Chapter Seventy-Five: The Wind Servant Plays Tricks on the Baby
The next day, Mu Cenlin left home early.
Inside the room, Li Bao'er sat upright in front of the mirror, her eyes slightly closed, letting Miao Qing comb her long hair and tie it into a woman's bun.
Not far away, Miao Yi and Linglong were arranging bonsai trees to add some greenery to their newlywed bedroom.
Miao Qing held a strand of her dark, lustrous hair in her hand, her lips curving upwards involuntarily, her voice filled with joy: "Miss, no, Your Highness, you don't know, from the very first moment I saw you, I knew in my heart that you would be the future mistress of the Jing Prince's Mansion!"
Looking at Li Bao'er's beautiful face reflected in the bronze mirror, her eyes sparkled: "Look, it's only been a few days, and it's already come true! This is what they call destiny!"
Li Bao'er, who was still feeling a bit languid from waking up, opened her eyes upon hearing Miao Qing's words. Looking through the bronze mirror at the confident-looking maid behind her, she asked curiously, "Oh? Why are you so sure? Has the Prince... never brought a woman back to the manor before?"
She asked the question casually, but Miao Qing and Miao Yi, who was arranging flowers nearby, exchanged a glance, both of them with expressions that said, "You finally asked about this."
Miao Qing slowed her movements, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of mystery and emotion, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but before you came, our Jingwang Mansion was truly... harder to enter than the gate of a border military camp!"
Miao Yi put down the flowers in her hand and walked over, adding, "That's right! The prince is cold-hearted and doesn't like to be disturbed, especially by outsiders entering the inner courtyard of the prince's mansion. In the past, whether it was colleagues in the court or officials from all walks of life seeking an audience, the prince would always meet them in the military camp or the outer courtyard. Almost no one could step into the gate of this prince's mansion."
Miao Qing nodded vigorously and added, "Not to mention women! In all the years we've served in the Prince's mansion, apart from the palace maids and servants who come regularly to deliver things, we've never seen any other female relatives allowed to enter by the Prince! The servants in the Prince's mansion are mostly old women and young maids like us; there isn't even a young female manager."
Upon hearing this, Li Bao'er's heart stirred slightly. This matched her impression of Mu Cenlin as someone who was unapproachable and extremely wary.
Miao Yi seemed to remember something and covered her mouth with a smile, saying, "So that day when the Prince suddenly brought you back to the manor and even settled you in the main courtyard, we were all shocked! Later, you even used the Prince's private bath, which he never allowed anyone to approach... and nothing happened to you at all! We servants were wondering at the time, which noble lady could make the Prince make an exception for you?"
Miao Qing looked at Li Bao'er with sparkling eyes: "I never expected that you would be the daughter of the Prime Minister's family! Your Highness, you don't know, at that time, everyone in the capital was saying that you... uh..." She stopped midway, seemingly realizing her slip of the tongue, and quickly stopped talking, smiling apologetically.
Li Bao'er naturally knew how the outside world had previously spread rumors that she was "obsessed with the Third Prince," which was the complete opposite of Mu Cenlin's reputation as a "demon."
No wonder the maids were so surprised back then.
"It's alright, that's all in the past. Just remember that I am now the Princess Consort of Jing."
Looking at her already styled woman's hair in the mirror, and recalling Miao Qing and Miao Yi's words, a strange feeling welled up in her heart.
After having breakfast at the mansion, Li Bao'er instructed Linglong to prepare a carriage and horses, intending to go out of the mansion to check on the newly acquired shops.
She waited in the courtyard for a while, her gaze casually sweeping over the path leading deeper into the mansion.
Just then, a familiar figure caught her attention.
Feng Li was not following Mu Cenlin as usual; instead, he was walking alone, hurrying towards the abandoned garden in the northwest corner of the Prince's mansion, a place rarely visited by anyone.
The northwest corner? Apart from some abandoned houses and a dried-up well, there's almost nothing there. What's Feng Li doing there? And why is he acting so suspiciously?
Corning!
Mu Cenlin had said that Kang Ning was imprisoned in the dungeon of the Prince Jing's mansion, but she never asked where the dungeon was exactly.
Li Bao'er immediately whispered to Miao Yi beside her, "Go tell Linglong to wait for me a moment. I suddenly remembered that I forgot to take something."
After dismissing the maid, Li Bao'er lifted her skirt and, using the pillars and flowers as cover, quietly followed Feng Li's figure.
Finally, Feng Li stopped beside a rockery in the desolate garden, where he pressed several seemingly ordinary stones in a regular pattern.
A small entrance, just wide enough for one person to pass through, slowly opened at the bottom of the artificial hill. He quickly slipped inside, and Li Bao'er followed him.
The passageway was silent, except for the pounding of her own heartbeat.
She tried to walk quietly, attempting to find any trace that Feng Li might have left behind. However, after only a few steps, the only faint light source in front of her suddenly disappeared without warning!
The entire passage was instantly plunged into complete darkness!
Li Bao'er was startled, "001! I'm afraid of ghosts!"
001 reassured her, "There are no ghosts in this world, don't worry."
Bao'er didn't believe it. "If there's something as fantastical as a system, it's perfectly normal for ghosts to exist."
Just then, something cold and unexpectedly touched her shoulder!
"Ah—!" Li Bao'er was so frightened that her soul almost left her body. She let out a short scream and suddenly lurched forward, her back slamming heavily against the cold stone wall. The pain made her gasp.
From the darkness came a low chuckle, tinged with a hint of mischievous triumph.
Immediately afterwards, a soft light appeared not far in front of her.
Feng Li held up a small luminous pearl, standing there leisurely with no expression on his face, but his eyes, which were usually as still as water, now held a hint of playfulness that was almost imperceptible.
Feng Li's voice was exceptionally clear in the narrow passage, even echoing slightly, "Your Highness, this place is cold and damp, teeming with snakes, insects, and rodents. It is certainly not a place for you. May I ask what brings you here, following me here?"
Li Bao'er was still shaken, her back still burning with pain. Looking at the guy in front of her who had clearly tried to scare her on purpose, she felt both angry and embarrassed.
"You already noticed me? Then why did you deliberately scare me!"
Feng Li did not answer directly, but maintained a slight bow and asked again, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"Take me to see Kangning."
Feng Li raised his eyelids and glanced at her, his eyes calm and unwavering: "No one may see you without the Prince's permission."
That's as good as saying nothing at all.
Li Bao'er: "Who said I didn't give permission? Did you ask the Prince himself?"
Feng Li paused, looking puzzled. The prince had left the palace early this morning, and he was just on duty today to deliver food to Kang Ning as usual. He really didn't know if the prince had allowed the princess to come and check on him.
But... given how much the prince cares about Li Bao'er, it's likely that what the princess said is true.
"Please follow me."
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