time. You should share weal and woe at the same time. This is the meaning of companionship. "


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said in a low voice, "I understand."


    Just then, a secret guard came in and reported, "Your Majesty, that man said he wanted to see you."


    Yun Shang smiled and said yes. Then she turned to Lady Hua Guo and said, "I''ll go first. I''ll be back to accompany Grandma later."


    "Go ahead for your business. Don''t delay your work." Lady Hua Guo waved her hand with a smile.


    Yun Shang then stood up and went to the backyard with Qian Zhuo. Seeing Yun Shang come in, Uncle Liu raised his eyes. Different from just now, he carefully looked at Yun Shang from head to toe before he lowered his voice, "How can you prove that you are the Empress? How can I guarantee that my family and I will be fine? "


    Yun Shang smiled and said to Qian Zhuo, "Go to fetch here a pen, ink, paper and inkstone."


    Qian Zhuo obeyed and left. Yun Shang turned to look at Uncle Liu and smiled, "I have the seal of the Empress. I''ll write a letter myself later. With that letter, you can go to any Yamen for help. If there is any difficulty, they will try their best to help you. "


    Hearing this, Uncle Liu bit his lips and kept silent for a long time. Then he raised his head and said, "It doesn''t matter if I tell you, but I have to stay in the palace to ensure my safety."


    "Stay in the palace?" Yun Shang smiled. Uncle Liu must have thought that the palace was the safest place in the world with the most guards.


    "Sure. But let me remind you, all the eunuchs in the palace have to give up one thing... " Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled.


    Hearing this, Uncle Liu''s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and thought for a long time before he nodded, "Okay."


    "Okay, I promise you. So, can you tell me now?" Yun Shang glanced at Uncle Liu coldly.


    "I''m waiting for you to write a letter first." The middle-aged man lowered his head and retreated back to his chair.

 Chapter 933 The Birth Of A Dead Baby

    Qian Zhuo fetched the pen, ink, paper and inkstone. Yun Shang dipped the pen in the ink, pondered for a moment, and wrote a letter on the paper. Then she took a seal from the lotus bag on her waist, stained it with ink, and pressed it on the letter.


    After putting away the seal, Yun Shang picked up the letter, blew it dry, and ordered Qian Zhuo to hand it to Uncle Liu.


    Uncle Liu took it and read it. Then he quickly folded it up and put it into his clothes. After thinking for a while, he bit his lips and finally opened his mouth. "My first wife was a midwife, and she was famous in the Jin City. Many rich and powerful people asked her to deliver a baby. Twenty-three years ago, the Imperial Palace sent someone to pick her up and let her deliver the baby for Lady Liu, who was favored by the Emperor then. "


    As Uncle Liu spoke, he subconsciously took out a tobacco pipe from his waist. But it seemed that only after he took it out, could he recognize where he was at the moment. He was stunned for a while, and then silently stuffed it back.


    "At that time, my wife was very happy. Although there were many high officials and noble people asking for help in the delivery, this time it was Lady Liu, who was favored by the Empress. She was so excited that she didn''t fall asleep for several days. It was 21st of the twelfth month of the lunar year. I remember clearly it was very cold. Early in the morning, the palace sent someone to pick up my wife. " Uncle Liu sighed and frowned.


    "My wife didn''t come back from the palace until midnight. As soon as she came back, she asked us to pack up in a hurry, indicating that we would leave the city early in the morning. I saw that she seemed to be a little flustered, so I grabbed her and asked her why. She must have been warned to keep silent about something secret so that she was trembling all over. Still, she was unwilling to say a word to me. "


    Uncle Liu knocked on the pipe, and his eyes were full of complex emotions. "I thought she had offended a noble person in the palace when she was delivering the baby, so I was flustered. While packing up, I asked her again what happened. The whole night passed and it was almost dawn when she told me something about it, but she didn''t make it quite clear. I only remember that she repeatedly said that Lady Liu gave birth to a daughter and was a dead baby. She mentioned that the officials in the palace told them not to reveal anything, or they would die. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang clenched her fists in her sleeves. Daughter? A dead baby? She remembered that Lady Liu had lost two children, and the seventh Prince was the only one who was full-term. But what was wrong with this stillbirth? Could it be the one that the midwife delivered before the seventh Prince? But she remembered that Xia Houjing''s birthday was 21st of the twelfth month of the lunar year. What was going on then? Yun Shang was confused.


    "In fact, I don''t understand. It''s not surprising to give birth to a stillbirth. But maybe she thought the noble people in the palace were more precious. As a woman who was quite ignorant, she was panic when she


    t of the small room.


    The secret she had just heard was so frightening that she didn''t go back to the main hall directly. She stood in the yard for a long time before she turned to look at Qian Zhuo and asked, " Have Qian Qian and Qian Yin come?"


    Qian Zhuo answered in a low voice, "Yes, they have. They are waiting for your majesty in the front yard."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Call them here."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a low voice, bowed and walked out of the yard. After a short while, she brought in Ning Qian and Qian Yin. When Ning Qian and Qian Yin saw Yun Shang, they smiled and greeted, "Congratulation to your majesty! Wearing this Phoenix robe, your majesty is really gorgeous."


    Yun Shang smiled, turned to look at them two, and said softly, "I have had a hard time in the palace these days. The persons around me are kung fu masters, so I didn''t dare to summon you two. How is it going outside the palace these days?"


    Ning Qian''s belly hadn''t bulged yet. She still looked slender and beautiful. She smiled and said, "Everything is fine. I won''t fail your majesty''s expectations. Now the Ming Feng House has becomes a little famous in Jin City, and many dignitaries will like to come for enjoyment. I set up secret chambers next to all the rooms that the guests and girls don''t know. I have ordered people to keep watch everything and gather useful information. After we have collected the information, we will sort them out one by one. Before long, with the rise of the popularity of the Mingfeng House, more and more guests will come and it will soon become a good place to collect information. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Great. Only you can do such a thing to collect information." Then she looked at Qian Yin and asked, "How''s everything going with you?"


    Qian Yin replied in a low voice with a smile, "Everything is fine. There are more and more guests coming to our house, the Xiao''s."


    Yun Shang nodded. After a moment''s silence, she asked, "Have you found anything about Liucang City recently?"


    Ning Qian thought for a while and said softly, "I have some clues..."

 Chapter 934 Who Is Betraying

    "What?" Yun Shang turned to look at Ning Qian with confusion in her eyes, "What do you mean by having some clues?"


    Ning Qian meditated for a moment and said, "As almost all the soldiers of Liu Yinfeng were gathered in the three places, namely, Liucang City, Siyang City and Nanyang City, for the time being, we can''t really go deep into their camp to investigate. However, I ordered my men to sneak into the brothels of these three places and was only able to enter the military camp a few times. However, they didn''t stay for a long time, so I didn''t get much information. "


    "Tell me in detail," Yun Shang asked softly.


    "There are four messages from the other end of the line. First, there are not many people in the camp near the Liucang City, less than one hundred thousand in total. I suspect that some of his soldiers have been placed in other places, but we haven''t found that place for the time being. Two, Xia Houjing robbed the supplies we sent to the camp, but recently there was still a shortage of food in the camp. Xia Houjing would rather starve the soldiers than send the supplies to the camp. I''m afraid he already knew there was something wrong. Three, beside Xia Houjing, there was a military counsellor who could speak the language of the State of Xia, but his accent didn''t seem to be that of the State of Xia. The last message is that Mr. Liu is not imprisoned in the camp, " Ning Qian reported everything in detail.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, but there was still a bit of doubt in her eyes, "Have you got in touch with Zheng Qiming? He might have found out where the supplies were sent. "


    Ning Qian shook her head and replied, "We have found Doctor Zheng, but he doesn''t know where the materials are. He said that someone might have used a more pungent aromatic substance to cover the smell, so the butterflies that Dr. Zheng specially raised were disturbed by the sense of smell and couldn''t find the exact location. And the weather is getting colder recently, so butterflies can''t fly too far. "


    Yun Shang frowned, "It''s not good news."


    Neither Ning Qian nor Qian Yin spoke. After a moment''s silence, Yun Shang said, "Ask someone to keep an eye on them. Report the news as soon as possible and ask someone to train a group of eagles to send messages."


    Ning Qian obeyed and left with Qian Yin.


    Yun Shang frowned and stood in the yard for a long time. Xia Houjing would rather starve the soldiers than send the army provisions to them. He must have known there was something wrong.


    But except for Liu Yinfeng and Zheng Qiming, only the closest people around her knew there was something wrong with the provisions. The people around her hadn''t left the Jin City recently, so only Liu Yinfeng or Zheng Qiming could have revealed the news to Xia Houjing.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes. Did Liu Yinfeng really betray them?


    But Luo Qingyan had said that although Liu Yinfeng might have something to hide from them, he should not betray them. He said that his people had found out that before this, Liu Yinfeng had a serious quarrel with Xia Houjing, hoping that Xia Houjing would give up


    open and walked in. Luo Qingyan thought it was Liu Wenan, so he waved his hand and said, "It''s almost ready. You go and prepare the meal first. I''ll have dinner after dealing with these memorials."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang curled her lips, walked to the imperial table and took the memorial in Luo Qingyan''s hand. Luo Qingyan frowned and said, "Alas..." Then he raised his head.


    When he saw it was Yun Shang, he changed his face and smiled, "Shang''er, you''re back in the palace? Did you have a good time? "


    Yun Shang frowned and wanted to say something to him, but she remembered that she had finally sent Liu Wenan away and had to seize the opportunity. She opened her mouth, but was still a little worried, so she said, "I have something to say."


    Then she picked up her dress, walked to Luo Qingyan, bent over and whispered in his ear the details of Xia Houjing''s identity that she had found out today.


    Shock was written all over Luo Qingyan''s face. He turned to look at Yun Shang and asked excitedly, "Is that true?"


    "It''s true. It took me a lot of time to get the information. It''s absolutely right. In my opinion, his former majesty certainly doesn''t know about it. Otherwise, his former majesty wouldn''t have doted on the seventh Prince so much. Your majesty, do you think we should tell his former majesty about it? " Yun Shang was both surprised and excited when she knew this before. Now she knew what Luo Qingyan was thinking.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Luo Qingyan calmed down. After a long silence, he said softly, "No, we''re not in a hurry to tell his former majesty about it. Now we only have one witness, and that witness just listened to his wife''s words and did not really participate in the matter of that year. If we have to deny Xia Houjing''s identity as a prince with his own words, I''m afraid it''s not easy. "


    "But what that man said must be true," Yun Shang was surprised.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and said softly, "Yes, he is telling the truth, but it''s not the time to expose it. Let''s wait until the evidence is sufficient."

 Chapter 935 Baoer Is Sick

    Yun Shang was puzzled. Now they had an extremely favorable evidence in their hands. Xia Houjing was now in trouble with the chaos in Liucang City. He could get support from the people and officials only because he was a prince. If he lost the protection of his identity, the officials who supported him would certainly reconsider about it again. Though Xia Houjing''s current power could not be completely disintegrated, it was inevitable that it would be weakened.


    But why did Luo Qingyan ask her to wait?


    Yun Shang bit her lips, feeling confused. Seeing this, Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang''s hand to comfort her and said softly, "We are in this position now. If we want to deal with a person, we must have the confidence to win. We must be fully prepared. We can''t let anyone find out the loophole. At present, we don''t have enough evidence. "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time, but she had to admit that Luo Qingyan''s worries were reasonable. She thought for a while and complained in a low voice, "But now more than 20 years have passed, and all the people who had experienced that matter in the past have been dealt with. It''s just a coincidence that the husband of the midwife can survive. It''s not easy to find absolute evidence."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said gently, "There is nothing in the world that can completely cover the traces. Since it has happened, there must be some clues left. We just need to carefully search, and there will be more traces."


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and nodded. She sighed, "Well, let''s stop talking about it. There are two matters coming from Liucang City. One is that Xia Houjing would rather let the soldiers starve and catch cold than send the materials we mixed with knockout drops to the camp. I suspect that someone has revealed the news. Two, there are fewer than one hundred thousand soldiers in the camp, and I''m afraid there are other people hiding somewhere else. "


    Luo Qingyan was silent for a moment. Then he looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "Do you think it''s Liu Yinfeng?"


    Yun Shang paused for a moment and nodded slightly. "I can''t think of anyone else."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, neither of them spoke. After a long time, Luo Qingyan said indifferently, "It''s not Liu Yinfeng. I''ve got in touch with him in a letter."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She looked at Luo Qingyan and asked, "When did it happen?"


    "I just received his reply yesterday. It can''t be him." After Luo Qingyan finished speaking, his mind went blank all of a sudden. Except for Liu Yinfeng, only Zheng Qiming knew about this. Since it couldn''t be Liu Yinfeng, then it could only be Zheng Qiming.


    Zheng Qiming.


    Luo Qingyan''s body trembled slightly. If it was Zheng Qiming, it would be a real big trouble. Zheng Qiming knew a big secret. If Zheng Qiming revealed it to Xia Houjing and Xia Houjing took advantage of it...


    Luo Qingyan trembled and looked up at Yun Shang. He couldn''t imagine what would happen.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t notice the ups and downs in Luo Qingyan''s heart. She quietly looked at the golden pillar in the hall and murmured, "If it wasn''t Liu Yinf


    g entered the inner hall, she heard Bao''er''s crying. Perhaps he had cried for quite a while, and he sounded a little hoarse. Yun Shang hurriedly took Bao''er from the maid''s arms and asked the maid. "Did you feed him?"


    The maid nodded and answered in a low voice, "I fed him three times today. He was fine after getting up in the morning, but he began to cry from noon. I thought he was hungry, so I fed him something, but he kept crying."


    "Has he seen Dr. Chen? Is there anything wrong with him? " Yun Shang patted Bao''er on the back, but he was still sobbing, which made Yun Shang''s heart entangled. She quickly whispered, "Bao''er, don''t cry. Don''t cry."


    The maid answered in a low voice, "Dr. Chen has come and checked. He said that the prince has nothing else except for pathogenic dryness. He asked me to feed the prince some warm water. But an hour has passed, he is still crying badly."


    While Bao''er was crying, he began to burp too. The more he burped, the more he cried. Yun Shang felt nervous. She took a brocade handkerchief to wipe Bao''er''s tears and snot, only to find that the handkerchief was stained with some bright red blood.


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened and her heart sank. Before she lowered her head, she heard the maid''s scream, "Your Majesty, something''s wrong. The prince has a nosebleed."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and saw fresh red blood gushing out of Bao''er''s nose. Yun Shang''s heart tightened and her voice was trembling, "Call the imperial physicians, call them, call Dr. Chen over."


    Yun Shang put Bao''er on the bed in a hurry, took his pulse, and carefully checked his eyes, ears, and nose. She found there was eye shit in his eyes, and his tongue moss was a little white, which was a sign of being very dry.


    Yun Shang immediately asked Qin Yi to bring her some warm water. Quickly, she applied it on Bao''er''s forehead and neck. Afterwards, she asked to bring her more warm water and she fed Bao''er a small bottle of it.


    Bao''er''s nosebleed stopped, but he still looked uncomfortable. Luckily, the imperial physician and Chen Miaosi had arrived.

 Chapter 936 The Panic

    Upon seeing them, Yun Shang said as usual, "Miaosi, look at Bao''er. What''s wrong with him? Why did he suddenly have nosebleed? He is still so young. Can his body withstand it? "


    "Let me have a look first," Chen Miaosi responded and quickly walked to the bedside, held Bao''er''s little hand and felt his pulse.


    Looking at her action, Yun Shang suddenly came to her senses. Luo Qingyan had just judged that the person was Zheng Qiming who leaked the news to Xia Houjing that the army''s provisions were mixed with knockout drops. However, Chen Miaosi was Zheng Qiming''s disciple. If Zheng Qiming betrayed them, would she...


    It was also very strange that Bao''er was sick at this critical moment. It was normal for him to catch cold, but it was weird that Bao''er''s pathogenic dryness caused nosebleed. If Chen Miaosi, like Zheng Qiming, was also in Xia Houjing''s party, then she was most likely the murderer of Bao''er. Chen Miaosi took care of her Bao''er with a wet nurse every day. Besides, she was proficient in medicine, so it was easy for her to hurt Bao''er.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang''s eyes darkened. After taking a careful look at his pulse and other parts of his body, she frowned and asked, "Why is it so strange?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked softly, "What''s happened? What''s wrong? "


    Chen Miaosi looked back at Yun Shang in surprise. She said, "When it was almost at noon, the nanny told me that the prince was crying. I checked his body and found that he was a little dry and hot only, so I didn''t pay much attention to it. I asked the nanny to bring some hot water, cool it and feed it to the prince. But now the prince is much more serious than before. "


    As soon as Chen Miaosi finished her words, Yun Shang fell silent. She didn''t know whether she should believe her or not.


    "Your majesty, I think we can figure out why the prince was in such a situation later. The top priority now is to cure him," An old imperial physician with white beard heard the words of Chen Miaosi and Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, he cupped his hands and urged.


    Yun Shang came to her senses and nodded, "You all come here to have a look. How is the prince now? What should we do? "


    Yun Shang had already checked Bao''er''s pulse carefully, and had a general understanding of his situation. She stood aside and quietly watched the imperial physicians examine Bao''er one by one.


    After the examination, the imperial physicians discussed for a moment before they cupped their hands and said to Yun Shang, "The prince has a serious fever. Drinking warm water alone won''t have much effect. However, children have a weak stomach, so other medicines should be used with caution. I think we''d better take some Coptis or honeysuckle, add some water to it and feed it to the prince. "


    Yun Shang nodded. Coptis was bitter, so Yun Shang raised her head and asked Hua''er to get some dried honeysuckles to make tea for Bao''er to drink.


    Hua''er''s movement was very q


    rought a set of clothes and took Bao''er from Yun Shang''s arms. Yun Shang saw her change clothes and diaper skillfully. Then she took Bao''er over, looked at the dirty clothes on the ground, and whispered, "Go to deal with them. The sheets and cotton on Bao''er''s small bed are also dirty. Clean them up,"


    Yun Shang ordered and put Bao''er on the bed. She smiled and said, "Don''t water your parents'' bed again, or they won''t have a place to sleep at night."


    Bao''er seemed to understand her and chuckled. He rolled his eyes and didn''t look sleepy anymore.


    Yun Shang patted him on the back and said softly, "You''ve been making trouble all day. Aren''t you sleepy? I haven''t taken a nap yet. I''m asleep... "


    As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Luo Qingyan''s voice coming from the outside, "How could he understand what you said to him?"


    Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and smiled, "Who said that? Our baby is so smart." Then she turned around and looked at Bao''er and asked, "Do you think so?" Bao''er, tell your father that we are smart. "


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. He walked to the edge of the bed and looked down for a while. Then he asked softly, "Are you feeling better?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes. And I made a bowl of honeysuckle water for him. He''s much better. He stopped crying and even peed on the bed just now. I''ll make some more honeysuckle water for him later. He''s still young and has a weak stomach. Other medicine won''t work on him. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded but said nothing.


    Yun Shang looked up at him and thought for a long time before she said in a low voice, "You said Zheng Qiming might have betrayed us. What about Chen Miaosi? Can we trust her? "


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and answered, "In the current situation, everything is possible. You''d better not trust her too much for the time being. I''ll ask several secret guards to follow her later and see if there''s anything wrong. We''ll make a plan after everything calms down. "

 Chapter 937 The Suspicion

    Yun Shang lowered her head and answered in a low voice.


    Soon after that, Bao''er yawned and closed his eyes, as if he wanted to sleep. Yun Shang looked down at Bao''er and sighed. She thought she should protect her baby better. Now Bao''er had a different identity. He was the prince, and the only son of Luo Qingyan''s.


    Although she was the only one in Luo Qingyan''s imperial household and there was no scramble for favor, there were still many covetous people around. Among the sons of the former Emperor, although the nineteenth prince was weak and young, he would grow up. And the former Emperor''s twenty-first prince was just four years old. No one knew how many people in the dark were coveting Bao''er''s life with murderous eyes. Even if she had a single careless error, her baby would be exposed to danger.


    Yun Shang held Bao''er''s little hand and made up her mind to protect her baby. She would rather kill one thousand people by mistake than let go of anyone who wanted to hurt her baby.


    Luo Qingyan put his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulder and comforted, "Don''t worry. I will protect you and Chengye."


    Yun Shang smiled and let go of Bao''er''s hand. Gradually, she calmed herself down. The former life had passed. This life was here to come. She wouldn''t let the tragedy happen again, never.


    "Your Majesties..." Qin Yi''s voice came through the bead curtain, "The mouse is ready."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and asked in confusion, "What are you going to do with the mouse?"


    Yun Shang raised her voice and said to Qin Yi, "Let the imperial physician examine it. Don''t need to wait for me."


    After she finished her words, she raised her head and explained to Luo Qingyan, "I suspect that someone has done something to the wet nurse, so I asked her to bring some milk. But the problem with the milk is how to examine it. So I asked someone to catch a mouse and let it drink the milk. If there is something wrong with it, the mouse will tell from its reaction. "


    After explaining, Yun Shang stood up and suggested, "Let''s go out and have a look." She then ordered Hua''er and Qinghao to guard Bao''er in the palace, so that if there was something wrong, they could report it in time.


    When Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan walked out of the inner hall, they saw a imperial physician pour the milk into a cup in the cage where two mice were drinking together with their heads down. There was still a plain cloth cushion in the cage, but no one knew what it was used for.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan sat down on the main seats. Qin Yi served tea in a hurry. Yun Shang took a sip of the tea and stared at the two rats in the small cage.


    Both mice didn''t move for a long time. Yun Shang frowned and looked up at the imperial physician standing aside. "Is there nothing wrong with the milk?" But Bao''er only drank water and milk, and if there was no problem with either of the two, then what happened?


    While she was thinking, she saw that one of the mice seemed to have sneezed, and there was a trace of blood on the plain cloth cushion on the cage.


    Yun Shang focused on the blood, and her eyes showed a flash of red with anger too.


    Both Yun


    e and lock her in prison first. I will interrogate her when I''m free."


    Qin Yi nodded and called the eunuch in.


    "Come and take the nanny away to the Neishi Bureau," ordered Qin Yi. There was no smile on her face. She bowed to Yun Shang and left the main hall with the wet nurse.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you need another babysitter?"


    Yun Shang nodded and said softly, "Of course. Let''s find another two. This way, they will feed Bao''er separately. If one of them feels uncomfortable, we can let the other to feed Bao''er. I have to take care of Bao''er health. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly with confusion in his eyes, "But why did Chen Miaosi make Bao''er get pathogenic dryness this way?"


    Yun Shang thought about it carefully. She remembered that before this, Chen Miaosi was the first one to find that the dishes prepared by Xia Huanyu were all too hot. She must have learned from that matter, but found that it was too easy to be found out if she was doing so in the dishes, so she moved her hands into the wet nurse'' tea.


    "The pathogenic dryness is not a big deal for us adults, but it''s quite different for our baby who is only three months old. It''s not a big problem even for a child, but if we find it out too late and handle it improperly, it will endanger Bao''er''s life." Yun Shang felt scared, the more she thought about it. Still she had some suspicion, "But there is one thing I don''t quite understand. If Chen Miaosi set up this trap, why did she tell the babysitter that Bao''er had got pathogenic dryness when the babysitter went to ask her for help? Wouldn''t it be normal that she should not tell the truth?"


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and said, "I''m afraid that she has found something wrong. Even if she didn''t tell you, you would still call the imperial physicians. If the imperial physicians found out the truth, while she didn''t, wouldn''t she be more suspicious?"


    Yun Shang nodded. After a moment of silence, she heard Pei Lan''s voice from outside, "Your Majesties, Doctor Chen wants to see you."

 Chapter 938 The Confrontation

    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan stopped talking and then Chen Miaosi came in. She walked quickly into the inner hall and asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, have you confirmed that the wet nurse did something to the Prince? Why did you arrest her? "


    Yun Shang turned to look at her straight and said, "There''s something wrong with the babysitter''s milk, which put the Prince in danger. Who else can be the murderer except the babysitter? Thus, she should be arrested. "


    Chen Miaosi shook her head in a hurry, with disapproval in her eyes, "There might be many possibilities that resulted in the problem of the milk. Or maybe someone had tampered with the wet nurse'' food. Didn''t someone tamper with the food prepared for your majesties before? I heard that your majesty also know some medical skills. Don''t you know such a common thing? "


    Yun Shang nodded lightly and looked at Chen Miaosi. After a moment of silence, she handed the list that recorded the diet of the wet nurse to her and told her, "Have a look at it, Miaosi. These are the dishes that the wet nurse has eaten and drunk these days. Do you think there is something that can make people get pathogenic dryness?"


    Chen Miaosi took it and read it carefully. She frowned and asked, "All of them are here? Is there anything missing? Or maybe the babysitter has forgotten it? "


    Yun Shang replied smilingly, "It''s about life. How could she forget it?"


    Hearing this, Chen Miaosi remained silent for a long time and stared at the paper in her hand. Yun Shang picked up the teacup beside her and observed Chen Miaosi''s expression from the corner of her eyes. She found her concern for the wet nurse as well as her surprised look did not seem to be faking.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "Do you still remember that we used to ask your master and Mr. Liu to drug the provisions for disaster relief when we were in the Crown Prince''s mansion?"


    Chen Miaosi''s eyes flashed with confusion. She wondered why Yun Shang suddenly mentioned this while they had just talked about the matter of the Prince'' wet nurse.


    Luo Qingyan knew what Yun Shang wanted to say. He looked up at Yun Shang in surprise, and then took a sip of tea quietly without stopping her.


    "Of course I remember," though confused, Chen Miaosi answered Yun Shang''s question honestly.


    Yun Shang nodded lightly and then asked, "Your master has been transporting the army provisions for a period of time. It has been almost two months, hasn''t it? Has he written to you? "


    Chen Miaosi nodded and answered in a low voice, "Yes. We''ve been writing to each other all the time. We just talk about some trivial matters."


    Hearing what Chen Miaosi said, Yun Shang couldn''t help but squint. She gently stroked the edge of the teacup and thought for a long time. Then she looked up at her with a bit of temptation, "Do you know that your master has revealed the fact that we put knockout drops in the food to the seventh Prince, Xia Houjing? Your master is now Xia Houjing''s man."


    Astonishment was written all over Chen Miaosi''s face.


    a touch of affection in his eyes. "When you asked Chen Miaosi to test the herb, don''t you mean that you have already made a judgment in your heart?"


    Yun Shang nodded, but she couldn''t help frowning and sighed, "Maybe since I came to the State of Xia, I found that my eyes on people are not accurate, so I have some doubts about my own judgment in my heart."


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. He pinched Yun Shang''s nose and said with a smile, "It''s just a betrayal of Qian Liu. Why do you doubt your own judgement? I didn''t expect you to be so unconfident. "


    "No..." Yun Shang shook her head and sighed, "Not only Qian Liu, but also Hua Yutong and Zheng Qiming. In fact, I admired Zheng Qiming before. He was neither arrogant nor rash, and he was an excellent doctor. But I still mistook him. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, the smile on Luo Qingyan''s face faded, and finally there was a cold look in his eyes. "It''s not you who misjudged Zheng Qiming, but me."


    It was not until then that Yun Shang remembered that Zheng Qiming was brought back by Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan must have trusted him very much. Yun Shang thought for a while and frowned, "But something is wrong. If Zheng Qiming was sent by Xia Houjing, he would have given me too many chances to die. That was the best time when I was rescued from the ice cellar and almost had a difficult labor. But Zheng Qiming didn''t do anything to me or my baby. "


    Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes but said nothing. The coldness in his eyes grew.


    "There is another possibility. Zheng Qiming was still loyal to me before, but this time he was bribed by Xia Houjing after he arrived at Liucang City. Previously, the existence of Zheng Qiming was just a secret. Zheng Qiming had only opened a drugstore in the Sancun Alley, so it was difficult to connect with me. Although he lived in the Crown Prince''s mansion, he never showed up in front of outsiders. This is the first time he escorted the army provisions," Luo Qingyan said indifferently and there was no emotion in his voice.

 Chapter 939 The Misunderstanding

    Just as they two were talking, Chen Miaosi rushed in again. Her face was flushed with heat because she had traveled so many times.


    "Master only sent me two herbs. I tried to conserve them when making tea. Now I only have this little," Chen Miaosi said in a low voice and handed the remaining green leaves to Yun Shang. Then she took some chrysanthemums from Qian Zhuo behind her, raised her head and looked around for the tea cup, "Where is the cup?"


    Pei Lan quickly took a cup and handed it to her. She quickly dipped the chrysanthemum into the teacup, and passed the cup to Yun Shang. Yun Shang took it and asked Pei Lan to pour hot water into the cup. The chrysanthemum bloomed in the cup. It was golden, and the nameless herb was decorated with a touch of green. It was breathtaking.


    However, Chen Miaosi was not in the mood to appreciate such a beauty. She looked around and asked anxiously, "Where is the little mouse? Is it ready?"


    Yun Shang finally came to her senses. She was talking to Luo Qingyan and forgot about it. She smiled and said, "It doesn''t matter. I''ll ask Chen Ke to get it right away."


    Then she told Qian Zhuo to hurry out of the inner hall to ask Chen Ke for it.


    Chen Ke went to look for the mouse, but Chen Miaosi felt uneasy. She stared at the chrysanthemum tea in the cup and bit her lips, with a touch of doubt in her eyes. And she was afraid that Yun Shang might find out something, she then looked away in a hurry.


    Soon enough, Chen Ke came in with a mouse cage, "I only caught one mouse. Your majesty, is that enough? If not enough, I''ll catch two more. "


    Yun Shang smiled and waved her hand, "That''s quite enough."


    Seeing the mouse was brought in, Chen Miaosi quickly stood up, picked up the teacup and walked to the mouse cage. Yun Shang could tell that Chen Miaosi was afraid of the mouse, but she just gritted her teeth, took a spoon from Pei Lan, scooped out a small spoonful of tea from the cup and fed the mouse. The mouse only drank a little and the rest was poured onto the cloth in the cage.


    Seeing how anxious she was, Yun Shang hurriedly said, "Don''t worry. Qian Zhuo, Go and help Dr. Chen."


    Qian Zhuo obeyed and was about to take the cup and spoon from Chen Miaosi, but she dodged and said, "No, I can do it myself."


    Yun Shang replied, "Okay, you can feed it by yourself. But I''m afraid it won''t take long for you to pour away all of them to feed that way. How about just pour all the tea into the small glass in the mouse cage, just as before we did."


    Chen Miaosi said nothing, but did as Yun Shang said. Then she sat quietly aside and watched the mouse drink up the tea bit by bit.


    This time, the mouse reacted very quickly and fiercely. It staggered and fell into the cage, with blood in its mouth and nose.


    Yun Shang''s eyes darkened at once. She looked at Chen Miaosi indifferently. Chen''s face was pale and her


    gyan paused and continued, "Send him to your grandfather, Grand Tutor. On one hand, it''s for the safety of the Chengye, and on the other hand, you grew up with your grandfather. He has taught you well, with both literature and martial arts. I believe he can also teach Chengye well. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang shook her head in a hurry. She didn''t stop until Luo Qingyan finished his words. She responded, "No, I can''t. I was forced by the situation that year. I was killed by the Empress and Hua Jing, and my mother was still in the cold palace. I had no choice but to be sent to my grandfather. Yes, Grandpa has taught me well, but you don''t understand the pain of having to leave parents and relatives even though they have parents and relatives. I have experienced it, so I won''t let our Chengye to suffer it again. Can''t we protect our Chengye well? Can''t we teach Chengye well? I will never allow you to send him away. "


    Luo Qingyan opened his mouth, but felt a little bitter in his throat. After a while, he smiled bitterly and said, "I just said that. Now you act like I''m very cruel. If you don''t want to see him off, then just let me analyze the situation with youyou. You are as fierce as a tigress. If you protect him like this, when he will get married after growing up, won''t you even be jealous of your daughter-in-law? "


    Yun Shang snorted and said nothing.


    Luo Qingyan had no choice but to raise his hand to cover the corner of the quilt for Chengye. Then he stood up, walked to the soft couch and sat down. Yun Shang blinked and looked at Luo Qingyan. She approached him with a smile, "Are you jealous of Chengye then?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and glanced at Yun Shang, "Of course I am."


    Yun Shang laughed, "Why are you jealous then?"


    The smile on Luo Qingyan''s face was stiff as he swallowed the bitterness in his throat. He lowered his head and reached for a book to read.

 Chapter 940 The Teacher And The Butcher

    It was getting colder and colder in the winter, and the braziers were taken into the palace. It seldom snowed in the State of Xia, but it was also piercing cold. Yun Shang didn''t like to be wet and cold this way. For some reason, it hurt so much during her menstrual period since winter.


    Yun Shang was lying on the couch with a pale face, surrounded by three braziers. Qin Yi lifted the curtain and came in with a food box. She took out a bowl from it and handed it to Yun Shang. "Your majesty, this is brown sugar water. I heard that it is very useful to drink during your menstrual period if it hurts."


    However, Yun Shang had no strength to nod. She took it and drank more than half a bowl of brown sugar water. Then she sighed slightly and said, "I didn''t have this problem before. Why did I suddenly become like this?"


    Qin Yi thought for a while and asked, "Is it caused by the cold air when you were giving birth to the Prince?"


    Yun Shang sighed, "Does it mean that the pain will be with me for the rest of my life?"


    Qian Zhuo said, "I''ve heard that if you fell ill during the delivery or during the month, you can recover completely after the next birth."


    Yun Shang drank up the rest of the water and turned to stare at Qian Zhuo, "Do you think giving birth to a baby is so easy? I suffered a lot when I gave birth to Bao''er."


    Qian Zhuo stuck out her tongue and said with a smile, "It''s much better than being like this all your life, isn''t it? I have never seen you so weak since I followed you. "


    Yun Shang leaned against the couch, not willing to talk.


    Suddenly, a very obscure voice came from outside, which made Yun Shang and Qin Yi prick up their ears. Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo, and then turned to Qin Yi, "There is no other person in the palace who can turn to for help. Qin Yi, go to the Taihe Palace to ask the former empress. Ask Chen Ke to take some desserts from the State of Ning which were prepared in the kitchen at noon. The former empress will like them. "


    As soon as Qin Yi heard that Yun Shang asked her to take Chen Ke with her, she knew that Yun Shang must have something to deal with, so she said yes and left the inner hall. Then Qin Yi''s voice came from outside the hall, "Chen Ke, go to the small kitchen to get some cakes made for the empress this noon. Come with me to the Taihe Palace."


    Chen Ke replied in a low voice. Then Yun Shang heard footsteps getting farther and farther.


    "Your majesty?" Qian Zhuo glanced at Yun Shang and asked.


    Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "There''s no hurry. You can go out and have a look. You can come in after Qin Yi and Chen Ke leave the Weiyang Palace."


    Qian Zhuo responded and walked out of the inner hall. After a while, Qian Zhuo came in. Yun Shang nodded, and Qian Zhuo quickly walked to the window and opened it. The cold wind blew in all of a sudden, which made Yun Shang frown and feel a stomachache again.


    A small paper ball flew in from the window and landed on the ground beside Yun Shang. Yun Shang stared at t


    er, it was not completely impossible that there would be a secret pregnancy in a concubine''s room and the baby would be born.


    Of course, Xia Huanyu couldn''t let himself leave any evidence, so he quietly sent Liu Yinfeng away. Liu Jin should be a guard sent by Xia Huanyu to protect Liu Yinfeng, and then Xia Huanyu married Hua Ling. After Hua Ling disappeared, Xia Huanyu began to think about taking Liu Yinfeng to his side. That was why he conferred the title of Lady Liu on Liu Jin''s daughter. In this way, he could have the chance to let Liu Yinfeng come back to him?


    It was reasonable for Yun Shang to think in this logic. From the attitude of Xia Huanyu towards Liu Yinfeng, it could be said that he attached great importance to him. Liu Yinfeng was talented, and Xia Huanyu could cherish him and recruit him into the court. But Liu Yinfeng didn''t become an official because he didn''t like it.


    Although he was not an official, almost everyone in the court respected Liu Yinfeng. What kind of respectable treatment this was! Moreover, Xia Huanyu would also let Liu Yinfeng get involved in all kinds of affairs of the court, and many difficult and inconvenient things were always handled by Liu Yinfeng.


    Such a situation once confused Yun Shange, wondering why Xia Huanyu favored Liu Yinfeng so much. If Liu Yinfeng was the son of Xia Huanyu''s, then that would be that explanation.


    Yun Shang squinted. If so, the existence of Liu Yinfeng was a threat to Luo Qingyan. If this was the truth, then the alliance between Liu Yinfeng and Luo Qingyan might not be simple.


    The more Yun Shang thought about it, the colder she felt. She bit her lips and said, "Investigate it. Find out the truth at all costs."


    Qian Zhuo obeyed and left in a hurry.


    Liu Yinfeng, Liu Jin and Xia Houjing! Everything seemed to be more and more complicated and confusing, as if it was covered with a layer of gauze. Through the gauze, Yun Shang indistinctly saw shadows swaying inside, but she had no idea what was really inside.

 Chapter 941 The Maid Of Huanyi Bureau (Part One)

    All the news came together. In the afternoon, Qin Yi reported, "The escaped person who used to serve for Lady Liu that year is found out by the secret guards. That person was Lady Liu''s personal maid, but she had been relegated to the Huanyi Bureau because of her mistake. She thus escaped. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang felt a shudder all over her body. She said hurriedly, "I want to see her. I want to see her today."


    Qin Yi didn''t know what the secret guard had reported to her before. She was stunned and felt hesitant when she saw Yun Shang''s anxiety. She said to Yun Shang, "Now we haven''t acted in public and few people are on guard against us. It''s easy for us to take that person out of the Huanyi Bureau, but your majesty, your every move is under surveillance. How can we not alert others and see the maid?"


    Yun Shang frowned, with a bit of puzzle in her eyes. Regardless of her stomachache, she stood up and walked back and forth in the room, but she didn''t think of a way.


    Huanyi Bureau. Huanyi Bureau! It was almost the lowest place in the Imperial Palace. The Weiyang Palace didn''t have much contact with the Huanyi Bureau. How could she meet the maid?


    Yun Shang thought for a long time but couldn''t figure out a way.It was now getting dark. A servant''s voice came from outside, "Hail Your Majesty..."


    Yun Shang looked at the door in a hurry. The bead curtain was lifted. Luo Qingyan came in, took off his cloak and handed it to Liu Wenan. Liu Wenan took it and put it in place. Yun Shang was anxious, but seeing that Liu Wenan was also there, she had to restrain all kinds of emotions surging in her heart. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, have you dealt with the political affairs today?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded and


    she answered with a smile, "All right, but your majesty will have no face."


    She couldn''t help laughing.


    After dinner, Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang lay on the couch, reading and talking. Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi, and Qin Yi asked the servants in the room to leave.


    Yun Shang knew that Qin Yi would find a way to send Liu Wenan and Chen Ke away. After a while, Yun Shang said in a low voice, "The people I sent to the Yang Liu Town have come back."


    "Oh? What have you found out? " Luo Qingyan smiled and responded casually.


    Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan everything that the secret guard had reported to her, but she didn''t tell him her guess. Luo Qingyan remained silent for a long time.


    Yun Shang added, "And today we found a maid who had served Lady Liu before. She was sent to the Huanyi Bureau because of her mistake and escaped the cleanup of the court. I want to see her as soon as possible and ask her what happened that year, but there are too many people watching around. I''m afraid that the maid will be exposed to everyone, so I haven''t taken action rashly. I''ve thought about it for a long time, but I still can''t think of a good way. "

 Chapter 942 The Maid Of Huanyi Bureau (Part Two)

    Luo Qingyan kept silent for a while and said gently, "Don''t be too anxious. You can come step by step. You haven''t taken over the affairs in the imperial household yet. Now it seems to be a good thing. Which department contacts the Huanyi Bureau most often? "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s question, Yun Shang didn''t quite understand why Luo Qingyan asked this way, but she quickly answered, "Of course it''s people from the Shangyi Bureau."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Have you arranged someone to work in the Shangyi Bureau?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Yes, but not many."


    "Don''t need too many. They just need to be smart. Since there are many contacts between the Huanyi Bureau and the Shangyi Bureau, you can ask our spies to leave some messages to the Shangyi Bureau''s steward, saying that the maid is doing well and persuading the steward to promote her to work in the Shangyi Bureau. Once the maid entered the Shangyi Bureau, it would be an ordinary thing for her to come to the Weiyang Palace. In this way, it seems that you are not involved at all and no one can doubt you. " Luo Qingyan smiled and looked at Yun Shang with a pleasing look.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She had not been in a good mood the whole day because of the stomachache and all kinds of bad news. She felt much more relaxed after talking with Luo Qingyan for this while.


    Luo Qingyan reached out and touched Yun Shang''s hand. After a long silence, he said, "I know you don''t love Liu Yinfeng, but because Liu Yinfeng saved your life several times, I''m grateful. I have promised you before that I will pay him back for his saving your life. If Liu Yinfeng really becomes my opponent one day, I promise y


    ese things for you. We''ll prepare everything we need and show them to you."


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Thank you, madams. Without you two, I really don''t know what to do."


    "But you should know some customs. In the palace, there is this saying: eleventh books, eighteenth porridge, twenty-third stove, twenty-fourth firecrackers, lights, twenty-sixth spring couplet, window flowers, door gods, palace instructions, twenty-eighth Temple sacrifices, and then new year''s Eve. From the first to the fifth day, it''s time to watch the lights," Madam Qiu said with a smile.


    Yun Shang wrote them down and nodded. She paused for a while and said, "I wonder what the Imperial Household Department should prepare for the banquet."


    "Most of the things used for the banquet need to be prepared by the Imperial Household Department," Madam Qi answered.


    Yun Shang knocked on the handrail beside her and said, "Well, this is his majesty''s first imperial banquet. It must be grand and special. You can choose whatever you want to prepare for me."


    Mmadam Qi and Madam Qiu nodded and obeyed.

 Chapter 943 Questioning

    It was the first snow of this year in the Jin City on December thirteenth. It was not a big one and only covered a thin layer of the ground. Yun Shang stood in the corridor and reached out to receive a piece of snow on her palm. The snow was thin and small that it quickly melted into a little drop of water.


    Qin Yi hurriedly reminded her, "Your Majesty, you''d better not stand here. Although the snow is not heavy, it''s still a little cold. Be careful not to catch a cold. If you catch a cold, I''m afraid that all the people in the Weiyang Palace will have to kneel in the snow today to apologize to his majesty."


    Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi and snorted, "You''ve become more and more glib like Qian Zhuo. It seems that I should send Qian Zhuo to her former majesty. I don''t want her to mislead the other people in the Weiyang Palace. "


    Qian Zhuo heard Yun Shang''s words in the room, so she raised her head and argued, "Your majesty, don''t slander me."


    Yun Shang and Qin Yi looked at each other and couldn''t help laughing. Looking at the falling snowflakes, the smile at the corners of Yun Shang''s mouth gradually faded. "These snowflakes make me think of the State of Ning. As soon as the winter came, the snow sprinkled on the ground in the State of Ning, with a thick layer of snow, which could be stepped on and creaked, and we could also make snowmen and fight with snow."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qin Yi also smiled, "Yes, in terms of snowy days, the State of Ning is better."


    When they two were talking, they saw Pei Lan rushing in from outside the palace, drenched in snow, with plum blossoms in her arms. Pei Lan ran to the corridor, bowed to Yun Shang, and then exclaimed, "It''s so cold."


    Qin Yi looked at Pei Lan with doubt, "Didn''t I tell you to go to the Shangyi Bureau to get new clothes? Where are the clothes? "


    Pei Lan stuck out her tongue and said, "The steward of the Shangyi Bureau said that the clothes are not ready yet. He asked me to come back first and later they will send someone to bring them to us when they are ready." Then she looked at the plum blossoms still stuck with snow in her arms, and smiled innocently. "I just passed by the Imperial Garden and saw them blooming very well. I thought you would like them. As it is cold, your majesty cannot go out to enjoy them. So I picked some and put them in the vase."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded, "Good. Thank you."


    "Your majesty, we''ve been standing here for quite a while. Let''s go back to the room," Qin Yi persuaded softly.


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "I feel as if my freedom is restricted. I can''t do this or that. His majesty must be too careful about me. Anyway, I''m a martial artist, right? " Although she was still persistent, she turned around and walked towards the inner hall.


    After entering the inner hall, Yun Shang took off her cloak and handed it to Qin Yi. Qin Yi hung it up and turned to Chen Ke, "Go and make a pot of tea for her majesty. Her majesty has been standing outside for so long, and she needs a pot of hot tea to warm her body."


    Chen Ke n


    be trained to be iron hearted by the arrows in the palace. If the woman didn''t resist herself, she might only be trampled on by others.


    Qin Yi walked up to Yun Shang and gently tied up Yun Shang''s clothes. Yun Shang paused and said, "when you left Lady Liu that year, did she give birth to the seventh Prince?"


    "Yes. When I left the Biyu Palace, the seventh Prince was more than three months old," Yu Qin replied softly.


    Yun Shang had already put on her clothes. She walked to the bronze mirror and looked into it. The dress was in the color of rouge, which looked very beautiful. Although it was filled with a lot of cotton, it didn''t look heavy. Yun Shang nodded. The Shangyi Bureau was good at making clothes. Yun Shang walked around and lay down on the couch. She took a sip of tea and continued, "Tell me what happened when Lady Liu gave birth."


    Hearing this, Yu Qin was stunned for a moment, and then fell silent.


    Yun Shang was not in a hurry. She drank a cup of tea leisurely and asked Yu Qin to make another cup. Then, Yu Qin said softly, "Maybe you won''t believe me. Although I was Lady Liu''s closest maid at that time, I really didn''t know what happened on the day of Lady Liu''s childbirth. No, it should be said that no one in the Biyu Palace knew about it. "


    Yun Shang frowned and asked in surprise, "No one knew? Why? "


    Yu Qin frowned, with a blank look in her eyes, as if she was recalling what had happened in the past. After a long time, she said, "Lady Liu had a few miscarriages before, and it was not easy for her to be pregnant for a full month. She must be very careful. She suspected that someone in the palace had hurt her, so she asked the Emperor to find a midwife outside the palace to help her deliver. The Emperor agreed. After Lady Liu''s amniotic fluid broke, the Emperor sent guards to drive all the servants out of the Biyu Palace. I remember that the guard said that Lady Liu had ordered that no one was allowed to stay in the palace when she gave birth. Then the guards surrounded the whole Biyu Palace. "

 Chapter 944 The Pregnant Eunuch

    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and looked at Yu Qin. Although she looked a little disgusted when she mentioned Lady Liu, she didn''t dodge the topic. Yun Shang felt what the maid said might be true. But was it true about Lady Liu''s case? Yun Shang thought for a moment and asked, "Was his former majesty always obedient to Lady Liu back then?"


    However, Yu Qin shook her head and said, "His Former Majesty was kind to Lady Liu, but he was never obedient to her. At that time, Lady Liu was not the only one who was favored. Lady Yun of the Yunqi Palace, Lady Shu, Lady Wangde and Lady Liu were equally divided in the imperial household. Sometimes, His Former Majesty even treated Lady Liu coldly. But... "


    Yu Qin paused for a moment. Her brows twisted, and she was lost in thought for a long time before saying, "But His Former Majesty''s attitude once changed after Lady Liu''s pregnancy. He treated Lady Liu much better than before. Rewards were always unique, and even the the Empress felt a little jealous. Moreover, Lady Liu had been pregnant for twice before, and she lost her baby. Lady Liu always felt that someone was secretly dealing with her. But during her pregnancy with the seventh Prince, she was very smooth and almost had no accident. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. From what Yu Qin said, Yun Shang could know something. Xia Huanyu attached great importance to Lady Liu''s pregnancy, and Lady Liu could successfully keep it. It was very likely that Xia Huanyu had secretly used a way to protect the baby in Lady Liu''s belly.


    However, Xia Huanyu didn''t protect Lady Liu even though she had lost two babies before, which meant that the reason why Xia Huanyu protected the baby in Lady Liu''s belly was not because he liked her.


    Then why? Yun Shang''s eyes were full of doubts. Thinking of what the midwife''s husband had said, she asked Yu Qin anxiously, "Do you still remember that on the day when Lady Liu gave birth, whether there was someone else in the palace who was pregnant and about to give birth, too?"


    Yu Qin shook her head. After thinking for a while, she shook her head again, "No. I remember that no other concubines in the palace were pregnant at that time."


    "Maybe they were not concubines," Yun Shang added.


    Yun Shang''s words puzzled Yu Qin. She didn''t understand what Yun Shang meant. He thought for a long time and shook her head. After a while, she said hesitantly, "There must be no concubines or maids, but..."


    Yun Shang raised her eyes to look at Yu Qin. Yu Qin thought for a while and said, "When your majesty mentioned that someone else was pregnant and giving birth, I suddenly remember that there was a strange thing in the palace at that time. A eunuch of an inferior concubine in the palace had a strange disease and his belly was very big. Other servants and I had a private conversation about it, saying that his belly seemed to be growing fast. He looked like a woman who was about to give birth. "


    With that, Yu Qin hurriedly said,


    Qin Yi, "Help me up, and let me see the workmanship of these cups carefully."


    Qin Yi quickly obeyed and helped Yun Shang stand up. Yun Shang walked to the maids and looked at them one by one. The corners of her mouth slightly curled up, "It''s very good, but..."


    Yun Shang paused, picked up two cups, and turned to the madam with a smile, "But why do I find only four dragon''s claws on the Emperor''s cup? And the kylin on the prince''s cup has five claws? Is the Imperial Household Department going to rebel? "


    As Yun Shang spoke, the smile on her face faded away. She threw the two cups in her hands to the ground with a loud bang. Yun Shang snorted, walked back to the chair, sat down, and raised her voice, "Guards, go to the Imperial Household Department and bring Li Fuhua here!"


    Everyone in the room was stunned. They didn''t know why Yun Shang''s expression suddenly changed in the blink of an eye from a big smile on her face to such a serious situation.


    The guards outside responded in a hurry.


    Seeing this, Qin Yi picked up the two cups that were thrown away by Yun Shang and looked at them carefully. Then she frowned and said, "Steward Li of the Imperial Household Department is also an old man. Why did he make such a mistake?"


    "Old man?" Yun Shang snorted coldly with contempt on her face, "Yes, just because he''s the old man in the palace, he is so bold to do so. Is Li Fuhua going to rebel?"


    Yun Shang''s voice was so loud that even the servants in the outer hall could hear her clearly.


    After Yun Shang waited for a short while, the guards escorted Li Fuhua in. He seemed to be a little unhappy with the guards behind him and kept struggling. When he arrived in front of Yun Shang, he said with a little grievance, "What''s wrong with your majesty? Did I do something wrong? "


    "How dare you ask me what you have done wrong? Li Fuhua, you are really ambitious! " Yun Shang roared, and threw the two cups in front of Li Fuhua, "Have a look. What is wrong?"

 Chapter 945 The Frame-up (Part One)

    Li Fuhua was shocked by Yun Shang''s action of throwing the cup, and he subconsciously moved aside. After the cup fell to the ground, he quickly picked them up, glanced at them for a while, and said, "Your majesty, do you think there is something wrong with the two cups? These cups are strictly made according to the rules. The materials and patterns are all made according to the original practice in the palace, and the workmanship is one in a million. Which place do you think there''s something wrong? "


    Yun Shang sneered. No one must have told Li Fuhua that there was something wrong with the cups. Yun Shang asked him to look at them, but he didn''t check them carefully. He kept emphasizing that the cups were made according to the previous rules. It seemed to him that If Yun Shang insisted on making trouble, it would be her fault.


    "Master Li, can you tell me who made the rule that the dragon pattern on his Majesty''s cup is four clawed? Then what kind of practice is it? Why is the kylin on the prince'' cup five clawed? Master Li, are you pretending to know nothing in front of me? " Yun Shang banged the armrest, her face full of anger.


    Hearing this, Li Fuhua was stunned. He picked up the two cups in a hurry and looked at them. And his face suddenly turned pale. He quickly explained, "Your Majesty, I''m innocent. I didn''t do it."


    Yun Shang sneered, "That means you are wronged? I just asked Steward Li to look at these two cups carefully. What did you say? Did you emphasize that these cups were strictly made according to the rules? If I hadn''t been so observant, these cups would have been placed on the imperial banquet on New Year''s Eve. What does Master Li mean by using this cup? Master Li means by using the four clawed drago


    i Bureau by my will. The more serious the matter is, the better. It''s better to make people feel that Li Fuhua will not survive this time. "


    Qin Yi nodded and was about to leave. Qian Zhuo wondered why Yun Shang asked Qin Yi to do so. After a long silence, she asked, "What do you really mean by that, your majesty? In fact, we have tampered with Master Li''s matter. What if the news spreads and someone in the palace investigate it? "


    Yun Shang touched the edge of the teacup gently and smiled, "I still want to ask who can prove that we have tampered with it? We ask someone to spread the news about Li Fuhua in the palace, so as to lure the snake out of its hole. Li Fuhua has been in the palace for so many years and has a deep foundation. Moreover, he was in charge of the Imperial Household Department, which is a rich place with abundant profits. Perhaps he has his own force, and perhaps he has his own backer, which is bound up with many people in the palace. I will let everyone know that Li Fuhua is charged with a crime of treason and his life is in danger. Those people are afraid that Li Fuhua will expose them out, so they will try to save him. "

 Chapter 946 The Frame-up (Part Two)

    Yun Shang took a sip of tea and continued, "This time, the charge of Li Fuhua is not enough to get rid of him. After all, even if the cup is from the Imperial Household Department, the person who should be dealt with most should be the craftsmen who made the cup. Although Li Fuhua is the head of the Imperial Household Department, he is at most a charge of poor supervision. This is not what I want. If someone tries every means to save him, or even break into prison, I have the reason to sentence him to death for attempted murder. "


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo was speechless. She praised, "Your Majesty, you have done such a perfect job."


    Yun Shang smiled and replied, "Is it really exhaustive? Not yet. Take your people to the Imperial Household Department right away and lock all the people there in the prison. Ask them questions day and night, and ask them only one question that is whether they know what Li Fuhua''s crime is. "


    Yun Shang smiled with interest and said, "When I asked the guards to take Li Fuhua away from the Imperial Household Department just now, everyone in the department must have seen it. I''m afraid they are all guessing the crime of Li Fuhua in their hearts. Before they hear the rumors, we take all members working in the Imperial Household Department to interrogate. Maybe we will get some unexpected clues. "


    Qian Zhuo also laughed. She quickly responded and was about to go downstairs to make preparation. After thinking for a while, Yun Shang crooked her finger and asked Qian Zhuo to


    ugh he had given up all the power of the imperial household, the imperial household is also an extremely important place. He must have been secretly paying attention to it. "


    Yun Shang responded with a smile. Hua Ling lowered her head, picked up the tea cup on the table, took a sip, and said, "Last night, Xia Huanyu told me that he wanted to go out for a visit after this year. He said that he hasn''t been able to go out to see the world of the State of Xia for so many years. Once we leave, you have to be more careful. "


    Yun Shang''s hand holding the teacup paused for a moment. Xia Huanyu had mentioned this before. It was a mess outside, but Yun Shang didn''t think that he went out at this time just to see the scenery of the State of Xia.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and nodded with a smile, "Okay. But the world is not peaceful now. If you go out of the palace, you have to bring more people with you. Mother, don''t forget us after you leave the palace. Tell us whenever you arrive at a place. "

 Chapter 947 A Cryptic Warning

    Yun Shang said, hoping that Hua Ling could let them know where Xia Huanyu was going.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Hua Ling paused for a moment and looked up at Yun Shang, as if thinking about her real meaning. When she saw Yun Shang winking at her, she said in a low voice, "Of course I will."


    Except for Hua Ling, no one else had come to the Weiyang Palace to ask about Li Fuhua. Yun Shang knew very well that in such a sensitive period, even if there was anyone who had a secret relationship with Li Fuhua, they would keep a proper distance from him in case of getting into trouble.


    After Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo dealt with Yun Shang''s arrangement and went back to the Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang asked them to, "send someone to keep an eye on him secretly. Is there anyone in other palaces who has come to ask about Li Fuhua? If there is, report it immediately."


    Qin Yi obeyed and left.


    After giving the order, Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the hall. She looked at the sky and said softly, "It''s dark. It seems that it''s going to snow."


    Qian Zhuo also looked up and nodded, "Yes, it''s going to snow. I''ll ask the servants to clean the road before his majesty goes to court tomorrow."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, but the corners of her mouth curved up, "It''s snowing."


    Snow was like rain, which could bury many traces. It was the best time to move in the dark on a snowy night.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "It''s not suitable to burn charcoal fire at night. Bring Bao''er to my room to sleep later. The main hall here should be a little warmer, and the quilt covering Bao''er should be exposed to the sun if it''s sunny so that the cotton can be a little fluffy and warm."


    Qian Zhuo noted down everything. Yun Shang looked up at the direction of the Taiji Palace. She went on, "It was getting late when his majesty came back these days. He must be busy with political affairs. The Taiji Palace is too big, so it seems a little empty, which makes people feel cold. You go to the small kitchen and ask someone to cook some ginger soup. I''ll send it to his majesty later. In such a weather, ginger soup is most suitable for warming up his majesty''s body."


    "Yes, your majesty." Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo couldn''t help laughing, with a hint of banter in her eyes. She bowed and walked towards the back hall.


    Yun Shang raised her head again and looked at the sky for a while. Then she turned around and went back to the inner hall. The inner hall was much warmer. Yun Shang took off her cloak and leaned against the couch to read.


    When she had read a few pages, she heard that Ban Xia was reporting outside, "Your majesty, Master Qi of the Neishi Bureau wants to see you."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She sat up straight and nodded at Pei Lan. Pei Lan quickly raised her voice and said, "Come in."


    Qi Ruihai looked anxious, but there was no expression on his face. As soon as he entered the door, he looked up at Yun Shang''s position, and quickly walked to Yun Shang


    n Shang, "I heard that her belly didn''t look too big a few days ago, but these days it seemed as if it had been blown up and became much bigger. Qian Qian pretended to be a fat servant probably because she was afraid that her belly would be too conspicuous. But she was caught by Mister Wang. According to the secret guard, Mister Wang looked at her disguise and smiled. He called out her name directly and said that there was no attendant as fat as her in the mansion. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang also laughed. Ning Qian was a character, but she was restrained by Wang Jinhuan. Wang Jinhuan was persistent and good at torturing people. He did agree with the saying, "One thing begets another.".


    Yun Shang smiled, but suddenly a thought flashed through her mind. Thus the smile on Yun Shang''s face disappeared. She patted the handrail and said, "I see."


    Qian Zhuo was startled. She stared at Yun Shang and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Yun Shang sneered with a gleam in her eyes, "I see..." Suddenly, she came to her senses and looked up at the bead curtain. She remembered that Chen Ke was standing at the door of the hall. Although there was still a distance between the door and the inner hall, with Chen Ke''s martial arts, he should be able to hear what both of them were talking about.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang answered indifferently, "I know Qian Qian will like Wang Jinhuan."


    After saying that, Yun Shang stood up and said, "Let''s go to the Taiji Palace to send the ginger soup. If we don''t send it now, the soup will be cold."


    Qian Zhuo answered yes and followed Yun Shang out of the inner hall with the food box.


    Yun Shang glanced at Chen Ke who was standing at the door. She paused and smiled, "Chen Ke, remember to guard here and don''t go out. If the guard comes later, just let him come to the Taiji Palace to look for me."


    Chen Ke replied in a low voice and bent down to see Yun Shang off. Yun Shang smiled and walked out of Weiyang Palace towards the Taiji Palace.

 Chapter 948 His Crimes

    When they arrived at the Taiji Palace, they found no one was there. Neither Liu Wenan nor Luo Qingyan was there. The eunuch guarding at the door bowed to Yun Shang as soon as he saw her, "Your Majesty. Are your majesty here for his majesty? Just now, the people in the Taihe Palace came, and his majesty took Master Liu to the palace. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. The Taihe Palace? Did Xia Huanyu have something to discuss with Luo Qingyan?


    Yun Shang guessed in her mind, but she still smiled gently, "Really? What a coincidence! I''m here to bring his majesty the ginger soup. In that case, please tell his majesty to go back to the Weiyang Palace for a drink. "


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and said, "Let''s go back."


    Qian Zhuo obeyed and followed Yun Shang behind. They turned around and walked towards Weiyang Palace along the way they came. Yun Shang kept thinking that if Xia Huanyu asked to see Luo Qingyan, there would be only a few possible things. First, he asked Luo Qingyan to choose a concubine for himself. Second, he asked Luo Qingyan something about Xia Houjing. Third, it might be about the Imperial Household Department.


    However, none of these three things was a good thing.


    Yun Shang frowned and gathered her cloak to stop the cold wind from blowing into her clothes.


    When they returned to Weiyang Palace, Chen Ke and Qinghao were still standing at the gate of the Weiyang Palace. Both of them quickly bowed to Yun Shang.


    When Yun Shang returned to the inner hall, she asked Qian Zhuo to heat up the ginger soup in the small kitchen. Then she took a book to read, but her face had not been relaxed. Seeing Qin Yi come in, Yun Shang raised her head, walked to the table, picked up a pen and wrote a line of words on the paper, and handed it to Qin Yi. After reading it, Qin Yinodded, threw the paper into the brazier and left.


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the fire suddenly sprang up and burned the paper to ashes.


    "Your Majesty," Chen Ke''s voice came from outside. Yun Shang walked to a chair and sat down. Then she took a book in hand and said loudly, "Come in."


    Chen Ke lifted the bead curtain and walked in. He curtsied to Yun Shang in a hurry and said, "Your majesty, the guards in our palace have just arrived. They said that the servants in the Imperial Household Department have finished their interrogation and there is a lot of news to report to you."


    Noticing that Chen Ke was looking at the brazier under Yun Shang''s feet, Yun Shang frowned and nodded. "Okay, you can go out first. I''ll be right there."


    Chen Ke replied and left the room slowly. Yun Shang then looked at the fire basin at her feet. There was a piece of paper burning in it, and the ashes were not completely dispersed. One could tell at a glance that it was a piece of paper.


    Yun Shang looked around and took out a plum blossom from the vase beside her. She stirred the paper ash in the stove so that no trace could be seen. Then she picked up the plum blossom again. When she was about to insert it into the vase, she saw that


    oncealed. He quickly responded and smiled, "Thank you, your majesty. Thank you very much."


    Yun Shang smiled, turned around and walked out of the long prison. When they arrived at the interrogation room, Qinghao wiped the stool with his clothes and let Yun Shang sit down.


    Li Fuhua was taken out by the guards and knelt down in front of Yun Shang. Yun Shang didn''t say anything but smiled at Li Fuhua. Li Fuhua shrank his body slightly and said, "Your majesty, why don''t you call those craftsmen over and confront me? I really don''t know why they made such a cup."


    Yun Shang smiled. She was not stupid and would not do as Li Fuhua said. Li Fuhua dared to say that because he was guilty of dereliction of duty. If he dared to call the craftsmen to confront him, they must have something on him. No matter what crime he committed, the craftsmen would definitely admit it.


    "Mr. Li must have found out that all the members from the Imperial Household Department are locked here. I am afraid of wronging Lord Li, I asked the guards to interrogate everyone in the Imperial Household Department one by one. But they haven''t convicted Lord Li yet, and I haven''t told you what crimes you have committed. I might as well read the testimony of everyone in the Imperial Household Department to you,"


    said Yun Shang with a smile. She then took out the thick pile of testimony from her sleeve and handed it to Qing Hao, "Qinghao, read it carefully for Lord Li."


    Taking it over in a hurry, Qing Hao coughed slightly and raised his voice, "The first crime of Li Fuhua is that he took bribes in private and provided five stones of powder for the imperial concubines. Li Fuhua''s second crime: he had an affair with the ladies in the palace. Li Fuhua''s third crime: smuggling of things from the palace for money. Li Fuhua''s fourth crime... "


    Li Fuhua''s face darkened. He hurriedly said, "Your majesty, I don''t know who provided these things to your majesty, but that person is really vicious and deliberately framing me."


    Li Fuhua said as he glanced at Qi Ruihai.

 Chapter 949 What Is Real And What Isnt

    Looking at Li Fuhua''s face, Yun Shang smiled. Everyone knew how to act. Who did not? Thinking of this, she frowned and said, "I also feel that these testimonies are somewhat unreliable. However, since someone has provided these testimonies to me, if I can''t investigate them carefully, I''m afraid that we will give grounds for talk. So Lord Li, are you sure that you haven''t committed any of these crimes? "


    Li Fuhua didn''t know what Yun Shang wanted to do, but he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t admit these crimes. He nodded in a hurry and said, "Please help me, your majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded, "If Lord Li is really innocent, I will definitely give you justice. Apart from these crimes, there were also some other crimes, such as the first one, which said that Lord Li accepted bribes in private and provided the imperial concubines with prohibited medicine Wushi Powder. The person who provided the testimony also told the place where Lord Li stored the stolen silver and the Wushi Powder. Take Crime 2 for example. It is said that Lord Li and the ladies had an affair in the palace, and this is a heinous crime. That person even told me in detail like who are the ladies that have an affair with Lord Li... "


    As Yun Shang spoke, she observed the expression on Li Fuhua''s face. He lowered his head and looked around uneasily.


    Yun Shang raised her voice and said coldly, "Since Lord Li believes that he didn''t do it, it''s easy. I''ll send someone to investigate the evidence on these confessions. It will be clear whether it''s true or not, won''t it?"


    After saying that, Yun Shang raised her voice, "Guards."


    A guard answered in a hurry. Then Yun Shang handed all the testimony in her hand to the guard, "Investigate it."


    The guard took it over in a hurry and went out of the prison. Li Fuhua still knelt on the ground. Although it was in the middle of winter, there was sweat on his forehead, but he didn''t dare to raise his hand to wipe it. He had to let the sweat flow to his forehead and fall to the ground. But Yun Shang pretended not to see it. She looked up at Qinghao and said, "Go and get me a cup of tea."


    Qing Hao responded and walked up the steps to get it.


    Yun Shang looked up and said to Li Fuhua casually, "How many years has Lord Li been in the palace?"


    Li Fuhua replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I have been in the palace for more than forty years."


    "More than forty years?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled, "That''s true.You are really an old man in the palace. It''s my first time here, but I don''t know what kind of crime it is called for such a heinous one. As a eunuch, the punishment should be the most serious. "


    Hearing this, Li Fuhua''s face became a little stiff, but he didn''t dare to neglect it. He quickly replied, "To have a private affair with the imperial concubines."


    "Oh?" Hearing this, Yun Shang paused and looked at Li Fuhua with confusion, "It seems that this is one of the charges of Lord Li just now. I don''t know who should hate him so much and frame him with such a charge. It''s really... It''s really too bad. "


    Seeing that Li Fuhua didn''t sa


    e if you want to go out? "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She took off her cloak and handed it to Qian Zhuo. Then she walked up to Luo Qingyan with a smile and said, "I think I''ve worn so much that I couldn''t move freely, but your majesty still think I am wearing not enough. Your majesty, look, in addition to the cloak made of tiger skin and fox fur just now, my inner robe and middle robe are all thick cotton clothes. They are too thick. "


    Luo Qingyan reached out and touched Yun Shang''s hand. His brows relaxed. He looked at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Well, your hands are not cold. They seem to be round and plump."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "Your Majesty, if you make fun of me again, I won''t wear so much clothes anymore."


    "Okay, I won''t make fun of you. You keep wearing this way in the winter. I heard that you have been to the Taiji Palace. What''s the matter?" Luo Qingyan moved aside and sat together with Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I just thought that the Taiji Palace was too big and cold, so I asked someone to make some ginger soup and send it to you."


    Then Yun Shang raised her head and ordered, "Go and bring the ginger soup. It has been heated until now."


    Qian Zhuo responded and went for it. Yun Shang picked up the writing brush on the table, took out a piece of paper, wrote some words on it, and handed it to Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan took it and read it carefully. Then he kneaded the paper into a ball without saying anything and threw it into the fire pot. Then he held Yun Shang''s hand and wrote three words on it.


    Yun Shang nodded and withdrew her hand.


    She suddenly glanced at the vase with plum blossoms on it, and then remembered the previous inadvertent discovery. She quickly raised her head and said to Qin Yi, "Take out all the plum blossoms in the vase."


    Both Qin Yi and Luo Qingyan felt strange. They turned to look at Yun Shang. Yun Shang hurriedly said, "I accidentally found that a plum blossom in the vase seemed to be dyed black by ink. I''m afraid it''s poisonous."

 Chapter 950 The Deaths

    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan''s face changed. He stood up and walked quickly to the blue porcelain vase. He pushed the vase hard and it fell to the ground and broke into pieces.


    "Watch out!" Yun Shang stood up in a hurry and pulled Luo Qingyan behind her. She saw water flowing from the vase, but it was not as black as ink as Yun Shang saw in the afternoon. It seemed to be clean water.


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened. She picked up a plum blossom from the ground. The part at the bottom of the plum blossom that was soaked in water didn''t change at all, which was completely different from what Yun Shang had seen. Yun Shang checked carefully at the plum blossoms scattered on the ground. The one was not there that she used to pull out the brazier in the afternoon.


    Yun Shang threw the plum blossoms on the ground and said indifferently, "These plum blossoms have been replaced."


    Liu Wenan lifted the door curtain and looked into the room. Surprised, he asked, "What happened?"


    Yun Shang said indifferently, "It''s okay. I broke the vase by accident. Ask someone to clean them up."


    Liu Wenan replied. Then he turned around and called several servants in. They cleaned up the pieces of the blue porcelain vase and the water on the ground, as well as the plum blossoms.


    Yun Shang looked at the wet ground quietly and said, "Check who changed the plum blossoms in this room when I left the Weiyang Palace this afternoon and went to the Neishi Bureau."


    Qin Yi answered in a low voice. Yun Shang continued, "This afternoon, Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo were not here. I was bored after reading, so I went to the vase and appreciated the plum blossoms. I noticed a beautiful plum blossom, I took it out and smelled it. But I found that the bottom of the plum blossom seemed to be covered with some black ink like water. It looked quite strange. I wanted to ask someone to investigate about it, but a guard came to report me something at that time, so I put the plum blossom back into the vase. After leaving the inner hall, I went to the Neishi Bureau. In such a short time, the water and plum blossoms in the vase were changed. "


    Luo Qingyan clenched his fists in his sleeves and said gently, "Don''t worry. As long as he used to enter the inner hall, I can find him out and dispose of him."


    Yun Shang shook her head and smiled, "Forget it. Even if we find it out, it''s useless. Now we don''t have evidence and we can do nothing. Anyway, I was too careless. I''ll be more careful in the future. "


    She still underestimated the schemes in the palace. Previously, she had always felt that Luo Qingyan''s imperial household was not as complicated as Xia Huanyu''s, and thus those fights in the imperial household should have nothing to do with her. But she didn''t expect that the imperial household was not only competing for love, but also for status.


    She must have behaved too gentle and casual in the palace before, which made people think that she was easy to be bullied. In this palace, obedient and gentle-minded people really couldn''t live on.


    Yun Shang was


    anquet on New Year''s Eve is of great importance. It''s my first time to take over it, and many things are not clear yet. So I called you here today. However, this sudden incident has delayed the work here. Well, you can go with us. On the way, we can also talk about what to do with the imperial banquet. "


    Although the stewards were quite disdainful of Yun Shang, she was the the Empress after all. They couldn''t go against her openly, so they quickly agreed and followed Yun Shang out of the Weiyang Palace.


    The palanquin was already prepared. Yun Shang got on it, and everyone followed behind quietly.


    Although Yun Shang had asked them to discuss about the imperial banquet on the way, she didn''t say a word along the way. When they arrived at the Neishi Bureau, Yun Shang came down from the palanquin and saw that the door of the Neishi Bureau was in a mess.


    After entering Neishi Bureau, she found that it was even more embarrassing. Because of the fierce battle just now, many things that could be destroyed in the Neishi Bureau had been destroyed, and there were still many people lying on the ground wearing the palace''s clothes.


    "Ah..." Screams came from the several stewards behind her from time to time. Yun Shang smiled coldly and thought to herself, ''Everyone in the palace is really good at acting. These stewardss must have climbed to their current position by stepping on the bodies of many people. How could they be afraid of these?''


    "The Neishi Bureau keep the files of all the people in the palace. Yesterday, no one broke through the guards of the outer palace, so they must be the people from the inner palace. Master Qi, it''s your duty to find out who these people are. How dare they rob the Neishi Bureau? " Yun Shang snorted and saw a maid among the dead bodies.


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the maid and walked over. The maid lay on her front on the ground and so her face was invisible. Yun Shang ordered the guards to turn her over. To everyone''s surprise, the dead woman looked exactly like Qin Yi.

 Chapter 951 A Picture Of A Beauty

    Yun Shang looked the woman up and down, and then turned to look at Qin Yi, who was following her. She felt surprised and said, "If you weren''t standing by my side, I wouldn''t have been able to tell who is real and who is fake."


    Yun Shang then ordered the guards to check the woman''s disguise. The guards squatted down and carefully touched the temples around the woman''s face. With a slight pause, they suddenly lifted the woman''s mask and pulled it off.


    The woman''s face was exposed to everyone''s eyes. Yun Shang turned around to look at the people behind her, only to find that the steward standing on the far left was staring at the woman lying on the ground, and his face suddenly changed.


    "Eh?" looking at the woman''s face, Qin Yi cried out in surprise.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi and smiled, "Does Qin Yi recognize her?"


    Qin Yi was also confused. She frowned and answered Yun Shang''s question, "This woman looks familiar, but I have forgotten where I have met her. I''ll think about it carefully."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Let''s go inside." Then she went through the yard and entered the room. The room was also full of corpses. Yun Shang went down the steps and entered the underground cell. A lot of torches were lit at the interrogation place. Perhaps because a lot of people had just been interrogated yesterday, there were still some condensed blood on many instruments of torture.


    Several stewards behind her were trembling, but Yun Shang kept calm and passed through the interrogation area of the long prison. There were still many people locked in the prison, and they were all staring at Yun Shang and the others.


    When they walked to the innermost part, Yun Shang saw Li Fuhua''s corpse lying on the hay in the prison. There was a bed of cotton on the hay, which should be put in according to Yun Shang''s instructions after she left yesterday.


    The guard opened the door of the cell, and Yun Shang walked in. She stared at Li Fuhua. Li Fuhua held a dagger in his hand, which looked very ordinary, but from the wound on Li Fuhua''s neck, the dagger should be very sharp.


    Yun Shang looked at the wound on Li Fuhua''s neck and frowned. She noticed the dagger was really too sharp. Li Fuhua didn''t know kung fu, but Yun Shang was sure of it. An ordinary man who didn''t know kung fu cut his neck without hesitation. He was killed by the knife, and all the blood vessels in his neck were cut off.


    All these about him didn''t make sense.


    She was still thinking when she heard Qi Ruihai say, "He was killed with one stab."


    Yun Shang, who was about to squat down, paused for a moment. Then she looked up at Qi Ruihai and asked, "Master Qi, do you think Lord Li committed suicide for fear of punishment?"


    "Yes, your majesty." Qi Ruihai replied softly.


    Yun Shang sneered, lowered her body, and reached out to lift Li Fuhua''s hand. His hand was very rough with many calluses. He must have been used to doing heavy work, but the position of


    Zhuo. Both of us will take turns to carefully examine all the things in the hall every day. As for the things that your highness needs to touch, just like in the mansion, we won''t let anyone else take responsibility."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "Thank you for your hard work."


    Just as both of them were talking, Pei Lan came in and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the man named Yu Qin from Shangyi Bureau said she had something important to report to you."


    Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi and smiled. "Did Qian Zhuo torture her too much? I thought she could survive the new year''s Eve. "


    "I don''t know what Qian Zhuo did," Qin Yi explained in a low voice.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Find a way to bring her to the Weiyang Palace."


    Qin Yi replied softly, "She is now in the Shangyi Bureau. It''s not difficult for her to come here. They can send clothes here every day."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Let her come then."


    Yun Shang got up a little early today, so she felt sleepy. She lay on the couch for a while, and then got up and had lunch. Soon afterwards, Yu Qin came with her clothes.


    Yun Shang looked out of the door and found Chen Ke wasn''t there. Qin Yi knew what Yun Shang was looking at, so she hurriedly said, "Previously, Chen Ke asked to sweep the snow in the Taihe Palace, so I let him go with a few servants."


    Yun Shang was stunned. Chen Ke wanted to go to the Taihe Palace, so she must have something to report to Xia Huanyu. But Yun Shang didn''t care about it. She nodded and said, "I see."


    Then she looked at Yu Qin standing in the hall. In just a few days, she looked much better than last time she saw her, but her eyes were a little uneasy.


    "Your Majesty, I remember that after Lady Liu gave birth to the seventh Prince, she got a picture of a beauty. I recognized her at a glance. The beauty on the picture was the same person as the previous eunuch who had a strange disease as well as a big belly in the palace of a lady."

 Chapter 952 It Is Still A Puzzle

    "A picture of beauty?" Yun Shang looked up at Yu Qin, "Who is it in the picture?"


    Yu Qin shook her head and said, "I don''t know. Lady Liu hung the painting in the hall because she thought it was a good one. That night, when his former majesty came and saw it, his expression changed. He kept asking Lady Liu where the painting came from and who had seen it. He even asked Master Liu to take it away. Two days later, I was sent to the Huanyi Bureau by Lady Liu. A few days ago, your majesty said that all the old men in the Biyu Palace were gone. I guess they might have something to do with this matter. "


    Yu Qin looked up at Yun Shang and said softly, "I doubt it because not long after I arrived at the Huanyi Bureau, the servants who saw the beauty picture in the Biyu Palace were in trouble one after another."


    Yun Shang thought for a while, with a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Who on earth was so important to Xia Huanyu? She asked Yu Qin, "Have you seen the beauty on the picture? Is there any obvious sign on the beauty? "


    After a long silence, Yu Qin said, "I really can''t remember it clearly because it was such a long time ago. However, the beauty on the picture can be said to be exceedingly beautiful. In the picture the beauty was playing the Pipa behind her back. There was a lachrymal mole under one of her eyes."


    "Under which eye was the lachrymal mole ?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Yu Qin shook her head in a hurry, and her face was full of fear. "I really can''t remember such a tiny thing. I can remember that there is a lachrymal mole under the beauty''s eyes just because a madam saw it at that time. She said that people with such kind of lachrymal mole are not very lucky, and they cry more than laugh all their lives."


    Seeing that Yu Qin didn''t seem to be lying, Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "I see. By the way... " A question suddenly flashed through Yun Shang''s mind, and she quickly asked, "You said that the pregnant eunuch was from a palace of a lady. Do you remember who the lady was?"


    Yu Qin nodded slightly and said, "I remember it. The concubine''s surname was Cao. At that time, she lived in the Luoxia Pavilion, which was a little remote in the east of the palace. The concubine was also good-looking. She entered the palace through the selection show in the third or fourth year after Lady Liu entered the palace. Since she was conferred the title by his majesty, she had not been favored by his former majesty. It seemed that she was congenial to Lady Liu. She often came to the Biyu Palace and kept close to Lady Liu when his former majesty was not in the palace. That''s why I know she had a weird eunuch that had a strange illness. "


    "If her appearance was not bad, why hadn''t she been favored by his former majesty?" Yun Shang was a little surprised. She knew that there were many beauties in the palace. If the servants who had seen so many beauties in the Palace still considered that the beauty was good in appearance, then the person could not be ordinarily beautiful.


    After thinking for a while, Yu Qin answer


    blood.


    After sitting for a while, she saw Pei Lan running over in a hurry. "Your Majesty, Lady Hua Guo wants to see you."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s eyes flashed with joy. She quickly sat up straight and said, "Please come here."


    Pei Lan replied and went out of the garden. Yun Shang looked up at Qin Yi and said, "The plum garden is also a good place."


    Qin Yi smiled and nodded, "No wonder you are so happy today. You suddenly remember to come to here to appreciate plum blossoms."


    Yun Shang smiled but said nothing. After a while, Pei Lan took Lady Hua Guo into the yard. Qin Yi had already prepared a chair for her. Yun Shang quickly stood up and walked up to her, "My grandma is here."


    Lady Hua Guo frowned and said, "No Empress would greet others in person. You should accept my greetings first."


    "There are only us here. There are not so many rules," answered Yun Shang smilingly. She took Lady Hua Guo to sit down, poured her a cup of tea and served it in front of her.


    Lady Hua Guo raised her head and looked around. She smiled and said, "Your majesty, you are good at enjoying life. The scenery here is as beautiful as a painting. You look much better."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and smiled, "I don''t know how to enjoy life. But there are so many people in the palace. It''s not easy to choose a place that can be easy to talk."


    Lady Hua Guo frowned again. She said, "Anyway, you have to clean up your palace. If your palace is not clean, it will be so aggrieving."


    Yun Shang agreed with a smile and changed the topic. She smiled and said, "I invited Grandma to the palace today to inquire about someone in the past."


    "Oh? Who? " Lady Hua Guo raised her eyebrows with interest.


    Yun Shang knew what she was thinking, so she smiled and said gently, "Grandma, do you know that twenty or thirty years ago, there was a woman in the Jin City who had a lachrymal mole under her eyes and was good at playing the Pipa behind her back, and her appearance was also very outstanding? Have you heard of it, Grandma? "

 Chapter 953 Daughters Of The Cao Clan (Part One)

    Lady Hua Guo looked at Yun Shang in surprise, asking, "Why did you know her?"


    Hearing her words, Yun Shang knew that Lady Hua Guo must have recognized the woman. She held her hand and asked, "Grandma, tell me who the woman is, all right? Her identity is very important to me and Qingyan. "


    Lady Hua Guo didn''t know why Yun Shang said so, but she suddenly fell silent. She took a bite of the cake from the plate, and after a long time, she sighed, "If I''m not wrong, the person you''re talking about should be one of the Cao sisters."


    "The Cao clan?" Yun Shang was a little surprised. Yu Qin said that the imperial concubine who was not favored was surnamed Cao. Did that woman have anything to do with Lady Cao? But it must have something to do with her. Otherwise, how could he deliberately place the woman in Lady Cao''s palace.


    Lady Hua Guo nodded and said, "The Cao clan used to be one of the most powerful clans in the dynasty. But they declined very rapidly. The ancestor of the Cao clan was a distinguished person for the foundation of the state, and has always been of great importance in the State of Xia, especially when Emperor Wenzong was alive. The Empress of Emperor Wenzong was from the Cao clan. "


    Yun Shang was a little stunned. She didn''t remember who was Emperor Wenzong Lady Hua Guo referred to.


    Seeing the puzzled look on her face, Lady Hua Guo smiled and explained, "Emperor Wenzong is the father of His Former Majesty."


    It was not until then that Yun Shang realized what was the situatation. But since Yun Shang came to the State of Xia, she had never heard of the Cao clan. Maybe it''s true the reason was just as Lady Hua Guo said, it declined quic


    Yun Shang that Lady Hua Guo was Hua Ling''s mother. It was not easy for her to visit the palace, so she thought she should take her to visit Hua Ling. Thinking of this, Yun Shang turned around with a smile and said softly, "Her former majesty should be reading at this moment. Grandma, why don''t you go to the Taihe Palace with me?"


    Lady Hua Guo stood up with a smile and walked towards the palace with Yun Shang.


    After Lady Hua Guo left, Yun Shang left the Taihe Palace and walked towards the Weiyang Palace, while combing through the current clues in her mind. It was almost certain that the beauty in the picture was Xia Houjing''s biological mother. During her pregnancy, she had stayed in the Lady Cao''s Luoxia Pavilion. That woman was a daughter of the Cao clan, and that concubine''s surname was also Cao. And according to Yu Qin, the concubine was also very beautiful. The reason why she was not favored was because of her family background, which might have something to do with the Cao clan.


    In this way, Lady Cao must be related to Xia Houjing''s mother. She might be the most important breakthrough point.

 Chapter 954 Daughters Of The Cao Clan (Part Two)

    Thinking of this, Yun Shang suddenly stopped. "Qin Yi, do you know where the pamphlet recording the background information of the concubines is kept?"


    Qin Yi thought for a while and answered softly, "I think it is probably in the library."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi and asked, "Where is the library?"


    Qin Yi pointed to a three story building across the lake and said to Yun Shang, "That''s it."


    Yun Shang looked up and turned around, "Let''s go and have a look."


    When they arrived at the library, Yun Shang saw a guard at the door. Qin Yi went forward and showed Yun Shang''s Empress token to the two guards. The two guards quickly opened the door of the library and said, "Your Majesty, you can check the books on the first and second floor as you like, but there is no key to the third floor."


    Yun Shang answered and walked in. However, Yun Shang was dumbfounded as soon as she entered the library. The library was full of bookshelves one after another, and there were probably one hundred thousand books in total.


    Yun Shang walked to them one by one. Fortunately, there were marks of different types of books on the bookshelf, which made everything easier. Yun Shang and Qin Yi looked for the marks on the bookshelf one by one, but they didn''t find anything they needed on the first floor.


    Both of them stepped on the wooden stairs and went to the second floor. The books on the second floor were more messy than those on the first floor. It took them more than two hours to find the bookshelf that recorded the materials of the imperial concubines one after another, but there were also a total of a thousand books on the bookshelf.


    Yun Shang frowned. She had no cho


    Cao entered the palace in the third year after Lady Liu entered the palace. It was then the sixth year after Xia Huanyu ascended the throne.


    "So it should be the sixth year after His Former Majesty ascended the throne," Yun Shang replied softly.


    "Where is the bookshelf of that year?" Luo Qingyan asked softly.


    Yun Shang quickly took Luo Qingyan to the bookshelf. Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "You''ve been looking for it for a long time, but haven''t you found any rule? On the bookshelf, a row of books belongs to an emperor. Xia Huanyu is the fourth emperor of the State of Xia, so he should be in the fourth row, on the fourth bookshelf... " Luo Qingyan slid his hand down to the fourth row and continued, "thTe materials are also arranged from right to left according to the time. In the sixth year, it should be the second selection show, and should be on the right."


    Luo Qingyan slowly scratched through the pamphlets and took out a pamphlet. He only looked at the name on the front page and put it back. After repeating this for four or five times, Luo Qingyan raised his head and asked, "Is she called Cao Shanxiu?"

 Chapter 955 The Secret Of The Luoxue Pavilion (Part One)

    Yun Shang was stunned. She quickly took the pamphlet from Luo Qingyan''s hand, opened it and read in detail the date of Cao Shanxiu''s birth, the time she entered the palace, and her family background.


    The time she entered the palace was almost the same she had inferred. Yun Shang read the family background carefully. She found Cao Shanxiu''s father was just an inferior fifth grade official, but...


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the words below. Although Cao Shanxiu''s father was only a fifth grade official, he was the brother of the former General Jianwei of the highest rank.


    General Jianwei, the first grade general, was added with the word "former". Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. In this way, she was almost sure that Cao Shanxiu was that concubine. The saying that she was not favored by the Emperor because of her family background resulted from the fact that she was a member of the Cao clan. No wonder Xia Huanyu asked Xia Houjing''s mother to hide in the palace of Lady Cao. On the one hand, this concubine was not favored, so it was not eye-catching. On the other hand, the relationship between the concubine and the daughters of the Cao family was as close as sisters, so she would sincerely help everything hence.


    Yun Shang nodded and looked up at Luo Qingyan, "It''s her. I don''t know if she''s still alive or not. If we can find her, Xia Houjing''s identity will be revealed."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and looked at the three words on the cover of the book. He said, "I''ll ask someone to investigate it."


    Both of them talked for a while, put the book back in place, and went downstairs together. It was really dark outside. Qin Yi took a lamp from the library and lit the way. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan went back to the Weiyang Palace together.


    After returning to the Weiyang Palace palace, Yun Shang saw the excitement on Qian Zhuo''s face. She smiled and asked, "Any good news today? You look so happy. "


    Qian Zhuo walked to the door and looked around. Then she returned and whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "Your majesty, there are two pieces of news. One is good and the other is bad. Which one do you want to hear first?"


    Looking at her expression, Yun Shang knew


    un Shang frowned, "Isn''t Pei Lan our people?"


    Qin Yi was also a little surprised. She quickly said, "I promise that there will be no problem with Pei Lan. There must be something hidden in this matter. Your majesty, you can ask Pei Lan directly."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Call Pei Lan in."


    Qian Zhuo went out and called Pei Lan. Pei Lan came in and bowed to Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. Yun Shang asked softly, "Pei Lan, did you change the flowers in the vase in the inner hall yesterday?"


    Pei Lan thought for a while and replied, "Your majesty, are you asking about the plum blossoms in the blue porcelain vase?"


    "Yes, it''s the plum blossom."


    Hearing this, Pei Lan nodded slightly and said, "I changed it. Yesterday, your majesty went to the Neishi Bureau with that guard, and then a servant came into the inner hall to do cleaning. I thought that Aunt Qin Yi had told me not to let other servants enter the inner hall alone, so I followed her in. When the servant was cleaning the blue porcelain vase, she accidentally took out a branch of plum blossom from the vase. I saw that the bottom part of the plum blossom soaked in water was dark, so I asked the servant to pour away the water in the vase, wash the vase and fill it with water again. After that, I went out to pick plum blossoms and changed them. "


    Hearing Pei Lan''s words, Yun Shang didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She said to her, "You did a bad thing out of kindness this time."

 Chapter 956 The Secret Of The Luoxue Pavilion (Part Two)

    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Pei Lan knew that she might have done something wrong, so she stood there awkwardly and uneasily.


    Luo Qingyan frowned and said, "I think the maid who cleaned the room is suspicious."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang also realized that if as Pei Lan said, the servant came in to clean the vase, and she should only wiped it with a cloth. How could she bring out the plum blossoms in the bottle? And it happened to be the moment Yun Shang left after she found the secret of the plum blossom. Such a coincidence was too obvious.


    "Do you remember who the maid is?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Pei Lan thought for a while and shook her head, "I can''t remember it."


    Yun Shang frowned. Was there anyone else in the Weiyang Palace watching her besides Chen Ke? And the other one was probably not as simple as Chen Ke, who was just staring at her. Although she didn''t know what was in the vase, it was not a good thing. That person must want her life.


    But Pei Lan didn''t remember what the servant looked like. There were many servants in the Weiyang Palace, so it would be difficult to investigate. What she could do now was just to guard herself against it.


    Yun Shang smiled and asked Pei Lan to leave. Then she raised her head and said gently, "It doesn''t matter. A fox will show its tail."


    Two days later, Li Fuhua''s corpse was found in a well in a very remote palace. The corpse had been soaked and swollen. It must have been there for quite a while. When the servant came to report this, Yun Shang couldn''t help but frown. "It''s new year''s Eve. What a bad luck! Go and ask Li Qianmo to have a look."


    The guard obeyed. Yun Shang thought for a while and finally stood up, "Let''s go. Let''s have a look."


    The palace was in the east of the Imperial Palace, and was in the other end of the palace, so that day Li Fuhua should have run across the whole Imperial Palace to escape from the Neishi Bureau. When Yun Shang arrived at the gate of the shabby palace where Li Fuhua''s corpse was found, she noticed that the palace was in ruins. Even the plaque at the gate fell to the ground, and it was covered with vines.


    "Watch out, your majesty!" Qin Yi hurried forward and helped Yun Shang up, "The steps are covered with moss. It has snowed for two days, and the ground is wet and slippery."


    Yun Shang nodded and went into the yard. The yard was also overgrown with weeds, and some of them were so tall that they almost reached her waist. Because of the accident, there were many palace guards standing in the yard to watch. Yun Shang frowned and said, "Why is this place so broken? Why didn''t anyone clean it? "


    Hearing this, a madam answered in a hurry, "Your Majesty, there is something you don''t know. This yard was originally sealed by His Former Majesty, and then it was gradually forgotten. If it weren''t for such a thing, I''m afraid no one would remember this place."


    A flicker of doubt flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes, but it didn''t last long before she walked towards the crowd.


    "Excuse me. Her majesty is here," the guards aside raised their voices, and the


    up and heard someone outside reporting that Li Qianmo had come.


    Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the inner hall. Seeing that Li Qianmo was standing in the hall, she asked, "How''s the investigation going? Do you have any clue? "


    Li Qianmo quickly turned around and bowed to Yun Shang before saying, "The coroner examined the corpse. Li Fuhua didn''t die from drowning, but died before he was thrown into the well. He found a tiny object nearby, a silk thread and a tiny jade bead. They might have fallen from the murderer''s body. No one has been to that yard for a long time, and we can''t find any other clues for the time being. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, stood up and said, "Let''s go. Follow me to the Imperial Garden. I want to hear your opinion on the case."


    Li Qianmo agreed and followed Yun Shang out of the Weiyang Palace. They went to the Imperial Garden. There were many servants coming and going there. Yun Shang stopped in the Pavilion by the lake and turned to look at Li Qianmo, "Now you are in charge of this case. You should try to search the Luoxue Pavilion in the present scene."


    Li Qianmo, who had just come over, naturally knew where the Luoxue Pavilion was mentioned by Yun Shang. He was stunned and asked, "Your majesty, what do you want to search?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and then said, "Some time ago, I got some clues about the identity of the seventh Prince Xia Houjing. Those clues showed that Xia Houjing was not Lady Liu''s child. Xia Houjing''s biological mother was a daughter of the Cao clan, a famous clan in the State of Xia. Back then, Xia Houjing''s biological mother lived in the Luoxue Pavilion in the name of a eunuch. The former lady of the Luoxue Pavilion was the cousin of Xia Houjing''s biological mother. I want to know the specific identity of Xia Houjing''s mother and whether Xia Houjing is the child of Xia Huanyu or not. Up till now, I am not sure if there is any clue left in the Luoxue Pavilion. You just need to keep it in your mind. If you find anything suspicious, you just send it here secretly. "

 Chapter 957 The Shocking Secret In The Letter (Part One)

    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Li Qianmo was surprised. He looked at Yun Shang in a daze and said, "The seventh Prince was not born by Lady Liu? It is also possible that he is not the son of His Former Majesty''s at all? Isn''t it too inconceivable? "


    Yun Shang nodded with a helpless smile, "Yes, but according to the clues we have, that''s the truth. Although I can''t prove that Xia Houjing is not the child of Xia Huanyu''s, I can prove that Xia Houjing is not the child of Lady Liu''s. "


    Li Qianmo replied in a hurry, "Yes, I understand now."


    Yun Shang nodded, "As for Li Fuhua''s case..." Yun Shang thought for a while and finally sighed, "All right. Forget it. You can look into it first. Tell me first when you get all the clues. I always feel that the murderer''s purpose is on me. "


    "Yes, I understand now," Li Qianmo replied in a low voice. Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief and allowed Li Qianmo to leave.


    Qian Zhuo was confused, "Why did your majesty say that the murderer wanted to do harm to you?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, "Nothing. I don''t have any evidence. It''s just my intuition."


    Back in the Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang read a book for a while and then ordered the small kitchen to prepare dinner. Luo Qingyan came back early this morning, but Liu Wenan, who followed Luo Qingyan, still held a thick stack of memorials in his hand.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you are going to turn on the light for night reading today."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Yes. Shang''er said the space in the Taiji Palace is too big and it is too cold, so I am coming back to the Weiyang Palace. Would you like to company me?


    ."


    "There are so many people cursing your majesty, and I''m not afraid of one or two more. Just relax, your majesty." Seeing that Luo Qingyan had finished his approval, Yun Shang took another memorial to read. This memorial was written by the salt transportation department of Deer City. Deer City was close to the sea and produced salt. However, she found that many people had recently bought salt from the coastal people directly and smuggled it secretly.


    Yun Shang''s face changed slightly, and she handed the memorial to Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan glanced at it and said, "There has always been smuggling of salt in Deer City. We''ll strictly handle it."


    Luo Qingyan picked up the red pen and wrote two words on it: Be serious.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the memorial. Seeing that Luo Qingyan had said so, she didn''t say anything. She nodded and smiled, "Yes, we have to be strict. If all the salt is smuggled, we can''t collect tax. If we can''t collect money from the national treasury, how can we things do without money?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled again, "I think you have fallen into the eyes of money."

 Chapter 958 The Shocking Secret In The Letter (Part Two)

    Then he put another memorial into Yun Shang''s hand. Yun Shang picked it up and opened it casually, but her body suddenly froze. This memorial was indeed the same as other memorials, but it was not a memorial at all. It was clearly a letter.


    Without raising her head, Yun Shang looked at the signature of the letter, and she was surprised again. Was it a letter from Liu Yinfeng to Luo Qingyan?


    Yun Shang read the letter carefully from beginning to end, but she sensed that something was wrong. It didn''t sound like he was talking to Luo Qingyan. It said, "Your Majesty is smart enough to be an emperor. Don''t worry, His Former Majesty. I don''t mind it at all.". However, I can''t persuade Brother to stop the rebellion. He is too stubborn, I am afraid he will be in big trouble hence.


    Yun Shang was slightly stunned, and her face suddenly changed. She grabbed Luo Qingyan''s hand and stared at him. Luo Qingyan nodded gently, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.


    Yun Shang came back to her senses and read the letter word by word. Except for the ordinary greetings, there were only a few extraordinarily eye-catching words in the letter.


    Don''t worry, His Former Majesty. I don''t mind it at all. Yun Shang was speechless. She wondered what Liu Yinfeng meant by the words, "I don''t mind it at all." What was it that he didn''t mind? Was it about Luo Qingyan becoming the emperor? But why did he mind that Luo Qingyan became the emperor?


    What surprised Yun Shang most was that he said that he couldn''t persuade his brother to try to rebel.


    Xia Houjing was the only one who wanted to rebel. Xia Houjing was the one Liu Yinfeng had been persuading in


    written in the end.


    After going over the memorials, Luo Qingyan stood up and walked to Yun Shang. He held her shoulder and looked at the blank letter. He smiled and said, "You don''t need to worry or be embarrassed. Anyway, I''m in this position now. No matter who he is, it''s a fact that can''t be changed. And didn''t he say it clearly in the letter? "


    Yun Shang understood what he meant. It was Liu Yinfeng''s words, "His Majesty is intelligent. He will definitely be a good emperor. Don''t worry, His Former Majesty. I don''t mind it at all.".


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time before she nodded slightly, but she still bit her lips and didn''t say anything.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "It''s late. Let''s go to bed. There must be a road to the mountain, and even if he is in that status, he may not come to compete with me. Even if he fights with me, he may not win. Don''t underestimate your husband. "


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded slightly. Then she rested with Luo Qingyan.


    But that night, Yun Shang didn''t fall asleep. She also noticed that Luo Qingyan had tossed and turned the whole night.

 Chapter 959 Who Is The Murderer

    On the second day, it was sunny. Yun Shang took Bao''er out to the Imperial Garden. After a walk, she felt a little tired. She then took Bao''er to have a rest in the pavilion.


    "How is Bao''er these two days?" asked Yun Shang. She smiled and put her forehead against Bao''er''s. They stared at each other for a while. Bao''er burst into laughter, so did Yun Shang. Yun Shang looked up at the babysitter standing aside. She had been trapped in all kinds of affairs these two days and neglected Bao''er.


    The maid hurriedly replied softly, "The Prince is fine. He has eaten and slept well these two days. It''s just that he was used to being accompanied by Dr. Chen, so at first, he would cry if he didn''t see Dr. Chen. Luckily, he has recovered from it. "


    "Oh? What has Chen Miaosi been doing these days? " Yun Shang asked casually, raising her eyebrows and gently placing well the hat on Bao''er''s cloak.


    "Dr. Chen went out early and came back late recently. She stays in the Imperial Hospital and rarely appears in front of the Prince. Even if she comes back and meets me holding the Prince, she won''t have physical contact with the Prince, as if she deliberately avoided it. " The babysitter answered with her head down after thinking for a while.


    Yun Shang nodded and said thoughtfully, "It''s not that Chen Miaosi doesn''t know the ways of the world. At least after she knows her master''s betrayal, she still knows to avoid it."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and kissed Bao''er on the forehead. Fortunately, the nosebleed didn''t affect him too much that day. Otherwise, she wouldn''t let go of Zheng Qiming even if he was really innocent. However, Chen Miaosi''s deliberate avoidance made Yun Shang more suspicious of her.


    It was said that she grew up in the Changbai Mountain and had never gone down the mountain to understand the world. She was an innocent girl before, but she knew that she should avoid at this time. Was it too deliberate?


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang''s eyes flashed and she didn''t say anything.


    It was a rare sunny day because of the cold weather. All the fish in the lake were struggling on the water. Bao''er''s eyes were attracted by the fish in the water. He was very excited.


    Seeing him so lively, the depression inYun Shang''s heart faded a lot. She smiled at Qian Zhuo and said, "Go and get some bun. I''ll feed the fish. Bao''er likes to see the fish very much."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a low voice and left with a smile. Yun Shang saw that Bao''er was being attracted by the fish in the lake, so she stood up with Bao''er in her arms and let him face the lake, so that he could see the colorful fish clearly.


    After a while, Qian Zhuo came with two buns. Yun Shang didn''t take it, but asked Qian Zhuo to tear the buns into pieces and feed the fish in the lake. It was difficult for fish to find food in winter. So as soon as bun pieces fell on the water, they snatched them away in a second. More and more fish gathered, and the water splashed onto Bao''er face, and he laughed happily.


    Yun Shang held Bao''er farther away and looked at her excited child in her arms. She shook her head with a smile and


    the Luoxue Pavilion. But why was someone cleaning up the bonny vine on the plaque outside the yard?


    Yun Shang tightened her grip on the scroll and almost broke it.


    That day, the murderer must be also in the Luoxue Pavilion. In order to make Yun Shang notice the plaque, he deliberately sorted out the vines outside the door to attract Yun Shang''s attention. So the murderer was among the people outside the Luoxue Pavilion that day?


    Yun Shang''s heart sank. She didn''t expect the murderer to appear in front of her so blatantly.


    "Have you investigated all the servants in and out of the Luoxue Pavilion that day?" Yun Shang let go of the scroll, smoothed the crumpled part gently, and then handed it to Qian Zhuo.


    Li Qianmo hurriedly answered in a low voice, "I have generally investigated, but there is no big problem."


    "No one has been to the Luoxue Pavilion for so many years. How did Li Fuhua''s corpse be found then?" Yun Shang had always been confused about htis question. According to the current situation, the person who found the corpse was highly suspicious.


    "It''s a coincidence that the well is dry in winter. The water level in many wells in the palace has dropped, and it''s difficult to get water from many wells. There are several palaces in the east of the palace, and due to the higher terrain in the east of the imperial household, there is no water in the well. The well in the Luoxue Pavilion is very deep. Although the Luoxue Pavilion is forbidden to enter by His Former Majesty, after so many years, it''s very difficult to get water from it. Many people have forgotten this. The people in the palaces in the East will go to the well in the Luoxue Pavilion to fetch water during this period of time, but they don''t dare to publicize it. The people who found Li Fuhua''s corpse that day went to fetch water early in the morning, " Li Qianmo replied.


    Yun Shang tapped gently on the pillar of the pavilion with her finger. In this way, the suspect area of the murderer could be narrowed down to the maids and servants near the Luoxue Pavilion in the East.

 Chapter 960 An Unexpected Person

    "Give me all the detailed information about the maids near the Luoxue Pavilion that day. As for the rest, you can continue with your investigation," Yun Shang said softly with a calm look.


    Li Qianmo nodded, bowed again and left.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time until Bao''er''s cry woke her up. Yun Shang looked up at Bao''er, only to see him babbling and laughing with his sleeves in his mouth.


    Yun Shang reached out and scraped his face. Then she turned to Qian Zhuo and said, "Put the painting here and go to the Shangyi Bureau. Tell them that I want to make a dress and ask them to send someone over to see the style. Remember to bring Yu Qin here. I''ll ask her whether the beauty picture she saw before is the same as the one I saw today."


    Qian Zhuo obeyed as Yun Shang ordered, put the scroll on the chair in the pavilion, and left.


    It must be something about Li Fuhua that had knocked on the chief of the Shangyi Bureau. This time, the people of the Shangyi Bureau came very fast. The one who stood in the front was the chief of the Shangyi Bureau, Master Yu, Yu Nian.


    Yun Shang pretended to be flattered and said with a smile, "I just wanted to make a dress, but I didn''t expect it to alert Master Yu."


    Since the Neishi Bureau had found out that the maid who disguised as Qin Yi was her maid, Yu Nian had been a little uneasy. So when she heard the news of Li Fuhua''s death, she was even more worried. When she heard that Yun Shang had something to ask for their help, she immediately put down his work and rushed over.


    But when she heard Yun Shang''s words, she understood that Yun Shang had something in her words, with a faint sense of mockery. Now she didn''t dare to look down upon this smiling Empress anymore. Looking at the gentle Empress, she quickly responded with a courteous smile, "Your Majesty, I''m flattered. It''s my duty."


    The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curled up slightly, but she didn''t say anything. She glanced at Yu Nian indifferently, and paused on Yu Qin standing behind her.


    Seeing that Yu Nian didn''t say anything more, she was afraid that she would make Yun Shang unhappy, so she said in a hurry, "What kind of clothes do you want, your majesty? If you like any color or style, you can tell me. "


    Yun Shang nodded, picked up the scroll beside, and handed it to Yu Nian, "This is a material evidence of Lord Li''s case. But I think the woman''s clothes in the scroll are very beautiful, so I''m interested in it. I want the Shangyi Bureau to make two clothes in the same way, but there are still some details to modify. Master Yu is an expert in it. You don''t need me to say too much. I believe."


    Then Yu Nian took the scroll and opened it carefully. Yun Shang''s eyes fell on her face and saw her hand move slightly when she saw the woman in the painting. And the painting almost fell to the ground.


    "Watch out!" Yun Shang frowned and said in a hurry. When the painting was placed well, she said softly, "This is an important evidence. You can''t be


    either of them could be Liu Yinfeng''s biological mother.


    Liu Yinfeng was nearly ten years older than Xia Houjing, which meant that Liu Yinfeng was the child of the Crown Prince, Xia Chun''s, and Xia Houjing was most likely the child of Cao Wenxi and Xia Huanyu''s.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes slowly and was shocked by this guess. It was really too messy. Moreover, there were still many doubts. For example, since Xia Huanyu loved Cao Wenxi so much that he could secretly protect her, and even treated her and Xia Chun''s son well, why did everyone know that he loved Hua Ling? Besides, he didn''t seem to be pretending to be excited when he met Hua Ling again.


    What the hell was going on?


    Yun Shang bit her lips and sighed. She tried to calm herself down and opened her eyes. She took Bao''er from the maid''s arms and said softly, "There''s wind. Let''s go back to the Weiyang Palace."


    After returning to the Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang sat at the desk, writing and drawing, and tried to sort out the current messy situation confronting her. She didn''t say a word for most of the afternoon.


    Qin Yi went back to the inner hall a little late. It was not until Yun Shang saw Qin Yi that she remembered that she hadn''t seen Qin Yi for a day. She looked up at Qin Yi] and asked, "Where have you been today?"


    Qin Yi smiled and said, "Madam Qiu and Madam Qi were going to the Imperial Household Department to fetch something, but as there was no one in charge there today, I took the token that your Majesty gave me and went to help them both."


    Yun Shang nodded. She thought for a while and said, "The Imperial Household Department needs someone to take care of it. You can go there to work from tomorrow. And we''ll transfer more people to help you there. If there is anyone dare to do something secretly, just dispose of it. "


    Qin Yi nodded. She looked around before she walked to Yun Shang and said, "When I went to Imperial Household Department today, I always felt that someone was following me."

 Chapter 961 The Missing Painting

    Yun Shang was surprised, "Someone was following you? Have you seen his face clearly? "


    Qin Yi shook her head and said with hesitation, "In fact, I''m not sure if there was really someone following me. I don''t know much martial arts, but I always felt that someone was looking at me from a distance, but every time I turned around, I couldn''t find anyone. I asked Madam Qi and Madam Qiu, but they said they noticed nothing about it "


    Yun Shang knew what kind of person Qin Yi was. If it wasn''t for certain, Qin Yi wouldn''t have said that to her.


    After thinking for a while, Yun Shang ordered Qian Zhuo, "Send two guards to follow Qian Zhuo secretly. She is going to work in the Imperial Household Department, and I''m afraid that the people who want to harm me will first try to kill Qin Yi, so she will be in danger."


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly followed the order. Noticing that Qin Yi wanted to refuse her, Yun Shang told her, "The position of the director of the Imperial Household Department is very important to me. In this palace, if no one helps me, no matter how powerful I am, I can''t move even a single step. If you take care of the Imperial Household Department, I will be much easier. But I''m afraid there is some risk in the job. Are you willing to do that? "


    Hearing this, Qin Yi knelt down and said, "Yes, your majesty."


    Yun Shang smiled.


    In the evening, when Luo Qingyan returned to the Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang told him the clues she found today. Luo Qingyan seemed to be a little surprised and asked, "You mean that Xia Houjing''s biological mother is Cao Wenxi?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "If there''s no accident, that''s true. Let me show you that painting... " As Yun Shang spoke, she asked Qian Zhuo to fetch the painting. Qian Zhuo walked to the case and rummaged through it. Then she ran back in a hurry reporting, "Your majesty, the painting is missing."


    Yun Shang was surprised. How could it be, she wondered? The painting must have been taken back this afternoon. Yun Shang had seen Qian Zhuo put it inplace. After they came back from the Imperial Garden, there had always been someone else in the room on duty. How could the painting be missing then? With these in mind, Yun Shang stood up and walked to the case, asking. "Are you sure that you put the painting here after you came back this afternoon?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded repeatedly, "Yes. I heard from Master Yu that the woman in the painting is the wife of a traitor, so I was worried that if someone saw it, it would be bad for you. So I put it well and pressed it at the bottom of the case."


    Who could take away the painting from the box in front of them? When Yun Shang was thinking about it, she heard a report from outside, "Your Majesties, His Former Majesty has sent someone to invite you to have dinner in the Yaihe Palace."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan, stood up and said to Qin Yi, "Go and ask what''s the matter with their former majesties, and why they invite us to the Taihe Palace for dinner. "


    Qin Yi nodded and went out. After a while, she lifted the bead curtain and came in, "Yo


    hey are. Why do you treat them like this?"


    A light flashed in Xia Huanyu''s eyes. He kept silent for a long time, and finally said indifferently, "Although their identities are somewhat special, they are not like what you think. They will definitely not pose a threat to you. You don''t have to investigate them anymore."


    "They will not pose any threat to us?" The corners of Luo Qingyan''s mouth curled up slightly. He murmured, "Then is it my illusion that there are so many soldiers in Liucang City? Xia Houjing and Cangjue Qingsu were working in collusion, one from within and the other from without. Am I dreaming? "


    Xia Huanyu''s face darkened. He pounded the table and stood up, declaring, "I''ll deal with it myself. Just mind your political affairs."


    Yun Shang was a little confused. She asked, "Father said that their identities are not like what we think. Since that''s not the case, why do you have to hide it like this, Father? Isn''t it better to tell us about it? "


    Xia Huanyu''s face turned even colder, "I have promised not to tell anyone else, so I won''t. If you keep tracing, don''t blame me for being rude."


    Hearing what Xia Huanyu said, Luo Qingyan stood up and said stubbornly, "Okay, I''d like to know how you will be rude to us."


    Then he took Yun Shang out of the study and left the Taihe Palace without saying goodbye to Hua Ling.


    Yun Shang kept thinking about what Xia Huanyu had said. If Xia Houjing was really the son of his and Cao Wenxi''s, Xia Huanyu would not put it on the table to warn them that way. Xia Huanyu was a very honorable person. Yun Shang knew that. So, was she wrong? From what Xia Huanyu had just said, the identities of the two persons were not as she had imagined. However, it was certain that Xia Houjing''s mother was not Lady Liu.


    Was it true that Xia Houjing was not Xia Huanyu''s son? Or maybe, Xia Houjing''s parents were in good relationship with Xia Huanyu, so it was because of his kindness, or it was because of other reasons that Xia Huanyu had tried his best to help them and doted on their son so much?

 Chapter 962 More And More People Died (Part One)

    On the way, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan kept silent. Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo thought that they two might be a little tired because it was too late. So they didn''t think too much and waited for them to rest.


    On the second morning, Yun Shang was woken up by Qian Zhuo. Her face was full of panic. She held Yun Shang''s hand in a hurry. Before Yun Shang totally woke up, she said, "Your Majesty, something''s wrong. Yu Qin and Uncle Liu outside the palace are dead..."


    Yun Shang''s eyes were still full of confusion. Hearing what Qian Zhuo said, she was still not very clear, "Dead? What did you mean by ''dead''? How did they die? "


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly repeated, "Your majesty, it''s Yu Qin. Uncle Liu, the midwife''s husband more than 20 years ago. Both died. Both of them were killed with a knife on their necks. "


    Before Yun Shang replied, Qian Zhuo asked again, "Your majesty, do I need to send someone to investigate it carefully? Under the protection of the secret guards, both Yu Qin and Uncle Liu had such an accident. I''m afraid that the other party is not weak. "


    Yun Shang finally came to her senses. She held the quilt tightly and looked pale. After a long silence, she sneered, "No need. I know who the murderer is."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo was stunned for a while. Then she quickly asked, "Your majesty, do you know who the murderer is?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, with coldness in her eyes. Who else could it be except for Xia Huanyu? Last night, he took out the beauty picture and had seriously warned them. Seeing that they were not going to stop, he deliberately ordered his men to kill Yu Qin and Uncle Liu. He just wanted to tell her that all their actions were under his control and that they should know to retreat in the face of difficulties and not to investigate f


    the thirtith day of the new year''s eve. " Madam Qiu answered in a hurry.


    "Oh?" Last night, Yun Sahg kept thinking about the birth background of Liu Yinfeng and Xia Houjing. Although she left the Weiyang Palace, she didn''t notice that. However, she had noticed that the Taihe Palace had already been decorated up, and presumably other places would have also been prepared.


    "That''s good," Yun Shang nodded with a smile, and returned the pamphlet to them, "Just follow your ideas. I believe in you. If you need anything, just tell me."


    Madam Qi and Madam Qiu agreed and left.


    Yun Shang was reading a book when she noticed Pei Lan poking her head at the door of the inner hall. She smiled and asked, "What are you looking for, Pei Lan?"


    Pei Lan was startled and hurried in, "I''m looking for Ban Xia. Just now, Madam Qi asked me and Ban Xia to clean the rooms in the side hall together. She said that the new year was coming, and we had to clean every place in the palace today. But I couldn''t find Ban Xia, so I thought that she might be in your majesty''s room, and thus I came to have a look. I found you were reading, so I didn''t dare to disturb you. I am sorry, your majesty. "

 Chapter 963 More And More People Died (Part Two)

    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo. Qian Zhuo shook her head and said, "I didn''t see her either. Maybe she was called away by Aunt Qin Yi. Since Aunt Qin Yi went to the Imperial Household Department, she must have a lot of work to do there."


    Yun Shang nodded and said to Pei Lan, "Since we can''t find Ban Xia, you can go to the Qinghao to work with you."


    Pei Lan replied and left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang didn''t care about it at all. She lowered her head and read for a while. Then she had lunch. When she was about to have a rest on the couch, she saw Pei Lan running over in a hurry with a panic on her face, "Your Majesty, something''s wrong. Ban Xia is dead."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She sat up straight and looked at Pei Lan, "What happened?"


    Pei Lan was probably a little scared. Her face was a little pale and she could not speak for a long time with her mouth open. Qian Zhuo quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to her, comforting her softly, "Don''t worry. Drink a glass of water slowly and tell her majesty carefully what you have found."


    Pei Lan took the water, her hands still trembling slightly. She took a sip of water and said after a long time, "Just now, Qinghao and I took people to clean the west side hall. There are no people living in the west side hall, and there are some grocery stores. In one of the rooms, there are some old chairs that might have been replaced before. I asked someone to move those chairs away and dispose of them. However,


    tell you about it. I have never seen the wound on Uncle Liu''s neck, but the one on the neck of Ban Xia is exactly the same as that on the neck of Yu Qin. The wound looks not very serious, but it''s very deep. She was killed by a knife. It''s clean and efficient. It''s obvious that it was done by someone with high martial arts. "


    After thinking for a while, Qian Zhuo lowered her head and whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "By the way, your majesty, I haven''t seen Chen Ke for a long time. Is Chen Ke..."


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head. The smile in her eyes became colder. She said indifferently, "The people who died last night were probably killed by Chen Ke."


    the State of NingQian Zhuo was stunned and looked incredulous. Yun Shang said indifferently, "Go to the kitchen and make some cakes with the State of Ning''s features. Send them to the Taihe Palace. You go in person and send them to His Former Majesty. Tell him that I thank His Former Majesty for eliminating traitors for me."

 Chapter 964 There Is Still Time (Part One)

    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo was stunned again. She opened her mouth but didn''t say anything for a long time. Yun Shang turned around and ordered, "Dispose of the corpse properly. It''s best to do it at night. It''s new year''s Eve. Don''t make people panic."


    Qing Hao responded in a hurry and ordered everyone there to work together.


    Then Yun Shang turned around and left the western side hall. Qian Zhuo came to her senses and followed her. Although she had many questions to ask, she didn''t open her mouth when she saw Yun Shang pursing her lips and glaring at her.


    Back in the main hall, Yun Shang sat on the chair and snorted. Didn''t Xia Huanyu think that he had gone too far by doing this? Even if Ban Xia betrayed her, it was not his turn to deal with it.


    "Bang!" all the servants in the hall looked in the direction where the voice came from, and saw Yun Shang suddenly pounding the table and standing up. The smile at the corners of her mouth was cold, "You''ve gone too far."


    Everyone there trembled slightly. Seeing the expressions on their faces, Yun Shang knew that she had overreacted. She closed her eyes and calmed herself down. Then she turned around and went into the inner hall, lying on the couch for a rest.


    Since there was no interest in reading, Yun Shang just decided to sleep for a while. When she woke up, Qian Zhuo had returned to the inner hall.Yun Shang looked up at her, and Qian Zhuo quickly reported, "Your Majesty, the things have been sent to the His Former Majesty''s palace. I have handed them to His Former Majesty myself." Then she looked at Yun Shang''s face carefully and bit her lips, not daring to say anything more.


    Yun Shang knew what kind of person Xia Huanyu was, so she said coldly, "What did he say? Why are you hesitating? "


    Qian Zhuo lowered her head and answered in a low voice, "His Former Majesty said it was


    became brighter.


    Yun Shang was also very happy, "That''s great. I think it''s reasonable. Xia Houjing''s soldiers are just strong men captured from the common people. Without a long time of training, how can they compare with the soldiers who have killed the enemy in the battlefield? But we have to guard against him gathering Feng Ming outside KY City to support him. If Feng Ming leads the soldiers for the support, Sun Bingzhi will fall into siege, and the situation will change again, I''m afraid. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I''ve made arrangements for it. Now, due to your majesty''s strategy, the army in Liu Yinfeng''s hands go against the will of the people. Those soldiers are all rogues. They couldn''t help it. It was said that there have been several insults in Liucang City caused by soldiers pulling away ordinary women in broad daylight. Although Liu Yinfeng has ordered to cut off the soldiers who have offended the people in public and hung their bodies at the gate of the city for three days, the soldiers'' reputation among the people is bad, and they can no longer make up for it. Besides, the army doesn''t have enough food. The food can only come from the common people. Of course, they won''t be happy to go on to support them. "

 Chapter 965 There Is Still Time (Part Two)

    Yun Shang thought for a while, and her eyes lit up. She smiled and said, "I think your majesty can take this opportunity to send someone to Liucang, but not to Liu Cang City centre. In the name of the government, our people can send food to the people in the small villages within the area of Liucang. Then there is a rule for the people there that whoever reports the movements or some useful clues of the traitors will be rewarded, and if someone from his family takes part in the team of the traitors, he or she will also be exempted from punishment. "


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms with a smile and said softly, "Shang''er knows what her husband is thinking."


    Hearing his words, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She knew he must have sent someone to do it.


    Luo Qingyan kept silent for a while and said, "Liu Yinfeng has been rescued, escorted by secret guards, and is on the way back to the Jin City."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, and the smile on her face faded a little. Because of the presence of Liu Wenan, she didn''t say much. What she was thinking was that according to the correspondence between Liu Yinfeng and Xia Huanyu, Liu Yinfeng was also very clear about what had happened in the past. Since Xia Huanyu didn''t allow her to investigate, she might as well ask him directly.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang said in a low voice, "If we hurry up, he will be able to catch up with the new year. He must be very worn out this time."


    Luo Qingyan nodded without saying anything. Yun


    He was silent for a long time before he reached out his hand to touch it. Bao''er smiled and waved his hands, seeming to be very excited.


    "Why can''t you speak?" Luo Qingyan''s lips twitched, as if he were a bit of averse.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She glared at him and said, "Your Majesty, what are you talking about? Bao''er is only a hundred days old. What are you talking about? It will take at least more than 10 months or about one year for a baby to speak. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan kept silent for a while and smiled, "Okay."


    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised. She looked up at Luo Qingyan and asked, "What do you mean by ''Ok''?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and didn''t say anything. He looked at Bao''er and smiled. In his heart, he was thinking that, well, if he didn''t say anything, he wouldn''t be found that he was mentally ill. There''s still time, so that he could think of more ways to cure him before he was found out of anything wrong with him.

 Chapter 966 Preparing For The New Years Eve Banquet (Part One)

    In the following days, Yun Shang was not in the mood to care about the background of Xia Houjing and Liu Yinfeng. The imperial banquet was approaching day by day. Although Yun Shang had two madam to help her, as the Empress, she couldn''t completely leave all the matters to others, so she had been busy these days. A few days passed quickly thus.


    On the new year''s eve, Yun Shang got up early in the morning, but there was no one in the bedroom. Hearing that it seemed to be very lively outside, Yun Shang put on her cloak and walked outside to the hall. The servants in the Weiyang Palace were already there being busy with the spring festival couplet, windowsill, door god and spring painting. Seeing Yun Shang get up, Qian Zhuo ordered Pei Lan beside her, "Her majesty has got up. Put up the window flowers in the bedroom as well."


    Pei Lan replied in a hurry. Then she went into the bedroom with the window flowers and the words "lucky" of various sizes. At this moment, Su Mu was standing in front of the door, holding a spring couplet and spreading his hands there, "Sister Qian Zhuo, look at this. Is the picture hanging straight?"


    Qian Zhuo quickly stood far away to have a look. Then she waved her hand and said, "It''s not right. Move it a little bit to the left."


    Su Mu followed, but Qian Zhuo said again, "Oh, too much. Move it back a little more."


    Yun Shang was watching there and couldn''t help laughing. The snow fell heavily last night, and the yard was covered with a thick layer of ice. Though the snow had stopped, it was colder than usual. But she didn''t feel cold at all when she saw the festive atmosphere.


    Qian Zhuo commanded Su Mu to put up the spring festival couplet. She then turned to Yun Shang and said, "I''ve asked someone to prepare breakfast


    x crown are so heavy that they are a torture for me if I have to wear it for half a day. I feel tired even by imagining it. "


    All the people in the room burst into laughter. Madam Qi responded and said, "Then ask Madam Qiu to tell you what you need to do at the banquet. Prepare everything you need to do first, lest you meet trouble in your work."


    Yun Shang nodded. Madam Qiu stood out and said slowly, "The new year''s Eve banquet is a little different in time from the other banquets. The other ordinary banquets will start in the evening, but the new year''s Eve banquet will start from the noon. The banquet will be held in the Taiji Palace. At the top of the palace, the Emperor''s banquet table is set in the South facing the north while the Empress'' is set in the East facing the west. At the foot of the stairs, there was a banquet table for the leaders of the inner palace in the East, and a banquet table for the courtiers in the West. From midnight on, music will be played in the corridor. The Emperor will enter the palace, and then your majesty will enter the palace with the concubines. Master Liu will knock on the Gold Bell to announce the beginning of the banquet. "

 Chapter 967 Preparing For The New Years Eve Banquet (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded slightly. She had attended banquets before, and the seats were all led by the servants. She could sit wherever the servants told her to, but she didn''t expect that there would be such formalities.


    "After the banquet begins, the Emperor will first propose three cups of wine to the heaven and earth. It means to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. Then you need to propose a toast to the Emperor, which is for the harmony of the couple. After that, the Emperor and you will propose a toast to all the officials and concubines, which is for the pleasure of the Emperor and his ministers. Then, there''s music and the performance begins. "


    Yun Shang listened carefully and nodded gently, "I''ll remember everything."


    Madam Qiu nodded slightly and said with a smile, "By the way, although the Emperor doesn''t have to go to court early on the first day of the new year tomorrow, he has to get up early. He has to go to worship the heaven on the first day of the new year. The ceremony will be handled by the Ministry of Rites, so your majesty, don''t worry. "


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "Now I know how many things I have to worry about as an epress. Fortunately, there is no other concubines in the imperial household, or the the Empress will be very tired."


    Qian Zhuo stood aside and smiled, "Now that you are in this position, you must work harder than ordinary people."


    Since she wasn''t in a hurry to get dressed, Yun Shang simply put on a cloak and made a casual bun. Then she went out to see everyone busy outside. The ya


    ion of labor, and most of them have connections. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and took the book from Qin Yi. When she was about to open it and have a look, Bao''er in her arms wanted to grab it. Yun Shang quickly moved the book away and looked at Bao''er helplessly, telling him, "It''s not something delicious."


    Qin Yi smiled again and said, "It''s new year''s Eve. You don''t have to read it in a hurry. Just call me when you are free."


    Yun Shang nodded and handed the pamphlet back to Qin Yi, asking her to put it on the desk.


    After putting away the pamphlet, Qin Yi came back and said, "I''ve heard from a servant that Qian Zhuo asked me to come back to the Weiyang Palace to help put on the Phoenix robe and Phoenix crown for you. Where is Qian Zhuo at the moment?"


    "I''m afraid she''s busy in the side hall.Madam Qi said the banquet won''t start until afternoon. I can wear it after lunch. The Phoenix robe and Phoenix crown are so heavy that I''m willing to wear them less time."


    Qin Yi smiled and said, "Then I''ll wait here."

 Chapter 968 The Feast Began

    After reading for a while, Yun Shang heard Pei Lan outside reporting, "Your Majesty, her former majesty is here."


    Yun Shang was surprised. Today was new year''s Eve. They would meet at the banquet later. Why did Hua Ling come to the Weiyang Palace at this time? Was there anything unexpected happening?


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang stood up in a hurry and greeted Hua Ling in person. She smiled and said, "Mother, if you have something to tell me, just let me know. Why are you here in person?"


    Hua Ling smiled and glanced around the room. Yun Shang quickly said, "There is no outsider in the room. Mother, what happened?"


    Hua Ling nodded and looked at Yun Shang worriedly. After a moment''s silence, she said, "I heard His Former Majesty talking about today''s banquet with Yuan Bao in the morning. I''m afraid they didn''t know I was awake, so they said... "


    Hua Ling paused and glanced at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang held Hua Ling''s hand and asked, "What did Father say? Mother, just say it. I can bear it. "


    "I don''t know exactly what they were talking about. I only heard His Former Majesty say that Qingyan is outrageous. Now that he has become the Emperor, he still acts willfully. How can there be only one person in the imperial household? If the news spreads out, others will laugh at him." After a moment''s silence, Hua Ling continued, "Later, I didn''t hear clearly what Yuan Bao said in a low voice, but I heard His Former Majesty say that once this matter was exposed, he hope the Empress could consciously speak to Qingyan and recruit more people in the imperial household."


    Hua Ling frowned, "But I don''t know what he was talking about."


    Yun Shang sneered, "He has never given up. He has tried every means to send people to his Majesty''s imperial household. But he never feels for others and he should be clear what kind of situation he was in in the past. Anyway, I won''t let him succeed. In the imperial household of Luo Qingyan, it''s enough to have me alone. "


    Hua Ling nodded slightly. After a moment of silence, she held Yun Shang''s hand and said, "No matter what, you don''t need to shrink back on this kind of thing."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile. She didn''t expect that as Luo Qingyan''s mother, Hua Ling would help her on this matter. Yun Shang was grateful. She smiled, "I will."


    After talking with Yun Shang for a while, Hua Ling went back to the Taihe Palace.


    After lunch, Yun Shang sat upright in front of the dressing mirror, allowing the three people, Qin Yi, Madam Qi and Madam Qiu to comb her hair. They first made a high bun, and they then got the phoenix coronet ready.


    "The new year''s Eve banquet is a grand one, but it''s a little more casual than the Grand Ceremony for the Empress, so it only needs the six dragons and three phoenix coronet," Madam Qiu explained softly as she handed the phoenix coronet to Madam Qi.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the phoenix coronet in the bronze mirror. There were three dragons on the top of the coronet. The dragon in the middle had a huge pearl in its mouth, and the dragons on both sides were flying to the sky. The dragon head had a long string of ornaments, and under th


    g. It''s no wonder that everyone wanted to climb to this position and accept the worship of all people here, which was quite different from the feeling of kneeling in his majesty.


    "Arise," Luo Qingyan''s light voice came from the right side of Yun Shang. Yun Shang turned around and smiled at Luo Qingyan before sitting down slowly.


    The officials also returned to their seats. Yun Shang glanced around the hall indifferently. Most of the officials also brought their families with them, and most of them were followed by a young woman as beautiful as a flower. Their purpose was clear.


    Yun Shang looked away as if she had seen nothing.


    Liu Wenan had already served the wine. Luo Qingyan picked up his glass and raised his voice, "On the new year''s Eve today, when we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, I propose three glasses of wine to the heaven and earth again. I wish the state of peace and quiet, the weather is smooth, and the valley is rich."


    Luo Qingyan raised his glass and poured all the wine in it to the ground, putting three glasses in a row.


    All the people in the hall cupped their hands and shouted, "May our country be peaceful and prosperous in the coming year."


    ThenLiu Wenan presented another glass of wine to Yun Shang. Yun Shang quickly took the wine, turned around, and said with a gentle smile, "Your Majesty, I''d like to propose a toast to you. May you and your wife live in harmony, and grow old together."


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were also full of affection. He took the glass, but only in the voice of the two people, he said, "I wish the same to you."


    Yun Shang smiled and they two drank.


    Then they took the wine on the table together, and said to all the courtiers and the ladies, "I''d like to propose a toast to you with the Empress. I hope you and both of us, can protect the whole country together."


    "We will protect our rivers and mountains," Everyone stood up and said in a sonorous and powerful voice.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Cheers."


    After everyone drank up the wine in their glasses. Palace music began, The new year''s Eve feast began.

 Chapter 969 The Royal Family Of The State Of Xia Is Doomed

    After the music "Ode to the time of peace and prosperity", the dancers entered the hall. Yun Shang then heard another piece of music entiled "The green waist" come out and the girls danced with its beautiful tune. The girls'' bodies were so soft as soap, so beautiful and so charming.


    The maids served a hot dish. Luo Qingyan lowered his head and picked up a piece of sparerib for Yun Shang. He smiled and said, "I used to eat this dish in the Taiji Palace a few days ago. I thought it tasted good, and I hoped you to have a taste of it. But I forgot it. Today, I finally saw it."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was quite moved.. She lowered her head and ate it. The spareribs were fried, crispy and fragrant. As Luo Qingyan said, they tasted good.


    Yun Shang was enjoying her meal when she felt someone was looking at her. She looked up and saw a woman was staring at her over there. That woman didn''t withdraw her gaze until she noticed Yun Shang''s glance.


    Yun Shang''s expression changed slightly, but the smile at the corners of her mouth turned a little cold. She remembered that the woman was the daughter of Li Ye''s, who was on the list of the Autumn Test. At the banquet after the last autumn test, this woman showed an extreme interest in Luo Qingyan in front of her, and also provoked her by the way. Yun Shang didn''t take it seriously at that time, but now the woman seemed to still have something that shouldn''t have been in her eyes just now. She appeared to be very persistent.


    The courtiers present took the opportunity to drink a lot, so after a few songs and dances, some people began to be bold. They raised their glasses and walked unsteadily towards Luo Qingyan.


    "Your Majesty, your majesty is so wise and mighty. I''d like to propose a toast to you," an official said. Yun Shang didn''t recognize the official. Judging from the color of his robe, his rank should be above the third grade.


    The corners of Luo Qingyan''s mouth curled up slightly. He raised his glass and said, "I heard that Lord Sun is seldom drunk. I''d like to have a look today. Let me empty my glass first."


    Luo Qingyan raised her head and drank up all the wine in his glass.


    Seeing this, Lord Sun laughed and said, "Great! Your Majesty is so forthright. I really admire you."


    Since someone had started, the officials in the hall were no longer restrained, and there were many of them coming to propose a toast. Luo Qingyan didn''t refuse. They just greeted each other with a few words, and then drank up.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the woman who had been staring at her. She also wore a long carmine dress today. In the late winter, the dress looked very thin, but more elegant than others.


    She didn''t know what she was thinking and kept touching the glass in front of her. Yun Shang smiled and turned her attention away.


    Seeing another man leave with a toast, Yun Shang whispered to Luo Qingyan, "Don''t drink too much."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t respond, but gently held Yun Shang''s hand. Yun Shang was about to say something, when a voice came, "Your Majesty, Here Li Lanyi would like to propose a toast to


    there is only one emperor and one hareimperial household, and there is only one empress, no other concubines. Besides, this empress is still the one who can''t have a baby anymore. She can''t have a baby... The royal family of the State of Xia will be doomed! Are you kidding me? Isn''t it a joke? "


    The laughter was so loud that it echoed in the whole Taiji Palace. It took Yun Shang a long time to come to herself and understand what Li Lanyi was talking about. Why couldn''t she have a baby? What kind of royal family was going to have no descendants?


    Before Yun Shang came to her senses, the palace was in an uproar, full of whispers.


    "What did she say?" Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan in surprise.


    Luo Qingyan''s face was livid with rage. He shouted, "This woman is crazy. Guards, drag her out, or she doesn''t have to be put in prison. If she slanders the royal family''s reputation like this, she will be directly executed!" His voice was hoarse, perhaps because he was too angry.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on Luo Qingyan''s face. Blue veins stood out on his forehead, and his eyes were red. He held the imperial table tightly.


    Yun Shang had never seen Luo Qingyan so furious, but she was more suspicious. Logically speaking, no one would believe such words. After all, she gave birth to Bao''er in a healthy way. Yun Shang only felt that Li Lanyi''s words were a little funny and ridiculous. However, Luo Qingyan''s reaction made her suspicious.


    Yun Shang looked up at Li Lanyi, who was pulled out of the palace by the guards. Li Lanyi stared at her with mockery in her eyes.


    Xia Houjing had chosen thousands of people. He should not have been so stupid to tell such a clumsy lie to bring destruction to himself, even in front of all the officials.


    If what Li Lanyi wanted was only that all the civil and military officials and Xia Huanyu would suspect about her, she should not let Li Lanyi go at this moment. Inthat case, she knew if Li Lanyi died, all the people in the court would suspect that Li Lanyi was right.


    "Wait!" Yun Shang said softly.

 Chapter 970 Her Uneasiness

    Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan''s little finger on the imperial table tremble slightly, and the uneasiness in her heart gradually spread. She was silent for a long time before she turned to Luo Qingyan with a smile on her face, "Your Majesty, Miss Li is really crazy, but we can''t be the same as her. There are some things that should be made clear. Otherwise, I can''t take the responsibility if they are misunderstood and damage the reputation of the royal family of the State of Xia."


    Yun Shang walked around the imperial table slowly with a faint smile on her face. She stopped in front of Li Lanyi and said, "Miss Li, what you said just now is really ridiculous. It''s known to all that I gave birth to a son for the emperor when I was still the Crown Princess. Now the Prince is healthy and smart. Miss Li mentioned something generously just now, but I believe you didn''t understand the situation clealy. "


    Li Lanyi sneered. When she was about to say something, Yun Shang suddenly raised her hand and covered her mouth with a handkerchief. She also quietly pointed at her acupoints, making her unable to move or speak again. Li Lanyi was stunned and stared at Yun Shang with hatred.


    Yun Shang smiled again, saying, "As soon as you speak, you slander me and curse the royal family of the State of Xia. The reason why I said these words to you is that I don''t want to make everyone present secretly have any inappropriate ideas because of you. But I dare not let you say anything more. If you say something disrespectful, it will be ominous for the new year. "


    Yun Shang turned around and looked at Luo Qingyan. She smiled and said, "Take her away. Execute her as his majesty said. Don''t keep her here until the new year''s day. She''s such a dirty thing."


    The guard obeyed and pulled Li Lanyi out.


    Yun Shang returned to her seat and smiled. When she was about to say something, a report came from outside, "Your majesty, the Prince''s nanny asked to see you. She said that the Prince has been crying since he woke up. The nanny had no choice but to bring him here."


    Yun Shang smiled and thought to herself, ''Mother and son love each other. My baby came just in time.''.


    "Bring the Prince in now!" Luo Qingyan also came to his senses and raised his voice.


    The smile on Yun Shang''s face froze, but she pretended that nothing had happened and smiled quietly.


    The babysitter walked into the hall with Bao''er in her arms. As expected, Bao''er was crying so hard. Yun Shang stood up in a hurry, took two steps forward and held Bao''er in her arms. She gently patted Bao''er''s back and pulled open the hat that covered his face. Bao''er''s eyes were red with tears. He stared at Yun Shang, pouting, but still didn''t stop crying.


    Seeing that everyone was looking at Yun Shang in her arms, Yun Shang quickly raised her eyes and smiled, "Let''s continue with the music."


    The music began. Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and said, "I''ll go to the side hall and coax Chengye. I''ll come back when he stops crying."


    Luo Qingyan looked down at Bao''er in Yun Shang''s arms and wiped the tears off the baby''s eyes. Then he nodded and said


    al household that she talked nonsense. It''s new year and it''s really disturbing. "


    It was rare for Yun Shang to see Qin Yi hate someone so much, so she couldn''t help laughing, "How could Li Lanyi make Qin Yi so angry? Then Li Lanyi is really something, in this sense."


    Yun Shang smiled. She remembered that Luo Qingyan behaved abnormally when Li Lanyi said those words, and she stopped smiling and was lost in thought.


    She believed it was so abnormal for Luo Qingyan to behave that way at that moment.


    Yun Shang bit her lips. Yun Shang had known Luo Qingyan for several years. In the past few years, she had witnessed that he almost lost his life on the battlefield, and had been assassinated by all kinds of schemes in the palace. But Luo Qingyan had stayed calm and never behaved like tonight. Even when Xia Huanyu suddenly attacked him and abdicated his throne at the Grand Ceremony, Luo Qingyan had never reacted like this.


    However, Qin Yi once told her that Luo Qingyan was also very nervous and scared when she was missing and imprisoned in an ice cellar and almost died of the difficult labor. And this was the only occasion that Yun Shang didn''t see.


    But why did Luo Qingyan react so strongly to Li Lanyi''s words?


    Yun Shang was puzzled.


    After a long time, Qian Zhuo came back in a hurry, bringing in a with a chill with her, "Your Majesty, Li Lanyi was executed. She is dead. I personally checked the corpse of Li Lanyi. It was a direct decapitation. "


    Yun Shang paused and nodded, without saying anything.


    Qian Zhuo snorted, "That woman deserved it. I wanted to kill her in the Taiji Palace, but considering that it was a banquet and all the officials saw it, I restrained my impulse to kill her."


    Yun Shang smiled, but her eyes turned cold. "Isn''t she dead now? Don''t keep it in heart. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "Your Majesty has spoiled you too much. All the people who offended you have been executed directly. He is so domineering."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and smiled, hiding the growing uneasiness in her heart.

 Chapter 971 I Believe In You

    When Luo Qingyan came back, he was supported by Chen Miaosi.


    At that time, Bao''er just woke up, and Yun Shang was ordering Qian Zhuo to call the babysitter to feed him. As soon as Qian Zhuo lifted the door curtain and walked to the main hall''s door, she saw that Chen Miaosi had just stepped into the Weiyang Palace with Luo Qingyan in her arms.


    Qian Zhuo''s face changed. She hurried back to Yun Shang''s bedroom, bit her lips, and whispered to Yun Shang, "Your Majesty, his majesty is back."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up with the baby in her arms. Qian Zhuo said hesitantly, "His majesty seems to be drunk. He was supported by Doctor Chen to come back."


    Yun Shang was slightly stunned. She looked at Qian Zhuo in surprise, "Who helped him come back?"


    "Dr. Chen," Qian Zhuo said in a lower voice.


    Yun Shang felt strange. Even if Luo Qingyan was drunk, it should be Liu Wenan, who sent him back. How could it be Chen Miaosi? Thinking of this, Yun Shang walked out of the inner hall and happened to see Chen Miaosi holding Luo Qingyan to the steps in front of the main hall. Maybe it was because Luo Qingyan was a little heavy, it seemed a little difficult for Chen Miaosi to support him. Both Qing Hao and Su Mu were standing at the door of the main hall. Seeing this, they hurried forward to help take Luo Qingyan over, but Chen Miaosi refused.


    "It''s okay. I can do it," panting heavily, Chen Miaosi said with difficulty.


    Yun Shang looked at Chen Miaosi quietly, but it was the first time that she had looked at this seemingly casual girl carefully. Chen Miaosi''s appearance could only be regarded as medium, but she had a quiet temperament.


    It seemed that Chen Miaosi didn''t notice that Yun Shang was standing at the door of the main hall. She managed to help Luo Qingyan up to the first step. Luo Qingyan suddenly missed and leaned back. Chen Miaosi was also dragged back and was about to fall.


    Yun Shang winked at Qing Hao. Qing Hao hurried forward to hold Luo Qingyan, but Chen Miaosi fell to the ground.


    A tinge of pain flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes, but she quickly looked up for Luo Qingyan. Seeing that Luo Qingyan was fine, Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing this scene, Yun Shang squinted slightly and said, "How did you serve him? If your Majesty is injured, who can take the responsibility? "


    The palace members in the yard were all silent and dared not speak.


    It was not until then that Chen Miaosi seemed to notice Yun Shang. Regardless of the pain on her body, she stood up and hurriedly said, "It''s not their fault. It''s my fault..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "How can I blame Dr. Chen for your carelessness? I came back early and didn''t know that his Majesty would be so drunk. Liu Wenan is really lazy. He dared to ask you to send his majesty back. "


    But Chen Miaosi didn''t seem to notice the displeasure in Yun Shang''s words. She hurriedly said, "I also accidentally found that his Majesty was drunk in the Imperial Garden. I didn''t see anyone around him, so I helped him back. His majesty seems to have drunk a lot. You''d better help him back to his bedroom as soon as


    r seen you in such a panic. Your majesty is always in the strategy, but because of Li Lanyi''s words, you didn''t think carefully, and your face changed. "


    Luo Qingyan''s hand paused for a moment, but he didn''t say anything.


    Yun Shang continued, "I covered Li Lanyi''s mouth with a brocade handkerchief because I knew there was a reason why your majesty ordered to kill Li Lanyi in such a hurry. What Li Lanyi said has something to do with me. I know that your majesty will never hurt me. It must be for me. I didn''t allow her to go on being crazyin the Taiji Palace because I trusted your majesty. I hope you can tell me the bad news yourself instead of letting others say it out unprepared. "


    As Yun Shang spoke, she looked up at Luo Qingyan, "Your Majesty, is there anything you want to tell me about Li Lanyi this afternoon?"


    Yun Shang clearly saw that Luo Qingyan''s eyes moved away, and his whole body seemed to be stiff. There was no smile at the corners of his mouth. After a long time, he swallowed hard and pulled the corners of his mouth saying, "Shang''er, you think too much. How can I hide something from you?"


    Yun Shang could see all the details clearly, and her heart seemed to be seized by something. She lowered her head and smiled with determinatio,. "Your Majesty said that there was nothing to hide from me, and I believed it. Even if your majesty is lying, I believe it as long as you tell me."


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t even keep his fake smile. His face was stiff. After a while, he bit his lips and said, "Shang''er, I won''t hurt you. I won''t leave you. Never."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. After a long silence, she said, "I''m more sure than anyone else about this. I know clearly what your majesty has done to me. But your majesty, if, I mean if, if there is some truth that is destined to hurt me, then I hope that the person who tells me the truth is your majesty, because only your majesty is by my side, I will not be defeated by other things. As long as you are by my side, nothing will be destroyed, because now your majesty is my biggest support. "

 Chapter 972 Out Of Breath

    Luo Qingyan nodded silently, but he said nothing after a long time. Qian Zhuo came in with a basin of water. Seeing the unusual atmosphere in the bedroom, she was also stunned. Then she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the water is ready. The well is frozen, so the water is too cold. Shall I make the water hot for you?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and suddenly stood up. Maybe he got up too fast and had a headache. Luo Qingyan pressed his temples and said, "No, thanks. The ice is better. I just feel a headache and want to sober up. Take it in."


    Qian Zhuo responded and took the basin into the bathroom, and Luo Qingyan followed her. Yun Shang sighed and leaned back on the couch. Her brows were still knitted. Both she and Luo Qingyan had been married for nearly three years, and she could tell whether Luo Qingyan was telling the truth or not.


    But just as she said before, she believed that Luo Qingyan would never hurt her. She was afraid that the secret hidden by Luo Qingyan would hurt her a lot.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes slowly, and Li Lanyi''s words came to her mind again, "The Empress is still an Empress who can''t have a baby anymore. The royal family of the State of Xia will be doomed."


    She couldn''t have a baby anymore...


    What this sentence meant was that she had no way to have children in the future, not that she could not have children. Could it be that someone had secretly drugged her with some infertility medicine? But if someone had drugged her, why didn''t she notice it at all? Could it be something like the black ink found in the vase some time ago?


    Yun Shang frowned, but even if she couldn''t give birth to a baby in the future, she still had Chengye. No matter what, she couldn''t say that the State of Xia was going to have no descendants? Then could it be possible that Chengye...


    Just as Yun Shang was thinking, she heard footsteps. Yun Shang opened her eyes and looked at the door of the bathroom. It was probably because Luo Qingyan had poured cold water on his face, some water was still dripping down from his face. He took a handkerchief and wiped it casually. Then he threw it aside, walked to Yun Shang and said, "It''s a little cold to see the new year in at night. You should wear more clothes."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "There are braziers in the Taihe Palace. I''ve told them that her former majesty is not in good health. It''s cold and wet in winter in Jin City. I''m afraid she can''t bear it. The charcoal used in the the Taihe Palace is the best. So it should be warm there."


    Yun Shang answered in a soft voice, but her voice gradually slowed down. It suddenly occurred to her that Luo Qingyan had paid great attention to her dressing since it was winter. This had never happened before. His previous explanation was that Doctor Xue Yan said that women couldn''t suffer from cold, or they might feel suffer a lot during their menstrual periods.


    However, Yun Shang realized Luo Qingyan should not be so nervous just because of this advice from Doctor Xue Yan. Thinking of Doctor Xue Yan, Yun Shang remembered that after Doctor Xue Yan came, Luo Qingyan said h


    and a stern look flashed across his eyes. He turned around to look at Yun Shang and said gently, "When we were in the Crown Prince''s mansion, I thought Bao''er was small, so I thought it better to have a doctor to look after him. But now since we are in the palace, there are many imperial physicians and maids. After all, Chen Miaosi is not a maid. It''s not proper for her to always live in the palace. I''ll find a time to send her back to the Changbai Mountain. "


    Yun Shang''s expression changed slightly, but there was no joy on her face. She said indifferently, "Your Majesty, you are always considerate."


    Then she walked forward quietly without saying anything more.


    It was almost midnight when they arrived at the Taihe Palace. Fireworks had already risen outside the palace. Hua Ling stood at the door and looked around. When she saw Luo Qingyan and the others come in, she smiled and walked out, "I was talking about it just now. I remembered that I have specially made everything clear. I was worrying that you wouldn''t come."


    Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "His Majesty was drunk. It took him a long time to wake up after feeding him the soup. Fortunately, it''s not midnight yet."


    Hua Ling nodded and smiled, "It''s just in time. I''ve asked the servants to set the fireworks. It''s almost midnight and we can set off the fireworks."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Okay."


    Hua Ling looked very happy. She turned around and glanced at Xia Huanyu. Then she told the servants to prepare the fireworks. Yun Shang led the crowd to the corridor. When the servants lit the fireworks, they flew into the sky and exploded, incomparably gorgeous.


    Yun Shang''s eyes were fixed on the fireworks. It should be the most lively new year''s Eve after her rebirth. Although she was not with her father and mother, she had Luo Qingyan, Bao''er, Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling, both of the last two among which were not very close to her, though. However, this new year''s Eve also brought her mixed feelings weighing heavily on her mind. They were like stones, making her a little breathless.

 Chapter 973 Its Really Unfair

    It''s light already when they returned to the Weiyang Palace from the Taihe Palace on the second morning. Yun Shang put Bao''er in the crib and stood up. She took out many red evelopes from the cases beside her, smiled and handed them to Qian Zhuo saying, "The servants in the Weiyang Palace have been working hard these days. Give these red packets to them."


    Qian Zhuo grinned and said happily, "I''m the happiest to have red envelopes. I''ll send them to everyone now."


    Qin Yi fetched some water and said to Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan with a smile, "Your Majesties, please do some washing. You have been busy all night. Have a good rest."


    Yun Shang answered and went into the bathroom. Fortunately, Luo Qingyan didn''t have to go to the court today. They went to bed together after washing up.


    Yun Shang didn''t wake up until dusk in the afternoon. When she woke up, Luo Qingyan was no longer there by her side. Yun Shang sat up, and Qian Zhuo, who was packing outside, ran to her and said with a smile, "Your majesty, are you awake?"


    Yun Shang nodded, and after a while, she became a little sober. Qian Zhuo ordered a basin of hot water to help Yun Shang wash and dress up. Maybe it was because she had stayed up all night yesterday, she still felt a little dizzy.


    "Where is his majesty?" Yun Shang sat at the table and asked softly.


    Qian Yin took the gruel from Pei Lan and served it on the table. Then she said softly, "I saw his majesty talking with Chen Miaosi in the yard this morning. Then his majesty went to the Taiji Palace after lunch."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned. She picked up the bowl of the lotus seed gruel and ate it, without saying anything.


    After eating, Qian Zhuo said, "Since your majesty didn''t have breakfast or lunch in the morning and noon, I asked someone to cook the lotus seed gruel. Dumplings will be served in the evening, but I''d like to know what kind of filling do you want to eat, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "Cabbage filling, all right?"


    Qian Zhuo responded and went out, when she saw Chen Miaosi standing in the yard outside the main hall, pacing back and forth. Seeing this, Qian Zhuo snorted, rolled her eyes and went back to Yun Shang''s bedroom.


    Yun Shang felt strange and asked her, "rAen''t we going to see the dumplings? Why are you back so soon? "


    "There is someone in the yard that I don''t want to see," Qian Zhuo replied.


    "Someone you don''t want to see?" Yun Shang was confused, "Who is it?"


    "It is just Chen Miaosi," answered Qian Zhuo.


    Yun Shang smiled. Qian Zhuo was always like this. She was clear about whether she liked someone or not. She didn''t allow herself to be vague, but she was very protective of her master.


    "What''s wrong with her?" asked Yun Shang with a smile.


    As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the voice of Qinghao from outside, "Your Majesty, Doctor Chen wants to see you."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and turned around to look at Qian Zhuo. Qian Zhuo''s eyes were full


    ng. Yun Shang didn''t say anything. Tears kept streaming down her cheeks, and she looked Qian Zhuo and kept shaking her head.


    "Your Majesty?" the voice of Su Mu came from outside.


    It was not until then that Qian Zhuo came to her senses. She quickly said, "It''s all right. You don''t have to wait outside. Her majesty will have a rest."


    "All right," Su Mu replied from outside.


    Qian Zhuo quickly took out a brocade handkerchief and wiped Yun Shang''s tears. Then she said softly, "It''s obvious that she likes his majesty. She did it on purpose because she couldn''t bear his majesty to dote on you so much. What she said is definitely not true. Your majesty, why are you so angry with yourself for her groundless words?"


    "It''s true," Yun Shang murmured. Somehow, she believed what she said was true. Maybe it was because Luo Qingyan insisted that there was nothing wrong yesterday, but Yun Shang had already guessed about it in her heart for countless times.


    Li Lanyi said that she couldn''t have another baby, which meant that she couldn''t get pregnant in the future. Li Lanyi said that the royal family of the State of Xia was going to have no descendants. Yesterday, she wondered if something had happened to Chengye.


    Chen Miaosi''s words only confirmed her guess.


    No wonder Luo Qingyan didn''t like her baby before. No wonder he always blamed himself for not protecting her well. No wonder Luo Qingyan told her repeatedly that no matter what happened, she should believe that he would never leave her. No wonder Luo Qingyan always told her to wear more clothes and not to get cold. No wonder Doctor Xue Yan had specially invited her to take Bao''er there to check his pulse.


    Chengye, Chengye, which meant the son should inherit his father''s cause. This name was more like a joke in her eyes now. Her child, the child she gave birth to with all her might, was mentally damaged. Why? Why did she lose Huan''er in her previous life, and now her Bao''er was like this?


    God! It was really unfair!

 Chapter 974

    As she was not prepared at the beginning, Yun Shang cried desperately after she knew about the secret suddenly. At the moment, however, she was surprisingly calm. She was afraid that Luo Qingyan would find out from her red eyes that she used to cry when he came back, so she didn''t even dare to cry. She just sat quietly on the couch with a book in her hand, as if nothing had happened.


    For the whole afternoon, Yun Shang didn''t even turn a page.


    Many servants came in and out, but none of them found anything wrong with Yun Shang. The only one who knew the truth was Qian Zhuo. Qian Zhuo had been waiting for Yun Shang all the time, and her eyes had never left Yun Shang. Seeing that Yun Shang suppressed her emotions like this, she felt very sad. Looking at Yun Shang, she wanted to cry.


    Seeing no one else in the room, Qian Zhuo walked to the couch and squatted down. She said softly, "Your Majesty, why do you have to be this way? According to Chen Miaosi, his majesty knew the truth. He didn''t tell you because he was afraid that your Majesty would be sad. If your majesty want to know what''s going on, you can ask his majesty when he returns to the Weiyang Palace. Your majesty, you are torturing yourself here alone. I feel bad. "


    She said in a sobbing voice.


    Yun Shang shook her head, and then she lowered her head again while saying with her lips trembling, "No. He keeps it a secret because he doesn''t want me to be sad. He wouldn''t feel good in his heart, but he has to bear it silently. Even if someone urges him to choose a concubine, taking Xia Huanyu, for example, he never gives in at all. Yesterday, I scolded him like that, but he still kept his mouth shut. How can I let him worried about me again? It''s okay. Everything will be fine. Just hold on. "


    After saying that, Yun Shang kept holding Qian Zhuo''s hand and told her, "Remember. Don''t tell him about these."


    Qian Zhuo almost jumped up. She held Yun Shang''s hand and asked, "Your majesty, why is your hand so hot?"


    Yun Shang smiled. Her face was pale, but she kept murmuring, "Qian Zhuo, don''t tell anyone. If you tell anyone, you will never be able to stay with me. Qian Zhuo, I''m your master. "


    Qian Zhuo was worried about Yun Shang''s health. Seeing this, she reached out her hand to touch her forehead, disregarding the etiquette of the master and the servant. And she was shocked again- Yun Shang''s had got a high fever.


    "Send for the imperial physician. Her Majesty is sick," Qian Zhuo hurriedly called out. She took the book in Yun Shang''s hand, put it aside, and pressed her on the couch.


    Su Mu poked his head in from the outside and asked, "What''s the matter, Sister Qian Zhuo?"


    Qian Zhuo turned around in a hurry and said anxiously, "Go and call the imperial physician. Her Majesty is sick and her body is very hot. I''m afraid she has a fever."


    Hearing this, Su Mu hurriedly responded, put down the curtain and left.


    Just then, Yun Shang seemed to gradually lose her consciousness. Her face gradually turned from pale to red, and her eyes gradually became unfocused. She tossed and turned restlessly, as if she was suffering a lot.


    Qian Zhuo


    n smiled and said, "Maybe he is tired after crying and has fallen asleep."


    Yun Shang nodded and closed her eyes. She looked a little tired, "Why does it seem that I haven''t slept for a whole day? My body is falling apart."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Maybe because you have slept for too long? Do you still feel terrible? Do you need me to help youy get up? "


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and smiled, "How can the emperor support others? Isn''t it a joke to be seen? " Then she looked up at Qian Zhuo and said, "Qian Zhuo, help me up. I feel uncomfortable all over."


    "Who dares to laugh at me?" Luo Qingyan frowned.


    Yun Shang didn''t say anything. Qian Zhuo quickly responded. She walked up to Yun Shang and helped her sit up. Qian Zhuo helped Yun Shang put on her shoes and a robe before helping her stand up.


    Yun Shang frowned. She felt dizzy and difficult to stand up all of a sudden.


    Luo Qingyan stepped forward in a hurry, held Yun Shang''s arm and said gently, "If you feel uncomfortable, sit down."


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "Let''s go." Then she took a step forward.


    Qian Zhuo carefully looked at Yun Shang''s face, and saw that although she looked a little pale, her face was as usual, but the corners of her mouth were tightly pursed, as if she was slightly trembling. Qian Zhuo noticed that Yun Shang held her hand with great strength, but she silently helped Yun Shang walk around the room.


    Luo Qingyan looked at her in silence for a while and said, "you haven''t eaten anything for a day. I asked someone to bring you the porridge."


    Yun Shang opened her mouth and wanted to say that she had no appetite. But thinking of Luo Qingyan''s concerned look just now, she didn''t say anything.


    "It''s a little stuffy in the room. Open the window," Yun Shang ordered.


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly helped Yun Shang to the window and opened it. The cold wind poured in. Yun Shang felt a little sober, but the pain in her heart did not relieve at all. It was as if her heart was strangled and she could not breathe.


    It turned out that hiding something in heart was so painful.

 Chapter 975 Overwhelming Feelings

    "Your Majesty, Mr. Liu is back. He is waiting for you in the Meeting Hall." Liu Wenan came in in a hurry. He glanced at Yun Shang and lowered his head.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t respond. Yun Shang turned to him and smiled, "Your Majesty, please go to deal with government affairs first. I''m fine."


    Luo Qingyan stared at Yun Shang for a long time before he nodded and said gently, "You are still very weak. Don''t stand for too long. If you are tired, you can lie in bed. I''m going to see how Liu Yinfeng is doing. If I have time, I''ll take him to see you."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Luo Qingyan reluctantly looked away and left the bedroom.


    Standing by the window and watching Luo Qingyan walk out of Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang raised her hand and called softly, "Qian Zhuo, help me. I''m weak."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo quickly walked to Yun Shang''s side, reached out her hand to hold Yun Shang, and said in a distressed voice, "Your Highness, don''t torture yourself like this. If there is something wrong with you, who can take care of the Prince? How can His Majesty do? The Prince is only four months old."


    Qian Yin helped Yun Shang to sit on the edge of the bed, took off her shoes and helped her lie down on the bed. There were tears in Yun Shang''s eyes, but they didn''t fall.


    "In fact, on the New Year''s Eve, I vaguely guessed something. I was sad because His Majesty had been hiding it from me all the time. I always thought that a couple should be honest to each other, and even if it was a big problem, they should face it together. But he thought it was for my good and took it all by himself. He didn''t know that it was not what I wanted at all." Yun Shang shook her head, with a touch of pain in her eyes. "But when I really know the truth, I can''t tell him that I know it. I''m afraid that he will be more worried about me. He is too cold and reserved. He always hides everything in his heart. I''m afraid he will feel worse than anyone else."


    "And I don''t have the courage to face Bao''er. I can''t even think about it. Bao''er is so cute and healthy. How could he be mentally damaged? If he grows up, he will blame me for not protecting him well. He is mentally damaged. I don''t know how much he will suffer. Even at the thought of that, I feel that I want to kill myself."


    Yun Shang''s voice choked with sobs. Qian Zhuo hurriedly held her arm and comforted her, "As Your Majesty said, what makes you sad is His Majesty''s concealment. And you know how painful it is to hide it. Why don''t you choose to be honest with His Majesty? Then, you can face it together. After all, the Prince is a royal child. Even if he has some shortcomings, no one dares to disrespect him. Don''t worry, Your Majesty. I promise. From now on, I will protect the Prince well. If anyone dares to disrespect the Prince, I will not let him go."


    Yun Shang was trembling all over. Qian Zhuo didn''t know what to do. She hurriedly added, "Your Maje


    any things in the world that are not as expected. God always reminds us not to be complacent when you think that we are going to have a happy ending. But, Your Majesty, you always say that there is nothing in the world that can''t be overcome. As long as we work together, no matter how painful and difficult it is, we can always overcome it. "


    Yun Shang nodded with tears in her eyes, "Both in the State of Ning and in the State of Xia, there are countless people who want to kill me, and there are many people who play tricks on me, but I still live happily till now. It was just that this test was a little more difficult than before. What was the big deal? I, Ning Yun Shang, have nothing to fear."


    As Yun Shang spoke, tears rustled down her cheeks. Seeing this, Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi couldn''t help but cry with her.


    After a while, the three of them calmed down a little. Qin Yi wiped the tears off Yun Shang''s face and said, "Your Majesty, don''t cry any more. When His Majesty comes back and sees it, he may be very distressed. Your Majesty, you have so many people who care about you. Even for them, you should take good care of yourself. Everything will be fine. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and sobbed, "I know, but I''m really sorry for Bao''er."


    Qin Yi held Yun Shang''s hand tightly and said, "Doctor Xue Yan is not the only one with good medical skills in the world. Don''t be discouraged, Your Majesty. There will be hope. Now the situation is the worst. Even if the Prince''s mental injury can''t be cured, we have to think about the good side. No matter what, the Prince is healthy and safe, which is more important than anything else."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and bit her lips. After a long time, she said in a low voice, "If both me and Bao''er can''t be cured, I will personally select some concubines for the Emperor, and then..."


    Yun Shang closed her eyes for a while, but she felt as if her heart was strangled by a sharp pain.

 Chapter 976 Be Frank

    "Don''t say such despondent words, Your Majesty. Think positively." Qin Yi persuaded softly.


    Yun Shang nodded and murmured, "yes, you''re right. As a prince, Bao''er will face all kinds of danger as everyone wants to get that position. They will definitely see Bao''er as their obstacle. But if they know Bao''er is mentally damaged, they will not take him as a rival. At least, in this way, Bao''er could be safe."


    Qin Yi didn''t respond. Qian Zhuo said suddenly, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is back."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang quickly raised her hand to wipe her tears, and lay on the bed to calm herself down.


    Footsteps came from outside, followed by Luo Qingyan''s voice. "Maybe because she caught a cold on New Year''s Eve, she had a fever yesterday. It was only brought down a little this morning. When I left earlier, I saw that she was still weak."


    As soon as Luo Qingyan finished speaking, a gentle voice came in. "Although the Jin City is not as cold as the State of Ning, it''s wet. Even if you put braziers in the room, you still feel a little cold. You should wear more wherever you are."


    Yun Shang recognized that the voice was Liu Yinfeng''s. When Luo Qingyan said he would bring Liu Yinfeng here, Yun Shang thought he just said it casually, but she didn''t expect that he really brought him here.


    The sound of bead curtains colliding came through. Yun Shang heard Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo greeting Luo Qingyan, "Your Majesty."


    Luo Qingyan took off his cloak and handed it to Qin Yi. Then he asked softly, "How is Her Majesty? Is she feeling better?"


    Qin Yi lowered her voice and said, "She just took a few steps, but she said she was still weak. After a few steps, she really couldn''t walk anymore. So I helped her lie down."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and walked to the bedside. Seeing that Yun Shang was awake and her face was still pale, he felt a pain in his heart and sat down on the bedside. He raised his hand to touch Yun Shang''s forehead and whispered, "The fever has gone down. Do you still feel uncomfortable?"


    Yun Shang''s voice was still a little hoarse, so she answered in a low voice, "headache."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and sighed, "I''ll ask the imperial physician to check on you later and prescribe some new medicine." Then Luo Qingyan smiled, "Look who is here!"


    Liu Yinfeng, dressed in cyan, stepped forward. With a gentle smile, he cupped his hands in front of Yun Shang and said, "Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang looked at Liu Yinfeng carefully and said with a forced smile, "Mr. Liu, you''ve lost some weight. You must have suffered a lot in Liu Cang City. Fortunately, you''re back to the Jin City now. You must take good care of yourself."


    The smile on Liu Yinfeng''s face softened, "You could say I''m thinner because I''ve suffered a lot in Liu


    an. "Your Majesty, is what Chen Miaosi said true?"


    Luo Qingyan sat still, staring at Yun Shang, as if he was in a meditation. After a long time, he opened his mouth, and his voice was a little suppressed and hoarse. "You were sick last night, not because you had a cold on New Year''s Eve, but because you knew this and you tortured yourself like this, didn''t you?"


    Yun Shang didn''t expect that Luo Qingyan would suddenly ask about it. She only felt all the emotions finally broke out when Luo Qingyan suddenly asked. Tears suddenly poured out and could not stop.


    Seeing this, Luo Qingyan stood up in a hurry, walked quickly to the bedside and held Yun Shang in his arms.


    Yun Shang almost broke down in tears, trembling all over. Luo Qingyan''s heart seemed to be strangled. His mind went blank, and he couldn''t even say a word to comfort her.


    He thought it was good for her to cry like this. Then she wouldn''t be that depressed. And he felt a little relieved when the secret that he was hiding for so long had been exposed. He was also very stressed as he always feared that Yun Shang might found out some clues.


    Yun Shang was too weak to cry. She had used up all her strength. After crying for a while, she could only sob. Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang tightly and patted her on the back. After a while, he said, "In my heart, you are always the most important one."


    Yun Shang didn''t respond. Luo Qingyan continued, "When I first knew that, I was thinking what would happen if you knew it? You lost a child in your previous life and kept blaming yourself for that. If you knew that Bao''er was mentally ill, you would be very sad and guilty. At that time, you were in the confinement of childbirth. The Madam said that women in the confinement of childbirth should never cry, or they would suffer from linger effect. So I just kept you in the dark."

 Chapter 977 Visitors

    "Later, when I kept it from you, I always wondered how you would react when you knew these things. Then I dared not tell you. I thought there were many superb doctors in the world and I could definitely find a way to cure you. I thought it would be the best if you could be cured before you even knew it."


    A bloodthirsty light flashed through Luo Qingyan''s eyes. "I''ve been cautious for a few months, but I didn''t expect that it was me who put the person who shouldn''t have been with you by your side."


    Yun Shang choked with sobs and didn''t say anything. Luo Qingyan said softly, "Doctor Xue Yan prescribed you some medicine to strengthen your body. I ordered someone to put it in your daily diet. And the thing like ink you found in the vase last time was also put by me. It''s good for your health. Besides, I heard that Ghost Doctor is more skilled than Doctor Xue Yan. There must be a way to cure you and Chengye. But he is now in the State of Ning, and I have written to invite him to treat you and Chengye."


    Leaning against Luo Qingyan''s chest, Yun Shang felt better. Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang on the back and said, "Shang''er, no matter what happens, you still have me. Honey, don''t cry. If you cry, I don''t know what to do. "


    Yun Shang knew that things were not as smooth as Luo Qingyan thought. Now someone was trying to make these two things public, and Li Lanyi and Chen Miaosi were the best examples. Although Li Lanyi was dead, Xia Houjing would not let go of this opportunity.


    Luo Qingyan was the emperor. How could an emperor have an infertile empress? How could there be only a prince with mental disease? It was very likely that she and Bao''er would become the biggest weakness of Luo Qingyan.


    Moreover, even though Luo Qingyan could think of looking for Ghost Doctor, Xia Houjing might also have thought of that.


    She and Luo Qingyan seemed to have entered a dead end. There were only two ways to break the situation. The first one was that Luo Qingyan selected a concubine and gave birth to a prince. Second, if Luo Qingyan quitted the throne, the three of them would be free and wouldn''t get involved in these disputes.


    But either of them made her feel extremely difficult.


    Luo Qingyan patted Yun Shang''s back and comforted her in a low voice.


    After a long silence, Yun Shang raised her red and swollen eyes and whispered, "I''m hungry."


    Seeing her like this, Luo Qingyan was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. He nodded and let her lie on the bed. He said softly, "Okay, I''ll ask someone to prepare some food for you. What do you want to eat?"


    "Osmanthus cake." Yun Shang raised her sleeve and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.


    Luo Qingyan hurried out of the bedroom. As soon as he opened the bead curtain and walked out, he saw that there were only Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo guarding at the door of the main hall, staring at the door.


    Luo Qingyan was stunned for a moment, and then understood. Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo must have known the reason. They were worried about Yun Shang, but they were afra


    ice with the same expression on her face. Qin Yi thought for a while and understood. She lowered her head without saying anything.


    Yun Shang looked much calmer than before, she didn''t shed tears again. She ate and slept well. But she was more often in a daze. Every time Qin Yi said that she would bring Bao''er over, Yun Shang''s eyes were always filled with guilt and panic.


    When Luo Qingyan was there, she was still able to talk to him. But Luo Qingyan was still the Emperor of the state. On the third day of the lunar new year, he had to go back to the court to deal with government affairs. When Luo Qingyan was not there, Yun Shang lay on the bench alone and read a book. However, most of the time, she didn''t even turn a page.


    Afraid of being found out to be abnormal and causing trouble, Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo had to announce to the public that Yun Shang was sick and wouldn''t receive any guest.


    After a few days, she lost a lot of weight.


    Everyone felt sorry for her, but Yun Shang comforted them, "I thought I had gained a lot of weight since I gave birth to the baby, and I couldn''t lose any weight. Now, I finally lost some."


    Yun Shang didn''t talk much. She often kept silent all day long. Seeing this, Luo Qingyan ordered servants to bring Ning Qian and Qian Yin into the Palace. Ning Qian couldn''t show up in the Palace with her real face, so she disguised and entered the Palace with Wang Jinhuan.


    Wang Jinhuan was talking with Luo Qingyan about other things in the court, and Ning Qian went to the Weiyang Palace.


    The arrival of Ning Qian and Qian Yin cheered Yun Shang up a little. She asked someone to bring chairs for them and looked at the two carefully. Ning Qian''s belly was a little bigger than the last time she saw it. Yun Shang looked at it and smiled, "Your belly is bigger than that of the pregnant woman of the same month as yours. Are they twins?"


    Ning Qian smiled, "How could?" Then she stared at Yun Shang for a long time and said, "You really don''t know how to take care of yourself."

 Chapter 978 The Death Of A Highly Skilled Doctor

    Yun Shang knew what kind of person Ning Qian was, so she didn''t say anything.


    Ning Qian continued, "I don''t mean to blame you. You are my master, and I don''t care about it. But today, I can''t bear to see you like this. It''s said that on lookers are clear. Shang''er, I don''t think the reason why you are like this is that you can''t have children anymore, nor that Bao''er is mentally ill. "


    Yun Shang looked up at Ning Qian and didn''t know why she said so. Ning Qian paused for a whille and then went on, "The reason why you are like this now is that you care too much about Luo Qingyan. You always put yourself in his position to consider for him. As soon as this matter comes out, what you are really concerned is not about the damage of your body. What you are really concerned is that being the emperor of the State of Xia, it would be bad for Luo Qingyan have an infertile Empress as well as a mentally disabled child.


    What you are thinking about is the current situation and what Luo Qingyan should do. The people of the State of Xia would definitely put pressure on him, and Xia Huanyu would also urge him to choose a concubine. But he loves you so much and you have lived together for so long. How could he rub salt in your wound at this time. In this way, Luo Qingyan will be in a dilemma, and he is difficult to decide," said Ning Qian. Though she looked calm, her voice gradually became excited.


    "Because you know that once it happens, things will turn out that way. The problem is that you don''t want to make it difficult for Luo Qingyan to make a choice because of you. So you feel bad and uncomfortable. You feel like you have fallen into a dead end, and you can''t escape no matter how hard you try," Ning Qian pointed out.


    Yun Shang''s hands trembled slightly and clenched in her sleeves.


    "But why don''t you think about it for yourself? Ning Yun Shang, whom I knew before, is not such a person who is overtaken by misgivings and fear. Luo Qingyan will face difficulties, and he will solve them by himself. If he can''t even solve such a problem, how can he be your husband, Ning Yun Shang? You only need to know one thing- crying and depression can''t solve the problem. You have two choices at present: one, to stand up by Luo Qingyan''s side again. Whoever dares to say no to you, just kill him. What are you afraid of? Or you can take Bao''er back to the State of Ning directly. You are still the most noble princess there. Even if you are infertile and your son is not mentally well. There will still be countless men in the the State of Ning willing to marry you,"


    after saying that, Ning Qian paused for a long time and she went on softly, "Yes, Luo Qingyan is your husband. You should work with him hand in hand. But if you always think for him and remove the obstacles for him, you will always make yourself uncomfortable. Sooner or later, you will be trapped in it. You are too afraid that you will be a drag on Luo Qingyan. But you have forgotten that you are just a woman. You have to rely on a man when you should. Otherwise, why do you need a man? "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and kept silent for a long time. Then she suddenly raised her head again and f


    ward. He looked at Yun Shang and saw the faint smile on her face. He didn''t want to argue with her anymore. Anyway, he felt relieved. Yun Shang hadn''t smiled like this for several days.


    After a while, thinking of what Ning Qian had said, Yun Shang turned around and said softly, "About Zheng Qiming, have you sent someone to investigate what he had experienced and who he had met after he arrived at Liucang City? I always feel that Zheng Qiming didn''t look like a traitor when he was in the Crown Prince''s mansion. Something must have happened to him in Liucang City. "


    Luo Qingyan fell silent. A cold light flashed through his eyes. He told Yun Shang, "No matter when he betrayed me, betrayal meant betrayal."


    Seeing the expression on Luo Qingyan''s face, Yun Shang didn''t say anything more.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang and asked softly, "Do you know what kind of bestial acts Zheng Qiming has done?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, her eyes full of confusion. She had no mood to pay attention to anything else these days.


    Luo Qingyan snorted coldly and said, "Doctor Xue Yan brought up Zheng Qiming and taught him medical skills with all his heart. A few days ago, he secretly sent someone to kill his mentor!"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s eyes were filled with surprise and disbelief, "I beg your pardon? Doctor Xue Yan was killed? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "Doctor Xue Yan, such a great doctor! It''s all gone!"


    Yun Shang felt a little chilled. How could this be? In her heart, in addition to feeling that Doctor Xue Yan was a little weird, she also felt that he was a little pitiful. He could never live without ice and snow. Yun Shang didn''t know how he felt for his life there, but she guessed he must have been very lonely in the world of snow and ice.


    How could Zheng Qiming be so brutal?


    Yun Shang bit her lip and sighed, Hhave you buried Doctor Xue Yan well?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "Xue Yan has never seen anything else in his life except ice and snow. I ordered people to bury him on the hillside of the Changbai Mountain. It''s a beautiful place, and he should like it."

 Chapter 979 A Mysterious Couple

    Yun Shang nodded and sighed in her heart. Doctor Xue Yan couldn''t have expected that he would be killed by his disciple whom he had raised for many years.


    "But why did Zheng Qiming kill Doctor Xue Yan? No matter how powerful Doctor Xue Yan is, he is just a doctor. A doctor is not a threat to Xia Houjing and can''t obstruct him. Why did he have to kill him?" Yun Shang couldn''t figure out why Xia Houjing killed Xue Yan.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Luo Qingyan fell silent. Seeing this, a light flashed in Yun Shang''s mind. She paused for a moment and lowered her head. "Doctor Xue Yan helped me a lot. It''s me who hurt him."


    Worrying that Yun Shang would overthink, Luo Qingyan put his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulder and said, "It''s all Zheng Qiming''s fault. What we can do for Xue Yan now is to revenge him. If Zheng Qiming and Chen Miaosi do something bad in the name of Doctor Xue Yan''s disciples, it will really ruin his reputation."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "I must revenge Doctor Xue Yan."


    Seeing that Luo Qingyan was in a better spirit, Luo Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.


    While they were talking, Qian Zhuo walked in from the outside. She looked at the two people carefully and said softly, "Your Majesty, some news has been sent back from the Yang Liu Town."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan, but met his gaze. She smiled and ordered softly, "Go ahead."


    Qian Zhuo nodded and reported with her head down, "The secret guard found out that two months after the teacher, Liu Jin, moved to Yang Liu Town, a couple also moved to the town. The couple have outstanding appearances and bought the best house in the town generously, so many people had a deep impression of them. A woman in the town had once worked in that house and was responsible for purchasing food. She said that she had seen the young boy of Liu Jin''s mansion in that couple''s house. She also said that the young master called the couple dad and mom."


    Both Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were surprised and excited.


    "Is there a lachrymal mole on the woman''s face?" Yun Shang asked hurriedly.


    Qian Zhuo was stunned for a moment before she answered softly, "The secret guard didn''t ask about it in detail. But he told that the man called his wife Xi Er. The man seemed to be in poor health and had been taking medicine for years. The two of them kept a low profile and rarely went out. That man likes to carve wood, and the carvings are lifelike. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and thought, Xi Er, Cao Wenxi. It must be her.


    But who was that man? According to Liu Yinfeng''s age, when Cao Wenxi gave birth to Liu Yinfeng, she was still the Crown Princess. Yun Shang had guessed that Liu Yinfeng was the son of the crown prince, Xia Huanyu''s brother, Xia Chun.


    Liu Yinfeng called the man father. Was it possible that the man was Xia Chun?


    But


    ile, nodded and said, "It doesn''t matter. It''s just a Xia Houjing."


    Yun Shang nodded and said nothing.


    Although Yun Shang was in a better mood than the previous days, she was still weak and she had to stay in Weiyang Palace to rest.


    In the blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival was coming.


    On the early morning of the Lantern Festival, the Emperor and the Empress should go to the city gate tower to receive the worship from the people. Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang out of the Palace early in the morning, and the crowd had been cleared up along the way. Luo Qingyan looked at the lanterns on both sides of the street and turned to Yun Shang, "There will be the most grand lantern show in the city tonight. Do you want to come out and have a walk?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang shook her head and said softly, "I remember last year when Xia Huanyu took Ning Qian out of the Palace for the lantern show, they met assassins. You have a different identity now and it''s a troubled time. We''d better be careful."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan kept silent for a moment and sighed, "I''m sorry to make you suffer. Now that you''re with me, you even can''t enjoy a lantern show."


    Yun Shang smiled. "Now that I''m the noblest woman in the State of Xia. But Your Majesty said you made me suffer. Are you setting me up to be unjust? People who don''t know me might think I''m going to take the throne."


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. Seeing that Yun Shang was in the mood to joke, he felt a little relieved.


    When they arrived at the gate tower of the Jin City, there were already full of people on the street. When they saw Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang appear, they were very excited, and the noise was deafening. Then they all knelt down and kowtowed to Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang. "Your Majesties. May good fortune always shine on you."


    Luo Qingyan raised his hand and said, "Arise." His voice was so powerful.

 Chapter 980 Her Test

    Some of them stood up, and some were still kneeling. Luo Qingyan looked at the excited faces and complicated expressions in their eyes. After a while, he said, "I''ve just ascended the throne, but now the state is suffering from internal strife and external strife. It''s my fault. I promise that everyone will be fine this year."


    Luo Qingyan paused for a while and continued, "The Empress has recently appealed to me for the people, hoping that I can reduce all the tax by half. I thought about it carefully. As the Empress said, since ancient times, heavy tax has always been like a mountain on the people. If this mountain is not removed, the people will never be relaxed. But if there is no tax and no money in the national treasury, we can''t offer food to the soldiers who protect us. After weighing the pros and cons, I have made a promise today that I will cut the people''s tax by half this year, without affecting the soldiers in the border at all. Within three years, all the people of the State of Xia will have enough food to eat and clothes to wear. "


    Yun Shang turned her head in surprise. She didn''t remember that she had mentioned it to him. Why...


    While she was thinking, all the people knelt down again. "Thank you! Long live Your Majesties!"


    Yun Shang fell silent. She understood that Luo Qingyan was trying to help her build a good reputation among the people of the State of Xia.


    Although she was the Empress, she was just a princess from a foreign country. If she had a good reputation in the hearts of the people, it would be good for her. Yun Shang''s heart softened. Even though Luo Qingyan knew that she couldn''t give birth to a baby for him anymore and that her only child had mental illness, he was still so good to her.


    Luo Qingyan, who was standing next to her, continued, "The Empress also ordered thousands of doctors to go to every town all over the state and treat the poor people. All the poor people don''t need to spend a penny on medical treatment. I will also summon more doctors to join them, and ask the local officials to cooperate them to make sure that all the people will not die because they have no money to see a doctor."


    Looking at the people below, Yun Shang was deeply touched. This man always stood in front of her to protect her and also considered a lot for her.


    "I think the so-called prosperity of a country is not because the National Treasury has money, but because the people have money in their hands. I''m willing to build a prosperous world for you and share the good life with you."


    Luo Qingyan''s voice was still calm and a little cold, but it made everyone''s excited.


    "Hail Your Majesty..." The shouts were deafening, but Yun Shang saw a silver light shining in the crowd below.


    Luo Qingyan should also have seen it. He held Yun Shang''s hand and said softly, "It''s time to go."


    Yun Shang nodded and went away with Luo Qingyan.


    "Assassins?" Yun Shang asked softly after they entered the b


    s expression, Liu Yinfeng hurriedly said, "Well, it doesn''t matter if Bao''er can''t call me now. He will call me one day. I just hope Bao''er could be safe and healthy."


    Yun Shang could tell from his pitiful eyes that he must have known what had happened to her and Bao''er. And hearing his words, she was even surer.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Yes, health and safety are the greatest blessing."


    "It''s good that you think so, your majesty. In fact, the Prince has the greatest happiness in the world." Liu Yinfeng raised his eyes and said in a soft voice, "I have been called a prodigy since I was a child, but I had to be separated from my parents and relatives when I was a child. At that time, I felt that if I could choose, I would rather stay by my parents'' side forever than be a prodigy. Bao''er is so lucky to have you and his majesty around him, healthy and happy."


    Hearing what Liu Yinfeng said, Yun Shang''s eyes suddenly froze. She kept silent for a long time and asked tentatively, "Mister Liu, you should''ve had an incomparably noble identity, but you were exiled and forced to separate from your parents. Have you ever blamed his former majesty?"


    Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng paused and looked at Yun Shang in astonishment.


    Yun Shang sat still with a calm face. After a while, she said, "Mr. Liu, don''t panic. I''m just asking. I believe that no matter what your identity is, you won''t hurt me. I also regard you as my friend, so I asked you without any disguise."


    Liu Yinfeng lowered his head with a bitter smile. After a long silence, he asked, "How could I blame his former majesty? He didn''t do anything wrong. My father didn''t like those disputes in the court and didn''t want that position, so he begged his former majesty to do that. The one who was really wronged was his former majesty. Although people slandered him like that, he had never argued. Besides, he promised my father not to tell anyone, so he kept it a secret all the time. How could I hate him?"

 Chapter 981 His Plan

    A hint of astonishment flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes. She never thought that the truth was like this. It was Xia Chun who didn''t want the throne and let Xia Huanyu ascend to the throne. However, Xia Huanyu didn''t defend himself against the charge of killing his father and brother.


    "My father liked to carve, but he was not interested in power. He was often scolded for this, so he became less interested in that position. His Former Majesty was good at both literature and martial arts, and had a good reputation in the court. At that time, my father had some plan. When she went to ask His Former Majesty for help, he was refused by His Former Majesty. Because His Former Majesty had fallen in love with the daughter of the Hua clan at that time, he had promised to only marry her in his life. If he took that position, it would be difficult. I don''t know what my father has done, but His Former Majesty finally agreed." Liu Yinfeng held Bao''er''s hand and looked out of the pavilion.


    "Later, after Empress Hua fell off the cliff and disappeared and couldn''t be found everywhere. His Former Majesty''s heart was almost dead. He wanted to give the throne to me, and then he went to look for Empress Hua himself, so he tried every means to take me back to the imperial city. However, because of some unforeseen events, his wish could not be fulfilled. In fact, my father and I owe His Former Majesty a lot." Liu Yinfeng lowered his head and chuckled, with complex look in his eyes.


    Yun Shang was surprised. In this way, it also explained why Xia Huanyu brought Liu Yinfeng to the Palace in the name of Lady Liu two years later. She didn''t understand before, but she didn''t expect the truth to be like this. Yun Shang opened her mouth and wanted to ask if he had ever wanted the throne? But she felt that this question went too far and did not ask.


    "Xia Houjing..." Yun Shang said hesitantly after a moment of silence.


    A hint of bitterness flashed through Liu Yinfeng''s eyes. He sighed and said gently, "Maybe I''m not interested in power because I was influenced by my father. My father had been depressed all the time in the Jin City. After leaving the city, the whole family had a lot of fun, so I always feel that it''s better to live an ordinary life. But he was born and raised in the Imperial Palace. He was used to fighting for power and was obsessed with the throne. But his temperament is not suitable to be the emperor. I have tried my best to persuade him, but he still can''t let it go. If the battle between him and his majesty is inevitable, I only hope that his majesty can spare his life. "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and smiled, "Since his majesty has promised you, he will not break his promise."


    Then she looked up at the garden and changed the topic casually, "After some months, the flowers in the garden will bloom. When you were in the State of Ning, you told me that the Misty Mountain in the State of Xia was very beautiful in spring when the peach flowers were in bloom. Last year, we missed the time when the peach flowers bloomed. This year, we should be able to see the


    n Shang was about to push the door open when she heard Liu Yinfeng''s voice, "Your Majesty, please don''t do this. It''s really difficult for me to take this heavy task."


    There was a hint of drunkenness in his voice.


    Yun Shang paused. It seemed that Luo Qingyan was persuading Liu Yinfeng to be an official. He is right, many new officials had come into the court, but there should be someone who could lead them. If it were Liu Yinfeng, the officials would not have any doubts. After all, Liu Yinfeng had a high reputation in the court.


    "What?" Luo Qingyan burped and said, "If you can''t take this post, there will be no one else."


    Yun Shang stood at the door, wondering if she should go in now and help Luo Qingyan persuade Liu Yinfeng. Before she could make a decision, Liu Yinfeng''s voice came from inside, "Your Majesty is still young..."


    "Young? I''m thirty. How many thirty years will a person have in his life? Do I have to spend the past decades in the fighting for power? I did try my best to get the throne, but if I have to make a choice between the throne and Yun Shang, I will choose Yun Shang without hesitation. ''. I got the throne, but what I lost was something I cherished most. I don''t want to regret it until I lose everything one day. "


    Luo Qingyan said in a hoarse voice, which shocked Yun Shang.


    "I know what I said just now is really hard for you. But you are the son of Xia Chun, the legitimate royal child of the State of Xia, and you are famous in the court. I also believe in you. I am very relieved to hand over the State of Xia to you."


    Yun Shang clenched her hands in her sleeves. It turned out that Luo Qingyan wanted to give the throne to Liu Yinfeng instead of just letting him be an official.


    Yun Shang''s face was a little pale. She took two steps back, and her mind went blank. She kept thinking about what Luo Qingyan had just said. She stood there for a moment before she raised her eyes and made a gesture to Qing Hao, telling him not to tell Luo Qingyan that she had come, then she hurried out of the side hall.

 Chapter 982 Something On Her Mind

    After standing in the Imperial Garden for a while, Yun Shang returned to Weiyang Palace. When she saw Pei Lan waiting at the door of the inner hall, she said softly, "I saw the plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden just now, so I enjoyed the flowers there and forgot to go to the Taiji Palace. Go to the Tai Chi hall and ask his majesty and Mister Liu for dinner."


    Without any doubt, Pei Lan nodded, bowed and left Weiyang Palace.


    Yun Shang walked into the inner hall and sat down on the bench. She felt as if all her strength had been sucked out. Did Luo Qingyan want to give up the hard-earned throne to others for her?


    Yun Shang closed her eyes slowly. It was impossible for her not to be touched. No matter why he said those words, it was enough to prove that she was very important in Luo Qingyan''s heart.


    Luo Qingyan had always been ineloquent and had a cold face, so she didn''t expect him to say those words. Recently, she was just so sad that she forgot he was Bao''er''s father and her husband.


    She forgot how happy he had been when he had just known that she was pregnant. She forgot that he was much more nervous than her during her pregnancy, and that he had prepared the midwife early. Although he didn''t say anything, he was looking forward to the birth of the baby. He was the first one to know that Bao''er was mentally disabled and that she couldn''t have another child. He must have been extremely sad.


    But in order not to make her sad, he had to hide it from her. And now he planned to give up the throne he had obtained for the two of them.


    He could give up, but how could she repay it?


    Yun Shang closed her eyes slowly. Her heart ached as if it was pulled by something.


    Hearing the sound of bead curtain, Yun Shang hurriedly hid all her emotions and looked up at the door. Qian Zhuo came in with a plate of cakes in her hand. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this is plum blossom cakes, please try it. Although it''s not as sweet as osmanthus cake, it''s also very delicious. It''s fresh and delicious. I couldn''t help but eat two pieces in the kitchen just now."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang lifted the corners of her mouth and regained her spirit. "You''re probably the first one who dare to eat my food secretly and told me."


    Qian Zhuo stuck out her tongue and blinked, "I''m so presumptuous just because I know you won''t blame me."


    "How dare you say that? It seems that I really spoil you. I should let you to clean the yard as a punishment." Yun Shang said with a laughter. She took a piece of plum blossom cake and took a bite.


    In fact, the plum blossom was a little bitter, but it tasted crispy, and even the bitterness seemed to be much fresher. Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "It''s really good."


    Qian Zhuo became happy. "It''s good that you like it. I''ll ask the servants in the kitchen to cook more." Then she ran out excitedly.


    Yun Shang put the re


    . Let''s go to bed early."


    Smelling the smell of alcohol on Luo Qingyan''s body, Yun Shang knew that he might''ve not been sober up yet. She shook her head, turned around and was about to leave, but was suddenly raised up by Luo Qingyan. Yun Shang screamed and was thrown onto the bed. Before she came to her senses, Luo Qingyan had already pressed down on her.


    "Previously, I saw you and Liu Yinfeng were very close in the pavilion. Liu Yinfeng held Bao''er in his arms, and you looked like a family of three from a distance. You are not allowed to see Liu Yinfeng alone from now on, understand? " Luo Qingyan squinted at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang frowned and looked at Luo Qingyan. She kept silent for a while and said, "If my memory serves me right, it was your majesty who said that you had to deal with something in the Taiji Palace and asked me to have a chat with Liu Yinfeng in the Fang Hua Pavilion. And it was also you who asked me to bring Bao''er with me, saying that Liu Yinfeng was his sworn father and he should have a look at Bao''er... "


    Luo Qingyan curled his lips and answered without hesitation, "I regret it now. Anyway, you can''t stay with Liu Yinfeng alone from now on."


    Having been with Luo Qingyan for so many years, Yun Shang knew Luo Qingyan very well. She knew that Luo Qingyan was cold and dignified in daily life, but it was difficult to resist his insistence.


    So she quickly responded, "Okay, okay, I won''t stay with him alone."


    "No, no, no. It''s not just him. You can''t stay with any other man alone." Luo Qingyan shook his head, and his eyes became more and more confused.


    Yun Shang sighed and said, "Okay, I see. Get up quickly and go to bed after taking a bath."


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and said, "I don''t want to move."


    After a pause, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Yun Shang for a long time. Then he asked softly, "Shang''er, do you prefer the State of Ning or the State of Xia?"

 Chapter 983 Make Insinuations

    Luo Qingyan fell asleep before Yun Shang answered. Yun Shang pushed Luo Qingyan aside, stood up and sat down for a while. Then she took off the shoes, socks and robes for Luo Qingyan, covered him with a quilt, and sat on the edge of the bed in a daze.


    She kept thinking about Luo Qingyan''s question. He asked her whether she preferred the State of Ning or the State of Xia.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes, but she couldn''t calm down for a long time. Why did Luo Qingyan ask her this question? Did Liu Yinfeng agree to his request? That was why he asked her where she liked and wanted to live in seclusion with her?


    Yun Shang bit her lips, struggling in her heart. She came to the State of Xia with Luo Qingyan. In the past two years, they had a hard time. At the beginning, they were controlled and calculated by others. Later, they gradually gain a firm foothold in the state. Only she knew how hard it was. In the past two years, they had hardly had a day off. For several times, they had almost lost their lives.


    Although the throne was granted by Xia Huanyu, without Luo Qingyan''s efforts, he wouldn''t have been the emperor with so many calculated opponents around him.


    In the past few months, Luo Qingyan had been working very hard for both internal strife and external strife. He went to the court early in the morning every day and didn''t return to the Weiyang Palace until late at night.


    And now he planned to give up the throne because of her. Even Yun Shang would feel reluctant, let alone Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang turned around and looked at Luo Qingyan who was asleep. She touched Luo Qingyan''s eyes and brows slowly, but she was struggling in her heart.


    "Your Majesty?" Qian Zhuo''s came from outside.


    Yun Shang was taken aback. She quickly withdrew her hand, stood up and put down the bed curtain. Then she quickly walked to the door and lifted the bead curtain. "What''s wrong?"


    "Do you want me to help you wash up?" Qian Zhuo replied.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "come in."


    Qian Zhuo helped Yun Shang wash up and then untied her hair. Yun Shang lifted the bed curtain and lay beside Luo Qingyan. She blew out the light in the room. The inner hall was dark. Yun Shang slowly closed her eyes, but she couldn''t fall asleep.


    In fact, there was another solution to the current situation...


    Yun Shang bit her lower lip, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    She didn''t fall asleep until the early morning. When she woke up, it was already noon. The Lantern Festival represented the end of the Spring Festival.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang lay on the bed and didn''t want to move. After a while, Qian Zhuo came in and poked her head towards the bed. When she saw Yun Shang open her eyes, she was shocked and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you''re awake? I thought you are still asleep."


    Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo, nodded and asked, "How''s the weather today?"


    "It''s fine. Although it''s not sunny, there''s no wind or snow," Qian Zhuo said with a smile


    Yun Shang nodded.


    Seeing that Yun Shang had no intenti


    n the daytime that I have a lot of dreams at night." Hua Ling didn''t understand what Yun Shang meant, so she had to comfort her casually.


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile and said softly, "yes."


    After sitting for a while, Hua Ling stood up and took the maids to the inner hall, asking them to put everything they needed to take into the cases. Yun Shang heard the voice of Hua Ling from inside from time to time.


    Glancing at Yun Shang, Xia Huanyu lowered his head and said in a low voice, "It''s not good for you to know too much about something. You''d better not even dream about it."


    Yun Shang knew what Xia Huanyu meant, so she smiled and said, "Thank you for your reminder, father. I got it."


    "Got it?" Xia Huanyu shook his head. "You didn''t. Many things are not as simple as you think, or as complicated as you think. You are the Empress after all. What you need to control is the imperial household. Don''t underestimate the imperial household. Sometimes, the imperial household is much more important than you think. "


    "The selection, which is held every three years, should continue. Qingyan has just ascended the throne, and there should be a selection this year." Xia Huanyu frowned slightly.


    "Do you think that I always try to put women around Qingyan to oppose you?" A cold smile played at the corners of Xia Huanyu''s mouth. He waited for Yun Shang to put a piece on the chessboard. He paused and looked at the chessboard for a long time before he said, "I don''t mean to be against you. I was just that the State of Xia need someone to inherit in the future. How could I just let the royal family of the State of Xia end up like what Li Lanyi said at the new year''s Eve? As the Empress, you are capable to take this position, but you can''t ruin the State of Xia for your own interest."


    Yun Shang''s hand holding the chess piece trembled slightly, and the chess piece in her hand fell on the chessboard, making a "Ding" sound, as if it hit Yun Shang''s heart.


    It turned out that Xia Huanyu had already known it.

 Chapter 984 Trust Between Husband And Wife

    Yun Shang saw her pale face in Xia Huanyu''s eyes, and the astonishment on her face was obvious. Yun Shang quickly hid her expression, silently picked up the black chess piece that had just fallen, and then looked up at Xia Huanyu. Her voice was slow and powerful.


    "I''ve heard that father only doted on mother in the imperial household regardless of others'' opposition. After mother''s accident, father also had the plan to abdicate and look for her. Father, you can do this when you even didn''t know whether or not mother was still alive. Moreover, Shang''er is still a living person now. You are not the only one who can give up the throne for your beloved one."


    Xia Huanyu''s eyes darkened. He chuckled, but there seemed to be a hint of self-mockery, sarcasm, and some unknown emotions in his laughter.


    "Like father, like son." Said Xia Huanyu in a somewhat cold voice.


    "Do you want to take your favorite tea set with you?" Hua Ling walked out and asked softly.


    Xia Huanyu''s indifferent expression faded away. When he turned his head, a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Take it. Just put it in the carriage. If we have nothing else to do, we could boil the tea in the carriage."


    Hua Ling glanced at the maid behind her, and the maid quickly responded, turned around and entered the inner hall again.


    Since Hua Ling was there, Xia Huanyu and Yun Shang changed the topic at the same time, only talking about some ordinary things.


    After Luo Qingyan finished dealing with the political affairs, he went straight to the Taihe Palace. The four of them had dinner together, taking it as a farewell to Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling.


    After dinner, it was completely dark. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan walked towards Weiyang Palace. Yun Shang recalled what Xia Huanyu had said and what Luo Qingyan had said to Liu Yinfeng yesterday. Her mind was in a mess.


    In this situation, they had to choose between abdication and concubine selection.


    Yun Shang bit her lips. She would feel guilty to Luo Qingyan if Luo Qingyan abdicated. But she couldn''t accept the fact that Luo Qingyan would marry a concubine, unless she left Luo Qingyan.


    Between guilt and leave, her choice was evident.


    Yun Shang clenched her fists in her sleeves. Just as Ning Qian said, she had always been planning for Luo Qingyan. Let her be selfish this time.


    Yun Shang was taken aback when her hand was being held suddenly and turned around.


    Under the dim light of the lantern, Luo Qingyan''s eyes looked a little deep. He was staring at her.


    Yun Shang came to her senses and asked, "Your Majesty, what''s wrong?"


    Luo Qingyan frowned. He looked at Yun Shang for a while and said, "That''s what I want to ask you. Look at you. You look upset. What happened?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and hesitated. Since she had decided to be selfish this time, she should tell him the truth. Besides, it was him who concealed the decision he had made.


    Seeing that Yun Shang lowered her head and di


    imperial household. What happened to Li Fuhua only alerted them. She still needed an opportunity to win their support, at least half of them.


    If they can''t be used by me, they can only be killed by me.


    Yun Shang bit her lip and drew a circle with her hand. She decided to start from Qi Ruihai. Qi Ruihai was in charge of all the servants in the imperial household. He was a smart man who knew how to judge the situation.


    There were only two ways to communicate with smart people. One was to cater to his wishes, and the other was to let him understand that choosing her was the best choice.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment. She couldn''t decide which one to use now, so she had to test it.


    "Qin Yi is now focusing on the affairs of the Imperial Household Department. You are the only one in the Weiyang Palace and it''s difficult for you to handle it alone. Send someone to invite Qi Ruihai here." Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and ordered softly.


    Qian Zhuo replied with a smile and went out to ask Qing Hao to do it.


    Soon she returned and whispered. "The secret guards told me that His Former Majesty and Her Former Majesty had left Jin An, but they didn''t go in the direction of Liucang City. Instead, they went northwest."


    "Northwest?" Yun Shang frowned and wondered why Xia Huanyu would go to the northwest?


    Yun Shang stood up and walked to the map. She gently touched the map with her hand. Northwest, Mingyi City, Luoyin City, Huaiyin City, and Lingxi City.


    Huaiyin, Lingxi.


    Yun Shang''s hand paused. These two places...


    Zhao Yingjie was here.


    Could it be that Hua Ling went to visit Zhao Yingjie with Xia Huanyu? It might not be impossible, but did Xia Huanyu really just plan to travel with Hua Ling?


    Yun Shang shook her head and felt uncertain for the first time.


    She found that she was really confused with Xia Huanyu. Just like she couldn''t figure out how Xia Huanyu got to know that she was infertile and that Bao''er was mentally disabled.

 Chapter 985 The Missing Hairpin

    "Keep following them. His Former Majesty has spent more than thirty years in the Palace, and he must''ve guessed that someone is following him. There is something fishy about this matter. He intentionally goes northwest, which is very likely to mislead us, and then he will find a way to get rid of our people." Yun Shang raised her eyes and ordered softly.


    "Yes." Qian Zhuo answered. She looked at Yun Shang up and down and then opened her mouth slightly. "Your Majesty, the weather is good today. Why don''t you go out for a walk?"


    Yun Shang felt a little strange. She looked at Qian Zhuo and said with a smile, "Judging from your look, I can tell that it is premeditated. Tell me, what happened?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo stuck out her tongue and couldn''t help laughing. "I can''t hide it from you, your majesty. It was his majesty who asked me to persuade you to go out for a walk. He said that the brazier in this room is burning all day long. Although the window is occasionally opened for some fresh air, it''s still a little stuffy. Your majesty has just recovered, so you should walk more outside."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Why didn''t you speak it out directly? I thought you were hiding something from me. I was wondering if you had a crush on some man and felt embarrassed to tell me. "


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo blushed. She stamped her feet and said, "Your majesty, you always make fun of me."


    Yun Shang smiled, stood up and said, "Then let''s go out for a walk." When she was about to go out, she saw herself in a red dress in the bronze mirror, and her hair was just casually tied up.


    She followed the comfortable way in the bedroom, but it was not appropriate to go out in this way. Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and said, "Make my hair into a bun."


    Yun Shang sat down in front of the bronze mirror. Qian Zhuo walked to Yun Shang and made a bun for her. "What kind of hair ornament do you want?"


    "It''s up to you." Yun Shang looked up at the person in her mirror and replied casually.


    Qian Zhuo nodded, opened the jewelry box, and said softly, "Then I''ll choose the phoenix shaped hairpin that her former majesty gave you before. The hairpin is exquisite and lifelike. It looks good on you. And I''ll also choose another one."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang remembered that Hua Ling had indeed given her a phoenix shaped hairpin with a note in it. Thinking of this, Yun Shang nodded, "One hairpin is enough."


    Qian Zhuo replied and looked through the jewelry box for a long time. Then she frowned and asked, "Eh, why is the hairpin missing? I saw it in the jewelry box when I do a makeup for your majesty before the New Year''s Eve. "


    "Missing?" Yun Shang frowned, "How could it be missing from the inner hall?"


    Qian Zhuo was also a little strange. "And now all the things that your majesty is going to come into contact with are handled by three people, including me, Pei Lan and the Qing Hao. Besides,


    because she was busy. Yun Shang didn''t expect that Lady Li was really stubborn.


    Yun Shang lifted the bead curtain and walked out. She saw a woman sitting on the left chair in the main hall. The lady was well maintained and looked just like a 20-year-old woman with delicate makeup, clothes and jewelry.


    Seeing Yun Shang come out, Lady Li quickly stood up and said, "Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang hurried to step forward and held her up. She smiled and said, "Don''t be so courteous, Lady Li. By the way, I should call you mother."


    Lady Li hurriedly said, "I''m flattered."


    Yun Shang smiled, walked to a chair and sat down. Then she looked up at Lady Li with a smile, "I''ve heard that you have come to Weiyang Palace several times, but I was just too busy."


    Lady Li hurriedly said, "It''s all my fault."


    Yun Shang just smiled quietly and didn''t respond. She was wondering what Lady Li came here for. Lady Li used to be just a concubine in the imperial household, but after Hua Ling entered the palace, she was conferred the title of "Xian". But not long after, Xia Huanyu gave up the throne.


    Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t say anything, Lady Li hesitated and said, "I heard that His Former Majesty and Her Former Majesty went out on a trip..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled. She didn''t believe that Lady Li didn''t know the exact news. Although the news that Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling went out of the palace hadn''t been spread widely, they didn''t hide it. The women who had stayed in the palace, especially those who had a low rank, must be very sensitive to these news. "Yes, it is true."


    Hearing this, Lady Li''s face changed. She quickly said, "Well, how could it be like this? Her Former Majesty asked me to investigate something. Now that she is out of the palace, who should I report to? "


    Hearing Lady Li''s words, Yun Shang had almost guessed her plan. It seemed that she wanted to find a suitable backer in the imperial household, so she came to her.

 Chapter 986 To Be Stern And Strong (Part One)

    Before that, Lady Li had come to the Weiyang Palace to ask to see Yun Shang twice. At that time, Hua Ling hadn''t left the palace yet.


    "Oh? What did her former majesty ask you to investigate? " Yun Shang asked her. Pei Lan brought a cup of tea and put it on the table at Yun Shang''s hand. Yun Shang reached out her hand and picked up the teacup, opened the lid, and lightly skimmed the foam off her tea with the lid.


    "After her former majesty entered the palace, she asked me to find out in the imperial household among stewards who could be trusted and who should be on guard," Lady Li answered in a low voice. She thought for a while and went on, "I''ve sent someone to inquire about it before. It''s not until recently that there''s some progress."


    Yun Shang''s hand holding the teacup paused for a moment, and she quickly recovered as usual. She found Lady Li was very cunning. She must have known from the incident of Li Fuhua some time ago that Yun Shang was trying to find a way to settle down in the imperial household and get rid of the several stewards. So, before she came here today, she was well prepared.


    "I heard that Lady Li just became a concubine when her former majesty entered the palace. I didn''t expect Lady Li to be so capable, " said Yun Shang smilingly, but her eyes were full of disbelief.


    But Lady Li smiled calmly and said, "Yes, I was just a concubine then. Moreover, when I first entered the palace, I was only a Cainv of the lowest level. But your majesty, don''t you there is a saying that little ghosts are difficult to deal with? In the imperial household, what we really need to guard against is not any superior


    Li''s eyes.


    Lady Li smiled bitterly, "What can I ask for? When His Former Majesty was still the emperor, I had tried every means to beg for his favor and a son, but I had never been that lucky. When Empress Hua came back to the palace, I knew that it was already extravagant to ask for the favor of the holy emperor. The imperial household is the most ruthless place. If we completely lost those rare chances of three or four times a year to serve his majesty, no one could imagine what kind of cold treatment we would suffer. I''m afraid the treatment we got might be even worse than that of a servant. I was trying to please Empress Hua. I just wanted to have a place in the imperial household. "


    After a short pause, she sighed, "but in just a few months, the situation has changed dramatically. I became a former lady, and His Former Majesty decisively took her former majesty out of the palace. I don''t have any children, so I''m afraid I can''t escape the desolation. What I want today is just a place to live in the palace, and three meals a day can be served with hot dishes and hot rice. "

 Chapter 987 To Be Stern And Strong (Part Two)

    Hearing this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled, "It''s a little embarrassing to hear that. I''m in charge of the imperial household, but I can''t let you live a peaceful life here. It''s my fault to make you worried all day long. But don''t worry, your highness. I promise I will try my best to satisfy you. "


    Lady Li seemed to be relieved and smiled, "Thank you, your majesty. You are so busy with your chores. I won''t bother you anymore."


    After Lady Li left, Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo and said, "Lady Li..."


    After thinking for a while, Qian Zhuo said gently, "Her former majesty has been in touch with her quite often after she entered the palace. But when I saw her in the former Empress'' palace, I felt that she was overcautious and wanted to offend no one. But today, I feel that she is a little different from what I saw before. At least, she wouldn''t have dressed like this and said these words before. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang raised the corners of her mouth slightly and said with interest, "It''s probably because Xia Huanyu was the emperor before, and the other women in the palace all wanted to compete with her for favor. The humbler she behaved, the better, so that no one would notice her. If she showed a little bit of sharpness, she was very likely to be killed. But now the situation is different. Xia Huanyu is no longer the emperor, and he is not in the imperial palace now. I am not her match either. At least, I won''t worry that she will fight for the emperor''s favor. She came to see me because she hopes that I can feel that she is still useful. "


    Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo and said, "Ho


    w who stole it, I believe it should not be an outsider."


    After a pause, Yun Shang observed the people standing below and said, "It''s not that I care about a hairpin, but it''s a gift from her former majesty. It''s different and special anyway. I haven''t been in the Weiyang Palace for a long time, but I''m afraid that many people have already known me well. They think I''m gentle and easy-going, and I don''t lose my temper in normal times, so some people become unscrupulous. "


    Yun Shang suddenly put the teacup on the armrest and let out a light bang. The people below were shocked by the sudden noise and looked up.


    Yun Shang sneered, "But I''m afraid you''ve never heard of it. When I was fifteen years old, I went to the battlefield with his majesty. There were more than eight hundred enemies who died in my hands. I used to be a princess from the State of Ning, and I have always been arrogant and domineering. After I came to the State of Xia, I thought that I was not in the State of Ning, so I restrained myself a lot. But it doesn''t mean that you can treat me as a sick cat! "

 Chapter 988 Building Prestige

    "I only have a few words to say today. First of all, I have to emphasize that in the Weiyang Palace, you can be a little stupid or slow in reaction. I won''t care about these things. But you must remember one thing. If anyone dares do anything bad to me, don''t blame me for being rude to him. There are three kinds of people I hate the most, the betrayers, the cheaters, and the ones with impure thoughts. " Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She didn''t need to look in the bronze mirror. She knew that she looked a little fierce now.


    "Second, I know you like to chat with other servants when you have nothing to do, but I don''t want anything in the Weiyang Palace to be heard by outsiders."


    "Last but not least, I hope you know clearly who is in charge of the imperial household now and make the right choice. I don''t need to give you any advice on how to survive. I grew up in the Palace. I have seen a lot of messy things in the imperial household. Fortunately, I''m the only one in his majesty''s harem now. You must consider who you should see as your master."


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned around and looked at Qian Zhuo, "Take the guards to the side hall to do a thorough search. We must find the hairpin."


    Qian Zhuo answered yes and called the guards to the side hall.


    Yun Shang sat there expressionlessly, staring at the 30-odds servants calmly. They didn''t expect that Yun Shang would suddenly send the guards to search the side hall. Yun Shang could clearly see that some of them seemed to be uneasy. A maid standing in the third row turned her head and looked at the east side hall, frowning.


    Yun Shang sneered and pointed at the maid. "Take her out."


    Qing Hao answered in a hurry. He quickly walked into the crowd and pulled the maid out. Throwing her in the front, he said harshly, "kneel down."


    The maid trembled and knelt down in a hurry. "Your Majesty, please spare my life."


    "Spare your life? What have you done? Why did you ask me to spare your life? " Yun Shang said coldly. Before the maid could respond, she continued, "What''s your name? What are you in charge of the palace?"


    "Your... Your Majesty, my name is Xue Rui, I''m in charge of the flowers and plants in the yard." The maid replied in a hurry.


    Yun Shang rubbed the teacup with her hand and said, "I saw you staring at the east side hall just now. Are you afraid that the guards will find something in your room?"


    "No...No. " Xue Rui replied in a low voice.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Really? You just kneel here and wait for the guards to finish searching. If they can''t find anything in your room, you could get up."


    "Yes."


    The others all lowered their heads and waited quietly.


    About an hour later, the guards searched the side hall, took out all the suspicious things and placed them one by one on the ground in front of the servants.


    Yun Shang stood up and walked to those things and checked them one by one. There we


    , "Your Majesty, it''s not that I don''t want to. Please listen to me for the details."


    "What is it?" Yun Shang turned around, walked to a chair and sat down, asking calmly.


    "Your Majesty, there is something you don''t know. I came to the Palace to look for my sister. I lived in a poor village outside the Jin city. When I was thirteen years old, my father was seriously ill. In order to raise money to cure my father, I had to sell my sister for some money. At that time, I promised my sister that no matter what, I would definitely redeem her. Not long after, my father passed away. I earned some money by working around. I wanted to find my sister back, but the buyer told me he had sold my sister. Two or three years later, I heard that my sister had been brought into the palace, so I came into the palace... " Qi Ruihai said gently, but his voice was calm.


    "The palace is too large and there are too many servants. I haven''t seen my sister for a long time, so I thought I could see all information of the servants in the Neishi Bureau, so I tried every way to enter the Neishi Bureau, but I still haven''t found her. But I won''t give up. As long as I''m still alive, I''ll find her. Neishi Bureau is the best place... "


    Yun Shang looked around, but she was not sure whether Qi Ruihai was telling the truth or just an excuse. She smiled and said, "Since Lord Qi doesn''t want to, I won''t force you. But... "


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I will definitely take all the departments in the imperial household under my control. Consider it. If you want to find your sister, you don''t have to work in Neishi Bureau. After all, Neishi Bureau only records information about the servants. You had been looking for her for so many years, but you still couldn''t find her. Have you ever thought that your sister might not be a maid at all? Lord Qi, you don''t have to answer me now. You''d better go back and think about it. I''m waiting for your good news."

 Chapter 989 Suspicion

    After Qi Ruihai left, a servant came to report that Luo Qingyan asked Yun Shang to go to the Meeting Hall. Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo helplessly and said with a smile, "It''s not that I don''t want to have a walk. It''s really a coincidence." She didn''t have much time recently. Today, Qian Zhuo tried to persuade her to go out for a walk, but was interrupted by all kinds of things.


    Qian Zhuo couldn''t help laughing, "It doesn''t matter. I just want you to go out for a walk. You can also pass the Imperial Garden when you go to Meeting Hall."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up. "Let''s go. I''m wondering if his majesty has something important to tell me. Why he asked me to the Meeting Hall instead of telling me after he came back to the Weiyang Palace?"


    The two of them walked out of Weiyang Palace, passed through the Imperial Garden and went to the Meeting Hall. There were many willows by the lake in the Imperial Garden, and they began to sprout. Yun Shang looked at the very obscure green, and said with a smile, "Spring is coming."


    "Yes, it will be warm in a few days." Qian Zhuo answered softly.


    Yun Shang smiled. The most difficult winter she had ever had in her life was finally over. Spring brought new vitality, and everything would always past.


    Yun Shang kept smiling and walked quickly to the door of the Meeting Hall. As soon as Liu Wenan saw Yun Shang, he pushed the door open for her and greeted her with a smile, "Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded, asked Qian Zhuo to wait at the door, and stepped into the Meeting Hall.


    After entering the Meeting Hall, Yun Shang found that besides Luo Qingyan, Li Qianmo was also there.


    "Your Majesty." After Li Qianmo greeted Yun Shang, Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang and smiled, "Mr. Li has something to tell you, but it''s inconvenient for him to go to the inner palace, so I called you here."


    It was not until then that Yun Shang realized why she was called here. After finishing speaking, Luo Qingyan lowered her head to deal with the memorials. Yun Shang walked to a chair and sat down, smiling at Li Qianmo. "Lord Li, do you have anything to report?"


    Li Qianmo stepped forward two steps in a hurry, lowered his head and replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I have found out the cause of Li Fuhua''s death, and I have a suspect."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Really? Who is the murderer? "


    Li Qianmo kept silent for a while and said, "If nothing goes wrong, it should be Lady Cao."


    "Lady Cao?" Yun Shang frowned and murmured. She didn''t know who Lady Cao was.


    Li Qianmo must have noticed Yun Shang''s confusion, so he explained in a hurry, "Lady Cao is the mother of the fifteenth Princess."


    Hearing what Li Qianmo said, Yun Shang was stunned and asked in disbelief, "Are you talking about her?"


    Yun Shang remembered that Lady Cao was extremely quiet and gentle. How could she be the murderer of Li Fuhua? Why did she do that?


    Lady Cao. Yun Shang was shocked. The surname Cao was unusual when she thought of it now.


    are heading northwest."


    Luo Qingyan nodded. After a moment of silence, he said, "Never mind."


    Since Luo Qingyan had said so, Yun Shang nodded and agreed. She chatted with Luo Qingyan for a while with a smile and then left the Meeting Hall. Qian Zhuo quickly followed Yun Shang, and the two walked towards Weiyang Palace together. After pondering for a long time, Yun Shang asked softly, "How is the fifteenth Princess now? I''ve been busy all the time. I forgot to ask about her."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo replied in a hurry, "The madam teaches her every day. I went to see her four or five days ago, and found that she behaved better than before, but there was still a hint of unwillingness in her eyes."


    Yun Shang smiled, "She''s not reconciled. She was scolded by me for no reason. She must have suffered a lot recently. Since I have promised Lady Cao that I would taught her in person, I must keep my words. When you return to Weiyang Palace later, go and call the fifteenth Princess to the main hall."


    Qian Zhuo had been waiting at the door of the Meeting Hall just now. She didn''t know what had happened inside, but wondered why Yun Shang suddenly thought of the fifteenth Princess. She nodded and said, "yes."


    Although the identity of Lady Cao was somewhat unpredictable, Yun Shang could feel that she was concerned about tthe fifteenth Princess from the bottom of her heart. That day, she asked her servants to teach the fifteenth Princess well because of two reasons. One was that she felt the princess was just like herself in the previous life. The second point was the most important. Luo Qingyan didn''t have a daughter, and she didn''t want him to marry another woman. But many times, many things needed to be maintained by political marriage.


    And the princesses of His Former Majesty were good chess pieces. But the premise was that those chess pieces would be willing to listen to her. The fifteenth Princess were of the right age, and it happened that there was such a chance, so she would not let it go.

 Chapter 990 Blame

    When the fifteenth Princess entered the main hall, Yun Shang was talking to Qian Zhuo. The fifteenth Princess stood aside, lowering her heads and waiting quietly. After a while, Yun Shang turned around and found the fifteenth Princess.


    Seeing that Yun Shang was looking at her, the fifteenth Princess slowly walked forward and gracefully bowed to her, "Greetings, your majesty."


    Yun Shang looked at the fifteenth Princess up and down and was surprised. In less than a month, the fifteenth Princess seemed to have changed into another person. She used to be arrogant and domineering, and now she was much gentler.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang smiled and ordered the maid standing aside, "Take a chair for the fifteenth Princess."


    The maid put a chair behind the fifteenth Princess who then thanked her unhurriedly and slowly sat down.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "You really look like a noble princess now."


    The fifteenth Princess lowered her head and didn''t respond. Yun Shang could guess what she was thinking. She was silent for a moment before she said, "I heard that you have been suffering a lot learning the rules these days. I''m afraid you must be blaming me in your heart."


    "I dare not." The fifteenth Princess said softly.


    She said "dare not" instead of "did not". Yun Shang curled up her lips. The words she used expressed her attitude.


    Yun Shang smiled, "When my mother asked me the question, my answer was the same as yours. I''m afraid that you''ve never heard that I had the same experience as you when I was in the State of Ning. Not long after I was born, my mother was sent to the cold palace. I was raised in the Empress''s palace. The Empress was very good to me, so I was unwilling to admit the lady in the cold palace was my birth mother. How nice is the Empress? The daughter of the Empress, my sister, learned all kinds of knowledge from the grand tutor at the age of three or four. Besides that, she also learned embroidery. My sister often tells me how ferocious the grand tutor is, how heavy and boring her homework is. So I told the Empress that I didn''t want to learn those boring things, and the Empress agreed. "


    "If sister was not good to the servants, she would be punished severely by the Empress. But even if I kill those who irritate me, the Empress would not even scold me." Yun Shang sneered and looked at the fifteenth Princess who seemed to be surprised.


    Yun Shang continued, "Do you think the Empress is very good to me?"


    The fifteenth Princess nodded and curled her lips. "Of course."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang burst into laughter, which attracted the attention of the fifteenth Princess. After a long time, Yun Shang stopped laughing. "But what is the result of not learning? My sister was honored as the most talented lady in the State of Ning, but what about


    he expression in Lady Cao''s eyes had gradually calmed down, Yun Shang knew something. "Lady Cao, why don''t you tell me what you want to do?"


    Lady Cao kowtowed to Yun Shang and hurriedly said, "I don''t dare to ask for anything else. I have always wanted to live a good life in the palace, but a few days ago, I suddenly heard that you were investigating the matter more than 20 years ago, and I have some extravagant hopes. I hope you can prove the Cao clan''s innocence."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She didn''t know much about what had happened in the past. She only knew that the Cao family was almost destroyed. Collateral relatives of the Cao clan also declined. From what she knew, the Cao clan just supported Xia Chun at that time. But Xia Huanyu was entrusted by Xia Chun to take over the throne. In this case, the Cao clan should not have done anything wrong. But why did Xia Huanyu declare the Cao clan guilty and even get rid of the clan?


    There must be something she didn''t know.


    "You''re His Former Majesty''s concubine. Shouldn''t you go to ask him for help?" Yun Shang tilted her head and smiled with confusion in her eyes.


    Cao Shanxiu bit her lips and sighed, "His Former Majesty ordered that no one could mention what happened in the past. How could I..."


    Yun Shang smiled. It turned out that she couldn''t beg Xia Huanyu for help, so she wanted her help.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said gently, "You have to answer me a few questions first. Why did you change from the Lady Cao in the Luoxue Pavilion to the current Lady Cao? What did the Cao clan do back then that caused the trouble? And how did you know that I was investigating those things? And how did you kill Li Fuhua? "


    Cao Shanxiu closed her eyes and kept silent for a long time. Then she sighed and said softly, "I''ll tell you. I''ll tell you everything your majesty want to know..."

 Chapter 991 The Past

    Biting her lips, Cao Shanxiu sighed and said slowly, "when I was a child, my father was ordered to Yanghuai City. Because of my mother''s poor health, my mother and I didn''t go with him immediately. Before I was ten years old, I lived in the Cao mansion and had a good relationship with my cousin, Cao Wenxi. When I was ten years old, I went to Yanghuai City. When I knew that my cousin married the crown prince, I was so happy for her. "


    "Later, the news that His Former Majesty ascended the throne was spread to Yanghuai City. I was shocked. In a few days, my cousin came with her family, but no matter how my father and I asked, they didn''t tell us what happened in the Jin City. My father settled them in a small town called Yang Liu Town in Yanghuai City, and they lived there for about two or three years. Later, I don''t know what kind of illness her husband got and it became more and more serious. My cousin discussed with my father in the study for a long time. After my father came out of the study, he let me take part in the beauty selection to enter the Palace. "


    Tears welled up in Cao Shanxiu''s eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "I only know that His Former Majesty has taken away the throne of my cousin''s husband and even ordered to kill so many people in the Cao mansion. I was very reluctant, but my father has made up his mind. I finally entered the palace, but I don''t want to compete for favor. Not long after I entered the palace, my cousin suddenly appeared in the palace. She was pregnant. She told me everything. She pretended to be a eunuch and stayed in the Luoxue Pavilion. Two months later, she gave birth to the baby. As soon as the baby was born, he was taken away. Soon, my cousin jumped into a well and died. "


    Yun Shang knocked on the table and said impatiently, "I know all these. Liu Yinfeng and the seventh prince are both the children of Cao Wenxi and Xia Chun. I just want to ask you a few questions."


    Cao Shanxiu lowered her head, and there seemed to be a flash of surprise in her eyes. After thinking for a moment, she nodded slightly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang sat up straight and asked, "Why were you sent to the cold palace that year?"


    Cao Shanxiu smiled bitterly and said in a low voice, "Because Lady Liu suddenly suspected the identity of the the seventh Prince. She secretly ordered people to investigate and was found by His Former Majesty. His Former Majesty was afraid that she would investigate me, so he found an excuse to send me to the cold palace and seal the Luoxue Pavilion. "


    Yun Shang was surprised. Lady Liu suspected Xia Houjing''s identity? Could it be that...


    "Does Lady Liu''s death have anything to do with this?" Yun Shang squinted and asked in a hurry.


    Cao Shanxiu thought for a long time and finally nodded. "When I was in the cold palace, one day, Lady Liu suddenly broke in with the fifteenth Princess in her arms and a sword in her hand on the neck of the princess. She asked me who the pregnant eunuch in the Luoxue Pavilion was. However, before I could answer, His Former Majesty came in a hurry and took Lady Liu away. A few da


    ve a plan. The spring banquet was just an excuse. She was afraid that Yun Shang was going to use it to clean up all the people who should be cleaned up. Qian Zhuo thought to herself and agreed with a smile.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and asked, "Is Hua Er in Chengye''s room?"


    Qian Zhuo answered, "Since the Prince had a nosebleed last time, your majesty ordered Chen Miaosi not to get close to the Prince. Then I asked Hua''er to take care of the Prince."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and kept silent for a long time before she said, "If I want to thoroughly clean up the imperial household, we still don''t have enough people. Moreover, in places like Shangyi Bureau and the the Imperial Hospital, we need some experts. Send a message out of the palace and ask Ning Qian to find some capable people for me and send them to the palace."


    Qian Zhuo answered yes. Seeing that Yun Shang had nothing else to order, she left.


    Yun Shang took a book from the bookshelf and read it. Since she figured it out, Yun Shang had sent people to find many medical books. When she had nothing to do, she read them. She always hoped to find a good way to cure Bao''er and herself.


    Not after long, Liu Wenan came and asked to see her. Yun Shangasked someone to lead him in. Seeing a long box in Liu Wenan''s hand, she smiled and asked, "What''s this?"


    Liu Wenan smiled and said, "This is a tribute from a local official. It''s a Guqin. Although it''s a new one, it''s definitely a top-grade Guqin. The emperor said that you would like it, so he asked me to send it to you in a hurry."


    A touch of tenderness flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes. She stood up, walked to Liu Wenan and opened the long box. There was a Guqin quietly lying in it. The Guqin was bright in color, and there were dark patterns of plum blossoms. Yun Shang stretched out her hand and played with it. The sound was unparalleled.


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s indeed a good Guqin. Put it on the table."


    Although there was a table for Guqin in the palace, there was no Guqin on it. She didn''t expected that Luo Qingyan noticed it.

 Chapter 992 Get Into The Trap

    In the evening, when Luo Qingyan returned to Weiyang Palace, he saw Yun Shang playing the Guqin as if she was adjusting the sound. Luo Qingyan walked over and sat down next to Yun Shang. He smiled and said, "What do you think of the Guqin? Do you like it?"


    Yun Shang glanced at him indifferently and smiled, "It''s not famous Guqin like Lvqi Qin or Jiaowei Qin. How could I like it?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Are you sure you want to exchange this for those so-called famous guqin? What a pity! This one is rare, and it took me a long time to make it. Since you don''t like it, I''ll ask someone to burn it as firewood. "


    Yun Shang''s hand paused for a moment, and the music became a little messy. A touch of slyness flashed through her eyes. She pursed her lips and said, "Forget it. The wood is not enough to make a meal. Just put it here."


    Luo Qingyan knew that she just didn''t admit she liked it, but he didn''t point it out. He lowered his head and smiled, "I miss the time when we played the melody Courting A Phoenix together."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan, only to see his cold and stiff side face. Yun Shang finally burst into laughter. "Your Majesty, if you want to say something sweet next time, please tell me in advance, okay? I''m afraid that I can''t bear it. We''ve been married for so many years. I don''t know what to do now. "


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s shoulder and made Yun Shang turn around to look at him. He raised his eyebrows and said, "You have to get used to it. After all, I''ll talk love words to you for a lifetime."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Okay, okay. I''ll learn to get used to it."


    Then she lowered her head and smiled, but her eyes suddenly fell on Luo Qingyan''s hand. There were some wounds on his hand. It was not until Yun Shang reached out and grabbed Luo Qingyan''s hand that Luo Qingyan came to his senses. He quickly withdrew his hand and smiled, "I''m used to taking swords, but I still feel a little uncomfortable with carving such a delicate thing. It has been cut and pricked by wood many times. Just some minor wounds. "


    Yun Shang stood up and fetched the medicine. She applied it on Luo Qingyan''s wounds one by one.


    Luo Qingyan lowered his head and looked at Yun Shang. The smile on his face faded. "I went to see Chengye just now. He seems to have grown a lot. Children are growing so fast."


    Yun Shang''s hand paused for a moment. In fact, since that incident, Yun Shang had only taken her out when Liu Yinfeng entered the palace that day. Later, she hadn''t seen her son for a long time.


    Every time she saw Bao''er, she would keep asking herself how could Bao''er be mentally disabled. She would blame herself and find it hard to accept the fact.


    Although she looked the same as before, something had happened. She couldn''t pretend that nothing had happened.


    Luo Qingyan was just testing her. Seeing the pain in Yun Shang''s eyes, he couldn''t bear it


    Yun Shang curled her lips and said sarcastically, "It turns out to be you, Master Yu. You are the director of Shangyi Bureau. You are good at making beautiful clothes, but why don''t you wear any clothes?"


    Trembling all over, Yu Nian apologized, "Please forgive me, your majesty."


    "Forgive? Then tell me first, who is the man beside you? Men can''t appear in the imperial household. Do you know that? " After Qian Zhuo wiping the dust on the chair, Yun Shang sat down.


    With sweat all over her face, Yu Nian hurriedly said, "He, he is a physician assistant in the Imperial Hospital."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes with obvious contempt. The physician assistant was also a eunuch, but the Yu Niang was so ridiculous to mess around with a eunuch.


    Yun Shang sneered and said coldly, "Take one of his clothes, let him put it on, and drag him out to deal with him."


    The eunuch was so frightened that he trembled all over and couldn''t say a complete sentence. Yun Shang sneered and turned her body slightly. Then she heard the secret guard drag the eunuch out of bed and leave the inner hall.


    "Ah..." The heart wrenching voice of the eunuch came from outside, and then everything returned to peace.


    Yun Shang turned to look at her. As if she had been dragged out of the water, more than half of her hair was wet, and sweat kept dripping from her face.


    Qian Zhuo frowned and snapped, "How long are you going to stay in bed?"


    It was not until then that Yu Nian came to her senses. She was so flustered that she didn''t even have time to put on her clothes. She rolled down from the bed with the quilt and crawled to Yun Shang''s feet. "Please spare my life, your majesty. I''m sorry. I''m sorry."


    "Spare your life?" Yun Shang smiled with interest, "Do you know what mistake you have made? How dare you do this?"


    Trembling all over, she held Yun Shang''s feet tightly and begged for mercy.


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s not impossible to spare you, but..."

 Chapter 993 Flower Banquet

    Hearing this, Yu Nian suddenly raised her head and looked at Yun Shang. This scene reminded Yun Shang of a dog that had no one to feed on the street, which looked at the passers with horror and begging in the eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled, "What good will it do to me if I let you go?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Yu Nian understood something. She gritted her teeth and said, "Although I''m a little ridiculous, I''m still useful. I''m willing to help you."


    "It''s a wise choice." Yun Shang lifted her chin, looked at her up and down, and said, "But I''ve heard that you are a famous fence sitter. As long as others are willing to give you more benefits, you can do anything. I''m afraid that you''ll easily betrayed me. I don''t dare to take the risk. You said you are willing to help me, but you have to show your sincerity. "


    A hint of anger flashed through Yu Nian''s eyes, but in a flash, she changed into a docile look.


    Yun Shang smiled, "To be clear, what I need is a loyal dog, not a wolf that pretends to be a dog."


    "I''m willing to be your dog. I''ll do whatever you say."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Master Yu, you are really a smart person. In that case, I will give you this opportunity. But I don''t believe you. I will arrange two people to Shangyi Bureau in a few days. Don''t try to do anything behind my back. If I find out, I will make you regret it. "


    Yu Nian nodded her head in a hurry.


    Yun Shang stood up and said, "I hope you can keep your words. As for your lover, I''ll send you a gift later as a souvenir. It can remind you of your promise all the time."


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned around and walked out of the bedroom. When she saw the secret guards waiting at the door, she said in a low voice, "Cut off one of the eunuch''s hand and give it to the Master Yu."


    "Yes." The secret guard agreed. Then Yun Shang took Qian Zhuo back to Weiyang Palace.


    Luo Qingyan also put on his clothes and sat up, reading a book. When he saw Yun Shang come back, he rushed up and asked, "Have you dealt with the matter?"


    Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan must have sent someone to follow her. She was afraid that he had already known what had happened, but she didn''t expose it. She nodded and said, "Yes."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and smiled, "That''s good. Go to bed early. It''s late."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, asked Qian Zhuo to undress her, and then scattered her hair. Then she took off her clothes and sat on the bed. Qian Zhuo left. Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, let''s sleep."


    Luo Qingyan walked to the bedside and held Yun Shang''s waist. The two lay on the bed together. Luo Qingyan asked softly, "I heard that you are going to hold a spring banquet?"


    Yun Shang nodded with a s


    ed at the lady holding the begonia flower. Her clothes happened to be in the same color as the begonia flower. She stood up gracefully and quoted a poem.


    The poem was about magnolia. Yun Shang winked at the maid next to her and said, "Have a look. See if magnolia has blossomed or not."


    The maid immediately took the order and went to the garden to pick a magnolia flower. "Your majesty, it''s blooming."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Then, the Guqin is about to ring again."


    After a few more rounds, no one was punished. This time, the begonia flower fell into the hands of Lady Cao. Yun Shang looked at her, and Lady Cao stood up awkwardly and said timidly, "I really can''t drink..."


    Yun Shang didn''t seem to care about it at all. She smiled, "If you can''t drink, you have to perform for us. What do you think?"


    Everyone cheered.


    Yun Shang smiled and asked, "What do you want to perform, Lady Cao?"


    Lady Cao seemed to be in a dilemma. She thought for a while and said, "The only thing I can do is to dance. But there is something wrong with my clothes."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "It''s not a difficult thing. A few days ago, I ordered the Shangyi Bureau to make a dress for me. It should be a dancing dress. I saw the style was good, so I made one. Qian Zhuo, take Lady Cao to Weiyang Palace to change clothes."


    Qian Zhuo curtsied to her and went to Weiyang Palace with Lady Cao.


    After playing for another two rounds, Yun Shang saw that Lady Cao had changed her clothes and walked towards them. Yun Shang had ordered Yu Nian to make the dress according to the portrait of Cao Wenxi. But the color changed from red to peach red. Cao Shanxiu was slender and looked amazing in it.


    "What melody are you going to dance with?" Yun Shang asked with a smile.


    Cao Shanxiu curtsied to him and said softly, "Green Waist."

 Chapter 994 The Poison Of Sappan

    It was common one which is beautiful, elegant, graceful and light. And it could stand out the beautiful figure of the dancing woman, so it was very popular.


    When the music started, Cao Shanxiu started to dance trippingly. Her long sleeves were elegant, and her waist was so slim. At first, she danced very slowly, and then she became faster. The most unique part was that Cao Shanxiu began to rotate more than twenty circles in a row. Everyone clapped their hands to applaud, but they saw that Cao Shanxiu''s face suddenly changed. She suddenly stopped and her body was a little unstable. She spat out blood and fainted on the ground.


    There were full of screams. Yun Shang quickly stood up and walked out of the pavilion. She squatted down in front of Cao Shanxiu, stretched out her hand in front of her nose, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Not bad. She is still alive. Be quick. Call the imperial physician. "


    Qian Zhuo answered yes and ordered a servant to run to the imperial hospital in a hurry. Yun Shang took Cao Shanxiu''s pulse and said with a serious look, "She has been poisoned."


    Yun Shang carefully checked the symptoms and keep them in mind. Then she stood up and said, "Send Lady Cao back to her palace."


    The servants carried Cao Shanxiu back to Qinxin Palace where she lived. Yun Shang, together with other ladies, also went there. Yun Shang saw the fifteenth Princess looking around, not knowing what was happening.


    Yun Shang hurriedly waved at her. When the fifteenth Princess came to Yun Shang reluctantly, Yun Shang said, "Your mother was poisoned and passed out. I don''t know what poison it is now, but your mother is fine for the time being. The imperial physician will be here soon. Don''t worry. There might be some noise later. Do you want to take care of your mother here or go back to your room?"


    The fifteenth Princess seemed to be stunned. She bit her lips and looked into the hall, but saw nothing. After a long silence, she said softly, "I''ll wait here."


    Yun Shang was quite satisfied with this answer. She nodded slightly and said, "Good girl, come with me to see if your mother is all right."


    Yun Shang said as she entered the bedroom with the fifteenth Princess. Cao Shanxiu was lying in bed quietly. Her face was pale and there was a dark blood stain on her chest. Yun Shang took out a brocade handkerchief and wiped the blood stain from the corner of her mouth for her. The fifteenth Princess held the bed pillar tightly and carefully poked her head out to have a look. It seemed that she couldn''t bear it. She suddenly retracted her head and frowned.


    "Ask someone to cook a bowl of mung bean soup." Yun Shang ordered in a low voice, "Green food antidote. Although I don''t know if it is useful to the poison in Lady Cao. We can have a try."


    The servants immediately responded. The ladies who came into the room started whispering among themselves. They were still a little scared. "How could she be poisoned all of a sudden? Is the poison in the tea? "


    "It shouldn''t be like that. We have drunk the tea, haven''t


    ed Qian Zhuo to take it. Then she said to the imperial physician, "Have a look. Is the poison of sappan root tainted on this dancing dress?"


    The imperial physician quickly responded. He took the dancing dress and said softly, "There is a way to identify the poison of sappan. After being stained with sweat, the color of the clothes will become deeper."


    The imperial physician said as he squatted down to carefully examine the dancing dress. Then he pointed at the sleeve and the part beside his neck and said, "Your majesty, please have a look. The color of the sleeve and collar are a little deeper than other parts. Presumably, the poison of sappan root was on this dancing dress. "


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the reddish purple mark, and her eyes darkened. She slammed on the table beside her. "Investigate! We must find out the truth. "


    Qian Yin answered in a hurry with a serious look on her face.


    "Send someone to the imperial hospital to get some medicine and boil it for lady Cao. Then send someone to feed her. Send someone to other palaces and tell them that lady Cao was poisoned by the Su Fang root and the poison was from the dancing dress that I should have worn. I have ordered to investigate this matter thoroughly, and the real murderer will be found soon. " Yun Shang ordered softly and turned to look at the fifteenth Princess.


    After thinking for a long time, Yun Shang ordered, "Your mother is now poisoned. There are not many servants in the Qinxin Palace. I''ll send two people to serve here, and you should spend more time with your mother, okay?"


    "Okay." The fifteenth Princess replied. Yun Shang gave a smile and left Qinxin Palace with Qian Zhuo.


    After leaving the Qinxin Palace, Yun Shang turned around and said to Qian Zhuo, "Go and bring Yu Nian here. I have something to ask her."


    Qian Zhuo nodded in a hurry. After all, Yu Nian was the director of a department in the imperial household. Qian Zhuo thought she''d better go in person. She curtsied to Qian Zhuo and headed towards Shangyi Bureau.

 Chapter 995 A Noisy Parrot

    When Yun Shang returned to the Weiyang Palace, she saw Liu Wenan standing in the main hall. Seeing Yun Shang come in, he bowed to her and greeted, "Your Majesty, you''re back? I just heard that there was an accident at the spring banquet just now. Is your majesty all right? "


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile and said softly, "There are people who want to do something to me, but this time I''m really lucky, but let lady Cao suffer for me. Yes? Has his majesty known about it? "


    Yun Shang was surprised. It happened only a short while ago. How did Luo Qingyan know about it? If he knew this, he would be worried again.


    Liu Wenan hurriedly replied, "His Majesty doesn''t know yet. I just heard the news when I arrived at the Weiyang Palace."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang was taken aback. She paused for a moment and asked, "Master Liu, what can I do for his majesty in the Weiyang Palace then?"


    Hearing this, Liu Wenan smiled and joked, "His Majesty has just got an extremely beautiful parrot, and this parrot is very capable. It can read poems and talk with others to relieve boredom. His majesty ordered me to bring it to you."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked helpless. She didn''t understand why Luo Qingyan seemed to be interested in sending her gifts recently. Since the other day, he sent her a guqin, he had sent her gifts frequently. Not to mention all kinds of jewelry, but today, he even sent her such a living thing.


    While Yun Shang was thinking, Liu Wenan took up the cage beside and walked over. The bird in the cage was really beautiful, with colorful feathers and a plume on the top of its head.


    "Come. Pay respects to hier majesty," Liu Wenan whistled and said to the bird.


    The bird jumped in the cage and turned to look at Yun Shang. It opened its beak and said in a somewhat comical female voice, "Greetings to your majesty. Hail Your Majesty!"


    Yun Shang burst into laughter. Although its voice sounded a little funny, it spoke with clear articulation and a mellow tune.


    "It can play means," Yun Shang smiled, "Take it in and hang it in my bedroom."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, the bird jumped up in the cage while repeating, "Hang it in the bedroom. Hang it in the bedroom. There is a beauty in the bedroom. There is a beauty in the bedroom."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter, "It is a girl. Why does it act like a playboy?"


    With a smile, Liu Wenan carried the birdcage into the bedroom, hung it by the window, and was about to leave. Yun Shang thought for a while before she ordered softly, "If his majesty asks, tell him that something happened to Lady Cao, and I''m not hurt at all. I''ll explain it to him in detail when he comes back tonight. If he heard that someone wanted to hurt me, he would be anxious. "


    Liu Wenan bowed and left.


    Yun Shang went to the table and took a small piece of cake. She walked to the birdcage and stretched out her hand. The bird pecked the cake in Yun Shang''s hand and swallowed it up before saying, "Yummy, yummy."


    Yun Shang smiled, "You little thing, how can you know whether it''s delicious or not? Just eat as you like."


    The bird swallowed the cake, turned a


    ld be decisive but not sensitive and suspicious.


    "Your Majesty," Pei Lan''s voice came from outside.


    Yun Shang replied, "Come in."


    The sound of Pearl curtains colliding came through. Yun Shang turned to look at Pei Lan. Pei Lan said in a hurry, "Your Majesty, the secret guards have sent a message that their former majesties have entered the Lingxi City."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. It was a few days later than Yun Shang had expected. They might have either traveled all the way to the mountains and rivers casually, which took time, or something else might have happened on the way.


    "Can the secret guards follow them all the way?" Yun Shang asked softly.


    Pei Lan nodded slightly and said, "Yes. I''ve heard that their former majesties have stayed in every place they have got to for one or two days, during which they went shopping in the markets there, and just walked around. As a result, it took them almost half a month from Jin An to Lingxi City."


    Yun Shang nodded. She couldn''t see anything now. Luo Qingyan must have received the news, too.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "I see."


    At dusk, a message came from the Qinxin Palace, saying that Lady Cao''s pulse was stable, but she hadn''t woken up. The medicine had been fed, and the imperial physician said that she should be able to wake up.


    Yun Shang was reading when she heard the news. She looked up and ordered Qian Zhuo, "Protect Lady Cao well."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry. The parrot just sobered up and repeated what Yun Shang had just said, "Protect, protect. I protect you... I protect you."


    This time Yun Shang didn''t even bother to roll her eyes. Sudenlly she heard Luo Qingyan''s voice from outside, "Who dares to protect you? It''s I who am here to protect you. "


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and glanced at Luo Qingyan who was lifting the curtain and coming in. She rolled her eyes and said, "Your Majesty, you''d better take this parrot away."


    Luo Qingyan asked in surprise, "What''s wrong? How did this parrot offend Shang''er? This is the parrot that Wang Jinhuan has spent months training. "

 Chapter 996 Life Is Like A Play

    Hearing this, Yun Shang opened her mouth wide. After a while, she muttered, "No wonder."


    She finally understood why the parrot was so noisy and why it kept calling her beauty. Beauty, it turned out that it was Wang Jinhuan who taught it. The character of this bird and his was as like as two peas..


    Yun Shang covered her mouth and smiled, "I think we can give this parrot to Ning Qian and let her see what Wang Jinhuan has been talking about to teach it to be like this. This parrot has only been sent here for half a day, and it''s so noisy that no one can stand it. It can talk to itself there, and it''s excited whenever it hears the very word ''beauty''. "


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, the parrot suddenly screamed again, with a bit of sadness, "Beauty, beaut. I don''t go home, I''m so lonely, so lonely."


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes. Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing, "It''s not Wang Jinhuan''s fault. You don''t know that Ning Qian has been staying in the Mingfeng House all day long, and Wang Jinhuan has been complaining about it in the palace for several times. Today he specially brought this parrot to the palace. I haven''t figured it out before. After hearing what you said and the parrot''s call just now, I finally understood his trick. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang thought for a while and suddenly realized, "It seems that he has been neglected by Ning Qian, so he made use of this parrot to get the complaint off his chest. He hopes I can talk to Ning Qian telling her not to spend too much time on other things but go home more often, lest Wang Jinhuan be lonely. "


    Luo Qingyan gave Yun Shang a thumbs up.


    A cunning light flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes. She walked to a chair and sat down, resting her chin on her hand on the table. She stared at the gorgeous parrot and rolled her eyes while saying, "In that case, how can I not help him fulfill his dream?"


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan knew she was scheming. Although she was scheming his good friend, he wouldn''t mind as long as Yun Shang was happy.


    Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and said with a smile, "Send someone to see if Ning Qian is in the Mingfeng House tomorrow. If she is there, bring Ning Qian into the palace here."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry. Yun Shang stood up, walked to the parrot, and handed it a small piece of dessert. She blinked her eyes and said, "Come on. I''ll say something, and you will follow me."


    The parrot blinked its eyes too, turned around and bit the dessert. With confusion, it looked at Yun Shang and swallowed the dessert before coming to Yun Shang''s hand again.


    Yun Shang clapped her hands and said, "The first sentence- may I know your age, you beauty? Where do you live, and have you betrothed to any man?"


    Qian Zhuo burst into laughter when she heard Yun Shang''s words in a playboy''s style. Luo Qingyan''s eyes were also full of smile. Yun Shang hadn''t shown such a smile for a long time. Yun Shang was this way when he first knew her. Although she was clever and smart, she was lively and witty like a little


    re very beautiful. After this matter is handled, I will advise his majesty to choose a day, on which we will all go to appreciate the flowers on the mountain."


    Everyone responded in a low voice. Yun Shang glanced at them and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"


    No one answered.


    Yun Shang stood up and said, "In that case, I''ll go first. I''ll go to the the Qinxin Palace to have a look."


    Everyone stood up and bowed. Yun Shang stepped out of the main hall and ordered Pei Lan to prepare the Phoenix chariot. As soon as Yun Shang went out, she saw the Phoenix chariot parking at the gate of the Weiyang Palace. She got on it and headed for the Qinxin Palace.


    After Yun Shang left, all the ladies left the Weiyang Palace in twos or threes. Lady Li didn''t say anything and left in a hurry in a palanquin.


    At the door of the Weiyang Palace, several concubines stood together and watched Lady Li leave. Then they snorted coldly and said in a disdainful voice, "What happened to Lady Li? Why is she so active now?"


    A woman in a peachy Red Palace Dress smiled and whispered, "Have you forgotten? Previously, she didn''t show up because she was not good at talking and made Empress Su unhappy. Later, she not only relied on currying favor with Empress Hua, but also directly jumped from the position of a low-ranked concubine to the higher position of a consort. I''m afraid she has tasted the sweetness. As Empress Hua has become her former majesty, she is now trying to get close to this young Empress for her benefits. "


    "The younger people tend to be more suggestible and compliant. But why does Lady Li have to do that? She doesn''t have a child. What can she fight for? " answered the imperial concubine in a deep purple dress.


    The peachy red woman''s eyes became more disdainful, "I''m afraid it''s just because she doesn''t have a child. If she has a child, how can the Empress listen to her. It''s just because she has no child and she''s afraid of being desolate in her old age, that she has to curry favor with the Empress. "

 Chapter 997 Trust

    Before Yun Shang arrived at the Qinxin Palace, a servant came in a hurry and reported, "Your Majesty, Lady Cao has woken up."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Yesterday, the imperial physician said that Cao Shanxiu could wake up soon if there is no accident. That meant no one had done anything to Cao Shanxiu last night.


    When they arrived at the Qinxin palace, Yun Shang got off the Phoenix chariot and went into the yard. Two servants were chatting at the door. When they saw Yun Shang, they stood up in a hurry and curtsied to her. "Greetings, your majesty."


    Yun Shang glanced at the two people who looked a little nervous. Her eyes were cold, but she didn''t say anything in the end.


    After passing through the main hall and entering the bedroom, she saw a maid feeding Cao Shanxiu medicine. The fifteenth Princess stood aside and looked around with a slight frown. She saw Yun Shang at once. Then she withdrew her gaze and looked down at her dress.


    Yun Shang walked to the bedside, and Cao Shanxiu was about to stand up. Yun Shang hurriedly stopped her and smiled gently, "You don''t have to stand up, Lady Cao. You were poisoned yesterday because of my dancing dress. I''m really sorry for that."


    Cao Shanxiu hurriedly said, "I''m fine, your majesty."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "You were still in a coma when I left Weiyang Palace. I left in a hurry because I was worried. I''ll ask Qian Zhuo to send you some ginseng later. It''s good for your health." Afraid that Cao Shanxiu would refuse, Yun Shang continued before she could say anything, "Lady Cao has a good daughter. You have been poisoned in the past two days, which makes the fifteenth Princess worried. She has been taking care of you these two days."


    Cao Shanxiu was shocked and looked up at the fifteenth Princess. The fifteenth Princess pursed her lips and said with disgust, "Who cares about her?" Then she snorted and walked out of the bedroom.


    A touch of disappointment flashed through Cao Shanxiu''s eyes. The maid with a medicine bowl beside her quickly said, "Your Highness, her majesty didn''t lie to you. Last night, the fifteenth Princess stayed up all night. She was afraid that something might happen to you, so she didn''t dare to sleep all night."


    Stunned, Cao Shanxiu turned to look at the maid, with disbelief in her eyes. Yun Shang smiled, "There is no daughter in the world who really dislikes her mother, isn''t there?"


    Seeing that Cao Shanxiu didn''t say anything, Yun Shang] thought for a while and said, "You said before that the fifteenth Princess could marry a good man. As long as the man can be good to her, he is not necessarily a high-ranking official or a noble one. I''ve been looking for someone in the court these days, and I''ve also chosen a few people with good character and talent. In two days, I''ll also someone to collect their information and send it to you. "


    Cao Shanxiu lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your concern, your majesty."


    Yun Shang smiled and chatted with


    ignore Mr. Wang because of it. He went to his majesty to complain about it."


    Ning Qian snorted. Yun Shang heard her grinding her teeth, "What a bastard Wang Jinhuan is!"


    Then she rushed out of the bedroom regardless of anything. Yun Shang laughed so hard that her stomach ached, but she heard the bead curtain ringing again. Yun Shang stopped smiling and looked up. She saw Ning Qian standing at the door, taking out a piece of parchment from her sleeve and throwing it to Yun Shang. "Here you go."


    Then she left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang stopped laughing and straightened up. She opened the parchment, and her smile faded away.


    Qian Zhuo noticed the change of Yun Shang''s expression. She hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "What happened?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and said with a smile, "Nothing serious. Some girls in Mingfeng House heard some court officials discussing something there."


    Qian Yin didn''t know what Yun Shang was talking about. Judging from Yun Shang''s expression, she knew it was not a good thing. She was a little worried.


    "She thought she was as beautiful as a picture, but in fact, I was scared to death." The parrot whispered something that made people want to laugh, but Yun Shang had no mood to laugh. Something would happen, but no matter what, she wouldn''t let those messy things disturb Luo Qingyan before he made a decision.


    He had built a wall for her so that she wouldn''t be attacked by the storms outside. But she couldn''t be the pear blossom in the wall. The branches fell when the wind blew.


    She had to learn to be a plum blossom standing proudly in the cold wind.


    Yun Shang unfolded the parchment again. The handwriting of Ning Qian was hard, as if it was going to penetrate the back of the parchment. There were only a few words on it: Xia Houjing just pretends to be defeated in order to lure the enemy into depth. Xia Houjing asked some officials to spread the news that the Empress was infertile and the prince was mentally disabled.

 Chapter 998 Take Preventive Measures In Advance

    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time before she folded the piece of parchment again. She ordered Qian Zhuo to light the lamp and burned it. As the parchment was being burnt, there was a smell of burning. Yun Shang frowned and looked at it. It was burnt out little by little until nothing was left. Then she ordered Qian Zhuo to clean the ashes.


    Yun Shang looked up at the sparks that were still jumping among the ashes and was lost in thought. She then bucked herself up, looked at Qian Zhuo, who was busy with her work and asked, "What do you think is the best way to stop the rumor?"


    Qian Zhuo was dazed for a moment. She then turned around, and answered uncertainly, "Rumors disappear in front of the wise. It''s good that you don''t believe it. In this way, no matter what kind of rumors they are, they will vanish."


    Yun Shang smiled faintly, "What can disappear before the wise is a rumor, not the facts. So now the best way is to make people believe that the news they spread is fake. "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips. She had done this kind of things when she was in the State of Ning. But at that time, she had a unique condition, which was, Master Wu Na was there, and he was very respected in the State of Ning. His status then was close to God. But in the State of Xia, no one could help her like this.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes slowly and kept muttering that there must be a road to the mountain top.


    After a long time, she opened her eyes. A firm look flashed through her eyes, "It''s Qing Ming Festival. It''s March now. There''s still nearly a month left before the Festival. Everything is still there. We still have time to go."


    She also had the opportunity to manipulate things in such a short time, so that the whole situation would be different. With this in mind, Yun Shang laughed. This was a great challenge, wasn''t it? It was exciting to think about it.


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and said to Qian Zhuo, "Tomorrow you will go out of the palace with my token and find Ning Qian. Ask her to find a middle-aged man with a look of sage-like type and place him in a Taoist temple near the Jin City as a Taoist. It would be best if he could replace the position of the temple leader, set up rules and make three trigrams a day. Every day, send three people to do divination there, and then try every means to spread the results. They will say that this Taoist is accurate in divination and that he is a God coming from the mortal world. "


    Qian Zhuo didn''t quite understand about all these, but she responded immediately seeing Yun Shang look so serious.


    Yun Shang walked to the chair and sat down, slowly closing her eyes. Only one month was left and what could she do within this one month? It was enough for her to create a master Wu Na out of nowhere. Maybe his reputation and status were not as high as that of Master Wu Na, who had accumulated so much for such a long time, but one month was enough for that created master to deal with this very matter.


    In the past, she always thought that it was no big deal to deal with the situation according to the actual situation. However, she had forgotten that the most important thing was to take preventive measures in advance. It was best to block all the hidden dangers before they started.


    he used much better things than the real ladies in the palace. Yun Shang smiled coldly, with coldness in her eyes.


    Lying on the bed, Yang Mingzhu didn''t wear too many accessories. She stared at Yun Shang, and a horrible look spread in her eyes.


    Yun Shang saw herself in Yang Mingzhu''s eyes. Yun Shang was wearing a simple white dress today, which looked amazing. She smiled and reached out her hand to .Yang Mingzhu


    Yang Mingzhu jumped up and gave Yun Shang a heavy push. Yun Shang lost her balance and fell backwards, falling straight to the ground. The coral bracelet on her wrist was smashed into pieces.


    The room was in chaos. "Your Majesty, are you all right?"


    Qian Zhuo helped Yun Shang up hurriedly and examined her carefully. Except for the dust on her hands and a small piece of skin rubbed off, she was not hurt.


    Qian Zhuo held up Yun Shang''s hand, and her eyes were red, "Your Majesty, your skin is broken. Does it hurt?"


    After saying that, she turned around and snapped, "Hurry up and bring the medicine for her majesty."


    A servant hurried to bring the medicine. Qian Zhuo frowned and asked someone to bring some water. She cleaned Yun Shang''s wound and applied the medicine.


    After dealing with the wound, Qian Zhuo turned around and snapped, "What''s going on?"


    A servant with a sad face replied, "I don''t know either, but Master Yang has never hurt anyone even though she often talks nonsense. It''s our negligence."


    Yun Shang frowned and waved her hand. Before she could say anything, Yang Mingzhu shouted angrily, "Don''t come over here. I killed you, but I had no choice then. You promised me that you would kill the Empress, but why did you retreat before the battle? I can''t let you live. If others know it, we will all die. Don''t come over here. I will burn some paper money for you on the Qing Ming Festival. "


    All the people in the room quieted down at once. Only Yang Mingzhu''s shrill voice echoed in the room.


    The corner of Yun Shang''s mouth curled up slightly, and there was a chill all over her body. She kept silent for a long time before she said faintly, "Somebody, bring a bucket of cold water to wake up Master Yang."

 Chapter 999 Haunted

    The maid fetched some water according to Yun Shang''s instruction in a hurry. Seeing this, Qian Zhuo took the cold water from the maid''s hand and tested it with her hand. Then she quickly withdrew her hand and looked up at Yun Shang, "Your majesty, it''s cold water."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "splash."


    Then Qian Zhuo took two steps forward and splashed the whole bucket of water on Yang Mingzhu. The water splashed in all directions. Qian Zhuo blocked in front of Yun Shang who was not wet at all.


    On the bed, Yang Mingzhu trembled all over and hurriedly hid in the corner, but she was still wet. "Who? Who? Who dared to splash me? Someone, kill them! "


    Yun Shang sneered. Knowing that Yang Mingzhu had woken up, she said sarcastically, "Master Yang, you are so powerful. I ordered people to pour it on you. Are you going to kill me? Oh, by the way, you are really going to kill me. "


    Yang Mingzhu turned around and looked at Yun Shang. She was in a daze for a long time before she got out of bed and knelt down at Yun Shang''s feet. "I''m sorry, your majesty. I didn''t know that you was here. Please forgive me, your majesty."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and stared at Yang Mingzhu''s back. After a moment of silence, Yun Shang smiled, "Have you forgotten what you said and done? Fortunately, I''m not the only one here today. It doesn''t matter. Everyone here has heard it. "


    With a confused look, Yang Mingzhu looked up at the maid beside her and asked, "What did I say just now?"


    The maid was in a dilemma. She took two steps back and did not respond.


    With a smile, Qian Zhuo took two steps forward and stood in front of Yang Mingzhu. "Master Yang, you seemed to have lost your mind just now. When her majesty came forward to check, you pushed her away and made her fall down. Then you shouted and said something... " After a short pause, Qian Zhuo imitated Yang Mingzhu and said, "Don''t come over. I killed you, but I had no choice. You promised me that you would kill the Empress, but why did you retreat before the battle? I can''t let you live. If others know it, we will all die. Don''t come over. I will burn some paper money for you on Qing Ming Festival. "


    Yang Mingzhu''s face gradually turned pale. She hurriedly said, "I''m innocent. I don''t remember anything. Someone must have poisoned me and made me talk nonsense."


    Yun Shang glanced at Yang Mingzhu coldly and said, "There''s no need to talk about this with me. Tell it after you are sent to the Neishi Bureau."


    Yun Shang saw that when Yang Mingzhu heard the Neishi Bureau, she seemed to be relieved. Yun Shang thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Oh, by the way, Master Qi of the Neishi Bureau and you have known each other for many years. So he should avoid the case just like the case of Li Fuhua. Qian Zhuo, I''ll leave the interrogation to you. "


    Yang Mingzhu''s face turned paler.


    Yun Shang withdrew her gaze and said softly, "let''s go back." Then she turned around and walked out of the room.


    After leaving the Department of Jewelry, Yun Shang didn''t go back to Weiyang Palace. I


    y that the State of Xia is now under the protection of God and the grand era is coming. In the next few days, arrange some court officials to ask Master Guan Lan to foretell destiny for them. Ask someone to give all the information about the officials to Master Guan Lan. " Yun Shang said softly, "Ask someone to arrange it. I..."


    After a pause, Yun Shang continued, "On the first day of April, I''ll go to Canglan temple and ask Master Can Lan to practice divination for me."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, the door curtain was opened. Luo Qingyan came in and asked, "Practiced divination?"


    Yun Shang was startled. She patted her chest and looked at the culprit, "Your Majesty, why are you walking silently? The maids outside didn''t say anything to remind me. "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, walked to Yun Shang and sat down. "I have to hear if Shang''er has spoken ill of me."


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and snorted, "If I speak ill of you, I will shut the door so that you won''t have a chance to hear me."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan burst into laughter. Then he turned around and asked, "Are you going out of the palace?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said, "There is a Taoist priest who is good at divination in Canglan Temple outside the Jin city. Things are not going well recently, and there are so many ghosts in the palace. I should figure it out."


    Luo Qingyan curled his lips and looked at Yun Shang''s hand. He reached out and pulled Yun Shang''s hand over. The bruise on her hand began to scar. "Then there''s no need to go out of the palace. Just bring the so-called Taoist priest to the palace for fortunetelling."


    Yun Shang knew that he was worried about her safety, so she smiled and said, "I also want to go out for a walk. I haven''t gone out for a long time." However, she thought that if it was just in the palace, how could she spread out something that she wanted to spread out quickly and persuasively? She not only had to go out of the palace, but also would not let anyone clean up the people in Canglan Temple.

 Chapter 1000 An Auspicious Hexagram (Part One)

    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan was confused. He knew that Yun Shang wouldn''t do such a thing for no reason. She must have a plan. After thinking for a moment, Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and said, "YouI can leave the palace, but I have to accompany you."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised by his decision, but she smiled, "Well, your majesty is busy with government affairs recently and hasn''t had a good rest for a long time. Let''s go out of the palace together then."


    ''Yun Shang has laughed more and more recently, '' Luo Qingyan thought to himself. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, "Liu Yinfeng has agreed. In a few days, I will announce his identity to the world and appoint him as Prince Xian."


    Hearing this, the smile on Yun Shang''s face faded away. She kept silent for a long time before she lowered her head and replied smilingly, "That''s a good thing. He has done a lot in the court, but he has to hide his identity from the world. Now he can finally recover his true identity. It''s a good thing."


    Although Yun Shang said this way, a deep sense of guilt flashed through her mind. Once Liu Yinfeng regained his identity, he would be qualified to ascend the throne. Liu Yinfeng agreed to announce his identity to the world, which meant that he had promised Luo Qingyan to take over the State of Xia.


    "The peach blossoms have begun to bloom. I heard that the peach blossoms on the misty mountain are the most beautiful ones in the State of Xia. Canglan Temple is not far from the misty mountain. After we do divination in the temple there, let''s go to the misty mountain to have a look. It has always been a well-known place, but I haven''t really seen it. And we missed it last year," Yun Shang was afraid that Luo Qingyan


    After entering the gate, there was a large unusual square. Through the square, there was the glazed palace. On the left side of the square were wing rooms and the Taoist temple, on the right side were Shangshan Pond and the academy of classical learning. Behind the glazed palace, there was a questioning platform.


    Qian Zhuo stopped a passer-by and asked where Master Guan Lan was. Then she came back and reported, "Master Guan Lan is at the questioning platform."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, held Bao''er in her arms, walked through the glazed palace with Luo Qingyan, and went straight to the questioning platform.


    The questioning platform was very high with a long ladder leading to it. When they went up the stairs, they saw a flat platform. On the platform, there was only an old pine tree and a stone chess table. At this time, the questioning platform was already full of people. Qian Zhuo and the guards hurried forward to separate the crowd. Yun Shang saw a very large round stone table behind the crowd, and an old man with white hair and white beard was sitting behind it. Judging from his sage like appearance, Yun Shang knew he must be Master Guan Lan.

 Chapter 1001 An Auspicious Hexagram (Part Two)

    At this time, it seemed that Master Guan Lan was doing divination for someone. A middle-aged man sat opposite him, with a few copper coins in his hands. He closed his eyes and then threw the coins upward. In a short while, the copper coins fell on the round stone table.


    Yun Shang then saw that the round stone table was actually an eight diagrams chart of five elements.


    "As a unscrupulous businessman, you are being reprehensible. At present you are widowed and lonely, your life is bitter and your wealth is poor," said Master Guan Lan in a calm voice.


    Hearing this, the middle-aged man smiled bitterly and replied, "Master''s divination is exactly as many people say that every word has hit the point. I wonder if there is a solution to my situation? "


    Master Guan Lan read the Eight Diagrams chart. After a moment of silence, he said, "Give money away."


    The middle-aged man was stunned, and seemed to be a little hesitant. Then Master Guan Lan went on, "If I''m not wrong, in five years, you will also lose all your money because of a big fire. But if you give your money away in advance, you can make a change in your fortune."


    "I''ll keep your words in mind," responded the middle-aged man. He seemed to be a little disappointed. He stood up, sighed slightly, and left in depression.


    "There is only one trigram left today. Can you make a divination for us?" a middle-aged woman pleaded in a hurry.


    Holding a duster in one hand, Master Guan Lan stretched out another hand and murmured with his index finger in front of him, "That''s all today. Someone has made an appointment for today''s third hexagram."


    With Bao''er in her arms, Yun Sh


    s the manifestation of the divination showed that the people live and work in peace in the State of Xia, and all is well with my children."


    Luo Qingyan stood up and turned to Yun Shang with a smile, "We have finished the fortunetelling. Let''s go. If you want to see the peach blossoms on the misty mountain, we have to set off soon."


    Yun Shang nodded, stood up with Bao''er in her arms, and went down the platform under the protection of the secret guards.


    When they got back in the carriage, Luo Qingyan didn''t mention anything about the diagrams. He may know that Yun Shang must have done something to the diagrams. He didn''t know why, but he believed that Yun Shang wouldn''t do anything to hurt him.


    Luo Qingyan took a look at Bao''er and then quickly his eyes turned away. "The imperial family is prosperous with a lot of children and grandchildren. They are celebrated amid their contemporaries. Because of his virtue and good deeds, the king lives a long life in the west, " Master Guan Lan''s words lingered in Luo Qingyan''s mind.


    He thought this remark must have come to Yun Shang''s mind.

 Chapter 1002 An Unexpected Change

    However, Luo Qingyan didn''t know that Yun Shang had deliberately ordered the Taoist priest to keep something secret in front of Luo Qingyan.


    Everyone was still excited to see the two of them.


    "The Emperor and the Empress are a perfect match. The Emperor is handsome, and the Empress is gentle and beautiful. And just now, the two of them looked very affectionate. "


    "No wonder his majesty is willing to not marry any concubine into his harem for the Empress. If I can marry such a beautiful woman, I''m also willing to only have her."


    The atmosphere was heated, but someone noticed that after Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang left, Master Guan Lan had been sitting behind the stone table, staring at the Eight Diagrams on it without saying anything.


    "Master Guan Lan, you have been looking at the eight diagrams. Is there any problem?" Someone asked.


    Master Guan Lan sighed and pointed at a corner of the Eight Diagrams. There was a copper coin lying there quietly. "I''m old and poor sighted. I just saw the other two copper coins, but I didn''t see this one here."


    Everyone''s attention was attracted by the words of Master Guan Lan. They all looked at the copper coin and asked, "What does this one mean? Is it good or bad? "


    After a moment''s silence, Master Guan Lan said, "It''s a bad thing, and it will happen recently. According to it, there will be rumors recently, which will hurt the Emperor and the Empress. "


    "What kind of rumor?" Someone asked curiously.


    Master Guan Lan put away the copper coin and said indifferently, "The rumor is related to children, but it''s all illusory. Although it''s illusory, it''s also a deliberate plan. If it succeeds, it will also harm the two of them."


    Just now, when the people saw the Emperor the Empress, they all felt warm. And the baby in the arms of the Empress must be the Prince. They had a good feeling in their hearts, so they asked, "Is there any way to resolve it?"


    Master Guan Lan smoothed his long white beard and thought for a moment before he said, "If no one believe or spread the rumor, the scheme of the villain naturally can''t succeed."


    Hearing this, all the people discussed, "So many of us have heard the prophecy of Master Guan Lan. If there is really a rumor as he said, we can mobilize all the people around us to tell the news in advance. We can''t let the evildoer succeed and hurt the Emperor and the Empress."


    Seeing this, Master Guan Lan smiled, "The Emperor and the Empress can be favored by the people, and the prosperity of the state is not far away." Then he jumped off the stage with Qinggong.


    Seeing this, the people were amazed. They all believed in what Master Guan Lan said.


    However, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan still couldn''t go to the misty mountain. The two of them walked out of the Canglan Temple. When the carriage was driving on the road, they suddenly heard the sound of horse''s hooves. A voice came from outside the carriage, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report."


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang looked at each other and hurriedly opened the door of the carriage. The carriage had stopped. A man in iron armo


    sighed and kept silent for a long time. "It depends on your majesty." Now that things had come to this, it was not something she could do in secret to solve.


    Luo Qingyan came back late and entered the inner hall. Before Yun Shang said anything, he walked to her and said, "although His Former Majesty has abdicated, it will have a huge impact if he is taken away by the state of Yelang, and it will also be a great blow to the morale of our soldiers. There are still many doubts about this matter. I decide to go to Lingxi City in person. "


    Yun Shang was surprised. In fact, she had already imagined several possibilities this afternoon, and this was one of them.


    "But there are so many affairs in the court. What should we do?" Yun Shang was a little worried. Luo Qingyan had just ascended the throne, and his status in the court was not stable. If Luo Qingyan left the Jin City, she was afraid that Xia Houjing would take the opportunity to take advantage of it.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "The only thing we can do is to announce Liu Yinfeng''s real identity in advance, and then let Liu Yinfeng be the prince regent and assist in handling political affairs in the court."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. That was a good idea. Thinking of this, an idea suddenly flashed through Yun Shang''s mind. If it was Xia Huanyu''s own plan, it was very likely that it was because Yun Shang had revealed that Luo Qingyan had the idea of giving up the throne, so Xia Huanyu came up with this idea. Once something happened to him, as his son and the emperor of the state of Xia, Luo Qingyan couldn''t just stand by. In this way, the matter of abdication would be postponed.


    However, it was just a delay. Xia Huanyu would definitely have another move. But Yun Shang couldn''t figure out what would happen next, and it was just Yun Shang''s guess. No one would believe it even if she said it out.


    Yun Shang bit her lips and felt that things were going in a bad direction. Thinking of this, Yun Shang pulled Luo Qingyan''s sleeve and said softly, "Your Majesty, can you take me to Lingxi City with you?"

 Chapter 1003 Everything Will Come

    Luo Qingyan was a little surprised at Yun Shang''s request. Seeing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Your Majesty has said that you will never be separated from me from now on. Do you want me to wait for you in this huge imperial household alone?"


    Her words were a little pretentious. There were many concubines of His Former Majesty in the imperial household, and there were countless servants. How could she say she was alone in the imperial household?


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan reached out and held Yun Shang''s hand. His eyes were full of tenderness. He nodded gently and said, "Okay, let''s take Chengye together."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded, "Okay. When will we set off?"


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and said, "I''ve already ordered people to prepare. But now the news that His Former Majesty has been kidnapped has been spread out. We''ve discussed with them just now, and this will definitely affect the morale of the soldiers. Since I''m going to Lingxi City, I''d better go there in a big way, which is also a way to boost the morale. I''m afraid it won''t be short. I ordered them to make everything simple and set out before April 10th. During this period of time, we can also release Liu Yinfeng''s identity, so that we can make follow-up arrangements. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and calculated the time in her mind. If it was April 10th, they could see what they wanted to do on Qing Ming Festival? Would it have any impact. She wondered if what Master Guan Lan said today would work.


    Since she had decided to go to Lingxi City, she had to prepare a lot of things. Moreover, she needed to bring more things for Bao''er.


    Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to arrange someone to prepare for it. When Qian Zhuo heard that Yun Shang was going to take Bao''er to Lingxi City, she said, "The Prince is eight months old now. How about not take a wet nurse with you this time? Let the Prince cut off his milk."


    Yun Shang checked the time and found that Bao''er was eight months old. Yun Shang nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Okay, as you said, I won''t take any wet nurse."


    On the second day of the morning court, Luo Qingyan announced the identity of Liu Yinfeng in front of all the civil and military officials, and issued an order to make Liu Yinfeng restore his surname of Xia and conferred the title of Prince Xian on him. This matter took the court and the outside by surprise. Fortunately, Liu Yinfeng had been famous in the court before, so there was no much objection.


    After they left the court, Luo Qingyan took Liu Yinfeng to Weiyang Palace. Yun Shang received the message from Liu Wenan early in the morning, telling Qian Zhuo to prepare a rich meal.


    Liu Yinfeng bowed to Yun Shang as soon as he came in. Yun Shang smiled, looked at Liu Yinfeng and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Prince Xian. I should also call you brother."


    A hint of disappointment flashed through Liu Yinfeng''s eyes, but he still smiled as usual. He said with a


    on them. If she finds anything, let me know in time."


    Qian Zhuo answered. After a pause, she asked, "Do I need to tell Qian Qian, too?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head. "The news came from Ning Qian. She knows it. I can rest assured."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo nodded and left.


    Two or three days later, the news came from outside the palace, "Your majesty, Qian Yin and Qian Qian have reported that there are rumors in the city that you are infertile and the Prince is mentally disabled. The rumors were first said by the storyteller in the tea house, and then quickly spread. The secret guards interrogated several storytellers secretly, all saying that someone paid them and kidnapped their family to threaten them. But after they spread the rumors, their family members were released and the clues were lost. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "What''s supposed to come will come. I think it''s also from the tea house. Those places are the most crowded places. Even if the storyteller said that he was threatened, no one would believe it."


    "Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Anger filled Qian Zhuo''s eyes.


    Yun Shang walked around the room for a while and said indifferently, "Wait."


    Yun Shang just wanted to know if what she had done a few days ago could work. Now that things had come to this, it was useless for her to be anxious. She''d better wait and see how things would develop and then make plans.


    "But we can''t just wait and do nothing. Let Qian Yin and Ning Qian continue to collect information. By the way, we can also send someone to spread the words from Master Guan Lan. " Yun Shang ordered calmly.


    Qian Zhuo answered yes in a hurry. When she was about to turn around and go out, she saw Luo Qingyan opening the curtain and coming in in a hurry.


    Yun Shang was surprised. Seeing the anxiety in Luo Qingyan''s eyes, she knew that he must have received the news. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, have you heard of the rumor?"

 Chapter 1004 Resurrection of the dead

    Luo Qingyan was surprised, but he saw that there was not much emotion in Yun Shang''s eyes, and she was not as painful as he thought. Instead, she waved at him with a smile, "Your Majesty seems to be in a hurry. Have a cup of tea first."


    Luo Qingyan was confused, but just as Yun Shang said, he walked to the opposite and sat down. Yun Shang poured a cup of tea for Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, do you know that Ning Qian has opened Mingfeng House in the Jin city?"


    "What?" Luo Qingyan was a little stunned. She rolled his eyes and seemed to think of something before he nodded.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "Last time when Ning Qian came to the palace, she gave me a message. Some officials discussed in Mingfeng House to spread the news on Qing Ming Festival."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan looked up coldly, "Who are they?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Don''t worry, your majesty. I''ll write down the names of those ministers later. Your majesty, if you want to kill them, I''ll support you."


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and picked up the teacup, but he was still a little worried. He looked up at Yun Shang for a few times and said, "Aren''t you worried?"


    Yun Shang knew that he wanted to ask about it. She blinked her eyes and smiled at Luo Qingyan, "Your Majesty, I''ve experienced a lot of things in my previous life and this one. There was something more desperate than this. But I''m still alive. Just like what Ning Qian said to me, I''ve figured it out. Now that things have come to this, no matter how sad I am, it''s useless. No matter what happens, what I should do is to face difficulties, not to hide in my shell like a turtle and never come out again. Even your majesty has never given up on me and Bao''er. How could I give up? "


    Luo Qingyan reached out and held Yun Shang''s hand. Yun Shang smiled faintly. She was silent for a moment, and then said, "Your Majesty, do you still remember Master Guan Lan who we met in Canglan Temple?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly. After thinking for a while, he turned to Yun Shang and said, "I know Master Guan Lan was arranged by you. But he didn''t say anything useful that day. He didn''t do anything."


    Wait...


    What did Master Guan Lan say that day?


    Royal children are great. Good deeds, long live.


    Luo Qingyan seemed to understand something and said, "It is about royal children. It means that children are all good and can live a long life. Do you want to tell the people that the royal family won''t have any problem with the matter of children? "


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile, "Although the comment did have that meaning, it''s too obscure. In fact, after we left, he had told the people another prophecy. It is said that there will be some rumor about royal children recently meant to hurt us. Then, he would find a way to guide


    but there seemed to be a lot of dissatisfaction in her expression. "Your majesty, why do you have to encourage others and destroy your own prestige?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, thinking that Qian Zhuo was less calm than Qin Yi. But she knew she was truly happy for her. Just let her go.


    Yun Shang ordered Qian Zhuo to prepare ink for her and said softly, "When people are happy, they will often take it lightly. When fighting in the battlefield, someone would let the opponent win a battle first and then would kill him by surprise when the opponent was celebrating. There is a saying, I believe you have heard a lot. It is said that the one who laughs last laughs best. Now it is just the beginning. "


    Qian Zhuo stuck out her tongue and lowered her head. "I see."


    Yun Shang nodded, but her eyes fell on the map. She thought for a moment and said, "Eh, why didn''t I think of this method?"


    Qian Zhuo looked at Yun Shang in confusion, "What method did you say, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang waved her hand and frowned. She murmured, "From the moment Zhao Yingjie sent out the troops till now, he sent back a lot of good news. Zhao Yingjie had been fighting alone all the time in order to stall Qingsu. But Qingsu was a vicious and ruthless man. He wouldn''t be willing to lose all the time like this. He would definitely have a later move. At this time, what Zhao Yingjie should do was to show his weakness and let Qingsu win a battle. And then beat him up again."


    Yun Shang fetched the paper and wrote down something.


    It turned out that Yun Shang''s worry was reasonable. On the second day, there was a news that a man who claimed himself as Doctor Xue Yan appeared in the Jin city.


    When Yun Shang got the news, she was reading a military book, writing something. She was stunned, and the tip of the writing brush shook, and the ink fell on her sleeve.


    "Doctor Xue Yan is dead, isn''t he?"

 Chapter 1005 Ridiculous

    Qian Zhuo quickly lowered her head and answered, "Yes, but the man in the city also called himself Doctor Xue Yan. He also said that his majesty had saved his life, so he had lived in the ice cellar of Crown Prince''s mansion for a period of time as his majesty asked, in order to treat the Empress..."


    Yun Shang put down the writing brush in her hand and took a brocade handkerchief to wipe the ink on her sleeve. Although Qian Zhuo didn''t finish her words, Yun Shang could guess the rest.


    It was not until then that Qian Zhuo saw the ink on Yun Shang''s sleeve. She hurried forward to wipe the ink off Yun Shang''s sleeve and said, "I''ll fetch a dress for your majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded and frowned. Xue Yan was dead. She believed that the information of Luo Qingyan was absolutely correct, and if it was Doctor Xue Yan, he wouldn''t have said that. But now, who would be the one who swaggered around in the name of Xue Yan?


    Qian Zhuo fetched a dress for Yun Shang. Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and asked, "Did people believe what he said? Did he have any convincing evidence? "


    Qian Zhuo raised her eyes slightly and glanced at Yun Shang with hesitation. She withdrew her gaze quickly and said in a low voice, "Yes, it''s a letter written by his majesty."


    Yun Shang paused for a while and said, "Is there any way to find the so-called Doctor Xue Yan and bring him to me?"


    Qian Yin shook her head and said, "That person is very cautious. The people he meets are all some noble people. Every time they meet, he will decide the time and place, and he will send someone to pick them up."


    Yun Shang squinted slightly, stood up and said, "Go to the Taiji Palace."


    When they arrived at the Taiji Palace, Yun Shang] told Luo Qingyan what had happened. Luo Qingyan paced back and forth in the hall, frowning. After a long time, he turned around and said, "Xue Yan must''ve been dead."


    Yun Shang nodded. She had never doubted the news from Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan thought for a moment and continued, "I guess it''s most likely that Zheng Qiming is behind this. Zheng Qiming killed Xue Yan probably for the letter, or perhaps not just the letter. I have been contacting with Xue Yan from time to time in the past few years. Those letters can be used as evidence to prove that I have a good relationship with him. "


    Yun Shang sighed with bitterness in her eyes, "I''m curious about what drove Zheng Qiming to do such a thing. He even killed his master..."


    Luo Qingyan reached out and held Yun Shang in his arms. When he was about to say something, Yun Shang turned around and looked at Luo Qingyan. "Your Majesty, please leave this matter to me for full disposal. I think that the person who dares to pretend to be Xue Yan in such a blatant way must be someone who is very familiar with him. I guess it is very likely to be Zheng Qiming. Now that the traitor comes to us in person, how can I not cherish this opportunity? "


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan seemed a little surprised. He lowered his eyes and kept silent for a long time. Then he nodded slightly


    y can''t talk, can he?" Lady Li asked seemingly unintentionally.


    Yun Shang was slightly stunned and became vigilant. She felt that Lady Li''s words were more like a test. Could it be that those rumors had already spread into the palace?


    Yun Shang thought to herself, but there was no obvious change on her face. She just smiled and said, "Not yet. Babies usually speak when they are about one year old, right? And boys will talk later. He just learned to crawl a few days ago. I am thinking that when I go out of the palace with his majesty a few days later, I will cut off his milk without a wet nurse. After that, I can teach him to speak. "


    Lady Li nodded. She noticed Yun Shang''s expression and reached out her hand to play with Bao''er. "Look at our little prince. He is so smart. He must be a prodigy in the future."


    Yun Shang wasn''t sure if Lady Li was testing her before. But now she had the answer.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "His Majesty said Bao''er must be smart. He planned to ask Prince Xian to tutor him, and then teach martial arts at the age of three or four. But I don''t want Bao''er to suffer. Most mothers in the world just want their children to be happy and safe.


    Lady Li had been looking at Bao''er. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, she moved away a little and smiled with bitterness in her eyes. Although Lady Li had been in the palace for a long time, she was not favored. She didn''t have a son or a daughter. Yun Shang thought what she said just now might''ve hurt her.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang changed the topic, "Is there anything important?"


    Lady Li nodded slightly. After a moment''s silence, she said in a low voice, "Just now, I received a letter from my family, saying that a person who claimed to be a highly skilled doctor came to the mansion yesterday. The man said that the Empress was injured when she gave birth to the Prince and could no longer have children. And the Prince is mentally disabled. "


    Yun Shang''s face changed. She turned to Lady Li and asked, "Really? How could such a ridiculous thing happen? "

 Chapter 1006 A Strange Doctor

    Lady Li came here just to test the authenticity of the rumors, but Yun Shang didn''t show any flaws. Seeing this, Lady Li had to leave sulkily.


    Yun Shang sighed, looked up at the blue sky and smiled.


    Interrupted by Lady Li, Yun Shang had no interest in it and went straight back to the inner hall. Yun Shang had a rest for a while. As soon as she got up, Qian Zhuo suddenly opened the door curtain and ran in. "Your majesty, your majesty, good news. Ghost Doctor is back to the Jin city. He is back..."


    The voice was so loud that almost everyone in the Weiyang Palace could hear it. Yun Shang raised her hand in a hurry and made a gesture of silence. It was not until then that Qian Zhuo realized that she seemed to be too excited that she quickly stopped and looked at Yun Shang with excitement in her eyes.


    Yun Shang looked at Qian Zhuo helplessly and smiled, but her voice was calm. "So what?"


    Qian Zhuo took two steps forward and stood in front of Yun Shang. "Your majesty, isn''t it said that the medical skill of Ghost Doctor is unparalleled in the world? He will surely cure your majesty and the Prince."


    Yun Shang''s hand paused for a moment and said, "Okay, I see." Doctor Xue Yan was also a first-class doctor, but there was nothing he could do. How much hope could she hold on to Ghost Doctor.


    Seeing Yun Shang''s listless face, Qian Zhuo was less excited. She pursed her lips and said after a while, "No matter what, you can''t give up. When the emperor arrives, tell him. He has been looking for Ghost Doctor, right? Ask his majesty to call Ghost Doctor into the palace. "


    Yun Shang nodded and agreed.


    After Luo Qingyan went back to Weiyang Palace with Liu Wenan, [Yun Shang talked to Luo Qingyan for a long time and discussed the matter of Lingxi City with him, but she never mentioned the matter of Ghost Doctor. Qian Zhuo felt as if a cat was scratching her heart. But it was not appropriate to mention it.


    A maid brought a cup of tea. Qian Zhuo rolled her eyes and took the tea in a hurry. After two steps, she fell the cup in her hand to the ground. Qian Zhuo''s face turned pale and hurriedly knelt down. "I''m sorry. Your majesties. Please forgive me."


    Yun Shang looked at Qian Zhuo and shook her head, but said nothing.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Qian Zhuo and smiled, "Although you are outgoing, you are not so imprudent. Why are you so careless today?"


    Qian Yin bit her lips and hurriedly said, "Maybe it''s because I was a little excited to hear that Ghost Doctor came to the Jin city today."


    Yun Shang knew what Qian Zhuo was going to do when she saw her kneeling down to apologize sincerely. Seeing Luo Qingyan looking up at her, Yun Shang said, "Qian Zhuo, the corner of your dress is wet with tea. Go to change it. Lord Liu, please make a cup of tea for his majesty. "


    Qian Zhuo stuck out her tongue, thinking that the emperor had h


    e two strings of lanterns, but the two pretty women standing beside them.


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang were both wearing curtained hats. When the two women saw Luo Qingyan, their eyes were still lit up. When they saw Yun Shang and the baby in her arms, Yun Shang obviously saw a strange expression in their eyes.


    "Isn''t this an inn?" Qian Yin seemed to be taken aback and asked in a hurry.


    The two women giggled and nodded, "Yes, it''s an inn. Are you going to stay for a night?"


    However, Yun Shang said, "No. I heard that Ghost Doctor is staying here. We want to find him."


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned to look at Qian Yin who then quickly took out some money from the wallet in her sleeve and handed it to the two women.


    Seeing this, the two women immediately smiled and quickly said, "Ghost Doctor does live here, in Room No. three. Come in. On the second floor... "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and thanked them in a low voice. Then they entered the inn together. There was no one else in the lobby except a shopkeeper who was dressed normally. The decoration in the lobby was simple and elegant. But Yun Shang could see from the door beside the hall that it seemed to lead to the yard, where several women were talking to a young man.


    Qian Yin gave the shopkeeper a golden leaf. The shopkeeper quickly turned on the light and took Yun Shang to the second floor. "Although Ghost Doctor lives here, he is famous for his strange character. Many people came to see him today, but they were all driven out by him. If he doesn''t see you, it''s not our fault. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Thank you."


    The shopkeeper took them to the room and left directly. Luo Yi hurried forward and knocked on the door. In an instant, a very unfriendly voice came from the door, "I need to rest. Don''t disturb me. I won''t see anyone today. I won''t see anyone even if I''m dying. I won''t see anyone even if the Emperor comes. "

 Chapter 1007 Being Assassinated Late At Night (Part One)

    Yun Shang was stunned. She tried to cover Bao''er ears to prevent him from being awakened. She looked up at Luo Qingyan, who was frowning but said nothing. However, Luo Yi and Qian Yin seemed to be a little annoyed from embarrassment. They kept knocking on the door until quite a while later, the door was suddenly opened.


    Ghost Doctor looked younger than Yun Shang had expected. He appeared to be about forty years old, but he was very thin. He didn''t take care of his face, and his beard was in a messy state. At this moment, Ghost Doctor stared at Yun Shang and the others in an unfriendly way. He gnashed his teeth and snorted, "Anyone is dead? Making so much noise? "


    Before Yun Shang and the others could say anything, he shouted at the shopkeeper downstairs, "Hey, if you dare to tell others that I live here again, I''ll go to poison your well at this very moment."


    The shopkeeper answered cautiously from downstairs, but Luo Qingyan had already taken out the token from his waist and out it in front of the Ghost Doctor "I''m Luo Qingyan."


    Squinting at the golden token, Ghost Doctor sneered, "Oh, it''s just a token. I can carve one by myself. But now, can even the golden token of HIs Majesty be forged? Nowadays, the folk artists are really bold enough. By the way, this is the State of Xia. His Majesty''s surname is Xia and his name is Xia Huanyu. You haven''t learned well to lie. "


    Ghost Doctor snorted and was about to close the door. With a light sound, Luo Yi had pulled out the sword from his waist and placed it horizontally on Ghost Doctor''s neck.


    Luo Qingyan said coldly, "I advise you to be calm and focus on seeing my wife and child..."


    However, Ghost Doctor laughed wit


    is alcohol. Think of it who has the largest collection of wine in the court? Your majesty may as well ask him to serve several jars of wine tomorrow. And then you can invite Liu Yinfeng to come together? "


    Since Yun Shang had made such a request, how dared Luo Qingyan say no? He agreed in a low voice.


    On the second day, when Luo Qingyan came back to the Wei Yang Palace in the evening, Liu Wenan really had a pot of wine in his hand. Liu Wenan put down the wine and looked up at Luo Qingyan, "Do you want me to tell the kitchen to prepare some dishes for your majesties?"


    Luo Qingyan waved his hand casually and said, "Forget about the dishes and wine. It''s good wine, but the wine gets more and more fragrant if it can be stored longer. Besides, I''m not in the mood to drink today. Let''s put it aside first."


    Liu Wenan replied in a hurry.


    At about midnight, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan left the palace. Today, the Ghost Doctor changed an inn. When Luo Qingyan and the others arrived there, Liu Yinfeng was already sitting in the hall, and the Ghost Doctor was sitting opposite him. They both were drinking and chatting.

 Chapter 1008 Being Assassinated Late At Night (Part Two)

    Seeing Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan come in, Liu Yinfeng stood up and said to the Ghost Doctor smilingly, "They are here."


    As soon as Liu Yinfeng finished speaking, he brought out chairs for Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang.


    Liu Yinfeng should have told the Ghost Doctor about Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. Ghost Doctor just looked up at both of them, and then lowered his head and took a sip of wine silently. Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan, and Luo Qingyan took the wine from Luo Yi''s hand and put it on the table, "I was too anxious yesterday, so I came to say sorry to the Ghost Doctort. This is the bamboo leaf-green liqueur that has been stored in the cellar for more than sixty years. Doctor Ghost, have a taste of it and seeif you like it. "


    Ghost Doctor took a look at Luo Qingyan again, curled his lips and said, "No, no. It''s my pleasure. Liu Yinfeng has told me your identity. It was my fault. I have left the State of Xia for a long time, but I didn''t know that the State of Xia has changed so much."


    And Ghost Doctor picked up the wine that Luo Qingyan put on the table, filled it up in a cup and drank it up in one gulp. He could not help marvelling, "Good wine!"


    Ghost Doctor then continued, "I heard that you are here to seek treatment for your wife and child? Your majesty, can I take your pulse to diagnose. "He turned to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang stretched out her hand in a hurry. Ghost Doctor put two fingers on it, and poured himself wine with the other hand.


    After a long time, Ghost Doctor said casually, "The basic functional unit of the body was hurt. It''s difficult to get recovered..


    e silver needles and nails on its soles. Under the dim light of the only broken glaze lamp from the carriage, Yun Shang saw the ground full of cold silver needles.


    Before Luo Qingyan landed on the ground, a dense number of men in black had appeared in front of the surrounding walls. They all had swords in their hands. Judging from the clothes, Yun Shang guessed that they were Luo Qingyan''s secret guards.


    However, in the opposite sides of Luo Qingyan''s secret guards, there were more people than them. They were also dressed in black, but they were holding bows and arrows instead of swords.


    What a trap.


    Yun Shang sneered and provoked, "Why are there so many people coming out? Now that you have the courage to take our lives, why don''t you come out to meet us? Zheng Qiming, if I''m not wrong, it should be you. "


    The leading man in black laughed and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. There is no Zheng Qiming here. Don''t waste time, your majesty. You have no time to get reinforcements." Then he waved his hand and ordered his men, "Shoot."

 Chapter 1009 True Or Otherwise

    That order "Shoot!" sounded very aggressive and threatening, but quite some time passed, and there was no sound of arrow breaking through the air. Instead, there were muffled sounds of something falling to the ground. Yun Shang curled up her lips. When she looked up again, some torches had been ignited on the four walls. She could clearly see people standing on the walls and corpses lying on the ground.


    Yun Shang looked down at Bao''er, only to find that he had woken up. He didn''t cry, but rolled his eyes and looked at the situation in front of him. From his expression, it seemed that he was very excited. He even laughed and clapped his hands.


    It seemed that these people would never understand this truth that ''two dogs strive for a bone, and a third runs away with it''.


    There was a sound in the distance. Yun Shang looked at the place where the sound came, and saw many secret guards frog-march several people over their side.


    "Your Majesties, just as you expected, these people hid on a tree in the distance and looked this way, so we caught them," the leader of the secret guards reported in a low voice.


    The secret guards threw them to the ground in front of Yun Shang. In the light of the fire, Yun Shang saw them in black clothes with their faces covered. One of them looked familiar.


    "Remove their facial masks," Luo Qingyan also looked at the man and ordered coldly. The man subconsciously avoided the eyes of Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang.


    The secret guards quickly took off their masks. As Yun Shang had expected, the man who looked familiar was Zheng Qiming. The rest of them looked strange. They were probably Zheng Qiming''s guards.


    At the sight of him, Yun Shang noticed that a stern look immediately appaered on Luo Qingyan''s face. He sneered and ordered in a cold voice, "Kill him!"


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Qiming seemed to tremble all over, but he then looked up at Yun Shang. Yun Shang frowned, feeling that there was something meaningful in his eyes.


    Yun Shang held Luo Qingyan''s hand and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I want to take him back for interrogation."


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang with a frown and doubt. Yun Shang said smilingly, "Now that they are all in our hands, what should we be afraid of?" Actually she was really curious about why Zheng Qiming killed his master and betrayed Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan nodded and ordered the secret guards, "Take them all back."


    The secret guards responded, and took the group of people to go back to the palace. The secret guards changed another carriages for Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. They then sped up and went on the way back. The journey was finally smooth.


    As soon as they were back, Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to take Bao''er to rest. Then she rushed to a secret prison with Luo Qingyan.


    There were many secrets in the palace, and the dark prison was one of them. Some people that were not easy to deal with in public often quietly disappeared into the dark prison. And t


    to be Zheng Qiming? What''s the relationship between you and Zheng Qiming? "


    Seeing Yun Shang''s cold face, Qian Liu also felt guilty. After a long time, she calmed down and said softly, "In fact, not long after Xia Houjing stirred up trouble in Liucang City, I sneaked into the army. I had an uncle in Liucang City. After your majesty spared me, I had nowhere to go, so I turned to him. I didn''t expect that Xia Houjing would come to Liucang City later. My uncle was a famous man in Liucang City, so I encouraged him to pretend to be nice to Xia Houjing and take the opportunity to get close to him. "


    Qian Liu lowered her head and looked a little disappointed. "Your majesties have spies. Not long after Mister Liu escorted the relief provisions and set out, Xia Houjing got the news and knew who were with Mister Liu. He secretly inquired about Zheng Qiming''s background and arrested Zheng Qiming''s family. "


    Yun Shang frowned, "Zheng Qiming has family? Didn''t he grow up in the Changbai Mountain? " Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan.


    "That''s Chen Miaosi." Luo Qingyan said indifferently, "Zheng Qiming has a family member. I heard from Doctor Xue Yan that his family member was Doctor Xue Yan''s best friend, so Zheng Qiming was able to learn medicine from Xue Yan. But I haven''t asked who Zheng Qiming''s family member is."


    Qian Liu nodded, "After Xia Houjing robbed the relief supplies, Zheng Qiming and Mister Liu were separated. At that time, Xia Houjing found Zheng Qiming and threatened him."


    Yun Shang thought for a while. No wonder she had always been wodering about the case. If Zheng Qiming was a traitor, then there were too many opportunities for him to harm her and Luo Qingyan before, but he didn''t. It turned out that Zheng Qiming betrayed after he went there because Xia Houjing threatened him with his family''s life.


    "It was not until I witnessed what Xia Houjing had done that I realized that Zheng Qiming must have betrayed your majesties," Qian Liu said in a low voice.

 Chapter 1010 To Trust, Or Not To Trust

    "So why are you here pretending to be Zheng Qiming?" asked Yun Shang indifferently with her eyes fixed on Qian Liu. Actually she was not calm in her mind.


    Qian Liu looked up with a smile, "I once disguised myself as a guard and went to see Zheng Qiming.


    As he used to see me before, I let him see me and then persuaded him to play such a secret game with me."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "A secret game? Did you see him before or after he killed Doctor Xue Yan? "


    Qian Liu was afraid that Yun Shang would misunderstand her. As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, she tried to explain in a hurry, "Doctor Xue Yan is not dead."


    Yun Shang was surprised. Even Luo Qingyan turned to Qian Liu and said in a calm voice, "It''s impossible. Our secret guards witnessed the death of Doctor Xue Yan and buried him in person. The secret guards have made sure that there was no disguise, though they found there were some marks on his body. There must be no mistake about this case. "


    Qian Liu nodded, "Yes, your Majesty''s Secret guards saw Doctor Xue Yan''s body. That''s because Xia Houjing''s men were watching us at that time. We didn''t dare to take any action, so we had to make your Majesty''s Secret guards misunderstand us. "


    "Then what should the truth be?" Yun Shang asked.


    Qian Liu bit her lips and went on softly, "I discussed with Zheng Qiming about the first step to get Xia Houjing''s trust. Zheng Qiming told me the secret about your majesty and the Prince. It was I who made the decision to let Zheng Qiming win the trust of Xia Houjing with this news. Because I thought it''s true and your majesty will know it sooner or later. I believe you will not be knocked down by it. And if we wanted to get Xia Houjing''s trust, we should have valuable chips, otherwise, Xia Houjing would not believe in Zheng Qiming.


    As expected, after Xia Houjing knew about this secret about your majesty, he really began to trust Zheng Qiming. But Xia Houjing was still afraid that Zheng Qiming might have used fake news. Thus he made the excuse that he was afraid that Doctor Xue Yan would cure your majesty and the Prince and asked Zheng Qiming to kill Doctor Xue Yan. I know that was a test for Zheng Qiming. If Zheng Qiming did it, Xia Houjing would completely trust him, so I asked Zheng Qiming to agree with it. Then I bought a sword that folk artists use for performance. The sword had a gear and could be retracted. Before Zheng Qiming arrived at the Changbai Mountain, I went there and told Doctor Xue Yan about it in advance. "


    There was a hint of calmness and joy in Qian Liu''s eyes. She said, "Doctor Xue Yan put the suspended animation drug in his mouth in advance, and prepared well a bag of chicken blood. We thus made a good show together for Xia Houjing, but I didn''t expect that his Majesty''s people would come to see Doctor Xue Yan at that moment. Since his Majesty''s people buried Doctor Xue Yan, Xia Houjing seemed to be more convinced. Afterwards, when there was no one left on the spot, I went back to save Doctor Xue Yan. "


    "Where is Doctor Xue Yan now?" asked Luo Qingyan. There was a touch of joy in his eyes.


    Qian Liu hurriedly replied,


    ost pleasant time for her in the past few months.


    Back in the Weiyang Palace, Qian Zhuo seemed to have been waiting in the main hall for a long time, with sleepiness in her eyes. Yun Shang asked her to put on the court clothes for Luo Qingyan, and then they had breakfast together. Afterwards, she went straight back to the inner hall to get some sleep.


    "Good morning, your majesty!" When Yun Shang was half-alert and half-asleep, she heard a greeting. Yun Shang frowned. Even if she hadn''t woken up, the thought of Luo Qingyan came to her mind subconsciously. She opened her eyes with difficulty, only to see Qian Zhuo sitting at the table, seeming to be embroidering flowers.


    It took a long time for Yun Shang to regain her consciousness. She asked in a hoarse voice, "His Majesty is back?"


    Qian Zhuo shook her head, "No. Your majesty, are you awake?" Qian Zhuo stood up and walked over to the bed.


    Yun Shang frowned and then nodded, "Why did I hear the greetings just now? What time is it now? "


    Qian Zhuo''s eyes were full of helplessness. She pointed at the parrot cage beside her and said, "It''s all because of this guy. It repeated paying respects to his majesty just now. I was afraid that it would disturb you, so I threw it out. It has waken you up. It''s not lunch time yet. Do you want to sleep more? "


    It was still so early. Yun Shang nodded and closed her eyes again, but she did not fall asleep after a long time.


    Yun Shang just opened her eyes and thought of some questions, which she didn''t ask Qian Liu in detail yesterday. At present, Luo Qingyan was probably still in the Taiji Palace, and it was inconvenient for her to go to the secret prison, so she had to wait here.


    "Help me to get up. I can''t fall asleep again once I wake up," Yun Shang sat up and said to Qian Zhuo.


    Qian Zhuo got some clothes ready for Yun Shang. Before Yun Shang put them on, she saw Pei Lan running in from outside in a hurry, "Your Majesty, I just got a message from the eunuch of the Taiji Palace that some officials in the morning court suggested his Majesty to deprive your majesty of your title."

 Chapter 1011 Her Deterrence

    "To depose the Empress?" before Yun Shang could say something, Qian Zhuo couldn''t help jumping out and exclaimed, "Who is so reckless?"


    Pei Lan was taken aback by Qian Zhuo. She answered in a hurry, "The eunuch said that it was Lady Wang who asked him to send the message, but he knew nothing specific."


    Qian Zhuo asked with a frown, "Then how did his majesty respond?"


    "The eunuch said that his majesty laughed when he heard it. Then he ignored those people and directly ordered Lady Wang to issue an imperial edict that all the officials who had such a suggestion should divorce their wives," Pei Lan said with a smile.


    Qian Zhuo paused for a while, and then burst into laughter, "His Majesty! What a smart move!"


    Yun Shang remained calm there. She let Qian Zhuo be. Then she looked up at Pei Lan and said, "I see. Go and tell the eunuch to return a message to Lady Wang. Ask her to come to the Weiyang Palace after the court."


    Pei Lan replied and left.


    Qian Zhuo stopped smiling and turned to Yun Shang. She bit her lips and said gently, "Your Majesty, why do many people in the imperial household aim at our Weiyang Palace like this? We can''t let them continue to be so arrogant, or they will think that we are easy to be bullied."


    Yun Shang smiled and nodded, "No, we can''t let them be arrogant anymore."


    Soon afterwards, Wang Wanzhi came to the Weiyang Palace. Pei Lan led him into the inner hall. Seeing that she hadn''t changed her female official clothes, Yun Shang smiled and asked, "Have you just come from the court?"


    Wang Wanzhi bowed to Yun Shang and replied with a smile, Yes."


    Yun Shang asked Pei Lan to bring a chair for Wang Wanzhi to sit down. She gently smoothed her sleeves and asked, "Who are the people giving that suggestion today?"


    Wang Wanzhi hurriedly replied, "They are Tian Qiu from the Ministry of works, Liu Huayan from the court of rites, and Xue Qian from the astronomical bureau."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, took up a brocade handkerchief and wiped her hands gently while saying, "Have these masters left the palace?"


    "No. His majesty has ordered them to divorce their wives, but none of them is willing to do so. Now they are kneeling in the Taiji Palace and asking His Majesty to take back his order," Wang Wanzhi replied in a low voice.


    "Oh?" Yun Shang smiled and looked up at Wang Wanzhi again, "Then how about hour Majesty? Where is he now?"


    A hint of doubt flashed through Wang Wanzhi''s eyes, but she quickly replied, "His majesty is discussing business with Prince Xian and several other lords in the Meeting Hall."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up, "Now it''s a good chance. Let''s go to the Taiji Palace."


    "Your Majesty, his majesty is in the Meeting Hall, not the Taiji Palace," Qian Zhuo supposed Yun Shang was going to find Luo Qingyan, so she reminded her in a low voice.


    Yun Shang smiled, nodded slightly, and said, "Yes, I know his majesty is not in the Taiji Palace. I''m going to have a meeting with those few officials who have made a lot of disparaging requests in the court this ... morning. "


    Qian Zhuo''s eyes lit up at Yun


    urned around and looked at Qian Zhuo. Her aggressiveness in the Taiji Palace had long gone. She smiled gently and said, "Qian Zhuo, you''ve thought too simply. Not everything in the world can be solved by force. I can beat them up or even kill them. so what? Then all the officials would be furious, and then all of them would go to his majesty and beg for his Majesty''s mercy on the excuse of the Empress''s tyranny to depose her. In this case, will his majesty depose me or not? "


    Qian Zhuo opened her mouth, hesitated for a long time, but finally did not say anything


    Yun Shang was also lost in thought, ''Not to depose? But I''m so cruel that I have killed ministers at will. If I''m not deposed, his majesty will lose the support of the people. His majesty has just ascended the throne. Even if he wants to abdicate, I can''t let him have such a reputation! ''


    Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and said, "I just said those words to intimidate them. Let them know that I''m not someone to be trifled with. The most important thing is to tell them that the reason why the State of Ning has sent troops to help us is because of me. As for the rumors outside, it is just because the State of Yelang doesn''t want the State of Ning to help the State of Xia, which will put the State of Yelang in an embarrassing position. If they continue to persuade his majesty, they will be labelled as traitors of our country. In this way, they dare not act rashly again. Even if he is a member of Xia Houjing, he can''t bear the crime. "


    And those officials in the court all have channels to inquire about information in the palace. It won''t be long before they hear what I said in the Taiji Palace. In this way, if they want to covet me again, they have to think it over," Yun Shang whispered.


    Then she turned to Qian Zhuo and said, "Fighting is the lowest level of action in such a place full of conspiracies and schemes. There are a lot of things you need to learn and pay attention to, Qian Zhuo. Don''t be provoked so easily. You don''t know that you are being used as a target in that case."

 Chapter 1012 Happen To See

    Qian Zhuo nodded. She lowered her head and looked at Yun Shang with admiration. "I think you know everything. You can solve everything. I will study hard from now on and learn more from Qin Yi. "


    Yun Shang nodded and thought for a moment before saying, "Qian Liu is back. I''m going to ask her to serve in Weiyang Palace."


    Hearing this, a hint of joy flashed through Qian Zhuo''s eyes. She said, "Sister Qian Liu is back? Where is she?"


    Seeing her so excited, Yun Shang frowned slightly. When she was about to say something, she thought that she and Qian Liu must have a good relationship as they trained together and entered the mansion together. So she said nothing.


    "She can''t appear in the palace for the time being. I''ll go to Lingxi City with his majesty a few days later and bring her here when we are back. Otherwise, it''s against the rules to have one more person in Weiyang Palace." Yun Shang replied softly.


    Qian Zhuo nodded and said with a smile, "I see."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. When she thought of the three people just now, a stern look flashed through her eyes. She wrote a letter after returning to Weiyang Palace and ordered the secret guard to send it out of the palace.


    Yun Shang''s visit to the Taiji Palace couldn''t be concealed from Luo Qingyan. However, after Luo Qingyan returned to Weiyang Palace, he didn''t mention anything. Since Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything, Yun Shang pretended that nothing had happened.


    After the dinner, Luo Qingyan went to the counch and lay down. Then he looked up at Yun Shang. "I''ve seen Zheng Qiming."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She looked at Luo Qingyan and asked, "What''s going on?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t answer. He frowned and said, "Now we have Zheng Qiming. I don''t know what to do next."


    Yun Shang raised her hand to touch the Phoenix hairpin on her head. She thought for a while and said, "Zheng Qiming is with Xia Houjing. He can do three things. The first and simplest thing is to inquire about information for us. Since Xia Houjing has begun to trust Zheng Qiming, he can''t hide something from him. Zheng Qiming must have more information than our secret guards. The second thing is to influence Xia Houjing''s decision at the right time. And the third thing is the most difficult. For Zheng Qiming, it is simple. He could drug Xia Houjing or the people Xia Houjing trusts. Whether it''s purgatives or knockout drops, as long as the timing is right, they will definitely play a crucial role. "


    Luo Qingyan clenched his right hand into a fist, put it on his head and propped his head. He said in a lower voice, "Yes, Zheng Qiming can do all these things, but now he is facing a very crucial problem. There used to be so many people following Zheng Qiming, but now there is no one left, only Zheng Qiming is alive. Xia Houjing must feel that there is something strange."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Your Majesty, are you worried about how to make Zheng Qiming come back to Xia Houjing aboveboard without being suspected by Xia Houjing?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, looking a little tired.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang remembered that Luo Qingyan did


    in Yun Shang''s hands. The smile at the corners of his mouth seemed to pause for a moment, but smile soon came back on his face. "Your majesty, if you want to some herbs, you can ask someone to go to the imperial hospital to get some."


    Yun Shangdidn''t seem to care about it at all. She said with a warm smile, "Master Liu, you might not know that his majesty doesn''t like the bitterness of medicine. This one only a sweet taste, not as bitter as the medicine. Besides, only I know this herb in the Weiyang Palace. It''s okay. "


    As Yun Shang spoke, she didn''t look at Liu Wenan anymore. She handed over the herbs to Qian Zhuo and ordered in a low voice, Cclean them up. Pick a few more leaves and soaked them in the hot water. You don''t need to add anything else. Bring it here when it is ready."


    Qian Zhuo agreed and left with the herbs. Then Yun Shang lifted the bead curtain and went straight into the bedroom. Only Liu Wenan stood at the door, with a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.


    When Yun Shang entered the bedroom, she found that the person on the couch had already opened his eyes and was staring at her, but there was still a hint of confusion in his eyes as if he had just woken up.


    Yun Shang walked to Luo Qingyan and sat down. "Your Majesty is awake? It''s not midnight yet. "


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Nothing. I can''t fall asleep all of a sudden."


    Yun Shang sat with Luo Qingyan for a while before Qian Zhuo came in and put the teacup on the table at Luo Qingyan''s hand. Yun Shang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please drink it. It could clear heat."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly. Yun Shang saw that he was still in a daze, so she waved her hand to ask Qian Zhuo to leave. Luo Qingyan picked up the teacup, blew the water in it and took a few sips before he became a little sober. "Where did you go just now?"


    Yun Shang knew that she couldn''t hide it from him, so she answered with a smile, "I''m going to the secret prison. Your majesty, Zheng Qiming has committed the crime of treason. I think he should be beheaded."

 Chapter 1013 Break The Prison Cart

    Luo Qingyan was stunned, with an unbelievable look in his eyes. After a while, he asked, "Are you kidding, my lady?"


    However, there was no smile on Yun Shang''s face. "Your Majesty, I''m not joking. I''ve just come up with a way, which is called to fight with death and survive..."


    The next morning, as soon as Luo Qingyan got up and went to the court, Yun Shang got up. He asked Qian Zhuo to find her an ordinary dress and make her a simple hairstyle.


    The secret guard asked to see her, and Yun Shang let him enter the inner hall.


    Yun Shang looked up and said gently, "I ordered three things yesterday. How is everything going?"


    The secret guard hurriedly cupped his hands and answered, "Master, the people in the secret prison have been safely sent out of the palace. Ning Qian has also replied two hours ago that everything is ready. I have kept in mind what they talked about last night. Please allow me to repeat it for you. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Go ahead."


    "Yesterday, I hid on the roof of the Huaixiu Palace. When I uncovered a tile, I saw that Qi Ruihai entered Lady Wan''s bedroom..."


    There was no servant in the bedroom.


    The nineteenth prince was lying on a small bed in the room. Lady Wan sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she turned around and said, "You''re here?"


    Qi Ruihai nodded slightly and hurriedly took a brocade handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to Lady Wan. He sighed and said, "Now the Empress is getting more and more powerful in the imperial household. I have to be careful in everything. I managed to get a few of them, and they can hold on for half a year. I heard that the Emperor and the Empress are leaving the palace in a few days. I''ll get some more then."


    Lady Wan''s face was a little pale. She nodded repeatedly and carefully opened the handkerchief. On the handkerchief, there were a few black pills quietly.


    Lady Wan woke up the nineteenth Prince and comforted him softly, "Come on, An An, have a sweet pill."


    The nineteenth Prince seemed to be much better, and his face was a little ruddy. Hearing what his mother said, he took the pill obediently, put it in his mouth and bit it into pieces.


    After eating the pill, he yawned and fell asleep.


    Looking at him, Qi Ruihai thought for a moment and said, "Now that the new Emperor has ascended the throne, why are you still so vigilant?"


    Hearing this, Lady Wan shook her head repeatedly and gritted her teeth. "I have only one child. I must protect him. There are open strife and secret struggles in the palace for that position. I don''t want my son to be a victim."


    Qi Ruihai stopped persuading her.


    After a long time, Lady Wan looked up again. "I heard that the Empress wants to woo you?"


    Qi Ruihai nodded slightly, "She did mention it to me before."


    Hearing this, Lady Wan stood up in a hurry and looked at Qi Ruihai, with a glea


    atch the assassins! Hurry up! Catch them!" Panic was written all over Li Qianmo''s face. But if you took a closer look, you could see the calmness in his eyes.


    "Master, it''s done." Qian Zhuo whispered in Yun Shang''s ear.


    Yun Shang nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, it''s done. Zheng Qiming has been taken away."


    Yun Shang took a sip of tea and smiled. After a while, the door was opened. Qian Liu came in and closed the door again. "Master."


    Yun Shang smiled and said gently, "Well done. Remember, when we arrive at Liucang City, if Xia Houjing asks, tell him that you were travelling in the Jin city and accidentally saw the execution. You saw the person on the prison cart was his man, so you sent someone to save Zheng Qiming. Since Xia Houjing has something to ask for from your uncle, he won''t suspect you. Perhaps, he will thank you. "


    "Yes, I see." Qian Liu answered with a smile.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on her face. She thought for a long time and said, "After this matter is done, you can come to Lingxi City to find me and go back to the palace with me."


    Tears welled up in Qian Liu''s eyes. She bowed and said, "Thank you, your majesty."


    When Yun Shang returned to the palace, it was already 3 p.m. Luo Qingyan didn''t come back. Yun Shang changed her clothes and was about to have a rest when she heard the secret signal of the secret guard. Qian Zhuo quickly opened the window, and a ball of paper was thrown in from it. Qian Zhuo picked it up, opened it and looked at it carefully. Then she quickly turned around and looked at Yun Shang, with joy in her eyes. "Your majesty, yesterday in the Longfeng Tower, Prince Xian happened to see that several officials including Lord Tian, the Minister of Works and Lord Xue, the grand astrologer. They were discussing about the rebellion there. It was said that Prince Xian had got some letters they wrote to Xia Houjing and Qingsu. They will surely be sentenced to treason."

 Chapter 1014 Leaving The City (Part One)

    Yun Shang nodded slightly and yawned, "Well, I''m indeed a little anxious this time because I want to solve the problem before leaving the Jin city. Someone might infer that I did it. However, even if they know it clearly, no one will dare to gossip without any solid evidence. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded her head and said seriously, "It''s a crime of treason, and their family members will be implicated. I''m afraid that they will regret it in their hearts."


    "Do you really think that they have nothing to do and come to the morning court to talk nonsense? Since they chose to stand by Xia Houjing''s side, the result is doomed. " Yun Shang said lazily.


    Qian Zhuo nodded slightly, walked to Yun Shang and took off Yun Shang''s clothes. Yun Shang went to the couch and lay down, and soon fell asleep.


    When she woke up, she saw Qian Zhuo standing by the bed, fiddling with the flowers in the vase. Yun Shang looked at the flowers in the vase and smiled, "I''m afraid you have brought all kinds of flowers back from the Imperial Garden."


    With a smile, she said, "I had nothing to to. The vases in the room have been empty for a period of time. I went to cut some flowers, but I didn''t know what kind of flowers your majesty likes, so I also cut all kinds."


    Yun Shang sat up and Qian Zhuo turned around. She put down the scissors in her hand, took the clothes and stood on the edge of the bed, saying, "Qin Yi told me that you had a general investigation of Lady Wan. Because of the short time, according to some pamphlet in Imperial Household Department, she was originally a maid who served a deceased lady. Later, for some reason, she was favored by his former majesty and promoted after giving birth to the nineteenth Prince. Time is running out. We haven''t found more detailed information. Qin Yi said she would find another way. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, but she seemed to understand how the maid became a concubine of Xia Huanyu. If the sister Qi Ruihai mentioned really existed, it would be Lady Wan.


    But what are the pills he gave to the nineteenth Prince? Are the pills used to cure the nineteenth Prince? But even Doctor Xue Yan orGhost Doctor


    se, the people will suffer."


    This time, it was Hua''er and Pei Lan who came with Yun Shang. Hearing this, Hua''er seemed to have understood something and sighed slightly. "I also lost my family because of the war. I hope the war can end as soon as possible."


    When they arrived at the city guard''s mansion, Luo Qingyan didn''t stop for a moment. He rushed to the camp with Zhao Yingjie. Yun Shang ordered the soldiers to help move the luggage into the Chengshou Mansion.


    This was the second time that Yun Shang had stayed in the mansion. Yun Shang looked around. It seemed the mansion hadn''t been cleaned for a long time, and the garden in the yard was overgrown with weeds.


    "I hope it won''t happen a third time." Yun Shang sighed slightly. Every time she came to Lingxi City, it seemed that she came here for war.


    The suitcase was moved into the yard. Pei Lan and Hua''er were busy tidying up the room, and Yun Shang was strolling around with Bao''er in her arms. In the entire mansion, Yun Shang didn''t even see a servant. Only a butler looked at Yun Shang carefully, and followed Yun Shang silently.


    After walking for about an hour, Yun Shang asked, "Doesn''t General Zhao live in this mansion?"


    The middle-aged man shook his head timidly and said softly, "The generals all live in the camp. The mansion has long been desolate. There are wars and there are no people in the city. What''s the use of the garrison commandant?"

 Chapter 1015 Leaving The City (Part Two)

    Yun Shang nodded and turned around, "Go ahead with your own work. I''m going back to the yard."


    Back in the yard, Hua''er and Pei Lan were making the bed. When they saw Yun Shang, they whispered, "Please wait a moment, your majesty. The bed is almost ready. I just looked around and found that this is the only clean yard in the mansion. But the kitchen is also covered with dust, and Qing Hao is cleaning there. "


    Yun Shang nodded gently and sat down with Bao''er in her arms. The desire to end this battle as soon as possible was getting stronger.


    Bao''er rolled his eyes and seemed to be looking around the room. Yun Shang put Bao''er on a chair, and he sat still. He turned to look at Yun Shang, and then looked away.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t come back until nearly midnight. Bao''er had already fallen asleep, and Yun Shang was reading the map under the light.


    Luo Qingyan took off his cloak, put it on the chair, walked to Yun Shang and sat down. He picked up the tea that Yun Shang put on the table, gulped a few mouthfuls, and said softly, "The situation is a little better than I thought. Although eighty thousand soldiers were lost because the military deployment map was stolen, Zhao Yingjie reacted quickly and restarted it. With the help of the terrain of Lingxi City, they had won in several battles. Previously, we had a total of two hundred and thirty thousand soldiers, and we lost eighty thousand. Now we still have one hundred and fifty thousand. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang nodded slightly. "The enemy force is about three hundred and fifty thousand people. This time, we have brought sixty thousand soldiers. There are still one hundred thousand soldiers on the way. Before the reinforcements arrive, we can separate all the soldiers like Zhao Yingjie did before, leaving no chance for Qingsu to defeat them all. When the reinforcements arrive, Qingsu won''t be able to take advantage of the number. "


    "I think so, too." Luo Qingyan''s eyes were full of approval. He poured himself another cup of tea and gulped down a full cup. "Zhao Yingjie is really a good leader. I just walk


    n on the bed. Then Luo Qingyan turned off the light in the room.


    Before dawn on the second day, Yun Shang heard a voice from outside, "Report! Your majesty, there is an emergency. "


    Yun Shang turned over, and Luo Qingyan quickly lifted the quilt and went out. Yun Shang heard a voice from outside, "Your Majesty, the emperor of the State of Yelang is calling for battle."


    It seemed that Luo Qingyan was afraid of disturbing Yun Shang, so he lowered his voice deliberately. Yun Shang didn''t hear what Luo Qingyan said clearly. After a while, she heard Luo Qingyan walk into the room. He didn''t turn on the light and seemed to be putting on clothes.


    Yun Shang raised her head and looked at the vague figure. "I''m awake, your majesty. Please light up the light."


    "I''m dressed. You can sleep a little longer." Luo Qingyan said softly, took the sword hanging on the pillar of the bed and walked out of the room.


    Yun Shang tossed and turned. Worried about the war outside, she couldn''t fall asleep, so she called Hua''er to light the lamps and put on an outer robe. Bao''er also woke up. Yun Shang asked Hua''er to make a bowl of corn paste and feed it to Bao''er. Then Yun Shang handed Bao''er to Hua''er, stood up and ordered Pei Lan, "Go to get a set of men''s clothes and prepare a few horses. Ask dozens of secret guards to go out with me. I''ll personally explore the surrounding terrain."

 Chapter 1016 Patrolling The Mountain

    The Lingxi City was built on a plain with fertile land and sufficient water. On the plain, it was difficult to set up an ambush if there was a battle. On the East and west sides of the Lingxi City, there were two mountains with dense forests. The mountain in the East was relatively flat, and it extended for dozens of miles along the Qianshui River. The mountain in the West was steep and the forest was more dense, but it was also very dangerous because beasts roamed wild there.


    Yun Shang chose the mountain in the East as the destination for her visit today. She rode out of the city and headed for the Langya Mountain.


    They were just out of the city, when they saw the way up the mountain. Although there was no official road to the mountain, it was not steep. Yun Shang directly rode up the mountain. After passing through more than half of the forest, they found it became more dense and the horse seemed to be tired. Yun Shang got off the horse and led it up the mountain.


    Most of the trees in the forest were spruces and cypresses, and the azaleas were blooming brightly.


    They had walked for more than two hours, but Yun Shang didn''t see anything wrong. She remembered the last experience when she investigated the terrain like this. It seemed to be during the battle in the KY City. It was during that terrain investigation that she got to know Liu Yinfeng.


    At that time, she was trapped in the small yard by Liu Yinfeng''s North Seven Stars Array. At last, it was also Luo Qingyan who saved her.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang smiled. However, she suddenly stopped. North Seven Stars Array? If she remembered correctly, it seemed that the State of Yelang had never had an array in the battlefield since ancient times. What they relied on in the battles were their brave soldiers and valiant horses. It was highly possible that Cangjue Qingsu knew nothing about the array.


    A light flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes. She had been apprenticed to Qing Cang, the array master. Although Yun Shang was too busy to learn much from Qing Cang, she had read the array book given by Qing Cang carefully. She could even draw every array in it.


    If they fought with the array, it might be possible to have victories in spite of being weaker and outnumbered.


    Yun Shang was thinking about it, when the secret guard behind her exclaimed, "Master, look, there seems to be smoke over there."


    Yun Shang looked in the direction pointed by the secret guard and saw a black smoke rising from the forest in the distance. Yun Shang looked at the smoke carefully. It was small, and it should not be burned from wet leaves, but dry things. Besides, with such an only smoke nearby there should not be a large-scale garrison.


    "Probe," Yun Shang ordered concisely.


    The secret guard responded and quickly hid away in the forest.


    Although she didn''t think there would be a large number of soldiers stationed there, Yun Shang was also worried that it would be some spy sent by the State of Yelang, so she hid under a protruding stone.


    The secret guard moved very fast. Not long after, he came back and reported, "Master, there is a thatched hut in the distance. I think it should be a


    Hearing this, Zhao Yingjie answered yes. Then he turned around and said to a general behind him, "General Li, you have the inspection today, please."


    General Li responded in a hurry. Then he stood up, bowed to Yun Shang, got on his horse, and left with the soldiers. Zhao Yingjie then threw the reins to the soldiers guarding the camp and said respectfully to Yun Shang, "Your majesty, this way please."


    The general camp was in the middle of the whole camp. As soon as Yun Shang entered, she saw Luo Qingyan standing behind the table, drawing something on the long map.


    "Your Majesty," Yun Shang greeted with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan looked up and smiled, "you''re back?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and walked forward,. "Didn''t you say that Cangjue Qingsu would be here to fight today?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded and smiled, "yes, but he was scared away by me right away."


    Yun Shang knew it wouldn''t be that simple, but since Luo Qingyan didn''t want to tell her, she wouldn''t ask. She just asked softly, "Do you have any news about their former majesties?"


    "When the State of Yelang called for battle this morning, they were taken to stand on a carriage as a threat to us," Luo Qingyan said casually as usual.


    Yun Shang was worried. Luo Qingyan added, "But it doesn''t matter. They looked fine."


    Obviously, Luo Qingyan didn''t want Yun Shang to worry too much, so he changed the topic quickly, "I heard that you went to the Langya mountain today? Have you found anything? "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Yes."


    Then she turned to look at Zhao Yingjie, "General Zhao, do you know that there are some old and weak people in the city who can''t escape to other cities, so they are now hiding in the mountain?"


    Zhao Yingjie nodded slightly, "Yes, there are a lot of them. But we have specifically investigated them. They are indeed ordinary people."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang shook her head, with disapproval in her eyes, "No, I found that there were spies from the State of Yelang sneaking into the mountain. Although only two people were found today, I''m afraid the real number of the spies is not small."

 Chapter 1017 Constant Disturbances

    As soon as Yun Shang finished her words, she told Luo Qingyan and Zhao Yingjie in detail what she had met the old couple in the thatched hut in Langya Mountain. After listening to her for a long time, Zhao Yingjie still looked a little dull and confused. "According to the description of your majesty, there is nothing wrong with the couple? They were about fifty or sixty years old and live in a thatched hut. They don''t know kung fu. So they should be ordinary people. "


    Yun Shang shook her head, "The couple are by no means ordinary people."


    "There are three pieces of evidence. First, I looked carefully when the old woman picked vegetables and found that she had thrown away a long part of the wild vegetables. Ordinary people would definitely not waste them like this especially during the war. Second, the old woman threw them directly into the bucket to wash them. There was mud on the vegetables, and there was more than half a bucket of water in the bucket she threw. If you want to get water, you have to go two miles to a small stream in the mountain to get it. How could they waste the water? "


    Yun Shang looked up at Zhao Yingjie and continued, "Third, people who live there must be familiar with Langya mountain. But when I asked them which direction is the Deer City, the old mane pointed to is the north. The State of Yelang is in the north. "


    Hearing this, Zhao Yingjie''s eyes suddenly became malicious. "Your majesty, you have seen through the spies. Why don''t you tie the two people down the mountain directly? I can interrogate them."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang shook her head. "I''m not sure how many people in the mountain are like them, hiding in the mountain as refugees to investigate our military intelligence. It''s not good to act rashly and alert the enemy."


    "We still need to think about it carefully, but we have to find out all the spies as soon as possible and get rid of them. Otherwise, even if the military deployment map is not lost, the military strongholds hidden everywhere will be easily discovered. For example, the thatched cottage of the couple we found today is only two or three miles away from one of our garrison points. I''m afraid that the spot has been exposed to Qingsu. " Yun Shang took out the map and pointed at the red dot that she had made a mark with her nails before. "This is it."


    "I''ll send someone to ask the soldiers to withdraw from this place." Zhao Yingjie said hurriedly.


    Yun Shang nodded. Luo Qingyan looked up and ordered, "We need to carry out the plan quietly. But don''t move out the camp we had set up. Leave seven hundred or eight hundred people there to continue to guard, confusing the spies."


    Zhao Yingjie replied in a hurry. Yun Shang looked down at the map on the table and kept silent for a moment. Then she continued, "When I was investigating the terrain today, I suddenly remembered that I had learned the array from Qing Cang for a period of time during the batter in KY City. In my opinion, the State of Xia and the State of Ning always use arrays in the battlefield. But the State of Yelang doesn''t seem to be good


    e up, he didn''t cry. "


    Yun Shang was amused by Pei Lan''s words. "Disappointed? How can you tell that he is disappointed? "


    Pei Lan was stunned, but she couldn''t answer.


    After a while, she reported, "A carrier pigeon sent a message in the evening."


    Yun Shang paused and asked, "What''s on the letter?"


    "I didn''t dare to open it." Pei Lan replied in a low voice.


    Yun Shang nodded and walked faster.


    As soon as they returned to the yard, Pei Lan handed the letter to Yun Shang. Yun Shang took the letter and glanced at it quickly. She frowned slightly. Pei Lan looked at Yun Shang carefully and didn''t dare to ask what had happened.


    Yun Shang put the letter aside and snorted, "As soon as we arrived at Lingxi City, he set out to sneak into the Jin city and looked for an opportunity."


    Pei Lan was shocked and said, "The seventh Prince has returned to the Jin city? Now that his majesty and your majesty are not in the palace, isn''t Jin City in danger? "


    Seeing Pei Lan make a fuss, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She slowly folded the letter and said, "How can it be that easy? Isn''t Prince Xian there now? Lord Hua Guo was also there, so were the ministers in the court. After his majesty ascended to the throne, he had replaced many of his own people in important positions. Now the Jin city is no longer the world that Xia Houjing is familiar with. It''s difficult for him to make trouble. "


    "Besides, both Qian Liu and Zheng Qiming are around him." Yun Shang squinted, hoping that the two of them wouldn''t fail her trust.


    Pei Lan bit her lip and asked softly, "Your majesty, are you going to send this letter to his majesty in the camp?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and shook her head. "It''s too late. Let it go. Send someone to send it there tomorrow morning. No hurry. "


    Pei Lan nodded. Then Yun Shang turned to her and said, "By the way, I''m afraid we have to stay in the mansion for a period of time. I think the mansion is not small. I want to dig a lake in the mansion. You can look around tomorrow and see where to dig it."

 Chapter 1018 A Favorable Terrain (Part One)

    "Dig a lake?" Pei Lan''s eyes were full of disbelief. She repeated it, as if she wanted to confirm it with Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, dig a lake. I don''t know if there are lotus flowers in Lingxi City. If there are lotus flowers, we can dig a lake and plant them here. Then we can enjoy the lotus flowers."


    After saying that, Yun Shang went into the room, leaving Pei Lan alone in the hall, confused. She didn''t know what Yun Shang meant.


    It was already nine o''clock, but Bao''er was still awake. He was playing with the rattle drum on the counch when he heard the footsteps. He turned around quickly and saw Yun Shang. His eyes lit up as he clapped his hands and opened his arms to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang hurried to hold her up and said with a smile, "I heard that you are very obedient today. You didn''t cry. I am so happy. Bao''er is so considerate."


    Bao''er chuckled, and there seemed to be a hint of slyness in his eyes.


    Pei Lan''s voice came from behind, "Your majesty, do you want me to prepare dinner?" Pei Lan seemed to have woken up from the shock. She walked into the room and asked softly.


    Hearing Pei Lan''s question, Yun Shang realized that she had only eaten a cake today, but she hadn''t eaten anything since noon. She suddenly felt a little hungry, nodded and said, "Prepare some food."


    Pei Lan replied and left.


    Holding Bao''er in her arms, Yun Shang put the letter under the pillow and pressed it down with the jade pillow. She thought that Xia Houjing] went to the Jin city for the throne. Since Luo Qingyan and she were not in the palace, it was indeed a good opportunity.


    However, it was also a good chance for Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. In orde


    the forest. Yun Shang had seen the footprints of beasts on some muddy ground more than one or two times.


    "Master, if we continue to go up, I''m afraid it will be a little dangerous. It''s late now. If we continue to go up, I''m afraid we can only rest in the mountain today." The leader of the secret guards who walked beside Yun Shang said with a hint of persuasion.


    Yun Shang looked at the map. At present, they were still a little far from the top of the mountain. And a smart man like Qingsu would not let his soldiers go to the mountain. Once they went to Phoenix Mountain, their soldiers would be greatly reduced even without being attacked by the soldiers of the State of Xia.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, took the water bag from the secret guard, and drank some water, without looking away from the map. Phoenix Mountain was located from south to north, and the northernmost part was not far from the army of the State of Yelang. However, it was separated by a long canyon in the middle.


    "Let''s go north." Yun Shang put away the map, handed the water bag to the secret guard, and turned the direction with him.

 Chapter 1019 A Favorable Terrain (Part Two)

    When they arrived at the northernmost part of Phoenix Mountain, Yun Shang happened to see the sunset. There was a cliff in the north of Phoenix Mountain, and the mountain seemed as if it had been cut by a knife. The canyon below was the boundary between the State of Yelang and the State of Xia.


    The two sides of the mountain were a little flat. It was not early, so Yun Shang went down the mountain with her secret guards. When they were about a mile away from the bottom of the mountain, Yun Shang saw a stone forest. Looking from the top of the mountain, the stone forest was extremely spectacular. There were many stones that were as tall as four or five people standing, and the stones were also in different shapes.


    When he got closer, he found that the stones were covered with thick moss. The distance between the stones was different. It seemed that he had entered a maze. Yun Shang made a detour for a while, but she still couldn''t get out of the stones.


    The secret guards, one on the left and one on the right, took Yun Shang and jumped on the stone. It was not until then that Yun Shang found that the stone forest had extended for almost two or three miles, which was frightening.


    "Master, there are stones everywhere. We are blocked in the way, and we can''t tell the direction with the mist. It''s easy to get lost. Let''s make a detour." The secret guard said softly.


    Make a detour. Yun Shang looked around and found that there was a cliff in the north and a dense forest in the south. If they would make a detour, they had to go through the forest. They had walked through the muddy woods before they


    ral guest rooms in the west can be directly demolished. In this way, there should be a few acres of land." Pei Lan smiled and said in a calm voice.


    "Okay," said Yun Shang softly.


    Pei Lan continued, "But now the city has almost become an empty city, and we can''t find any craftsmen. I''m afraid it''s difficult for you to see the lotus in summer."


    Hearing this, the corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curved up slightly. She took out a very elegant wooden hairpin from the dresser and handed it to Pei Lan. She said softly, "Why do we need craftsmen? Just let our secret guards do it. We have brought nearly three hundred people to Lingxi City. Normally, we don''t need so many secret guards. Just dispatch one hundred and fifty people to do this. "


    Hearing this, Pei Lan was stunned for a while. Then she quickly smiled and said, "Your majesty, you are so thoughtful. I didn''t think of this and even planned to borrow some soldiers from the camp."


    "It''s ok to ask some soldiers to do it. But it''s not appropriate to do that now as the war is intensive." Yun Shang said calmly.

 Chapter 1020 Take Baoer To The Military Camp

    After dressing up, Yun Shang had breakfast and told Pei Lan how to dig the Lake in detail. Then she went to the camp with Bao''er in her arms. It was time for military training in the camp. From a distance, Yun Shang heard deafening cries of killing coming from the camp.


    After entering the camp, Yun Shang went straight to the training field.


    It was full of soldiers with spears in their hands. All of them looked strong and powerful. Tens of thousands of soldiers acted in unison at the same time, which was even more shocking.


    From a distance, Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan standing on a wooden platform in front of the training field. He was dressed in military armors and his eyes were as bright as fire.


    Yun Shang''s appearance attracted the attention of many soldiers. Yun Shang saw many people looking at them secretly. Worried that they might affect their training, she smiled and turned to the general camp.


    There were several personal guards standing at the gate of the camp. When they saw Yun Shang, they seemed to be stunned. They looked at Yun Shang up and down, but the sword in their hands had been unsheathed.


    Yun Shang smiled. The secret guards behind her had taken out the token of the Empress. Seeing this, the personal guards bowed to her immediately, "Greetings, your majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, opened the door and walked in. That day, she was so anxious that she didn''t have a good look at the situation in the camp. In front of her was a desk, on which there was a map. Behind the desk was a carved chair, and behind it was a bookshelf. There were many chairs on both sides, which were used by several generals when they were discussing business. On the left hung a huge map, and on the right stood eight screens with galloping horses. Behind the screen, it should be Luo Qingyan''s bed.


    Bao''er pointed at the map hanging on the wall and babbled.


    Yun Shang walked over with Bao''er in her arms. The map hanging on the wall was not only about the State of Xia, but also the State of Ning, the State of Yelang and several small tribes in the south.


    Bao''er stretched out his hand to grab the map. Yun Shang was afraid that he would fall, so she held him closer. Bao''er''s hand fell on the map and his eyes seemed to be full of curiosity. He suddenly put his hand on one spot and looked up at Yun Shang. His mouth pouted slightly, which looked lovely.


    Yun Shang looked at the place where Bao''er pointed with a smile, but her expression changed slightly. It was the imperial city of the State of Ning.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on that position. After a long time, she said softly, "Bao''er, look, the place you just pointed is my hometown. Your grandfather and grandmother are there, and your little uncle is there. Your little uncle is two years older than you. When the battle is over, I''ll take you back to have a look. "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and saw the confused expression in his eyes. She smiled, "I know you don''t understand."


    Yun Shang withdrew Bao''er''s hand from th


    ide the camp, the sound of horns could be heard from afar. Yun Shang looked in the direction of the State of Yelang, and saw figures seemed to be approaching.


    Yun Shang''s eyes were filled with coldness. Qingsu was getting more and more arrogant.


    When Yun Shang returned to the mansion, she saw that the mansion was also very busy. The secret guards found a lot of cloth from somewhere and were moving it into the mansion.


    Yun Shang watched aside. When she saw Pei Lan come out, she raised her voice, "Is this used for digging the lake?"


    Pei Lan replied with a smile, "Many clothing shops in the city have closed, but the cloth inside hasn''t been moved away, so I asked my secret guards to take some back. Don''t worry, your majesty. I have leave some money in the shops."


    Yun Shang nodded gently and called Hua''er, "Feed the Prince and take him to have a nap."


    Hua''er nodded and took Bao''er from Yun Shang. Yun Shang turned to Pei Lan, "Take me to have a look."


    "Yes." Pei Lan agreed and took Yun Shang out of the yard. They walked west along the path with many willows. After passing through two flower doors, they entered a garden.


    The garden had not been taken care of for a long time. It was full of weeds, but there were a lot of flowers.


    "Your majesty, this is the west garden." Pei Lan said in a low voice, pointing to the several yards by the opposite garden to Yun Shang, "These yards seem to have no living places. There is nothing in them. I think we can pull them down. In that case, the lake will be a little bigger. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and looked back at the wall beside the garden. After thinking for a while, she said, "There''s no need to demolish the house over there. In the face of the war, I don''t want anyone to know that I''m doing these things in the mansion. You can use the cloth you took back to seal the wall."


    Pei Lan replied in a hurry. Then Yun Shang turned around and walked out of the garden. "The construction should be started as soon as possible."

 Chapter 1021 A Letter from Liucang City

    Yun Shang walked out of the garden. On the way back to the yard, she passed a stage, which was a little shabby. Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "Repair the stage."


    Pei Lan turned to look at the stage and quickly agreed.


    As soon as they returned to the room, Hua''er came up to them. Yun Shang asked, "Has Bao''er fallen asleep?"


    Hua''er nodded, "The Prince is asleep. Your majesty, the carrier pigeon has sent a message from Liucang City." Hua''er handed Hua''er a letter.


    Yun Shang took it over, opened it and had a look. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly. Well, after Qian Liu and Zheng Qiming returned to Liucang City, they had won Xia Houjing''s trust. But to Yun Shang''s surprise, the letter also mentioned that Xia Houjing asked Qian Liu''s uncle to marry Qian Liu to him as his concubine.


    The smile on Yun Shang''s face became colder. She had heard that Xia Houjing had married many concubines in order to draw over noble clans in Liucang City and Nanyang City.


    Yun Shang suddenly thought of Hua Yutong. She didn''t know what kind of life she was living now. However, Hua Yutong''s father still had an official post, and his reputation was not low, so she should not be neglected. However, even if she could keep her position as the Seventh Princess, she had to prepare for her husband''s wedding every once in a while. Seeing the women being married one after another, she was afraid that she would not have a good time.


    If she had known this earlier, she would not have done that. At that time, she had given Empress Hua many chances. If Hua Yutong had chosen to follow Yun Shang''s arrangement, Hua Yutong would have retreated completely, and perhaps she already had a good match. But Hua Yutong insisted on it. She had no one to blame.


    But now, Xia Houjing wanted Qian Liu to marry him as a concubine, and things were a little tricky. And this letter has taken a few days on the way. She didn''t know what was going on now. If Xia Houjing wanted to marry her, he would marry her before he left Liucang City. He would never let Qian Liu have time to wait for her reply. Moreover, Yun Shang was not in Liucang City, and she didn''t know the details. She couldn''t give any detailed advice, so she only reported this in the letter and didn''t ask Yun Shang what to do.


    But it was a dilemma. If Qian Liu agreed, it would be unfair to her. But if she didn''t agree, Xia Houjing would think that Qian Liu''s uncle didn''t want to ally with him and work for him. He would be suspicious.


    Yun Shang held the letter tighter. After a while, she crumpled it into a ball and handed it to Hua''er.


    Yun Shang walked into the room and sighed, but she had to comfort herself in her heart. Fortunately, Qian Liu was calm, resourceful and smart, and she would definitely make the best choice according to the situation.


    No matter how anxious Yun Shang was, it was useless for Yun Shang to be anxious. So she simply ignored it and looked for some book on the bookshelf.


    Now after walking around the camp, Yun Shang also found that the situation on the battlefield was pr


    and horns outside today?"


    Hua''er thought for a while and answered softly, "Yes, in the morning, but I didn''t hear much in the afternoon."


    Yun Shang nodded. She was worried and didn''t know what was going on.


    Pei Lan prepared some food for Yun Shang and brought it in. Yun Shang put Bao''er on the bed, walked to the table and sat down. Thinking of the work in the garden, Pei Lan hurried out of the room.


    Yun Shang Heared the footsteps of Pei Lan suddenly stopped, and the greeting came, "Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She turned around and saw Luo Qingyan coming in. His clothes were neat and there was no sign of disorder. Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief. She stood up, poured a cup of tea for Luo Qingyan, and asked, "How is it going?"


    After a pause, he asked, "Have you had dinner?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and nodded. "I had dinner in the camp. Everything is fine."


    Yun Shang knew that Luo Qingyan didn''t want her to worry too much. But seeing that he was not injured or haggard, Yun Shang felt relieved. She just hoped that Luo Qingyan would be fine. If he wanted to say anything else, she would listen to him. If he didn''t want to, she wouldn''t ask.


    "Why do you have dinner so late?" Luo Qingyan sat opposite Yun Shang and asked softly.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "I went to Phoenix Mountain today. I have a look and found that the ambush array is the most appropriate. Today I have seen which places are suitable for setting traps and assassinations."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Don''t be too tired."


    Yun Shang knew what Luo Qingyan was worried about, so she nodded and said after thinking for a while, "I met some spies from the State of Yelang when I went down the mountain today. It seems that they were also inquiring about the terrain of Phoenix Mountain. I heard that they seemed to want to bypass Lingxi City from Phoenix Mountain and attack the city behind Lingxi City. I meant to discuss with your majesty how to lead the Soldiers of the state of Yelang into the Phoenix Mountain and enter my ambush array. "

 Chapter 1022 Retreat To The City

    A touch of coldness appeared in Luo Qingyan''s eyes, but the corners of his mouth curled up. "Qingsu is really good at calculating."


    Yun Shang nodded and looked at Luo Qingyan with a smile. "I think so, too. I''ll set up a trap and wait on Phoenix Mountain. If he dares to come, I''ll make him regret."


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan''s eyes flashed with tenderness. He nodded slightly and said, "I''ll go with you tomorrow."


    A tinge of joy flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes. She looked at Luo Qingyan with a smile and said, "That''s good. Why is his majesty free now?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "I''m afraid the State of Yelang won''t attack in two or three days. As long as Zhao Yingjie is in the camp, it will be fine."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned again. "The State of Yelang is now relying on the fact that His Former Majesty and Her Former Majesty were in his hand. But that do affect us. I think it would be best if we can save them secretly. In this way, we will no longer have any fear of the State of Yelang. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, with a hint of worry in his eyes. "I''ve been trying to save them these days, but how could Qingsu be so careless to let us save them as he finally got two shields in his hands?"


    After Luo Qingyan finished speaking, he smiled and said, "Let''s stop talking about this. I feel very irritable at the thought of this. Have dinner first. Is Bao''er asleep? "


    Yun Shang looked up at Bao''er and asked curiously, "He was so noisy when I came back just now. Why did he fall asleep in a flash?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, tucked Bao''er in, and touched his soft hair. Then he stood up, walked to the back of the desk and looked through the books Yun Shang had read.


    After dinner, Yun Shang asked Pei Lan and Hua''er to bring some water in. Then she washed up with Luo Qingyan and rested.


    The second morning, Luo Qingyan arrived at the stone forest with Yun Shang. Luo Qingyan directly jumped up, looked around for a long time, and returned to Yun Shang]. "It''s a good place, much more spectacular than I thought."


    Yun Shang took out the drawing from her sleeve. It was much more complete now. She marked the location of each stone, the trap, the poison, and the hidden guard''s ambush in detail. Yun Shang marked them all.


    Luo Qingyan looked at the drawing carefully and handed it back to Yun Shang. Then he walked around again and came back soon. "Very good. Your arrangement is very ingenious."


    Luo Qingyan looked around and said, "But it''s not difficult for martial artists to reach such a height. If Qingsu sends someone to stand on the stone forest, the following situation can be seen clearly."


    Yun Shang had already thought about it. She smiled and said, "I''ve been here several times, and I know that the mountain is filled with the thick mist in dawn and dust, and I can''t see anything clearly. If we lure the enemy into the stone forest at that time, everything will be fine."


    "Now you are worried about how to lure the enemy into the array?" Luo Qingyan looked up at the spectacular stones and ask


    Qingsu would know about their retreat soon. Qingsu knew Luo Qingyan well. He would think that Luo Qingyan did this for some other purpose, so he would become more cautious.


    Yun Shang walked to the gate of the yard and looked at the carriages carrying mud outside. She turned to Pei Lan and said, "Now the soldiers have entered the city. If they know that I want to dig a lake in the mansion, they will be unhappy. When we carry the mud, we can go through the back door. Outside the back door is a path."


    Pei Lan frowned and said, "But we have transported the soil out of the city directly. Since they have come to the city, the city gate must be strictly guarded. I''m afraid it''s impossible not to disturb the soldiers in the city."


    Yun Shang also knew that what Pei Lan said was true. She kept silent for a while and said, "I remember that there is a lake in Lingxi City called Moonlight Bay. There is no one else in the city now. The Moonlight Bay is not far from our mansion. We can take a detour without disturbing the soldiers. Ask the secret guards to pour the soil into the Moonlight Bay. "


    Pei Lan nodded and went to the west garden.


    With a touch of sadness in her eyes, Yun Shang went into the room. After thinking for a while, she thought of another thing. She picked up the white jade lute and blew it. When the secret guard entered the room, Yun Shang handed the picture with the stone forest array to the secret guard and said, "This is the picture of ambush array. If the army has come ti the city today, I''m afraid it''s inconvenient for me to enter or leave the city. It''s easy to attract attention. Take secret guards with you and hide in the Phoenix Mountain to arrange the array. I can only spare some time to see how the arrangement is going... "


    The secret guard answered and took the picture.


    Yun Shang sighed and waved her hand, "It has to be done as soon as possible. You can leave the city first. If you need anything, just send message back. "


    "Yes." The secret guard answered and left the room.

 Chapter 1023 Reminder

    In the evening, Luo Qingyan went back to the mansion, and it was time for dinner. Yun Shang ordered the kitchen to cook more food, and took Luo Qingyan into her room.


    "Why do you decide to withdraw back to the city all of a sudden?" Yun Shang pouted and made no secret of her displeasure. "Now the situation in the mansion is like this. The army has returned to the city. Isn''t it easy to be found?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan smiled and said softly, "I know. Just be careful. But if we want to lure Qingsu to Phoenix Mountain, we have to give him a chance. "


    Yun Shang frowned and didn''t understand what Luo Qingyan wanted to say.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and guided, "If you were Qingsu, what will your first reaction be when you hear that I suddenly order the army to retreat to Lingxi City?"


    Yun Shang frowned and asked suspiciously, "What trick did you play?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "Do you know that the news that their former majesties arrived at Lingxi City had been blocked. Her former majesty only went to see Zhao Yingjie after she arrived at Lingxi City. "


    After a moment''s silence, Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and asked, "Your Majesty, do you think there is some spy?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "There must be some spies, but it''s important to know where they are. A few days ago, I recalled the situation when their former majesties were missing. I think there must be some spy among the generals. Several generals have been with Zhao Yingjie for a long time, and Zhao Yingjie said that His Former Majesty and Hua Ling had been met by them. "


    "How can they know recognize them?" Yun Shang was confused.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Almost all the people in the State of Xia know the scar on His Former Majesty''s face. I heard that His Former Majesty didn''t hide his face in any way at that time. "


    Yun Shang frowned. Since Xia Huanyu knew that the scar on his face was too obvious, he didn''t hide it. She always felt that Xia Huanyu wasn''t completely a victim.


    "Aren''t there so many secret guards around Xia Huanyu?" Yun Shang whispered to herself.


    Luo Qingyan kept silent for a while and said, "Zhao Yingjie said that after they disappeared, the leader of Xia Huanyu''s secret guards came to look for Zhao Yingjie and said that they were also deceived. But they didn''t tell him the details. They only said that they would try their best to save His Former Majesty. "


    "And they never show up again?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows.


    Luo Qingyan nodded.


    "Your Majesty think there must be some spy among the generals. You ordered the army to return to the city in order to make Qingsu feel that something was wrong. Then he wound contact the spy to investigate the situation, so that we can find out the spy? " Yun Shang tilted her head and looked at Luo Qingyan curiously.


    Luo Qingyan nodded again and said, "That''s right. Besides, I''ll let the spy think that I withdrew my troops into the city because I had suffered some losses because of their majesties. So I want to find a way to save them befor


    he Yamen less than two hours. Why did Qian Jun come here?''


    He ordered Pei Lan to bring Qian Jun in. Qian Jun bowed to her in a hurry and said, "Your majesty, his majesty ordered me to fetch a map."


    Yun Shang was stunned. There were a lot of maps in the camp. How could Luo Qingyan ask Qian Jun to fetch a map from the mansion?


    Qian Jun seemed to understand Yun Shang''s doubts. He hurriedly said, "The map hanging in the general''s camp was damaged when we retreated to the city. Now it''s useless."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang agreed. She asked Pei Lan to take off the map hanging on the bookshelf and handed it to Qian Jun.


    Qian Jun took it and thanked her. Then he turned around and was about to leave. When he arrived at the door, he stopped for a moment and turned around. He looked at Yun Shang and said, "Your majesty, when I led my soldiers to inspect the city at night the day before yesterday, I found that someone was transported soil from the mansion. When I entered the mansion just now, I seemed to see that the mansion was busy with construction."


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s a big deal. Lingxi City seems to be much hotter than the Jin city. As summer is approaching, I''m afraid I''ll have to stay in Lingxi City for a period of time. So I want to dig a lake in the mansion. Then it will be a little cooler."


    Qian Jun frowned, with disapproval in his eyes. "Your Majesty, it''s not appropriate for you to do so. Now it''s the time of war. As the Empress, you shouldn''t do such an inappropriate thing at this time. If others know it, they will surely gossip about it. "


    Hearing this, the smile on Yun Shang''s face faded a little. "General Qian is right, but I don''t understand something. I asked my own secret guard to dig the lake, and it didn''t cost too much. Although there is a war now, it''s not a big deal for me to do such a thing. Right? "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Jun stopped persuading her. He smiled and said, "It''s just a small suggestion. Don''t blame me, your majesty." Then he bowed and left.

 Chapter 1024 To Comb Out The Spies

    In the past few days, Luo Qingyan sent several generals to the mansion one after another to take something unimportant, such as books and tokens. He even called Zhao Yingjie here once. But except for Qian Jun, no one had reminded Yun Shang not to spend much on construction.


    No matter how obtuse Yun Shang was, she could tell that Luo Qingyan did this mostly to sound the spies out.


    After the generals had all made a etour in the mansion, Yun Shang said to Luo Qingyan, "I think the spy should be Qian Jun."


    Luo Qingyan was curious. He looked at Yun Shang and asked, Why did you think so?"


    Yun Shang blinked her eyes and thought for a long time before she said, "It should be his temper that makes him least like a spy. He seems to be a very rigid and well behaved man, and he is the only one who told me not to spend time on building here. "


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing, "Can that be the reason?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing again, "It seems that a person can''t be too honest, or the Empress will suspect him as a spy."


    "Then who do you think it is, your majesty?" Yun Shang asked with curiously.


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, but refused to reveal anything. He just answered, "I don''t know. I''m just testing. These alone are not enough to make a conclusion."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and thought for a long time before asking, "Your Majesty, how many sets of clothes for the soldiers of the the State of Yelang can you find for me?"


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang doubtfully, "It''s not difficult. There are also many captured prisoners in our army. Just take their military armors. Do Your majesty have any plan?"


    Yun Shang smiled with pride, "Your Majesty, my lake has been dug out."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but ask in surprise, "So soon?" Then he thought about it carefully and said, "It''s less than half a month since you started the work."


    Yun Shang smiled, "The secret guards have been digging day and night. They are fast. I think this is a good chance to save their former majesties. "


    "But how?" Luo Qingyan asked softly.


    With a sly smile on her face, Yun Shang said, "Of course. Treat others in the same way as they treat us."


    In the middle of the night, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan left the mansion with their secret guards. They crossed the city wall with Qinggong and went straight to the Phoenix Mountain. Outside the Lingxi City at night, it was still all around. In order not to disturb the soldiers guarding the city, Yun Shang didn''t even light the torch. After walking for about two miles out of the city, she asked the secret guards to light the torches.


    They didn''t go to the stone forest, but to the Langya Mountain. Except for the sound of burning torches, there was only the sound of their footsteps. "Luo Qingyan" came closer to Yun Shang and said in a low voice, "Your majesty, someone is following us."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and turned around to look at the person beside her. Although he was dressed in Luo Qingyan''s clothes and had a simple disguise on his face, Yun Shang could


    er Yun Shang left, Luo Qingyan ordered the secret guards to keep watch the mansion closely. Pei Lan took Luo Qingyan to the west garden. From the lights there covered by cloth, people could vaguely be seen busy working inside.


    Entering the west garden, he saw people walking back and forth in the garden, digging the soil with hoes and shovels. The lake that Yun Shang had been hanging at her mouth was gone.


    Luo Qingyan led dozens of secret guards through the west garden, into a yard nearby, and went straight into the house. The bed in the room was carried to the door, and a dark hole appeared in the place where the bed was originally placed.


    Luo Qingyan walked to the edge and looked down. It was all dark below.


    "According to the order of her majesty, the passage can allow two people to walk upright. The exit is in the camp of the State of Yelang," the secret guard standing aside responded.


    Luo Qingyan was a little surprised, "The camp of the State of Yelang is not on the mountain?The mountain is full of stones. How can we dig the secret passages into the camp?"


    The secret guard quickly replied, "The camp of ordinary soldiers is on the mountain, but the camp of generals and Cangjue Qingsu is at the foot of the mountain."


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but clap his hands and laugh, "Cangjue Qingsu is a cautious man. He set the mountain as a barrier and make the camp at the foot of the mountain. He supposes everything would be fine, but he would never imagine that he fits in exactly with our wishes."


    Luo Qingyan turned around and looked at the secret guards behind him. They were all wearing the armors like the soldiers of the State of Yelang.


    "Do you remember the handing over secret signal of the night guards?" Luo Qingyan asked softly.


    All the secret guards nodded. Luo Qingyan said, "All right. Let''s go. I''ll go with you too."


    The secret guard wanted to stop him, but Luo Qingyan said smilingly, "It doesn''t matter. I won''t go out of the secret passage. There won''t be any danger." Then he went down to the secret passage with his secret guards.

 Chapter 1025 The Rescue

    After the secret guards went down the secret passage, Luo Qingyan followed them behind. As the secret passage was dug in a hurry, the surrounding walls were a little uneven. With a touch of his hand, some scattered soil fell down, and some places were muddy or even full of water.


    In order to prevent the people in the passage from suffocating, they dug some holes leading to the ground in some secret places. The secret guards in front and behind held torches in their hands, and no one spoke on the way. They were walking quietly and orderly.


    Just as Luo Qingyan had said, the camp of the State of Yelang was not far from the Lingxi City. But with that mountain as a barrier, Cangjue Qingsu had nothing to fear.


    After walking for about two hours, Luo Qingyan and the secret guards arrived at the exit. The secret guards extinguished the torches in their hands and carefully poked their heads out. The exit was surrounded by weeds, and no one was around. The secret guards went up to the ground one by one. Only two people were left to protect Luo Qingyan in the secret passage.


    Not far from the exit of the secret passage, there were tents one after another. Outside the tents, the torches lit up the entire camp. The secret guards sent each other a secret signal, after which they used Qinggong to dodge the patrolling soldiers and find their spy hidden in the army of Yelang.


    The spy quickly led the secret guards to the camp where Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling were locked up. The outside of the camp was heavily guarded. Eight soldiers were guarding there, and a group of soldiers patrolled around every fifteen minutes.


    He led the secret guards over and talked to the soldier for a while in the language of the State of Yelang. The soldier looked at the secret guards for a few times before he nodded, took out the key and opened the door.


    The spy led the secret guards into the camp. The light was still on in the camp. Xia Huanyu was reading a book, and Hua Ling was copying Buddhist scriptures. She looked a little relaxed, as if she was not imprisoned here.


    Seeing that someone came in, Xia Huanyu frowned and looked a little unhappy, "It''s so late. Who allows you to come in?"


    The spy turned around and looked at the soldiers outside the tent. He snorted coldly, "Our king wants to question you two. Come with us."


    Hearing that, Xia Huanyu''s hand holding the book paused for a moment. He raised his head and looked at the secret guard behind him. After a moment of silence, he lowered his eyes and put the book aside. Then he looked up at Hua Ling and said, "Ling''er, let''s go."


    Hua Ling nodded and put down the pen. When she walked out of the desk, Xia Huanyu reminded her in a low voice, "Take your Buddha beads with you."


    Hearing this, Hua Ling was slightly stunned, but she didn''t say anything. She turned around and took the Buddha beads, and then walked out of the camp together with Xia Huanyu.


    There were soldiers patrolling around, and all of them were on their guard. When they walked to the back of a camp close to the edge, the spy breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the distance. "That''s where y


    Then she stood up and went out of the room to the west garden. On the way, Yun Shang also asked the secret guards about the detail of the rescue of Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling yesterday.


    The cloth that had been set up on the garden had been put away, and the west garden had been renovated. It looked much better than before. When Yun Shang walked to the gate of the yard, she saw Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling sitting inside. Both of them were talking in a low voice, as if they were talking about something.


    As soon as Yun Shang entered the yard, they both seemed to have sensed that someone had entered. They looked up at Yun Shang at the same time. Yun Shang stopped and sat down on an empty chair opposite them. She smiled and said, "I''m sorry to have made Father and Mother suffer."


    Xia Huanyu''s face froze for a moment. He slowly sat up straight and looked at Yun Shang. "Your majesty is also in the Lingxi City?"


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "Yes, his majesty and I were extremely worried when hearing the news that Father and Mother were kidnapped by Cangjue Qingsu, so we hurried to the Lingxi City. Fortunately, both Father and Mother are fine."


    As Yun Shang spoke, she looked at Hua Ling. Hua Ling lowered her head and her eyelashes trembled slightly. Yun Shang smiled, "Bao''er is also here. Mother, do you want to see him? Mother and Father have been away from the palace for more than five months, and Bao''er has grown up a lot. Now he can sit and climb. "


    Hearing this, Hua Ling looked up and smiled, "Okay, I''ll be there soon."


    Yun Shang was happy to hear that, "Bao''er hasn''t seen Grandma for months. He must be very happy."


    After a pause, she took a glance at the Buddha beads put on the stone table by Hua Ling, and quickly looked away. She smiled and said, "In that case, I won''t bother you anymore. I''ll come and have lunch with Father and Mother later."


    After saying that, Yun Shang stood up with a smile and walked out of the yard.


    After returning to her own yard, Yun Shang looked up at the clouds in the sky and smiled, "I know why his majesty is angry."

 Chapter 1026 Both Real And Sham

    Seeing that Yun Shang said this out of blue as soon as she came back, Pei Lan was curious and asked softly, "What happened?"


    A cold light flashed in Yun Shang''s eyes, but the corners of her mouth were still slightly upturned. She said with a faint smile, "What I had suspected in the Imperial City proves to be true."


    Pei Lan didn''t understand. She looked at Yun Shang but didn''t dare to ask any more. She just followed Yun Shang obediently into the room.


    Bao''er was playing on the couch in the room, holding a book of Yun Shang''s in his hand. Some pages were crumpled. Hua Er knelt on the ground, her face full of anxiety, while muttering, "Oh, my little naughty boy, the Prince, this is your mother''s book. Don''t break it." As she spoke, she reached out to take back the book.


    However, Bao''er held the book tightly in his hands. He seemed to be more excited when he saw Hua Er grabbing it. He laughed.


    Yun Shang smiled, walked in and asked Hua''er to step aside. Then she picked up Bao''er and asked, "What are you doing, Bao''er? Why are you so happy? "


    When Bao''er saw his mother coming, he quickly put his head into his mother''s arms and rubbed it, throwing the book aside. Yun Shang picked up the badly torn book and looked at it. It was the book on array which she read yesterday.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "This book is very good. If you like it, when you grow up, I will give it to you, okay?"


    Of course, Bao''er didn''t understand what Yun Shang meant. He just chuckled and stared at Yun Shang. After a while, he plunged into Yun Shang''s arms again.


    Yun Shang played with Bao''er for the whole morning. Then it was time for lunch. As soon as the lunch was ready, Luo Qingyan came back.


    Yun Shang stood up with a smile and walked up to him, "The lunch is just ready. Your majesty is back just in time."


    Then she turned to Pei Lan and ordered, "Go and invite their former majesties to have dinner together."


    Luo Qingyan paused and looked at Yun Shang calmly, "Did you see them this morning?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Yes."


    Luo Qingyan''s expression became more strange. Finally, it''s Yun Shang who couldn''t help laughing, "Your Majesty, didn''t you want to know if I have found out anything strange there since I have gone to see both of them?"


    Luo Qingyan lowered his head, straightened his clothes carefully but said nothing as a response. Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "I found out that both of the people saved last night are not the real his former majesty and her former majesty."


    Luo Qingyan raised his head to look at Yun Shang. After a moment of silence, he asked, "How did you find it?"


    Yun Shang smiled and replied, "I found that you didn''t look normal, so I called the secret guard to ask about the rescue situation yesterday. One of the tiny details made me suspicious. The secret guard said that when they began to take their former majesties away in their tent. His Former Majesty reminded her former majesty to take the Buddha beads with her. "


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes fell on Yun Shang. Hearing her words, a trace of doubt flashed through Luo Qingyan''s eyes.


    "Her former majesty is a Buddhist. The Buddha beads are her treasures. How could she forgot to


    ang nodded and turned to look at the secret guards behind her, "You don''t know the traps in the stone forest. Go and try if you can break through this stone forest. The rule is that you can''t use Qinggong."


    The secret guards responded and quickly flashed into the stone forest.


    Yun Shang then asked the leader of the secret guards to take her to fly to the top of the stone forest, so that she could see clearly the situation below. The secret guards were agile, and even if they were restricted from using Qinggong, their Kung Fu was still much better than that of ordinary soldiers. Therefore, it seemed that they were not at a disadvantage at the beginning.


    However, gradually, they met more and more traps in the stone forest. The people hiding in the stone forest were also looking for an opportunity to give them sneak attack, and many secret guards began to act with confusion. In panic, many of them fell into traps.


    Yun Shang went to the end of the stone forest and waited there until 3 hours later when a secret guard came out at last. But he was already exhausted, and his clothes were cut into pieces. As soon as he came out, he fell to the ground, as if all his strength had been sucked out.


    Yun Shang smiled and turned to the leader of the secret guards, "Great. Is everything ready in the dense forest?"


    "It''s ready..." Hardly had his voice faded away, Yun Shang faintly noticed a strange movement in the direction outside the Lingxi City. The deafening cries could even be faintly heard in the Phoenix Mountain here.


    Yun Shang frowned and said with a deep look, "I''m afraid that the stone forest will soon be used. Quickly restore all the secret poisons in the forest to their original state. "


    Yun Shang saw a horse running towards them from a distance. She waved her hand, and the secret guards hid themselves. The horse stopped at the foot of the mountain, and someone jumped down from it and walked up the mountain. Yun Shang slowly walked down, and saw a soldier in military armor hurriedly saying, "Your Majesty, the troops of Yelang have attacked the city. His majesty orders you to return to the city."

 Chapter 1027 The Lingxi City Crisis (Part One)

    The troops of the State of Yelang attacked the city? Yun Shang frowned. She thought Cangjue Qingsu was irritated because they broke into his camp last night and saved those two impostors. Cangjue Qingsu couldn''t bear to be provoked.


    And now, there was no need for Luo Qingyan to be afraid of anything, nor would he be restrained. This battle must be a fierce one, thus.


    However, the State of Xia only had seventy thousand or eighty thousand soldiers in the city, while the State of Yelang had nearly three hundred thousand...


    At the thought of this, Yun Shang mounted her horse and rushed to the Lingxi City. The gate of the city had already been closed, and the soldier who came to report to Yun Shang showed the token in a hurry and ordered someone to open the gate.


    "Your Majesty, his majesty asked you to go back to the Chengshou Mansion. It''s not safe outside," said the soldier. The city was full of soldiers. Yun Shang heard deafening cries of killing as well as the sound of drums and horns from the north.


    Yun Shang ignored the soldier and ran towards the North City building with her secret guards.


    "Your Majesty, the Empress," behind her was the cry of the soldier, but Yun Shang turned a deaf ear to him. She whipped the horse and shouted a command. The horse galloped away.


    The north gate was also closed, and there were faint roars outside. Yun Shang looked up and noticed a figure in bright yellow flashed on the city wall.


    She stopped the horse, got down from it and ran up the city wall, out of which she saw a dark mass of soldiers. In the distance, the flag of the State of Yelang stood. There was a row of horses in the front. As it was so far away, Yun Shang couldn''t see the cavalrymen on the horses, but she had a vague feeling th


    ring on the door and knocked on it. The door was opened, but there were secret guards who had been ambushed around. Seeing that it was her, they opened the door and bowed, "Master."


    Yun Shang was surprised, "What''s this for? The troops of the State of Yelang haven''t attacked the city yet. "


    The secret guard hurriedly said, "It''s his Majesty''s order. His majesty said that the enemy is attacking, and the soldiers in the city are frequently mobilized, and it''s a little chaotic everywhere. It''s hard to guarantee that there will be any spies sneaking into the Chengshou Mansion. They want to do something bad to Master and the Prince, so we are ordered to guard the mansion well, and no one is allowed to come in."


    Yun Shang nodded and went back to the yard quickly. Pei Lan was pacing back and forth in the yard, looking anxious. When she heard the footsteps, she turned around and saw Yun Shang. A glimmer of joy appeared in her eyes. She took a few steps forward and hurriedly said, "The enemy attacked the city as soon as you left the city, which scared me. I was afraid that something might happen to you. I''ve been waiting for you for a long time. I''m so worried. "

 Chapter 1028 The Lingxi City Crisis (Part Two)

    Seeing the tears in her eyes, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She patted on her shoulder and said, "Look at you. We have been full of danger in the palace. Aren''t we scared every step? I didn''t see you in such a hurry at that time. I have many secret guards with me. Nothing will happen. Don''t worry."


    Pei Lan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, lowered her head and said shyly, "How can it be so terrible in the palace? I feel flustered just by hearing the deafening sound outside."


    Yun Shang looked at Pei Lan with a smile, "You have to get used to it as soon as possible, because we will have to stay in this battlefield for a long time." As Yun Shang spoke, she stepped into the main room and asked softly, "Where is Bao''er? Is he scared? "


    Pei Lan shook her head. Thinking of the Prince, Pei Lan couldn''t help exclaiming, "Your majesty, you don''t know how wonderful it is. The Prince is not scared at all. On the contrary, he is quite excited. He was rolling on the bed, laughing so happily. "


    "A heartless boy," Yun Shang shook her head and murmured. When she entered the room, she saw Bao''er rolling on the bed and giggling. It seemed that he liked the noise outside very much.


    Seeing that he was having a good time, Yun Shang left quietly and went to the study.


    Since they came to the Lingxi City, Yun Shang had put a map everywhere. She sat down at the desk and looked up at Pei Lan, "Go and make a cup of tea for me."


    Pei Lan obeyed, and replied, "I''ll make a cup of chrysanthemum tea for you. It''s good in clearing away heat and impr


    mess. She really didn''t know how Luo Qingyan could defeat the troops of the State of Yelang at such a disadvantage.


    It was getting dark. Yun Shang stood up and turned on the oil lamp. Suddenly, she heard the sound of raindrops outside. Yun Shang was stunned. She walked around the desk and opened the window. It was raining outside. The rain was so heavy that the banana trees behind the house were crackling. A flash of lightning flashed across the sky and lit up the whole world, followed by a loud thunder.


    Yun Shang frowned and wondered why it was raining at this time? Yun Shang walked to the door and opened it. Pei Lan, who had been waiting outside, quickly turned around and looked at Yun Shang with doubts in her eyes.


    "Do you know what''s going on outside?" Yun Shang asked Pei Lan softly.


    Pei Lan shook her head and said, "I only heard that there was a fight in the evening. But we were outnumbered and suffered losses. Now the army has all retreated to the city."


    While they were talking, they heard a sound, like a crash.

 Chapter 1029 At War

    Just as Yun Shang was about to figure it out, another thunder shot down from the sky. Yun Shang turned to Pei Lan and asked, "What was that sound just now?"


    Pei Lan was still in a state of shock and said, "I don''t know."


    Yun Shang immediately ordered a secret guard, "Go and check what the sound was just now. See how the battle is going on, and report it quickly."


    The secret guard received the order and left in a hurry.


    Later Yun Shang heard several similar sounds, but they were louder and louder.


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while before she came to her senses. She frowned and said remorsefully, "Why did I forget to ask him to send an umbrella to his majesty? Or just a raincoat is good. "


    Hearing this, Pei Lan was about to say something, when she heard Yun Shang say in a low voice, "Forget it. With his Majesty''s temperament, I''m afraid he won''t use it even if I send it to him. With so many soldiers in the rain, how could he be willing to hide under the umbrella alone? "


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, she looked up at the sky where lightning rumbled. She pursed her lips and turned back to her room.


    An hour later, the secret guard came to report. It was still raining outside, and the secret guard was completely wet. He raised his hand to wipe the rain off his face and reported, "Master, it''s the sound of Yelang''s army pounding at the gate of our city with giant logs."


    The brush in Yun Shang''s hand suddenly fell on the paper, and the ink immediately dispersed. She asked, "The army of the the State of Yelang has already launched their attack at the city?"


    The secret guard nodded slightly with a serious look in his eyes, "But it shouldn''t be dangerous now. The city wall is full of our archers. The soldiers of the State of Yelang who came to attack the city gate suffered heavy casualties."


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly, "Our bows and arrows are limited, and I''m afraid they won''t last long. Send more secret guards for further exploration. If there is any news, report it quickly."


    "Yes, Master!" The secret guard answered in a sonorous and powerful voice, and then he quickly left the study.


    Things seemed to be much worse than Yun Shang had expected, but she always felt that the battle shouldn''t have ended like this since Luo Qingyan was there.


    "Report! The enemy has already set up a ladder and is about to climb over the wall to enter."


    "Report, there are less than ten thousand arrows left in our bowmen''s hands. We are soon running out of arrows."


    Yun Shang was not in the mood to keep on reading. She sat still on the chair as if she was frozen. She was extremely anxious, but she knew very well that she was Luo Qingyan''s weakness. She couldn''t put herself in danger, or it would affect Luo Qingyan.


    "Report, there is a sudden chaos behind the enemy. It seems that the horses of the cavalrymen were frightened and fled in all directions, disturbing the enemy''s array."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was stunned. She looked at the secret guard hesitantly, "Which side of the army is in chaos?"


    The secret guard hurriedly said, "Master, it''s the enemy''s. I just saw on the city wall that their cavalrymen were at the end of the army, but those horses suddenly seemed to go crazy, roaring and running around, disturbing the enemy''s array. "


    Yun Sha


    e of them thought it was the army of the State of Xia who set an ambush here, so they continued to rush inside, intending to remove the ambush with the advantage of their strength. Someone also hurried around the stone forest and rushed to the dense forest in the south.


    Yun Shang smiled. There was also something "good" waiting for the enemy there in the forest.


    After a while, Cangjue Qingsu''s voice came from afar, "Don''t panic. Those who haven''t entered the stone forest, go right, into the forest."


    All of a sudden, the soldiers of the State of Xia''s shouted with the sound of the drum, "Kill them! Kill all of them! " The sound was deafening and imposing.


    As a result, The troops of the State of Yelang became more flustered. They hurriedly bypassed the stone forest and plunged into it. Soon, screams rang out in the forest.


    Yun Shang smiled and suddenly heard the voice of the soldiers of the State of Xia from the other end of the mountain, "The reinforcements are coming."


    Yun Shang''s face lit up with joy. Reinforcements? Luo Qingyan had said that the reinforcements were about to arrive at the Lingxi City, and it was the right time. She guessed that it must be Luo Qingyan who had arranged it.


    The corners of Yun Shang''s mouth curled up slightly. There were reinforcements in front, and then pursuers. There were poisonous smoke everywhere. She wanted to see how Cangjue Qingsu could escape.


    The troops of the State of Xia had already arrived outside the stone forest. Walking in the front, Luo Qingyan stopped at once and waved his hand. "General Zhao stays here. General Qian and General Lin lead their troops to the outside of the dense forest in front of us. If any enemy retreats from the forest, kill them one by one. Kill all of them. But be careful, don''t let our soldiers enter the stone forest and the woods. It''s poisonous. Don''t risk your lives. "


    "Yes, your majesty." Yun Shang heard several answers in unison, and then they went to the place where they should be.


    Luo Qingyan went straight to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang was shocked and flustered. How did he know she was here. Luo Qingyan had walked to the tree where Yun Shang hid. He looked up and said, "come down."

 Chapter 1030 Good News

    Yun Shang bit her lips and asked the secret guard to jump down with her. Luo Qingyan must have been outside in the rain all night, because he was all wet and his hair was a little messy. His face was pale, and there was a small wound on his face. Yun Shang was shocked and checked him carefully, only to find many small wounds on his body, arms and legs. The wounds were soaked in rain and turned pale.


    Yun Shang''s face turned pale.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said gently, "I''m fine. You''ve done a good job. The enemy suffered serious losses. But you don''t have to stay on this mountain anymore. It''s too dangerous. Go back to the Chengshou Mansion."


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang felt indescribable pain in her heart. She held back the tears that were about to burst out, gently nodded, and silently brushed past Luo Qingyan, walking down the mountain with her secret guards.


    It was not until she was quite farther away from Luo Qingyan that the tears which Yun Shang had tried hard to control in her eyes, streamed down her face.


    When they went down the mountain, Yun Shang''s horse was nowhere to be seen. The secret guards looked around in a hurry and found the frightened horse back. Yun Shang then got on the horse, and the whip in her hand fell heavily on it. The horse raised its front legs suddenly and almost dropped Yun Shang to the ground. Then it roared and rushed out.


    It was already around noon, and the sky gradually cleared up. Such was the rain in summer that came and went quickly. Yun Shang had to admit that the rain had helped her a lot. In fact, it was not the best time for the troops of the State of Yelang to go up the mountain today. It was a little late. If it hadn''t been for the rain last night, the mist would have dispersed. But at the thought of the wounds on Luo Qingyan''s body, Yun Shang was not happy at all.


    Corpses were scattered along the road, including the soldiers from the State of Yelang army and the ones from the State of Xia. The scene was solemn and stirring.


    There was no expression on Yun Shang''s face, but a hint of sadness in her eyes. The whip on the horse was heavier.


    After returning to the Chengshou Mansion, Pei Lan and Hua Er rushed out. Seeing Yun Shang, Pei Lan said hurriedly, "Your Majesty is completely wet. I''ll ask someone to prepare water for you."


    Only then did Yun Shang realize that the mist on the mountain was too heavy. Her hair and clothes were all wet. But she had never noticed it, and now she suddenly found that she was very cold.


    Yun Shang nodded and went into the room. Bao''er was alone on the bed. When he saw Yun Shang, he stretched out his hand, as if he wanted Yun Shang to hold him. Yun Shang was afraid that the cold air from her body would affect him, so she just glanced at him and went straight into the bathroom beside.


    Hua''er helped Yun Shang take off her clothes and said softly, "Your Majesty, there is news from Ning Qian and Qian Liu. Would you like to hear it?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and nodded, "Go ahead."


    Hua''er responded in a low voice. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t look well and


    ht in the medicine for wounds. Yun Shang asked her to put it on the table, and then said with a frown, "His Majesty was injured and soaked in the rain all night. I''m afraid he''ll catch a cold or even a fever. I''ll write a prescription, and you go to get some medicine first. I''m afraid the wounds will also be inflamed... "


    As Yun Shang spoke, she put down Bao''er again, walked to the desk, sat down, wrote down a few prescriptions and handed them to Pei Lan. "These medicines are in the boxes we brought. You fetch them here, and I''ll fill the prescriptions myself."


    Pei Lan quickly responded and went to take the boxes. Yun Shang opened each box, got each medicine according to its own weight, and at last handed them to Pei Lan, "Go to brew the medicine. Don''t mess them up."


    Pei Lan replied, took the medicine and left.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t come back yet, so Yun Shang was still worried. She didn''t sleep last night, and she had been busy the whole morning. So at present, she was really tired and sleepy.


    Yun Shang covered her face with her hands and yawned. Then she lay down on the bed with Bao''er in her arms.


    After a while, Yun Shang fell asleep. When she woke up again, it was already dark outside. Yun Shang looked at the empty room and called Pei Lan. Pei Lan came in in a hurry. Yun Shang frowned, raised her hand to rub her forehead and temple, and asked, "Has His Majesty come back?"


    Pei Lan shook her head and said, "I heard that Cangjue Qingsu broke through the siege and ran away with his own guards. His majesty is chasing after him and hasn''t come back yet."


    Yun Shang frowned and kept silent for a while before nodding. She was a little annoyed with Luo Qingyan. She had been to the battlefield and knew clearly that it was unnecessary to chase the losers.


    It was not until the second morning that the news came back that Luo Qingyan was on the way back.


    Hearing this, Yun Shang ordered servants to prepare hot water and medicine. She waited in the yard with Bao''er in her arms. And Luo Qingyan didn''t return until that afternoon.

 Chapter 1031 Safe And Sound

    Luo Qingyan came back with several generals. When he saw Yun Shang, he said to her softly, "I''ll go to the study to discuss the war with the generals. Ask someone to make some tea for us. Thank you, my lady."


    When the others heard Luo Qingyan call Yun Shang lady, they all glanced at Yun Shang in surprise, and then followed Luo Qingyan into the study.


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly. She felt heartache. Luo Qingyan had just come back. He was already exhausted. The wounds on his body seemed to be more than when she had seen them in the Phoenix Mountain. His armor was full of mud, and even his face was stained with a lot of mud. His face was as white as paper, but he had no time to rest. He had to discuss the war again.


    Yun Shang lowered her head to hide the sadness in her eyes. She then looked up and ordered Hua''er, "Go and serve some tea for the generals."


    Noticing that Yun Shang didn''t look well, Hua''er looked up at her cautiously and answered in a low voice. When she was about to turn around, she heard Yun Shang say, "By the way, I found his majesty''s voice is a little hoarse. Put some sterculia seeds in his Majesty''s tea. I have got some in the boxes. Do you recognize them?"


    Seeing Hua''er confused expression, Yun Shang sighed and said, "All right. You go to boil water first. I''ll go to find the sterculia seeds."


    With that, Yun Shang entered the room with Bao''er in her arms, opened one of the boxes, and found the herbal medicine she needed. She handed it to Pei Lan and asked her to send it to Hua''er. After Pei Lan went out, Yun Shang looked in the direction of the study, lost in thought.


    Judging from the looks of Luo Qingyan and the others just now, things were not as good as they thought. Cangjue Qingsu was likely not caught.


    Luo Qingyan stayed with them in the study for more than two hours before Yun Shang saw Zhao Yingjie come out. Yun Shang was excited and waited eagerly for Luo Qingyan, but a long time passed, and he didn''t appear.


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang asked Hua''er to take care of Bao''er. She then stood up and walked towards the study.


    Yun Shang supposed Luo Qingyan was still dealing with his business in the study, but unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the study, she saw Luo Qingyan sitting on the chair with his eyes closed. He had... fallen asleep?


    Yun Shang walked to the back of the desk, pushed Luo Qingyan and called softly, "Your Majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan frowned and didn''t respond. Yun Shang saw Luo Qingyan''s face flushed. Thinking of the pale face when she just saw him back, her heart jolted. She reached out to feel his forehead, only to find it was a little hot there.


    She reached out and held his hand. When she was about to feel his pulse, Luo Qingyan suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Yun Shang coldly. He pulled his hand out of Yun Shang''s. Seeing that the situation was not good, Yun Shang hurriedly took two steps back and raised her voice, "Your majesty!"


    Luo Qingyan was stunned, and his expression softened a little. He looked at Yun Shang blankly for a long time before he came to his senses, "It''s Sha


    ing medicine. She couldn''t help laughing, turned around and ordered Pei Lan, "You go to decoct medicine first."


    Luo Qingyan knew that there was no room for negotiation. He sighed, pouted and turned to look at the top of the bed.


    Yun Shang sat down on the edge of the bed and examined the wounds on Luo Qingyan''s body. She said softly, "Your majesty has suffered a lot, and had been soaked in the rain for so long. The wounds are now a little red and swollen, which is a sign of inflammation. If the inflammation is not removed early, the wounds will heal slowly because it is hot these days."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, pinched Yun Shang''s nose and sighed, "You are the only one who dares to do this to me in the world."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Of course."


    She smiled and began to chat with Luo Qingyan, "Ning Qian gave birth to a girl. By the way, there is another piece of good news. You will be happy to hear it. "


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang curiously and asked, "What''s that?"


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Qian Liu tricked Xia Houjing."


    Luo Qingyan was stunned and thought for a moment. The corners of his mouth raised a little higher, "Well? Really? "


    Yun Shang didn''t expect Luo Qingyan to react like this. She blinked her eyes and got closer. She stared at Luo Qingyan for a long time and said, "Your Majesty, why don''t you look surprised at all? It''s a piece of great news, and a big obstacle has been removed. "


    Seeing Luo Qingyan''s weird smile, Yun Shang thought to herself. She pondered for a while and asked, "Have your majesty already known about it?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "It''s my idea."


    Yun Shang was stunned, but she suddenly understood, "No wonder. I''ve told you that Qian Liu is smart among my maids, but Xia Houjing is not stupid. How could he fall into the trap so easily? It turns out that it''s your majesty."


    Yun Shang then asked, "What do you want to do with Xia Houjing, your majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan squinted slightly, "What should we do with it?"

 Chapter 1032 A Conversation Between Husband And Wife

    "Since I have promised to keep him alive, I will definitely do it. But I have many ways to make his life a living hell. The news that he was caught by us can''t be revealed. There are still many officials in the court who work for him. I hope to take this opportunity to eradicate all the people secretly loyal to him," said Luo Qingyan. He looked indifferent, but there was a hint of irony in his eyes.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan for a while and said softly, "But Xia Houjing is very cunning. Although we have him now, I''m always worried that he has other plans. Besides, it''s impossible for us to know from Xia Houjing which people are working for him. Now that we are not in the Jin City, there are many things that we can''t know in time and react quickly. "


    Luo Qingyan flicked Yun Shang''s forehead and said with a sly smile, "They let their guard down just because we are not in the Jin City."


    Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and glared at Luo Qingyan. She said thoughtfully, "We have to get rid of Xia Houjing. What can not be done by such a man who can even collude with foreigners for the sake of the throne? "


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled but said nothing.


    They two kept silent for a moment. Then Yun Shang asked, "Cangjue Qingsu..."


    As soon as the words came out, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. Yun Shang was confused by his laugh. She didn''t know what she had said was wrong, so she looked at Luo Qingyan blankly, "What''s wrong?"


    Luo Qingyan had been lying on the bed for a long time and felt sore all over. He sat up and said with a smile, "All right. When I came back yesterday, I knew you wanted to ask me about it. But you haven''t asked me about it until this moment. I was a little surprised. So when I just heard you ask, I suddenly had a feeling that I had got it at last."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang reached out to pinch him, but her hand accidentally fell on his wound. Luo Qingyan screamed with pain right away. Yun Shang realized it and kept on apologizing. Luo Qingyan smiled, patted the seat beside him and said, "Come on, let me have a hug."


    "What''s the matter with you?" Yun Shang murmured, but still she followed his idea, took off her shoes and lay down beside him. Luo Qingyan let Yun Shang rest on his arm. He then sighed and said softly, "Cangjue Qingsu has escaped."


    Yun Shang had already guessed this result, so she didn''t feel surprised. Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and said, "I have made a lot of preparations for that battle. The reinforcements were planned to arrive in two days, but I ordered them to come day and night and to arrive in Huaiyin ahead of the scheduled time. I also ordered the secret guards not to let anyone send messages out, in order to avoid being noticed by Cangjue Qingsu.


    During the previous fights, I found out the habits of Qingsu to send soldiers. Their shield soldiers are in the front, followed by archers, generals, infantry and cavalry. This kind of arrangement is to prevent the hidden forces on the Langya Mountain from attacking from behind, but it also gives us a chance. I asked the soldiers on the mountain to catch almost all the wild beasts there and starve them for several days. At t


    caught a cold. He had a fever last night and is still very weak. He can''t come. What can I do for you, General Qian? You can tell me. "


    Qian Jun was surprised. He looked up at Yun Shang blankly. Yun Shang supposed Qian Jun had a grudge against her. She was about to say something further when Qian Legion explained, "Your Majesty, you misunderstood me. I came here today to see your majesty."


    This time, it was Yun Shang''s turn to be surprised.


    "See me?" Yun Shang blinked, not knowing what was going on.


    Qian Jun nodded and laughed. Then he stood up and bowed to Yun Shang, "I have offended you a lot before. Please forgive me, your majesty."


    Yun Shang didn''t remember when Qian Jun had offended her. She looked at him with confusion in her eyes. Qian Jun explained, "Last time when I fetched something for his majesty, I witnessed people here busy carrying the soil out of the mansion at midnight to avoid being seen by others. I heard that your majesty wanted to dig a lake in the mansion. I used to dislike you so much that I even overreached myself to warn your majesty. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She had already forgotten it, but Qian Jun came to apologize to her at the time being.


    "Lord Qian, you are just and responsible. It''s not your fault. Why should you apologize for it?"


    Qian Jun shook his head and said seriously, "I didn''t know that your majesty was trying to deceive others. I couldn''t imagine that your majesty was trying to dig a passage to the troops of the State of Yelang to save their former majesties, so that we wouldn''t have to think about it before we went to war."


    Yun Shang wanted to tell him that it was Luo Qingyan''s idea, but Qian Jun didn''t give her the chance. He continued, "In the battle on the Phoenix Mountain, I know that the all-sided ambush array was set up by your majesty, and I admire you even more. You are a woman, but you are not inferior to men. Thanks to your help, we can defeat the troops of the State of Yelang so badly. I didn''t expect you to be so proficient in arrays. I''ve always liked to study arrays. Can you give me some advice, your majesty? "

 Chapter 1033 Back To The Palace (Part One)

    Yun Shang was a little stunned. She thought of that day when the troops of the State of Yelang attacked the city, Qian Jun was indeed commanding the troops to set up an array. Thus, she couldn''t help but say smilingly, "General Qian, you''re really flattering me. I used to take Mr. Qing Cang as my teacher with the introduction of his majesty. I wanted to learn more about arrays, but unluckily, I barely met him. As a result, I have learned little about it up till now. The array in the stone forest was just my cramming practice after reading the book given by Mr. Qing Cang. "


    Hearing this, Qian Jun was even more amazed, "Your Majesty, you have ever taken Mr. Qing Cang as your teacher?" Then he murmured to himself, ''No wonder... No wonder...''


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile. Seeing the plea in Qian''s eyes, Yun Shang smiled and ordered Pei Lan, "Take the book here on the far right of the third row on the shelf."


    Pei Lan answered and fetched the book to Yun Shang. Yun Shang took a look at Qian Jun and gave it to him with a smile, "General Qian, if you like to study arrays, I will give this book to you. I can almost remember all the arrays in this book. Besides, I''m usually in the palace, and it''s a waste for me to keep it. Why not send it to General? If your highness can use it to kill the enemy and protect our country, it''s also a good thing for the State of Xia. "


    Qian Jun''s eyes were filled with joy. He took the book respectfully, knelt down, and bowed to Yun Shang, "I am do grateful for your majesty''s kindness. I will never let your majesty down."


    Yun Shang waved her hand to stop him from being courteous. Qian Jun stood up, bowed his head but seemed to be hesitating.


    "General Qian, do you have anything else to say?" Yun Shang asked


    window, and the singing of cicadas could be heard from time to time. Both people in the room had just experienced a difficult battle, and they were whispering at such a rare quiet time.


    After this battle, the State of Yelang retreated thirty miles, as if quietly admitting that they had lost. The laughter and cheers in the Lingxi City were totally different from the serious atmosphere when Yun Shang first arrived. The war had started in August since last year. At the beginning, the two armies had been on par with each other in strength. Zhao Yingjie dispersed his forces and tried to pin down Cangjue Qingsu. When Cangjue Qingsu gave up the battle with the State of Ning in the north and sent more soldiers to support Lingxi City, the troops of the State of Xia began to be at a disadvantage because of the huge gap in military strength. When Cangjue Qingsu threatened the army in the name of seizing His and Her Former Majesty, the army of the State of Xia turned to be difficult to stabilize. However, at last, it turned out that the troops of the State of Yelang was defeated.


    The soldiers had been depressed for too long, and they at last had such a time to relax.

 Chapter 1034 Back To The Palace (Part Two)

    However, this battle also caused great losses. The State of Xia had also consumed a lot of soldiers. It was okay in the Lingxi City, but outside the city, there were corpses everywhere, which brought some heaviness to the people while they were enjoying their victory.


    After staying in the Lingxi City for more than half a month, Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang finished the management of the battlefield and sorted out the follow-up matters. At the end of June, they returned to the palace.


    Before they got to the Jin City, the news of the great victory had already spread to the city. The story of Yun Shang''s all-sided array had already become the favorite story of storytellers'' in the tea house.


    Therefore, on the day they entered the city, almost all the people there came out to welcome their happy return. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan sat in the imperial carriage, holding Bao''er in her arms. Outside the carriage, cheers for his Majesty resounded through the sky.


    After the carriage entered the palace gate, Luo Qingyan went straight to the Taiji Palace. Yun Shang went directly to the Weiyang Palace.


    Getting off the carriage, Yun Shang saw that all the ladies in the palace were in the Weiyang Palace. It seemed that they had been waiting there for a long time. Yun Shang took a deep breath and stepped into the Weiyang Palace.


    Lady Li walked up first, bowed with the others to Yun Shang, and then looked up at her with a smile, "Your Majesty, you have won a big victory on the battlefield. Congratulations!"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Thank you for your appreciation. I didn''t do anything special actually." As Yun Shang spoke, she stepped into the main hall of the Weiyang Palace.


    Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi came up,


    dy Wan and Qi Ruihai, in which she said she only had one child and she must protect him. She didn''t want the nineteenth Prince to be a victim in the struggle for that position.


    Yun Shang then realized that Lady Wan was afraid that the nineteenth Prince would be affected during the fight between Luo Qingyan and Xia Houjing for the throne.


    Yun Shang curled her lips and thought, ''Lady Wan is such a stone-hearted mother.''. Although the pills made of the three kinds of medicine wouldn''t hurt the nineteenth Prince'' body, they were forbidden after all and had quite a big harm.


    "Since your majesty is not in the palace, we don''t dare to deal with it rashly. We only collected evidence so that you will make a decision after you return to the palace. What do you think we should do?" Qian Zhuo asked softly.


    Yun Shang curled her lips and said with a hint of slyness in her eyes, "The nineteenth Prince is only a child of three or four years old. He can''t pose a threat to anyone. But this can be a handle for us to win over Qi Ruihai. Doesn''t Qi Ruihai care so much about his sister? I will protect his sister for him, but he must work for me. "

 Chapter 1035 Draw Lots Ceremony (Part One)

    Hearing this, Qin Yi nodded and said with a smile, "I knew you will do this way."


    "But there is no need to be too anxious about it. Let me have a rest first," Yun Shang blinked her eyes and smiled at Qian Zhuo, "On the way back to the palace, I took Qian Liu back with me by the way. She should be waiting outside..."


    Qian Zhuo had been thinking about this all the time. She was very excited to hear Yun Shang mention it. She quickly said, "I''ll go and have a look."


    Seeing that Qian Zhuo was so happy, Yun Shang also smiled, but she still ordered softly, "Arrange a suitable position for Qian Liu. After all, she has just entered the palace. If the arrangement is too partial, it will be eye-catching."


    Qian Zhuo''s face froze. She lowered her head and replied, "Yes. I know."


    The road was bumpy and Yun Shang didn''t have a good rest on the way back. After dealing with some urgent matters, she lay on the couch and had a rest.


    Luo Qingyan came back to the Weiyang Palace early today. Seeing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "I thought there must be a lot of political affairs since your majesty has been away for such a long time, so it must be difficult for you to come back so early. It is really out of my expectation."


    Luo Qingyan replied smilingly, "Since Prince Xian is here, you don''t need to worry too much."


    Then he sat down next to Yun Shang and said to her with a smile, "In a few days, it will be Chengye''s one-year-old birthday. I have issued an imperial edict to have a celebration party of ''Draw lots'' ceremony. You can start to prepare it. We will have a grand ceremony for it."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised to hear that, but she smiled, "In a twinkling of an eye, Chengye is one year


    d took a bite. Maybe it was too hard, he threw it away casually. Yun Shang didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She encouraged, "Bao''er, take any of them, but don''t throw it away."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Bao''er turned around and glanced at Yun Shang. Then he crawled on the blanket for several circles, and grabbed two things randomly. He crawled back to the middle and began to play.


    All the officials in the hall were surprised. They stood up and bowed to Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, "Congratulations, your majesties! The Prince will make a great achievement in the future."


    Yun Shang walked to the middle of the blanket and picked up Bao''er, but he was still holding the two things, unwilling to let go. Yun Shang looked at the two things, one was the small wooden sword, and the other was Luo Qingyan''s seal, which was a symbol of the imperial power.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and bit her lips. Mixed feelings surged up in her heart. After a long time, she walked to her seat with Bao''er in her arms and sat down.


    Luo Qingyan also had a big smile on his face. He patted Bao''er on his head and said, "You deserve to be my son."

 Chapter 1036 Draw Lots Ceremony (Part Two)

    After the "Draw lots" ceremony, the servants put away all the things, and then came the victory feast. After Liu Wenan announced the imperial edict and awarded the generals who had performed meritorious deeds in the battle, music started. In such a grand ceremony, festive songs and dances were inevitable.


    Seeing the excitement on Bao''er''s face had gone, and that he looked sleepy while yawning in her arms, Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to take Bao''er back to the Weiyang Palace.


    After three rounds of drinking, the generals became a little excited. Lin Shen took a glass of wine and stood up, "Thanks to her majesty, we can make a great victory this time. Her majesty carefully explored the terrain and found the stone forest. She set an all-sided ambush array." As Lin Shen spoke, he laughed and looked at the people in the hall, "I''m afraid you don''t know that the all-sided ambush array relied on some stones and trees only, but it caused the troops of Yelang to lose more than 70000 soldiers. Our army was at a disadvantage in the number of soldiers. Even after the reinforcements arrived, we were still fifty thousand soldiers fewer than the enemy. Relying on the all-sided ambush array, we suddenly became the one who had the advantage out of the disadvantage. "


    Lin Shen raised his glass and said, "If it weren''t for her majesty, I don''t know how many more generals and soldiers from the State of Xia would have been killed or wounded by the enemy. I''ll thank her majesty on behalf of all the soldiers and their families."


    Hearing Lin Shen''s words, the generals who had participated in the battle of the Lingxi City in the palace all stood up and said, "To the Empress."


    Yun Shang''s nose twitched slightly. Sh


    palace."


    Qian Zhuo replied softly and left.


    The party didn''t end until the evening. Yun Shang was a little drunk. They went back to the the Weiyang Palace. Luo Qingyan was led to the study by Liu Wenan. Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to open the window. Along the way, Yun Shang was much sober. Now the night wind outside blew, and she was almost completely sober.


    "Bring them in," Yun Shang whispered.


    Qian Zhuo ordered servants to bring them in. Yun Shang heard a woman''s voice coming from outside, which sounded very unhappy. "Let go of me. Do you know who I am?"


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at the two people who came in. They were both dressed as maids, but the clothes were not the clothes of the servants in the palace. They should be the family members brought in by a master.


    Qian Zhuo sneered, "No matter who you are, you should salute the Empress."


    Hearing this, both of them raised their heads to look at Yun Shang. Qian Zhuo snapped, "How dare you! Can you look directly at the face of the Empress?"


    The woman standing on the left ignored her and ran to Yun Shang in a hurry. "Your Majesty, I''m here to see you."

 Chapter 1037 Changeable Situation (Part One)

    "See me?" asked Yun Shang smilingly, but there was obvious doubt in her eyes, ''Judging from the girl''s dressing, she must be a member of an official''s family. If she is from a courtier''s, she should have known that I was at the banquet in the Taiji Palace. Thus it would not be necessary for her to sneak into the Taiji Palace if she wanted to see me.''


    The woman lowered her head and bit her lips. After quite a while, she said, "It''s not appropriate to talk about it in front of everyone..."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Well? Why do you have to call me back in this way? By the way, I don''t know who you are. "


    The woman said in a hurry, "I''m the daughter of the Vice Censor, and my name is Ji Wanniang.


    Ji Wanniang? Yun Shang frowned. The name sounded familiar. She couldn''t remember where she had heard of it, so she just smiled and said, "Miss Ji, what do you want to tell me then?"


    Hearing this, Ji Wanniang immediately looked up at Yun Shang. But when she saw the warning eyes of Qian Zhuo, she quickly lowered her head and whispered, "A few days ago, I met a woman who escaped from a brothel in the street. I found she was pitiful, so I took her back to my mansion. I didn''t expect that the woman has some connection with your majesty. "


    "Oh?" Yun Shang replied casually. How come such a woman who escaped from a brothel have anything to do with her?


    "Her name is Chen Miaosi. I heard that she was a female doctor who took care of the Prince in her palace. I''ve inquired about it. I''ve heard that there used to be such a person by your side, but it seems that she was no longer in the palace? "


    Chen Miaosi? Hearing this, Yun Shang paused for a moment. She looked up and exchanged a glance with Qian Zhuo. Q


    cret Chen Miaosi told you is too shocking. It''s a good opportunity for you. Why don''t you take advantage of this good opportunity to convince me and let you serve the Emperor?" Pei Lan fetched a cushion for Yun Shang and put it on back of the chair. Yun Shang leaned back a little, staring at Ji Wanniang quietly without any emotion in her eyes.


    Surprised, Ji Wanniang glanced at Yun Shang. After a long silence, she said with a smile, "I''ve heard that you and his majesty love each other very much. His majesty once promised in front of all the civil and military officials that you would be the only one in the imperial household, but I feel that in men''s hearts, power is more important. Besides, it doesn''t matter if a man has more than one woman? To your majesty, it might not be a good thing to occupy all the Emperor''s favor in the imperial household. If it has always been like this, everyone would think that your Majesty is a seductress. Since you cannot stop it, why do you insist on doing so? Moreover, if all the women in the imperial household are loyal to you, it would be better for you to control the imperial household. What do you think it? "

 Chapter 1038 Changeable Situation (Part Two)

    Yun Shang smiled. The woman had been talking for a long time, and she finally showed her true motives.


    "Oh? I finally understand what you mean. You want to tell me that you want to be the emperor''s concubine. If I insist on stopping you, people will say that I am a seductress with a reputation for jealousy. Even if the so-called secret that Chen Miaosi has told Miss Ji is fake, it would be true if it is spread by many people. Are you threatening me, Miss Ji? " Yun Shang tapped the armrest gently with a cold look in her eyes.


    Hearing that, Ji Wanniang lowered her head and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, please don''t say that. I''m just reminding you kindly."


    "A kind reminder?" Yun Shang smiled, "Miss Ji, where does your confidence come from? Guards, Ji Wanniang came to the Weiyang Palace without permission. Drag her out. Flog her fifty times as a warning to others. "


    Hearing this, the look on Ji Wanniang''s face suddenly turned pale. She hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, aren''t you afraid that I will tell others that you are infertile and the Prince is mentally ill?"


    A stern look flashed across Yun Shang''s eyes, but she smiled more happily. "I thought you would tell me a big secret. Didn''t such rumors spread in the Jin City a few months ago? Why should I be afraid of such ridiculous rumors? As for Chen Miaosi you mentioned, I promise you will never see her again. "


    Hearing this, a tinge of shock flashed through Ji Wanniang''s eyes. After a while, she swallowed saliva


    ent a message."


    Yun Shang took it and unfolded it to have a look. She frowned suddenly. It was a letter with few words and some scribbles, as if it was written in a hurry, but it made Yun Shang''s heart jump. Xia Houjing was saved, and the person who saved him was dressed like a secret guard in the palace.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. Secret guards in the palace? There were few people who could command the secret guards in the palace, but Xia Houjing was not one of them.


    There was no need for Luo Qingyan to do so. He didn''t need to do so. After thinking it over, there was only one possibility that the person who had saved Xia Houjing was Xia Huanyu.


    Yun Shang clenched her fists and wondered, ''Why is Xia Huanyu here again? What on earth does he want to do?'' The throne was given to Luo Qingyan by him, and he naturally had feelings for Hua Ling, and he was also good to Luo Qingyan. However, what happened again and again had made Yun Shang confused what Xia Huanyu wanted to do.

 Chapter 1039 A Letter To Home (Part One)

    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and sat down. Before long, Qian Liu entered the inner hall with a worried expression. She must have heard about it from someone. As soon as she got to the inner hall, she said hurriedly, "Your majesty, I''ve sent someone to contact the secret guards. No matter what happens, they must send someone back to the Jin City as soon as possible and tell us what has happened so that we can make a relative plan. But don''t worry, your majesty. I have sprinkled some tracking powder on Xia Houjing''s body before I left. Anyway, he can''t escape from us. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s eyes flashed with joy. If so, things would be much easier. Yun Shang walked back and forth in the inner hall before she ordered in a low voice, "The secret guards who were guarding Xia Houjing will come back to the Jin City first, and we don''t have to hurry to follow Xia Houjing. Xia Houjing has just been saved, and the enemies must be very careful. The pursuers don''t take any action first. Tomorrow, send someone to wait in Liucang City first. The troops of Xia Houjing''s is still there. But there is a saying that the monk can run away, but the temple cannot. We will not arrange people to look for the trace of the seventh Prince until the day after tomorrow.


    Qian Liu answered in a low voice. She glanced at Yun Shang and said, "I am sorry I didn''t do it well enough. I''ve let others take advantage of the loophole."


    Yun Shang shook her head and said with a smile, "It has nothing to do with you. If it is really that person who does it, even if I send masters to guard him, it will be useless."


    After hearing what Yun Shang said, she paused for a moment and realized that Yun Shang must have guessed who had saved Xia Houjing. Qian Liu bowed quietly and left.


    With her hands clasped behind her back,


    we?"


    Yun Shang noticed that Luo Qingyan''s body was full of the smell of alcohol and her eyes were a little erratic. She guessed that Luo Qingyan must have drunk a lot today at the banquet. A touch of pity flashed through her heart. She helped Luo Qingyan sit down on the bed and asked, "Why did you drink so much? Go to bed early after drinking the sober up soup. "


    Luo Qingyan answered casually and lay on the bed. Yun Shang looked up and ordered Qian Zhuo to bring over the soup. Qian Zhuo answered and brought the soup in a hurry. Yun Shang took it and was about to ask Luo Qingyan to drink it, but she found that Luo Qingyan had fallen asleep.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She sighed and gave the sober up soup back to Qian Zhuo. "All right. Since his majesty is asleep, how can he still drink the sober up soup? But I''m afraid he will have a headache tomorrow morning."


    But Luo Qingyan woke up earlier than Yun Shang. When Yun Shang got up, Luo Qingyan had already gone to the morning court.


    Yun Shang had breakfast in the palace and asked Hua''er to take Bao''er over to play together for a while. Then there was a report that Lady Hua Guo wanted to see her.

 Chapter 1040 A Letter To Home (Part Two)

    Yun Shang was surprised. It had been a long time since she last saw Lady Hua Guo. Yun Shang held Bao''er in her arms and walked out of the inner hall. Lady Hua Guo was waiting at the door of the main hall. Yun Shang quickly pulled Lady Hua Guo in and greeted with a smile, "Greetings, Grandma. I was just about to go to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion to visit Grandma, but Grandma has come in person."


    Lady Hua Guo smiled and said, "It''s not appropriate for your majesty to do so. After all, in the palace, we have to follow the rules."


    Yun Shang muttered, "Grandma, if you say that again, I will be mad."


    Lady Hua Guo and Yun Shang sat in the main hall and chatted for a while. Yun Shang noticed that lady Hua Guo seemed to be restless today and kept looking around. Yun Shang paid more attention to it and confirmed herself that Lady Hua Guo must have something to tell her alone.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Grandma, you''re here at the right time. I got a good thing in the Lingxi City a few days ago, but I don''t know what it is. Grandma, you''re experienced and knowledgeable. You must have seen it before. Why don''t you come to the inner hall and have a look?"


    Lady Hua Guo seemed to be waiting for Yun Shang to say so. She nodded and smiled, "Since you said it''s a treasure, it''s naturally very precious. Let Grandma have a look."


    Yun Shang winked at Qian Zhuo and told her to keep an eye on the outside. Qian Zhuo nodded imperceptibly. Yun Shang stood up and entered the inner hall with Lady Hua Guo.


    "Just now, I saw that Grandma seemed to be worried about something. What happened?" ss soon as Yun Shang entered the inner hall, she put Bao''er on the small bed, turned around and asked softly.


    Lady Hua Guo nodded and took Yun Shang


    of fate. We can sneak into the world, but we can''t preserve for many generations the remembrance of our trace being in the world..."


    Although in the last paragraph there was a secret message from Hua Ling, Hua Ling was afraid that Lady Hua Guo couldn''t understand it. The previous trivial things also revealed her current situation.


    "When I got up today, I heard the rain outside. The rain hit the banana trees, which was naturally regarded as the most beautiful thing in the world."


    Yun Shang looked at the signature of the letter. It was five days ago, but where it rained five days ago.


    "We have found a small yard and hid ourselves in it. When we are free, we can hear the selling sound outside. There are kites and pearl hairpins, on which a few peony flowers can be added if an extra of ten copper coins are paid. All our life wishes have been fulfilled in our late years.


    All these including kites and pearl hairpins, on which a few peony flowers can be added if an extra of ten copper coins are paid." There were a lot of hawkers walking along the streets or lanes, but there were probably not many of them that were exactly the same as in the letter ...

 Chapter 1041 Wrath Of Yun Shangs Father (Part One)

    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and called Qian Zhuo in. She extracted the useful information from the letter and asked Qian Zhuo to ask someone to investigate it carefully.


    On the second day, all the secret guards who were good at tracing were sent out to detect Xia Houjing''s whereabouts.


    In the afternoon, news from every place was sent back to the palace-


    "In the Jin City, it was indeed raining on the day your majesty mentioned. The rain was neither too heavy nor too small. Only some craftsmen in the south of the city sold the kites and the bead hairpins at the same place. They made all kinds of small things, and the price matched what your majesty said. But they go through streets and alleys, and almost everywhere in the south of the city. The more detailed information can''t be checked again. "


    Yun Shang nodded. If so, the area was located at the south of the city.


    "We have followed the fragrance of the perfumed pills to search around. We found they should have stopped in an alley called the Huachao Lane in the south of the Jin City, but the scent seems to have left the city now. The secret guards have kept track of it all the way and found they seem to be heading south. The last place we have found is in a valley in the south of the city. Master told us not to alert the enemy, so we didn''t dare to go forward to investigate. "


    It was in the south of the city, and the information on both sides was right. But why did Xia Huanyu take Xia Houjing out of the city and go towards the south?


    "Give me a map," Yun Shang ordered softly.


    Qian Liu quickly took out a map and handed it to her. She unfolded the map and looked up at the secret guards, "You guys have a look. Where is the last tracking place with the fragrance?"


    A


    tely.


    When Liu Yinfeng entered the palace, Luo Qingyan happened to be free. Both of them arrived at the Imperial Garden at the same time as the eunuch reported. Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Luo Qingyan was here. Otherwise, as the head of the imperial household, it would be inappropriate for her to meet a courtier in the imperial household.


    Yun Shang couldn''t wait for them two to sit down, so she walked up to them and told Luo Qingyan and Liu Yinfeng in detail, after which she asked, "We all know Xia Houjing well. In this case, I''m afraid we can figure out what will happen. I just want to ask if there is any way to break the situation."


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and finally didn''t say anything. Liu Yinfeng turned to Luo Qingyan and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, her majesty is right. I just think that since His Former Majesty has decided to tell the truth to the seventh Prince at this time, he must be confident. I believe in His Former Majesty''s ability. Don''t worry, your majesty. Just wait and see. As for the officials in the court, I know most of my father''s acquaintances. I''m sure I can persuade them one by one. "

 Chapter 1042 Wrath Of Yun Shangs Father (Part Two)

    Liu Yinfeng''s words set Yun Shang''s mind at rest, but Yun Shang still couldn''t believe in Xia Huanyu.


    Seeing this, Liu Yinfeng smiled and said softly, "It happens that the anniversary of my father''s memorial day is coming. How about letting me go to the Yang Liu Town for your majesties? "


    Before Yun Shang could say anything, Luo Qingyan said, "It''s just a matter of course for Prince Xian to go to mourn your father."


    Liu Yinfeng thanked Luo Qingyan for his kindness and said, "I don''t have any capable guards in my mansion. I want to borrow some guards who are more powerful in Kung Fu from your majesty. Would you like to let them company me?"


    Liu Yinfeng''s smile was as gentle as usual, but it surprised Yun Shang. To let Luo Qingyan send the secret guards to protect him meant that they had planted many eyes around himr, and every move of his could not escape Luo Qingyan''s eyes. Yun Shang didn''t expect that Liu Yinfeng would make such a request himself.


    Luo Qingyan seemed to be surprised too. He thought for a while and said with a smile, "It''s not difficult. You don''t have to borrow them. I''ll arrange several secret guards to follow you. From now on, you are their master, their only master."


    Luo Qingyan was smart. In this way, he showed his generosity and made it clear that he would not let the secret guards keep an eye on Liu Yinfeng. Once the secret guards were arranged to Liu Yinfeng, they would be Liu Yinfeng''s people and would never be ordered by Luo Qingyan again.


    Liu Yinfeng agreed with a smile. After chatting for a while, he left the imperial palace with the eunuch.


    Looking at the back of L


    bloom. I have seen some flowers in the garden, and I am looking forward to tasting Mandarin Fish."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "You have sharp eyes. Qian Zhuo has picked all the Osmanthus fragrans from the first tree and fed them to the fish. I''ll ask the small kitchen to cook fish for you tonight."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, turned around and left.


    Yun Shang unfolded the letter. Its handwriting and the tone were familiar to Yun Shang. Judging from the tone of the letter, she knew her father was very angry. Almost every word was clear on the paper, and every word was blaming Luo Qingyan, "If you are in the State of Ning, I will definitely tear you into pieces.".


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling.


    In this world, there were indeed no parents who didn''t love their children, even if that person was in a high position and had the power to decide others'' lives.


    "Qian Zhuo, let''s go back to the Weiyang Palace. Prepare the pen, ink, paper and inkstone for me. I want to write back to my father," Yun Shang smiled, turned around and walked towards the Weiyang Palace.

 Chapter 1043 Make him work for her (Part One)

    The second day, Liu Yinfeng went to Yang Liu Town. Yun Shang was still a little worried. After all, Liu Yinfeng was Xia Houjing''s brother. Cao Wenxi had worked so hard to protect the child, and Liu Yinfeng had taught her in person for a while, so he must care about the bloodline.


    "What are you thinking about?" Luo Qingyan folded the fan in his hand and gently knocked on Yun Shang''s head. "You look absent-minded. It''s your turn."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at the situation on the chessboard. Her chess piece had been forced into a dead end by Luo Qingyan, and there was almost no place for her to survive. Yun Shang frowned and put down her piece. Then she said softly, "I''m wondering what will happen when Liu Yinfeng goes to Yang Liu Town. Over, over. I''m going to lose." The hot weather disturbed Yun Shang.


    Then Yun Shang stood up and sat down on the bench.


    Luo Qingyan put the chess pieces in the basket and sat down next to Yun Shang. He fanned Yun Shang and said gently, "No matter what the result is, the current situation is good for us."


    "Good?" Yun Shang was confused by Luo Qingyan. Why didn''t she see the profit.


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Now that Xia Huanyu is rushing to Yang Liu Town with Xia Houjing, it''s also a chance. There''s no leader in Liucang City. Although it won''t be a mess, it''s the right time to settle down Liucang City."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s eyes lit up. "Your Majesty is right. Xia Huanyu happened to trip up Xia Houjing this time."


    "I''ve ordered the secret guards in Liucang City to coordinate with Zheng Qiming, and I''ve also sent a letter to Sun Bingzhi with an eagle, asking him to attack the city immediately and cooperate with Zheng Qiming. We must take down Liucang City in a hurry so that Xia Houjing won''t have a chance to turn over." Luo Qingyan looked indifferent, but his eyes were like an eagle that had seen its prey.


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang suddenly felt enlightened. She picked up the teacup on the table and raised her head to Luo Qingyan with a bright smile. "I was being narrow-minded. When I heard that Xia Huanyu took Xia Houj


    aside with his head down. Qian Zhuo left the main hall with the eunuch. Yun Shang fixed her eyes on Qi Ruihai, smiled and said, "Master Qi, do you know what I want to say to you?"


    Qi Ruihai shook his head in a hurry, with panic in his eyes, but he quickly calmed down. Yun Shang smiled, "Lord Qi has been in charge of the Neishi Bureau for so many years. I''m sure you know what kind of crime it is to instigate the servants to secretly bring the forbidden medicine into the palace from outside, right?"


    Qi Ruihai trembled all over and raised his head abruptly, with surprise and disbelief in his eyes.


    Yun Shang knew what he was thinking. She smiled coldly, "I have irrefutable evidence. Lord Qi, you don''t have to defend yourself."


    Qi Ruihai kept silent for a long time and said in a hoarse voice, "What do you want to do with me, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang tapped the armrest gently and said, "I just want to ask why Lord Qi needs so many forbidden herbs."


    Qi Ruihai lowered his eyes and his fingers trembled slightly. After a long time, he said softly, "Your majesty has grown up in palace, so you are not unfamiliar with means in the palace. The women in the palace use all kinds of tricks to fight for favor. The forbidden medicine can help them achieve some goals, and they will get it at any cost. Although they don''t have to do that now, they are addicted to those forbidden drugs and can''t get rid of them. "

 Chapter 1044 Make him work for her (Part Two)

    Yun Shang] smiled. Qi Ruihai looked calm and told a lie calmly.


    "Lord Qi also knows what kind of crime it is to smuggle the forbidden medicine into the palace."


    Qi Ruihai nodded imperceptibly and answered in a low voice, "death penalty."


    "Yes." Yun Shang smiled, "But I have to tell you the truth. Among all the directors in the imperial household, you are the most promising one. If Lord Qi can help me, I will pretend not to know about it and won''t cut off your way of wealth. I''m the only one in his majesty''s harem now. Lord Qi, what do you think? "


    Qi Ruihai pondered for a long time and didn''t respond. Yun Shang was not in a hurry and waited quietly.


    After a long while, Qi Ruihai suddenly knelt down and said, "I, Qi Ruihai, am willing to work for your majesty."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Well, Lord Qi is a man of sense. In that case, if you are loyal to me, I won''t treat you unfairly. But to put it bluntly, betrayal is the last thing I want. If you betray me, I have thousands of ways to make your life worse than death. Not only you, but also the people you care about. "


    A hint of coldness flashed through Yun Shang''s eyes, but Qi Ruihai was secretly shocked. He nodded and agreed.


    After Qi Ruihai left, Qian Zhuo came in. She looked back at his back and said gently, "Your Majesty, I don''t understand."


    Yun Shang took a look at Qian Zhuo. There were many people around her, but not many people she could trust. Qian Zhuo was one of them. Although she was more mature than before, she still lacked a lot in dealing with things. She hoped that she could grow up quickly, so she smiled and said, "Oh? Tell me, what do you not understand? "


    Qian Zhuo said, "I don''t understand two things. First, you can ask someone to invite Qi Ruihai here directly. Why did you find an excuse?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang looked at the faint parrot in the bird cage aside and said softly, "Qi Ruihai is smart. If I ask him to Weiyang Palace for no reason, he will understand that I have a plan and will think of all kinds of ways to deal with it in advance. What I want is to make him unprepared."


    "Let me guess. The second thing you don''t under


    with a smile.


    Hearing this, Cao Shanxiu looked very happy. She quickly smiled and said, "Thank you, your majesty."


    After thanking her, Cao Shanxiu looked up at Yun Shang, thought for a moment, and said, "There''s one thing. I don''t know if I think too much, but I''m afraid that something bad will happen if I don''t report it to you."


    Seeing her expression, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "I didn''t think you were such a coward before? What was it? Tell me. "


    Cao Shanxiu nodded and said in a low voice, "Not long ago, your majesty was not in the palace. I was in collusion with Lady Li to deal with the affairs of the imperial household. By accident, I found that Lady Li had secretly put several seals on several white papers when she took your private seal from Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi. I don''t know what did she do this for, but I''m afraid it''s not appropriate."


    "Oh? How could this happen? " Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and turned to look at Qian Zhuo. The confusion on Qian Zhuo''s face didn''t seem to be fake. It could be seen that she really didn''t know about it, but Lady Li didn''t know kung fu. Besides, Yun Shang had ordered that if Lady Li and Lady Cao used her private seal, Lady Li, Lady Cao, Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo must be present. Qian Zhuo was good at Kung Fu. If Lady Li could hide the truth from Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi, how could Cao Shanxiu find out?


    Yun Shang thought to herself, but she didn''t show it on her face.

 Chapter 1045 A Storm In The City

    "I don''t like to be deceived. If Lady Li really did so, it was a betrayal. I can''t let her go easily." Yun Shang squinted and said in a dangerous tone.


    Lady Cao seemed to be startled by Yun Shang''s reaction. She stiffened slightly and hurriedly echoed, "Of course it should be. Your majesty saw that Lady Li had no children to rely on in the palace, so you trusted her so much. But she did such a thing behind your majesty''s back. It''s really chilling."


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes and said indifferently, "I will send someone to investigate it. Thank you for coming to report."


    Lady Cao said a few polite words and left with a smile. After sending Lady Cao out of Weiyang Palace, Qian Zhuo returned to the main hall. Seeing that Yun Shang was looking at the light with a cup in her hand, Qian Zhuo walked up to Yun Shang and asked softly, "Your majesty, do you need me to ask Lady Li here?"


    "What for? Even if it was true, we could only investigate it in secret. Besides, did you and Qin Yi keep an eye on them as I told you? " Yun Shang put the green cup on the table.


    "Yes, your majesty. Your Majesty''s seal has never been out of our sight for a moment." Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry.


    Yun Shang nodded, "That''s it. Lady Li is a weak woman who doesn''t know kung fu. Can she use my private seal under your watch?"


    It was not until then that Qian Zhuo understood what Yun Shang meant. "Your Majesty, do you mean that Lady Cao has told a lie?"


    Yun Shang just smiled. She didn''t say yes or no. she just ordered in a low voice, "Send some secret guards to keep an eye on Lady Li."


    Qian Zhuo was stunned for a while before she answered yes and left. Yun Shang picked up the teapot and poured a cup of hot water. Then she stood up and put the cup in the bird cage. Seeing the parrot pecking in the cup, Yun Shang smiled, "interesting."


    It was said that a pregnant woman was stupid for three years. Since she gave birth to Bao''er, she felt that she seemed to be much more dull. Just like before when Xia Huanyu took Xia Houjing to Yang Liu Town, she only saw hidden dangers, but did not see a chance. This time, she had only seen through Lady Cao''s care for the fifteenth Princess. She didn''t expect that Xia Houjing was born in her palace more than 20 years ago. Xia Houjing should also call her aunt.


    Cao Shanxiu had said that she had a good relationship with Cao Wenxi before when they were young. In that case, how could she just stand by and watch Luo Qingyan and she deal with Xia Houjing.


    However, if Cao Shanxiu wanted to help Xia Houjing, with her identity, it would be too easy to arouse suspicion?


    Yun Shang walked to the bed and sat down, fetching a book to read. Seeing that Qin Yi came in in a hurry, her eyes were full of anxiety and worry. "Your Majesty, according to a secret stake in Jian City which is not far from Jin City, there was news that last night someone sneaked into the inn where Ghost Doctor lives and stayed in the


    ss were set in the pavilion. The seats for ladies were set on both sides of the pavilion, and the seats for princes and princesses were placed behind.


    On August 15, the moon was full, and red lanterns were hung everywhere. With the music, they play games happily. Seeing several younger princesses playing aside, Yun Shang withdrew her gaze and turned to Lady Wan. "Is the dinner for the nineteenth Prince ready?"


    Lady Wan quickly stood up and said, "Yes, your majesty. Everything is ready."


    Hearing Yun Shang asked about the nineteenth Prince, Luo Qingyan suddenly remembered, "Oh, right. My nineteenth brother is still in the palace." Then he turned to look at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Why do you still call him the nineteenth Prince? It''s his highness."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She nodded and smiled, "It''s my fault." After a pause, he sighed slightly and said, "It''s a pity that the nineteenth brother is too weak to even stand up in normal times. Otherwise, at his age, he would be energetic."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, someone said, "By the way, isn''t Ghost Doctor in Jin City now? Ghost Doctor is a good doctor. It''s said that he has cured many knotty diseases within a few days after he entered Jin City. Why don''t you invite him to the Imperial Palace and ask him to treat the nineteenth Prince? Maybe his disease can also be cured. "


    Lady Wan looked a little panic, "Many imperial physicians have seen him, but they are all helpless. I heard that Ghost Doctor has a bad temper, so we''d better not invite him to the palace."


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on Lady Wan. She was afraid that Ghost Doctor would expose the fact that the nineteenth Prince pretended to be sick with the forbidden medicine. At that time, even if she had planned to keep the nineteenth Prince away from the struggle, it would arise many unreasonable guesses.


    "What are you afraid of? If his majesty invites him. How dare he refuse? " Yun Shang smiled gently.

 Chapter 1046 Ghost Doctor Entered The Palace

    After a pause, Yun Shang continued, "Although the imperial physicians in the palace were at the medium stage of medical skills, they didn''t dare to prescribe medicine for us for fear of our noble status. They were good at treating minor diseases, but there was no way out for serious diseases. I''m thinking that if we can call Ghost Doctor into the palace, he could check for us all. "


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, all the people present had different expressions on their faces. Yun Shang saw their expressions and smiled. She turned to Luo Qingyan and asked softly, "What do you think, your majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan picked up some food and put it into the bowl. Then he said softly, "Shang''er is right. I''ll send Liu Wenan to invite Ghost Doctor to the Palace tomorrow."


    Liu Wenan.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Liu Wenan, who was standing quietly aside, and smiled. "Lord Liu is going to invite him in person. How dare Ghost Doctor not come?"


    Hearing this, Liu Wenan turned around and made an obeisance to Yun Shang, with no superfluous expression on his face.


    The second day, before noon, Liu Wenan had already invited Ghost Doctor into the palace. As a man without an official position, Ghost Doctor couldn''t enter the inner palace. Luo Qingyan ordered him to check the pulse in Meeting Hall.


    When Liu Wenan sent the news to Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang had just had lunch. Hearing this, she gently ordered Liu Wenan, "After all, there are some women in the imperial household, and it''s not appropriate to see an outsider. You order someone to hang a curtain in the Meeting Hall and tell Ghost Doctor to diagnose it by hanging a thread. Ask the ladies to go into the Meeting Hall from the side door."


    Liu Wenan quickly responded and ordered his men to do it.


    Yun Shang ordered her servants to send a message to all the palaces and halls, asking all the ladies to go to the Meeting Hall on their own and ask Ghost Doctor to check for them. It was always difficult to ask Ghost Doctor to check for them, and everyone was willing to do so.


    After that, Yun Shang went to the Meeting Hall.


    It seemed that Luo Qingyan were discussing political affairs with the officials just now, and the matter hadn''t been finished yet. There were still many courtiers in the Meeting Hall. Liu Wenan had always been quick in doing things. When Yun Shang arrived, the curtain had been hung. Yun Shang waited in the side hall for a while and saw several ladies coming over.


    After they greeted to Yun Shang, Yun Shang asked them to sit behind the bead curtain. She asked the servants to tie a thin thread on their wrists, and the other end of the thread was held in the hand of Ghost Doctor.


    Several ladies came to check her pulse in succession, and they all had some minor diseases, but the problem was not too serious. In an hour, Ghost Doctor had checked on nearly twenty people.


    But Lady Wan didn''t come. Yun Shang frowned, turned around and said to Su Mu, "Go to Huaixiu Palace and ask her to bring the nineteenth Prince here as soon as possible."


    Then Su Mu left the side hall.


    Suddenly, Luo Qingyan''


    jesty, don''t be sad. Fortunately, you accidentally exposed Ghost Doctor. Now thinking about it, I still have a lingering fear. If it weren''t for the coincidence, the consequences would have been unimaginable. "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyebrows and her eyes were slightly red, but she said softly, "Yes, I''m lucky, or..." Then she felt sad again.


    Everyone comforted her for a while. Yun Shang wiped her tears and said, "I''m sorry for the nineteenth Prince. I invited Ghost Doctor to the palace for him."


    Everyone sighed and comforted Yun Shang for a while before they left.


    After everyone left the meeting hall, Yun Shang also went out and said to the guards, "Take me to the prison to have a look."


    The guard answered, and ordered someone to prepare a carriage. Then he took Yun Shang out of the palace and went to the prison.


    Yun Shang had a noble status, and no one dared to stop her from entering the prison. Doctor Ghost was locked in the prison. When Yun Shang walked to the door of the prison, she saw Ghost Doctor standing there with his back to her, as if he was looking at the patterns on the wall.


    "Sir, you are in a good mood. You are still calm in such a situation." Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Hearing this, Ghost Doctor turned around and looked at Yun Shang. He sat cross legged on the straw and looked at Yun Shang, "Your majesty is here."


    From Ghost Doctor''s tone, he seemed to have already guessed that Yun Shang would come. Qian Zhuo brought a chair for Yun Shang. Yun Shang sat down on the chair and whispered, "I just want to ask you who instigated you to do so?"


    Ghost Doctor smiled and looked at Yun Shang for a long time before he said, "Your Majesty, do you really think that I''m so stupid that I can''t tell the difference between the pulse of an unmarried girl and that of a woman who has given birth to a child?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang squinted at Ghost Doctor, and saw a hint of slyness in his eyes. She thought for a long time and said, "You know the person over the silk thread is not me at all, but you said that on purpose?"

 Chapter 1047 Diagnosis

    Ghost Doctor nodded gently and looked at the small window above his head with his hands clasped behind his back. His voice was a little hoarse. "In the imperial city of the State of Ning, I was lucky to make a friend. He is a man of great talent. Besides, there are all kinds of talented people around him. It opened my eyes. I have a good talk with him."


    Yun Shang frowned. She didn''t understand why he suddenly mentioned a friend of his when they were talking about the diagnosis in the State of Ning?


    Ghost Doctor lowered his head, glanced at Yun Shang, and said, "Although you are young, you are very smart judging from this matter. You know that someone will try every means to let me come to the palace and expose the truth, so you take the initiative to arrange this matter, making people feel that you are not afraid of this at all. You asked me to take the pulse through a thread so that you can carry out your plan. You were not the first one to come out. Instead, you ask others to be checked first, and then you also took pulse for them. On the surface, you were testing my medical skills, but I know that you were confirming my identity. "


    Yun Shang listened to him quietly without any expression on her face.


    "When you came out behind the curtain, you deliberately asked the maid to remind you to pay attention to the hem of your dress. As soon as I saw the phoenix tail, I knew it was you. You made me check your maid. If I say the pulse was normal, it could prove your infertility was just a rumor. If I said you were infertile, you could expose me as you did just now. Am I right? " Ghost Doctor looked at Yun Shang and smiled.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Sir, you are right. And I believed that even if you knew through the pulse that I asked someone to pretend myself, you would definitely not expose it directly. "


    "Oh?" Ghost Doctor raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why were you so sure, your majesty?"


    Ghost Doctor paused and continued, "Why even after knowing that someone had looked for me. I''m afraid that your majesty hasn''t found out who visited me after shaking off your secret guards that night, right? "


    Yun Shang smiled, "I haven''t found it out, but I have just guessed it. It''s Liu Wenan. Sir, am I right? "


    Ghost Doctor didn''t answer Yun Shang''s question, but looked at Yun Shang curiously, "Why do you think so, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang didn''t intend to hide anything from him. "On the one hand, although Xia Houjing once ordered to look for your whereabouts and wanted to prevent you from treating me, I have sent the secret guard best at Qinggong to protect you. I''m sure that there must be no one around Xia Houjing who can shake off my secret guard''s tracking. On the other hand, you figured out the trick I was playing, but you didn''t expose it in front of me, and even said that I''m infertile while feeling my pulse. It meant that you were talking to someone else and the person was most likely in the


    letely impossible for me to get pregnant because of proper nursing. He prescribed some medicine and asked me to add it into my current medicine diet. And... " Yun Shang looked around, but her eyes didn''t fall on Luo Qingyan.


    Hearing the first part of Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan''s face was filled with obvious joy, but Yun Shang didn''t finish it for a long time. Luo Qingyan was also a little anxious. He stood up and walked to Yun Shang. He held [her shoulder and said, "What else did he say?"


    Yun Shang bit her lips, lowered her head and whispered, "Ghost Doctor said that I can''t do that thing in half of the year."


    Luo Qingyan was stunned. He looked at Yun Shang with doubt, "Is this really what Ghost Doctor said? You didn''t make it up to lie to me? "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang didn''t care about shyness. She glared at Luo Qingyan and snapped, "What are you talking about? Why should I make up a story to lie to you? "


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan smiled gently, "I thought I asked too much and you felt bored, so you made up such an excuse not to let me touch you. In that case, in fact, you like that thing very much... "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help jumping. She pinched Luo Qingyan''s arm and said, "What are you talking about? Aren''t you ashamed? "


    Seeing Yun Shang''s flushed face, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. He suddenly lifted Yun Shang up and laughed, "Why should I be ashamed?" That represents deep love. However, I can''t touch you for the next half a year. It''s really hard to think about it. I can''t even touch the woman in my arms. How can I live this life? "


    Yun Shang''s face turned even redder when she saw Luo Qingyan was getting more and more unscrupulous. She knew that the shyer she was, the more unscrupulous he would be. She broke free from Luo Qingyan''s arms, snorted, and sat down behind the desk. After a while, she calmed down a little and said, "When I''m free, I''ll take Chengye to Ghost Doctor."

 Chapter 1048 A Trap

    Luo Qingyan nodded with a smile on his face. He walked to Yun Shang and sat down opposite her. "Ghost Doctor is so skilled. I''m sure he will be able to cure Chengye. Don''t worry."


    The smile on Yun Shang''s face faded a little. She kept silent for a while and sighed, "Ghost Doctor asked us to be prepared. He said it''s difficult to cure Chengye he has injured when he was in my belly."


    The smile on Luo Qingyan''s face disappeared in an instant. He looked at Yun Shang with a bit of pity. After a long time, he walked around the desk, walked behind Yun Shang, reached out his arms around Yun Shang, and comforted her softly, "It doesn''t matter. No matter what, he is our child. Our first child is also the most important child. No matter he is smart or not, no matter what he looks like, I will give him the best. I will try my best to protect him from being hurt. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly with tears in her eyes, "Okay."


    After saying that, tears suddenly fell down. Yun Shang lowered her head and didn''t want Luo Qingyan to see her. Luo Qingyan also looked away. He took a deep breath and said gently, "By the way, I have a good news for you. Your father is on his way here with Lady Jin and Chenxi."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang trembled and looked up in surprise. But she remembered that there were still tears in her eyes, so she quickly lowered her head and asked, "Why do father and mother come here? Will my brother also come? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said, "They might be worried about you after knowing what happened to you and fear that you will be wronged in the State of Xia because of this, so they come to ask about it in person."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, the State of Xia is too bullying, especially your father. He tried every means to push me out. Just now I heard from Ghost Doctor that the one who asked him to expose me in front of everyone was Liu Wenan. It must be your father who ordered it. When my father arrives, I will report it to him. I will let you know that if anyone in the State of Xia bullies me at will, my father will not let you go."


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes with an apologetic look. He held Yun Shang tighter, patted her on the shoulder and said softly, "Okay, okay. It''s all my fault. Brother should teach me a lesson."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and lowered her head. Her mood was mixed with joy and sorrow.


    What pleased her was that Ghost Doctor said that there was still hope for her to get pregnant again, and also the arrival of her father, mother and brother. She hadn''t seen them for a long time and missed them more and more. The worry was that Bao''er might really have to be like this. She was worried that she would make father and mother sad.


    Yun Shang closed her eyes slowly, took a deep breath and comforted herself, ''It doesn''t matter. Bao''er is


    e coroner of the Neishi Bureau to examine the corpse. There were no other wounds. The eunuchs from Neishi Bureau found an incomplete paper in the maid''s room.


    The paper looked more like a letter. There were only a few words on it, which should have been torn down. The handwriting on the paper was a little familiar to Yun Shang, and she had even seen it a few days ago.


    It was written by Hua Ling.


    The words were "ghost", "pregnancy", "kill", "disaster", "empress" and "Xiu".


    "These words seem to have some meaning." Yun Shang smiled when she heard Qian Zhuo''s report.


    "How could the handwriting of Empress Hua appear in Lady Li''s palace? It didn''t make sense? Even if she is framed, it''s too presumptuous. " Qian Zhuo was confused.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "When Hua Ling was the empress, the first person who worked for her in the imperial household was Lady Li. It made sense that she asked Lady Li to do something. These words... "


    Even if it was just a few words, Yun Shang could roughly guess the meaning. Yun Shang blinked her eyes. The schemer must have known the pain in her heart very well, so he deliberately exposed the letter to her. Presumably, the schemer wanted to arouse her anger and then use her to do something.


    This matter had something to do with Hua Ling .Hua Ling was now with Xia Huanyu, and Xia Houjing was in the hands of Xia Huanyu. What did the person behind it want to do?


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and wondered the motive of the enemy. What she should do now was to figure out what the other party wanted to do, calculate their next actions, and then counterattack against them.


    Since the person was trying to attract her attention through Lady Li, he must want to send her some information or let her know what he had found. Now she needed to wait, waiting for more clues to be found by Qi Ruihai. The more clues she got, the more accurately she could break through.

 Chapter 1049 Deeper Investigation (Part One)

    There was a signal from a secret guard outside. Qian Zhuo went out and soon returned to the inner hall. She said to Yun Shang softly, "Your majesty, the secret guard reported that a maid died in the Xiangyi Palace today. She is the one who was found to have secretly sent a letter to the guard who was patrolling the palace a few days ago."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang paused and stared at the lines on the table for a long time. Then she looked up at Qian Zhuo and asked, "Has our secret guards follow the guard who received the letter?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded slightly and said, "It''s not convenient for the secret guards to follow the imperial guards, but they have already sent a message to our spies among the imperial guards, asking them to pay more attention and report it in time if there is anything unusual."


    "I see..." Yun Shang murmured. She frowned and thought for a moment before she said hurriedly, "Bring the guard here and let the secret guards interrogate him secretly."


    Qian Zhuo nodded and left.


    Yun Shang stayed in the palace for a while, and Qi Ruihai came to report. Yun Shang put the book aside and asked Pei Lan to bring in Qi Ruihai.


    "Your Majesty, I found a small piece of paper in the maid''s room. It seems to be the same paper with the pattern and material I brought back before." Qi Ruihai held the small piece of paper in his hands and presented it to Yun Shang. "On this piece of paper, there is half of your majesty''s private seal."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang was a little surprised. She quickly took the paper and looked at it carefully. It was indeed her private seal. Although it was only half, Yun Shang could see it.


    Yun Shang held the paper in her hand. It was so small that it was almost difficult to


    "I''ve sent my secret guards to interrogate the guard. All the imperial guards are all strictly trained, and there''s nothing we can do with them in ordinary interrogations. We''d better leave him to the secret guards. The secret guards I sent to keep an eye on the Xiangyi Palace are mainly focused on two places. One is the surroundings of the palace, and the other is Lady Li''s bedroom. The maids live in the back hall, so they didn''t pay much attention to them. "


    Qi Ruihai nodded slightly and said, "I see."


    "I''m telling you this because I feel a little strange. There are three maids living with Ming Qian. They were not in the room because they got up early today to serve Lady Li. But in the middle of the night, except for one on duty at most, everyone should be there. Didn''t anyone notice that Ming Qian got up and went out at midnight? Besides, I don''t think it''s the first time that Ming Qian has done this. " Yun Shang looked up at the screen embroidered with bamboo in the distance.


    "I understand."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Besides, the detailed information of Ming Qian should be recorded in the Neishi Bureau. Have someone send it to me."

 Chapter 1050 Deeper Investigation (Part Two)

    Qi Ruihai bowed to Yun Shang and left.


    Yun Shang opened her hand and looked at the piece of paper in her hand. She was confused. Could it be that what Lady Cao said was true? Lady Li did avoid the eyes of Qian Zhuo and Qin Yi and secretly imprinted some private seals.


    Of course, there was another possibility. Lady Cao, or Lady Li, secretly took the paper with a private seal and asked someone to secretly carve a fake seal.


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and called Qian Liu.


    Qian Liu came in in a hurry from the outside. Yun Shang ordered, "Go to the Imperial Household Department and ask Qin Yi to send someone to investigate in Lady Cao''s palace and Xiangyi Palace to see if anyone has left the Palace in recent months?"


    It was getting dark. Luo Qingyan sent someone to tell Yun Shang that he would go back to Weiyang Palace late tonight and ask her to have dinner by herself.


    Yun Shang had dinner early, and Qin Yi came as soon as she finished it.


    "Your majesty, I''ve got the result of what Qian Liu asked me to investigate. When your majesty were not in the Palace, I was afraid that someone would take the opportunity to make trouble in the palace, so I ordered all the servants not to go out to visit their relatives. Only the servants in the imperial household department could go out of the palace for work. As a result, no one in the two palaces has left the Imperial Palace recently. " Qin Yi replied softly.


    This result was a little beyond Yun Shang''s expectation. Yun Shang frowned and said, "That''s strange."


    While they were talking, Pei Lan reported from outside, "Your majesty, the Neishi Bureau has sent us a pamphlet."


    Yun Shang nodded. It must be th


    e, so her family members were not qualified to visit her, and she was unable to leave the palace. She had not seen her family for a long time.


    That imperial guard came from the same hometown as Lady Li. Although the discipline of imperial guards was strict, it was okay to send letters back to their hometown. However, as a concubine, Lady Li couldn''t have much interaction with the guard, so she always asked Ming Qian to secretly asked Ming Qian to give letters to the guard and ask him to send to her family.


    Since it was Lady Li''s order, the other three didn''t dare to say anything, just pretending not to know.


    The second news was bout Ming Qian''s family. Recently, Ming Qian did not go out to visit her family, but the secret guard found something. Two months ago, one of Ming Qian''s brother was lured into a gambling house and became addicted to gambling. A month ago, he lost a lot of money in the gambling house, but because he didn''t have enough money, he was blocked in the street by the people of the gambling house and beaten randomly. However, the fifteenth Princess who went out of the palace saved him.

 Chapter 1051 A Well-organized Scheme (Part One)

    "The fifteenth Princess has been out of the palace recently?" Yun Shang looked sideways at Qian Zhuo with confusion in her eyes.


    Qian Zhuo nodded and said gently, "On the first and fifteenth of the lunar new year, the fifteenth Princess would go out of the palace to pray in the temples outside the city. Because she is a princess, the guards of the palace generally let her pass."


    "To pray in the temple on the days of the first and the fifteenth of the lunar new year? Huh... " Yun Shang smiled, but her eyes were cold, "She doesn''t seem to be that kind of persons who have such a habit. Send someone to the palace gate to inquire about it. Try to find out whether she has always had this habit, or she has just developed it recently."


    Qian Zhuo nodded in a hurry. Yun Shang looked at Qian Zhuo and said indifferently, "I''ve investigated the two palaces and tried to find if there were any servants who have been out of the palace recently. I forgot about the fifteenth Princess. Since the fifteenth Princess could freely enter and leave the court, it was possible that Cao Shanxiu was sending messages to the outside through the fifteenth Princess. To pray is most likely an excuse for her. What a coincidence it was when she just went out of the Imperial Palace and met the accident that Ming Qian''s brother was being chased by the people from the gambling shop. "


    However, there was one thing that Yun Shang didn''t understand. Logically speaking, even for the sake of Xia Houjing''s mother, Lady Cao might think of a way to help the seventh Prince, but why did she try so hard to court the servants around Lady Li. If Xia Huanyu was still the Emperor, it could be understood that she was making tro


    asked with a smile, "What makes you so happy?"


    Qian Zhuo told Qian Liu what had happened with a smile. Then she said to Qian Liu, "There''s no one in the inner hall now. You can go in and serve her majesty."


    Qian Liu answered, lifted the bead curtain and walked in.


    Yun Shang looked up and saw it was Qian Liu. She lowered her head again watching a private seal in her hand. Seeing this, Qian Liu kept silent for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, are you still thinking about the case of Lady Li?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and put the piece back into her sleeve with a smile. She said softly, "There is one key point that I haven''t figured out. Cao Shanxiu has so many schemes just to help Xia Houjing, but why did she have to frame Lady Li to save Xia Houjing? Lady Li brings no harm to Cao Shanxiu."


    Qian Liu thought for a while and said softly, "I think it''s possible that Lady Cao wants to do something, but she''s afraid of being discovered by you, so she uses this method to distract your attention first and let you focus on investigating Lady Li, so that she can take the opportunity to do what she wants to do."

 Chapter 1052 A Well-organized Scheme (Part Two)

    Yun Shang looked at Qian Liu and kept silent for a long time.


    Qian Liu lowered her head and said in a low voice, "I''m just talking nonsense. Your majesty don''t have to mind it. I just came back from Lady Li''s palace. Although I''m not good at investigating, I found something interesting there "


    "Oh? Tell me," Yun Shang whispered.


    "There are few things in Lady Li''s palace, and except for necessary furnishings, there is almost nothing else. In addition, in Lady Li''s jewelry box, there were no more than five sets of hairpins and jewelry. Besides, Lady Li seems to believe in Buddhism. There are almost all Buddhist texts on the bookshelf, but there is no statue of Buddha in the palace, and she has never held a Buddhist bead in her hand. " Qian Liu answered softly with confusion in her eyes.


    Yun Shang listened quietly all the time. After Qian Liu finished her words, she said, "It''s indeed strange. Although Lady Li was not favored before, she shouldn''t have come to this point. According to the rules of the palace, every master in every palace has jewelry to serve. It''s just that their jewelry and hairpins are different in quantity and style. "


    "Yes, although I just entered the palace, I also feel very strange," Qian Liu said softly.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and sighed, "I don''t think what happen to Lady Li is too important, because most of the things should be done by Cao Shanxiu. But I''m a little confused about her."


    "I heard that your majesty suspected that the fifteenth Princess has engraved your private seal?" Qian Liu asked softly.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Yes, the piece of private seal found in Ming Qian''s room was most likely sealed with


    e table and let them leave. Then he said gently, "It''s just an ancestor worship. There''s no hurry."


    Yun Shang''s hand paused for a moment. She looked at Luo Qingyan and then looked at Liu Wenan. After thinking for a while, she nodded and said, "Yes."


    Luo Qingyan ate an orange and said in a low voice, "You have to figure out a way to deal with the matter of the Ghost Doctor."


    Yun Shang nodded. She just remembered that Ghost Doctor was still in the prison, and she had been busy with these trifles recently, so she forgot about it.


    Luo Qingyan continued, "By the way, Ghost Doctor hasn''t treated Chengye yet. Although he said the chance was very small, it''s not completely impossible. But you can''t go to the prison with Bao''er. You should also arrange carefully and see how to let Ghost Doctor take Bao''er''s pulse. "


    Yun Shang replied in a low voice. She bit her lips and said, "Where are Father and Mother now? When will they arrive in the Jin City? "


    Luo Qingyan calculated the time and said softly, "In about ten days."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang nodded. Thinking of Bao''er, she felt a little depressed.

 Chapter 1053 Doubts

    Although Ghost Doctor was sent to the prison because he set up Yun Shang, it was the matter of the Ministry of Justice since he was sent to the prison. Even Yun Shang could not deal with it on her own.


    But since Luo Qingyan had asked Yun Shang to find a way to deal with it, he had his own reason.


    On the second day, Yun Shang went straight to the Meeting Hall while Luo Qingyan was having a meeting with the ministers, including Li Qianmo.


    There were several eunuchs waiting at the door of the Meeting Hall. Seeing Yun Shang, the eunuch quickly said, "Your Majesty, the emperor is discussing political affairs with the ministers."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "I have something to report to your majesty."


    The eunuch quickly responded and raised his voice, "Her majesty is here."


    After a long time, Liu Wenan hurried to open the door of the Meeting Hall and bowed to Yun Shang. "Your Majesty, this way please."


    Yun Shang answered and entered the Meeting Hall. Several officials stood in the hall, and their eyes fell on Yun Shang. Yun Shang bowed to Luo Qingyan, "Your Majesty."


    Luo Qingyan asked Yun Shang to stand up, and the others in the hall bowed to Yun Shang.


    Luo Qingyan smiled at Yun Shang, "What brings you here, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile and said, "A few days ago, Ghost Doctor has been sent to prison for slandering me. I''m wondering how the matter is going. Anyway, I''m also the victim of this matter, so I should ask about it. "


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled and looked up at Li Qianmo, asking loudly, "Li Qianmo, have you dealt with this matter?"


    Li Qianmo hurried out from the side and bowed, "Not yet. It''s just that we have interrogated him. Ghost Doctor has confessed his crime. I''ve presented a memorial suggesting that he should be sentenced to death, but your majesty has not replied yet."


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan lowered her head and rummaged through the memorials for a while. Then he said, "There are too many memorials recently. Maybe I forgot it. What do you think we should do with it, your majesty? "


    Yun Shang smiled and glanced at Liu Wenan, who was standing quietly aside. Then she bent her knees and said softly, "I think Ghost Doctor is guilty, but he is also a skilled doctor. It will be a pity if he is sentenced to death. I didn''t get hurt. I''d better forgive Ghost Doctor this time. "


    "Your majesty is broad-minded, very good." Luo Qingyan laughed.


    A sly smile appeared in Yun Shang''s eyes. "The death penalty can be avoided, but I have two conditions. Only when Ghost Doctor agrees can he avoid the death penalty."


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, glanced at the other officials in the hall, and said, "Tell me."


    "Although Ghost Doctor has medical skills, it''s useless if it doesn''t benefit the people. I''ve heard that it''s extremely difficult to ask him for help before. The first condition is that I hope Ghost Doctor can treat at least one hundred ordinary people for free a year. " Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "That''s right. Wh


    lly just a false alarm. I hope you''re fine."


    Yun Shang''s heart ached as she spoke.


    Bao''er waved his hand and held Yun Shang''s hair, smiling. Seeing this, Yun Shang smiled, "Forget it. Anyway, our Bao''er is the best."


    After saying that, Yun Shang was in a trance and murmured, "In my previous life, I couldn''t even save Huan''er''s life, and he was killed by his own father, although such a person doesn''t deserve to be a father at all. In this life, although I avenged myself for Huan''er, I still failed to protect you. But at least, you are alive... "


    Tears welled up in Yun Shang''s eyes. She lowered her head and held Bao''er tighter. Then she smiled and said, "I always hope that you can grow up as soon as possible and everything will be smooth. But I fear that you will have more difficulties when you grow up. "


    Standing behind Yun Shang, Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo comforted her in a soft voice, "Don''t worry, your majesty. Ghost Doctor just said that the Prince looked like a very smart child. There may be a miracle."


    Yun Shang touched Bao''er''s face and smiled, "I don''t believe in miracles, but I always expect miracles."


    Yun Shang stood up and put Bao''er on the couch, letting him play on his own. "Father and mother are about to arrive at the Jin city. I have to make good arrangement. The Weiyang Palace will be decorated a little more. Otherwise, they will think that I have suffered injustice in the State of Xia," Yun Shang turned around and said to Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu.


    The two answered in a hurry. Qian Zhuo smiled and said, "I''ll go to the Imperial Household Department to ask for something from sister Qin Yi later."


    Yun Shang nodded. When she was about to say something, Hua''er suddenly screamed, "Prince, be careful."


    Yun Shang was stunned and hurriedly turned to look at Bao''er, only to see him suddenly stand up from the couch and take two steps on it. He seemed to be frightened by Hua''er''s sudden voice. He turned to look at Hua''er, and then looked at Yun Shang, clapping his hands and laughing.

 Chapter 1054 The Murderer

    Yun Shang was stunned. Qian Zhuo ran to the bed happily and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, look, the Prince can walk now."


    Yun Shang looked at Bao''er, lost in thought. Bao''er blinked at Yun Shang and stepped forward. However, he stumbled on one foot and almost fell off the couch. Hua''er and Qian Zhuo hurried to hold Bao''er, but Bao''er seemed not to be scared at all. He stared at Qian Zhuo and laughed.


    Yun Shang smiled and picked up Bao''er. She tidied up Bao''er''s clothes and said gently, "When your father comes back, you can show it to him. Ok?"


    Yun Shang saw that Bao''er rolled his eyes and smiled at Yun Shang after hearing her words. Yun Shang''s eyes lit up. She smiled and handed Bao''er to Hua''er. "He''s been played for a long while. Take him back for food and sleep."


    Hua''er answered in a hurry, lifted the bead curtain and walked out with Bao''er in her arms. Yun Shang looked at the swaying bead curtains and turned around. "You can leave now. I''ll have a rest first."


    All the people in the inner hall left. Yun Shang went to the bed and sat down, with a bit of contemplation in her eyes. She had a vague guess in her heart, but she felt that it was too mysterious to be sure. A miracle might really happen to Bao''er.


    Yun Shang sat in the hall for a while, and heard Qian Liu''s voice from outside, which sounded a little anxious. "Your Majesty, I have something important to report."


    Yun Shang raised her head and said loudly, "come in."


    Qian Liu suddenly lifted the bead curtain and hurried in from the outside. She said, "Your majesty, the guard who got the letter from Ming Qian has been found."


    "What?" Yun Shang was surprised. Then she remembered what Qian Liu was talking about. "Where is he?"


    With a serious look on her face, Qian Liu said in a low voice, "Your majesty, he is dead. The dead body was found in the rockery in the Imperial Garden. It seems that he has been dead for two days. "


    Astonishment was written all over Yun Shang''s face. She looked at Qian Liu in surprise. After a while, she regained her consciousness and murmured, "Dead?"


    "Yes, Lord Qi has taken his people there. Recently, many people had been killed in the imperial household, which made some people panic. Your majesty, I''m afraid this is not good. " Qian Liu said in a low and heavy voice, "Since your highness came back from Lingxi City, the imperial household seems to have been in trouble. Although only the servants and guards died, some ministers of the previous dynasty might say that you were not good at managing the imperial household."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Your worry is reasonable. But now that it has happened, we really have to deal with it as soon as possible. I don''t believe that with so many people in the palace, no one notice anything about the death of Ming Qian and the guard. If there is no trace, the person behind it will be a big trouble for me. Under the heavy reward, there will definitely be brave men. Send my words that anyone who provides use


    g on.


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Okay, I see. However, you can''t escape punishment as you ordered Yu Nian to kill someone. You''ll be grounded in the Xiangyi Palace. Only one of your servants can be allowed to serve you and all the others will be ordered to leave your palace. Please shut your door and copy the Buddhist Texts in the palace. You are not allowed to leave without my imperial edict. "


    Lady Li''s face was a little pale. She slowly bowed to Yun Shang and said in a low voice, "Thank you for not killing me, your majesty."


    Lady Li bowed and stood up. She staggered and seemed to be unable to stand steadily. After a long time, she steadied herself, took a deep breath and left Weiyang Palace.


    Looking at the back of Lady Li, Qian Liu sighed, "what a pity."


    Yun Shang smiled, "She has no way back since she entered the imperial household."


    Yun Shang''s eyes flashed. It seemed that Lady Cao was behind all this.


    The truth was clear about the death of the guard, but there was still no clue about the death of Ming Qian. Yun Shang had to come up with an idea. "Ask Lady Cao and the fifteenth Princess to Weiyang Palace later. After they leave, ask someone to search their palace carefully to see if they can find the fake private seal. After they arrived at Weiyang Palace, try to wet the clothes of the two, then I''ll ask them to change their clothes in Weiyang Palace. No matter where she hides the fake private seal, I have to find it out. As long as I find it and have physical evidence, she can''t deny it. "


    Qian Liu replied softly, "I see."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished her words, Qian Zhuog left. "Your majesty, the secret guards found out that the fifteenth Princess had met a shopkeeper in a clothing store after she left the palace. The shopkeeper often searched all over the city for some special cloth to sell in the Jin city. Not long after the fifteenth Princess saw him, he went to Yang Liu Town. I''ve already ordered the secret guards to intercept them... "

 Chapter 1055 The Appearance Of The Fake Seal

    Yun Shang nodded in agreement. Things had gradually come to this point, and it was almost the same as she had expected. However, the matter of Xia Houjing had not been settled yet, and it was very complicated. She would definitely not let any extra story happen to it.


    "No matter what, we can''t let anyone enter the Yang Liu Town. Send a message to the secret guards and deal with it as soon as possible. Stop that person and take him back to the Jin City. If there is anything wrong, you can use the special method at the critical moment and deal with it directly, " Yun Shang looked calm and said in a cold voice.


    Qian Zhuo responded and left the Weiyang Palace in a hurry.


    The windows of the inner hall were open, and the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafted in. Yun Shang walked to the bedside and looked out. Outside, Pei Lan was picking the blossoms. Seeing that Yun Shang looking at her, she curtsied to her.


    Yun Shang looked up at the sky. Many dark clouds were up there today, as if it was going to rain.


    "It seems that it''s going to rain. The osmanthus blossoms can''t be soaked in the rain. Pick them all and dry them with fire. His majesty likes the mandarin fish, and I like the osmanthus cake. So the more osmanthus blossoms you can get, the better, " Yun Shang ordered softly.


    Pei Lan answered with a smile. Yun Shang looked at the gate of the Weiyang Palace. Cao Shanxiu came in in in a purple dress embroidered with azaleas, followed by the fifteenth Princess in a green dress. Yun Shang restrained her smile and left the inner hall.


    Su Mu led Cao Shanxiu and the fifteenth Princess into the main hall. When they two saw Yun Shang sitting on the Phoenix couch, they quickly walked into the hall and bowed to her. Yun Shang had a faint smile on the corner of her mouth. Seeing this, she ordered the maid standing aside to give two seats to them.


    Cao Shanxiu sat down and looked up at Yun Shang. She smiled and said, "It''s getting cold. Your majesty is wearing thin clothes. You should wear more."


    Yun Shang smiled, straightened her embroidered dress, and said softly, "I seldom leave the Weiyang Palace. I don''t feel cold in this room, so it doesn''t matter. Today, I summoned you two here for the wedding of the fifteenth Princess. Have you seen the portraits of those young men of the right age that I asked my people to send to your palace before? I haven''t got your response, so I am wondering if you have chosen anyone that you are satisfied with? "


    Hearing this, Cao Shanxiu stood up in a hurry and bowed to Yun Shang. She said gently, "It''s not that I haven''t chosen the one I''m satisfied with. The people selected by your majesty are all excellent young men, so I''m satisfied with all of them. Actually they are too good for me to decide one."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled, "In that case, do you mind if I make the decision for the fifteenth Princess?"


    Cao Shanxiu and the fifteenth Princess looked at each other. After a long time, she said softly, "Your majesty, it''s the fifteenth Princess'' honor if you choose a husband for her, but can you tell who he is?"


    Yun Shang picked up the tea cup


    "Lady Cao said it was my private seal, but you don''t know that I like to keep it close with me."


    Cao Shanxiu hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I really don''t know what it is. It didn''t fall from me or the fifteenth Princess. I don''t know why it suddenly fell here."


    "Really so?" Yun Shang picked up the fake seal. The seal was rough, and only the handwriting was a little exquisite.


    "It doesn''t seem to be a masterpiece of a master. I just need to ask someone to check every corner of the city to know where it came from..." Before Yun Shang could finish her words, she saw Qian Zhuo coming in from the outside, standing at the door, with something in her hand.


    Taking a look at the two kneeling on the ground, Qian Zhuo walked up to Yun Shang and handed the things in her hands to Yun Shang. Yun Shang reached out her hand and took them over. They were just a few letters. Yun Shang leafed through them roughly and threw them in front of Cao Shanxiu and the fifteenth Princess. Her voice gradually became cold, "Your Highness said that you didn''t know where this fake seal came from. Then, your highness, Tell me, where did this letter with my private seal come from? "


    Cao Shanxiu stared at the letters scattered on the ground. She bit her lips and didn''t say anything.


    Yun Shang was not in a hurry. She walked around Cao Shanxiu and said with a smile, "After I came back from Lingxi City, you reported that Lady Li had secretly printed a few blank letters. Three months ago, the fifteenth Princess didn''t have the habit of praying or worshiping outside the palace on the first and fifteenth months ago. She suddenly had this habit in the past few months, and she happened to save Ming Qian''s brother when she went out of the palace. Later, my secret guards found out that Ming Qian, who was with Lady Li, after passing on a letter to the guard in private, died a few days later. While I was paying attention to Lady Li, the fifteenth Princess hooked up with a businessman selling cloth outside the palace and went to the Yang Liu Town. Did I miss anything, Lady Cao? "

 Chapter 1056 Being Threatened

    Cao Shanxiu knelt down on the ground. Yun Shang couldn''t see her face, but her body trembled slightly, not knowing if it was fear or anger.


    With her hands clasped behind her back, Yun Shang smiled and said gently, "I ordered my secret guards to secretly search the palace when you were not here, and let Qian Liu wet your and the fifteenth princess''s clothes on purpose. In this way, I wanted to find the exact evidence as soon as possible and get to know the truth. I shouldn''t have done this way, but I don''t like to make random conjectures, and I hate to be betrayed the most. Cao Shanxiu, what do you want to say? "


    Cao Shanxiu lowered her head and gave a bitter smile. After a long time, she asked in a very low voice, "Since you know that the fifteenth Princess met the shopkeeper of the cloth shop, I''m afraid you have sent someone to stop him, right?"


    Yun Shang nodded and sneered, "I won''t let him enter Yang Liu Town. I''m afraid your highness''s plan will fail."


    Cao Shanxiu looked up, but her eyes were completely calm. "Your Highness, do you think that his former majesty will kill the the seventh Prince after you stopped the cloth merchant?"


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on Cao Shanxiu. She thought for a moment and said, "His Former Majesty is kind, but I''m not softhearted. If His Former Majesty can''t do it, I''m willing to do it for him. If I want to kill Xia Houjing, who else can save him? "


    Cao Shanxiu stood up and said sarcastically, "Your majesty, you won''t. Your majesty, do you know why His Former Majesty always tolerates the seventh Prince even he is not his biological son? No matter what mistakes he has made, it''s just some minor punishment which never hurts the Seventh prince''s life. Do your majesty knows that if his majesty wants to take control of the state, he can''t do anything to the seventh Prince. Do you think the seventh Prince''s rebel and the attack from the State of Yelang is the biggest crisis of the State of Xia? Your majesty is wrong. If something happens to the seventh Prince, the crisis of the State of Xia will really come. "


    Cao Shanxiu raised her voice and sneered, "I''m afraid you don''t know that the reason why His Former Majesty tried every means to protect the seventh Prince is to stabilize the State of Xia. Over the years, even though I''ve been sent to the Cold Palace for two times, I still managed to survive, because I have something that His Former Majesty had always wanted. But I won''t give it. I think it''s time for His Former Majesty to return what he had borrowed. It''s time to give the state back to its real master. "


    Yun Shang didn''t know what Cao Shanxiu was talking about, but she felt that there was a big secret related to the State of Xia.


    With a flash of blood in her eyes, Yun Shang stretched out her hand as fast as lightning and grabbed Cao Shanxiu''s neck in an instant.


    "Your Highness, you are so good at talking nonsense. It''s so mysterious.Can you show something to convi


    elated to the state, His Former Majesty would definitely not spare her. I guess that she must have something that makes His Former Majesty afraid of her and not dare to kill her. We have to interrogate her, but I''m afraid that all kinds of interrogation methods will not work on her since she has kept the secret until today. She just needs to make sure that we don''t dare to kill her. She won''t tell us the truth.


    Qian Liu saw Yun Shang''s face darken. She thought for a moment and asked softly, "Your Majesty, do you have any idea?"


    Yun Shang bit her lip, walked back and forth in the room for a few circles, and said, "We won''t punish her, but only attack her weakness. The fifteenth Princess was her daughter. No matter how heartless she was, she would never completely ignore her own daughter. You can go to the prison tomorrow to find some condemned prisoners, and then look for someone who has the similar features as the fifteenth Princess. Bring some body part like finger and ear to Lady Cao every day, cook them in front of her and asked her to eat. "


    Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu were both shocked. Yun Shang reached out to hold the cup on the table, and her face was as cold as frost. "Since she dares to betray and threaten me, don''t blame me for being ruthless."


    Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu lowered their heads in a hurry. When they were about to answer, they heard Luo Qingyan''s voice from outside, "What are you talking about? Our Empress is so virtuous. How could anyone say that she is ruthless? "


    Yun Shang waved her hand to ask Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo to leave. Then she went forward and took Luo Qingyan''s cloak.


    Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t look well, Luo Qingyan looked at her for a while and asked, "What happened?"


    Yun Shang had to tell Luo Qingyan what Cao Shanxiu had said just now. Hearing this, Luo Qingyan kept silent for a long time and said, "I''ll write a letter to His Former Majesty and lie to him saying that you have killed Cao Shanxiu."

 Chapter 1057 Ineffective Deterrence

    Yun Shang nodded slightly, but she was a little restless. She couldn''t figure out what could make Cao Shanxiu so confident.


    "It has been a long time since Liu Yinfeng left the Jin City, hasn''t it? Haven''t you got any news yet? " Yun Shang frowned. She couldn''t feel relieved as Xia Houjing was still alive. Although she knew that Liu Yinfeng wouldn''t do anything to Xia Houjing, she still hoped that Liu Yinfeng could send a message back so that they could know what was going on in Yang Liu Town.


    The people around Xia Huanyu couldn''t be underestimated. She had sent so many secret guards there, but they still couldn''t get any news.


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said gently, "It''s okay. It''s not urgent. It''s not that difficult to deal with it. Don''t panic."


    Yun Shang replied softly, but still looked thoughtful.


    The next day, Luo Qingyan went to the court. Qian Zhuo left the palace early in the morning and returned to the palace in a hurry in the afternoon with a small box in her hand.


    Yun Shang was restless these two days and was practicing calligraphy behind the desk. Hearing the footsteps of Qian Zhuo, she raised her head and looked at the small box in her hand. "Is it ready?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded and answered softly, "Yes, exactly the same as the fifteenth Princess''s. Even Lady Cao couldn''t tell."


    Yun Shang nodded and put down the brush in her hand. She said in a very low voice, "Okay. Find a secret guard who is good at imitating other people''s voice and let her learn to imitate the fifteenth Princess''s voice."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry. Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the small box in her hand again. After a while, she said, "Send someone to fetch some ice from the ice cellar and freeze the things in the box in case Cao Shanxiu finds something wrong. I''m afraid Cao Shanxiu is much smarter than we thought. We caught her yesterday just because she wasn''t prepared. Today, we may have to return in vain. If Cao Shanxiu was easy to get along with, His Former Majesty would not have suffered for so many years. You don''t have to say anything. You just take that thing and cook it in front of Cao Shanxiu. You don''t need to prepare other dishes. "


    "Yes." Qian Zhuo curtsied to Yun Shang and left.


    In the evening, everything was ready. Yun Shang first asked the secret guard to imitate the voice of the fifteenth Princess and screamed not far from the side hall where Cao Shanxiu was imprisoned. Her voice was full of pain, and she kept crying, "Hand, my hand! Don''t... "


    About an hour later, Yun Shang ordered Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo to go into the side hall with the box.


    After a while, Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo came back to the inner hall. The two of them didn''t look well. They bowed to Yun Shang and Qian Liu said, "as your majesty expected, Cao Shanxiu is really heartless. In this situation, seeing that we have boiled the palm, she just looked at it with a smile. I told her that it was her dinner tonight, but she took t


    a smile, "If you take off your mother''s hairpin, she will punish you to kneel at the door of Weiyang Palace. Don''t be naughty."


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan, "How could you threaten the child like this?"


    However, Bao''er broke free from Luo Qingyan''s hand and burst into laughter. He grabbed Luo Qingyan''s hand and bit it. Bao''er had already had several teeth. Although Luo Qingyan didn''t feel pain, he cooperated very well to make a grimace and kept begging for mercy.


    Looking at Luo Qingyan who was playing with Bao''er, Yun Shang''s smile deepened.


    Luo Qingyan took his hand out of Bao''er''s mouth and put it in front of Yun Shang. "This boy doesn''t care that I''m his father. He just opened his mouth and bit me. Look, it took him a lot of effort to bite me just now. I think he almost used up all his strength. These teeth marks are not shallow."


    Yun Shang glanced at her and found that there were indeed several teeth marks. Yun Shang looked at her smiling baby and said gently, "Come on, Bao''er only has a few teeth. How painful can it be? I''m afraid that your hard flesh will break Bao''er''s teeth."


    Luo Qingyan opened his mouth, but after a long time, he sighed sadly, "How could you say that?"


    While talking, the carriage arrived at the gate of the Jin city. Because of Emperor Ning''s extraordinary identity, the gate had already been cleaned up. Now only a few ministers were waiting at the gate, and there were no ordinary people.


    Seeing Luo Qingyan''s carriage stop, the courtiers went to the carriage, knelt down and bowed, "Your Majesties."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t push the door open. He just asked indifferently, "How is it going? Is the Emperor of the State of Ning here? "


    Yun Shang listened carefully and heard a response from outside, "We will arrive in about half an hour."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and turned to Yun Shang, "It''s getting cold now. It''s a little cold with the wind outside. Let''s wait in the carriage for a while."

 Chapter 1058 Family Reunion

    Yun Shang nodded, lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside. The carriage was parked at the gate of the city, and there was a pavilion in the distance on the side of the road. Now there was no one on the road.


    Yun Shang hadn''t seen her father and mother for almost two and a half years. Now they were coming soon, but Yun Shang felt a little timid and a little flustered.


    Yun Shang lifted the curtains several times. Luo Qingyan looked at her with a smile, but felt sorry for her. Yun Shang was a little embarrassed by his gaze. She bit her lips and muttered, "Do you think my mother will bring Chenxi here? Chenxi should be three years old, right? I think he can speak now... "


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. He reached out and fixed the hairpin on Yun Shang''s head, and said gently, "Didn''t your grandfather tell you when he came? He not only could speak, but also write and draw. Didn''t your grandfather bring you a letter written by Prince Chenxi? "


    Thinking of that, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "I''m wondering if he is obedient or not. Does he make mother angry? I don''t know if he knows me or not."


    Seeing that she seemed to be incoherent, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. "Don''t worry. You can see him soon. You will know when you see him."


    Yun Shang nodded and looked down at Bao''er who was rolling his eyes. She rubbed his nose with a smile and said softly, "By the way, in addition to your grandfather and grandmother, your little uncle will also come. He is two years older than you. You can see him later. Don''t frighten them."


    Bao''er looked at Yun Shang with his big watery eyes, as if he didn''t know what Yun Shang was talking about.


    Yun Shang lifted the curtain again and saw figures appear on the road far away. Yun Shang''s hand holding the curtain suddenly tightened and said hurriedly, "They''re coming."


    Hardly had his voice faded away, a minister''s voice came from outside, "Your Majesty, Emperor Ning''s carriage has come."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, and the door of the carriage opened from the outside. Yun Shang saw more than 10 people appear on the road, like guards, and then a carriage. Since it was a little far away, Yun Shang couldn''t see the color of the carriage, but she was also very excited.


    Luo Qingyan got off the carriage, turned around and helped Yun Shang get off.


    Yun Shang saw several carriages in the line, but she didn''t know which one her father and mother were in. The carriages were getting closer and closer, so close that Yun Shang could see the words "Ning" on the glaze lamp hanging in front of the carriage.


    The carriage stopped not far away from Yun Shang and the others. Yun Shang saw the door of the first carriage was pushed open and several servants got off. Yun Shang''s eyes fell on Madam Zheng, and her eyes were slightly wet.


    M


    might be sad.


    Chenxi stretched out his hand and touched Bao''er''s face. Squinting his eyes, he seemed to enjoy it very much. "Sister''s child is called Chengye, right? Her face is so smooth. I like it. Don''t worry, sister. As his uncle, I will protect him well. Whoever dares to bully him, I won''t let him go. I can hit them with my bow. I''ll hit whoever bullies Chengye. "


    Yun Shang turned to look at Chenxi and smiled. "Chenxi, do you behave well? Have you ever piss mother off?"


    Hearing that, Chenxi rolled her eyes. With a cunning look, he shook his head and said seriously, "No, no. how could I piss mom off? I have to take good care of mother as sister is not with us. I won''t make mother angry. "


    Yun Shang burst into laughter when she heard Chenxi''s serious tone.


    However, Lady Jin touched Chenxi''s head and said with a smile, "He''s tough. All the servants in the palace are afraid of him. Wherever he goes, they must hide far away from him for fear of being teased by him. At the beginning, the other concubines in the palace went to his majesty to report it, but now they don''t even dare to do so. "


    Chenxi stuck out his tongue and chuckled. "Father said as long as I finished my homework, I can do whatever I want. But those maids and eunuchs are too boring. They don''t play with me."


    "Then tell me, what have you learned?" Yun Shang wanted to tease him.


    Chenxi sighed, "I''ve learned Three Character Classic, A Hundred Surnames and Thousand-Character Classic. Now grandfather wants me to learn the Four Books and the Analects of Confucius."


    Yun Shang was surprised. "You have learned so much?"


    Hearing that, Chenxi''s eyes lit up. He patted her chest and said proudly, "Yes. Grandfather said that I was good at reciting the texts, but my handwriting is not good. I''m practicing hard. Next time when I write to you, you could see the characters clearly. "

 Chapter 1059 The Disguise Master

    Yun Shang blinked her eyes, but Shu Jin smiled. "When your grandfather came back to the Imperial City, he told Chenxi that you couldn''t understand the letter he wrote. Chenxi was depressed for quite a while for this. Then he worked hard and practiced calligraphy all day long, but he was still scolded by your grandfather. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She touched Chenxi''s head and said, "Grandpa lied to you. He just wanted you to study and practice your handwriting."


    With his eyes wide open, Chenxi looked up at Yun Shang and then at Shu Jin. "Ouch!" he screamed, clapping his knees with both hands, "Grandpa is so bad!"


    Yun Shang and Lady Jin couldn''t help laughing at his reaction.


    Chenxi was vexed for a while. Then he turned to Yun Shang, blinking with a cunning look, "Sister, I heard that you were taught by Grandfather when you were a child. Did Grandfather ever lie to you like this?"


    Yun Shang shook her head. Seeing the depressed look on Chenxi''s face, she smiled again and said, "Maybe it''s because I was much more honest than Chenxi. I would follow Grandpa''s every idea. I would read and write whenever Grandpa asked me to, so he didn''t blame me much."


    "I see," replied Chenxi. He pouted, lowered his head and sighed, "All right. Everyone has his own ambitions."


    Seeing him acting like an adult, Yun Shang couldn''t help but cover her mouth and laugh.


    After returning to the palace, Yun Shang ordered the guards to send the luggage of Emperor Ning and his group to the post house. She went back to the palace together with Emperor Ning and his group. The family chatted for a while. Seeing that Shu Jin and Chenxi were tired after a long journey, Yun Shang asked the guards to send them back to their post house for a rest.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan returned to the Weiyang Palace. Luo Qingyan said softly, "Judging from brother''s expression, he seemed as if he wanted to swallow me alive."


    Yun Shang blinked and asked in surprise, "Really? Why can''t I notice it? "


    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and smiled, "Maybe he saw that you and I have a good relationship today, and he couldn''t show his resentment in front of you. He could only show his silent fury to me secretly." Then he waved his hand and said, "It''s natural for Brother to be angry with me. Well, have you put Cao Shanxiu in the private prison?"


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Yes. I consider that Father and Mother are both now in the Jin City and often come to the palace. It''s inevitable for them to walk around in the Weiyang Palace. It''s not good if they see them. I''m the only one in your Imperial Palace. Logically speaking, there shouldn''t be any internal strife, and they probably don''t want me to interfere too much in these affairs. "


    "Yes, you are right," Luo Qingyan replied softly and he was lost in thought.


    As for Cao Shanxiu, Yun Shang said helplessly, "She doesn''t yield to either hard or soft tactics. It''s not easy to get the truth from her. Recently, I have asked my secret guards to interrogate her. These secret guards are specialized and proficient in interrogating, but Cao Shanxiu is such a tough nut!. I''m still thinking about getting up early tomorrow. Before Father and Mother enter the palace, I''ll go to the private prison to see Cao Shanxiu


    I know he will be ruined by his love sooner or later. He used to draw his sword to fight against Xia Huanyu for Lady Liu, and now he has even betrayed his own brother for you."


    Yun Shang kept an eye on Cao Shanxiu''s reaction. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "You and Cao Wenxi are just sisters. Why do you risk your life and glory for her?"


    Cao Shanxiu didn''t respond, but stood quietly. Hearing Yun Shang''s question, she just sneered.


    The door of the private prison was opened. Yun Shang turned around and saw Qian Liu running downstairs in a hurry. She walked up to Yun Shang and reported, "Your majesty, Qian Qian is in the palace."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "Where is she now?"


    Qian Liu hurriedly said, "She is just outside. She came with me and just asked me to come and inform you."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled, "Since she has come, there is no need to inform me the message. She''s quick-tempered. Even if I say I don''t want to see her, I''m afraid I can''t. "


    Hardly had her voice faded away, the door of the private prison was opened again. Ning Qian came in from the outside. She changed her appearance and looked like a quite beautiful woman.


    "Master knows me well. I''m very happy." Ning Qian said with a smile, glancing around the private prison.


    Yun Shang took out a brocade handkerchief and wiped her hands. She smiled, "Is there anything urgent in the palace today?"


    Ning Qian nodded slightly and glanced at Cao Shanxiu. Then she said softly, "Your majesty, it''s about Xia Houjing..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang put away her brocade handkerchief and said indifferently, "Let''s go. It''s dim here. Let''s go out and have a talk."


    Ning Qian responded in a soft voice. They then left the prison together. While Ning Qian was walking out of the prison, she kept looking back frequently and asked in confusion, "Why is Lady Cao in the prison?"


    "Do you still remember her?" Yun Shang replied with a smile.


    Ning Qian nodded and smiled, "I remember her because she is the only person who is better at disguising than me. If it weren''t for His Former Majesty''s prohibition, I would really like to unmask her and see what she really looks like. "

 Chapter 1060 Looking For Clues

    Yun Shang stopped and turned to Ning Qian, "What did you say? She have a disguise on her face? "


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Ning Qian knew that Yun Shang didn''t know about it. She nodded and said, "Yes, I found it by accident. I''ve tried many ways, but I found that the disguise on Lady Cao''s face is nowhere to be found. I''ve also used the medicine to wash her disguise, but it''s useless."


    "Then how did you find her disguise?" Yun Shang frowned and asked.


    Ning Qian smiled and said, "Once, she was in my palace. We talked about the recent pearl hairpins, and I took out some hairpins to let her see if she had a favorite style. The servant accidentally cut a small wound on her forehead with the hairpin, and I found that she was wearing a fake face."


    Yun Shang''s mind was racing, and her expression was changing. If Cao Shanxiu was not the real Cao Shanxiu, who would she be?


    Yun Shang thought carefully about the things that could be connected with Cao Shanxiu, and had a guess in her heart.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Ning Qian and stared at Ning Qian for a long time. Ning Qian touched her face and asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that, master?"


    Looking at the disguise on Ning Qian''s face, Yun Shang touched her face and asked, "Do you think Cao Shanxiu can recognize your disguise when you appeared in front of her?"


    Ning Qian thought for a while and nodded, "She is good at disguise, so she can find it at a glance."


    Yun Shang nodded thoughtfully, threw the brocade handkerchief on the ground, and turned around to walk back with Ning Qian. "After you enter the room, it''s all my people. Remove the disguise on your face, and then go to the private prison with me."


    Ning Qian didn''t know why Yun Shang arranged this, but she agreed. As soon as she returned to her room, she quickly removed her disguise and went to the private prison with Yun Shang again. Cao Shanxiu raised her head and looked at the two. When her eyes fell on Ning Qian, her expression changed obviously. But Yun Shang ignored it and ordered the secret guards, "My brocade handkerchief is missing. Check to see if it fell here just now."


    The secret guard answered in a hurry. He had searched for a long time in the private prison, but did not find the brocade handkerchief that Yun Shang had mentioned. Hearing the secret guard''s report, Yun Shang frowned and waved her hand. She sighed, "Forget it. I''ll look for it somewhere else."


    Then Yun Shang left the prison with Ning Qian.


    Ning Qian was confused, "Master, what are you doing this for?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Since you saw her disguise before, she was naturally afraid. Before that, she might not know that you work for me. Of course, I would show her. Then she will be worried that I will find out the secret of her disguise. If that secret is very important, I don''t believe that she will not do anything. As long as she makes a move, I will have the chance to find evidence to prove that what I think is right. Even if she didn''t do anything, I will cheat her again tomorrow to make her think that I have co


    teen. That child is also very smart. "


    "A master?" Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and asked in confusion.


    Seeing that she couldn''t get any answer from Yu Nian, she waved her hand and asked her to leave. She stood up and said to Qian Liu, "I''ll go to Luoxue Pavilion to have a look."


    Qian Liu didn''t know where the Luoxue Pavilion was, so she followed Yun Shang.


    Due to the murder at the Luoxue Pavilion a few days ago, the door of Luoxue Pavilion had been sealed, and the weeds at the door had been removed. The plaque of the Luoxue pavilion was also hung up. Yun Shang ordered Qian Liu to take off the seal and entered Luoxue Pavilion.


    After the accident of Li Fuhua last time, the yard of the Luoxue Pavilion was cleaned up a lot. Yun Shang entered the Luoxue Pavilion and went straight to the bedroom to search.


    "What are you looking for, your majesty? Let me help you." Qian Liu asked hurriedly.


    Many things in the room had been covered with thick dust. As soon as they were picked up, there would be dust. Yun Shang removed the dust in front of her and coughed, "Find out all the things with the owner''s handwriting in the room. And check if there is any sachet or incense. Then go to another room and see if there is a lute. "


    Qian Liu agreed and called out the secret guards to search the things Yun Shang ordered.


    There were a lot of books with handwriting, and one or two sachets were found. However, the fragrance had already disappeared, and no one could find the lute. Yun Shang ordered servants to send all the things to Weiyang Palace. Then she went to Lady Cao''s palace to search and took all the things she needed back to Weiyang Palace.


    When Luo Qingyan returned to Weiyang Palace, he saw several books on the desk, frowning.


    Luo Qingyan walked to Yun Shang and looked at the books in Yun Shang''s hands. Some were old and some were new, but the handwriting on them was the same. Luo Qingyan heard Yun Shang muttering, "How could it be? Did I guess wrong? "


    Seeing this, Luo Qingyan smiled, "What do you think is wrong?"

 Chapter 1061 The So-called Secrets

    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s voice, Yun Shang turned around and asked with a smile, "Why didn''t they tell me that you were back?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "I haven''t heard you speak. I just want to come in and see what you are doing. What are you looking at? Aren''t these words written by the same person? "


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly, "I think so and that''s why I feel a little troubled." Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan about Ning Qian''s discovery and her suspicion.


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan picked up all the books on the table and looked at them. After a long time, he said, "I''m not good at telling handwritings, but there must be someone who is good at it. Give me these books. I''ll call someone to have a look."


    Yun Shang said yes and had dinner with Luo Qingyan. Then they went to bed.


    Luo Qingyan was quick. On the second day, he sent a letter, saying that Meng Zhui and Han Mingqing from the Imperial Hanlin Academy had checked the handwritings and they were written by the same person, but they were written within ten years.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. It was obviously not the right time. the Luoxue Pavilion had been sealed for nearly twenty years, but everything in it had been put in recent years. It was obvious that someone had tampered with it. This made Yun Shang''s guess more firm.


    Yun Shang looked up and ordered Qian Liu, "Go find the music officer and ask him to find a good lute for you."


    Qian Liu said yes and left. After Qian Liu fetched the lute, Yun Shang took her to the private prison again. Cao Shanxiu was still calm, perhaps because she was wearing a mask.


    Seeing Yun Shang, Cao Shanxiu looked up at her without saying anything. Yun Shang walked up to Cao Shanxiu, asked someone to bring a chair and sit down, and ordered someone to make tea.


    Seeing this, Cao Shanxiu sneered, "Her majesty seems to regard this private prison as a place to drink tea, but there is no scenery here. I''m afraid it will affect your interest in drinking tea."


    Yun Shang uncovered the lid of the teacup and wiped the floating foam on the top with the lid. She smiled and said, "It''ll be wonderful if your highness could play the lute now. In this way, I can see how talent you are. "


    Hearing this, Cao Shanxiu only lowered her eyebrows. After a long time, she sneered, "Your Majesty, I''m afraid you''ve found the wrong person. Although my surname is also Cao, I''m not good at playing the lute."


    But Yun Shang didn''t seem to hear it. She said to herself, "You must have seen Lady Xiang yesterday. The first person who came to the private prison with me was her in disguise. She was one of my secret guards who was most proficient at disguise. You are so unlucky that you exposed in front of her. "


    Yun Shang picked up the teacup and covered it in her hand. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I''ve reported this to his majesty after I left yesterday. I don''t know what I should call you now, Lady Cao or


    of Xia. Even if he randomly takes out a carrot and carves pattern on it to say that it is the imperial seal, it will be the imperial seal! "


    Yun Shang''s words were so passionate that even Cao Wenxi was suppressed by Yun Shang''s aura.


    "Even if the fifteenth Princess was the daughter you and Xia Huanyu, so what? When the dynasty changes, the so-called scandal of the royal family of the State of Xia will be just a joke. If you want, just spread these two so-called secrets as you like. You can have a try and see if what I said is true or not. By the way, I have sent a message to Yang Liu Town. I''m afraid that Xia Houjing and Liu Yinfeng will return to the Jin City in less than half a month. At that time, I will bring the two of them to this private prison to see... their mother. "


    Yun Shang paused, and the irony in her eyes was obvious.


    Without waiting for her response, Yun Shang turned around and said to Qian Liu, "Leave the lute here. If Lady Cao have no fun in this private prison, she can play it to kill time. Let''s go."


    After saying that, Yun Shang left the private prison with Qian Liu. When they walked to the Imperial Garden, they saw Qian Zhuo rushing over. "Your majesty, your mother and father have entered the palace. They are waiting in the Weiyang Palace now."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and sighed. She turned to Qian Zhuo and asked, "Help me check if my hair is in a mess? Is there anything wrong with my complexion? "


    Qian Liu quickly straightened Yun Shang''s hair and clothes and said softly, "Everything is fine."


    Qian Zhuo stared at Yun Shang for a while and said gently, "But your majesty''s face look a little pale. What happened in the private prison just now?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and sighed, "Anyway, I finally know the truth. Now that everything has been clear. It''s not a bad thing as we could solve the problem accordingly." After saying that, Yun Shang went straight back to Weiyang Palace.

 Chapter 1062 Families

    "Father, mother." As soon as Yun Shang entered Weiyang Palace, she trotted to Emperor Ning and Shu Jin and bowed to them. In Shu Jin''s arms was Chenxi, who was asleep. In Emperor Ning''s hand was the parrot sent by Wang Jinhuan to the palace. When he heard Yun Shang''s voice, he looked up and said, "Your parrot is interesting."


    Before Yun Shang could respond, the parrot said, "A fair lady, a gentleman''s desire."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help covering her mouth and said to Emperor Ning and Shu Jin, "Yes, I left it in the palace because I''ve never seen such a dissolute parrot. It can relieve my boredom when I''m free."


    Emperor Ning nodded and handed the parrot to Qian Zhuo. He straightened his sleeves and said, "Ask all your servants to leave."


    Yun Shang nodded. Knowing that Empress Ning had something to say, Yun Shang waved her hand to the servants.


    The servants went out one after another. Emperor Ning sighed, "Luo Qingyan was there the day before yesterday. I don''t know how to say about some things. Today only we four are in your palace. I have something to talk to you. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and lowered her eyes.


    "You have always been smart. I let you come to the State of Xia with Luo Qingyan because I thought you were smart and would never suffer losses. Besides, there is some true love between you and Luo Qingyan. I have missed good times to be with your mother. I didn''t want you to miss the person you like, so I agreed to marry you to him. But now I don''t think you are as good as you were in the State of Ning. You have suffered so much grievance. I''m a little regretful. " Emperor Ning had been an emperor for dozens of years, so he was naturally dignified. His frown made people tremble with fear.


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at Emperor Ning. "I know what father and mother are worried about me. How could I not want to be a carefree princess by the side of father and mother? But the world was unpredictable and there were always some imperfections. I''m afraid that father doesn''t know much about the things that I have deliberately concealed from you. But after I''ve gone through it, I know it''s difficult for people to live a happy life. "


    If she hadn''t experienced it in her previous life, she wouldn''t have been so enlightened. Even she got the experience and intelligent from her previous life, she still spent seven years learning, arranging and plotting in this life. After seven years of preparation, she took revenge and got rid of the Empress.


    But coming to the State of Xia was something she didn''t expect. She didn''t have much time to prepare, and the enemies in the State of Xia had been staring at her and Luo Qingyan from beginning to end. They had never been relaxed at all. They had worked much harder. But even so, in the past two years, many obstacles were almost removed by them one by one. Although she had paid a lot, it was much better than she expected.


    "Life is full of gain and


    aw Luo Qingyan. But when it was time to rest, Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to take Bao''er back to his room, but Bao''er grabbed Yun Shang''s clothes in a hurry and didn''t want to let her go. He curled his mouth and cried again.


    Yun Shang became more confused. She hurriedly comforted Bao''er and put him in the crib. Then she asked Su Mu and Qing Hao to move the crib to the bedside.


    "Don''t cry. You''ll sleep here tonight. Mom and dad will accompany you." Yun Shang said softly. She always felt that Bao''er seemed to understand her words. But on second thought, even a child with a complete mind might not be able to understand at this age, let alone a child with a mental defect.


    Bao''er sobbed for a while and stopped crying. He must be tired of crying, so he grabbed the wooden handrail of the crib and fell asleep.


    Looking at the two of them with a smile, Luo Qingyan said in a low voice, "Well, this boy is going to become my rival in love."


    Yun Shang didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She raised her hand and tapped him on the forehead, "What nonsense are you talking about?" Then she ordered Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu to remove her hairpins and take off her robe before going to bed.


    Yun Shang was awakened by Bao''er''s laughter. When she opened her eyes, she saw Bao''er lying beside her, staring at her and laughing.


    Yun Shang reached out to touch Bao''er''s hair, and said with a smile, "Weren''t you in the crib yesterday? When did you sleep here? "


    Qian Zhuo heard Yun Shang''s voice and hurried in, "Your majesty, something happened in our Palace last night."


    "Our palace?" Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned slightly. She looked up at Qian Zhuo and asked, "What happened?"


    Qian Zhuo looked around subconsciously and whispered something in Yun Shang''s ear before she left.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes with a dangerous look. After a long time, she said, "I always know he is not on the same path, but I didn''t expect that he works for her..."

 Chapter 1063 The Acrobatics Troupe (Part One)

    Qian Zhuo nodded and said, "I didn''t think of it either. We have been keeping an eye on him before, but we haven''t found anything wrong with him. This time, I''m afraid he is desperate. Your majesty, what should we do about it?"


    Yun Shang picked Bao''er up and held his hands. She said calmly, "In order to catch the thief, we must seize the stolen goods in the act of theft. Now that he has begun to take actions, it''s our chance. But we have to act quickly. Tonight, let''s catch the thief."


    Yun Shang gave some detailed instructions to Qian Zhuo, and Qian Zhuo noted them down carefully.


    After everything was settled, Qian Zhuo said, "By the way, your majesty, there is another thing. I heard an urgent letter from the secret guard that for some reason, His Former Majesty suddenly set off and seemed to be on his way back to the Jin City."


    "Back to the Jin City?" Yun Shang thought for a while and guessed that they must have found out something about Lady Cao, so she panicked, "Has he brought Xia Houjing with him? And what about Liu Yinfeng? "


    "They are all together," Qian Zhuo answered in a low voice.


    "Ha ha," Yun Shang sneered, "It seems that I really stepped on Xia Huanyu''s foot this time."


    Cao Wenxi was really amazing. More than 20 years ago, she disguised herself as Cao Shanxiu and stayed in the palace without being found out by anyone including Xia Huanyu. Surprisingly, she could even give birth to the fifteenth princess with Xia Huanyu.


    Cao Wenxi was actually the sister-in-law of Xia Huanyu. It could be said that Xia Huanyu killed his father and brother and became the emperor. Although he might not be fair in means, he had succeeded anyway. But this factual deed of encroaching on his sister-in-law was a real scandal.


    It could not be denied that Cao Wenxi was really a scheming woman.


    "I see," Yun Shang stood up and said, "Ask Hua''er to take Bao''er to eat something. And get dressed for me."


    Qian Zhuo nodded. She first called Hua''er in. Hua''er bowed and left with Bao''er in her arms. Qian Zhuo picked up a rouge colored robe embroidered with hibiscus flowers for Yun Shang, and styled her hair in a bun. After dressing up, Yun Shang went out of the bedroom and sat down at the table.


    As soon as she picked up the chopsticks, she


    to practice and be familiar with new props and articles. So I asked a servant to lead them to the Zhongcui Palace, where there was a ground for training the servants. It''s a large place," Liu Wenan replied with a smile, "but I think they will be here soon."


    While they were talking, a servant came and reported, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Ning and Lady Jin of the State of Ning have arrived. His majesty has invited your majesty to the main hall."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up. There was a small door in the side hall that could lead directly to the main hall, but today''s banquet could be considered a formal occasion, so it was not appropriate to go from the door. Yun Shang thus went out of the side hall, circled around the Taiji Palace for a while, and arrived at the main hall''s door.


    As soon as they entered the main hall, everyone bowed. Yun Shang glanced around and saw that not only Emperor Ning and ͬ Lady Jin, but also officials at or above the third grade of the court were present. Yun Shang walked to Luo Qingyan''s side, turned around and said with a smile, "Arise, please." Then she sat down next to Luo Qingyan.


    While all the courtiers were sitting down and taking their seats, Luo Qingyan moved a little closer to Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Today''s acrobatics troupe is very popular recently. Many important courtiers have recommended it to me."


    Yun Shang looked up and smiled at Emperor Ning and Lady Jin. Then she answered in a low voice, "Then I''ll have a good look at it today."

 Chapter 1064 The Acrobatics Troupe (Part Two)

    After everyone sat down, Luo Qingyan welcomed the arrival of Emperor Ning and Lady Jin. Then he ordered to bring the performance troupe into the palace.


    The first ones to enter the hall were several young women, all of whom were good-looking. Although they were not perfect, they were very beautiful. After they entered the hall, a pink brocade handkerchief escaped from the sleeve of one of the women. She unfolded the handkerchief and showed the front and back side of the handkerchief to the crowd. Then she pulled another handkerchief from it. The women around were surprised and opened their mouths, their eyes full of curiosity. They kept pulling the handkerchief in their hands. The handkerchief was getting longer and longer, and it was several meters long in the end. Then that woman stuffed the long brocade handkerchief into her hand and opened it again. There was only one handkerchief left.


    The woman put her hand under the brocade handkerchief and poked it upward. A Golden Phoenix flower grew on the handkerchief. The Golden Phoenix flower was originally just a bud, but gradually bloomed, and then it slowly withered. The petals fell down bit by bit, but it seemed that they would never stop falling. The ground was covered with a layer of petals. The woman threw the handkerchief into the air, and petal rain began to fall, but the handkerchief disappeared in everyone''s eyes. After the rain of petals fell, the woman slightly opened her hand and grasped it tightly in the air. When she opened her hand again, the brocade handkerchief was seen there.


    All the people in the hall were staring at her. They applauded, and even Shu Jin couldn''t help but show surprise and whispered to Emperor Ning.


    "It''s really good. It''s beautiful, but also wonderful. It''s really different from the acrobatics I''ve seen before," said Yun Shang. She smiled and looked at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "I know you women like this kind of tender performances."


    The women performers bowed and left. Then three men pushed a big drum in. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and saw the three men knocking on the drum with drumsticks. The drumbeats were loud and strong. Then, three of them slowly lay down on the ground, brandishing the dr


    her.


    "While the girls were performing, Qingyan told me that they were our women''s favorite tricks," Yun Shang smiled and whispered to Shu Jin.


    Shu Jin replied smilingly, "Yes, it looked great."


    They both smiled and sat down in the side hall together. The women performers were brought in, and the head of the Acrobatics Troupe walked in the front. She bowed and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, the petals we picked before have almost been used up. I''ll ask them to pick some more first. There are still some left here. If you feel bored waiting, Let me dye your nails first. "


    "Oh, you have this kind of craftsmanship? That''s good, " Yun Shang replied with a smile. She turned to Shu Jin and asked, "Mother, do you want to have a dye too?"


    Shu Jin smiled and said, "I don''t like it all the time. You know it."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled. She ordered someone to bring a small bowl and handed it to the woman. The woman picked the gold phoenix petals from the brocade handkerchief and put them into the bowl. She then crushed them with a stick. The alum was ready, and the woman took some.


    Yun Shang stretched out her hand. The woman held Yun Shang''s hand and took some crushed petals and juice with a small piece of wood, intending to apply them onto Yun Shang''s hand. With a brilliant smile, Yun Shang took over the small piece of wood and picked up the bowl filled with petals and juice. She opened the woman''s mouth and poured all the things in the bowl into her mouth.

 Chapter 1065 Be Decisive

    Yun Shang did it so fast. Before the people in the hall could react, she had already poured the buttercup liquid into the woman''s mouth.


    "Your majesty!"


    "Shang''er!"


    When Yun Shang put down the bowl, there were several exclamations.


    The crowd also hurried to surround Yun Shang, fearing that the woman would fight back. Yun Shang loosened her grip on the woman''s mouth, and the woman fell to the ground with a pale face, trembling all over.


    "Your Majesty, I have no enmity with you. Why are you so cruel to me, your majesty?" The woman looked up at Yun Shang, her body still trembling slightly. People who didn''t know her might think that she was scared by Yun Shang, but only Yun Shang knew that the poison in the buttercup liquid gradually worked.


    Yun Shang took out a brocade handkerchief and wiped her hands gently. Then she raised her eyes and smiled at the crowd. She looked at the woman''s face and said, "Dr. Chen, we haven''t seen each other for a long time. As soon as we met, you poisoned the flower which I used as nail polish and pretended to be innocent. You are better at talking nonsense."


    When Qian Zhuo heard Yun Shang''s words, she was a little stunned. Dr. Chen?


    After a pause, she suddenly widened her eyes and looked at the woman kneeling on the ground. Could it be her?


    There was a flash of panic in the woman''s eyes, but she quickly hid it. She bit her lips and struggled to support herself. "Your Majesty, I''m afraid you have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Si Jun."


    "Si Jun?" Yun Shang''s eyes became more fierce. "What a good name. Qian Zhuo, get a basin of water to wash her face. You''d better wash your face carefully."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s order, Qian Zhuo immediately understood what Yun Shang meant. She nodded and ordered the servants to fetch water.


    Seeing this, the woman knew that Yun Shang was not just guessing, but confirming her identity. Thinking of this, she bit her lips and said with hatred, "Yes, it''s me! I''ve become like this. Why do you still recognize me? "


    Yun Shang sneered and threw the handkerchief aside. "How long has Dr. Chen learned the acrobatics? It was quite good. However, you still didn''t know how to control your emotions. Just now in the hall, your eyes were full of affection when you looked at his majesty. That''s all right. However, when you turned to look at me, your eyes were full of resentment, as if you wanted to tear me into pieces. How could I ignore it? I was confused, so I deliberately led you into this side hall just now to know what you wanted to do. "


    "It was the faint smell of medicine from you when you knelt down in front of me just now. I know some medical skills, so I am naturally more sensitive to the smell of medicine. A young woman who knows medical skills admires his majesty and hates me. Who else can she be except you? " Yun Shang''s smile grew


    m the imperial household and doesn''t need to break through the guards at all. It''s good to let the assassin expose his whereabouts. Let them catch assassin first. Don''t delay. "


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes fell on Yun Shang. He paused for a moment, and then waved his hand as if he had lost his temper all of a sudden. "Hurry up. If you don''t catch the assassin today, you will be killed."


    Hearing this, the guard bowed in a hurry and ran away.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She didn''t expect that he was so good at Kung Fu that he could escape under the secret guards'' watch, making the inner palace in such a mess.


    When Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang returned to Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang lifted the Bao''er''s hood and saw him still looking at her with big eyes. Yun Shang felt a little strange. She couldn''t help laughing when she saw Bao''er blinking. "I''m afraid he has slept too much in the daytime. He is still not sleepy at this hour. Hua''er, take the Prince away. Feed him some porridge and let him sleep. "


    Hua''er quickly responded, took Bao''er over, bowed and left.


    As soon as Hua''er left, Qian Zhuo walked in and said, "Your majesty, I''m afraid he might have escaped from a hole that even the secret guard didn''t know after he noticed the secret guards. We haven''t found him yet, but the guards and secret guards have been searching everywhere. As long as he hasn''t left the palace, he will definitely not be able to escape."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and smiled, "He has served me for so long, but I didn''t expect that he is a hidden master. It''s not easy to find him in dark. You must be careful."


    The two of them continued to talk for a while, and then Hua''er hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in. Her face was full of anxiety. "Your Majesty, I don''t know why the Prince is crying. I can''t stop him."


    Yun Shang was confused. Wasn''t he fine just now? Why did he cry in a twinkling of an eye?

 Chapter 1066 Suspicion

    Thinking of this, Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the inner hall towards Bao''er''s room. Before she reached the door, Yun Shang heard Bao''er''s loud and clear cry, with a few slight coughs occasionally, which made her feel a little nervous.


    Yun Shang hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered the room. All the servants in the room were flustered, but they didn''t know what to do. Bao''er was in his crib, crying with red eyes.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang felt even more distressed. She picked up Bao''er in a hurry, wiped his tears with her sleeve, and whispered, "Good boy, Bao''er, don''t cry, don''t cry. What''s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable? "


    As she spoke, Yun Shang walked back and forth with Bao''er in her arms. Bao''er was still crying. He grabbed Yun Shang''s sleeve, stuffed it into his mouth and pulled it towards his right hand.


    "My sweetheart, mother''s sleeves are dirty. Don''t bite them." Yun Shang pulled her sleeve out of Bao''er''s mouth, but Bao''er suddenly cried loudly. Yun Shang was shocked and panicked. "Okay, okay. You can bite it. Don''t cry, okay?"


    Yun Shang lowered her head and was about to put her sleeve back into Bao''er''s mouth, but she saw Bao''er staring at the crib and pointing at that direction. Yun Shang was surprised. She looked in the direction of Bao''er''s finger and found that he was pointing at under the crib. He was also staring there.


    Many thoughts flashed through Yun Shang''s mind, but she quickly took two steps back to the door and protected Bao''er in her arms before speaking loudly, "Qian Zhuo, under the bed!"


    Qian Zhuo was taken aback by Yun Shang''s sudden voice, but she quickly lifted up her dress, took out the dagger tied to her leg, and went to the bed with Hua''er.


    There was indeed a man lying under the bed, wearing eunuch''s uniform. Seeing that the dagger in Qian Zhuo''s hand was about to stab him, he raised his face in a hurry and covered his face in panic. "Qian Zhuo, I''m Su Mu."


    "Stop!" [ÔÆÉÑ] quietly gave a secret signal and interrupted Qian Shang''s action loudly. Her face was full of doubts. "Sumo? Why are you here? Why do you stay under the Prince''s bed? "


    Hearing this, Su Mu quickly got up and knelt down. She bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I don''t know why I am here. Previously, I was on duty in Weiyang Palace. When I went to the bathroom, I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of my neck. I don''t know what happened. When I woke up again, I was already here."


    "Today there was an assassin in the inner palace. Did you see who knocked you out?" Yun Shang asked.


    Su Mu shook her head in a hurry, with sweat on his face, as if he was frightened to death. "I didn''t see it."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a smile suddenly appeared on Yun Shang''s face. She quickly left the room. The secret guards who had been waiting in all directions quickly rushed in. The door, the roof and the windows were tightly blocked.


    "Your majesty, I am Su Mu!" He raised his voice suddenly.


    Yun Shang sneered. She definitely knew


    Liu and Hua''er, and let Qing Hao pretend to have diarrhea, giving you a chance to save Cao Wenxi. But now I think I was being a little anxious. Although you''re good at martial arts, you can''t save Cao Wenxi by yourself. You must have some accomplices. I was anxious to catch you this time, so I have alerted them. But it doesn''t matter. I have a lot of patience. " Yun Shang smiled.


    "But I''m also curious. You''re still young. When the Cao clan was destroyed, I''m afraid you were not born. Why did you protect Cao Wenxi so wholeheartedly?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at Su Mu in confusion.


    Su Mu curled up his lips and said, "The Su family has been worked for the Cao clany for generations. It''s not strange. But I underestimated you. It doesn''t matter. As long as we still have someone, we have chances."


    Su Mu imitated the tone of Yun Shang and smiled, with determination in his eyes.


    "Damn it!" Yun Shang screamed. Before she finished her words, she saw Su Mu fall to the ground with a pale face and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.


    Qian Zhuo hurried forward to have a look. Then she raised her eyes and reported, "Your majesty, he is poisoned."


    Yun Shang nodded and said indifferently, "Carry him away. It''s good to get rid of one of Cao Wenxi''s helper."


    As Yun Shang spoke, her eyes fell on Bao''er in Hua''er''s arms again. Yun Shang stepped forward, took Bao''er, turned around and said to Luo Qingyan, "Bao''er was just scared. I''ll comforted him to sleep first, and then tell your majesty the details of tonight''s matter."


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, reached out to touch Bao''er''s head, and then turned back to the main hall.


    Yun Shang returned to Bao''er''s bedroom with Bao''er in her arms. She turned to the servants behind her, "You can leave now."


    Everyone looked at each other, but they quickly agreed and exited.


    There were only the two of them left in the room. Yun Shang reached out to touch Bao''er''s face and said, "I know you are not asleep..."

 Chapter 1067 Secret

    Yun Shang looked at Bao''er in her arms motionlessly, and saw her own hands trembling slightly. After two skilled doctors have diagnosed Bao''er as mentally disabled, she just hoped that Bao''er could grow up safely. But now she found that Bao''er was probably smarter than she had imagined, much smarter than children at his age, which made her heart trembling.


    In fact, she had doubted it before. She always felt that sometimes Bao''er seemed to be very intelligent. But she knew that he was mentally unstable, so she didn''t think too much.


    Now after what happened today, she had a vague guess in her heart, but it was too unbelievable. Yun Shang didn''t dare to tell anyone, including Luo Qingyan. She could only quietly avoid the crowd and test alone.


    Bao''er didn''t open his eyes, nor did he make any movement. Yun Shang''s heart was hanging in her throat. After a long time, she walked to the bedside and sat down. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Then she said, "In fact, I have also died once. In my previous life, I was also the princess of the State of Ning, Ning Yun Shang. But I was set up by others and died. Later, when I opened my eyes again, I found that I was reborn as my younger self at the age of eight. God has given me a chance to be reborn, and I will firmly grasp it. I will kill my enemies, avenge myself in my previous life, and find my own happiness. My only regret is that I haven''t protected you well. "


    Yun Shang sensed that Bao''er trembled slightly, but there was no other movement. Yun Shang smiled, and loosened her grip on Bao''er''s clothes a little. She continued, "I also had a child in my previous life, but I was too incompetent in my previous life, so he had been thrown out of the window from upstairs by his father, who was worse than a beast, and died. Maybe it''s because I was too miserable in my previous life that I couldn''t even protect the people I cared about. In this life, I''ve tried every means to make myself stronger. I don''t want to be incompetent again, and I want to protect my family. Mother, Chenxi, Qingyan, and you. "


    The baby in Yun Shang''s arms moved. Yun Shang couldn''t help but lower her head. She saw Bao''er open his eyes with complex emotions. He opened his mouth, but only lowered his head without saying anything.


    Yun Shang''s heart skipped a beat, and her hand loosened. Bao''er fell on the bed and looked up at Yun Shang. Yun Shang''s heart beat fast, but she tried to comfort herself not to push Bao''er too hard. She lowered her voice and asked, "You can understand my words, can''t youi?"


    Bao''er nodded slightly and lower his head again.


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang felt ecstatic, but a little worried. After a long silence, she asked, "You are reborned like me? "


    Bao''er kept silent for a while and finally nodded.


    Tears were welling up in Yun Shang''s eyes, and her voice


    aring this, Yun Shang was stunned for a long time. Then she lowered her head again, tears streaming down her face. "He is lucky to have you as his father in this life."


    "We are also lucky." Luo Qingyan chuckled, "We almost lost hope, but God suddenly gave us such a big surprise."


    Yun Shang nodded repeatedly, "Yes, we are also lucky."


    Luo Qingyan sat with Yun Shang for a while and said, "But now many people have known that Chengye is mentally unsound. Although they may use it as an arrow to attack us, it is also the protector of Chengye. In their opinion, it is impossible for a prince with mental disease to ascend the throne, so they won''t take him too seriously. In this way, he will be safe. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang understood what he was thinking. "Your Majesty, do you want Bao''er to continue to pretend to be mentally ill?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan nodded, "Mow many hidden dangers have not been eliminated. We can''t take the risk."


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and agreed, "Your Majesty is right. Ghost Doctor and Doctor Xue Yan had diagnosed him before. Because of Xia Houjing, many people knew about it and discussed it in secret. The more they believed that Bao''er was mentally ill, the less danger he would face. This secret will be revealed at a proper time. Moreover... "


    The two of them talked with each other excitedly for most of the night. They went to bed late. On the second day, when Yun Shang woke up, it was already past noon.


    Yun Shang sat up and looked at the sunlight coming in through the window. The corners of her mouth curved up. The weather was good, and even her mood was much better.


    Qian Zhuo seemed to have heard the noise. She opened the bead curtain, walked in and poked her head out. Seeing that Yun Shang had indeed sat up, she quickly asked, "Your Majesty, are you awake?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and asked, "Where is Bao''er?"

 Chapter 1068 His Former Majesty Returned To The Palace

    Yun Shang rarely asked about Bao''er when she woke up, what she usually asked was "where is his majesty?"


    As a result, Qian Zhuo was also surprised. She paused and said, "It''s a good day today. Hua''er and the wet nurse took the Prince to the Imperial Garden."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang blinked her eyes, lifted the quilt and stood up. "Help me wash and dress up. I''m also going to the Imperial Garden. It''s really a rare sunny day since autumn. The chrysanthemums in the Imperial Garden must be blooming this month, right?"


    Qian Zhuo hurried to the bead curtain, and the maids who had been waiting outside the door brought in all the toiletries. Then she stepped forward and helped Yun Shang into the bathroom. While twisting a handkerchief for Yun Shang, she said softly, "That''s right. Although your majesty had occasionally passed by the Imperial Garden these days, you didn''t seem to be in the mood to enjoy the scenery. The chrysanthemums had been blooming for a few days. There are all kinds of colors, but I like the yellow one in the west corner of the Imperial Garden best. "


    After washing her hands, Yun Shang took the handkerchief from Qian Zhuo and wiped her hands. She said with a smile, "I''ve been busy with dealing with Cao Wenxi, Xia Houjing, Chen Miaosi, and Su Mu. How could I have time to enjoy the flowers? But I feel much better today. And the problem I cared the most has finally gone."


    Qian Zhuo guessed wrong about Yun Shang''s meaning, so she smiled and said, "Cao Wenxi is indeed a hidden trouble. Now she can''t do anything as she is locked up in a private prison. You should rest assured, your majesty. As for Chen Miaosi, I didn''t expect her to be such a vicious woman as she seemed so gentle before. "


    Yun Shang didn''t explain. She just smiled and said, "Think about Cao Wenxi, Chen Miaosi, Empress Su and Lady Shu. Who didn''t look gentle and virtuous? The more vicious a person is, the more she will put on a mask, such as me. "


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly said, "Your majesty is different. You are wise, and those people are scheming."


    "What a honey-lipped girl." Yun Shang couldn''t help but laugh. She turned around and walked out of the bathroom.


    The servants had prepared the clothes according to Qian Zhuo''s order. Yun Shang sat down in front of the mirror. Qian Zhuo said with a smile, "Your majesty seem to be in a good mood today. I''m also happy."


    "Yes, I''m in a good mood." Yun Shang smiled.


    Qian Zhuo made Yun Shang a bun and took out a few hairpins for Yun Shang to choose. Yun Shang casually pointed at a hibiscus hairpin, and then Qian Zhuo inserted it into Yun Shang''s bun. She said in a low voice, "Su Mu has been disposed of yesterday. Do we need to choose a servant into our palace, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "No. I don''t need too many servants. I don''t like too many people. With so many people, I still feel uncomfortable. By the way, although Su Mu was dead, Cao Wenxi would not let it go. I''m afraid that the survivors of the Cao clan are stronger than we think. You''d better send more people to guard her. Don''t let her escape. "


    Qian Zhuo cur


    Chenxi ran over with his short legs. "Who is it? Who bullies my sister?"


    Hearing this, Emperor Ning turned around and picked up Chenxi. He pointed at Xia Huanyu and the others and asked, "Have you seen them?"


    Chenxi nodded, "yes, yes."


    Emperor Ning smiled, "Remember, the old man in the front and the fourth one. They bullied your sister and brother-in-law."


    "They''re all bad people. If I see them again, I''ll shoot them to death with a bow," Chenxi said angrily.


    Both Yun Shang and Emperor Ning couldn''t help laughing, but Shu Jin shook his head and said, "What did you teach me?"


    Emperor Ning turned around and walked back to the chair with Chenxi. He pursed his lips and said, "What did I teach him? Teach him to protect his sister. I''ll follow Shang''er when you go back to the palace. I can''t let her suffer losses. "


    Chenxi turned around and said, "I''m going with you. I can''t let sister suffer."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I''m not that easy to be bullied."


    After the meal, Emperor Ning had no mood to go shopping. He took Yun Shang and the others back to the palace. When Yun Shang went back to Weiyang Palace, she saw Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu waiting at the door. "Your majesty, His Former Majesty is back."


    "Yes, I know. Where is he now?" Yun Shang said calmly.


    "His Former Majesty, Prince Xian, and the seventh Prince are in the Meeting Hall. Her fomer majesty has returned to the Taihe Palace." Qian Liu answered softly.


    Yun Shang nodded, "They are still in the Meeting Hall, so I''m not in a hurry. I''m going to change my clothes."


    Yun Shang went into the palace and changed into the court clothes. As soon as she walked out of the inner palace, she saw Liu Wenan coming in from the outside. He bowed to Yun Shang and said, "Your Majesty, her former majesty is back. She asked you to the Taihe Palace and have a chat."


    Yun Shang frowned. Liu Wenan worked for Xia Huanyu. How could he obeyed Hua Ling''s order? She was afraid that Xia Huanyu had returned to the Taihe Palace from the Meeting Hall. But why did he call her in the name of Hua Ling?

 Chapter 1069 Different Intentions

    Yun Shang hesitated, and the Emperor Ning noticed something was wrong. He stepped forward and asked, "Mister Liu, has His Former Majesty returned to the palace? I''ve been here from Ningguo for quite some time. As His Former Majesty was not in the palace, I haven''t had a chance to have a good chat with him. I happen to be here now, so I want to visit this old friend. "


    Yun Shang suddenly realized why Xia Huanyu called her in the name of Hua Ling. He must be on guard against Emperor Ning. If Xia Huanyu called her in his own name, Emperor Ning would certainly go with her. In that case, even if he wanted to do something to Yun Shang, he wouldn''t dare to do it easily because of the presence of Emperor Ning. But in the name of Hua Ling, it was different. Hua Ling was a female member of the palace after all. It was inappropriate for Emperor Ning to visit her, so that Emperor Ning would not go with Yun Shang


    However, Emperor Ning''s words helped Yun Shang solve the crisis. She wanted to see how Liu Wenan would answer. Xia Huanyu must have returned to the palace. If Liu Wenan told the truth, Emperor Ning could go with her. If Liu Wenan didn''t tell the truth, she would have a way to deal with it.


    Although she was not afraid of Xia Huanyu, she didn''t want to be so unprepared.


    Hearing this, Liu Wenan was slightly stunned, with a bit of embarrassment on his face, "Oh, I really don''t know. But before I came here, His Former Majesty was discussing government affairs with his Majesty in the Meeting Hall, but I don''t know if he is still there. Your majesty, why don''t you stay here for a while? I''ll go and inquire about it. And I''ll call you back later. What do you think? "


    ''A crafty old fox, '' Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and sighed in her heart, but she didn''t show any trace on her face. She smiled and said, "Father, please sit here for a moment, but Mother can go to the Taihe Palace with me."


    Hearing this, Lady Jin also stood up and said with a smile, "Shang''er is right. I should go to pay respects to the old empress."


    Yun Shang responded with a smile. Then she turned around and ordered Qian Zhuo, "Bring the Prince here. Her former majesty has been away from the palace for more than half a year. I''m afraid she misses Chengye very much since she hasn''t seen him for such a long time."


    A hint of astonishment flashed through Liu Wenan''s eyes when he saw this. Then he lowered his head and stood aside silently, letting Yun Shang get everything ready there..


    Hua''er soon took Bao''er in her arms and put on a cloak for him. He looked very happy. Yun Shang touched Bao''er''s head and smiled, "Your grandparents are back. Let''s go and visit them."


    Bao''er rolled his eyes at Yun Shang, blinked and lowered his head.


    Yun Shang left Qian Liu and Pei Lan to take care of Emperor Ning, and left the Weiyang Palace with Shu Jin and Bao''er. As soon as they walked out of the gate of the Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang looked up at Liu Wenan and said, "Mister Liu, you don''t need to follow me. Go and help my father check if His Former Majesty is still in the Meeting Hall."


    Getting Yun Shang''s order, Liu Wenan quickly responded and stopped. He didn''t tu


    grown up like this."


    Yun Shang replied with a smile, "Yes. Children grow faster."


    Hua Ling put Bao''er on the ground and coaxed in a soft voice, "Come on, Bao''er. Take two steps to show Grandma."


    Bao''er held Hua Ling''s hand and stood on the ground with a smile. He turned around and glanced at Yun Shang. Then he ran towards Yun Shang with his short legs and held Yun Shang''s legs. Yun Shang squatted down with a smile and pointed at Hua Ling, "Bao''er, go to Grandma."


    Then Bao''er turned to look at Hua Ling with confusion in his eyes. After a while, he giggled, but didn''t go forward to Hua Ling as Yun Shang said.


    Xia Huanyu stood aside and watched them quietly. After a long time, he asked, "Can he speak now?"


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile and replied softly, "Not yet."


    Xia Huanyu sneered. But before he was about to say something, Hua Ling replied, "Boys should be a little late to begin to speak."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and said smilingly, "Yes. Many people say so."


    Shu Jin also took over the topic and said with a smile, "My Chenxi hasn''t started to speak until he was almost two years old. Now he is like a chatterbox and doesn''t want to be quiet for a moment. Shang''er could speak much earlier. She was able to call Mother before she was one year old. "


    Hua Ling stood up, walked to Yun Shang''s side, squatted down, and looked at Chengye saying, "Chengye, good boy. Come to Grandma. Grandma will give you delicious food."


    Chengye turned to look at Hua Ling and fell into her arms.


    It seemed that Xia Huanyu couldn''t sit still any longer. He glanced at Yun Shang and said indifferently, "I haven''t played chess with the Empress for a long time. I heard that the Empress has become better at chess. Lady Jin, please talk with the old empress for a while. The Empress can play chess with me." With that, he stood up and went to the study.


    Shu Jin paused and turned to Yun Shang. Yun Shang smiled and said, "Hua''er, stay here to take care of the Prince. Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo will go with me."


    They three responded. And Yun Shang followed Xia Huanyu to the study.

 Chapter 1070 Tension

    After entering the study, Xia Huanyu turned around and stared at Yun Shang coldly.


    Yun Shang pretended to know nothing and looked around. Then she looked up at Xia Huanyu and asked in confusion, "Father, aren''t you going to play chess? Where is the chessboard? "


    With impatience on his face, Xia Huanyu said indifferently, "Don''t play tricks on me. You know why I asked you to come. Where is Lady Cao?"


    He was so anxious that he didn''t even try to hide it.


    With a sigh on her face, Yun Shang bit her lips and said after a long time, "I''ve asked his majesty to send a message to father. Lady Cao is dead."


    Of course, Xia Huanyu didn''t believe it. He sneered, "dead? Then tell me, what crime did she commit? Why did you kill her, your majesty? "


    Yun Shang slightly bent her knees and bowed before saying, "Father, you are not in the palace recently, so you don''t know a lot of things. Lady Cao is usually gentle and virtuous, but I don''t expect that she would steal my private seal when I and his majesty were not in the palace. She wanted to rebel, set up Lady Li, and even said wildly that his majesty and your former majesty were not qualified to be emperors, If she wanted, the State of Xia would be hers. Such shocking words naturally enraged me. I used too much strength to hit her and accidentally killed her. "


    Yun Shang raised her head to look at Xia Huanyu. Seeing that Xia Huanyu''s face gradually turned livid, Yun Shang continued, "I killed her by accident, but I think she deserved it as she was being such rebellious and vicious."


    "Your ability to lie is getting better and better. But no matter what you say, I don''t believe it either. If you really killed her, how could the city be so calm now?" Xia Huanyu pounded the table and said angrily.


    A smile flashed across Yun Shang''s eyes. It turned out that Xia Huanyu really knew everything. When he heard that Lady Cao was dead, he was just worried that the two secrets would be spread out, so he returned to the Jin City in such a hurry. But when he arrived at the Jin City, he found that everything was as calm as usual. Then he realized that he had been deceived.


    Although Yun Shang had guessed in her heart, she looked at Xia Huanyu with confusion on her face. "Now that the rebellion is over, there is no external trouble, and there is no natural disaster. Shouldn''t the Jin city be peaceful?"


    Xia Huanyu stared at Yun Shang for a long time, and his eyes became colder. "Ning Yun Shang, do you think I can do nothing to you since you are the Empress of the State of Xia? Do you think you can hide the secret that you are infertile and Chengye is mentally disabled forever?"


    Yun Shang squinted slightly. After a while, she said, "So what? It''s better than father. Father, do you know why the Jin city is so quiet now? Let me tell you, because Cao Shanxiu has just disappeared. for eight days. Two days later, the city will not be so peaceful. "


    A flame of fury rose in Xia Huanyu''s eyes, but Yun Shang looked away indifferently. "I


    u still looked a little unhappy. He must be very angry with Yun Shang.


    When Xia Huanyu saw Luo Qingyan, his face became colder. He said indifferently, "Have you finished the political affairs? Why did you come so early?"


    The smile on Luo Qingyan''s face faded away, and he said indifferently, "I have dealt with everything that should be dealt with. Mother has come back to the palace. As her son, I should come to visit her."


    Xia Huanyu sat down without saying a word. He occasionally looked at Yun Shang with hostility.


    Perhaps it was because Luo Qingyan was also here and there was no chance, Xia Huanyu didn''t make a move. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan chatted with Hua Ling for a while and then left the Taihe Palace.


    When they returned to Weiyang Palace, Emperor Ning was already impatient. He frowned and asked, "Why have you been there for so long? Then why didn''t Lord Liu tell me where Xia Huanyu is? "


    Without waiting for Yun Shang''s answer, Shu Jin said, "It''s late today. We should go out of the palace."


    Emperor Ning was stunned. Seeing the expression on Shu Jin''s face, he knew something was wrong. He stared at Yun Shang for a while, and then left the Weiyang Palace with Shu Jin with a frown.


    "Did he make things difficult for you?" When the two returned to their bedroom, Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and asked.


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile and said, "Nothing. Xia Huanyu and her former majesty have returned to the palace. But have your majesty seen Liu Yinfeng?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "Yes, I did. But I noticed that something was wrong with Liu Yinfeng. He looked absent-minded when he talked to me. I asked him where Xia Houjing is now, but he said he didn''t know. I asked him what happened in Yang Liu Town, and he kept frowning and saying nothing. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang frowned and bit her lips. She raised her head and said softly, "Once the news that Cao Wenxi is still alive is spread out, the person I''m most worried about is Liu Yinfeng."

 Chapter 1071 Visitors At Night

    "You are worried about Liu Yinfeng the most?" Luo Qingyan didn''t understand. He looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Yun Shang walked around the room and said in a low voice, "Cao Wenxi is the biological mother of Liu Yinfeng and Xia Houjing, but she was separated from Xia Houjing as soon as Xia Houjing was born. I''m afraid that Xia Houjing doesn''t have any feelings for her. If he can get the throne after killing her, I''m afraid that Xia Houjing won''t hesitate. But Liu Yinfeng was different. Liu Yinfeng was six or seven years old when Cao Wenxi was away from him. He must have a deeper affection for her. If he knows that Cao Wenxi is still alive and is in my hands now, I''m afraid that he will try his best to save her. "


    "What you are thinking about is completely possible. Although Liu Yinfeng looks gentle, he is affectionate deep inside. If he is on the opposite side of us, he is also a strong opponent. " Luo Qingyan sighed.


    Yun Shang nodded, "That''s what I''m worried about. Your majesty, do you have a good way to avoid it?"


    Luo Qingyan walked to the couch and sat down. He gently knocked on the table. After a long silence, he said, "Dare you make a bet?"


    "Bet?" Yun Shang looked puzzled and didn''t know what Luo Qingyan meant. "Your Majesty, what is the bet?"


    "Let''s bet on Liu Yinfeng''s choice." Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang''s hand and let her sit down next to him. "Since we are worried about Liu Yinfeng''s reaction after he knows the matter, we''d better tell him in person rather than let others tell him. At least, we can know his reaction and thoughts by then and then make preparation."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang sighed, "I don''t know if it''s a good thing or a bad thing for Liu Yinfeng. However, Liu Yinfeng is always upright. I''m willing to believe him this time. When will you tell him? "


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and said, "We''d better hurry up. Tonight, we will go to Prince Xian''s mansion in person."


    "But now that Xia Huanyu has returned to the palace, he must be paying close attention to us. I''m afraid it''s difficult for us to sneak out of the palace." Yun Shang couldn''t help but feel a little worried. "Why don''t you call Liu Yinfeng to the palace?"


    "The palace is not a place to talk. I''ll solve the problem." Luo Qingyan looked calm and confident.


    Yun Shang asked curiously, "What are you going to do with it, your majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his index finger and smiled, Hhow did Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling escape when they were in Lingxi City?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while. At that time, she sent her secret guards to follow Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling. They all followed them out after seeing Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling leave. Unexpectedly, the two people who left were not Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling at all.


    "Get away like the cicada sloughing its skin?" Yun Shang blinked.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Shang''er always said that we should give him a dose of her own medicine, didn''t you? This time, let''s also use this trick. "


    as soon as he finished his words.


    "Disguise?" Hearing this, Liu Yinfeng seemed to be lost in his memory. After a while, he shook his head and said, "I haven''t heard that my mother knows this."


    Yun Shang said in a low voice, "Your highness must have also been deceived by your mother. The person who died that year was the real Lady Cao, and your mother disguised herself as Lady Cao and stayed in the palace for more than twenty years."


    Liu Yinfeng was stunned for a long time, but he still couldn''t believe it. He shook his head and said, "It''s impossible. Why did she do that? When she entered the palace, she had decided to follow my father after giving birth. After my father''s death, she had been like losing her soul. If she wanted to live, why did she disguise as Lady Cao and be restrained in that palace? "


    Yun Shang sighed. She also knew that this matter had a great impact on Liu Yinfeng, and what would be said next would probably be more difficult for him to accept, but Yun Shang had to say it.


    "Your father didn''t like to be the emperor, so he entrusted the throne to His Former Majesty and left the Jin city. But what your mother didn''t expect was that after His Former Majesty ascended the throne, he discovered that the Cao clan had some bad intention. Moreover, the Cao clan was corrupt. If he wanted to protect the State of Xia, he had to eliminate the Cao clan. His Former Majesty wrote to your father and got his approval, then he ordered to get rid of the Cao clan. When your mother heard this, the Cao group had been destroyed. Although your mother is extremely sad, she pretends not to care about it. She tampered with your father''s daily meal. " Yun Shang''s voice gradually became heavy.


    "You were with them at that time. Think about it carefully. When your father left the Jin City, he was still in good health. But later, he gradually got worse?"


    Liu Yinfeng''s body trembled and his eyes were full of shock and pain. "You mean, my mother poisoned my father?"

 Chapter 1072 Unacceptable Truth

    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and nodded, "Yes. At that time, your mother wanted to avenge the Cao clan. Your father was in poor health gradually. Later, after your mother was pregnant, she poisoned him to death. And then she entered the palace on the excuse of your father''s death and the safety of her unborn baby. "


    "But her true intention was just to take revenge. I don''t know what happened that year, but the real imperial seal fell into your mother''s hands. Your mother entered the palace, but Xia Huanyu was heavily guarded. Even if your mother used the last bit of power of the Cao clan, she couldn''t find a good opportunity to take revenge. Later, your mother gave birth to Xia Houjing, then she had no reason to stay in the palace. She directly killed Lady Cao and disguised Lady Cao as her appearance, making people think that she had committed suicide. Then she disguised herself as Lady Cao and stayed in the palace to wait for the right time. " Yun Shang''s voice became lower.


    Liu Yinfeng trembled with disbelief.


    Footsteps came from outside, and Yun Shang stopped. The servant who had been ordered by Liu Yinfeng to pour tea came back. He put the cups on the table beside Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, bowed and left.


    Yun Shang picked up the teacup, opened the lid, blew the foam off, took a sip of tea, and continued, "During this period, your mother has been secretly developing the remaining power of the Cao group. But Xia Huanyu has never given your mother a chance either. Your mother has given birth to the fifteenth Princess with Xia Huanyu. "


    Liu Yinfeng trembled and looked up at Yun Shang in disbelief.


    Yun Shang''s face darkened, and there was no smile on it. Liu Yinfeng knew that Yun Shang was not joking, and he was even more at a loss.


    "Later, somehow your mother''s identity was seen through by Xia Huanyu. Xia Huanyu sent your mother into the cold palace, but your mother threatened him with the scandal that she and Xia Huanyu gave birth to the fifteenth Princess and the matter of the imperial seal. Therefore, even if Xia Huanyu hates her very much, he doesn''t dare to do anything to her." Yun Shang whispered.


    Liu Yinfeng shook his head repeatedly, his eyes full of panic. "No, it''s not like that. If His Former Majesty knows my mother''s identity, why does he favor the seventh Prince so much and trust me over the years?"


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "I thought it was because your father was Xia Chun. Your father gave the throne to His Former Majesty, so he take cares of you more. Now I understand that it''s probably not the case. He treats you so well because he is afraid of your mother. And I''m afraid he also wants to restrict your mother. The more intimate you two are with him, the less likely your mother will dare to take action. "


    However, Liu Yinfeng gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I don''t think so. I''m afraid that he just pretends to be good to us to show my mother. Although my brother had recovered, he had been extremely weak before. My brother''s illness must have something to do with His Former Majesty.


    upright. He always respected His Former Majesty and missed his mother very much.


    Now overnight, he found that the two people he respected were not like what he had imagined. It was hard to accept for a moment.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Liu Yinfeng for a long time and said, "I can let you see your mother first."


    Liu Yinfeng looked up at Luo Qingyan, holding his clothes tightly. After a while, he said, "I don''t know how to face her."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan also fell silent. They looked at each other for a while, not knowing how to comfort him.


    After a long time, Liu Yinfeng said, "Forget it. I have to face what I should face.I''ll meet her."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Prince Xian, it''s up to you when to see her. The sooner, the better. After all, there are only two days left before the deadline set by your mother."


    Liu Yinfeng nodded. Yun Shang stood up with Luo Qingyan and left.


    When the servants waiting in the yard saw Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang come out, they bowed in a hurry. After the two of them left, Qing Feng looked up carefully and asked, "Have they left?"


    Another servant replied, "Yes."


    Hearing this, Qing Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up and said, "The Emperor and the Empress are unusual. Why did they jumped into the yard instead of entering from the main gate. I was shocked."


    Then he straightened his clothes and walked quickly to the main hall.


    "Your Highness, it''s late at night. You''d better go to bed early..." Qing Feng raised his voice, but his voice suddenly stopped. A moment later, he said in panic, "Help, uncle Hu, his highness fainted."


    The man called Uncle Hu rushed in and saw Liu Yinfeng lying on the ground with a pale face.


    Uncle Hu hurriedly said, "Hurry up. Call the doctor. I''ll carry his highness to the bed."


    Qing Feng quickly stood up and ran out of the door, but he tripped over the threshold and fell to the ground. Regardless of the pain, he quickly stood up and ran outside. "What did his majesty and her majesty say? Why did his highness suddenly pass out? "

 Chapter 1073 Countermeasures

    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang knew nothing about what happened after they left. The two of them climbed the wall and returned to the palace in a hurry, but the palace was quiet. Yun Shang looked around and then looked up at Luo Qingyan who was holding her behind. "Something is wrong."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "We haven''t returned to Weiyang Palace yet. It shouldn''t be so quiet."


    The two looked at each other. Yun Shang meditated for a moment and took out a flute from her sleeve, sending a message to the secret guard. For a long time, there was no response.


    "I''m afraid something has happened in Weiyang Palace. Let''s go to Taiji Palace first." Luo Qingyan made a decision at once.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and carefully avoided the guards who were patrolling back and forth. They arrived at the front of the hall. There were two eunuchs standing in front of the hall, who were dozing off. Yun Shang took out a small white jade bottle from her sleeve. She walked quietly to the two eunuchs, and held the bottle close to their noses. The two eunuchs then leaned against the wall and fell asleep.


    Luo Qingyan pushed the door of Taiji Palace open, and the two of them quickly entered the hall.


    Since Luo Qingyan was not in the Taiji Palace, there were still a few lights on in the hall, but there were no servants on duty. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan sat down on the steps in front of the dragon throne. Luo Qingyan said, "The matter of the private prison I arranged before must be able to attract the attention of Xia Huanyu. I thought he wouldn''t find out it was our trip before we came back. But now the palace is so quiet. I''m afraid something has happened. I''m afraid that Xia Huanyu has seen through our plan in advance, and the secret guards at Weiyang Palace didn''t respond just now. They must have been controlled by someone sent by Xia Huanyu. "


    "What should we do now?" Yun Shang frowned and asked softly.


    "Even if Xia Huanyu finds out that he followed the wrong person, he doesn''t know where we have gone. We still have secret guards with us. Divide them into three groups. One group will go to the Weiyang Palace to inquire about the situation. One group will go out of the palace and called two or three courtiers to enter the palace, asking them to climb over the wall instead of entering from the palace gate. Another group will go to the palace gate. There are also people we have planted among the gate guards. They could tamper with the records at the palace gate and colluded with other guards to make false testimonies. " Luo Qingyan arranged carefully.


    Yun Shang frowned and thought for a while. Then she nodded and said, "In this case, it proves that we haven''t left the palace, so Xia Huanyu won''t doubt that we went to Liu Yinfeng. But I''m afraid it''s not appropriate to send someone to Weiyang Palace. Since Weiyang Palace has been controlled by Xia Huanyu, if we send our secret guards to inquire about it, they will know that we have doubts, I''m afraid it will disturb our arrangement. I have also arranged some spies in other palaces. Since what happened tonight is so serious, I''m sure they have also known it. I''ll write down the name of the palace and our spies, and then ask the secret guards to look for them a


    two men kowtowed repeatedly and replied. Yun Shang looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, turned around and slowly entered the Taiji Palace.


    A voice came from the Taiji Palace, and someone said, "Your Majesty, I thought it would be difficult to ask the officials to offer money and food. However, there must be a lot of old clothes in their mansions. Although the clothes are old, the materials must be good. Now the weather was getting colder, but I''m afraid the people of Liucang City don''t have enough clothes. We could collect those old clothes and send them to Liucang City. The old clothes will be useful for the people, and the local officials can''t get any benefit from it, so they can be sent to the refugees. "


    "Lord Li, it''s really a good idea." Luo Qingyan said in a clear voice. The two eunuchs kneeling outside the door looked at each other, with sweat on their foreheads and horror in their eyes. Seeing Yun Shang enter the Taiji Palace, they stood up in a hurry, and one of the eunuchs rushed to Weiyang Palace.


    In less than an hour, footsteps came from outside the hall. The people in the hall looked at each other, but pretended not to hear anything. They were busy discussing.


    The door was pushed open. Xia Huanyu stood at the door, expressionless, but his eyes seemed to be frozen with frost and snow.


    Yun Shang put down the writing brush in her hand, stood up, walked behind Luo Qingyan, and bowed to Xia Huanyu, "Father."


    "His Former Majesty."


    Luo Qingyan looked up at Xia Huanyu with a smile on her face, "Father came late at night. Is there anything urgent?"


    Xia Huanyu glanced at the people in the hall indifferently and walked to the middle of the hall. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "I''m discussing political affairs with them."


    "Discuss political affairs?" Xia Huanyu sat down on a chair, but his eyes fell on Yun Shang. "Since you are discussing political affairs, why is the Empress here? Female members of the Imperial Household are not allowed to meddle with the state affairs. This is a rule set by our ancestor. Does the Empress want to break this rule? "

 Chapter 1074 Conjecture

    Yun Shang smiled faintly, bowed, and said in a softer voice, "Father, as you can see, I didn''t mean that. It''s just that I heard that his majesty was still dealing with the memorials in the Taiji Palace, and I thought that it was colder recently. His majesty didn''t wear enough clothes, so I took a cloak to his majesty. I heard that they were discussing that people in Liucang City have suffered a lot of losses because of Xia Houjing''s rebellion. Food has been taken away by the traitors, and a lot of crops have been ruined. As many men had been force to join thearmy at the beginning of the rebel, there was no harvest this year."


    Xia Huanyu frowned and said nothing. No one knew what he was thinking. Yun Shang smiled and said, "I heard about it, so I thought that we should also be frugal in the palace, and save money to relieve the disaster."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished her words, Deputy Minister of Revenue, Lord Wang, said, "The previous preparation for disaster relief were mostly about natural disasters, and we know what herbs we should prepare. But this one was caused by war. We have no experience about that. I heard that the Empress knows some medical skills, so I asked her about what herbs we should prepare. "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and smiled, "It''s too late today. I don''t want to disturb Official Wang. I have nothing else to do, so I just record the discussion for his majesty."


    "Oh? What have you discussed? Let me have a look. " Xia Huanyu sneered.


    Luo Qingyan winked at [Yun Shang, and Yun Shang handed the record to Xia Huanyu. Xia Huanyu opened it and read it carefully. Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "We''ve discussed it for nearly four hours, and it''s quite effective. The imperial edict will be issued tomorrow morning."


    Raising his eyebrows, Xia Huanyu closed it and said indifferently, "Something happened in the palace before, and it was a mess. Fortunately, I went there early. But why didn''t people in Weiyang Palace know you were in the Taiji Palace?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "After dinner, I went to the Imperial Garden with her majesty to enjoy the flowers. Later, I received an emergency report and went straight to the Taiji Palace. Her majesty walked in the Imperial Garden for a while and saw that I didn''t take my cloak, so she sent it here. We two took a walk in the palace. We don''t need to report to the servants. "


    Yun Shang saw Xia Huanyu''s eyes were full of disbelief.


    "Something happened in the palace? What happened? " The smile on Luo Qingyan''s face gradually disappeared. He looked up at Xia Huanyu with confusion in his eyes.


    Xia Huanyu''s eyes swept across the people in the hall. He frowned and waved his hand casually. Then he turned around and said, "It''s okay. You can continue to discuss your business."


    Everyone hurried to see off His Former Majesty. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other and smiled. They breathed a sigh of relief. After staying in the Taiji Palace for a while, the two of them let the


    Palace, they saw Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo waiting at the door. Seeing the figures of Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan, the two of them rushed forward and asked, "Your Majesties, are you all right? Did His Former Majesty make things difficult for your majesties? "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Everything is fine. What about you? Are you scared? "


    Qian Zhuo nodded, bit her lips and said, "Yes, you''re right. His Former Majesty directly caught everyone. As soon as they entered Weiyang Palace, he ordered his secret guards to keep an eye on us and not to let anyone in or out. Even our secret guards couldn''t send messages out. I was worried that you would suddenly come back..."


    "Your master is not that stupid. As soon as we noticed the silence in the palace, we felt something was wrong." Yun Shang smiled and said, "It''s late at night. I''m a little tired. Go and get some hot water. Wash yourself and have a rest."


    Qian Zhuo wanted to say something more, but was pulled by Qian Liu. She quickly said, "yes."


    On the second morning, Yun Shang woke up a little late. As soon as she woke up, she heard Qian Zhuo saying, "Your Majesty, his majesty sent a message earlier that Prince Xian has entered the palace and asked me to send someone to inform him when you wake up."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised. She didn''t expect that Liu Yinfeng would come so early. What happened yesterday might have a great impact on him. He might not sleep all night.


    "I see. Send someone to Meeting Hall to inform his majesty that I''ve been up." Yun Shang replied softly.


    After Qian Zhuo replied, Yun Shang got up, dressed and made up. After breakfast, she saw Luo Qingyan and Liu Yinfeng enter Weiyang Palace.


    Yun Shang stood up with a smile and greeted, "Your Majesty, Prince Xian."


    Liu Yinfeng and Yun Shang bowed to each other. Yun Shang asked someone to pour him a cup of tea. Then she said with a smile, "Prince Xian came to the palace today. Have you gone to Taihe Palace to greet His Former Majesty?"

 Chapter 1075 The Crown Princess (Part One)

    Liu Yinfeng''s face was a little pale. After a long time, he seemed to come to his senses. He nodded and said, "I''ve been there just now." After saying that, he fell silent again. His hands kept grabbing the clothes, as if it was difficult to hide his anxiety.


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan. She thought for a while and said softly, "Prince Xian, please have a cup of tea with his majesty in Weiyang Palace. I''m going to Taihe Palace to see His Former Majesty. Emperor Ning wanted to pay a visit to His Former Majesty yesterday, but His Former Majesty had a long trip and couldn''t see him. If His Former Majesty is free today, I''ll ask someone to invite Emperor Ning to the palace. "


    Liu Yinfeng was stunned, and then quickly responded. He stood up and bowed to Yun Shang. Yun Shang smiled and left Weiyang Palace with Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo.


    When they arrived at the Taihe Palace, Xia Huanyu still had a long face when he saw Yun Shang. Yun Shang ignored it and bowed to Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling with a smile.


    Seeing the expression on Xia Huanyu''s face, Hua Ling pulled Yun Shang to sit next to her and asked, "Have you had breakfast, Shang''er?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang smiled and said, "Yesterday, Emperor Ning wanted to visit father, but father was too tired. I wonder if he is free today."


    Xia Huanyu was holding a book in his hand, but he didn''t even raise his eyelids when he heard Yun Shang''s words. Yun Shang didn''t care about it at all. She said softly, "If father is free, I''ll send someone to invite him into the palace."


    Xia Huanyu still didn''t say anything, but Hua Ling smiled. She gently touched Yun Shang''s hand and raised her voice. "When I was in the State of Ning before, thanks to the care of Emperor Ning, I survived until today.


    dn''t Emperor Ning come to see me?"


    Hearing this, Emperor Ning sneered without hesitation and said indifferently, "His Former Majesty, you are too arrogant. How could I dare to see you! How much injustice my daughter has suffered in the State of Xia since she came to the State of Xia. Although His Former Majesty is her elder, if she does something wrong, it doesn''t matter to scold her. But if you have the heart to pick on her, I will not let you go."


    "Father..." Seeing that Xia Huanyu didn''t look well, Yun Shang tried to persuade Emperor Ning in a low voice.


    "Don''t interrupt me." Emperor Ning said indifferently. Then he looked at Xia Huanyu and said, "When her former majesty was in the State of Ning, I have never treated her unfairly. Luo Qingyan used to be a beggar on the street. If it weren''t for that the former Emperor took him as his adopted son, I''m afraid you wouldn''t have the chance to see him again. He was also respected as the God of war in the State of Ning, and I married my favorite daughter to him. Your wife and son have never been hurt in the State of Ning. I don''t ask you to repay me, but I don''t allow you to treat my daughter badly. "

 Chapter 1076 The Crown Princess (Part Two)

    Xia Huanyu took a deep breath, but slowly exhaled it out, without saying anything.


    Yun Shang observed his expression carefully and held the jade flute tightly in her sleeve.


    "You used to be the emperor of the State of Xia, controlling the life and death of everyone in the State of Xia. But now, you are no longer the emperor. There are some things that you shouldn''t worry about, and you don''t have to worry about them. If the State of Xia doesn''t accept my princess, I will take her back to the State of Ning. Don''t think that my Shang''er can''t live without the State of Xia. Shang''er is the smartest woman in the world. If she returns to the State of Ning, I can give her the supreme position of the State of Ning. " Emperor Ning became more and more excited.


    Yun Shang was indeed shocked and hurriedly said, "Father."


    Emperor Ning stopped, but his eyes lit up.


    Xia Huanyu still didn''t say anything. Emperor Ning turned around and left the palace again. Yun Shang secretly pinched her fingers in her sleeves to calculate the time, and quickly followed him out.


    Before Emperor Ning went far, Yun Shang caught up with him. "Father, don''t talk nonsense like you''ll give me the supreme position of the State of Ning in the future."


    Emperor Ning turned his head and stared at Yun Shang. He pondered for a while and said, "I really didn''t have such an idea before today..."


    Before Emperor Ning could finish his words, Yun Shang cut in, "Don''t do that after today. When I left the State of Ning, father had given me an imperial edict. It is clearly written on the imperial edict that Chenxi will be the Emperor of the State of N


    uld give the throne of the State of Ning to you.


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "He said it when he was angry. How can you take it seriously? What did Liu Yinfeng say to Cao Wenxi? How is she now? "


    Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "No matter what Liu Yinfeng says, there is no response from Cao Wenxi."


    Yun Shang looked a little disappointed and said in a low voice, "I expected. In the past twenty years, her desire for revenge has never disappeared. How could it change just because of a few words from Liu Yinfeng?"


    Just as the two of them were talking, a secret guard rushed over from outside. "Your Majesties, something is wrong. His Former Majesty has gone to the private prison. The secret guards are unable to resist. He has seen Cao Wenxi."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were shocked. Luo Qingyan stood up in a hurry and thought for a while. Then he turned to Yun Shang and said, "Since things have come to this, I''d better seize this opportunity to talk frankly with him. You can wait for news in Weiyang Palace."


    Yun Shang nodded and agreed.

 Chapter 1077 Schemes

    Cao Wenxi was now imprisoned in a private prison in her own palace. After her accident, although no one in the palace knew what she had done, they knew that she would have no chance to turn over.


    Cao Wenxi was not eye-catching in the imperial household. If Yun Shang hadn''t supported her after she became the Empress, others would have forgotten that there was such a person left in the imperial household.


    The sound of swords and blades faintly came from outside the private prison and gradually approached. Cao Wenxi frowned, but her body did not move. She leaned against the wall, holding a dry straw in her hand. She was fiddling with the straw in her hand from time to time, and soon made a thick braid with the straw. She pretended to be bored. After making up a long part, she threw the braid in her hand and pulled a new straw.


    The sound was getting closer and closer. After a long time, footsteps came down the steps. Without raising her head, Cao Wenxi stared at the straw in her hand intently.


    "You look quite relaxed." The man stood outside the prison for a long time before he opened his mouth.


    Cao Wenxi smiled, but still didn''t raise her head. "Your Former Majesty has a good taste. The Emperor and the Empress are not ordinary people. It took you six years to find out the secret, and they found it out in less than a year. But you have something in common. Except imprisoning me, you have no other way to deal with me. "


    Raising her eyes to look at the small window above her, Cao Wenxi smiled and said, "I have been counting the days since I came in. Today, it''s the ninth day since I came here. I heard that you were still in Yang Liu Town when I was just locked up. You came back very soon. But only one day left, will you let me go? Or continue to lock me here? "


    After saying that, Cao Wenxi suddenly laughed and said, "The world is so interesting. Thirty years ago, you racked your brains and destroyed all the members of the Cao clan, but you shouldn''t have let me go. Thank you for coming to see me, your former majesty. I think this place is good, with food and accommodation, and a good sleep at night. I don''t want to go out. Why don''t you beg me? Kneel down and beg me? The Empress said that she didn''t care whether or not the two secrets would spread. They didn''t want to deal with the scandals that you killed your father and brother and colluded with your sister-in-law. Ha ha! The imperial seal in my hand is the solid evidence. They don''t care, but can you just ignore them all? I wonder what her former majesty will think if she knows it. "


    As Cao Wenxi spoke, her smile became more and more arrogant.


    Blue veins stood out on Xia Huanyu''s forehead. He fixed his eyes on Cao Wenxi and said with a cold smile, "You have threatened me with these two things for more than more than 10 years. Do you think I will still have no denfense as 10 years ago? "


    Wendy''s laughter suddenly stopped, and a sneer appeared at the corners o


    There were still many blooming flowers in the Imperial Garden. Luo Qingyan didn''t like these flowers and plants. He looked up and only recognized chrysanthemums.


    "You came here in such a hurry and said you wanted to have a talk with me. After walking for a long while, you didn''t say anything. Are you here to stroll in the Imperial Garden with me?" Xia Huanyu curled his lips.


    Luo Qingyan walked to a pavilion by the lake and sat down. He looked up at Xia Huanyu and said, "Have a seat."


    Hearing this, Xia Huanyu couldn''t help laughing and sat down opposite Luo Qingyan.


    "The matter about Cao Wenxi is only a grudge between you elders. I shouldn''t have intervened with it with Shang''er. But Cao Wenxi has the evidence that is disadvantageous to the state, so I can''t just ignore it." Luo Qingyan said softly.


    "Leave it to me. You don''t need to worry about it. I will solve it myself. Now you should start to worry about how to reorganize the court principles. You have just ascended the throne, and the imperial examination which is held once every three years can be changed to once every two years. There were still many flaws in the military strength of the State of Xia. Although the State of Yelang retreated for the time being, Cangjue Qingsu was not a person who will easily give up. He would definitely make a comeback. What should you do with it? I admit that you and the Empress is good at battle, but you are the emperor and the empress, not soldiers. You couldn''t always fight in person. " Looking at his son with a smile, Xia Huanyu said, "I will definitely solve problems that should be solved by me."


    Luo Qingyan listened quietly and didn''t respond. After Xia Huanyu finished his words, he looked up and said, "You used to dote on Xia Houjing in order to comfort Cao Wenxi? You seem to dote on him very much, but in fact, you are plotting in secret. So that when Xia Houjing does something out of line, you could get the chance to defeat them all? "

 Chapter 1078 Old Courtiers

    After a moment''s silence, Xia Huanyu sighed slightly and said, "Yes, I did it on purpose. I just knew about Cao Wenxi''s matter at that time. She used some means to secretly support Xia Houjing. In order to cut off her thoughts, I did like this. But even so, although Xia Houjing is not my biological son, he has grown up around me. The so-called favor is not all fake. If Xia Houjing behaves well, I won''t stop spoiling him, but he is similar to his mother in character. "


    "In that case, why didn''t father tell us directly? In this way, we couldn''t have been suspicious for no reason." Luo Qingyan turned to look at the waves on the lake.


    Xia Huanyu smiled and said, "First, it''s really hard to tell others about it, and I believe I can solve it with my own efforts. Second, after you entered the palace, the Empress was close to Cao Wenxi. Her suspicion of me was more or less shown in front of Cao Wenxi, which could affect her judgment. Cao Wenxi is a very smart woman. If I tell you the truth, I''m afraid the Empress can''t do so well in front of her. "


    "Tomorrow..." Luo Qingyan asked.


    Xia Huanyu waved his hand and said, "You don''t need to worry about what will happen tomorrow. You just need to rest assured that I will never hurt you. "


    What Luo Qingyan was worried about was not this. After thinking for a while, he sighed slightly, stood up, bowed to Xia Huanyu, turned around and walked out of the pavilion.


    "Express my thanks to the Empress." Xia Huanyu''s voice came from behind with a little embarrassment.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Xia Huanyu in confusion, "Express your thanks to Shang''er? Why do you thank her? "


    Xia Huanyu lowered his head and smiled, "You can ask her. She is indeed a good wife, but if she really can''t get pregnant anymore, I won''t agree anyway."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and said coldly, "If father insists, I won''t agree you either." Then Luo Qingyan turned around and left without looking back.


    When she returned to Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang was sitting on the couch in the inner hall, with an embroidery stick in one hand and an embroidery needle in the other. She was looking at the needles shuttling back and forth in Qin Yi''s hand, frowning and distressed.


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing, "Oh, I didn''t see the sun rising from the west just now."


    Qin Yi stood up in a hurry and bowed, but Yun Shang just snorted and put the embroidery aside. She curled her lips and said, "I can use silver needle, and it''s easy to kill people with this silver needle. But why is it so difficult to embroider?"


    Luo Qingyan sat down beside her with a smile. He looked at the needle and thread that were entangled together at her hand and couldn''t help laughing. "Why do you suddenly learn embroidery?"


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes and sighed, "Nothing. I just want to do it because I haven''t embroidered clothes or a sachet for


    sip. Then she frowned and said, "Xia Houjing..."


    "I have generally known where he is now." Luo Qingyan clenched his fists in his sleeves secretly. "No accident. For the time being, I won''t take the initiative to hurt him for the sake of Xia Huanyu. If anything happens, I will definitely get rid of him."


    "That''s it." Yun Shang murmured, "Since everything is ready, let''s wait and see a good show tomorrow."


    "Your Majesty." Qian Zhuo''s voice came from outside. Yun Shang put down the teacup and said loudly, "come in."


    The sound of bead curtains colliding rang out. Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo. With a few flowers in her hands, she bowed to Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang and said, "When I was picking flowers in the Imperial Garden, the secret guards quietly reported that in the past two days, they have seen many old courtiers in the Jin city."


    "Those courtiers are getting old. Although most of them had lived in seclusion in the past, it''s normal for them to return to the Jin city to live a peaceful life." Yun Shang answered softly, fiddling with the embroidery stick and needle in her hand.


    Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t take it seriously, Qian Zhuo continued, "It makes sense if there is only one person. However, the secret guards had seen several ones, all of whom were high-ranked resigned courtiers. After Xia Huanyu took the throne, those courtiers all resigned and went back to their hometown. Now several people have come back in a row. I''m afraid it''s not just a coincidence. "


    Yun Shang''s hand, which was playing with the needle and thread, paused for a moment. She looked up at Qian Zhuo and asked, "Several ones?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded, stood up and put the flowers in her hand into the vase. Then she took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and said, "The secret guards have found out the names of the people they saw and their original identities. Please have a look, your majesty."

 Chapter 1079 Falling Ill

    Yun Shang took it over and scanned it roughly. She frowned and handed the paper to Luo Qingyan, with worry in her eyes. "It''s indeed unusual that so many old courtiers gather in the Jin city all of a sudden. Do you think these people were hired by Cao Wenxi just for the matter of the imperial seal?"


    Luo Qingyan took it over and said, "It''s hard to guess..." Luo Qingyan looked down at the list on the letter and continued, "But I don''t think the Cao clan is able to gather so many high-ranked courtiers. Moreover, the Cao clan has declined for so many years."


    "You are right." Yun Shang murmured to herself, but there was a little confusion in her eyes. "Then why did these people come? During this period of time in the Jin City, the biggest thing that is happening or about to happen was probably the matter of the imperial seal. If it weren''t for the imperial seal, I really couldn''t find the reason why they gathered in the Jin city. "


    "I don''t dare to make a conclusion on this matter at once. Qian Zhuo, ask the secret guards to inquire around..." Luo Qingyan paused and said, "There''s no need to ask others. You can ask Lord Hua Guo about the relationship between these people on the list and the Cao clan."


    Then Qian Zhuo bowed and left.


    Luo Qingyan put the list on the table and pressed it down with the glaze lamp. He raised his head to look at Yun Shang. Seeing that Yun Shang frowning, he walked to her and held her hand. "You once told Cao Wenxi that I am the emperor now. The imperial seal doesn''t matter much. Why do you look so worried now?"


    "I won''t lower my head in front of her, but it''s not the truth. Your majesty know it. In all ages, the imperial seal has been an important object for the emperor to inherit. Now the imperial seal in our hands is fake. It''s not proper for the real imperial seal to be lost. I don''t know what kind of evidence Cao Wenxi has to prove that the imperial seal in her hand is real, but judging from her confident look, she must not be pretending. Once this matter is exposed, it will definitely be a big storm. Maybe it is not enough to shake the State of Xia, but a lot of efforts are needed to calm it down. " After saying that, Yun Shang sighed, with a touch of sadness in her eyes.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and held Yun Shang''s hand tightly. "Don''t worry. Since we have known it so long in advance, I have been well prepared. Tomorrow, although there will be a battle between Xia Huanyu and Cao Wenxi, I will never let Xia Huanyu lose this battle."


    The firmness on Luo Qingyan''s face calmed Yun Shang down. "Well, since you said so, I believe you."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms with a smile and said softly, "But it must be a tough battle. You should also be careful. Although we have controlled Cao Wenxi now, the remaining members of the Cao clan have not been completely eliminated. Since to


    ll for an imperial physician. According to Qi Ruihai''s words, it is serious now.


    "Qian Zhuo, get my medicine box. Go to the Huaixiu Palace with me." Looking at the anxious look on Qi Ruihai''s face, Yun Shang raised her eyes and ordered Qian Zhuo.


    Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry. Qi Ruihai kowtowed again and again. "Thank you, your majesty."


    Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "Let''s go."


    When they arrived, Lady Wan had already been pacing back and forth in the palace. As soon as she saw Yun Shang, she ran out in a hurry. But she tripped over the high threshold of the main hall and fell to the ground. Her simple bun was loosened, which made Lady Wan''s pale face look even more desolate.


    A servant hurriedly helped Lady Wan up. Regardless of the dust on her body, Lady Wan quickly walked to Yun Shang and knelt down in a hurry. "Your majesty, please, please save my An An."


    An An seemed to be the nickname of the nineteenth Prince. Looking at Lady Wan''s red eyes and messy hair, Yun Shang sighed. Such an anxious expression reminded Yun Shang of herself in her previous life and she was more sympathy.


    Yun Shang helped Lady Wan up and said, "You don''t have to be so courteous, Lady Wan. Please take me to see the nineteenth Prince. Don''t delay."


    Lady Wan nodded and took Yun Shang into the inner hall. She was so anxious that she pinched Yun Shang''s hand so hard that it hurt. Yun Shang turned around to look at the tear on her face, but didn''t say anything. She just followed Lady Wan into the inner hall.


    The nineteenth Prince was lying on the bed, covered with two thick quilts. Yun Shang only saw a small head exposed outside. The nineteenth Prince''s eyes were closed, and his face was pale.


    Yun Shang frowned, "It''s not winter yet. Why is he covered with two thick quilts?" Yun Shang ordered Qian Zhuo to put the medicine box on the chair beside, and lifted the quilt on the top.

 Chapter 1080 Trapped

    Lady Wan looked at the nineteenth Prince on the bed, tears streaming down her face, and her eyes and brows were full of anxiety. "I don''t want to, either. Yesterday he kept saying that he was cold, so I took out the thickest quilt in the palace and covered him. But he still felt cold, and gradually lost consciousness and passed out. I had no idea what to do. I didn''t dare to call for an imperial physician or disturb you in the middle of the night. I touched his hand and thought he was still feeling cold, so I added another quilt. Your majesty, what''s wrong with An An? "


    Yun Shang asked Qian Zhuo to take the hand of the nineteenth Prince out of the quilt. Qian Zhuo frowned. Yun Shang glanced at her and then put her hand on his wrist. Yun Shang also frowned. He was indeed very cold.


    In no time, Yun Shang''s face changed. There was no pulse, no pulse at all.


    Yun Shang hurriedly put her hand away and put a finger under the nose of the nineteenth Prince. There was no breath. The nineteenth Prince on the bed was obviously dead. Even though Lady Wan was too anxious, it was impossible for her not to notice that her child had lost his pulse and breath.


    "Your Majesty, how is An An?" Lady Wan looked at Yun Shang worriedly.


    Seeing her like this, Yun Shang didn''t know how to say. She thought for a long time and was about to say something, but she heard Qian Shang''s voice coming from behind. "Be careful, your majesty. I feel weak and dizzy."


    Yun Shang was taken aback and thought quickly. Qian Zhuo was in a good condition just now. It must not be a coincidence. Someone must have done something.


    With a bang, Yun Shang saw Qian Zhuo fall to the ground from the corner of her right eye. Yun Shang didn''t think too much and responded, "What did you do? Why... Why do I feel sore all over my body and dizzy? "


    "Your highness, I''m sorry. I don''t want to do that, either. But I have no choice." Qi Ruihai''s voice came from behind.


    With a sneer, Yun Shang raised her head and rubbed her forehead before falling down.


    Lady Wan pushed Yun Shang in a hurry and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Qi Ruihai and said, "She finally fainted. I thought the maid with her was best at Kung Fu, but I didn''t expect her to hold on longer than her maid."


    Qi Ruihai nodded and looked at Yun Shang. Then he said softly, "I''ve heard that the Empress is good at Kung Fu. But fortunately, we put the poison on the child''s hand. No matter how smart she is, she couldn''t imagine it."


    "Let''s send her away as soon as possible. She must have secret guards with her. If she doesn''t go out after a while, the secret guards will come to look for her soon." Lady Wan still looked worried.


    Qi Ruihai nodded, walked to the bedside, lifted Yun Shang to the bed, and then moved Qian Zhuo to the bed. He pulled a rope by the bed, and with a click, the bed turned over. The three people on the bed slipped down, and the bed turned back, as if nothing had happened.


    In th


    ajesty killed his father and brother and ascended the throne, but he didn''t get the real imperial seal at all. He didn''t deserve to be an emperor. And there were imperial seal marks on the notes. "


    As Li Huaian spoke, he took out a few pieces of paper from his waist and raised them above his head with his hands. Liu Wenan hurried to Li Huaian, took them and handed them to Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan took them over and unfolded them.


    He didn''t expect that Cao Wenxi would spread the news in such a way that all the civil and military officials would know it.


    The officials in the hall whispered even louder.


    Luo Qingyan sneered and looked up at Li Huaian, "Since you saw the carriage, have you caught the person in it?"


    Li Huaian cupped his hands and replied, "Fortunately, I didn''t fail my task. I''ve caught him. The man said he was a member of the Cao clan and said he knew where the real imperial seal was. I thought it was a big deal, so I directly took that person her and he is waiting outside the hall. "


    Luo Qingyan frowned and said, "Why do you keep the person who talked nonsense?"


    When Luo Qingyan was about to issue an order someone to kill the man, the curtain of the side hall was suddenly lifted. A eunuch came out in a hurry and whispered something in Luo Qingyan''s ear. Luo Qingyan frowned slightly and said indifferently, "Bring the man to the hall."


    He was taken to the hall, but he stood straight in it with a sneer on his face and stared at Luo Qingyan.


    "How dare you! Kneel down now!" Liu Wenan frowned and raised his voice.


    The man laughed. "Even the imperial seal is fake. What kind of emperor is he?"


    Li Huaian frowned and lifted his foot to kick the man''s knee. The man felt pain and bent one of his feet, but he stabilized his body before he touched the ground. He looked at Luo Qingyan with mockery in his eyes and said, "Why are you so excited? Why don''t you take out the imperial seal? We can see whether it''s real or not."

 Chapter 1081 Confrontation

    After saying that, the man laughed again. "Oh, I forgot that the traitor killed his father and brother in the past, so he got the throne, but he didn''t get the imperial seal. Although he has been looking for the whereabouts of the imperial seal in the past few years, he has never found it. How dare he prove himself in front of me? "


    "Traitor?" Before Luo Qingyan could say anything, the curtain of the side hall was opened again. "Who are you talking about? You said you are a member of the Cao clan. Do you know that the Cao clan is the real traitor? How much money has the Cao clan corrupt, how many loyal ministers have they killed, and how many bad things have they done. You just hate me because I god rid of the Cao clan. I don''t know how long you have planned before you came up with such a charge. "


    "Kill father and brother?" Xia Huanyu walked out of the side hall slowly, his face full of coldness. "At that time, the emperor was seriously ill, and the crown prince was in charge of dealing with the state affairs. At last, the crown prince died, and finally I ascended the throne. In the eyes of others, it was indeed strange, but I''ve been hiding the truth as I promised the crown prince. I have a letter written by the crown prince. Since someone raised such a doubt in front of everyone today, and my brother is no longer alive, for the sake of the stability of the State of Xia, I should tell the truth to everyone. "


    As Xia Huanyu spoke, he took out a letter from his sleeve. "Han Mingqing, you and the crown prince Xia Chun were very close at that time, and you must be the most familiar with his handwriting. Come and check if the letter is written by him. If you are sure, read the contents of the letter to everyone."


    Han Mingqing was surprised when his name was mentioned. Then he responded and walked out of the courtiers. Liu Wenan handed the letter to him. He took it and looked at the envelope. He was a little surprised and took out the letter. He looked at it carefully, but didn''t say anything for a long time.


    "Is this letter real or not?" Someone asked.


    Han Mingqing hurriedly replied, "The handwriting on this letter is indeed the former crown prince''s. I''ll read it to everyone. Greetings. I knew that I don''t have much time left. Recently, I noticed that Wenxi seemed to mind the matter of the Cao clan very much. There must be hatred in her heart. I am worried that things would change in the future and be unfavorable to you, so I wrote down what happened in the past for you to use when you need it. If Wenxi didn''t do anything out of line, please continue to hide the secret. "


    After a pause, he continued, "In the 23rd year of Qian Ming, father was seriously ill and ordered me to deal with the state affairs. Although I was appointed as the crown prince because of my identity as the eldest prince, I don''t like to be an emperor. I always admire freedom and want to do what I want to do. As long as my family is harmonious, I will be satisfied. I knew that my father''s condition was bad, but I didn''t want to ascend the throne, so I begged my brother Xia Huanyu to take over


    p a charge. Lord Liu, do you want to impose the crime of murdering the Empress on me? But you''d better not leave the Taiji Palace. Otherwise, it will make people feel that His Former Majesty is afraid. "


    Xia Huanyu frowned. However, even though Luo Qingyan ordered the imperial guards to search the inner palace, he shouldn''t be so confident, as if he was sure that the imperial guards would find out Cao Wenxi. Could it be that they had planted spies in the imperial guards or the inner palace.


    However, Luo Qingyan had no response to the other noises in the hall. All he thought about was the disappearance of Yun Shang. He lifted his foot and was about to leave the Taiji Palace.


    "Your Majesty, where are you going? Since his majesty is leaving the Taiji Palace, we should follow him. Otherwise, we don''t know what will happen. " The man said again.


    Xia Huanyu frowned more tightly.


    Luo Qingyan rolled his eyes and walked to the old man. He grabbed the old man''s neck and asked angrily, "Tell me, where did you hide the Empress?"


    The old man was a little angry. His face turned red because of the suffocation, and there was indeed a strange smile on the corner of his mouth. "I don''t know, but if the emperor is willing to release our lady, maybe the Empress will be fine."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan was even more furious. He kicked the old man to the ground and said, "Guards, drag this man down and kill him."


    The old man coughed for a while before he calmed down and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, don''t be so angry. What I said is true. His Former Majesty has kept our lady in the palace for more than 20 years. His Former Majesty thinks that no one will know what you have done in the past if you don''t let her out?"


    There was silence in the hall. The old man coughed from time to time. "Everyone in the hall knows about this today. If his majesty and His Former Majesty don''t give a satisfactory answer, I''m afraid everyone will be confused..."


    Hardly had her voice faded away, a shrill voice of the eunuch came outside, "Her majesty is here..."

 Chapter 1082 Which Imperial Seal Is The Real One

    The announcement was repeated three times from far to near. Everyone in the hall showed different expressions. The old man in cotton clothes also seemed to be a little surprised, and his face darkened. In the entire Taiji Palace, the calmest person seemed to be Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang was wearing a long carmine dress, whose hemline was swaying on the ground, and her hair was a little messy. The original upright Phoenix hairpin was askew, and her expression was barely calm. Qian Zhuo followed behind with a pale face.


    Yun Shang walked in a casual manner, looking straight at Luo Qingyan, who was standing in front of the throne. She stopped in front of the hall, three or four steps away, slowly knelt down and bowed to Luo Qingyan, "Your Majesty."


    Luo Qingyan''s face changed. He breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "Qian Liu from your palace came to report that you were invited by Lady Wan to the Huaixiu Palace to take the pulse for the nineteenth Prince, and then you were missing. What has happened?"


    Yun Shang''s lips trembled slightly. She looked up at Luo Qingyan with some horror in her eyes, "It''s true. After I entered the Huaixiu Palace, I saw the nineteenth Prince covered with two quilts, and his face was pale. It seemed that something was wrong. I asked Qian Zhuo to take out the hands of the nineteenth Prince from the quilt and began to his pulse. Just then, Qian Zhuo screamed, saying that she was feeling a little sore and dizzy. And hardly had she finished speaking, she passed out. I was startled and wanted to check the situation, but I also fainted with the same symptoms. "


    "Fortunately, Qian Zhuo and I were only drugged, and both of us are martial artists, so we were able to wake up not long after. When I woke up, I found that we were locked up in a dark room. Presumably, the culprit didn''t expect that we would wake up so quickly, so there weren''t too many people guarding us. Thus Qian Zhuo and I got rid of the guards'' defenses and escaped. After weI escaped from the dark room, I found that we were in... " Yun Shang bit her lips but didn''t go on.


    "Where is it?" Luo Qingyan frowned and his eyes were flashing sharply.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and changed the topic. She said in a low voice, "I''m fine. The imperial guards are still searching around. Your majesty can withdraw them."


    Qian Zhuo looked anxious. She stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I know where her majesty and I were when we woke up."


    No sooner had Qian Zhuo finished speaking, than she was snapped by Yun Shang, "Qian Zhuo!"


    Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, "Yes? Where is it? "


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly kowtowed and raised her voice, "It''s in the Taihe Palace, in the dark room of His Former Majesty''s study. When I woke up, I heard His Former Majesty tell the guards to keep an eye on the people in the dark room. He said that her majesty was very smart and knew about the matters of the imperial seal as well as Cao Wenxi. Although her majesty would not talk nonsense for the sake of your majesty''s throne, he had to prevent her from letting out the secret. The best way was to lock her up and free her when things were not so tense. Besides, there is another woman


    e throne to his majesty. The remaining members of the Cao clan panicked. With time passing by, the hope of revenge would be more and more slim, so they worked out the plan about the real and fake jade seal and accused His Former Majesty of killing his father and brother in order to seize the throne. " Yun Shang smiled and turned to look at Luo Qingyan and Xia Huanyu.


    "Though the crime of His Former Majesty''s killing his father and brother is difficult to convince the public only by a letter from the Crown Prince and the words of Prince Xian, it''s easy to prove his former majesty''s innocence. I suggest your majesty and His Former Majesty might as well take out the imperial seal and let''s identify it together. However, most of the ministers in the court were either promoted by His Former Majesty or newly selected by his majesty. They probably don''t know what the real imperial seal looks like. As for Han Mingqing from the Imperial Hanlin Academy, he is an elder official for three dynasties. However, I''m afraid that it''s difficult to convince everyone with just a one-sided view, " said Yun Shang lightly as if murmuring to herself.


    Hearing this, Han Mingqing quickly stepped forward and said, "Your majesty, if you need several elders from the three dynasties, I can help because I know them. They have just returned to the Jin City to enjoy their retirement. These elders were also very famous in the court. Why not invite them to the hall and examine the imperial seal?"


    "Since there are several elders, I think they can prove it," Yun Shang looked up at the old man in cotton clothes and said, "Steward Cao, isn''t that the reason why you came here today? Do you think it''s a good idea? "


    "Can your majesty make a decision?" Steward Cao snorted with disdain on his face, and he clenched his clothes tightly with his hand hanging beside him.


    Yun Shang turned to look at Xia Huanyu. After thinking for a moment, Xia Huanyu nodded and said, All right. Go ahead."


    Luo Qingyan turned around and ordered Liu Wenan, "Ask Mr. Han to write down their names and residences, and send the imperial guards to invite them here."

 Chapter 1083 Confrontation In The Hall

    Outside the palace, there was a secret signal from a secret guard. Yun Shang and Qian Liu raised their heads at the same time. Yun Shang thought for a moment before turning to Luo Qingyan. "Women in the imperial household are not allowed to participate in politics. Since it''s clear, I have another request. I wonder if your majesty agree."


    Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang with a smile, "You can say it."


    Yun Shang turned to the lady in the hall who had the same face as her and smiled slowly. She pointed at the lady and said, "It''s my duty to make the imperial household peaceful. Please leave her to me, your majesty. "


    The woman in the hall seemed to be a little flustered and her face twisted. "His majesty treats me like this in order not to let me tell you the truth. All the officials are watching!"


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "How stubborn you are."


    Yun Shang knew she was trying to buy time. Frowning slightly, she said, "Since she doesn''t feel like she has lost and wants everyone to witness it, I''m willing to help her."


    Yun Shang stood up, glanced at the ministers in the hall, and said indifferently, "It''s not difficult to distinguish whether I''m telling the truth or not. We just need to ask some questions that others don''t know. We need to write down the answers and distinguish the truth. To prove that his majesty and I haven''t cheated, let Prince Xian think about the questions. Prepare the writing brush and paper. "


    Liu Wenan hurriedly asked the servants to make preparation. Yun Shang glanced at Liu Yinfeng. After a moment''s reflection, Liu Yinfeng asked, "When the empress is in a good mood, how does she address the emperor?"


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan with a cunning look in her eyes. She smiled and wrote down the answer without hesitation. Luo Qingyan also finished the writing very quickly.


    Cold sweat seeped from the woman''s forehead. Yun Shang urged her with a smile, "It''s a simple question. Don''t you know it?"


    Seeing this, everyone had an answer in their hearts. The woman pondered for a long time before she wrote down the answer. [ÔÆÉÑ] asked [ÁõÎÄ°²] to take the paper back and showed the answers of the three people to everyone.


    The woman wrote Qingyan.


    The answer of Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan was uncle.


    The woman was stunned for a long time, but she still looked incredulous. "How could it be? It is Qingyan. How could it be uncle?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled, "Isn''t it easy to understand? When we were in the State of Ning, his majesty was my father''s sworn brother. According to his seniority, I should call him uncle. Although we got married later, I haven''t changed my habit. When I am in a good mood, I will still call him uncle. So, are you sincerely convinced? Qian Liu, take her to the side hall. "


    Qian Liu hurried to agree and escorted the woman away with another servant. Yun Shang bowed and left the main hall.


    As soon as they entered the side hall, Yun Shang said hurriedly


    r and writhing brush to the elders. The elders and Han Mingqing pondered for a moment before they finished writing.


    Luo Qingyan asked someone to put away all the things before asking Liu Wenan to take out the imperial seal.


    The imperial seal was placed in a box made of purple sandalwood, with a piece of yellow cloth inside. Liu Wenan took the seal out and asked someone to take the notes from the elders one by one.


    Luo Qingyan selected a few people to check with the elders. Liu Wenan started reading the notes.


    "When Emperor Yuan founded the country, he chose a special jade to carve of the imperial seal. The special feature of the jade is that it was in a shape of a dragon, and there were black spots on the top of the dragon''s head. That was a flaw, but Emperor Yuan said that the black spots were the dragon''s eyes, so he chose this jade to carve the imperial seal." Liu Wenan''s voice rang out in the hall.


    Everyone''s eyes fell on the dragon of the imperial seal.


    "Yes, there are two black eyes, and they are indeed embedded in the jade." Someone exclaimed.


    Seeing this, Liu Wenan continued, "The jade used to carve the imperial seal is Dushan jade, a soft jade. It was white, delicate and moisturizing. Except for the two spots of the dragon eyes, there was no other impurities. The craftsman who carved the seal was Tian Guang who has unique skill. "


    Some people who were good at appreciating jade stepped forward and carefully looked at the jade seal. They all nodded and said, "Yes. I''ve seen the jade carved by Master Tian. It''s indeed amazing. The dragon looks natural, and the lines on its back are carved with his unique skill."


    "When Tian Guang was carving the jade, in order to make it easy to identify, there was a secret hidden in the jade seal. At first glance, the jade seal was not special, but if you look at it in the light, you can see a flying dragon embedded in it." Liu Wenan raised his voice and folded the notes in his hand.

 Chapter 1084 Everything Is Settled

    The hall was quiet for a long time.


    "I''ve heard of this unique skill of carving patterns in the jade without destroying the complete jade itself, but I''ve never seen it before." Someone echoed.


    The old man sneered, with a hint of certainty in his eyes.


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Xia Huanyu, only to find that Xia Huanyu was also very calm, staring at the jade seal on the tray without blinking.


    Liu Wenan stepped forward and took the imperial seal. He raised it and looked it under the light coming in from the door. He really saw the flying dragon.


    "There is a flying dragon. There is indeed a flying dragon." The hall was in an uproar. Everyone''s eyes fell on the flying dragon that faintly appeared in the jade seal. Luo Qingyan saw that the old man''s face suddenly changed. There was surprise, doubt and confusion in his eyes.


    "I''m afraid that no one else in the world can have such a unique skill except for Tian Guang. I''ve heard that although he has accepted several disciples, no one has learned this skill from him. I''m really lucky to see it today. " Someone exclaimed.


    The old man suddenly said, "It''s fake. The imperial seal is fake." As he spoke, he was about to rush forward and grab the imperial seal. Liu Wenan moved slightly, but he had already gone far away. His figure was like a ghost, and no one could see how he did it.


    Luo Qingyan was also stunned, but he said in a hurry, "Take hIm down. How dare you talk nonsense and disturb the court."


    The old man''s face was still deathly pale. He took out a box from the parcel behind him. With a fierce expression on his face, he said loudly, "I also have a jade seal here. It''s the real one. You can also take it to identify it. This is the real imperial seal."


    As the old man spoke, he hurriedly took out the jade seal from the box and rushed into the crowd. "Look, this is the real one."


    As soon as he finished speaking, someone sneered, "This jade is obviously only Nanyang jade. Do you think that we know nothing about jade? Although the Nanyang jade is also a good jade, it has been less than a hundred years. However, the State of Xia has been established for more than two hundred years. How could the imperial seal be made of Nanyang jade? "


    Hearing this, the old man held the jade seal in his hand and looked around for a long time. Then he rushed out of the crowd again. He looked at the light for a long time, but his face became paler and paler. "How could this be? How could this be? "


    After a long while, he suddenly turned around and pointed at Xia Huanyu. "It''s you. It must be you. You replaced the imperial seal."


    Xia Huanyu sneered, "Nonsense. This person is out of his mind. His crime is irreparable as He carved the imperial seal without permission. Pull him out and beat him to death. Execute it immediately."


    The guard responded and rushed in, holding the old man''s hand and walking out. The old man was still holding the jade seal tightly in his hand, and his voice became louder and louder. "Xia Huanyu, you killed your father, brother, and o


    hall and headed for Weiyang Palace together.


    The inner palace had just experienced a fierce battle, and there were guards cleaning up from time to time.


    The other ladies were all smart. Although they didn''t know what had happened, they knew that something must have happened in the palace. They all hid in their own palace and no one was walking around.


    "Today is the end of Cao Wenxi. I''m afraid she has put all her chips on it and used all her tricks. From the appearance of the fake jade seal, to the confrontation in the hall of Steward Cao, to the fact that I was framed, to the final fight for the real and fake jade seal, and then she used all the hidden forces to save her. Step by step, it''s interlocking, but in the end, it''s still not enough. " Yun Shang smiled.


    Luo Qingyan nodded and touched Yun Shang''s head. "Do you know you scared me before? I''m still wondering how could something happen to you so easily since all your secret guards are the best. Fortunately, the secret guards secretly sent messages to me later... "


    Yun Shang blinked, her eyes full of cunning, "I didn''t allow the secret guards to come in. I just want to see what they want to do."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan stopped and turned to look at Yun Shang with a serious look. "You always put yourself in danger. Ning Yun Shang, you really have a bad habit. If you don''t change it, I will definitely be angry."


    Yun Shang stuck out her tongue and restrained the smile on her face. She nodded seriously and said, "I know. It won''t happen again."


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and sighed, "I doubt it. But you have to remember that you are a wife and a mother now. You are not alone anymore. You can''t be so willful. "


    Yun Shang nodded repeatedly and changed the topic, "Now that Xia Houjing is not a threat anymore, the war is settled. Your majesty has said that the enthronement ceremony will be held when the war is settled, but you also has said that you wanted to give the throne to Liu Yinfeng. What do you want to do next, your majesty?"

 Chapter 1085 The End

    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang with a smile in his eyes. "When I was in the State of Ning, I was obsessed with the throne. But when I really got it, I found that the position was not as good as I thought. On the throne, one couldn''t do whatever he wanted to do or protect the one he wanted to protect. Every time he did something, he had to think too much. He had to consider the expectations of the people, as well as the opinions of the officials. Maybe living a simple life with family is much better. In spring, you can climb mountains and appreciate flowers, in summer, you can swim by the river, in autumn, you can enjoy the wind and the moon, and in winter, you can listen to the snow by a furnace. "


    Yun Shang listened quietly. When she heard his words, she couldn''t help but burst into laughter, which seemed to be uncontrollable. Her voice became louder and louder, and even bent down.


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were full of helplessness. He looked at Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Shang''er, what''s wrong with you? I don''t think anything I said just now can make you laugh like this. "


    Yun Shang waved her hand. After a long time, she straightened up, covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled. Her voice trembled with laughter. "It''s not because of what your majesty said, but because I suddenly thought of that scene when you were talking."


    Yun Shang said with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan was confused. He scratched his head and asked, "What did you think of?"


    Yun Shang laughed so hard that tears came out from the corners of her eyes. She coughed a few times to calm down. After a while, she said, "Your Majesty, when you dealt with government affairs, when you went to the court, when you commanded thousands of troops and horses on the battlefield, it was really hard to imagine that your majesty would climb the mountain in spring, appreciate flowers, and then recite a few poems, and play water by the stream in summer. I don''t think such romantic things fit your majesty. "


    As Yun Shang spoke, she smiled again. She walked up to Luo Qingyan, but her smile disappeared. It was not that she was joking. In her mind, Luo Qingyan had always been fighting for power. She didn''t even know what Luo Qingyan could do after leaving the center of the political power struggle.


    Yun Shang''s steps were still too small. Luo Qingyan quickly caught up with her. He turned to look at Yun Shang and changed the topic, "I''m going to see Xia Houjing tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang blinked her eyes and smiled, "Xia Houjing has tortured us for so many years. How can I not go? Anyway, we have to greet our old friend."


    Luo Qingyan nodded gently and held Yun Shang''s hand. The two walked slowly towards Weiyang Palace. After a moment of silence, Yun Shang said softly, "You always said that you would always be with me. Now it''s my turn to say that. No matter you are the emperor or not, I will always be with you."


    Luo Qingya


    d Luo Qingyan, and laughed ironically, "Why are you running? Are you afraid of me? Why are you afraid of me? I''m just a beast in the cage now. No matter how powerful I am, I can only roar and pretend to be powerful. What are you afraid of? Huh... "


    Luo Qingyan looked at Xia Houjing indifferently and smiled, "Do you think it''s worth it?"


    "Is it worth it?" Hearing this, Xia Houjing suddenly turned to Luo Qingyan and laughed, "You ask me if it''s worth it? Have you ever thought about it? These are mine. The throne should be mine. I got rid of the crown prince. I was supposed to be the next crown prince. But all of a sudden, you popped out and wanted to compete with me. I lost. I lost. But why do you ask me if it''s worth it? "


    There was a hint of pity in Luo Qingyan''s eyes. "You are wrong. Even if it''s not me, you are not qualified to be the emperor."


    Xia Houjing turned to look at Luo Qingyan with a hint of madness in his eyes. "Not me? Oh, yes, it can''t be me, because I have an elder brother, a brother of the same father and mother! He is more virtuous, talented and capable than me, more merciful and better than me! I''m just a chess piece from beginning to end. Yes, a chess piece. Cao Wenxi gave birth to me, but put me beside her enemy and made me regard the enemy as my father. In order to use me against Cao Wenxii, Xia Huanyu killed Lady Liu in front of me. Why did I become like this? Huh... "


    Before Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan could speak, Xia Houjing murmured to himself, "Yes, it''s because of me. I''m not satisfied. I always want to go a little higher and get that position. Then I can get what I want and do what I want. But who could be satisfied? Are you satisfied? If you are satisfied, you won''t leave the State of Ning, try every means to come to the State of Xia and compete with me. "


    Xia Houjing grabbed the iron railing and looked at Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. "Are you here to laugh at me today? You come to see me end up like this? "

 Chapter 1086 An Old Friend

    Luo Qingyan frowned and stared at Xia Houjing for a long time. Then he shook his head and said, "Before I came here, I just thought that we should have an end after fighting for so many years. Now that I find that you don''t need me to end it. "


    Hearing this, Xia Houjing was a little excited, with obvious madness in his eyes. "What did you say?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and took Yun Shang out. Xia Houjing held the iron railing tightly and shouted at Luo Qingyan, "Luo Qingyan, come back. Aren''t you going to get rid of me?" I''ll accept it. I''ve sent people to assassinate you. Your wife is infertile and your child is mentally unstable. It''s all because of me. You came back, Luo Qingyan! "


    Luo Qingyan paused, but didn''t stop.


    After walking out, Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan with confusion in her eyes. "Your majesty, why did you let Xia Houjing go so easily?"


    Luo Qingyan turned around and looked at the entrance of the prison. The secret guards were covering the entrance. Luo Qingyan was lost in thought. After a long time, he turned to Yun Shang and said, "You have seen what Xia Houjing was like just now. Now, if we kill him easily, it will be a relief for him. Letting him live like this may be the biggest torture."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and thought for a long time. Then she nodded and said with a smile, "Your majesty is right."


    Yun Shang looked up at the sky. It was still early. She blinked and said with a smile, "Since we finally get out of the palace, your majesty, let''s take a walk around."


    Luo Qingyan looked around at the secret guards and nodded. The two of them left the Princess Palace together and walked slowly along the street.


    Although it was already afternoon, there were still a lot of hawkers on the street. Yun Shang picked out a few hairpins and then saw several people selling children''s. She held Luo Qingyan''s hand and walked over.


    "This bamboo dragonfly..." Before Yun Shang could finish her words, someone behind her asked, "How much is the rattle?"


    The voice was familiar to Yun Shang. Yun Shang held the bamboo dragonfly in her hand, but her ears pricked up involuntarily.


    "Sister, don''t buy it. Now our husband is in danger and he needs a lot of money. We''d better not waste money on this little thing. Besides, I''m still far from the labor. I''m afraid it''s too early to buy these things now. " Another soft voice came over.


    "It doesn''t matter. A rattle will just cost less than one or two taels of silver." The woman who had asked about the rattle replied in a low voice, "Your belly has shown. It''s not early to make preparations. Please pack it for me, boss."


    Yun Shang stood there with the bamboo dragonfly in her hand for a while, and the stall owner in front of her was a little impatient. He hurriedly urged, "Madam, do you still want the bamboo dragonfly?"


    Yun Shang shook her head, put the bamboo dragonfly back and turned around. The two women who bought the rattle behind Yun Shang also tur


    ranged for her. Now that she ended up like this, it''s not my fault. Just as the emperor said, judging from her appearance today, perhaps living like this was the biggest punishment for her. Now that Xia Houjing is trapped, her life is even more difficult. Why do I bother to add insult to injury? "


    While they were talking, Liu Wenan came in in a hurry with a letter in his hand. Seeing this, Yun Shang said, "Lord Liu, why are you in such a hurry? Is there anything important?"


    Liu Wenan sighed and nodded, "Your majesty, where is his majesty?"


    Yun Shang looked into the room and asked, "He should be in the study. What happened?"


    Liu Wenan sighed and took a deep breath before he said, "Yes, something happened. Prince Xian sent a letter to the palace. His servant said he left after writing the letter. "


    Yun Shang was shocked and asked, "What? He left after writing the letter? "


    Liu Wenan nodded and hurried to the study. Frowning, Yun Shang stood in the hall for a while. Then she walked out of the main hall and followed Liu Wenan into the study.


    Liu Wenan had already handed the letter in his hand to Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan opened the envelope and took out the letter. After reading it carefully, he took out another letter from the envelope and handed it to Yun Shang. "This is for you."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She took the letter in a hurry and unfolded it.


    A Yun.


    I''m sorry to say goodbye to you in this way. I''ve kept some secrets for so long that I can''t bear them. Now that these burdens have finally been removed, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I know that my mother and brother have done too many wrong things, but I can''t bear to see them suffer the consequences. In the end, I chose to escape awkwardly.


    I had no interest in power. I enjoyed traveling. As for the matter of the emperor, Qingyan is more suitable. After thinking for a long time, I broke my promise.


    You didn''t have to look for me. I just hope we could all be fine.

 Chapter 1087 Storm Is Coming

    Yun Shang''s hand holding the letter trembled slightly and folded it. After a long time, she sighed, "He...just left like this? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly and lowered his head to hide the darkness in his eyes. "In fact, he is the one who has been hurt the most in the whole matter. Xia Houjing was born in the palace, and he has no deep feelings for Cao Wenxi. Xia Houjing doesn''t care what will happen to her. But Liu Yinfeng was living with his parents who loved each other when he was a child, and he definitely has deep feelings for Cao Wenxi. Liu Yinfeng had always known that Xia Houjing was his brother and had taught him personally since he was a child. Now that Xia Houjing had become like this, he must be very guilty. And let him see the two closest people to him in this world end up in a bad way. I''m afraid he will be suffering. "


    Yun Shang frowned, "But I always feel something is wrong."


    Seeing Luo Qingyan looking at her, Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "Although this letter seems to be written by him, and only his majesty and I know many things mentioned in it, my intuition tells me that things are not that simple."


    "In fact, when I met Hua Yutong outside the palace, I felt a little strange." Yun Shang pursed her lips and thought for a while. "Xia Houjing is now in our hands. Logically speaking, Hua Yutong should hide as far as possible in order to protect herself? But she came to the Jin city and sneaked around under our watch, and... She also brought Xia Houjing''s pregnant concubine. Isn''t she afraid that we will eliminate her and the unborn child together? "


    Yun Shang lowered her head and looked at the letter in her hand. "As soon as Hua Yutong and the pregnant woman appeared in the Jin City, Liu Yinfeng sent a letter to the palace, telling us he was leaving Jin City. I don''t think it''s a coincidence."


    Luo Qingyan tapped the armrest of the chair with his finger, and his eyes darkened. "Do you think that Liu Yinfeng''s leaving has som


    ays, Hua Yutong didn''t do anything else. The day before yesterday, she cleaned up the yard for a whole day. Yesterday, she took one of Xia Houjing''s concubines out for a walk. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "From what we saw yesterday, Hua Yutong and that woman seemed not to have much money. But Hua Yutong brought two pregnant concubines of Xia Houjing here. What does she want to do? "


    "I don''t know." Luo Qingyan shook his head.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and asked, "By the way, did Hua Yutong meet Prince Xian after she entered the city?"


    "Not really." Luo Qingyan fondled with Yun Shang''s slender fingers and said in a somewhat casual voice, "It''s just that the schedule of Hua Yutong and Prince Xian that the secret guards investigated overlapped in the past two days."


    "What?"


    "The afternoon of the day before yesterday, Hua Yutong went to the Wenshu Bookstore. Yesterday morning, Prince Xian also went there. It is a famous bookstore in Jin city. Prince Xian likes to go there when he is free. He visits it almost every two or three days. "


    Yun Shang suddenly raised her head and said, "Prince Xian''s hobby is probably not a secret. If Hua Yutong wanted to know, she just needed to send someone to inquire about it. Did Empress Hua leave something for Prince Xian there? Or did she leave any message? "

 Chapter 1088 Those Closely Involved Cannot See Clearly

    "I haven''t found anything useful from the shopkeeper and the attendant of Wenshu Bookstore, but I can''t rule out that there might be someone working for Xia Houjing in the bookstore. Although Xia Houjing has fallen into our hands now, his power in the Jin city can''t be underestimated. Although I have cleaned up some of them before, there are still some remnants hidden around. "


    Yun Shang nodded and frowned, "I really don''t know what Empress Hua wants to do, but I can see that she takes action so frequently. If she really has a purpose, it won''t be long before it is exposed. Now that Xia Houjing is in our hands, we have plenty of time. I''d like to see what she is planning."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan nodded, "The secret guard also found out that Prince Xian left his mansion yesterday and went straight to the north city gate. And he only took four servants with him. I''ve sent my secret guards to follow them. If anything happens, they will report it in time. "


    "Okay." Yun Shang said, "Prince Xian has been suffering a lot these days. If he goes out for a walk, it might be a good thing. I''m just afraid... He was used by someone on purpose. "


    "I know." Luo Qingyan smiled, "Don''t worry. I won''t be jealous."


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and ignored him. But she was still wondering what Hua Yutong was up to.


    The weather was just right. It was neither cold nor hot. Luo Qingyan went to deal with government affairs. Yun Shang had nothing else to do, so she went to the Imperial Garden for a walk.


    After appreciating the chrysanthemums for a while, she was taking a rest on the bridge of the lake when she saw Hua Ling slowly walking over with her servants.


    Yun Shang stood up and bowed to Hua Ling. Hua Ling nodded. Then bun was handed over by a servant. She tore the bun into pieces and threw them into the lake. The fish in the lake gathered around to fight for it, which was very lively.


    "I heard that Prince Xian has left the Jin city?" Hua Ling''s voice was soft and calm.


    Yun Shang nodded. She wasn''t surprised that Hua Ling would know about it.


    Hua Ling threw the pieces of bun into the lake unhurriedly, and looked at the fish fighting for food. "What a p


    down.


    "Bao''er, what are you looking at?" Yun Shang teased with a smile.


    Bao''er blinked his eyes and turned to look at Yun Shang. Then he turned to look at the child in Ning Qian''s arms. He pointed at the little girl and chuckled.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "Bao''er, since you like her so much, how about letting her be your wife?"


    Before Bao''er could say anything, Ning Qian raised her head and glared at Yun Shang, "How could you be a mother like this?"


    Yun Shang picked Bao''er up and held her in her arms. She glanced at Ning Qian and said, "You just became a mother for a short time. And you''ve already started to teach me a lesson. What''s her name? "


    Ning Qian pouted and said, "Don''t mention her name. I have a fight with Wang Jinhuan yesterday because of this. He insisted to name her Wang Xiaohua, saying that she looked like a flower. Isn''t it a joke?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, which made her stomach ache. After a while, she said, Iit''s really Mr. Wang''s style, but the name is too vulgar. You can''t compromise. How about this? You can come up with a good name, and I''ll ask his majesty to give the name. I think Wang Jinhuan won''t dare to disobey."


    "That''s a good idea." Ning Qian''s eyes lit up and smiled, "Very good."


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and asked, "Why did you bring her here today?"


    Ning Qian lowered her head and sighed, "In fact, I have something to ask for."

 Chapter 1089 Ask For Death

    "Why are you so polite to me? What happened?" Yun Shang saw the sadness in Ning Qian''s eyes and asked.


    Ning Qian lowered her head and held her daughter''s hand in her arms. She said calmly, "I received a letter from the State of Ning yesterday, saying that Lord Wang is not in good health and is seriously ill. Wang Jinhuan wanted to go back to the State of Ning to have a look. There was nothing serious with his majesty and master, so he could leave now. But the child was still young, and it happened that she was not in good health recently. A few days ago, she caught a cold and hasn''t recovered yet. It was probably not good for her to travel long. But I can''t think of any other suitable person, so I want to leave the child in the palace and let you take care of her. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s not a big deal. There are many maids and servants in the palace. It''s not a big deal to take care of a child. Don''t worry."


    Ning Qian nodded her head slightly, with obvious reluctance and hesitation on her face. After a while, she sighed deeply.


    Yun Shang noticed that Yun Shang was not only worried about leaving the child in the palace, but also had something on her mind, so she asked, "What''s wrong? You look upset. "


    Ning Qian shook her head. After a while, she said, "Then I''ll leave the child to master. I''ve prepared clothes for her. Children grow fast, so I prepared enough clothes for three months."


    "There are many clothes in the palace. You have to take good care of yourself when you go back to the State of Ning this time. I have seen Lady Wang and Lord Wang, and they don''t seem to be difficult to get along with. But after all, you have become their daughter-in-law, so you have to keep a low profile. If you don''t want to stay in the State of Ning when Lord Wang gets better, I''ll call you back. They don''t dare to defy me, do they? " Yun Shang said gently.


    Ning Qian nodded. She handed the baby to Hua''er, tuck


    .. She is Xia Houjing''s concubine. The baby in her belly is Xia Houjing''s. "


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "Xia Houjing is indeed guilty of treason. If it weren''t for Xia Houjing''s special identity, all his family members would''ve been sentenced to death. In such a situation, you even dared to bring Xia Houjing''s concubine and his unborn child to me and his majesty. You are really... How dare you! "


    Speaking of the last few words, [ÔÆÉÑ] suddenly raised her voice, looking fierce but timid.


    Hua Yutong''s body trembled, but she quickly bowed and said, "I know that Xia Houjing has committed a serious crime, and what he has done before is unforgivable. This time, I came with Xia Houjing''s concubines and his two unborn children, in order to apologize to his majesty and your majesty."


    "I beg your majesty to grant death to me. Xia Houjing''s concubines and unborn children live in Shuiwan Alley in the city. They will be at the disposal of his majesty and your majesty."


    Surprised, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at her. After a moment of silence, she said, "You came all the way here just to ask for death? And even handed over the lives of Xia Houjing''s concubines and the unborn children to me and his majesty? Do you think I don''t dare to kill you? "

 Chapter 1090 The Surging Undercurrent

    "I dare not," Hua Yutong bent over and said in a low voice.


    Yun Shang squinted at Hua Yutong for a while, "You don''t have to play any tricks with me. It''s useless. It won''t work for me. You just tell me directly what you want to do here today. "


    Empress Hua took a deep breath and said in a much lower voice, "It''s all my fault. I''m sorry. It''s my guilty to marry and fell in love with Xia Houjing as a chess piece. Xia Houjing doesn''t love me, and he has always kept an eye on me... But I can''t control my heart. "


    Hua Yutong sobbed, "I really don''t want to play any tricks in front of you this time. I''m willing to use the lives of Xia Houjing''s two unborn children to beg you to let me see him. I have done so many things for him. I want to die, and I have to die by his side. From now on, whether he hates me or blame me, he can never forget me. "


    Yun Shang listened to her quietly without any emotion in her eyes, "It seems you really love Xia Houjing. But what''s wrong with the two unborn children? "


    Hua Yutong clenched her teeth and said, "They are Xia Houjing''s children. It''s wrong."


    Yun Shang sneered. She thought Hua Yutong was really ruthless.


    She looked at Hua Yutong''s twisted face and said, "I won''t agree to your request. From now on, don''t ask anyone for help to see me. I don''t want to see you again. You can leave now... "


    "Your majesty.." Hua Yutong raised her head in a hurry with a pleading expression.


    But Yun Shang turned a blind eye at it. She stood up and went straight into the inner hall.


    "Your majesty, please let me see him. I just want to see him again..."


    The voice outside was getting lower and lower. It seemed that the servants had taken her away.


    "Hua Yutong is really shameless. Your majesty treated her well enough before, but she betrayed you so thoroughly. Now she dares to come here again. Even I feel ashamed for her," commented Qian Zhuo disdainfully coming in from outside.


    Hea


    hers.


    The last possibility is most likely..."


    [ÔÆÉÑ] paused and then went on, "It is trued that Xia Houjing has been defeated and he has fallen into our hands. It seems that Xia Houjing has no way out already. However, the centipede is still alive. Xia Houjing still has many remnants of power in the city, and even in the court. There might still be people loyal to Xia Houjing. As long as Xia Houjing doesn''t die, those people will not easily give up until they see Xia Houjing''s body.


    The reason Hua Yutong came to the palace today is not that she really wants me to agree to let her see Xia Houjing. This is just a part of her plan. She wants to carry out their following plan in order not to attract too much attention from me.


    As soon as she knelt down at the gate of the palace, she might want to tell those who are hiding in the court or in the downtown that Xia Houjing is still alive. Now that she has arrived at the Jin City, she will try her best to plan for Xia Houjing, so that Xia Houjing''s followers can contact her and work for her. "


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo hadn''t thought of this. They were both surprised to hear what Yun Shang said.


    At last, Qian Liu asked, "Your Majesty, if Hua Yutong''s intention is really so, then we are all trapped by her? What should we do now? "

 Chapter 1091 Speculation

    "How to deal with it?" Yun Shang smiled and said, "I''m glad to hear that if her real purpose is to expose herself in front of Xia Houjing''s former subordinates so that they can contact her and rescue Xia Houjing together."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, both Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo were puzzled, "Are you glad to see this situation?"


    "It''s not a good thing for his majesty that the remaining forces of Xia Houjing still exist in the Jin City. In the future when Xia Houjing dies, these remnants of forces will be completely unable to turn over. Perhaps they will come to seek join into the Emperor''s camp, but this kind of people also hurt when being used.


    If Hua Yutong can get in touch with these people, I just need to keep an eye on her and wait for her to painstakingly gather Xia Houjing''s remnants, and then... defeat them all. How convenient it is! Do you think it''s reasonable? "


    Qian Liu nodded slightly, "Indeed, Xia Houjing''s remnants should be eliminated at once. Most of them have been with him for a long time, and they know a lot. Even if Xia Houjing dies in the future, they will choose another master. If their new master is our enemy, it is not a good thing for us. "


    Qian Zhuo frowned and said, "I still think it''s better to kill Xia Houjing and Hua Yutong directly in case of endless trouble. As long as they are alive, I can''t rest easy."


    Yun Shang smiled, "What you said makes sense. But the Emperor''s enthronement ceremony is coming soon. I don''t want to see blood before it. I''ll discuss it with him later."


    As soon as it was noon, Luo Qingyan came to the Weiyang Palace. Yun Shang was reading a book. Seeing Luo Qingyan, Yun Shang stood up and walked up to him, "Your Majesty, you are so early today."


    "There is no big deal in the court recently. I came here after I dealt with it," after saying that, he looked around and asked, "Where is Bao''er?"


    "The servants took him to play in the Imperial Garden," Yun Shang smiled and said, "B


    ace to see you, or knelt down at the gate of the palace today, she has been all very eye-catching.


    I think Hua Yutong appeared probably to contact Xia Houjing''s former subordinates and take the opportunity to rescue Xia Houjing. But maybe Hua Yutong is just a pawn to attract our attention on the surface. There should be someone else who really controls it in the dark. "


    Yun Shang frowned, "Someone else? Who can it be? Haven''t all the people who are loyal to Xia Houjing been exposed? "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "If I were Xia Houjing, I would have arranged for a person who is authoritative but well hidden in my power to continue to hide. It''s not a big deal if they are successful, but if they fail, he''s the last hope. "


    Yun Shang bit her lips and understood, "Your Majesty, do you mean that there may be a person of great importance in Xia Houjing''s camp lurking around us?"


    "Maybe there is more than one."


    Seeing that Yun Shang was getting serious, Luo Qingyan smiled and comforted her, "Don''t worry too much. Now that Xia Houjing is still in our hands, we have the initiative. At the worst, we can kill Xia Houjing directly.


    As for Hua Yutong, just let her continue. Let''s see what else she can do. Anyway, this is the Jin City. With our people watching, there won''t be much splashing water. "

 Chapter 1092 A Downtown Incident

    Both Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan thought that Hua Yutong was under their watch. With the secret guards watching her every day, she wouldn''t be able to stir up too much trouble.


    But they didn''t expect that something had happened to the two concubines of Xia Houjing brought by Hua Yutong.


    "The two concubines have been staying in that small yard without going out. Since Hua Yutong has been out frequently, at night, the guards only paid attention to her. "


    "At about 2 o''clock last night, the secret guards saw a man in black sneaking into that yard, they paid all their attention to Hua Yutong. The man was the owner of several famous opera houses in the city, and also a member of Xia Houjing''s. The man showed his identity to Hua Yutong and promised to support her to save Xia Houjing. He showed his loyalty and then left... "


    "This morning, I found that the two concubines were killed in their own rooms. The secret guards secretly checked the bodies, and found that they were cut by a sharp weapon. It should happen at about 2 o''clock when the man came last night."


    Hearing these reports, Yun Shang frowned slightly, "So, the secret guards were tricked into their strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain. They then took advantage of the loophole and killed the two pregnant concubines of Xia Houjing''s. Were they Xia Houjing''s men? The two concubines were still pregnant with Xia Houjing''s children. Why did they do this? "


    The leader of the secret guards lowered his head and said, "This morning, Hua Yutong changed into plain clothes and asked people to bring the corpses of the two concubines to the downtown. She cried and shouted that your majesties were heartless, saying that although the seventh Prince was guilty, the unborn children were innocent. No matter how innocent the babies were, your majesties had to kill them both, which was too vicious..."


    "Ha ha..." Yun Shang''s face darkened, "What a good show."


    The leader of the secret guards glanced at Yun Shang and said, "It''s my fault. Please punish me, your majesty."


    "Now that things have come to this point, what''s the use of punishment?"


    The leader of the secret guards also understood this. He thought for a moment and said, "How about I take Hua Yutong away on the charge of slandering the Empe


    imperial edict can do to execute him fair and square. After all, you have said that the seventh Prince has committed a serious crime of treason... "


    "You don''t know, do you? The Emperor hasn''t held the enthronement ceremony yet. If they deal with the two women and their unborn children in a flagrant manner at this time, it will certainly cause criticism. By then, it will be more difficult if he gains the reputation of a tyrant. It''s better to deal with it in secret. "


    Yun Shang sneered. She found she had underestimated Hua Yutong.


    Someone asked, "Shouldn''t we report the death to the police? Why did the seventh princess drag the corpses to the street and make trouble here? What is she going to do? "


    "Call the police?" a man laughed and said, "What are you going to say to the police? Can you say you suspect that the Emperor and the Empress have killed someone? They are his majesty, and the Empress. Which official will dare to investigate this case? Even if they investigate and handle it, they would probably just find a scapegoat to hastily cover the case. The seventh princess is forced to do so. "


    Yun Shang squinted at the man and turned to the carriage.


    "Your Majesty?" Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo followed her and asked, "Your majesty, are you leaving now?"


    "Let''s go. Send someone to Fuya and ask them to get ready. Ask the secret guards to go back to the palace, and send thirty or forty guards here. Get the Empress'' carriage ready, and go to the Weiyang Palace to bring here my court clothes... "

 Chapter 1093 The Chess Piece

    "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"


    Yun Shang sneered, "Of course I want Hua Yutong to understand that it''s not easy to sling mud at me."


    After changing the court clothes, Yun Shang got on the Empress''s Phoenix carriage and headed for the downtown under the escort of guards and the government officials.


    The place was still very lively. Yun Shang was able to hear the noise of discussion even when she was still in the Empress'' carriage.


    "Here comes her majesty!"


    those discussions seemed to be lowered all of a sudden, and only the voices of the government officials pushing the people to both sides of the road could be heard, "Get out of the way. Her majesty is here, and everyone stays away."


    The Empress'' carriage kept moving forward until Yun Shang heard a maid''s voice coming from outside, "Here we are, your majesty..."


    The door of carriage was opened and the bead curtain was lifted. Yun Shang bent down slightly, walked out of the carriage and held the servant''s hand.


    "Long live Your Majesty!" the greetings were deafening.


    Yun Shang glanced around silently at the people kneeling down and then looked at Hua Yutong in front of her.


    "The seventh princess," Yun Shang said indifferently.


    "I..."


    before Hua Yutong could finish her words, Yun Shang interrupted her, "Oh, I shouldn''t have called you the seventh princess. Xia Houjing is rebellious and treacherous. He is no longer the noble seventh Prince. You... of course not the seventh princess, but a traitor''s wife. "


    Hua Yutong''s face suddenly changed color.


    Yun Shang cast a cold glance at her and said, "I heard that an assassin entered your yard last night and killed the two pregnant concubines of the traitor Xia Houjing. It should be two corpses and four lives. And you took the corpses to the downtown early this morning and spread rumors. You said that the Emperor and I had sent people to kill the two people secretly? Is it true? "


    Hua Yutong gritted her teeth and straightened her back, "Indeed, it''s true."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I have known what you said before. You said that I don''t want to be blamed for being hear


    o, "It''s not appropriate for me to show up or not to show up. I can''t find any evidence to prove that it was not me or his majesty who did it in a short time. Even if I find the evidence, I''m afraid that the onlookers will think that I''m lying.


    As the onlookers said, I can''t ask the officials from Yamen to investigate the case. Even if I send someone to investigate it, they will only it is the scapegoat that I find.


    But if I don''t show up, it will show that I am guilty."


    Qian Liu brought the daily clothes for Yun Shang. Yun Shang stretched out her hands and let Qian Liu help put them on. Then she continued, "So whether I show up or not, Hua Yutong has a way to deal with it.


    What she didn''t expect is that I didn''t show any evidence that I wasn''t the murderer, nor did I ask people to find out the truth. I just told the onlookers that both Hua Yutong and the two pregnant concubines deserved to die.


    What''s more, she didn''t expect that I would order people to arrest her and even her family for treason."


    Qian Zhuo curled her lips and said, "It''s the right way to deal with people like Hua Yutong. We should kill her by surprise."


    Yun Shang smiled. Thinking of Luo Qingyan''s words yesterday, she squinted again and said, "As for Hua Yutong, I''m afraid she is just a chess piece. The real player is still hiding behind. I have to completely mess up his game before I can force him to show up. "

 Chapter 1094 Helpless

    "A chess piece?" Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu looked at each other, "Your Majesty, do you mean there is someone behind Hua Yutong?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "But it''s just my guess. We can''t make a conclusion yet. Let''s wait and see. Since they are here for Xia Houjing, as long as Xia Houjing doesn''t die, they won''t give up. They will definitely take action again."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "But I''m afraid that there will be many people in the court who are dissatisfied with me after I make such a fuss this time. They will report it to his majesty. His majesty has to clean up the mess for me again."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, Luo Qingyan said with a smile, "I''m willing to clean up the mess for you."


    Yun Shang turned around in a hurry and saw Luo Qingyan coming in from the outside. The servants hurriedly greeted Luo Qingyan, and then began to be busy. They fetched water to clean Luo Qingyan''s hands, and then handed him a handkerchief to wipe his hands.


    Yun Shang blinked, "Someone has already come to you?"


    "Not yet. It just happened. Even those people who keep an eye on you all day long have just received the news. After receiving the news, they have to weigh how to deal with it. Hmm... Someone should be coming to me late in the afternoon. "


    Seeing that Yun Shang pouting, Luo Qingyan smiled again. He threw the handkerchief in his hand to a servant beside him and put his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulder. "What are you afraid of? You didn''t do anything wrong. No matter what they say, it is useless. Hua Yutong and the others had participated in the rebellion in Liucang City and they should''ve be arrested. What''s more, Hua Yutong slandered us in public. This alone is a serious crime. "


    "As for the two concubines of Xia Houjing, if they want to blame us for their death, they have to show evidence. Although no one is above the law, they have to prove we did. "


    "I''


    f Ning, I will kill him on the spot without hesitation!"


    Yun Shang knew that Emperor Ning was angry with those rumors, so she smiled and comforted him, "Father, you have been in that position for so many years. You must have known that although that position sounds very noble and omnipotent, there was also a lot of helplessness in that position."


    Emperor Ning opened his mouth and was about to refute, but he saw Shu Jin next to him and the faint smile on Yun Shang''s face. He remembered that he indeed failed to protect his beloved before, which made Shu Jin suffer so much in the Cold Palace for so many years. He could only snort and stop talking.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang understood what he was thinking. She couldn''t help laughing and said in a softer voice, "From ancient times till now, there is no an emperor or empress who can be respected by everyone even if he has made the state prosperous."


    "As the old saying goes, the same knife cut bread and fingers. The common people are the foundation of the country. Although the rumors outside have been widely spread, they can just gossip about it when they have nothing to do. It might ruined my reputation at most, but it won''t threaten my life, nor will it affect the state. They can say whatever they like. "

 Chapter 1095 Princess

    Shu Jin looked at Yun Shang with a smile, and her eyes were full of relief. Then she turned to look at Emperor Ning beside him, "Look, you are less insight than Shang''er. I''ve told you before at the post that they can say whatever they want. If you have to haggle over everything, you can''t let it go. "


    Of course, Emperor Ning also understood this point. He pouted and said, "I just feel a little sorry for Shang''er."


    Shu Jin and Yun Shang looked at each other and smiled, "Shang''er is our daughter. She is always smart. We should trust her more. Now that she was the Empress of the State of Xia, she had thought carefully about her words and deeds. Anyway, she has to handle everything by herself. Even if you worried for her, you can''t take her place. "


    "You should trust Shang''er. She is capable of handling all this."


    "Okay, okay, you are right. You are the one who was very worried when we heard about those rumors. Now you are here to teach me."


    Emperor Ning sighed, but there was also a smile on his face. He fixed his eyes on Yun Shang and said, "It''s not easy to be the empress. Besides, you are not familiar with the State of Xia, so you are surrounded by threats. You must be careful. Remember, no matter what happens, the State of Ning is always the last way out. "


    "I know." Yun Shang definitely knew that her father and mother were worried about her, so she agreed in a hurry.


    While the three of them were talking, they heard Chenxi''s voice from outside, "Mother! Mother! "


    The three turned to the entrance of the main hall and saw Chenxi running in quickly. He ran to Shu Jin and looked up at her. "Mother, go and find me a princess."


    The three looked at each other in surprise. Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "Why do you suddenly want a princess?"


    "Chengye..." Chenxi pouted and turned to look at Yun Shang. "Chengye has Yaya to accompany him now. He doesn''t play with me anymore. He just kee


    urned to the palace.


    When she returned to the palace, it was already dark. As soon as Yun Shang entered the inner hall, she heard Luo Qingyan''s voice. "You have to use more strength to pull the bow. Then you suddenly release your hand, and the small stone can fly out."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. What was he doing?


    The servant lifted the bead curtain. As soon as Yun Shang entered, she heard a loud bang, followed by the laughter of Bao''er.


    "Yes, that''s it." Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang as he spoke.


    Yun Shang saw the father and son sitting on the bench, with two bows in their hands. Luo Qingyan held Bao''er as if he was teaching them how to use bows.


    Bao''er also saw Yun Shang. He pointed at the palace lamp on the table and said with a smile, "Mother, I shot it."


    Yun Shang turned to look at the lamp and saw a hole in it


    Only then did Yun Shang understand where the sound came from. She sighed helplessly, "Nonsense."


    But Bao''er was still young, so she couldn''t blame him. She had to glare at Luo Qingyan, "Your Majesty, if you want to teach him how to play the bow, you can go outside. Why are you here?"


    "It''s dark outside. I can''t see it." Luo Qingyan smiled gently and ordered the servants standing aside, "Take the Prince away to feed him."

 Chapter 1096 Destination

    Seeing that Bao''er leaving the inner hall happily with a bow, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Someone has come to you, right?"


    Luo Qingyan leaned back on the couch and said lazily, "not really."


    Seeing the surprise on Yun Shang''s face, Luo Qingyan smiled again. "I think they haven''t got any evidence, and what you have done is reasonable. Even they come to me, it''s useless. So they just choose not to come, lest they will make me unhappy."


    Yun Shang didn''t expect such a result. She lowered her eyes and smiled, "I''m worried too much."


    "You are overthinking." Luo Qingyan''s eyes were full of tenderness. "I heard that you went out of the palace with father and mother this afternoon? Do they have anything important? "


    Yun Shang shook her head and explained in a low voice, "Your majesty, Hua Yutong was just a pawn that was put up to explore the way, and the person who really controlled this game was mostly hidden behind..."


    "I made a scene on the street today and caught Hua Yutong. I also threatened to tell Xia Houjing that she killed his two unborn children just to frame me and slander me. I thought the people behind would most likely think that after such a thing happened, I should go to see Xia Houjing and ridicule him. "


    "That''s why I left the palace with father and mother this afternoon. After I left the palace, I just walked around. If there was really someone keeping an eye on me, the one would thought that we had hidden Xia Houjing in one of the places I visited this afternoon, and then checked these places one by one."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "My Shang''er is so smart. So, where have you been this afternoon? "


    "Well, I went to Court of Justice first, then Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, and then the seventh Prince''s mansion." Yun Shang explained, "The Court of Justice is the place where important prisoners are imprisoned, and there is a prison inside, which is very difficult for ordinary people to approach. Xia Ho


    ''t take any detour. He walked in a straight line, as if he was heading for his destination. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded without saying anything.


    Yun Shang stretched out her hand and pointed the straight line with her nails. "Mingqiu, Yangdu, Jingnan, Yonglin..."


    Yun Shang read names of the places along the line in silence. After a few words, she stopped and looked at a name. She frowned and asked, "Liucang City?"


    Yun Shang suddenly raised her head and asked, "Is Prince Xian going to see Liucang City?"


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were still fixed on the spot where Yun Shang''s hand pressed on. He said in a low voice, "I was also surprised when I found it earlier. But judging from his current route, it seems that there is Liucang City worthy to go. "


    "What is he going to Liucang City for?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and said, "Because of Xia Houjing''s rebellion, Liucang City is in chaos now. There are still many remnants of Xia Houjing who live in Liucang City. I don''t know whether or not Prince Xian''s destination is Liucang City, and what he is going to do in Liucang City. Now, we can only wait and see. "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and nodded. "But I believe that no matter where Prince Xian will go and what he will do, he will not do anything harmful to us and the State of Xia."

 Chapter 1097 The Resistance Of The Pawn

    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang and said softly, "You trust him very much."


    "Eh?" Yun Shang frowned and sniffed, "why do I feel a faint jealousy in the room? Do you know who he is? "


    Seeing Yun Shang''s reaction, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but chuckle, "Well, how could I know?"


    Luo Qingyan still had some political matters to deal with. He chatted with him for a while in Weiyang Palace and went back to Taiji Palace.


    Yun Shang went to bed early. On the second day, when she woke up in a daze, she heard the sound of rain outside.


    "Your Majesty is awake?" Qian Liu asked.


    Yun Shang nodded and sat up. "It''s raining outside?"


    "Yes, it has been raining since midnight. I''m afraid it will be cold after the rain. Your majesty, you should wear more today."


    "Okay," replied Yun Shang casually, letting the maid to dress her up.


    Just after breakfast, someone from the Shangyi Bureau came with some patterns, and her face was full of flattery. "It is getting cold, and we have prepared some patterns of autumn and winter clothes. Please have a look and see if there is any one you like, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang picked up the thick pile of samples and leafed through them casually. "There are a lot of styles, and there are also many new embroideries. Have you sent samples to her former majesty?"


    "Master Yu said that these are all specially prepared for your majesty."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Oh? So many? "


    The maid''s smile grew brighter.


    After searching for a while, Yun Shang picked out a few patterns and handed them over. "Just make these. Send them to other masters in the palace to choose. Don''t leave anyone behind."


    "Yes." The maid took the patterns that Yunshang had chosen and put them carefully before she bowed and left.


    Qian Zhuo clicked her tongue and said, "Now the servants from the Shangyi Bureau is very respectf


    I was chosen to marry the seventh Prince as a pawn, no one planned for me, and no one thought about what kind of life I would live in the seventh Prince''s mansion with my identity. I could only act day and night... "


    Seeing the resentment on Empress Hua''s face, Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said, "If you had known it earlier, why did I have to do that? If you could listen to me, how could you end up like this? "


    Empress Hua leaned back against the wall and looked up at Yun Shang with sarcasm in her eyes. "Your Majesty, you think it is easy? Your majesty has never experienced what I have experienced. How can you understand why I chose to do so? Many things are out of my control most of the time. "


    "What''s more, your majesty seemed to be nice to me, but in fact, you also only treated me as a pawn, didn''t you? I''m a human being, and I won''t be willing to be regarded as a pawn forever. I also want to be able to control my own life! I''m fed up with being manipulated! That''s why I fought back and tried my best to choose the path I want to go. Now it''s just that my choice has failed. "


    "But so what? I''ve tried it anyway. Besides, it was just a temporary failure. Who knew what would happen in the end. Do you think so? Your majesty... "

 Chapter 1098 Believe It Or Not

    "In the end?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and burst into laughter. The laughter became more and more arrogant, and finally she laughed so hard that she couldn''t straighten up.


    Hua Yutong''s face darkened. She looked at Yun Shang coldly and asked, "What are you laughing at?"


    Yun Shang ignored her. After a long time, she stopped laughing. She looked up at Hua Yutong and said, "You said that it''s just a temporary failure and that no one knows what will happen in the end?"


    Yun Shang went on with a smile in her eyes, "Do you think that as long as Xia Houjing is alive, there is still a chance to turn the tables?"


    Hua Yutong only glanced at Yun Shang without saying anything, but the expression on her face showed everything.


    Yun Shang walked a few steps in the cell and said, "The first condition for all of this is that Xia Houjing doesn''t die. And if Xia Houjing doesn''t die, you will have a chance to turn the tables. Apart from that, you have to live well to see that day. But... "


    Yun Shang lifted the corners of her mouth and went on with a vicious smile, "but now, Xia Houjing is dead!"


    Hua Yutong clenched her fists and stared at Yun Shang. After quite a while, she shook her head and shouted, "No way. Ning Yun Shang, I know you are always cunning. Don''t lie to me with such words. His highness is not dead. I know he is not dead. "


    Yun Shang chuckled, "What makes you so sure? Do you think the Emperor and I are fools? After his majesty and I came to the State of Xia, Xia Houjing attacked us again and again, almost killing us both. At present, we have finally got Xia Houjing in our hands. How can we easily let him go and give him a chance to turn over again? "


    Hua Yutong clenched her hands, and her nails were deeply embedded in her hands, which made her feel pain.


    "I won''t believe you. Do you think I will come to you and provoke you without knowing anything? I know. His highness is still alive! " the last words came out almost with a roar.


    However,


    stared at Yun Shang in disbelief.


    But Yun Shang didn''t seem to notice her gaze. She just smiled and went on saying, "By the way, you have also sent Xia Houjing''s two concubines and their unborn children to accompany him. If you go there, your family will be reunited. I should thank you for helping me and his majesty get rid of two hidden dangers. His majesty and I of course will not like Xia Houjing''s children to live in the world.


    But you see I''m also a mother now. I can''t bear to kill an unborn child. Luckily, I don''t have such trouble now. You have offered me your great help. You are so considerate."


    Hua Yutong''s face changed again and again. She didn''t say anything for a long time. She just bit her lips and looked up at Yun Shang, as if she was still considering whether her words were true or not.


    "Are you still thinking whether what I said is true or not?" Yun Shang seemed to understand what she meant, "It doesn''t matter whether it''s true or not. You''re going to die,"


    as Yun Shang spoke, she suddenly raised her voice, "Guards, bring in the things I prepared for the seventh princess!"


    Hardly had her voice faded away, when Hua Yutong saw a maid coming in with a tray. On the tray, there were three things neatly placed: a glass of wine, a dagger, and a piece of three-foot-long white cloth...

 Chapter 1099 Death Penalty

    It seemed that Hua Yutong didn''t expect that Yun Shang was telling the truth. She stared at the tray for a long time.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Your highness, please."


    Hua Yutong didn''t say anything. She fixed her eyes on the three things for a while, and then looked up at Yun Shang. "You just said that his highness has gone. Is it a lie? You lied to me, didn''t you? "


    Yun Shang smiled coldly, "You are dying. Why should I lie to you? What''s the point of lying to a dead person for me? "


    Hua Yutong was stunned. Her hands trembled slightly, and her body fell back as if she had lost her strength. She leaned against the wall softly.


    "Is he dead?"


    After a long time, she muttered to herself, "It''s a good thing that he''s dead. Good."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes, took out a brocade handkerchief from her sleeve, and gently wiped her hands. "Choose one of these three things, your highness. I''ve been here for a while, and I''m about to go back. Don''t waste my time, your highness."


    Hua Yutong still didn''t say anything. Yun Shang raised her eyes again and said, "Among these three things, the most horrible one should be the white cloth. Being wrapped around the neck by it, people will struggle subconsciously if they can''t breathe. Then their eyes will roll up, and they can''t help but open their mouths to breathe. It won''t look so decent."


    "As for the dagger, if you stab the right place with it, you will die very quickly, but it will be a little painful, and there will be wounds on the corpse. Some people don''t like to leave scars on the body, feeling that the corpse is incomplete."


    "In fact, I think the most appropriate one should be this poisonous wine. There is poisonous powder in the wine. It worked very fast, and there will be no injury on your body, and you won''t feel too painful. If you really want to find any weakness, it''s probably that after taking the poison, the corpse wil


    so she can''t judge whether or not Xia Houjing was good to Hua Yutong. But looking at Hua Yutong, she couldn''t help but want to sigh.


    "I can promise you that, but few people know about Xia Houjing''s death. His majesty and I won''t make a fuss about his funeral. He has been dead for a few days, and his majesty and I just randomly chose a place to bury his body. I planned to bury you in the name of the seventh princess, but if you want to be buried in the same place with him, I''m afraid I can''t do that then."


    "It doesn''t matter. I''m already dead, so I don''t care about the pomp. Wherever his highness is, I''ll be there. Even if there is no tombstone, I''m willing. "


    "Well, since you have said so, how can I not fulfill my wish?"


    "Thank you, your majesty." Hua Yutong finally stood up and kowtowed to Yun Shang. She knelt on the ground for a long time before she straightened up.


    Then Hua Yutong raised the dagger, closed her eyes and kept silent for a long time before stabbing it into her body...


    Blood gushed out and wetted her clothes.


    Yun Shang saw painful expression on her face, and her eyes were wandering in the void. Her body shook a few times before she fell to the ground. Then she stared at a place for a long time before slowly closing her eyes...

 Chapter 1100 Acting

    Yun Shang''s eyes rested on Hua Yutong''s face for a long time before she turned around and said, "Take her away."


    After leaving the prison and getting on the carriage, Qian Liu whispered in Yun Shang''s ear, "Everything is ready in the seventh Prince Mansion."


    Yun Shang nodded without any expression on her face, "Let''s go back to the palace."


    Back to Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang had a rest for a while. Not long after she woke up, she saw Qian Zhuo coming in in a hurry.


    Seeing her anxious face, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked, "What''s wrong? Is there anything happened? "


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "It was Official Wang who sent a message to us. She said that two officials from the Censorate came to the palace for the matter of your majesty''s execution of Hua Yutong."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help raising her eyebrows, but smiled, "Officials from the Censorate? They are well-informed. I just came back to the palace not long ago, but they''ve got the news and discussed to run into the palace. It seems that the people from the Censorate are targeting me. "


    "Your Majesty..." Seeing that Yun Shang was still in the mood to laugh, Qian Zhuo asked, "What are your majesty going to do with this? How about going to Taiji Palace to have a look? "


    "Why am I going there?" Yun Shang lowered her eyes and straightened her clothes, which were a little messy because of a nap. "Female members of the Imperial Household are not allowed to meddle with the state affairs. Although the Censorate is speaking ill of me, I can''t rush to defend myself every time I get the news."


    "Those who know the truth know that his majesty loves me so much that he is willing to listen to my advice and not avoid me in anything. Those who don''t know may feel that I''m watching both the imperial household and the court in order to manipulate everything. Someone even will say that his majesty is a puppet in front of me and that I am behind all the political affairs. "


    Qian Zhuo broke out in a cold sweat when she heard Yun Shang''s words. She apolog


    pse and try their best to find Xia Houjing. But I don''t understand why they tried every means to take away Hua Yutong''s corpse? It was too risky. Weren''t they afraid of being discovered by us? "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Of course they had to take her away, because Hua Yutong didn''t die at all."


    Hearing this, Qian Liu was stunned. She raised her head in surprise and asked, "Hua Yutong didn''t die?"


    Recalling what had happened in the prison yesterday, Qian Liu became more confused. "How could it be? I saw with my own eyes that Hua Yutong stabbed the dagger into her body and bled so much. Later it was proved that she had lost her breath and pulse... "


    "We acted in front of Hua Yutong. Hua Yutong could also act in front of us, couldn''t she? Yun Shang tapped on the armrest of the chair casually with her fingers, "Hua Yutong probably predicted that I might kill her, so she hid the medicine for fake death first."


    "But I have already noticed her scheme since she chose the dagger."


    "She has revealed too many flaws. She first asked me to bury her beside Xia Houjing, and then chose the dagger which would make her die a painfully..."


    "Of course, the most important thing is that I know medical skills. I could see at a glance that the position she stabbed into with the dagger did not hurt the vital parts and would bleed a lot, but... She won''t die. "

 Chapter 1101 The List

    "It wasn''t a fatal wound, but she died. It seemed that she was really dead. Then I knew what she was up to. "


    Yun Shang sneered, "Since she wants to act, I''m willing to play with her."


    "Ah..." It was not until then that Qian Liu realized what had happened. She looked at Yun Shang in surprise and recalled what Yun Shang had said in the prison yesterday. She suddenly came to her senses and knew that master must have expected Hua Yutong to do so, so she said those words on purpose.


    "Master is so smart. You have expected Hua Yutong''s scheme."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at Qian Liu, "Smart? I just happened to find it. I just think that it''s not easy to find out the person behind Hua Yutong''s matter, and I can''t completely rely on this list. The person who is able to be chosen by Xia Houjing to help him clean up the mess must be very scheming. Even if I send someone to keep an eye on Court of Justice, Lord Hua Guo''s mansion and the seventh Prince''s Mansion, I may not get anything. "


    "Even if I could, that might be arranged by the person behind deliberately to deceive me. I have to find a way to break the situation. I have thought about it for a long time. Hua Yutong is probably the only chance for me to break the situation. "


    Yun Shang leaned back in the chair and said, "Hua Yutong''s identity is special after all. Now Xia Houjing''s life is uncertain. If that person wants to order Xia Houjing''s old subordinates, in addition to the support of Xia Houjing, he has to find someone as a token. Hua Yutong is the seventh princess, she is a perfect token. So as long as there is a chance, he will definitely find a way to save Hua Yutong. "


    "As long as he comes to save Hua Yutong, we can follow the clue to investigate."


    Qian Liu suddenly understood. She frowned and said, "Your Majesty''s plan is flawless, but unfortunately, the secret guards... Failed to track them. Now we are in a passive pos


    taught the children of the aristocratic families. Most of these children would become officials in the court. In this way, it seemed that Lord Ling had nothing to do with the affairs of the court, but he actually has many connections with it.


    There might be many officials in the court who had been the students of Lord Ling.


    Moreover, Lord Ling resigned three years ago. she and Luo Qingyan had never seen him before, so it was difficult for them to notice him...


    If she were Xia Houjing, she would have chosen such a person who was respected by the courtiers but not eye-catching.


    Yun Shang rubbed the paper and kept silent for a while. Then she said, "Send someone to investigate these three people carefully, especially the former grand tutor."


    "Find out the courtiers whom the former grand tutor had a good relationship with before he resigned? How was his relationship with Xia Houjing and even Lady Cao? Besides, after the former grand tutor resigned and opened a private school, who had been taught by him? What are they doing now? What is their official positions if they are in the court? "


    "In addition, we also need to carefully investigate what Lord Ling likes to do and who he often visits. Investigate carefully and report it to me in detail. "


    "Yes."

 Chapter 1102 An Encounter

    It kept on raining for three whole days before it finally stopped. Qian Zhuo opened the window and breathed a long sigh of relief, "The air is the freshest after the rain. What a pity that it has rained for too long, and everything gets damp, which is quite annoying."


    Qian Liu removed the bedclothes on Yun Shang''s bed and said smilingly, "Fortunately, I''ve prepared it in advance. As soon as the rain stopped, I''ve asked the servants to light the stove, and fetch new quilts to dry on it so that I can change them later."


    Yun Shang, with a book in her hand, was looking out of the window. After hearing what they two said, she had a smile on her face.


    "Mother! Mother! "


    outside the door came the cry of Bao''er. Yun Shang hurriedly put aside the book in her hand. Just as she stood up, she saw Bao''er stumbling in.


    "Ouch, be careful. Don''t run too fast. What if you fall?"


    "I am a man. I am not afraid," answered Bao''er while jumping into Yun Shang''s arms and looking up at her. He pleaded, "Mother, let''s go and play."


    All the people in the hall burst into laughter when they saw the expression on Bao''er''s face. The wet nurse entered the room and was still a little breathless, but she immediately knelt down and apologized, "I am sorry. I failed to catch up with the Prince..."


    Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "All right. Get up, please. Children of this age, though not running stably, are very energetic. Thus it''s normal that you can''t catch up with him. It doesn''t matter if you are in the Weiyang Palace. If you get out of the Weiyang Palace, just ask more servants to keep an eye on him. "


    "Yes, your majesty," the wet nurse answered, lowering her eyes.


    Qian Zhuo smiled and said, "It has been raining for several days. The Prince has been confined in the Weiyang Palace and can''t go out to play. He must be very restrained."


    Bao''er grabbed Yun Shang''s hand and asked her to get up, "Mother, let''s go, let''s..."


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head helplessly, "If your father sees it, he would say that you are unruly."


    Although she said so, she stood up and said, "Let''s go. It has been r


    directly to the ground, but the birds in the pavilion didn''t move.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing when she saw Bao''er stamp his feet remorsefully and pick up the little stone on the ground.


    Bao''er had already made another pose, but the bird in the pavilion didn''t seem to be willing to cooperate with him. It spread its wings and flew away.


    Bao''er hurriedly followed the bird with a bow, and the servants behind kept following him.


    Yun Shang saw that Bao''er followed the bird into a flower arch and disappeared.


    "How time flies! The Prince can run away in a blink of an eye," Qian Liu sighed.


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "Yes, it''s really fast."


    The weather was very comfortable. It was neither cold nor hot, and there was a trace of cold wind.


    Yun Shang sat there for a while and felt sleepy. She put her hands on the table and fell asleep with her head resting on her hands.


    Just as she was in a daze, a voice said, "You don''t have to tell me this. Lady Li deserves what she has suffered. The Empress is merciful, so she asked her to copy Buddhist Texts in the Xiangyi Palace. But as we all know, His Former Majesty has abdicated, and there is no possibility for Lady Li to be pampered again. She will probably only live alone in the Xiangyi Palace for the rest of her life. It''s normal for the servants to be a little harsh on her. Why do you have to... Why did you ask for help for her? "

 Chapter 1103 Will She Come

    All of a sudden, Yun Shang was fully awake. She opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a maid and a eunuch coming over behind the rockery. The eunuch was speaking.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. Lady Li?


    She hadn''t heard the name for a long time. She didn''t pay attention to it since she asked Lady Li to transcribe Buddhist scriptures in the Xiangyi Palace.


    But judging from the words of these two servants, Lady Li didn''t seem to have a good time in the Xiangyi Palace?


    Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo looked at each other. When they were about to speak, Yun Shang raised her hand and made a gesture of silence.


    The maid lowered her head and said in a very low voice, "I offended a noble person when I first entered the palace. If it weren''t for Lady Li''s help, I would have died long ago. The grace of saving my life is greater than the sky. When Lady Li was living a good life, I didn''t want to come to her. But now she is down and having a bad life, I must repay her kindness. "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and sighed in her heart, ''It''s true that love and friendship are important.''.


    "Yesterday, when I went to visit from outside of the Xiangyi Palace, I saw Lady Li''s servants were looking for guards. They said that it was raining endlessly and the weather suddenly turned cold. Lady Li was ill and was getting worse and worse because of no medicine. They asked the guards to call for an imperial physician.


    But those guards all held their heads high and said that the Empress had ordered that no one was allowed to enter the Xiangyi Palace and even pushed the maid to the ground.


    I was going to take some silver jewelry to the guards and see if I could send some medicine. The guards didn''t appreciate it, so I asked you for help. You are responsible for bringing food to Lady Li. It must be easy for you to bring some medicine to her, "


    the maid pleaded. The eunuch turned to look at the maid and said, "If anyone finds out this, I will be seriously punished. I''ve told you that you don''t have to take such a big risk to do


    doesn''t have the ability. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Let''s wait and see if this maid will come or not."


    After saying that, Yun Shang looked up at the Imperial Garden below and said, "I don''t know where Bao''er has gone with the servants. When he runs, he is as fast as the wind, and no one can catch up with him."


    Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu giggled, "The Prince is a lively man. It''s a good thing."


    "Good thing?" Yun Shang repeated Qian Zhuo''s words and shook her head with a smile, "It may be a good thing for an ordinary person to have such a temperament. But unfortunately, he was born in the royal family and is destined to carry a lot of things in the future. It may not be a good thing if he is too lively.


    But..." Yun Shang pursed her lips. Although Bao''er was only one year old now, he had experienced a lot of things in fact. He was smart enough to not let her worry too much in the future.


    Now he was still young, and his personality was in line with the original appearance of a child at his age. It was a good thing.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang stood up and said, "Let''s go. I''ve been resting here for a while. Let''s go to see where Bao''er and the servants are going again,"


    Yun Shang said, walking out of the pavilion and down the rockery.


    As soon as she arrived at the foot of the rockery, she heard a scream, "Help! The Prince fell into the water! "

 Chapter 1104 The Prince Fell Into The Water

    Yun Shang stopped, her face changed, but she quickly calmed down, quickly told the direction of the voice, and walked in that direction.


    As soon as she reached the gate, she saw a servant running out in a hurry and almost bumped into Yun Shang.


    The maid ran out of breath. Seeing the person in front of her, she knelt down in a hurry. "Your majesty..."


    Yun Shang squinted her eyes and recognized that the maid was the one who served Bao''er. She asked, "What happened? Where did the Prince fall into the water? Hurry up and take me there! "


    The maid immediately stood up and led the way. While walking, she said to Yun Shang, "By Lake Luoxia. The Prince was chasing a bird, and we all followed behind him. The Prince ran too fast, turned a corner, and was blocked by the reed by the lake. We only heard the sound of falling. When we looked for him again, the Prince had already fallen into the water."


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and said, "Can''t you even take care of a child?"


    Perhaps it was because Yun Shang''s voice was too harsh that the maid shivered and suddenly knelt down. "Please forgive me, your majesty! Please forgive me!"


    Yun Shang became even angrier, "What are you doing? Get up and take me there! "


    The maid came back to her senses and apologized. She stood up in a hurry and continued to walk towards the lake with Yun Shang.


    Qian Liu followed Yun Shang and comforted her in a low voice, "There are several secret guards around the Prince. Don''t worry too much, your majesty."


    Of course, Yun Shang also knew it, but she couldn''t help worrying about Bao''er even though she knew that he would be fine.


    And Yun Shang felt it was too strange.


    Before Bao''er left, she repeatedly told him not to get rid of the servants and run around by himself, not to get close to the lake, not to get close to the rockery after the rain.


    Although Bao''er was only one year old now, he was reborn. Of course, he


    and hurried out.


    Yun Shang then ordered Qian Zhuo, "Change clean clothes for the Prince and dry his hair. It''s cold. Don''t catch a cold and get fever. "


    Qian Zhuo also answered, and hurriedly found clothes to change for Bao''er.


    Then Yun Shang ordered, "Go and boil some water. The Prince needs to take a bath. And make a bowl of brown sugar ginger soup."


    "Yes."


    When there were only the two of them left in the room, Yun Shang looked at Bao''er again, waiting for his explanation.


    "Mother, someone intended to kill me."


    Yun Shang definitely knew that, so she just nodded slightly, "Tell me what happened?"


    "The bird I have been chasing should have been deliberately controlled by someone." Bao''er said in a low voice, "I chased after the bird for a long distance and found something wrong. I always vaguely heard the sound of whistling. The bird seemed to be manipulated by someone. It always flew for a while and stopped to wait for me. When I caught up with it, it flew again. "


    "I was curious about the situation, so I followed the bird all the time. In fact, when I approached Lake Luoxia, I saw a figure flash behind the reeds. When I saw the bird go straight to that place, I realized that the person who manipulated the bird should be hiding behind the reeds. "

 Chapter 1105 Wait For Some While

    Yun Shang frowned and said, "Since you had already sensed something was wrong, why did you still try to get closer? How dared you shake the servants and guards off and get close to the lake? "


    Hearing Yun Shang raise her voice, Bao''er drew back his neck and looked at Yun Shang carefully. He lowered his voice and said, "Mother, be careful not to be heard by others outside."


    Yun Shang snorted and stared at Bao''er. Her eyes became colder and colder. "You are only a one year old child now. If someone wants to kill you, it''s easier than killing an ant. You are the only child of your father and me. Have you ever thought about how we will be if something happens to you? "


    Holding the quilt, Bao''er looked at Yun Shang pitifully, "Mother, I''m sorry."


    "Let me tell you, if you put yourself in danger next time, I won''t spare you. I have one thousand ways to make you suffer. If you don''t believe me, you can have a try. "


    Of course, Bao''er believed her. After his rebirth, he had seen his mother''s actions with his own eyes. He knew that his mother was completely different from the weak and ignorant mother in her previous life.


    "Mother..." Bao''er pulled Yun Shang''s sleeve carefully and stared at Yun Shang with his big watery eyes.


    Yun Shang took a deep breath and asked, "And then? Did you see the man after you ran over? How did you fall into the water? "


    "No... I didn''t see him. " Bao''er lowered his head and looked depressed.


    "I didn''t see anything. I was pushed by someone and then... Then I fell into the water. "


    Yun Shang snorted, "If it weren''t for that the secret guards hadn''t been following you all the time and saved you as soon as you fell into the water, you could''ve been just a cold corpse now."


    "I will investigate it carefully. You must remember today''s lesson. You can''t do such a stupid thing again."


    After saying that


    loudly, "Ask someone to bring it in."


    Qian Zhuo brought in hot water and a bowl of ginger soup. Yun Shang stepped aside and asked Qian Zhuo to feed the soup to Bao''er. Then she ordered, "Go and call in the wet nurse and servants who serve the Prince. Let them serve the Prince to take a bath. The water is a little hot, so you can soak in it for a while and sweat. "


    Qian Zhuo answered. She walked to the bed and was surprised to see Bao''er''s aggrieved face. But since Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were both there, she couldn''t ask anything. She just smiled and said, "Prince, go to the bathroom with me."


    Of course, it was what Bao''er wanted. He hurriedly lifted the quilt, opened his hands, and allowed himself to be carried into the bathroom by Qian Zhuo.


    After the servants entered the bathroom, Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shangand asked, "What do you think of this matter?"


    Yun Shang meditated for a moment and sorted out her thoughts. Then she said, "Although the man pushed Bao''er down the lake, he didn''t want to kill him. If he want to take Bao''er''s life, he can end it with a saber directly. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded.


    Yun Shang continued, "If he has any other purpose, he will make a move soon. Let''s... Wait for some while."

 Chapter 1106 For What

    As soon as she finished speaking, a servant''s voice came from outside, "His former majesty is here. Her former majesty is here."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other, stood up and walked out of the inner hall.


    Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling had already stood in the hall. As soon as they saw the two of them come out, their eyes fell on them.


    Hua Ling walked quickly over and said, "I heard from a servant that Chengye fell into the water? What happened? Is there anything wrong with Chengye? A servant came to report that Chengye was choked by water and in a coma. But I haven''t heard that Weiyang Palace called for the imperial physician. I don''t know what''s going on with Chengye, so I came here in a hurry. "


    Yun Shang saw that Xia Huanyu glanced at her when Hua Ling mentioned that she didn''t call the imperial physician.


    Yun Shang pretended not to see her. She patted Hua Ling''s hand and comforted her, "He''s fine now. He wasn''t choked by water. Maybe he was scared at that time, so he fainted. He woke up as soon as he returned to Weiyang Palace. He was taking a bath in the bathroom. I was worried that he might catch a cold, so I asked the servants to prepare hot water for him to take a bath. "


    "That''s good. That''s good. He should take a bath."


    As soon as Hua Ling finished her words, Xia Huanyu said, "Although you know medical skills and Chengye is your child, but he is also the prince of the State of Xia. After such a big event, we should send for an imperial physician to examine him carefully."


    Yun Shang''s hands in her sleeves paused for a moment. When Hua Ling told her that she didn''t call for an imperial physician, Xia Huanyu glanced at her. Now he specially mentioned that she should call an imperial physician. What did he mean?


    Yun Shang thought to herself and looked up at Xia Huanyu. There was no superfluous expression on Xia Huanyu''s face, but his eyes were a little dark.


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and smiled, "I''ll send someone to ask for the imperial physician right


    arting from squat. He probably knows that practicing martial arts is tiring, so he is acting like a spoiled child here. "


    Hua Ling raised her head and looked at Luo Qingyan in surprise, "Isn''t it too early for Chengye to learn martial art?"


    "Not early. It''s better to practice the basic skills earlier. And the master will make a plan according to his situation. They won''t make him hurt or tired. "


    Xia Huanyu nodded and said, "As a man, you can''t be too delicate. It''s really good to start practicing early and exercise your willpower."


    Seeing that both Xia Huanyu and Luo Qingyan said so, Hua Ling didn''t say anything more. She just nodded and said, "Then you have to study hard..."


    Seeing that he still need to practice martial art, Chengye just stood aside and didn''t say anything.


    After a while, the imperial physicians arrived.


    Several imperial physicians took turns to check Chengye''s pulse. They all said that there was nothing serious with his health. He just needed to take good care of himself and drink some ginger soup to relieve the cold and fever.


    After the imperial physicians left, Xia Huanyu left Weiyang Palace with Hua Ling.


    Standing at the door, Yun Shang looked at the back of Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling. She frowned and said, "Why did father] insist on letting the imperial physicians come to see Chengye?"

 Chapter 1107 On The Same Boat

    Luo Qingyan didn''t answer. He turned to Yun Shang with a smile, "Then tell me, why did you send for imperial physicians when he asked you to? Aren''t you afraid that he is plotting against you? "


    After a moment''s silence, Yun Shang said, "In fact, I hesitated before. I guessed in my heart when Xia Huanyu insisted on calling for an imperial physicians that he might want to take the opportunity to confirm if Bao''er was mentally unsound. But I figured out a lot from the matter of Cao Shanxiu. To some extent, Xia Huanyu and we are on the same boat. "


    "Xia Huanyu had been the emperor of the State of Xia for decades. Of course he wants the State of Xia to be good. And now, you are the emperor and I am the Empress. Naturally, he doesn''t want anything bad to happen to us, making the State of Xia suffer."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes slightly and said, "Even if Bao''er is really mentally unsound, he will just ask you to divorce me and set up a new Empress, marry more concubines and give birth to a few normal children. But once this matter becomes a big deal, it was not what Xia Huanyu wants to see. And that''s why I''m more willing to believe that the reason why Xia Huanyu did this just now is that he sensed something and specially came to alert us, not to aim at us. "


    After saying that, Yun Shang looked up and saw Luo Qingyan looking at her with a smile.


    Yun Shang coughed and touched her face, "Your Majesty, why are you looking at me like this?"


    Luo Qingyan chuckled, "I just think my Shang''er is sensible and reasonable. Xia Huanyu has done so many things that you don''t like, but you are still able to analyze it in this way. I really should learn from you. "


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and snorted, "In fact, I had doubted it. It''s just that Bao''er is fine. I''m not afraid even if he called many imperial physicians."


    Yun Shang''s guess was soon confirmed.


    In the afternoon, Yun Shang was playing game with Bao''ern in the inner hall. Qian Liu


    However, if her body was really like this, and she would never have another child in the future, she would be unwilling to accept it.


    As time went by, there might be uneasiness.


    Yun Shang sighed and looked down at Bao''er. "Have you untied it?"


    Bao''er shook his head and said, "No."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Look at me."


    After playing for a while, Bao''er felt a little tired and fell asleep on the couch. Yun Shang called someone to carry Bao''er to his room and whispered to Qian Liu, " Have they found anything about the three who has been to Court of Justice and Lord Hua Guo''s mansion?"


    Qian Liu nodded, "They''ve found something. I''ll bring it to you."


    Yun Shang answered. Qian Liu left the inner hall quickly and came in with a pamphlet.


    "They''ve found out almost everything about these three people, including their experience, preferences, family background, the list of people they usually contact, and the places they like to go. Here are you. Please have a look... "


    Yun Shang took the pamphlet and opened it. While reading it, she asked, "Have you read all the contents in it?"


    "I have seen some." Qian Liu replied in a low voice.


    "Then who do you think is most likely to be Xia Huanyu''s man?"


    Qian Liu thought for a while and answered softly, "The former grand tutor, Lord Ling."

 Chapter 1108 Too Conspicuous

    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why are you so sure?"


    Qian Liu shook her head, "I''m not sure. But from the investigation results of the secret guards, he is the most suspicious."


    "The secret guards found out that when he worked as the grand tutor, he had a good relationship with Xia Houjing. He appreciated Xia Houjing very much and often praised him as his best disciple. The two of them had a close relationship. Even after Lord Ling resigned, Xia Houjing often visited him. There was even a rumor that he was going to marry Lord Ling''s daughter, but Miss Ling suddenly fell ill and died. "


    Yun Shang asked in surprise, "Is that true?"


    Qian Liu nodded, "But it seems that Xia Houjing wanted to avoid suspicion after your majesty and his majesty came to the Jin city, so the contact between Xia Houjing and Lord Ling is suddenly reduced."


    "In addition, the secret guard also found that Wenshu Bookstore where Hua Yutong visited after she returned to Jin city was not only frequently visited by Prince Xian, but also by Lord Ling. On the day Hua Yutong went to Wenshu Bookstore, Lord Ling also went there. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. At that time, she and Luo Qingyan found Wenshu Bookstore because of Liu Yinfeng''s sudden departure from the Jin city. They didn''t expect that Lord Ling was involved in this matter.


    In this way, it was uncertain whether Hua Yutong contacted Liu Yinfeng or Lord Ling in Wenshu Bookstore that day.


    Yun Shang leafed through the pamphlet and nodded, "Yes, as you said, from the information collected by the secret guards, the most suspicious one is indeed Ling Hai."


    "Yes." Qian Liu echoed in a low voice, and then continued, "But that''s why I feel that it''s strange. The former grand tutor had a close relationship with Xia Houjing. We could find so many things with only one investigation. If Lord Ling is the last chip that Xia Houjing has prepared, it would be too conspicuous... "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes. So, what do you think of it?"


    Qian Liu meditated for a mom


    submitted by the palaces. When Luo Qingyan asked about it, she raised her head in confusion and blinked at Luo Qingyan.


    Judging from the look on Yun Shang''s face, Luo Qingyan knew that she hadn''t started to prepare for it. He couldn''t help but feel a little funny. He only glared at Yun Shang, pretending to be angry. "Did you forget about it?"


    "Your Majesty, you know that I don''t care much about my birthday. It''s not a big deal. We can just gather together to celebrate it."


    "What are you talking about?" Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang and said, "You have a different identity now. Even if you want to celebrate it casually, the courtiers won''t allow you."


    After saying that, he added, "It doesn''t matter if you forget it. Didn''t the servants around you remind you?"


    "Hmm..." Yun Shang smiled, "They have reminded me several times, but I didn''t take it seriously. It''s not their fault. Well, I see. I''ll tell them to prepare carefully later."


    Yun Shang replied casually, while gently stroking the pamphlet in her hand. The enthronement ceremony hadn''t been held yet. Although she was exercising the power of the Empress, the ceremony hadn''t been done yet, and she was still not the Empress recorded in the royal family tree.


    There were many people outside who didn''t want her to be the Empress. The birthday party wouldn''t be easy...

 Chapter 1109 Meet Someone

    Hearing that Yun Shang agreed, Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang for a while and continued, "There is news from the secret guards who were following Liu Yinfeng. As we guessed before, Liu Yinfeng went to Liucang City."


    "Liu Yinfeng has found the secret guards and asked them to send us a message. He said that he was just in a good mood and walked around casually. He wanted to enjoy the scenes in the State of Xia, so we don''t have to worry too much. Besides, he is just a civilian now, and he takes some servants with him. He will definitely not be in danger. "


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled, "What he means is that we don''t have to send people to follow him so painstakingly. What do you think, your majesty? "


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang and smiled, "I''ve ordered to withdraw the secret guards ."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked at Luo Qingyan with a faint smile.


    The two had been together for a long time. Luo Qingyan knew the meaning of Yun Shang''s glance. Seeing Yun Shang looking at him like this, he couldn''t help but raise his hand to rub between his eyebrows. "Anyway, I have a clear distinction between public and private interests, right? Although Liu Yinfeng... But I can trust him. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have let him stay in the court for so long and take such an important position. "


    Yun Shang clicked her tongue and said, "Don''t think that I don''t know it. It''s just out of your selfish motive. You want to give the position to Liu Yinfeng when you don''t want to be the emperor in the future. That''s why you have to do that... "


    Luo Qingyan stopped massaging between his eyebrows. He looked up at Yun Shang, suddenly stood up and walked towards her.


    Yun Shang hurriedly raised the pamphlet in her hand, and her whole body was trembling with laughter. "Your majesty, what are you doing? You can''t get angry because I guessed your purpose right... "


    Luo Qingyan took out the pamphlet from Yun Shang''s hand and poked her forehead. "Do you think you can provoke me


    bedroom quickly.


    After dealing with the pamphlets on the table, Yun Shang stood up, called in servants to change her into daily clothes, and left the palace with them.


    When the carriage stopped, Qian Zhuo helped Yun Shang get off and saw it stopped in front of a bookstore.


    "Wenshu Bookstore?" Qian Zhuo raised her head and looked at the signboard. Isn''t it the place Hua Yutong came to after she arrived at Jin city? "


    Yun Shang nodded, "It is."


    Qian Zhuo became vigilant all of a sudden. "I remember that at that time, your majesty guessed that there must be some Xia Houjing''s men in the bookstore. Why do your majesty come here? "


    Noticing the change of Qian Zhuo''s expression, Yun Shang couldn''t help but smile. "Don''t be so nervous. Don''t worry. Even if there is Xia Houjing''s men here, they didn''t expect that I would suddenly come, and they didn''t dare to do anything to me. Besides, there are secret guards around us. "


    Qian Zhuo knew that Yun Shang would never do something she wasn''t sure of, but she was still worried. But she also knew what Yun Shang wanted to do, and she couldn''t dissuade her, so she had to ask in a low voice, "Your majesty, are you here today to inquire about Hua Yutong? But the people here won''t tell us, will they? "


    "No." Yun Shang stepped into the bookstore, "I come here to... meet someone."

 Chapter 1110 Request

    Qian Zhuo blinked her eyes, meet someone? Who?


    While she was thinking, she saw Yun Shang walk in, and then followed her in a hurry.


    "Hello, Madam." The shopkeeper came out from behind the counter and walked up to her with a smile. "What can I do for you?"


    Yun Shang looked around the Bookstore, but didn''t see the person she wanted to see. She just said casually, "Just have a look."


    The shopkeeper looked at Yun Shang up and down. Seeing that Yun Shang was dressed in luxurious clothes, he put on a flattering smile and said, "There are many books in our bookstore. However, the books sold downstairs were no different from those sold in other bookstores. But we still have a lot of books upstairs, which are not easy to find in the market. If you are interested, you can go upstairs and have a look. "


    "Oh?" Hearing this, Yun Shang rolled her eyes and said, "Great. I''ll go upstairs to have a look."


    The shopkeeper immediately led Yun Shang to the second floor. As soon as they went upstairs, they saw two tables at the entrance of the stairs, on which there were writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone. There was no one else beside the table, but there was a piece of paper on the table, with a few words scattered on it.


    Rows of bookshelves were neatly arranged on both sides. Only slight footsteps could be heard from the back of the bookshelf, but no one was seen.


    "I''ll take care of myself. You can go ahead with your work. If there is any book I like, I will come to find you. " Yun Shang glanced around and turned to the shopkeeper.


    "Okay, okay." The shopkeeper replied, but there was still a little hesitation on his face. "Madam, it seems that it''s the first time you''ve been to our bookstore, right? The books upstairs are very precious. I hope you can cherish them. "


    "I know. Don''t worry, boss. If I damage any book, I will compensate you according to the price."


    The shopkeeper nodded. Seeing that someone had entered downstairs


    , but now she had a high reputation in the State of Ning. She not only managed the imperial household of the State of Ning well, but also led the army to fight several times and gained a great victory. I don''t dare to give such a great women like your majesty any advice. "


    "Rumors are always exaggerating. I heard that after you resigned, you have accepted a lot of students. Do you think that I''m stupid, or that you are not willing to teach me because I''m a woman? "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Ling Hai lowered his eyes and leafed through the books on the table. A look of panic appeared on his face. "What are you talking about, your majesty? I can''t bear such blame. If you want to know something, just tell me. I will tell you everything I know. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang smiled, "Then... Thank you, Lord Ling. I came to Wenshu Bookstore today not only for this matter. I heard that there are a lot of books in Wenshu Bookstore, so I want to find some books introducing the customs of the State of Xia. After all, Lord Ling also knows that I''m from the State of Ning, and I have just been the State of Xia for a short time, so I don''t know much about the State of Xia... "


    "By the way, is there any book introducing Liucang City?" Yun Shang smiled, "I''m quite interested in this place recently."

 Chapter 1111 Unusual

    Hearing that, Ling Hai paused for a moment. He looked up at Yun Shang and said, "I thought his majesty and your majesty had already thoroughly studied Liucang City because of the matter of the seventh Prince."


    Yun Shang smiled but said nothing.


    Ling Hai didn''t continue it. He just lowered his eyes and said casually, "Liucang City is not a big place, so there are not many books specially about it. But most of places have their own city annals, which are usually made up by some local scholars for the later generations to know the place where they live. Liucang City also had one, but it''s not sold in Wenshu Bookstore. If you are interested, you can go and find one. "


    "I see." Yun Shang nodded, "Thank you, Lord Ling."


    Ling Hai didn''t respond. He looked up at the sky outside, and then lowered his head to put away the things on the table. "It''s late. Several great grandsons of me should have been off the clan school. I have to go back to instruct them, so I''m leaving now."


    Yun Shang lowered her head slightly and said, "Lord Ling, you can go now if you have something to do. If I have any problem, I will bother you again. Please don''t dislike me. "


    Glancing at Yun Shang, Ling Hai took the things on the table and went downstairs.


    Qian Zhuo stood on tiptoe and watched Ling Hai walk out of the door of Wenshu Bookstore. Then she couldn''t help but snort, "Ling Hai is too arrogant, isn''t he? When your majesty talked to him, he looked you in the eye without scruple and disrespected your majesty. When he left just now, he didn''t even salute your majesty... "


    Yun Shang chuckled, "It''s interesting, isn''t it? It''s a good character to attract my attention. If he is as respectful as an ordinary person to me, maybe I will feel bored. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo was a little surprised. She looked at Yun Shang with hesitation, "Your Majesty, you mean... In order to attract your attention, he deliberately behaved like this in front of you? "


    "Who knows? This


    nner hall. As soon as Yun Shang entered, she saw him sitting behind the desk, holding something in his hand and attentively looking at it.


    "Your majesty, why didn''t you send someone to call me?"


    Luo Qingyan looked up and said with a smile, "You have a lot of things to do in your daily life. It''s rare for you to play with Chengye. Besides, I have nothing important. "


    Yun Shang smiled and walked to the opposite of Luo Qingyan. She looked at the thing in Luo Qingyan''s hand and asked, "What are you looking at, your majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan shook the thing in his hand and said, "It... It seems to be a list of some books? "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang immediately understood. She nodded and said, "Yes, I want to know what special books Wenshu Bookstore has that could make both Prince Xian and Ling Hai like to go there. I''ve sent someone to investigate it. It''s true that Ling Hai often goes to Wenshu Bookstore in the past few years, but Prince Xian has just developed the habit in recent months. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Do you think there is something wrong? Then what do you find from the list? "


    Yun Shang shook her head, "I didn''t see anything. Maybe the shopkeeper of Wenshu Bookstore did something on the list."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and handed the list to her. "I have found something unusual..."

 Chapter 1112 The Secret In The Book List

    "Something unusual?" Yun Shang took the book list and looked confused.


    Luo Qingyan stood up and walked around from behind the desk. "Normally, in addition to the classics, bookstores also sell some light reading."


    "Most bookstores almost sell all kinds of books. But Wenshu Bookstore is a little strange. Although there are all kinds of light reading in it, there is a large amount of a particular kind which is a little eye-catching. "


    Yun Shang frowned and opened the list again. But there were just names of books on it. Yun Shang had read some of them and knew what kind of books they were, but there were also many books that Yun Shang had never heard of. She didn''t know what kind they were, so she didn''t know what Luo Qingyan was talking about.


    Seeing the confusion on Yun Shang''s face, Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "It''s normal that you can''t figure it out. I happened to read some books on the list as it was needed in some wars."


    Luo Qingyan took the book list and opened it. He pointed at it and said, "Look, from this page to this page. The books listed on these four pages are all about construction."


    "Construction?" Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I haven''t seen some of them. I''ve also sent someone to investigate them. In addition to some works used in the marching army, there are also some strange things. The construction of secret passages, weapons and tools could barely be related to war. But books like mining, water project construction, and even tools for planting crops have nothing to do with the marching of the army. "


    Yun Shang squinted slightly, "Why are there so many books about construction in Wenshu Bookstore? If Wenshu Bookstore belongs to Xia Houjing, does he regard it as a place for his people to learn something? And these books are exactly what Xia Houjing wants his people


    ay to investigate it carefully and make early arrangement."


    "We also should find a way to deal with Xia Houjing as soon as possible. We can''t just let him lead us like this. In my opinion, we could kill him directly to avoid future trouble. Or we could figure out what exactly he is planning. "


    "And Ling Hai, and Wenshu Bookstore..."


    Yun Shang stopped and frowned, "If Xia Houjing really regards Wenshu Bookstore as a place for his people to learn, let''s carefully investigate people who like to go there, especially the officials in the court, or the sons of the noble clans in Jin City, and some elders who have resigned. After tests, we can confirm who are Xia Houjing men. "


    Seeing that Yun Shang was in a hurry, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help smiling. He grabbed Yun Shang''s hand and pulled her forward.


    Yun Shang was lost in thought. She stumbled and fell on the couch.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and raised his hand to rub Yun Shang''s forehead. He said in a gentle voice, "I''ll arrange someone to investigate these things. Today, you''ve gained a lot by going to Wenshu Bookstore. Don''t worry about these things any more."


    "Don''t worry. No matter what Xia Houjing plans or what he has done in secret, he is no match for us..."

 Chapter 1113 Abnormal Phenomena

    What Ling Hai said was probably right. Since Yun Shang was in this position, she really didn''t need to go to a bookstore outside the palace to look for books in person.


    On the second day after her visit to the Wenshu Bookstore, Qian Zhuo brought in a few books in her arms.


    "This is what your majesty wants, including Liucang City''s annals, as well as a few books about Liucang City written by some famous local scholars. Some of them are older, written more than 200 years ago, and some were just finished the year before last... And the two books your majesty asked for are also here. "


    Yun Shang nodded and let Qian Zhuo put the books on the table.


    The book on the top was called "Ingenuity". It was one of the two books that Ling Hai took away yesterday.


    Yun Shang reached for the book and turned a few pages. She frowned slightly.


    This book was about craftsmanship skills, from wood work to ironware, from some commonly used appliances to weapons. It was about how those craftsmen used their ingenious thinking to make some very useful tools.


    Yun Shang put the book aside and took another one, "Reaching The Clouds", which told about how to build a house as high as possible.


    These two books didn''t seem to have much to do with each other, but Yun Shang could see the connection between them because of Luo Qingyan''s words yesterday. These two books were both related to the construction work.


    However, although they were about all construction works, the content of them was too different?


    No one could figure out what was deep inside.


    What on earth was Xia Houjing making in secret? What plan?


    "Your Majesty, what''s in this book? Why do you look so puzzled? " Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Qian Zhuo couldn''t help asking.


    Yun Shang came to her senses and shook her head with a smile, "I''m fine. I just feel that Ling Hai is really a character who used to be a Grand Tutor. What he read is obscure and hard to understand. These two books are all Greek to me."


    Hearing Yun Sha


    he is a good man. He will definitely be good to Qin Yi."


    "That''s really a piece of good news. Your majesty is going to have the Grand Ceremony soon. Qian Yin is pregnant, and Qin Yi is going to get married. Three blessings are coming around!"


    Everyone cheered and laughed for a while. Qian Yin suddenly remembered the purpose of her trip, so she restrained her expression and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report to you today actually."


    Seeing the expression on Qian Yin''s face, Yun Shang restrained her smile and asked, "What is it?"


    Qian Yin hurriedly reported, "In the past two days, we have assigned some spies in the city and found that it seems to be a little unsafe in the downtown. In fact, it''s not a big deal, but after summarizing and associating all the news form the spies, we found that something is wrong. "


    "Tell me," said Yun Shang.


    "Many crowded restaurants and teahouses in the city have changed their storytellers, almost all of whom are strangers. The leaders of several opera troupes have also changed. In the big downtown areas around all the city, a few more acrobatics troupes have come. Moreover, there seem to be many beggars everywhere in the city, and those beggars are a little different from ordinary ones. They don''t look like real beggars, but seem to be asking for information... "

 Chapter 1114 Eventful Autumn

    Yun Shang frowned, "It''s indeed very strange."


    Qian Liu nodded, "It seems normal that some tea house change its storyteller, or an acrobatics team has come to the downtown, or some beggars appeared in the city. Usually, if you hear such words, you will probably only smile and think it''s not a big deal. "


    "But it sounds a little unusual if many tea houses have changed their storytellers at the same time, many acrobatics troupe have come, or there are beggars everywhere."


    Qian Yin nodded, "Fortunately, in the past few months, we have placed more and more spies in the city, and the information we get is more and more detailed. Otherwise we couldn''t have noticed that something is wrong."


    Qian Zhuo frowned and asked, "But what does it mean?"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Now we have only noticed some clues, but we are not sure whether there is any connection between these changes, let alone know what are hidden under these changes for the time being. But anyway, it''s good that we have sensed the abnormality in the city in advance. Since we have sensed it, we can think of a way to carefully investigate it according to these tiny clues. "


    After a short pause, Yun Shang continued, "In my opinion, there is something in common among the changes Qian Yin just said."


    Seeing that they all looked at her, Yun Shang smiled slightly. "The storytellers in the tea house, the acrobatics teams in the downtown, and the beggars wandering in every corner of the city... These people seem to be at the bottom of the society, but they are the best choice to pry into information, gather information, and spread rumors. "


    "Your majesty, do you suspect that someone is manipulating these changes secretly, or that someone wants to use these people to gather information, or spread rumors?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "It''s just my guess. As for the deta


    the things that can be written in these books are insignificant, so we can''t see anything special. "


    Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "But I always feel that there must be something wrong with Liucang City. Otherwise, Prince Xian wouldn''t have gone straight to Liucang City. He must have noticed something."


    Luo Qingyan pulled Yun Shang over with a smile, "Then... What do you want to do? "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "As for the books about construction in Wenshu Bookstore, I want to hire several skilled craftsmen to read them carefully and see what secrets are hidden in them."


    "As for Liucang City..." Yun Shang paused and looked up at Luo Qingyan. "His majesty won''t agree even I tell you."


    Luo Qingyan raised her eyebrows, "Tell me first?"


    Yun Shang coughed, "I want to go to see Liucang City in person and see what secret is hiding there. Your majesty, do you agree? "


    Luo Qingyan tutted, "I knew you would say that."


    Then she looked at Yun Shang with a smile, "Liucang City is in a mess because of Liucang City. I''m worried about you."


    Yun Shang knew the result. She curled her lips and said nothing.


    "Besides, Liucang City is right here. Do you think I will let you meet him alone?"

 Chapter 1115 Life-saving Grace

    Yun Shang raised her hand and made a small gap between her two fingers. "Look, your heart... is so small. You can''t get through Prince Xian, can you? "


    "Not really." Luo Qingyan said slowly, "There are so many people who like you. But do you know why I always mention Prince Xian?"


    "Why?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked again, "Many people likes me? I sit true? Why didn''t I know? "


    Luo Qingyan chuckled, "I don''t care about those weak people at all, because I know that no matter what they do, they won''t be able to attract your attention. Prince Xian is different. He is good at both literature and martial arts, and he treats you very well. He can always show up in front of you because of his identity. "


    "But now I think it might be a good thing that he can always show up in front of us. If he really doesn''t go back to Jin City as he said in the letter, I will feel a little unhappy. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang asked in surprise, "why?"


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and said, "Maybe it''s because if he shows up in front of us all the time, you can see many of his shortcomings and become more uninterested in him. But if he really doesn''t come back, maybe he will be a perfect man in your heart, and you will always miss him. "


    "What are you talking about?" Yun Shang felt it funny and patted Luo Qingyan on the arm.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and continued with a smile, "It''s really messy in Liucang City now. When Xia Houjing revolted, he gathered the noble clans of Liucang City, Siyang City and Nanyang City, as well as some bandits. "


    "Now that Xia Houjing is in trouble, no one is there to lead them. These people are all motivated by Xia Houjing, but none of them is willing to submit to any other. They all want to be the leader and do something big. So each party has dominated part of the city and made the people suffer. "


    "In such a situation, Liucang City was even more dangerous than when Xia Houjing started the revolt. Although you will definitely bring your secret guards with you, I can''t rest assured. "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said nothing.


    Luo Qingyan conti


    e, so I have to beg your majesty."


    "Please do me a favor and send for an imperial physician to treat Lady Li."


    Hearing the maid''s words, Yun Shang suddenly remembered the scene she saw when Bao''er fell into the water in the Imperial Garden last time.


    At that time, she was still talking to Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo that she didn''t know whether or not the maid would really came to beg her.


    However, because of too many things later, she forgot about it. She didn''t expect...


    Yun Shang looked at the maid and said, "Raise your head and let me have a look."


    Hearing this, the maid trembled and raised her head.


    Only then did Yun Shang see her face clearly. It was the one she had seen in the Imperial Garden the other day.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Which palace are you from? And why did you know that Lady Li, who has been grounded in the Xiangyi Palace, was seriously ill? And why do you help Lady Li? You even almost ran into me. "


    The maid bit her lips as if she had expected Yun Shang''s question. She answered quickly, "I... I was on duty in the Cuiwei Palace. Before entering the palace, Lady Li had saved my life. I heard that Lady Li has been grounded in the Xiangyi Palace. In order to repay her for saving my life, I secretly sent some money to inquire about her situation, and then knew that she was seriously ill. I will never forget her grace of saving my life, so I come to beg your majesty... "

 Chapter 1116 Osmanthus fragrans

    "Come to beg me?" Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and smiled warmly, "Do you know what crime Lady Li has committed? Why did I grounded her in the Xiangyi Palace? "


    "I... I don''t know. " The maid''s voice was trembling.


    "You don''t know?" Yun Shang chuckled, "You didn''t even know what mistake Lady Li had made, but you came to intercede for her rashly. Aren''t you afraid that I will be angry with you?"


    "I''ve heard that your majesty is virtuous and kind. Even if your majesty might be angry at me, Lady Li once saved my life. I have to help her even with my life. "


    Yun Shang''s eyes rested on the maid for a long time. "You are really grateful."


    Then she looked away and ordered Pei Lan, "Send for an imperial physician to the Xiangyi Palace to treat Lady Li."


    "Yes." Pei Lan replied and left with her head down.


    "Thank you, your majesty! Thank you so much!" The maid sobbed and kowtowed three more times to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang''s fingers in her sleeves moved slightly. "Since you are worried about Lady Li so much, I can fulfill your gratitude. From now on, you can go to the Xiangyi Palace to serve her."


    The maid trembled and raised her head abruptly, as if she was shocked.


    Yun Shang smiled, "What''s wrong? Unwilling? "


    The maid seemed to have noticed her overreaction. She quickly kowtowed again and said, "I''m not unwilling. Thank you, your majesty. I will do as you command."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Well, you can go now."


    The maid moved to the side of the road and knelt down. Yun Shang walked past her and entered Jingui Garden.


    After entering the garden, Qian Liu turned her head to look at the door. The maid knelt at the door for a while before she stood up and left.


    "Your majesty, do you think there is anything wrong with this maid?" Qian Liu turned around and asked softly.


    "Oh? Why do you ask that? " As soon as they entered


    check on Lady Li."


    "Oh? How is Lady Li? "


    "The imperial physician said that Lady Li must have caught a cold, but she hasn''t been treated, so it''s getting worse and worse. The cold air entered her body and hurt her lung. Other symptoms such as nose stuffing, fever and dizziness can be cured, but the lung is damaged, and it may be difficult to completely cure the cough... "


    Yun Shang frowned slightly. She knew medical skills, so she knew what the imperial physician meant. She felt a little regret in her heart. "It will be troublesome if the root of the cough is left."


    Last time when she heard the conversation between the maid and the eunuch in the Imperial Garden, she had planned to send someone to the Xiangyi Palace to see how Lady Li was doing, but she forgot about it because Bao''er fell into the water.


    "Tell the imperial physicians to use the best herbs and try their best to cure her. Send two more maids to the Xiangyi Palace to serve Lady Li. Keep an eye on the food and clothes there. Don''t let the servants mistress Lady Li. "


    "Although Lady Li did something wrong, she helped me a lot before. Even if I have to punish her, it''s my business. No matter what, it''s not the right time for those servants to do it for me."

 Chapter 1117 Kill Them One By One

    "His majesty is here."


    Liu Wenan''s sharp and thin voice came from outside. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why did his majesty come so early today?"


    As she spoke, she quickly fixed her bun and walked out.


    "Your majesty." Seeing Luo Qingyan come in, Yun Shang walked up to him with a smile. "Your majesty, have you finished handling all the political affairs today? Why are you here so early? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "there''s nothing important to deal with in the court this morning, and the courtiers didn''t submit many memorials. I''ve already handled it well. Thinking that I haven''t played chess with you for a long time, I come here to play with you."


    "I''m no match for you, your majesty. You always bully me." Yun Shang complained with a smile. Then she turned around and ordered the servants to put out the chessboard and chess pieces.


    After a few moves, Yun Shang found that Luo Qingyan had a particularly murderous way of playing chess today.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at the chessboard. "Your majesty said there is nothing important to deal with in the court this morning, and the courtiers didn''t submit many memorials. Then who irritated you, your majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said nothing.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Your majesty is angry, so you come to my Weiyang Palace? Is it because of me? "


    Luo Qingyan still didn''t say a word. Yun Shang put down a piece and continued to guess, "There are three things about me that the officials might be unsatisfied with."


    "First, I''m the princess of the State of Ning, but I''ve become the Empress of the State of Xia. Although the State of Ning and the State of Xia are now good friends because of you and me, they is no permanent friend, only permanent enemies. If the relationship between the two countries deteriorate one day, I will be the most unstable factor."


    As Yun Shang spoke, her eyes were still fixed on the chessboard. "But father is still in Jin City. No one dares to talk about it at this time."


    "Second, there are rumors everywhere that I can''t have another child, and that


    the basket and said, "I''ll make the first move."


    Luo Qingyan played in a peaceful way, but Yun Shang didn''t win either.


    Yun Shang was not surprised at the result. She threw the chess pieces into the basket and said with a smile, "Over. Although I always think that my chess skills are not bad, they are still not as good as your majesty''s. Besides, there are too many things happening recently, and I didn''t practice it. I don''t want to humiliate myself. "


    "Mr. Xiao taught you how to play chess in person, so you are definitely very skilled. But... It seems that there is something on my mind today? "


    Yun Shang paused for a moment, and then smiled, "It''s just some trifle things in the imperial household. It''s not worth mentioning. I''ve asked someone to pick some Osmanthus fragrans, and I''ve ordered the imperial kitchen to make mandarin fish with fragrans for your majesty. "


    "Great." Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan didn''t ask any more questions. He just said, "To tell you the truth, the contents of today''s memorials are almost the same. It''s interesting."


    "What? What is it? " Yun Shang blinked.


    Luo Qingyan''s lips curled up, but his eyes darkened. "There are several courtiers who said that since Xia Houjing is no longer a threat, Liu Cang, Siyang and Nanyang should be cleaned up. Coincidentally, these courtiers are all recommended themselves to these places. "

 Chapter 1118 Brother And Sister

    Yun Shang restrained her smile and said, "Interesting. They submit the such memorials at this time. Just when we are suspecting that there were some hidden secrets in those places, they recommended themselves to go to those places."


    "Liu Cang, Siyang and Nanyang, are now in chaos because they have just experienced the riot. Normally, officials would definitely be unwilling to these places, but they even recommended themselves. It''s really strange."


    Yun Shang bit her lips and asked, "Who submitted the memorials?"


    "Vice Minister..." Luo Qingyan mentioned several officials in a row.


    Yun Shang frowned and said, "A few days ago, I asked someone to carefully investigate the ex grand tutor, Ling Hai, as well as all his students and friends. The people your majesty just mentioned are all included. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "In this case, these two things are connected."


    Yun Shang blinked her eyes and said, "They tried their best to go to those places when others were eager to avoid it. They even gave you several memorials at the same time. Even a fool would find it odd, wouldn''t he? I don''t think they really want to clean those places. They just want to use this method to attract your majesty''s attention. "


    "Xia Houjing''s people must have known that I have investigated the Ling Hai. It seems that they want us to just focus on Ling Hai. I''m wondering what they are planning."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "A fox will eventually show its tail."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Are we going to see Xia Houjing today?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan said with a smile, "Maybe they are trying to test my reaction by doing so. Since Xia Houjing is the person behind the scenes, I should go to see him so as to know what he is going to do."


    Yun Shang frowned and said, "But Xia Houjing is locked up in the private prison. I don''t think he knows what happened outsid


    inside, "Sister Yaya can sit!"


    "Yes, Miss Wang has been sitting here for almost a quarter of an hour, and she still doesn''t fall down." A servant replied with a smile.


    "Awesome!" Bao''er clapped his hands and repeated, "That''s awesome."


    "The Prince really likes Miss Wang."


    Hearing the maid''s words, Bao''er replied quickly, "Yes. She is cute, and I like her."


    All the servants in the hall laughed. Someone teased, "Prince, do you take Miss Wang as your princess because she is good-looking?"


    "That''s right. After Miss Wang entered the palace, the Prince has been playing with her all day long. He doesn''t mind that she can do nothing. Now he even fed Miss Wang water and wiped her saliva. "


    "I don''t think so. Maybe the Prince just thinks that he is the only child in the palace and wants a brother or sister to accompany him."


    "Since the Prince likes children so much, he could ask his majesty and her majesty to give him a younger brother or sister..." A servant said with a smile, and then said to Bao''er as if joking, "His majesty and her majesty dote on your highness. You can ask for a brother or sister in front of them. Maybe they will agree? If you have a brother or sister, he or she could play with you. "

 Chapter 1119 Punishing Someone To Warn Others

    "Guards!" When the servants were talking and laughing, they heard Luo Qingyan''s voice from the door.


    The faces of all the people in the hall changed. They quickly knelt down and said, "Your majesty! Your majesty! "


    Seeing Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan coming in from outside, Bao''er ran towards the two with a joyful look on his face, "Father, mother!"


    Yun Shang bent over and picked up Bao''er with a smile on her face. She turned around and said to Luo Qingyan, "Leave it to me. Didn''t your majesty say you want to accompany Chengye? Why don''t you take Chengye out for a walk? "


    Everything in the imperial household should be decided by Yun Shang. Luo Qingyan trusted Yun Shang and didn''t mean to interfere. He just nodded, took Bao''er from Yun Shang''s arms, turned around and left with him.


    Yun Shang smiled and watched the two of them walk away. Then she turned around, slowly walked to the chair and sat down, looking at the servants kneeling on the ground.


    Yun Shang still had a smile on her face, but the servants kneeling on the ground only felt a rush of pressure, making them dare not breathe heavily.


    No one spoke. Even the sound of a needle dropping in the hall could be heard. Someone couldn''t help but tremble.


    "Please forgive me, your majesty!" Finally, someone shouted and the others also followed, "Please forgive me, your majesty!"


    Yun Shang chuckled and said playfully, "Oh? forgive? Tell me, what crime have you committed? "


    All the people in the hall knelt down and exchanged glances with each other, but no one spoke.


    "What? You don''t even know what mistake you have made? Then how could you let me forgive you? Isn''t it a joke? " Yun Shang sneered, "Since you don''t know what crime you have committed, just keep kneeling and think it over. I''m not in a hurry to leave. I can wait for you to think it over..."


    Yun Shang said no more.


    Qian Liu poured a cup of tea and handed it to Yun Shang. Yun Shang took it over, slowly lifted the lid of the teacup, and wiped the foam off her face with t


    their lives today. But they have to be punished for their mistake. Send them to the Huanyi Bureau and ask the madam in charge to teach them well. "


    The three maid were all frightened. They kept kowtowing to Yun Shang, as if they wanted Yun Shang to change her mind.


    But Yun Shang pretended not to see them. She glanced at the three servants casually and sneered, "It''s a good idea to urge a child under two years old to test me and his majesty. It''s just that you are unlucky to be caught by me and his majesty. "


    "I don''t know who among you three is intentional and who is just involved. And I don''t want to know. In this palace, if you can''t control your mouth, you will be sentenced to death. "


    After saying that, Yun Shang raised her hand and said, "Guards, drag them out."


    After the guards came in and took them out, Yun Shang stood up and looked at the wet nurse and the two maids standing aside with her head down. "I hope you can see clearly what happened today. As long as you serve me wholeheartedly, I won''t kill innocent people. But sometimes, it''s not enough just to serve wholeheartedly without taking part in it... "


    "You have been selected to serve the Prince. Don''t take yourself as an ordinary servant just because you have stayed in the palace for too long."


    Yun Shang gave them a meaningful look and left the side hall.

 Chapter 1120 Maybe

    Back in the main hall, Yun Shang sat down on the couch and sneered, "Interesting."


    Qian Zhuo looked at Yun Shang strangely, but didn''t understand what Yun Shang meant. She just said, "These servants are too bold. They dared to urge the Prince like this. This time, his majesty and your majesty happened to hear it. I don''t know how many times such things have happened before."


    "Now that your majesty has punished the three servants. It''s also a warning to others. The rest of them should not dare to do such a thing again. But in this way, there are fewer people around the Prince to serve. We have to find someone we can trust to fill the vacancy as soon as possible. "


    Yun Shang just smiled and glanced at Qian Zhuo, without saying anything.


    Qian Zhuo felt strange. She touched her nose and asked, "Your majesty, did I say anything wrong?"


    Yun Shang didn''t say anything. Qian Zhuo then turned to Qian Liu. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t object, Qian Liu said, "Her majesty has always regarded the Prince as an apple of her eye, how could she be careless on picking servants for him. The servants around her are all trustworthy people that chosen by Qian Qian in person at her majesty''s order..."


    "Ah!" With her mouth wide open, Qian Zhuo exclaimed, "But the three people just now..."


    Yun Shang''s eyes darkened. "Yes, but the three dared to urge my son in front of me. What does that mean?"


    "It means that someone bribed the servants of the Prince..." Qian Liu paused and said, "But since they were carefully chosen by Qian Qian, they wouldn''t be easily bribed. Then, there is only one possibility."


    "I''m afraid someone has secretly get rid of the servants who served the Prince before, and then sent someone to replace them with a disguise."


    Yun Shang replied in a low voice and frowned, "It''s all my fault. I have been too busy recently and neglected the situation of Bao''er. I didn''t know it happened. If I hadn''t overheard those words today, I wouldn''t have expected it to happen."


    "I don''t know how long this has


    r the time being. I''m worried about him, so I want to keep him by my side to take care of him for two days. After choosing a new servant, I''ll let him go back to the side hall."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I know."


    After a pause, he looked at Yun Shang again, "But didn''t you say... I''m afraid it''s not convenient if Chengye stays here. "


    Luo Qingyan didn''t finish his words, but Yun Shang came to her senses all of a sudden. She patted herself on the forehead with some chagrin, "I forgot it..."


    Yun Shang bit her lips and thought for a moment. "Well, I''ll ask Qian Liu and Pei Lan to send him back to the side hall. I''ll ask the two of them to look after him in the side hall first and send him to her former majesty when he wakes up. Her former majesty has always been fond of Chengye. Although his former majesty doesn''t know the real situation of Chengye, he won''t hurt him. They are heavily guarded, and I won''t worry about Chengye if he is with them. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "But when he wakes up and finds himself in the side hall, he will probably think that he has been cheated again."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan nodded.


    Yun Shang called Qian Liu and Pei Lan to carry the Bao''er back to the side hall. Then she turned to Luo Qingyan and said, "Your majesty, let''s have lunch first. The lunch is ready. Today, there is your favorite... mandarin fish."

 Chapter 1121 Mandarin Fish

    The servants had already prepared the dishes. Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang sat down together. Yun Shang picked up a piece of mandarin fish with chopsticks and put it into Luo Qingyan''s bowl with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan took a bite and said with a smile, "I don''t know why. The fish is the same kind. The cooks to make mandarin fish in the imperial kitchen were also found from the State of Ning, and they have used the same cooking formula too. However, the taste of the fish made in our kitchen is still not as good as the one I have eaten in the State of Ning before."


    Yun Shang also ate a piece of mandarin fish, with a smile on her face, "Maybe it''s because you can''t eat it, so you always feel that the taste in your memory is the best. If at the moment a plate of mandarin fish from the State of Ning is really presented for your majesty to have a taste, your majesty may not be able to tell the difference between them two. "


    "You are right," Luo Qingyan nodded and said nothing more.


    However, halfway through the meal, Luo Qingyan suddenly frowned and looked a little painful.


    Yun Shang noticed it and asked with concern, "Your Majesty? What''s wrong? "


    Luo Qingyan opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, his face suddenly turned pale, and sweat beaded up on his forehead. His body shook and fell on the table.


    Yun Shang stood up in a hurry, "Your Majesty? Your majesty? "


    Her voice was trembling unconsciously.


    The servants around were also in a mess, and shouts and screams came one after another.


    Yun Shang quickly walked to Luo Qingyan''s side, helped him up from the table, and leaned his head against her. Then she turned around and looked at the stunned Liu Wenan, "Send for the imperial physician now."


    Liu Wenan responded and left in a hurry.


    "Shut up!" Yun Shang snapped, and the voices in the hall were much lower at once.


    Yun Shang took a deep breath and put her hand on Luo Qingyan''s. she took his pulse, looked at Luo Qingyan''s eyes, ears, mouth and nose, and then said, "His Majesty must have been poisoned."


    Qian Zhuo stood aside and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, let me help you bring his majesty into the inner hall."


    Yun Shang nodded and helped Luo Qingyan lie down in the inner hall


    s come from three completely different directions. It will take seven or eight days to ride the horse at full speed day and night to get to the nearest lake shrouded in clouds. His majesty... "


    Yun Shang knew what he wanted to say. Before he could finish his words, she interrupted him quickly, "There must be a way, and another way..."


    "Ghost Doctor!" Yun Shang looked anxious, not as calm as usual, "Ghost Doctor is still in Jin City, isn''t he? He must have a way... "


    The four imperial physicians looked at each other. Someone opened his mouth and wanted to persuade [ÔÆÉÑ]. Many people knew the antidote to the marrow South poison, but what they lacked now was not the antidote, but the antidote.


    Before he could finish his words, another imperial physician pulled the man''s sleeve and shook his head at him.


    [ÔÆÉÑ] didn''t seem to have seen the interaction between the imperial physicians. She only called in a trembling voice, "guards! Go! Go and ask doctor ghost to come to the palace! Hurry up... "


    After giving the order, Yun Shang turned to the four imperial physicians and said, "As for his Majesty''s situation, I hope you can keep your mouth shut. If any news is leaked out, I will definitely kill you!"


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Yun Shang looked around the four imperial physicians before her and waved her hand, "You can go now. I want to be alone."


    As soon as the imperial physicians were sent away, a voice came from outside, "Your Majesty, His Former Majesty is here."

 Chapter 1122 Fragrance Of Osmanthus Blossoms

    It was not surprising that Xia Huanyu was disturbed as such an incident happened. Yun Shang thus gave a response, tidied her clothes and then walked out of the inner hall.


    Standing in the hall with his hands clasped behind his back, Xia Huanyu turned around when he heard the footsteps. He glanced at Yun Shang and asked, "What happened to the Emperor?"


    Biting her lips, Yun Shang nodded, "It''s poison, the poison of the southern pith."


    Xia Huanyu frowned and said, "It''s not difficult to detoxify the poison of the southern pith. What did the imperial physicians say?"


    Yun Shang fell silent.


    All of a sudden, Xia Huanyu understood what she meant, "There are no medicines in the palace? Which one do you lack? "


    "All," replied YUn Shang.


    Xia Huanyu''s eyebrows twitched, "What are you going to do with it?"


    "I''ve sent someone out of the palace to call for Ghost Doctor. At the same time, I''ll also send people to look for the three kinds of herbs in the city. If there''s no such herbs in the city, then expand the search area," answered Yun Shang.


    Xia Huanyu pursed his lips and stopped bothering about it. He then continued, "What about the court? If the news that the Emperor was poisoned is spread out, the court would be in chaos. What should you do with it then? "


    "For the time being, I only announce to the public that his majesty has a slight chill and is not in good health. As long as we survive these two days and wait for the Emperor to recover, we will be fine," said Yun Shang. She looked calm.


    "What if the Emperor''s poison can''t be detoxified?"


    "His majesty will be fine," Yun Shang straightened her back and said, "Even if something really happens to his majesty, he has Chengye, who has to take the responsibility. As his Majesty''s eldest son, he should naturally take the responsibility. I will spare no effort to make sure that the State of Xia will not be in chaos. "


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Xia Huanyu took a meaningful look at her.


    "The State of Xia doesn''t need a person from the State of Ning to protect."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes to hide her mockery and said indifferently, "I have no intention on the State of Xia. If I want, the position of the Crown Princess of the State of Ning is within my reach."


    Then she repeated, "His majesty


    using the fragrans to cover something."


    Yun Shang pressed her lips tightly and said, "The materials used to make poison from the southern pith are all ordinary medicinal materials, but they can also be used as food materials, some of which are the spices used to make dishes. Even if they are put on the table, no one will doubt them. But there is only one kind of medicine, which is necessary to make the southern pith poison, but it is also the most difficult to hide. "


    "It''s the Quhuai perfume," the imperial physician said in a low voice.


    Yun Shang nodded, "It''s the Quhuai perfume, the unique scent of the fragrance. It''s easy to be noticed. However, the Quhuai perfume is very similar to the fragrans'' fragrance. According to its properties, the person who poisoned it used it on the fragrans.


    In the early autumn, when every batch of fragrans bloomed, I would have someone pick some fragrans, make mandarin fish for his majesty, and osmanthus cakes for myself. Perhaps that person also noticed this, so he deliberately applied the Quhuai perfume on the osmanthus fragrans when the last batch of late osmanthus fragrans bloomed, so as to poison the Emperor. "


    Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "In fact, I have also touched all the dishes on the table. It''s just that I''m immune to poisons, so I escaped..."


    Yun Shang''s face was cold, and her eyes were full of sharp light, "I''m afraid most of the osmanthus trees in the Jingui Garden have been smeared with the Quhuai perfume. The person who poisoned is so generous!"

 Chapter 1123 True Or False

    The four imperial physicians lowered their heads, and no one dared to make a sound.


    Yun Shang snorted, "I broke the fragrans branch directly from the tree. Therefore, it must have been applied directly on the branches of the fragrans. It rained all the time yesterday and didn''t stop until midnight. The fragrans bloomed after the rain. It must be applied after the rain and before I entered the garden to pick fragrans today. "


    "I can''t investigate it openly, but I won''t give up easily. Then I will investigate it secretly."


    After saying that, Yun Shang raised her head and saw the four trembling imperial physicians standing in the hall. She frowned slightly and said, "You can leave now."


    The four imperial physicians bowed and left.


    After the four people went far away, Liu Wenan lowered his head and asked, "Why did your majesty allow them to go back to the Imperial Hospital? Aren''t you afraid that they will leak out the news?"


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said indifferently, "Anyone who can be an imperial physician should have outstanding medical skills. At least, his skill shouldn''t be worse than me. However, even I have found that something was wrong with osmanthus fragrans, but only one of the four imperial physicians can see it. Don''t you think it is strange? "


    Liu Wenan thought for a moment and said, "The imperial physicians are indeed good at medical skills. However, being an imperial physician in the palace is like treading on thin ice. Many imperial physicians always follow the safe way in order to protect themselves. It''s a matter of his majesty''s life. They definitely would be more cautious and didn''t dare to show off easily. "


    Yun Shang grew up in the palace, so she was very clear about it. She nodded and said, "Three of them said they didn''t know, but one of them directly pointed out the Quhuai perfume. I think there must be something wrong with either the one who took the lead to say that he didn''t know, or the one who gave out the name of t


    ce. I''ve sent people away according to your highness'' words, but many of them still don''t seem to believe it and are still secretly inquiring about the news. "


    Yun Shang nodded, not surprised at all.


    "The elders in the palace are all smart. They won''t believe that what happened in Weiyang Palace today was just that I lost my precious jewelry. Who will call four imperial physicians to treat when she lost her jewelry? "


    Qian Zhuo frowned and asked, "What should we do, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and said, "Ask someone to spread some news in private, which is more conceiving than jewelry loss. Just say..."


    Yun Shang paused, "Spread out two rumors. One is that I was poisoned and unconscious, so his majesty sent people to guard Weiyang Palace, and called for imperial physicians to treat me. He also ordered no one to leak the news."


    "The other is that I''m pregnant. His majesty is very surprised, so he invited four imperial physicians to treat me at the same time. After the imperial physician left, I vomited again. His majesty was worried about my health, so he hurriedly called the imperial physicians back... "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "Which one do they think is true or which one is false? They will choose the one they are willing to believe. It''s none of my business."

 Chapter 1124 Distinguished Guest Arrived

    There was a bloody storm outside, and there were all kinds of guesses.


    However, the Weiyang Palace was incomparably quiet. Because most of the servants were guarded, the Weiyang Palace was even quieter than usual.


    "Your majesty, as you ordered, I have released the news. There are indeed discussions and speculations outside. There are still many people guarding at the gate of our palace. They are keeping an eye on us and want to inquire about the news. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Let them guess."


    "By the way, go to the imperial kitchen to call for the dinner, and pretend that nothing has happened. Tell the imperial kitchen that his majesty is still having dinner in our Weiyang Palace tonight."


    "Yes." Qian Zhuo answered in a low voice.


    While they were talking, Qian Liu opened the curtain and walked in.


    Yun Shang looked up at Qian Liu and asked, "How''s Chengye?"


    "The Prince is with her former majesty. Her former majesty brought out a lot of new things and coaxed the Prince to agree to stay there today."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile. Although he had been reborn once, he was still young and didn''t have much experience. He was easy to be coaxed.


    "Where is his former majesty? What''s his attitude? " Yun Shang asked again.


    "His former majesty has been there, but he didn''t say anything. When her former majesty said that she wanted the Prince to stay with her tonight, he just glanced at the Prince for a while, but said nothing. "


    Yun Shang nodded.


    Rumor said that Bao''er was an idiot. Because of this rumor, His former majesty didn''t like Bao''er very much.


    But with Hua Ling''s help, Yun Shang didn''t worry about what His Former Majesty would do to Bao''er. As she had said before, she was very relieved to put Bao''er by her side.


    It was getting late, and the wind began to blow outside. The wind seemed to be a little strong, making the leaves in the yard rustle.


    Yun Shang stood at the window for a while and closed it. "It''s not the right time tonight. Ask the secret guards and the imperial guards to strengthen the guar


    majesty, please don''t get angry at me. "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Now... why don''t you ask for death? "


    Xia Houjing''s eyes widened and he didn''t say anything.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t want to get any answer. He said directly, "It makes sense. You still have a backup plan. You still want someone to save you out and continue to pursue your ambitions. You think you still have a chance. How could you ask for death?" You were just trying to confuse me, weren''t you? "


    "What are you talking about, your majesty? Why can''t I understand a word? " Xia Houjing smiled blankly.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said nothing.


    Yun Shang said, "A few days ago, the seventh princess entered Jin City with two of your concubines who are both pregnant. Judging from their bellies, they should''ve been pregnant for six or seven months. But the seventh princess killed the two concubines in order to frame me. Two corpses and four lives. The seventh princess is really heartless. "


    Xia Houjing lowered his eyes. After a long time, he said, "I''m rebellious. Will his majesty let go of my children? It''s good for them to die. I hope they will have a good family in the next life. "


    Yun Shang wasn''t surprised at his words. She took out the books she brought from the palace and said, "Your highness doesn''t have much fun here. I''ve brought you some books. If you are free, you can read them..."

 Chapter 1125 Palming Off Substitute For The Real Thing

    Xia Houjing''s eyes swept across the two books, and there was no expression on his face. "Your majesty really have a wide range of hobbies. Can you even understand such books? But it''s a pity that I''m not as capable as you, your majesty. I don''t think I can understand this kind of book. Next time, if you want to send me books to kill time, you can choose some military books or story books. "


    "Really?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "A few days ago, when I went out of the palace, I saw the former grand tutor, Lord Ling, buy two books like this. I heard that the former grand tutor once taught your highness and spoke highly of you. In that case, you should like these books. But I was wrong... "


    Even if Yun Shang mentioned Ling Hai, Xia Houjing still looked as usual. "Really? After Lord Ling resigned, I went to visit him occasionally. But there have been too many things in the past year, and I haven''t seen you for a long time. Did your majesty see Lord Ling some time ago? How is he now? Is he still strong? "


    Then he looked at the two books in Yun Shang''s hands, and smiled, "Your majesty saw him buying books. Then he must be in good health. He is still the same as before. He likes to read all kinds of books. "


    Yun Shang glanced at Xia Houjing indifferently and put away the two books. "Lord Ling is fine is fine. Don''t worry, your highness."


    "That''s good."


    After saying that, Luo Qingyan looked at Luo Qingyan and said, "Your majesty, you are not just here to chat with me, are you?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Yes, I''m not just here to chat with you."


    As Luo Qingyan spoke, he began to circle around the cell. His eyes fell on the stone wall, and his expression was somewhat careless. "I have underestimated you. I thought that Princess Tai An''s mansion is very secret, and even I didn''t expect that His Former Majesty would impriso


    put on a bigger smile and said, "Palming off substitute for the real thing. Isn''t it your idea?"


    Yun Shang was taken aback and came to her senses. She glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "You''ve planned to do that, but you still asked me about my plan on purpose."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and said, "It means that we have a connection."


    Out of the corner of Yun Shang''s eye, she saw the silent "Xia Houjing" curling up in the corner. She shook off Luo Qingyan''s hand and glared at him. Then she said, "He..."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "He is the spy I planted beside Xia Houjing. Xia Houjing is cautious and doesn''t trust people easily, so he hasn''t got much important information. He has been with Xia Houjing for a long time, so he knows well about his words and deeds. It''s easy for him to imitate Xia Houjing. I put him here to find out what Xia Houjing is up to. "


    Yun Shang nodded and looked at the fake Xia Houjing up and down. "It looks so real. He is no different from the real Xia Houjing. I was scared just now. I thought that Xia Houjing came back..."


    Luo Qingyan smiled without saying anything.


    Yun Shang withdrew her gaze and said, "Everything is ready. Just wait for the enemy to fall into the trap."

 Chapter 1126 Someone Suspicious

    After saying that, Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other and smiled. Then they asked, "What about us?"


    "Of course we will go back to where we came from. We just came to visit Xia Houjing and wanted to get some information from him. Now Xia Houjing is still here safe and sound. We haven''t got any useful information from him, so we can only leave in dejection. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "You''re right. Let''s go back to the palace."


    The two returned to Weiyang Palace together. After Yun Shang and Qian Liu changed their clothes, Luo Qingyan lay back on the bed.


    Yun Shang sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "The news that you were poisoned must have been spread by someone on purpose. What are you going to do tomorrow morning? If you don''t go to the court, I''m afraid that those people will feel that you are deeply poisoned. I''m afraid that there will be trouble in the court. "


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "That''s what I want. Since I took this position, I have been trying to get rid of the enemies in the court. It''s been so long, and I should verify whether my previous efforts are useful or not. There are still a lot of people in the court who are not loyal. Just let them make trouble as they want. It won''t last long. "


    Yun Shang smiled, but she pretended to sigh, "You are giving me a difficult problem. This afternoon, someone should have come to the palace to test it out. I asked the people from the Taiji Palace to reply that you drank too much with me at noon. If you don''t go to the court tomorrow, how can I find another reasonable excuse? "


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were full of smile. "There''s no need to find any excuse deliberately. Just let Liu Wenan say that I dealt with political affairs too late at night. I caught a cold and had a high fever, so I couldn''t go to the court."


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and said, "After some inquire, they will know that you haven''t returned to the Taiji Palace since yesterday noon. How could deal with political affairs?"


    "Couldn''t I take the memorials to Weiyang Palace?" Luo Qingyan raised


    majesty is in the inner hall. Please help me to take care of him. If there is anything wrong, you can report to me in time."


    Liu Wenan nodded and bowed to Yun Shang. After Yun Shang left the main hall, he walked quickly into the inner hall.


    The people brought back by the secret guards have been taken to outside the side hall. When Yun Shang arrived, she saw two people kneeling in the yard.


    The two of them were both dressed like servants, lowering their heads and unable to see their expressions clearly.


    "Her majesty is here."


    Hearing the voice, the two men raised their heads in a hurry and looked at Yun Shang. Then they quickly lowered their heads and said in a hurry, "Your majesty, I really don''t know what kind of crime I have committed. I was brought here. Please investigate it, your majesty..."


    Yun Shang walked to the front of the two and glanced at the two, "Raise your head."


    The two both raised their heads. Yun Shang glanced at the two. They have ordinary appearance that couldn''t be recognized in the crowd.


    However, the two of them looked away, as if they had done something wrong.


    "Which palace are you from?"


    The two lowered their heads in a hurry. One of them said, "I''m from the Shangqin Bureau."


    "I''m from the Imperial Library."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why were you idling around in the palace at midnight?"

 Chapter 1127 Absurd Reasons

    The servant of the Shangqin Bureau answered first, "Your majesty, it''s because the maid who lives with me in the same room suddenly has a stomachache. I reported it to the steward. The steward gave me a token and asked me to go to the Imperial Hospital to ask to get some medicine."


    "It''s just that I don''t have a good sense of direction, and I seldom walk in the palace. It''s ok in daytime, but it''s too dark at night, so I lost my way for a while. I saw the Rose Finch pavilion was on a high terrain, so I thought I could where the Imperial Hospital was from there, but I was caught and brought here."


    The maid kowtowed to Yun Shang again. "I heard that your majesty is a kind-hearted person. Please send someone to the imperial hospital to get some medicine for abdominal pain. I saw that the maid in my room had a serious abdominal pain and was almost delirious with pain. I was worried that something might happen..."


    Yun Shang smiled. That was an interesting reason.


    It was too dark at night, so she climbed up to see the direction?


    How could see anything clearly at night even if she climbed to a high position?


    Yun Shang thought to herself, but she didn''t show it on her face. "Really? You are kind-hearted. Don''t worry. I will call the imperial physician to the Shangqin Bureau. "


    The maid seemed to be surprised and happy. She hurriedly thanked Yun Shang, "Thank you, your majesty. Thank you very much."


    Yun Shang chuckled and took a meaningful look at the servant. Then she turned to another servant and asked, "What about you? And why did you climb to the Moon Tower in the middle of the night? "


    The maid bit her lip and looked a little embarrassed. Hearing Yun Shang''s question, she didn''t say anything for a long time.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "What''s wrong? You can''t answer me? "


    The servant shook his head in a hurry and said hesitantly, "I''m the cleaner in the Imperial Library. When there is no one in the library, I can also read the books in it secretly. Yesterday, I noticed a book in the daytime, and some stories in it were very i


    e was found and reprimanded for several times while reading under the light."


    "Now that the matter has come to this, it is difficult to continue investigating. What else should I investigate? To find out whom they contacted every day? The real instigator would not contact them easily. Besides, the two of them are just ordinary servants. I''m afraid that very few people will notice what they have done, who they have been in touch with, and if there is anything unusual with them. "


    After a long silence, Qian Liu frowned and said, "How about we send someone to keep an eye on them after we let go of them? Or we can force them to confess? "


    "That''s more unnecessary." Yun Shang chuckled, "As they''ve been found by me, I''m afraid that these two will be abandoned."


    "As for extorting confessions under harsh torture, you can have a try. But I''m afraid that the two of them don''t know anything at all. I''m afraid that they even have never seen the one who has contacted them. "


    "Your majesty, then..." Qian Liu frowned.


    Yun Shang certainly knew what she wanted to ask. She raised her eyebrows and said, "I caught them and interrogated them myself just to tell the person behind the scene that I attach great importance to this matter, because there are indeed secrets in Weiyang Palace tonight, and there are secrets that I want to carefully hide from others. That''s all... "

 Chapter 1128 Handwriting

    After saying that, Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "But we could follow them and investigate their background in private as you said. After all, since we have decided to act, we have to act well."


    "I understand."


    Yun Shang went back to the main hall. Seeing Liu Wenan enter the hall, Liu Wenan bowed to Yun Shang and left voluntarily.


    As soon as Liu Wenan left, Luo Qingyan opened his eyes and asked, "What''s wrong? What happened? "


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "The guards caught two people who were spying on Weiyang Palace. I went there to have a look, but there was nothing to interrogate. I''ve asked someone to flog them ten times as punishment according to the palace rules and then let them go."


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and said, "It seems that there are still many enemies hidden in the palace."


    Yun Shang nodded, "After all, Princess Tai An, Xia Houjing, and Cao Wenxi have been in the State of Xia for so many years. Their power has already reached every corner of the palace. It''s not easy to completely remove them."


    "We can''t replace all the people in the palace, can we? We have to take it slow. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Thank you."


    Yun Shang smiled and lay down on the edge of the bed. "All living beings in the world have their own difficulties. I''m lucky enough, at least I don''t need to worry about clothes and food."


    It was already 5 a.m.


    Taking a look at the sky outside, Yun Shang stood up and went to the outer hall. She said to Liu Wenan, "Please don''t tell anyone about his majesty''s matter, Lord Liu. When you go to the court later, tell all the civil and military officials that his majesty got a cold and fever as he dealt with the memorials until midnight. Today''s morning court will be cancelled."


    Liu Wenan paused for a while and said softly, "I understand. Don''t worry, your majesty."


    After a pause, Yun Shang continued, "


    till alive, she imitated the handwriting of his majesty, trying to frame him?"


    Seeing that Liu Wenan nod, Yun Shang continued, "After I''ve been through such things several times, I feel that imitating other people''s handwritings is also a special skill, and sometimes it''s very useful. Therefore, when I was free, I learned a little. His majesty often stays with me. What I am most familiar with is his handwriting, so the first one I learn is his handwriting. "


    "I haven''t practiced for a long time. Although I can''t make sure that they are completely similar, it''s enough to fool the others."


    Liu Wenan suddenly understood and said, "Yes. I''ll go and ask the officials to hand in their memorials."


    Yun Shang nodded, but then something occurred to her, "By the way, you haven''t told me who are waiting outside the Taiji Palace to see his majesty?"


    Liu Wenan stopped and said a few names in a hurry. Yun Shang nodded with satisfaction, "Okay, I see."


    After Liu Wenan left, Yun Shang opened the curtain and entered the inner hall. As soon as she entered, she saw Luo Qingyan staring at her.


    "Your majesty, why are you looking at me like this?" Yun Shang smiled.


    Luo Qingyan tutted, "Why don''t I know when your majesty can imitate my handwriting?"

 Chapter 1129 Countermeasures

    Yun Shang took a glance at Luo Qingyan and said, "I only know these few words. I wrote them all to Lord Liu, just to make him happy. Lord Liu will bring the memorial here later. Your majesty, please have a look at it in person. "


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing, "You have a lot of ideas."


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes and said, "Your Majesty, you only care whether I can imitate your handwriting or not. Don''t you care how the officials will react after Lord Liu announces that your majesty can''t go to the court because of illness in the morning? Don''t you care which officials are outside the Taiji Palace and are still unwilling to leave? "


    "I was supposed to care about it, but now that you have known it, I don''t care so much. After all, a couple is one unit. Since you''ve known it, it means that I know it, doesn''t it?" Luo Qingyan replied.


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "Nonsense. Uncle is becoming more and more glib now."


    Hearing Yun Shang call him uncle, Luo Qingyan knew she was in a good mood, so he lowered his head and smiled.


    Yun Shang pretended to snort, "Your Majesty, come closer to me? I''ll tell your majesty what was written on Liu Wenan''s paper and the names of the officials waiting outside the Taiji Palace. "


    Luo Qingyan did as Yun Shang said. Yun Shang repeated the courtiers'' names in his ear.


    "I don''t think it''s surprising to hear the news in the early court. As for those who are waiting for summoning outside the Taiji Palace, though not all of them are accomplices of the person who poisoned your majesty, his accomplices, or himself, must be among the people waiting outside. Your majesty, you should pay more attention to them. "


    After saying that, Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want me to arrange some spies in these courtiers'' houses to inquire about the news?"


    Luo Qingyan thought for a moment and turned to Yun Shang, "Will it be troublesome?"


    "It''s not troublesome at all," Yun Shang smiled and said, "I have already s


    t." Yun Shang pressed her lips and clapped her hands, "Luo Yi."


    Luo Yi suddenly appeared in the hall and bowed to Yun Shang respectfully, "Your majesty."


    Yun Shang then turned to look at Liu Wenan and said, "This is the most trusted secret guard of his majesty. He was sent to deal with other things after he married a maid of mine. He doesn''t serve his majesty in usual times. He can imitate his majesty''s voice. You go to the Taiji Palace and arrange a few screens in front of his majesty''s bed. Let Luo Yi lie on the bed and deal with it for a while. "


    Liu Wenan glanced at Luo Yi and said, "Though the voice can be imitated, what should we do with the matters reported by those masters?"


    "Just one word, delay," Yun Shang smiled and answered gently.


    This matter needed to be dealt with. At the same time, the person who poisoned his majesty had enough reasons to suspect that Luo Qingyan was really poisoned.


    That was the only way.


    Liu Wenan took Luo Yi away. Before Yun Shang returned to the inner hall, she saw Hua''er hurry in from the outside, "Your majesty..."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "What are you doing in a hurry?"


    Hua''er replied in a hurry, "Your Majesty, several ladies from the imperial household heard that you are not feeling well, so they came to visit you. They have arrived at the gate of our palace."

 Chapter 1130 Connection

    Yun Shang was not surprised at all. Although there were only the concubines of the former emperor in the imperial household, they had stayed in the imperial household for a long time. So they knew clearly what had happened in the palace.


    "I guess they have heard that his majesty hasn''t gone to the court because of illness today, as well as those rumors, so they come here to see if it''s true."


    Qian Yin nodded, "Your Majesty, do you want to see them?"


    Yun Shang chuckled, "Yes. Why not? If I don''t see anyone, my clothes will be in vain. "


    Qian Zhuo took a look at Yun Shang''s clothes. She still didn''t understand what Yun Shang mean, but she went to call them in as she was told.


    Yun Shang didn''t wait for them in the main hall. Instead, she went back to the inner hall first. She went to the dresser, took out the rouge, applied some on her face, making her face look paler.


    "Your majesty, the ladies are waiting in the main hall..."


    Yun Shang answered and walked out of the inner hall.


    Several ladies in the court outfits rose to their feet when they saw Yun Shang come out.


    With a forced and pale smile on her face, Yun Shang said, "Your highnesses, don''t be courteous. Have a seat."


    After saying that, she walked to the main seat and sat down. "I''m wondering why you come to the Weiyang Palace. Is there anything important?"


    The ladies looked at each other for a while. Then one of them said, "I heard that his majesty is sick. We are very worried, so we want to ask your highness how his majesty is?"


    Yun Shang straightened her back and said calmly, "Nothing. His majesty just caught a cold and..."


    "It''s said that he dealt with political affairs until midnight last night, but I also heard that his majesty rested in Weiyang Palace last night. And I haven''t heard that Weiyang Palace called for an imperial physician today. " Another lady said.


    Yun Shang looked at the person who spoke. She was wearing a carmine court dress. If Yun Shang remembered correctly, she should be


    "


    "At that time, I felt that there must be someone who wanted to manipulate the gossip in the city to achieve some goal. I thought if these abnormalities come against us, they could only target a few things. Judging from the series of things that have happened, it seems that they are targeting at my birthday. "


    "If you are poisoned, on my birthday, you will..." Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "At that time, they will spread the news of your accident all over the city, and maybe they will again spread the rumors that Bao''er is an idiot and I can''t get pregnant anymore to make a big fuss, which will cause a storm in the city. And then they will ask Xia Houjing to be the new emperor... "


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and nodded. "They are well prepared and their purpose seems to be very clear."


    After a pause, he turned to Yun Shang and asked, "Do you have any idea to deal with it?"


    Yun Shang smiled and raised her head slightly. "There was no clue, but now we find the connection and can guess what the other party wants to do. Then we can naturally take precautions and counterattack purposely..."


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan''s smile deepened. "It seems that your majesty has come up with a way?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said proudly, "Yes, I have an idea, but I can''t tell you now."

 Chapter 1131 Disappeared Workmen

    Luo Qingyan was about to say something, but he heard a noise from outside.


    "Your majesty, Lord Liu is back."


    Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the inner hall. She saw Liu Wenan standing in the hall, and Luo Yi following Liu Wenan, lowering his head slightly.


    "How is it going?" Yun Shang asked anxiously.


    "It worked." Liu Wenan replied, "The officials heard his majesty''s voice and looked surprised. But they didn''t show it too obviously. They just reported the matter and left. I asked someone to follow them. After they left the Tai Chi hall, they all left the palace without lingering. "


    Yun Shang nodded and loosened her grip on the embroidered handkerchief. "That''s good, that''s good."


    Then she asked, "The officials said that they would report to his majesty something important about the State of Xia. What is it?"


    Liu Wenan pursed his lips and said, "I think it''s mostly likely just an excuse they found to see his majesty. All the reports from them are all ordinary things, except the report from the Vice Minister of Works is a little more important. "


    "The Vice Minister of the Works said that he had found some strange things recently. Many workmen in the Ministry of Works had said that they had something to do and left the Jin City. He sent people to keep an eye on those workmen. They seemed to have gone to Liucang City, Siyang, and Nanyang. He felt that it was quite strange, so he came to report it. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and thought for a while. "Send someone to ask the Vice Minister of Works to come back again, and then let Luo Yi continue to imitate his majesty''s voice behind the screen. Ask the Vice Minister of Works when this has happened, and what those workmen who left Jin City are good at. You''d better ask him to give you a list..."


    Seeing Yun Shang''s reaction, Liu Wenan understood the importance of the matter. He nodded in a hurry and left with Luo Yi again.


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and looked at the backs of the two. She frowned and stood in the hall for a moment before turning back to the inner hall.


    As soon as th


    e. "


    Liu Wenan bowed his head and said yes. Then Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "You can leave now."


    Liu Wenan and Luo Yi left.


    Yun Shang entered the inner hall, looking a little tired. "Everything is as your majesty expected."


    Luo Qingyan nodded. After a moment of silence, he said, "It seems that the Vice Minister of Works is not on the same boat with them. Unfortunately... "


    Yun Shang was also speechless. Her throat was so dry and she also didn''t know what to say.


    After a long time, Luo Qingyan continued, "According to the current signs, they poisoner is expecting me to die two days later, which is exactly your birthday. It seems that they are going to make a big noise in two days... "


    Yun Shang nodded. She had expected this before.


    At that time, when something happened to Luo Qingyan, she would be helpless, and they would spread the rumors that Chengye was an idiot and she was infertile, which would be convenient for them to drag her to hell.


    Yun Shang pursed her lips. Although she had a preliminary plan to deal with what would happen two days later, she knew It wouldn''t be easy for her in the next two days as so many things had happened in just one day after Luo Qingyan was poisoned. There were still two days left before her birthday.


    Yun Shang kept stroking the embroidered lines on the handkerchief in her hand, calculating in her mind...

 Chapter 1132 The Imperial Edict

    On the second day, Luo Qingyan still didn''t appear in the morning court.


    On the first day, Liu Wenan used the excuse that Luo Qingyan caught a cold because of dealing with political affairs. Then on this second day, after all the civil and military officials arrived, Liu Wenan hurriedly announced that they would have a day off. And he left in a hurry.


    "Your Majesty, Master Liu has been surrounded by officials. They are still outside the Taiji Palace..."


    Wang Wanzhi reported in a low voice, carefully glancing at Yun Shang''s face.


    She had been waiting for the Emperor in the Meeting Hall. She had heard a lot of rumors in the palace since the Emperor disappeared in the past two days. Although she didn''t know which one was true and which one was false, it had never happened before that the Emperor hadn''t shown up for two days. She was clear that the matter was probably a little serious.


    "Okay." Yun Shang nodded, raised her hand and rubbed her forehead while responding, "I knew it."


    A country couldn''t live without a king.


    In the imperial household, many people in and out of the court were staring at that position, staring at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan hadn''t been in the court for two days, and there was no reason for him to do so today. Naturally, the civil and military officials wouldn''t be easily fooled.


    "Your Majesties..." Wang Wanzhi couldn''t help but ask.


    Yun Shang sighed, "Something happened to his majesty, but it can''t be spread out. If it is spread out, the court, in and outside, will be in chaos..."


    Although Wang Wanzhi had guessed that something had happened to Luo Qingyan, she was still shocked after hearing Yun Shang''s confirmation.


    Yun Shang didn''t say anything. She just put down her hand that was rubbing her forehead and asked softly, "The Vice Minister from the Ministry of works was assassinated and died yesterday. Is there any reaction from the court?"


    Wang Wanzhi shook her head and said, "Before the court, when the officials were waiting outside to enter the palace, I occasionally heard someone talking about it. As the Deputy Minister of Revenue was assassinated outside the palace, most people guessed that he may have made some enemies outside.


    sed her lips and said coldly, "It''s the imperial edict that his Majesty gave me a long time ago. His majesty said that if there was an emergency, Master Liu would announce it."


    Liu Wenan bit his lips, lowered his head and read the imperial edict again.


    After a while, Liu Wenan folded the imperial edict again and said in a low voice, "Have you ever shown this imperial edict to His Former Majesty?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "At the moment, the Emperor of the State of Xia is his majesty. As the Emperor of a country, didn''t he even have the right to write a decree? Why should I show it to His Former Majesty? "


    Biting his lips, Liu Wenan didn''t dare to retort. He had to say, "If I announce this imperial edict in the morning court tomorrow, I''m afraid it will cause chaos in the court. I''m worried..."


    Yun Shang smiled with determination, "Don''t worry, Master Liu. I will go with you tomorrow morning. If the civil and military officials have any questions about the imperial edict, they can ask me directly. "


    Liu Wenan opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but at last he didn''t.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Master Liu, do you have any other questions?"


    "No," Liu Wenan answered, lowering his eyes.


    "That''s good." Yun Shang smiled again. After a pause, she continued, "This imperial edict is of great importance. Master Liu, please give it to me first. I will go to the court early tomorrow morning, and then give it to Master Liu..."

 Chapter 1133 New Storm At Dark Night

    After Liu Wenan left, Yun Shang lowered her eyes and stared at the imperial edict for a long time. She then smiled and put it away.


    "Your Majesty, are you going to ask to deliver the meal?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Go ahead."


    When they were having dinner, Qian Zhuo walked in quickly.


    "What''s the matter?" Yun Shang put down the tableware, took the hot handkerchief from the servant, wiped her hands and asked in a low voice.


    "Master Liu left the Weiyang Palace and went to His Former Majesty."


    Yun Shang smiled, "He didn''t hide anything. He knew I would send someone to follow him, but he didn''t try to hide himself."


    "His Former Majesty..." Qian Zhuo frowned and asked with hesitation.


    "It doesn''t matter." Yun Shang smiled, "I''ve already told His Former Majesty about it. At that moment, His Former Majesty didn''t show any objection,"


    as she spoke, she couldn''t help but squint her eyes. "His Former Majesty is as clear as a mirror in his heart. I''m afraid he has already guessed something. Now he is most likely just watching and won''t stop me."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s analysis, Qian Zhuo felt a little relieved.


    The Weiyang Palace was tightly encircled like an iron bucket by guards and secret guards. And because of Yun Shang''s order, no one was seen today. The whole Weiyang Palace was very quiet.


    Yun Shang didn''t care about the turmoil outside. She only read books on the couch in the afternoon.


    At night, Yun Shang went to bed early.


    She was sleeping soundly, when she heard a noise outside.


    "Your Majesty," called Qian Zhuo as she quickly walked into the inner hall.


    Yun Shang opened her eyes and asked, "What''s wrong? What happened? "


    "It''s Lady Lian from the Jinxi Palace," Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry, "Lady Lian''s maid said that there were assassins entering the Jinxi Palace and were found by the patrolling guards. The assassin fled in a hurry. The guards and servants said that they saw the assassin enter our Weiyang Palace and were worried about the safety of your majesties, so they came to ask about it. "


    Lady Lian?


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She remembered that when she met those ladies yesterday, it was indeed Lady Lian who w


    s.


    "It''s arrow with fire," Qian Zhuo said in a hurry.


    Hardly had she finished speaking, when they heard screams from inside, "Fire! Fire alarm!"


    Yun Shang quickly turned around and returned to the Weiyang Palace abruptly.


    Around the main hall and on the roof of the Weiyang Palace, there were many secret guards, who were trying to stop the arrows with fire. However, as the arrows were too many and came too closely, even if there were secret guards, the main hall and the side hall had already been ignited. The fire spread quickly, and soon the palace was in a red light.


    "Your Majesty, there is a fire!"


    a panicked voice came from behind. Hearing the voice, Yun Shang suddenly turned around and saw Lady Lian entering the Weiyang Palace.


    Yun Shang hurriedly said, "The Weiyang Palace is in fire. Please leave here first, Lady Lian."


    Lady Lian nodded, but still fixed her eyes on the main hall of the Weiyang Palace.


    Yun Shang noticed this, but she pretended that she didn''t see anything. She quickly ordered the secret guards, "His majesty has just recovered from a fever, and he is still unconscious. When I got up just now, he was still asleep. Now there is the fire, but his majesty still hasn''t come out. I think he doesn''t notice it as he is asleep. You all hurry up and take his majesty away and send him back to the Taiji Palace! "


    From the corner of Yun Shang''s eyes, she saw that Lady Lian''s eyes lit up when she said this.

 Chapter 1134 Preparations

    Yun Shang pretended not to see her. Not long after, she saw two secret guards holding a person jump out of the window and quickly heading to the Taiji Palace. Then, seven or eight more secret guards followed them and escorted him all the way.


    "Your majesty..." Seeing the figures of secrets guards, Lady Lian said hesitantly, "Was the person those guards escorting away his majesty? Your majesty seems to be unconscious. What happened? "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang suddenly turned to look at Lady Lian with cold eyes.


    Lady Lian shivered and couldn''t help but take two steps back. Her smile gradually stiffened. "I... I just... "


    Before she could finish her words, Yun Shang said indifferently, "The day before yesterday, his majesty dealt with political affairs too late, so he has caught a cold and had a fever. These two days, he has been suffering from a lot of pain and always couldn''t sleep well. Before going to bed, I gave him some medicine, which contained some herbs that could soothe his nerves. So I''m afraid his majesty hasn''t heard these noises. It''s not a big deal. It''s rare for his majesty to have a good sleep. I don''t want to wake him up. "


    Lady Lian lowered her head. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, she nodded and said, "Yes, your majesty are right. I just saw that there were so many arrows just now, and there must be many assassins, and they all came for Weiyang Palace. So I just feared that... someone will do harm to his majesty as he is taken to the Tai Chi hall by the guards like this."


    Yun Shang sneered, If anyone can do harm to his majesty under my watch, just come."


    Then she quickly called out a secret guard, "Send someone to investigate the palace thoroughly and arrest all the suspicious people walking in the palace."


    "Yes."


    The secret guard left with a group of people.


    Qian Zhuo kept telling the servants to fetch water from the well to put out the fire. The fire in the main hall was getting weaker and weaker, but there was a noise from the side hall. "It''s on fire, run!"


    Hearing the noise, Lady Lian raised her head in a hurry


    "Tonight Weiyang Palace has been caught on fire. The other palaces will definitely receive the news soon. If someone asks about it, just tell them the truth. I won''t see them... "


    "Yes."


    Jinxiu Palace was not far from Weiyang Palace, and they arrived soon.


    "I''ve sent someone here to clean up the Jinxiu Palace. The bedroom has been ready, and the bedding and quilt have been changed. The furnishings in the bedroom have been replaced. Don''t worry, your majesty. "


    Yun Shang nodded and walked into the bedroom. "You''ve arranged everything well. Of course I won''t worry."


    With a smile, Qian Zhuo said, "Your majesty must be hungry after working so late at night. I''ve asked someone to heat the white fungus and lotus seed soup and some desserts. You can have some first."


    Yun Shang said yes, ate something and went to the bathroom to wash up.


    After coming out of the bathroom, Qian Zhuo dried Yun Shang''s hair and said in a low voice, "Lady Lian didn''t go far after she left Weiyang Palace. She stopped at a corner of Weiyang Palace when no one noticed. The secret guard saw a paper ball thrown out. Lady Lian picked up the paper ball and then went back to the Jinxi Palace. "


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "All the necessary preparations are ready. We just need to wait for the dawn. There would be a big show after dawn. I hope this play can have an ending as I want. "

 Chapter 1135 The Imperial Edict

    It was late at night. Yun Shang had a good sleep, but she was woken up before long.


    When Yun Shang woke up, she was still in a daze. Looking at the different furnishings in the hall, it took her a long time to come to her senses. She sat up and looked at the sky outside. It was still dark outside.


    Yun Shang squinted, "What time is it?"


    "Three quarter past three." Seeing that Yun Shang was still sleepy, Qian Zhuo reminded her in a hurry, "Your majesty, you are going to the court today. You have to get up."


    Yun Shang gradually became sober. She nodded and ordered in a low voice, "I''m still a little sleepy. Go and get me a basin of cold water to wake me up."


    Qian Zhuo nodded and walked out of the bedroom quickly.


    Yun Shang sat on the bed for a while and got up.


    Qian Zhuo returned with the water, twisted a handkerchief and handed it to Yun Shang. The weather was getting colder, and the cold water was getting colder. When the cold handkerchief touched her face, Yun Shang shivered and freshened up.


    After waiting for Yun Shang to wash her face and brush her teeth, Qian Zhuo walked quickly to a box aside, turned around and asked Yun Shang, "I''ve packed up some of your daily clothes, as well as your court clothes and two sets of formal clothes. Since you are going to the court today, you should wear the court clothes, right?"


    "Well, I''ll wear court clothes."


    Qian Zhuo answered and took out the court clothes. Then she called Pei Lan and Hua''er to help Yun Shang put on the clothes and comb her hair into a bun.


    As soon as the breakfast was finished, Wang Wanzhi, together with Liu Wenan, brought two eunuchs outside the door. "Your majesty, it''s time for the morning court."


    Yun Shang nodded, stood up, and let Qian Zhuo straighten her clothes before going to the Taiji Palace.


    It was 5 a.m., all the civil and military officials were waiting in the Taiji Palace.


    Liu Wenan turned to look at Yun Shang. Yun Shang nodded, turned around, took the memorial from Qian Zhuo and handed it to Liu Wenan.


    Liu Wenan lowered his head and took the memoria


    us illness, is it? Why did his majesty suddenly issue this imperial edict? "


    "It makes sense if he is just conferred the title of the crown prince. However, the crown prince was asked to take in charge of the state affairs. He is less than two years old now... "


    As soon as he said this, many people echoed.


    "Yes, Lord Li is right."


    "How could such an important imperial edict issued without his majesty''s presence. It''s strange that only your majesty come to issue it."


    "The imperial edict also allows the Empress to assist the crown prince in handling political affairs, which is really confusing."


    "His majesty hasn''t shown up for nearly three days. Is there anything wrong? Is the imperial edict made by your majesty? "


    Their questions became more and more impolite.


    "I want to see his majesty. Even if I have to accept the decree, I have to see his majesty with my own eyes before I accept it. Your majesty came to issue such an imperial edict alone. It is inevitable to doubt that your highness might have secretly harmed the emperor, and then made up such an imperial edict to control the court. "


    "Even if his majesty is sick and can''t deal with political affairs, there is still his former majesty. How can a little boy who can''t even speak clearly have the right to be in charge of state affairs? How can a princess from another state assist to run our state? "

 Chapter 1136 Its not difficult

    "Another state... Princess?" Yun Shang repeated. Her voice was not too loud, and the hall was very noisy, so only a few ministers standing in the front heard these words.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, the officials looked at each other, and then quieted down at the same time.


    Such silence gradually began to spread, and the voices in the hall became lower and lower. Gradually, there was no sound of discussion.


    Yun Shang leaned forward a little and looked at all the officials. She repeated, "Since I came to the State of Xia with his majesty, I have regarded the State of Xia as my second hometown. I thought I have done a lot for the State of Xia, but it turns out that in your eyes, I am still only a princess of another state? "


    Yun Shang said slowly and clearly in this quiet hall.


    "It seems that you all suspect that I have murdered his majesty in secret and forged this imperial edict in order to control the State of Xia?"


    There was still no response.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Why is nobody talking? Didn''t they talk so intensely just now? "


    After a long time, someone stood out and said, "Your majesty, you have misunderstood. We mean that it''s an important thing to confer the title of the crown prince, so his majesty should be at presence."


    "Besides, Lord Liu said earlier that his majesty just caught a cold and had a sudden high fever. But according to the imperial edict, he seems to be seriously ill. It''s really difficult for us not to think too much about the conflict. "


    "I''ve also heard that since the emperor fell ill, he has been recuperating in your majesty''s palace. But your majesty claimed that you knew medical skills and had never called for an imperial physician."


    "After all kinds of signs, such an imperial edict suddenly came. We are not sure if it was really made by his majesty. We really don''t dare to accept it."


    Yun Shang listened quietly. When no one spoke, she tapped her fingers on the armrest of the chair and said,


    esty."


    Yun Shang nodded and entered the back hall.


    In the back hall, Luo Yi stood quietly. Seeing Yun Shang come out, he bowed to her.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Thank you for your hard work these days. How is Qian Yin? Is she fine? "


    Hearing this, Luo Yi put on a smile and said, "Everything is fine. She has a good appetite and don''t vomit much. But she just can''t stay idle, running around all day long. She doesn''t listen to me no matter what I say."


    Yun Shang smiled, "She has passed the most dangerous time and her pregnancy reaction has faded away. It''s good for her to walk around more. It will be easier to give birth to the baby if she has more excise."


    "I agree with you, so I didn''t stop her."


    Yun Shang smiled, "You still have to stay in the palace today. After today, you can go home to accompany Qian Yin. Thank you."


    "Your majesty, it''s my pleasure. I''ll take my leave now. If you have any orders, just call me."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and Luo Yi disappeared quickly.


    Yun Shang stood in the hall for a while before turning around and entering the bedroom.


    On the bed in the bedroom, Luo Qingyan was lying quietly, as if he was lifeless.


    Yun Shang sat on the edge of the bed for a while, and then Qian Zhuo''s voice came in from outside, "Your majesty, something happened..."

 Chapter 1137 Same Old Rumors

    Yun Shang turned around and raised her eyebrows, "What happened?"


    Qian Zhuo looked around and said in a low voice, "The spies outside the palace reported that countless rumors suddenly appeared in the city, which were all related to your majesty."


    "Rumors?" Yun Shang didn''t seem to be surprised. Instead, she smiled with interest. "Tell me, what rumors are there? Let''s see if there is anything beyond my expectation."


    Seeing Yun Shang''s reaction, Qian Zhuo couldn''t help but smile. "The rumors said that when the Empress was pregnant with the Prince, she was set up and stayed in the ice cellar for a long time, which caused the Prince''s premature birth and mental damage. As a result, her body was damaged and she was infertile."


    At the end of the words, the smile on Qian Zhuo''s face faded away.


    Yun Shang didn''t seem to take it seriously. "Same old rumors."


    "Yes." Qian Zhuo nodded, "But this time, it''s more detailed than before. They even talked about why your majesty would be locked in the ice cellar and how long you had stayed in the ice cellar, as well as who diagnosed your majesty. They even know that Prince Xian was also in the ice cellar when your majesty was locked in it. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and looked up at Qian Zhuo thoughtfully. "So, it seems that someone who knew about it leaked the news?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "I think so."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a moment. Few people knew the cause and effect of this matter, and few knew such details. Who would spread it out?


    Qian Zhuo didn''t know what Yun Shang was thinking. She continued, "Besides, there are rumors about his majesty being poisoned."


    "Rumors said that the reason the emperor hasn''t gone to the morning court for two consecutive days is not because he has caught a cold or had a fever, but because he has been poisoned. And if he couldn''t find the antidote within three days, he would definite


    d again. "That''s right. After all, the most important part of the rumor is fake."


    "I''m going to see if Lord Liu has come back."


    Yun Shang seemed to be thinking about something on her mind. Hearing Qian Zhuo''s words, she only hummed.


    After a while, Liu Wenan''s slightly panting voice came from outside, "Your Majesty..."


    "Come in."


    Liu Wenan walked in quickly and said, "Your majesty, the officials from the Imperial Hanlin Academy have checked the handwriting on the imperial edict. Most of them think that the handwriting on the imperial edict is written by his majesty, and only two of them still have doubts. They said that there are two places on the Imperial edict that are different from his majesty''s writing habits."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "What the problem?"


    "Two words. Lord Fang thought on word on the imperial edict was not like his majesty''s handwriting. And Lord Meng thought another word was not. So they doubted... "


    Yun Shang sneered, "Nonsense. Give an order. Lord Fang and Lord Meng are talking nonsense. Slap them twenty times."


    Liu Wenan was stunned. After a while, he nodded and said, "Yes."


    Then she asked, "Miss Qian Zhuo told me that your majesty has something to tell me?"


    "Yes, there is one thing..."

 Chapter 1138 The Leaker

    Yun Shang paused.


    Liu Wenan stood there with his head down. He didn''t hear Yun Shang''s words for a long time. He raised his head in confusion and asked, "Your majesty?"


    Yun Shang seemed to come to her senses all of a sudden. "Yes, I have something to ask you. It''s about the imperial edict."


    "I''ve only show you the imperial edict announced by you this morning. But I heard that there were rumors outside the Palace this morning when the court was still in progress. It''s said that I poisoned his majesty, forged the imperial edict, and granted Chengye the title of the crown prince and that I would assistant to deal with the state affairs. "


    Liu Wenan was stunned.


    Yun Shang said it so clearly that he knew what she meant.


    "Your majesty, I have never told anyone about the imperial edict. I don''t know why there are such rumors outside."


    "Oh? Really? " Yun Shang glanced at Liu Wenan.


    After a moment''s silence, Liu Wenan continued, "But, after I left the Weiyang Palace, I went to his former majesty."


    Seeing that Yun Shang was looking at him quietly, Liu Wenan couldn''t help explaining, "I''m not suspecting your majesty. I just think that his majesty is in a coma now, so such an important thing should be reported to his former majesty. Even it''s not necessary to ask for his opinion, we should at least let him know."


    Yun Shang smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Liu. But as you said, we should inform his former majesty of such a big matter. I have already told his former majesty about it when his majesty was just poisoned."


    "Yes." Lord Liu lowered his hand and said, "His former majesty has told me. I was being overthinking."


    "I''m not blaming you, but the rumors outside this morning are really strange. Few people knew about the imperial edict. Lord Liu, think it over. Except for his former m


    he pointed at one of them.


    "This one is indeed white, but it will make you look pale and sick. Your majesty... Do you really want to use this one? "


    "Look pale and sick?" Yun Shang smiled, "That''s exactly what I want."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo looked at Yun Shang strangely. After thinking for a while, she couldn''t help but remind Yun Shang, "Your majesty said you wanted to wear heavy makeup. If the makeup powder is too write, it might be... a little awkward. "


    "Nothing." Yun Shang still looked calm.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo realized that Yun Shang must have some plans, and this makeup should be part of her plan.


    After thinking it through, Qian Zhuo answered yes and put on makeup as Yun Shang said.


    "Mother..."


    As soon as she finished her makeup, the voice of Chengye came from outside.


    Yun Shang hadn''t seen Chengye since Luo Qingyan''s accident. Hearing his voice, Yun Shang quickly stood up.


    When she was about to go out, she saw Chengye rushing in from the outside. He rushed straight in front of Yun Shang and held Yun Shang''s leg.


    Yun Shang held him up with a smile, "Do you miss me?"


    "Yes, I do." Chengye answered. He raised his head to look at Yun Shang, but his eyes widened...

 Chapter 1139 The Imperial Household And The Court Are All Hers

    "Mother, what''s wrong with your face?"


    Yun Shang raised her hand and touched her face. When she came to herself, she couldn''t help laughing. "I have changed a new makeup today. Do I look good?"


    After staring at it for a long time, Chengye pursed his lips and shook his head. "It''s not beautiful. You look as if you''re sick."


    Hearing the childish words of Chengye, Yun Shang smiled more brightly. "It''s not beautiful. I will nodo such a makeup anymore."


    "Okay." Chengye nodded, looked around the hall, and his eyes then fell on the bed. "Eh, why is father still sleeping?"


    Yun Shang looked in the direction of his gaze, and gently held his hand. "Father is tired. Let him sleep a little longer. Today is my birthday. How about going to the birthday party with me later? "


    Chengye nodded, "okay."


    Then he opened his eyes wide, put his fingers on his lips, and made a gesture of silence. "Father is sleeping. Mother, let''s keep our voices down."


    "Okay, keep our voice down."


    Yun Shang took him to sit down on the bench and asked softly, "did you have a good time with grandma?"


    "Yes, I did. Grandmother and grandfather brought me a lot of toys. It''s fun. Grandfather played with me."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "What did grandfather play with you?"


    "Riding a horse!" With excitement on his face, Chengye said, "It''s fun to ride a horse. Grandpa even gave me a horse."


    He didn''t expect that Xia Huanyu would play with Chengye. Didn''t he dislike Chengye?


    "Oh? What else did your grandfather play with you? "


    Hearing that, Chengye tilted his head and thought for a while. Then he said, "Read, played games, and made a kite... We did a lot of things together. "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang understood. The rumor that Chengye was an idiot had been spread everywhere, and Xia Huanyu had once believed it. However, Chengye learnt more things as he grew older, which made Xia Huanyu suspect those rumors.


    This time, Chengye was s


    en his majesty hadn''t gone to the court, Lord Liu and your majesty had been finding excuses, which were almost full of loopholes. It really made us wonder if something had really happened to his majesty. Are those rumors true? "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips, "What rumors? Lord Wang, why don''t you tell me? "


    Wang JIngyu glanced at the other officials in the garden and said, "There is a rumor outside that your majesty was trapped in an ice cellar before, which caused the premature birth. And because your majesty stayed in the ice cellar for too long, the Prince''s was mentally damaged and your majesty was also hurt and couldn''t have children anymore."


    Yun Shang kept smiling, "I''m tired of those rumors. Is there anything new?"


    "There are also rumors that his majesty is not sick, but poisoned. And it was done by your majesty to control the State of Xia!"


    Yun Shang sneered, "Am I crazy? His majesty loves me so much that he has never thought of marrying concubines. I''m the only one in his harem, and Chengye is our only child. Why should I do that? "


    "Well... I don''t know. No matter how nice His majesty was to your majesty, your majesty was only the head of the imperial household. But if anything happens to his majesty, both the imperial household and the court will all be yours. "

 Chapter 1140 What If I Can

    "How dare you!"


    Yun Shang banged the armrest of the chair and squinted at Wang Jingyu. She said coldly, "Lord Wang, you are getting bolder. How dare you say something like this?"


    "I know these words are too outrageous, but the rumors outside are so reasonable. It''s hard for me not to think too much. If his majesty is really fine, then why hasn''t he shown up for three days? Even in the morning court, he just let us listen to his voice through the screen. "


    "But there are countless people who are good at imitating others'' voices in the world. How can we know whether the person behind the screen is his majesty or not?"


    "If his majesty is fine, why didn''t your majesty ask his majesty to meet us?"


    Yun Shang tightened her grip on the armrest, "Are you threatening me?"


    "I dare not. If his majesty shows up to prove that the rumors outside are false, I''m willing to accept the punishment. "


    Yun Shang held the armrest of the chair tightly and glanced at the courtiers sitting in the garden. Her face turned pale. "I want to hear your opinions on this matter."


    The courtiers looked at each other. Li Qianmo stood up and said, "In my opinion, the rumors outside are just groundless. Perhaps, they are the conspiracy of the enemy to slander your majesty and disintegrate people. If we believe them, we will be fooled by them. We haven''t got rid of the external strife yet. Let''s not get into internal strife first. "


    "Lord Li, you are wrong. We don''t make any excessive request. We just want to see if his majesty is safe with our own eyes. If his majesty is really fine, why didn''t your majesty let us see him? "


    "If something really happened to his majesty, your majesty shouldn''t have deceived us like this. You should announce it to the public and discuss countermeasures wi


    ll us?"


    Yun Shangsaid indifferently, "I''ll tell you clearly that if his former majesty or Prince Xian wants the throne, I''ll give it to them. But as for Xia Houjing, don''t even think about it."


    "What''s more, his former majesty is in the palace. I have asked him for opinion when conferring Chengye the title of crown prince. His former majesty didn''t have any objection. How can you interfere?"


    Someone clapped the table and stood up. "His former majesty has no objection? You have controlled the whole imperial household. Perhaps, his former majesty has been imprisoned by you and can''t object to this matter."


    But before Yun Shang got angry, another official said, "It''s not that I want to interfere. But if something really happens to his majesty, it''s inappropriate to make a child less than two years old as an emperor no matter he is an idiot or not.


    "Inappropriate? Then who do you think is the best? "


    "If his former majesty and Prince Xian have no intention, the seventh Prince is indeed the best candidates."


    Yun Shang''s eyes grew colder. "I''ve told you that Xia Houjing is dead. Are you deaf? Or can you find me another Xia Houjing out of nowhere? "


    "What if I can?"

 Chapter 1141 Who Will Win

    A voice suddenly rang out.


    Everyone in the garden looked in the direction of the sound.


    There was several banyan trees there, which should have been planted for many years. The banyan trees were very big and the branches and leaves were also very thick.


    When everyone looked over, they saw a person jumping down from one of the banyan trees.


    All the people in the garden were surprised. It was not known that whether they were surprised at the identity of the person, or that a living person hiding on the banyan tree without being noticed.


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the man for a long time. She seemed to be shocked by the sudden appearance of the man, but the secret guards reacted quickly. In a moment, a secret guard quickly appeared and protected Yun Shang.


    "Long time no see, your majesty." The man looked at Yun Shang with a smile, but his smile was full of cruelty.


    Yun Shang frowned, "Xia Houjing? Why are you here? "


    Xia Houjing said coldly, "Why am I here? Your majesty, where do you think I should be? In the dark and gloomy dungeon? Or become a corpse and be buried underground? "


    Then he sneered, "I''m so sorry to disappoint you, your majesty. I''m not dead. I even appear here and stand in front of you. Your majesty, are you surprised? "


    It seems you are.


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth, "Guards, arrest this traitor! Pull him down! "


    Xia Houjing laughed, "Traitor? Yes, I did start a rebellion. Your majesty must know why I did that. "


    "I, Xia Houjing, am a dignified descendant of the royal family of the State of Xia. I was born and grew up in the royal family of the State of Xia. In the past twenty years, I have done a lot of things for the State of Xia. In the court, I tried my best to give advice for the prosperity of the State of Xia. On the battlefi


    do you think you can take this opportunity to capture all the people who support me and get rid of them?"


    "Your majesty, do you think that I won''t have a chance to walk out alive after I enter the imperial palace?"


    Yun Shang looked at Xia Houjing with a cold face and didn''t say anything. But there were more and more secret guards around her. Many guards with blades suddenly appeared around the Changting Garden and surrounded it.


    The atmosphere in the garden suddenly became tense


    Xia Houjing looked around and asked, "That''s all your guards?"


    Yun Shang clenched her fists and pursed her lips, looking at Xia Houjing.


    Xia Houjing smiled again and clapped his hands gently.


    The sound of neat footsteps was heard. Everyone looked around and saw many people appear behind the guards who had surrounded the garden. They were all dressed in iron armors, with long knives in their hands.


    Then, the sound of iron armor rang out from the roof, and many people in black iron armor suddenly appeared on the roof, holding bows and arrows in their hands. The tips of the arrows were aimed at the people in the garden.


    Xia Houjing smiled, "Your majesty, who do you think will win today?"

 Chapter 1142 Live And Die Together

    Yun Shang pursed her lips and didn''t answer his question. She just looked around and said, "It seems that your highness''s miserable look in the dungeon before is fake."


    Xia Houjing didn''t say anything. He just looked at Yun Shang with a smile, and his expression was somewhat casual.


    Yun Shang pressed her lips and continued, "Your highness is really powerful. As soon as you came out, you could bribe the servants in the palace to poison his majesty. You could even send so many people and so many weapons into the palace without being noticed, waiting to aim at me now. "


    Yun Shang''s eyes grew colder and colder. "I''m wondering how many people among the civil and military officials in the garden are your men. And how many officials are willing to believe that I can win. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Xia Houjing raised his eyes slightly and said, "Why do you bother to know so much, your majesty? You are about to die."


    Yun Shang suddenly burst into laughter. "I might not be able to get out of the garden alive today, but I can guarantee that even if I die, I will be able to drag countless people with me."


    Yun Shang stood straight, with her fingers tightly holding the hand of Chengye, and her lips pursed. She looked arrogant and indifferent. "Everyone, listen carefully. I will only give you one chance to choose."


    "If you are willing to believe me and support me, then stand behind me. As for the rest, if they don''t stand behind me, that means you admit that you are Xia Houjing''s men. I''ll kill all the people who support Xia Houjing! "


    The noise became louder.


    The courtiers in the garden looked at each other or whispered, but no one moved for a long time.


    Xia Houjing laughed, "Your majesty, it seems that no one wants to believe you. I also admit that you are indeed very powerful and smart. Even many men can''t compare with you. But you are still just a woman. And... a woman from the State of Ni


    her eyes, but ignored Xia Houjing. She squatted down and adjusted the clothes for Chengye. "Bao''er, are you afraid?"


    Chengye stared at Yun Shang with his eyes wide open, as if he didn''t know what it meant.


    "With mother around, I''m not afraid."


    Yun Shang nodded with a relieved look on her face, "Okay, it''s good. Bao''er is the best. You are a brave boy. "


    Then she smiled and said, "Let''s play a game, okay?"


    Tilting his head, Chengye looked at Yun Shang and said, "Okay. What game do you want to play with me, mother?"


    Yun Shang smiled more brightly, "I''ll count one, two, and three. Close your eyes. If I don''t call you, you can''t open your eyes. If you can make it, I will ask someone to send you all the food and toys you want tomorrow, okay? "


    "Great!" Bao''er''s face was full of joy.


    Then he seemed to remember something. He tilted his head to look at Yun Shang and asked, "Mother, where is father?"


    It seemed that he was still bothered by Xia Houjing''s words about Luo Qingyan''s death.


    Yun Shang smiled and touched his head. "Father is fine. As long as you you don''t open your eyes secretly in the game. Tomorrow, I''ll take you to see father."


    "Okay, okay!" As he spoke, he closed her eyes before Yun Shang could count.


    "One."


    "Two."


    "Three."

 Chapter 1143 Let You Know Before You Die

    As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Shang covered Bao''er eyes with her hand and raised the other hand abruptly.


    Countless black figures flashed around, and countless secret guards rushed to the officials who were standing still in the garden.


    Before everyone could react, people fell down one after another in the garden, and blood splashed everywhere.


    "Ah!"


    Xia Houjing''s face changed when he heard the scream.


    "It seems that your majesty is really going to fight to the death? Well, since your majesty is so determined, I''ll go with you to the end! "


    Blue veins stood out on Xia Houjing''s forehead. He shouted, "Shoot!"


    "Protect their lordships!"


    The soldiers in black armor on the roof all pulled the bowstring, and the soldiers in the garden quickly stepped forward to block in front of the officials and fought with the secret guards.


    Yun Shang didn''t show any panic on her face. The secret guards around her reacted quickly. They quickly protected Yun Shang and the courtiers behind her, constantly brandishing their swords to resist the attack of the arrows.


    The bows and arrows prepared by the black armored soldiers on the roof had almost been used up, but Yun Shang and the people around her were almost completely unharmed.


    Most of the courtiers who had been sitting in the garden had fallen to the ground.


    The situation in the garden seemed to have been decided.


    Xia Houjing''s face changed. "Do you think you can get out of the Imperial Palace alive with these secret guards? You are daydreaming! "


    However, Yun Shang didn''t seem to be threatened at all. She just glanced at Xia Houjing indifferently and said, "I''m the owner of the imperial household. I''m the hostess of the imperial palace. Why should I leave the imperial palace? That''s the question you should ask yourself. "


    Xia Houjing''s face darkened. He stared at Yun Shang, but after a while,


    Yun Shang sneered, "Lose? I, Ning Yun Shang, have never been defeated. Of course, I also won''t be defeated by you. "


    "Your majesty, help us..." Hearing the conversation between the two, the ladies became more and more flustered.


    Xia Houjing laughed and turned to them. "You have heard what her majesty said just now. It''s not that I won''t let you go, but that her majesty is unwilling to save you. That''s not my fault."


    "Guards!" A hint of cruelty flashed through Xia Houjing''s eyes. He suddenly raised his hand, and the black armored soldiers around him immediately pulled out their swords and waited for orders.


    Xia Houjing didn''t put his hand down. "Oh, I almost forgot that there are my spies among them. I almost killed my own people by mistake."


    Xia Houjing chuckled and turned to Yun Shang. "Your majesty, I know you are curious about that why I could still know what happened in the palace even though I''m in your hands. And why I could poison Luo Qingyan. "


    "Of course it''s because there are many of my people in the imperial household. Many years, these people have been inserted into the palace by me, and gradually climbed to their current position. "


    "Are you curious about who work for me? Come on, I''ll let you know before you die. "

 Chapter 1144 Reversal

    After saying that, Xia Houjing raised his head and smiled. "Come out. Why are you still standing there? Are you waiting to die? "


    As soon as Xia Houjing finished speaking, many people stood out and walked to behind Xia Houjing.


    "Are you familiar with these people, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang pressed her lips tightly and looked at Yun Shang without saying anything.


    Of course she was familiar with them.


    Since she moved into the palace, they are the ones who she had been contacted most frequently...


    Yun Shang slowly closed her eyes to calm herself down.


    "Your majesty, you look surprised? Didn''t you think of it at all? Although you know it now, there is nothing you can do. After all, this is the last time you see them. Soon... "


    Before Xia Houjing could finish his words, Yun Shang suddenly opened her eyes and continued, "Soon, they will all die."


    The garden was quiet for a moment, and everyone''s eyes fell on Yun Shang.


    A courtier standing next to Xia Houjing couldn''t help laughing. "Your Highness, look, her majesty hasn''t figured out the current situation yet. She thought she would have a chance to reverse the situation."


    Xia Houjing turned around and looked at the official. The official''s face froze. He smiled awkwardly and lowered his head.


    "Yes." Yun Shang also burst into laughter. "There are indeed some people who haven''t seen the current situation clearly."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, the people in the garden heard countless footsteps outside, along with and the sound of iron armors...


    "Your Highness, are they our people?"


    The sounds were heard just after Yun Shang finished her words so that some people in the garden began to panic.


    "Of course..."


    "Of course not."


    Before Xia Houjing finished his words, he was stopped by another voice again.


    The voice almost made everyone in the garden tremble, and there was an unbelievable look on


    .


    Luo Qingyan lowered her head and said, "You can open your eyes now. The game is over."


    Hearing this, Chengye opened his eyes happily. When he was about to say something, Luo Qingyan continued, "Don''t say anything now. After I finish my words, we''ll go back. Let''s have a chat after that, okay? At that time, father will give you whatever you want. "


    "Okay."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and rubbed his hair before raising his head.


    "I was indeed poisoned. It was not the Suinan Poison, but the Shigu Poison which would cause similar symptoms as the former would. The other day, when her majesty smelt the osmanthus fragrans, she felt something was wrong. Then she knew that someone intended to poison me with the Shigu poison I''m sure many people have heard of the Shigu poison. It''s one of the most rare poisons in the world. Although it''s very powerful, fortunately, her majesty happened to have the antidote in her hand... "


    "What happened in the past two days was arranged by her majesty on purpose. She did it to make you think that I was poisoned by the Suinan poison and that my condition had been terrible."


    "As for Xia Houjing, when he was in the dungeon, I had someone replaced him to get your information. Then I ask the fake Xia Houjing to act this show..."

 Chapter 1145 Take Out Its Roots

    Luo Qingyan glanced at them and said, "As for the details, I don''t have to tell you. Both of you are dying. It''s meaningless for you to know so much."


    "But I didn''t expect that so many people who was respectful to me on the surface had betrayed me secretly."


    The courtiers who had stood in front of Xia Houjing were all pale. Some of them couldn''t help but quickly kneel down. "Your majesty, I have never done anything bad to you. Please forgive me! I just... just... "


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "You just thought that I was dead, and that her majesty''s power was not strong enough to fight against Xia Houjing, so you had to choose to stand on the side of Xia Houjing, right?"


    The courtier''s lips trembled slightly. "Yes..."


    Then he said quickly, "I think many of the people who stood behind the traitor, Xia Houjing, must have the same thought. Your majesty, we are guilty, but we don''t deserve to die. Please forgive us, your majesty. "


    "What''s more, your majesty has just ascended the throne, and your foundation is not stable. You shouldn''t kill so many people. There are so many courtiers. If you remove them all, I''m afraid that many departments will be paralyzed and the government affairs can''t be dealt with in time. Your majesty... "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said, "Lord Zhao, you seem to be very considerate for me, don''t you?"


    After saying that, his eyes darkened again. "But no matter what your thoughts are, I will only see the final result. I hate those who are not loyal. Of course, I hate fence sitters more. "


    "Today, you chose to stand on Xia Houjing''s side because you thought I was dead. I can''t guarantee that you won''t betray me again for your own interests in the future. I will... took its roots while cutting off the grass."


    Luo Qingyan said indifferently, "As for the vacancies caused by your death, I don''t need you to worry about it. This is my business, and I will naturally try my best to solve it. There are so many people


    sent to your palace. "


    Yun Shang was surprised, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "Thank you, father and mother..."


    "Hm," said Xia Huanyu indifferently. Then he turned around and left.


    Seeing that Xia Huanyu and the eunuch walking away, Yun Shang turned around with a frown. "After you were just poisoned, his former majesty looked very concerned. So many things happened today, but why didn''t he mention anything else after only one question? "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "It''s not that he doesn''t want to know."


    "That day, I was suddenly poisoned, but he was not prepared at all. He didn''t know if it was true or not, so he came to Weiyang Palace to check if it was true. Although you didn''t tell him the truth at that time, he must have guessed something. "


    "He has been the emperor of the State of Xia for so many years. He has experienced all kinds of schemes. Moreover, in the imperial household of the State of Xia, the one who has the powerful forces and the most spies is definitely not Xia Houjing, but him. As long as he wants, I''m afraid that he will find out everything that has happened in the imperial household. "


    "So, I''m afraid that he had already seen what had happened these days and guessed what we wanted to do. He knows everything, so he doesn''t need to ask anything. "

 Chapter 1146 Luring The Tiger Out Of His Den

    The three of them returned to the Taiji Palace.


    As soon as Chengye entered the hall, he saw many little things in it. A windmill, a merry go round, a kite, nine consecutive rings, a doll...


    "Wow!" He broke free from Yun Shang''s hand and rushed to the toys.


    "There are so many interesting things! Mom, are these all for me? " Then he turned to look at Yun Shang with his sparkling eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "They are not prepared by mother. It was prepared by your fathher. You have to ask him."


    "Father!" Then he turned to look at Luo Qingyan.


    "It''s for you. You did a good job in the game with your mother in Changting garden. This is your reward."


    "Thank you, father. I love you the most," said Chengye cheerfully.


    "These things are all yours. I''ll ask someone to move them to your room. You can ask Qian Liu to play with you, okay?" Yun Shang''s eyes were full of tenderness.


    "Okay."


    Yun Shang turned around and took a look at Qian Zhuo. Qian Zhuo called in the servants to move away all the toys in the hall.


    Chengye stood aside and looked at them unblinkingly, as if he was afraid that the servants would break his toys.


    Qian Zhuo was amused by him. She reached out her hand and said, "Prince, let''s go. I''ll take you there."


    Chengye held Qian Zhuo hand in a hurry.


    Standing aside and watching, Luo Qingyan suddenly said, "Now you shouldn''t call him the Prince. You should call him crown prince."


    Yun Shang looked at him in surprise, "Then the imperial edict..."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "the imperial edict was made by me in person. It is covered with the imperial seal, and it was read out in the early court. Naturally, it should also take effect. Next, I''ll ask someone to announce this to the world. "


    Qian Zhuo quickly said, "Your highness crown prince, I''ll take you there."


    Chengye went out of the door with Qian Zhuo happily. Yun Shang smiled and said, "How could it be? You conferr


    be trusted. If they were placed on the official positions, it would be difficult to guarantee that they won''t change. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "Yes, after all, people have their own thoughts. I''m afraid it''s impossible to control it forever. "


    "Apart from that, there is still no news about the workmen. What''s your majesty''s plan?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Xia Houjing''s power is far more than what we found in the court and the imperial household. We haven''t found anything on Ling Hai, the most suspicious one. Now the court has been basically cleared up, and we can take our time to deal with the things outside... "


    "At least, Xia Houjing is still in our hands. They thought they had been in control of Xia Houjing''s whereabouts. But now after this incident, I''m afraid they will be in a panic for a while as they suddenly found they had lost contract with Xia Houjing."


    "Besides, I always feel that so many workmen from the Department of Works have gone to Liu Cang, Siyang and Nanyang. Isn''t Xia Houjing afraid that we will find out what he is planning according to the news?"


    "Your majesty, what do you think?" Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan.


    "The trick of luring the tiger out of his den." Luo Qingyan smiled, "Did I tell you that Liu Yinfeng has left Liucang City?"

 Chapter 1147 The Birthday Gifts

    Yun Shang was surprised, "Did Liu Yinfeng leave Liucang City?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "I thought there was something wrong with Liucang City, Siyang City and Nanyang City, because Xia Houjing had made trouble in these places before, and also because the craftsmen of the Ministry of Revenue had gone to this area. But the most important reason is that Liu Yinfeng went straight to Liucang City after he left the the Liucang City.


    I always feel that there is a reason for Liu Yinfeng to go there. In addition, there were all kinds of signs indicating something before, so both you and I suspect that he has sensed something wrong and traced in the Liucang City.


    Now Liu Yinfeng has left the Liucang City mostly because he didn''t find anything there. That''s why I suspect that we have all been tricked away by their scheme, "


    Yun Shang paced back and forth in the room. Then she turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Where did Prince Xian go after he left the Liucang City? He should know that you have sent someone to follow him all the time. Did he leave any message? "


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "There is still a distance from the Liucang City to the Jin City. It will take some time even if the carrier pigeon sends the message. The latest news I received is the news that Liu Yinfeng left the Liucang City three days ago. I haven''t got any further news yet. But according to the secret guards over there, Liu Yinfeng is leaving for the north. "


    "The north?" Yun Shang walked quickly to the front of the map and found the location of the Liucang City with her fingers. Then she slowly moved north and wondered, "There seems to be no any special city to the north?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes, there is indeed no special city to the north. But... there is a special country. "


    "A special country?" Yun Shang continued to move her fingers upward on the map, and soon she understood what Luo Qingyan meant, "The State of Yelang?"


    Yun Shang withdrew her hand and turned to Luo Qingyan, "You mean Liu Yinfeng is going to the border of the State of Yelang and the State of Xia? Did he find something in the Liucang C


    said Yun Shang. She held back her laughter and picked up another box.


    There was a pair of shoes in the box. The shoes were embroidered with peony flowers, which was lifelike. Beside the shoes, there was a gilded card.


    "This should be from Mother. Mother is the best at embroidery,"


    said Yun Shang while unfolding the card, with a slight smile at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes were a little red, "Mother hopes that wherever I go, I will know that she will always be with me."


    Yun Shang closed the box carefully and opened the last one. The last box was beautiful, not big, but a little longer.


    As soon as she opened it, Yun Shang saw a piece of bright yellow cloth inside, which was neatly folded and placed. On it, there was a little embroidery pattern, which seemed to be the edge of auspicious clouds.


    Yun Shang was somewhat familiar with this kind of embroidery. She frowned and said, "This is..."


    "Imperial edict,"


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan spoke out at the same time.


    Then they looked up at each other.


    "Why did Father give me the imperial edict? I''m in the State of Xia now. The imperial edict he gave me is useless,"


    but after saying that, she suddenly had a vague guess in her heart. But she felt that this conjecture was too impractical, so she frowned again.


    "Open it?" Luo Qingyan encouraged.


    Yun Shang nodded, took out the imperial edict and unfolded it slowly.

 Chapter 1148 It Might Be Too Ugly

    After a few glances, Yun Shang suddenly closed the imperial edict again, and her face turned pale.


    "I can''t accept this imperial edict."


    As Yun Shang said this, she quickly rolled up the imperial edict and put it back into the brocade box.


    When she was about to close the box, Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand.


    "Take it. This is a gift from your father. Your father is worried that you will be wronged in the State of Xia and that I can''t protect you well."


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and glared at Luo Qingyan. Her eyes were full of helplessness. "Nonsense. I''m the Empress of the State of Xia. How can I be the Crown Princess of the State of Ning? Won''t it be discussed if the news spreads?"


    "Only the two of us know about it. How could it be spread? Just find a suitable place to keep it. If I have nothing to worry about, I will protect you well. But if something happens to me, this is your amulet. "


    "What are you talking about?" Yun Shang frowned, "Nothing will happen to you. How could you curse yourself like this? "


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and chuckled, "Okay, it''s my fault. I shouldn''t have cursed myself like this. Let''s talk about Chengye. As the two of us are in this position, there will always be times when we have no choice, and sometimes we can''t take care of Chengye. With this thing, the status of Chengye in the State of Ning will also be different. At that time, even if he is sent to the State of Ning, he can get good protection. "


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and nodded. "Well, since you said so, I''ll put it away first. I just hope that I don''t need to use it in my life. "


    "Of course."


    Yun Shang closed the box, bit her lips and said, "My Weiyang Palace was burnt last night, and I can''t find a place to put it..."


    Luo Qingyan chuckled, "Then put it here."


    That was just what Yun Shang wanted, so she handed the box to Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan took it and walked to the bookshelf aside. He moved away the books on the top of the bookshelf,


    n''t mind."


    Yun Shang looked down with tears in her eyes. After a long time, she smiled, but her voice was a little trembling. "We have been married for several years. It''s too late for you to think of it, isn''t it? It''s indeed a little ugly, but it''s really difficult for a rough man like you who is used to using swords and blades to make such a thing. "


    Luo Qingyan''s face was a little red. After a while, he said softly, "We each have one. I''m waiting for your sachet to put it in."


    Thinking of the sachet thing, Yun Shang stuck out her tongue and said with a smile, "Okay, your majesty. Don''t worry. It will be finished soon. I can deal with all the affairs in the imperial household, give good advice to your majesty, go to the battlefield to fight, arrange troops and arrays, and also have medical skills. I don''t believe that I will be defeated by a little sachet. "


    "Don''t regret it." Luo Qingyan smiled and pinched Yun Shang''s nose. Then he held Yun Shang in his arms and said, "If you embroider the sachet for me, I will wear it day and night. I hope you will allow me to wear it all the time."


    Yun Shang was confused, "Why don''t I let you wear the sachet?"


    "Because it might be too ugly."


    Luo Qingyan burst into laughter as soon as he finished his words, but suddenly felt his hand was pinched by Yun Shang.

 Chapter 1149 A Statue Of Guanyin

    Both of them were chatting when Liu Wenan came to report again, "Your Majesty, a few officials want to see you."


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang helplessly, "there are too many things to do today. I can''t accompany you to have a good birthday celebration."


    "It doesn''t matter. We''ll still have a lot of such chances in the future. You will celebrate a lot of birthday parties with me. Your business is more important at the moment. You just go for it, " replied Yun Shang.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Order then kitchen to cook more dishes tonight. I''ll come back to have dinner with you. Ask Chengye to eat with us. We three will have a family reunion dinner tonight."


    Yun Shang nodded and watched Luo Qingyan walk out of the hall quickly. She thought for a while and called Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu out.


    Although today the battle in the name of reorganizing the court principles took place in Changting Garden, the imperial household was also quite affected. It needed to be cleaned up too.


    "This is the list of all the stewards and servants in the imperial household after the removal today. Please have a look, your majesty," Qian Liu said.


    Yun Shang took it over, glanced at it, and nodded slightly, "The impact on the imperial household this time is slightly smaller than that of the court. It''s not difficult to solve it.


    Since we moved here from the State of Ning, we have been planting our own spies in the imperial household of the State of Xia. Even after his majesty and I entered the palace, we haven''t exposed these spies in the public. I think they should have been well integrated into the other palaces."


    Qian Liu nodded, "Yes, especially after his majesty and your majesty came to the State of Xia, we have assigned more and more spies in the imperial palace of the State of Xia, almost everywhere in the palace."


    Yun Shang nodded, "These spies have been specially trained, and their means and abilities are beyond description. You can have a look at these spies and select some to fill these vacancies."


    "Yes, majesty,"


    Qian Liu nodded and continued, "In today''s Changting Garden''s incident, your majesties hav


    ne to record them and put them into the storehouse according to the usual rules. I''ve also put the booklet for registration on the table. "


    As they were talking, they entered the inner hall. As expected, Yun Shang saw the gift boxes and pamphlet on the table. She nodded and said to Hua''er, "Okay, I see. I''ll have a look later. You can continue with your work."


    Hua''er bowed and left. Yun Shang sat down at the table, took out the pamphlet and looked through it. She fixed her eyes on somewhere of the pamphlet and squinted.


    "Hua''er," she called.


    Hua''er heard Yun Shang''s voice in the outer hall and hurried in, "Your majesty."


    Yun Shang pointed at a place on the pamphlet and asked, "I find here that Lady Lian sent me a statue of Guanyin?"


    Hua''er nodded and glanced at Yun Shang secretly. When she saw the gift from Lady Lian, she thought lady Lian was too bold. She knew the gossip outside, but she still dared to give such a gift.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t pay much attention to the meaning of the gift. What suddenly occurred to her was that Lady Lian was among the concubines who had been sent to the Changting Garden. But when the fake Xia Houjing asked them to make it clear whom they supported to save their lives, she didn''t come out.


    At that moment, Yun Shang didn''t pay all her attention to those who stood out and didn''t notice her at all.


    All these came back to her when she saw the pamphlet.

 Chapter 1150 Compromise And Approval

    Thinking of this, Yun Shang asked again, "When did Lady Lian send these things here? Did she ask someone to send them here or in person? "


    There were a lot of people coming to deliver the gifts today, but the gift from Lady Lian was so special that Hua''er was deeply impressed, so she replied, "About an hour ago, it was lady Lian who sent it here in person. She also told me that she specially sent someone to ask the Master of the Qinglian Temple to personally forge and consecrate it. It must be very efficacious."


    Yun Shang closed the pamphlet and sneered. Two hours ago, it was the time after she and Luo Qingyan left the Changting Garden.


    After they left, the secret guards must have dealt with those who stood behind Xia Houjing, and let the others go. Then Lady Lian returned to her palace, took her gift and sent it to the Jinxiu Palace.


    Yun Shang''s look was cold and penetrating. She had thought that Lady Lian had made a lot of mistakes in front of her before, and that she must be a spy placed by Xia Houjing in the imperial household.


    But she didn''t expect Lady Lian to be so interesting.


    In the Changting Garden, she should have clearly seen that Xia Houjing had an absolute advantage, but she remained unmoved when Xia Houjing asked his men to stand out.


    She had witnessed that the secret guards had dealt with Xia Houjing''s supporters in the palace, but she was still able to return to her own palace without fear and send her gifts.


    She was not giving her an ordinary gift, but a very meaningful and sensitive one.


    Wasn''t she afraid that Yun Shang would kill her in anger?


    Of course, Lady Lian was not afraid.


    No matter what, Yun Shang had never admitted that she was infertile.


    If it was true that because Lady Lian sent her a statue of Guanyin, the goddess of sending children, Yun Shang would be angry and get rid of one of the imperial concubines. She would seem to be trying to cover up something.


    "Your Majesty, should this gift be dealt with differently?" Hua''er asked cautiously.


    Yun Shang smiled and casually put the pamphlet aside saying, "No need. It''


    dded, "That''s good. How is it going at the frontier?"


    "It has been peaceful for the time being since Cangjue Qingsu withdrew his troops. But there are still some soldiers of the the State of Yelang moving around in the border area, and some disguised as ordinary people sneaking into the border city, as if they are seeking information.


    I have caught some of them, but I can''t get any information from the interrogation."


    Yun Shang was not surprised at all, "People like Cangjue Qingsu are always ambitious. He will not reconcile himself to failure. Although he lost this time, he will not give up easily. He will come back when the right time is found. "


    Zhao Yingjie nodded, "That''s also what I think, so I want to go back to the frontier when the Jin City is a little stable."


    "You don''t have to be in such a hurry." Yun Shang smiled, "I don''t think we need to worry too much this winter. Most of the places in the the State of Yelang is grassland. Their biggest advantage in war is their strong horses and soldiers. They are very powerful.


    It''s just because it is in winter, the grass on the grassland has withered, and there is a lack of food. In addition, it is cold in the north, and neither the horses nor the people are in a good condition. It''s really asking for trouble for them to fight with us now."


    Zhao Yingjie thought for a while and praised, "Your Majesty, you are right."

 Chapter 1151 The Future Worries

    Yun Shang got the tea from the servant and took a sip, "When did you come back from the frontier?"


    "Twenty-four days ago."


    Yun Shang calculated the time and asked, "Before you left the frontier, did you find that there were some suspicious people passing through the frontier and entering the military camp of the Yelang troops?"


    "Yes." Zhao Yingjie nodded, "About a month and a half ago, there was a caravan of more than 10 people coming out of the Lingxi City and passing through our inspection post at the border.


    When they passed the inspection post, they said that they were a trade group and lived at the border of the State of Xia and the State of Yelang. Because of their special living places, they often went between the two countries to do business of some special products of the two places.


    I''ve sent someone to investigate about it, and I did find some scattered people at the place they said. Their names and ages were right, so I asked the frontier guards to release them.


    But two or three days later, another trade team came. They also said that they lived there, and their names and ages were the same as those mentioned a few days ago. When I got the report, I felt strange. After investigation, it was confirmed that this caravan behind was the real one.


    I right away sent someone to investigate the whereabouts of the former caravan. We found they had gone to the camp of the State of Yelang after passing the border."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "It''s true as I expected."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Zhao Yingjie couldn''t help but ask in surprise, "Your majesty, do you know the background of those who pretended to be the trade group before?"


    "I don''t know. I just doubt it. His majesty and I suspect that Xia Houjing colluded with Cangjue Qingsu again,"


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "No, we can''t say they colluded with each other again. Perhaps, from the beginning till now, Xia Houjing and Cangjue Qingsu have never been cut off from each other. But before this, they both have been defeated by us and each of them has retreated. We thought that their alliance


    nged a lot from usual times. These two days, his majesty has been discussing with several courtiers about the specific implementation measures. The relevant rules seem to have almost been set. They can come into effect in at least three days.


    As the imperial examination is different from the past years, once the recruitment of the talents starts this time, there should be talented and ambitious people selected soon to fill the vacant posts in the imperial court. After that, his majesty will be able to have a rest. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "That''s good."


    After sending Wang Wanzhi out, Yun Shang pulled up the blanket and turned to Qian Liu, "On that day in the Changting Garden, His majesty and I ordered to kill dozens of courtiers, but how are their families now?"


    Qian Liu was stunned, and she was a little confused, "The officials'' family? They... I am sorry I really didn''t pay attention to it. How about I send someone to investigate it? "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, we should know it. So many officials lost their lives in the palace. Those families must be unable to accept it. And most of these officials have connections with each other, and they are also famous figures in the Jin City. If they really make trouble, the impact will be not small.


    His Majesty is busy with the affairs of the court and has no mood to care about these things. I should help his majesty avoid these future worries."

 Chapter 1152 The New Leader Of Shangyi Bureau

    While they were talking, a voice came from outside, "Your Majesty, people from the Shangyi Bureau are here."


    "Shangyi bureau? What are they doing here? " Yun Shang frowned and said, "If my memory serves me right, that day in the Changting Garden, among those stewards of the imperial household who have been punished, there was Yu Nian from the Shangyi Bureau, wasn''t there?"


    "Yes, your majesty." Qian Liu smiled, "Since your majesty entered the palace, Yu Nian has made trouble for you both openly and secretly. I have long thought that someone else should be the steward of the Shangyi Bureau. But later, because your majesty cleared up the imperial household and let those foolish people in the imperial household see your means, Yu Nian restrained herself a little and began to be respectful to your majesty. But no matter how respectful she was on the surface, she was not a good person in private. Now she has got what she deserves. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "So the Shangyi Bureau''s steward must have been changed, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Well then, call them in. I can also see what kind of person the new steward is. After all, the Shangyi Bureau is in charge of the clothes that rank first in the clothes, food, transportation and transportation of his majesty and me. It is also very important, " said Yun Shang.


    Qian Liu answered. Then she went out and brought in the people from the Shangyi Bureau.


    There were five people in total from the Shangyi Bureau. The woman in the front was a first-class steward, followed by four servants, each holding a tray with clothes on it.


    "Greetings from Yan Pin, your majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"


    "Yan Pin?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled, "You are the new steward of Shangyi Bureau, aren''t you? Raise your head and let me have a look? "


    Yan Pin raised her head. Yun Shang paused for a moment and said, "It''s rare. I thought the stewards would usually be older. You see, he should be only thirty years old, right?"


    "Yes, your majesty. I''m twenty-six years old."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Twenty-six. Ordinary servants can be released from the palace at


    Shang smiled, "Of course it''s feasible. How can I dislike having too many clothes? Just do as you think... "


    Yan Pin responded, "Then I''ll leave now."


    Then, the maids brought by Yan Pin handed their clothes to the maids of Jinxiu Palace and stepped aside.


    Yun Shang nodded and turned to look at Qian Liu.


    Qian Liu understood what she meant and sent Yan Pin and her group out.


    Soon, Qian Liu walked in quickly and asked, "Your majesty, what do you think of Yan Pin?"


    "It seems she is good. She is capable and has her own ideas. But she just took over the Shangyi Bureau, so she naturally wants to behave well in front of me. Now it''s good, but it''s uncertain in the future. Let''s wait and see," replied Yun Shang.


    Qian Liu nodded, "I''ll ask someone to put these clothes away. By the way, it''s almost lunch time. What do you want to eat today, your majesty? "


    Yun Shang replied casually, "You can feel free to prepare some food. There''s nothing special for me. By the way, ask the kitchen to stew a bowl of tonic soup, and I''ll take it to the Taiji Palace with lunch.


    His Majesty has been too busy these days. I heard from the Taiji Palace that his majesty has been so focus on his work that he even forgot to have his meal. This is not good for his health. I''ll go to the Taiji Palace to have lunch with his majesty. No matter how busy his majesty is, he won''t refuse to eat. "


    "Yes..."

 Chapter 1153 Quality Is More Important Than Quantity

    Yun Shang went to the Tai Chi hall, but she didn''t see Luo Qingyan there.


    "Where is his majesty?"


    The servant standing aside answered in a hurry, "The examinees have already entered the palace. His majesty is examining them in the Meeting Hall."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked Qian Liu to set the dishes. Then she went to the Meeting Hall and stopped at side of the hall.


    "At the north border of our country, the State of Yelang has attacked many times in recent years. Before this, I fought with the Empress in person for several times and finally defeated the State of Yelang. If the State of Yelang surrenders and is willing to submit to the State of Xia and offer the specialty products of the State of Yelang, do you think we should choose war or peace?"


    Luo Qingyan''s voice echoed in the hall. Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled. She didn''t go on, nor did she retreat. She stood still and listened.


    "I think we should choose peace." A gentle voice said, "The State of Yelang has attacked many times in recent years. The people at the border and the soldiers have suffered a lot. Every year during the war, the people suffered a lot and didn''t dare to go back home. Every year we recruit soldiers. In every battle, no matter we win or lose, there will be countless casualties. "


    "If we can be reconciled, that would be the best. The State of Yelang bows to us, and the border can have peace. Why not?"


    "Yes, it''s the common people who suffer in the war between two countries." Luo Qingyan smiled and seemed to agree.


    "I think we should choose war." Another voice sounded.


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Why? "


    "It will be a good thing if we can really coexist peacefully. But now the State of Yelang is ruled by Cangjue Qingsu. I have heard a lot of rumors about the emperor of the State of Yelang. From those rumors, I think Cangjue Qingsu should be a vicious, cunning, ambitious man who would do anything to achieve


    miled, "Let''s go, uncle. I have asked the kitchen to prepare some food for your majesty. I will accompany you every meal from now on. If you''re really too busy, you can ask me to deal with some simple things. "


    Yun Shang winked at Luo Qingyan, but we have to keep it a secret. After all, female members in the imperial household are not allowed to meddle with political officials. I don''t others to gossip about it. "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Okay, I see."


    Then he shook his head again, looking helpless.


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan went to the table. The servants quickly took bowls of rice for the two.


    "I heard from the servant that you have been busy all morning. Have you chosen some capable people?"


    "Of course." Luo Qingyan said indifferently, "But there are not many of them. Maybe just two or three. But there was no hurry. Quality is more important than quantity. Even those who I think are capable, I still need the secret guards to carefully check their background."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I''ve already asked Qian Yin to place many spies in every place. They are good at collecting information. You can make a list of the people you think are capable, and I''ll also ask them to investigate. It''s also a test for them... "


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan nodded, "One more pass and one more guarantee."

 Chapter 1154 A Win-Win Solution

    Back from the Taiji Palace, Yun Shang saw a pamphlet on the table. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What''s this?"


    Qian Zhuo, who was tidying up things, replied: "Your majesty, this is the pamphlet sent by sister Qin Yi just now. It''s a summary of the affairs in Imperial Household Department last month."


    "Sister Qin Yi said that there were too many things last month. If she reported all of them to you, you wouldn''t have enough time. So she made a brief record of all the things. You can have a look at it when you have time. If you have any questions about anything, you can send someone to call her over."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I believe Qin Yi''s ability."


    Her eyes paused on the pamphlet, but then she remembered something, "There are too many things recently, and I can''t care about many things. The pamphlet suddenly occurrs to me that Zhao Yingjie has returned to the Jin city."


    "A few days ago, I told Zhao Yingjie to hold their wedding while he is in the Jin city. But if they are going to get married, Qin Yi can''t stay in the palace anymore. After that, she should live in the general''s mansion."


    Qian Zhuo frowned, "But we are short of people and the affairs in imperial household department are very important. If Qin Yi leaves the Imperial Palace, who could take in charge of the Imperial Household Department?"


    "Qin Yi has been with me for so many years. Now that she finally found someone to spend the rest of her life with, I can''t restrain her. We can find someone else to handle the affairs of Imperial Household Department. And even if she leaves the palace, she can still work for me, just like Qian Yin. "


    Yun Shang flipped through the pamphlet and thought for a moment. "Send someone to invite Qin Yi here. She had been in Imperial Household Department for a long time, so she should have known it well. I''ll ask her if she has a good candidate and ask her to train her subconsciously during this period of time. If it doesn''t work, I''ll send you or Qian Liu to ta


    for me after you leave the palace. It''s just your identity will change. "


    "If so, I won''t get married." Qin Yi pouted and said, "I just want to stay by your majesty''s side. The longer I stay in Imperial Household Department, the more I feel that it''s a very important place in the imperial palace. I must keep an eye on this place for you, but you want me to leave the imperial palace."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "What nonsense are you talking?"


    "I''m not kidding. Besides, I don''t think marriage has any conflict with being the director of Imperial Household Department. The one I will marry is General Zhao who guards the territory of the State of Xia. General Zhao didn''t spend much time in the Jin City in a year. When he is away, I will feel bored even if I stayed in the general''s mansion. I can live in the general''s mansion when General Zhao stays in the Jin City, and when he leads the army to fight, I can enter the palace. "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled. Qin Yi was always gentle. It was rare for her to insist like this.


    However, what she said was also a solution.


    "Well, since you insist, just do as you say."


    Yun Shang wanted to say something more when Qian Zhuo walking in quickly and said, "Your majesty, Qian Yin has come. She said she had something important to report to you."

 Chapter 1155 The Chaos Of The Noble Clans

    "Qian Yin?" Yun Shang looked up and said, "Call her in."


    Qin Yi had just received Yun Shang''s approval, and a smile appeared on her face. She seemed to be relieved a little. "I haven''t seen Qian Yin for a long time. I heard that she is pregnant now, and I haven''t had the chance to congratulate her."


    "You''re not in a hurry to leave. You can tell her yourself."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, Qian Yin came in in a hurry. She frowned and looked anxious.


    "Look at you. You are pregnant now. You can''t be so reckless." Yun Shang reminded.


    However, Qian Yin didn''t seem to be in the mood to talk about this with Yun Shang]. She said hurriedly, "Your majesty, something is going to happen."


    "Something is going to happen?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows.


    "Yes." Qian Yin nodded, "According to your majesty''s order, I have planted many spies in the mansions of some officials and powerful families in Jin City. After the accident in the palace a few days ago, I ordered those spies to keep a close eye on the movements of the officials and powerful families, especially the mansion of the officials who were executed that day. "


    Yun Shang was quite relieved. "I told Qian Liu before that these officials have a complicated relationship. If so many people were suddenly killed, I''m afraid there will be trouble. But after a few days, nothing happened outside. It was abnormal. So I asked Qian Liu to pay more attention. But I didn''t expect that you were so considerate to have thought of this. "


    Being praised by Yun Shang, Qian Yin didn''t show any joy on her face, but looked more worried. "You are right. His majesty and your majesty have got rid of so many officials at once, but it''s quiet outside. We haven''t heard much news. However, according to a spies, the families of the officials in the city who have been killed are contacting very frequently in secret, as if they are discussing something. "


    "But


    heard the news from the spies. There are so many noble clans. It will be unimaginable if they really unite against your majesty and his majesty. "


    "I just heard a few words from you, and I felt enlightened."


    Yun Shang laughed, "Well, don''t flatter me anymore. If you keep flattering me, I will be proud."


    Then she looked at Qian Yin and said, "But according to the information you collected, if they are going to take action tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I''m afraid you need to contact the spies we have arranged as soon as possible. When you collect the information, you have to send it to the palace immediately no matter what time it is."


    "Then I will arrange for my secret guards to contact those people as soon as possible, and then see them in person."


    Qian Yin restrained her smile and nodded seriously, "I understand. I''ll go out of the palace to arrange it now."


    Yun Shang nodded and glanced at Qian Yin''s slightly swollen belly. "But, although it''s urgent, you have to take care of yourself. You don''t need to do everything by yourself. You should know that the baby in your belly is the most important at any time and anywhere. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Yin''s eyes twinkled with tears. "I know, your majesty. Don''t worry. "


    "Okay, go ahead."

 Chapter 1156 Your Words Are More Useful Than The Imperial Edict

    After Qian Yin left, Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo.


    The two of them immediately restrained their expressions and were ready to listen to Yun Shang''s orders seriously.


    "When I went to the Taiji Palace to have lunch with his majesty, I found that he ate very little. I think it''s because he hasn''t eaten much recently, and the dishes today are a little greasy."


    "His majesty has been too busy these days. I''m afraid he hasn''t had a good meal. If he eats too greasy, I''m afraid his stomach can''t stand it. Qian Zhuo, go to the kitchen later and ask them to prepare some light dishes, and cook some vegetable porridge. I''ll send it to the Taiji Palace in the evening. "


    "¡­¡­" Getting such an insignificant order after waiting for a long time, Qian Zhuo could not help but stamp her feet. "Your majesty!"


    "Why are you not in a hurry? If those noble clans are really going to attack you tomorrow, and if the time is not enough for Qian Yin to make preparation, I''m afraid that things will change in the Jin City... "


    Qin Yi nodded seriously and agreed with what Qian Zhuo said.


    "So what? What''s the point of being anxious? I have given my orders. There seems to be no other way but to wait. "


    Yun Shang covered the lid of the teacup and said, "Besides, I think it''s also an important thing to let his majesty have a good meal, even more important than what will happen tomorrow."


    "His majesty is the Emperor of the State of Xia. If he can''t eat well and get sick, that is a disaster for the State of Xia."


    Qian Zhuo pursed her lips. Although she still had some complaints in her heart, she had to admit that what Yun Shang said was true. So she had to agree reluctantly and left.


    Qin Yi kept silent for a moment, but said nothing. She stood up and said, "I''m leaving too."


    Yun Shang nodded, "The imperial household has been in a mess recently. You have to manage it carefully. If you find anything unusual or need anything, just tell me. "


    "Yes." Qin Yi agreed.


    "I''ll send s


    rily." Yun Shang pouted, "After all, you are the emperor, and what you say is the imperial edict."


    "No, no, no." Luo Qingyan shook his head and said, "Your words are more uesful than the imperial edict."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled. She glared at Luo Qingyan and saw the servants put the dishes on the table. "Let''s go, your majesty. It''s time for dinner."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and followed Yun Shang to the table.


    The two of them didn''t mention anything about the imperial household recently, but talked about something else.


    "Since General Zhao has come back, I want to take the opportunity to hold a wedding ceremony for him and Qin Yi, so I want to ask your majesty to confer her with a title."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "a royal princess?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "If you give her this title, Qin Yi will immediately refuse the marriage. I''ve already told Qin Yi to give her a title princess and a mansion. Then she will get married from there. "


    "Good." Luo Qingyan smiled, "As you said. By the way, you can discuss their wedding with her former majesty. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "You''re right. Her former majesty is General Zhao''s mother. His marriage should be handled by her, and we should discuss it with her."


    Luo Qingyan replied and asked, "How is Chengye these two days?"


    The two of them chatted leisurely.

 Chapter 1157 I Like This Kind Of People The Most

    After dinner, Yun Shang asked the servants to pack up and left directly.


    After returning to Jinxiu Palace, Yun Shang played with Chengye for a while. When he was tired and went to bed, Yun Shang took a look at the sky outside and began to read a book.


    It was not until 2 o''clock that she heard some noise from outside.


    "Your Majesty, it''s Luo Yi here."


    Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the inner hall quickly.


    "Your Majesty, Qian Yin asked me to submit this register to you." Luo Yi handed over a pamphlet.


    Yun Shang took it over and Luo Yi continued, "Qian Yin said that time was too hasty. She could only contact the people of the eight clans in the city who were executed in the palace incident that day. Although there were not many people, they were all leaders of all the clans.


    This plan is also led by the people from the eight noble clans. If they can stop it, most of the plans discussed by those people before can''t be carried out.


    Qian Yin has asked the spies to contact these people in the name of your majesty and invited them to meet at Laifeng Tower in the city tomorrow morning. People from other clans are already in contact, and all contacts can be completed before dark tomorrow at the latest. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Thank you for your hard work."


    Then she ordered, "Send someone to decorate the Laifeng Tower in advance. All the people from the noble clans who come to the tower at that time can directly drive inside, and then arrange for someone to lead them in one by one.


    At that time, the room will be separated by screens or other things, and pen, ink, paper and inkstone will be placed on the table. If they have any opinions, they can write them on paper to make sure that everyone can not know who the other person is during the whole process. And arrange some spies to inform the people who will come later, so that they won''t have to worry about their future. "


    Luo Yi nodded, "Your majesty, you are so considerate. These clans are all familiar with each other. Many of them can recognize each other even if they hear the voice. And the people who will come later are all coveting the position of the chief of the clan, so they certainly don''t wan


    tion of the clan masters. Some of them even have the ability better than the original clan masters. However, because they were born from the concubines or were not born high for other reasons, they could get the position of the clan masters," reported Qian Yin.


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "I like to cooperate with such people very much. They are ambitious and capable, and they have suffered a lot because they were not born high. And I... am quite similar to them.


    Such people will try their best to seize every opportunity to climb up, and will have grateful feelings for the person who once has helped them."


    Qian Yin nodded, "I also have a close understanding of these people. As your majesty put it, the lower the birth, the more unscrupulous they are, and the more grateful they are."


    "How many people are there?" Yun Shang asked.


    "Everyone is here," answered Qian Yin smilingly, "Such a kind of people have another characteristic, that is, if there is a chance in front of them, they will never be late and let the opportunity slip away secretly."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Let''s go inside."


    After entering the room, Yun Shang found that the secret guards had well-arranged everything inside.


    Just like the private room in the opera house, the audience could see the people on the stage, but they didn''t know who was next to them. However, Yun Shang could see clearly their faces and expressions.


    Yun Shang took off her cloak and looked up...

 Chapter 1158 Pleasant Cooperation

    Among the five people, Yun Shang also saw one or two familiar faces. She might have seem them in some banquets before.


    Although they knew that it was Yun Shang who wanted to see them, they still had doubts because Yun Shang''s identity was too special. They didn''t want to miss an opportunity, so they wanted to have a try.


    Now seeing Yun Shang, the five of them behaved differently. Some were shocked, some were surprised, and some were indifferent.


    Yun Shang saw their reactions one by one. She smiled and said, "I''m glad that you can come. I''m Ning Yun Shang, the Empress of the State of Xia."


    "I should have chosen a better time to meet you in a more grand occasion. But because of the tight schedule, I have no time to arrange it. I''m sorry."


    "You don''t have to say anything. There are writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the table. If you have anything to say, you can write it down and hand it to me."


    Yun Shang sat upright with a gentle smile on her face. But she looked so noble that no one dared to look at her.


    "You are all smart people. I think you all know why you came here today. I will make it clear to you. A few days ago, on my birthday, something happened and the masters of your clans died. According to my information network, all the noble clans are going to unite to deal with me. "


    Yun Shang raised her hand and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. "I don''t want such a thing to happen, and I won''t sit idly by."


    "I know that you all want that position in your clans... I can help you. "


    "But I''m sure you all know that there is never a free lunch in the world, and I never do a business at a loss. I have two conditions if you want cooperate with you. One is to try to prevent or delay the plan of your clans. Two, you must make sure that if I help you to get the position you dream of, you will never go against me and his majesty, and you will nev


    what you want. And now that your master has been killed by me, this is a great opportunity for you... "


    Yun Shang paused and gave them some time to calm down.


    After a while, they gradually calmed down. Yun Shang continued, "If you are willing to cooperate with me, then pick up the writing brush now and tell me the plan in detail. And whether or not you can stop or delay your clan so that they won''t be able to participate in this plan. "


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, they picked up the writing brushes one after another.


    Yun Shang''s smile deepened.


    The situation was much better than she had expected. As she expected, these people had suffered a lot and all got up from the mud. They were eager for power.


    As for her, her status was high enough and her ability was strong enough to make them feel that what she had promised was definitely able to be fulfilled.


    This might be the best opportunity they had known all the time. They would naturally try their best to seize it.


    Five notes were put in front of Yun Shang. Yun Shang read them one by one, and her smile became brighter. "Very good. Since you are willing to cooperate with me, I wish us a pleasant cooperation, and I hope you can get what you want as soon as possible."

 Chapter 1159 The Imperial Edicts

    As soon as Yun Shang finished her words, she saw someone holding a writing brush again.


    Soon, the note was handed to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang looked up and said, "What you care about is that if you help me delay or stop this plan, but I don''t give you anything I promise?"


    "That''s a good question. Since it''s a deal, it''s not fair to say it without any evidence." Yun Shang raised her hand and clapped it. Then five servants came up with bright yellow scrolls in their hands.


    Bright yellow.


    Golden was the color that the Empress could use, and this bright yellow was the color of the emperor.


    The five people''s eyes were full of surprise as they stared at the bright yellow scroll.


    "Well... Here are five imperial edicts. " Yun Shang certainly wouldn''t let them down. "I asked for them from his majesty. But none of the five imperial edicts has been sealed with the imperial seal. After it''s done, the imperial edict will be sealed with the imperial seal. The eunuch who always announces imperial edicts beside the emperor will give them to you. "


    "You were all born and raised in noble clans. Naturally, you know how important it is to have a position in the court to improve your status in your clans. Besides, the five imperial edicts will bestow you with official positions above grade four. "


    "What''s more, in order to protect you from being discovered until you become the head of the clan, I will ask the emperor to appoint another two to three people in your respective clans to confuse the public. From now on, as long as you can help me and his majesty wholeheartedly, I will always help you until you reach that position. "


    As Yun Shang said, she raised her hand, and the five servants left with the imperial edicts.


    "Believe it or not, it all depends on you. Just now, I told my maids that when I was in the State of Ning, my mother was just a concubine in the Cold Palace. But now, I have come to this position


    ridiculous? How could there be so many bruises on her body if she jumped into the well herself? Is it possible that Lady Cao did it secretly? "


    "Even if she didn''t do it, she was covering for the murderer." Yun Shang smiled, "At that time, the seventh master of the Cao clan was present and saw everything clearly."


    "After his mother died, he had a harder time in the Cao clan, but he survived stubbornly. He didn''t get married until he was twenty-two years old. His wife''s status was also very low. She was the daughter of a butcher. "


    With her eyes widened, she said, "The Cao clan is one of the five major noble clans in the Jin City. Even if his mother was just a maid, he is also the son of the Cao clan. How could he marry a butcher''s daughter? "


    "Yes." Yun Shang smiled, "How could he marry a daughter of a butcher? However, the Cao clan did so. Now the seventh master is thirty-three years old, with two sons and one daughter. He seemed to be in a daze and knew nothing except drinking and gambling. I''m afraid that no one in the whole Cao clan will know how long the seventh master of the Cao clan has been secretly set up and how many things he has done to win the position of the head of the Cao clan and then completely trample on the people who have insulted him before. "

 Chapter 1160 Notice

    Yun Shang blinked her eyes and said, "The seventh master of the Cao clan always pretend to be muddleheaded, drinking and gambling everyday. But he doesn''t have the habit of going to brothels and you doesn''t marry any concubine. He is admirable."


    Yun Shang nodded her head. She had a good impression of Cao Han. "Although his wife is the daughter of a butcher, he has given enough respect to her after he married her. Such a person is worth helping."


    Yun Shang flipped through the pamphlet roughly and handed it to Qian Yin. "Put it away for me. Put it on my desk after returning to the palace. I''ll look through it when I have nothing else to do. I should know the five noble clans well."


    Qian Zhuo took the pamphlet and said, "When did your majesty prepare the five imperial edicts? I knew nothing about it. Besides, your majesty didn''t receive the pamphlet until afternoon. From afternoon to evening, you only went to the Taiji Palace to meet his majesty at dinner. Did you ask his majesty for the imperial edicts at that time? But you didn''t bring the imperial edicts with you when you came out of the Taiji Palace, did you? "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling. She opened the compartment beside her, took out a roll of imperial edict and handed it to Qian Zhuo.


    Qian Zhuo took it over curiously and looked at Yun Shang in confusion.


    "Open it."


    Then Qian Zhuo opened it, only to find that there was only a roll of bright yellow cloth inside, without a word, not even the embroidered pattern on the imperial edict.


    "Well..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "When I was reading the pamphlet handed over by Qian Yin in the palace, I suddenly came up with this idea. I made them by myself with the cloth sent by the Shangyi Bureau, which was used to make sachet for his majesty. I''m really not confident in my own embroidery work, so I asked the Shangyi Bureau to prepare more cloth, which is just in use. "


    Qian Zhuo opened her mouth wide and said, "Your majesty wants five imperial edicts. If you go to a


    lips and said nothing. She picked up another notice.


    "This one is even more impressive. His majesty said that the enthronement ceremony is about to begin. To pray for the people of the State of Xia, he will set up eight altars and gather monks and Taoists from all the temples around the city to pray for the people of the State of Xia. Moreover, from today on, soldiers will be sent to inspect every part of the city. If they find the monks and Taoists, they will treat them respectfully and bring them to the altars to pray for the country, and for the people... "


    Qian Zhuo blinked her eyes and said, "His majesty must have known the plan of these noble clans and have come up with a solution. In this way, the plan of the noble clans will be completely disrupted. As long as the monks and Taoists arranged by those noble clans appear, they will be brought away. People only think that they are invited to pray for the people."


    "Brilliant!" Qian Zhuo clapped her hands and exclaimed.


    Yun Shang put the notice aside and said nothing.


    Seeing this, Qian Zhuo came to her senses and said, "Ah, with these two notices, isn''t what your majesty has arranged completely useless? What should we do now? "


    Yun Shang didn''t answer. She just said lightly, "Let''s go back to the Palace first."


    Then Qian Zhuo ordered the coachman to leave.

 Chapter 1161 A Bold Idea

    After returning to the palace, Yun Shang went straight to the Taiji Palacel.


    Luo Qingyan was dealing with the memorials. He looked up and saw Yun Shang. He couldn''t help but look at the sand clock on the bookshelf, "It''s not noon yet. It''s not time for lunch, is it?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Isn''t eating the only thing I want to see your majesty?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course not. I''m your husband. You can come to me at any time. What''s up then? What happened? "


    "I went out of the Palace this morning. On the way back, I happened to see a soldier putting up a notice outside," Yun Shang said.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes. I did ask someone to post two notices this morning. What''s the matter?"


    "Your Majesty, have you known the plans of those noble clans against me?" asked Yun Shang.


    Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang in surprise, "Have you known it too?"


    Yun Shang nodded. "I got the news yesterday afternoon. Then I asked the spies in the city to contact the people of the major clans who coveted the position of the chief and had outstanding ability. And I met them this morning. I''ve told them to try their best to stop this. If they succeed, I will support them to be the master of their clan, "


    after saying that, Yun Shang sighed, and there was only a smile in her eyes, "When I came out, I saw the notice issued by your majesty.


    Your Majesty''s way is the easiest and quickest to solve the problem in a short time. My method, however, is a little too slow. "


    Luo Qingyan pulled Yun Shang over and let her sit on his laps, "No, it''s not true. Although my method can simply and abruptly stop their plan this time, they will definitely try to get next chances. My approach is a cure for the symptoms, not for the root causes. But if the people Shang''er bribed can successfully become the master of their clan, they will be able to completely control these noble clans. Although it''s a long line, it can help get big fish.


    The best way is to add yours and mine together."


    Yun Shang''s eyes were full of smile, "When did your majesty become so g


    k for a quarter of an hour, but you haven''t turned a page. Let me see what it is about that makes you so absorbed?"


    Luo Qingyan''s voice came from behind suddenly. Yun Shang came to her senses and turned to look at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were full of smile, "What are you thinking about?"


    Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "I''m thinking of Cao Han."


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "Cao Han? Why did you think of him? Didn''t you just say that he was nearly forty years old? "


    The word "forty" was especially stressed.


    Yun Shang was stunned. She didn''t come to her senses until she saw Luo Qingyan''s frown. She didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She snorted, "What are you thinking, your majesty?


    Just now I was thinking that the Cao clan is one of the eight prominent clans in the Jin City. The surname of Cao Wenxi is also Cao. Previously, the Cao clan where Cao Wenxi was living in was also one of the famous clans in the Jin City, but later it declined because of those things. Cao Wenxi has had a good time in the imperial household these years. She has been seeking revenge. She used to say that she still has someone outside the palace.


    I just thought of this and have a bold idea. I''m wondering whether the current Cao clan has anything to do with Cao Wenxi.


    Is it possible that it is Cao Wenxi who has secretly supported the Cao clan for so many years?"

 Chapter 1162 Too Active

    Luo Qingyan was surprised, "Why do you think so?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and replied, "Maybe it''s because Cao Han was too active today.


    Qian Yin had given me a detailed information about the five people who came today. I have just thought about it again in my heart. I find that among the five people, Cao Han is not the most miserable one, and what he has done before is not the most outstanding. From the information, he is not a very meticulous person. But today, only he has prepared carefully such a document.


    It seems that..." Yun Shang frowned and went on, "It seems that he wants to show off in front of me so that I can feel that he is different from the others so that I can put him in an important position."


    Yun Shang bit her lower lip and said, "On the other hand, this Cao Han was chosen after a long time of contact with the spy in the Cao clan. He was hired by me, and I took the initiative to contact him."


    Looking at Yun Shang''s depressed expression, Luo Qingyan walked around the chair and sat down opposite to Yun Shang, "If the Cao clan really has something to do with Cao Wenxi as you suspect, then no matter who our spy chose, what happened today made no difference. The only difference is that this person is Cao Han, or Cao A, B, C, D... "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang understood what he meant.


    If the Cao family was really supported by Cao Wenxi, it would have been targeted by the whole Cao family when she sent her spy to contact them. Perhaps the book from Cao Han today was the result of the efforts of all the members of the Cao family, in order to attract her attention, so that she could send the members of the Cao family to the court and her side.


    Luo Qingyan took the book from Yun Shang''s hand and said, "We don''t have to make such a rash conclusion now. After all, it''s just your guess.


    I will send someone to investigate the Cao clan immediately. However, even if we guess so, it''s not easy to investigate it. Although the Cao clan was defeated before, it wa


    Qian Zhuo smiled and said, "It seems that I should take out all your overcoats and wash them. Then I will ask the Shangyi Bureau to prepare some new winter clothes for you."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "That''s right. It''s very cold in winter. A few days ago, it was still autumn, and it rained a few days. It seems that it''s from autumn to winter directly."


    "It should be cold now. It''s already half of October," Pei Lan replied, "but this year seems to be colder than before."


    "Is it colder than before? The people... "


    Perhaps it was because the maids had been with Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan for a long time, they seemed to care more about the people''s livelihood than before.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Don''t worry about it now. Although it''s colder than before, it''s only the beginning of winter. And now we have arranged some spies in every part of the State of Xia. If there is a disaster, even if the local officials don''t do anything, the spies can send the news to the palace in time. At that time, his majesty will naturally arrange something for it. "


    "That''s great," Pei Lan smiled, "I don''t have much memory before I entered the palace. I remember that when I was a child, I was most afraid of all kinds of disasters, snow, drought, flood... But now we have his majesty and your majesty, there is no need to be afraid. "

 Chapter 1163 A Blatant Enemy

    Yun Shang smiled, "You really think highly of his majesty and me, but unfortunately, people are never omnipotent."


    "How could it be?" Hearing the conversation between the two, Hua''er cut in, her voice clear and lively. "In my eyes, your majesty and his majesty are omnipotent. It seems there isn''t anything that couldn''t be solved by your majesty and his majesty."


    "There is." Yun Shang smiled and lowered her eyes.


    Of course, there were many things that she can''t solve.


    For example, she could do nothing when facing death.


    She had gone to the battlefield before and watched too many people lose their lives, but she couldn''t do anything to stop it.


    And she couldn''t solve the matter of her body.


    Yun Shang touched her belly gently and smiled, without saying anything.


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly said, "Your majesty didn''t sleep last night. There''s nothing important now. I''ll bring you some hot water to wash your feet. You can have a rest first."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I''m indeed a little sleepy."


    After soaking her feet, Yun Shang lay down on the bed. "If Qian Yin sends something to the palace, remember to wake me up."


    Qian Zhuo nodded and put down the bed curtain. "It''s a little bright outside. I''ll put the bed curtain down to block the light for you."


    Yun Shang nodded and closed her eyes slowly.


    Perhaps it was because she hadn''t stayed up like this for a long time that she felt a little sleepy when she suddenly relaxed. Yun Shang closed her eyes and soon her consciousness began to blur.


    In a daze, she heard Qian Zhuo whisper to Hua''er, "Be careful when you talk in the future. Don''t mention her majesty''s sad thing again."


    "It''s my fault. I didn''t think too much."


    "Okay, just pay attention to it next time."


    Yun Shang smiled, turned over and fell asleep.


    "Mother! Mother! " Chengye''s anxious voice suddenly sounded in her ears.


    All of a sudden, Yun Shang came to her senses. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Chengye had climbed onto the bed and was staring at her.


    As soon as Yun Shang opened her


    This kind of person will secretly obstruct his majesty and provide information to our opponent. They can''t be kept. "


    "And there are two kinds of people who blatantly oppose the emperor. One is those who are loyal to the emperor, but have their own ideas. They are always against the emperor. Their loyalty is unquestionable, but because of different concepts, or because they don''t agree with the emperor''s certain practices, they seem to be against the emperor. They will speak loudly, but they won''t do anything bad in private. "


    "And the other is some evil officials the emperor deliberately put in the court. They will secretly do some actions, such as corruption, at the emperor''s orders to show to others. They could attract some people with ulterior motives. In this way, it could help the emperor to distinguish loyal officials and traitor officials. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s explanation, Qian Zhuo understood, "What do you want such a person to do, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "I want them to draw over the family members of the officials executed in Changting Garden. Let them think that they are against the emperor and will avenge their family. But they are actually under his majesty''s control. "


    "In this way, we can hold the family members of the officials in our hands, so that they couldn''t do anything beyond our control."

 Chapter 1164 Consolidate Step By Step

    Her eyes lit up as she said, "That''s a good idea, but those arrogant officials have their own circle, and they are very cautious. It should be difficult to blend in, right?"


    "It''s not difficult." Yun Shang curled her lips and said, "Most of the corrupt officials start from greed. They would receive some small gifts and help others do something. Later their appetite gradually increased. Then, someone will naturally come to them. "


    After thinking for a while, Qian Zhuo agreed with Yun Shang. She nodded, "You''re right, your highness. But it will take a long time. I''m afraid we can''t wait."


    Yun Shang smiled, "It will take some time to blend in to the circle of the evil officials, but it doesn''t take time to win over the families of these officials who have been executed. If these families wanted to make trouble, they would shout for justice in the street, go to Yamen or beat drums outside. Either way, I can get the news quickly through the spies in the city, and then arrange for someone to take the initiative to contact those family members to help them take revenge, in the name of the dead officials'' friend in court. "


    "Those family members may not know so much about the affairs in the court. After all, they are not from the noble families in the Jin City. They have no complicated connections and sources of information, so it is not difficult to deceive them."


    After saying that, Yun Shang reminded Qian Zhuo, "Remind me when we go to the Taiji Palace later. I''ll tell his majesty about it and discuss it with him. There are too many things happening recently. I''m afraid I might forget it. "


    "Yes."


    Yun Shang then opened the pamphlet.


    Just as Qian Yin said, the information of other officials was much simpler than that of the five people from the major noble clans.


    Yun Shang flipped it over and put it aside.


    "Why did your majesty read it so quickly? Is there any problem? "


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "No problem. The information about these people is relatively simple, and there are many people. I d


    the rule." Lady Hua Guo glanced at Yun Shang and Chengye, and said with a smile, "Your majesty, your highness, please come in."


    When they arrived at the inner courtyard, they felt a little relieved. Yun Shang glanced around and saw Yan''er looking at her and Bao''er curiously.


    Looking at Yan''er''s lively appearance, Yun Shang smiled and said, "Yan''er seems to have grown a lot."


    Hearing Yun Shang call him, Yan''er stood up in a flash, "Aunt, aunt! I''m here! "


    "Nonsense!" Sitting next to Yan''er, Shen Yilan said in a hurry, "You should call your majesty."


    Yan''er blinked and asked in confusion, "Why? Isn''t she my aunt? Why should I call your majesty? Is she your majesty or aunt? "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "You are right. Just call me aunt."


    Yun Shang waved at Yan''er and said, "Yan''er, come here. I have something important to tell you."


    Yan''er jumped off the chair quickly and walked to Yun Shang. He looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "Aunt, what''s the matter?"


    Yun Shang pulled Bao''er over and said, "This is your little brother. He is not familiar with Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Can you take him to play?"


    "Okay!" Yan''er immediately patted his chest and said, "Aunt, don''t worry. I will take good care of brother."


    Then he held Bao''er''s hand and said, "Brother, let''s go. I''ll take you with me!"


    Then he ran away with Bao''er.

 Chapter 1165 Be Careful

    "You little bastard!" Shen Yilan gritted his teeth and looked up at Yun Shang again. "Please forgive him, your majesty..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Yan''er is so lively, cheerful, smart and interesting. I like him very much. Chengye stays all day long in the palace and no children at his age could play with him. In addition, there are too many rules in the palace, which makes him a little dull. I hope he can be as happy as Yan''er. "


    Shen Yilan smiled, "Isn''t it simple? If you want Yan''er to spend more time with the crown prince, just bring him back to the palace and give him a title of crown prince''s companion and let him play with the crown prince. He is so naughty. I want to find someone to teach him a lesson. He is like a mad dog, running around all day long. I really don''t have the energy to run after him. "


    Lady Hua Guo couldn''t help but touch her forehead, "Nonsense! How could you say that about your own child? "


    Yun Shang also lowered her head and burst into laughter.


    Lady Hua Guo turned to Yun Shang and whispered, "Yilan is pregnant now. It''s true that she doesn''t have much energy. Yan''er is too noisy, and only his mother can control him. It''s a little headache. "


    Yun Shang looked at Shen Yilan in surprise, "Are you pregnant?"


    "Yes." Shen Yilan smiled, "It''s been more than two months. I hope it''s a girl this time. If there''s another one who makes trouble like that brat, I really can''t stand it."


    Yun Shang was also happy for Shen Yilan, "Great, no matter it''s a son or a daughter."


    "That''s right. Let it be." Shen Yilan didn''t care about it at all. She stood up and said, "I''ll go to see where that brat has taken the crown prince..."


    As soon as Shen Yilan left, Lady Hua Guo dismissed the others in the yard. Then she turned to Yun Shang and said, "So many things have happened recently. It must be an excuse to take the crown prince to see me today. Tell me what brought you here?"


    Yun Sha


    ot, it''s always right to be careful. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "I don''t know what the Cao clan is planning to do this time."


    After saying that, he smiled again. "However, no matter what they want to do or who orders them to do, their ultimate goal is only one or two. They want the lives of his majesty and me, and they want to rule the State of Xia."


    "But I won''t give them anything they want."


    Lady Hua Guo nodded and said worriedly, "You and his majesty have reached that position. It''s difficult for you to retreat. I can only tell you to be careful."


    "Grandma, don''t worry. We know it."


    "If you can''t deal with anything, just come to me and Lord Hua Guo. Don''t forget that we are always on your side."


    Yun Shang agreed. Lord Hua Guo smiled and patted Yun Shang''s hand. Then she stood up and said, "Lord Hua Guo should be at the training ground now. Let''s go. I''ll take you there. He knows more about the affairs in the court. Although the Cao clan is doing well in the business world, the main reason why the Cao clan can have a foothold in the Jin City is that Cao Zhan is an court official."


    Yun Shang nodded and followed Lady Hua Guo. "You are right, if Cao Zhan doesn''t have an official post, no matter how powerful Cao Zhou is, the Cao clan couldn''t develop so fast."

 Chapter 1166 Something She Had Ignored

    When they arrived at the training ground, Lord Hua Guo seemed to have finished his cultivation and was wiping the weapons with a handkerchief.


    Hearing the footsteps, he turned around. Seeing Yun Shang, he quickly put down the blade and handkerchief in his hand, and took two steps forward to salute.


    Yun Shang hurriedly held him up and said, "Grandfather, don''t be so courteous. I have something to consult grandfather today. "


    Lord Hua Guo didn''t refuse. He said in a deep voice, "It''s in a mess here. Let''s go to the yard and have a talk."


    After entering the yard, Lord Hua Guo asked someone to pour two cups of tea. Then he looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "Have all the affairs in the court been dealt?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and lowered her eyes slightly. " It''s not easy. There are so many vacancies in the court. After all, it''s a matter related to the state, so we can''t be impatient. We can only take it step by step."


    "You''re right. It can''t be dealt in a hurry." Lord Hua Guo took a big sip of tea and asked, "What do you want to ask?"


    Yun Shang told Lord Hua Guo what had happened briefly and asked, "Do you know Cao Zhan?"


    "I have been in the court with Cao Zhan for more than 20 years, and I know about him. But he is a civil official and I''m a general, we don''t talk much and don''t know much about each other. "


    "I only know that Cao Zhan had been in Cangzhou before. He had excellent political performance for three consecutive years and was well-known among the people, so he was promoted and moved to the Jin City. When Cao Zhan''s family moved to the Jin City, they used over a hundred carriages to carry their things. At that time, they attracted the attention of countless people in the Jin City. "


    "Because of this, some people suspect that Cao Zhan was so rich because of his greed for money when he was working in Cangzhou. They even asked the emperor to investigate it carefully. The emperor did send someone to investigate. He found out that the Cao clan where Carlson was from was a century old famous family in Cangzhou, a


    rmation. " Lord Hua Guo smiled, holding a teacup in his hand, and said with resentment, "With such a farce, all the noble clans in the court and even the whole Jin city will be reshuffled."


    "It''s not necessarily a bad thing. To put it bluntly, for an emperor, the way of survival from ancient times is that those who submit will prosper, those who resist shall perish."


    Lord Hua Guo burst into laughter. "You''re right. You''re very courageous. Those who submit will prosper, those who resist shall perish."


    Yun Shang smiled.


    As soon as she left Lord Hua Guo and walked to the back garden, she saw Shen Yilan tweaking Yan''er''s ear and coming over.


    "Ouch, it hurts! Oh... " Yan''er kept shouting.


    Chengye followed them and looked at them curiously.


    "What happened?" Yun Shang and Lady Hua Guo hurried over.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Yilan loosened her grip on Yan''er''s ear, pointed at Yan''er and said angrily, "This brat! When the servants didn''t notice, he ran to the crown prince and kissed him, saying that her majesty and his majesty had promised him to marry their future child. "


    "Yes, they did promise me. I have already visited my father-in-law. We''ve made a deal. If the child is as beautiful as my aunt, I''ll marry the child no matter he is my brother or sister. "


    Yan''er raised her hand and pointed at Chengye, "He is so beautiful. He is my wife."

 Chapter 1167 Test

    "How dare you talk nonsense!" Shen Yilan pulled Yan''er over in a hurry and was about to slap him.


    Yun Shang quickly grabbed Shen Yilan''s hand and said, "Well, it''s just a child''s play. Yan''er is too young to understand anything."


    After saying that, Yun Shang pulled Yan''er to her side, squatted down, and waved to Chengye to come over.


    "Yan''er, Bao''er is your brother. It''s a boy. Two boys can''t get married," said Yun Shang.


    Yan''er frowned and asked in confusion, "We can''t get married?"


    "Yes, you can''t get married," Yun Shang confirmed.


    "Then what can we do?" Yan''er asked.


    Yun Shang laughed, "You can be brothers, friends, play together and grow up together."


    "Then... Can''t we take a shower or sleep together? " asked Yan''er. He tilted his head and looked serious.


    Yun Shang thought it over and said, "It sounds good."


    "That''s my wife. I can only play with my wife, bathe with her and sleep with her," said Yan''er. He was more confused now.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter. It didn''t seem to be useful for her to explain it to such a young child


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang raised her hand and touched Yan''er''s hair, "It''s different. You''ll know when you grow up."


    However, Yan''er pursed his lips and said, "You adults are so bad. You always say that I will know when I grow up. Last year, and this year, you still say so. But I have grown up."


    Yun Shang smiled more brightly, "That''s because you haven''t grown up enough."


    "All right," Yan''er replied. He pursed her lips, as if he was not convinced, but could only reluctantly agreed, "You are good-looking, so whatever you say is right."


    Hearing what Yan''er said, Shen Yilan raised her eyebrows and asked angrily, "What do you mean? Why do you always go against me while you agree with what her majesty says? Why? Am I ugly? "


    Hearing this, Yan''er only glanced at Shen Yilan without saying anything else, but his meaning was self-evident.


    "¡­¡­" Shen Yilan gritted her teeth and shouted, "Bastard, I''ll beat you up later."


    Looking at both of them, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing again. She stood up and said to Lady Hua Guo, "Lord Hua Guo''s mansion is still so lively."


    "Yes, it''s very lively," Lady Hua Guo agreed smilingly.


    Yun Shang


    that Qian Liu was confused, Yun Shang continued, "Lord Hua Guo''s mansion must have thought of this earlier than I did. Although Shen Yilan is careless, she won''t shoot at random in front of me. Although she said that in a joking way, it also showed that Lord Hua Guo''s mansion has such meaning. She is just testing. "


    "Lord Hua Guo''s mansion..." Qian Liu frowned and asked, "Why?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s not difficult to explain. Lord Hua Guo is the father of the old Empress. Even in the years when the old Empress disappeared, because his former majesty still has feelings for her, Lord Hua Guo is still favored. The Hua family is also the top clan in the Jin City and enjoys great honor.


    But after Lord Hua Guo, there are also some people who have made achievements in the war and were conferred the title of general and led the troops at the frontier. But there is no more people in the clan who can get as much imperial favor as Lord Hua Guo. If the old Empress goes, the relationship between his majesty and Lord Hua Guo will be further away. After that, Chengye and Lord Hua Guo''s mansion will be even less close.


    Of course, Lord Hua Guo''s mansion wouldn''t want to distance themselves from the imperial power step by step, so they came up with this idea.


    It''s a mutually beneficial thing. Besides, Lord Hua Guo''s mansion has helped me and his majesty a lot. I''ll go as they hope. What will happen to the brotherhood between Hua Qingyan and Chengye in the future depends on their fortune. "

 Chapter 1168 I Cant Protect Him For A Lifetime

    After returning to Jinxiu Palace, Yun Shang called in Luo Yi, "Ask the spies to carefully investigate the relationship between the members of the Cao clan and their collateral relatives, including all the members of the Cao clan, as well as the identity of the married relatives of the clan. To be more thorough, the investigation should include the concubines of all the men of the Cao clan..."


    Luo Yi was a little surprised, "I heard from Qian Yin that Cao Han had handed over a pamphlet yesterday, which recorded the relationship map of the clan. Is there... something wrong with the map? "


    "We don''t know if there is anything wrong until we have a thorough investigation in it. The relationship map only records the Cao clan and related marriages. However, there is only one name of the spouse for every member, and the origin of the spouse is completely unknown. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Yi understood and said, "Yes, I understand."


    Before Luo Yi left, Luo Qingyan walked in from the outside. Seeing Luo Yi, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "What happened? Why did you bring Luo Yi here? "


    "Yes, I have something for the spies to do secretly. But Qian Yin is pregnant recently. I don''t want her to work too hard, so I have to ask Luo Yi to work on it. After all, Luo Yi is Qian Yin''s unborn baby''s father. " Yun Shang blinked her eyes with a smile.


    "He should be tired." Luo Qingyan also smiled, "It''s a great honor to work for your wife and child."


    Being teased by their majesties, Luo Yi flushed with embarrassment. He coughed and said, "If your majesties don''t have anything else to tell me, I''ll go now."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Go ahead."


    After Luo Yi left, Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang, "What do you want to investigate?"


    Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan un detail what she had learned in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion today, "After all, the Cao clan is a large clan in the Jin City. It has a large number of people and a complicated relationship. The relationship map that Cao Han has submitted is indeed very detailed, but just becaus


    not young anymore. He was born into the royal family and become a child of yours and mine. Something should have been engraved in his bones," said Luo Qingyan smilingly, "If you don''t want him to suffer, he will suffer more in the future, and even lose his life because of it.


    You grew up in the royal family. I''m sure you know better than anyone else about the tricks in the royal family. Besides, you were just a princess, but Chengye is our child, the Crown Prince of the State of Xia. You and I can indeed protect him at the moment, but we can''t protect him for a lifetime. "


    Yun Shang''s heart tightened.


    She knew clearly about the tricks and plots in the royal family.


    That was the most cruel place in the world, a place where karma was not cared. Even if you had done nothing, there would be countless people who wanted to hurt you and take your life.


    Yun Shang bit her lips and kept silent for a long time. Finally, she nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. I shouldn''t have been softhearted when it comes to the matter about Chengye. The more we care about him and don''t want to let him suffer, the worse his future will be. "


    Yun Shang looked up, and her eyes were firm, "Your Majesty, just do as you think. I believe you will make the best arrangement for Chengye."


    "Of course. Chengye is not only your child, but also mine," Luo Qingyan replied.

 Chapter 1169 Life Needs Some Freshness

    "But let''s make a deal first. Once Chengye''s training starts, you should keep strong-minded especially when he can''t stand it and comes to you to complain tearfully. If you are softhearted and I can''t bear your plea, all my arrangements will be in vain, " said Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and glared at him, "Am I such an unreasonable person in your Majesty''s mind?"


    "How could it be?" Luo Qingyan smiled, "In my eyes, Shang''er is the most reasonable person. But I think it''s difficult for parents to stick to their own principles when facing their children. But since Shang''er have said so, I will reluctantly believe you this time. "


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and pinched Luo Qingyan''s arm.


    The smile on Luo Qingyan''s face widened. He raised his hand to touch her hair and said, "I''ll ask the secret guards to search carefully for the children who are strong in body and it''s better they are orphans having nothing to worry about. They can also be the homeless beggars. We''ll gather them together. They will go through the selection first and then they will be trained together with Chengye.


    As for Hua Qingyan, Qsince the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion wants to send him here. We might just accept him. Just as you said, he is not bad to be a playmate for Chengye. As for whether he can really become a person that Chengye trusts and helps him in the future, it depends on himself.


    Not only Hua Qingyan, but also the children of the people you trust, like the daughter of Wang Jinhuan, and the children of Luo Yi. If you want, you can let them follow Chengye."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I know. I''ll see to it."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Well, let''s stop talking about it. Let''s have dinner first."


    "Dinner?" Yun Shang blinked and didn''t know what to do, "What time is it now? Is it time for dinner? "


    Luo Qingyan laughed. He held Yun Shang''s head with both hands and turned her around. He pointed at the rows of sand clocks on the table and said, "It''s almost noon now, my Empress."


    Yun Shang came to her senses and said, "It''s so late."


    Looking at Yun Shang''s confused expression, Luo Qingyan''s smile became softer, "I thought my arrival could have reminded you of the current time. I didn''t expect that you didn''t realize what I was doing afte


    it a secret, I will at last see it on the grand ceremony, " Luo nQingyan answered.


    However, Yun Shang shook her head and didn''t budge at all, "You''ll have to wait and see at that time. I''ll keep it mysterious. If your majesty has seen it now, it will be no longer fresh on the grand ceremony. "


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but push, "What kind of rule is this?"


    "It''s not a rule," Yun Shang smiled, "I just feel that life needs some freshness. Just like a newly married woman, she has to put a veil over her head before the wedding, so that when the bridegroom lifts the veil, they both will have a strange and amazing feeling... "


    "Well?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "A newly married woman, a bride? A bridegroom? Bridal chamber? "


    Yun Shang sensed the teasing tone in Luo Qingyan''s words, and quickly said, "I''m just making a metaphor."


    "Well, I understand what Shang''er means. Shang''er is right. Since ancient times, the grand ceremony has indeed been like a wedding. Since it is a wedding, there must be a bridal room, " said Luo Qingyan happily.


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "I don''t want to talk to your majesty anymore."


    With that, she stood up and entered the inner hall.


    When she walked to the door of the inner hall, she heard Luo Qingyan''s low laughter from behind.


    Yun Shang felt hot on her face. She gritted her teeth and thought to herself, ''His majesty is so shameless. I must pay no attention to him...'' Four hours later, it was time for dinner again.

 Chapter 1170 Its A Good Deal

    Yun Shang had been reading in the hall for a long time. It was getting dark. Qian Zhuo walked in and looked at the sky outside, "It''s getting dark. Yesterday and today, I''ve asked the secret guards to pay close attention to the situation in the Jin City. Except for some discussion yesterday resulted from the two notices released by his majesty, everything seemed to be fine. The five men seemed to have succeeded... "


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "They can stand out from the noble clans through the spies'' selection and appear in front of me. They must not be ordinary people. As long as they want, they can do it.


    But let''s wait a little longer." Yun Shang turned a page and said, "After all, it''s not over yet."


    Qian Zhuo blinked her eyes and said, "If there is nothing else happening outside today, will your majesty really ask his majesty to appoint them as officials? But I think it is so quiet this time. The two notices posted by his majesty may have played a greater role. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Maybe. However, I couldn''t go back on my promise easily. Otherwise, I will lose my reputation in their hearts.


    Maybe this time we can get through the crisis safely, which has more to do with the announcement issued by his majesty. But even if there is the notice, the several noble clans are not weak. They must have found a way to deal with it, and they must have spent a lot of time and energy on it. Moreover, these people do have some abilities. If they can be in the hands of his majesty and me, they will definitely have more advantages than disadvantages. Anyway, I won''t suffer any loss from this deal. "


    Qian Zhuo tilted her head and thought for a moment. Then she nodded, "That''s right. If these people can really sit in the position of the head of the clan and be used by your Majesties in the future, it''s really a good deal to hold these big clans in our hands."


    Yun Shang chuckled but said nothing. She put the book aside and said, "It seems late. Ask the kitchen to prepare the dinner."


    Qian Zhuo responded and left.


    Soon, a voice came from outside, "Your majesty, Master Liu wants to see you."


    Yun Shang rais


    o meet them and discuss what to do next. After this meeting, I''ll arrange a secret regular spy for each of them. I''d better not see them in person often so as not to expose myself, " Yun Shang said.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Indeed, it should be rare. No matter what, these people are not very safe. I still don''t trust them, especially Cao Han."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I know how to deal with it. I can protect myself."


    "HMM..." Luo Qingyan didn''t take it seriously. He didn''t want to talk about it anymore, so he changed the topic, "Liucang City and Liu Yinfeng have both sent messages."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "What news?"


    "The secret guards reported that the craftsmen of the Ministry of the Works did go to the Liucang City, but they disappeared in less than two days. They investigated and found that they had left the city, but they didn''t know where they had gone after leaving the city. They guessed that someone had secretly manipulated them," said Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and asked, "Where have they been?"


    "The secret guards said so, but the news sent by Liu Yinfeng just solved this mystery.


    "[ÁøÒ÷·ç] said that when he went to the border of the state of Xia and the state of Yelang, he met some strange people. He had met them in the Jin City, and they should be from the Ministry of work. He wrote to ask me if I had sent something to the Ministry of work that needed to be hidden."

 Chapter 1171 How Can We Let Others Covet Our State

    Yun Shang paused, "On the way to the border of the State of Xia and the State of Yelang?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Liu Yinfeng said so in the letter."


    "They confused us, and then they advanced secretly." Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "Both the books and craftsmen drew our attention to Liucang City. They did so to make us think that there is something wrong with Liucang City. "


    "Liucang is the place where Xia Houjing started the revolt. After that, it''s chaotic there. So our attention is easily attracted by Liucang City. But in fact, Xia Houjing''s target may not be Liucang City from beginning to end. "


    Yun Shang pressed her lips and said, "These craftsmen are most likely heading for the military camp of the State of Yelang."


    "Although the State of Yelang has strong horses and soldiers. However, compared with the State of Xia in terms of workmanship, weapon casting and other aspects, there is a huge gap. "


    "Cangjue Qingsu must have found out the same problem, so he asked Xia Houjing to send some craftsmen to make up for it. If these craftsmen help the State of Yelang with the construction, strengthen the defense, and cast a batch of weapons and equipment, the fighting capacity of the State of Yelang will definitely be greatly improved. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Your guess is most likely correct."


    Yun Shang frowned more tightly. "Xia Houjing really resorts to every conceivable means to get the throne. No, we can''t let these craftsmen arrive at the military camp of the State of Yelang smoothly. "


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan lowered his head and said, "I will send a message to all the secret guards and spies along the way from Liucang City to the border, asking them to try their best to prevent those craftsmen from going there."


    "These craftsmen are rare talents. I will ask the secret guards to pay attention to them and don''t easily hurt their lives. But if they choose to become our enemies, I won''t care so much. We can''t let them arrive at th


    t the affairs in the court. Let''s wait and see. We need to prepare the food, the weapons, and the soldiers. Then we can go on our own expedition again, completely wipe out the State of Yelang, and make the State of Yelang bow to us. "


    Yun Shang nodded and thought for a moment. "But it won''t take too long to prepare. We can wait, but the State of Yelang can''t. I guess they''ll wait the winter past. When the fresh grass grows in the state of Yelang again, they''ll feed their war horses and soldiers and start the war again. "


    "One winter." Luo Qingyan smiled, "A winter is enough."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan. Seeing his complacent face, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling.


    "You''re right. It''s more than enough to prepare for a winter to deal with a country like the State of Yelang."


    After saying that, she couldn''t help laughing and said in a low voice, "Your majesty, just set your heart at rest and deal with the court affairs. Now our spies have formed a net in the whole State of Xia. I will think of a way to secretly build some food storages in the section from Jin City to the border to reserve the food."


    "And arrange soldiers start practicing in all military camps in the name of guarding the State of Xia."


    "The State of Yelang is secretly preparing for it. We can''t leave it behind."

 Chapter 1172 Not Lively

    Luo Qingyan smiled, turned around and bowed to Yun Shang. "In that case, everything will depend on your majesty."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and bowed back, "Not a big deal."


    Luo Qingyan put his arm around Yun Shang''s shoulder and said in a low voice, "Your majesty have done so much for me. I have nothing to repay you. What about I give myself to you?"


    "No, no. your majesty, I can''t stand it."


    Luo Qingyan''s smile deepened, "really? Can''t you stand it? "


    Only then did Yun Shang realize that there seemed to be some different meaning in his words. Her heart missed a beat. She bit her lips and glared at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing.


    Seeing that Yun Shang was embarrassed, Luo Qingyan stopped laughing and asked softly, "Have you been taking the medicine prescribed by Ghost Doctor?"


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and nodded, "Yes."


    After answering, she couldn''t help smiling. "After taking it for so many days, I feel that the medicine seems to be useful. Since I gave birth to Chengye, I have been very afraid of coldness. When the weather got colder, I felt a little unbearable. Recently, I seem to feel a little better. I don''t know if it''s because I''m used to the weather or because the medicine I took really works. "


    Luo Qingyan said without hesitation, "It must be that the medicine prescribed by Ghost Doctorhave works."


    Seeing Yun Shang raise her head to look at him, Luo Qingyan continued with a smile, "I know your body best. Last year, at this time, your hands and feet were always cold even you wore a lot and there were several braziers in the room."


    "I feel that your hands and feet are warmer these days, much better than last year."


    "Really?" Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang''s eyes were full of joy. "Really? Did your majesty say that deliberately to make me happy? "


    "Of course it''s true. How can I lie to you?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "That''s good. It seems that my feeling is right."


    As Yun Shang s


    ying that, Yun Shang smiled again, "Mother, why did you bring all the ladies to the Imperial Garden today?"


    Hua Ling smiled, "It''s boring to stay in the palace all day long. When they came to pay respects to me, I took them out for a walk. Perhaps it was because of the winter that the Imperial Garden was somewhat desolate. After walking for a while, I don''t seem to be in the mood. "


    Yun Shang was about to say something, but Lady Lian, who was standing next to her, suddenly said, "Your former majesty, it''s not because the winter. It''s obvious because that there are few people in the palace."


    Yun Shang squinted.


    Lady Lian continued, "Before his former majesty retired, the palace was very lively. There were many ladies, princes and princesses. When you came to the Imperial Gardenin a sunny day, the voices of ladies and laughter of princes and princesses could be heard everywhere. It seemed that everything was full of vitality."


    "Now in the palace, most of the children of his former majesty have moved out. Some of the imperial concubines have also moved out with their children. Now there were only a few ladies, princes and ladies left in the palace. "


    "As for his majesty''s harem, there is only the Empress. And they only have one child, the crown prince. Naturally, it will not be lively."

 Chapter 1173 Just A Servant With A Higher Status

    The group nodded from time to time in agreement. They had been happy to hear what Lady Lian said.


    However, the smile on everyone''s face gradually disappeared. The old empress frowned. Other ladies also looked at Lady Lian in astonishment, and some looked at Yun Shang''s reaction from time to time.


    Yun Shang sneered. She knew she couldn''t let it pass this time.


    She wondered whether it was because she had appeared too good tempered usually that everyone could come close to her and criticize her at will?


    "Lady Lian," Yun Shang said calmly.


    Lady Lian smiled, "Yes, your majesty."


    Seeing that Lady Lian didn''t seem to know what she really meant, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling, "Do you have any sisters who haven''t got married?" Without waiting for Lady Lian''s answer, Yun Shang continued, "It''s not right. Lady Lian is in your thirties. I''m afraid your sisters have already been married. Or do you have a niece who hasn''t married yet? "


    Lady Lian didn''t know why she suddenly changed the topic. She nodded in a daze and replied, "Yes, I have two nieces who are not yet married."


    "Oh, how old are they?" Yun Shang asked.


    "One is thirteen, the other is eleven."


    "That''s too young. They both haven''t come of age yet. They cannot get married yet," said Yun Shang. She nodded slightly and turned to Lady Lian, "Your two nieces are still so young. Do you want to send them to the palace? Do you want them to be concubines of his majesty? What kind of positions do you think are appropriate for them? "


    The confusion in Lady Lian''s eyes deepened, "Why did you say so, your majesty? I... I have never thought of sending them to the palace as concubines. "


    "Oh?" Yun Shang blinked her eyes and said, "I heard from you that his Majesty''s palace is empty. I supposed you wanted to send your nieces to the palace, didn''t you?


    Or maybe... Or maybe you want to give birth to more children for His Former Majesty? " Yun Shang sneered.


    Lady Lian glanced at the old empress in a hurry and tried to argued, "I... I


    state. Does the Empress want to ruin the future of the State of Xia?"


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and played with the jade pendant on her waist casually, "You can tell the Emperor, the old empress, or even His Former Majesty about it. Maybe it''s useful. If you tell me, I will only be angrier and then attack you more severely. "


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and suggested seriously, "How about you go to his majesty, the old empress or His Former Majesty to talk about it again after I finish the punishment?"


    Lady Lian bit her lips and said nothing.


    The servants quickly found a long stool in the yard next to the Imperial Garden. Yun Shang raised her hand and said, "Press her on the bench and beat her hard!"


    The servants answered and quickly pressed lady Lian on the stool. Then they took the Imperial Staff and began to flog.


    Lady Lian clenched her teeth but said nothing.


    "Why are you so stubborn? I wonder what benefits your master has given you to work for him like this. Don''t you think it''s a good idea to live a peaceful life in the palace without worrying about food and clothing? "


    Yun Shang chuckled, "Do you think I will ask you who instigated you?"


    Biting her teeth, Lady Lian looked up, her face covered in sweat.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Don''t worry. I''m not interested in who instigated you to do this."

 Chapter 1174 Enjoy Yourself

    "But I think you are really out of your mind. There are so many rumors outside saying that I can''t have children and that the Crown Prince is an idiot. If his majesty, the old empress or His Former Majesty really cared about this matter, how could they hide it? How can they be so indifferent about it?


    You don''t understand the situation at all, and you have to hand yourself over to others as a spear and let them use it. Don''t you think you are stupid?"


    Yun Shang said with a smile. Then Lady Lian had been flogged ten times.


    She cried out in pain, sweating profusely.


    Yun Shang had no interest in watching anymore. She turned around and said to Qian Zhuo, "keep an eye on them. Don''t forget to slap her twenty times. After the punishment, send her back and call an imperial physician. Don''t let her die. "


    Qian Zhuo responded. Yun Shang looked at Lady Lian and smiled, "Do you think that in the imperial household, without the Emperor''s love, the most frightening thing is to see yourself as a flower wither little by little?


    No." Yun Shang shook her head and smiled gently, "There are countless ways to make life worse than death in the palace. Soon, you will understand what real despair is.


    From today on, all the servants in the palace will soon know that you have offended me and have been punished by me in the Imperial Garden. Then, in order to please me, countless people will slowly begin to neglect you and embarrass you with their instinct of flattering others. At that time, you won''t even have a hot meal, a suitable dress, and even the servants around you will bully you... "


    Yun Shang smiled cruelly, "You can enjoy it by and by."


    Then Yun Shang turned around, flicked the invisible dust off her body, and left.


    A while later after she returned to the Jinxiu Palace, Qian Zhuo came back.


    "Everything is Done?" Yun Shang asked.


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "Yes."


    Yun Shang nodded, and smiled again, "I didn''t expect that Lady Lian would have the guts to come to me after the fire in the Weiyang Palace that


    roked Chengye, "Mother will ask someone to cook more delicious food for you. It won''t hurt after you eat it."


    However, it was not that easy to fool Chengye. He said, "Mother, Father said I would go there every day, but I don''t want to go."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan, who raised his eyebrows and seemed to be saying to her, ''look, I knew it.''


    Yun Shang had to grit her teeth again and tried to persuade Chengye, "Didn''t you tell Mother that you admired Father the most? Do you know that Father can ride a horse and shoot arrows? He can shoot many birds with an a arrow. He can fly over the walls. Do you want to be as powerful as Father? "


    "No, I don''t," Chengye replied. Of course, he knew what Yun Shang meant. He answered without hesitation.


    "¡­¡­"


    Seeing that Yun Shang was frustrated, Luo Qingyan burst into laughter.


    However, Chengye continued, "It''s very tiring."


    Yun Shang held Chengye''s hand and said, "Well, Father is good at Kung Fu, but Mother is not good at Kung Fu. There are always many people bullying Mother. Are you willing to practice Kung Fu well to protect Mother?"


    "Will anyone bully Mother?" Chengye raised his head abruptly to look at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, they will. Mother is not good at Kung Fu, so they will bully me."


    "No! I''ll learn kung fu well and protect my mother from now on!"

 Chapter 1175 To Take The Bright Path

    Yun Shang proudly glanced at Luo Qingyan, lowered her head and said softly to Chengye, "If you need to practice the martial-art squat every day, and even do many more difficult things in the future to learn kung fu well, are you still willing to learn kung fu to protect your mother?"


    "Are they harder than martial-art squat?" Chengye frowned.


    "Yes," Yun Shang replied.


    After thinking for a while, Chengye looked up at Yun Shang and said, "Then better let Father protect Mother."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang was speechless.


    "Hahaha!" Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing.


    Yun Shang stood up and glared at him.


    Seeing this, Luo Qingyan coughed and stopped laughing. He said to Chengye, "You''re sweating all over. Why don''t you ask the servants to take you to the bathroom? You sweated so much. Can you go to see your sister Yaya this way? "


    "Sister Yaya?" Hearing that, Chengye''s eyes lit up. He quickly turned around and looked at the servant behind him, "Nanny, hurry up. Help me to take a bath."


    Then he ran out of the inner hall quickly.


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and said, "This brat! He wasn''t like this before."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms with a smile, "Don''t expect him to protect you. He has to protect his future wife. You are my wife, not his. Of course I should protect you. "


    "No!" Yun Shang stepped on him and broke free from his arms, "Why did I coax him like that, you know? Chengye won''t go there again if he feels tired... "


    "No, he won''t," Luo Qingyan said indifferently, "I have many ways to make him obedient."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang gritted her teeth. He had plenty of ways to make him obedient. So why did she work so hard just now?


    Seeing Yun Shang''s angry face, Luo Qingyan smiled again.


    Yun Shang snorted and opened a book.


    Luo Qingyan stopped laughing. He looked up and noticed that Yun Shang didn''t want to talk to him. He raised his eyebrows slightly and rubbed his fingers in his sleeves for a while. Then he said, "Chengye has been conferred the title of the Crown Prince. After the enthronement ceremony, his ceremony should also be held. Afterwards, I wa


    and continued, "But I haven''t got any news about the Cao family as well as Cao Han. I''m not in a hurry."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said, "Although the noble clans are very important to us and the State of Xia. But in fact, it''s not that we can''t win him over. Now your majesty has taken this position, and Xia Houjing is also in our hands. Although the Changting Garden incident has caused some losses to these noble clans, the imperial edicts to promote them each to an official post can be regarded as compensation to them by your majesty.


    As long as they are not stupid and want to continue to enjoy their previous glory in the Jin City, they will know what choice they should make.


    After all, in the State of Xia, whoever is the emperor is the same to them. Maybe the only reason they feel uneasy is that your majesty and I have just arrived in the State of Xia. We haven''t had a good relationship before, and I''m the only one in your Majesty''s harem. They can''t consolidate the position of their clan by sending people to your Majesty''s harem. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and went on, "Actually this is also a way for us to secretly support the people we know to ascend the position of the master of their clan. We should also show them the bright path and assure them."


    Luo Qingyan turned around and looked at Yun Shang with a smile, "Your majesty, please tell me how to take the bright path."

 Chapter 1176 A Rascal

    "We just need to gather them together and comfort them," Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "Don''t tell me that you know nothing about it. Do you have to ask me to make it clear to you?"


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and burst into laughter. Yun Shang was moved by him and couldn''t help smiling. Luo Qingyan said, "I know. I''ve been too busy recently. We seldom see each other. I just want to talk with you more often."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s heart softened, "What do you want me to say, your majesty?"


    "Well, anything will do," Luo Qingyan replied. After a pause, he smiled and added, "Of course, it''s the best if you say sweet words."


    Yun Shang shot him a reproachful pout. After a pause, she said, "When I was in the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, Grandmother told me the reasons why the Cao clan developed so fast and Cao Zhan''s official career was so smooth. Apart from the money Cao Zhou earned from business spread everywhere to pave the way for Cao Zhan, the mistress of the Cao clan made the clan closely connected with other noble clans in the Jin City through marriage. "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "Does the Empress want me to get along well with them through marriage? But my imperial household is too small. Only the Empress can live in it. And my Crown Prince is only two years old now, and... this is impossible. "


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "Of course impossible for both you and Chengye. But there are other ways."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and looked at the handkerchief embroidered with brocade in her hand, "You still have one choice, that is your grandfather''s family, who will always stand behind you.


    The Hua clan is now the head of the eight noble clans, and the direct and collateral branches are also very strong. There are many men and women of the right age. Choosing a suitable marriage is not a grievance for them, and we can also win over some noble clans through the Hua family.


    Of course, as for marriage, in addition to be related, it can also be broken up." Yun Shang''s lips curled into a smile,


    ty, are you going to take Lord Hua Guo''s birthday as an excuse to gather all the people from these noble clans and make a good plan how we can comfort them?" asked Yun Shang.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Once bitten by a snake, they''ll be afraid of the well rope for ten years. If we call them into the palace together, they will definitely make wild guesses. If we push them too hard, we don''t know what they will do. If it is Lord Hua Guo''s birthday...


    The Hua clan is the head of the noble clans in the Jin City, and Lord Hua Guo is also very influential in the court. On his birthday, not only the court, but also the noble clans in the Jin City of whichever camp, will go to congratulate. This is an excellent opportunity for us."


    Yun Shang nodded, "It''s indeed a good opportunity."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, Am I right? I have a good way to help you solve the predicament."


    Yun Shang suddenly realized something was wrong with what he said, "What do you mean by helping me solve the predicament? Am I doing all these for myself? I do it for you, for the court and for the State of Xia!


    But you lied to me about making you an underwear. Luo Qingyan, how can you do this! You are a rogue! "


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and chuckled, "My lady, you have promised me. Can you keep your words?"


    "Why?" replied Yun Shang. She gritted her teeth, "You rascal, but why can''t I?"

 Chapter 1177 To See Him Or Not

    The weather was getting colder, so the Shangyi Bureau sent several more clothes over here.


    "I like the clothes made by the new steward of the Shangyi Bureau," Yun Shang reclined on the couch, flipped it over and said, "Unlike the clothes made by the Shangyi Bureau before, who always tried to pursue luxury and the color was always bright, while the embroidery on them was either a phoenix or a peony, or flowers in full bloom and auspicious clouds. It was beautiful, but it was really tacky. Besides, in order to pursue a beautiful look, the clothes didn''t feel comfortable.


    The clothes sent by the Shangyi Bureau are different now. They are beautiful and pleasant. They are elegant and noble, and the fabric they use is comfortable. It''s very attractive and comfortable. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s comments, Hua''er couldn''t help laughing, "If the new steward of Shangyi Bureau knows you praise her like this, she will be very happy."


    "She had done a good job. Of course she deserves my praise," Yun Shang waved her hand casually, "Next time you see her, you can tell her what I said."


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Yun Shang raised her hand and asked the servants to take those clothes away.


    Qian Yin came in from the outside. Shewalked to Yun Shang], knelt down and massaged her legs while reporting, "Your Majesty, Qian Yin sent a message from outside the palace that the seventh master of the Cao clan passed a message through our spy that he wanted to see you and discuss something with you."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "He wants to see me? He has something to discuss with me? "


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "Your Majesty seems to be very concerned about the Cao clan''s affairs recently. Will you see him or not?"


    "No," without any hesitation, Yun Shang replied, "I''m not a member of the Cao mansion. How could I agree to meet him so easily?"


    Qian Zhuo was a little surprised, "But he said there was something important. Your majesty, you really don''t want to hear what important thing it might be?"


    "Cao Han is


    ng time ago. How did you find out something in that generation? "


    Yun Shang smiled, "When the spies were investigating, they copied a family tree of the Cao clan, so I checked it carefully."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "So the Cao clan should be the branch of the former one, right? Perhaps Cao Zhan''s grandfather had changed his name for some unknown reason, so he escaped from the disaster. Later, Cao Wenxi found the branch on purpose, and she secretly supported it. "


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "To be honest, I really admire Cao Wenxi''s scheming. She changed her appearance and sent herself to the palace to have children with His Former Majesty. She also supported the branches of the Cao clan and made it become one of the eight noble clans in the Jin City. She supported the survivors of the Cao clan to be promoted to the golden palace. Now she even let them show up in front of you openly and want to put them on our side.


    If I were her at that moment, I''m afraid I wouldn''t be able to do that."


    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said, "You won''t end up like her."


    "You are right," Yun Shang answered smilingly, "After all, I still have your majesty."


    Luo Qingyan nodded without hesitation, "Yes, you have me."


    Then he added, "Since Cao Han is trying to get close to you, you can let him be. We can also see what they want to do. "

 Chapter 1178 Sleep Together

    Yun Shang nodded, "I have the same plan, but I can''t show too much eagerness, or else people will suspect me about it. A few days ago, Cao Han passed the word that he wanted to see me and discuss something important, but I refused. "


    "You''re right," Luo Qingyan knocked on the table with his finger and said, "You are the Empress. You have a lot of affairs to deal with in the imperial household every day. How can you have so much free time? He can''t see you so easily."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang smiled, "Yes, your majesty and I have the same reason to refuse."


    "It means that we have a connection," Luo Qingyan teased seriously.


    However, Yun Shang ignored him and said directly, "Your Majesty, you asked me two days ago about the arrangement of Chengye''s moving to the east palace. When are you going to do it?"


    "Let''s wait for the Crown Prince coronation to be held after the enthronement ceremony. Although the imperial edict has been issued, we will feel that something is missing before the ceremony is carried out," said Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Okay."


    Then she looked at Luo Qingyan and asked, "Is the East Palace being decorated? Have you selected all the people who will go to the east palace with Chengye? "


    "As for the people who will company Chengye, Shang''er, you''d better choose them in person. If the people who will serve for Chengye are trustworthy, you can take them there directly. As for the servants and guards in the palace will be selected from the secret guards to make sure everything goes well, " Luo Qingyan said to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang asked, "How about the furnishings?"


    "We haven''t started to prepare them yet. Shang''er, what do you think about it?" inquried Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "Let the Imperial Household Department prepare these things secretly. Qin Yi is in charge of the department. I feel relieved with her help. Moreover, the matter has not been decided yet, and it is not appropriate to make a public announcement. If the news is spread out first, perhaps someone will want to do something in the East Palace in advance. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I''ve sent my secret guards to keep an eye on the East Palace since the Crown Prince''s decree was issued. D


    g at the beautiful ladies, I''ll be in a better mood. "


    Hearing this, Lady Hua Guo said, "Then let me go to the backyard with you."


    Yun Shang nodded, turned a look at Luo Qingyan, and went to the backyard with Lady Hua Guo.


    "Today, the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion is very lively. I think most of the officials in the court and the noble families in Jin City have come, haven''t they?" asked Yun Shang.


    "Yes, your majesty," Lady Hua Guo answered smilingly, "Since the old princess came back, the birthday party of Lord Hua Guo and mine have been particularly lively in the past two years, especially in this year."


    Yun Shang nodded. She knew when Hua Ling was missing, the Hua clan lost its support in the palace. Naturally, some people were weathercocks and went far away from the Hua clan.


    Later, however, Hua Ling came back and was loved by Xia Huanyu again. The higher the status of the officials, the more they knew to observe people''s words and expressions, so they naturally came back.


    This year, Luo Qingyan ascended the throne, and he was Lord Hua Guo''s grandson. Unlike the Empress, the Emperor on the throne was really having the world in hand, so it was naturally more lively this year for Lord Hua Guo''s birthday party.


    Lady Hua Guo glanced at Yun Shang and said, "Your majesties came today for these people, right?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Grandma, you are wrong. We are here to celebrate Grandfather''s birthday. As for the people who have come here today, they are just passing by. "

 Chapter 1179 Talk About Marriage

    Lady Hua Guo also smiled, her eyes full of tease, "Yes, I believe you."


    Yun Shang chuckled, and then changed the topic, "There are also many daughters of the ministers of noble clans coming today. Many of them are waiting for marriage at the right age, aren''t they?"


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Lady Hua Guo was a little surprised, "Your majesty, why are you asking about this ..."


    "Of course not for his majesty," Yun Shang knew what Lady Hua Guo was thinking, so she explained hurriedly, "I''m thinking that there are so many girls at the right age to get married today. If we need to find wives for our children in the clan, Grandma can take the opportunity."


    Lady Hua Guo glanced at Yun Shang, as if she was wondering why Yun Shang said so. She paused and said, "We have unmarried boys in the mansion, and I have four disappointing grandsons. To be honest, they are the cousins of the Emperor. They just roll around in the military camp. You and the Emperor haven''t seen them yet. They don''t care about their marriage at all. They have been over twenty years old and haven''t gotten married yet.


    But these four boys are all sons of the concubines. Most of the girls coming today are from the direct line of descent, and they may not be willing to... "


    Yun Shang smiled, "The situation is very different from before. Although his majesty and I have made heavy moves in the previous palace incident, it has also played an excellent deterrent role. Especially for the families of the officials who had attended that palace incident. I''m afraid that they are still in a state of panic because they are afraid that it will affect their families.


    Under such circumstances, if their children can be chosen by you, Grandma, I think they must be very willing to agree to have the marriage connection with the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion."


    Lord Hua Guo''s mansion had been in the center of power for so many years. Even Lady Hua Guo, who was in the backyard of the mansion, was


    on Lord Hua Guo''s birthday, I asked them to help manage some trivial things, so that we can train and teach them to deal with the household affairs. Otherwise they will know nothing after they get married... "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Grandma is right."


    Then she sighed, "Time flies. My cousins are old enough to talk about marriage. I remember that when his majesty and I first came to the State of Xia, they looked very young. It seems that they have grown up in only one or two years.


    Before whenever I came to Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, they had been chatting and playing with me. If they are engaged, Grandma should tell me, so that I can prepare a big gift for them as a dowry."


    "Great! It''s their fortune to have your majesty around."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Of course I''ll remember it. After all, after I came to the State of Xia with his majesty, the people I am most familiar with are the people of Lord Hua Guo''s mansiion. I am very thankful to their care for me. I''m thinking about everything in the mansion.


    It''s not just the marriage of cousins, but also a few unmarried cousin brothers. If they are married, his majesty and I will also express our congratulations."


    Lady Hua Guo thanked her again.


    Yun Shang looked around, and predictably found the ladies present looking thoughtful at her words.

 Chapter 1180 To Replace The Old With The New

    Although Yun Shang came here for these noble clans, it was Luo Qingyan who should be responsible for drawing them over. What she needed to do was to give some advice to the ladies from the noble clans, so that they could understand that if they wanted to show their kindness to her and Luo Qingyan, they could take another path.


    Now that she had achieved her goal, Yun Shang didn''t want to stay any longer. Since she was here, these people were overcautious and unable to enjoy themselves, affecting Lord Hua Guo''s birthday party.


    As soon as Yun Shang came up with such an idea, she saw Liu Wenan was led in by a maid from Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. He reported, "Your Majesty, his majesty said that there are still some things in the palace, so he specially came to pick you up and go back to the palace. His majesty is waiting for you outside the second gate. Let me announce it. "


    As soon as Liu Wenan] finished his words, many people in the yard looked at Yun Shang, with all kinds of emotions in their eyes. Yun Shang was not in the mood to refuse the suggestion.


    Lady Hua Guo smiled, "Look, your majesty has just sat here for a while. His majesty is worried about you, and he personally came to pick you up, as if he is afraid of some fierce birds and beasts here."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "Grandma, you must be kidding. Maybe there is really something important in the palace. Then I''ll go first... "


    "Let me send you out,"


    Lady Hua Guo stood up and went out with Yun Shang.


    "Just now in the yard, I heard your majesty mention my granddaughters. It suddenly occurred to me that a few days ago, I also heard from them that the girls of the Cao clan had gathered some girls and ladies from the other noble clans and organized a poetry club. They would have one or two meetings every month, talking about poems and paintings together." Lady Hua Guo said to YUn Shang.


    "A poetry club?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows.


    Lady Hua Guo nodded and said, "Although the club was organized for fun by the girls and ladies from the noble clans, these noble clans have always been in the center of power struggle. The seemingly simple Poetry Club actually contains a lot of things behind it. For example, there was


    reached the gate. Luo Qingyan reached out his hand to Yun Shang and greeted Lady Hua Guo with a smile, "Grandma."


    "Your Majesty." Lady Hua Guo bowed, "I''ve brought her majesty here unharmed. Your majesty, can you rest assured now?"


    "I feel relieved in the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion," Luo Qingyan answered smilingly.


    "Yes, yes." Lady Hua Guo smiled, "I just pretend to believe you."


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and smiled. After saying goodbye to her lordship, both of them got in the carriage and went back to the palace.


    It was not until they arrived at the Jinxiu Palace that Yun Shang asked, "Is everything going well with your Majesty''s visit to the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion today?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Those noble clans only dare to play tricks in secret. They don''t even dare to breathe heavily in front of me. They showed their loyalty to me, but I don''t know what they are really thinking. "


    Yun Shang told Luo Qingyan what happened in the backyard and mentioned her plan of boudoir study.


    "The study can also be regarded as a breakthrough. Not only can it help draw over some noble clans, but also some people who want to stand out in front of you can have a try. If some clans are really not obedient, we can support some other obedient people. "


    said Yun Shang, "It''s not easy to completely remove a family with deep foundation, but it''s not difficult to support a new noble clan. At that time, it''s not a big deal to have a new clan to replace the old one. "

 Chapter 1181 To Follow The Lead

    "In addition to organize a boudoir study, I will also hold banquets in the palace from time to time to invite the ladies from these noble clans," Yun Shang pressed her lips and went on, "but there won''t be too many people invited each time, and every time we will select and reward one or two ladies for their achievements.


    Although many people don''t take me seriously, my identity is still there. Whoever I reward will soon spread around. The imperial household and the court are always closely related. All members from these noble clans are smart and sensible. They should be able to act according to the circumstances. "


    Luo Qingyan listened carefully to Yun Shang and then praised smilingly, "From the moment you praise and reward someone, they can understand who will be more favored by me. Your method can kill two birds with one stone. In this way, something that I can''t tell in public can spread indirectly. from you. "


    Yun Shang also smiled, "I grew up in the palace, and I have seen a lot of tricks. Although my father''s former Empress sometimes treated the concubines in a way that was somewhat disdainful, she handled these things well. But... "


    Yun Shang paused and frowned.


    "Yes, what is it?" Luo Qingyan asked.


    Yun Shang thought of her former life. At that time, even the girls from the noble clans who were invited to the palace would sometimes try every means to create some opportunities to meet her father and attract his attention. As a result, they would be selected to the palace as concubines in order to have a bright future.


    In her previous life, she had grown up by the side of the Empress. Those girls and ladies from the noble clans had all kinds of inconceivable ways to attract the attention of her father.


    The Empress was so annoyed by the girls from the noble clans that she even used to vent her anger on Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang took a look at Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan was more handsomel than her father and talented in both literature and military affairs. Even before he ascended the throne, he had attracted many young ladies of the noble clans. Now that he became the emperor, he had become a cake that everyone wanted to


    en on duty recently. Thank you, your majesty," appreciated Cao Han.


    Yun Shang smiled, "you deserve it. You are still young and will have a promising future. If you can work well for me, your future will definitely be more than that. "


    "I will follow your lead and always be loyal to you," he promised.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Do you still have anything else? If not, you can leave now. "


    Cao Han responded and took two steps backward. But he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, have you seen the Cao clan members at Lord Hua Guo''s birthday party two days ago?"


    "Yes," Yun Shang answered casually, "On that day, many ladies and girls from the noble clans were in the party, and so was lady Cao. But I didn''t talk to her alone. Did she mention it after she went back home? What did she say? "


    Cao Han replied in a low voice, "After my mother returned home, she called my brother and Uncle over to her. She said that your majesty seemed to be very concerned about the marriage of the young masters and the young girls of the Hua clan. And it seemed that you wanted to draw the clans over through the marriage."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, I do. What? Your mother wants to link with the Lord Hua Guo''s mansion by marriage?"


    "Yes, your majesty," Cao Han replied in a low voice, "My elder brother has a daughter, who is fourteen years old and hasn''t been engaged yet. My mother wants to marry her into Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. "

 Chapter 1182 Its A Good Day Today

    "Fourteen?" Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "The youngest of the unmarried grandsons of Lady Hua Guo is twenty-one years old already, so the age of fourteen seems a little too young, doesn''t it? Which boy does your mother like? "


    Cao Han lowered his eyes and said, "My mother has taken a fancy to the seventh childe from the Hua family."


    "The seventh? He is already twenty-four years old this year. He has been at the border for six or seven years and hasn''t returned to the Jin City, so he hasn''t talked about marriage. Now he did return to the city and is about to get married. But if your niece is fourteen years old, the seventh childe is ten years older than her," replied Yun Shang.


    "According to my mother, they are for the seventh childe. After all, although the seventh childe is a little older, his father is the eldest son of Lord Hua Guo. His father is Lord Hua Guo''s heir, and he will most likely inherit his title in the future... "


    Yun Shang chuckled, "Your mother has a good idea, but why didn''t she think that although his father is Lord Hua Guo''s heir and is going to inherit his title, the seventh childe''s mother is just a concubine."


    "According to my mother, although the seventh childe is just a child of a concubine, if his father inherits the title, it may not his eldest brother who becomes the heir. It''s still early to decide. There are many variables in it," Cao Han said.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "So, if the seventh childe considers marrying your niece, your mother will try her best to support the seventh childe to become the heir?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Your mother is really scheming. But she knows little about Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. Lord Hua Guo''s mansion... At least in the main room of Lord Hua Guo''s mansion, the brothers share positive emotions such as solidarity and helpful, harmony and affection. Unlike the Cao mansion, there were so many twists and turns. Your mother''s scheme is likely to fail in Lord Hua Guo''s mansion. "


    "Your Majesty, my mother has been staying in the mansion for decades and is very capable. And my niece has been learning from my mother all the time. If she really gets married with the seventh childe and has the intention to


    s down from the bell tower, your majesty will will walk along the road in front of the palace gate, all the way to the steps in front of the Taiji Palace, to the middle of the hall, and sat down on the seat of the Empress.


    "Then, after your majesty and your highness are seated, the ministers can enter the hall according to the ranks and kneel down. Master Liu would announce the imperial edicts. After that, all the officials will congratulate you. After that, the real ceremony will be over. "


    "After that, I will have three hours to change the clothes for your majesty, and then the banquet will begin."


    While handing Qin Yi a comb, she smiled and said, "Madam Qi has told me these rules many times recently, and I''ve heard them more than five times."


    Everyone laughed.


    Without any expression on her face, Madam Qi said, "I have to mention these again and again so that you won''t make mistakes. Today is a big day for their majesties, and no mistake is allowed."


    Yun Shang yawned, as if she didn''t care much about it. After a long time, she said casually, "Why do I feel that this ceremony is different from the one when her former majesty became the empress last time?"


    Madam Qi nodded, "Yes, it''s different. Last time it was just a simple grand Empress coronation, but today it''s the Emperor''s enthronement as well as the Empress'' coronation. It''s naturally different."


    Yun Shang nodded. She was about to say something, when she heard someone talking outside...

 Chapter 1183 Gold And Silver Threads

    Yun Shang listened carefully and found that the voice was full of anxiety.


    "Who is it outside?" she asked.


    "I''ll go out and have a look."


    Before Qian Zhuo went out, Pei Lan came in in a hurry, "Your Majesty, it''s Steward Yan from Shangyi Bureau. She said she had something important to report to you."


    "From Shangyi Bureau?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Shangyi Bureau has something important to report to me?"


    "Is there something wrong with the dress for the ceremony?" Qian Zhuo also wondered.


    "The dress for the ceremony?" Yun Shang turned to look at the dress on the bed, "The dress was sent yesterday. The Shangyi Bureau has checked it four or five times. After it was sent, you have checked it another two or three times. What can go wrong with it?


    Go and call her in. I''ll ask her about it carefully," ordered Yun Shang.


    Pei Lan replied and soon brought in Yan Pin.


    "Your Majesty, there seems to be something wrong with the dress for today''s ceremony. Please let me check it again."


    "Haven''t you checked it countless times before? And the dress was sent yesterday. How did you know there is something wrong with it today? " Yun Shang asked.


    Perhaps it was because she was in a hurry, there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and her voice was a little unstable, "Yes, I have checked the dresses of your majesties'' in the Shangyi Bureau several times, and I haven''t found any problem with them. But this morning, when I was tidying up the Shangyi Bureau, I found some remaining cloth for your majesties'' ceremony dresses... "


    "Is there anything wrong with the fabric?" Yun Shang asked.


    Yan Pin nodded, "The problem is in the inner layer of the dress. When I looked at the leftovers, I found that the cloth contained some gold and silver threads."


    "Gold and silver threads?" Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "I remember that many clothes in the palace contain gold and silver threads. Is there anything wrong with them?"


    "Yes, there are indeed many clothes with gold and silver threads. But they are almost all made for the outer robe


    y is over. "


    "No," Hua Er suddenly spoke.


    Everyone was stunned. They turned their heads to look at Hua Er, who frowned tightly and said seriously, "I have to carefully check what we have to use today. There must be no more mistakes."


    "Yes, you have to check them carefully,"


    seeing that all the servants around her looked stiff and well prepared, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "You are more nervous than I."


    "Your Majesty, you are still in the mood to make fun of me. We cannot be careless in today''s grand ceremony.


    I''m going to wear the phoenix coronet for you. It''s a little heavy. You have to endure it,"


    said Qin Yi while putting on the phoenix coronet for Yun Shang. Yun Shang moved her neck a little and said, "I''m afraid my neck will be broken today."


    "This is just a phoenix coronet. Next, you have to wear a full nine layers of grand ceremony dress."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang heaved a long sigh, "It''s really a suffering. Fortunately, it''s only this day."


    However, Madam Qiu poured cold water on her smilingly, "That''s not the only thing. As the Empress, you have to be so grand on any big day in the future, such as all kinds of grand ceremonies and sacrifices."


    Yun Shang curled her lips, "Let''s not think about these troubles now. Let''s talk about it after today''s activity."


    While they were talking, a babbling voice came from outside, "Our Prince is here."

 Chapter 1184 The Ceremony Is Over

    Qian Liu came in with Chengye in her arms. As soon as she entered the room, she put him down. Chengye walked towards Yun Shang. He looked up at Yun Shang for a long time before he clapped his hands and smiled, "Mother, you look good."


    Everyone laughed, "Even the Prince praised your majesty is beautiful. His majesty will not be able to take his eyes off you later."


    While they were talking and laughing, a maid''s voice came from outside, "Your majesty, the Phoenix chariot is waiting outside our palace. It''s time to go to the palace gate."


    Yun Shang nodded. The headwear was too heavy for her to do that easily. Qin Yi hurried to help Yun Shang up. Qian Zhuo and Qian Liu helped [ÔÆÉÑ] straighten the hemline of the long dress. Yun Shang lifted her foot and slowly walked out of the Weiyang Palace.


    It was fine today. There was no cloud, and there was a breeze. Although it was cold, it was still a little warm because of the sunlight.


    Yun Shang looked up at the blue sky and heard Madam Qi''s voice, Get up."


    The chariot shook and was lifted up. They passed the Imperial Garden, the Moonlight Gate, the Happiness Gate, and the Gate of Tranquil Longevity before they arrived at the palace gate.


    WhenYun Shang got to the gate of the palace, she saw Luo Qingyan go to the bell tower in a dark robe embroidered with a golden flying dragon. Her eyes kept following Luo Qingyan''s back. She put her hands on Qian Liu and Qian Zhuo''s and got off the Phoenix chariot. Soon after Luo Qingyan went up the bell tower, the drawn-out sound of the bell started ringing out one after another for twelve times.


    After it stopped, Luo Qingyan went downstairs and walked towards Yun Shang. Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling. Looking up at him, she was moved.


    She was born and raised in the court. She had once hated it, hated the fights in the palace, hated the scheming inside, and had even thought of escaping from it with her mother. But now, she had experienced a lot of things. Ever since today, it really meant that she might be locked behind this heavy palace wall for the rest of her life. All her experiences including the ups and downs of her life, laughter or tears, would be witnessed by the court.. But at this moment, when she saw Luo Qingyan walking towards her step by step, she felt extremely steadfast in


    going to..."


    "I have to go back to the Weiyang Palace to change clothes," Yun Shang held her neck and said, "This phoenix coronet is too heavy. I feel my neck is almost broken."


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help smiling, "Thank you for your hard work. Please go back to change your clothes."


    Yun Shang replied and left the Taiji Palace.


    The Phoenix chariot was waiting outside the palace. Seeing Yun Shang come out, the servants hurried forward and helped Yun Shang get on the chariot.


    The Weiyang Palace was repaired. Yun Shang had moved back to it a few days before.


    Before they entered the Weiyang Palace, Yan Pin had prepared the clothes for the banquet. She was waiting in the hall with the servants in the hall. When they saw Yun Shang, they curtsied to her, "Hail Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"


    "Get up."


    Everyone stood up in a hurry and Yan Pin said in a gentle voice, "Your majesty, these clothes are for you to wear at the banquet later. I made them myself and have checked them inside and outside for countless times. Please don''t worry, your majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded and entered the inner hall, "Help me get changed."


    The servants took the clothes from Yan Pin''s hands and began to change clothes for Yun Shang.


    "I''ve investigated into the matter about the underwear. All the people who used to handle it have been locked up and inquired carefully. However, the dresses used for the ceremony were all under the watch of the Shangyi Bureau''s late steward, Yu Nian. Now, Yu Nian is no longer here... "

 Chapter 1185 The Fire

    "Since Yu Nian is no longer here, the people below all stick to their own words when they were interrogate. They all insisted that what they said was true, and they had evidence and witnesses. I''m so incompetent that I can''t tell who is telling the truth and who is telling the lies," Yan Pin reported.


    Yun Shang raised her hand and let the servants take off the heavy dress for her. There was no expression on her face, "Since we can''t tell whether it''s true or not, it''s easy to deal with them. We can beat each of them 20 times and lower them to the low class maids. Send them back to the inner temple and ask the madam in charge to redistribute them."


    "Yes, your majesty." Yan Pin lowered her eyes, looking a little depressed.


    Yun Shang sensed the emotion in her words. She turned to her and said, "You used to be obsessed with the skills of making clothes and embroidery, but now you are suddenly promoted to the position of a steward. It''s normal that you can''t adapt to it in a short time. The Shangyi Bureau is only one of the six departments, but it''s always in the first place for the list of clothing, food, living and transportation.


    The Shangyi Bureau is in charge of the clothes of me, his majesty and most of the people in the imperial household. It''s very important. No mistake is allowed. I will give you some time to adapt to it, but I hope it won''t be too long. "


    "I understand," replied Yan Pin, a little shocked


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "How to manage your subordinates is also a subject. If you really don''t understand something, you can go to the Imperial Household Department to ask Qin Yi for advice."


    "Yes, your majesty. I understand. Thank you for your help."


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing.


    After the servants changed clothes for Yun Shang, she turned around in front of the mirror and said with a smile, "A few days ago, I was also praising you with my servants around. They said that since you took over the Shangyi Bureau, the clothes you sent here are much better. But as the manager of the Shangyi Bureau, it''s not enough to make beautiful clothes. "


    Yan Pin responded. Yun Shang waved her hand and asked her to leave. Then she sat down in front of the bronze mirror and let the servants help her with her mak


    e places where there are fires happen to be the adjacent place of every two Temple of Heavens.


    People have always thought that fire is a sign of great disaster, which is very ominous. Today is a big day for the emperor''s enthronement ceremony and your Majesty''s coronation, but there are so many fires in the city. Although the secret guards and spies found them in time and have quickly extinguished them, many people have seen the fire accident. Now there are rumors outside. They said that... "


    Yun Shang sneered, "What did they say? They might say fire is not a good omen. It indicates that his majesty and I are ominous and will bring disasters to the State of Xia? "


    "Almost that way," Qian Yin lowered her head and went on, "The secret guards have also caught several suspects who set fire, but as the fire had already been on, even if we caught the culprit out, I''m afraid that the rumors will not be able to subside..."


    Yun Shang pressed her lips and asked, "Has his majesty known about it?"


    "The secret guards should have reported it to his majesty," Qian yin reported.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Come with me to the Taiji Palace. I''ll discuss it with his majesty. But I believe his majesty and I should have the same idea. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and went on, "Since someone has set the fire, what we need to do is probably not to put out the fire, catch the culprit or let the rumors subside. And I think we should make the fire stronger, so that the rumors can be more intense... "

 Chapter 1186 Burn It!

    "Make ¡¤ the ¡¤ fire ¡¤ bigger?" Qian Yin was surprised.


    "Yes," replied Yun Shang. Her eyes were full of coldness, "Since the fire is on, the bigger the fire is, the better."


    After saying that, Yun Shang didn''t immediately explain further. She only ordered the servants, "Go on. We can talk on the way. It''s not good to delay the imperial banquet."


    The chariot moved on again.


    Yun Shang then asked, "Since someone deliberately set the fire and the place was chosen between every two Temples of Heaven, it must have been planned for a long time. The fire must have burned some empty courtyards, right?"


    "Yes, majesty," Qian Yin nodded and said, "I have ordered my spies to investigate it. They are indeed empty courtyards without anyone around."


    "As I expected, things will be much easier," Yun Shang concluded.


    The Phoenix chariot stopped in front of the back hall of the Taiji Palace. Yun Shang got off the chariot and walked quickly into the hall with Chengye.


    Sitting behind the imperial table, Luo Qingyan frowned and listened to the secret guards'' report.


    Seeing Yun Shang come in, Luo Qingyan raised his hand and signaled the secret guards to stop.


    "Have you received the news, Shang''er?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I''ve heard from Qian Yin on the way here."


    Luo Qingyan kept silent for a while and asked, "What do you think about it, Shang''er?"


    Both of them looked at each other, and both of them captured a similar hostility in each other''s eyes. The corners of their mouths curled into a smile.


    "Let the fire burn more fiercely,"


    They spoke almost at the same time.


    Hearing this, the others in the hall looked at each other in dismay.


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang smiled more brightly.


    "Your Majesty and I have the same idea," Yun Shang said smilingly.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "They are more merciful this time after all. They are burn some deserted houses. If there are casualties in these fires, it will be difficult to deal with. "


    "Maybe it''s because they are afraid that things will be exposed. If there are casualties, it would be difficult to recover. In this situation, even if the people behind the conspiracy are caught, there is still room


    front Golden Hall together.


    "Long live your majesty, the Emperor! Long live Your Majesty, the Empress! Greetings, your highness Crown Prince..."


    "Arise."


    Everyone took their seats. Yun Shang glanced at all the people at the banquet slowly.


    Compared with the Palace Banquet a month ago, now there were many new members in the palace. Although they were new, there were still many familiar faces among them. And now, these people in the court were a little younger than the previous officials, and they seemed to have added some vigor and vitality.


    Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, your majesty."


    Although Yun Shang didn''t say anything much, Luo Qingyan immediately understood what she meant. He pursed his lips and smiled, "Your Majesty, you are flattering me. Without your support, we can''t clear the court so quickly. You must be tired, your majesty."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She turned to Liu Wenan and said, "Let''s start the banquet."


    Liu Wenan bowed and shook the duster in his hand while announcing, "The banquet starts -"


    The music started.


    The hall was full of singing and dancing. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan smiled, but they knew better that it was difficult to hide the bloody scene outside the palace.


    Sure enough, before the banquet was over, someone stumbled in, reeking of alcohol, "Your Majesties! There are many fires and smoke rising in many places of the city... "

 Chapter 1187 Its Not Ominous

    Everyone in the hall didn''t know what was going on outside, so when they heard the news, they were all in an uproar.


    "Fires? How can there be fires? "


    "Yes, is the fire serious? As it is the Emperor''s enthronement ceremony today, shouldn''t there be many soldiers patrolling the city? Why did this happen? "


    Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang looked at each other. Since there were flames and smoke rising in many places of the city, it was most likely that the secret guards and the spies in the city were already taking action.


    Luo Qingyan turned around and looked down at the courtiers who were surprised or panic there. He said calmly, "In that case, let''s go out and have a look."


    All the courtiers followed Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang out of the golden hall. Standing outside, they saw fires burning around in the city.


    Only within the sight of the crowd, they could see more than 10 smoke billowing places.


    The noise became louder, "This..."


    "Today, his majesty ascended to the throne. It''s an ominous sign that there are fires everywhere..."


    "What is that? In my opinion, it is obvious that someone deliberately set fire to disturb the public. "


    "Who is in charge of today''s patrol and defense in the city? There are fires in so many places that no one has noticed or come up to report? "


    "I wonder where the fire started and whether there are casualties?"


    The courtiers were all discussing, but Luo Qingyan remained silent. After a while, he said, "Let''s go back to the palace."


    Hearing this, the officials looked at each other in surprise. They were also surprised at Luo Qingyan''s indifferent reaction. He didn''t even arrange people to put out the fire, nor was he surprised or angry at all...


    All the officials went back to the hall with Luo Qingyan in confusion.


    "Have you seen what are happening in the city?" Luo Qingyan asked. His voice echoed in the golden hall.


    Of course they had seen it.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "I heard what you were talking about just now. I can tell you clearly that someone did set fire on purpose. But the person who set the fire is not someone with evil intentions, but


    ountless ways to deal with it, but they never thought that we would directly burn all the empty yards in the city. "


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan with a smile, "Your Majesty, the fire is not ominous. I''m afraid that it will soon spread throughout the city and cause a lot of discussion. Your majesty, you are rectifying the name of fire."


    Luo Qingyan raised his hand and rubbed Yun Shang''s nose, "Are you kidding me?"


    "How dare I?"


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan went back to the Weiyang Palace together to wait for the news. As soon as they arrived at the gate of the Weiyang Palace, they saw on the window a big red character of double happiness.


    Yun Shang was stunned. She took two steps back and looked up at the plaque on the gate, "I didn''t go to a wrong place. What''s this for?"


    "Your majesties, Congratulations!"


    all the servants in the Weiyang Palace were standing at the gate to welcome Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang.


    "Congratulations?"


    Yun Shang blinked and turned to look at Luo Qingyan, who also had a smile on his face.


    "It''s my great joy. Today is the day of my enthronement ceremony and your grand ceremony. Do you still remember what I said before?" Luo Qingyan replied.


    Yun Shang looked at him blankly.


    The smile in Luo Qingyan''s eyes widened, "The Empress coronation is a form of imperial marriage..."


    Before Luo Qingyan could finish his words, Yun Shang''s face turned red.

 Chapter 1188 The Red Candles

    Hearing this, Yun Shang remembered that Luo Qingyan did mention that the day after the enthronement ceremony would also be his wedding night.


    Seeing her expression, Luo Qingyan knew that she had recalled something. He smiled more brightly and confirmed, "This is a tradition in the palace. If the new empress is married, everything will naturally be in accordance with the regulations of the emperor and empress. If the crown prince ascends the throne, it will be easier for the Crown Princess or the other concubines to be the Empress. But there are also the traditional red lanterns, red wedding words of double happiness, and red candles.


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan but didn''t say anything.


    The servants were good at reading people''s faces. Qian Liu quickly smiled and said, "Then I''ll take the Crown Prince downstairs first."


    The rest of the servants also found an excuse to go away, leaving Luo Qingyan gazing at Yun Shang with a smile.


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan, entered the Weiyang Palace and walked quickly towards the main hall.


    "It''s none of my business. The servants just arranged it according to the usual rules, and I didn''t say a word. This is arranged by the people of the Weiyang Palace. I''ve never interfered with the people from the Weiyang Palace, and you know that, " Luo Qingyan kept on explaining.


    Of course she knew that, and it was precisely because of this that she became even angrier.


    The inner hall was even more red. The bed sheet was embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns, and the quilt was embroidered with mandarin ducks swimming in the water. The room was decorated with red words of marriage of various sizes. A pair of red candlelight were on. On the table, there were all kinds of food.


    In the bronze mirror, Yun Shang also saw a red glow on her face. She didn''t know if it was because of her shyness or because of the red reflection from around.


    "Although the food at the banquet just now seemed to be varied, but after several tests, most of them were cold when they were sent to the banquet. I think you haven''t eaten much. Sit down and eat some," suggested Luo Qingyan. He had already sat


    icked up a piece of fish for Yun Shang and said, "avHe a taste of this fish. It''s made with Osmanthus fragrans. It tastes good. At present, the fragrans should have been withered, but they still were able to make the fresh fragrans taste. It''s really not easy. "


    Yun Shang took a bite and didn''t find out the difference between fresh and dried fragrans.


    Although Luo Qingyan said that tonight was their wedding night, it was still early after all. As the Emperor and theEmpress, it was impossible for them to really close the door and do nothing. Therefore, after dinner, Luo Qingyan called Liu Wenan in.


    "We have no choice but to set the fire, but we have to deal with the aftermath. Every time the secret guards set out a fire, they should record the address of the deserted houses, and ask the guards to investigate carefully and find out who those houses belong to. Collect and record them one by one.


    Ask the Ministry of Revenue to make a compensation plan overnight. How much money should be compensated, and how to give it to the owner of the deeds of the houses... We have to find a feasible way to settle all these problems," said Luo Qingyan.


    Liu Wenan noted everything in detail.


    Luo Qingyan meditated for a moment and continued, "Later send the name list to the Department of construction and ask them to make a careful plan about which places should be built. I want to see their results in three days at the latest."

 Chapter 1189 A Divine Punishment

    After Liu Wenan left, a secret guard came to report again, "The notice was posted at a quarter to ten in the morning. By 4 pm, thirty-seven deserted houses had been burnt down by the fire..."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "What about the rumors in the city?"


    "After the houses near the Temple of Heaven were on fire, there were many rumors. It was said that the Emperor and the Empress were ominous people and would affect the luck of the State of Xia. That was why fires came out everywhere on the day of the enthronement and the grand coronation. They also said that the fire was from the heaven and the punishment was from the heaven, too. "


    Yun Shang sneered, "There are still many tricks. And even heavenly fire."


    The secret guard went on, "But later, after we posted the notice, and spread our ideas out as soon as possible. Soon, the rumors in the city changed.


    At the beginning, many people kept an unbelievable attitude. They said that fire was an ominous thing. How could his majesty burn houses on his enthronement ceremony?


    But later, many people went to the notice board to read it, and then they began to talk about it and believe it.. Under our deliberate guidance, many people began to talk about this matter. Some said that his Majesty''s action was really bold. It''s said that in the world of the Emperor, their life should have been more prosperous than anywhere else. In the Imperial City, there shouldn''t have been too many deserted houses, and many of the courtyards have collapsed. It''s really not good to leave them there. So your majesty is wise to do so.


    After discussing it was right or wrong of this matter as well as whether it was ominous or no for your Majesty''s setting fire, people began to discuss gradually where there were houses being burned and what was the most suitable thing to build in that place. Since then, the rumors about the heavenly fire and the ominous rumors about the emperor and the Empress in the morning have completely disappeared. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "This makes sense."


    The secret guard lowered his eyes and said, "The


    thought about it carefully, "The first time I saw Shang''er, she was only eight years old at that time? She seemed to be eight years old... We were discussing something with your father, when you came in.


    "Did Shang''er fall in love with me at that time?"


    Yun Shang had no impression of the first time when they met. She blushed, gnashed her teeth and stared at Luo Qingyan, "What are you talking about? I was just very young at that time? Are you an animal or I am? "


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were full of smile, "Although you were only eight years old at that time, I remember that Shang''er once told me that you were eight years old when you were reborn. Judging from the situation at that time, you should have been who you are now. Although you were only eight years old at that time, the soul living in your heart was not. It wouldn''t be strange if you fell in love with me at that time. "


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang didn''t want to argue with Luo Qingyan anymore. She just glared at him and changed the topic, "I''m a little hungry. It''s time for dinner, isn''t it? During the banquet, we ate a little later than usual, so I told the servants to prepare the food when I tell them to serve. "


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang with a smile, "I suddenly know what I want Shang''er to do."


    "What?" Yun Shang asked curiously.


    However, Luo Qingyan kept her in suspense, "You''ll know it later."

 Chapter 1190 Deal With State Affairs

    Then, she waited until night...


    On the second day''s morning, Yun Shang didn''t get up until 9:45 a.m. She glanced at the hourglass on the bookshelf, frowned and hurriedly called in the servants.


    Qian Zhuo, Pei Lan and Hua''er led the servants into the bathroom one after another. The servants carried pots, cups into the bathroom.


    Pei Lan went to prepare the clothes, Hua''er went to the dressing table to prepare the comb and jewelry. Qian Zhuo walked quickly to the bedside and said, "Good morning, your majesty."


    "Why don''t you wake me up at this hour?" Her voice was hoarse.


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly said, "His majesty said that your majesty helped him deal with state affairs a little late last night, and asked us not to disturb your rest today, so we didn''t dare to wake you up."


    "Help his majesty... deal with... state affairs? " Yun Shang repeated.


    Qian Zhuo nodded. Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, she was also curious. "What''s wrong?"


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and said, "Nothing. Help me get up."


    "Yes." Qian Zhuo helped Yun Shang up and asked, "Your majesty, your voice seems a little hoarse. Did you catch a cold last night?"


    Yun Shang''s body stiffened. She thought of the reason why her voice was hoarse, and took a deep breath. "No, it''s not like that. I talked too much at night when I dealt with government affairs for his majesty, so my voice is a little hoarse. I''ll be fine after recuperating."


    "I see..." Qian Zhuo didn''t find anything wrong with Yun Shang. She said directly, "I''ll ask someone to prepare some scaphium affine. You can soaked it in water to moisten your throat in the daytime."


    Then she took the clothes from Pei Lan''s hand and said, "Your majesty, stretch out your hand. I''ll change your clothes."


    Yun Shang raised her hand, but she quickly frowned and cried out, and her hand also trembled slightly.


    Qian Zhuo was taken aback. She held Yun Shang''s arm and asked, "What''s wrong, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and said, "It doesn''t matter. I just felt a little sore in my wrist because I wrote too much last nigh


    teeth and was about to scold him.


    ''It''s okay to help me massage it. How could he rub it?''


    "Shang''er has done a good job in political affairs. When will you help me deal with it again?"


    Shame on you!


    Yun Shang cursed in her heart, but she still tried to keep calm on her face.


    "Shang''er, don''t you speak? Don''t you answer me? If you don''t say anything, I''ll take it as a yes? "


    Yun Shang suddenly opened her eyes and glared at Luo Qingyan, "Get out!"


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were full of smile. "Eh? Aren''t you asleep? I thought you were asleep. "


    Yun Shangstared at him, "Do you think I''m asleep? How could you talk nonsense if I am asleep? Go, go, go out. "


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, she turned her back to Luo Qingyan, as if she would not listen to him anyway.


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and tried to suppress his smile. Then he looked up at Yun Shang pitifully.


    "Shang''er?"


    "Madam?"


    "My lady?"


    "Her majesty?"


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and ignored him.


    "I... I''m sorry. "


    "In the future..." Luo Qingyan coughed, "I can''t guarantee that I won''t let you do that again."


    "Bah!" Yun Shang gripped her sleeve tightly.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "By the way, I met Zhao Yingjie this morning. I''m going to send him back to the frontier. If you want to hold the wedding for them while he is still in the Jin City, you''ll have to hurry up. "

 Chapter 1191 its Time To Fight

    Although she knew it was Luo Qingyan''s plan to attract her attention, Yun Shang was indeed concerned about it.


    Yun Shang turned around and frowned at Luo Qingyan, "Send them to the frontier again? When? But why? Didn''t Zhao Yingjie just come back to the Jin City? But what happened at the frontier? "


    "HMM..." Luo Qingyan looked down and said, "Nothing happened at the frontier. I just plan to advance the war, not waiting for this winter to pass.."


    "Won''t you wait for the winter to pass?" Yun Shang frowned, "Why?"


    "As you used to say, Cangjue Qingsu will attack us again soon. He is a man of character. But in winter, the grass on the grassland of the State of Yelang withers, and there is not enough food for the war horses and soldiers, which is very disadvantageous to the State of Yelang. Therefore, the State of Yelang will most likely choose to attack when the grass regains its green color next spring.


    But if the State of Yelang is well prepared by that time, it will not be easy for us to fight back at that time."


    Yun Shang understood this point, "But the State of Yelang is not the only country that needs to prepare for the war. We also need to be prepared? As we have analyzed it before, if we rashly start a war on the State of Yelang in this snowy winter day, it will also be very disadvantageous to us... "


    Luo Qingyan smiled and looked at Yun Shang, "Call me Husband, and I''ll tell you."


    "¡­¡­" Yun Shang gritted her teeth and snorted coldly. Then she turned over again and said, "If you don''t want to talk about it, then forget it!"


    Luo Qingyan stopped Yun Shang, "No. I''ll tell you."


    "After the last discussion with you, I called Zhao Yingjie into the palace and discussed it carefully. Later I felt that we should take the State of Yelang by surprise. Perhaps we would have a greater chance of winning. So after that, we began to set it up... "


    "I have sent many people to the state of Yelang to secretly make up and go for business to buy horses from the State of Yelang."


    "To buy horses?" Yun Shang frowned.


    "Yes, " Luo Qingyan


    ransfer of money and materials from the spies. If she can go, it will be the best. "


    Yun Shang glared at him, "You always tell me everything when you have made up your mind."


    Luo Qingyan was amused byYun Shang''s reaction, but he didn''t dare to laugh in front of her. He lowered his head and said, "I know I was wrong. It''s just about the safety of the country. I have no other choice."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and waved her hand. "I know. I know. Alas, it''s so annoying. I don''t know when I can stop it."


    It was rare for Luo Qingyan to see Yun Shang behave like this, but he liked Yun Shang more as she was so lively. He held her hand and comforted her in a low voice, "It won''t be long. Let''s stop after we defeat the State of Yelang."


    Yun Shang wasn''t so optimistic. She pursed her lips and said, "Even if we get rid of the external strife, we will still have endless internal worries. People will always have endless worries all their lives. That''s why we are born to suffer, all kinds of hardship."


    "But at least you have someone to accompany you. Who is willing to suffer," Luo Qingyan''s voice became softer.


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and sighed. Then she said in a low voice, "I''m really sleepy. I want to sleep for a while. I''ll deal with these things later."


    Luo Qingyan replied, "I''ll be with you."


    Then he lay down beside Yun Shang.

 Chapter 1192 As You Said

    When Yun Shang woke up, Luo Qingyan had left. Yun Shang would have thought it was just a dream if there was not still some warmth left on her side.


    "When did his majesty leave?"


    "About fifteen minutes ago."


    Yun Shang nodded, and asked someone to ask Qin Yi here, telling her everything in detail.


    "What do you think?"


    Qin Yi said calmly, "If his majesty and your majesty need a trustworthy person to manage the provisions and funds at the frontier, I will go."


    Yun Shang wasn''t surprised at Qin Yi''s choice. The reason why Qin Yi wanted to stay in the Imperial Palace was that she needed a trustworthy person to keep an eye on the Imperial Household Department for her.


    But the work about provisions and funds at the border were naturally more important than that of the Imperial Household Department. It was also more dangerous.


    Because of this, Yun Shang didn''t want her to go. "You have to deal with matters in the Imperial Household Department. Why don''t you stay? As for the matters at the frontier, we could send others to deal with them. Luo Yi was good. His majesty trusts him very much, and he is a kung fu master. He must be able to do it properly. "


    "Although you may have to separate from General Zhao, it will not last long..."


    Qin Yi smiled, "I''ve made up my mind. I''ll go. Since I''m about to General Zhao, I''m the most suitable person for this matter. Although Luo Yi is a kung fu master, he doesn''t need much Kung Fu to manage provisions and funds. The work needs someone to check the bill. It''s not appropriate for outsiders to take over it. I''m good at it. "


    "Qian Yin is pregnant now, so she needs Luo Yi. If I go there, Luo Yi and Qian Yin don''t have to separate from each other, neither do I and General Zhao. I think it''s good. Your majesty, don''t worry about me. Since I went with General Zhao, he will take good care of me.


    You also want to get married? "


    "I didn''t say that. Your majesty, you can''t misunderstand me."


    Yun Shang''s smile became brighter, and she didn''t listen to Qian Zhuo''s explanation at all. "But there is only one General Zhao in the world. However, I will help you pay attention to it and see if there is a suitable person. "


    "¡­¡­" Qian Zhuo stamped her feet and said, "I didn''t mean that. Don''t make fun of me, your majesty."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled more brightly, "I know you don''t mean that, but you are indeed not young."


    "Even so, you should help Qian Liu first. She is older than me."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling. She was in a much better mood.


    Since the war with the State of Yelang had to be advanced, they need to make a lot of preparations.


    Yun Shang raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. "Go and fetch the map of the State of Xia for me, along with the map of the State of Yelang."


    Qian Zhuo answered. She walked to the bookshelf and took out the map. Then she cleaned up the desk and spread out the two maps for Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang walked to the desk and took a vermilion pen, staring at the map.


    She circled the cities near the border of the State of Yelang one by one...

 Chapter 1193 Sad For Separation

    The fire case on the day of the enthronement was soon handled properly. Yun Shang stood in the hall, playing with the parrot and listening to Qian Yin''s report.


    "I''m afraid the people behind the fire didn''t expect that his majesty and your majesty would deal with it in this way. They were completely unprepared and didn''t have any other action. However, the people caught by the secret guards before were not willing to tell us who instigated them to do so no matter how hard they torture them. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "They didn''t expect it, so they panicked."


    "As for the person behind it," Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "there''s no need to interrogate. I know who it is."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Yin thought for a moment and asked tentatively, "Your majesty, do you think the people who set the fire is from those noble clans?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded and put the almond in her hand on the plate for the parrot to eat. "Last time, Cao Han asked to see me in a hurry, as if for this thing. He said that the old lady of the Cao clan had discussed something with others and she mentioned the enthronement ceremony. But his people didn''t know the details. He suspected that the old lady of the Cao clan wanted to take action on the day of the enthronement, but he didn''t know what she wanted to do. "


    Qian Yin pursed her lips and said, "She is so daring."


    "Of course." Yun Shang smiled, "I killed her husband. Of course she won''t let me go. Moreover, the Cao family was the remnants of the previous Cao clan. Others didn''t know the origin of the Cao family, but the old lady must know it. Since she knows it, she must have been ready to be exposed and killed at any time. "


    "You are right." Qian Yin nodded, "What are you going to do with it?"


    "Although I know that this matter has something to do with the Cao clan, I can''t present any solid evidence. Besides, it''s not easy to remove such a big clan. It doesn''t matter. I''l


    interesting. He and Chenxi get along well with each other."


    Hearing Shu Jin''s words, Yun Shang knew that she must be talking about Yan''er, who always wanted to marry a wife. When she was pregnant, he always said that if she gave birth to a girl, she would have to marry him.


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head. He was naughty and tough. However, Chenxi had grown up in the palace, and he might not have many playmates. It would be a good thing for him to have a good time with Yan''er.


    Yun Shang saw Bao''er''s hand was held by Chenxi and Qian Zhuo and Hua''er were watching him. Then she bowed to Shu Jin and said, "I don''t know when I can see mother next time. I can''t accompany you all the time. Please forgive me, mother."


    Shu Jin lowered his head and smiled, "Take care of yourself. It''s your greatest filial piety to mother."


    "Mother, you also take care of yourself." Yun Shang''s voice trailed off, with unspeakable pain in her heart and a slight twitch in the tip of her nose. She turned around and walked to Shu Jin''s carriage. "It''s getting cold. Mother and father have to travel a long way. Have you prepared the brazier in the carriage?"


    The maid beside quickly replied, "Everything is ready. We even prepared four quilts"


    Yun Shang nodded, but didn''t know how to say goodbye.

 Chapter 1194 Good News

    After talking with Luo Qingyan for a while, Emperor Ning turned around and walked to Shu Jin, "It''s late now. Let''s set off. We can rush to the inn to stay for the night before dark."


    Shu Jin nodded and looked up at Chenxi, "Chenxi, it''s time to go on the carriage."


    "Okay," lowering his head, Chenxi answered in a low voice. Then he walked to Yun Shang and said, "Sister, we''re leaving now. I''ll take care of Father and Mother for you. But you can''t forget me. You must come back to see me."


    "Chenxi is so lovely. How can I forget you? You''ll have to write to me after you finish practicing your handwriting." Yun Shang squatted down and looked at Chenxi with tears in her eyes, "Chenxi, remember, if anyone bullies you or Mother, send a message to me. I''ll help you vent your anger, okay?"


    "Okay," Chenxi answered firmly, clenching his fists. Without hesitation, he turned around and got on the carriage.


    Shu Jin and Emperor Ning followed him onto the carriage. The curtain of the carriage was lifted. Shu Jin looked at Yun Shang and waved at her.


    "Let''s go." Hearing Emperor Ning''s voice, Yun Shang turned around and suddenly understood how Shu Jin felt when she came to send her to the State of Xia.


    It was not until Emperor Ning and Shu Jin left that Yun Shang was able to have a rest and concentrate on preparing the wedding of Qin Yi and Zhao Yingjie.


    On the second day of December, the weather was extremely cold. On the day before, it was still snowing, but it was rare at the moment for the sun to rise.


    As the Empress, Yun Shang couldn''t go there too early, so she had to wait anxiously in the palace.


    Qian Liu went to prepare Qin Yi''s make-up, leaving Qian Zhuo waiting in the palace.


    Seeing Yun Shang''s troubled look, Qian Zhuo couldn''t help laughing, "You are so nervous, your majesty. People who don''t know you might think that it''s you who are getting married."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Maybe I was not so nervous on my wedding day."


    What did she look like on the day she got married? Now it seemed that she couldn''t remember anything then.


    "Today, his majesty and I will preside over the wedding ceremony. I''ve never done this kind of jobs before," Yun Shang said.


    "So your majesty is worried about the task?" Qian Zhuo asked.


    "Exactly!"


    Yun Shang was about to lose her patience, when a message ca


    ow bow to each other!"


    Accompanied by the music and singing, Zhao Yingjie and Qin Yi bowed together.


    "It''s done. Send them both to their own bridal chamber."


    The bridesmaids held the bride and followed the groom into the bridal chamber.


    Yun Shang had been smiling all the time. Seeing the bridegroom and the bride leave, she turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Will Mother come out today?"


    "I think so," Luo Qingyan replied, After all, it is General Zhao''s great day today. But I don''t think she will come as the former majesty today. She may disguise herself and hide in the crowd. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang couldn''t help looking around, but she didn''t see anyone. She went on to ask, "His Former Majesty will be unhappy, won''t he?"


    Xia Huanyu minded Hua Ling''s past experiences in the State of Ning. Everyone knew who Zhao Yingjie was, but no one dared to mention him in front of Xia Huanyu.


    "Even if he is unhappy, he doesn''t dare to stop Mother from coming." Luo Qingyan smiled, "His majesty has been missing her for so many years and finally got her back. He will surely cherish her and dares not to make her unhappy."


    Yun Shang curled her lips and said nothing.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and held Yun Shang''s hand, "It''s time for us to go back."


    Although it was a rare honor for both the Emperor and the Empress to preside over their wedding ceremony, it was not good for them to stay here for too long. They knew their presence would make people attending the ceremony nervous.


    Yun Shang nodded in agreement and stood up.

 Chapter 1195 Investigate

    On the third day after their marriage, Qin Yi quietly left the Jin city with Zhao Yingjie and went to the frontier.


    After Zhao Yingjie and Qin Yi left, they had to prepare for the Spring Festival.


    This was the first Spring Festival after Luo Qingyan became the emperor. There were a lot of things to prepare, and Yun Shang began to be busy.


    "Your majesty, this is the list of the new year gifts to be given to the officials in the court and the ladies in the imperial household. Please have a look."


    Yun Shang took it and glanced at it.


    "Is it in accordance with the same rule as the past years?"


    "I think so. But this year is the first year that his majesty ascends the throne, so the reward a little more."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Ok."


    Qian Liu answered and took another form, "this is the list of rewards gained by the imperial household of the previous dynasty."


    Yun Shang looked through it and felt something was missing. She frowned, but didn''t remember what was missing.


    "Your majesty, do you have any supplement?" Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Qian Liu asked hurriedly.


    Yun Shang checked the list again and finally found something wrong. "It seems that there is no... Prince Xian? "


    "Prince Xian?" Qian Liu was stunned, "But didn''t Prince Xian resign and leave the Jin City? Should he get a reward? "


    "Of course." Yun Shang replied, "Although Prince Xian has left the Jin City, his majesty hasn''t approved the resignation. His mansion is still reserved for him, and no one is allowed to move the servants and things inside. This means that he is still Prince Xian."


    "Although he is not in the Jin City, the new year gift should still be sent. Just send it to Prince Xian''s mansion. There should be someone in his mansion who can get in touch with him. At that time, it''s up to them to deal with it."


    "From now on, don''t leave out Prince Xian when giving rewards to the officials in the palace."


    Qian Liu nodded and kept it in mind.


    After thinking for a w


    y wore that clothes for the ceremony, she would definitely be able to hold on until the end of the ceremony.


    "But it''s hard to tell if this matter has anything to do with the Li''s. And Yu Nian has died. Your majesty, what should we do with it?"


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and tapped the table with her fingers. "The dead can''t be investigated. I can''t dig out her body and whip it again. But the Li''s... "


    Yun Shang meditated for a moment and said, "Don''t take any action for the time being. Ask the secret guards to investigate the background of the Li''s carefully. The more detailed the better, and send it to me after checking."


    "Let''s see the Li''s is really just a simple Imperial Purveyor and tell if it has anything to do with the matter."


    Qian Liu replied, "I''ll tell them right now."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Don''t worry. The most important thing right now is to prepare for the Spring Festival. There is always something wrong with the banquets. I feel dizzy every time I hear it. I just want to have a peaceful banquet for the Spring Festival."


    Qian Liu couldn''t help laughing when hear it. "Don''t worry, your majesty. I promise I will try my best to ensure a perfect banquet."


    "Of course I can rest assured that you will arrange it well. But I''m afraid that someone will make trouble on purpose."

 Chapter 1196 Snow

    As the Spring Festival approached, the atmosphere in the palace became more festive. The lanterns were replaced with bright red ones.


    It was snowing outside, and the ground had already been covered with a thick layer.


    Yun Shang huddled up in the hall, holding a thermos flask in her hands and wearing a thick cloak. She looked out of the window and said, "I don''t know when the snow will stop."


    "It will take a while." Qian Zhuo answered and hurried to persuade her, "Your majesty, it''s too cold. You''d better close the window. It''s not good if you catch a cold."


    "It doesn''t matter." Yun Shang smiled, "I feel much better than before. Maybe it''s because I''m used to it, or because I''m much healthier, I''m not afraid of the cold that much."


    "It seems that you are much healthier. But you should pay more attention."


    Then Qian Zhuo closed the window quickly, ignoring Yun Shang''s opinion.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing when she saw Qian Zhuo''s action. "It seems that I''m too tolerant of you. Now you''re getting more and more disrespectful of me."


    Qian Zhuo knew that Yun Shang was just joking with her, so she didn''t take it seriously. She just chuckled and said, "Of course I''ll listen to your orders. But I know it''s not good for your health, so I can''t spoil you anyway."


    Spoil her?


    Yun Shang looked down and chuckled.


    "Mother! Mother! Come out and play with the snow! "


    A crisp voice came from outside, and Qian Zhuo chuckled, "It''s the crown prince."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at the sand clock on the bookshelf. "It''s a little late than usual. I don''t know if he didn''t practice hard today and was left by his father, or he forgot the time to play snow on the road... "


    Then she stood up and walked outside.


    Qian Zhuo quickly took the rabbit fur neck warmer and followed her. "Your majesty, you''d better wear the neck warmer. It''s cold outside."


    Yun Shang let her wear it for her b


    too cold. The snowmen have been made. Go back and warm your hands with the thermos. It''s better to take a hot bath."


    After the servants escorted him to the side hall, Yun Shang returned to her bedroom.


    Not long after she sat down, she heard a servant outside reporting, "Your majesty, his majesty is here."


    Then the greetings came one after another.


    "I don''t know the snow will last." Luo Qingyan entered the room, handed his cloak to a servant, and sat down opposite Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang looked up at him, but said nothing.


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "What did Shang''er do in the palace today?"


    "Nothing."


    His tone


    Luo Qingyan was confused, "What''s wrong? What happened? Why do you suddenly get angry with me? "


    Yun Shang snorted, "How dare I be angry with you, your majesty? Your majesty, you are so powerful. Chengye is just a child. How could you hit him so hard. I know you want to train him, but do you have to hurt him all over? "


    "I hit him too hard?" Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing, but he had roughly guessed the whole story. "The kid always pretends to be pitiful in front of you. It was him who insists on fighting the snow battle with others and ask them to hit the snowball hard. He played quite happily. How could it be my fault?"

 Chapter 1197 Whereabouts

    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan suspiciously and didn''t believe it at all. Then she looked at Liu Wenan standing next to him.


    With a smile on his face, Liu Wenan said, "Your Majesty, you really misunderstood the his majesty. It''s really the crown prince who insisted on fighting the snow battle. Earlier over there, the crown prince had a good time. His majesty was afraid that you would worry if the crown prince came back too late, so he asked someone to send him back. "


    "¡­¡­"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but touch her forehead. ''The little boy is good at lying. I don''t know where he learned it. He should be taught a lesson.''


    While Yun Shang was thinking, Luo Qingyan was not satisfied. "Shang''er, you convicted me without even asking me about it carefully. It''s not fair."


    "And you still don''t believe me after I explained it. Is there no trust between you and me?"


    Yun Shang bit her lips. She really wronged him. "It''s all my fault. I always thought that a child as old as Chengye wouldn''t lie."


    "Did you think I would lie?"


    "¡­¡­" This man was going to be endless, wasn''t he?


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth, "What do you want?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "I forgive you if you promise me one thing."


    "What is it?"


    The smile in Luo Qingyan''s eyes deepened. "I haven''t thought of it yet. I''ll tell you later."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but glare at Luo Qingyan, "You just used this trick a few days ago. Do you think I have forgotten how you deceived me? Do you think I''m stupid? "


    Luo Qingyan looked down and chuckled, "Shang''er, what are you thinking about? I promise it must be serious this time. "


    "Well." Yun Shang remained unmoved, "Dealing with government affairs?"


    Luo Qingyan burst into laughter.


    Yun Shang sat aside and sneered, "Is it funny? Your majesty, just stay here and laugh. I''m going to have dinner. "


    Seeing that Yun Shang became angry from embarrassment, Luo Q


    the State of Yelang, the secret guards specially went to the area near the State of Yelang to carefully check and chose several paths to transport the war horses. One of the path is near Nanxun Town. "


    Yun Shang was surprised. "Has Prince Xian found out about it?"


    "Since he lives there, he will find out sooner or later." Luo Qingyan didn''t care much about it. "If he finds out this, he will most likely perceive my intention."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Prince Xian is meticulous and intelligent. He is good at finding out problems from small clues."


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang with a smile, but didn''t say anything. He moved his hand away from the map and said, "Although few people know Prince Xian''s whereabouts. He has led army many times before, and many soldiers respected and obeyed him."


    "Since he is at the frontier, he won''t really stand by if there is a war. I''m relieved to have him at the frontier. "


    Yun Shang cast a sidelong glance at him and said, "You are a schemer. With the war at the frontier, many soldiers and people will suffer."


    "That''s why we have to win the war. We have to defeat the State of Yelang completely and make the State of Yelang surrender completely and dare not have any improper desire for the State of Xia anymore."

 Chapter 1198 Die With You

    It snowed several times and the New Year''s Eve finally arrived.


    It didn''t snow on New Year''s Eve. The banquet was held at noon as scheduled.


    As usual, all the courtiers above the fifth grade and their families with honorary titles were allowed to attend the banquet.


    The hall was bustling with music and dances. Yun Shang sat beside Luo Qingyan, dressed in bright court clothes and with a faint smile on her face.


    "Mother, I want to eat candied haw berries." Chengye looked up at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and smiled at Chengye, "There is no candied haw berries, but there is hawthorn cake, which is also sour and sweet. It''s very delicious. Do you want to have a taste?"


    Chengye blinked and said, "Well, since mom said it was delicious, it must be."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at Pei Lan. Pei Lan quickly took out a plate of hawthorn cakes from the food box in her hand and put it in front of Chengye.


    Chengye took a piece and put it into his mouth. He frowned, but soon calmed down. There was a hint of surprise on his eyes. "It''s really delicious."


    The smile in Yun Shang''s eyes widened. She reached out to touch his head, and then watched the performance in the hall.


    "Mother..."


    After a while, Chengye spoke again.


    "Hm? What''s wrong? " Yun Shang asked hurriedly.


    Chengye waved at Yun Shang, indicating her to get closer.


    Looking at his mysterious appearance, Yun Shang was curious and got closer to him.


    "Mother, I saw someone in the hall looking at you all the time."


    "What?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked in surprise, "Who?"


    "He is sitting next to a pillar behind father..."


    Chengye didn''t know how to explain it clearly.


    Yun Shang sat up straight and glanced at the courtiers who were sitting against the pillar behind Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the man beside the third pillar and squinted. It was Cao Han.


    The performance was going on in the hall


    es and said, "If you have anything, just say it. I don''t like you to be so indirect."


    Cao Han stood still for a long time before he finally opened his mouth. "This year''s performance assessment is about to begin. My mother asked my second uncle to bribe someone for my brother, so that he can be promoted... If my brother is promoted again, he will be at the third grade. In that case, the position of the clan master... "


    With a faint smile on her face, Yun Shang looked at Cao Han and said, "It seems you are really determined to be the clan master. You have been keeping an eye on it all the time."


    Cao Han smiled with embarrassment.


    "Don''t worry. I have told you that you will be the clan master, so you will definitely be."


    Cao Han''s face lit up with joy. He hurriedly bowed to Yun Shang and said, "Thank you, your majesty. If I can take over the position of the clan master, I will be loyal to your majesty and his majesty. I promise that the Cao Clan will never do anything harmful to your majesty and his majesty''s interests in the future and will never betray you."


    Yun Shang squinted at Cao Han and said, "I''ll keep these words in mind. I like people who are loyal and devoted. What I hate most is betrayal. If you betray me, I will make the whole Cao clan die with you! "

 Chapter 1199 A New Year Is Coming

    "Yes, yes, your majesty. Don''t worry. Such a thing will never happen." Cao Han replied submissively.


    "Well, you can leave now. I have my own plan."


    Cao Han lowered his eyes and left in a hurry.


    After Cao Han left, Yun Shang turned her head and looked at the person standing behind the bookshelf. "Your majesty, what should we do with this matter?"


    Luo Qingyan walked out from behind the bookshelf and walked to Yun Shang. "The performance assessment will begin after the new year. Some officials in the Ministry of Personnel will take in charge of it.


    "Every year, there are countless officials who are trying to bribe the relevant officials for the performance assessment."


    Yun Shang nodded and didn''t feel surprised. "Corruption is most difficult to eradicate."


    Luo Qingyan curled her lips and said, "Yes, if the water is too clear, the fish cannot survive. Therefore, as long as they don''t go too far, I didn''t intend to interfere. But now that Cao Han has come to report it to you and you have agreed. I have to interfere it."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "The Cao family is supported by Cao Wenxi. There is no good person in the family. I support Cao Han just because I want to see what tricks they are playing. Besides, Cao Han has always thought that I haven''t seen through the secrets of the Cao clan, so I can control something through him... "


    "That''s why I have to cooperate with you."


    Yun Shang frowned, "Your majesty... How do you want to cooperate with me? "


    "It''s very simple. I''ll ask to the officials from the Ministry of Personnel who are in charge of different part to change with each other after the assessment starts. Then they will be unable to help those who have bribed them. "


    "Besides, in order to avoid them being bribed by others during the performance assessment


    highness! Step back a little. Just stretch out your hand and run as soon as you light it! "


    However, Chengye didn''t listen to her. He even brought a firework and looked at it carefully. After a while, he was about to light it.


    "Oh, your highness! Step back! "


    Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and said, "How could you allow him to do such a dangerous thing?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t care much about it. "Don''t worry. If he can run as fast as he did when he heard that he heard that he was going to practice martial-art squat, he will be fine."


    "¡­¡­"


    While the two were talking, Chengye had lit it with the fire starter.


    "Your highness!" The servant shouted in horror.


    "Ah! Run! " Chengye screamed and laughed, running towards Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan quickly.


    With a bang, the fireworks soared into the sky, creating beautiful flower patterns.


    "Hahaha!" Chengye clapped his hands and laughed, "Beautiful!"


    "Look, he could run fast, didn''t he? Your son is really good at running. He always makes a group of servants running after him. "


    Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan. Fireworks were in full bloom in the dark sky, and the laughter of Chengye was in her ears.


    A new year is coming.

 Chapter 1200 A letter

    All the court officials had five days off for the Spring Festival.


    However, the news of the frontier was still coming.


    "Zhao Yingjie has arrived at the frontier, and the first batch of food has been transported to the frontier. However, they didn''t send them directly to the camp in case of alerting the enemy. All the provisions have been placed in the courtyard and grain warehouse of the secret spies at the border. I also sent secret guards to secretly dig some cellars to store the provisions. When the war starts, the provisions can be transported there."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Is there any news from the State of Yelang?"


    "No. Cangjue Qingsu is not in the camp. According to the secret guards, there is something wrong in the imperial capital city of the State of Yelang. Cangjue Qingsu has gone back to deal with it." Luo Qingyan put the letter in his hand into a book and pressed it.


    "Has Cangjue Qingsu really gone back to the imperial capital city? Will it be just a false move? "


    "According to the secret guards, he has. However, the information the secret guards could get from the camp of the State of Yelang was limited. It was possible that Cangjue Qingsu hasn''t gone back. But it''s true that something happened in the court of the State of Yelang. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows. "Your majesty, why are you so sure? Do you have anything with the thing happened in the court of the State of Yelang? What is it? "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Cangjue Qingsu used a lot of dirty tricks to seize the throne and offended a lot of people. When he was in the court, those people were afraid of his means and dared not act rashly. But last year, he was at the border for the first half of the year. The people who had enmity with him were eager to move and collude with each other, intending to take advantage of his absence and usurp the throne. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "No wonder Cangjue Qingsu had to go back in a hurry. It turns out that he wa


    t if not, Prince Xian will probably try his best to hide it. His disease is caused because of me. I can''t just stand by. "


    Luo Qingyan pursed her lips and kept silent for a long time.


    Yun Shang reached out her hand and pulled Luo Qingyan''s sleeve cautiously.


    After a while, Luo Qingyan sighed, "Forget it. You can go."


    "Huh?" Yun Shang didn''t expect that Luo Qingyan would agree so readily. Her words of persuasion were blocked in her mouth and she looked at Luo Qingyan blankly.


    Luo Qingyan smiled and touched Yun Shang''s head, "I don''t know much about Prince Xian, but I know you well. Prince Xian''s disease is caused by you. If you don''t personally see Ghost Doctor cure him, I''m afraid you won''t feel at ease for the rest of your life. "


    "If you feel uneasy all your life, you will only keep thinking about this matter and him. This is definitely not what I want to see."


    "If it can make you feel better by going there, of course I am willing to let you go."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang smiled and held Luo Qingyan''s waist. "Thank you, your majesty."


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said, "Is it enough for you to thank me for such an important thing?"


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes, but the corners of her mouth curved up. "Then... I''ll deal with political affairs for your majesty tonight? "

 Chapter 1201 Conditions

    Ghost Doctor bought a house in the Jin City. It looked very magnificent from the outside.


    Yun Shang looked up at the plaque carved out of old wood, on which there were two words "Ghost House". She was just speechless.


    Qian Zhuo helped Yun Shang to the door and knocked on it.


    The door was suddenly opened, and a woman with heavy makeup was leaning against it, yawning.


    Qian Zhuo frowned and was about to speak when the woman had already raised her eyes and looked at them.


    "Oh, which house are you from? You look like a fairy. But today''s party hasn''t started yet. "


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Qian Zhuo frowned and scolded her harshly.


    "Qian Zhuo, stop."


    Qian Zhuo bit her lips and obeyed.


    The woman took a look at Qian Zhuo, and then turned to Yun Shang. She looked at Yun Shang up and down for a moment before she stood up a little. "Oh, you are not the same as us. Madam, why are you here... "


    "Please go and inform that Mr. Liu''s best friend has come."


    "Mr. Liu?" The woman raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is the master''s surname Liu? But I didn''t hear anyone call him this? "


    "Just say it. He will know." As Yun Shang spoke, she took off her earrings and stuffed them into the woman''s hands.


    The woman''s eyes swept over the earrings in her hand and immediately smiled happily. "Okay, okay, I''ll report it now. I''ll go right now..."


    The door was closed again.


    Qian Zhuo bit her lips and said, "Master, that woman clearly treats you as... as... "


    The last word was too difficult for her to utter. Qian Zhuo stamped her feet and said, "Master, why are you still talking to her nicely? You should have asked someone to take her down directly."


    "Those who don''t know the truth are innocent." With a smile on her face, said, "After all, my identity is not on my face."


    "But..." Qian Zhuo wanted to say something more, but she knew Yun Shang well. She sighed and didn''t say anything more.


    After a long time


    er?" Ghost Doctor blinked and asked, "Is the war going to start at the frontier?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "He has removed his identity as Prince Xian. He has been travelling around the State of Xia in the past few months. Now everything is fine at the border and the State of Yelang hasn''t invaded. "


    "Ha... Your words can''t even deceive me. " Ghost Doctor sneered, "I know him well. You tell me everything is fine at the border of the State of Xia and the State of Yelang and he just went there to travel?"


    Before Yun Shang opened her mouth, Ghost Doctor waved his hand again. "Forget it. I know you can''t tell the truth as it''s related to politics."


    "I''ve been to many places in my life, but I''ve never been to a military camp. How about this? You promise me that when I go to the frontier and cure Liu Yinfeng''s severe pathogenic cold, I can go to the military camp to have a look. If I''m in a good mood, I might want to be a military doctor in the camp. "


    Yun Shang clenched her fists in her sleeves.


    "What? No? Forget it. You can go back now. "


    Yun Shang gritted her teeth and said, "Well. I promise you. At that time, I will personally take you to the camp to have a look. If you can stay in the camp as a military doctor, it will be the blessing of a million soldiers of the State of Xia. "

 Chapter 1202 Preparations

    Although Yun Shang had invited Ghost Doctor, she can''t set out immediately. At least, she needed to deal with the affairs in the palace and Jin City.


    "It will take me at least a month. If Prince Xian''s condition changes, it may take a longer time." Yun Shang fixed her eyes on Luo Qingyan and said, "I''m not in the palace. I''m really worried about Chengye living in the Weiyang Palace. Why don''t you arrange Chengye to move to the East Palace while I''m still in the palace? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Okay. The East Palace has been well arranged, and the servants in it have been well arranged. I intended to ask Chengye to move there after the ceremony. In that case, why not let him move in as soon as possible? "


    "It might as well that he moves in as soon as possible. If the ceremony is held, I''m afraid that more and more people will stare at the East Palace. At that time, I will be more worried."


    "I''m afraid few people will expect that I''m in such a hurry to let Chengye move in. They have no time to do anything."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan replied, "Ask the Imperial Astronomer to choose a date?"


    Yun Shang replied, "Okay."


    Although it had been decided, Yun Shang was not in a hurry to ask the servants to pack up in order to keep it a secret. She just waited for the Imperial Astronomer to pick a day to move there directly.


    "Your majesty will leave for such a long time. The affairs in the palace..."


    Standing by the window, Yun Shang said indifferently, "I''ll go to her majesty''s palace later and ask her to help me manage the imperial household affairs."


    The snow outside stopped, and the servants were cleaning the snow on the road.


    Yun Shang ordered the servants to take the cloak and left for Taihe Palace.


    As soon as she entered the palace gate, she saw Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling heating the wine in the pavilion in the yard.


    The servant saw Yun Shang and reported to the two. Then the two turned to Yun Shang.


    "Her majesty is here."


    Hua


    e suddenly came, "Come and have a taste. I made it all by myself."


    The two looked away. Yun Shang stood up with a smile and took the plate from Hua Ling when she entered the pavilion.


    "What are you two talking about? I saw you two talking happily just now. "


    Yun Shang curled up her lips.


    "Mother, father said that you didn''t really want to heat up cakes for me. You just lost the game so you found an excuse to escape when I came."


    Hearing this, Hua Ling couldn''t help but glare at Xia Huanyu, "What are you talking about?"


    "I was just telling the truth."


    Yun Shang smiled and took a bite of the cake.


    "This is golden cake, right? It smells sweet and delicious."


    "It''s gold cake." Hua Ling nodded with a smile, "You can eat more if it tastes good. I''ve cooked a lot."


    Then she asked, "Do your majesty have anything important today?"


    Yun Shang swallowed the cake in her mouth and nodded slightly. "I have something to do out of the palace, I''ll leave one month or two or three months. After I left, no one in the palace can take charge of the imperial household affairs, so I came to ask you for help. "


    Hua Ling curled up her lips and didn''t ask Yun Shang what she was going to do. She just said, "No big deal. Don''t worry. As long as I''m here, everything in the palace will be fine."

 Chapter 1203 Set Off

    The date chosen by the Imperial Astronomer was the 22nd day of the first lunar month. Although it was a little late, Yun Shang had to hurry up to deal with the affairs in the palace.


    Early in the morning of that day, Yun Shang gathered her servants to pack up for Chengye.


    Chengye was running around. Yun Shang worried that the servants were too busy to care about him, so she caught him and said, "You are moving to the East Palace today. Although it''s a little far from Weiyang Palace, it''s still in the palace. If you want to see mother, you can come to Weiyang Palace."


    "Okay!" Chengye answered, but his eyes were still fixed on the servants who were packing up.


    "The seven-piece puzzle is mine!" Chengye suddenly shouted.


    Following the gaze of Chengye, Yun Shang saw a the seven-piece puzzle on the shelf.


    The servant was taken aback by Chengye. She hurriedly comforted, "Yes, your highness. It is yours. It''s just the box is full and I am about to get another box. Your highness, don''t worry. I will definitely pack up all your toys. "


    Hearing this, Chengye was satisfied. He nodded and said, "You must."


    Then he turned to look at Yun Shang, held Yun Shang''s legs and said, "Mother, I will miss you..."


    "When you come back to the palace, I''ll come to Weiyang Palace every day to accompany you for a while."


    Chengye rolled his eyes and asked, "Can I come here three times a day? No, I have to do it four times! I will miss you very much. "


    Yun Shang''s heart softened when she saw his expression, so there was nothing she couldn''t agree.


    "Okay, even eight times is okay, let alone four times."


    However, when they arrived at the East Palace, Chengye seemed to have forgotten that and rushed in quickly.


    "Father said that he had prepared a lot of toys for me, including bow and arrows. Where are they? Where are


    fore Yun Shang could say anything, Ghost Doctor waved his hand and said, "I won''t ride there. I''m not as young as your majesty. I''m afraid my bone will break up if I ride there."


    "But..."


    "Oh!" Ghost Doctor raised his eyebrows and said, "Don''t worry, your majesty. Although severe pathogenic cold is serious, it will definitely not kill him soon. It seemed your majesty didn''t worry too much before? And you still don''t need to worry now. "


    After saying that, he muttered in a low voice, "I haven''t brought those women with me. I''m already very aggrieved."


    Then he simply lay down on the pillow on the carriage and yawned lazily.


    Yun Shang didn''t know whether to cry or to laugh. She knew what Ghost Doctor said was true, but she was still a little anxious.


    But looking at Ghost Doctor, she knew it was impossible for him to ride a horse.


    Yun Shang sighed, "Well, in that case, let''s take a carriage."


    Fortunately, Yun Shang also took a carriage when she went out of the palace, and it was well prepared. Yun Shang stepped on a stool and got on the carriage. "Let''s go!"


    The carriage moved. Yun Shang opened the curtain and looked at the figure standing on the city wall. She smiled and calmed down slowly.

 Chapter 1204 Arrival

    Taking carriage was slower than riding horse. They arrive at a town not far from Jin City until it was getting dark.


    The secret guards had already arranged everything. They all stayed in an inn in the town.


    "Your majesty, after we left the palace today, three groups of people followed us. When we leave the city, two more groups followed. But these people are just following us in a distance. We can''t figure out what they are up to for a moment. " The secret guard reported in a low voice.


    Yun Shang knocked on the table with her fingers and said, "We are still near Jin City. Even if they want to do something to me, they don''t dare to do it for the time being. Now they can only wait and see. They won''t do it until I go far away."


    "Besides, I left the palace very suddenly this time, and they were not ready for the time being. After a few more days, they can probably guess that I am going to the frontier. Although they don''t know why I go to the frontier, they can roughly guessed my route when they know my destination. Then they can set up ambushes on the road... "


    The secret guard nodded and said, "We also guessed that someone would have such an idea, so we sent a lot of people to explore the way. But it''s a long way, it''s really difficult to guess where they are going to set up ambushes."


    Qian Zhuo frowned and said, "We could use the strategy of "getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin". In this way, we can avoid many ambushes. But Ghost Doctor is not willing to ride a horse, and he is even unwilling to give up his carriage."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "If we keep going like this, we will be like living targets. Even if we are well prepared, it won''t work much. Even if we are lucky enough to survive all the way, it will be a long time before we reach the frontier."


    "So your majesty want to..."


    "Use the strategy of "getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin". Send someone to disguise as Ghost Doctor and me tomorrow. We will continue to stay in this inn with Ghost Doctor and start the day after tomorrow."


    ."


    Ghost Doctor''s hand stopped. He slowly turned his head and looked at Yun Shang. Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t seem to be joking, he frowned and fell into deep thought.


    After a while, Ghost Doctor spoke again, "You knocked me out? And drugged me? And brought me here? "


    Ghost Doctor''s eyes darkened, as if a storm was coming.


    "Yes." Yun Shang replied without hesitate.


    Ghost Doctor was pissed off but couldn''t help laugh, "How dare you. Aren''t you afraid that I''ll refuse to cure Liu Yinfeng if you irritate me ?"


    "I''m afraid."


    Yun Shang replied, "But you insist on taking a carriage, which is so ostentatious. We would''ve lost our lives before we arrived at the frontier. So I have no choice but to come up with this idea. Please forgive me, sir. "


    Casting a glance at Yun Shang, Ghost Doctor asked, "So how did we get here? Riding a horse? "


    "No, we still took a carriage, but more troublesome. But you didn''t suffer much as you are in a coma. The servants fed you food and water all the way. Isn''t it good that you have arrived just after some sleep? "


    Doctor ghost sneered, "You mean I should thank you?"


    Yun Shang was about to answer, but a secret guard quickly walked in. "Master, we have found Prince Xian''s residence, and he seems to be sick again..."


    "Let''s go!" Hearing this, Yun Shang hurriedly took Ghost Doctor and walked out of the door.

 Chapter 1205 Why Are You Here

    It was still dawn outside. Although it was spring, the wind in the morning was still cold.


    The secret guard took Yun Shang to a house and said, "Prince Xian lives here."


    Yun Shang nodded, grabbed the iron ring on the door and knocked heavily.


    After a while, she heard footsteps coming in a hurry and opened the door.


    The one who opened the door was Uncle Qin, who had been following Liu Yinfeng all the time. He frowned, eyes full of anxiety. When he saw Yun Shang, his eyes lit up. "Your Ma..."


    As soon as he spoke, he seemed to remember something all of a sudden and stopped in a hurry.


    Yun Shang didn''t have time to chat with him, but entered the yard quickly.


    Uncle Qin followed Yun Shang in a hurry. He was about to tell Yun Shang which room his master was in. However, Yun Shang had already seen the servant guarding outside a room and headed straight for that room.


    When she entered the room, he saw several people standing there. A woman was sitting on the edge of the bed, putting her hand on Liu Yinfeng''s wrist, as if she was feeling his pulse.


    When the people in the room heard the footsteps, they all turned around and looked at the door. When they saw Yun Shang, they were all excited. The woman also turned around and looked at Yun Shang up and down. It was hard to hide her curiosity.


    However, Yun Shang had no time to care about them. She fixed her eyes on the bed. Liu Yinfeng was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. His body was covered with three thick quilts, but his face was still pale, and there seemed to be sweat on his forehead.


    Yun Shang frowned and was in a daze. She had never seen him so weak.


    "I''m afraid he is suffering from the severe pathogenic cold." Ghost Doctor said.


    Yun Shang finally came to her senses. She nodded slightly and stood aside. "Please, sir."


    The woman sitting on the edge of the bed seemed to have understood and stood aside.


    Ghost Doctor nodded


    Liu Yinfeng was still in a daze. He stared at Yun Shang for a long time, and then looked at his empty hand. After a long time, he slowly withdrew his hand and turned his eyes away, at a loss. "Ah... A Yun, why are you here? "


    Yun Shang''s eyes softened. "It''s okay that you leave without saying goodbye. I can let it go. I thought you would be more comfortable after leaving Jin City, but I didn''t expect you to make yourself like this. If I don''t come, I''m afraid I''ll have no chance to see you again."


    Liu Yinfeng forced a smile and said, "How could it be? How could it be that serious? Uncle Qin was just worrying too much. "


    Yun Shang didn''t argue. She just glanced at him and said, "I''ve already told Qingyan that I''ll go back to Jin City when you recover."


    Liu Yinfeng was stunned and his hands trembled. He opened his mouth, but didn''t know what to say. He looked up at the people around him.


    Uncle Qin had served Liu Yinfeng for so many years, and he knew him very well. Seeing this, he turned to Ghost Doctor and said, "I''ll take you downstairs to have a rest. Shang Lu, see Doctor Shen off. Hu Po, go and boil some water. Chang Shan, it''s almost lunch time. Why don''t you cook now? "


    Everyone retreated in a hurry, leaving only Liu Yinfeng and Yun Shang in the room.

 Chapter 1206 Is It A Dream

    Liu Yinfeng took a deep breath, "Your majesty..."


    Yun Shang smiled and interrupted him, "We are not in the palace. You could call me A Yun."


    Liu Yinfeng was stunned, but he didn''t know what to say.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang said, "I know you left Jin City because of your mother and Xia Houjing, also because of me. I know what you are thinking. I can''t give you something, but I also hope you can understand that no matter what, I always treat you as my best friend. What I want most is your safety. You might not know that I almost overturned the imperial household when I got Uncle Qin''s letter. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Liu Yinfeng''s expression relaxed at once. The surprise and astonishment at the beginning had faded away, and he only smiled. "Even if you want to overturn the imperial household, his majesty won''t stop you. But how could you come here like this leaving his majesty and the little prince in the palace?


    Yun Shang looked at Liu Yinfeng strangely, "There are so many servants in the palace. Can''t they take care of them?"


    "You know I didn''t mean that." Liu Yinfeng felt a little helpless, but his eyes were full of tenderness and smile.


    Noticing the blood streaks in Liu Yinfeng''s eyes, Yun Shang paused for a while and then smiled, "We were frightened when we received the letter from Uncle Qin. We rushed here as we feared that something might happen to you. I''m a little tired after coming all the way here. Judging from your appearance, I think you didn''t sleep well last night. Have a good sleep first. We can talk about it later.


    Liu Yinfeng nodded and asked Uncle Qin to take Yun Shang to her room.


    Yun Shang left with a smile, but Liu Yinfeng kept staring at the top of the bed and dared not sleep. He was afraid that he would find it was just a dream when he woke up.


    After a while, Uncle Qin came back. Seeing that Liu Yinfeng was still awake, he reported in a low voice, "Master, her majesty and Ghost Doctor have been arranged well."


    Liu Yinfeng tu


    his time? But the climate in Nanxun Town is not suitable for it. What a pity." Yun Shang murmured.


    Just then, Ghost Doctor came out of the kitchen with a bowl of medicine in his hand. He walked up to the two. Liu Yinfeng reached out to take the medicine, but was stopped by Yun Shang. "It''s not for you. It''s mine."


    Yun Shang laughed, took the medicine and drank it up. Liu Yinfeng was stunned and frowned. "Are you sick?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and handed the bowl to Shang Lu. "It''s just for recuperating."


    Liu Yinfeng was stunned, with a flash of understanding in his eyes, but his heart ached again. He lowered his head and said nothing.


    Yun Shang didn''t notice it at all. She continued, "I heard that you fought two battles with Sun Bingzhi the other day? I don''t know what''s going on now. If it weren''t for the long distance, I really want to go to the battlefield to have a look. "


    Liu Yinfeng concealed the pain in his eyes and smiled again, "It''s interesting to go to the battlefield. As the Empress, don''t like fighting and killing. And if you really go there, I''m afraid that you will frighten Sun Bingzhi. "


    "How could?" Yun Shang glared at Liu Yinfeng, but smiled again. "I asked Qian Zhuo to check for me. Cangjue Qingsu is too cunning. I''m afraid that Sun Bingzhi and Zhao Yingjie will suffer losses."

 Chapter 1207 Master

    "There is no general who always wins." Liu Yinfeng replied indifferently, "Besides, this time the state of Xia and the State of Ning are attacking the State of Yelang at the same time. No matter how strong the army of the State of Yelang is and how smart Cangjue Qingsu is, he will be defeated in the end. It won''t take long for him to be destroyed."


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "You are right. It''s time to let Sun Bingzhi and others experience more. And I don''t need to worry about these things."


    Liu Yinfeng smiled. Ghost Doctor turned to look at Liu Yinfeng and frowned, "It''s time for you to go inside and have a rest. Although I have given you acupuncture treatment, the cold has not been removed, and you can''t stand outside for too long."


    Hearing this, the smile on Liu Yinfeng''s face disappeared again. He answered sulkily, took a look at Yun Shang, and turned into the room. Seeing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. "It seems that Prince Xian doesn''t dare to disobey you."


    Ghost Doctor glanced at Yun Shang again and said indifferently, "His majesty also doesn''t dare. He must wait for half a year as I said."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang''s face suddenly flushed and glared at Ghost Doctor.


    However, Ghost Doctor ignored her, looked up at Uncle Qin and asked, "Uncle Qin, have you got the medicine?"


    "Yes." Uncle Qin said yes and took out the medicine bag.


    Ghost Doctor opened the medicine bag and looked at it. There was a little surprise in his eyes. "It''s surprising that there is someone in such a small town who knows medicine so well."


    Uncle Qin smiled and quickly replied, "Dr. Shen is young, but she has good medical skills. You should have seen Dr. Shen yesterday, and this medicine was from her. You praised that the cold in our master''s body was well controlled, and the credit went to Dr. Shen. "


    "Oh?" Hearing this, Gh


    everal times, but you know, I have too many things to do every day. I only learned for two hours in the half of year, so he was not willing to teach me anymore. "


    Liu Yinfeng understood and smiled, "Don''t be too tired."


    Yun Shang blinked her eyes and giggled, "Actually, I''m not that busy. It''s just that sometimes Ghost Doctor is really annoying."


    "I heard you speak ill of me." Ghost Doctor''s voice came from outside. Yun Shang coughed and sat upright. She sighed, "I was about to praise you, but since you''re here, I won''t say it again. I''ve never been used to praising someone at his presence."


    Ghost Doctor came in and ignored Yun Shang. He walked to the basket on the table beside Yun Shang and looked at it. He nodded slightly and said, "The older the herb is, the better its effect will be. The herbs are all of good properties. Good."


    Yun Shang poured a cup of tea and looked up at Shen Banxue. "Doctor Shen, if you think this old man''s medical skills are not bad, you should propose a toast to your master as I just said, right?"


    A hint of surprise flashed through her eyes. She quickly took the teacup from Yun Shang''s hand, turned around and knelt down to Ghost Doctor. "Master, please accept me as your disciple."

 Chapter 1208 Stuck In The War

    Ghost Doctor pouted, "When did I say that I was going to take her as my disciple?"


    Although he said so, he reached out his hand and took the tea. He took a sip and said, "You are gifted, but you can''t forget to work hard. Don''t be like some people who always can''t keep her promise. "


    Yun Shang laughed and turned to Liu Yinfeng, "Look, this man is vindictive."


    Just then, Uncle Qin''s voice came from outside, "Mister, Miss Qian Zhuo is here."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang turned around with joy in her eyes. As soon as Qian Zhuo entered the room, she quickly walked to Yun Shang and bowed, "Master."


    Yun Shang nodded and turned to look at Liu Yinfeng. Liu Yinfeng stood up and said, "Let''s go to the study and have a talk."


    Yun Shang stood up and smiled apologetically at Ghost Doctor and Shen Banxue. She followed Liu Yinfeng and entered the study with Qian Zhuo.


    As soon as they entered the study, Qian Zhuo said, "General Sun has taken down Kana City, but the people who were originally in the city have disappeared. The spy sent by General Su found out that those people have been evacuated in advance by the army of the State of Yelang and have been placed in Bianxi City. The spy reported that the people of Kana City knew what happened in the Ghost Valley at that time, and spread it in Bianxi City. Now people in Bianxi City are agitated, and the guards are much stronger. It''s not easy to attack. "


    Liu Yinfeng nodded slightly, "As I expected, Bianxi City is a hurdle. If we take down Bianxi City and join forces with General Zhao''s army, it shouldn''t be difficult for us to take down Kacui City. "


    "Bianxi City?" Yun Shang frowned and walked to the desk, on which there was a map. She lowered her head and found the location of Bianxi City.


    "This is a city built on an oasis in the desert. It is surrounded by deserts, and there is a river surrounding the city. The terrain is flat and there is almost no place to hide


    esert, leaving only their noses to breathe. If the weather is not too hot, they can hold on for several hours."


    "We have to be on guard against them. But if they really do so, it will be our chance. What I''m afraid of is that they don''t set up an ambush in the desert. When our soldiers pass through the desert, they will be exhausted. When they arrives at Bianxi City, I''m afraid it''s difficult for them to compete with the strong soldiers of the State of Yelang. "


    Yun Shang frowned slightly and continued. "Well, I can''t figure out anything now. I''ll send someone to investigate the terrain of that area in detail and report it to you later. Then we''ll make a decision. Have a good rest first."


    Liu Yinfeng nodded, left the study with Yun Shang and went to his bedroom.


    Yun Shang felt bored staying in the yard. She turned around and said to Shen Banxue, "I''ve only walked around in in Nanxun Town for once since I came here. But I found there are not many people in the town. Would you like to go out with me?"


    Shen Banxue was stunned for a while, and then quickly said, "Today is a market day, the town should be very lively. I''ll take you out to have a look."


    Yun Shang smiled, "That''s good. Let''s go. Let''s follow Doctor Shen to see what the market day is like in the town."

 Chapter 1209 The City Is Taken

    Liu Yinfeng''s yard was near the edge of the town, but it was quiet around. After passing two alleys, it became lively. On both sides of the street, there were all kinds of things, such as small things sold by vendors, all kinds of things taken by the farmer from their homes.


    Yun Shang seldom saw such a situation, her eyes full of curiosity.


    After walking for a while, she saw a child selling grasshoppers made of grass. Yun Shang thought it was interesting, so she took one. Qian Zhuo paid the money in a hurry.


    "Are you interested in the grasshopper?" asked Shen Banxue curiously.


    Yun Shang smiled, "My child is about two years old. I have never seen this in Jin City before. I''ll take it back for him."


    Surprised, she turned to Yun Shang, "Child? The child of you and Mr. Liu? "


    Hearing her question, Yun Shang knew that she must have misunderstood the relationship between Liu Yinfeng and her. She explained with a smile, "No, Mr. Liu and I are not in the relationship as you thought. We are just bosom friends."


    Hearing this, Shen Banxue''s eyes flashed. She remembered that Mr. Liu had called her name several times in a coma and looked so anxious. It also occurred to her that she hadn''t really seen Mr. Liu''s smile until A Yun came. He smiled from the bottom of his heart at her. And when Mr. Liu talked to her, the tenderness in his eyes could not be hided.


    The lady thought Mr. Liu as her bosom friend, but she was afraid that Mr. Liu didn''t just take her as a friend.


    However, this lady was not married to Mr. Liu. No wonder Mr. Liu came to this remote town alone. He was unwilling to send for a doctor even when he was in danger. Perhaps it was because of her.


    Thinking of this, Shen Banxue felt sorry for Liu Yinfeng.


    It must be very painful that the one you love had married someone else.


    After shopping for more than half a day, Yun Shang asked Qian


    octor. You must have your arrangement, but the risk is not small. Have you ever discussed it?"


    Liu Yinfeng nodded, "I know. Ghost Doctor told me."


    Since so, Yun Shang didn''t say anything. She sighed and suddenly raised her voice. She ordered Qian Zhuo, "Send a message and ask them to take the medicine back as soon as possible."


    Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry. Yun Shang looked at Liu Yinfeng again and said, "From now on, you don''t have to worry about the battle until the cold is completely cleared. Uncle Qin, please tell them not to disturb your master. You can make decisions on your own for trivial things and report the important things to me. Whoever dares to disobey will be flogged fifty times. "


    Liu Yinfeng seemed surprised. He opened his mouth but said nothing in the end. He sighed and said, "It seems that I have to read to kill time."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he was glared at by Yun Shang again.


    The secret guards who went to check the terrain soon came back. Yun Shang locked herself in the study and carefully rearranged the sand table.


    After locking herself in the study for a whole day, Yun Shang wrote a letter to Sun Bingzhi who was in Kana City.


    Ten days later, good news came, "Bianxi City has been taken."

 Chapter 1210 Sweet Poison

    As soon as the soldier who came to report entered the yard, he shouted the good news, "Bianxi City has been taken. We won."


    When Yun Shang walked out of the room, the servants in the yard had already surrounded the soldier. "Tell me, how has it been taken?"


    The soldier said excitedly, "General sun asked us to make several big wooden rollers stabbed many daggers on them. Then we pushed the rollers all the way from the Kana City to Bianxi City. There was indeed an ambush on the way. The enemies had buried some soldiers in the sand. The rollers were just in use. Along the way, all the soldiers in ambush had been cleared up. We arrived at Bianxi City smoothly. With the absolute advantage of our military strength, we took down the Bianxi City. "


    "Brilliant idea! I didn''t expect General Sun could come up with such a good idea. We underestimated him before." Patting his thigh, Shang Lu laughed.


    The soldier scratched his head with embarrassment and said, "General Sun is also very powerful, but it''s not his idea. It''s the Empress''s idea. General Sun just did it at her majesty''s order."


    Hearing this, Shen Banxue said, "The Empress is a real capable person. We heard that last time when the army of the state of Yelang attacked, it was also the Empress who helped drive the enemy out."


    While they were talking, the soldier saw Yun Shang standing at the door. His face changed, and he hurried forward and knelt down in front of her. "Greetings, your majesty." General Sun ordered me to send this report to you. "


    Yun Shang nodded and took the report. She glanced at him and said indifferently, "Follow me to the study."


    The soldier answered and hurried into the study behind Yun Shang and Qian Zhuo.


    Astonishment was written all over Shen Banxue''s face. She turned to look at Liu Yinfeng, only to find that Liu Yinfeng''s eyes were still fixed on the position where Yun Shang had just stood, with a smi


    ecember.


    However, he still went to the military camp and fought two battles with the State of Yelang when he was so weak.


    If he lived in this courtyard, the servants could take good care of him and he could buy anything he need.


    But when he entered the military camp and went with the army, he was short of resources and had to rush, which was harmful to his health.


    Why didn''t he take his own body seriously.


    Yun Shang''s hands clenched and loosened in her sleeves. After a while, she let out a long sigh.


    "What''s wrong, your majesty? What did you want to say just now? "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said, "His majesty and I owe him a lot."


    After a moment''s silence, Qian Zhuo said in a low voice, "Your majesty, you don''t have to think so. Prince Xian is a prince of the State of Xia. He did it for the people of the State of Xia."


    Yun Shang smiled and said nothing more. "Fortunately, he is fine. If anything happens to him, his majesty and I will be uneasy all our lives."


    "Don''t worry, your majesty. Ghost Doctor is here. He said that he could cure Prince Xian when he got the herb. After being treated by Ghost Doctor for a few days, Prince Xian has been much better. As long as the herb can be found, he will definitely be cured. "


    "I hope so."

 Chapter 1211 Tell me

    Yun Shang went out of the study and saw only Hu Po in the yard.


    "Where is your master?" Yun Shang asked.


    Hu Po pointed at Liu Yinfeng''s bedroom, and said in a low voice, "He is afraid that you will s scolding him if you see him standing in the yard, so he went back to his room first."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling, "Not bad. He knows it."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Yinfeng''s voice came out, "If you don''t want me to hear you, please keep your voice down. How could you let others hear you when gossiping."


    "Who said I didn''t want you to hear me?"


    After saying that, Yun Shang smiled and walked to the door of his bedroom. She knocked on the door and said, "May I come in?"


    "Come in."


    When Yun Shang entered the room, she saw Liu Yinfeng reading a book on a chair. Yun Shang took a seat opposite him and glanced at the book in his hand. "It seems to be a military book. I haven''t read it. Is it good?"


    "Just military book." Liu Yinfeng handed the book to Yun Shang and said, "I went to all kinds of bookstores along the way when I have nothing to do, and I have found a lot of books that I haven''t read before. And I''ve taken some with me here. I have finished with this book. If you are interested, you can take it to read. "


    Yun Shang didn''t refuse. She took it and leafed through it.


    Liu Yinfeng''s eyes fell on Yun Shang. He knocked on the table with his fingers and said, "What are you going to do next after Bianxi City is taken? I guess you''ll order Sun Bingzhi to join forces with Zhao Yingjie, right? "


    "Hmm..." [Yun Shang answered vaguely, raised her head from the book and smiled at him. "Guess."


    "¡­¡­" Liu Yinfeng rubbed his forehead and said, "I am just checking."


    "You can''t even ask about it." Yun Shang refused without hesitation, "According to your character, if I tell you, you will definitely think about it. You''d better not worry about it now. The


    y. I guessed that his majesty probably wanted to fight with the State of Yelang again. So I asked someone to pay attention to it. "


    "As soon as the Lantern Festival is over, a trade team passed by. The people in the team are well-trained. They rest in open places at night, and there are people patrolling all night. I asked someone to follow them and I saw that in those carriages were all food."


    "Since the provisions had been ready, the troops wouldn''t be far away. Later, I really saw a large number of soldiers passing by not far from Nanxun... "


    "I sent someone to find out that Zhao Yingjie went to Ganying City and Sun Bingzhi was near here. So I sent a letter to him. After Sun Bingzhi came to see me, I followed him into the camp."


    "The army was stationed in Cangnan, and the garrison general of the State of Yelang is called Duo Ji. I had sent someone to investigate him before. He was an experienced general and had fought countless battles, but his weakness was also very outstanding. He was too anxious, suspicious, and doesn''t trust others. He always liked to do everything in person."


    ""I told Sun Bingzhi not to take any action and just sent a small group of people to curse loudly a little far from them when Duo Ji and his soldiers passed by..."

 Chapter 1212 The Two Battles

    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "Your idea is really insidious. Since Duo Ji was irritable, he couldn''t bear it... "


    "Yes. He tried several times to rush over, but was stopped by the vice general beside him. "


    "February 1st was supposed to be the day Sun Bingzhi attacked as his majesty ordered. On that day, I still asked the soldiers to curse, but Duo Ji had already prepared. He brought twice as many people as usual to scold us. I had secretly arranged another group of people to hide under the hillside and quietly approached when their attention was diverted. "


    "Then, they attacked them from both sides and shoot arrows at them. In fact, the distance at that time was far from enough to shoot Duo Ji and the soldiers of the State of Yelang, but it could disrupt their formation. They were scared to death, so the soldiers of the State of Xia took advantage of this time to get close to the State of Yelang at full speed. "


    "As the army of the State of Yelang didn''t prepare for it, we won the battle and Duo Ji immediately ordered the army to retreat. Several generals chased after them and stopped outside the Ghost Valley."


    Yun Shang looked up at Liu Yinfeng and said, "It should be exactly what you wanted, right? You have expected this, haven''t you? "


    Liu Yinfeng smiled and didn''t say yes or no.


    "There is only one entrance to the Ghost Valley. It''s easy to defend but hard to attack. Given the advantage of the terrain of the Ghost Valley, Duo Ji thought we stopped because we were not sure that we could take the Ghost Valley, so he ordered his soldiers to stop there and camp in the Valley. "


    Yun Shang tapped her fingers on the table and asked, "Is there anything special about the Ghost Valley?"


    Liu Yinfeng''s smile deepened when he saw Yun Shang''s reaction. "Yes, there is only one entrance to the Ghost Valley. It''s easy to defend but hard to attack. This is its advantage. But the reason why it is called Ghost Valley is that there are rolling mountains on both sides of the valley. The mountains were high and steep, and the wind was strong. There is a rumor that the mountain are


    ison soldiers in the city, but it was the enemy''s trick. Not long after our men entered the city, the army of the State of Yelang attacked the camp. "


    Yun Shang frowned more tightly. "They caught us off guard."


    "Yes." Liu Yinfeng nodded, "I didn''t expect it either. At that time, there were only twenty thousand people in the camp, but the army of the state of Yelang had a total of sixty thousand people. Our army was trapped in the city and couldn''t come back for a while. We have no choice but to form an array to fight against them. Fortunately, although the army of the State of Yelang attacked us by surprise, the soldiers trained by Sun Bingzhi were very capable and quickly made an array and fought until our army came back from the city. "


    Yun Shang knocked on the table with her finger, "I heard that you were injured in the battle?"


    Liu Yinfeng smiled, "Just some small wound. It doesn''t matter."


    "Come on. Do you really think I''m so ill informed. Although I don''t know much about these two battles, I still know that you had been in a coma for six days because you were injured by an arrow. "


    Liu Yinfeng still smiled, "How could anyone never get injured in the battle?"


    "You don''t take your own body seriously. You know that you haven''t recovered, but you still went to the battlefield and got hurt. I will ask Uncle Qin to keep an eye on you and stop you from doing anything stupid. "

 Chapter 1213 Letter

    "Yes, yes." Liu Yinfeng lowered his eyes and smiled, "How dare I disobey the order of the Empress?"


    Yun Shang glanced at him and said, "Stop reading. I heard that you have been standing outside for a long time. You''d better lie down and have a rest."


    "I''ve been lying on the bed all day long. Even if I''m not sick, I''ll get sick."


    "But you are sick." Yun Shang squinted at Liu Yinfeng, not giving him the slightest chance to bargain.


    Liu Yinfeng sighed, "Yes, it''s up to your majesty."


    He had never won her.


    Yun Shang was satisfied. She stood up and walked out of the room. After standing in the yard for a while, she was about to go outside.


    Amber threw the broom in her hand and asked, "Your Highness, where are you going?"


    "Let''s go shopping."


    Amber hurriedly said, "I''ll follow you all the way. Just now, when I saw Miss qianluo go out, I asked me to go with you. I can pay for what you want. And I can carry all the things back for you. "


    Of course, Yun Shang knew that Hu Po was ordered by Liu Yinfeng, but she couldn''t help teasing, "You''ll pay for everything I want to buy? How could such a good thing happen?"


    Hu Po chuckled and said, "Anyway master will give the money to me."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. Hu Po''s suggestion was exactly what she wanted, so she didn''t object. "Let''s go."


    "Okay!" Hu Po followed her happily.


    After walking out of the yard, Yun Shang] said casually, "I was chatting with your master just now. Speaking of the two battles he participated in when he entered the military camp, your master is really powerful. Without him, I''m afraid it would take 3 to 5 months to take down Kana City. "


    "Yes, he is powerful, isn''t he?" Hu Po''s eyes lit up at once. "I also think that my master is at most powerful."


    "But he said that the most regretful thing for him in these two battles was that he had killed seventy thousand soldiers of the State of Yelang in the Ghost Valley. If he could make them captives,


    "


    "Did someone do something to the horse?"


    "I don''t know what''s going on now. Fortunately Chengye is alright. Yun Shang pressed her palm on the letter and said, "But the imperial household must be in a mess now. I''m afraid I have to go back to the palace ahead of time."


    Then Yun Shang opened the letter from Qin Yi.


    "Qin Yi said that so far, the preparation and transportation of the provisions have been smooth. They should be able to hold on until the provisions from the court are transported to the frontier. She also said that there is something unusual in the State of Yelang recently. The State of Yelang sent people to secretly contact Zhao Yingjie, but she didn''t know what they were up to. "


    Qian Zhuo frowned, "The State of Yelang sent someone to secretly contact General Zhao? What do they want to do? "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and sneered, "Who knows? The State of Yelang is full of schemes. I don''t know what they are planning now. But it''s very interesting that they send someone to contact the general at the border. Isn''t it enough for them to collude with Xia Houjing? It seems they want to bribe Zhao Yingjie."


    "Bribe General Zhao?" Qian Zhuo''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Yun Shang nodded, "Qin Yi said that Zhao Yingjie would see what they wanted to do and then make a plan."

 Chapter 1214 Bid Goodbye

    "Then... What are your majesty going to do with these two things? "


    Yun Shang paced back and forth in the room. "Her former majesty is in trouble, and there is no one to take care of the imperial household. His majesty has to worry about the affairs of the court. He didn''t have time to manage the imperial household although he will definitely protect Chengye well. I''m afraid I have to go back early."


    "I meant to go to Zhao Yingjie''s place before. Now that something has happened there, I should go there."


    Yun Shang stopped and asked, "Did you say that the secret guards have taken the herb from the Ghost Doctor Valley?"


    "Yes, they''ve got it. They''re going back in three groups."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Since there are three groups and no one knows about it, it should be very smooth. I meant to wait until Liu Yinfeng completely recovers, but now I''m afraid I can''t wait any longer. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "Prince Xian should be fine. He looks much better these days. With the help of Ghost Doctor, he will recover soon."


    "Okay..." Yun Shang kept silent for a while and sighed, "In fact, I shouldn''t have come here in person."


    Qian Zhuo didn''t understand why Yun Shang said that, so she glanced at Yun Shang in confusion.


    Thinking of Liu Yinfeng calling her name when he lost conscious, Yun Shang clenched her hands in her sleeves and said, "If Prince Xian doesn''t return to Jin City in the future, I won''t see him again."


    Qian Zhuo became more and more confused, but Yun Shang didn''t want to explain. She lowered her eyes and kept silent for a moment. "I''ll go to tell Prince Xian. You pack up in the room and bring all the things I bought for Chengye. We''ll leave early."


    Qian Zhuo agreed. Yun Shang went out of the room and went straight to Liu Yinfeng''s bedroom.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s voice, Liu Yinfeng shouted in the room, "I''m resting. Don''t come to inquire about it. I''m not


    e won''t be any big trouble in a short time. After all there aren''t many ladies in the imperial household now.... "


    "Take it easy. Don''t rush on your way. You are not in good health and you should take care of yourself. You should have a good rest."


    Yun Shang nodded and said with a smile, "Don''t worry. I won''t be like you."


    Speaking of this, Yun Shang frowned again. "After I leave, no one can supervise you. No, I have to talk to Uncle Qin and others carefully. Let them keep an eye on you."


    "Tut..."


    Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn''t help squinting. "I''ll tell Uncle Qin and the others to knock you out directly if you want to mess around."


    "¡­¡­"


    Liu Yinfeng rubbed his forehead and said, "I heard from Ghost Doctor that he wanted to come here in a comfortable carriage, but you knocked him out and brought him here?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "Because he didn''t listen to me. So you''d better listen to Ghost Doctor, or... "


    "Okay, okay." Liu Yinfeng laughed, "I will follow the doctor''s instructions. Don''t worry."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then I''ll go to prepare. I''ll tell you when I leave."


    "Okay."


    Liu Yinfeng nodded and Yun Shang left the room.


    Liu Yinfeng fixed his eyes on the door and said in his heart, "Okay.".

 Chapter 1215 Keep It For Him Forever

    When Yun Shang went out, she saw Uncle Qin, Shang Lu and Hu Po standing in the yard. As soon as they saw Yun Shang, they all looked at her.


    "What''s wrong?" Yun Shang stopped at the door and looked at the crowd in confusion.


    After a while, Uncle Qin opened his mouth, "We just saw Qian Zhuo packing up. Your majesty is..."


    Yun Shang smiled and ran her fingers through her hair. "Something happened in the palace. I have to go back as soon as possible."


    "What?" Hu Po was anxious, "What about our master? What about him?"


    Yun Shang paused for a while, and then smiled, "Ghost Doctoris here to treat him, and the people I sent to the Ghost Doctor Valley have already taken the herb. In order to ensure the safety of the herb, they have set out from the valley in three ways."


    "Don''t worry. He will be fine."


    "No, no..." Hu Po was still anxious. "It''s not about Ghost Doctor... Ghost Doctor can only cure master''s illness, but... "


    Hu Po still wanted to say something, but Uncle Qin, who was standing beside him, quickly pulled his sleeve and cut off his words. "Your Majesty went to see master just now..."


    "I said goodbye to him." Yun Shang replied.


    "Ah?" Hu Po was somewhat absent-minded. "Didn''t master say anything?"


    "Say anything?" Yun Shang understood why these people were waiting for her here, and felt guilty. "He asked me to be more careful."


    Uncle Qin nodded, "In that case, I wish you a smooth journey, your majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded. She kept silent for a while and said, "I just told your master to take good care of himself and not to work too hard. Don''t worry too much. Keep an eye on him for me and persuade him more. If he doesn''t listen to you, write a letter and tell me. I will find a way. "


    "Yes, since your majesty said so, we... We can rest assured. "


    Yun Shang nodded and went into the room on the o


    t a small jade flute from her sleeve and handed it over. "If he blames you, show it to him and tell him that I ordered it."


    Uncle Qin fixed his eyes on the two things on the table. After a long silence, he picked them up and put them into his sleeves.


    Seeing this, Yun Shang smiled. After a while, she continued, "Next time, if something happens to your master, you can still ask someone to send a letter to the palace. Give it to..."


    After a short pause, Yun Shang continued, "Give it to his majesty."


    Hearing this, Uncle Qin looked up at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang knew what he was thinking. She smiled and said, "You know what''s going on between your master and me. I shouldn''t have come here. I just made him sad. His majesty will help deal with his matters in the future. If he asks about me, just tell him that I''m fine and let him not worry about me. "


    Uncle Qin''s eyes were a little red. After a while, he murmured, "Okay, okay. It''s good for master."


    "Yes, it''s good for your master." Yun Shang smiled and said, "If your master wants to go back to the Jin City, you can tell him that as long as his majesty is the emperor of the State of Xia and I''m the the Empress, we''ll keep Prince Xian''s mansion for him forever."

 Chapter 1216 Better To Forget Each Other

    After dinner, the secret guards who went to explore the way finally came back.


    "Your majesty, we have arranged everything well. We can set off immediately."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then let''s go."


    After they went out of the room, Yun Shang stopped and walked to the window of Liu Yinfeng''s bedroom. "Prince Xian, I''m leaving now."


    There was a moment of silence in the room before Liu Yinfeng replied in a low voice, "Okay, I wish you a good trip. I''m not feeling well and can''t expose in the wind, so I won''t send you off."


    Yun Shang answered. She curled up her fingers in her sleeves, took a deep breath and turned around. "Let''s go."


    There were several horses outside of the yard. Yun Shang took one of them and said softly, "It''s still a little cold now, and the people in the town should have returned. The street is quiet. If we ride the horse, it will attract too much attention. Let''s lead the horses out of the town first."


    "Yes."


    They answered in a low voice. Yun Shang turned around and took a deep look at the yard before she left with her horse.


    The horse''s hooves faded away, as if they had taken away all the noise in the yard. Hu Po opened the window and looked outside. He bit his lips and said, "Master, her majesty has left."


    "Okay." Liu Yinfeng answered in a soft voice, looking careless. However, he found that the book in his hand had been slightly wrinkled.


    "Master..." Hu Po said in a hoarse voice, "How about we go back to Jin City after you recover? I heard from Uncle Qin that the Emperor hasn''t approved youre resignation and hasn''t taken back your mansion... "


    Liu Yinfeng smiled, "Do you want to go back?"


    "No... No. " Hu Po hurriedly said, "Of course I''ll follow master. I think you will miss Jin City, won''t you? "


    "No." Liu Yinfeng answered quickly, "I don''t miss Jin City at all. Although it is the imperial capital, there are too many intrigues a


    friend and took her into the camp.


    The soldiers were training. Yun Shang heard the loud sound from afar.


    "General Zhao is on the training ground?"


    Qin Yi nodded, "Yes, your majesty..."


    Before Qinyi could finish her words, Yun Shang interrupted, "You are now a princess granted by the Emperor in person. You don''t need to be so polite. Besides there might be spies in the military camp with many. Just talk to me casually. "


    Qin Yi nodded, "I went there just now. They were practicing the formation. Do your ma... Do you want to go there and have a look? "


    Yun Shang shook her head, "I sneaked into the camp. Although I was disguised, the fewer people know, the better. Just take me to the military camp and wait."


    Qin Yi nodded and led Yun Shang to the tent.


    Yun Shang looked around and found that the soldiers led by Zhao Yingjie were disciplined and solemn. Yun Shang] nodded with satisfaction.


    "Do you live in the camp with General Zhao?"


    Qin Yi shook her head and said, "I live in Ganying City. Occasionally I come to the military camp. I knew from your letter that you were in a hurry to return to Jin City and wanted to see General Zhao as soon as possible, so I specially come here to guard. And I also have something to report to you. "

 Chapter 1217 Instigate Defection

    Yun Shang and Qin Yi went to the main tent of the army together. The guards guarding at the door didn''t ask anything when they saw Qin Yi.


    Qian Zhuo and the secret guards stayed outside the camp, and Yun Shang entered the camp with Qin Yi.


    "How''s the transportation of the provisions going?" Yun Shang asked.


    Qin Yi nodded, "This time, many people who are watching Jin City are off guard because we didn''t take provisions from the court. Besides, the provisions are sent by our spies in the name of the trade team. Ordinary bandits don''t dare to take any action. Everything goes smoothly. "


    Qin Yi said as she took a pamphlet from the table aside, "This is the list of the provisions."


    Yun Shang looked through it and nodded.


    "General Zhao said that this time the provisions arrived on time and no officials could fill their own pockets with them. All the food transported here was good and the clothes werenew and quality. The soldiers in the camp were very happy to see these food, and their morale is greatly promoted. "


    Hearing Qin Yi''s words, Yun Shang smiled, "That''s good. But I''m afraid there are many spies in this camp. Although the provisions have been transported here, we have to be careful. "


    "Don''t worry, your majesty. General Zhao has already thought of this. When the provisions arrived, he asked to put them in several hidden places outside the city. Each time, only part of the provisions will be sent into the camp. No one can predict where the next supply will come from. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "That''s a good idea. General Zhao is thoughtful. I''m impressed."


    "Thank you for your praise, your majesty."


    Yun Shang burst into laughter, "Wow, you are really a newly married woman, sweet. I''m praising General Zhao, but you agreed quickly. "


    Qin Yi blushed, "General Zhao... Isn''t General Zhao not here now? "


    Yun Shang''s smile deepened, "Yes, yes, he is not here now. As his wife, you can naturally receive my appreciation."


    "Your majesty, you are making fun of me again."


    When the tw


    f the State of Xia. Then they lured them into the mountain, set up a trap, and sent them to their military camp as captives. "


    Blue veins stood out on Yun Shang''s forehead. "What a vicious trick!"


    Zhao Yingjie nodded, "They sent me a letter the day before yesterday, saying that they would give me two days to consider. Two days is even not enough for me to send a letter back to Jin City. Fortunately, your majesty is at the frontier. Otherwise, no matter what choice I will make, I''m afraid that I can''t explain myself later. "


    Yun Shang replied and frowned, "What are you going to do about it?"


    After a moment''s silence, Zhao Yingjie said, "I''ll pretend to agree first, and then try my best to find out where those people are imprisoned, and then save them."


    "Those people are the chips they used to threaten me. As long as I can save them and they have nothing to threaten me, everything will be fine."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "I''m afraid the people of the State of Yelang are not stupid. They can think of what we can think of. It''s one thing for them to imprison them in a secret place. What''s more, they disguised themselves as the people of the state of Xia with the people of the state of Yelang. At that time, they would try their best to save them, but they would fall into the trap of others. It''s not worth it... "

 Chapter 1218 Give Them A Dose Of Their Own Medicine

    With a serious look on his face, Zhao Yingjie said, "I didn''t expect that."


    Yun Shang tapped her fingers on the table and said, "Our spies found out that Cangjue Qingsu had returned to the imperial capital city of the State of Yelang. Before I came, his majesty had been talking with me whether Cangjue Qingsu had really returned to the imperial capital city."


    "When I was in Nanxun Town, I heard details of the two battles they had won from Prince Xian. I felt it was a little different from Cangjue Qingsu''s style."


    Zhao Yingjie frowned and said, "But the way they instigate me to defect is like Cangjue Qingsu''s style."


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded, "It''s true."


    "Your majesty, what should we do now?"


    Yun Shang squinted, "What should we do? We will give them a dose of their own medicine. "


    Zhao Yingjie and Qin Yi understood what she meant. Qin Yi looked up at Yun Shang and said, "Do you mean that we should follow the way of the State of Yelang and catch a group of people from the State of Yelang to threaten them?"


    "But..." Zhao Yingjie still frowned, "The people of the State of Yelang came up with this plan. They must have been prepared. It''s impossible for us to catch so many people from the State of Yelang in the same way. Even if we arrest their people to threaten them, I''m afraid that Cangjue Qingsu won''t be fooled. "


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "Besides, with cangjue Qingsu''s character, even if we put those people on the battlefield, he won''t care about their lives at all."


    "Then why did you..."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and played with the jade pendant on her waist. "I didn''t mean we would completely imitate them. We''ll do in another way... "


    "Isn''t Cangjue Qingsu vicious? In the State of Yelang, Cangjue Qingsu was also tough and vicious, which was obvious to all. Let''s take advantage of this... First, send soldiers to disguise as the people of the State of Yel


    ed. At that time, even if your memorial arrives, his majesty and I will doubt whether this is a lie you deliberately made up in order to prove your innocence. "


    "But they didn''t expect that I was here. As long as I am here and know the truth, their plot won''t work as they expected. "


    Zhao Yingjie nodded, "I''ll do as you said."


    Then he was about to leave the camp.


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "You don''t have to discuss this with the other generals and vice generals. We don''t know whether there are spies of the State of Yelang among them. You do it secretly. Then I''ll write you a secret letter as a token with the Emperor''s seal. If someone asks about it and shows any hesitation about what you have done, you can show him the secret letter. "


    "In addition, the notice is also enough to convince the public."


    Zhao Yingjie nodded and looked at Yun Shang again, "His majesty''s... seal? Have your majesty foreseen it and take the seal with you? "


    "Ah..." Yun Shang smiled, "I didn''t bring it with me."


    "Then..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "I didn''t take the seal with me, but I can have someone make one, right? I remember the appearance of the seal. "


    Hearing this, Zhao Yingjie widened his eyes and said, "Your majesty... Do you want to carve a fake seal? "

 Chapter 1219 Make It Known To Everyone

    Yun Shang was shocked by the words "fake seal" uttered by Zhao Yingjie, and then burst into laughter.


    "Yes, make a fake seal."


    Seeing that Zhao Yingjie was more surprised, Yun Shang smiled again. "It doesn''t matter whether the seal is real or not. The most important thing is that whether his majesty admit that it is issued by him. If he admitted it, even if the seal is fake, it could become real. If he doesn''t admit it, even if the seal is real, it can be said to be false. "


    Zhao Yingjie thought for a while and agreed with Yun Shang.


    "Don''t worry. I will handle it. Even if his majesty really looks into it, you won''t be the one to blame. "


    "That''s not what I mean." Zhao Yingjie said hurriedly.


    Yun Shang''s smile widened. "I know you don''t mean that. It''s just that the situation is urgent. It will be too late if we really wait for the emperor to issue the secret decree."


    Zhao Yingjie still wanted to say something, but Qin Yi quickly pulled his sleeve and said, "His majesty and your majesty have always trusted each other, and your majesty is forced to do so. His majesty will understand. Don''t worry."


    Zhao Yingjie turned to look at Qin Yi and hesitated for a while. Then he nodded slightly.


    Yun Shang called in the secret guards and ordered something. Then she went to the desk again.


    Seeing this, Qin Yi hurried forward and prepared the ink for Yun Shang. Yun Shang picked up the writing brush, pondered for a moment, and quickly wrote.


    After the notice and secret letter were properly prepared, Yun Shang put the paper aside. "The seal should be here tomorrow morning. I''ll get it and seal it. Everything will be ready."


    Zhao Yingjie nodded. Then Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi, "Are you going back to the city with me?"


    "Yes." Qin Yi nodded and followed Yun Shang out of the tent.


    It was completely dark outside. Yun Shang left the camp with Qin Yi and entered the city.


    Qin Yi took Yun Shang to a small yard. "I live here. The


    n people to wait there. "


    "Your majesty, what should we do? When we left the city, they were not prepared, so we could leave the city smoothly. But if we want to enter the city, there are only four gates. We can enter from the wall in the middle of the night, but I''m afraid it will be more conspicuous. "


    Yun Shang knocked on the table with her fingers. She pondered for a moment and said with a smile, "There is a way."


    Qian Zhuo''s eyes lit up. She looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "Your majesty, what is it?"


    "We went out of the city secretly, but when we went back, we can make it known to everyone."


    "Make it known to everyone? Why? Make us the target in public? "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes. When we arrive at the city near the Jin City, we will go straight to the city guard, and then send a letter to Jin City, asking his majesty to send someone to pick us up. At that time, ask a secret guard to disguise as me and went to Jin City. I''ll find a way to change with the secret guard outside the city gate. "


    "Although we make ourselves conspicuous target, the only chance they can take action is on the way from the city to Jin City. When we arrived at the gate of Jin City, he lost the opportunity because of the great number of guards, as well as the numerous people in and out of the city. "

 Chapter 1220 The Ground Was Shaking

    On the early morning of the second day, the secret guards sent the seal over. Yun Shang tried it on the paper and nodded, "Ordinary officials and people should not be able to tell whether it is real or not."


    Yun Shang took the seal and went straight to the camp. After the seal was stamped on the secret decree and notice, she was about to go back.


    Everything went smoothly along the way. More than 20 days later, Yun Shang finally arrived at the nearest city to Jin City.


    "Master, the sun is scorching today. There is a forest halfway up the mountain. Let''s have a rest in the forest." Qian Zhuo rode behind Yun Shang and asked loudly.


    Yun Shang looked up at the dense forest on the hillside and nodded, "Okay. Let the horse have a rest and eat grass."


    Soon they arrived at the dense forest and stopped.


    Qian Zhuo took the water bag and handed it to Yun Shang, "It''s just April. The sun is so hot. I''m afraid it will be a hot summer this year."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "It doesn''t matter. I just hope that there will be no drought. If there is a drought, the people will suffer again."


    Yun Shang leaned against the big stone behind her and looked up at the sunlight that was pouring down from the cracks of the forest. She smiled slightly and said, "We''ll be back in two days."


    Qian Zhuo certainly knew what Yun Shang was thinking about. She smiled and said, "Yes, your majesty hasn''t left the crown prince for such a long time, right? The crown prince must miss you. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "He is so young. As long as someone treats him well and plays with him, he will completely forget me in a few days."


    "How can you..."


    Before Qian Zhuo finished her words, Yun Shang suddenly heard a loud noise, and even the ground beneath her feet trembled.


    Yun Shang and the others all stood up.


    "Your majesty..."


    "It seems to be..."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and asked, "The sound of something exploding."


    Then, there were several more loud sounds,


    fell on the ground beside and made a light sound.


    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said nothing.


    However, Chengye was a little impatient. "I don''t want to play anymore. It''s so heavy. I''m tired."


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "My bow is twenty times heavier than the one in your hand."


    Chengye pressed his lips and said, "You are an adult!"


    "You''re almost two and a half years old. You''re not a two-year-old kid anymore. You''re a big kid now."


    Chengye raised his head and looked at Luo Qingyan in shock, as if he didn''t understand why he was was just a kid at two but a big kid at two and half.


    "If you practice, I''ll order some sugar coated haws for your dinner. If you don''t, you can have rice tonight."


    Chengye widened his eyes in shock. When he was about to say something, Liu Wenan rushed in and said, "Your majesty!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    Liu Wenan looked up at Chengye, who was still playing with the bow and arrow in his hand. He bit his lips, bent over and reported the matter to Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan''s face changed, "What?"


    Then he suddenly stood up and said, "Send the crown prince back to the East Palace!"


    Then he left the hall quickly.


    "What happened?"


    "The secret guards who were exploring the way heard the noise and turned back. They saw that all the stones rolling down..."

 Chapter 1221 Whether Or Not He Can Survive

    "The road on the hillside has been blocked by the stones. Because the range is too large, the secret guards don''t know where they are. Although they have been looking for them carefully, there is still no news."


    Luo Qingyan only felt a buzz in his head and a little dizzy. After a long time, he closed her eyes and calmed down a little.


    "The secret guards who explored the way didn''t find anything wrong?"


    "The secret guards have carefully searched the area within two miles around the road but found nothing. They seemed to know the practice of the secret guards. The explosives were just buried two miles away. "


    Luo Qingyan''s fingers were still trembling. He sneered, "It seems to be a kind of irony."


    He couldn''t think at all and blurted out all the words subconsciously.


    "Your majesty, the secret guards are searching the mountain, but the area covered by the stones is not small. I don''t know how long it will take for them to finish searching. The secret guards mean that they should dispatch some palace guards to assist the search."


    Luo Qingyan clenched her teeth and said, "Not all the palace guards could be trusted. If someone with ulterior motives finds them first, I''m afraid they will be in danger."


    Hearing this, Liu Wenan looked at Luo Qingyan subconsciously and said in a low voice, "Your majesty, you can divide the palace guards into several teams to search separately, and send a few trusted secret guards to lead the teams. In this way, we can not only speed up the search, but also ensure her majesty''s safety after she is found. "


    After saying that, Liu Wenan lowered his head. Such a simple method wouldn''t have been beyond his majesty''s expectation. But now, it happened so suddenly that his majesty had no time to react at all...


    "Yes, it can be like this." Luo Qingyan nodded and ordered Liu Wenan, "Go and arrange it. I..."


    Luo Qingyan closed his eyes and clenched his hands in his sleeves. "I''ll go with them."


    "No, your majesty!" Liu


    he ordered Liu Wenan to send the palace guards to search the mountain together. Then he summoned a group of officials into the palace. Lord Hua Guo was the first to arrive, and he stayed in the Taiji Palace for a long time before he left. Then Li Qianmo, Du Houjun and Hua Kang went in. "


    Hearing this, the man who had asked the question raised the corners of his mouth. "They are all his trusted people. Unfortunately, it''s useless even he has planted so many trusted people in the court. The Empress is still killed by me, isn''t she? Hahaha... "


    "Is the Empress really dead?" Someone hesitated.


    "Unless she had wings, she couldn''t escape anyway. I have planned for such a long time. How can I let her escape from me? "


    "Doesn''t he have a good relationship with the Empress? I''d like to see what he will do if the Empress dies. "


    Another man smiled and said, "What can he do? Could he go with the Empress? Previously, Xia Huanyu had a good relationship with Hua Ling. When something happened to Hua Ling, Xia Huanyu had been depressed for a few years. But later he still marry a new empress, didn''t he? He married a lot of concubines and had many princes and princesses in the imperial household. "


    "If he wants to marry a new one as the empress and have more sons, it depends on whether he can survive or not."

 Chapter 1222 Its Hers

    "Keep an eye on those who entered the palace to see what they are doing. Let''s see what Luo Qingyan wants to do. I guess after Luo Qingyan settles everything, he will try his best to disguise himself and leave the palace. "


    "Yes." Someone answered, "I''ve sent someone to keep an eye on everything in the palace. Not long after Lord Hua Guo came back from the palace, his third son left the mansion and went to the garrison camp outside the city to dispatch about three hundred soldiers. Should we send someone to stop them? And... killed all of them? "


    "Ha ha..." A cold laughter sounded, "No matter how many people are sent to search, what they find is only a cold corpse. There is no need to stop this group of people. Our goal is Luo Qingyan. If we act rashly, it will expose us. "


    "Li Qianmo and the others are still in the palace, and Luo Qingyan should be still arranging the court affairs, but we have to keep an eye on Li Qianmo and the others. I suspect that Luo Qingyan will disguise as one of them and leave the palace. Ask someone to follow them all the way and carefully check if there is anyone in their mansion who come out of the mansion or come out of the city. If there is anyone, report immediately. Then we can get ready to make a move... "


    "Yes."


    While they were plotting something, Lord Hua Guo''s third son, Hua Ziyang, had already sent his men on his way to the camp outside the city.


    "What happened in the palace?" After getting on the horse, Hua Ziyang looked down at the soldier who was holding the horse for him.


    "Master, Lord Li and other officials have left the palace. The secret guards are watching them in secret and find someone is following them."


    Luo Qingyan, who was pretending as Hua Ziyang, nodded and said, "Everything goes according to the plan. Let''s go."


    "Yes!"


    In order to get out of the place where the accident happened, the three hundred soldiers he dispatched were all cavalri


    right by the falling stones. Four corpses were found here, and the others were pushed down by the stones. Master, are you going to have a look? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and walked steadily down. After a while, he saw the marks.


    Luo Qingyan carefully checked and returned to the place where the four corpses were found.


    After walking back and forth for two times, Luo Qingyan said in a low voice, "The four corpses are placed in a strange place. They seem to be lined up on two sides. And it seems that they were squatting when they died."


    "Squatting?" The secret guard following Luo Qingyan was stunned for a while and then said in a low voice, "When I saw the four corpses, they were lying on the ground, but curling up. I felt a little strange at that time. Now after hearing master''s words, I found that the corpses looked like they were squatting, and then they seemed to be..."


    The secret guard wanted to say that the corpses had been overturned by the stones, but he felt that something was wrong. When they found the corpses, they were still soft. If they had been overturned by the stones, they shouldn''t have been like that.


    "It seemed that they were deliberately knocked down by someone."


    The secret guard suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Luo Qingyan, "Master..."

 Chapter 1223 As Long As She Is Alive

    Luo Qingyan ignored him. He walked around the four corpses several times, but stopped beside a big tree.


    Seeing that Luo Qingyan seemed to have found something, the secret guard quickly followed her and looked at the tree.


    "This tree..."


    The secret guards soon found something wrong and took a few steps forward to carefully check the fracture of the tree.


    "The fracture is neat. It doesn''t seem to be broken by a mountain stone. Someone cut it off. "


    Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything. He just raised his hand and stroked the neat broken part. No one knew what he was thinking about.


    When the secret guard got this clue, he was very excited. He quickly called several secret guards over and told them in detail. Then they carefully looked around.


    After a short while, the secret guard founds something new. "We found three neatly cut trees in total. The trees are all very thick, and a person can hold them with both arms. I have checked the three trees carefully and found that except for the neat fractures, there are also some traces on them... "


    The secret guard quickly walked over and pointed at the traces he had found. "It seems that it has been strangled by something."


    As the secret guard spoke, he quickly ordered the others to carry the other two trees over and put them neatly together.


    "Master, look, if the traces of these three trees are put together, it seems that they have been tied together by something."


    Luo Qingyan fixed his eyes on the three trees in front of him. After a while, he said in a trembling voice, "They were tied together."


    He quickly came to his senses and said, "At that time, she must have asked someone to cut down the three trees and tied them together. Then, she must have used the terrain or something to form a barrier with the three trees together, which can protect them from the attacks of rocks."


    "It''s just that there is no protection on the side, so the other


    means to kill her majesty. If her majesty really falls into their hands, will they... "


    Luo Qingyan shook his head without hesitation. "No, they won''t. They tried to get rid of shang''er because they have no other way except killing her directly. But if Shang''er falls into their hands, they will be happier. After all, if they can hold Shang''er in their hands, they will have more chips that can threaten me. They will not let go of such an opportunity. "


    The secret guard thought for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Then I''ll send half of the secret guards searching in this mountain to investigate who did this. Check if there is anyone hiding in the nearby town and village these days. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said, "Go ahead. Leave the searching thing to the palace guards. We don''t need so many secret guards."


    "If her majesty really falls into their hands, we..."


    "Don''t act rashly. Just come and report."


    "Yes."


    The secret guards left in a hurry.


    Looking at the three trees in front of him, Luo Qingyan clenched and loosened her hands in her sleeves.


    After a long time, he gently released his hand and let out a long sigh of relief.


    Even if she has fallen into the hands of others, being threatened, no matter what, it''s fine as long as she was alive...

 Chapter 1224 A Remote Mansion

    About ten miles to the west of the mountain, there was a mansion.


    Although the terrain was remote, it was close to mountains and rivers and had a good view.


    A river passed through the mansion. There were many peach trees along the river, which were in full bloom. As soon as the wind blew, the petals fell to the ground.


    There were two women standing under the peach tree. The one in a long carmine dress looked very beautiful.


    "Have you found out where our people have been placed?"


    The one in cyan clothes shook her head and said, "No. The mansion is too big. I''ve tried my best, but failed. All the servants in the mansion were deaf and illiterate, unable to communicate. Your majesty, who is that man? What does he want to do? "


    The one in the carmine dress was just Yun Shang, who was missing.


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "I don''t know who he is. I haven''t seen him before, and I don''t know what he wants to do by bringing me here. But I think he knows my identity. But if I don''t tell him, he will pretend not to know. "


    On that day, she asked the secret guards to lean three trees against a big stone and hid under the trees to avoid the rolling stones.


    She and the surviving secret guards waited for the stones to roll down. When there was no sound outside, they hurriedly came out from under the trees. They only had time to cover the traces in a hurry, and were about to contact the nearby secret guards to help them out.


    However, before they could make it, they were surrounded by a group of people.


    The leader was a young man in his twenties, who looked gentle and kind.


    "Madam, I happened to pass by and saw the mountain collapse just now. It was really frightening. You could escape from this, you must be blessed. We are destined to meet. The road has been blocked. It won''t be easy for you to get out of the mountain. I often wander in this mountain, so I know a path. If you don''t mind,


    oked at Yun Shang''s thin clothes and said in a low voice, "It''s a little cold. You don''t wear much clothes. You''d better go back to your room. Don''t catch a cold."


    Yun Shang nodded. Hearing Qian Zhuo mention not to catch a cold, she sighed again, "I''ve been taking the medicine for several months, and it''s almost half a year. I''m getting much better.But I don''t have the medicine here, I''m wondering if it will reduce the effect.


    If so, it will be a great loss."


    Qian Zhuo didn''t expect that Yun Shang was still thinking about it at this time. She couldn''t help but feel a little funny. She had to comfort Yun Shang, "When we go back, your majesty can write a letter to ask Ghost Doctor about it."


    "That''s the only way." Yun Shang turned around and went back to her room.


    Although they were imprisoned here, the furnishings in the room were all exquisite. Besides, Yun Shang could walk in the mansion. Except for the numerous guards with powerful martial arts guarding outside mansion, they didn''t seem to be imprisoned at all.


    Yun Shang took a sip of tea and looked at the peach blossoms in the yard. She knocked on the table with her fingers and closed her eyes for a rest.


    As soon as she closed her eyes, she suddenly heard the sound of the door being opened. "Creak..."

 Chapter 1225 The Trap Has Begun

    Yun Shang suddenly opened her eyes. Qian Zhuo walked to the window, opened it and looked out.


    "It''s that man!" Her voice was a little excited.


    Yun Shang squinted and stood up. "Let''s go out and have a look."


    Yun Shang stood up and walked out of her bedroom. When she walked through the main hall, she saw the man standing in the yard and smiling at her. "Madam, how are you doing here these two days? Is there anything else you need? If you need anything, just tell me. "


    Yun Shang smiled and lowered her eyes to straighten her sleeves. "How long are you going to lock me up, Mister?"


    "You must be kidding, madam. I just invited you to be my guest." The man still looked gentle and elegant.


    Yun Shang smiled ironically, "Yes, guest. Mister, how long do I need to be a guest here? And I haven''t known your name yet.


    "My courtesy name is Ming Hong."


    Huh...


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter. She asked him his name but he just told her his courtesy name.


    "Okay, Mr. Ming Hong."


    The mockery in Yun Shang''s words seemed to be completely ignored by Ming Hong. He said gently, "I''ve heard that it''s a little messy outside these days. I''m afraid you will be in danger if you go out rashly. Why don''t you stay here for a few more days and wait for the outside to settle down a little bit before you leave?"


    "I have to remind you that I have brought servants with me, but... I don''t know where they have been taken by you. "


    "There are only a few servants. It''s useless if someone really wants to make things difficult for you." Mr. Ming Hong smiled and said, "Madam, just stay here. If you need anything, just tell me."


    Anyway, He just didn''t allow her to leave.


    "It doesn''t matter to stay a few more days." Yun Shang glanced at the peach tree in the yard and smiled casually, "I used to take the medicine to recupe


    inking too much is not good for health."


    Qian Zhuo stuck out her tongue and said with a gloomy face, "If Mr. Ming Hong isn''t the one to make the decision, it will be more difficult. We have been locked up here for three days, and we haven''t even seen the person behind it. I don''t know when we can leave here according to this progress. "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes with a cunning look, "Who told you that we can''t leave unless we know who is behind all this?"


    "When Mister Jonson promised to send someone to get me the medicine just now, my plan began to work."


    "Trap?" Qian Zhuo became more confused. She stared at Yun Shang for a long time and asked, "What is it?"


    She had been with Yun Shang all the time, and heard clearly the conversation between Yun Shang and Mr. Ming Qi. She didn''t miss a single word, but she really didn''t understand what the trap was.


    The only thing she didn''t take part in was the prescription.


    Her eyes widened. "Is there anything special with the prescription?"


    Yun Shang''s smile deepened. "Of course."


    "What is it? Is there any special herbs in the prescription? It can help spread the news about us? Or was there any difference of quantity? Your majesty set up a trap in secret? "

 Chapter 1226 True Or False

    Qian Zhuo''s eyes were full of unconcealed curiosity, but Yun Shang suddenly kept her in suspense. "You''ll know soon."


    Qian Zhuo wanted to ask more, but Yun Shang raised her index finger and said in silence, " Someone may be eavesdropping."


    "Ah..." Qian Zhuo understood what Yun Shang meant. She looked around and said in a low voice, "Then why did you tell me there was something special in the prescription just now? The two of us are not very good at Kung Fu. If there is someone who is good at prying into information hiding around, we may not know. If anyone knows this, all your plans will be in vain, won''t they? "


    Yun Shang, however, had an unfathomable expression on her face. "Some is true and some is not. Mix them together. Then the false thing may become true."


    "¡­¡­" Qian Zhuo raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. Her face was full of helplessness. "Your majesty, I''m going to faint. Well, I''m not smart enough. It''s better not to ask."


    The smile in Yun Shang''s eyes grew wider. But when she suddenly thought of Luo Qingyan and Chengye, her smile faded again.


    "Although the mansion is quiet and comfortable with beautiful scenery around, it''s not a place to stay. I hope I can leave earlier."


    Qian Zhuo nodded, pursed her lips and said, "No matter how good the environment is, it''s not a good place."


    "Hmm..." Yun Shang chuckled, "It''s not a good place."


    At dusk, Ming Qi brought the medicine to Yun Shang.


    "Madam, have a look. Are those herbs what you wanted?" With a hint of complacency in his eyes, Ming Qi said, "It''s hard to find some of the herbs. But fortunately, I have several drug stores so that I''ve got all of them."


    Yun Shang smiled, stood up and took the medicine bag. She opened it and checked the medicine carefully. "It''s exactly what I want. Thank you very much."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Ming Qi became more conf


    is silver hairpin, because it belongs to him too. If he wants to poison me without letting me find it, silver hairpin he gave might be a false one. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo couldn''t help but open her mouth and keep silent.


    "You are right."


    Yun Shang smiled and drank the medicine without hesitation.


    After taking the medicine, Yun Shang handed the bowl to Qian Zhuo and asked casually, "Did you decoct the medicine yourself? No one else help with it? "


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "Yes, I even made the fire myself. I didn''t let anyone else do it."


    "Hmm..." Yun Shang nodded gently, "Very good. You must do it alone. Don''t forget to deal with the dregs."


    Qian Zhuo agreed and said, "I''ve already thought of it. Your majesty has taken some herbs out of the medicine brought by Mr. Ming Qi. If he asks someone to check the dregs of the medicine, he will find out the truth."


    "That''s why I poured the dregs of the medicine into the stove and buried them into ash. Even if someone wanted to investigate, he couldn''t find anything."


    Yun Shang nodded gently with a smile on her face, "Well done. You are more careful now."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s praise, Qian Zhuo was delighted. "Thank you, your majesty. You instruct me well."

 Chapter 1227 Willing To Be Caught

    A few meters away, in the study of the front yard.


    "I''ve observed it secretly. The lady opened all the medicine bags and picked up some herbs from each one. I guess she had add some seemingly insignificant herbs to the prescription and took them out for some use. "


    Ming Hong narrowed his eyes and said, "I heard she is cunning and scheming. Although we have only met for two or three times, I can still feel it. It seems that we should be more careful in the future. "


    Then he asked, "Did you see clearly what kind of herbs she picked up? Where did she hide it? "


    "I don''t know about herbs. Besides, the lady moved so fast that I didn''t see anything clearly. But I saw where she put it. "


    Ming Hong nodded and said, "Keep an eye on her and see what she wants to do."


    However, Yun Shang didn''t take any action as if she had completely forgotten about it.


    On the second day, she asked someone to bring fishing rod and bait, and fetched a small stool to fish by the stream.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t catch a fish after fishing for a whole day.


    Yun Shang was not discouraged. The next morning, she fetched a stool and sat by the stream again.


    At noon, Ming Hong came again.


    "Madam, are you fishing?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "What''s wrong? Not obvious? "


    "Not really." Taking a look at Yun Shang, Ming Hong said, "It''s just that you don''t seem to be concentrating on fishing. Have you caught a fish in the past two days? "


    "You can''t say that." Yun Shang sat up straight casually and said, "Isn''t there a story that there are always fish willing to be caught by angler Jiang Taigong? If that fish is destined to be mine, it can''t escape anyway. "


    While Yun Shang was talking, she heard Qian Zhuo''s whistling voice, "It''s moving! It''s moving! Look! "


    Yun Shang turned to look at the stream and said with a smile, "It seems that Mr. Ming Hong is really my


    bordinate finds my handkerchief, remember to send it back to me. "


    "Okay."


    Hearing that Ming Hong agreed, Yun Shang went straight back to her room with the bucket in her hand.


    About half of an hour later, Qian Zhuo went back to her room, out of breath. She held Yun Shang''s embroidered handkerchief in her hand and said, "The stream is not wide, but it is a little fast. In a short while, the handkerchief floated far away. I chased after it for a long time, but I didn''t catch up with it. It was the subordinates of Mr. Ming Hong who caught up with it with Qinggong. "


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at the embroidered handkerchief. "That''s good. I was worried that I couldn''t get it back."


    "Although the current is a little hasty, it can''t be faster than Qinggong. Of course we can get it back." Qian Zhuo poured a basin of water and soaked the handkerchief in it. "The handkerchief has floated in the stream for such a long time, but I don''t know if the water is dirty. I''ll wash the handkerchief for you. The weather is good these two days, and it will be dry soon."


    Yun Shang nodded and looked away casually. She took a book from the bookshelf.


    As soon as she turned a few pages, she saw a servant carrying a fish tank into the house.

 Chapter 1228 Hide Me As A Mistress

    Seeing this, Qian Zhuo was a little surprised. "What''s this for?"


    "The fish tank." Yun Shang walked over and said, "It''s rare for me to catch a fish, so I have to keep it as a souvenir."


    Qian Zhuo opened her mouth slightly, turned around and looked at Yun Shang. She couldn''t hide the surprise in her eyes, "Raising fish?"


    "Didn''t you say that we would cook it?"


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and chuckled, "Are you afraid that there is no other fish in the kitchen? I will keep the fish I caught, and we can still have crucian for lunch. "


    As Yun Shang spoke, she lowered her head and stroked the fish tank. "Is it the fanciest fish tank? Mr. Ming Hong is so considerate. I just keep a crucian that can be seen everywhere, but he specially get me this fish tank to raise it. "


    Then she looked up at the servants who carried the fish tank and said, "Please express my thanks to Mr. Ming Hong."


    The servants waved their hands and gestured for something.


    It suddenly occurred to Yun Shang that Qian Zhuo had told her that the servants in the mansion were all deaf and illiterate. Yun Shang was afraid that they didn''t know what she was talking about at all.


    Yun Shang was in a daze for a moment, and a sneer appeared on her face. She waved her hand and said, "Nothing. You can leave now."


    Those men seemed to understand what Yun Shang meant, so they bowed and left in a hurry.


    Yun Shang squinted, lowered her eyes and thought for a while. Then she turned around and ordered Qian Zhuo, "Go get a basin of water and pour it into this fish tank. I''ve put the crucian in the bucket in the living room outside. After pouring the water, put the fish in it."


    Qian Zhuo nodded and took out the washed handkerchief to hang it. Then she took two buckets of water, filled the fish tank and put the crucian in.


    The crucian wagged its tail in th


    else soon if there is still no news about you. After all... "


    "There are a lot of rumors about you. Most of them say that you can''t have a child anymore. Since he is now in that position, he naturally won''t let this happen. "


    Yun Shang didn''t seem to be affected at all. She just nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for bringing me the news. It''s good for the people to retreat early. I''m not in the mountain now, and it''s not appropriate if he comes. I''m afraid that many people are watching him secretly and trying to kill him. I''m a little relieved if he goes back early."


    "Stubborn."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Well, I''m indeed stubborn. But I''m a little curious. Why did you lock me here? If you have any purpose, shouldn''t I be more useful to you when I''m in my current position? Why do you seem to want him to divorce me and marry others? If he divorces me, I will be just an ordinary person. It won''t do you any good, will it? "


    "Or, in fact, you have liked me for a long time. It''s not easy for you to get this opportunity, and you want to hide me here as a mistress? If I can be divorced, you can marry me fair and square? "


    "Gee..." Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said, "If that''s the case, things will be difficult."

 Chapter 1229 Set A Fire

    Ming Hong''s face darkened. "What are you talking about?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "I have nothing else to do in the mansion all day long. Don''t you allow me to think too much? As for me, I don''t have any other advantages. I just think randomly and do nothing. You don''t need to care about it. I''m just saying it casually. "


    Then he asked, "Is there anything else you want to tell me? If not, I will continue reading? "


    "¡­¡­" Ming Hong gritted his teeth. He shouldn''t have come here this time. He wanted to see her panic, but he didn''t expect her reaction.


    Seeing that Mr. Ming Hong clenched his teeth and didn''t say anything, Yun Shang smiled and lowered her head again. She turned a page and said, "By the way, remember to tell the servants in the yard to help me move the fish tank out."


    Mr. Ming Hong didn''t say anything. He clenched his fists in his sleeves and stared at Yun Shang for a long time before he turned around and left.


    As soon as he left, Yun Shang stood up and entered the inner room with a book. She didn''t sit down on the chair, but went to the window and stood, as if enjoying the scenery in the yard.


    Yun Shang saw Mr. Ming Hong walk into the yard and call two servants over to tell them something.


    After saying a few words, Ming Hong left the yard.


    After a while, footsteps came in and stopped at the door of the bedroom.


    Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and ordered, "Go and ask them to move out the fish tank and put it on the table outside."


    Qian Zhuo answered and went out. Soon, she brought in the servants who was waiting outside.


    The servants waiting outside were the ones who brought the fish tank yesterday. When Yun Shang saw them carefully carrying the fish tank to the door, she suddenly shouted, "ah!"


    Qian Zhuo looked back at Yun Shang and asked, "Master, what''s wrong?"


    asleep. After a long time, she lit the light again.


    "Master, what''s wrong?"


    Yun Shang raised her hand to touch her forehead, and her face flushed. "I seem to be ill and have a fever. Come and have a look. Is my forehead very hot?"


    Qian Zhuo was shocked by Yun Shang''s words. She quickly went to check the temperature on Yun Shang''s forehead and said, "Yes, it''s very hot."


    "Is it because you were exposed in the wind by the stream in the afternoon? I''ll call for a doctor. "


    Yun Shang nodded and closed her eyes in pain.


    "Help! Help! " Qian Zhuo shouted in the yard, but there was no response.


    Yun Shang frowned and struggled to get out of bed. "The servants in the yard are all deaf. It''s useless to shout. Do you know where the servants live? Go and find someone. "


    Qian Zhuo turned her head and said anxiously, "I... I don''t know where they live. What should I do? "


    Yun Shang pressed her lips and said, "Don''t panic. Go to the kitchen."


    "To the kitchen?" Qian Zhuo was confused.


    "Go to the kitchen and set a fire." Yun Shang snorted, "If I can''t find a servant, I can''t just sit still and wait for death. I''m not in good health. It''s not worth it if I get sick because of this. Go and set a fire. "

 Chapter 1230 Help!

    "An arson?" Qian Zhuo was surprised, but she had been always obeying Yun Shang. Thus she ran to the kitchen without asking more.


    However, Qian Zhuo just ran out when a guard suddenly appeared and blocked her way.


    "No, my lady." A guard was standing in front of Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang looked at them coldly and said, "You know I''m sick, but you didn''t tell Mister Ming Hong or call a doctor for me. If I hadn''t given the order to set the kitchen on fire, wouldn''t you just stand by and watch? And even if I died of illness here, you wouldn''t have appeared? "


    Seeing that the guards lowered their heads and didn''t give any response, Yun Shang sneered, "Did you suppose that I wouldn''t know you were secretly monitoring my every move if you didn''t show up?"


    Looking at the guards, Yun Shang didn''t want to say anything more. She just raised her hand and rubbed her forehead, "Go and call the doctor for me. If anything happens to me, you can''t take responsibility. If you don''t have the right to call a doctor for me, send someone to inform Mister Ming Hong. "


    The guards looked at each other and uttered, "Mister Ming Hong is not in the mansion."


    Yun Shang was so angry that she smiled, "So, you just let me be?"


    Seeing that the guards didn''t dare to make a sound, Yun Shang took a deep breath and ordered, "Send two people to inform your master about it then, no matter where he is now. Ask two more people to go to the hospital outside. If you are worried that the doctor will find out something when he comes, you don''t need to call the doctor. You can just tell the doctor about my symptoms carefully. Do you think it''s a good idea to leave another two more people to guard me? "


    Yun Shang had been used to being in a high position. Now she looked cold, fierce but timid. The guards didn''t dare to refute her. They looked at each other for a moment, and then one of them who seemed to be the leader stood out, "Just do as Lady said."


    The guards dispersed. Qian Zhuo turned to Yun Shang. It was n


    didn''t understand what Yun Shang was talking about.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "I know you are deaf and dumb. I also know that although you can''t hear, you can read the lip language. I''ve seen Mister Ming Hong give orders to you before. He also said those words to you, and you all understood. "


    "I''ll give you two choices. Either you take us away, or... Die. "


    The servant didn''t seem to think of this. After quite a while, he gritted her teeth and nodded.


    Yun Shang stood up and ordered, "Let''s go."


    Qian Zhuo held the servant''s hands and followed behind, "Master, how can we go? Where are we going? "


    Yun Shang squinted, "Is there a woodshed in the mansion?"


    "Yes." Qian Zhuo nodded, "I used to go to the woodshed when I went to the kitchen to decoct medicine for Master."


    "All right." Yun Shang nodded, "Take him to the woodshed first. Let''s hide there first."


    "Hide in the woodshed?" Qian Zhuo was surprised, "Aren''t we leaving?"


    "Yes, but not now." As Yun Shang spoke, she stopped. Then she took out a medicine bag from her sleeve and covered it on the servant''s nose. The servant didn''t expect that Yun Shang would do this, but he passed out before he could react.


    Both Qian Zhuo and Yun Shang quickly hid into the woodshed with the servant.


    About two hours later, a voice came from outside.

 Chapter 1231 Draw Him Out

    "Master!" A cry rang OUT in the yard, "Cao An and Cao Jin are in a coma. And they are missing."


    "Master! One of the servants is also missing! "


    Then came the angry voice of Ming Hong, "I told you to keep an eye on her, but you lost her!"


    "Please forgive me, master!"


    "What''s the point of saying that now? They didn''t have a horse and were not familiar with this place. They shouldn''t go far. Hurry up to look for them! If you can''t take them back, I won''t let you go. "


    The guard answered. But soon, Ming Hong said, "She took away a servant. She must have asked the servant to lead the way. There are only two ways out of the mansion. If it was the way we came, the servant must''ve tried his best to inform us. So it must be the other one. You can go to the other one by riding a horse. They don''t have a horse and can''t run too far. "


    It was noisy outside. After the chaos, the voice gradually faded away.


    Under the light of the lanterns under the eaves, Qian Zhuo looked at Yun Shang. Yun Shang shook her head, took out a leaf from her sleeve, and blew it.


    It was an ordinary leaf, but Yun Shang made some bird sound with it.


    After a while, there was another sound outside.


    "Master, there are many people coming to us from outside."


    "What?" "Why did they come so soon? Didn''t the the Empress just run away? Has she already secretly spread the news and asked people to ambush around? "


    "But how could it be possible? Her every move is under our watch. How did she do it? "


    The guard couldn''t answer, but asked, "I''m afraid the mansion is not safe. What should we do now, master?"


    "What should I do? Of course we should leave now. " Ming Hong gritted his teeth and said, "I thought she wanted to escape, so she deliberately sent you away to invite me here. Now it seems that it is more than that. She obviously wants to lure me here and then arrest me."


    "H


    ror at all. Instead, you sound like bandits. "


    "I don''t care if I am the emperor of a country or a bandit. As long as you like."


    Yun Shang smiled for a while and then remembered another thing. "The man who kidnapped me ran away from the stream in the mansion. Did you catch him?"


    "Yes, I did." Luo Qingyan nodded, "When I received your news, I asked someone to block him. And he was caught."


    Yun Shang nodded, "I''ll go back to the palace to have a rest. I want to interrogate him myself when I''m free."


    Luo Qingyan snorted, "Why bother to interrogate such a person? Just kill him. Even if you interrogate him, he may not tell the truth. "


    Yun Shang smiled and kept silent for a while. Then she said, "I heard his guard mentioned the names of the two guards who had been spying on me and made me faint. Their surname is Cao."


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan immediately understood what she meant. "Do you suspect that the Cao clan did it?"


    Yun Shang nodded. After a moment of silence, she continued, "But I''m wondering which one from the Cao clan did it." Why did they just imprison me without doing anything else? What did they want to do? "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "I have a rough guess, so I want to draw him out."

 Chapter 1232 Back To The Palace

    In a strange environment, Yun Shang always tried to keep herself awake subconsciously. She hadn''t had a good sleep these days. Now she suddenly got out of danger. At the beginning, she was a little excited. After chatting with Luo Qingyan for a while, she felt a little sleepy.


    Luo Qingyan had been holding her in his arms all the time. In addition, the carriage was a little bumpy on the way, and the sound of the wheels rotating was hypnotized. Soon she felt that her eyelids were almost unable to hold on.


    "How is Chengye?" Yun Shang tried to keep herself awake.


    "He''s fine. But since you''re not in the palace, no one can control him except me. Recently, he has become more and more irritable, and often gets angry. When the servants made him unhappy, he just ordered them to go away."


    Yun Shang frowned, "It''s not good. We can''t spoil him like this."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan said in a low but gentle voice, "I asked many courtiers who have children. They all said that this was what children usually do at this age and that he would be better when he was a little older."


    Yun Shang blinked her eyes. She couldn''t imagine that Luo Qingyan had asked other courtiers about their children. Thinking about it, Yun Shang wanted to laugh.


    "According to the courtiers, children at this age have begun to be sensible, but there are too few things they can play, and the adults don''t understand their thoughts. If they don''t have companions at their own age, they will feel a little boring. " Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang in his arms and patted her from time to time, "So I was planning to find a grand tutor for him after you go back to the palace, as well as a few companions."


    Yun Shang yawned and nodded, "Okay. It''s time to find him a grand tutor."


    "Well, you mentioned that you wanted to asked Yan''er of the Hua family to the palace to be his companion. That''s good." Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang''s eyelids drooping and said in a lower voice.


    "When you just left, he looked


    g dressed up and sat down at the table, she saw Luo Qingyan enter the hall in a hurry.


    Yun Shang blinked and looked at Luo Qingyan. She raised the chopsticks in her hand and asked, "Your Majesty, would you like some too?"


    Seeing that Yun Shang didn''t seem to be uncomfortable, Luo Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked at Yun Shang up and down before he lifted his robe and sat down at the table. "Okay, I''ll eat with you. I haven''t had lunch yet."


    Yun Shang turned her head to look at the sand clock on the table. It was almost dinnertime.


    "Your Majesty haven''t had lunch yet?"


    Luo Qingyan understood the reproach in Yun Shang''s words, but he only smiled, "It''s not time for lunch when we returned to the palace. As soon as I settled you down, Liu Wenan came. There are a lot of affairs in the court these days. I have to choose the most important ones to deal with first. So I forgot to have lunch. "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and looked up at Liu Wenan, who was standing behind Luo Qingyan. "No one reminded his majesty?"


    Liu Wenan kept complaining, "How dare I not remind his majesty? But when his majesty dealt with the court affairs, he asked all the servants to leave. I had entered for several times, but before I could speak, I was scolded out by his majesty. There is really no way..."

 Chapter 1233 Do Some Exercise

    Yun Shang then turned to Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan coughed and said in a low voice, "It''s all my fault. I know it. But since everyone is here now, please save me some dignity. After you dismiss the servants, I''ll apologize to you in private, okay?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Seeing that all the servants in the palace couldn''t help laughing, she curled up her lips, but soon she put on a cold face. "Your majesty, what did you say? Your majesty is the Emperor. How can you make an apology to me? "


    Luo Qingyan lowered his voice and said, "I''ve already said that your words are more useful than the imperial edict."


    Yun Shang coughed when she saw some bold servants tilted to one side and laughed.


    They quickly held back their laughter and stood straight, as if they hadn''t heard what he said.


    Yun Shang sighed in her heart. After all, he was her husband and the emperor, so she had to let him go.


    "Go get another set of tableware and serve his majesty some food." Yun Shang ordered loudly.


    "Yes." The servants answered in a hurry.


    After the two of them had dinner together, the servants cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, and left the hall to Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang stood up and went back to her bedroom.


    As soon as she sat down on the couch, she saw Luo Qingyan coming in.


    Luo Qingyan walked to the table, poured a cup of tea, and walked to Yun Shang with the tea in his hand. He handed the tea to Yun Shang with both hands, "Madam, please have some tea."


    Yun Shang smiled at Luo Qingyan, "Just a cup of tea? I remember that you promised me that you wouldn''t ignore your own health because of political affairs. You also said that if you didn''t listen to my advice, Liu Wenan could come to tell me. "


    Luo Qingyan blinked, "Yes. Didn''t Liu Wenan tell you? I didn''t stop him just now, did I? "


    "As


    t down the tea cup in his hand, walked to Yun Shang, sat down next to her, held her in his arms, and whispered in her ear, "Several months have past since you left for the frontier. The half year Ghost Doctor asked should have come to an end, right?"


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan in disbelief. It turned out that Luo Qingyan meant that thing.


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan became more and more interested. He just held Yun Shang up and walked towards the bed.


    Yun Shang was put on the bed by Luo Qingyan. As soon as she looked up, she saw the tenderness in Luo Qingyan''s eyes. She swallowed the words that she wanted to say. She grabbed Luo Qingyan''s sleeve and pulled him down.


    Caught off guard, Luo Qingyan fell down on the bed. He held the bed with his hands to keep himself from pressing her.


    Seeing the cunning look in Yun Shang''s eyes, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but chuckle, "My lady, you really can''t wait..."


    Then she put down the bed curtain.


    When they were having a good time, they suddenly heard a cry from outside, followed by the cry of Chengye, "Mother! Mother! Where are you, mom? Mom, are you awake? I''m here to see you, mom! "


    Then he scolded, "Why are you stopping me?"

 Chapter 1234 Forget It

    The two people in the bed curtain looked at each other. Blue veins were throbbing on Luo Qingyan''s forehead. He gritted his teeth and said, "I''ll ask someone to throw him out."


    "What nonsense are you talking about? I haven''t seen Chengye for months. " Yun Shang pushed Luo Qingyan away and sat up. "I''ll go out to have a look."


    Then she stood up, straightened her clothes and walked to the bronze mirror. She didn''t find anything wrong before she turned around and left the bedroom.


    "Your highness crown prince, her majesty is still resting."


    "I just heard the maid say that she was going to deliver the meal to my mother. Go away! Go away! "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and chuckled. Then she went out.


    "Chengye."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s voice, Chengye suddenly raised his head and saw Yun Shang. His eyes were filled with joy. He quickly pushed away the hands of the servants that were holding him and rushed towards Yun Shang.


    "Mother!"


    "Mother, I miss you so much."


    "I came to see you earlier, but you were still sleeping."


    "I wanted to come in just now, but they stopped me."


    "Mother, I can ride a horse and shoot arrows now. Can I show you later?"


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "Okay."


    Then she touched Chengye''s soft hair and said, "My Chengye has already known so much. And he can also talk so much. That''s good."


    "Recently, he has been talking a lot. He comes to the Taiji Palace to talk to me whenever he is free. Seeing that I''m unhappy, he goes to other palaces to talk. The servants in the East Palace, the Taiji palace and the servants who train with him are all annoyed."


    Yun Shang turned around and saw Luo Qingyan standing behind her with a long face. His clothes were neat, but his face was dark.


    Yun Shang was amused by his words. She sat on the chair and took Chengye closer to look at him carefully. "Chengye seems to be taller?"


    "I''m not only taller, but al


    e often ignored. As soon as Luo Qingyan spoke,Chengye took it as an imperial edict. Even if sometimes he was dissatisfied, he would do it first and then secretly came to report it to her.


    While Yun Shang was thinking about Chengye, Luo Qingyan, who was sitting next to Yun Shang, gently pulled her sleeve.


    Yun Shang turned around and looked at Luo Qingyan confusedly. Luo Qingyan was staring at her with a meaningful look.


    "..."


    This man...


    However, Yun Shang''s silence was regarded as acquiescence by Luo Qingyan. Luo Qingyan smiled and said loudly, "You can leave now."


    The people in the hall hurriedly left, leaving only two servants at the door.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand, pulled Yun Shang up and went straight to the bedroom.


    "Your Majesty, you had left the palace for a few days. You said you had so many political affairs to deal with that you even forgot to have lunch. Have you finished so soon?"


    Yun Shang just asked casually, but Luo Qingyan nodded seriously. "Yes, I was in a hurry before just because I wanted to deal with everything before you woke up."


    "..."


    Luo Qingyan stopped and turned to look at Yun Shang with a smile. "We''ve been separated for months. I miss you."


    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan and sighed.


    Forget it.

 Chapter 1235 The Steward Of The Imperial Library

    Being disturbed by Luo Qingyan, Yun Shang didn''t wake up until the second morning.


    When she opened her eyes, it was already dawn and there was no one beside her.


    Yun Shang sat up, rubbed her sore waist, scolded Luo Qingyan in secret, and called someone in.


    After washing, brushing and having breakfast, Yun Shang thought about how many things she had to do.


    She was interrupted by Luo Qingyan when she woke up yesterday, so she did nothing.


    She had received the news at the frontier that Chengye fell off the horse. She was wondering whether the one behind it had been found out after such a long time.


    She also heard that her former majesty was in a coma. She didn''t know what was going on now.


    And she also needed to take time to interrogate Ming Hong.


    Yun Shang sighed and raised her hand to rub her forehead. There was a lot of things that could only be done one by one.


    Yun Shang stood up and asked Pei Lan and Hua Er to follow her to the Taihe Palace.


    "I''ve heard at the frontier that the empress was poisoned and unconscious. How is it going now?"


    Pei Lan hurriedly lowered her voice and said, "Her former majesty has already been detoxified and waked up, but because of the poison, her body is still a little damaged. During this period of time, she has been staying in the Taihe Palace for recuperation. His former majesty has been watching closely, and he doesn''t allow her to deal with the imperial household affairs. Except the emperor and the crown prince, no one else is allowed to visit her."


    Yun Shang nodded and asked, "The secret guard only told me that she was poisoned. Now tell me how her majesty was poisoned. Has the poisoner been found out? "


    "I just heard that after her former majesty dealt with the pamphlets sent to her by every palace the other day, she had lunch and had a rest. But she didn''t wake up until dinner time. At first, His Former Majesty thought that she was tired, so he let her sleep a little longer. Then he went to wake her up for dinner, but she didn''t wake up at all. So he hurriedly called the imperial phy


    ary.


    What did the servant say at that time?


    She said that she liked reading, and sometimes she secretly read the books in the Imperial Library when there was no one else there. That day, she was reading an interesting book in the Imperial Library. But she hadn''t finished it when the light was turned off. She couldn''t help but want to read it. So she took the book and quietly climbed up to the Moon Tower next to the Imperial Library with lights on.


    The servant also said that she had done such a thing before, and the steward in the Imperial Library also knew it and had scolded her. Later on, the steward''s reprimand was useless. Seeing that she didn''t make any trouble, the steward just ignored it.


    Later, she seemed to have sent someone to ask the steward of the Imperial Library. The steward did say that the servant was obsessed with books and often did such things...


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and wondered who the steward was.


    But judging from this matter, it must be the maid whose surname was Wang.


    Yun Shang ran her fingers through her hair at her temples. She was wondering if Steward Wang was targeting at Hua Ling. If not, why did she send the pamphlet when Hua Ling took charge of the Imperial Household affairs after she left?


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang stopped.


    That was not necessarily the case. Steward Wang might have poisoned her before...

 Chapter 1236 What On Earth She Wanted To Do

    The way Steward Wang poisoned was very secret. Although the Imperial Library had rarely sent pamphlets, they did occasionally. She might had already tried to poison Yun Shang, but Yun Shang was immune to poisons, so she did not succeed.


    Since he didn''t succeed in drugging Yun Shang, Steward Wang chose to take actions against Hua Ling when Yun Shang left the palace and handed over all the household affairs to her.


    It could be seen that Steward Wang must have her own purpose. But what she wanted was not the life of Yun Shang or Hua Ling. What she wanted was only that the person in charge of the household affairs was poisoned.


    "Your Majesty?" Pei Lan asked in a low voice.


    Yun Shang suddenly came to her senses, shook her head and continued to walk towards the Taihe Palace.


    "How did His Majesty and His Former Majesty deal with it after they knew the pamphlet was from the Imperial Library?"


    "The steward was taken away and imprisoned. She should have been interrogated later, but we don''t know how she had been dealt with in the end. Since Your Majesty is not in the palace, we can only pry into information in private. But we don''t know much about the specific situation. "


    Yun Shang frowned slightly. The evidence was clear. The crime of poisoning Her Former Majesty could be convicted. The murderer should be dealt with in public. However, neither Pei Lan nor Hua''er had heard anything of it, and they didn''t know what the final result of Steward Wang was. It was a little strange.


    There must be something wrong.


    Soon they arrived at the gate of the Taihe Palace. The palace was heavily guarded, and there were four guards standing at the gate.


    "Her Majesy is coming. Go in and inform His Former Majesty and Her Former Majesty."


    The guard answered, and one of them turned around and entered the door quickly.


    After a short while, he came out in a hurry and opened the door. "Please come in, Your Majesty."


    The servants took Yun Shang directly to the inner hall.


    As soon as she reached the door of the inn


    the speed of placing her pieces at all. "I didn''t expect that I would get into trouble just after I escaped. As soon as I got out of danger, I was taken away again. Then I tried every means to contact the secret guards and escaped secretly. "


    Yun Shang said indifferently, but Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling could imagine how thrilling it was from these few words.


    Yun Shang didn''t intend to explain it in detail. She looked up at Hua Ling and said, "I heard something about the palace on the way here just now. I''m wondering how father and mother dealt with Steward Wang. What did you get from the interrogation? "


    Hua Ling and Xia Huanyu looked at each other. After Xia Huanyu placed a piece, he asked casually, "Do you know why Steward Wang poisoned?"


    Yun Shang hesitated for a moment and said, "I guessed it just now. The way she poisoned was very secret. She had handed some pamphlets before, and I guessed that she must have poisoned me too. But I was immune to poisons, so she failed."


    "This time, I left the palace and entrusted mother with the Imperial Household affairs. Then she poisoned her. I guess she poisoned not to kill me or my mother, but to put the people who was in charge of the Imperial Household affairs in trouble and unable to deal with the affairs, so she could take action. "


    "But I don''t know what on earth she wanted to do."

 Chapter 1237 The Disappeared Servant

    "She wants to take a person away from the palace,"


    Xia Huanyu pursed his lips and said, "She has made a clear guess of us. She thought that if something happened to the person who was in charge of the imperial household affairs, we would not know what would happen at that time. We wouldn''t know who poisoned us and what poison it was. We would be so afraid that the whole imperial household would be in a mess after hearing the news. The first thing we would do must be to try to hide the news.


    And then she can take advantage of this time to fake the imperial edict and take him away."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows slightly. She was a little surprised. She had thought of countless possibilities, but she did not expect that it was for this.


    "Who did she want to take away then?" Yun Shang looked up and asked.


    "A maid." Xia Huanyu casually put down his piece and added, "She is a maid in the Xiangyi Palace."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on the chess piece.


    The Xiangyi Palace was the place where Lady Li was kept under house arrest.


    At the thought of this, Yun Shang vaguely guessed which maid that steward Wang wanted to take away.


    It was most likely that she had come to the Imperial Garden to beg her, saying that Lady Li had saved her life, begging her to call for an imperial physician for her, and finally she agreed to the maid to work in the Xiangyi Palace.


    "Was she sent to the Xiangyi Palace to serve lady Li after she was under house arrest?"


    Raising his head slightly, Xia Huanyu asked, "Yes, have you met her before?"


    Yun Shang nodded and told Xia Huanyu what had happened,


    "That maid came to me at the risk of offending me for such a small matter. Although Lady Li made a mistake, she did not deserve to die. If she died in the palace because I did not call for an imperial physician for treatment, I''m afraid that at that time, all kinds of rumors will spread, and it will be unfavorable to the emperor, even to Father and Mother, so I agree.


    But when I asked the maid to serve in the Xiangyi Palace, she looked a li


    ty''s poisoning. It was said that Lady Li died of a sudden illness. We all know that Lady Li was in poor health, so we didn''t think too much. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then the funeral of Lady Li has been done?"


    "Yes," Pei Lan said in a low voice, "but at that time, her Former Majesty was just poisoned and the palace was in a mess. We should find the murderer to detoxify her Former Majesty. Lady Li was just a concubine in the Cold Palace, and her death didn''t arouse much attention. His majesty has ordered people to deal with the aftermath, but in a very low-key way. "


    Yun Shang nodded. No wonder the secret guards didn''t mention it when they sent her the news that her Former Majesty was poisoned.


    After saying that, Pei Lan looked at Yun Shang, "What do you want me to do, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and asked, "How to deal with the Xiangyi Palace after Lady Li''s death?"


    "His majesty ordered people to block it. They said it is ominous. However, the guards guarding outside the palace haven''t been removed. They are still guarding at the gate and don''t allow anyone to get close to it. "


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief secretly. She knew that the ominous news was false. Luo Qingyan ordered to block the palace, because he felt that it was strange. He wanted to investigate the Xiangyi Palace and see if he could get any useful information from it.

 Chapter 1238 Sleeping Together

    "That''s good." Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "It''s blocked and no one should be able to move anything inside. When I''m free, I''ll go and research carefully in the Xiangyi Palace."


    Before that, she decided to ask Luo Qingyan if he had found anything in the palace.


    Now the most important thing was to go to see Mister Ming Hong.


    Yun Shang knocked on the table with her fingers. At last, she stood up and walked out of the hall.


    "Where are you going, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Go to the Taiji Palace."


    Because of her, Luo Qingyan had been away from the palace for nearly ten days. Now he came back, he might have a lot of things to deal with, and might not have time to come over for lunch.


    She still had a lot of things to discuss with him, and she could also supervise him for lunch.


    When Yun Shang arrived at the gate of the Taiji Palace, she saw several masters coming out.


    They bowed to her.


    Yun Shang glanced at them and nodded. She didn''t say anything but went straight to the Taiji Palace.


    Luo Qingyan was reading the memorial, frowning as if something bad had happened.


    Hearing the maid''s greeting, Luo Qingyan raised his head. His face softened and greeted, "I was thinking about going to the Weiyang Palace to have lunch with you after dealing with these things. Why are you here?"


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and grinned, "Your Majesty, have a look. What time is it now?"


    Luo Qingyan turned around and looked at the clock in the corner of the Royal table, "It''s already three o''clock in the afternoon? It''s so late. "


    "Yes, it''s already three o''clock in the afternoon. I''m afraid it would be very late when the emperor finishes dealing with these pamphlets. I don''t know how late the lunch will be if his majesty goes from the Taiji Palace to the Weiyang Palace."


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and chuckled, "It''s my fault. I didn''t notice the time."


    Then he turned to the eunuch beside him and ordered


    life and had been trapped in the mansion for several days. How can I swallow my anger?"


    Then Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan and said, "By the way, I haven''t asked your majesty where you have imprisoned Mister Ming Hong?"


    "I''ll go with you after lunch."


    "Your Majesty, you have so many things to deal with. Can you go with me?" Yun Shang couldn''t help raising her eyebrows in surprise, "You don''t have to do that, do you? Now your majesty can''t even have lunch. If you go with me again, I''m afraid you won''t even have time to sleep. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Luo Qingyan suddenly burst into laughter, "Don''t worry, your majesty. When it''s time to sleep, we still need to sleep."


    Then he lowered his voice so that only they both could hear clearly, "Tonight, I''ll go to sleep with you."


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yun Shang rolled her eyes and paid no attention to him.


    Luo Qingyan was in a good mood as he had taken advantage of Yun Shang orally. When the servants came in with food and waited for it to be put the food on the table, he waved his hand to let the servants stay away. Then he served Yun Shang a bowl of rice himself, after which he took Yun Shang to the table and picked up some Yun Shang''s favorite food into Yun Shang''s bowl with chopsticks.


    "No matter how busy I am, I can spare time to serve you, my Empress!"

 Chapter 1239 I wont believe you even if you are willing to say it

    Luo Qingyan seemed to have some special ideas about the hiding place.


    After lunch, Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang to the Imperial Garden. After that, Yun Shang was taken to a rockery. They then went into the cave. No one knew where it was exactly when a door appeared in the cave.


    Before Yun Shang came to her senses, Luo Qingyan took her down the stairs.


    After walking for a while, they saw a private prison below.


    "I often come to the Imperial Garden, but I haven''t found that there is such a world here."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan smiled, "I asked the secret guards to secretly dig this out after I moved into the palace. I just made it done less than a month. That mister is the first guest here."


    A guest?


    Yun Shang chuckled. This was a special description.


    "He imprisoned the Empress without permission, which is a felony. It should be appropriate to imprison him in the Ministry of Justice or Court of Justice, right?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes, you can. But didn''t you tell me before that you doubted that this young man had something to do with the Cao clan?"


    "Okay." Yun Shang nodded.


    "Although the Cao clan has only developed in the Jin City for less than twenty years, it has developed very fast. I still don''t know where the Cao clan has planted people."


    "The fact that you are under house arrest has already been exposed to us. For the Cao clan, he is of no use, but a hidden trouble. In order to prevent him from saying something that he shouldn''t have said, the Cao clan would definitely try every means to get rid of him. I don''t know if there are people from the Court of Justice and the Ministry of Justice that work for them. Of course, they shouldn''t have placed people in these two places. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "You''re right."


    Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang to the private prison for a while and stopped. "That''s it. Do you need me to go with you?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "There should be other places where you can see and hear what''s going on inside. You can go there and listen. I''m going in alone,


    usand by mistake than let one go. They bought off the prison guards of the Ministry of Justice and Court of Justice and asked them to try their best to get rid of the people who were imprisoned in the two places for the reason of killing me."


    "The members of the Cao clan have always been restless... Cruel and merciless. "


    The straw in Mister Ming Hong''s hand was broken. Then he raised his head and asked, "What''s the Cao clan? What is your majesty talking about? Why can''t I understand? "


    Yun Shang chuckled, "Do you still want to cover it up for them at this time?"


    She lowered her head and chuckled, as if she was amused.


    Amidst Yun Shang''s laughter, Mister Ming Hong''s face darkened.


    Yun Shang laughed for a while and raised her head carelessly, "I think you have misunderstood. I''m not here to interrogate you, nor to get any news from you. I don''t trust anyone. Even if you want to tell me and you are willing to tell me, I may not want to hear it or believe it. "


    "The Cao clan has been well hidden these years. If I don''t have enough evidence, I won''t mention it in front of you. As for the rest, I''ll check it myself. You don''t have to tell me. "


    "I just want to talk to you today. After all, you think your mansion is like an iron bucket, but I escaped. It''s incredible. I''m here to answer your questions and tell you how I escaped... "

 Chapter 1240 Give Me An Idea

    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Ming Hong raised his head and looked at her.


    Yun Shang walked a few steps casually in the prison, tilted her head and thought for a while. "Where to start?"


    "Well, let''s start from how I spread the news." With a smile on her face, Yun Shang said, "When I asked you to buy the medicine, you should have suspected it and asked someone to check it, but you shouldn''t have found anything wrong..."


    "It was true that the prescription was prescribed by Ghost Doctor. But what you didn''t know was that three of the herbs were from the Ghost Doctor Valley. And the three herbs will actually produce slight poisons when they are used together. Ordinary doctors usually don''t put them together. "


    "Among these three herbs, there is a special one. It is rarely used, so ordinary medicine stores rarely prepare it."


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "The second master of the Cao clan run a lot of drug stores, so you thought it would be no problem to get some medicine from him for me. But you didn''t expect that they would take the herbs from the druggists and that there were many of my people among the druggists. All of my men have a good habit. Like the people from the Cao clan, they are willing to kill three thousand people by mistake, but will not let go of one of them. "


    Ming Hong lowered his head and stared at the straw in his hand, without saying anything.


    "Of course, this is just one of them."


    "After giving me the medicine, the people you sent to monitor me should have seen that I took out several herbs and put them away. You focused most of your attention on the herbs, but ignored the rest. "


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "No, I should say that you paid most of your attention on me, but ignored my maid."


    "You saw that I put some herbs away, but you didn''t see that my maid hid a piece of burnt charcoal when she went to the kitchen to decoct medicine for me."


    "You sa


    ews to the Cao clan through Cao Han and try my best to completely remove them. "


    Yun Shang smiled and turned to look at Mr. Ming Hong, "But you don''t have to be too sad. After all, the Cao clan wanted to kill you to keep the secrets. You don''t have to be sad for them, do you?"


    After saying that, Yun Shang smiled and said, "There are so many people in the Cao clan. Who do you think I should start with?"


    "Cao Han? I''ll keep him for a while. He is still useful to me." Yun Shang tilted her head and thought for a while. "The second master of the Cao clan? His name seems to be Cao Zhou, right? Although he is not an official in the court, he is the economic support of the Cao family. Almost all the money the Cao family spent to bribe officials is from him. "


    "Or..." Yun Shang thought for a while and asked, "Old Lady Cao? She is very annoying. Since I killed her husband, she has tried her best to take revenge, but every time she failed. "


    "Or, Mr. Cao? Is he the eldest son of the Cao clan? The death of the eldest son will be a big blow to the Cao clan? "


    Yun Shang said with a smile. Then she turned to look at Ming Hong and said, "You are familiar with the Cao clan. Who do you think I should start with? Give me an idea. I''ll send his head to you tomorrow... "

 Chapter 1241 Too Coward

    Mister Ming Hong was confused, "Your majesty can kill whoever you want. But I have nothing to do with the Cao clan. I don''t care who will be alive or dead."


    Seeing that Mister Ming Hong was still pretending to be ignorant, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Well, since you said so, I''ll let myself be happy and kill whoever as I like. But I''m a little surprised anyway. The Cao clan wanted to kill you to keep their secrets, while you are trying to cover it up for them. "


    Then she lowered her head and straightened her clothes, "Well, in that case, I''ll leave now. I have to make Mister Ming Hong stay here for a longer time. Although you are under house arrest, the conditions here are


    ked, "I think I know what happened to her Former Majesty. But what about Chengye?


    Didn''t you say that the people around Chengye and the people in the East Palace were all arranged well by you? Why did Chengye suddenly startle his horse? Was there something wrong with the horse? Hasn''t it been checked before Chengye''s riding? "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s series of questions, Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly, "You have so many questions. You should give me some time to answer them one by one, right?"


    After saying that, Luo Qingyan took a sip of tea and continued, "There is nothing wrong with the people around Chengye. They have checked everything before riding."


    "Then what''s wrong?"

 Chapter 1242 Warning

    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said, "It''s the grass on the shooting range."


    "Grass on the shooting range?" Yun Shang frowned with confusion in her eyes.


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan nodded slightly, "I''ve arranged everything, but I only missed this. Although Chengye''s horse was already fed and full in the stable, the horse would still eat some grass on the training ground while Chengye was doing preparation. Someone calculated this and put purgatives on the grass there. "


    Luo Qingyan sighed, "Actually it''s my fault."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "Why should it be your fault? If someone wants to poison, he has always thousands of ways to do it. No matter how careful you


    h. They shook their heads and waited for Yun Shang to wave her hand before they dispersed.


    Yun Shang stood up and went back to her bedroom. After Qian Zhuo and Pei Lan sorted out the pamphlets, Qian Zhuo walked up to Yun Shang and said, "Your Majesty, after warning them like this, they should restrain themselves a little."


    "It''s just temporary. But it doesn''t matter. Let it be."


    Qian Zhuo replied smilingly, "Yes, your majesty. Do you want to read the pamphlets now?"


    Yun Shang nodded and dealt with all the important pamphlets that Qian Zhuo had sorted out. Then she stood up.


    "Where are you going, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Let''s go to the Xiangyi Palace."

 Chapter 1243 Discovery

    The gate of the the Xiangyi Palace was closed, and white flowers were still hanging on it. Two white lanterns were lit on the gate, and two guards were standing at the gate.


    At the sight of Yun Shang, the two imperial guards hurried to her and greeted her, "Your majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded and looked up at the three words on the plaque above the palace gate. After a moment of silence, she withdrew her gaze and said, "Open the gate. I''ll go in and have a look."


    The Royal Guard answered and opened the gate.


    Yun Shang had been to the palace for several times. But when she stepped in again, she found that the palace was totally different from the one in her memo


    es splashed in all directions.


    "Your majesty!" With her eyes wide open, Qian Zhuo screamed, "There''s something in it."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and saw a huge black thing lying quietly in the middle of the porcelain pieces.


    "What''s this?"


    Qian Zhuo picked it up and looked at it carefully. Then she stood up and said, "It seems to be... Luffa? "


    "Luffa?" Yun Shang was not familiar with it, so she looked at it curiously.


    "Yes, it''s the thing left after the flesh of loofah is removed and dried." Qian Zhuo explained, "The servants occasionally use them to wash dishes."


    As she spoke, Qian Zhuo checked the luffa and said, "There is something in it."

 Chapter 1244 A Clue

    Qian Zhuo quickly took it out and looked at it carefully. "Is it a kraft map?"


    After confirming that the thing was safe, Qian Zhuo handed the kraft to Yun Shang. "This should be a map, right?"


    Yun Shang took it and had a look. She nodded slightly and said, "It''s a map."


    After reading it carefully, Yun Shang frowned again. "But this is only a small part of a map. There are only the names of some mountains and rivers on it, but no signs of which place they belong to. It''s not easy to find out where they are."


    "Put it away first. Take it back and I''ll have a careful look."


    She took the map and put it away.


    Yun Shang picked up the luff


    harmful to the State of Xia and to us. In that case, it''s meaningless to let the secret guards follow him. We''d better withdraw them. "


    Luo Qingyan was a little surprised. "If we withdraw the secret guards, we won''t be able to know anything about him."


    "It doesn''t matter. Liu Yinfeng is excellent at both literature and martial arts, and there are also people following him. With the help of Ghost Doctor, the pathogenic cold in his body should have been completely removed. In that case, why do we continue to watch him?"


    Although Luo Qingyan didn''t know why Yun Shang made such a decision, he was happy to hear it.


    "Okay, it''s up to you."

 Chapter 1245 What Are You Afraid Of

    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and held her hand, "There''s one more thing..."


    "Yes?" Seeing the rare hesitation on Luo Qingyan''s face, Yun Shang couldn''t help but ask curiously, "What''s the matter?"


    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and kept silent for a moment. Then he sighed, "There are some things that I didn''t plan to tell you, but I think even if I don''t tell you, you should receive the news soon. I''m afraid that you might think too much at that time. Thus I think it''s better to tell you now and then show my attitude to it. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang realized that what Luo Qingyan was going to say was not something good.


    "Tell me, I have expe


    omething happened in the palace..."


    "Yes?"


    After a pause, Cao Han continued, "The eldest son''s mother insisted that my eldest brother be the leader of the family. She had sent people to invite the elders of the family to witness several times, but I secretly stopped all of them. As I''ve tried to stop her several times, she began to be suspicious of me. I''m afraid it will be difficult for me to stop her next time. "


    Yun Shang tapped her fingers on the table and glanced at Cao Han, "What are you afraid of? Even if your eldest brother has become the master of the clan, I still have a way to grab that position, not to mention that he hasn''t been seated yet. "

 Chapter 1246 A Good Show Is About To Begin

    "I know that even if my brother takes the position, your majesty will definitely have a way to help me take the position. However, although the foundation of the Cao clan is not too deep, it has its own power in both official and business. If my brother really becomes the master of the clan and takes over these forces, it will be much more difficult to deal with him than now. " Cao Han lowered his head. His expression can''t be seen clearly.


    Yun Shang smiled and looked down at the stage, "Then tell me, how do you want to deal with your brother? It''s easy to prevent him from being the master of the clan. "


    "The simplest and quickest way is to kill him directly.


    emed to be true.


    "You are so smart, your majesty."


    "Don''t flatter me anymore." With a bigger smile on her face, Yun Shang said, "Tell the secret guards to keep an eye on the Cao mansion. If anything happens, report to me in time. Especially three people, Cao Han, Old Lady Cao and the eldest son of the Cao clan. "


    "Cao Han knows that I have planted someone in the Cao mansion to inquire about the news. You must be careful. Don''t be used by him and get the fake news that he deliberately arranged."


    "Yes, I understand."


    Yun Shang tapped her fingers on the table and looked down at the stage where the scene was changing. "A good show is about to begin."

 Chapter 1247 The Dragon Vein

    When Yun Shang returned to the palace, she was stopped by Liu Wenan, "His Majesty asked you to go to the Taiji Palace first after you return."


    Yun Shang was stunned. She looked down at her daily clothes and asked hesitantly, "Is there any other courtiers in the Taiji Palace?"


    "No." Liu Wenan seemed to understand what Yun Shang was thinking, "Don''t worry, your majesty. You don''t have to go back to Weiyang Palace to change your clothes."


    Yun Shang felt a little relieved and followed Liu Wenan to the Taiji Palace.


    As expected, there was only his Majesty in the hall, not even a servant.


    Even Liu Wenan only sent her to the door, waiting for Yun Shang to close the door as soon as she entered.


    I''m afraid he won''t stop wanting to take action on it."


    But maybe we are thinking too much. It seems that Lady Li had nothing to do with Xia Houjing. How could she hide such a secret as about Xia Houjing''s? What kind of intimate relationship is needed to tell such a secret to Lady Li? "


    Yun Shang frowned and looked puzzled.


    However, she was puzzled, but she couldn''t take it lightly, "No matter what, we''d rather kill three thousand people by mistake than let them go. If this case is really as we expected, we have to solve it as soon as possible, or it will be too late to wait when they take action. "


    "Okay..." Luo Qingyan nodded, "Let''s send the secret guards there to investigate first."

 Chapter 1248 The Blessing

    Luo Qingyan put away the small map carefully and then turned to Yun Shang, "Did you go out to see Cao Han?"


    Yun Shang nodded and told him what she had talked to Cao Han in detail.


    "If the Cao clan wants to use Cao Han to seduce you, they won''t take any big action for the time being. It doesn''t matter if we take it slow. But we cannot fully trust Cao Han. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing. She glanced at Luo Qingyan and said, "I know. After all, Cao Han is just a pawn of the Cao clan. Are you still worried that I will be seduced by him?"


    Luo Qingyan chuckled, "I''m not worried. It''s just a reminder. After all... "


    Luo Qingyan''s face dark


    ightly shook the rein with his hands, and the horse was circling around the shooting range.


    Half way around, he saw Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan.


    And his eyes lit up all of a sudden, "Mother!"


    Yun Shang smiled and waved at him.


    However, Luo Qingyan, who was standing aside, pursed his lips and said, "Your mother has come to see you practice horsemanship. You should perform well. Don''t let her laugh at you for not learning anything for so long."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Chengye was unwilling to admit defeat. He raised his head high and said, "I will. I can ride and shoot arrows now."


    Then he turned to the servants standing aside and ordered, "Bring me arrows!"

 Chapter 1249 very powerful

    The servant beside immediately handed the bows and arrows respectfully. Chengye took them over, looked at Yun Shang and said, "Mother! I''ll show you how I hit the bull''s eye!"


    Yun Shang was overjoyed, "Hit the bull''s eye. My son is amazing. He learned some idioms."


    Luo Qingyan also smiled, "He''s been staying with the secret guards who teach him how to ride recently. He is at the age to imitate. He is interested in learning the words he hears."


    Yun Shang nodded. As Chengye shook the reins slightly, the horse began to walk again. Chengye''s soft voice kept coming over, "Go! Go! "


    The horse was getting faster and fa


    East Palace were all carefully chosen by Luo Qingyan and trusted by him. But that didn''t mean they wouldn''t betray him in the future. He had to guard against it.


    After passing through several more stone door, they suddenly saw a hall. The furniture inside was very similar to that in the main hall of the East Palace.


    However, there seemed to be several stone rooms inside, from which indistinctly came some childish voices, which should be the voices of the little guards practicing martial arts.


    "I seem to be late. Have they already started?" Blinking his eyes, Chengye took Yun Shang''s hand and quickened his pace.

 Chapter 1250 Something Very Important

    Then Chengye took Yun Shang straight to the innermost stone chamber. It was a martial arts performing field, with two rows of weapons neatly placed on both sides. In the middle was a large open space, where a group of little children were standing and practicing boxing with the secret guards in the front.


    After all, it was difficult for the children to focus on something. As soon as they found Yun Shang and the others standing outside, some people couldn''t help but turn their heads and look in this direction.


    Chengye pulled Yun Shang''s clothes. When Yun Shang bent down, he said in a low voice, "Mother, they are not as good at martial arts as I. I''ll show them to you."


    "Great, I have to take a good look at it."


    As soon as Yun Shang


    ngye for half a day. Are you going to deal with the political affairs piled up in the Taiji Palace now?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said, "I can deal with those things at any time. I''ll go back to the Weiyang Palace with you. There are more important things to do there."


    "What are they? Something more important? " Yun Shang frowned, "Is it that you have anything important to discuss with me?"


    "The things are important, but not just for discussion."


    "Then what is it?"


    Seeing the confusion on Yun Shang''s face, Luo Qingyan smiled more brightly, "Yes, of course. I''ll serve the Empress in bed to enhance the relationship between the empress and the emperor. This is... something concerning the future of the State of Xia. "

 Chapter 1251 Take Advantage Of The Victory

    Luo Qingyan seemed to be in a good mood, and as a result of it, Yun Shang was not able to sleep until dawn.


    When Yun Shang woke up and opened her eyes, it was already afternoon. She saw Luo Qingyan sitting at the table, reading a letter in his hand.


    Yun Shang blinked and felt unreal. She closed her eyes and opened them again, but she found Luo Qingyan was still there.


    "Your Majesty, why are you here so early? Didn''t you go to the court? "


    Luo Qingyan looked up at Yun Shang and pointed at the clock on the table.


    Yun Shang looked in the direction of Luo Qingyan''s hand. When she saw clearly the time on it, she was stunned. "It''s already late in the afternoon?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan put the let


    pride of the State of Yelang. This time, I''ve bought almost 1/3 of their war horses secretly. I don''t know how Cangjue Qingsu will react, but people and soldiers there will panic when they find that their advantage is not there.


    Thus, I''m going to take advantage of their panic and surprise them before they come to their senses."


    Yun Shang nodded, "In the war at the border, we have the advantage with the troops of the the State of Ning. Previously, we occupied two cities of the State of Yelang. The soldiers of the State of Yelang is in low morale. They won''t have the heart to resist us if they have such bad news... It''s a good chance for us to take advantage of the chance to pursue our victory, "

 Chapter 1252 You Will Definitely Become A Famous Actor

    Luo Qingyan chuckled and turned to look at Yun Shang with burning eyes.


    "What''s wrong?" Yun Shang asked.


    Luo Qingyan kept silent for a while and said, "To deal with Cangjue Qingsu, I have secretly prepared some secret weapons. It''s time to show them."


    "Secret weapons?"


    Yun Shang was confused, "There shouldn''t be many things that can be called secret weapons on the battlefield, right? Army? Array? Construction works? Weapon? Equipment? "


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and smiled, "I guess everything, but I did prepared everything."


    "Everything? What do you mean? "


    "I have specially sent someone to train eight thousand soldiers who


    nd dealt with their own affairs.


    Yun Shang had slept for a day, so she was not sleepy at all. She dealt with the palace affairs properly, and took out a book to read.


    It was not until midnight that Luo Qingyan urged her to go to bed when he saw that Yun Shang had no intention of resting.


    "If you don''t sleep well tonight, it will be difficult to get up early tomorrow morning. Even if you manage to get up, your spirit won''t be good. It''s not good for your health."


    "Who made me like this?"


    Luo Qingyan chuckled, "well, it''s all my fault. I won''t touch you tonight. I will keep my word..."


    Yun Shang glared at him and rested with him.

 Chapter 1253 The Steward Of The Imperial Library

    It was rare for Luo Qingyan to keep his promise. He didn''t touch her.


    The second morning, Luo Qingyan got up early and went to the court. Yun Shang woke up when she heard the noise.


    She couldn''t fall asleep anymore, so she got up and personally helped him get dressed and washed. After Luo Qingyan left the golden hall with the eunuch, she called someone in to clean up.


    Yun Shang met the stewards of the palaces and the departments earlier today. She then looked through all the pamphlets in a hurry, and found there was nothing important.


    "Is the steward of the Imperial Library here today?" she asked.


    Qian Zhuo was tidying up the pamphlets. After thinking for a while, she shook her head and replied, "No. If the


    se two days."


    Yun Shang lifted her eyelids, "Send someone here to help? I thought that Steward Zhou would prefer to choose a capable servant to be promoted in the Imperial Library here. After all, the servant has worked in this library, so he knows more about it, doesn''t he? "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Steward Zhou lowered his head and said, "It''s all up to you. I''ll follow your majesty''s idea. It''s easy to deal with the affairs in the Imperial Library. As long as you have read books, you can do it. If your majesty can send someone here, I can teach him personally. He can start his work in about one or two months. Of course, if he used to work in the Imperial Library, he would be able to get to work faster... "

 Chapter 1254 The Secret Relationship

    Yun Shang chuckled. Knowing that Yun Shang was testing him, the steward deliberately indicating that he was willing to hand over his authority of the Imperial Library to her people.


    "Well, I''ll think about it carefully,"


    Yun Shang answered carelessly, "I believe you should know about Steward Wang''s case."


    "Yes, Steward Wang was taken away from the Imperial Library. I... was present then. "


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked, "Do you know why Steward Wang committed such a serious crime as to poison her Former Majesty? Did you see anything wrong with her in the Imperial Library then? You and she were both working here. Didn''t you notice anything? "


    Hearing t


    front yard and quickly walked into the room. He looked up at Steward Zhou''s pale face and carefully asked, "Steward, the Empress..."


    Steward Zhou waved his hand and said, "Nothing. The Empress just wanted a few books, but the servants she sent hadn''t found them in the Imperial Library. She just walked over here and asked by the way. I happened to be sorting out the books, so I told her that those books were all alone and were badly damaged. Now they have been carefully preserved, and I don''t dare to let others look through them outside. "


    Looking up at the eunuch, Steward Zhou stressed, "Whoever asks you what the Empress came for just now, you should answer in this way."

 Chapter 1255 The Embodiment Of A Demon

    In Weiyang Palace, after Yun Shang heard the secret guard''s report, she couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows, "Did he really say so?"


    "Yes, your majesty." The secret guard lowered his head and went on, "I heard what Steward Zhou said to the eunuch in the Imperial Library. That eunuch seemed to be his confidant."


    Yun Shang smiled playfully, "Interesting. It''s really interesting."


    Qian Zhuo, however, did not understand, "Then why did he tell his confidant so? Everyone in the palace knew about Steward Wang''s case. And as Steward Wang used to work in the Imperial Library, it was normal for your majesty to ask about the situation, wasn''t it? Then why did he try his best to find a reason to cover up the real purpose


    s, I also think it''s ridiculous. But according to the news outside the palace, it''s probably because the evidence is too convincing. It seems that many people really believe these rumors. "


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yun Shang rubbed her forehead again and said, "Well, in the future, no one will think that I''m raped. They will only think that I''m the embodiment of a demon, the reincarnation of a demon spirit, which can bewitch people and bring chaos to the state.


    Maybe there will be some people who firmly say that the reason why his majesty is willing to not accept concubines to dote on me is that I have used the witchcraft on his majesty..."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo widened her eyes and asked, "How do you know, your majesty?"

 Chapter 1256 Add Fuel To The Fire

    "Yes?" Yun Shang looked up at Qian Zhuo and asked, "So, you mean, there''s anyone who really think so?"


    "Yes..." Qian Zhuo murmured, "Yes. And, there is more than one person. That was also one of the most important reasons why everyone was willing to believe that your majesty was the incarnation of a demon. That was to explain why your majesty''s appearance was so outstanding and why his majesty was so infatuated with your majesty. She also said that her Majesty''s heart was stolen by her majesty. "


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and said, "Why didn''t they say that I had stolen and eaten his majesty''s heart?


    Or maybe such rumors will spread in a few days."


    Yun


    in the city who secretly breed catamites. "


    "It''s one thing to keep catamites in secret, and it''s a secret among us. But it''s another thing to show it to the public and make everyone know it," said Yun Shang.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "So you want to spread it out?"


    "Me? I won''t do it myself. I will only lend this saber to Cao Han and tell him that someone accidentally saw his brother in the Ricky palace. In this way, what he should do is his own business. "


    "Killing someone with a borrowed knife." Luo Qingyan tutted with a smile in his eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled, "The Cao clan will be in a mess soon. I just want to add some fuel to the fire for them. That''s all."

 Chapter 1257 I Know A Secret

    "Mister Mingyi?"


    Early the next morning, Yun Shang went straight to the dark prison.


    Smilingly, she greeted the man who called himself Mister Ming Hong.


    Hearing this, Mingyi''s fingers trembled slightly, but his face still looked blank, "What is your majesty talking about?"


    "It doesn''t matter if you want to pretend. No matter how well you pretend, you can''t become Mister Ming Hong," Yun Shang strolled casually in the dark prison and said, "I''ve heard that Mister Mingyi is very famous in the Cui Zhu house. You have always been unscrupulous when you receive guests, but you are still generous. You can buy anything you want with countless silv


    ed midwife in the palace and send her there. This will be Qian Yin''s first child, and I''m afraid it''s not easy for her to give birth. I feel it''s better to get an experienced midwife for her. One seems not enough. Just take two out.


    If there is any good news from Qian Yin, send it to the palace as soon as possible. It will also make me happy."


    Qian Zhuo bowed and left.


    After Qian Zhuo lfte, Yun Shang picked up the pen and took a piece of paper. She quickly drew a map on the paper.


    Before the ink on the map dried up, the secret guard hurriedly reported, "Your majesty, something happened in the dark prison. That Mister Mingyi is dead."

 Chapter 1258 More Than That

    "Dead?" Yun Shang was stunned. "I just left for a short time. And he is gone? How? "


    "After you left, he turned around and sat still in the corner. We looked through the dark window several times, but we didn''t find anything unusual. It was not until about two hours later when we brought him food that we found he was gone.


    He committed suicide. He used a hairpin and stabbed it into his own Baihui acupoint. And he died quietly."


    Yun Shang frowned more tightly, "He committed suicide with a hairpin? Where did the hairpin come from? When he was locked up in the private prison, all the things on his body had been taken away, hadn''t they? Wasn''t even his clo


    "Of course," Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said, "After all, the Cao family is indeed very rich, but my Empress is not necessarily worse than they. Besides, the Cao clan doesn''t have an empress as smart as my Empress. With this, they can never defeat me. "


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and said, "Your Majesty, your words of love are getting more and more sweet now. Have you hired someone to teach you? I remember that your majesty was not like this before... "


    Luo Qingyan nodded seriously, "Yes. Why not? I''ve read a lot of scripts about it. And I have almost memorized all the sweet words on the script. "


    Yun Shang burst into laughter again...

 Chapter 1259 A Shadowy Situation

    Yun Shang felt a little relieved because of Luo Qingyan''s attitude.


    She always trusted Luo Qingyan for no reason, as if she was willing to believe whatever he said.


    Because of this, Yun Shang felt that it was not a big deal as Luo Qingyan didn''t seem to take it seriously.


    "Mingyi probably really have deep affection for Cao Yi. Therefore, what he said in order to protect Cao Yi''s life is most likely true. Although your majesty didn''t take the Cao clan too seriously, you couldn''t just ignore it. Your majesty, you''d better find out where Cao Zhou''s money has gone. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded with a gentle smile, "Okay, I know.


    ation, so she sent the maid who said that Lady Li was her saver.


    Yun Shang pursed her lips slightly. So who was the one behind Steward Wang and Lady Li?


    Why did the one tell Lady Li about the Dragon Mountains? Where did the map come from? What did that place mean?


    What role did lady Li play in this matter?


    Yun Shang became more and more suspicious. She couldn''t figure out the reason for a long time. She just sat straight, frowned, and thought over and over again, ''Is there any detail that I''ve ignored?''


    Yun Shang took a bayberry from the plate and put it into her mouth. Maybe she should go to ask Steward Wang.

 Chapter 1260 Can You Give Me The Evidence

    Thinking of this, Yun Shang asked the servant by the side, "Is the sun still hot outside?"


    "Your Majesty, there is no sunshine outside at the moment. It''s getting dark and windy. It seems that it''s going to rain."


    "It''s going to rain." Yun Shang nodded, "It''s good to rain. It seems that it hasn''t rained for a long time. It''s so hot that I can''t stand it. I hope the next rain can cool down a little."


    Since there was no sunshine but wind, it was a rare suitable weather to go out.


    Yun Shang stood up and asked, "Are there still any bayberries from the imperial kitchen?"


    "Still quite some."


    "Take a food box with some ice cubes and then store some bayberries in it. Follow me to the Taiji Palac


    several escorts in the Ricky palace, but not through him or anyone else from the Cao mansion. He also bought some houses for those escorts, which are connected to some restaurants and tea shops secretly.


    Your brother sneaked out of the secret doors of those restaurant or tea houses to have a tryst with those escorts."


    Cao Han nodded thoughtfully.


    After a long time, Cao Han raised his head and said, "Your Majesty said that your people found out my brother''s ridiculous affairs. Do you have all the evidence?"


    "Of course. If it weren''t for those evidences, I wouldn''t have believed it. Besides, your brother wouldn''t have been so panic. "


    "Then... Can you give me the evidence, your majesty? "

 Chapter 1261 Its Hard To Tell Whether Its True Or Not

    Yun Shang looked at Cao Han with a superficial smile, "It''s not impossible. After all, even if Cao Yi is in love with a man, it''s only his own private affairs. But I can''t interfere in the affairs of the Cao mansion. Since you want it, I''ll give it to you."


    "Thank you, your majesty." Cao Han hurriedly kowtowed to Yun Shang.


    "I won''t take the evidence with me. You can go back first. I will order someone to send it to you."


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Seeing that Cao Han agreed, Yun Shang walked up the steps and entered the Taiji Palace.


    Luo Qingyan was reading the memorial in his hand. He frowned as if he was encountering a difficult problem.


    understand, "He deliberately revealed the news to me and led me to fight. What goal can he achieve then? Even if I want to take her away, I can''t do it myself. "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Yes, you don''t have to take the hostage yourself. But if Cao Yi''s wife and son are kidnapped, in order to save their lives, they''ll reveal some information about the Cao mansion. Do you believe it or not?"


    Even the words of Mister Mingyi before are still uncertain.


    Maybe things are going as we expected. Everything is under our control. That''s the best. But maybe, from the beginning, what happened one by one was just a trap set by the Cao clan, a huge trap. "

 Chapter 1262 My Life Is More Than Mine

    Yun Shang frowned and asked hesitantly, "Is the Cao clan so powerful?"


    "It''s hard to say whether the Cao clan has the ability or not. But if the Cao clan is the one we think it is, maybe they have the ability. More than thirty years ago, the Cao clan was in the limelight in the whole State of Xia. At that time, the Cao clan was in power and had many people in the previous dynasty and harem, and they also held a lot of industries, making them very rich.


    If it weren''t for this, the emperors wouldn''t have regarded the Cao clan as a thorn in the flesh and tried every means to remove it. When it was Emperor Wenzong''s time, the Cao clan was at its peak. Emperor Wenzong also knew that if the Cao clan


    them as soon as possible and go to the Weiyang Palace to keep you company."


    Hearing Liu Wenan''s words, Yun Shang paused for a second and quickly adjusted her pace.


    It seemed to be true. Apart from what Liu Wenan just mentioned, she also found Luo Qingyan talked more with her recently. He kept saying sweet words, and sometimes he couldn''t wait to share anything good with her. At night, when them two were on the same bed, occasionally Yun Shang would get up to drink water or go the bathroom. Whenever she moved, Luo Qingyan would wake up and ask her where she was going. While she was away, he kept his eyes open and waited. He wouldn''t go back to sleep until she came back and lay down again...

 Chapter 1263 There Is No Safer Place Than This

    She didn''t feel anything wrong before, but what Liu Wenan told her just now reminded her that all Luo Qingyan''s changes seemed to have begun after that incident in the Dangnan Mountain.


    Having served in the palace for so many years, Liu Wenan had already been proficient in gauging people''s words and expressions. Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, he could guess what Yun Shang was thinking about. He said in a low voice, "When the news of your Majesty''s accident came, his majesty was completely stunned. He was unable to say a word for a long time. However, when he finally could make a sound, his voice was hoarse.


    I''ve been serving his majesty for a long time. It''s the first time I''ve seen him like this."


    Yun Shan


    e it in person?"


    "Go ahead," Xia Huanyu waved his hand casually and said, "You won''t give up until you see the Yellow River with your own eyes."


    Then he called in a servant, "Take the Empress to see Steward Wang."


    The maid nodded and turned to Yun Shang, "Please follow me, your majesty."


    Yun Shang stood up and walked out of the main hall, and turned to the side hall...


    Then Yun Shang saw the maid walk to the side hall, take out a bunch of keys and open the door of a room there.


    "So Steward Wang is locked up here?"


    Yun Shang didn''t expect this. She thought she was in a private prison at least.


    The servant nodded and replied, "His Former Majesty said that there is no place safer than this."

 Chapter 1264 The Lunatic

    Yun Shang was surprised, but she quite agreed with it.


    In the palace, the safest place was naturally the Taiji Palace where Luo Qingyan was in. The second one should be the Weiyang Palace. After those two places, it was Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling''s location.


    In these places, there were more secret guards than the guards in the open and outside, so they were naturally the safest places.


    As soon as the door of the side hall was opened, Yun Shang felt a stinky smell. The servant who brought Yun Shang in frowned and said, "This crazy woman must have wetted her pants or somewhere else."


    Then she turned around and smiled at Yun Shang, "Your majesty, p


    .3, three pieces!"


    Yun Shang looked at the paper on the table and found that there were indeed three pieces of it.


    Yun Shang sighed. What could she expect a lunatic to say?


    Steward Wang''s pulse had been taken then.


    Yun Shang withdrew her hand and asked, "Do you remember Lady Li then?"


    Wang Wenxiang looked at her blankly while murmuring, "Lunar white, water pink, peach red, emerald green..."


    "Spring and autumn... Short... Long... "


    she kept nagging.


    "Do you know Yingyue?"


    Yingyue was the maid who claimed that Lady Li had saved her life and wanted to repay her kindness. She came to beg her for help but finally killed Lady Li.

 Chapter 1265 Birthday

    "Hide and seek, hide in the middle of the water. If you can''t find me, I will fly away..."


    Steward Wang''s eyes were empty and dull, muttering something incomprehensible.


    Yun Shang pursed her lips, turned around and walked out.


    "Your Majesty, are you done?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "Lock the door."


    When they returned to the main hall, Xia Huanyu saw Yun Shang come in and smiled, "Have you checked? What''s the matter? "


    "She is indeed insane, but I have checked her pulse and found nothing wrong. I don''t know the reason yet..."


    Xia Huanyu nodded and said, "Since she is insane, the clue is lost."


    Yun Shang replied and then shook her head, "Not completely. I have found some traces these days, but there is no useful clue yet. I''ll report it to father and mother when I find more clues. "


    "Okay." Hua Ling nodded with a smile, "But you have a lot of things to deal with. Take care of yourself. Don''t be too tired."


    Yun Shang smiled, "okay."


    Hua Ling thought


    found out from the Xiangyi Palace?"


    "I have sent someone there, but no news has been sent back yet."


    Luo Qingyan calculated the date and said, "It is not too far away from the Jin City. There should be news coming back in a few days."


    There was a noise outside. Yun Shang heard it for a while, "Is it raining?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan nodded, "It''s raining. The rain seems to be heavy."


    Yun Shang stood up, walked to the window and opened it. A gust of steam blew in with the wind.


    Yun Shang looked up at the rain outside under the light of the lanterns under the porch, smiling, "It is much cooler."


    "Your majesty is a fairy from the heaven who could ask for rain. Just let it rain a few more times."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing as she thought of the gossip she had asked people to spread.


    "Well, it''s okay to ask for rain. But I care about the people. If it keeps raining, there will be flood. We don''t need so much rain. "

 Chapter 1266 Heavy Rain

    The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, as if it was pouring down. The wind was also getting heavier and heavier. Even if there were eaves blocking it, rain had already splashed in.


    Yun Shang closed the window in a hurry and muttered with a frown, "It''s raining heavily in summer, and it seems that it won''t stop until it breaks the sky. Fortunately, there''s no thunder, or the noise will be even louder."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. Not long after, with a loud bang, the thunder suddenly sounded.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Looking at Yun Shang''s frustrated face, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing.


    "What do we call? Doomsayer? Right? "


    Annoyed, Yun Shang glared at Luo Qingyan and said, "Shut up."


    "The doomsayer is you. Not me." Your majesty, you are really unreasonable, aren''t you? " Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and looked at Yun Shang


    en. I''ll go out of the palace after dealing with the affairs to congratulate Qian Yin and Luo Yi. "


    Then she ordered Qian Zhuo, "Go to the storehouse and find me a pair of gold bracelets and a gold lock. I''ll take them with me later. By the way, I prepared too many clothes for Chengye at that time. Some of them were new and hadn''t been worn at all. Take them."


    After giving the order, Yun Shang murmured to herself, "But Qian Yin should have prepared the clothes."


    "She must have prepared some. But what you prepared for the crown prince is the best, and it''s also your kindness, isn''t it?"


    Yun Shang smiled and glanced at Qian Zhuo, "What a honey-lipped girl! Then find some. You don''t have to take all of them. Keep some for your child to wear in the future."


    Qian Zhuo blushed at Yun Shang''s tease. She stuck out her tongue and said, "The day is far away."


    Then she left with a smile.

 Chapter 1267 There Is No Clue

    After Yun Shang dressing up properly, the stewards were already waiting outside.


    Yun Shang stood up and left the bedroom to deal with today''s affairs.


    There was no important things today. After every steward reported, Yun Shang asked them to leave.


    As soon as she got up and was about to go back to her bedroom to change into her daily clothes and go out of the palace, she heard Pei Lan standing beside her saying, "Isn''t that Cui Wei from Her Former Majesty'' palace?"


    Yun Shang followed Pei Lan''s gaze and saw a servant slowly walking towards them. She looked familiar, and it seemed that she had indeed seen her in Taihe Palace yesterday.


    Yun Shang sat back and said, "Bring her in."


    The servant came in and bowed to Yun Shang. "Greetings, your majesty."


    Yun Shang smiled. "Get up. What''s wrong? Is there anything happened to Her Former Majesty? "


    Cui Wei shook her head slightly and said, "Her Former Majesty asked me to tell your majesty that Steward Wang from Imperial Library has.... been dead.


    ith her eyes closed, and there was no expression of pain on her face. There was a wound on her neck and the blood flew all over the ground. Several hours later, the blood had already seeped to the ground, leaving only the brown stains.


    Yun Shang walked to the corpse of Wang Wenxiang, looked down at it for a long time, and then turned around and walked out.


    Xia Huanyu was talking to Hua Ling. When he heard the footsteps, he turned around and asked, "Have you found anything?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and said, "The wounds between the guards'' eyebrows should have been hit by something. From the shape, it should be a small round thing. And from the corpse layout, that person should have walked in from the outside, and he should have made some noise to attract the guards'' attention."


    "As for Wang Wenxiang..." Yun Shang pressed her lips and said, "She was lying on the ground when she died, so it''s difficult to tell the height of the murderer. The clues left at the scene... There is actually no clue. "

 Chapter 1268 Three Pieces In Total

    "The rain last night was so heavy that it covered up everything..."


    After a moment''s silence, Xia Huanyu turned to Yun Shang and said, "Last night, it was not the first time that it rained so heavily after we locked up Wang Wenxiang. It rained so heavily for several nights, but nothing happened to her."


    "The only difference between last night and other rainy nights is that you came to see Wang Wenxiang yesterday. Do you think why did the murderer choose to do it last night? "


    Yun Shang rubbed her fingers in her sleeves and said, "Of course it''s because I came to see Wang Wenxiang yesterday. Or the murderer was afraid that I would know something from Wang Wenxiang. Or he had been waiting for me to see Wang Wenxiang. He wanted her to send me some information to me. Since Wang Wenxiang has achieved her task, he shouldn''t keep her any longer. "


    "I have sent people to interrogate Wang Wenxiang several times. He was not afraid that Wang Wenxiang


    tains... Paper?


    It suddenly occurred to Yun Shang that the map she found the other day in the Xiangyi Palace was a map of Dragon Mountains. The map... It was a piece of paper.


    Yun Shang''s eyes widened.


    Did Wang Wenxiang mean that?


    Dragon Mountains was painted on paper.


    But she said there were three pieces of Dragon Mountains?


    Was there three pieces of map like that?


    The one she found in the Xiangyi Palace was just one of the three?


    Yun Shang''s mind went blank. If what Wang Wenxiang said was true, then where were the other two maps?


    Yun Shang stood still.


    What was the next? What was her next question?


    Yun Shang walked to the desk and took a look.


    Yes, she asked if she still remembered Lady Li.


    And how did Wang Wenxiang answer?


    "Moon white, water pink, peachy red, emerald green."


    "Spring autumn... Short... Long? "


    What did she mean? What did these four colors mean?


    What did the last four words mean?

 Chapter 1269 The Secret Of Colors

    Do you remember Lady Li?


    Wang Wenxiang said four colors.


    "What''s the association between a person and colors?"


    Yun Shang murmured subconsciously.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Hua''er thought Yun Shang was asking them, so she said directly, "Clothes have colors."


    Yun Shang was surprised. She looked up at Hua''er and asked, "Clothes?"


    Hua''er nodded. Seeing that Yun Shang was staring at her, she hesitated," Everyone... Everyone has to wear clothes, right? "


    "Yes, everyone has to wear clothes. When you saw a person, the first thing you saw was her clothes. "


    Yun Shang was about to leave.


    Hua ''er and Pei Lan followed her in a hurry. "Where are you going, your majesty?"


    "I have to go to the Xiangyi Palace again."


    There were still guards outside the Xiangyi Palace. Seeing Yun Shang coming, they took out the key and opened the gate without waiting for Yun Shang''s order.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t go in immediate


    looked at the ground and saw the emerald green long dress embroidered with silk. It seemed to be a summer dress. Although it was emerald green, it looked like a layer of smoke. The hemline of the dress was embroidered with plum blossoms, bright and beautiful.


    "It was at the end of last spring. Her highness didn''t like emerald green clothes at all. But this one looked a little lighter. It looked great when she wore it outside a moon white dress. Her highness worn it once."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at the maid in blue, "You have a good memory. Do you remember who Lady Li met the day she wore this dress?"


    "Who did she met?" The maid in blue frowned and said, "She must have met a lot of people. Lady Li was helping the Empress with the imperial household affairs at that time, and she should have seen the stewards of all the palaces and bureaus."


    "What about Steward Wang from the Imperial Library? Did she see her that day? "

 Chapter 1270 I Cant Figure It Out

    The maid in blue thought for a while, but she shook her head in confusion. "I... I really don''t remember. It''s been too long. "


    "She met her." A maid in green said.


    "Oh?" Yun Shang looked at the maid and asked, "Do you remember?"


    "It occurred to me that Lady Li had met Steward Wang from the Imperial Library the day when she was wearing the dress, and it was not in the morning when she met other stewards."


    "Then when was it?"


    The maid in green answered in a low voice, "It should be in the afternoon. When her highness was about to take a nap after taking off her outer clothes, Steward Wang came, saying that she had found a book that her highness asked for before."


    "I was going to take the book in and send her away. But Lady Li heard the voice of Steward Wang. She ordered me to invite Steward Wang and asked me to leave. The two of them talked for about a quarter of an hour before Steward Wang left. "


    Yun Shang tugged


    on the paper. She pointed at a few lines of paper and said, "Here, Wang Wenxiang said this when she looked at the three pieces of paper on the table in the hall. At that time, I thought she was crazy, just talking nonsense with me. But today, I thought about it carefully and found that Wang Wenxiang probably meant that there were three maps of Dragon Mountains in total. The one I found in Xiangyi Palace is just one of the three... "


    Yun Shang explained the other words on the paper one by one.


    "But I can''t figure out the last two."


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea."


    Luo Qingyan lowered his head and looked at the words that Yun Shang couldn''t figure out. He was silent for a moment. "Spring and autumn, short and long?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded and frowned.


    Luo Qingyan rubbed the paper with his finger and said, "If someone tells me these words, the first thing I would think of would be... Book title. "


    "Book title?"

 Chapter 1271 A Silktree

    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Spring and Autumn, Short and Long, aren''t they exactly two book titles?"


    Yun Shang was stunned, but she suddenly understood.


    Yes.


    They were just book titles.


    Yun Shang pursed her lips. She had fallen into a fixed thought. She felt that the four words should have something to do with Lady Li. In addition, the four colors mentioned by Wang Wenxiang were exactly the colors that Lady Li liked. Yun Shang guessed that they should be the colors of the clothes that Wang Wenxiang wore when she met Lady Li several times.


    So Yun Shang naturally guessed spring and autumn might be the season when Wang Wenxiang met Lady Li.


    So she didn''t completely pull herself out of this matter and think about it in the simplest way.


    "Spring and Autumn, Short and Long..."


    "Did Wang Wenxiang send these two books to Lady Li?"


    "Maybe." Luo Qingyan said casually, "You can go to the Imperial Library to figure it out tomorrow. All the books in


    ed too much sunshine under the tree. "


    Luo Qingyan looked around the tree and grinned, "It''s good that the sun can be blocked in summer. You''re always afraid of heat, and you don''t want to go out when the sun is shining. Now the branches and leaves of the tree are extended to the corridor. Sometimes when the weather is not so hot and windy, you can sit in the yard."


    "Okay."


    Since he had already moved over, there was no point in saying anything more.


    Yun Shang nodded carelessly, "I''ll ask someone to put a stone table and stone bench under it."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, she heard a maid''s report from outside, "Your Majesties, dinner is ready."


    "Let''s have dinner." Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and said, "Or your majesty will blame me again for starving you."


    Luo Qingyan chuckled and walked out with Yun Shang in his arms. "By the way, I''ve already chosen the grand tutor. You can have a look when you''re free."


    "Okay."

 Chapter 1272 No Hurry

    After dinner, Yun Shang took a book and sat on the bench in a daze.


    She had slept for a long time in the afternoon, so she was not sleepy at all.


    Seeing that she hadn''t turned a page for a long time, Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and asked, "What are you thinking about? Are you still thinking about Wang Wenxiang? "


    Yun Shang nodded, "I want to go to the Imperial Library to ask about the two books now."


    Of course, Luo Qingyan knew that the two books Yun Shang was talking about were Spring and Autumn and Short and Long. He couldn''t help laughing, "Your majesty have lost in it. It has been more than two months since Lady Li was killed and Wang Wenxiang was imprisoned. Even if there is really a great conspiracy behind them, there is no need to be in a hurry. "


    "If it''s really that urgent, it''s already too late even if you go there now."


    Yun Shang knew what Luo Qingyan said was true, but she couldn''t help thinking a


    ... "


    Luo Qingyan played with Yun Shang''s hand and said, "If you want to have a look, you can go out of the Palace tomorrow. As I said just now, the one who set up the trap are not in a hurry, we don''t need to be in a hurry."


    "And that person might not know that we have found a map in the Xiangyi Palace and have sent our people."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Your Majesty is right. I''ll go out to see Qian Yin''s child tomorrow."


    "By the way, did your majesty say that you have chosen the grand tutor for Chengye?"


    "Yes."


    Yun Shang blinked, "Who is he?"


    "You don''t know him. He was just promoted a few days ago. The other day, you mentioned that the grand tutor must be interesting as Chengye was at such a young age. So I thought of him."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang asked curiously, "Is this person very interesting?"


    "Yes, he is very interesting. There is a story about him. To tell you the truth, I almost missed such a talent..."

 Chapter 1273 How Interesting

    Yun Shang became more and more curious. She put the teacup in Luo Qingyan''s hand, picked up another cup of tea and held it in her hand. She stared at Luo Qingyan attentively.


    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan was amused. "The grand tutor I chose for Chengye is called Tan Qian. After the incident of Changting Garden, I tried every means to recruit talents to fill the positions, remember?"


    Yun Shang nodded.


    "Tan Qian also participated, but he was kicked out in the first round."


    "What? He was eliminated in the first round? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded with a smile, "But later, Han Mingqing from the Imperial Hanlin Academy came to me with a half written article. He said that although the article was only half done, it had a unique view and a very experienced writing style. He asked me to have a look."


    "I read it carefully. It was really as good as Han Mingqing said. It''s even better than what Han Mingqing said. But unfortunately, the article stopped abruptly at the most wonderful part, making people


    eems that you haven''t approved the memorial I submitted the day before yesterday..."


    Luo Qingyan said carelessly, "Oh? Really? Maybe I missed it? Or maybe I didn''t receive it? What''s in your memorial, Official Liu? "


    The officials in the court had been changed before, and Yun Shang couldn''t tell who this Official Liu was from his voice. The man said again, "Your Majesty, I think it''s the most important thing for you now is to marry more ladies into your harem. Please issue an imperial edict for the selection."


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. She had thought that these officials would restrain themselves as Luo Qingyan refused the selection again and again. But she didn''t expect that it was still the same. Maybe Luo Qingyan had secretly solved it and didn''t let her know.


    Yun Shang took a deep breath and pursed her lips.


    Then Luo Qingyan said, "Do you all think so? Do you have any other opinions? "


    "I don''t think it''s appropriate to hold the selection now."


    A voice suddenly sounded in the hall.

 Chapter 1274 Grand Tutor

    Yun Shang had already turned around and was about to leave. But when she heard the voice, she suddenly stopped and her eyes were full of surprise.


    How could someone think that the beauty selection shouldn''t be held?


    It was strange.


    For some reason, Yun Shang subconsciously felt that the person who spoke just now was most likely Tan Qian, the one Luo Qingyan had mentioned.


    Because of his words, the hall suddenly became noisy.


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan said. Yun Shang could tell from his slightly undulating voice that he was smiling.


    "So you think I shouldn''t hold a selection?"


    "Yes."


    The person who had suggested Luo Qingyan to hold a selection was unhappy. "Official Tan, don''t you think your majesty should select concubines into harem to give birth to children for the royal family?"


    "Not really." Tan Qian smiled and said, "I just think that his majesty does have someone in his harem and her majesty has given birth to the crown prince, right?"


    "Throughout history, no emperor only has the em


    me out in the court this morning. I didn''t mention anything about the selection. "


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "Then he is also good at observing. You didn''t show any unhappiness when Official Liu spoke just now, but he reacted quickly and stood out spontaneously. And he has a good adaptability as he could deal with it in such a short time. "


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang and said, "You even praised him more than I did."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and chuckled. After a long time, she said, "That''s all your credit. If your majesty hadn''t discovered him, he wouldn''t even have a chance to stand in the court."


    Liu Wenan came in with a stack of memorial in his arms. He bowed to Yun Shang and put the memorials on the imperial case.


    Yun Shang pulled her hand out of Luo Qingyan''s hand and said, "I''m going out to see Qian Yin and her child. I won''t disturb your majesty in dealing with political affairs."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and watched her leave. Then he sat down behind the imperial case.

 Chapter 1275 A Battle Without Preparation

    "Your Majesty." Liu Wenan took out a letter from the pile of Memorials and put it in front of Luo Qingyan, "This is a letter from the local officials of Deer City and Yunzhou. It is marked as urgent."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and opened the letter.


    Luo Qingyan scanned the letter quickly and then frowned.


    Seeing the expression on Luo Qingyan''s face, Liu Wenan asked in a low voice, "But what happened in Deer City and Yunzhou?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and said, "It''s not a big deal. The officials in Deer City and Yunzhou reported that in the past half the year, many distant boats had sent some strange goods to trade."


    "It''s not surprising? When I served his Former Majesty before, we often received such kind of memorials. Deer City and Yunzhou are adjacent to the sea. There are also some other countries far away from the State of Xia. They occasionally transport some of their special products to sell here, and then purchase some things from the State of Xia.


    The State of Xia faces the sea in three sides. It''s not rare to see such a scene."


    Luo Qingyan replied, "It''s


    A smile appeared in Qian Yin''s eyes. Although she had just been a mother, she looked gentle and maternal.


    "He is just a little ugly. When he was just born, the midwife held him in her arms and told me that he was good-looking. I looked up and almost scared myself. His skin crumpled. It''s purple all over. And there''s dirty white stuff on his body. I''m so scared that I asked several times if it was really my baby? "


    Yun Shang laughed, "Babies are always like this when they are first born, aren''t they?"


    "Of course not. I remember that when the Crown Prince was born, he was also very small, but his body was not so dirty. He was clean. "


    Qian Yin shook her head with a smile, "Later on, the midwife took him out, washed his body and brought him in. Only then did I feel a little better. It''s strange. When he was just born, he looked so ugly that he couldn''t show up. After looking at him for a long time, however, he appeared very cute. "


    "He''s your own child and naturally he is so cute." Yun Shang bent down with a smile and then picked up the newborn baby in her arms.

 Chapter 1276 Lets Wait And See

    The new-born baby did nothing except eating and sleeping. He didn''t have much reaction when Yun Shang held him. He just closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    "I still think children are most lovely at this time. They know nothing. They eat and sleep every day. Except for crying for food and peeing, they won''t make any other trouble. They are also the most dependent on their mother."


    Qian Yin smiled, "Yes, it''s true that he is not noisy, but I haven''t come to my senses yet. It seems that I don''t know what''s going on, but I become a mother and have such a child all of a sudden. I have been looking at him these two days and always feel that it is amazing. How could such a big boy come out of my belly? "


    Hearing Qian Yin''s words, Yun Shang agreed. "Yes, I was also in a daze when I gave birth to Chengye. I couldn''t believe it in the first month."


    Yun Shang held the child in front of Qian Yin and showed it to Qian Yin, "I think the child looks like you."


    "They all said s


    he study and sent his wife and son away from the Jin City. The day before yesterday, when Cao Han came back, he happened to meet Cao Yi. Cao Han showed something to Cao Yi. The spy only heard Cao Han say to Cao Yi that he had known all the dirty things that Cao Yi had done. He asked him to be careful. "


    "When Cao Yi saw the thing in Cao Han''s hand, blue veins stood out on his forehead. He stared at Cao Han for a long time before he said to him in a cold voice, ''Something doesn''t belong to you. Don''t think that the Can clan will really hand over the position to you because you are chosen by the empress. Don''t even dream about it. ''


    "Cao Han smiled at that time and just let his brother wait and see."


    Xu Lin pursed his lips and said, "Then, Cao Yi went back to his room and sat in the study for a while. Then he sneaked out of the mansion and entered a gambling house. But in secret, he entered a yard beside the gambling house under the cover of the gambling house..."

 Chapter 1277 The Whereabouts Of The Secret Guards

    "The yard next to the gambling house is a private property of Cao Yi''s himself. It is not written in his name, but he has kept some people in it.


    We were afraid of alerting the enemy, so we didn''t follow them. We just sent people to ambush around the yard. Not long after, someone came out of the yard and went to a medicine room in Wen Nan Alley. There is a poison doctor in that medicine room. "


    Yun Shang lifted her eyelids and asked, "To ask for poison?"


    "I suppose so."


    Hearing Xu Lin''s response, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "These two brothers are interesting. They both want to poison each other. I don''t know who will make it in the end."


    Xu Lin lowered his eyes and said nothing.


    Yun Shang rubbed her fingers and thought of what Luo Qingyan had said before. She didn''t know if it was a show for them and played by the Cao mansion.


    Yun Shang said after a pause, "Keep an eye on them. Let''s just sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the two brothers."


    "Yes, your majesty."


    "Has Cao Han behaved well these days?" Yun Shang asked.


    Xu Lin nodded and then reported, "He has always been quiet. Except for the court and pol


    The places such as the border, the imperial capital city of the State of Yelang, Liucang City, Siyang and Nanyang have always been monitored.


    And I also used to send some people to Jingcang County," Luo Yi reported.


    Yun Shang nodded. She knew what happened in Jingcang County. It was the place where the red dot was on the map taken out from the Xiangyi Palace.


    "In addition, in these two days, there are also two groups of secret guards heading to Deer City and Yunzhou respectively," Luo Yi added.


    "Deer City and Yunzhou? What are these two places for? " Yun Shang was surprised.


    "I heard that the local officials of these two places reported that there seemed to be something unusual, but I don''t know the specific situation yet."


    Yun Shang nodded and calculated in her mind, "How many secret guards are there in total? Besides those who have been monitoring, how many people are left?"


    "There are more than three hundred secret guards in total. There have been a lot of things in the past one or two years, and more and more secret guards have been sent out. Thus, we have less than thirty people who can be flexibly mobilized in our hands."

 Chapter 1278 Cut Off The Thread In Person

    Yun Shang curled up her fingers.


    Only less than thirty secret guards could be mobilized freely?


    "When his majesty sent the secret guards to the Jingcang County, Qian Yin''s was about eight months in her pregnancy. You should know how many secret guards his majesty sent to Jingcang County, right?"


    Luo Yi nodded, "His majesty has dispatched more than twenty people."


    Yun Shang''s face changed slightly.


    It was all clear.


    Although she was lucky enough to survive what happened in the Dangnan Mountain case, only a few of the dozens of secret guards who followed her at that time survived. And they were taken away by that Mister Mingyi. And as she was too busy after she went back to the palace, she had forgot to ask about the secret guards'' situation.


    However, she was clear that those dozens of secret guards had lost their lives in the case.


    Luo Yi confirmed that the number of her secret guards was not reduced, but increased.


    So, where did Luo Qingyan dispatch these secret guards to fill the vacancy by her side?


    There were already more than twenty secret gu


    although she comforted herself in her heart, she still felt a little uneasy when she made this decision.


    It looked like she was the kite flying. Although it was very high and far above there,


    there was always a thread tied in the State of Ning.


    But now, she had to personally cut off this thread...


    Yun Shang took a deep breath and thought to herself, ''I can''t think so.''.


    She still had a thread tied, but this thread was changed from the State of Ning to the State of Xia, holding by Luo Qingyan.


    She believed that no matter what happened, Luo Qingyan would never let go of this thread.


    That was enough.


    That was enough.


    "I''ll write a letter when I get back. You can find a way to send it out along with the letter to my father and mother. Don''t let his Majesty''s people know about it. "


    Yun Shang took a deep breath and made up her mind.


    Qian Zhuo took a look at Yun Shang, then lowered her head and replied, "Yes, I know."


    Yun Shang nodded, "By the way, ask Ning Qian about her situation. She has been back to the State of Ning for almost a year..."

 Chapter 1279 Im afraid they will put heavy medicine on it

    Qian Zhuo nodded and then asked in a low voice, "Your majesty, shall we go back to the palace now?"


    "Yes, let''s go back..." Before Yun Shang could finish speaking, she changed her mind. After a moment of silence, she said, "I''m not in a hurry to go back to the palace. Let''s go to the Hua mansion first. I have something to talk to Grandma."


    The carriage turned around and headed for the Hua mansion.


    Lady Hua Guo was very happy to see Yun Shang. She looked behind Yun Shang for a few times and asked, "Didn''t the Crown Prince come with you?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I have something to deal with outside the palace today. Qian Yin, who served me before, has given birth to a baby. I went there to have a visit. And I also like to come here to visit Grandma.


    His majesty has found a Grand Tutor for Chengye. Today, we are going to make him familiar with the tutor. He thus has no spare time to go out of the palace."


    "Grand Tutor?" Lady Hua Guo didn''t know this yet, "Who did you invite?"


    "Grandma might not know him. He is a more than 20 years old


    ua Guo spoke, she couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile, "I was sighing before. No wonder he hasn''t been married. With such a temperament, who would like to marry him?"


    Then she turned to Yun Shang and asked, "What news have you heard, your majesty? But what''s the plan of the Cao clan? "


    "Not really." Yun Shang smiled, "but I heard from the Cao mansion that Miss Cao told [ÀÏ·òÈË] that seven cousins must have a crush on her. I''m afraid that seven cousins have fallen into a trap they elaborately designed, so I asked them what happened."


    "Have a crush on her?" Lady Hua Guo was also surprised, "What gave that lady such an illusion?"


    "Maybe it''s because she bumped into him again and again, and the seventh cousin responded very well, right?"


    Yun Shang''s smile deepened, "It doesn''t matter if they think so. But Old Lady Cao is a scheming woman. If they see that Miss Cao has no progress in seducing the seventh cousins, I''m afraid they will put heavy medicine on it. So I think Grandma had better tell the seventh cousin to be careful. "

 Chapter 1280 These Women

    "Okay, I''ll tell him," Lady Hua Guo replied, "Although I asked him about it several times before, I didn''t talk with him in detail. When he comes to greet me, I''ll tell him about this."


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled again, "But if my seventh cousin really has a crush on Miss Cao, it doesn''t matter if he wants to marry her. The Cao Family... I''m afraid that they won''t be long on the stage. His majesty and I can''t let them go on that way.


    But if my cousin wants to marry her, just keep an eye on her. Don''t let her get any news and send to the Cao clan. She will be lonely and helpless after the Cao clan is destroyed. Without her family''s support, she will only be a loyal member of our Hua clan. "


    Lady Hua Guo smiled and replied, "I know the reason of it. But if the Cao mansion has anything to do with that person surnamed Cao, even if this girl behaves herself, we will feel uncomfortable."


    "You are right."


    Yun Shang knew that Lady Hua Guo had her own thoughts, so she didn''t say anything more. After chatting a few more words, she left.


    It was already evening when Yun Shang returned to the palace. Seeing that it was time for dinner, Yun Shang felt it wa


    will go back to the Taiji Palace for dinner."


    "Well?" Liu Wenan looked at Yun Shang in surprise. Wasn''t everyone here, why not eat here then? Why did he have to send a message? And why did she specially ask not to tell his majesty that she had been here?


    "The imperial household is not allowed to interfere with the political affairs. This is indeed not the place I should come. It''s better not to say it out. We can''t let anyone find faults with us,"


    Yun Shang explained and walked out of the Meeting Hall.


    Liu Wenan responded, but he was still confused. Then how about her majesty had come here many times before?


    But Liu Wenan also knew who he should obey. Seeing that Yun Shang had gone far, he pushed the door open and walked in.


    Hearing the noise, everyone in the hall turned to look at Liu Wenan.


    "Your Majesty, her majesty has just sent a message here telling that it''s time for dinner and asked when you will go back to the Taiji Palace for dinner? Her majesty said she is waiting for your majesty to have dinner in the Taiji Palace. "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and said smilingly, "Look, I''ve told you. Women are really troublesome..."

 Chapter 1281 Did His Majesty Really Say So

    Liu Wenan was even more confused. What kind of woman was so troublesome?


    Was his majesty talking about the Empress?


    Did the Empress know it?


    Liu Wenan remembered that Yun Shang had told him not to tell his majesty that she had been here, so he had an answer in his heart. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but when he saw the smile on Luo Qingyan''s face, he coughed and whispered, "Your Majesty, her majesty is still waiting for you in the Taiji Palace. Are you going there?"


    Luo Qingyan suppressed the smile on his face and said seriously, "What are you doing? I have something important to deal with here. Go and tell her majesty that I won''t be there until a while later. Just let her wait. Don''t push me anymore. "


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Liu Wenan looked at Luo Qingyan speechlessly. He said yes in a low voice and left.


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled at Liu Wenan, "Did his majesty really say so?"


    "Yes, your majesty." Liu Wenan only felt that he deserved to be trembling with fear.


    However, Yun Shang didn''t seem to be angry. Her face did


    the national Treasury, and whether it''s enough to deal with the army provisions and fodders.


    We should prepare against unexpected needs."


    Yun Shang remembered what Luo Yi had said before. There seemed to be something unusual in Deer City and Yunzhou, so Luo Qingyan sent some secret guards there to investigate.


    Deer City and Yunzhou were near to each other in the southernmost part of the State of Xia, close to the sea.


    It could be considered as the border of the State of Xia.


    "We can never be too careful in case of our security. It''s better to be cautious." It was obvious that Luo Qingyan didn''t want to tell Yun Shang about it. He was afraid that Yun Shang would worry about him, "So I called the courtiers to check the accounts. Today, I only checked a part of the accounts, but it was already late. Those courtiers didn''t leave, so I couldn''t leave either."


    Then Luo Qingyan looked up and ordered Liu Wenan, "Go and order to serve the dishes."


    Liu Wenan replied and left in a hurry.


    Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang again with a flattering look.

 Chapter 1282 Do You Have Any Other Candidates

    Looking at the nervous expression on Luo Qingyan''s face, Yun Shang smiled and said softly, "Don''t do this again. Irregular diet will do great harm to your body. You are suffering from indigestion. If you get sick because of it, is it worth it?


    How long will the accounts be finished checking?"


    Seeing that Yun Shang looked as gentle as usual, Luo Qingyan felt a little relieved, "I''m afraid it will take about three days."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then in the next three days, let the the imperial kitchen send the food directly to the Meeting Hall. Ask the the imperial kitchen to prepare more food so that you and the courtiers can eat together. The the imperial kitchen is able to make more food for all these people."


    "Ah..." Luo Qingyan''s eyes lit up, "Yes, your majesty."


    "The officials at present today are in their old ages, so we can''t let them starve like this." Yun Shang thought for a while and went on, "I''ll order them to arrange the meals in the Meeting Hall for the next three days."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and praised, "You are so kind."


    Yun Shang smiled a


    st. Her majesty also said that checking the accounts is indeed very urgent, but health is more important. "


    Hearing this, all the courtiers raised their heads and looked at Luo Qingyan behind the imperial case.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Oh, this is the Empress! I''ve told her not to send food here, but she insisted. She said she was worried about my indigestion...


    All right then. Now that the food has been sent here, let''s have a rest and eat something. Get everything ready."


    Liu Wenan nodded with a smile and waved his hand. Then servants came in one after another.


    Liu Wenan looked at the people in the hall with a smile and said, "Her majesty let me ask whose minister''s wife does not allow him to eat meat? Her majesty specially asked the the imperial kitchen to prepare a full vegetarian banquet for him. "


    An old official in the hall raised his hand and said, "It''s me."


    The food case was sent to the old man''s table.


    Liu Wenan asked again, "Who is that lord whose wife does not allow him to eat cakes?


    And who is the lord whose wife told him not to eat over salty food?"

 Chapter 1283 She Can Pretend Not To Know

    Every time Liu Wenan mentioned a person, someone in the hall would come out.


    The smile on Luo Qingyan''s face gradually disappeared with every word Liu Wenan said.


    After all the masters in the hall had received their own food cases, Liu Wenan took a food case from a eunuch and put it on the table in front of Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan moved his hand and coughed, "Didn''t her majesty tell me anything?"


    "Of course not. Her majesty said that your Majesty''s biggest problem now is not having meals on time, which is too harmful to your indigestion. But her majesty also mentioned that although your majesty is still young, you should pay attention to your diet and drink more soup. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said in a low voice that only both of them could hear, "Did her majesty come here yesterday afternoon?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t ask about this before, and Yun Shang had told him in person, so Liu Wenan hadn''t mentioned about it.


    Now that Luo Qingyan asked about it, Liu Wenan nodded, "Yes, her maj


    red the cloth and showed it to Yun Shang,


    "This is a sea peral. It''s much bigger than the pearls we usually see. You can use it as jewelry.


    The fabric over there feels soft and comfortable. It''s said to be the best underwear.


    And this, they are called guavas. It''s fruit. I have tasted it before. It''s very delicious and sweet."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at them one by one, "Are these all for me?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes, of course. They are all for you. In fact, there are still two big things,but they are difficult to move, so I didn''t bring them here. "


    Yun Shang took a pearl and played with it. "Then... Thank you, your majesty. "


    After a pause, she continued, "Why Deer City and Yun Zhou suddenly think of sending these gifts to the palace?"


    "Nothing. They just handed over a letter and asked someone to bring something over here as well."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and smiled.


    Since he didn''t want to tell her, she could pretend that she knew nothing about it.

 Chapter 1284 In The Center Of The Water.

    In order not to arouse any suspicion, Yun Shang deliberately sent people to the Imperial Library two days later after Wang Wenxiang''s death to take out the two books, "Spring and Autumn" and "Short and Long".


    Qian Zhuo went there in person and soon she brought back the two books.


    Yun Shang took the books and asked in a low voice, "When you asked for the books, what was Zhou Gao''s reaction to it?"


    "Steward Zhou looked surprised to hear that your majesty wanted these two books. He asked me why your majesty suddenly wanted these two books?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "These two books are all classic works. And just because they are too classic, most people will learn these two books at the beginning of their primary school. Therefore, although these two books are kept in the Imperial Library, very few people will read them."


    Qian Zhuo nodded and then smiled, "I told Steward Zhou that your majesty wanted to get the two books for the Crown Prince to learn. I told him that your majesty favors the two books very much all the time, so you wanted to teach the Crown Prince the two books in person."


    "Did he believe it?"


    "He


    ang''s assistance, "


    said Yun Shang. Then she ordered, "By the way, ask a painter to draw the face of the maid and hand it over to the leader of the spies.


    Do you still remember the appearance of the maid?"


    After thinking for a while, Qian Zhuo replied, "I only remember some of it, a little blurry. If I see her again, I will definitely recognize her. But it''s not easy to ask me to describe her appearance and ask the painter to draw her out. "


    Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "All right then. Let me do it myself."


    Then she picked up a pen and quickly spread out the paper, and began to work on it effectively.


    Soon, a portrait was drawn.


    Qian Zhuo walked closer and took a look at it. She nodded, "Yes, yes. It''s exactly what she looks like. Your majesty, you have a good memory. I was totally confused. I just vaguely remembered that she had a pretty face, willow eyebrows, a small and straight nose as well as a small mouth. I didn''t remember anything else. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Well, there''s no need to flatter me. Go ahead with your business."


    Then Qian Zhuo hurried out of the room with the portrait.

 Chapter 1285 Embroidery

    Yun Shang was reading a book in the hall. She was about to have a rest, when she heard Pei Lan''s voice from outside, "Your Majesty, madam Gui asked if you still want to learn embroidery today?"


    Yun Shang paused for a while. She felt that she was afraid of nothing in the world actually. But now though she had only learned embroidery for two days, she felt uncomfortable upon hearing the words about embroidery.


    However, she thought of the sachet that Luo Qingyan had mentioned countless times. It was now still far from reality. She sighed and had to make up her mind, "Of course I''ll have to learn it."


    Outside the door, Pei Lan said with a smile, "Then I''ll go and tell madam Gui to come here."


    "Okay."


    As Pei Lan''s footsteps faded away, Hua''er lifted the bead curtain and came in, "I''ve prepared something for your majesty to embroider."


    "Okay." Yun Shang felt that life was boring these days, so she lazily leaned on the couch and watched Hua Er take out a needle basket and the embroidery stick.


    On the embroidery stick, there w


    doesn''t matter if it''s a way to teach children."


    But after a while, Yun Shang had a new trouble, "Why is my thread knotted? Can you untie it? "


    Madam Gui took it over and tried for a while. She shook her head and said, "I''m afraid it''s difficult to untie it. Just cut it directly and mend it."


    "Will it affect my work? Do I have to start all over again? " Yun Shang asked.


    "You don''t need to start from the beginning. I''ll put the knot on the back later, and you can continue to embroider. But after it''s done, there may be a lot of knots on the back."


    Yun Shang thought for a while and decided, "Well, it doesn''t matter. Just let it be. Anyway, I am not making clothes. It doesn''t matter because the sachet will not be against the skin. "


    Madam Gui said yes, and soon handled it well and gave it to back Yun Shang.


    While Yun Shang was concentrating on embroidering the sachet, a voice came from outside, "Your Majesty..."


    It was Liu Wenan''s voice,


    "Your majesty, Lady Hua Guo and Lady Shen are here with the young master."

 Chapter 1286 Time Flies

    Yun Shang was surprised, but she immediately knew why they were here. She said in a hurry, "Please come in."


    The servants at the door quickly lifted the curtain, and Lady Hua Guo and Shen Yilan came in with Yan''er.


    Liu Wenan stood outside the door and bowed to Yun Shang, "The guests are here and I''ll leave now."


    Yun Shang nodded and waved her hand. Then she turned around and ordered the guests to be seated.


    "Aunt, the Empress," called Yan''er. He ran to Yun Shang quickly and looked up at her, "Mother and Grandma said they would take me here to play with the Crown Prince. Where is he now?"


    Yun Shang smiled and stroked Yan''er''s head, "The Crown Prince is in the East Palace. I''ll send you there to play with him."


    "Great!"


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at Shen Yilan, "I''ll ask someone to send Yan''er to play with Chengye for a while. Let''s have a talk first and then go there to have a look afterwards."


    "All right."


    Shen Yilan didn''t have any objection. She turned around and said to Yan''er, "Go and find your brother, Chengye. You must be obedient and don''t run around. If I find


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    is that both the cycles of winter and summer exchanges, coming and going. In autumn, people are busy with harvest, while in winter people are busy with storage,"


    said Tan Qian in a gentle voice.


    However, as soon as he finished speaking, Chengye asked, "Why did the winter and summer exchange? Why is it so hot in summer and so cold in winter? "


    Yun Shang smiled. As a matter of fact, Chengye had always a lot of problems . She was worried about the Grand Tutor.


    "Your Highness, do you like hotpot?"


    "Yes, I like it. Make a pot of soup and then put all your favorite dishes in it. It''s delicious."


    "Your Highness, do you like the grapes and waxberries that have been served with ice?"


    "I like them too. I have to eat a lot of ice grapes every day."


    With a slight smile, Tan Qian said, "That''s right. It''s cold in winter, so you won''t feel too hot when you eat hotpot. And in summer, you won''t feel cold when you eat ice grapes. In order to make your highness enjoy your favorite food in turn, the winter and summer change interchangeably , so the summer is hot and the winter is cold... "

 Chapter 1287 Accompany The Crown Prince

    "What?" Chengye asked. "Is that so? It''s so good to have a change of temperature. I can eat a lot of delicious food. "


    "Yes."


    "But why didn''t my teacher say like this?" "So, what does the next sentence '' harvesting in autumn and storing of grain in winter'' mean?" Yan''er asked in confusion


    Tan Qian asked in a serious voice, "What did your teacher talk about it?"


    "Ah..." It seemed that Yan''er couldn''t remember. He didn''t respond for a long time, so he had to say awkwardly, "I... I forgot. "


    With a smile on his face, Tan Qian said, "In fact, I believe that what your teacher said should have the same meaning. It''s just that everyone has a different way of teaching, and I''m just giving you an example."


    "Why does the next sentence mean?" Tan Qian said gently, "If someone gives you a bag of candies, but your mother only allows you to eat one. If your mother sees t


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    ked casually in the yard. Under the tree in the yard, there was a stone table and stone bench, and beside them were a few wooden horses.


    Yun Shang walked over and sat on the stone bench.


    Lady Hua Guo smiled. "I was worried when I heard the grand tutor was so young. But I heard the grand tutor teach just now. Although he only taught a few sentences, it is indeed interesting. "


    "Yes." Shen Yilan also nodded, "If my teacher could be as interesting as this grand tutor when I was in school, I wouldn''t have been unable to continue my study and turned to learn martial arts."


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s my first time to listen to this grand tutor, but it''s just a lesson. I can only say that this grand tutor is interesting. It''s still unknown if he can really teach Chengye well."


    "Every month, his majesty and I will spare some time to carefully examine their homework."

 Chapter 1288 The

    Lady Hua Guo smiled, "The crown prince is still young. Don''t put too much pressure on him."


    Yun Shang sighed, "I don''t want to put pressure on him, but his majesty doesn''t agree. His majesty always said that we couldn''t indulge him in just because he was young and that we had to develop his abilities from an early age. "


    "I felt so sorry for him when I saw Chengye studying so hard and even got scolded by his majesty several times."


    "Later I thought that his majesty did this for Chengye''s good. Chengye was the crown princess, so there were countless people who wanted to hurt him. We can protect him now, but we can''t protect him for a lifetime. "


    "It''s better to let him know the sinister nature of people since he was a child, and let him know that he must guard against others and make him able to protect himself."


    "You are right." Lady Hua Guo was a little depressed. "Since he was born in the royal family, he is destined to be uneasy."


    After saying that,


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    t grand tutor''s children are still young?"


    "Yes, the younger one is at the same age as his highness."


    "Then you will lose a lot of time to accompany your children as you have to teach Chengye in the palace."


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Tan Qian was a little stunned and looked at Yun Shang with hesitation.


    Yun Shang smiled, "I have a win-win solution, which could make you not only teach Chengye, but also have time to enjoy the happiness of family."


    It seemed that Tan Qian had guessed what Yun Shang wanted to say, so he didn''t answer.


    "As you can see, Chengye doesn''t have many playmates in the palace. Now I''ve brought Yan''er here. But he is a few years older than Chengye. He has different opinions on many things and likes different things. "


    "Your younger son is about the same age as Chengye. Would you like to let him come to the palace to accompany Chengye? In this way, you can also teach him every day. And the kids could have playmates then... "

 Chapter 1289 Mine

    After a moment''s silence, Tan Qian smiled and said, "Your majesty, you are very thoughtful. Of course I''m willing to do that. But this matter is indeed of great importance. I want to go back and discuss it with my wife. After all, my younger son has never been separated from my wife since he was born... "


    If Tan Qian agreed so easily, Yun Shang would doubt it.


    His reaction made Yun Shang loosen her grip on the embroidered handkerchief a little.


    "That''s for sure. You should ask for your wife''s opinion. Then please discuss with your wife after you go back."


    "It will be great if you can send your son to the palace to accompany Chengye. If your wife really didn''t want your son to leave her, it doesn''t matter. I just mentioned it casually, and I won''t force you. "


    "Okay." Tan Qian agreed.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Have you finished the classes today?"


    "Yes." Tan Qian nodded and said, "The crow


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    also share his toys and snacks with you."


    Chengye frowned and thought for a long time before he finally nodded. "Okay, I''ll give him one."


    After saying that, he reluctantly took a banana from the plate and handed it to Yan''er. "Brother, eat it."


    Yan''er''s eyes were full of joy. "Thank you, brother."


    As soon as Yan''er finished speaking, a servant came in with a plate. "Here are the bananas for Yan''er."


    Hearing this, Chengye''s eyes lit up. He quickly took back the banana from Yan''er''s hand and said, "Your bananas are in her hand. This is mine."


    Yan''er blinked and said, "Okay, I have a plate of bananas."


    Everyone in the room couldn''t help laughing.


    Yun Shang felt a little helpless. She raised her hand and rubbed Chengye''s hair. "Alas."


    "I''m still growing up. I have to eat a lot to grow tall and strong."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but laugh. She shook her head and let him go.

 Chapter 1290 Jump Out Of Their Conjecture

    Seeing that the two of them played together after eating, Yun Shang felt it was interesting. The world of children was always a little incomprehensible.


    Just now, they were holding grudges against each other for a plate of bananas, but in a flash, there seemed to be no gaps between them.


    "There are many toys in my palace. Have you ever played with nine consecutive rings? I''m very good at it. " Speaking of what he was good at, Chengye''s face was full of complacency.


    "Let''s go inside and have a look. I''ll see how you play it. In fact, I''m not good at it." said Yan''er.


    Then the two of them ran into the hall hand in hand.


    Yun Shang withdrew her gaze with a smile and turned to Qian Liu, "From now on, Yan''er will live in the East Palace with Chengye. Arrange him to live in the side palace. The Hua family will bring his daily necessities here later. If there is anything missing, ask someone to prepare as soon as possible. "


    "Just prepare food and clothes for the young master of the Hua family according to the standard you


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    is majesty always forgets to eat when he is busy. Liu Wenan seems to be unable to persuade his majesty. I have to go there and keep an eye on him, in case he doesn''t eat anything."


    So that he could boast more in front of his ministers in the future.


    For example... He could say that she was worried too much all day and always worried that he would not have a good meal. Every time when it came to meal time, she would go to the Taiji Palace and insist on seeing him eating with her own eyes.


    Or he could say that she was so attached to him that she didn''t want to separate at all. However, considering their identities, she had to restrain herself a little. She didn''t dare to disturb him in dealing with political affairs, so she could only come over at meal time and look at him a few more times in the name of supervising his meal.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing when she thought of Luo Qingyan''s possible occasion and tone of speaking about these things.


    Why didn''t she find that his majesty was such a cute person before?

 Chapter 1291 Loyalty Is The Most Important

    When Yun Shang walked near the Taiji Palace, she heard someone talking inside. Yun Shang lowered her voice and asked the servant at the door, "His Majesty is meeting the ministers?"


    "Yes, majesty," The servant replied in a low voice, "general Claude, general Shenwei and general Dingyuan are all inside."


    Yun Shang nodded and thought to herself, ''Since the people inside the hall are all generals, the discussion must have something to do with the war.''.


    "Is there any news from the frontier?" Yun Shang asked the servant.


    The servant shook his head and replied, "I just came to guard half an hour ago. I don''t know what happened before that."


    Yun Shang asked thoughtfully, "How long have the three generals been inside there?"


    "About fifteen minutes."


    Yun Shang nodded. They had been inside for fifteen minutes. She was afraid that the meeting inside wouldn''t be finished in a short time.


    Yun Shang was about to turn around when she saw Wang Wanzhi come out of the Taiji Palace with a stack of memorials in her arms.


    Seeing Yun Shang, Wang Wanzhi suddenly stopped and bowed to her, "Greet


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    ent affairs and be negligent about some other things. She always wanted to take care of everything, but she felt that she was not capable enough.


    Yun Shang put the secret letter aside and said to Qian Zhuo in a low voice, "Send a message to them. Tell them to mention the weather if there is something important to report. If there is nothing important, don''t send any message just to report the weather. Or, it''s a waste to send messages that way. "


    Nowadays, there was lack of manpower. It was often the case these days that when they need people, no one was available. They couldn''t waste it like this.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang lowered her voice and asked, "Is there any news from the State of Ning?"


    Qian Zhuo shook her head and said, "It will take three or four months to spread messages from Jin city to the State of Ning. The news has just been spread for more than a month. It''s still early."


    As soon as Qian Zhuo finished her words, Luo Qingyan''s voice came from outside, "What news is the Empress waiting for in the State of Ning? I just received a message from the State of Ning... "

 Chapter 1292 Good News

    Yun Shang looked up at the door and saw Luo Qingyan opening the curtain and coming in.


    "What news?"


    Yun Shang fetched a teacup, poured him a cup of tea, and said softly, "The tea is made with several kinds of herbs which could reduce heat. It''s sweet and tasty. Your majesty, have a try."


    Luo Qingyan answered, "It''s a good news. Your father sent a message, saying that your mother is pregnant again."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up, "Really?"


    "Of course it''s true. Why should I lie to you?" Seeing Yun Shang''s happy face, Luo Qingyan smiled. "I heard that they are twins."


    "Twins?" Yun Shang became more excited. She stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, murmuring to herself, "My uncles are twins. It''s said that if you have a relative who have given birth to twins, your chances of that will be greater."


    "That''s great." Yun Shang couldn''t help but exclaim, "That''s great."


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes were also very gentle. "Yes, that''s good."


    Yun Shang grinn


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    e everything. "


    "I hope so."


    Yun Shang smiled, "She and Wang Jinhuan really should come back now. If they don''t come back soon, their daughter will almost forget them. "


    "As a matter of fact, Yaya really inherited all the advantages of her parents'' appearance. I met her two days ago, and her appearance is very outstanding. Even if she is only one and a half years old, she is already popular. I feel that my heart is melting when I look at her. I want to give her the best clothes and the most exquisite jewelry in the world, only to make her smile at me. "


    Luo Qingyan chuckled, "What are you thinking about?"


    Yun Shang also smiled, "It will be great if she can marry Chengye in the future."


    "Children have their own happiness. It''s useless for you to worry about it now."


    "You are right." Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled.


    Luo Qingyan drank up the tea in his cup and continued, "The secret guards who were sent to Jingcang County have come back."

 Chapter 1293 The Color Is Extremely Beautiful

    "They''ve been back?" Yun Shang sat up straight and asked with concern, "How is it going?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and said, "The secret guards have searched everywhere there, but they didn''t find anything wrong."


    So many people were sent out only to find nothing after such a long time?


    Yun Shang frowned, "How could it be?"


    Luo Qingyan pursed her lips and said, "We found it from the Xiangyi Palace. We thought it was the clue left by Lady Li. But the reality may not be like this... "


    Seeing Yun Shang raise her head and look at him in confusion, Luo Qingyan continued, "It''s also possible that the person behind it deliberately left us some false clues."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang''s face darkened.


    "It doesn''t matter. We don''t have much loss. I''ve sent a letter to ask the secret guards in Jingcang County to come back. Let''s wait and see what they want to do." Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Luo Qingyan tu


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    t that time, many concubines in the imperial household liked to drink when they had nothing to do. In order to meet their needs, the imperial kitchen made a lot of fruit wine. "


    "They all taste good and the bottles are all good-looking. At that time, it was extremely popular in the imperial household."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Well, wine is a good thing."


    Liu Wenan took two cups with a smile and placed one in front of Yun Shang and the other in front of Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang waved her hand and said, "I won''t drink. Just serve his majesty some."


    Liu Wenan took a look at Luo Qingyan. Seeing that Luo Qingyan didn''t refuse, he smiled and said, "It doesn''t matter if your majesty don''t drink it. They not only smell good, but also have many beautiful colors. Your majesty could just enjoy the colors..."


    Then he poured a cup of plum wine for Yun Shang, "Your majesty, look, the color of the plum wine is extremely beautiful..."

 Chapter 1294 Trap

    The plum wine was glittering and translucent red, and it looked beautiful in the white jade cup.


    Seeing that Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the plum wine, Liu Wenan smiled and said, "The plum wine tastes good too. It''s very sweet."


    Then he took out another bottle and said, "This is peach blossom wine."


    As Liu Wenan spoke, he took out a cup and said, "The color of the peach blossom wine is similar to the color of the peach blossom. This peach blossom wine was popular in the imperial household at that time, and all the concubines liked it very much. It tastes good and looks beautiful, and there''s also a peach blossom fragrance. From the nose to the tip of the tongue to the stomach, it''s extreme enjoyment. "


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan. She knew the taste of the peach blossom wine very well. She still remembered that Luo Qingyan used a pot of peach blossom wine to eat her up on the ship.


    Luo Qingyan seemed to have also thought of this. He lowered his head and smi


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    an smiled, "They have been sent out. You don''t need to worry about it. As I said just now, just leave them to the Ministry of Rites. They can''t handle these trifles well."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then I won''t do anything for it this year. Next year..."


    "What will you do next year?"


    "I will hold a birthday party which you like for your majesty next year."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Okay. But you still have to give me birthday gift this year. "


    After saying that, he remembered, "Last year, you said you would give me a sachet, but I still haven''t received it. I saw you were practicing embroidering some days ago. How is your practice going? I''m wondering when I can get my sachet."


    "It''s going quite well!" Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "Anyway... Quite well. I''m sure you''ll see it on your birthday at the latest. "


    "Really? I''ve heard such words countless times. "


    Seeing Yun Shang glaring at him, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. "Then I will... wait and see. "

 Chapter 1295 A Princess Of A Concubine

    In the afternoon, Yun Shang was free and met several ministers of the Ministry of Rites in the Taiji Palace.


    "The preparations for the Wanshou Festival have begun. I''ve ordered to prepare all the cups, bowls and dishes." The Minister of Rites held a pamphlet in his hands.


    "This is the patterns of bowls and dishes. You can have a look, your majesty."


    Qian Zhuo quickly walked over and handed it to Yun Shang.


    "This pattern is for his majesty. This is the pattern for His Former Majesty, Her Former Majesty and Your Majety. The others are for the ladies and the ministers. "


    As he said, he took out another pamphlet and said, "This is the arrangement of the Wanshou Festival."


    "On first day, the courtiers will come to the Palace and the people will also hold a lot of activities to celebrate such as lantern show."


    "The second day is his majesty''s birthday. There will be a banquet in the Palace. Your majesty will also go to the city tower to accept the people''s worship."


    "


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    f nothing had happened.


    "Yes, I came from the Meeting Hall." With a smile on his face, Liu Wenan said coldly, "His majesty asked me to go to the Taiji Palacel and tell her majesty to have dinner with him after he finishes the political affairs."


    Liu Wenan glanced at the people who were lowering their heads and said, "His majesty said that her majesty is a picky eater. He has to keep an eye on her personally."


    "His majesty is really good to her majesty."


    The Minister of Rites smiled awkwardly, "Yes, it''s well known that his majesty and her majesty love each other deeply."


    "That''s because her majesty is capable." Liu Wenan still smiled, "Her majesty can fight on the battlefield and guard the peace of the imperial household."


    "Almost half of the food and clothing of the soldiers on the battlefield were earned her majesty''s business. It can be said that the State of Xia is now stable partly because of her majesty. "


    "Although you are just princess of a concubine. "

 Chapter 1296 The Method To Keep Balance

    He heard it.


    This thought appeared in the minds of the group of people at the same time, and they couldn''t help but panic.


    "Master Liu, we..."


    However, Liu Wenan looked at them casually and said, "You are right. The Empress is indeed just a princess of a concubine."


    "But so what? You all have to kneel down to pay her respects, don''t you? If she wants your lives... "


    Liu Wenan smiled, "It''s easy, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, yes, yes."


    They lowered their heads and felt a little cold.


    It was hot in June...


    "Before gossiping behind people''s back, you have to think about whether you can do that. If you can''t, you''d better keep your mouth shut. "


    "After all, misfortune might come from your words."


    "Yes, Master Liu is right." They answered in succession.


    Liu Wenan glanced at them and took two steps forward. When he arrived at the side of the Minister of Rites, he suddenly stopped and said


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    don''t have to offend them and they won''t gossip about you. "


    Hearing what Liu Wenan said, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and thought about all the words Liu Wenan had said just now. She smiled and said, "What''s wrong? Did you meet people from the Ministry of Rites on your way here? Did they gossip about me behind my back? "


    Liu Wenan realized that he had made a slip of the tongue. He raised his hand and patted his mouth, "Oh, look at my mouth. I can''t speak at all."


    But he nodded honestly, "Yes, they did. I just heard it. I was so angry that I scolded them on the spot. "


    "Your majesty is the apple of his Majesty''s eye. How can they gossip? They are all not as smart as your majesty. "


    "If your majesty is a man, you must be a man of power. How can they gossip about you?"


    Hearing Liu Wenan''s praise, Yun Shang couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Master Liu was getting more and more interesting.

 Chapter 1297 It Was All Given By His Majesty

    Liu Wenan continued to persuade her in a low voice, "I also know that your majesty is afraid that the subordinates will not do well enough and make some trouble, so you want to do everything by yourself."


    "But your majesty, have you ever thought about it? How can you take everything in your hands? If the subordinates fail to do anything well, you could just scold and punish them. Just ask them do it over and over again until you are satisfied. You have to let them learn to deal with these things by themselves. Maybe you will be tired at the beginning, and later you will be relaxed. "


    "Just like what happened today, you don''t have to make it so detailed. You don''t need to tell them which one should be cancelled or how to sell those things. You just need to tell the Ministry of Rites that they couldn''t spend too much money and let them figure out a way by themselves. Then ask the Ministry of Revenue to supervise them... "


    How could Yun Shang not know these things? It was ea


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    t enemy is the Sun clan."


    "I don''t know why the two clans have a feud, but the two officials are always at loggerheads in the court. They are incompatible as fire and water."


    "Later, Official Cao found out that Official Sun had made some mistakes in government affairs. He handed a letter to His Former Majesty, and His Former Majesty relegated Official Sun to Xiyang City in the south."


    "So the Sun clan moved to Xiyang City. Now the Sun clan''s power in the city can''t be underestimated. "


    "That''s why the Cao clan''s business is all over the State of Xia expect Xiyang City.


    Yun Shang knocked on the table with her fingers, "Great. Then Xiyang City."


    "What?"


    Yun Shang suddenly said this, but Qian Zhuo was stunned.


    "What did your majesty mean?"


    "Knock out Cao Yi''s wife, concubines, children, and servants, and put them in the carriage. Send them to Xiyang City secretly. Handed them to the Sun clan as a gift and tell them that they can deal with them at will."

 Chapter 1298 That Would Be The Best

    Qian Zhuo didn''t expect that Yun Shang would make such a decision. She opened her mouth, stunned for a while, and asked, "Let them deal with them at will?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded, "But they can''t send them back."


    "I don''t think they will." A hint of excitement flashed through Qian Zhuo''s eyes. "The grudge between the Sun clan and the Cao clan has lasted for a long time. Many members of the Sun clan have been defeated by the Cao clan. But they don''t have any evidence, so they can''t do anything to the Cao clan."


    "Now that if your majesty sends Cao Yi''s family members to the Sun clan, the Sun clan will certainly make good use of them. They might either torture them slowly, or use them as hostages to threaten the Cao clan. Besides, Xiyang City is under the control of the Sun clan, so it will be difficult for the Cao clan to save them."


    "That''s what I want." Yun Shang curled up her lips, "Send them there as soon as possi


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    p smiling. "It''s like a battlefield without any smoke. The intricate things inside may be more difficult than fighting in the battlefield."


    "What''s more, if those women in the Wang clan made things different for her, even if we have many powerful secret guards over there, it''s useless."


    Qian Zhuo shivered, "Then I''d better not get married in the future. Qian Qian is much smarter than me. If she can''t handle it properly, then I can''t do anything about it."


    "Look at you. You are so timid that you don''t dare to get married?" Yun Shang glared at Qian Zhuo, "Why don''t you think about how to find a simpler person to marry?"


    "Okay." Qian Zhuo nodded and said, "It''s best that the person doesn''t have any brothers or sisters at home. Then I don''t have to face these problems. It would be great if I also don''t need to face his parents."


    "Hahaha, you want to find one who is alone in the world?"


    "That would be the best."

 Chapter 1299 I Have High Principles

    The three of them laughed and joked for a while. Seeing that the rain gradually stopped outside, Qian Liu left.


    It rained for less than an hour, and then the sun began to rise again.


    In the afternoon, the people of the Imperial Household Department really brought those things here.


    "Your majesty, let''s take a walk in the Imperial Garden first." Qian Zhuo poked her head out and looked at the things placed in the yard. "It will take some time to change the furniture and clean them up carefully."


    Yun Shang nodded her head and took the servants to the Imperial Garden.


    When she came back, everything in the room had been well arranged.


    Yun Shang sat on the cold jade couch. Her eyes lit up. "It''s much cooler."


    "Of course. But I''m also a little worried. It''s too cold. Will it be harmful to your health? How about I put a blanket on it? " Qian Zhuo frowned.


    Yun Shang glared at her, "Put blanket on it? Then why did we


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    n want the jade pendant for?"


    "I''m the crown prince. The people of the State of Xia are all my people. If the jade pendant is of no use to me, but to others, it is of great use. I''m willing to help and give it to him. "


    The smile in Yun Shang''s eyes widened. So, the premise was that he didn''t like the jade pendant at all. It was useless to hold it, but it was useful to others?


    "What if you like the jade pendant very much? What if it is given by your mother? "


    "No, no, absolutely not. How can I give something from mother to others so easily? "


    "What if you don''t like the jade pendant and the one who asks for it just wants to wear it for fun?"


    "No way." Chengye pursed his lips and said, "He can think of a way to make me happy and let me give the jade pendant to him, but I can''t give it to him so easily."


    "The grand tutor said that Principle is part of men personality, and I am a man who have high principles."

 Chapter 1300 Lie To A Kid

    Yun Shang hear Luo Qingyan chuckle, "Well, very good, you have high principles."


    "Father, this is what the grand tutor taught me to write these two days. Father, have a look. Is it good?"


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan only took a look at it and said, "I couldn''t even recognize what you wrote. Did your grand tutor recognize what you wrote?"


    "Yes, he did."


    "How could you not recognize it? The grand tutor recognized my words at a glance. "


    "So did mother!" All of a sudden, he thought of Yun Shang and said, "Mother also recognized my words at a glance."


    "Oh? Is your mother so powerful? "


    Yun Shang burst into laughter outside the palace.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s laughter, Yun Shang jumped happily and ran out of the room. "Mother! Mother! "


    As soon as Yun Shang stepped into the hall, she was hugged by Chengyen.


    Yun Shang picked him up with a smile, "You are heavier."


    "Of course. I can


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    gyan sighed, "I should have asked him to write some more words."


    "But you lied to him too. Is there really a horse?"


    "Of course." Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang, "am I that liar?"


    "The horse is well prepared. Recently, I have arranged for someone to train it so that it can be tamed when it is handed over to Chengye. In the past two days, the training is almost finished. Yesterday, I went to see it in person, and I meant to give it to him soon. He must be happy to see it."


    Yun Shang nodded with a smile.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang again, "What brought you here?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I do have something."


    Then she took out the three maps and said, "Just now in my palace, when Pei Lan was packing up, she accidentally saw these three maps and recognized her hometown."


    "Three maps? Her hometown? " Luo Qingyan frowned, "Aren''t these three maps of three places far apart?"

 Chapter 1301 I Have Many

    Yun Shang shook her head, "We were all misled before."


    Yun Shang laid the three maps on the table as Pei Lan did. "Pei Lan said that these three maps should be placed in this way, so that they can be a complete map of her hometown."


    "Where is her hometown?"


    "Yong''an Village, Ganhe County."


    Luo Qingyan had memorized all the place names in the State of Xia. Hearing what Yun Shang said, he immediately realized, "Wuan Prefecture."


    As Luo Qingyan spoke, he quickly took out a stack of map from the bookshelf.


    Yun Shang blinked her eyes and asked curiously, "What''s this?"


    "I''ve found the map of all the cities under the jurisdiction of the State of Xia and classified according to the prefecture they belong."


    "This is the map of all the counties in Wuan Prefecture."


    Luo Qingyan soon found the map of Ganhe County that Pei Lan had mentioned. His finger skimmed over it carefully and stopped.


    He quickly glanced at the map that Yun Shang had put, and then looked at the map of Ganh


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    are many spies in the city. They are enough to inquire news for me."


    "And I''ve told your majesty before that I''m going to order some people in the State of Ning to come here." Yun Shang smiled and said, "When Ning Qian came back to the State of Ning this time, she found that my mother has gained a firm foothold in the palace, so many of our people in the the State of Ning are idle and have nothing to do."


    "I asked Ning Qian to send all the people who have nothing to do to the State of Xia. On the one hand, they were all strictly trained, and most of them have some skills, which can help us do something better. On the other hand, we can also give a full use of their role. "


    Yun Shang blinked and said, "I''ll have to bother your majesty''s secret guards to train them then."


    Luo Qingyan took a look at Yun Shang and nodded. "If you don''t have anyone in your hands, just tell me."


    "Got it." Yun Shang waved her hand casually, "I have many. How could I not have enough people in hands?"

 Chapter 1302 Advice

    Yun Shang completely entrusted the matters of the Wanshou Festival to the Ministry of Rites. But in less than two days, the Minister of Rites came to beg Yun Shang.


    "Your majesty, I have discussed with you about the arrangement of the Wanshou Festival. Except for the cups, bowls, dishes and the theatrical troupe, your majesty didn''t make any comments."


    "But when I asked the Ministry of Revenue for money, they didn''t agree. They said the soldiers at the frontier didn''t have enough food and clothes. Although the Wanshou Festival is a big event, we can''t be too extravagant. "


    "Your majesty, we have already cancelled a lot of things! It couldn''t be reduced any more... Those were all consented by your majesty. How about your majesty call them here and tell them? "


    Yun Shang raised her eyes and wondered, "Official Wu, you have probably misunderstood me. Although I have only pointed out two things which I thought particularly unnecessary. But it doesn''t


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    f an official keeps putting on airs like this and disdain to do anything else, then he will never be a good official. "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and said, "As a woman, I even know this. Official Wu, you should understand."


    "His majesty is different from other emperors. He had suffered all kinds of hardships in the world because of some special experiences when he was a child, and his views on things are different from others. If you want to make some achievements in front of his majesty, you can''t just perform as before. "


    "There is also an easy solution to the matter of Wanshou Festival. That is to communicate with the Ministry of Revenue and come to an amount that everyone can accept. Then, arrange the celebration within this amount. It''s all up to you, Official Wu. "


    Yun Shang smiled carelessly, "That''s all I want to say. I have already given you some advice, so I won''t say anything more. As for the rest, please think about it yourself."

 Chapter 1303 Better At Sweet Talks Than You

    Not long after the Minister of Revenue left, Liu Wenan came.


    "The imperial kitchen had made some jade bean cakes. His majesty tasted it and thought it was very delicious, so he specially asked me to bring some to you."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "It''s not something precious. If I want to eat, I''ll ask the imperial kitchen to bring some. His majesty don''t need to bother."


    This was not the first time that Luo Qingyan had done such a thing recently.


    "That''s different. It means that his majesty has been missing your majesty all the time. "


    "Your majesty, after the imperial kitchen sent it to Taiji Palace, I put it beside his majesty who was dealing with the memorials. He just took a bite and asked me what it was."


    "I''m telling him it was jade bean cake. His majesty took another bite and said it tasted good. Then he asked me to bring it to you."


    Yun Shang''s eyes were full of smile, but she only


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    ry day before I went out of the palace. I waited for two or three days, and I waited for about a quarter of an hour every day."


    "I just wanted to try my luck. If I can''t meet you today, I will send a message to you."


    Hearing Cao Han''s words, Yun Shang''s eyes darkened a little, but she smiled, "Really? Then I just come in time. "


    "Yes." Cao Han said and nodded, "Yes."


    But Yun Shang didn''t want to beat around the bush with him. "Tell me, what is it?"


    Cao Han thought for a moment and looked up at Yun Shang cautiously. "I''ve told you before that my brother sent his wife, concubines and children out of the Jin City."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes. You also said that your brother pretended to send them to a remote mansion for summer vacation, but later you found that they didn''t seem to go there."


    "Yes." Cao Han nodded and continued, "I''ve been sending people to follow them, but... They are all missing. "

 Chapter 1304 Why Should You Be Afraid

    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and asked, "Disappeared?"


    "Yes, majesty." Cao Han nodded and looked at Yun Shang again, "Your Majesty, about this matter..."


    He seemed to be worried about something and spoke with reservations.


    Yun Shang understood what he was thinking at a glance. She smiled, "What''s wrong? Do you suspect me about it? "


    "I dare not..." Cao Han bowed to Yun Shang with cupped hands.


    "Well, why don''t you dare? You''ve been waiting for me here for a few days. That''s exactly what you want to say, is it? " Yun Shang didn''t try to avoid it, "I did it, indeed. Your suspicion is right."


    Cao Han didn''t expect that Yun Shang would answer him so openly. He was stunned and didn''t say anything for quite some time.


    "I sent people there to take them back. At that time, these people would be a good bargaining chip for me or you."


    Cao Han came to his senses and asked, "Your Majesty, then... These people... Where are they now? "


    "Well," Yun Shang said casually, "Later they we


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    lips and said in a low voice, "Don''t worry, your majesty. I''ll... I will do my best to live up to your expectations. "


    "Okay." Yun Shang stood up and said to the servants behind her casually, "You may leave now."


    Then she walked past Cao Han and headed for the imperial household.


    Her footsteps went farther and farther. After a long time, Cao Han straightened himself up, but he did not stand up right away. He first turned his head and looked at the back of Yun Shang.


    After a long time, he pursed his lips slightly, stood up, turned around and left.


    However, he did not see that after he left, two people walked out at a corner not far away from him.


    They were Luo Qingyan and Liu Wenan.


    Liu Wenan looked at Luo Qingyan with carefulness in his eyes and then chuckled, "I really admire the way her majesty threatened people. If I were Cao Han, I would be scared to death. "


    Luo Qingyan turned to look at Liu Wenan strangely, "Shang''er is so beautiful. Why should you be afraid?"

 Chapter 1305 Sachet

    "What?"


    Liu Wenan was stunned as he didn''t understand what Luo Qingyan meant.


    Luo Qingyan''s expression became more strange. He seemed to be warning him, "What''s wrong? Did I say anything wrong? Isn''t the Empress beautiful enough? "


    "Well..." Liu Wenan felt bitter in his heart, "Her majesty is the most beautiful lady in the world."


    "In that case, why are you afraid of her?"


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Liu Wenan thought carefully about how to tell the emperor that it had nothing to do with that whether she was beautiful or not.


    But thinking of the fact that the man in front of him had always been unprincipled to protect his wife no matter what reason it was, he did not speak anything in the end.


    "I just said that her majesty has the prestige of the Empress, which makes people feel both respectful and scared, and the same as your majesty. Therefore, your majesty and her majesty are really a perfect couple. "


    Liu


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    it except ambergris?"


    Yun Shang tilted her head and thought for a while. "Since it''s a gift from me, he must use it every day."


    "Since it''s used every day, I should put something in it so that he can think of me when he sees it."


    After thinking for a while, Yun Shang took a pair of scissors, cut a small amount of hair, and made a lute knot and put it in the sachet.


    Seeing this, Qian Zhuo teased with a smile, "Your majesty, you can even make this kind of knot. It''s really out of my expectation."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and said, "I''m just not good at needlework. It doesn''t mean I can do nothing."


    "Yes, yes."


    Yun Shang ignored the ridicule in Qian Zhuo''s words. She lowered her eyes and carefully tied up the sachet. Then she asked Qian Zhuo to take a box and put it away.


    "We can''t let him see it now. I''ll give it to him on his birthday."


    Yun Shang murmured to herself, smiling.

 Chapter 1306 Know Both Yourself And Your Enemy

    The notice about the Wanshou Festival had been posted, and there were more and more people gathering in the Jin City.


    Hearing Qian Yin''s report, Yun Shang had made up her mind not to leave the palace.


    "Many vendors and people from all over the country gathered in the Jin city. It''s hard to guarantee that no one will take the advantage to do something bad. I''d better not go out of the palace at this time. "


    "Don''t your majesty go out and have a look? I''ve heard that many acrobatics troupes have entered the city, and there are many new performances that we''ve never seen before. "


    "No." Yun Shang shook her head and said, "I won''t go out."


    Now there was a shortage of secret guards. Every time she went out of the palace, more secret guards had to protect her secretly than usual. She didn''t want to add more burden to the secret guards.


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo stopped persuading her.


    In the afternoon, Luo Qingyan asked someone to bring a box of items.


    "These are colorful glazed jewelry.


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    e also purchased a lot of things in the Yunzhou City and Deer City, but the tribute from the palace is the best things in all parts of the country. They should not have such things. This is a business opportunity."


    Luo Qingyan chuckled, "Your ladyship is getting more and more interested in doing business."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Yes, I think it''s a way to make money."


    After saying that, Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan with her bright eyes, "You said there were trade groups of other countries coming to our country to purchase goods. Then, are there trade groups of the State of Xia bringing our goods to those countries to sell? Do they buy the things there at a low price and take them back to sell in the State of Xia? "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Does your majesty want to send trade groups to other countries?"


    "Why not?" Yun Shang''s eyes lit up. "We can do business and get to know other countries at the same time. Know yourself, know your enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."

 Chapter 1307 Visit

    Luo Qingyan was stunned. "Know yourself, know your enemy? A thousand battles, a thousand victories? "


    Yun Shang certainly knew what he meant. She smiled and said, "The royal members of the the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai followed the trade teams to our country for no reason? Do your majesty think they are good at acting or that I am stupid? "


    Luo Qingyan lowered her eyes and chuckled, "If my wife is stupid, then there will probably be no smart person in the world."


    Yun Shang ignored his flattery. She frowned and said, "I don''t believe they have no ambition. However, it was still uncertain what their ambitions were. But I think there are here to test our strength and see if there is a possibility to win us and make us surrender. "


    "Now that they have taken action first, we can''t fall too behind,"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, but sighed, "There are many dangers along the way. We don''t know what''s going on there..."


    "Are you afraid, your m


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    sat down in front of the bronze mirror and said, "Make a flying bun."


    After the servant helped her comb her hair, she opened the dresser and looked for it carefully for a while. Then she took out a pair of gold phoenix pearl hairpin and a pair of gold earlobes.


    The servants put these things on Yun Shang and carefully put a very beautiful makeup for her.


    Pei Lan understood what Yun Shang was thinking. She raised the bronze mirror in front of Yun Shang and said with a smile, "Your majesty, you look so beautiful. When those envoys see you, they will definitely be shocked."


    Yun Shang chuckled, "You are getting more and more eloquent recently."


    As soon as she finished speaking, footsteps came from outside. "Your Majesty, the envoys of the State of Youyue and the State of Yiai have arrived."


    Yun Shang nodded and turned to Pei Lan, "Go out and lead them to the main hall first. Ask someone to serve them the best tea in our palace."


    "Yes."

 Chapter 1308 Gifts

    When Yun Shang arrived at the main hall, there were already four women sitting there. Yun Shang didn''t look at them carefully, but went straight to the main seat and sat down.


    Seeing this, the four women looked at each other for a moment, and then bowed to Yun Shang in a hurry. "Greetings, your majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded and looked at the four women carefully from left to right.


    When Liu Wenan mentioned them before, Yun Shang thought they were the wives of the royal members of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai.


    But now, she knew that she was probably wrong. Judging from their hairstyle, only one of them had been married.


    The four all had outstanding appearance, which made Yun Shang vigilant.


    "Arise." Yun Shang smiled, "Have a seat."


    After the four of them sat down, Yun Shang smiled and said, "I heard that you came from countries far away from the State of Xia. You must have ha


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    nd they will bring the special products from their places. There will be more and more vendors selling the special products of the State of Xia on the street. You can go around to enhance your understanding of us. If you have anything you like, you can tell me. At that time, I will ask someone to prepare some for you. "


    Gong Sijia replied with a smile.


    Yun Shang asked the servants to carry the things out of the palace, and then said, "You can have a taste of the tea I prepared for you. Don''t be too restrained."


    They answered in a hurry, but they were still a little nervous. They looked at each other for several times before Gong Sijia said. "I heard that there are other two countries on the continent, the State of Ning and the State of Yelang. I also heard that your majesty was a princess of the State of Ning. I wonder how the State of Ning is compare to the State of Xia? Is it worth a trip? "

 Chapter 1309 Its Not Easy

    Yun Shang slightly lifted her eyelids and looked up at Gong Sijia, who was shocked by Yun Shang''s calm expression.


    When she was about to say something, Yun Shang looked away and said casually, "How is the State of Ning compare to the State of Xia?"


    "In terms of territory, the State of Xia is larger than the State of Ningg. In terms of the population, the two countries were on a par. In terms of materials, the State of Ning was richer than the State of Xia. There was no specific measurement, and it was not easy to compare. It can only be said that each has its own characteristics. "


    Yun Shang gave a perfect answer.


    "Hearing what your majesty said, I want to take a trip to the State of Ning."


    Yun Shang just smiled at her without saying anything.


    Gong Sijia felt a little embarrassed. She smiled and said, "We came here today just to visit the your majesty. Your majesty is busy every day. We won''t bother you longer. "


    Yu


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    uses to marry concubines for the time being. "


    "The emperor of the State of Xia hasn''t tasted the good of other women yet. Maybe he will be attracted after he tastes it."


    "Yes. And I think the emperor of the State of Xia is a responsible man. As long as we become his woman, he should be responsible, right? "


    Gong Sijia chuckled, "Now that you''ve made up your mind, I won''t say anything more. If you''re willing to have a try, then go ahead. As planned, we will pave the way for you. Whether you can make it or not depends on your means. "


    Then, Gong Sijia said gently, "They are coming."


    Footsteps came from the other end of wall.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled. It was interesting. What kind of treasure was hidden in the imperial household of the State of Xia? Why everyone wanted to step in?


    Now even these women from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai came all the way to the State of Xia to fight for it.

 Chapter 1310 Being Jealous

    After returning to Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang asked servants to help her change into her daily clothes. As soon as she lay down on the bench, she randomly picked up a book and flipped through it, without saying anything.


    Qian Zhuo didn''t know what Yun Shang had heard behind the wall, and her eyes were full of curiosity. Looking at Yun Shang''s sullen face, Qian Zhuo knew that Yun Shang must have heard something bad, so she didn''t dare to ask. She pulled Hua''er out of the room.


    Hua''er imitated their conversation vividly. At last, she couldn''t help but tut, "Although it''s obscure, I understand. It''s obvious that they want to send those princesses to the imperial household as concubines? I didn''t think those people were good people when I saw them. But I didn''t expect them to have such an intention. "


    Qian Zhuo also frowned, "They are shameless. They thought they can win his majesty''s favor like her majesty? Dream on!"


    Qian Zhuo drew up the curtain and looked


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    When she just arrived at the gate of Weiyang Palace, she saw Luo Qingyan coming over with servants.


    Qian Zhuo curtsied to Luo Qingyan in a hurry, "Your Majesty."


    Luo Qingyan stopped and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "Your Majesty, her majesty sent me to the imperial kitchen to order some dishes."


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows. Hearing Qian Zhuo mention Yun Shang, a smile appeared in his eyes. "Order dishes? What did her majesty order? "


    "West Lake sour fish, sweet and sour pork, sour and spicy lotus root."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help frowning. "Only the three dishes?"


    "Yes."


    Luo Qingyan was surprised, "Her majesty doesn''t like sour food all the time. Why are these three dishes all sour?"


    "Ah..." It was not until then that Qian Zhuo came to her senses. She felt that something was wrong.


    Then she remembered the hawthorn tea Yun Shang asked her to make.


    "Your Majesty, I''m afraid her majesty... is being jealous. "

 Chapter 1311 Its Not Impossible

    "Jealous?"


    Luo Qingyan was a little confused. He hadn''t come here today. Why did she suddenly...


    Seeing the expression on Luo Qingyan''s face, Qian Zhuo knew what he was thinking. She quickly told him what had happened today, along with the conversation between the four people from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai in front of the Taiji Palace.


    Luo Qingyan felt upset.


    He had never expected that the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai would have such an intention.


    He also didn''t expect that Yun Shang was so sensitive that she had arranged all this.


    Thinking of this, Luo Qingyan suddenly felt a little strange.


    "When did her majesty arrange you to send them to the square in front of the Taiji Palace?"


    "When she knew that the female members of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai would come to visit,"


    Luo Qingyan frowned, "so early? Then how did her majesty know what they were up to? "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s question, Qian Zhuo smiled and said, "Your Majesty, her majesty is not a pr


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    two countries, but it turned out that there were three princesses of the two countries. Although I haven''t been to the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai, I think the countries must be livable as the three princesses are all beauties. "


    "Really?" Luo Qingyan said casually, "I didn''t notice what they look like."


    Yun Shang''s face softened miraculously. She knocked on the table with her finger and said, "Generally, when the foreign envoys come here with unmarried girls especially noble princesses, they are most likely here for a marriage alliance."


    "A marriage alliance?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "They come here for a marriage alliance?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I guess so."


    "But we even don''t know about the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Your majesty will know after sending someone to have a look. It has nothing to do with the marriage alliance, right?"


    "You are right." Luo Qingyan thought for a moment and said, "If they want a marriage alliance, it''s not impossible."

 Chapter 1312 She Is Not Happy

    Huh?


    Yun Shang squinted at Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan knew what Yun Shang meant from her eyes.


    Luo Qingyan looked down and smiled, feeling very happy.


    "What I''m most worried about is whether the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai plan to declare a war aganist us" Luo Qingyan tapped his fingers on the table and said, "The war between us and the State of Yelang is not over yet. If the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai start a war against us again, I''m afraid we will have a hard time."


    "So, your majesty intends to sacrifice yourself to accept the three princesses?" Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "Your majesty is really willing to sacrifice yourself for this country. In order not to fight, you even came up with a way of marriage alliance?"


    Luo Qingyan wanted to laugh again, but he asked in confusion, "Why should I sacrifice myself for a marriage alliance?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Yun Shang sneered and turned her head to the other side without saying anything.


    "Wh


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    heard what they said.


    Yun Shang raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. Perhaps it was because of the hot weather recently, she was in a bad mood.


    So she got into a dead end.


    "Are you still angry?"


    Luo Qingyan stood up and sat beside Yun Shang with a smile.


    "They are just some irrelevant people. You don''t get angry with what they said."


    "Your majesty is always calm and composed. Why are you so impulsive and irritable today?"


    Impulsive and irritable?


    Did he mean her?


    Yun Shang cast a cold glance at Luo Qingyan.


    However, Luo Qingyan didn''t notice it at all. He smiled more brightly and said, "I know. Your majesty too much about me that you can''t bear to see them plot against me."


    "I''m happy that your majesty cares about me so much."


    Yun Shang turned her head to the other side, not looking at Luo Qingyan.


    She was... not very happy.


    Luo Qingyan might have guessed what she was thinking.


    But just because of this, she found that she was not very happy.

 Chapter 1313

    "Your Majesty... You are very proud. "


    Luo Qingyan was bursting into laughter when he heard Yun Shang''s words.


    "Yes?" Luo Qingyan blinked. There seemed to be something wrong with her tone and reaction.


    Luo Qingyan thought about it for quite a while and didn''t know what was wrong. However, his desire for survival made him stop smiling and waved his hand. "No, I''m not very proud."


    Yun Shang''s eyes became more and more meaningful. "The three princesses from both the State of Yihai and the State of Youyue all fell in love with you at the first sight when they met your majesty today. Since then, they have been deeply in love with you and have tried every means to become your Majesty''s concubines.


    Your Majesty is so charming. You are old and strong, so you should be proud."


    Luo Qingyan''s mouth twitched.


    But...


    He might be indeed charming, but what she meant by being old and strong?


    He... was very old?


    Perhaps Luo Qingyan''s emotion was so obvious to be seen from his eyes that Yun Shang could see through him at a glance.


    Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling, "Your Majesty, are you thirty-three years old this ye


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    he then moved the dishes to Yun Shang and said, "These are the three dishes: chicken with white fungus, fish sticks with osmanthus and diced rabbit meat. Would you like to have a taste of them?"


    Yun Shang nodded.


    Qian Zhuo fetched chopsticks, spoon and three bowls. She then put them one by one in front of Yun Shang.


    "You can eat more chicken with white fungus. The people from the imperial kitchen said that it can nourish the energy and the lung as well as clear the intestines. Please eat more, which also has a good effect of skin care."


    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan smiled, "The Empress is so beautiful that she doesn''t need this kind of food."


    Qian Zhuo responded quickly, "Yes, your majesty is right. Then your majesty could try some fish sticks with osmanthus first. This dish is similar to the mandarin fish you usually eat, but there are also some differences. You can have a taste. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing when she heard them two people''s performance as if they were playing in a big drama. The corners of her mouth curved, but soon she calmed herself down, "This should be what your majesty likes, right?"

 Chapter 1314 In Terms Of Playing Tricks, She Has Never Been Afraid Of Anyone

    Hearing this, Luo Qingyan only smiled, "We are husband and wife. Why should we be separated?"


    Huh?


    Was that so?


    Noticing that Yun Shang''s attention was all on Luo Qingyan, Qian Zhuo put the bowl with mandarin fish sticks in front of Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang didn''t pay much attention to it. She picked up a pair of chopsticks, took some food and put it into her mouth. After tasting it carefully, she nodded and praised, "It''s indeed better than the mandarin fish before."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Really? I knew you would like it. "


    During the meal, Yun Shang didn''t say much, while Qian Zhuo felt very frightened.


    Before the meal was over, Yun Shang didn''t mention the three dishes she had ordered before.


    After lunch, Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang with a smile, "We just had lunch. Why don''t we go to the Imperial Garden to have a walk?"


    Yun Shang stood up and followed Luo Qingyan out of the Weiyang Palace.


    Luo Qingyan walked into the yard. When he turned around, he noticed that Yun Shang didn''t move standing still under the porch.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at the bright


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    ouyue and the State of Yihai go to call a doctor,we will do something on the medicine. In the end we can only say that they have trouble with our local conditions.


    Anyway, we have spies everywhere in the city. We can go in everywhere. It doesn''t matter if they don''t go out for dinner or invite the doctors here. At least they have to drink the water here, right? They have to buy something to eat, right? Even if they may cook by themselves, they''ll have to buy vegetables, rice noodles, grain or oil, right? "


    Hearing this, Yun Shang finally had a smile in her eyes, "Well, you are getting smarter."


    Qian Zhuo chuckled and was overjoyed to receive such a praise, "Your majesty, you''ve taught me so much."


    Yun Shang smiled and lowered her eyes.


    She was thinking if the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai proposed a peace making marriage openly, although she would refuse to let them enter the palace, she could help them find a few good families for them to choose. But since they wanted to play tricks, she would just play with them.


    She had never been afraid of anyone who played these insidious tricks against her.

 Chapter 1315 You Wont Understand It Either

    While Yun Shang was thinking of a solution, Luo Qingyan also made great efforts to figure it out.


    The next morning, after the court was over, Luo Qingyan ordered Liu Wenan, "Go and invite the envoys of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai to the palace. Tell them that I''ve already had an idea about their proposal yesterday of establishing a friendly relationship with the State of Xia."


    Liu Wenan was stunned, "But your majesty hasn''t discussed it with the courtiers this morning?"


    Luo Qingyan blinked and asked in surprise, "can''t I make a decision on such a trifle?"


    "Of course yes, your majesty. What are you talking about? Your majesty is the emperor of the State of Xia. No matter what happens in the State of Xia, you can make a decision directly. "


    Liu Wenan replied, but he thought to himself, ''It''s not a matter of making a decision at all, is it?


    But yesterday, you told the envoys of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai that this matter was of great importance and they needed to discuss it with the courtiers carefully.''


    Liu Wenan sighed and told himself, ''A king''s heart is like a need


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    stunned, "Isn''t it true?"


    "Of course not," Luo Qingyan sneered, "I don''t allow other women to wander around in front of me. Once there are other women in the imperial household, no matter how unloved they are, they will definitely take up some of my time.


    It takes me more than half a day to deal with these political affairs, and I have to eat and sleep. I don''t have much free time every day, and I have very little time to see the Empress. Every day if I can''t see the Empress, I will feel flustered. I wish I could stay with the Empress all my free time. How can I allow other women to take up this limited time? "


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± The envoy of the State of Yihai widened his eyes in surprise, not knowing what to say.


    "The Empress has done a good job in carrying on the royal family line. I have already got the Crown Prince, and there are many disciples of the royal family, all of whom have their own children. Why should I worry about the problem of the royal family successors?"


    Luo Qingyan frowned and waved his hand again, "All right. You won''t understand what I''m talking about. Let''s get down to our business... "

 Chapter 1316 Let The Empress Make The Decision

    The envoys were rendered speechless. They looked at Luo Qingyan in silence, with indescribable expression on their faces. However, they were still in other people''s territory, so they didn''t dare to say anything.


    It seemed that Luo Qingyan didn''t feel their emotions at all. He kept on saying, "It''s not impossible to form an alliance among us. It''s just that according to the usual practice, after the two countries form an alliance, they have to sign a friendly agreement to ensure the peaceful coexistence of the two countries and would not fight for no reason. If you want to form an alliance, you can''t be the only ones on the scene. At least, I have to see your emperor and sign an agreement with him. "


    The envoys of the two countries looked at each other and then said, "But there is a sea to separate us. It will be a long way to go from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai to arrive here. And the sea is not peaceful frequently with sudden and violent waves. In addition, the pirates are rampant. It''s really inconvenient for the emperors of our two countries to come over...


    How about we contract an alliance here first and then we send it back to our emperors for their sign


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    ang Palace," Luo Qingyan suddenly spoke.


    "The Weiyang Palace?" Liu Wenan was confused.


    Didn''t they just talk about the case that if the envoys of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai had vomiting and diarrhea because of eating something bad, should they send an imperial physician to treat them?


    Why did his majesty mention the Weiyang Palace all of a sudden?


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "You go to the Weiyang Palace and report this to the Empress. Let the Empress make the decision."


    ''Let the Empress make the decision?''


    Liu Wenan was more and more confused. Although the imperial physicians could also treat everyone in the imperial household, the Imperial Hospital was not under the jurisdiction of the imperial household.


    "Yes, let the Empress make the decision. Her majesty decides to send the imperial physicians or not. Her majesty can also decide the effect of the treatment as she wishes. "


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Liu Wenan couldn''t help but twitch the corners of his mouth. Still he replied obediently, "Yes, your majesty. I''ll go to report the Empress now."


    Looking at Luo Qingyan''s overjoyed face, Liu Wenan sighed in his heart, lowered his eyes and left for the Weiyang Palace.

 Chapter 1317 Unaccustomed To The Climate

    "His Majesty let me decide?"


    "Yes, your majesty," Liu Wenan replied in a low voice.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, but smiled again, "Well, Master Liu, please go to the Imperial Hospital to find an imperial physician who is good at treating the patient who is unaccustomed to the climate."


    Liu Wenan replied in a hurry, "Yes, I''ll go now."


    Liu Wenan left the Weiyang Palace hurriedly.


    But he had just walked out of the gate of the Weiyang Palace when he suddenly stopped.


    Seemingly, he suddenly came to his senses and murmured, ''Her majesty asked me to find an imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital who is good at curing people who is unaccustomed to the climate?


    But why should he be good at curing people who is unaccustomed to the climate?'' Liu Wenan frowned and asked himself, '' Is it possible that the people in the post house are unaccustomed to the local conditions?


    But her majesty hasn''t left the palace, nor has she seen those people. How can she know that?''


    Liu Wenan stood still, frowning and thinking for a moment. Then he suddenly saw the light,


    ''No, her majesty doesn''t know that they are not accustomed to th


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    aking the medicine, you should feel that your symptoms are slowly alleviating. I''ll first help you remove the symptom on the surface first and then prescribe some medicines for you to recuperate. You''ll soon stop the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea first.


    During this period of time, you still have to pay a little attention to the food you eat. Your diet should be a little light, and you shouldn''t catch cold or drink too much alcohol. Drink more warm water. If you don''t pay attention to your diet, it''s very likely to aggravate your symptoms. "


    While giving the advice, the imperial physician also gave the prescription to the servants beside the envoys, "This is the prescription. You can go to the pharmacy to get the medicine and decoct it yourselves."


    Liu Wenan then asked, "Do you have anything else that I can help?"


    No one made a sound.


    Liu Wenan smiled, "Then I''ll go back to the palace to report about it."


    After Liu Wenan left with the imperial physician, the room was quiet for a while. Then, Gong Sijia turned her head and looked at her husband cautiously, "Do you think we are really unaccustomed to the new environment?"

 Chapter 1318 Wait And See

    Ling Ziyue sneered, "From Deer City to here, we have been in the State of Xia for more than a few months. We have walked through countless cities and villages in the State of Xia all the way. There was no problem before. Why do they suddenly feel uncomfortable of the journey this time?"


    "It''s just the emperor of the State of Xia or the Empress who tries to threaten us. Basically, they want to make it clear to us that this is their territory and we have to be obedient. Otherwise, they have a lot of ways to control us."


    Another man smashed the table and made a huge "bang" sound. He widened his eyes and shouted defiantly, "Damn, how could we just be sitting ducks and let them set us up like this?"


    "Of course not." Ling Ziyue pursed his lips and said, "but we can pretend to be trapped. Let''s just play along and pretend that we are intimidated and lay low for a period of time. And then we shall see who laugh at last."


    He paused for a while and then confidently chuckled, "it all depends who is more manipulative."


    Their little conversation in the tavern was clearly heard by Yun Shang. She was playing with the sand tray by herself. Hearing his last words, she curled up her lips silently and whispered, "That''s right. It all depends who is more manipulative."


    She looked carefully at her sand tray and the pawns in it as if she wa


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    hat something unexpected had happened.


    Sure enough, she soon heard him saying, "Isn''t that the minister from the State of Youyue, Gong Yu? Why is he here?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrow. She slightly leaned over and saw a young man coming in from the theatre gate.


    Before she could figure out what was going on, the young man went upstairs like a puff of wind.


    "Interesting. Is it possible that Shan Xian has made an appointment with Gong Yu today?"


    Yun Shang tapped on the table with her long slim finger and said, "Although their appointment is a little out of my expectation, it''s not a bad thing for me."


    Since things had changed, her plan would naturally change as well.


    While Yun Shang was thinking about her next move, she heard the secret guard saying, "Your Highness, Shan Xian is here."


    She turned her head to the gate and saw a young man in his twenties coming in with two servants.


    "He looks young."


    The secret guard nodded and explained, "The envoys from both the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai are quite young in age. The eldest one would be Ling Ziyue and even he is only twenty-eight years old."


    Yun Shang nodded. After a short pause, she quickly stood up and ordered, "Let''s go."


    She went out of the private room and gracefully went downstairs. In the hall, she met with Shan Xian face to face.

 Chapter 1319 Have A Good Time

    Shan Xian focused his eyes on Yun Shang with admiration. Then they two passed each other.


    Just as they two each took a step forward, Yun Shang squatted down and picked up something from the ground. Then she turned around and said, "Mister, wait."


    Shan Xian paused and looked at Yun Shang in surprise.


    Yun Shang smiled and handed him something in her hand, "Mister, this sachet should be yours, is it?"


    Shan Xian was stunned and looked at the sachet. Then he quickly lowered his head and touched his waist before he realized something, "Ah, yes, it''s mine."


    Yun Shang handed the sachet to him and said with curiosity, "Mister, the fabric, embroidery and tassel on the sachet are different from ours. It''s the first time I''ve seen such a unique sachet. I don''t think you are a local, right?"


    asked Yun Shang , looking up at the direction of the private room upstairs.


    Shan Xian nodded and replied, "Yes. I heard about his majesty''s Wanshou Festival and that the Jin City is very lively. I''m here to have a


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    u doing this? "


    "For what?" The door curtain was lifted and Luo Qingyan strode in.


    "What are you talking about? What are you talking about? "


    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s just a gossip."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t pursue it and asked, "I heard from the secret guard that you left the palace today?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I met with Gong Yu from the State of Youyue and Shan Xian from the State of Yihai."


    Then he told Luo Qingyan what had happened today.


    "I''m a little confused. Neither Gong Yu nor Shan Xian live in the post house. Can''t they discuss something in the post house? Why did they have to go out to the operatic circle?


    "What''s more, Gong Yu is the general master of the State of Youyue, while Shan Xian is obviously the Vice Minister of the Yi sea kingdom. From the perspective of the country, these two people are not highly official, so there is nothing to discuss, right? In terms of official positions, these two people were also different. What can the two of them do if they gather together? "

 Chapter 1320 We Dont Have To Be Polite

    "Who knows?" Luo Qingyan said casually, "Ask the spies and the secret guards to be more careful."


    Yun Shang nodded without saying anything.


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and said, "Didn''t you say that the people of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai vomited and diarrhea because they had a bad stomach? How could you go to the opera garden? "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Didn''t you send some imperial physicians to treat them? The imperial physicians had superb medical skills, and they were naturally cured. However, it was normal for it to reoccur. Especially... They went to the opera garden. The play lasted for a long time. They had to drink some water even if they didn''t eat anything. Right? "


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Yes, you are right, your majesty."


    Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang''s hand and sat face to face. "Today, the Minister of Rites came. He told me with a smug face that Ministry of Rites had raised fifty-two thousand silver by themselves fo


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    tter than those officials of the same rank in the State of Xia."


    "I''m just worried..."


    Having been married to her for so many years, Luo Qingyan naturally understood what she was thinking.


    "The people we sent to the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai haven''t come back yet. We don''t know what''s going on there. No one knows whether the officials and people of the two states are really better than the people of the State of Xia, or it''s just a trick of them to specially select young officials with outstanding appearance and talent to give us a head-on blow and disrupt our morale. "


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang nodded, "It''s possible."


    Smiling, Luo Qingyan raised her hand and rubbed her hair. "So, now we just need to send someone to watch carefully and see what they want to do. If they behave well, we will treat them as envoys and wait for the secret guards to come back to discuss. "


    "If they want to make some trouble, we don''t have to be polite."

 Chapter 1321 Id Better Follow Your Advice

    Yun Shang nodded and said gently, "Yes, you are right."


    Luo Qingyan glanced at Yun Shang and said, "you mean the people in the post house will get sick again and again?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang smiled, "It''s repeated. Whoever goes out to eat or drink water will repeat. However, on the Wanshou Festival, all of them will definitely have a relapse. "


    Hearing what she said, Luo Qingyan knew exactly what she was up to. He smiled more brightly and said, "So, after Shan Xian and Gong Yu go back to the post house today, they will have a relapse?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "I suppose so."


    "Then what about Prince Ming Yue and Prince Lan Ping tomorrow?"


    "Almost."


    Luo Qingyan''s eyes fell on Yun Shang again. He just stared at Yun Shang without saying anything.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Why are you looking at me, your majesty?"


    "Your majesty said that both Shan Xian and Gong Yu were outstanding in appearance and temperament and asked if all the officials of the State of Youyue a


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    hat you were not convinced by the local conditions, which made me very worried. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Your majesty, Prince Ming Yue and Prince Lan Ping are ruddy and energetic. They don''t seem to be in poor health. They should be fine."


    Prince Ming Yue lowered his eyes and said, "The imperial physicians are indeed good at medical skills. Most of us have been cured yesterday. Only one official of the State of Youyue and one of the State of Yihai begin to repeat it again as they went out yesterday. I don''t know what they have eaten or what happened."


    "Ah... How could this be? " Yun Shang''s voice was full of surprise, "Then you two can take the imperial physicians back to check them up? It''s really annoying that you don''t accept the local conditions. It''s easy to repeat if you don''t pay attention to it."


    Prince Ming Yue exchanged a look with Prince Lan Ping who then raised his hand and bowed, "Well, I''d better follow your advice. Thank you, your majesty."

 Chapter 1322 You Must Have A Great Prestige

    Because of Yun Shang''s presence, Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything more to them under the rule that no woman was allowed to meddle with the political affairs. He only said a few words and then sent them away.


    "You''ve seen them. How do you feel?" Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang and asked, raising his eyebrows.


    Looking at his expression, Yun Shang couldn''t help but Tut, "your heart is still smaller than a needle''s eye. Your majesty, don''t worry. There is no comparison between the two and your majesty."


    Luo Qingyan chuckled and looked at Yun Shang with a faint smile.


    Yun Shang continued, "The prince of the State of Youyue and the prince of the State of Yihai are not as good-looking and elegant as the two officials of their country."


    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan and said, "The four of them came to see your majesty before. Your majesty should have noticed it, right?"


    After a moment of silence, she continued, "But even in the State of Xia, there are many people who are more good-looking and talented than the members of the royal family w


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    a. I''m afraid it will take a lot of time to come and go. This method is not advisable for you."


    "Yes." Prince Ming Yue smiled, "It''s not advisable."


    Yun Shang looked at Prince Ming Yue curiously and said, "I remember that every time I ask you questions, it''s always you who answer it. It seems that you and Prince Ming Yue must have a a lot of prestige in the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai, right?"


    It seemed that Prince Ming Yue didn''t expect Yun Shang to mention this. A hint of panic flashed across her face, but she quickly calmed down. She only smiled and raised her hand to touch the hairpin on her head.


    "Not really. After I married Prince Ming Yue, I often deal with household affairs. The two princesses are not married, so they are a little shy. They dare not answer when they see your majesty."


    "I''m the oldest. Before I left, his highness had promised his majesty that he would take good care of the two princesses and Princess Si An. So I wanted to take care of them more. I''m embarrassed to make your majesty misunderstand."

 Chapter 1323 Strange

    Yun Shang smiled, "Really? The two princesses and Princess Si An are really lucky. "


    The four of them forced a smile, but Yun Shang didn''t seem to notice it at all. She said with a calm face, "I''ve never been to the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai and know little about these two countries. Seeing you, I''m more curious about the two countries you are from. Princess Ming Yue, can you tell me what they are like?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Princess Ming Yue breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and said, "Our two countries are located on the Tianxiang continent. There are a total of five countries on the continent. The State of Youyue and the State of Yihai are next to each other. In addition, they have been married for generations. The royal family of the two countries are mostly blood relatives, and they have a good relationship."


    "Really? Interesting. "


    Princess Ming Yue nodded, "Yes. Now the emperor of the State of Youyue and the emperor of the Stat


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    nodded, "So, what''s your conclusion?"


    Yun Shang tapped her fingers on the table and said, "I feel that the envoys and ladies from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai are very strange from the beginning."


    Yun Shang frowned, "I can''t tell what it feels like. It''s just strange."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t look into it carefully. He just nodded and said, "Two years ago, our coastal regions began to do business with the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai. Because of the internal strife in the State of Xia, we didn''t attract much attention. We don''t know much about these two countries."


    "It will take a lot of time to come back and forth if we send someone to investigate. Therefore, I sent my secret guards to find some leaders of the commercial groups that had gone to the Tianxiang continent for business, and asked them to bring them to the Jin City. "


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up, "Have they arrived?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan nodded, "And I''ve seen them just now."

 Chapter 1324 I Wont Spare You Easily

    "You''ve seen them?" Yun Shang stared at Luo Qingyan and asked, "What did they say?"


    Seeing Yun Shang''s eager expression, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. "The Tianxiang continent indeed has five countries, as the princess of the State of Youyue said. However, the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai are the two largest countries, and the remaining three are their subordinate countries."


    "Subordinate countries?" Yun Shang was confused.


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "The emperors of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai are both powerful, and the two countries have a very close relationship. In the past twenty years, they have almost been working together to start all kinds of wars, finally taking over all the three countries around them."


    "However, the three countries were originally independent countries, and they had a ruling system that was only suitable for their own countries. If they changed their ruling system rashly, it would cause a riot. Therefore, the State of Youyue and the State of Yiha


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    sea, and the seaside can be considered as the border of the State of Xia. The guards by the sea must have a lot of experience in how to train sailors. "


    "We have ignored the defense on the sea before, and it''s not too late to pay attention to it now. Your majesty could call the generals in the court and ask them which of all the generals in the State of Xia are good at sea-fight. Then you can gather them together to discuss how to train sailors and strengthen the defense on the sea. "


    "Your majesty don''t have to do these things in person. All you have to do is to make good preparations."


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and couldn''t help smiling. "My empress is so awesome."


    Yun Shang chuckled. These things were not too deep. She knew that Luo Qingyan could think further and do better, so she stopped bothering about it.


    "But compared to this, I''m more interested in the identity and status of Prince Ming Yue and others living in our post house from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai..."

 Chapter 1325 Just Pawns

    "Gee." Luo Qingyan tutted and said with a smile, "I knew you would ask about it."


    "Prince Ming Yue is the younger brother of the emperor of the State of Youyue. He has made great contributions in the war and enjoys a great prestige in the court."


    Yun Shang blinked her eyes and said, "It''s the same as when your majesty was in the State of Ning? However, Prince Ming Yue is far less handsome than your majesty. And I don''t think he looks like a general... Is he?"


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing for a while and said, "I''ve heard from the businessmen who have been to the State of Youyue that Prince Ming Yue is far from an ordinary general. On the contrary, he has a fair face."


    "Those businessmen haven''t seen Prince Ming Yue in person. They just heard that he was a gentle and graceful man, and the ideal husband in the hearts of many women of the State of Youyue."


    Yun Shang recalled Prince Ming Yue''s face carefully, "The rumor is exaggerated, isn''t it?"


    "Maybe."


    Luo Qingyan continued, "But Prince


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    "And your majesty have already had a plan, haven''t you? I''m afraid they''ll be vomiting and diarrhea in the post house on my birthday. "


    Seeing that Luo Qingyan was determined to get the answer today, Yun Shang''s smile deepened. "Well, it''s done. I''ll send it to you then."


    "Done?" Luo Qingyan immediately sat up straight and said, "Last time when I saw you embroider the sachet, you looked as if you didn''t know where to start. You''ve finished already?"


    Luo Qingyan wanted to ask if the embroidery was presentable as it''s finished in such a short time.


    But he was afraid that Yun Shang would want to murder him if he said that, so he didn''t ask.


    He changed to another way of asking, "Then... Do you want to give it to me in front of the officials or when there are only two of us in private? "


    If the embroidery is not good enough, Yun Shang should be too embarrassed to send it in front of all the officials.


    After all, if she was laughed at and humiliated by others, he would be blamed in the end.

 Chapter 1326 Quite Patient

    Yun Shang blinked, as if she didn''t understand the subtext of his words, but she made a choice after thinking for a moment. "I''ll give it to you when we go back to Weiyang Palace after the banquet."


    After all, it was just a sachet, not some precious thing. There was no need to take it out in front of the civil and military officials.


    ''Well, I knew it.''


    Luo Qingyan thought to himself and said in a low voice, "Okay, as long as it''s done by yourself, I will like it no matter what."


    Huh?


    Yun Shang thought for a while and came to her senses.


    He thought that the sachet she made would be too ugly to show to others?


    So he could only comfort her by saying he would like it as long as it was made by her?


    Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan''s face, which was full of "I knew it earlier", and fell silent.


    Well, she wouldn''t take it out now, and it was useless to argue with him.


    It was better to play along. Now his expectation for the sachet


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    it in a short time.


    If she was too vigilant, she would ignore other things. On the contrary, it would put herself in a passive position.


    Qian Zhuo knew Yun Shang too well. Hearing Yun Shang''s words, she knew what Yun Shang was going to do, so she continued to report.


    "The Cao clan has got the news that Cao Yi''s wife and children are missing. They have also sent many people to secretly inquire about it. Cao Han has also secretly sent many people to look for them."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Has the Sun clan in Xiyang City done anything to Cao Yi''s family members?"


    "No." Qian Zhuo also felt a little strange, "I thought the Sun clan would take advantage of this opportunity to deal with the Cao clan. But I didn''t expect that they did nothing during this period of time."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Quite patient. That''s good. Only when the Sun clan is calm can they fight against the Cao clan. Otherwise they would screw it up and ruin their advantage."

 Chapter 1327 Congratulations From All Officials

    Qian Zhuo looked at Yun Shang in confusion.


    Yun Shang put a soft pillow behind her and leaned against it. "Although Cao Yi''s wife, concubines and children are the direct descendants of the Cao clan, they are not completely irreplaceable to the Cao clan. If the Cao clan gave up on them, they would be useless. Just wait and see. The Sun clan must have made up a plan. Let''s just watch the show. "


    The second day was the first day of the Wanshou Festival.


    According to the arrangement of the Ministry of Rites, today the officials would come to the palace to congratulate and the ordinary people would hold a lot of activities to celebrate it.


    These two arrangements had nothing to do with Yun Shang, so Yun Shang simply stayed in the Weiyang Palace.


    "I heard from the servants in the Golden Hall that the scene is very spectacular. Many officials from all over the country have entered the Jin City to present gifts to the emperor. The officials who are greeting


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    ajesty will come back late."


    Yun Shang nodded and waved her hand, "You go and keep an eye there. It''s the emperor''s birthday. It is supposed to be a happy event. Don''t let anything happen to everyone."


    Qian Zhuo replied and left.


    As Qian Zhuo said, it was dark when Luo Qingyan returned to Weiyang Palace after receiving the congratulations from all the officials.


    Hearing the report, Yun Shang stood up and walked up to greet him.


    "I heard that there are many officials coming to congratulate you today. Your majesty, you have worked hard all day. Do you feel tired?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "I was just sitting and talking. There''s nothing to be tired of. When we were in the war, I took the army on a journey for a few days and nights without sleep. I had fought for a few days on the battlefield. Now it''s very easy."


    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    Luo Qingyan was confused, "What are you laughing at?"

 Chapter 1328 Im Only Two Years Younger Than You

    Yun Shang''s eyes were as bright as stars. "His majesty doesn''t like others mentioning age, but now you are recalling the past."


    Thinking of what he himself had just said, Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing. "I don''t mind others mention my age. I just mind it being mentioned before you."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows.


    Luo Qingyan sighed, "I''m twelve years older than you. I''m afraid you''ll dislike me."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing again.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t know what made her laugh, so he looked at her helplessly.


    Yun Shang stopped laughing and said, "I remember that your majesty told me that I was eight years old when you first met me. At that time, your majesty should be twenty years old, right?"


    "Yes, twenty years old."


    Yun Shang tilted her head and smiled. "In fact, at that time, I had just been reborn. In my previous life, I died and was reborn at the age of eighteen. In this case, I''m on


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    .


    Yun Shang was excited to see this. "It''s so lively! Why are there so many people on the street at this time? Isn''t there a curfew today? "


    "Yes, there is. But it was postponed until midnight."


    "That''s great. We can hang around longer." As Yun Shang spoke, she saw a lantern on a stall. Her eyes were shining. "That rabbit lantern seems to be interesting. Let''s buy one for Chengye. I''m sure he will like it. "


    Then she began to regret, "We should take Chengye with us. He must be very happy."


    ''Chengye should be happy, but I might not be.''


    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and thought to himself. He didn''t take Chengye on purpose. He just wanted to have a good time with Yun Shang.


    "Let''s go. We''ve just arrived. Maybe there are more beautiful and interesting things."


    "You are right." Yun Shang didn''t know what Luo Qingyan was thinking. She thought what he said was reasonable, so she nodded and agreed.

 Chapter 1329 His Majesty Is Assassinated

    The two walked along with the crowd. Yun Shang smiled and said, "I can see that the Ministry of Rites has put a lot of thoughts into it. At least I''ve never seen all kinds of small lanterns hanging on the trees before."


    "What''s more, there are exquisite lanterns on the roof corner of the houses we passed by."


    Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan with a smile and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, you can give some rewards to the Ministry of Rites."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan nodded, "I''ll do as your majesty told."


    As soon as Luo Qingyan finished speaking, he saw several exquisite boat by the lake not far away. He turned around and asked in a low voice, "Would you like to take a boat?"


    Yun Shang shook her head and thought that they should be more careful.


    It was late at night. The street was crowded, and the lights were shining as if it was daytime, but the lake was still dark.


    If there were really assassins, the lake would be the best place to hide. In this


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    ite poems and set up arrays in martial arts, and could rule the world.


    How could he not handle these riddles?


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang lowered her head and laughed.


    Luo Qingyan often felt that he was older than her and was afraid that she would dislike him.


    But he never knew that after he was with her, no one in the world could attract her attention.


    "The tenth one! Now only this gentleman has answered the tenth. There are still two riddles left. Can he win today and take away the lamp king? "


    The owner''s voice became louder, and the corners of Yun Shang''s mouth became higher.


    Just as she was waiting for the stall owner to read the riddle, she suddenly heard a scream. Then, she saw that the people surrounding the stall quickly dispersed.


    Yun Shang''s face darkened. She wanted to find Luo Qingyan, but was forced to take two steps back by the sudden surge of people.


    At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded, "His majesty is assassinated!"

 Chapter 1330 A False Alarm

    Yun Shang was shocked and angry. She looked in the direction where the voice came. Regardless of anything else, she called out the secret guards and jumped over with them.


    Before they reached that place, they saw several other figures jumping up from the crowd and standing on the top of the willow nearby.


    They were Luo Qingyan and his secret guards.


    Yun Shang felt relieved.


    Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang over and transferred Yun Shang and the secret guards to a quiet alley nearby.


    Even though there were several walls, the sound could still be heard faintly. Someone was still shouting, "His majesty is assassinated. Protect his majesty."


    Yun Shang frowned and looked at Luo Qingyan, "What happened?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head and said, "I don''t know. I''m not assassinated at all. When I''m answering the riddles, I heard someone shouting. Then the people around me began to run away. There were too many people. I couldn''t get out."


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    to get the lantern king. Let''s look around and see if you have anything to buy. Don''t you want to bring a lantern back to Chengye? Let me accompany you to choose one. "


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled. He was surprisingly persistent in the lantern king.


    Since Luo Qingyan had said so, Yun Shang had no reason to refuse. She nodded and said, "Okay, I''ll go with you. We can''t be separated again. I was scared just now."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said, "I was also shocked. We won''t be separated. Let''s go together."


    Then the two of them walked out of the dark alley. Because of the fight just now, the people around the stalls were much fewer.


    The vendor still remembered Luo Qingyan. When he saw Luo Qingyan coming with Yun Shang, he glanced at the two of them and smiled, "Are you here to get the lamp?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan nodded, "There are still two riddles. You can read them. If I give you the right answer, give me this lamp."

 Chapter 1331 Thousands Of Lanterns

    The vendor nodded with a smile. He took out a piece of paper from the box beside him and read the eleventh one.


    Luo Qingyan looked down and answered without hesitation.


    "You''re awesome. Then there''s only one left."


    The vendor read the last riddle.


    Hearing this one, Yun Shang couldn''t help but take a look at Luo Qingyan.


    Although she was not as quick as Luo Qingyan to react to the riddle just now, she also quickly guessed it. But the last one...


    It seemed to be difficult.


    She had never read such lines in any poems. It was most likely made up by the vendor.


    Luo Qingyan frowned and said nothing.


    The vendor laughed, "Have you got the answer? If you can''t guess, I can''t give you this lamp."


    Luo Qingyan took a look at the lamp, and then turned to look at Yun Shang, who was staring at him. The corners of Luo Qingyan''s mouth curved into a smile, "I''ve got it."


    Then he gave out his answer.


    Yun Sh


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    eally should reward Ministry of Rites. The lantern show is well held today."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked at the thousands of lanterns outside tenderly.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t say anything more. After a long time, he murmured, "I''m busy all day long in the highest position. Sometimes when I suddenly have time, I feel a little confused and don''t know what I''m doing all this for."


    "Now I seem to understand something from the view."


    Yun Shang turned around, her eyes full of stars, "For the sake of the picturesque scenery and the peace of the people."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I hope I can see such a beautiful scenery every year."


    After standing by the window for a while, she heard three gentle sounds from the door.


    The two of them turned around and sat down at the table at the same time.


    The door was opened soon, and two secret guards came in. "Your Majesty, I''ve looked around the city and found some clues."

 Chapter 1332 It Was Won By His Majesty

    "What clues?" Yun Shang asked immediately.


    "Rumor has it that his majesty was assassinated by the lake just now..."


    Yun Shang''s eyes were full of doubts. The rumor was completely within their expectations. It was not a clue.


    While she was thinking, the secret guard continued, "And his majesty took a woman with him then. The two looked very close, but the woman was not the current empress."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other and frowned.


    The secret guards did mention that the fake Luo Qingyan was at a lantern stall with a woman when he was assassinated.


    But at that time, they were attracted by the news that the fake Luo Qingyan was assassinated, so they didn''t notice the woman at all. They only subconsciously thought that since someone had disguised as Luo Qingyan, then the woman beside Luo Qingyan must have disguised as Yun Shang.


    When Yun Shang heard the news, she was at a loss. Soon she realized that what they had expected was probably wrong.


    "Someone said firmly that he had met the woman beside his majesty. She was the princess of the State of Youyue who


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    uo Qingyan nodded and stretched out his hand to Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang smiled, picked up the river lamp on the table, and took Luo Qingyan''s hand to go downstairs.


    Everyone in the tavern craned their necks and looked at them.


    Whispers could be heard from time to time.


    "Is that them? Oh my God! I saw them come in earlier. I was thinking that the two of them were both very outstanding. I didn''t expect that they were the emperor and the empress. "


    "I came in just behind them."


    "I heard that the emperor and the empress love each other very much. It''s true."


    "Is it a lantern in the hand of the empress? It looks very exquisite. I''m wondering where they bought it. I want to buy one... "


    Hearing it, Yun Shang smiled and turned to look at the speaker.


    It was a young woman. When Yun Shang looked at her, she realized that Yun Shang had heard what she said. She shrank her neck in a hurry.


    Yun Shang smiled and raised the river lamp in her hand. "We got the lamp beside the lake, but we didn''t buy it. It''s the lamp king. It was won by his majesty by guessing all the riddles."

 Chapter 1333 I Wont Just Let Them Go

    When Yun Shang answered the woman''s question, Luo Qingyan was standing beside her and looking at her with a gentle smile.


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned to look at Luo Qingyan, and the two left together.


    "Ah..." The woman exclaimed. When she came to her senses, she seemed to be in disbelief. "Her majesty heard me and answered my question!"


    "Ah, her majesty is so gentle!"


    "I''ll go to look for the lamp later. Even if there is no the same river lamp, it would be a good thing if I could buy a lamp at the stall where the emperor won the lamp king for the empress."


    Yun Shang didn''t know that her words just now had brought so much reflection. She smiled and followed Luo Qingyan out of the restaurant.


    All the people fixed their eyes on them, guessing in their hearts that they should be the emperor and the empress.


    The royal sedan stopped at the foot of the tavern. The two walked to the side of the royal sedan. Luo Qingyan helped Yun Shang up and followed her in.


    "Start."


    Liu Wenan


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    king for me by guessing the riddles. Someone will surely rush to the lake to verify."


    "At that time, the stall owner saw what had happened. As soon as he told them, we could ask someone to spread the news, and the truth would be soon be known to everyone."


    "Then everyone will know that someone faked his majesty with ulterior motives."


    Qian Zhuo nodded, but still felt a little unhappy. "So your majesty will let go of the people of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai?"


    Yun Shang raised her hand and rubbed her forehead, "Of course I can''t let them go so easily. I''ve always been vindictive. If you set me up once, I will definitely pay you back double."


    "Tomorrow morning, send someone to the post house and summon the ladies of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai into the palace. I want to see them."


    Qian Zhuo nodded. Seeing the tiredness on Yun Shang''s face, she said, "I''m afraid your majesty must be tired tonight. Go to bed early. We''ll settle accounts with them tomorrow."

 Chapter 1334 No One Could Help

    The lights of Weiyang Palace soon went out, but the Taiji Palace was still bright.


    "Tomorrow morning, spread the news about what happened today, including the vendors by the lake saying that I was trying to win the lamp king for the empress when someone shouted that the emperor was assassinated and that later I took the empress to fetch the lamp."


    "And many people have seen me enter the restaurant with the empress. The emperor and the empress have a very good relationship."


    "And..." Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said coldly, "Tell the people that my assassination tonight was actually a play directed and acted by someone. It''s said that when I was assassinated, I was with the princess of the State of Youyue. It was a trick of the State of Youyue to force me marry the princess of the State of Youyue."


    Liu Wenan raised his eyes slightly and said, "Your majesty, if this news is spread out, will the people of the State of Youyue..."


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "Didn''t they do the same? They thought


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    thought of something and said, "The palace banquet for the Wanshou Festival will be held tomorrow. The envoys and ladies of the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai are not supposed to be invited. Now that her majesty asks the ladies to the palace, do I need to arrange seats for the envoys?"


    "Yes."


    "I thought they were guests and it would be better not to have a direct conflict, so I used some dirty tricks to avoid their scheme."


    "But now, since they are still so ignorant and impolite, and try every means to plot against me and her majesty, I should let them know that I am not a person to be trifled with."


    Liu Wenan said, "Maybe that''s also what her majesty thinks when she asked Qian Zhuo to invite the ladies in the post house to the palace, right?"


    "Yes." Speaking of the Empress, Luo Qingyan''s face softened a little. "Her majesty and I have a connection in our hearts. We can know what the other party thinks..."


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Liu Wenan sighed in his heart. He shouldn''t have mentioned it.

 Chapter 1335 What Should We Do

    The second day, as soon as Yun Shang had breakfast, Qian Zhuo came in from the outside. "It doesn''t look like a sunny day today. I hope it won''t rain."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Whether it rains or not can''t be decided by us. Today''s banquet will be held in the golden palace, so it doesn''t matter even if it rains. But... "


    The beautiful view that Yun Shang had seen last night flashed through her mind. "If it rains, the lanterns in the city will probably be ruined. The Ministry of Rites has been preparing for such a long time. If it rains, it will really be destroyed. "


    "Yes." Qian Zhuo sighed, and then remembered something important. "Someone came to report that the princess of the State of Youyue said she was not feeling well and went back to her room early to have a rest when the others in the posthouse asked her out for the lantern show last night."


    "These days, the envoys and the ladies are indeed not in good health, so our spies in the po


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    s. To be honest, this princess of the State of Youyue was indeed the most outstanding among them. No wonder they chose her as the first one.


    Perhaps they thought that as soon as such rumors spread, the emperor would at least see her. Perhaps he would be attracted by the princess''s appearance.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang became angrier. "Last night, you went to the lantern show with the emperor of the state of Xia?"


    "No No. " Ling Lanyu shook her head and said, "I went to the lantern show with a guard. Maybe my guard looked like the emperor of the state of Xia, so he was mistaken. I didn''t know it would cause such rumors. I... I didn''t mean it... "


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and asked, "You have a guard who looks like our emperor?"


    Without waiting for Ling Lanyu''s answer, Yun Shang continued, "Although you said he was not the emperor, the rumor has already spread out and everyone in the city knows it. What should we do about it?"

 Chapter 1336 Youd Better Marry Him

    Biting her lips, Ling Lanyu didn''t say anything.


    Lady Ming said in a hurry, "I think it''s a good thing."


    "Good thing?" Yun Shang glanced at Gong Sijia with a faint smile, "How could it be a good thing?"


    Gong Sijia replied calmly. "Our emperor sent us here to establish friendship with the state of Xia."


    "It''s just that verbal promises are not binding on state to state friendship. If they could build friendship by a marriage alliance, it would naturally be the best"


    Then she couldn''t help but look at Yun Shang.


    Now, she had exposed her true colors.


    Yun Shang smiled casually, as if she was not angry at all.


    "A marriage alliance? That''s a good idea. " Yun Shang lifted her eyelids and asked, "Your Highness, how to make a marriage alliance? Do you mean to marry the princess to the state of Xia? Then which one do you think is the best for the princess? "


    Somehow, when Yun Shang asked this question, Gong Sijia felt a little embarrassed and sai


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    and the princess, but today there are very few. Instead, there is a rumor that his majesty and I love each other deeply. In addition, there is another rumor... "


    Yun Shang glanced at the pale faces and said casually, "but this one might not make you happy."


    They just knelt down and didn''t respond to Yun Shang''s words.


    Yun Shang sighed, "The rumor is also about the princess. It was about what happened last night."


    "Rumor has it that the princess came to the Jin city and fell in love with a commoner of the state of Xia. The commoner looked a little like his majesty, so he was mistaken."


    "And the princess and the young man loved each other and wanted to be together for the rest of their lives, so they went to the lantern show together last night."


    Yun Shang smiled, "The rumor has spread all over the city today. As your highness said, it''s impossible to clarify it."


    "For the sake of your reputation, I think... You''d better just marry him? "

 Chapter 1337 Nothing Can Be Hidden From Me

    Gong Sijia took a deep breath, the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily. She lowered her voice and said, "what are you talking about, Your Highness? I absolutely have no idea what you are referring to."


    "Stop playing games with me." Yun Shang chuckled. She looked quite calm and didn''t get angry at all. She curled up her lips and casually said, "Well, it doesn''t matter whether you want to admit it to me or not. I invited you to the palace today, but I don''t really need you to admit anything."


    "To be honest with you, it doesn''t matter whether you admit it or not. It won''t affect what will happen next."


    Knowing exactly what Yun Shang meant, Gong Sijia bit her lips hard. With a hesitant look on her face, she stared directly at Yun Shang and said, "Your Highness, are you going to deal with us now? Regarding to the things you mentioned earlier on, do you have any evidence to prove that we did it? I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for you to convict us like this."


    Her remarks apparently amused Yun Shang greatly. She lowered her eyes and burst into laughter. Her clear and melodious laughter echoed in the hall.


    However, with her laughter, the faces of the women from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai darkened.


    Yun Shang s


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    told you before that very few things in Jin City can be hidden from me. And your plan, which you think is flawless, is full of flaws in my opinion."


    With these words, Yun Shang stood up with a cold smile and cast a profound glance at the four scared women. Then she said slowly, "The banquet will begin at noon. I have to check the preparation of the banquet first. As for you lot, just stay here in my Weiyang Palace and wacth my men make human skin masks with the same face as yours. When the masks are ready, I will ask someone to dress up like you, so that you can all have a good look and see if there is any obvious flaw.


    However, whether the disguise is perfect is irrelevant. Since all the envoys from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai will be replaced by my men, the plan will be successful. The ministers in the court don''t have much contact with you, so I doubt anyone will discover the truth."


    After saying that, Yun Shang went straight out of Weiyang Palace without even listening to their pathetic pleading.


    At the gate of Weiyang Palace, Yun Shang pressed her lips into a thin line. With a cold and confident look in her eyes, she briefly ordered the servants behind her, "Prepare a carriage and let''s go to Taiji Palace."

 Chapter 1338 Just Because Of This

    When they arrived at the gate of the Taiji Palace, Yun Shang didn''t enter directly. She only lowered her voice and asked the servants standing at the gate, "Has his majesty summoned the envoys from the posthouse to the palace today?"


    "Yes, your majesty. And those envoys are now in the Taiji Palace. "


    Yun Shang nodded and thought for a while. "Then you go in and report to his majesty that Lord Hua Guo is in the Meeting Hall and has something important to report to his majesty."


    "Lord Hua Guo?"


    The servant was stunned. He looked at Yun Shang in surprise and didn''t understand why Lord Hua Guo asked the Empress to report to his majesty?


    And he didn''t see Lord Hua Guo go to the inner palace. How did the Empress know that Lord Hua Guo had something important to report?


    Yun Shang noticed the servant''s confusion, but she didn''t say anything. "Just do as I said. Report everything clearly. Don''t mention me."


    Although the servant was confused, he had served in the Taiji Palace for a long time


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    t Shan Xian and Gong Yu had very outstanding appearance and temperament."


    "Later, after you met Prince Ming Yue, I asked you how do you feel. You said he was not as talented and elegant as those two people."


    "Just because of this?" Yun Shang blinked her eyes in disbelief.


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "you''ve asked me before whether Prince Ming Yue was favored in the State of Youyue."


    "You grew up in the Imperial Palace, so you know better than anyone else that around the favored princes and princesses, there are madam and servants who are specialized in teaching manners. The requirements for manners and temperament are very strict."


    "You might not notice it when you see them alone, but when you see them in the ordinary crowd, you can find them at once and you''ll know what the real royal style is."


    "The emperor of the State of Youyue thinks highly of Prince Ming Yue and favors him very much. It''s impossible for a favored prince to lose to two officials in terms of temperament and demeanor."

 Chapter 1339 Future Trouble

    Yun Shang didn''t expect Luo Qingyan to figure out the key point with just a few words. She pursed her lips and said, "Your Majesty, it was a coincidence. But it was not easy that I confirmed my guess at that time. To be honest, the process was really complicated."


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t hide the smile in his eyes, "Oh really? How complicated was it? Would you like to share the details with me?"


    Yun Shang cast a thoughtful look at him. She didn''t plan to hide it from him in the first place.


    With a slight grin on her face, she sorted out her thoughts and then calmly opened her mouth, "At first, I didn''t doubt it at the very beginning. I have never met those envoys before, so I don''t know their manners or temperament."


    Speaking of this, Yun Shang looked at Luo Qingyan in the eyes and asked, "Your Majesty, you have actually met them several times. Haven''t you doubted them at all?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "At that time, it was obvious that Shan Xian and Gong Yu had deliberately restrained their behaviors in front of me. In addition, when we met, Prince Ming Yue was the one who talked to me most of the time, so I didn''t pay much attention to the rest."


    Yun Shang nodded. It was exactly as she had expected. She continued, "At the beginning, I actually wanted to use


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    they will try their best to refuse the marriage proposal.


    Things can be quite tricky here." She lowered her head and sighed deeply, "It''s not that appropriate to ask someone to disguise as those envoys. The people who were close to the envoys must be able to recognize them, and as a result, they will definitely come up with their own plans. If we don''t play this well, it is very likely that the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai will send troops to our borders."


    Her words echoed in the empty hall. A thoughtful smile plastered Luo Qingyan''s face as he gently pat her on the shoulder and said, "You think too much. Like I have been telling you before, things can''t be that bad.


    Despite the fact that the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai are considerably powerful, they are separated from us by the vast sea. The distance is simply too long between the states. Trust me, as the traffic stands very inconvenient, It''s not easy for them to declare war on us.


    Now that they are on the land of the State of Xia, they should abide by our rules. I''m not afraid of falling out with them. I''m afraid that I can''t completely eradicate them once for all. If I sit aside and let them do as they please in the State of Xia, then more troubles will await us in the future."

 Chapter 1340 A Smart Guy

    Yun Shang was lost in thought£¬


    "Follow our rules?


    Aren''t you afraid of falling out with them?


    In this way, I''m afraid we can''t completely eradicate them once for all?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s three questions in succession, Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Your majesty, you know I''m really flustered by your question? What does your majesty want to do? "


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Deceiving one is deceiving£» deceiving a pair is also deceiving. No matter what, today we have cheated those women. Why not do it again? "


    "Shan Xian and Gong Yu?" Luo Qingyan immediately understood what Yun Shang meant.


    Yun Shang nodded, "After all, although we have guessed that the prince from the State of Youyue who has made great contributions in the war should be one of the two, we haven''t confirmed it yet."


    Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly, "In this way, we will completely break up with these two countries that we haven''t known much about."


    "Your Majesty, are you afraid of that?"


    Hearing this, Lu


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    Qingyan pursed his lips and snorted, "Do you know what you are talking about?"


    Liu Wenan blinked, "Shouldn''t it be like this?"


    "Your majesty and her majesty always advocate frugal spending, so we can''t waste these fruits easily. But her majesty wants to taste more fruits, and if eating too much, it will be harmful for health.


    That''s why I her majesty to have a taste. Isn''t the rest just right for your majesty? Does your majesty want to give the food her majesty has tried to others? "


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Luo Qingyan was speechless. After a while, he replied, "Okay, okay. You''re right. You''re right."


    Seeing that Luo Qingyan was humiliated this way, Yun Shang covered her mouth and laughed happily.


    After they both ate some frozen food, Luo Qingyan took Yun Shang to stand up and said, "We''ve kept them waiting for them for a long time. It''s time to go to have a look. If we don''t go, the banquet is about to begin."


    Yun Shang nodded and stood up with Luo Qingyan. Both of them went to the dark rooms together.

 Chapter 1341 What Do You Want To Do With Me

    "Shan Xian." Yun Shang smiled and sat down on the chair carried over by the servants, "As Prince Ming Yue of the State of Youyue, have you ever thought that there would be such a day?"


    Yun Shang raised her hand and pointed at the stone wall around the dark room, "I wonder if you have such a dark prison in your the State of Youyue?"


    "Yes, we have." Shan Xian simply nodded, but his face remained calm, "But compared with the fact that I will one day fall into the dark prison of the Imperial Palace of the State of Xia, what I can''t imagine is that the lady I met in the opera garden that day is the the Empress ofthe State of Xia.


    Does the Empress often go out of the palace? Does the Empress like to watch a play in the opera garden? "


    Yun Shang pondered over Shan Xian''s answer. Although it was only a few words, it didn''t seem to deny Yun Shang''s previous question.


    So, it was just as she thought?


    Shan Xian was the real Prince Ming Yue, Ling Ziyue.


    Yun Shang thought to herself, but there was still a faint smile on her face, which was like a mask


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    every word Yun Shang said. He only replied casually, "To know well yourself as well as your enemy, and only in this way, can you build a better friendship."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang also smiled, "I have been reading military books since I was a child. I don''t know there is such a saying that ''To know well yourself and your enemy is the best way to establish friendship, but I know another saying that ''If you know well your enemies and yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.''


    What? Such famous Prince Ming Yue that has fought and won a hundred battles should have tried his best to inquire about the information of the State of Xia! Does he want to do something harm to our State of Xia? "


    Ling Ziyue smiled, appearing more casual, "Your Majesty, you''re thinking too much."


    "Whether I am thinking too much, you don''t need to tell me."


    "Oh? Look, no matter what I say now, the Empress refuses to believe me. Then I have no choice. Please give me a quick and simple answer, the Empress. Tell me, what do you and his majesty want to do with me? "

 Chapter 1342 The Difference Between Men And Women

    Yun Shang shrugged with a smile, "What are you talking about, your highness? What to do with you? Didn''t your highness just say that? When two states are at war, the envoys are never executed. Although your highness has lied to us, we will still treat you as a distinguished guest and treat you well. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, a hint of doubt appeared in Ling Ziyue''s eyes, "Treat us well?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded, "The reason why your highness was sent here today is that I want to know the truth. Now that we have known the truth, that''s good."


    Yun Shang raised her hand and ordered, "Guards, open the door and send his highness out."


    As Yun Shang spoke, she stood up and walked to the door first. She made a gesture of please to Ling Ziyue and said, "Your Highness, this way please. The imperial banquet is about to begin in about two quarters of an hour. I''m afraid your ladies might have arrived. I''m afraid they might be anxious since they haven''t seen you for a long


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    difference between a man and a woman. Can you call him a child."


    Yun Shang was shocked by Luo Qingyan''s logic, "Is that true?"


    "I''m the emperor. I say what I mean."


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ''Well, you are indeed the emperor.''


    Yun Shang sighed and kept silent.


    Both of them walked to the gate of the golden hall together and happened to meet Qian Liu coming over with Chengye from the opposite direction.


    Upon seeing Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan, Chengye was overjoyed. He ran towards Yun Shang, "Mother! Father! "


    Yun Shang almost forgot what Luo Qingyan had said just now. She squatted down with a smile and opened her arms, "Here, Chengye, come!"


    Chengye ran to Yun Shang and was about to throw himself into Yun Shang''s arms, a pair of big hands fell from the sky and lifted him up.


    Both Yun Shang and Chengye were surprised. They raised their heads at the same time to look at the owner of the hands.


    "Today is Father''s birthday. Have you prepared a gift for your father?"

 Chapter 1343 Its Good That They Are Confused

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yun Shang was speechless.


    However, Chengye didn''t notice Luo Qingyan''s ulterior motives at all. His attention was immediately attracted by Luo Qingyan''s question. He nodded and said loudly, "yes, I''m ready. I''ve been preparing for many days. I made it myself. After the banquet is over, father, can you go with me to get it?"


    "No." Luo Qingyan shook his head, "I''m afraid it''s too late after the banquet. It''s not good for children to stay late, so you should go to bed early. Besides, I have something important to deal with after the banquet is over. You can bring it to me later. "


    Damn it!


    Yun Shang howled in her heart, but Chengye didn''t understand what Yun Shang was thinking. He answered seriously, "Okay, I''ll bring it to you later."


    Then he asked with concern, "Will you review the memorials after the banquet is over? You even can''t rest early on your birthday, father? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "As an emperor, I should shoulder my responsibility. I have to be res


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    Gong Yu moved a little closer to Ling Ziyue. The two of them talked in a low voice and glanced at Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang at the same time.


    Yun Shang saw the movements of the two people and smiled, "Guess what they are talking about?"


    "They are guessing what we are going to do?"


    Yun Shang nodded slightly, "I''m afraid our action has confused the two of them."


    After saying that, she lowered her eyes and smiled, "But it''s good that they are confused."


    After saying that, Yun Shang turned to look at Ling Ziyue, but Ling Ziyue didn''t talk to Gong Yu anymore. Instead, he looked at Princess Ming Yue, who was sitting opposite to them.


    Yun Shang had sent someone to disguise as Princess Ming Yue. According to Yun Shang''s instructions, she had been keeping an eye on Ling Ziyue.


    Seeing that Ling Ziyue looked at her, she picked up the glass on the table and then nodded slightly.


    "Why is the fake Princess Ming Yue nodding? Does she know what Prince Ming Yue mean? "

 Chapter 1344 Questioning

    Hearing Luo Qingyan''s question, Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "I don''t know."


    "Then why did she nod her head? Wasn''t she afraid of being found out by Ling Ziyue? " Luo Qingyan found it incredible.


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes. In order to cover her smile, she coughed and said, "They made such a plan last night. The ladies have already known the truth from me, but Prince Qingyue doesn''t.


    If I were Prince Ming Yue, I would have warned her highness to be careful in front of me before coming to the palace and not to let their plans fail. So it seemed that Prince Ming Yue were probably asking Princess Ming Yue about today''s situation. "


    "Gee." Luo Qingyan clicked his tongue and said, "You seem have a thorough understanding of Prince Ming Yue''s thoughts."


    ''Is this...


    mature vinegar jar overturned again?''


    thought Yun Shang feeling amused, but she pretended to be serious, "Except for your Majesty''s, I will never try to figure out other men''s thoughts. I''m just guessing by common sense."


    Luo Qingyan''s face softened a little, but still he s


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    hat you would go to the lantern show with a person who looked like his majesty? Was it so coincident that you were assassinated? What a coincidence! And you were mistaken? And then there were rumors that his Majesty would take you as his concubine? "


    Although Yun Shang wore a smile on her face, it was full of coldness there, "It would be fine if it was just a coincidence. But it seems that someone has deliberately set up this trap."


    "No, it''s not like that," the eighth princess from the State of Youyue explained in succession.


    "Really so?" Yun Shang immediately replied, "If that''s not the case, then tell me what the truth is? And who went to the lantern festival with you? "


    Ling Ziyue frowned more tightly and gritted his teeth. Although his identity had been exposed to Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang, in the eyes of others, he was still a small official from the State of Yihai and had no right to defend the princess from the State of Youyue.


    He suddenly understood Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan''s plan and why they had let him go so easily before...

 Chapter 1345 Let It Go

    Ling Ziyue took a complicated look at the two on the seats of honor and then looked at the fake Prince Ming Yue.


    Noticing his gaze, the fake Prince Ming Yue said in a hurry, "Your majesty, this matter..."


    However, Yun Shang didn''t give him any chance. "Prince Ming Yue..."


    "Maybe you don''t know much about the State of Xia. His majesty only has me in his harem." Then she smiled again, "Of course, if his majesty really likes someone else and wants to marry her, I will accept it."


    "But I will never allow anyone to plot against me."


    Yun Shang slightly raised her head and said, "I won''t blame anyone randomly, so I want to ask you carefully where the inexplicable gossip last night came from. The eighth princess, can you answer this question?"


    Panic was written all over the faces of Ling Lanyu, the eightth princess of the State of Youyue. She seemed to be about to cry, and her eyes involuntarily swept over the fake Shan Xian and the real Prince Ming Yu


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    as if he was very confident in his gift. "I made it myself. father will definitely like it."


    Although he hadn''t seen what it was, Luo Qingyan still showed respect, "Yes, I''ll like it."


    Then he turned to Yun Shang, "Your majesty, do you still owe me a birthday gift?"


    Yun Shang certainly knew that Luo Qingyan was talking about the thing she embroidered herself. She only tutted and said, "Your majesty, how many times have you mentioned? I''m not as old as your majesty. I''m not suffering from Alzheimer''s disease. I don''t forget it. "


    "That''s good. I was afraid you would forget it." Luo Qingyan didn''t care about Yun Shang''s tease at all. He just nodded casually, "Let''s go. Let''s withdraw first. I''ll go to see what gift Chengye have prepared for me, and then see your majesty''s gift later."


    The banquet was in half-way and all the guests were enjoying themselves. It was not a big deal for them to leave. Yun Shang nodded and let Luo Qingyan pull her up.

 Chapter 1346 Three Pieces Of Wood

    It was unknown who taught Chengye to keep others guessing. He took Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang to the bedroom in the Taiji Palace and said mysteriously, "Father and mother, just wait here. I''ll go and get the things."


    "What?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked, "Where did you put the gift for your father?"


    "Nowhere. I just put it on Aunt Qian Liu''s."


    "Then you don''t have to bother about it. Just ask Aunt Qian Liu to bring it here," said Yun Shang.


    However, Chengye shook his head and replied seriously, "No. I have to get it first, and then send it to Father myself."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other. Luo Qingyan couldn''t help laughing, "Well then, your mother and I will wait for you here. But don''t go too long."


    Chengye shook his head and answered, "Don''t worry. Aunt Qian Liu is just outside at the moment. I''ll be back soon."


    Then he ran out of the room.


    Yun Shang leaned against Luo Qingyan''s chest and smiled curiously, "Guess what Chengye will send to you


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    things. As his parents, we should try our best to encourage him, in order not to frustrate his enthusiasm. "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I know. I''m just curious how you found out..."


    Luo Qingyan pointed at the three strange things on the table and asked, "Do you really think these three things are our family?"


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "He said it was something he carved, but but not a child''s playing things. And there are just three things, two big and one small. Isn''t it obvious enough?"


    "Gee." Luo Qingyan couldn''t help but tut again. After a while, he pointed out, "You''re really awesome."


    "Of course." Yun Shang smiled. After a while, she said, "Chengye just said that he could carve things, and he made it clear to you that he would carve a sword for you. Don''t forget it then."


    Luo Qingyan nodded with a smile, "Okay, I''ll try my best to rememeber it."


    Then he looked at Yun Shang with a smile, "I have received the gift from Chengye. Should I go to see your gift?"

 Chapter 1347 The Gift

    Yun Shang blinked and said, "My gift? I''ve brought it with me. Where should we go then?"


    "Let''s go back to Weiyang Palace."


    Yun Shang was confused, "It''s just a gift. Why do you have to go back to Weiyang Palace?"


    "I''m afraid that there will be something bothering me later. Here in Taiji Palace, if someone comes to see me, it''ll be not good that I refuse to see him. But if I am in Weiyang Palace, they will naturally have some idea in their hearts knowing that if it is not the most important thing, they won''t disturb me. "


    Luo Qingyan stood up and walked out of the hall, leaving no chance for Yun Shang to go back on her words.


    They arrived at Weiyang Palace in a palanquin and dismissed all the servants. Then Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang excitedly, "come on, I''m ready. Show me my birthday gift."


    Yun Shang tutted, "What should I prepare for you to see a birthday gift?"


    Hearing Yun Shang''s question, Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and smiled, "Of course it should be prepared. If you ask me what you have embroider


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    he table was immediately turned off.


    On the second day, Yun Shang got up a little late.


    As soon as she saw the time glass on the bookshelf, she felt a little headache, "Why didn''t you call me up even at this hour?"


    "His majesty has told us not to wake up your majesty," replied Qian Zhuo.


    "Nonsense," Yun Shang scolded, "His Majesty just messed something up. You can''t do that. There is a banquet in the imperial household today. Although it is just a banquet in the imperial household, it needs me to keep an eye on it. Serve me and get up. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded and stood up to serve Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang was wearing her clothes when she saw three wood pieces at the bottom of the bookshelf. They looked familiar.


    Yun Shang smiled, "Why didn''t his majesty take them away?"


    Qian Zhuo followed Yun Shang''s gaze and smiled, "His Majesty said it would be better to put them here."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "He put them here because he thought it was beneath his majesty to put them in his Taiji Palace, maybe?"

 Chapter 1348 Whats The Matter With The Crown Prince

    Qian Zhuo also laughed. Then she thought of something serious. She raised her head and looked out of the window. Then she reported in a low voice, "The people we arranged last night followed them back to the post house. As your majesty expected, Prince Ming Yue looked very anxious because of what happened at the Imperial banquet last night. He blamed Princess Ming Yue and the eighth princess. They responded him as your majesty had taught them. Thus, up till now, nothing was been found out by Prince Ming Yue.


    Early this morning, they met the people we have arranged in the post house. They have thoroughly investigated the situation of the ladies in the post house. Since we have replaced all the people including the maids, nothing serious has happened. "


    Yun Shang nodded slightly. Everything was within her expectation for the time being.


    "Is there anything wrong with Prince Ming Yue yesterday?"


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "The secret guard reported that Prince Ming Yue left alone for a period of time last mid night. They followed him, but they lost him halfway."


    "Failed to track him?" Yun Shang frowned and asked, "Is Prince Ming Yue so good a


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    ed manner, "Mother, I don''t want to take the medicine."


    "How can you not take medicine? You can''t recover, if you don''t take medicine. You will always feel uncomfortable. "


    "I don''t want to take medicine even though I feel uncomfortable."


    Looking at pitiful Chengye, Yun Shang felt both sorry and funny. They way he didn''t like taking medicine was just like his father.


    "You see your voice is hoarse. Why don''t you take the medicine?"


    Yun Shang picked up the bowl and had a taste herself. She then carefully examined the medicinal materials in it and made sure that no one had tampered with them. Then she gently persuaded, "Drink the medicine quickly. I''ll ask someone to prepare preserves for you as well as the candied haws."


    Normally, in order to have good teeth, the Imperial Palace did not often give Chengye desserts.


    Perhaps it was because of the charm of the ice sugar coated haws, Chengye took the bowl after a moment of silence. Then he clenched his teeth and too over the bowl.


    "I want ten candied haw berries."


    Yun Shang was amused, "Okay, ten."


    Satisfied, Chengye raised his hand and swigged down all the medicine.

 Chapter 1349 Everything Is Different

    After taking the medicine, Chengye felt a little sleepy with his eyes drooping.


    Yun Shang kept holding him in her arms and waited for him to fall asleep. Then she stood up and called the wet nurse to go out.


    "Didn''t you come to see Chengye last night?" Yun Shang asked.


    The wet nurse answered in a hurry, "Yes, I have. I came here twice last night. His highness doesn''t sleep well. I come to tuck him in every night.


    It''s hot these days. The crown prince often kicks the quilt. However, I didn''t pay much attention to it, and I left after tucking him in at night. This morning at about noon, I saw the Crown Prince'' face was not quite right, so I noticed that something was wrong.


    Then, I immediately called for an imperial physician, and also asked someone to prepare water. I wiped the Crown Prince'' body several times with water and lowered his temperature a little."


    Yun Shang nodded and didn''t blame her. It was normal for a child to get sick, so she just needed to take good care of him.


    "The Crown Prince is having a fever, and I''m afraid it will be rep


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    Chengye is ill. I''m here to have a look."


    Luo Qingyan walked to Yun Shang, held her hand and pinched it gently.


    Yun Shang said, "I''ve told them not to disturb your majesty. Chengye is fine. He just caught a cold and had a fever. "


    "What are you talking about?" Luo Qingyan pinched Yun Shang''s hand again and said, "He is also my child. You can''t overlook it even if he gets a cold or a fever. Of course I should come and have a look. How is he now?"


    Yun Shang told about the situation and then said in a low voice, "He''s really fine now. Just take some medicine and pay attention to whether there is high fever. Children often get sick..."


    "Yes, I know. I just want to have a look." Luo Qingyan said in a low voice, "It''s not a big deal today. I''ll stay here with you."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and then nodded her head.


    Although Luo Qingyan was just standing next to her, she felt a little relieved with him by the side.


    Luo Qingyan was here, and she, the Empress of the State of Xia, had someone to rely on.


    And, everything was different.

 Chapter 1350 Do You Know How To Play

    Maybe it was because Chengye was still not feeling well that he woke up soon after he fell asleep.


    Yun Shang immediately asked the servants to bring warm porridge to the bedside, "Chengye, eat something before you go to sleep again."


    With tearful eyes, Chengye looked at Yun Shang, and then looked at Luo Qingyan standing behind her, "Mother, I don''t want to eat."


    "Even if you have no appetite, you have to eat something. Listen to me. Only after eating can you get better soon." Yun Shang sat down with the porridge in her hands. She smiled gently and said, "Mother specially asked the servants to add some sugar in the porridge. Have a taste. It''s sweet."


    Probably because of the charm of sugar, Chengye sat up reluctantly.


    Yun Shang put a soft pillow behind him and got a bowl of porridge for him.


    Perhaps it was because of the weakness of his body that Chengye couldn''t even sit steadily. He leaned against the soft pillow and slipped to the side.


    Yun Shang fed him a mouthful of porridge and quickly adjusted his position.


    However, as soon as he sat well, he fell down again.


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    wn.


    Noticing Yun Shang''s gaze, Chengye looked up at her and asked, "Mother? What''s the matter? "


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile, "Nothing. It''s just that I haven''t played with you for a long time. It seems that you have grown up before long. And just now, I was in a trance for a while.


    Do you like the nine serial ring and the seven-piece puzzle?" Yun Shang smiled and asked, "This kind of things should be played by older children. Can you play them?"


    Chengye shook his head honestly, "No, but I think they''re interesting."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then try to solve them yourself. If you don''t, just ask me for help."


    After all, Chengye was still sick. After a while, he was not in good spirits and dozed off while playing.


    Yun Shang simply asked the servants to hold him to the bed ans as soon as he was put on the bed, he fell asleep.


    Yun Shang stood by the bed and watched for a while before she said, "I''m going to the Taiji Palace. Keep an eye on the Crown Prince. If he has fever, just call for the imperial physician."


    Then she left the bedroom with her servants.

 Chapter 1351 Something Is Wrong

    When they arrived at the Taiji Palace, Luo Qingyan was not dealing with any political affairs. Seeing Yun Shang coming, he only pulled her to his side and asked softly, "What''s wrong?"


    Yun Shang frowned and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, there''s something wrong with Chengye."


    Hearing what Yun Shang said, Luo Qingyan didn''t ask Yun Shang what was wrong, but nodded lightly.


    Seeing Luo Qingyan''s reaction, Yun Shang understood at once, "Your Majesty has found it? How did you find it? "


    Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said, "Yesterday when I held Chengye in my arms."


    Yun Shang nodded. It seemed that this was the case. Luo Qingyan indeed held Chengye yesterday.


    "The weight is different,"


    Luo Qingyan frowned and said, "Today''s Chengye is a little heavier than yesterday''s. It''s about a kilo heavier.


    A three- year-old child can''t possibly grow one kilo a day. Moreover, Chengye was sick last night. He didn''t eat much until I went there. Logically speaking, he should be lighter than yes


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    cult to pretend to be a child and be taken out of the palace.


    He can wrap up his clothes as if the child was asleep and carried out of the palace. In this way, they can muddle through. After the feast last night, there must be a lot of people going out of the palace, and it''s impossible for the guards at the palace gate to check one by one carefully. "


    That made sense.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and said, "I''ve sent someone to investigate the palace gate. There should be news soon. Don''t worry too much.


    And if we guess correctly, Chengye is still in the palace. We will be more relieved. Although they are trying to buy time, they know that it will be more dangerous if they take him away later. So they will definitely find a way to take him away as soon as possible.


    Now our palace is much more heavily guarded than usual. We can only leave from the palace gate openly. As long as we guard the four palace gates in the East, South, West and North, we can definitely find Chengye."

 Chapter 1352 Will You Miss Her

    Biting her lips tightly, Yun Shang warned herself in her heart, "Don''t panic, don''t tell others, and don''t let others see through anything.


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand tightly. After a while, he said, "Let''s go. The banquet is about to begin."


    Yun Shang nodded and left the Taiji Palace with Luo Qingyan.


    Today''s banquet was set at Duyue House. As there was only one empress in Luo Qingyan''s imperial household. not many people attended it. After having a meal and watchingthe opera, they left.


    The banquet was over. Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling left Duyue House together. Hua Ling looked at Yun Shang for a while and said, "The empress seems to be in a bad mood today. You look restless. I saw you were absent-minded several times at the banquet, but what happened?"


    Yun Shang was stunned. She lowered her eyes and said, "Mother, last night, Chengye had a fever. Although the fever had gone down in the morning, it repeated and he was listless. I took him to Weiyang Palace and asked someone to watch over h


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    pped a beat. She walked to the bedside, raised her hand and touched his head, "Your father has something to discuss with me. I''ll go and have a look."


    Chengye nodded, "Okay."


    Yun Shang left in a hurry and soon arrived at the Taiji Palace.


    The servants in the Taiji Palace had already been dismissed, leaving only the two of them, Liu Wenan and Luo Qingyan. Seeing Yun Shang come in, Liu Wenan consciously retreated and closed the door.


    "Is there any news about Chengye?" Yun Shang asked as the door was closed.


    Luo Qingyan nodded and waved at Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang walked quickly to him, and Luo Qingyan handed her a letter.


    "This letter suddenly appeared at the palace gate just now."


    "The palace gate?" Yun Shang frowned and asked, "Which palace gate?"


    "It''s the entrance of the main palace." Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and said, "Because of Chengye''s matter, the guards at the gate of the palace have been replaced by secret guards by me, and this letter quietly appeared in front of them."

 Chapter 1353 The Cloth Piece

    Yun Shang was stunned. "It appeared quietly in front of the secret guards?"


    She also knew how capable the secret guards were. If the letter could quietly appear in front of them, the person who sent it must be not simple.


    Yun Shang quickly opened the letter and read it carefully. Her voice was trembling, "Didn''t your Majesty say that Chengye was replaced after the banquet? Then he must be still in the palace. As long as we guard the four gates in the East, South, West and North, it''s not easy to take a child out of the palace.


    Then why does the letter say that they have taken away Chengye?"


    Luo Qingyan''s face also darkened, "There are three possibilities. The first is that our previous thinking is wrong. Chengye might have been lost on the way back to the East Palace from the Taiji Palace. At that time, the banquet in the palace hadn''t been dismissed yet. After being replaced, Chengye was taken back to the Golden Palace and waited to leave the palace until the banquet was over.


    The second is that the per


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    o." Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and then went on, "Those who practice martial arts with Chengye are all children of this age."


    Yun Shang frowned, "Your Majesty, are you suspicious about them?"


    "It''s better to be cautious. Now that Chengye is sick, he can''t practice together with them. It''s a good chance for the secret guards to investigate it there."


    Yun Shang nodded.


    Seeing the tiredness on Yun Shang''s face, Luo Qingyan said, "You are tired now. Go and have a rest first."


    Then he turned to Liu Wenan, "Go to Weiyang Palace and tell them that in order to help the Crown Prince rest well in Weiyang Palace, the Empress has to rest in the Taiji Palace for two days and let the Weiyang Palace bring over her daily necessities."


    Liu Wenan replied and left.


    After a while, Qian Zhuo came in with something in her hand. Seeing that Yun Shang was sitting at the table looking at a piece of cloth, she couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows, "Isn''t this the cloth from the Crown Prince''s clothes? Why is it here? "

 Chapter 1354 The Real Face

    Hearing Qian Zhuo''s words, Yun Shang turned to her, seemingly thinking about something.


    "What''s the matter?" Seeing Yun Shang looking at her like this, Qian Zhuo felt a little uneasy, "What''s the matter, your majesty? Did I say anything wrong? "


    Yun Shang shook her head and replied, "No, it''s true. This piece of cloth is indeed from Chengye''s clothes. But you don''t serve him daily. Why did you recognize it? "


    "I saw the Crown Prince yesterday. Isn''t this the one he wore yesterday?"


    Yes, indeed.


    Yun Shang held the cloth in her hand and gently stroked it. ''Qian Zhuo saw Chengye yesterday, so she remembered that he was wearing this robe. The servants around him were looking after him every day. Didn''t they notice anything?''


    Thinking of these, Yun Shang raised her eyes and ordered Qian Zhuo, "Call all the servants around Chengye here. I have something to ask them."


    Judging from Yun Shang''s tone, Qian Zhuo knew that something must have happened. But Yun Shang looked too calm, so she couldn''t fi


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    tle familiar with him, I really can''t remember that I have seen him before."


    Luo Qingyan thought for a moment and said, "Maybe we know the child''s parents. Some part of the child''s face follows his parents, so I feel that it looks familiar."


    "But who is it?"


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other, confused.


    "There are countless people we have seen. It''s like looking for a needle in a haystack to recall a person with such a characteristic."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "Well, it''s better to let the secret guards check it out."


    Liu Wenan''s voice came from outside. Yun Shang said, "Your Majesty, if you have something important to deal with, you''d better deal with it first. The servants around Chengye are still under questioning. I''ll be there soon."


    Seeing that Yun Shang had completely calmed down, Luo Qingyan nodded and said, "Okay."


    As soon as Luo Qingyan left, Qian Zhuo walked in quickly,"Your majesty, the confessions of the servants around the Crown Prince are here."

 Chapter 1355 Something Unusual

    Qian Zhuo submitted the statements. Yun Shang looked through them one by one carefully. Then she moved her fingers and ordered, "Go and ask the maid called Qin Yue and the wet nurse of the Crown Prince to come here. Let them come here separately and I''ll interrogate them one by one. "


    Qian Zhuo answered in a hurry. After a while, she brought in the wet nurse.


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the wet nurse. She and Luo Qingyan had spent a lot of time and energy finding this wet nurse. She had been trusting her very much.


    "I just read your confession. You said that when you bathed the Crown Prince yesterday, you found that his clothes were scratched, and a piece of cloth was missing. And a mole suddenly appeared on his arm?"


    The wet nurse nodded and replied, "Yes."


    "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    The wet nurse hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I saw a piece of cloth missing from his Highness'' clothes, but I didn''t take it seriously. The Crown Prince is practicing horsemanship, and he is usually lively. His clothes are often scratched by branches, or he would exert too much strength when practicing martial


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    was unusual with his highness Crown Prince that I remembered all these. "


    There seemed to be nothing wrong with her answer.


    Yun Shang rubbed the embroidered handkerchief in her hand casually. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Did you go back to the East Palace with the Crown Prince after leaving the Taiji Palace last night?"


    "Yes, your majesty."


    "Anything happened on the way?"


    Qin Yue thought for a while and then said, "Halfway there, when we were walking outside the Huixiang Palace, his highness seemed to see something and suddenly ran towards the rockery beside the palace.


    As his highness ran too fast and it was dark at that time, his highness disappeared from my sight for a moment. His highness only walked a few steps away, but he kept answering my questions. Later, I caught up and found his highness. I asked him what he was looking for. His highness said that he had seen a cat and chased after it, but it disappeared again.


    I said it was too late, and I persuaded his highness to look for it again in the daytime. His highness agreed and went back to the East Palace with me."

 Chapter 1356 She Didnt Look Right

    "All right." Yun Shang raised her hand and rubbed her forehead, "You can leave now."


    Then Qian Zhuo left with Qin Yue.


    Lying on the bench, Yun Shang gently twisted the bracelet on her wrist, biting her lips and keeping silent for a long time.


    After a while, Qian Zhuo came back, but she didn''t make a sound, either, but just stood aside while looking at Yun Shang quietly. After quite some time, Qian Zhuo asked, "Your majesty, do you think there is something wrong between the two of them? Is either of them lying? "


    Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and asked, "Then do you think there is something wrong with these two people? And who is lying? "


    After a moment''s reflection, Qian Zhuo shook her head honestly, "I don''t know. I just feel that the wet nurse has been serving his highness Crown Prince all the time, and she was chosen by your majesties after many tests. If she wants to do harm to his highness, she has too many chances. Thus I don''t think it should be her.


    If it isn''t her, it should be Qin Yue."


    Qian Zhuo pursed her lips and then went on, "And I don


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    the way from the Taiji Palace to the East Palace last night?"


    Biting her lips, Qian Zhuo asked, "If so, did the Crown Prince leave with the ministers after the banquet last night?"


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly, "If only I knew."


    Qian Zhuo frowned and asked worriedly, "What should we do then?


    To search openly? Or should we keep it a secret first? And then we investigate this matter secretly. "


    Yun Shang sighed, "My mind is in a mess, and I have no idea. The Emperor is in charge of this matter, and the only thing I can do now is to wait and see, waiting for the secret guards to investigate it. If we have an open research, it may put Chengye in danger. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded, but she felt very unsettled.


    "Why, just..."


    Yun Shang sighed, thinking of the thing she had just remembered, and said, "Qin Yue''s situation may not be an exception. You put the medicine to remove the disguise into the water, and ask the people working around Chengye to wash their faces one by one. We must find out how many spies are working around Chengye."


    "Yes, your majesty."

 Chapter 1357 Three Cities

    However, she didn''t expect that they would find four of them.


    "Four spies!" Yun Shang said angrily, "Let''s not talk about how these four spies sneaked in, but just tell why no one knew that the people who had got along with each other day and night were already changed?"


    Qian Zhuo lowered her eyes. She was very surprised, too,


    "I''ve asked about it. They all said that these four people liked to be together, so they didn''t notice anything strange from it. In addition, the four people didn''t come to serve the Crown Prince until his highness moved to the East Palace. As they were not familiar with them before, they did not find anything wrong. "


    Yun Shang pressed her lips tightly and said nothing.


    "Fortunately, among these four people, only Qin Yue was the personal servant of the Crown Prince. The others only served in the outer yard of the East Palace. There was almost no chance for them to approach the Crown Prince."


    "Hm..." Yun Shang sneered, "Qin Yue alone has already made Chengye disappear. If there were a few more of those people who could get close to Chengye, what would happen?!"


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo didn''t d


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    ounce it to the world in two days? "


    With that, Yun Shang read the letter in her hand carefully again to make sure that she didn''t make mistakes, "Does it mean that our guesses were wrong before? I supposed it was Ling Ziyue who took away Chengye.


    I even suspected the people of Xia Houjing''s and the Cao clan''s.


    But from the content of the letter, is it from Cangjue Qingsu?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "Maybe not."


    "It''s not from Cangjue Qingsu?" Yun Shang was really confused, "In this letter, they state clearly to ask for three cities from the State of Xia to be ceded to the State of Yelang as an exchange for Chengye. Who else can it be except Cangjue Qingsu?"


    "Maybe it''s just a deceptive trick." Luo Qingyan pursed his lips and then went on, "They want us to focus our attention on the State of Yelang and Cangjue Qingsu, but ignore the real murderer."


    Yun Shang frowned. She agreed that this possibility could not be ruled out, but...


    "If it is not from Cangjue Qingsu, is it possible that they want to see the three cities to be ceded to the State of Yelang in the end? And what good will they get if they do so? "

 Chapter 1358 What Should We Do

    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "I don''t know."


    Then he sighed, "Their request is too ridiculous. I can''t understand why they do this way either."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips. She understood what Luo Qingyan meant. She asked again, "What should we do then? These three cities... We''ll cede them or not? "


    Yun Shang thought about it carefully for a moment, and then she sighed, "They have really brought us trouble. In the last letter, they asked us not to make public the disappearance of Chengye and not to look for him openly. But now they ask you to issue a public announcement that you will cede three cities to the State of Yelang.


    We have to give up the cities and announce it to the world. However, we can''t tell the people of the State of Xia that Chengye is missing. This matter... This is really a sticky case... "


    Luo Qingyan nodded and pursed his lips. Then he said, "Maybe they just want to make things difficult for us? They just want the whole State of Xia to know that we are willing to bow our heads to the State of Yelang and give up three cities. "


    Yun Shang opened her mouth but didn''t know what to


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    nd it to my home so that my mother can have a try? "


    Yun Shang raised her hand and touched Yan''er''s head, "Of course, I can,"


    Yun Shang said gently, "It was aunt, the Empress who ignored it. I''ll ask someone to see what the dish is, and then let them make it. By the way, they will write down the recipe and send it together with the food to the mansion."


    "Thank you, aunt, the Empress." Yan''er was overjoyed.


    Yun Shang''s face softened, "By the way, your brother, the Crown Prince, has to rest for a few more days. You can go back to your mansion for a period of time these days. When Crown Prince recovers, I will send someone to take you back to the palace."


    "Great!" Yan''er jumped with joy, "In that case, I can see my mother!"


    With that, he wanted to run out, "I''m going to pack up my things! I''ve got a lot of toys. I can take them out of the palace and play with my mother''s unborn brother or sister. "


    Looking at Yan''er''s happiness, Yun Shang smiled, turned around and ordered Qian Zhuo, "Send someone to arrange it. Let Yan''er stay at Lord Hua Guo''s mansion for a few days."


    "Yes, your majesty."

 Chapter 1359 Alienation

    Yun Shang stayed in the East Palace for quite a long time before returning to Weiyang Palace.


    Luo Qingyan hadn''t come back yet.


    Yun Shang leaned against the couch, pretending to be asleep. Her mind was in a mess, and she couldn''t fall asleep.


    After lying there for a while, Yun Shang opened her eyes and sat up again.


    Qian Zhuo stood aside and watched. She knew what Yun Shang was thinking about, so she tried to distract Yun Shang''s attention, "By the way, your majesty, something new has happened in the Cao clan."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Although she was not in the mood, she nodded and asked, "What''s their new movement?"


    "Cao Yi''s wife, concubines and children have come back."


    "They''re back?" Yun Shang sat up straight. She frowned, "When did this happen? Weren''t they sent away? Why are they back again? "


    "Yes. The secret guards did send Cao Yi''s wife, concubine and children away, but they were sent back again."


    Yun Shang pressed her lips and frowned, "What does the Sun clan want to do? I''ve sent th


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    . In that way, they can pass on some information to me through Cao Yi''s wife... Maybe they will pass on some wrong news to mislead my judgment. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded, "It''s possible. Then we just let them be?"


    "Let them be." Yun Shang thought for a moment and went on, "I''ve told you before that we need to break the rules and deal with the Cao mansion in a way they can''t figure out."


    Yun Shang tapped on the table with her fingers and then said, "Compared with Cao Yi, I want to do something to Cao Han''s wife more.


    But not now." Yun Shang narrowed her eyes, "Now that they are going to make a scene, we just let Cao Yi''s wife and the Cao mansion break up completely."


    Qian Zhuo''s eyes lit up, "How can they completely break up?"


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and then said, "Of course we will first promote Cao Yi''s parents'' in law, so that the clan will stand on the opposite side of the Cao mansion.


    The Cao clan is loyal to Xia Houjing. Then I will make Cao Yi''s parents in law become a stumbling block to the Cao clan."

 Chapter 1360 How Can I Not Worry

    Yun Shang then gave a few more instructions, and Qian Zhuo took the order and left.


    Silence returned to the hall. Yun Shang took out the paper from her sleeve on which Chengye didn''t finish his practice. She stared at it for a long time.


    ''Is man''s nature at birth good?


    Sure enough, Chengye''s handwriting is too bad and difficult to read.


    I''ll have to teach Chengye myself in this respect when he comes back,''


    Yun Shang was thinking. She put the paper aside. Chengye had to hand it in to the Grand Tutor when he came back. She couldn''t lose it.


    At the thought of this, Yun Shang''s eyes widened.


    The Grand tutor...


    Yan''er had said that the Grand Tutor didn''t come to the East Palace to teach them yesterday because Chengye was sick.


    However, it was the midnight before yesterday when Chengye got sick. Generally speaking, no news could be spread at that time. Even if he was the Grand Tutor, he should not have known that Chengye was sick until he arrived at the East Palace yesterday.


    But Yan''er said that the Grand Tutor didn''t come to the East Palace yesterday.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes, with a hint of col


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    was still in the palace, which was undoubtedly the best news at the moment.


    But if Chengye really left the palace, it would be difficult to find him again.


    "Go to the East Palace and wait."


    Since the secret guards had gone after them. She had no choice but to wait.


    When Yun Shang arrived at the East Palace, she was restless and paced back and forth in the main hall.


    After a while, Liu Wenan came in a hurry.


    "Where is his majesty?" Yun Shang didn''t see Luo Qingyan and asked.


    Liu Wenan hurriedly replied, "His majesty has heard the news and guessed the truth, so he went to chase after them in person."


    Yun Shang nodded and clenched her hands in her sleeves.


    "Your Majesty, please sit down. The Crown Prince will be fine. Don''t worry."


    "How can I not worry?"


    Yun Shang clenched her teeth, with tears in her eyes.


    Ever since something happened to Chengye, she had been so nervous that she didn''t even dare to cry. That was her child, and how could she not worry?


    Seeing this, Liu Wenan sighed and said nothing more.


    After a while, she vaguely saw someone coming over.


    "Yes, it''s his majesty!"

 Chapter 1361 Did They Catch Up With Them

    Yun Shang suddenly stopped and quickly walked out of the main hall. She saw Luo Qingyan enter the gate of the East Palace, followed by a sedan chair.


    Yun Shang walked up quickly and fixed her eyes on the sedan chair. But she stopped in front of Luo Qingyan. After quite a while, she gritted her teeth and asked Luo Qingyan, "Have you caught up with him?"


    There was a little sweat on Luo Qingyan''s forehead. He raised his hand to touch Yun Shang''s hair and said, "I caught up with him. Chengye is in the sedan chair behind. But when I caught up with him, I found he was sleeping. I don''t know if he was in a coma or asleep."


    "It doesn''t matter. As long as he is back, everything will be fine."


    As Yun Shang spoke, she walked to the sedan chair quickly and lifted its curtain. At the first glance, it was Yan''er''s face.


    When Yan''er saw Yun Shang, he looked a little nervous. "Aunt, I didn''t know it was my brother, Chengye, so I took him out of the palace."


    Although Yan''er didn''t know what had happened,


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    que that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.)."


    "Yes." Yun Shang lowered her eyes and smiled, "Your Majesty is the best."


    Then she asked, "Where did your majesty catch up with them?"


    "At the palace gate," Luo Qingyan replied, "They have passed the examination of the secret guards at the palace gate and were about to leave.


    Fortunately, the secret guards at the gate of the palace stopped them for inspection and delayed for a while before I could catch up with them successfully."


    Thinking of the previous situation, Luo Qingyan sighed, "It''s really lucky my feet are fast. If I were a little slower, they would have left the palace."


    Yun Shang''s heart also tightened, "Yes, we are lucky. If they left the palace, it would be more difficult to find them. "


    After saying that, Yun Shang smiled again. "Now, it''s fine. As long as Chengye is still in good condition, we can ignore the conditions they mentioned before."


    "But we still have to find out the real murderer behind it."

 Chapter 1362 I Am Easy To Coax

    Yun Shang felt lucky that she had been to the East Palace.


    She guessed that even if she hadn''t been to the East Palace today, the people hidden in there would try their best to urge Yan''er to leave the palace. If Chengye had followed Yan''er out of the palace, she would truly regret by then.


    Fortunately, she had been to the East Palace, and she had also cheered herself up and talked with Yan''er for a while. From their talk, she was able to find out the flaw and thus save Chengye before he left the palace.


    She had even prepared for the worst.


    A servant brought over Yun Shang''s medicine box. Yun Shang took it and picked up a bottle of medicine liquid. She poured some into the drops of blood she had got in advance, but the blood did not change color.


    Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief, "shouldn''t have been drugged. It''s not the knockout drops that make people fall asleep."


    ''It''s not knockout drops'', Yun Shang meditated.


    "It should be a needle treatment."


    As Yun Shang spoke, she checked Chengye carefully again, and indeed she found a few invisible needle holes on the back of Chengye''s neck.


    "It''s a needle treatment."


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    u how to deal with that matter later when you are bathing. After all, although Chengye has been found, the murderer has not been found yet. "


    Luo Qingyan responded and held Yun Shang by the hand. Both of them thus walked towards the Taiji Palace together, talking and laughing.


    When they arrived at the Taiji Palace, Liu Wenan arranged servants to prepare water and bath supplies, while Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan were talking.


    "Didn''t you send for the Grand Tutor? Hasn''t him come yet? "


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "No. I don''t think the Grand Tutor will come today.


    Since he has helped with such a thing, he must have prepared for the worst results. Now that he has failed to bring the person back, he knows what has happened. He also knows that I will send for him. In that case, how can he wait for his death there? I guess he has probably escaped. "


    That was true.


    Yun Shang nodded, but she felt a little depressed, "We had tried hard to choose the Grand Tutor after a long time''s effort, but I didn''t expect that..."


    Before Yun Shang could finish her words, a voice came from outside, "Your Majesties, the Grand Tutor is here."

 Chapter 1363 Innocent

    Both Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan looked at each other in astonishment.


    Luo Qingyan calmed himself down first, "It''s interesting. He hasn''t run away yet. How dare he come to the palace?"


    "Call him in. Let''s hear what he wants to say."


    Both of them got to the main hall together. As soon as they sat down, the Grand Tutor entered without any panic. He stopped three steps away from the Emperor and the Empress. And then he bowed, "Hail Your Majesties."


    Yun Shang exchanged a look with Luo Qingyan, both of them lost in thought.


    "Arise."


    The Grand Tutor stood up and lowered his head slightly with a smile on his face, "Your majesties, why did you summon me to the palace?"


    Luo Qingyan knocked on the table with his fingers, "Don''t you know why I call you here?"


    With a confused look on his face, the Grand Tutor replied, "I... I don''t know. "


    Luo Qingyan fixed his eyes on the Grand Tutor for a long time, but he seemed to know nothing. He just stood with his head down. After a long time, he didn''t hear Luo Qingyan or Yun Shang


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    as not been in good condition since he was young. Once he is frightened, he will easily get a fever... "


    "He is easy to get a fever when he is frightened?"


    Yun Shang was lost in thought. She had always thought that if it was the Grand Tutor who had instructed him to do so, the child would be obedient to his father.


    But now... It seemed that it was not what she had thought.


    Were the Grand Tutor and his child really innocent?


    Or someone else made use of the child by threatening him?


    Yun Shang thought for a while and turned to Luo Qingyan, "Your Majesty, why don''t you invite the Grand Tutor''s son here and ask him about it carefully?"


    "Okay."


    Luo Qingyan asked someone to bring the child here. The Grand Tutor thought for a moment and probably understood the doubts in Luo Qingyan and Yun Shang''s hearts. He quickly said, "In fact, I guessed Yunhe should have deliberately revealed his flaws to let your majesties find it."


    "What?" Yun Shang looked up at the Grand Tutor and asked, "Grand Tutor, why did you say that?"

 Chapter 1364 Im So Scared

    "Yunhe has been in the palace for more than ten days, and he is quite familiar with the Crown Prince. His highness always likes to play the seven-piece puzzle and the nine serial ring in his spare time. He knows very well about the Crown Prince''s ability to play these things.


    Even though he''s not as good as the Crown Prince in playing the nine serial ring, he''s not that bad."


    Yun Shang frowned, but she didn''t doubt what the Grand Tutor said.


    It was right.


    Before she still didn''t know who the child was, she felt that perhaps the child''s family was not very rich, so he couldn''t play the nine serial ring.


    But as the son of the Grand Tutor''s, he shouldn''t be like that.


    Just now, the Grand Tutor said that the child''s skill in playing the nine serial ring was not bad, so what he said should be true.


    The child was really good at playing the nine serial ring, but he acted as if he didn''t know anything about it in front of her. This meant that the child indeed wanted to make her doubt


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    to try my best to behave differently from the Crown Prince, waiting for the Empress to find it out herself.


    "His highness, the Crown Prince is good at playing nine serial ring, so I pretended to be bad at it.


    I knew the wood carvings on the bookshelf in the Empress'' Palace are the birthday gifts to the Emperor from the Crown Prince, so I pretended not to know them.


    ¡­¡­ I was so scared. "


    Up till now, all the abnormalities seemed to have been reasonably explained.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and said, "It''s all right. It''s all right now."


    Yunhe looked at Yun Shang timidly, "Your majesty, where is the Crown Prince? Is his highness all right? I don''t know what that man is going to do to the Crown Prince, but he must not be a good person. I''m afraid... I''m afraid that the Crown Prince will be in danger... "


    He was about to cry.


    Yun Shang hurriedly comforted, "The Crown Prince is fine, too. Just like you, he was just frightened and is now recuperating in the East Palace."

 Chapter 1365 Do You Still Want To Eat Something Delicious

    "That''s good." Yunhe sniffed and sobbed, "It''s lucky that the Crown Prince is fine. I have been having nightmares all the time. I dreamed that something bad happened to the Crown Prince. I dreamed that his majesty and the Empress were going to pull me, father, mother and brother out to be beheaded. I was so scared..."


    Yun Shang smiled, "You and your father didn''t do anything wrong. The Emperor and I will not punish you."


    "No, my father and I don''t dare to do anything bad. Or my mother will be angry."


    Such child talk! It made people around difficult to help laughing .


    Yun Shang looked up at the Grand Tutor. The Grand Tutor knelt down again and said, "I know in such a case, both Yunhe and I are suspected. I''m willing to obey the disposal from both the Emperor and the Empress...


    Your majesties, please think of it. Do you want to keep me and Yunhe in the palace or find another suitable place to lock us up? I''d like to wait for the truth to come out.


    I just hope that


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    thing special.


    But I found something wrong in the letter."


    Yun Shang was a little surprised, "Something wrong in the letter?


    Logically speaking, since that person is so cautious, he shouldn''t have made such a mistake? What is wrong with the letter? "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "In fact, whether it''s an envelope, paper or ink, they are very ordinary and many people will use them.


    Probably the person was afraid of leaving any hidden trouble. That person should have bought the writing brush, ink, paper, ink and an envelope at will, but he didn''t expect that there was a mark of the bookstore in the envelope."


    Yun Shang''s finger moved slightly, "The mark of the bookstore?"


    She was still confused, "Even though there is the mark of the bookstore in the envelope, we can only know that the envelope was bought. Still, we can''t get any useful clues apart from that.


    The people in the bookstore couldn''t specially remember the appearance or name of a customer, could they?"

 Chapter 1366 I Always Feel Something Is Wrong

    "Of course not. But if you want to buy some ordinary ones, where will you buy them?" Luo Qingyan asked.


    Yun Shang frowned and thought for a moment, "I''ll buy them near my place."


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan nodded, "So I let my secret guards check the people we know near the bookstore carefully and check them one by one in detail.


    Although we may not be able to get any useful clues, it''s better than having no clue."


    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and then nodded, "You''re right."


    Luo Qingyan looked at the sky outside and then said, "It''s time to have dinner. There is someone taking care of Chengye. You haven''t had a good rest these two days. You can rest in the Taiji Palace after dinner."


    Yun Shang nodded. She was feeling a little tired.


    After dinner, Qian Zhuo came to the East Palace to report to Yun Shang about Chengye''s situation,


    "His highness Crown Prince has woken up. He is in a good mood. Probably because he is still in a coma most of the time, he doesn''t often wake up. He just thinks that he is ill. These days after he wo


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    er senses. She realized Qian Yin should be out of the confinement now. After all, it had been some time now.


    "Call her in."


    Although Qian Yin''s confinement of childbirth was over, she wouldn''t have come here in person if there was nothing urgent because she had been feeding her baby by herself.


    Qian Yin walked in quickly and bowed to Yun Shang, "Your Majesty.


    I''ve heard about the Crown Prince. Is he all right now?"


    Yun Shang nodded and smiled, "Nothing serious. And why you rushed into the palace? Anything happened?"


    Qian Yin replied and then took out a letter from her sleeve. "Your Majesty, this is the letter I received this morning. It''s from the State of Ning. Please have a look."


    "From the State of Ning?" Yun Shang blinked and took it over. "How did you get it?"


    Then she took the letter.


    "Maybe it''s because our people from the State of Ning needed to send me a message about the spies from the State of Ning, and it was sent to me as well."


    Yun Shang nodded and opened the letter. After reading it, she frowned...

 Chapter 1367 Do You Like The Grand Tutor

    Seeing Yun Shang''s expression, Qian Yin knew something must have happened. "What''s wrong, your majesty? But what happened? "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said coldly, "The letter said that Chenxi fell from a high place and had a three inch long wound on his head. My mother was shocked at seeing Chenxi fall. She was so disturbed that she almost miscarried. "


    Qian Yin couldn''t help covering her mouth with her hand and asked in surprise, "How could it be? How could this happen? "


    "I also want to know how it could be this way?"


    Yun Shang closed her eyes and said in a weak voice, "The letter only mentioned it a little. It said that Chenxi saw a snake and was frightened to fall off the rockery beside the pavilion. My mother was watching the flowers and happened to see the situation at that time, so she was frightened...


    From these few words, I have sensed that something is wrong."


    Qian Yin also frowned, "In the palace... How could there be snakes? "


    "Yes." Yun Shang sneered, "In the palace, especially in the Imperial Garden, the servants have always been pa


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    e acted like a spoiled child.


    Yun Shang rubbed her forehead and said, "Okay, okay. Have a try."


    Yun Shang shook her head and looked around. Then she picked up a small stone and asked, "Which one do you want?"


    "That one. That one..." Hearing that, Chengye was overjoyed. He pointed at pomegranatet on the tree and said, "I''ve observed it carefully today. This is the highest. It''s basking in the sun all day long. I think it must be the sweetest."


    Yun Shang smiled and waved her hand, and the pomegranate fell down.


    "Wow!" Chengye cheered, "Mother, you are so awesome."


    Then he excitedly ran to pick up the pomegranate, quickly peeled it, and took a few pomegranate seeds to eat. However, as he just took two bites, he frowned and complained, "Sour."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "I told you just now."


    "The Grand Tutor said this meant, ¡®He wouldn''t give up until he reaches the Yellow River. If he doesn''t see the coffin, he won''t shed tears. ¡¯¡°


    Yun Shang nodded, "Your Grand Tutor is right."


    After a pause, she asked, "Do you like your Grand Tutor?"

 Chapter 1368 Its Impossible

    Not knowing why Yun Shang asked this question, Chengye nodded honestly, "Yes, I like him. The Grand Tutor is very good. He can tell many interesting stories, not punish people easily, and his lecture is also very interesting. He will also go with us to catch the cicadas, pick lotus leaves, climb trees... "


    Speaking of this, Chengye couldn''t help but chuckle, "Mother, let me tell you. The Grand Tutor is useless. In respect to catching cicadas and climbing trees, he is not as good as brother Yan''er and me."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "The Grand Tutor is a scholar, but he is not as tough as you. Of course he can''t compare with you."


    Chengye nodded and said, "He''s just too weak. I wanted to teach him riding and shooting, but he just refused. Considering that he is an interesting teacher, we can continue to let him play with us."


    "Well, this put you to inconvenience." Yun Shang smiled and raised her hand to stroke his hair.


    Yun Shang was chatting with Chengye in the yard when she saw Qian Zhuo rushing in with a joyful exp


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    r. However, her appearance completely inherits all the advantages of yours and Wang Jinhuan¡®s, and she will be a great beauty in the future. "


    Speaking of her daughter whom she hadn''t seen for a long time, Ning Qian couldn''t help looking forward to seeing her, but still she said, "It''s probably not a good thing to have a beautiful face. I hope she can be a little ordinary."


    "It would be strange if you and Wang Jinhuan could have an ordinary looking child,"


    Yun Shang said. Just then a servant came to report, "Your majesty, Miss Yaya is here."


    "Bring her in."


    As soon as Yun Shang finished speaking, she saw a little girl in pink skirt coming in. She was still staggering, but she looked like a lady from an eminent family.


    Yaya walked in and looked up at Yun Shang and Ning Qian. Maybe the maid had told her something on the way, she looked at Ning Qian for a while and then turned to Yun Shang, "Your Majesty, I''m here."


    Yun Shang picked her up with a smile and pointed at Ning Qian, "This is your mother. Do you remember?"

 Chapter 1369 I Think This Has Something To Do With It

    Pulling the hemline of Yun Shang''s dress, Yaya stared at Ning Qian timidly for a long time before she called in a low voice, "Mother."


    Ning Qian''s eyes were a little red. She squatted down and called, "Yaya, come here. Let me hug you, okay?"


    Yaya looked up at Yun Shang and kept silent for a while. Then she slowly loosened her grip on Yun Shang''s dress, walked towards Ning Qian with hesitation and threw herself into Ning Qian''s arms.


    Holding Yaya in her arms, Ning Qian took a deep breath and said excitedly, "Mom and dad have come back. I won''t leave you alone anymore. I''ll take you home later."


    Yun Shang looked at the two of them and said, "You have been separated from Yaya for more than a year. It''s normal for her to feel strange. Don''t worry. I''ll reward all the servants who have served her this year and let them go back with you.


    With them around, Yaya will feel a little better."


    Ning Qian nodded, "Thank you, your majesty."


    "Hey, don''t stand on cerem


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    he letter and handed it to Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan took it and read it carefully. He then frowned and asked, "Something bad happened to Chenxi? And your mother? Why didn''t wang Jinhuan mention it to me just now? "


    Yun Shang bit her lips and said, "Wang Jinhuan won''t mention it to you, because the thing mentioned in the letter has never happened at all. I have asked Ning Qian about it."


    Luo Qingyan was confused, "Nothing happened in the letter?"


    "Yes, your majesty." Yun Shang nodded and told him everything in detail.


    Luo Qingyan frowned and thought for a while. Then he looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "What do you think about it?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "All these seem odd, but it''s a little strange and inexplicable. I associated what happened recently and found some clues."


    Luo Qingyan was even more confused, "What''s the matter? Does it have anything to do with what happened recently? "


    Yun Shang nodded, "I think so."

 Chapter 1370 Ill Kill Them Without Mercy

    "Your Majesty, please think it over..." Yun Shang patted Luo Qingyan on the arm, indicating him to put her down.


    "In the past few days, a series of events happened one after another. The first one was the case happened during the festive lantern show; next, the State of Youyue required your majesty to release people from the imperial household; then something happened to Chengye; and after that, there was fake news that Chenxi and my mother had an accident."


    Yun Shang took a deep breath and then went on, "Your Majesty, Chengye, Chenxi and my mother are almost all the people I care about."


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and said, "Although all those happened in turn, they were able to be solved finally. But these days, I have been fully occupied.


    I''ve thought about it carefully. I''m afraid that all these things are aimed at me." Yun Shang stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, "Although I don''t know what the person behind them wants to do, I always feel that solutions to the first few incidents were oversimplifi


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    ecret guards in the East Palace, including those in the dark room and their children."


    Qian Zhuo took the order and left.


    All the servants from the East Palace were gathered in the yard. Yun Shang stood at the main hall for a while, holding Chengye by the hand, and then she took him to the bedroom.


    Yun Shang told Chengye what had happened carefully, and he understood the importance of it. He nodded repeatedly and promised to convey her words.


    Yun Shang also knew that it would be too conspicuous for Chengye to go to the old empress'' palace as soon as she came, so she asked him to go later.


    The cleaning in the yard lasted for more than an hour before the result came out, "Three servants from the East Palace have disguised themselves."


    "One of the guards at the door has a disguise."


    "No one was found among the children as well as secret guards in the dark room to have a disguise."


    Yun Shang nodded with a cold face. She glanced at the faces in the yard and said coldly, "I will kill them without mercy."

 Chapter 1371 I Am Here For Peace

    Chengye had been following Yun Shang all the time, and she didn''t deliberately avoid him. Hearing these words from Yun Shang, he looked up at Yun Shang and asked, "Mother, are you going to kill them?"


    "Yes, your highness." Yun Shang nodded.


    After thinking for a while, Chengye asked, "They, did they do something wrong? What is disguise? "


    "Just disguise oneself and pretend to be someone else."


    Hearing this, Chengye frowned and then asked, "Why did they pretend to be others?"


    "In order to wait for an opportunity and do something bad," Yun Shang said in a steady tone, "Maybe they wanted to hurt you, or maybe they wanted to do harm to your father and me. Anyway, they pretended to be the people we trust, such as your wet nurse, aunt Qian Zhuo, or Master Liu. Because we trust them, we won''t suspect them. We won''t carefully check the food they give us, so it will be easy for them to harm us.¡±


    Yun Shang''s words were a little long. Chengye frowned. It took him quite a while to understand what Yun Shang meant.


    At last, he nodded and replied, "Th


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    ence in their temperament.


    Yun Shang thought for a while and then smiled. She looked at Prince Ming Yue and asked, "Your Highness, are you willing to change back to your original appearance today?"


    Ling Ziyue wasn''t surprised that Yun Shang could see it. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "After all, wearing that human skin mask won''t cheat your majesties. And it''s not a big deal, so I won''t wear it."


    Luo Qingyan reached out his hand to Yun Shang. Yun Shang put her hand on his palm and then they two exchanged a look. Yun Shang turned around and sat down on the chair beside Luo Qingyan.


    "When Prince Ming Yue came to the palace today, you specially asked the emperor to invite me here. What do you want?" Yun Shang smiled gently, but the expression was serious in her eyes, "But, if it''s related to political affairs, Prince Ming Yue has to let me avoid it in advance."


    Ling Ziyue glanced at Yun Shang and then smiled, "You don''t have to do this, your majesty. I''m here because I know I''m not a match for your majesties. I''m here for peace."

 Chapter 1372 It Is Not Good To Stay In The Same Old Groove

    "Come for peace?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and exchanged a look with Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan also smiled, "Your Highness have already expressed your state''s willingness to establish friendship with the state of Xia when you just came here for the first time, haven''t you? Why did you ask for peace again? "


    "Let''s be straightforward. I am sure your majesties have understood what I mean. It''s meaningless to pretend like this, isn''t it?"


    Ling Ziyue sat up straight and went on, "I admit that I came here to inquire about the situation of your state. If we find we can win, we will send out troops to attack you.


    However, after getting along with your majesties these days, I have found that it is not easy for the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai to win the state of Xia.


    Not to mention that if the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai declare war, we have to send troops across the ocean. Even if we are able to bring troops and horses to cross the ocean at last, the state of Xia is a hard nut to crack ."


    Ling Ziyue raised his chin slightly a


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    the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai? "


    "It''s not impossible, but the conditions have to be negotiated."


    Luo Qingyan thought for a moment and then went on, "I do want to send someone out to see what kind of world it is outside our state."


    Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan had been married for so many years. Hearing Luo Qingyan''s words, Yun Shang roughly understood what he was thinking. After a pause, she nodded slightly and said, "Okay, it''s up to your majesty."


    After another pause, she continued, "But Ling Ziyue can''t be trusted completely. I''m afraid that this is his tactic of delaying the battle."


    "Okay." Luo Qingyan also understood the situation, "Thus, I just said that the conditions need to be discussed. I''ll check the calendar and pick a good day to gather the officials in the court and discuss it carefully."


    Since Luo Qingyan had made up his mind, Yun Shang didn''t say anything further. She stood up and was about to leave, but she saw a servant rushing into the palace, "Your Majesties, something happened to their Former Majesties..."

 Chapter 1373 Rare Poison

    Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and said, "Here they are."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and asked the servant, "What happened?"


    "Their Former Majesties are both poisoned and unconscious."


    Yun Shang grabbed Luo Qingyan''s sleeve and suggested, "Let''s go and have a look. We''ll talk on the way."


    Luo Qingyan responded and left the Taiji Palace with Yun Shang.


    "After lunch, their former majesties went to bed for a nap. Usually her former majesty would sleep for about an hour and then the servant would wake her up. Today, however, they couldn''t. The servants panicked and called for an imperial physician. After diagnosis, the imperial physician said that their former majesties were most likely poisoned, " the servant reported.


    Yun Shang nodded, "What poison is it? Have you checked carefully what their former majesties have eaten? "


    The servant shook his head and replied, "The imperial physician said that he didn''t know what poison it was. He just felt that the symptoms of the poison were a little strange and rare.


    The imperial physician has also checked carefully with silver needles and bracelets what their former majesties have eat


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    , he has never interfered in political affairs. He thus has no impact on the State of Xia, and he will not affect the public''s will. "


    "Yes... I am sorry. "


    Luo Qingyan decided, "That''s it. Liu Wenan, go and issue an imperial edict to post it out."


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Yun Shang then reminded the imperial physicians, "Now that we don''t know what poison their former majesties have got, it''s not appropriate to give them any medicine. You leave two to stay here and keep observing the symptoms of their former majesties. If there is any change in their symptoms, or if it is aggravated, you should immediately feed them antidote pills, and then send someone to report to his majesty and me."


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Then Yun Shang turned around and ordered the servants, "Keep those things outside there first. Don''t let anyone move them. Keep an eye on them. If anything happens to them, I''ll hold you accountable for it. "


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Yun Shang looked up at Luo Qingyan and said, "Your Majesty, post the notice as soon as possible. Their former majesty are both poisoned. We must find the solution as soon as possible."

 Chapter 1374 In Fact, This Is The Same Case

    Luo Qingyan quickly ordered to get the notice ready and posted it out in public.


    "Your Majesty, do you think the people behind the scenes will come to apply for the post?"


    when walking back to Weiyang Palace together. Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and asked softly.


    "Just now, we have cleaned up her former majesty''s palace. Next, we''ll deal with the palace as soon as possible. They have lost most of their power, so it must be now very inconvenient for them to act in the palace. This is an opportunity for them to place people into the palace. If they still have a later move, they will not easily give up the chance.


    And if the palace is completely cleaned up, it will be inconvenient for them to send messages to the palace. The best way is to come to the palace by themselves."


    Yun Shang nodded, "That makes sense."


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, do you think they have some further plan? Your majesty, do you think it will be your majesty or me who will be in trouble next? "


    Luo Qingyan gently pinched Yun Shang''s hand and said, "Can''t you just


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    ang laughed, "Your Majesty, are you jealous of your own child?"


    "Why not?" Luo Qingyan held his head high and replied, "Chengye will have his own wife to accompany him in the future. You are my wife."


    Yun Shang smiled and after a while she said, "I''ll company your Majesty tonight."


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows. He was a little surprised that Yun Shang would say something like that. He gazed at her with burning eyes and then asked, "How will you accompany me?"


    Yun Shang blinked, "How will you liket me to accompany you, your majesty?"


    "HMM..." Luo Qingyan thought for a while and then asked, "By tossing and turning?"


    Yun Shang pinched Luo Qingyan''s arm and coughed, "Your majesty! There are still servants following us. Your majesty, be cautious in your speech. "


    Luo Qingyan clicked his tongue and smiled.


    Yun Shang turned to look at the servants behind them. They looked serious as if they had heard nothing.


    Yun Shang coughed and changed the topic, "The Grand Tutor and his family have been in the palace for several days. How is everything going these days?"

 Chapter 1375 Every Sentence Was Heart Piercing

    Luo Qingyan smiled, "They all behave themselves since they came. They have adapted well in the palace these days and don''t seem to be under house arrest at all.


    Two days ago, his wife and children were still a little restrained. In these two days, however, they have completely released themselves. Yesterday, the whole family were enjoying the flowers in the yard, and they even helped to trim the flowers there.


    In the past two days, the Grand Tutor has even begun to pick on the meals sent from the imperial kitchen and learned to order food."


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "They are indeed an interesting family."


    After laughing for a while, she continued, "Previously, we were too worried. It''s true that care leads to chaos. After thinking carefully about this matter, I felt that perhaps the Grand Tutor and his son were indeed victims of the event."


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang and chuckled, "Why do you make such a conclusion, your majesty?"


    "Your majesty used to say that the secret guards have secretly investigated the Grand Tutor and found nothing suspicio


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    n I protect my mother in the future? "


    Yun Shang felt warm and moved in her heart. After a while, she said, "You''re still young and it needs time for you to grow up. You don''t have to control yourself by the standards of an adult."


    "No, no, no, mother. Being young is not an excuse." However, Chengye shook his head seriously and said, "The bad guys won''t let me go because I''m young, and they won''t refuse to deal with me just because I''m weak. Only by becoming stronger can I kill all the people who have evil intentions on me or on the people I care about."


    Yun Shang gazed at Chengye for a long time and felt deeply touched.


    She had never expected to hear such words from such a three- year- old little man.


    The bad guys wouldn''t let him go just because he was young, nor would they refuse to deal with him just because he was weak...


    What he said was true, but it still hurt her heart.


    Yun Shang''s voice softened, "Did the Grand Tutor tell you this?"


    Chengye nodded, The Grand Tutor is very good at telling stories as well as reasons in life, and I think he is right."

 Chapter 1376 A Perfect Match

    At night, when Luo Qingyan returned to Weiyang Palace after dealing with political affairs, he saw Yun Shang reading at the desk, on which there were a lot of books.


    Luo Qingyan raised her eyebrows, walked over and picked up three or four books from the desk. He leafed through them and asked in surprise, "Why do you suddenly want to read these books? Military training skills? Array? Fortification casting?"


    Yun Shang responded, "Well." and she put down the book in her hand. She then said smilingly, "Nothing. I''m just sorting out what has happened since your majesty ascended the throne. It has roused some feelings and thoughts in my mind."


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan asked curiously, "What kind of feeling did your majesty have? Why are you suddenly interested in these things?"


    Yun Shang casually marked her place with a bookmark in the book and replied, "You were Prince Jing and the Crown Prince before, and you had secret guards in your hand. You felt quite content with this at that time.


    But now your majesty is the Emperor of the state. Although the secret guards are all equipped with unique skills and have powerful martial arts, there are only over a hundred of them


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    rdnance Bureau, which is only responsible for inventing and creating new works or weapons. It can recruit talents and send secret guards to secretly investigate about people who are famous in this matter...


    Those who are good at ironware, wooden ware, or other aspects can all be recruited into the Ordnance Bureau with the best conditions. "


    Yun Shang pursed her lips and then went on, "A standstill is a concession. At the thought that Xia Houjing''s people secretly searched for books on construction before, I realize that even Xia Houjing knew to build some works to make up for his shortage in the army. We can''t be too late. We should take action now."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes, what your majesty said is true."


    He appeared very happy.


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and fixed her eyes on Luo Qingyan.


    Luo Qingyan smiled again, "Why are you looking at me like this, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang snorted, "Your Majesty, have you been preparing for these?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "I''ve already prepared for some of the things you just said, but some of them are indeed beyond my expectation."


    After a pause, he added, "And I say, both of us are a perfect match."

 Chapter 1377 Can It Detoxify All Kinds Of Poisons

    On the second day, Yun Shang got up and dealt with all the affairs in the imperial household before she went to the Taihe Palace.


    The imperial physician was still waiting in the hall there. Seeing Yun Shang coming, he immediately apologized to Yun Shang, "Your majesty, please forgive me. I''m not a good doctor. I went through the medical books yesterday, but I didn''t find any relative poison or disease."


    Yun Shang nodded and didn''t blame him. She just asked, "Have their former Majesties'' situation got worse?"


    "It''s not getting worse, but it has showed no signs of abating."


    This was what Yun Shang had expected. She believed that the mastermind behind the scene was just trying to distract her and Luo Qingyan''s attention. If something bad really happened to Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling, they would not let him go.


    Therefore, the poison he had put on Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling looked dangerous, but it would not endanger their lives.


    Yun Shang responded and walked to the bedside to check the pulse for them two, and found their situation was as the imperial physician said.


    Yun Shang stood up, washed her hands and we


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    nd that his breath was gone either.


    He is dead."


    Yun Shang straightened up with an indifferent look.


    "How could it be..."


    Seeing this, the doctor who took out the so-called antidote turned pale all of a sudden. He threw himself at the medicine man in disbelief, looked at him carefully for a moment, and then collapsed to the ground, "How could he die? It''s impossible... "


    Luo Qingyan looked at the doctor and said, "Guards, take him out."


    The guards took him away, and the other doctors dared not act rashly. They only took a few steps backward.


    Luo Qingyan glanced at them and looked at the disciple of so called Lin Miao''s, "This gentleman seems to know a lot about poison. Why don''t you stay in the palace and help me to see carefully what poison it is?"


    "Yes, your majesty."


    After several of the doctors were all taken away, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Your Majesty, do you suspect the disciple of so-called Doctor Lin Miao''s?"


    Luo Qingyan didn''t say yes or no. He just smiled and then replied, "I''ve never heard of this person''s name. I just want to ask someone to investigate it."

 Chapter 1378 Get Rid Of Them All

    Yun Shang felt something strange. "Maybe we haven''t heard of the name of the magic poison doctor. But even his master is very powerful in making poison and detoxifying, it''s impossible for him to know all kinds of poisons, let alone telling from the symptoms of these people that the poison is not owned by the State of Xia."


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and said, "I think there must be something wrong with this person. What he said before is to make us pay attention to the fact that the poison is not from the State of Xia."


    "If it''s not from the the State of Xia, it might be from the State of Ning, the State of Yelang, or the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai, whose envoys are now in the Jin City."


    "It''s most likely that he did it to shift the suspicion onto others."


    "Shift the suspicion onto others." Luo Qingyan repeated Yun Shang''s words in a low voice. With a smile at the corners of his mouth, he said, "Your majesty is smart."


    "Since that person has already given such a clue, why don''t we follow it and see


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    raised her eyebrows, "Your Majesty hasn''t agreed yet?"


    "How do your majesty know?" Luo Qingyan smiled.


    "If your majesty agreed, you would''ve told me that you had agreed to Ling Ziyue''s proposal when you mentioned this matter just now."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and nodded, "Yes, it''s true."


    Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan and asked, "Your Majesty, since you have made up your mind, why didn''t you agree? Do you want to put Ling Ziyue in suspend so that he can agree on more conditions?"


    Luo Qingyan shook his head, "Although Ling Ziyue may need a partner in his fight to control the world, it''s not necessarily me or the State of Xia."


    Yun Shang was more confused.


    "Now the State of Xia is still suffering from the internal strife and external strife. I can''t put them aside for overseas expeditions. It''s meaningless to do that."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Then, Your Majesty..."


    Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "I want Ling Ziyue to play a play with me and help me get rid of all the internal strife and external strife first..."

 Chapter 1379 To Sow Seeds Of Future Trouble

    Yun Shang thought of what Luo Qingyan had said before, and she immediately understood, "Your Majesty, do you mean that since someone wants to make use of this event to sow dissension between us and the State of Youyue as well as the State of Yihai, we will just take advantage of the opportunity?"


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes."


    Then he turned to Yun Shang with a smile, "Who on earth is behind all this? Have your majesty got someone suspicious in your mind?"


    "Xia Houjing and the State of Yelang."


    "Oh?" Luo Qingyan''s smile deepened, "Why are you so sure about it, your majesty? Aren''t you afraid that this is a trap set up by the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai? "


    Yun Shang thought for a moment and then replied, "It''s not impossible. But I think that as long as Ling Ziyue is not a fool, he won''t do that.


    Although the State of Xia is surrounded by strong enemies, it is still in the dominant position around at present. Ling Ziyue and his companions are still in Jin City in the State of Xia. If the


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    uckled and didn''t lie, "Your Majesty, you always look cold. If I try to flatter you, perhaps I won''t get any benefits, but will even be suspected by you. Your majesty will think that I can only flatter you and do nothing...


    But her majesty is different. Her majesty is always gentle, and as a women, she always likes to listen to others'' praise." With a bright smile, Liu Wenan went on, "Although his majesty is the Emperor, he is obedient to the Empress. I''m trying to make the Empress happy. It would be great if the Empress can put in a good word for me in front of his majesty."


    Yun Shang laughed even louder.


    Luo Qingyan couldn''t help smiling, too, "You are such a cunning man."


    Then Luo Qingyan turned to look at Yun Shang. Seeing that Yun Shang couldn''t stop laughing, he said to Liu Wenan, "For the sake of your making the Empress so happy, I won''t punish you for what you have done. I''ll give you the jade carving you''ve always wanted later. "


    Liu Wenan was even happier, "Thank you, your majesty."

 Chapter 1380 When Will The Fire Start

    After Liu Wenan left, Luo Qingyan turned to Yun Shang, "The idea you mentioned just now is very mysterious and feasible."


    Luo Qingyan thought for a while and came up with a general plan in his mind, "Wang Jinhuan just came from the State of Ning with a lot of secret guards. Most of them haven''t shown up in the State of Xia. Thus they could mingle with ordinary people and hide their identity, without exposing anything.


    It''s easy to deal with Xia Houjing. He is still in our hands now. And we can put something on him as we like. As for Cangjue Qingsu, I''ll send my secret guards there. I think it won''t be too difficult to let the secret guards in the State of Yelang cooperate with them.


    As for that thing you mentioned, do you have a way to deal with it?"


    Yun Shang nodded, "There is a way, but it also means there is no way?"


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"


    Yun Shang whispered to Luo Qingyan, "I got it from the Ghost Doctor. It''s too dangerous. I don''t know w


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    Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and said, "There are only a few tall buildings in the palace, but I haven''t heard that you have decorated any of them. Where will you take me to enjoy the moon?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled mysteriously, "Who said that the moon must be appreciated in those buildings?"


    Why not then?


    Yun Shang looked suspiciously at Liu Wenan, "Master Liu..."


    Liu Wenan coughed and then replied, "It''s useless to look at me, your majesty. His majesty has reminded me that I will be beaten if I tell you."


    Luo Qingyan chuckled with a smug expression.


    Yun Shang had to get on the imperial carriage and follow Luo Qingyan.


    But along the way, the place seemed to be more and more remote. Yun Shang was more and more confused, "If we keep going forward, it should be the martial arts performing field, right? There is nothing but a flat ground and a lake.


    There is really nothing here."


    Yun Shang took a look at Luo Qingyan, who pointed to the distance with a smile, "Look..."

 Chapter 1381 Soar Into The Sky

    Yun Shang looked in the direction Luo Qingyan pointed, "That''s... Kongming latern?


    Why is there so big Kongming latern?" Yun Shang''s eyes were full of surprise, "What''s the use of the big basket beside Kongming latern?"


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "This is a new product made by the people from Ministry of Works under the instruction from Ling Ziyue''s attendants. It''s the same as Kongming latern, but it needs more firewood. Besides, we need to set up a special person to control its direction and the fire. People can sit on the basket..."


    "Then they can soar into the sky?" Yun Shang blinked.


    Luo Qingyan was almost choked. He cleared his throat and then said, "We still need to think about it further. Let''s wait for dozens of years and settle the problem. Let''s go up there first and enjoy the moon."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and asked curiously, "What about Chengye?"


    Luo Qingyan touched his chin and said, "This is a new stuff. Although I''ve sent people to try it several times, it''s still not safe enough. I''ve as


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    ? "


    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang and felt amused, "Don''t you know where your palace is and what it looks like?"


    "Yes, I do." Yun Shang thought for a moment and then replied, "Your Majesty said this stuff was not very fast. It''s about seven hundred meters from Weiyang Palace to here. How long will it take to get to Weiyang Palace from here then?"


    "We''ll know it after a try."


    Luo Qingyan said with a smile and sent a message to the secret guard.


    Then they floated towards the direction of Weiyang Palace.


    Luo Qingyan took a piece of moon cake from the table and handed it to Yun Shang. Then he poured a glass of wine and handed it to Yun Shang, too, "It''s Mid- autumn night. The moon is just right. The Empress doesn''t appreciate the moon, but keeps staring at the direction of Weiyang Palace. What are you planning?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and smiled, "I''m thinking that we''re going to burn down the Weiyang Palace today. Why don''t we pretend that something happens to the stuff and it falls down..."

 Chapter 1382 It Fell Down

    "But this stuff was made with the assistance of the State of Youyue. If something happens this time, it will easily arouse suspicion that the State of Youyue is behind the scene and that they do it on purpose."


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Your majesty, this is a very good plan. The State of Youyue will bemade the fall guy for the affair again."


    "Haven''t your majesty asked me to perform well in this show? Since we want to give a show, this will naturally be the best arrangement. " Yun Shang took a sip of wine and then went on, "Once something happens to this Kongming latern and it is just blazing down to the Weiyang Palace, I can take the opportunity to fly into a rage and right away launch an attack against both the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "And then... Everything will be as your majesty wish, "


    replied Luo Qingyan. Then he smiled again and said, "I''ve said that today is Mid- autumn Festival. We should enjoy the moon well. Let''s not talk about anything else.


    Now that your majesty have broken the rule, should you..." Luo Qingyan looked up with


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    oy the moon, the others in the clan had no interest in it now. Only the children in the yard still felt fresh and kept staring at it.


    Soon, the performance on the stage began. The yard became lively all of a sudden. Except for the sound of gongs and drums, the other sounds gradually faded away.


    Taking a look at Cao Yi, Old Lady Cao said in a low voice, "You can go and wait in my yard after the dinner."


    Cao Yi responded in a low voice while fixing his eyes on the stage.


    Looking at the secret movements between the two people sitting in the front, Cao Han slightly pursed his lips. A dark light flashed through his eyes, and he froze up for a second.


    Someone suddenly reached out and held him by the hand. Cao Han was stunned and turned around. It was his wife looking at him with a smile.


    Cao Han''s eyesight softened. He held his wife''s hand back and lost in thought.


    The play on the stage just came to half of it when a cry of surprise suddenly rang out, "It fell! It fell down! That big Kongming latern! It suddenly fell down! "


    "Ah! And it is on fire! It''s on fire! "

 Chapter 1383 Auspicious Fire

    Everyone looked in the direction of the Imperial Palace and saw that the huge Kongming latern that had been swaying in the air before had now become a huge fireball.


    There were also small flames that kept falling from the fireball, and no one knew where they fell.


    The big Kongming latern was completely on fire. A part of it suddenly fell down while the wreckage kept on floating in the air for a while before it slowly fell towards a place.


    "It has fallen down!"


    The child''s voice rang out in everyone''s mind. The night sky had returned to peace, but everyone''s eyes were still fixed on that place.


    After a long while, Old Lady Cao turned around and fixed her eyes on Cao Han, "You just said that this stuff, was..."


    "It was made by the servants brought by Prince Ming Yue from the State of Youyue as well as the people from the Ministry of Works," answered Cao Han hurriedly. He seemed to know what she was thinking.


    With a smile at the corners of her mouth, Old Lady Cao replied, "Well, Prince Ming Yue may be afraid that the Emperor and the Empress trust him too much."


    Cao Yi turned his head and said in confusio


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    Old Lady Cao asked in a trembling voice, "Is it a trap set by the Empress?"


    "I don''t think so." The butler''s voice was also very serious, "We have confirmed his identity through our eighteen investigations. He has now been sent to the Xige Courtyard through a secret passage. I''ve confirmed that no one is following us. "


    "Okay!" Old Lady Cao nodded and said, "Today''s fire comes at the right time. It''s our auspicious fire.


    But as the young master has escaped, both the Emperor and the Empress will feel suspicious of us. Thus we can''t see the young master for the time being. Everything should go well these days and don''t show any abnormality."


    With that, Old Lady Cao looked at Cao Han and pointed out, "Especially you."


    Cao Han hurriedly nodded his head and said yes. Old Lady Cao snorted and continued, "As for the young master, we''ll let the spies settle him down carefully first and let them report the current situation to the young master and ask him if he has any opinion on what we should do next.


    Now that the real young master has come out, we can completely set our minds at ease. Let''s have a good fight!"

 Chapter 1384 No More Worries

    "He has run away?"


    in the Taiji Palace, Yun Shang leaned against the couch and asked Luo Qingyan with a smile.


    "Yes, he''s run away."


    Luo Qingyan took the sachet from his waist and played with it, "I''ve ordered the secret guards to chase after him about a quarter of an hour later. He will have completely disappeared then."


    Yun Shang nodded and kept silent for a while. Then she asked, "Is there any news from the Cao mansion?"


    "After the Weiyang Palace was burnt down, the news was spread to the Cao mansion. Old Lady Cao summoned her sons to have a meeting in the study for about four hours. Later, the butler of the Cao mansion went in again. I think it''s because he got the news that Xia Houjing has escaped."


    Yun Shang smiled, "The Cao clan must know that we have been suspicious of them. I''m afraid that they won''t go to look for Xia Houjing for the time being after hearing the news."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t take it seriously at all. He replied, "It doesn''t matter whether they will go to find him or not. With your poison in his body, I am sure Xi


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    ent here early in the morning by the Shangyi Bureau.


    Yun Shang changed her clothes, made a simple bun, and put on a hairpin. Then she walked to the door of the inner hall.


    "Your Highness, you should be smart enough to know why I did this." Luo Qingyan''s voice was calm, but also cold, "After this incident, I will work together with his highness to open the southeast door of the State of Xia and go on an expedition into the world."


    "Hahaha!" Ling Ziyue was also very happy, "Your Majesty is really smart, far sighted and insightful.


    It''s not that I didn''t think about cooperating with the State of Yelang, or... other forces in your state. After a few rounds of comparison, I think your majesty is the best choice, no matter in your vision, ambition, or strategy.


    I will only cooperate with the most capable person. Of course, I will never let your majesty regret. Please believe me. I''ll do my best to cooperate with your majesty this time. Your majesty, I am sure we''ll have no more worries when both external and internal troubles are eliminated. "

 Chapter 1385 Why Not Take The Initiative To Attack

    Yun Shang kept silent for a while and turned back.


    After a while, Luo Qingyan''s furious voice came from outside, "Guards, send Prince Ming Yue from the State of Youyue to the prison of Ministry of Justice and lock him up!"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and thought, ''Are they acting so seriously?''


    The noise outside was getting lower. After a while, Luo Qingyan came in.


    "Are you awake?" Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows, "Why don''t you call someone?"


    "I didn''t say anything because I heard your majesty and Prince Ming Yue were discussing something important outside," said Yun Shang.


    "Nothing important," Luo Qingyan smiled, "Don''t do this next time. Just call someone in when you wake up. It was almost noon. Your majesty must be very hungry? I''ll ask someone to prepare the food. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "Your Majesty have locked up Prince Ming Yue?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan''s expression didn''t change at all, "We have to act well to deceive others. Besides, this idea was proposed by Prince Ming Yue himself. Since he has said so, how can I refuse? "


    Yun Shang smiled and pointed out,


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    I have no reason to go to the State of Yelang. No one else will have thought of it."


    Yun Shang paced back and forth in the hall, "Now we are facing internal and external strife. The internal strife is about Xia Houjing and the Cao clan. Maybe there are other forces, but the external strife is mainly from Cangjue Qingsu.


    Your Majesty has sent people to poison Cangjue Qingsu, but he is a cunning man. The secret guards may not easily succeed in the job.


    With your Majesty in charge of the Jin City, neither Xia Houjing nor the Cao clan can stir up any trouble. Thus I can go to the State of Yelang and solve the problem of foreign invasion. "


    Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan, "The war between the State of Ning, the State of Xia and the State of Yelang has been going on for a long time. Both the people at the borders and the entire State of Xia''s National Treasury have been dragged down. We can''t delay it any longer.


    It''s time for us to settle the problem with Cangjue Qingsu.


    It''s better to take the initiative to act than wait for the news from the State of Yelang in the palace."

 Chapter 1386 Seize This Opportunity

    Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang without saying anything for a long time.


    When he proposed this idea, he had known that Yun Shang would definitely not agree with him. He had supposed that Yun Shang would try every means to go on this trip, but he did not expect that Yun Shang would propose this idea.


    "Why?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Why don''t we investigate about the Dragon Mountains? Now that I have known that they just want to make use of the matter about Dragon Mountains to lure me out of the Jin City, why should I keep on doing that? They have already known that we are investigating about the Dragon Mountains. Even if we go there, we may not be able to find out anything. We may just put ourselves in a passive position. It''s not worth it.


    It''s better for us to take advantage of this rare opportunity to completely cut off the source of the problem."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up.


    Luo Qingyan sighed in his heart. He knew he should have refused it.


    Just as Yun Shang said, Cangjue Qingsu was cunning. He was in the State of Yelang, his lair, while she was unfamiliar with


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    were full of inquiry, "It''s a good opportunity for you, in this case. Now that such a thing happened in your eldest brother''s mansion, whether inside the mansion or outside, there are a lot of rumors. I''m afraid it''s not easy for Cao Yi to become the head of the family.


    I hope to take advantage of this opportunity to help you ascend the position of the master in your clan... What do you think of it? "


    It seemed that Cao Han didn''t expect that Yun Shang would bring this issue up at this time. The surprise in his eyes was not false, "To take this opportunity?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang smiled, "Now your eldest brother is just in a mess, so he must have no time to deal with these things in the mansion. I''m afraid it''s not just you. Anyone in your mansion who has a crush on the position of the chief won''t easily give up this rare opportunity. We can just seize the opportunity."


    Cao Han thought for a moment and gently bit his lower lip, "What do you want to do, your majesty? What do I need to do? I will do whatever the Empress asks me to do... I''ll seize this opportunity. "

 Chapter 1387 Instigate Him To Defect

    Yun Shang fumbled for the embroidery on the handkerchief in her hand casually while replying, "I''ve secretly contacted your sister-in-law''s parents. What your brother has done is indeed heartless. Your sister-in-law has a grudge against him. If I secretly support them, they will definitely dare to turn around and deal with your brother.


    Your sister-in-law has been in the Cao mansion for so many years, and she is your brother''s wife. She must be very clear about him. If she changes sides, the situation will be very advantageous to you. "


    A glimmer flickered in Cao Han''s eyes and he asked, "Your Majesty, do you mean that I should contact my sister-in-law in secret? And then we can fight against my eldest brother together? "


    "No."


    Yun Shang shook her head and replied, "Your eldest brother is indeed an extremely important opponent on your way to become the chief of the Cao clan, but he is not the only opponent.


    You are now not strong enough, and no one else will take you seriously. This is an advantage for you, actually. In the current situation,


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    Yun Shang smiled, "We don''t need to deliberately instigate them to change sides ."


    "We don''t need to?" Qian Zhuo was confused.


    Yun Shang nodded, "As long as something happens to Xia Houjing and the Cao clan is surely involved. At that time, someone will voluntarily surrender themselves."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up, "I even feel that this moment is a rare opportunity."


    "This moment?"


    Yun Shang nodded, but said nothing.


    Now that Xia Houjing had escaped, he had to hide himself.


    Luo Qingyan said that after Xia Houjing left the palace in the middle of the night yesterday, the butler of the Cao clan had entered the study where Old Lady Cao and several masters of the Cao clan were having a secret meeting. They must have then known that Xia Houjing had escaped.


    And they all knew that the Cao clan had something to do with Xia Houjing.


    If at this time, his majesty should issue a notice to chase after the key criminal of the court and emphasize that if anyone finds out to keep the key criminal, generations of his family will be implicated.

 Chapter 1388 To Fight Desperately And Survive

    This move might not be able to make people take the initiative to join into their camp, but at least it would have a certain deterrence effect.


    Then, they could slowly add some fuel to the fire, and some people would be unable to bear it.


    Yun Shang smiled. Although she and Luo Qingyan had made up their minds to start with Xia Houjing and Cangjue Qingsu, the Cao clan must be removed as well.


    Otherwise how could they allow others to covet by their side?


    When Yun Shang arrived at Weiyang Palace, she saw that everything there was burnt beyond recognition.


    "During the year I stayed in the Weiyang Palace, it was burnt by fire twice. The name ''Weiyang'' means peace, joy, no disaster, no trouble but with boundless happiness. But in fact, it''s not as auspicious as its name indicates.


    I have to change the name of Weiyang Palace after it is repaired."


    Qian Zhuo was standing by the side. She smiled, "What kind of name do you want to change for the Weiyang Palace then?"


    Yun Shang thought for a while and then replied, "The name Weiyang came from two l


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    d, but soon she turned serious, "In the past two days, I''ve carefully investigated what happened in the palace and the whole Jin City during my absence, and roughly known what your majesties are facing now. What are you going to do next, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang turned to Ning Qian, "What do you think I should do?"


    Ning Qian didn''t seem to be surprised that Yun Shang would ask her this question. She thought for a moment and then replied, "To be honest, judging from the current situation, your majesties seem to have fallen into a great crisis. It seems to be a passive position with a lot of dangers all around. The situation is very bad, but..."


    Hearing the last word from Ning Qian, Yun Shang couldn''t help smiling, "But what?"


    "But... There is a saying in the art of war, that is to fight desperately and survive. " Ning Qian''s eyes flashed with coldness and harshness, "Your majesties are now in great crisis with difficulties on all sides, and it seems that you have to fight desperately. Next, I''m afraid you''ll have to find another way to survive."

 Chapter 1389 Take Concubines

    Yun Shang smiled, "It''s true that we are beset with difficulties on all sides, but it''s still far from the real impasse. They suppose that if they surround us, we will have to tear a hole in their siege before we can escape.


    But they don''t know that we... we can go onto the top of the mountain or deep into the sea. "


    Ning Qian turned to Yun Shang and raised her eyebrows, "You''re right. It''s impossible for anyone else to do such a thing, but it''s not impossible for your majesties."


    Yun Shang sensed the teasing in her words. She raised her hand and gently tapped her on the temple, "Is everything ready in the mansion?"


    "Yes, everything is ready."


    Yun Shang nodded, "How is Yaya? How is she doing these days? "


    "She is fine." Ning Qian sighed, "Wang Jinhuan has spoiled the little girl so much. He has been playing with her in the mansion these two days. They are about to tear the mansion down. The little girl can get whatever she wants, and there is a silly father accompanying her. Why ca she not enjoy the present life?"


    Yun Shang couldn''t help laughing, "Yaya is so cute. If I had such a daughter, I would


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    Shang had been living in the royal family of the State of Ning for two lifetimes, which was enough for her to understand that it was difficult to have a pure father and daughter relationship in the royal family.


    The so-called father and daughter filial piety was nothing more than painstaking efforts.


    After saying that, Ning Qian kept silent for a while and then continued, "After I returned to the State of Ning with Wang Jinhuan, His majesty of the State of Ning found a title at random, entitled Wang Jinhuan''s father the title of Uncle Shoushan, and withdrew his real power in the six imperial departments."


    Ning Qian took a look at Yun Shang and said, "I''ve thought it over. The emperor of the State of Ning did this on purpose, probably because of Wang Jinhuan."


    Yun Shang nodded slightly and then said, "His Majesty trusts Wang Jinhuan. He has been with his majesty since he was still Prince Jing and now his majesty has become the emperor of the State of Xia. Wang Jinhuan has an important position in the State of Xia. It will naturally be inappropriate for his father to hold real power in the State of Ning. "

 Chapter 1390 Take Care

    "Here is the thing." Ning Qian smiled, "We all know that. Although my father-in-law pretends to be happy, he is still a little unhappy in his heart."


    After saying that, Ning Qian waved her hand and said, "But telling your majesty this, I don''t mean to complain to you. I just want to tell you that the emperor of the State of Ning is still the emperor himself. He has been in the throne for so many years, and he always knows what to do is the best for himself, and for the good of the State of Ning.


    As for the Empress Jin, she knows the emperor of the State of Ning very well. She also knows what to do is the best for herself, for your majesty and for Chenxi, the Prince. So your majesty, don''t worry too much... "


    Yun Shang kept silent for a long time.


    After a pause, Ning Qian continued, "At the time when his majesty was Prince Jing in the State of Ning, he was also one of the persons that the emperor of the State of Ning feared most. Maybe even now, the emperor of the State of Ning hasn''t really relaxed his vigilance agains


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    to deceive others by doing so. It will be much easier if we leave the Jin City for hunting. "


    Luo Qingyan narrowed his eyes and said, "There are many opportunities all the way, including the temporary imperial palaces.


    "Neither us nor our opponents know much about the temporary imperial palaces along the way. And no one knows what we are going to do now. We can figure out what will happen along the way in advance.


    At that time, we will decide how to perform this play."


    Yun Shang tapped the table with her fingers. After a while, she nodded, "Your Majesty is right. That''s a good idea. Just do as your majesty ordered."


    Luo Qingyan raised his hand and stroked Yun Shang''s hand, "Well, I''ve arranged everything. We''ll set out on the ninth next month."


    "On the ninth next month? the Double Ninth Festival? "


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "The Imperial Astronomer has calculated it carefully. The ninth of next month is a good day."


    Yun Shang said helplessly, "Since your majesty has arranged everything, what else can I say?"

 Chapter 1391 The Safer I Will Be

    As soon as the other servants left, the fake Gong Sijia restrained herself and looked obedient.


    "Your Majesty."


    Yun Shang nodded, "What''s your name?"


    Of course, she asked about her real name.


    "My name is Lou Qiang."


    "Lou Qiang." Yun Shang looked up at her and said, "You have been in the posthouse for more than 10 days since the Wanshou Festival. Have you found anything?"


    Lou Qiang lowered her eyes, looking humble and devout, "That day, after I returned to the posthouse, Prince Ming Yue came to see me. I answered his questions following your majesty''s instruction. Prince Ming Yue didn''t show any doubt about it and left soon.


    In the next few days, Prince Ming Yue came to my yard twice. I was a little flustered and chose several alternative topics that I had prepared, trying to divert his attention, but they were all useless. "


    "They were useless?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows.


    "Yes, your majesty." Lou Qiang frowned and then replied, "It seems that the relationship between Prince Ming Yue and Princess Ming Yue is not very deep. Even if we both stayed in the s


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    s sent by Ling Ziyue, I wouldn''t lose my temper, either.


    Not only wouldn''t I lose my temper, but I would also try my best to pretend not to know it. When the spy believed everything without any doubt, I could pass on the information to Ling Ziyue according to my real intention."


    "You are right."


    Yun Shang smiled and looked up at Qian Zhuo. "Speaking of the disguise, I think of one thing. I''ll leave the Imperial Palace and the Jin City for a while. You know that. "


    Qian Zhuo nodded. Of course she knew it.


    "At that time, you will disguise yourself as me and go to the Yong An Village in Ganhe County to investigate about the Dragon Mountains."


    Hearing this, Qian Zhuo frowned, "Your Majesty, don''t you want me to serve you by your side?"


    "You are the most capable maid around me. Of course I hope you can handle the most important thing." Yun Shang smiled and went on, "Not everyone can pretend to be me and go to the Ganhe County.


    The person who disguises as me must be very familiar with me and be able to imitate me. The more you act like me, the safer I will be. "

 Chapter 1392 Heroes Cherish Heroes

    Qian Zhuo pursed her lips and seemed to have a temper.


    The smile in Yun Shang''s eyes widened, "Anyone who keeps an eye on me will think that I''m going to explore about the Dragon Mountains in Ganhe County. No one can expect that I''ll go to the State of Yelang.


    I won''t be safe unless they believe that I really go to the Ganhe County. I don''t dare to hand this task over to others. Only you can do it so that I will be more relieved.


    You have been serving me all the time and know me very well. Even some of my little actions are clear to you. Besides, I almost didn''t hide anything from you. You can make some arrangements and deal with them more skillfully. At least, it won''t be found out at once that it''s not me who do it. "


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Qian Zhuo raised her head slightly and said, "Of course. When it comes to choosing people to imitate your majesty, if I think I''m second, no one dares to be first. "


    "That''s it." Yun Shang agreed, "So I am totally relying on you. Are you confident that you can handle it well?"


    Qian Zhuo meditated


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    d and replied, "I sent several secret guards this morning to inquire about the situation along the way from the Jin City to the temporary imperial palace. I''ll issue an imperial edict after I figure out that the secret guards have arrived at the temporary imperial palace in a few days."


    Yun Shang glanced at Luo Qingyan and said, "The Mid-autumn Festival has passed. We''ll wait for the emperor to issue an imperial edict and then make preparations. We''ll be delayed on the way. When we arrive at the temporary imperial palace, winter will come, won''t it? Then why should we call it autumn hunting? Just call it winter hunting.


    Besides, it''s cold. It''s snowing in the mountain. Even wild animals won''t come out, and we can''t hunt anything, right?"


    "HMM..." Being seen through, Luo Qingyan didn''t feel guilty. He just let out a cough and then said, "No, it won''t. The temporary imperial palace is in the south, much warmer than the Jin City. It won''t snow."


    Yun Shang clicked her tongue and didn''t argue with Luo Qingyan, "All right, your majesty decide it."

 Chapter 1393 Murderer Behind The scenes

    After saying that, Yun Shang came to her senses, "I remember that most of the hunting areas in the State of Xia in the past would be located in the places a little northward, because more beasts could be hunted over there. Why did you choose the south this time?"


    "Both Ganhe County and the State of Yelang are in the north," said Luo Qingyan narrowing his eyes, "It''s just a bluff.


    Moreover, we can choose two totally different paths from the temporary imperial palace to the Ganhe County and to the State of Yelang respectively without any overlap. In this way, I''m more relieved. "


    Yun Shang suddenly understood what it meant. Qian Zhuo pretended to be her and went to the Ganhe County. At the same time, they would also send some other people to disguise as her and go to the Ganhe County to deceive the enemy.


    However, the enemy was not that stupid. On the way to the Ganhe County, there would be people lying in ambush, waiting for them. Thus Luo Qingyan was afraid that she would run into them. In this way, choosing another completely different route was the most appropriate way.


    Yun Shang wasn''t afraid of those people wa


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    her at the beginning, "So, someone admitted the crime and pointed out that the person behind the scenes. That is Xia Houjing. Then, Ling Ziyue can be released, right?"


    "Yes, your majesty." Qian Zhuo nodded, "I''ve got the news that his majesty has ordered the prison to free Ling Ziyue."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, thought for a while, and ordered Qian Zhuo, "Go to the posthouse and invite the ladies into the palace."


    Qian Zhuo understood Yun Shang''s intention at once, "Your majesty, do you want to send those who are locked up in the Palace back?"


    "Yes." Yun Shang nodded, "send the message out and go to the Meeting Hall by the way. Ask his majesty to bring Ling Ziyue here later. When Ling Ziyue is here, he understands why I have left those women in the palace. He can restrain them in case they make trouble. "


    "Yes, your majesty," responded Qian Zhuo. She then bowed and left.


    Yun Shang rubbed her fingers gently in her sleeves. The person who had fooled them around wouldn''t have thought that Luo Qingyan would directly put the blame on Xia Houjing.


    However, it was still unknown what else he could do next.

 Chapter 1394 Xia Houjing Was Hidden By My Mother

    Yun Shang didn''t know if the person behind the scenes had any plan. However, when she counted it with her fingers, she knew Xia Houjing''s first poison attack would come soon.


    The poison wouldn''t be a big deal if Xia Houjing quietly hid himself.


    But if he wandered outside, the scene would be fun.


    It didn''t take much trouble that they returned the women members from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai to Ling Ziyue.


    Upon seeing Ling Ziyue, Princess Ming Yue''s eyes were filled with tears, but she held them back because she was afraid of something wrong. She lowered her eyes and greeted in a soft voice, "Your Highness."


    Ling Ziyue took a glance at Princess Ming Yue, looked her up and down, and then nodded. "Well, let''s go back."


    The words between them two were really limited.


    But Yun Shang could tell from their expressions that there was something special inside.


    Sure enough, the so-called maid''s comment that the relationship between them two was not good enough was probably something deliberately said to Lou Qiang.


    This was not the appearance of a couple


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    ecause I have been through many hardships in the past few years. As long as your majesty entrust the Cao clan to me, I will not fail you,"


    Yun Shang smiled and said, "Do you know where Xia Houjing is imprisoned?"


    Cao Han shook his head and said, "I don''t know yet, but..."


    Cao Han paused and then went on, "I guess if Xia Houjing is really hidden by my mother, she won''t hide him in public. In the Cao mansion, there were some... I know something about the properties that are not under the name of the Cao mansion, and I can write them down one by one. Your majesties have ordered to keep an eye on those places, and I think we will gain something. "


    Yun Shang couldn''t help but take another look at Cao Han again and nodded. "Okay, you can write it down and ask someone to submit it to me.


    As long as you behave well and work for me honestly, I will find a way to protect you safe and sound. I won''t treat anyone who is loyal to me unfairly, as long as... you work for me wholeheartedly. If you have any other intention, don''t blame me... Don''t blame me for being cruel to you. "

 Chapter 1395 To Sow Dissension

    It was not the first time that Yun Shang had said this, but it still made Cao Han''s heart skip a beat," I... I dare not to do that. "


    "That''s good." Yun Shang lowered her eyes and adjusted her sleeves casually, "Other than that, do you have anything else to report?"


    Cao Han shook his head and said, "No. I came to the palace in a hurry today just to find an excuse to report this to your majesty."


    "Okay." Yun Shang stopped and said to him, "In that case, you can go to the Meeting Hall by yourself now. Although it''s just a random excuse, the Cao clan has a wide range of contacts. We are not sure if they have planted their people in the palace. A play should be complete. Otherwise, it''s not a good thing if you are caught out. "


    "Yes, your majesty." Cao Han bowed to Yun Shang and then walked quickly towards the Meeting Hall.


    Yun Shang stood in the distance for a while before turning back to the Taiji Palace.


    In the evening, when Luo Qingyan returned to the Taiji Palace, Yun Shang told him about it, "Your Majesty, what do you think Cao Han did this for?" Yun Shang was really confuse


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    the same master.


    He then added that there was a huge gap between people''s hearts. Although your majesties'' love was deep, it was still between two people. Who knew if this love could last for a lifetime.


    After saying that, Cao Han laughed and then joked with me. He told me that he just said it casually. He didn''t mean anything else and asked me not to think too much.


    He also went on pointing out that although my position was not very high, it was beyond the imagination of many people in the court. He said that being on the side of the emperor, it was only a matter of seconds for me to become successful or to fall into hell. Although there were risks, it was also a good opportunity. He told me as long as I seized the opportunity, it would''t be difficult for me to have a very high position in the court even if I might not be a supreme official. "


    Yun Shang smiled and commented, "This Cao Han is really interesting. He probably never thought that you would tell me what he said in detail.


    He seemed to be just chatting casually, but... He was trying to sow dissension between us. "

 Chapter 1396 The Assassins

    Wang Wanzhi went on calmly, "Maybe Official Cao thought he could see through people. If he mentions this again next time, I will try to deal with him. "


    Yun Shang nodded, "You always know what to do. It''s up to you."


    Anyway, she was clear that Cao Han might not be able to appear in front of her soon.


    As Yun Shang spoke, she unfolded the paper and had a look. As Luo Qingyan expected, there were more than 10 places of properties written on the paper, followed by the name of the person who bought each house, when it was bought, and who really owned it.


    Yun Shang smiled. She and the Emperor had guessed that Cao Han would tell them seven or eight places to be distributed to the secret guards. But they didn''t expect that he was so powerful. What he had presented were not seven or eight places, but nearly twenty!


    The Cao clan really thought highly of them.


    Yun Shang took a glance at the paper and put it on the imperial table, "Okay. After the morning court tomorrow, you''ll tell Cao Han that I have known it and have discussed it with his majesty carefully. At about 9 o''


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    ainst Luo Qingyan.


    Yun Shang immediately realized what had happened just now. She slapped the edge of the pool, jumped up, pulled out the hairpin on her head, and rushed over to them.


    The secret guards had also been alerted and hurried to rescue them.


    However, those servants were good at Kung Fu. They ignored the other secret guards and rushed towards Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan. Since Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan came in to take a bath, they didn''t bring any weapons with them. They had to keep stepping backward.


    Fortunately, the secret guards reacted quickly. And there were many of them, after all, so that they quickly subdued the assassins.


    Luo Qingyan was about to ask the servant to leave for interrogation, but he saw that the servants'' faces were all dark, and their heads and ears were bleeding. They fell down quickly.


    "Daredevils."


    Luo Qingyan frowned and ordered the servants, "Clean up this place."


    Just then, they heard a sharp sound from outside, like that of fireworks rising into the air.


    "Your Majesty, someone is sending a signal in the palace."

 Chapter 1397 Getting More And More Interesting

    Luo Qingyan''s face darkened, "Send someone out to check if anyone has seen anything and where the signal came from. Investigate it!"


    "Yes, your majesty."


    Yun Shang turned and exchanged a glance with Luo Qingyan, "Anyone with the wit may know that the chances of successful assassination in the palace are very slim, but they still had to take the risk. I''m afraid that they didn''t really want to kill us. They were just testing us."


    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Now that they have bribed these servants, they could actually poison the water we bathed in if they really wanted to kill us. In this way, they were more likely to succeed. They might just want to know how many secret guards we have kept in our palace... "


    Luo Qingyan turned around and took a look at Yun Shang, whose clothes were completely wet. He took the cloak from a servant and put it on Yun Shang, "Put it on first. Don''t catch a cold. Ask someone to bring some more water here for us to bathe again."


    Qian Zhuo hurriedly asked someone to bring some hot water in, and then the voice of the commander of the imperial guards was heard from outside, "Your Majesty, I''ve heard


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    hand. He appeared to be very crazy and cut everyone he met.


    The people in the brothel tried to run away in all directions, and the noises they made were so loud that they even alerted the garrison patrolling the street. Seeing that things were getting more and more out of control, Xia Houjing''s men wanted to persuade him to leave, but they were almost killed by him. They then realized that something was wrong with Xia Houjing and knocked him out before taking him away. "


    What Luo Qingyan said was almost the same as Yun Shang had expected.


    Yun Shang nodded and couldn''t help asking, "How about the casualties in the brothel?"


    "Three people died, two of whom are from Xia Houjing''s side, and the other is a guard in the brothel." After a pause, Luo Qingyan went on, "The first person who irritated Xia Houjing was killed by Xia Houjing. His name is Cao Jin, the fifth son of the Cao clan."


    Yun Shang''s eyes lit up. This was what she didn''t expect, but she was overjoyed.


    Yun Shang smiled, "A person from the Cao mansion? Did Xia Houjing kill the people from the Cao clan? Now things are getting more and more interesting. "

 Chapter 1398 Its Boring

    Luo Qingyan nodded, "Yes, it''s indeed interesting. At the risk of their property being confiscated as well as their whole clan being exterminated, the Cao clan hid Xia Houjing. And for the sake of his great ambition and his grand plan, the clan also did their best to offer him help. However, he was killing the clan for no reason. Even if the members of the Cao clan dare not say anything on the surface, they may definitely feel uncomfortable in their hearts. "


    Yun Shang''s eyes were full of excitement, "Besides, Xia Houjing was knocked out and taken away. When he comes around and calms down, he will be like a normal person. No one can see anything wrong. Even Xia Houjing himself will think that all that has happened was only caused by his anger. The people of the Cao clan will never believe that he has done all these unintentionally. They will only think that Xia Houjing is so impulsive that he has done the killing only because of his dispute with Cao Jin. "


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan looked at Yun Shang with a smile. Seeing that Yun Shang was in high spirits, his eyes became softer. He raised his hand and gently stroked Yun Shang''s hair.


    Yun Shang didn''t


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    Zhuo nodded and said, "I''ve also heard that his majesty announced the news of autumn hunting in the south in the morning court and asked everyone to prepare for it carefully."


    "So early?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. Luo Qingyan had told her that they didn''t need to announce this to the public in a hurry and they could wait for the secret guards to explore the way first. Had the secret guards found the way then?


    Yun Shang didn''t make random guess. She planned to ask Luo Qingyan about it when he came back.


    Luo Qingyan didn''t return to the Taiji Palace until the evening. Liu Wenan was following him, with a box in his hand. Behind them were also two servants, who were carrying a large box.


    "What''s this?" Yun Shang asked in confusion, "Your Majesty went to the morning court to deal with political affairs in the Meeting Hall. Why are you suddenly back with such two boxes of things?"


    "They are what Prince Ming Yue has brought into the palace." Luo Qingyan answered casually, "Prince Ming Yue came to the palace to say goodbye, and he also sent these things, saying that they are the specialties from the State of Youyue and the State of Yihai."

 Chapter 1399 A Sense Of Chill

    "To say goodbye?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Are they leaving?"


    "Yes," Luo Qingyan sat down on the chair and replied, "Ling Ziyue said that here in Jin City, he was not only often taken as a scapegoat but also tricked one after another. He was worried that he might even lose his life for no reason.


    And actually, this time he came here in the name of celebrating my birthday. Now that the Wanshou Festival was over and more than 10 days has passed, it''s time for him to leave."


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows, "Then have you discussed the matter between you two?"


    "Yes." Luo Qingyan nodded, "After I deal with the matters between the State of Xia and the State of Yelang, I''ll let someone go the State of Youyue to send our message."


    Yun Shang asked again, "Where is he going after he leaves the Jin City?"


    "He said he would leave the State of Xia and visit other continents in the distance." Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes and went on, "Ling Ziyue said that the State of Youyue has been doing business in various continents in the past few years and knows quite well about the situation in each continent. Howev


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    ccasionally tell him something interesting from the scripts I''ve read recently, or occasionally I''ll sing one or two lines to his majesty."


    Yun Shang lowered her eyes. ''No wonder, '' she told herself.


    She realized that the influence from the people around could not be ignored.


    While thinking, Yun Shang remembered that Luo Qingyan had a good relationship with Wang Jinhuan before. Wang Jinhuan had a quick temper, but why his majesty didn''t look like that?


    At least during those years when Yun Shang just knew Luo Qingyan, his majesty was calm, steady, almost cold and detached.


    However, although Wang Jinhuan and Luo Qingyan were good friends then, they didn''t seem to be as close as now with Liu Wenan.


    Yun Shang glanced at Liu Wenan considering whether she should transfer Liu Wenan away?


    At the time being, his majesty had become more and more talkative and let out some startling statements from time to time. She was really not used to him now.


    Standing aside, Liu Wenan didn''t hear Yun Shang any further questions. He relaxed himself a little bit, but somehow he felt a sense of chill in his body...

 Chapter 1400 An Echo Of His Idea

    But on second thought, she knew his majesty was busy with political affairs all day long, and he had little spare time, let alone entertainment.


    It would be nice if Liu Wenan could help him relax himself by telling the interesting things from what he had read from the scripts.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang''s gaze at Liu Wenan softened a little, "Master Liu, what kind of story or opera scripts do you like to read? Where did you get them?"


    "What I usually read are miscellaneous, but most of them are quite interesting. I just read these books in order to pass the time and adjust my mood. And most of the story scripts are borrowed from the Imperial Library... "


    Yun Shang nodded, "There are indeed a lot of books in the Imperial Library, and every month new books are being stacked on the shelves there. However, most of them are serious books. There are not too many books of opera scripts.


    Well, I''ll ask someone to collect some interesting story or opera scripts from outside the palace and send them to Master Liu. You can read them more when you are free."


    Liu Wenan was flatte


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    dare to ride again. I used to beat and scold him a lot, but once he got near the horse, his legs got weak. Thus the chance is very limited for him to go to the battlefield.


    Fortunately, he is a good swimmer. I think if you can let him join the navy, there may be some scope for his abilities.."


    Fearing that Yun Shang might misunderstand him, Lord Hua Guo added before Yun Shang could answer, "I don''t want to get a position for him in the navy. I just hope that he can participate in the training like the other soldiers selected by his majesty so that he can seek his own future. If he can do something in the future and make contributions, it is also his fortune. "


    Yun Shang smiled, "Just for such a trifle? Grandfather, don''t worry. I will tell the Emperor about it. There have been generals in the Hua clan for generations, so the young men taught and cultivated from the clan are naturally very outstanding. Since that cousin can''t ride a horse, it''s a good idea for him to go to the navy. "


    "That''s great." Lord Hua Guo was overjoyed, "I''ll call him over to thank the Empress."

 Chapter 1401 You Must Be Safe

    Lord Hua Guo''s grandson was called Hua Tin, twenty-four years old. He was as handsome as other members of the Hua clan, looking dignified and upright.


    "Hua Tin grew up in the army barracks. He''s good at everything except riding. If you don''t believe me, you can check it by yourself."


    Yun Shang smiled, "Of course I believe you. Most of the young men descended from the immediate Hua clan circle have been taught by grandfather directly. They are all real men, steadfast and unyielding. If the cousin works in the navy, the navy will be like a tiger with wings."


    Hearing Yun Shang''s words, Hua Tin was embarrassed, "Your Majesty, I am flattered..."


    Yun Shang chuckled, "There is a saying that a thousand soldiers are easy to get, but a good general is hard to find. I believe that as a young man from the Hua clan, you''ll be an excellent general. Don''t worry. I''ll keep it in mind. I''ll tell his majesty about it after I get back to the palace. "


    "Why don''t you thank her majesty?!" Lord Hua Guo immediately kicked Hua Tin.


    Hua Tin was overjoyed and


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    He stared at Yun Shang for a long time, his eyes full of grievance and accusation.


    But after a while, he gave up and sighed, "In fact, you don''t have to worry too much about these things. I can arrange everything well. The only thing you need to carefully prepare is how to protect yourself, making sure that you will leave well and come back safe and sound."


    Yun Shang paused and looked up at Luo Qingyan.


    And Luo Qingyan looked at her quietly and went on, "To me, this is the most important thing. Once you leave and get to the State of Yelang, I can do nothing to help you being far away. I can''t even know whether you are safe or not in the first place. So I hope that before you leave, you have to carefully make preparations for how to protect yourself and how to save your life in time of danger. You must be sure what emergency measures you have prepared.


    Cangjue Qingsu can survive. I''m not afraid of him. The only possibility is that I may spend longer time to deal with him because he is a little troublesome. As for you, you must be safe!"

 Chapter 1402 Preparations

    The importance of the matter couldn''t be overlooked.


    Yun Shang nodded solemnly, "I will see to it."


    Soon afterwards, she conducted a series of preparation work.


    Now that she had promised Luo Qingyan, she would naturally live up to her words.


    "There are gold thread armors in the treasury of the palace. I''ve asked someone to bring them here. I''m going to change them to the size of your highness so that they would be a perfect fit."


    Pei Lan said in a low voice, "I have a closer look at the armors. They look slightly different from what I see your majesty wear before. It is said that the one in the treasury was newly made by the Ministry of Works. It looks the same as ordinary clothes, but only a little thicker and a little rougher. But I heard that even the extremely sharp swords can''t penetrate it."


    Pei Lan''s look was caring and serious as she continued, "Your majesty, It''s getting cold now. It''s almost winter when you arrive in the State of Yelang. It doesn''t matter if the clothes feel thicker. You must remember to wear the gold thread armor all the time."


    Yun Shang nodded, "It is indeed quite surprising that such a thing exists. Is the armor really that powerful?"


    "Yes, I thought it was inconceivable the moment I lay my eyes on it."


    Qian Zhuo added, "I''ve asked the maids to prep


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    r fingers and said slowly, "But you are going to pretend to be me. We must look identical in every detail. You see, his majesty is so worried about me when I go out, he makes sure that I will have all the luggage with me. If you don''t have all the luggage with you, I''m afraid people will suspect you. The more prepared you are, the less others will doubt you."


    "You are right, your highness," Qian Zhuo nodded obediently.


    She quickly noted down her orders and promised, "I''ll get ready and make sure things work out according to your plan."


    "Good. Please remember that you have to familiarise yourself with the places you are going to be."


    As she saying so, Yun Shang gazed at Qian Zhuo worriedly. Deep down, she always felt that she had missed something.


    She casually took a book over and turned a few pages before she suddenly came to her senses.


    She called out to Qian Zhuo, "By the way, we must pay attention to Cangjie Qingsu." She sat up straight and looked serious, "Although we have encountered him several times and come to know him, I still don''t know much about his current situation. I need to have a complete information about him, including his siblings, marriage, family background and so on. The more detailed, the better."


    She thought that she almost forgot her real goal this time.

 Chapter 1403 Hunting

    In the end, there were a lot of things for Qian Zhuo to prepare. Although most of the things were trivial, it did take her a lot of time to organise and implement.


    It was not until the forth of September that Yun Shang memorised all the documents brought to her by Qian Zhuo.


    With a thoughtful grin on her beautiful face, Yun Shang handed the pamphlet to Qian Zhuo. In the past a few days, Qian Zhuo was really impressed by Yun Shang''s speed of memorising things. Now she was very calm when she saw the pamphlet coming her way. She simply asked in a low voice, "As usual, I shall burn it, right?"


    "Yes."


    She fetched a fire pot, burned the pamphlet in front of Yun Shang. Then she quickly stirred the ashes with a stick, poured a cup of water into the pot, and then handed the whole thing to Pei Lan for disposal.


    "I haven''t heard anything about Xia Houjing recently," she said to Yun Shang, her voice was rather concerned. "His majesty and your majesty are leaving Jin City with many officials soon. Shouldn''t Xia Houjing take this opportunity to walk around and warn his spies in the court?"


    Yun Shang took another book in her hand. Hearing what Qian Zhuo said, she sli


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    o. I think we should observe the well-being of our people all the way south and see that once it''s getting farther and farther away from Jin City, their lives are still equally good? Are they living in the same way or there will be some major difference?


    Once we are farther and farther away from Jin City and the people''s life is obviously getting worse, then we should reflect on ourselves and find a way to solve such a problem."


    Luo Qingyan lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea from his cup and replied, "Yes."


    His agreement made Yun Shang smile, she playfully lifted the curtain again and asked, "The sun is about to set and it''s almost dark. Where are we going to rest tonight?"


    "Tavern." Luo Qingyan replied casually, "I''ve sent someone to do the set up. We''ll arrive in half an hour and can check in straight away."


    Yun Shang was happy with his arrangement, she smiled sweetly and replied, "Good."


    Just as Luo Qingyan had told her, half an hour later, they arrived at a well-decorated tavern by the road. Luo Qingyan helped Yun Shang get off the carriage and she instantly saw a lot of people kneeling by the gate, greeting her warmly, "Your Majesty, welcome."

 Chapter 1404 Clumsy

    Yun Shang was shocked by the scene. She paused for a while and looked up at Luo Qingyan. He didn''t show anything unusual. He just moved his hand over to hold hers.


    Yun Shang knew that this was the sign of his emotional fluctuation. Just then, she saw him narrow his eyes and asked sharply, "Where is the tavern manager?"


    A middle-aged man walked up to them and said respectuflly, "I''m Jingyi Tang, the tavern manager."


    Yun Shang nodded, "Since you are the manager, who are these people?"


    Before the tavern manager could answer, another man kneeling next to him said in a hurry, "Your Majesty, I''m Bingyin Wang, the governor of the county."


    As soon as he finished speaking, another man quickly added, "I''m Jinyang Li, the county magistrate."


    Yun Shang sneered, "Did I ask you?"


    The two men froze, with cold sweat on their foreheads.


    Yun Shang fixed her eyes on them and said, "His Majesty doesn''t like to attract attention when he travels. The schedule of autumn hunting was carefully arranged half a month ago, His Majesty has specially said that the officials along the way should avoid greeting him.


    I have expected that the officials of the remote small counties may not kn


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    le use to him. It is smart of him to try every means to make use of them. He must have promised them that they will be promoted and rewarded generously once he seize the throne. "


    Luo Qingyan smiled, "Well, the Empress has thoroughly read Xia Houjing''s mind here."


    Yun Shang squinted at Luo Qingyan and chuckled, "Since you have also figured out the scheme yourself, it''s easy to break it."


    Luo Qingyan didn''t seem to take it seriously. He just smiled gently at her and asked, "Break the scheme? Why should we bother to break his scheme?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at Luo Qingyan unbelievably.


    As if he could read the doubt in her heart, he simply smiled at Yun Shang. His eyes full of determination as he calmly said, "We are heading to the temporary imperial palace anyway, why should we be afraid of him sending people over to check upon us?"


    ''What he said was true, '' thought Yun Shang, as she nodded slowly.


    However, she was still thinking of the possibilities of taking advantage of Xia Houjing''s exposed scheme.


    "When we arrive at the temporary imperial palace and he dares to send someone to check upon us, we shall deliberately reveal some fake news."

 Chapter 1405 Why Didnt They Test Him

    Luo Qingyan chuckled and gave Yun Shang a thumbs up, "Well, it is really a good idea, your majesty. Xia Houjing certainly will not expect that his plan has been completely exposed when it has just begun to be implemented. Moreover, the Empress has already thought of a way to deal with it and we''ll play him at his own game. "


    Squinting at Luo Qingyan, Yun Shang turned to Liu Wenan and said, "Mister Liu, his majesty is really good at flattering people now. He has learned this very well under your expert tutelage."


    Liu Wenan was at a loss why he was suddenly involved in this matter, and he didn''t know whether it was a compliment or a disapproval. Anyway he didn''t dare to accept it, "Your Majesty, I''m flattered. I don''t deserve it. All this has nothing to do with me. It''s just that your majesty is indeed talented, and his majesty is really praising you from the bottom of his heart."


    Yun Shang nodded, and then she turned to Luo Qingyan, "Look, I''ve told you that both your behavior in this respect is very similar. Don''t you feel so ?"


    "¡­¡­"


    "¡­¡­"


    After all, Luo Q


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    ."


    "Yes?" Yun Shang''s eyes were full of doubts. Weren''t they talking about why they only tested her this time, but didn''t test Luo Qingyan? Why did he suddenly talk about the rain? And that was the connection with the fact that they stayed here for one more day and didn''t set off?


    "Last night, Shang''er took a bath before going to bed, and then in the middle of the night, you asked for a hot bath again," Luo Qingyan pointed out.


    ''Is there anything wrong with it?''


    as soon as this thought flashed through Yun Shang''s mind, she saw Luo Qingyan''s smiling eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she suddenly understood what he meant.


    Last night, because Luo Qingyan was gooey over her until midnight, she was sweating all over. Thus she ordered hot water and took a hot bath at midnight.


    Today, they just wanted to test her because they knew what happened to them last night. As long as they made sure that she was real, they knew that Luo Qingyan was definitely not a fake.


    After all... She couldn''t be with anyone else except Luo Qingyan... to sleep on the same bed.

 Chapter 1406 Pigeons

    Yun Shang couldn''t help but clap her hands and exclaimed, "Wonderful!"


    "If Xia Houjing is behind all this, he won''t necessarily tell them what to do in detail as he was far away in Jin city. He will probably just let them do things at will."


    "Those two officials are indeed stupid. However, this dumb woman is quite interesting."


    Luo Qingyan raised his eyebrows and glanced at Yun Shang, then he slowly said, "A dumb girl may not be a real dumb girl. Sometimes, people with obvious flaws might make us less vigilant."


    "I see what you mean. That move of his is even more powerful." Yun Shang curled up her lips and said, "if she is not a dumb woman and she has pretended to be deaf for more than twenty years. With such patience and endurance, she sure is one who can achieve great things."


    Seeing Luo Qingyan keep staring at her, Yun Shang smiled and explained, "Your Majesty, don''t worry. I know she has a different position from us now. I won''t alert the enemy at this critical moment."


    "But we can keep an eye on her. When everything is sorted out eventually, we can consider taking her under our control."


    Yun Shang had always been a thoughtful woman, so Luo Qingyan didn''t need to w


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    a clue where it comes from."


    Yun Shang then turned to look at the confused Chengye and asked softly, "How did you shoot down the pigeon? And where were you?"


    "I shot it down in my yard." Seeing that he could finally answer some questions, Chengye was happy and he quickly replied, "This afternoon I was practicing my horsemanship. The target I have practiced on for a long time is really boring, so I want to shoot something alive. First, I asked a servant to carry the target and run. But soon, I got bored with it. Then I saw a pigeon suddenly fly over. It didn''t fly too high, so I tried my luck with it. To be honest, I didn''t expect that I actually shot it down."


    There was a hint of disbelief in his tone.


    Yun Shang smiled and praised him heartedly, "Indeed, you are very capable."


    Then she turned to look at Luo Qingyan and said, "It''s not flying too high. Either it just took off, or it was about to land."


    Luo Qingyan nodded. When he was about to speak, he saw the servant who got flogged come back in with a painful look on his face.


    He instantly sat up straight and asked directly, "Which direction did the pigeon come from and where did it fly to? Do you still remember?"

 Chapter 1407 Everything Is Ready

    "Yes, I remember. It came from the southeast and was heading to the north." The servant knelt down and replied respectfully.


    "From the southeast to the north," thought Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang narrowed her eyes, she found the whole thing suspicious. Just then, Luo Qingyan turned to Liu Wenan, who was standing aside, and asked, "Who are on the southeast side of the yard where Crown Prince resides?"


    When Luo Qingyan and the others stayed in the tavern yesterday, the secret guards had already investigated the surroundings in detail.


    "Your Majesty, the family living in the southeast is the dumb woman who broke into the tavern before."


    "The dumb woman?" Yun Shang opened her mouth abruptly. She only knew that the dumb woman lived next to the tavern. Since the woman had been deaf and mute since childhood, she didn''t ask who else was in her family.


    Liu Wenan seemed to understand the hidden meaning of Yun Shang''s question, he quickly replied, "She has an old blind father and a young brother. They are living with her at the moment. It is said that her mother died of hard labor five years ago when she gave birth to her brother."


    "The whole family is either old or disabled. How strang


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    airs. In fact, it will be alright for me to come over during the day."


    Yun Shang knew what he meant. She rolled her eyes and said, "I''ll attend the banquet tomorrow, and I''ll deliberately expose some flaws to our hidden enemies. I''ll then leave at the banquet tomorrow."


    The fire in Luo Qingyan''s eyes was extinguished at once, "Are you leaving tomorrow afternoon already? So soon? Have you arranged everything?"


    "It has been arranged for a long time. Everything is ready. Your Majesty, please don''t worry about me."


    No matter what, Luo Qingyan couldn''t really rest assured. After a long silence, he asked, "Do you need me to send some secret guards to protect you?"


    "No, thanks." Yun Shang smiled, "It will be too obvious that your Majesty''s secret guards are to be mobilized to a large extent. I won''t be in need of any of your guards. Tomorrow, someone will come to pick me up outside the temporary imperial palace. The rest of the secret guards are waiting halfway for me. After we all meet up, we will then travel together."


    She gave him an assuring look, "In case of any accident halfway, I have also placed some secret guards in several large towns along the way in case of need."

 Chapter 1408 What Can I Do For You

    "I have prepared three paths in total, just in case. I''ve kept all the information about the towns and cities around the three paths in my mind, including the information about the officials and the wealthy merchants. I have recorded all the spies where I have to go through.


    In case of any change during the journey, I have chosen an absolutely reliable spy in every place and told them the time when I may possibly pass through that place. Whether I will pass by that definite place or not, they should deliver the news to your majesty after the time I have set. In this way, no matter what happens, your majesty will be able to know my situation and my whereabouts.


    I''ve also arranged well in the imperial capital city of the State of Yelang. I have specially arranged six or seven spies in different places there, and they do not know one another. I will choose one of the places to settle down according to the situation then.


    I have prepared all the medicinal materials and things I need in advance. There is a copy in each place along the way. The herbs are ordinary ones and haven''t been refined into poison. I have to refi


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    out for a walk, but I didn''t know where your majesty would go. According to the people in the temporary imperial palace, this is a rare scenery here. I feel that if you come out for a trip, you should pass by here."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang was surprised. She looked around and asked, "Is this place famous? What''s the view? "


    Cao Han pointed at the rockery by the side and answered, "The servants in the temporary imperial palace said that from that rockery Pavilion, one can take a panoramic view of the whole temporary imperial palace."


    After a pause, she asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to go up there and have a look?"


    Yun Shang glanced at him and said, "You come to see me. You must have something to tell me. Let''s go."


    As Yun Shang spoke, she walked towards the rockery, climbed on it and entered the pavilion.


    She knew Cao Han must have inquired about it. And just as he said, from the pavilion one was able to see the scenery of every place in the temporary imperial palace, every yard was beautiful, and the servants were seen walking around there...


    Yun Shang squinted, "Well, tell me. What can I do for you?"

 Chapter 1409 They Test Each Other

    Cao Han lowered his head, but from the corner of his eyes, he kept looking at Yun Shang, "I once told you that Xia Houjing should have been hidden by the people of the Cao mansion. My mother has always trusted my brother. Xia Houjing should have been hidden in a mansion or in a courtyard under my brother''s name. Do you still remember that, your majesty?"


    Yun Shang took a glance at Cao Han. She then quietly grasped the brocade handkerchief in her hand and slowly nodded, "Yes, I did. What''s the matter? Have you got the exact whereabouts of Xia Houjing now? "


    Cao Han shook his head and said, "No, not yet. I''m just lucky enough to be chosen to attend the autumn hunting game with his majesty. Before coming out, I was also lucky enough to be summoned by my mother. She told me again and again that since I am coming out for his majesty''s company, I should seize the opportunity and try to show up in front of his majesty, so as to seek a better future for myself.


    She also reminded me that although I am an official already, I lacked of my father''s teaching personally because he was too busy to do so before. Thus I don''t know much abo


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    st went to see Luo Qingyan, and then they two went to the Liuguang Palace, where the banquet would be held.


    On the way, Luo Qingyan walked ahead, and Yun Shang followed him three steps behind.


    They both entered the hall and took the main seats while all the officials present were sending their greetings.


    Yun Shang straightened her back. Her posture was the same as usual, but she seemed to look a little stiff today.


    The banquet began.


    The hall was full of laughter. Luo Qingyan kept turning around and talking to her from time to time.


    Every time Luo Qingyan turned around, Yun Shang would subconsciously lower her head to avoid his gaze.


    Luo Qingyan burst into laughter, "Cao Han has turned this side and looked at you seven times. If it weren''t for his usage, I really wanted to gouge his eyes out."


    Yun Shang chuckled. She lowered her head and said, "The banquet is over. It''s time for your majesty to leave with me. And I should leave too. If I leave earlier, I can get to the next place before dark. "


    Luo Qingyan paused for a while and then looked at Yun Shang for a long time. Then he said, "Okay, let''s go."

 Chapter 1410 Go And Return Quickly

    As both the Emperor and the Empress lived in the temporary imperial palace, there were more and more people coming in and out. However, Yun Shang knew that everyone who came in or out of the temporary imperial palace might be watched.


    "How are you going to leave?" Luo Qingyan had asked about Yun Shang''s plan, but he didn''t know the details.


    Thus he asked, "At this time, there are not many people leaving the temporary imperial palace. Recently, as we have lived in the temporary imperial palace, the items that may be used here are bought according to the masters'' preferences. Thus, in the past two days, many servants have been coming and going to and from the temporary imperial palace. Are you going to mingle in the crowd and leave with them? "


    Yun Shang shook her head, "No. The people who do the shopping in the temporary imperial palace have all been arranged. They are those several people who are familiar with each other. If I mingle among them with no one to support me a cover, I''ll be easily exposed. Besides, Xia Houjing might have planted his men in this purchasing group. If anything h


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    guards around her all the time, she knew them very well. Of course, she was able to imitate their style and characteristics very well.


    It was not until three or four miles away from the temporary imperial palace that Yun Shang felt a little relieved. The secret guard with her was called Gangsan. He was a man who didn''t talk much but acted very efficiently.


    Seeing that Yun Shang turned around and looked in the direction of the temporary imperial palace, he reported in a low voice, "Someone followed us when we just left the temporary imperial palace. After we left Wei City, the stalkers retreated."


    Yun Shang nodded, "It''s about the same as I expected."


    After saying that, Yun Shang looked up at the sky and said, "It''s almost five o''clock now. We''ll arrive at the Xumeng Town in about two hours. The people I arranged are there in the town, and we''ll have a change in person there. You''ll leave early tomorrow morning, and I''ll leave in the afternoon."


    "Okay." Gangsan nodded and then asked, "When we arrive at Xumeng Town, where will your majesty stay?"


    Yun Shang smiled, "Posthouse."

 Chapter 1411 The Further Away From Him, The Better He Is

    They didn''t pass by Xumeng Town''s posthouse when they came to the temporary imperial palace.


    This was just a small town, and the posthouse was very small with only one house in the yard. At present, only the posthouse manager and his family lived in the house. The manager was a man in his forties, who had one son and two daughters.


    At the moment, the posthouse manager was walking in front of Yun Shang and the other with a lamp in his hand. He looked reverent and respectful, "This place is relatively simple and humble. There is only one guest room. I''m afraid you two have to make do with it for the night. It seems that it''s going to rain at night. Please remember to close the window.


    You two just had a long journey. You must be tired hungry. I have asked my wife to cook two bowls of noodles for you. They will be served soon."


    Gengsan answered in a low voice, "All right." Then they followed the manager and went into the only guest room.


    Just as the manager had mentioned, the guest room was very simple and humble. One could see everything at a glance.


    There was only one bed, one table and two chairs in it. Maybe it''s for the


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    him, the better he would be.


    He deserved someone better. And with the help from Ghost Doctor, she knew he should be fine.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang loosened her fists and shook her head, "No, it''s not necessary. The camp at the border is a place wached by countless pairs of eyes. This time, I just want to sneak into the State of Yelang quietly and don''t want to create any further problems. So I won''t go there to see him at the time being. "


    Liu Man nodded, "Okay. It''s not difficult for Master to sneak into the State of Yelang without being noticed. Although there are many wars at the border, there are still some places that haven''t been affected. "


    Liu Man took out a map and went on, "This is a desert, not within the scope of the battle between the two sides. This is the route we have planned before. Many trade groups that are still in contact regardless of the battle between the two armies choose this path to trade. Since there is no place to hide in the desert, they can''t march on a large scale. This road is the weakest guarded. There are only a few passes. After normal inspection, they can enter the State of Yelang. "