Lan Linxue's smile almost fell to the ground: "Why don't you believe me? I really brought him to see you! I heard you were on duty, working so hard..."

"My lord, are you planning to sneak into the palace tonight?"

Ling Jiuhong raised her head, her clear, bright eyes seeming capable of piercing a hole through Lan Linxue's soul.

Lan Linxue glanced at Ling Jiuhong and said in an annoyed tone, "You're not cute at all!"

Ling Jiuhong smiled slightly, then lowered her head again, seemingly even more embarrassed in front of Shuanghua.

"OK!"

"Hmm?" Ling Jiuhong's quick agreement surprised Lan Linxue. "You agreed so quickly, are you plotting something?"

"There's no conspiracy! His Majesty said you can come to the palace whenever you want. There's just one thing: I have to come with you!"

After saying that, Ling Jiuhong secretly glanced at Shuanghua. Her little face was flushed pink, and her delicate skin made people want to take a bite.

Shuanghua looked at Ling Jiuhong and almost jumped up: "If you're going to talk, then talk! If you're going to look at someone, then look at them! What are you doing, sneaking around like that? Raise your head!"

Ling Jiuhong immediately raised her head, but she still didn't know where her gaze was falling.

It was this expression, like that of a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, that made Frostflower feel like she was about to collapse at any moment.

Taking two large steps forward, Shuanghua roughly yanked Ling Jiuhong's head back up with her hand. "Look at me properly! Don't look so furtive, it makes people uncomfortable! Put your hands down!"

Lan Linxue watched as Shuanghua corrected Ling Jiuhong as if she were having a seizure, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hey Shuanghua, why are you acting like a brothel lord? Why are you making unreasonable demands?"

"Shut up!"

Shuanghua glared at Lan Linxue with particular disdain, and then gave Ling Jiuhong a good fuss over.

Ling Jiuhong didn't struggle; he just did whatever Shuanghua said.

In the end, Frostflower was finally somewhat satisfied.

As for Ling Jiuhong's increasingly red face, he could only pretend to ignore it; he simply couldn't change it.

"Alright, alright! Stop fooling around, we have to go, or we'll mess things up!"

With that, Lan Linxue took the lead and walked forward.

Ling Jiuhong gave an order to the people behind her, then opened the small side door of the palace gate for Lan Linxue, and led the two of them inside.

Once inside the palace, Lan Linxue headed straight for the place where Xu Jinlan was being held.

Shuanghua and Ling Jiuhong followed him.

However, when Ling Jiuhong accidentally got too close to Shuanghua, Shuanghua glared at Ling Jiuhong with a cold expression.

Ling Jiuhong immediately looked aggrieved and leaned to the side like a wronged little wife.

When they arrived at Xu Jinlan's palace gate, they heard crying coming from inside.

Lan Linxue stopped and glanced at the dark door, then gave a cold laugh: "Isn't it a little too late to start crying now?"

He nodded to the guard beside him, and immediately the gate opened silently.

Lan Linxue led Shuanghua and Ling Jiuhong inside.

The door to the room was tightly closed, but Xu Jinlan's voice could be heard intermittently from inside. She was currently suffering from grief and unable to sleep all night, but it was also possible that she was forcing herself to stay awake because she was afraid of seeing the Empress.

Lan Linxue gave Ling Jiuhong a wink, and Ling Jiuhong immediately walked to the door, kicked it open forcefully, and opened it completely.

Lan Linxue walked slowly towards the door with her hands behind her back.

The room was pitch black, and even the crying from before had stopped, as if no one was inside at all.

"Consort Xu, please come out! Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if I had to find you!"

Ling Jiuhong sighed as she looked into the dark room.

There was still no sound from inside the house.

Ling Jiuhong glanced back at Lan Linxue, and seeing that he didn't react at all, she couldn't help but sigh. Then, like a ghost, she rushed to the corner and dragged Xu Jinlan out by the hair with a blank expression.