It was early winter and the nights were cold. In order to take care of Xiao Feng's health, a pot of silver charcoal was burned indoors. It was not too warm, but it dispelled the chill of early winter.
Wan Jinlan was lying on the bed in her pajamas, looking at Xiao Feng's face in the moonlight.
His eye sockets were sunken, the flesh on his cheeks had disappeared, his lips were extremely pale, and he had a gray and decadent air about him.
She had long been accustomed to him being like this, silent and quiet, and she did not feel afraid in her heart, her fingers still carefully tracing his face.
These past few days, even if she said some irritating yet ambiguous words, he would not react, as if he had fallen into the deepest sleep.
When her father left, he told her not to act rashly, because if anything happened, she would not be able to explain to the Queen Mother.
His father sent people to track down Yu Shuisheng, but he didn't know when he would be found. Perhaps by the time he found him, Xiao Feng would have reached his limit.
There was a slight noise coming from the window, and Wan Jinlan sat up alertly and got out of bed.
A layer of shadow covered the moonlit window. When the black figure walked to the bed and was about to lift the curtain, Wan Jinlan took a hammer and hit the intruder on the back.
"It's me, Xiao Zheng."
Xiao Zheng hurriedly shouted and narrowly avoided the huge hammer behind him, crashing into the bed frame, making a noise that was very harsh in the night.
Chun Tao was sleeping in the outer room. When she heard the noise, she lit the lamp and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"
Wan Jinlan pressed the huge hammer in his hand against Xiao Zheng's chest and said loudly, "It's okay. Turn off the lights and go guard outside first."
Chuntao frowned and went to the outer room, left the main hall, and closed the door.
Under the moonlight, Xiao Zheng smiled bitterly and pointed at the hammer on his chest, "Can you take it away first?"
Wan Jinlan was unmoved, "What are you doing here?"
The war in the south of the Yangtze River is tense. Why doesn't he make achievements in front of Prince Guangling and run to Prince Qi's Palace in Kyoto?
Her aunt's son Xiao Lang is quite favored by Prince Guangling. Doesn't Xiao Zheng feel any sense of urgency?
Xiao Zheng changed his posture and put his hands behind his head to make himself look less embarrassed.
"I'll repay you." He regained his composure. "If the emperor's uncle doesn't save me now, I'll be gone."
Wan Jinlan's pupils dilated, and he pressed down hard with the hammer in his hand. Xiao Zheng groaned.
"You did it?"
Xiao Zheng shook his head, "It's not me, but I can save him. As long as you send Kang Ning out of Kyoto for me, I can give you the antidote."
Wan Jinlan was furious, "Are you repaying me?"
That day at the Lishan Palace, she carried Princess Kangning all the way down the mountain and saved her child. She didn't think about any reward when she saved her, but now listening to his so-called "repayment", why did she feel so hateful?
Although Xiao Zheng was in the wrong, he had no choice but to do so.
"Why didn't you take her with you when you left? If you've abandoned her, why did you come back?"
Xiao Zheng remained silent.
He had been a hostage in Beijing for many years. Although he had correspondence with his father, he did not get involved much in his father's major affairs.
It was only after his father was summoned to the capital that he told him in person that the emperor was plotting to poison him. In order to relax the emperor's vigilance against him and give his father more time to plan, he had to "stay sick" in the capital.
The best time to escape back to Guangling was when the emperor was traveling to the Lishan Palace.
Her father also told her that if she left the pregnant Kang Ning behind, she could buy him more time.
He was his father's son, and the eldest son by his first wife. Because he was held hostage in the capital, he could only marry Princess Kangning, a descendant of the previous dynasty with only a title and no wealth. Yet, Xiao Lang had grown up by his father's side. He wondered, why should he be held hostage in the capital? If things came to pass in the future, he wouldn't be there. This would allow Xiao Lang to dominate his father's life.
He doesn't want to!
When he left, he was determined, but he regretted it these days.
When his father sent him to Kyoto to do business, he felt excited again.
Kang Ning was not particularly beautiful, but she was devoted to him. He thought that bringing her back under his father's arrangement was exactly what he wanted, and he was also loyal to her.
Xiao Zheng's eyes were complicated. Even though the moonlight was bright, Wan Jinlan couldn't see clearly.
"I hand you over to His Majesty..."
Xiao Feng interrupted her, confident in his thoughts, "The emperor's uncle will definitely die."
"Wan Jinlan, to repay your kindness, this prince would like to inform you of a piece of news."
Xiao Zheng lowered his voice, "The Emperor and Uncle Qi are not born of the same mother."
Wan Jinlan looked shocked.
"Now the Emperor is gravely ill, and Prince Rui, born to his beloved woman, died in a struggle. Do you think the Emperor will suspect Prince Qi of also harboring ambitions to seize the throne?"
Wan Jinlan didn't pay attention to his subsequent words and asked, "Is it that Your Majesty is not the Queen Mother's son, or is it that the Prince of Qi is not the son?"
Xiao Zheng stared at her in the night: "Wan Jinlan, you are so smart, can't you guess it?"
Wan Jinlan was in a state of confusion at this moment, not knowing where to start and how to sort out everything.
First of all, Xiao Zheng and Prince Guangling's side knew a lot and had full control over the situation in Kyoto.
Xiao Zheng didn't give her time to think and said directly: "If you want to save the emperor's uncle within ten days, bring Princess Kangning out of the North Palace and send her to..."
"Uncle Huang can't hold on for much longer."
Xiao Zheng removed the hammer from his chest, pushed open the window, and disappeared silently into the night.
Wan Jinlan stood up, called Chuntao back, and then lay on the bed to think about the news Xiao Zheng revealed today.
After thinking for a while, Wan Jinlan's sleepiness disappeared. He frowned and lay on his side with his head on his arm.
My aunt once said that the Queen Mother took His Majesty to escape to Tanzhou, but Xiao Feng was left in Kyoto.
Over the years, Xiao Feng has not been close to the Queen Mother at all, all because of what happened back then.
So, Xiao Feng is not the Queen Mother's biological son?
Wan Jinlan shook his head. This didn't make sense. Regardless of whether Xiao Feng was the empress dowager's son or not, he was her second legitimate son. He had no influence on the overall situation. Compared with His Majesty, he was insignificant. Therefore, there was no need to falsify his identity.
There is only one possibility left, that Your Majesty is not the Queen Mother's biological son.
She had heard about the past from her aunt and knew very little about it. She couldn't figure out the reason by guessing.
Xiao Zheng wants to save Princess Kangning, will she save her or not?
Princess Kangning is the wife of the traitor Xiao Zheng. She is important and unimportant at the same time.
Xiao Zheng fled back to Guangling and abandoned the person directly, which meant that Princess Kangning was useless.
But being useless doesn't mean she can save people.
Wan Jinlan was thinking about it for a long time and didn't know when he fell asleep.
The next day, she simply handed in a sign and entered the palace.
Anything she couldn't decide, she would leave to the Queen Mother.
She had very few people under her command, and it would be very difficult to take Princess Kangning away from the imperial guards.
If her guess was true, Xiao Zheng was the Queen Mother's only biological son, so how could the Queen Mother let the King of Qi not save him?
The Queen Mother could bear the consequences if she took action, but she couldn't.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
