Chapter 38
Mu Zhi picked up Ling Wu, her loving expression unchanged.
"Your Highness, you are the master. You don't need to ask me anything. In this whole world, there is no place Your Highness cannot go if you want to go!"
Seeing Lingwu nod, Muzhi's tone became somewhat coaxing: "But... could Your Highness tell this servant who mentioned the White Beauty in front of Your Highness?"
Sheng Yu had forbidden Bai Mihan from being mentioned in front of Ling Wu!
Although the little prince is exceptionally intelligent, he is only one year old. It is impossible for him to remember anything at two months old, so someone must have said something to him.
Lingwu counted on her fingers, "It was my aunt in the Imperial Garden who said it."
Mu Zhi nodded, then picked up Ling Wu, "Was it the Imperial Garden that Shu Qi took the little prince to yesterday?"
Ling Wu nodded emphatically, "Yes!"
Remembering what Shuqi had said yesterday, Muzhi asked again, "Is it the young lady in the pink dress?"
"Um!"
Upon receiving an affirmative reply, a ruthless glint appeared in Mu Zhi's eyes.
She had served the Empress Dowager for decades and had encountered countless palace intrigues and conspiracies, but she never expected that such a clumsy scheme would actually harm the young prince!
Ling Wu opened her purse and glanced at the last pistachio, then raised her face and said no more.
If she wasn't mistaken, the matter of the phoenix hairpin today was also something that Consort Ning, who seemed so innocent and kind yesterday, had plotted.
Ning Guipin, a third-rank concubine, was a concubine who was favored by Sheng Yu when she was first brought back to Qianqing Palace by him.
Later, Sheng Yu stopped going to the palace, and Consort Ning was ridiculed by the entire palace for being worse than a one-month-old baby.
When she saw Consort Ning yesterday, she roughly guessed what she wanted to do, which suited her just as well, since neither she nor her maternal clan were honest people.
At that time, Consort Ning was sitting on a stone bench in the Imperial Garden, holding a rattle drum in her hand, which attracted her attention. Then, seemingly casually, she said:
"If I have a child in the future, I will definitely not be like that White Beauty, who beat and scolded the little prince, causing him to be separated from his flesh and blood. Alas... the little prince is also pitiful, still unaware that his birth mother is actually that White Beauty who was imprisoned."
She hastily covered her lips after saying only this much, then handed the rattle drum to the maid beside her, and gracefully left.
Even if Sheng Yu heard these words, he wouldn't be able to punish her. After all, Consort Ning would only need to say tearfully, "Your Majesty, I am just being frank. I only spoke out because I felt sorry for Your Highness."
Furthermore, since she was the daughter of Prince Ning, Sheng Yu couldn't punish her for those words.
That's quite a clever plan. She's young and might develop a grudge against Sheng Yu because of this, which could gradually drive a wedge between them...
Mu Zhi picked up Ling Wu and then gave Shu Qi a wink.
Shuqi bowed his head and nodded before leaving, heading towards the Qianqing Palace. His Majesty had said that the young prince could see his birth mother, but he needed to report to him first.
Ling Wu was already being carried by Mu Zhi, and they walked step by step toward Hanxi Courtyard where Bai Mihan was currently located.
In the courtyard of Hanqi, weeds grow in abundance.
Lin Cui lay on the bed, her face ashen, as if she were about to die. Bai Mihan lowered her head and fed Lin Cui spoonful by spoonful.
"Your Majesty, it's all because I'm useless. Now, cough cough, Your Majesty still has to take care of me. It's all, cough cough... it's all my fault..." She coughed so hard it was heartbreaking, but Bai Mihan remained silent.
After Lin Cui finished coughing, Bai Mihan gently wiped away the blood she vomited with a handkerchief.
"It's good that you know, so get well soon." Bai Mihan fed him the medicine spoonful by spoonful with a cold face.
But Lin Cui laughed. After Bai Mihan had been gone for a long time, she forced herself to suppress the itch in her throat and took out a very sharp wooden stick from under her pillow.
Hanxi Courtyard has now become the second place in the Cold Palace.
The two guards outside the door were lounging around, only reluctantly lifting their eyelids when they heard footsteps.
Having received Sheng Yu's permission halfway through his journey, Mu Zhi remained unfazed upon seeing this situation, even smiling as she said, "His Majesty has decreed that His Highness is permitted to enter Hanqi Courtyard. Please do us a favor."
The two guards were already nervous when they saw the large group of people, and now that they saw Mu Zhi, they broke out in a cold sweat. "We dare not accept such praise!"
He then quickly knelt down to pay his respects, saying, "This humble servant greets Your Highness!"
Only then did I dare to get up and open the door.
When Shuqi stepped forward and handed over a packet of silver, the guard repeatedly waved his hands, saying, "This humble servant dares not!"
Mu Zhi's face turned cold. "I think you two are quite bold."
Ignoring the guards' terror, someone then stepped forward and dragged the two guards away.
He was incredibly lazy in his work in the palace, but he was quite audacious, even daring to accept bribes from the concubines.
Mu Zhi held Ling Wu without trying to hide it from her. The little princess was intelligent, so it was best not to hide certain things.
The palace is too naive; it will only become a stepping stone for others.
She had seen far too many people used and then discarded in the past few decades, and His Majesty had sent her to serve the young prince with the intention of having her teach him.
Mu Zhi glanced at Ling Wu's seemingly understanding face, feeling both heartache and unwavering determination.
When the door opened, Bai Mihan was embroidering a small dress in her hands, the butterflies on the little white dress were lifelike.
The sound of the door opening startled and alarmed her for a moment, followed by immense joy.
Has His Majesty finally forgiven himself?
She carefully put down the little white dress in her hands. Her once delicate hands were now rough. She smoothed the stray hairs from her forehead and her worn-out clothes.
Without hesitation, she bit her finger, smearing the bright red, sweet, and fishy substance onto her lips.
Her face, though haggard, was still beautiful, her red lips stained with blood, making her quite striking.
She lifted her skirt and stepped out of the room, but amidst the overgrown weeds, there was only a little baby, surrounded by admirers at the very front.
Ling Wu's red dress resembled the midday sun, so bright that it made Bai Mihan's eyes sting.
A tear inexplicably rolled down Bai Mihan's cheek, burning her so much that she unconsciously raised her hand to wipe it away. "Are you... are you... Your Highness?"
She had overheard the guards outside the door talking about how much favor Ya Ya was receiving, and now it seemed the rumors were indeed true.
That's good, that's good...
Ling Wu looked at her. Bai Mihan was still wearing a white dress, but the dress looked very worn. Her hair, which used to be full of jewels, was now simply tied up.
She looked haggard but still beautiful.
Lingwu blinked and spoke only to Muzhi, "Grandma Zhizhi, Jiaojiao misses someone."
Mu Zhi's eyes showed worry, but she still stepped back respectfully and said, "This servant obeys."
A large group of people behind her hesitated and retreated, but before leaving, Mu Zhi did not forget to give Bai Mihan a warning look.
Bai Mihan smiled bitterly, then glanced at the tree where birds usually chirped, but there was no chirping now.
This would reveal how many people were secretly protecting Ya Ya.
Ling Wu did not move.
After a long while, Bai Mihan finally took a few stiff steps toward Ling Wu, but stopped a few steps away from her.
She crouched down to be at eye level with Ling Wu, her voice slightly hoarse, "Ya Ya..."
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