Chapter 428 Mysterious Note
Not long after Huo left, the tranquility of Weiyang Palace was broken.
He Ling rushed in, her breathing erratic, her face deathly pale, clutching a crumpled piece of paper tightly in her hand.
Upon seeing Jiang Huan, He Ling's eyes instantly reddened, and she immediately rushed over.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
Jiang Huan's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm and gestured for the palace servants around her to leave, leaving only Xiao Zhao to guard the door.
She grabbed He Ling's hand and lowered her voice, "Don't panic, tell me slowly, what happened?"
He Ling stuffed the crumpled piece of paper in her hand into Jiang Huan's hand, her lips trembling, and she could barely speak.
"Just now... I don't know who... slipped it under the crack of my palace gate. When I opened it... it was... it was news from Princess Mingzhu..."
Jiang Huan unfolded the note, which contained only a few words, written in crooked handwriting, clearly a deliberate attempt to conceal something.
To save the princess, at midnight tonight, send Jiang Huan alone to the abandoned mountain god temple in the west of the city.
Jiang Huan's heart sank instantly, and a chill ran through her limbs.
She took a deep breath, preparing to ask more questions, but she clearly heard He Ling's inner thoughts as she frantically scrolled through her screen.
[Mingzhu is so cute, could she already be... Waaah, I don't dare to think about it.]
There was another note saying not to tell the Emperor, or the hostage would be killed. But how could we save the person if we didn't tell the Emperor?
[Your Majesty is still pregnant, how can she go to such a place? Isn't that suicidal?]
Who did this? It's so vicious, I'm going crazy!
Jiang Huan tightened her grip on the note, her nails almost digging into her palm.
This was clearly a trap set for her. The other party had calculated her relationship with Mingzhu and also the inconveniences she would experience during her pregnancy.
Seeing Jiang Huan's unpleasant expression, He Ling panicked even more.
"Your Majesty, what should we do? Should we keep quiet for now? Should we think of another way? But... but what way is there..."
She didn't dare to say the words "kill the hostage," but the meaning was crystal clear.
Seeing He Ling's terrified and flustered state, Jiang Huan knew she wouldn't get any more information out of her.
The other party chose He Ling to deliver the message because they valued her tendency to panic and their familiarity with her.
"I understand." Jiang Huan interrupted her, her voice unusually calm. She carefully folded the note and tucked it into her sleeve.
“He Ling, listen to me. Go back to your palace right now, close the door, and act as if nothing happened. Don’t say a word to anyone who asks, especially not about this note or what’s written on it. Do you understand?”
He Ling was stunned by the stern look in Jiang Huan's eyes and nodded subconsciously.
"I...I've remembered...I won't tell anyone..."
Jiang Huan softened her tone, patted her hand, and comforted her, "Okay, go back now and stay here. Don't panic, I'll take care of everything."
Hearing Jiang Huan's words, He Ling seemed to have found her pillar of support. She nodded repeatedly, wiped away her tears, and left absentmindedly.
Watching He Ling's departing figure, Jiang Huan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
This was clearly aimed at her. The other party dared to kidnap the princess right under the nose of the capital and then use such a vicious method to force her to show herself. There must be a bigger scheme behind it.
If she were to foolishly go alone, she would be playing right into Mingzhu's hands. Not only would she fail to save Mingzhu, but she and her child would also lose their lives.
We must tell Huo Lin immediately.
She supported her lower back, slowly stood up, felt the baby moving inside her, and gritted her teeth.
"Xiao Zhao, help me to the study." Jiang Huan's voice trembled, but her eyes were incredibly firm.
"Your Majesty, your health..." Xiao Zhao looked at her pale face with concern.
"It's alright, let's go." Jiang Huan waved her hand. Now is not the time to worry about herself. Every moment of delay increases the danger to Mingzhu.
Inside the study, Huo Lin was discussing the rescue with his shadow guard.
Upon seeing Jiang Huan being helped in by Xiao Zhao, he immediately stood up and strode forward to greet her, supporting her.
"Why did you come over? Didn't I tell you to rest properly?"
Jiang Huan leaned against him, panting heavily for a few moments. Without even catching her breath, she immediately pulled out the crumpled, hot paper from her sleeve and stuffed it into his hand.
"Look, someone just slipped it to He Ling."
Huo Lin unfolded the note, glanced at it, and instantly unleashed a terrifying killing intent, as if the temperature in the study had plummeted.
He clenched his fist suddenly, his knuckles making a soft cracking sound.
"You bastard!"
[They dared to set their sights on her and her child! Very well, very well!]
Using a pearl as bait to force her to go alone is tantamount to taking their lives!
Whoever it is, I will tear him to pieces.
Jiang Huan sensed his rage and quickly grabbed his arm.
"Huo Lin, this is clearly a trap, but Mingzhu is in their hands, we must save her!" Although Jiang Huan trusted his abilities, Mingzhu's safety prevented her from remaining completely calm.
Huo Lin forced himself to calm down, patted her back reassuringly with his large hand, and spoke in a deep voice.
"I know, don't be afraid. I will never let Mingzhu get hurt, and I will never let you be in danger."
Before he could finish speaking, the study door was pushed open.
Shen Yi walked in without being announced. He had obviously received the news. His usually smiling eyes were now unusually cold and sharp.
Upon seeing him, Huo Lin didn't waste any words and directly handed over the crumpled note.
"You've come at the right time, take a look at this."
Shen Yi took the note, his eyes flashing as he quickly scanned the writing on it.
He stroked the rough edges of the paper and the crooked ink marks, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"The paper is the most common coarse hemp paper on the market, which is readily available. The ink stains vary in depth. Whether it is due to a restless mind or intentional writing, the strokes are deliberately distorted to conceal writing habits. However, the way the force is applied at the beginning and turn of these characters is somewhat special."
He raised his head and looked at Huo Lin, his tone certain: "The other party specifically requested that Your Highness go alone, which means they are certain that Your Highness is concerned about Mingzhu's safety and might hesitate to act rashly. At the very least, it can disturb your mind. This move is ruthless and kills two birds with one stone."
As Jiang Huan listened to Shen Yi's calm analysis, and thinking of Mingzhu's perilous situation, her palms became sweaty, and she couldn't help but grab Huo Lin's sleeve.
"So what should we do now?"
Huo Lin grasped her slightly cool hand tightly, exchanged a glance with Shen Yi, and without needing to say anything, their years of tacit understanding had allowed them to understand each other's thoughts.
He spoke in a deep voice, his decision already made: "Shen Yi, I entrust Mingzhu's rescue to you. You will personally lead a team of elite shadow guards to secretly infiltrate the Mountain God Temple and ensure Mingzhu's safety. As for those rats hiding in the shadows..."
Huo Lin's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and his words were as cold as ice: "Find him out for me, whether he lives or dies."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi immediately clasped his hands in a fist and accepted the order.
"Your subject obeys the decree!"
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