Jing Le was stunned. In all her years of life, this was the first time she had ever been carried around. She looked down at her own body and gave up.

Having a humanoid mount would be nice, but I wonder what the Third Prince would think if he knew he had become a humanoid mount.

The Third Prince carried Jing Le and headed down another path, directly towards the Imperial Concubine's Xuanhua Palace.

...

Xuanhua Palace.

The bedchamber was brightly lit.

A stunningly beautiful woman, holding a book, leans against a sandalwood couch, reading.

The pearl curtain was lifted, revealing the elderly woman serving by his side, Granny Lin.

This is the wet nurse of the beautiful woman, who came to the palace with her when she got married.

She was none other than Consort Gong Peishan, the mother of Jing Le and the Third Prince. At 30 years old, time had been kind to her, leaving no trace of age on her face, and it was impossible to tell that she already had two children.

She also exudes a mature, poised, and serene air.

Lin Mama had a clear understanding of the Imperial Concubine's appearance, but she was still often mesmerized by her beauty.

After calming himself down, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince has come over, soaking wet, carrying a little girl. I had the pleasure of seeing that girl yesterday. She is the child that Master Liaowu entrusted to His Majesty for care. I have already arranged for someone to wash them up, and they will be here in a little while."

The Imperial Concubine slammed the book in her hand onto the tea table on the couch, her brows furrowing slightly: "What's wrong with the Third Prince? Is he going swimming in the middle of the night? If the Empress's people see him, they'll complain to the Emperor again."

"Your Highness, please calm down. Perhaps the Third Prince has something on his mind. We'll ask him about it later," Lin Mama comforted her with practiced ease.

However, the topic of the empress was automatically avoided.

Back then, her lady and the empress were close friends. But the empress stole the lady's beloved, His Majesty, and became empress. For the first ten years or so, the lady was unaware of this and treated the empress with all her heart. But everything changed after the little princess came out of seclusion.

The Empress took the little princess to her side to raise her, citing the fact that the Empress was not yet fully recovered. At first, the Empress was grateful, but when she recovered and wanted to take the little princess back to her side, the Empress refused, revealing a different side of herself.

More than three years have passed since then, and the two are irreconcilable enemies, yet His Majesty still praises the Empress for her virtue and so on...

On the other side.

The Third Prince brought Jing Le to Xuan Hua Palace. He originally wanted to hear her talk about how her mother was murdered, but Jing Le remained silent. So he had someone wash Jing Le to prevent her from catching a cold, and he also changed his clothes. Only then did he carry Jing Le to the Noble Consort's residence.

[Ding! The Third Prince has been successfully rescued. You have been rewarded with 50 merit points, and the corresponding spiritual energy has been returned to you. Please check your account.]

A surge of spiritual energy flowed into Jing Le's body, reaching her limbs and bones, improving her meridians, until it gathered in her dantian, where it circulated on its own and no longer overflowed.

It feels so good to have spiritual power.

Jing Le felt his current strength: the fifth level of Qi Refining, not bad, he could protect himself.

Upon entering, Jing Le saw a radiant woman sitting in the head seat, whose real age was impossible to discern.

Wow, this is Mom! She's so beautiful! I wonder what I look like; I've never looked in a mirror before. If I were even half as beautiful as my mom, I'd be completely satisfied.

The Third Prince's lips twitched. "Is my third brother not handsome enough in your eyes?"

The imperial concubine at the head of the table looked up at the child in her foolish son's arms and frowned slightly.

Was that voice made by this little girl?

Why did you call me "mother" when you didn't say anything?

Although I was happy to receive praise, I only have one daughter, and we're not very close.

Thinking of his daughter, his brows furrowed even more.

[Even when her mother frowns, she looks beautiful; what a lucky fool for her father.]

[Ding, mission issued: Rescue Consort Gong Peishan. 50 merit points, Qi Refining Stage 10 restored, Great Perfection achieved, Merit Shop unlocked.]

Jing Le was no longer surprised by the tasks issued by the system; on the contrary, she was somewhat looking forward to them, since strength was the key to success.

I need to think of a solution...

What's your plan? Just tell me! I've really piqued your curiosity, but you're not saying anything...

When the Third Prince couldn't get any further information, he changed the subject: "Mother, I almost died today, but she saved me."

The Imperial Concubine was certain that she was hearing the girl's innermost thoughts, but before she could speak, she was startled by the Third Prince's words.

"Granny Lin, go and guard the door. Don't let anyone in." He instructed Granny Lin beside him.

"Yes, this old servant understands." Granny Lin was also shocked by what the Third Prince said. Knowing that this was a serious matter, she immediately bowed and went out, closing the door and standing guard outside.

"Alright, let's explain the whole story in detail."

The Imperial Concubine knew that although her son was a bit foolish and naive, he wouldn't lie. He must have a reason for saying that. Thinking back to what Granny Lin had said about the Third Prince being soaking wet, her heart sank. There was nothing she didn't understand.

Someone wants her son dead!

“Mother, it was Jia Yue. She asked me to meet her alone at Xi Yue Lake in Xi Yue Palace, saying she had something to show me. She also poisoned me, and the one who pushed me into the water was Wu Mama, who was by the Empress’s side.”

The third prince recounted the whole story of why he had gotten into trouble.

"Jiayue? Why would she do this? You are her own brother." The Consort was not too shocked to hear that the Empress was involved, but when she heard that her own daughter was also involved, her eyes turned red with anger.

Jia Yue is only three years old and has been raised by the Empress for three years. She is not close to her at all, and now she is actually using her weak appearance to poison her own brother.

The Imperial Concubine's eyes were filled with hatred. She hated herself for not recognizing that her close friend was a venomous snake, hated herself for being blind, and hated the Empress even more for raising such a vicious daughter.

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