Chapter 31

When Yue Mingming heard Li Pingru's voice, he was roasting oranges with Uncle Dong.

Yue Mingming was now full of food and drink, and no longer looked as weak as when he had just gotten out of bed. He sneered, "Just in time," and stood up to greet him.

Uncle Dong was afraid of something happening, so he followed closely behind. As soon as he walked out of the door, he saw a flash of cold light. Li Pingru used his long sword as a kitchen knife and swung it at Yue Mingming with all his brute force.

Yue Mingming said, "Uncle Dong, don't worry about it!" She raised her hand and grabbed a lantern hanging on the porch. The long mahogany handle was extremely strong. The girl took it in her hand and shaved and hit it, making the lantern shadow sway.

Li Pingru was spoiled in his daily life and had no real sword skills. After swinging a few times, his arms became sore and weak. In addition, his legs were inconvenient, so Yue Mingming hit him on the wrist without paying attention. His sword fell immediately. Yue Mingming did not show any mercy and hit Li Pingru's knee with a stick. Li Pingru cried out in pain and knelt on the spot.

"Sister Consort, you are so precious and have the Empress backing you up in the palace. How could you be willing to kneel down to me?" Yue Mingming looked at her coldly while holding a lantern.

"I...I'm going to fight you!"

Li Pingru refused to give up and rushed forward to fight again. Yue Mingming pressed the wooden handle against her chest and said fiercely, "I'm in a bad mood right now. I advise you not to mess with me! Otherwise, I'll hold you responsible for the Empress's crime!"

"Little bitch, did you have a strange man outside and deliberately kill the prince? Tell the truth, is it that man from Yuhu last time? You two colluded with each other and wanted to put the prince to death!"

Li Pingru roared like a mad dog. Yue Mingming's face darkened. "Li Pingru, are you crazy? It's clearly you and the Queen who were behind this, and now you're blaming me. Can you please have some shame?"

"Nonsense! How could I possibly harm the prince!" Li Pingru suddenly burst into tears: "It wasn't me... I didn't! That's not what my aunt said!"

Yue Mingming's eyes moved, and the wooden handle pressing against her chest lifted half an inch: "You dare to do it but not take responsibility for it... Do you regret it now? Go cry to your aunt, don't throw a tantrum in front of me, I won't sympathize with you!"

"Who wants your sympathy?" Li Pingru shouted, "I only regret that I wasn't cruel enough to you and didn't take your life!"

Yue Mingming said: "He's very tough and sincere...it's a pity he doesn't have any brains..."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm guessing this was your own idea, right? The Empress certainly doesn't know! Next time you want to kill me, don't do it yourself... Look at you now. You can't win in a fight, and you can't win in a conversation. It's so frustrating!"

Li Pingru was so angry that his whole body was shaking. "Don't bring my aunt into this! That's right, it was my own decision to come and take your life today! I really underestimated your ability. I consider myself unlucky to fall into your hands. Just kill me. It's a good opportunity for me to meet the prince in the underworld and be husband and wife in the next life!"

Yue Mingming couldn't bear it any longer: "If you want to die, go ahead and die. You still want to drag the prince to accompany you? Don't dream! I tell you, even if the emperor and the queen want his life, I have a way to save him!"

To Yue Mingming's surprise, Li Pingru didn't argue with her when she heard this. Instead, she stood up and stared at Yue Mingming blankly: "What do you mean? Do you have a solution?"

Yue Mingming was just talking nonsense, just to show off his strength. He didn't really have any other solution. He was immediately choked when she asked.

“…Are you lying?!”

Li Pingru's eyes were filled with disappointment. He fell to the ground again, saying with a mixture of tears and laughter, "I actually believed your nonsense... Hahaha, hahaha!"

She suddenly and viciously pushed away the lantern handle, staggered to her feet, and, ignoring everyone, muttered, "I can't get into Yongshang Palace. They're all trying to stop me... Then I'll go back home and wait for you... We got married here. When you become a ghost, come back here to pick me up, okay?"

Yue Mingming frowned and exchanged a glance with Uncle Dong. Uncle Dong took a few steps forward and stopped Li Pingru. "I wonder what the Princess meant by that?"

"I want to go back to my garden, get out of my way!"

Uncle Dong didn't move. Li Pingru glanced at him sideways: "I used to think you were so loyal, but in the end, weren't you still afraid of death? I'm the only one who truly loves him and is willing to live and die with him... He will know!"

Uncle Dong's voice was filled with unprecedented panic: "...Please tell me, Princess, what happened to the prince?"

Li Pingru looked at him quietly without saying a word.

Yue Mingming felt as if her bones had been pulled out, her limbs limp, and she could barely stand. Li Pingru's silence was driving her crazy, but she didn't dare to step forward or speak, fearing that Li Pingru would refuse to tell the truth out of spite.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Pingru's voice finally overcame her heartbeat and fell into her ears.

"The prince has had a high fever since last night. The Qilin Guards have tried many methods to protect him, but to no avail. I heard he's already in a coma... If this continues... I'm afraid..."

Uncle Dong was anxious and angry: "How can the Qilin Guards know how to treat illnesses! Why don't you ask the imperial physician? He is a prince...Does the emperor know that you are treating him like this?"

Li Pingru turned her head away with an uneasy expression. Yue Mingming whispered behind her, "It was the Empress... She was stopping them, wasn't she?"

Li Pingru trembled, and finally said in tears: "I have been begging my aunt, but she won't listen... She even sent palace servants to follow me and won't let me go to see the emperor..."

Uncle Dong immediately said, "I'll go to the palace now and report to the emperor!"

Yue Mingming was also panicking, but his mind still had a glimmer of clarity: "Uncle Dong...that's not called entering the palace, that's called breaking into the palace!"

She paused, waiting for her breathing to steady before continuing, "Besides, there are Qilin Guards outside. If you move, you'll be discovered immediately. Not only will you be unable to deliver the message, you'll also be implicated!"

Uncle Dong was determined to leave: "My wife is right! But I must break into this palace tonight! Even if there is a glimmer of hope, I will try! With me and these secret guards, we can definitely fight our way out!"

Yue Mingming suddenly turned to Li Pingru and said, "...Didn't you say that the Queen had people following you? How could she let you leave the palace?"

Li Pingru was startled and said subconsciously, "I sneaked out when no one was paying attention... I had the palace entry and exit token given by my aunt, so no one stopped me along the way."

"Is it true that no one stopped them, or was it intentional?"

Li Pingru asked in confusion: "What do you mean?!"

Yue Mingming turned to Uncle Dong and said seriously, "I don't believe the Queen would let her run around outside at this critical moment... Could it be that the Queen deliberately let her out to deliver a message, just to lure you and the secret guards into action at this moment?"

"Even if you could really force your way into the palace, do you think the Emperor would believe that you were just asking him to heal the prince?"

Uncle Dong: "What my wife means is..."

Yue Mingming sighed, "If you have the ability to get before the Emperor, you also have the ability to kill him."

Uncle Dong's expression was stern, and Li Pingru couldn't believe it: "You...you said that my aunt is using me?"

Yue Mingming cursed inwardly, "You fool! Hasn't she used you enough?" But looking at the man's red, swollen eyes, she swallowed her irrelevant words and said, "The emperor has a final say on how to deal with the prince... He's still hesitant, so the queen is forcing you to add fuel to the fire. Imprisoning the prince isn't enough; she wants to eradicate him completely."

Li Pingru was unconvinced and asked, "Why do you say that? What evidence do you have?"

Yue Mingming glared at her: "Do you know what kind of person your aunt is? I don't have the time to find evidence for you, believe it or not!"

Uncle Dong immediately understood and said dejectedly, "So... is there no other solution?"

Yue Mingming forced herself to think calmly: "Now we face three obstacles: leaving the house, entering the palace, and seeing the emperor." She pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up: "Perhaps we can change our approach..."

"We're not going to see the emperor anymore. Let's go to Yongshang Palace to treat the prince!"

Uncle Dong and Li Pingru were both stunned. Li Pingru said coldly, "Do you think I haven't thought about it? I wanted to deliver the medicine last night, but the Qilin Guards were heavily guarded. How could I get in?"

"Just because you can't get in doesn't mean others can't!" Yue Mingming winked at Uncle Dong: "Flying... do you think it's okay?"

Uncle Dong thought for a moment and said, "If you're proficient in Qinggong, you can definitely give it a try... The secret guards and I have no problem with Qinggong. The hardest steps are probably leaving the mansion and entering the palace."

"She can do these two steps." Yue Mingming pointed at Li Pingru.

"What are you talking about?" Li Pingru was confused. "I can't just go and learn Qinggong right now!"

Yue Mingming took a deep breath and said, "I have an idea, and I need everyone's cooperation!"

She quickly reviewed the plan in her mind, and when she felt confident that the loopholes were not too big, she slowly spoke, "We must not mobilize the secret guards at this moment. Unless absolutely necessary, we must not let the emperor know that the prince has this power hidden in his hands... Uncle Dong, I need you to quietly leave the house later, but not to enter the palace, but to Changfu Temple!"

"Going to Changfu Temple at this time?" Uncle Dong was puzzled.

"Yes, I heard that the prince's biological mother, Concubine Li, has an eternal lamp there. You go burn some incense, add some money for the lamp, and then return the same way... If anyone asks you, just say you felt sorry for the prince and went to pray for him. That way, even if you are convicted, it won't be a serious offense."

"The purpose of this trip is..."

"Lure the tiger away from its mountain!" Yue Mingming said in a deep voice, "If the Queen really did this on purpose, once you take action, you'll definitely draw away most of the guards, and the security outside the palace will be relaxed." She pointed at Li Pingru, "If she continues to act recklessly, the remaining people won't take her seriously. They'll turn a blind eye and easily let her go."

She paused: "And I... can go with her!"

"She has a token in her hand. After she leaves the palace, I will disguise myself as a maid and follow her. It will be easier for me to sneak into the palace. I think Yongshang Palace is inside the palace after all, and the guards will not be as strict as those at the palace and the gate. I can try to break in."

Uncle Dong understood her intention and couldn't help but confirm, "...Does my wife really know Qinggong? After all, this is the imperial palace. Any mistake could result in the death penalty for the entire clan!"

Yue Mingming chuckled. "Uncle Dong, you forgot, I don't have nine clans to implicate... My family was raided long ago, and as for family... the prince counts. If he dies, it's no different from killing all nine clans."

These words made Dong Shu feel sad. "You two... what can I say?" He sighed. "I shouldn't have let you take this risk, but I'm really helpless right now. As long as my lady tells me to, I'll do whatever you want!"

Yue Mingming nodded: "Don't worry, I'm not looking for death! I will try my best to survive with him!"

Li Pingru suddenly interrupted, "You guys are so calculating! What makes you think I will help you?"

There was a sneer on the corner of her lips, and hatred rose in her eyes: "Little bitch, I want you to kneel down and admit your mistake, beg me like a dog... maybe I will agree to you!"

Uncle Dong didn't want to lose everything, so he lifted his shirt and was about to kneel down to beg for mercy, but Yue Mingming stopped him: "She must be genuinely willing to help in this matter. If you ask her and she agrees on a whim, but then turns against you halfway, we'll all die."

She looked at Li Pingru with sparkling eyes, her tone solemn and sincere: "The above is my entire plan. I will tell you everything. It is up to you to decide whether you want to help me. I won't force you, but I won't beg you either."

"You!" Li Pingru shouted, "You can't even stand this little bit of injustice... I knew you weren't sincere to the prince at all!"

"How sincere were you to him?" Yue Mingming asked coldly, "When you forced him to obey the Queen's decree and marry you, when you had spies everywhere in the mansion watching him, when you kept telling your aunt about him, when you colluded with others to plot against him...where was your sincerity?"

Li Pingru felt as if she had been slapped in the face. Her lips trembled as she fiercely said, "I can die with him!"

Yue Mingming said coldly, "I'll say it again, if you want to die, go die by yourself, don't drag him down with you! He still has great ambitions, and he wants to use his knowledge and talents for the country. He still wants to see a prosperous era with peaceful waters and tranquil seas! He can't die!"

After saying this, not only Li Pingru, but even Uncle Dong stared at her in amazement, as if they had never known her before.

Li Pingru was stunned for a moment, then suddenly covered her face and burst into tears. She was devastated to realize that since when, her feelings for him had gradually lost their direction. And the one who had originally moved her heart and made her want to marry him was not the passionate young man described by Yue Mingming?

Yue Mingming didn't say anything, nor did he comfort her. He just watched her cry quietly.

After a long moment, Li Pingru's chest gradually calmed down. She said in a hoarse voice, "If there's even a single mistake in your plan and someone discovers it, I'll immediately turn you in and say you're the one who blackmailed me!"

"Okay." Yue Mingming said.

"I only brought you into the palace. Once you're in, I won't care about your life or death!"

"good."

"I might get scared, regret it, or even expose you to the Queen at any time!"

"good."

Uncle Dong couldn't help but say, "Princess Side..."

Li Pingru raised an eyebrow: "She's not afraid, so what are you afraid of?"

Yue Mingming smiled, asked Uncle Dong to prepare the medicine, and went back to his room to change into night clothes. Not long after, the three of them gathered in the garden again, and everything was ready.

"My lady, please be careful." Uncle Dong advised.

Yue Mingming nodded, her palms slightly sweating. She reminded herself not to let down at this time.

"Can you do it?" Li Pingru noticed her nervousness and said coldly, "My carriage will pass by the back alley later. Time is short, so don't dawdle!"

"knew!"

Li Pingru turned and left, took two steps, then suddenly turned back and said, "If the guards at the door are watching closely, I know a way to get out."

She said provocatively, "There's a secret dog hole in my garden. Do you want to go in?"

Yue Mingming thought to himself, "You're just going to treat me like a dog, aren't you?" Yet, he said happily, "I'll get in! I couldn't ask for more!"