Chapter 97 You already knew?

After Emperor Fengle fell into a coma, the Crown Prince seized sole power as regent. On the surface, the court remained calm and all government affairs proceeded smoothly.

On the thirtieth day, the Crown Prince moved his office to the Taiji Hall. The guards of the Imperial City and the Imperial Palace underwent a round of reshuffling. It was clear to everyone that the Crown Prince now ruled the world.

Yu Mingshu and He Zheng were both very busy, so busy that they didn't have time to go back to their official residence for some time alone. They could only meet by chance near the palace gate and exchange a few words.

The deputy commander was the first to spot the woman in the crimson official robe. He winked at He Zheng and said, "My lord, your sister-in-law has come to see you again."

He Zheng turned around and saw her walking briskly towards him. A look of joy appeared in his eyes and brows, but his tone was serious: "You stay here and keep watch for me. I'm going over to say a few words."

"Alright!"

In the distance, Yu Mingshu naturally slowed his pace, waiting for He Zheng to come to his side.

"His Highness summoned me urgently; come with me to the Taiji Hall."

Hearing her words, He Zheng couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Why did I make you go all the way here to deliver such a small message?"

Yu Mingshu smiled, turned to look at his feigned indifference, and said frankly, "If I hadn't come in person, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet you alone today."

She saw He Zheng's lips curl up slightly, but he forced it back down.

He Zheng lowered his voice and said, "The capital city is peaceful these past two days. I'll find a chance to go back and spend the night there."

Yu Mingshu covered himself with his sleeve, gently squeezed his palm, and said, "Then I'm afraid that won't work."

He Zheng frowned, sensing something was amiss. "What's going on?"

Yu Mingshu carefully chose his words and said, "Two days ago, a flash flood occurred at Xianshi Mountain due to heavy rain, which damaged Princess Qingluan's tomb. After the rain stopped, some tomb robbers took advantage of the chaos to dig into the tomb and pry open the princess's coffin."

"These arrogant thieves, they'll do anything immoral!" He Zheng exclaimed in shock, then suddenly stopped, gripping Yu Mingshu's arm tightly. "Your Highness isn't going to send me to repair the tomb, is he?"

"What are you thinking about?" Yu Mingshu chuckled.

But on second thought, the real situation might be even more absurd than sending him to repair the grave.

"You'll know once you meet His Highness."

He Zheng's curiosity was piqued. "Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

This question was left for him to answer when he entered the main hall. He bowed to the Crown Prince, who then gestured for Yang Leyi to hand him a report.

The handwriting on the paper was clear, the words were concise, and the wording was easy to understand, yet He Zheng had the illusion that he was reading a book written in a foreign language.

Yang Leyi and Yu Mingshu stood on either side of the Crown Prince, both of them seemingly prepared and completely indifferent to the matters mentioned in the intelligence, which made his reaction appear quite dull.

He glanced at Yu Mingshu, trying to find out from which third-rate tavern the news came.

Yu Mingshu remained silent, only giving him a subtle nod.

He Zheng was puzzled. What did her nodding mean?

Yang Leyi said, "Rumor has it that thieves dug up the remains of a baby boy from the princess's coffin. He was wearing a robe with gold thread and dragon patterns. As a result, teahouses and taverns in Chang'an have been spreading the ballad 'Heaven and Earth are turned upside down, and phoenixes fly and pythons crouch.'"

"That's all nonsense." He Zheng sneered disdainfully. "Immediately order the arrest of the tomb robbers and the reconstruction of the princess's tomb. The rumors will be disproven on their own..."

Before he could finish speaking, his voice grew softer and softer. He looked at Liang Yuanjun with an unusually solemn expression, while Yu Mingshu and Yang Leyi's eyes were filled with worry, gradually realizing that something was amiss.

The way the three of them reacted didn't seem like a reaction to hearing a ridiculous rumor; it was more like someone had uncovered their secret.

No way...

He Zheng hesitated, then tentatively called out, "Cousin?"

Liang Yuanjun did not respond to him, but frowned and said, "These days, the Prince of Qin has been frequently contacting important officials in the court in private. Although Li Qinian has not yet shown any signs of defection, people's hearts are unpredictable, and we must be on guard."

Yang Leyi said, "Should we transfer some troops from the two military camps in the suburbs of Beijing?"

Liang Yuanjun gripped a string of beads, fiddled with the jade beads, and then pondered to He Zheng: "The commanders of the Imperial Guards in all parts of the capital have been replaced by our own trusted confidants. You should also transfer a thousand soldiers from the Lishan camp to reinforce the north and south gates, and increase the guard shifts from three to four. Make sure the soldiers are on high alert and do not slack off."

He Zheng cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes."

Yu Mingshu said, "Your Highness, the morning court session is the time with the greatest flow of people in the palace, so security checks should be strengthened to prevent traitors from causing trouble."

Liang Yuanjun nodded, "Do as Yu Qing says."

When He Zheng left the main hall, it was Yu Mingshu who saw him off to the palace gate.

The sky overhead was overcast, and the air was damp, making my chest feel tight and causing me to feel tense involuntarily.

He Zheng pursed his lips and walked several dozen steps, then suddenly stopped and looked back at the eaves of the Taiji Hall.

Yu Mingshu stopped as he walked, her gaze first falling on his profile before following his line of sight. "What's wrong?"

He Zheng's voice was as light as a breeze, "You already found out?"

His question was vague, but Yu Mingshu understood what he was asking in an instant.

When did she discover that the Crown Prince's background was unusual? Perhaps she noticed something from his excessive gentleness and his meticulousness in dealing with people, which far surpassed that of most men. Or perhaps she became suspicious because the Eastern Palace employed a large number of female officials and physicians. And then there's the fact that... His Highness the Crown Prince would claim to be ill for two days in the middle and late part of each month.

With all these factors combined, her initial one-point doubt turned into nine-point certainty.

Seeing that she remained silent, He Zheng asked again, "Did you and Secretary Yang both know about this?"

"Is this important?" Yu Mingshu asked.

He Zheng remained silent for a moment, then smiled helplessly, "Yes... it's not important."

Whether it's a cousin or a cousin, all he needs to know is that the Crown Prince is the Empress's only son and a blood relative of the He family. The Crown Prince's interests are always closely linked to the survival of the He family.

Whether the ancestors of the Great Liang Dynasty could accept a female ruler ruling the world was none of their business.

Seeing that he seemed to have come to terms with it, Yu Mingshu sighed inwardly at his open-mindedness, reached out and intertwined his fingers with his, and said softly, "The summer rainy season is coming. These past few days, strong winds have been blowing every evening, and there's no telling when a downpour will come. You Imperial Guards on duty should remember to prepare rain gear in advance. If there is lightning and thunder, do not step into the water."

He Zheng felt as if his heart had been soaked in honey, and his once serious gaze softened considerably.

Do you think this rain will really come?

"Are you implying something?"

He Zheng vehemently denied it, saying, "No, I was talking about the rain in the sky."

Yu Mingshu looked up at the gloomy dark clouds in the sky and said, "Who knows? It's better to be safe than sorry."

…

The gloomy weather lasted for nearly ten days, until one night a thunderclap broke through the clouds and a torrential downpour of rain fell like scattered pearls.

The guard on night patrol turned around, and suddenly several dark figures jumped down from the wall behind him. The sound of their splashing in the water was still clear in the rainy night. The guard turned around alertly and shouted, "Who goes there!"

At the end of the alley, several dark figures emerged from the pile of debris under the tarpaulin. They rushed towards the guards at the same time as the person who jumped down from the wall. With swift movements, the scarlet bloodstains between the white blades were quickly washed away by the rain and blended into the puddles on the ground.

In the official residence of Chongrenfang, Yu Mingshu did not sleep well that night, as the sound of rain and thunder woke her up several times.

It was around the end of the Yin hour, before dawn, when the sweltering heat and dampness woke her up again. Unable to fall back asleep, Yu Mingshu simply folded her blankets, got up, and put on her outer clothes.

As the last tie was tightened, the brass bell under the eaves rang out without warning.

A chill ran through his heart, and Yu Mingshu reacted almost instinctively, climbing out of the back window with the extinguished candlestick beside the bed.

She managed to slip into a secluded corner around the courtyard wall, and then some noises came from inside the house.

The two men in black who had tiptoed in were taken aback when they saw the spotless, neatly made bed inside.

"Nobody here?"

It was the voices of two women.

Then, the armored man outside heard their conversation, burst through the door, and demanded, "What's going on inside?"

The woman in black pointed to the inner room and said, "It seems that Yu Zhanshi did not return to his official residence last night."

The man frowned, circled the small room, and quickly made a decision: "His Highness has ordered that the Yu woman must not be allowed to enter the palace today. It's almost time for court. You all go to Jingfeng Gate to block her way, and I will go to Zhuque Gate to intercept her. We must bring this woman back to the Prince's residence."

"yes."

Then came the sound of the door closing. Yu Mingshu breathed a slight sigh of relief, but he wasn't entirely at ease.

Liang Yuanyi dared to send people to brazenly break into the official residence and block people at the city gate, which must mean he was prepared for a decisive battle.

The palace gates were heavily guarded and couldn't be breached quickly. The problem was, since Liang Yuanyi dared to raise an army, he must have some confidence in taking the palace…

How many soldiers does he have?

Where did he get his troops?

Yu Mingshu forced herself to calm down. She couldn't go to the palace gates, and most of the city gates in Chang'an were under martial law. The situation was unclear, and she couldn't run around recklessly.

There is a safe place to go in Chongrenfang.

…

A quarter of an hour later, He Xiao and his son He Ting donned armor that had been gathering dust for many years, and the He family guards lined up in the courtyard, ready for battle.

Yu Mingshu felt relieved, but was suddenly pulled into Tao's arms.

"Good girl, you've been frightened."

He Xiao took the long sword from the servant and ordered the guards in the courtyard in a deep voice: "Your task today is to guard the Duke's mansion. Even if the sky falls, do not let the thieves step into the He family's gate."

Yu Mingshu held Tao's hand to reassure her, then said to the He family father and son, "Uncle, our previous estimate was wrong. The Prince of Qin probably has more than three thousand soldiers."

He Xiao beckoned to his trusted subordinate and handed him a gleaming gold plaque. "Go to the Lishan camp and find Fan Qing. Ask General Fan to provide support for Xuanwu Gate."

As if remembering something, Madam Tao asked worriedly, "Shouldn't we send someone to Yongning Ward to bring my in-laws over as well?"

Yu Mingshu shook his head and said, "At the beginning of the month, Sanlang took an official mission to Huangzhou. Mother wanted to take this opportunity to go back and visit her maternal grandfather, so I requested permission to let her and her younger siblings leave the capital with Sanlang."

Tao was slightly taken aback, then smiled with relief, "You are indeed thoughtful and far-sighted."