Chapter 89 Secret Memorial

The main hall of Zhuoyun Pavilion is filled with warmth and fragrance.

The Crown Princess sat at the head of the table. She wore the attire that symbolized her status, her face still as beautiful as ever, yet a lingering sense of distance lingered between her brows.

"How is the Crown Princess?" Zhan Ruyin bowed politely and gently pushed Meng'er forward. "Meng'er has been thinking about the Crown Princess all the time, so I brought her here to pay her respects and kowtow to her."

The sound is just right.

Meng'er bowed obediently as she had learned and said in a baby voice, "Greetings to the Crown Princess."

The Crown Princess's gaze fell on the little child, and her expression softened a little. A genuine but faint smile appeared on her lips: "Meng'er is here. Get up quickly, don't kneel down and hurt your knees."

The tone was soft, yet revealed an insurmountable distance.

The conversation was all routine greetings.

Zhan Ruyin steered the topic to other minor matters, carefully and casually mentioning a few interesting stories about Prince Rui's past, with a relaxed and casual tone.

"Speaking of which, the prince got a fine sword the other day, and he was still reminiscing about having heard... uh... heard His Royal Highness the Crown Prince mention a famous blade. I wonder if the Crown Princess knows what style His Royal Highness prefers..."

She smiled tentatively.

Before he finished speaking.

She clearly caught the gentleness on the beautiful face opposite her and froze for a moment.

Almost at the same time, the Crown Princess lowered her eyes, picked up the green jade lotus leaf cup on the table, and took a sip slowly.

The gentle smile just now disappeared without a trace, leaving only the stiff line of a slightly tense jaw.

Hidden beneath those thick eyelashes was an undisguised avoidance.

Even more annoying.

It was like a basin of cold water with ice chips poured over Zhan Ruyin's heart.

The jealousy and rage that ignited at that moment were mostly extinguished by the coldness.

Looking at that pale yet aloof face, Zhan Ruyin felt a surge of sadness in her heart.

How clear-headed is she? The unpretentious avoidance and indifference in the Crown Princess's eyes are by no means a disguise.

This Crown Princess...I'm afraid even the mention of the words "Prince Rui" is too polluting for her ears?

How could a woman who had once been cherished and pampered by the distinguished Crown Prince lower her head to look at a prince who was treading on thin ice? Not to mention her husband who was full of dirty calculations!

How humiliating it is to bring shame upon oneself.

At that moment, she even felt a sense of sympathy for this cold and aloof Crown Princess.

She hesitated, wondering whether she should reveal a little bit of her mother-in-law's plan to the prince?

If nothing else... maybe... it can make the prince give up completely... and avoid unnecessary entanglement?

And at this moment.

All the slightest kindness and hesitation were crushed by the bone-chilling cold.

She finally understood everything.

As long as the Crown Princess is still in the Eastern Palace.

As long as she still occupies the only place in the prince's heart.

The heart of her husband, Prince Rui Chao Yinlong, will never be silent, and he will never look back at her, the princess.

Not to mention... he would never even look at Meng'er, his only child.

If there really was that one in ten thousand chance, the absurd possibility that his mother-in-law called a "great opportunity," then Prince Rui Chao Yinlong would have truly gotten what he wished for...

Zhan Ruyin shuddered.

Then there is the unloved and unfavored Princess Rui, and her Meng'er.

In this deep palace...where will it be placed?

I'm afraid there won't even be a place to stand!

On that day... why were you so possessed by the devil, why did you insist on marrying into this shameful royal family!

She tied her entire life and property to one man, a man who had never had her in his heart!

Now... there is no turning back!

To survive.

For Meng'er.

She could only...

His gaze fell on his own, still delicate fingers. These hands, once used only for playing the zither and painting, were now finally tainted with calculation and gloom?

A trace of cold light slowly condensed under her surging tears.

That's all.

The corners of Zhan Ruyin's lips slowly curled up, forming an arc without any warmth.

She took a slow breath, raised her hand, and used her cold fingertips to wipe away the crisscrossing traces of cold tears on her cheeks bit by bit.

The movement was neither hurried nor slow, and meticulous.

Numbness enveloped her entire body. She held onto the edge of the rosewood couch, slowly supporting her limp body.

The appearance remains the same.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, but that didn't diminish her carefully maintained elegance. The jade hairpin was cold, reflecting the flickering candlelight.

She didn't look at the dark night outside the door again.

Turn around.

My steps were a little unsteady, but I forced myself to keep them steady.

He reached out and lifted the gorgeous door curtain decorated with warm jade beads.

The curtains swayed silently.

The candlelight in the warm room flickered, stretching her figure at the doorway to appear long and lonely.

The inner room was silent, with only the daughter's even and weak breathing as the sound could be heard.

Zhan Ruyin walked step by step towards the nanmu bed with light pink curtains.

She sat down gently on the edge of the bed, and through the layers of soft quilts, her fingertips gently stroked her daughter's cheeks, which were still flushed as she slept sweetly.

The palm of my hand feels warm and soft.

She lowered her head and gazed deeply into the pure and flawless little face.

Something sank completely in the dark depths of his eyes.

…

Deep within the Imperial Garden, the "Chengxin Hall," built by the lake, was now shielded from the rustling of the wind and snow outside. The warm jade floor radiated a gentle sheen. In the enormous bronze beast cauldrons placed in the four corners, precious agarwood incense burned silently, emitting a drowsy, warm aroma.

The emperor leaned back on a rosewood rocking chair covered with thick white tiger skin. The large and soft chair body swayed slowly back and forth with his slight force, making a very rhythmic "creaking" sound.

He half-closed his eyes, looking relaxed, one hand resting on the armrest, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the smooth rosewood surface.

The hall was brightly lit with candles, but it was unusually quiet.

The heavy curtain was carefully opened a crack from the outside without making any sound.

The trusted eunuch Ying Shuo bowed silently and walked in. His footsteps were extremely light, as if he was stepping on a thick velvet carpet, but the floor of Chengxin Hall was smooth, so he still walked steadily.

He walked until he was five steps away from the rocking chair, straightened the hem of his robe, bent his knees, knelt down neatly, and lowered his body very low.

He steadily lifted a large rosewood tray above his head. Inside the tray was a thick stack of sealed, specially made folders, each with a special secret code printed on the cover.

Each one of them is a secret that has been spied on by countless invisible eyes inside and outside the capital and then passed back at the fastest speed.

"Your Majesty, all the records and secret reports from various places today are here." Ying Shuo's voice was neither too high nor too low, clear and steady.

The emperor paused tapping the armrest with his fingertips, but his eyes remained closed. His voice carried a hint of laziness, as if he had just woken from a nap. "Hmm? Today... seems a little late?"

Ying Shuo lowered his head even more. "Your Majesty, because of the auspicious snow today and the upcoming Lantern Festival, there's a lot of movement between the various government offices, and many people are coming and going from the mansions and residences. The guys who are keeping watch need to be more cautious in replying and delivering messages, for fear of revealing any traces. It's taken me a little longer than usual to collect and verify the information, and I dare not rush and delay Your Majesty's business. Therefore, I'm late. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

The words not only pointed out the objective reasons, but also emphasized the need for caution.

"It's right to be cautious." The emperor finally slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were deep, without any sign of drowsiness, and as clear as a cold pond.

His eyes fell on the thick stack of secret documents on the tray above Ying Shuo's head. "Give me Pei Ji's copy. I'll take a look first."

Pei Ji, Junior Minister of the Dali Temple. When the emperor singled out Pei Ji's name, Ying Shuo felt a chill in his heart, but his face showed no hesitation.

He remained in a kneeling position, and with his right hand holding the tray, he moved extremely deftly. His thumb and index finger quickly twisted the top of the tightly folded sheets in the tray, and accurately pulled out an inconspicuous one. His movements were covert and swift.

Then he very naturally placed the memorial on top of the ones at the top of the tray and pushed it forward steadily.

The whole action was smooth and happened in the blink of an eye.

"Hmm." The emperor sat up slightly straighter in his rocking chair. His eyes swept over the tray that Ying Shuo held steady, lingering for a moment on the secret letter that was currently at the top. He praised lightly, "You know what I want to see. How clever."

Ying Shuo instantly broke out in a layer of cold sweat on his back, and he held his inner clothes tightly to him.

He lowered his head even lower: "I am a dull servant. I only know that it is my duty to share your majesty's worries. I dare not try to guess your majesty's intentions."

"That's enough." The emperor seemed uninterested in delving into his fearful confession. He reached out and picked up the secret letter from "Pei Ji" with two fingers. Ying Shuo immediately put down the tray, knelt on the ground, stepped back half a step, and waited respectfully with his head bowed.

The yellow silk cover was easily torn open. The emperor pulled out the thin paper inside and, using the bright light from the nearby palace lantern, scanned it at a glance.

He looked very quickly, his eyes calm.

It has been confirmed that the tea drunk by Pei Ji, Junior Official of the Dali Temple, in the warm room in the southern corner of the Imperial Garden, was laced with the exotic herb "Mituo Hua." This herb is extremely potent, capable of disrupting the mind and blood circulation. The dosage was small, and the strong flavor of the tea made it difficult to detect. After Pei Ji drank half a cup, the herb's effects took effect rapidly. Observed from the dark, his blood and qi surged, his face flushed, and his ears burned.

The secret memorial devoted considerable space to a brief recapitulation of the key words of Pei Ji's conversation with his colleagues in the Southern Warm Pavilion, as well as a series of subtle movements during his subsequent walk through the Imperial Gardens and into the wintersweet grove. Though fragmented, it clearly outlined a path from a business-like conversation to his solitary, suppressed state under the effects of the drug, and finally to a secluded path.

In the warm room, his speech suddenly ceased, likely due to the effects of the drug, and his breathing became heavier. He briefly left the table, using the excuse of using the restroom. Upon returning, he exchanged pleasantries with others, appearing absentminded. He forced himself to speak briefly before leaving. He walked deeper into the Imperial Garden, his steps noticeably unsteady, and he repeatedly leaned against the wall to catch his breath, sweat visible on his forehead. Finally, he stopped at a secluded fork in the road at the northwest corner of the wintersweet grove, where he leaned against a tree and breathed for a long time.

[Secret Guard Report]: This information is circled in bold ink.

Secret Guards A and B were originally assigned to take turns tracking Pei Ji. At the beginning of the evening hour, Pei Ji turned into the northwest fork in the wintersweet forest, with Guard A following behind. The forest was thick with shadows, and the vegetation was tangled. As Guard A neared the front, he suddenly noticed the sound of light footsteps in the snow and the rustling of branches along the fork in the road ahead and to the side. He concluded that there were more than one person following him! They numbered about three or four, moving with extreme professionalism and silence. Their intentions were unclear, and they were also targeting Pei Ji.

To avoid exposing the emperor's spies and a conflict with the other party, which would expose his true identity, A immediately retreated and took a detour through a denser thorn bush on the other side. However, after half a circle and retracing his steps, he found that his target, Pei Ji, and the other person who had followed him had disappeared completely! It seemed that they had been led away by another path, or disappeared through another passage!

The emperor's gaze paused for a moment on the final section of the record regarding "encounters and loss of contact." The contents of the secret memorial played out clearly in his mind like a cold image. He closed the memorial and ran his fingertips over the cold paper.

"Ying Shuo."

"I'm here." Ying Shuo responded immediately.

"This memorial says that the young man I sent to follow Pei Ji ran into another group of stalkers in the winter plum forest?" The emperor's tone was flat, as if he was asking about a trivial matter. "And because they were afraid of alerting anyone, they took a detour and ended up losing the person?"

Ying Shuo's heart tightened as he quickly recalled the secret memorial, not daring to add or subtract anything. He immediately reported, "Your Majesty, that's correct. The records state that around the first quarter of the evening hour, Lord Pei entered a small path deep within the wintersweet forest to the northwest alone. As usual, Secret Guard A followed him in hiding, observing closely. When they reached a point in the forest where branches were densely intertwined and branches cast slanting shadows, Guard A suddenly noticed the faintest sounds of footsteps on the snow and the rustling of branches in the shallow gullies to the right and left of the path ahead. These were far more than just one person making the sound, suggesting a siege."

He paused, ensuring each word was accurate. "A is experienced and has determined that there are indeed multiple individuals lurking and following us. This is no accident! Their concealment and location seem to be specifically tailing Lord Pei. They align with the actions of our servants, but they are definitely not from the same direction! A is concerned that their intentions are unclear. If they were to be caught rashly, a conflict might ensue. Exposing one's identity would be a minor concern, but disrupting Your Majesty's control over Lord Pei's whereabouts would be a major concern. Therefore, A made a decisive decision, refusing to engage in direct confrontation. He quietly retreated to a deeper, narrow ditch covered with dead branches and thorny vines to the left and rear, holding his breath and making a detour."

Ying Shuo's voice remained steady and clear. "The records say that A carefully circled the deep ravine and thorn bushes for about an incense stick's time, then circled from another direction to approach the fork in the road where Lord Pei had last stopped. When A finally reached the best observation point there, he discovered..."

He took a breath. "The fork in the road is deserted. Only a few scattered footprints remain on the snow, most of which are covered by the falling snow. The target, Pei Ji, and the group of extremely powerful followers who suddenly appeared have all disappeared, as if they had never appeared!"

The emperor listened in silence, a corner of Pei Ji's secret letter gently kneaded between his fingers. The only sounds in the warm room were the subtle crackling of burning agarwood and the still-persistent creaking of the rocking chair.

Light shone through the tall glass lampshade, and the emperor's face, half hidden in the light and darkness, seemed even more unpredictable. He casually tossed the record back onto the rosewood tray that Ying Shuo was still holding in front of him, making a slight "click".

"That group of people... acted very carefully." The emperor's voice was still low, without even any ups and downs, as if he was commenting on an insignificant matter.

Only Ying Shuo, who was closest to them, could sense a subtle weight in the words.

The emperor slowly leaned back into the rocking chair, and the solid rosewood began to rock rhythmically once more. He closed his eyes, seemingly simply enjoying the comfort of the warm room. After a moment, a whisper, almost a sigh, uttered like ice and snow falling to the ground.

"Prince Rui is so generous."

All the muscles in Ying Shuo's body tensed up instantly, his head pressed tightly against the cold and smooth ground, and even his breathing became extremely light.

The warm jade is smooth, the bronze beasts emit smoke, and the warmth of agarwood fills the vast and silent hall.

Outside the window, the wind suddenly whistled, blowing up snow and hail all over the sky.