Qi Yuning took Lingling from Lu Ze's arms and looked at his back, who was holding the lantern. After a long pause, she said, "Prince Lu, be careful."
If Lu Ze was dragged into the water by the water ghost and died in the lotus pond, then Lingling would be gone in the future.
Lu Ze turned and smiled at Qi Yuning, saying, "No problem."
Lu Ze arrived at the lotus pond, holding a lantern and watching the koi swimming in the crystal clear water and a small green turtle lying by the pond.
Lu Ze ordered the servant beside him, "Go down and pick up the little turtle."
"yes."
The servant quickly picked up the little turtle from the pond.
Lu Ze took the turtle and placed it on his palm. The turtle was not even as big as his palm. He then took the turtle into the courtyard and handed it to Lingling, "Do you want this turtle?"
Lingling's eyes lit up. She took the little turtle from Lu Ze's hand and immediately smiled, "Daddy! This is Guigui."
When Qi Yuning saw the little turtle in Lingling's hand, he put Lingling on the ground and walked a few steps away from her.
If it really was a ghost, Qi Yuning wouldn't be so scared.
But she is really afraid of this green-haired turtle.
Lingling ran towards Qi Yuning: "Mother, dear."
Qi Yuning even hid behind Lichun, looking at Lu Ze with hatred and saying, "Lu Ze, you knew I was afraid of turtles, yet you still let Lingling catch a turtle to play with."
Lu Ze said, "I forgot that the princess is afraid of turtles."
Lu Ze walked over to Lingling and said, "Lingling, your mother is afraid of the turtle. Give the turtle to your father. Go to sleep first and play with the turtle when you wake up, okay?"
Lingling took the little turtle and walked to Qi Yuning's side and said, "Mom, the turtle doesn't bite. Don't be afraid. Touch the turtle."
Lichun, who was standing beside Qi Yuning, smiled and said to Lingling, "Miss Lingling, the princess is most afraid of this green turtle."
Seeing that Qi Yuning was genuinely frightened, Lingling sensibly handed the turtle to Lu Ze and said, "Daddy, you have to take good care of Guigui for me!"
Lu Ze chuckled and touched Lingling's head.
Lingling went back to her room and fell asleep. Lu Ze kept the turtle in the inkstone pool, but he had no desire to sleep, so he called the eunuch to question him.
"When Prince Duan fell into the water, was he dragged in by a water ghost?"
The head eunuch trembled and said, "This is absolutely true. Two years ago, at the grand sacrificial ceremony, all the princes were present. Prince Duan was standing by the pond when a faceless, long-haired water ghost grabbed his feet and dragged him into the lake. Many people saw it. By the time we all went down to the lake to rescue Prince Duan, he had already died, and the water ghost had disappeared."
Lu Ze was indeed not present at the sacrificial ceremony two years ago. Later, he heard people say that his third uncle had drowned, but no one had ever mentioned that it was a water ghost that injured people.
“Boom boom boom!”
There was a knock on the door.
Seeing Qi Yuning standing at the door, Lu Ze asked, "Princess, why aren't you sleeping so late?"
Qi Yuning said, "Throw away the turtle. I don't want Lingling to walk around me with the turtle tomorrow."
Lu Ze said, "If we throw the turtle away, Lingling will inevitably be disappointed when she wakes up. I'll talk to Lingling tomorrow and tell her that it's better for the turtle to stay in the lotus pond."
Qi Yuning saw the eunuch beside her, looking at her and Lu Ze with curiosity, probably trying to guess the relationship between her and Lu Ze.
Qi Yuning said to the chief eunuch, "Whatever happened in the palace tonight, including Lingling's matter, you'd better keep it to yourself."
"Yes." The eunuch said repeatedly.
After the eunuch left, Lu Ze said to Qi Yuning, "Princess, are you free to accompany me to my third uncle's tomb?"
"What?"
Lu Ze said, "I suspect that my third uncle's death was not simple. Princess, you are known for your boldness and carefulness. Would you like to go to the tomb with me?"
Qi Yuning: "..."
Lu Ze continued, "My princess should also want to know why Zhao Jie was the emperor in the end, right?"
Qi Yuning asked, "Does this have anything to do with your third uncle's tomb?"
Lu Ze said, "There's something strange about Third Uncle's death. The princess is a descendant of a heroic Qi family member. Wouldn't she be afraid of entering the tomb?"
Qi Yuning wrapped his cloak tightly around himself and said, "No, I'm afraid."
It is not shameful to be afraid of tombs.
Lu Ze smiled and stopped making things difficult for Qi Yuning.
…
The next morning, Qi Yuning took Lingling to play with Princess Duan and Zhao Jie, planning to return after noon.
Seeing Zhao Jie and Ling Ling having fun, Princess Duan said with a guilty look on her face, "It's all my fault. Jie'er has to stay here."
Qi Yuning said slowly: "Princess Duan, why don't you take the little prince back to Shengjing City? After all, the little prince is your majesty's grandson..."
Princess Duan's eyes were red as she said, "My Shan'er has been tragically killed by someone. I can't afford to offend them, so I can only hide here. I beg the ancestors of the Zhao family to bless my Jie'er."
Qi Yuning asked, "Didn't Princess Shan slip and fall into the river, and her life or death is unknown?"
Princess Duan wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief and choked out a sob, "Yes, he fell into the river and died."
Qi Yuning looked at Princess Duan, and her intuition told her that Princess Shan falling into the water was not that simple.
And judging from the degree of Princess Duan's grief, it seemed as if she was certain that Princess Shan was dead. Qi Yuning also thought that since Princess Shan's body could not be found, there was still a possibility that she was still alive.
As a mother, how could Princess Duan be so certain of a tragic death?
If you can't find anyone after falling into the water, you must be hoping to be alive.
Princess Shan was only three years younger than Qi Yuning. Qi Yuning especially remembered that Princess Shan was quite favored by Prince Duan and his wife.
At that time, Princess Shan was the only child in the entire Prince Duan's Mansion, and Prince Duan and his wife gave all their love to Princess Shan.
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