"Are you afraid that the Emperor has other intentions towards you?" Su Mala Gu asked Li Tiao.

Li Tiao smiled awkwardly: "It doesn't seem like it, but the Emperor's actions..."

Su Mala Gu stared at Li Tiao for a long time before saying firmly, "I've heard some of the rumors in the palace, but you can rest assured that the Emperor has absolutely no such intention."

Moreover, the Emperor still hopes that you and the Fourth Prince can be together.

Li Tiao's mouth moved as if she wanted to ask why, but then she thought that she didn't want to stay in the palace. If Master Kang tied her to the Fourth Prince, then she would be inseparable from the palace in the future, so she became a little worried.

Su Ma La Gu may not have realized what Li Tiao was thinking, but she still expressed her thoughts: "It would be much better for the Empress Dowager to recognize you as her granddaughter than to ask this old servant for help. Moreover, it would also be a good opportunity to elevate your status and even raise your banner. However, the Emperor did not mention this matter to the Empress Dowager."

Why? If the Empress Dowager acknowledges you, then you and the Fourth Prince will become siblings.

If that's the case, then that's true, but Li Tiao couldn't quite put her finger on how she felt.

The main problem is that Master Kong's actions are too unpredictable.

Although Master Kang now has Su Mala Gu as his backer, most people probably wouldn't think of causing him any more trouble. But those who originally wanted to cause trouble for Li Tiao weren't ordinary people either.

The Crown Prince and Consort De are both extraordinary!

This might further solidify Consort De and the Crown Prince's resolve to kill her!

Older people have their own routines, and since Su Ma La Gu's place was a Buddhist temple, Li Tiao didn't want to bother her too much and disturb the temple's peace with her own messy affairs. So she bid farewell to Su Ma La Gu.

There's a saying that goes, "When enemies meet on a narrow road!"

On the way back to the prince's residence from where Sumalagu lived, they unexpectedly encountered the prince.

Li Tiao hesitated whether to hide for a while and return to the prince's residence by another route, pretending not to have seen the crown prince, or to just walk past him and greet him if they bumped into each other.

However, just as Li Tiao was struggling with whether to avoid trouble, the Crown Prince changed his mind and acted as if he hadn't even seen Li Tiao.

With less to worry about, Li Tiao was naturally happy.

But who knew that this place was like a circle, and as they walked, they unexpectedly ran into the prince again.

Once again, Li Tiao saw the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince did not see Li Tiao.

Moreover, it seemed that the Crown Prince was discussing something with someone. Li Tiao wanted to sneak over and try not to be discovered, but she inadvertently overheard the words "Fourth Prince".

Li Tiao's rapid steps gradually came to a halt, and she hid to the side, holding her breath.

"How are the preparations going, as I instructed you?" the Crown Prince asked.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. This servant has already inquired and learned that the Fourth Prince will be going to the mansion bestowed upon him by the Emperor tomorrow because he has built some kind of pond there, and he has arranged with the craftsmen to inspect it tomorrow."

"Wasn't the feng shui of that place supposedly good? Why are they digging a pond? What pond is it that Fourth Brother went to see for himself?"

"Your Highness, this servant does not know. This servant has inquired and found out that the Fourth Prince will definitely be there tomorrow."

"Alright, you find a way to tell Consort De about this. Consort De has always disliked the Fourth Prince, so give her a chance to vent her anger. Even if the Fourth Prince dies, Consort De will still be there to protect him. It has nothing to do with the Prince."

Li Tiao gasped upon hearing this.

Is the Crown Prince planning to sabotage the Fourth Prince?!

She felt she had to tell the Fourth Prince immediately, but before she could leave, she heard the hesitant voice of the servant who had reported to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, is this really necessary? The Fourth Prince is... a prince..."

"What are you afraid of? Even if something happens, it's Consort De trying to frame her own son."

“But Your Highness, it’s common knowledge that Consort De and the Fourth Prince don’t get along. But no matter how bad their relationship is, Consort De is still the Fourth Prince’s biological mother. What if Consort De loses her temper and the Fourth Prince recovers? Then this servant…”

"So we can't let him recover. Didn't you say that his princess told him that he could replace the master? Ha, whether that princess really knows how to tell fortunes or is just talking nonsense, the fourth prince has this idea, and that's why his princess caters to his desires."

Originally, I thought that if my princess were gone, I might still consider brotherly affection. But now... just how much is the Emperor protecting Li Tiao?

They even found Sumalagu, who was a vegetarian and chanted Buddhist scriptures.

What if Li Tiao says something to Father Emperor? What will happen then, my lord?

"Sir, about this matter..."

"If the fourth prince lives, you die!" The crown prince didn't let the servant waste any more words.

Li Tiao broke out in a cold sweat, terrified that she would scream. She covered her mouth tightly and ran away.

Even so, it still alarmed the Crown Prince.

"who!"

The sinister voice made Li Tiao's heart leap into her throat. She didn't care about anything else and ran forward as if she didn't care about her life.

Finally, she turned the corner, and more eunuchs and palace maids began to pass by. She looked back and, not seeing the Crown Prince, she dared to breathe a slight sigh of relief. Facing the wall and with her back to the crowd, she composed herself.

Afterwards, Li Tiao pretended to be nonchalant and walked towards the prince's residence.

Upon arriving at the prince's residence, Li Tiao quickened her pace once more.

"My lady, you're back." Hongye greeted Li Tiao, noticing that Li Tiao was acting strangely: "My lady, what's wrong? Didn't you say you were going to Sumalagu's place?"

Li Tiao hurried into her room, ignoring Hongye's question: "Where is Master?"

"Master came back and went out again."

"Could you find a way to send a message to Master, saying that I need to speak with him?" Li Tiao asked Hongye, emphasizing again, "Just say it's something extremely urgent."

"This servant will take care of it immediately."

Although Hongye went to deliver a message to the Fourth Prince, Li Tiao still couldn't calm down and was also a little annoyed. If she had known that it would bring such great danger to the Fourth Prince, she would never have said that the Fourth Prince would replace the Crown Prince, even if she was short of money.

Furthermore, Li Tiao couldn't imagine what deep-seated hatred existed between the Fourth Prince and Consort De that Consort De might actually kill the Fourth Prince!

Li Tiao racked her brains but couldn't imagine how the mother-son relationship could be so bad.

Now Li Tiao is even starting to doubt whether Master Kang is really helping her or just a bad teammate, as his attitude doesn't seem to have improved her situation much.

That's not right either. Because of Sumalagu, the Crown Prince stopped targeting her and started targeting the Fourth Prince.

In that case, Master Kang did help her, but at the cost of the Fourth Prince... Li Tiao would rather not have this kind of help, as it was no different from "doing more harm than good".

Hongye returned quickly, and Li Tiao asked anxiously, "Did you send a message to Master?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Master has left the palace on the Emperor's orders. The messenger does not know exactly where the Master has gone. If you want to deliver a message to the Master, you will have to wait a little longer."