Chapter 47: The Husband Sings and the Wife Follows

  Yun Shallow Moon's gaze also turned to the outside of the palace, where a single stem of purple bamboo stood elegantly. Rong Jing's voice was soft, but it was like a heavy stone thrown into her heart lake, making a "plop" sound and splashing up a large wave of water flowers. Her slightly moist eye sockets were covered with a layer of mist. But she saw that single stem of purple bamboo extremely clearly. The Ronghua Palace had all sorts of rare flowers and grasses outside, but it was the only one without the proud and elegant bearing of that single stem of purple bamboo.

  She thought, from now on, Purple Bamboo Forest had truly moved into her heart!

  Like all her aunts and grandaunts, she did not love the magnificent palace with golden bricks and jade tiles, carved corridors and painted buildings, but only loved the purple bamboo forest of Rong Wang Fu.

  Rong Jing withdrew his gaze, lowered his head again to look at Yun Qian Yue, and gently lifted her jade-like fingers to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Seeing that the corners of her eyes were slightly red, he suddenly chuckled and said, "If I had known that teasing you would be so useful, I would have done it earlier!"

  Yun Shallow Moon heard all the moving words and suddenly disappeared, withdrawing her gaze to look at Rong Jing.

  Rong Jing chuckled softly and said, "Today, I will keep all these fish bones as they are great heroes. If it weren't for them, how would I have known your heart's intention? You've actually fallen in love with me."

  Yun Shallow Moon glanced at the fish bones picked out on the table, and the last bit of emotion was blown away cleanly.

  Rong Jing looked at her and smiled: "Just keeping them is not enough, let's offer them all in the ancestral hall of Rong Wang Fu!"

  What would it be like if the fish bones and the ancestral tablets of the Rong Wang Fu were placed together? She stared at Rong Jing, speechless, seeing that his smile had become more serious. Her face turned black as she suddenly pushed him away, sat up straight, and hummed: "Who said I fell in love with you? No!"

  "Really?" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow and smiled at her.

  "No!" Yun Qian Yue nodded and picked up her chopsticks to continue eating fish.

  "That's not enough with these fish bones, I'll give you more to pick later, and fill the entire ancestral hall of Rong Wang Fu with fish bones." Rong Jing smiled and said, "Today there isn't, but there is tomorrow. Tomorrow there isn't, but there is the day after. One day it will be enough!"

  Yun Qian's mouth twitched slightly as she picked up a new pair of chopsticks from the table and threw them at him, "Eat your meal!"

  Rong Jing took over the chopsticks, her eyebrows and eyes full of thick joy.

  Yun Qian Yue no longer spoke, continuing to lower her head and eat fish. Her lowered eyebrows and eyes were also filled with a smile, thinking of Rong Jing's words in her heart. To truly love is to let Zi Zhu Lin forever reside in her heart, whether it be peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, crabapple blossoms, or plum blossoms, orchids, osmanthus... all flowers are forever inferior to Zi Zhu Lin! She curled up the corners of her mouth, seemingly very simple.

  The queen kept staring at the two of them with a dazed expression.

  Yun Qian Yue ate two mouthfuls of fish and suddenly remembered the empress opposite her, raised her head, and her face involuntarily turned red. She had just been moved to forget that her aunt was still sitting opposite her, and she shouted with a red face, "Aunt!"

  The queen's gaze drifted away, and she composed herself, looking at Yun Shang Yue again, then glanced at Rong Jing, suddenly smiling: "Yue Er is so lucky! The aunts have never had such good fortune! Compared to the generations of kings in the Rong Wang Fu, Jing Shi Zi surpassed them all. It's not just by a little bit."

  The cloud was shallow and the moon was bright, the empress looked at Rong Jing with a gaze that was warmer than before. Her face flushed red as she said angrily, "He is thicker-skinned than anyone else! The city walls of Tian Sheng are not as thick as his skin!"

  Rong Jing smiled lightly, "One day your face will be thicker than the city walls!"

  Yun Qian's face twitched and she stuffed a piece of fish from the plate into Rong Jing's mouth, "Don't be shy!"

  Rong Jing couldn't speak up, so he swallowed the fish meat with Yun Qianyue's chopsticks and looked at her with a deep smile in his eyes.

  Yun Qian Yue no longer looked at her, seeing the Empress smiling at them. She lightly coughed and changed the subject, "Auntie isn't interested in knowing about me? I'll tell Auntie now!"

  "Hmm, let's talk!" The queen withdrew her gaze from the two of them and nodded with a smile.

  She had not expected that Yun Shangyue and Rong Jing would be so intimate in private, with a pair of little girls sitting in front of her. This ordinary meal seemed to have brought vitality to the entire Ronghua Palace, which had been silent for years, making her heart no longer feel lonely and dead, as if she also saw hope. From behind them, she saw the purple bamboo that her aunt and elder aunts watched every day and night, which used to be covered in tears and scars, worn away by time, seemingly without any signs of life. But today, she seemed to see all the sunlight passing over the flowers and trees outside the palace, shining only on that one purple bamboo. The sun shone brightly, its beauty unparalleled.

  She thought that if the couple opposite her could be together, it would also fulfill the hundred-year wish of Ronghua Palace and Zizhulin.

  But it's easier said than done.

  She let out a soft sigh and suppressed her emotions deep within her heart.

  Rong Jing seemed to understand what the Empress was thinking, he looked up at the Empress and did not speak.

  Yun Shallow Moon glanced at Rong Jing, eating slowly as she began to speak. Starting from the day she lost her memory in the imperial palace's royal garden, where Ye Tian Yi wanted to send her to the Ministry of Justice's prison, she briefly summarized the main events after her memory loss. Of course, she omitted the parts that needed to be omitted! For example, Nan Ling Rui's fan, or the fact that her body contained thoughts from another world, or the red pavilion left by her mother. She mainly focused on telling Ye Tian Yi about the events of the past two days after his return to the capital. Especially the events that occurred this morning at the Imperial Hospital, as well as what she and Rong Jing heard in the old emperor's study.

  Her voice was extremely low, just enough for the three people present to hear. The queen had never interrupted her, listening quietly, and Rong Jing also never spoke up. After finishing all the explanations, the three of them finished their meal in silence.

  Yun Qian Yue put down her chopsticks and looked at the Empress, finally saying: "Auntie, that's it! Tomorrow night, Tian Yi will teach me."

  The queen nodded, her face solemn, and remained silent for half a moment.

  Yun Qian Yue looked at Rong Jing, Rong Jing poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, saying softly: "Moisten your throat!"

  Yun Shallow Moon took over, took a sip, and only heard the Empress finally speak up, "I said there was your mother's kind of woman, how could you possibly be an illiterate waste? I also expected that you would pretend to be something these years, but I didn't expect you to have done so many big things in private. Opening mountains and rivers to alleviate drought in the north, using strategy to resolve the disaster in the north five years ago, terracing, irrigation, and opening up tens of thousands of acres of barren land in the north into rich soil. Not to mention helping the Seventh Prince resolve the assassin sent by the Crown Prince, just those two things, if the Emperor knew about them, he wouldn't let you off!"

  "He may not know now, but he won't let me off either!" Yun Shangyue sneered.

  "It's not the same!" The queen shook her head, her voice extremely low. "If you were just a slightly talented woman who was making a small fuss, the emperor would think of you as a jestering clown, playing with you for his own amusement, and maybe he would let you fly out of your cage, or maybe he would keep you in the palace. But if your great talent has already surpassed that of all men under heaven, and every move you make can affect the changes in the imperial court's fortunes... then if you don't stay in Ronghua Palace as the empress of the Ye family, there is only one path: death. In this, the emperor was not wrong about the seventh prince."

  Yun Shallow Moon's eyes blinked, "Auntie, isn't it serious? The Emperor is already old! How could he possibly tolerate me?"

  "You still don't understand the Ye Dynasty, you don't understand His Majesty. A hundred-legged insect dies but doesn't stiffen. The great country of Tian Sheng has stood for a hundred years. Every year, countries like Nan Liang and Xi Yan offer tribute, and the four major royal families in the court are intertwined. Over the past hundred years, how many people have wanted to overthrow the Ye Dynasty, but in the end, they all died without illness? The Empress looked at Yun Shuoyue with a slightly sinking tone, "The Ye Dynasty's hidden guards are spread throughout the world, and His Majesty's ruthless heart, whoever underestimates him will die. Moon, Aunt is not speaking empty words. He is old, but his heart is even more ruthless. Just like autumn mosquitoes, when they are about to die, that's when they are at their most toxic."

  Yun Shallow Moon nodded, acknowledging that the Empress was right. The old Emperor was on his last legs and wanted to make a ruthless move to cleanse the court. However, he had not expected that his most favored son, whom he had been grooming for years, would have such deep connections with her. He had probably recalled Ye Tianyi to let him take over the reins of power and join forces to purge the Rong and Yun royal families, a major shake-up that would bring clarity to the court and prosperity to the nation. He believed Ye Tianyi had the ability to do so, but he had not expected that she and Ye Tianyi had been in secret communication for years, which was beyond his expectations. Now, Ye Tianyi's deep feelings for her had turned into a threat against him, making him regret not killing her all these years.

  "The Emperor had long intended to eliminate the Rong and Yun Wangfu. However, there hadn't been a suitable opportunity in recent years. The two generations of Rong Wangs were extremely cautious and had anticipated the Emperor's intentions before he could make a move, resolving several crises. As for the Yun Wangfu, it was because of my presence and that of my elder sister that we were able to avoid trouble. Now, with Moon's father being weak and never taking the initiative, although this made us appear weak, it also meant that the Emperor couldn't find any pretext to act against us. We should be on guard at all times, prepared to defend ourselves as soon as there is even a hint of trouble, which has allowed the Rong and Yun Wangfu to remain peaceful until now."

  The queen looked at the two of them, sighed, and solemnly said: "Now that you two are in love, openly asking for permission to get married, it's like putting everything on the table. This has one good thing, which is that the emperor can't make a move again. But there are many bad things. From now on, if you two really change the fate of Yunwangfu and Rongwangfu, and become a couple, then it's not impossible for Rongwangfu and Yunwangfu to flourish for another hundred years. If you two can't become a couple, then the consequences don't need me to say, you both understand. Rongwangfu and Yunwangfu will be uprooted together, no longer existing. All the branches that depend on Rongwangfu and Yunwangfu will be destroyed, the two houses will collapse, and you two will either die or one of you will live while the other dies. The person who dies will leave behind eternal regret, and the person who lives will not be better off than death."

  "Can't we just wander the world and live in seclusion? " Yun Shang Yue thought of Rong Jing telling her about the Snow Orchid Fragrance buried in Jiuhuan Mountain and the Rouge Drunkenness in Tianxue Mountain. If they were to leave and ignore these things, relying only on the two of them, could they really spend carefree days? She didn't believe it!

  "Yue'er, you're thinking too simply! The world may seem big, but it's all within the palm of one's hand. Where can you hide? Even if the ten great hermit families were to hide, could they truly escape? The imperial guards are everywhere, with countless hidden agents in every place. Can you really hide? Even if you could, perhaps with your and Prince Jing Shi's abilities, you might be able to do so. But must you hide for a lifetime? Never showing your face to the world again?" The empress looked at Yun Shang Yue.

  Yun Shallow Moon immediately dispelled the idea, shaking her head and saying firmly: "Impossible! As a human being, one must be open and honest, upright and straightforward! Why should others live openly and honestly, while I have to hide and sneak around like a street rat, with everyone shouting and hitting?"

  She wants to be free and unrestrained, traveling the world at will, but she can't live like this, always hiding and dodging!

  "It's fine as long as you understand!" The queen looked at Yun Shangyue and shook her head, her gaze falling on Rong Jing's face. Rong Jing's expression was calm and serene, she had said so much but didn't see him show any emotions. She took a deep breath and continued: "The emperor originally wouldn't let you off, now there's also the seventh prince. Although the seventh prince is protecting Yuer, this is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Have you thought about it? If the emperor and the seventh prince join forces, how will you all fare? Can you really resist?"

  Yun Qian's heart skipped a beat as she hadn't expected that the old emperor and Ye Tianyi would join forces.

  Rong Jing's expression remained unchanged as he met the empress's gaze, saying calmly: "I would gladly overturn the world and sacrifice my own life if that is what it takes."

  The queen's face changed color.

  Yun Shallow Moon's mouth twitched, and she knew that Rong Jing had gone mad. But now, she just wanted to go crazy with him. She once told the Empress that if one day she didn't love herself anymore, but loved someone more than herself, then what did it matter if the world was turned upside down? Now, Rong Jing weighed heavily in her heart, heavier than anyone else in the world, including herself. Since this was the case, why did she have any reason not to go crazy with him? She looked at Rong Jing and smiled: "Let's die together!"

  What's the difference between winning and losing? In any case, one must fight. Losing means a lonely grave, buried together with a handful of yellow earth; winning means a lifetime of mutual dependence. One can't yield without a fight. This isn't Rong Jing's style, nor is it hers.

  "Wrong, it's husband sings and wife follows!" Rong Jing corrected Yun Shangyue.

  Yun Shallow Moon rolled her eyes, "Why isn't it 'the wife follows the husband'?"

  "It's all the same!" The calm and serene eyebrows of Rong Jing were once again tinged with a deep smile.

  Yun Shallow Moon looked up at the eaves. With some sadness, she thought, not yet engaged? How did she become a woman?

  Rong Jing looked at Yun Qian Yue's somewhat depressed expression and smiled lightly.

  The heavy atmosphere in the hall originally disappeared without a trace due to the two people's conversation.

  "You have made up your minds, I won't stop you. Even if I wanted to, it seems I couldn't anyway." The empress was also amused, looking at the two of them and saying: "I originally didn't agree with what you were doing. But now that you two are of one mind, unwavering until death. Moreover, things have developed to this point, even if I disagreed, the emperor wouldn't let you off."

  Yun Shangyue withdrew her gaze from the eaves and looked at the empress. If her feelings for Rong Jing could be taken back, she wouldn't need the empress to say anything. The old emperor wouldn't let her off if she wasn't afraid, and she wasn't a soft persimmon to be manipulated by him. What did the hidden guards all over the world amount to? She had the Hong Ge, and the Hong Ge was not necessarily weak, besides, there was also Rong Jing's power.

  "The Empress looked at Rong Jing, her expression solemn. 'Since you like her and want to marry her, this life only has one person, then you must say it and do it. Love her, protect her, exhaust all means, and spare no expense.'"

  "Auntie can rest assured, I, Rong Jing, have never spoken falsely." Rong Jing nodded solemnly.

  "Hmm, I believe in your character." The queen nodded and said: "You two coming here today is just right. I can understand your situation and help you out a bit from the side. Even if I can't be of much help, I will at least not let the emperor use me to harm you."

  "This is what I meant, Your Majesty. Please don't blame me for being presumptuous and rude earlier!" Rong Jing stood up and bowed to the Empress.

  The queen smiled lightly, "Jing Shizi doesn't have to be polite. Since you and Yuer call me Auntie together, you are considered one of our own people. I am looking forward to the day of your grand wedding, which will also comfort the spirits of my aunts who passed away in Ronghua Palace. The palace will also be delighted."

  Rong Jing straightened up and smiled lightly, "That day won't make Aunt wait for too long!"

  The queen smiled and nodded.

  Yun Qian Yue thought that her aunt had gone from strongly opposing to being annoyed, then rejecting, and now finally acknowledging Rong Jing with a smile. She glanced at Rong Jing, thinking that his purpose for today had been achieved. Indeed, he didn't do anything without benefit.

  "Miss Moon, you just said that Master Pu Shang of the Lingtai Temple on Xiangquan Mountain can help you recover your memory? And break the Phoenix Tribulation set by your mother?" The empress asked, looking at Yun Qian Yue.

  "Ah, it's said to be possible!" Yun Shangyue nodded.

  "Your mother must have had her reasons for putting you through the Phoenix Tribulation back then. Your aunt also agrees with your idea, losing memories is just that, it's not a big deal, as long as you're still you, that's all that matters. However, only you know how much you and the Seventh Prince are involved now. Moreover, he threatened you with the Northern Border affair, those things can't be made public for now. Even if they were to be made public, it would have to be after your grand wedding with the Crown Prince. The Seventh Prince understands you, and before you lost your memories, you must have understood him too. So, it's best if you resolve the Phoenix Tribulation as soon as possible! That way, you can also understand the cause and effect of things. And avoid being in a passive situation like today again." The Empress sighed.

  "Hmm! I'll go to Lingtai Temple with him tomorrow." Yun Shangyue nodded, wanting to say something else, when suddenly she heard footsteps in the distance, seemingly coming from the direction of Ronghua Palace. The footsteps were different from those of palace maids and eunuchs, but rather extremely light, clearly indicating that the person had martial arts skills. Although she couldn't tell who it was, she made an educated guess, and turned her head to look at Rong Hua.

  "It's the Seventh Prince!" Rong Jing said in a light tone as he stepped forward into Yun Shangyue's line of sight.

  "What is he doing here at this time?" The queen looked out of the palace with a frown.

  Yun Shang Yue also looked towards the outside of the palace, she and Rong Jing had arrived late, now they were having dinner and chatting, delaying for so long, it was already Shen time. Although there was a morning and evening curfew, there was still an hour before the evening curfew, moreover, the princes who had left the palace to establish their own households were exempt from this evening curfew.

  The three men stopped talking and were all guessing at the meaning behind Ye Tianyi's words.

  Before long, Ye Tianyi indeed entered Ronghua Palace and said something to Sun Shunang who was guarding the door.

  The eunuch hesitated for a moment, then came to the door and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince said he knew that Miss Shallow Moon is currently in Ronghua Palace. He has come to take Miss Shallow Moon away! Tomorrow, His Majesty has arranged a schedule, but today the Seventh Prince will take Miss Shallow Moon on a trip to Lingtai Temple."

  Yun Qianyue thought that Ye Tianyi had come to pick her up! Was he going to take her to Lingtai Temple to find Master Poshan to recover her memories? She looked at Rong Jing. Rong Jing nodded to her. Yun Qianyue stood up and said to the Empress Dowager, "Auntie, I'll leave first. I probably won't be back tonight, so don't wait for me."

  "Hmm, you be careful!" The queen glanced at Rong Jing and nodded at Yun Shangyue.

  Yun Qian Yue walked out with a gentle pace. Just as she reached the door, Rong Jing's voice whispered in her ear, "Don't let him hold your hand, don't let her hug you, and after you regain your memory...don't treat him the same way as before."

  Yun Shallow Moon's footsteps paused, and she turned her head to look at Rong Jing. She saw that although his face was calm, his hands in his sleeves were slightly clenched, which was a sign of his tension. She nodded silently with a smile, saying "I know!"

  Rong Jing seemed to smile slightly.

  Yun Qian Yue said no more, and walked out of the inner hall, then out of the outer hall. She pushed open the door and saw Ye Tian standing at the entrance, looking at her. The sunset shone on his snow-white brocade robe, and his face was handsome and elegant. His beauty was not like Rong Jing's refined and elegant demeanor, which had been tempered by the years, but rather like a fine sword with its sharpness hidden after having weathered many storms. These two were incomparable. She suppressed all her emotions and walked towards him.

  "I've already sent someone to deliver the letter to Master Pu Shang, let's go!" Yè Tiān Yì looked at Yuǎn Qián Yuè walking towards him, his handsome face broke into a smile, his eyes shone with a warmth that could penetrate deep into one's bones, and his voice was also warm, "Are you riding a horse or taking a carriage?"

  "Ride a horse!" Yun Qianyue said with a warm tone, but her face remained cold. Taking a carriage would inevitably mean being in the same vehicle together, so riding horses was more comfortable.

  "Good!" Night Sky Yi responded, and turned around to walk out of the palace.

  Yun Qian Yue glanced at the purple bamboo standing in the south corner and followed him out of the palace.

  The two footsteps faded away, and Rong Jing suddenly picked up a chopstick from the table and threw it at the roof. The queen was startled, and soon heard a familiar cry of pain from the roof, followed by a figure falling down from the roof. The queen looked at the fallen person and was about to shout loudly, but remembered that Rong Jing was still there, so she forcibly suppressed her voice.

  "Rui Taizi, today's harvest is quite considerable!" Rong Jing said in a low voice as he looked at the person lying motionless on the ground.

  The queen was taken aback, looking at the person lying on the ground. The man had his back to her and seemed to be sealed off from movement, but judging by his clothes and the fan in his hand, it was undoubtedly Nan Lingrui. Her face sank, "How did Prince Rui end up here?"

  "Jing Shizi, you first help the Crown Prince unblock his acupoints. Don't think that just because you're being gentle, you can deceive me into thinking you won't harm the Crown Prince?" Nan Lingrui's voice was strange and awkward, clearly showing that he was being forced to reopen the acupoints but couldn't, and could only endure the pain as he replied to the Empress, "The Emperor has allowed the Crown Prince to move into Ronghua Palace, so naturally the Crown Prince must come to report to Your Majesty."

  "Impossible! Are you joking, Prince Rui?! How can you possibly live in this palace?" The empress stood up abruptly.

  "How could the Crown Prince possibly tell a lie, the Emperor has indeed agreed. Earlier, the Crown Prince said this before the palace gate, did the Empress Dowager forget?" Nan Lingrui gritted his teeth and shouted, "Jing Shizi, quickly help the Crown Prince open up his acupoints."

  The queen remembered that the Cold Imperial Concubine's face was ruined by Yun Shangyue, and the emperor had arrived. Nan Lingrui followed him, seemingly having said something like this before. She stopped talking and looked at Rong Jing.

  Rong Jing sat still, looking at Nan Lingrui and said slowly: "Crown Prince Rui, eavesdropping is not a good habit!"

  "This crown prince learned from Jing Shizi! Isn't Jing Shizi most fond of listening at walls?" Nan Lingrui said.

  "Crown Prince Rui's words are quite off the mark. Jing likes to press people's acupuncture points, and even after pressing them, he doesn't want to let go." Rong Jing raised an eyebrow slightly, "Especially since Crown Prince Rui heard many things he shouldn't have today, if you don't explain yourself, isn't that unacceptable? Are you saying it would be better to take your life or poison you mute and deaf then cripple your limbs and throw you into the chaotic burial grounds to fend for yourself?"

  The queen was shocked in her heart, thinking that this was the prince of Southern Liang. What would be the consequences if he were killed? She looked at Rong Jing and didn't speak up. Today's matter was indeed a secret, related to major events, and how much did Rui Taizi know about it, if he said something or did something unfavorable to them, the consequences would be unthinkable.

  "Jing Shizi, you can't be so unscrupulous as a person. I've helped that little girl several times already. Even if you don't care about the monk's face, shouldn't you at least consider the Buddha's face? If you kill me, that little girl will be heartbroken." Nan Lingrui's tone was strange and suppressed, but there wasn't a hint of fear in it. "The place where we are now is full of vicious dogs. Does Your Highness really think I, Jing Shizi, would stoop to such a level with my delicate skin?"

  "Rui Taizi can try!" Rong Jing looked at Nan Lingrui calmly. "I don't know if she's hurt or not, but I do know that Rui Taizi has no room for negotiation now. If Jing wants to kill you, it would be easy as pie. We'll talk about the future later."

  "You're a ruthless one, Rong Jing!" Nan Lingrui suddenly gritted his teeth.

  "Since Crown Prince Rui knows I'm ruthless, then let's get down to business!" Rong Jing said calmly.

  "What do you want to know? I'll tell you, the crown prince will only entrust one thing. Think carefully before asking. Don't even think about knowing more than that. Even if you kill me and throw my body in a random grave for dogs to eat, don't expect me to say another word." Nan Lingrui gritted his teeth and finally compromised.

  "Rui Taizi's fan..." Yung Jing slowly spoke up.

  "What do you want? Impossible! Everything else is fine except for this matter." Nan Lingrui immediately cut off Rong Jing's words.

  "I don't want it." Rong Jing shook his head, his eyes falling on the fan in Nan Lingrui's hand, his gaze as deep as a well. "I just want to know where this fan came from."

  "I knew you'd ask that, first unseal my acupoints!" Nan Lingrui grunted.

  Rong Jing picked up a chopstick and flew it at Nan Lingrui, hitting him on the back with a loud "slap". He grunted, stood up from the ground, his face slightly pale, turned around to look at Rong Jing, "The Crown Prince himself thought he had hidden his skills in secret, how did you detect it?"

  "This is all thanks to Auntie!" Rong Jing glanced at the Empress.

  The queen looked at Rong Jing in confusion.

  "Remember when we came in, Auntie shouted. Why did Auntie discover that we arrived?" Rong Jing asked the Empress.

  The queen pointed to the mirror on the headboard, "I wasn't sleeping at that time. I saw a shadow coming in and found you!"

  "Did Rui Taizi understand? The person reflected in the mirror at that time was not us, but you," Gong Jing explained, glancing at the mirror inside the bed curtains: "Auntie didn't have any martial arts skills, just a bit of agility. Naturally, she couldn't discover us, and of course, she couldn't discover you either. The only reason we were discovered was because of that mirror. And the direction the mirror's angle was reflecting was towards the beam and three zhang in front of her bed. When we came in, we didn't get close to within three zhang of the bed. Only you arrived before us and climbed onto the beam, which is why you were reflected in the mirror."

  "Ah-ha! A useful mirror indeed!" Nan Lingrui's eyes widened in realization as he raised an eyebrow at Rong Jing, "So you also discovered the true nature of the Crown Prince through the mirror?"

  Rong Jing shook his head, "Although Rui Taizi's hidden skills are good, they can't deceive me!"

  Nan Lingrui snorted, looking at Rong Jing, "Since you've already discovered the Crown Prince, why did you only speak out now? Aren't you intentionally giving the Crown Prince an opportunity to eavesdrop?"

  "I was thinking that Crown Prince Rui hasn't had lunch yet! What's the taste of watching others eat?" Gong Jing also raised an eyebrow and looked at Nan Lingrui.

  Nan Lingrui's face turned black, and he walked over to sit down with a plop. He said to the empress, "This crown prince doesn't eat leftover food, so please prepare another table for me, Your Majesty."

  The queen frowned at Nan Lingrui, her face stern, and reminded him: "Prince Rui, this is the imperial harem! Prince Rui being here is somewhat improper, if it gets out, not only will it tarnish my reputation, but also damage your own."

  "Why is he here?" Nan Lingrui pointed at Rong Jing.

  "The Crown Prince and the Emperor's son are naturally different!" The Empress glanced at Rong Jing.

  "What's the difference? Is it because he's Rong Jing? Or is it because he's the one your niece likes?" Nan Lingrui raised an eyebrow, glanced at Rong Jing, and slapped the fan in his hand, "One mouthful of 'aunt', Rong Shizi can call it smoothly! Want to know where this fan came from? Look for yourself!"

  Rong Jing took over the fan and slowly opened it. When he saw the handwriting on the handle, his face changed.

  "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is starving! If you don't give orders, the Crown Prince will shout out loud!" Nan Lingrui stopped looking at Rong Jing and turned to Empress Dowager. Seeing that she didn't move, he opened his mouth to shout outside, "Come..."

  "Prince Rui!" The emperor's face darkened with anger, and he sternly rebuked him.

  "Auntie, order someone to prepare another table of food!" Rong Jing raised his head and saw the Empress looking at Nan Lingrui with an unsuspecting expression. He handed her the fan in his hand and said warmly, "Auntie will know after taking a look!"

  The queen took the fan with a puzzled expression, and when she saw the words on the handle, she was taken aback. She suddenly raised her head, looking at Nan Lingrui in disbelief.

  Nan Lingrui suddenly smiled and winked at the empress, "Empress, are you sure you won't even care about a meal for this crown prince?"

  Digression

  Nan Lingrui's secret is about to be revealed! O (∩ _ ∩) O ~

  Thank you for the diamond rewards and flowers from everyone below!

  kikilovejie (100 diamonds), redamber (40 diamonds), ranxinye (10 diamonds, 100 flowers, 1000 rewards), lunaie (100 flowers), li99cc (10 diamonds, 1000 rewards, 11 flowers), keykey131488 (10 diamonds, 10 flowers), 13030701999 (10 diamonds, 10 flowers), 15923079137 (10 diamonds), huabai bukankan (2 diamonds, 4 flowers, 100 rewards), yuwenhongmgh (2 diamonds), xunmeng de xiaocizheng (1 diamond), xuhuilin (100 rewards, 5 flowers), bingcheng canliu de bingliang (10 flowers), xingfusiniang (1 diamond), jianjiase (1 diamond), e1997apple (1 diamond), myheart1218 (1 diamond, 1 flower), 499415104 (200 rewards), qingyehua zhenzhen (188 rewards), fengyun sanshi (1 diamond, 1 flower), joannahu99 (1 diamond), meomeo O (∩_∩)O~