Rumble—
Outside the window, deafening thunderclaps echoed across the night sky.
Xiuning, dressed in her nightgown, stood by the window, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
Chunyu stood by his side, looking at her master with worried eyes. She wanted to say something to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say.
Her master hadn't left the palace these past few days. Apart from the time the Crown Prince led people to search the palace, Qixiang Palace didn't receive any guests. Under such circumstances, Chunyu couldn't understand why her master was in a bad mood.
"Spring Rain, I am just a little uneasy."
Xiuning didn't know where the unease came from, but for some reason, she always felt that there was danger around her.
This intuition is an ability that only emerged after Xiuning became a mission taker and completed many missions.
Because of this ability, Xiuning successfully weathered one crisis after another.
Right now, Xiu Ning's intuition kicked in again, and she couldn't help but take it seriously.
The Emperor has not yet returned to the palace, and the search of the palace has come to an end. What will happen next, and where will the problem lie?
Xiu Ning didn't need Chun Yu to answer her question; she just needed Chun Yu to be a listener.
Recalling her doubts, Xiuning realized that it was very likely related to the Crown Prince.
Their letters arrived before the Crown Prince's, but the Emperor has yet to reply to her.
Not only Xiuning, but also Consort Yi and others did not receive it.
My heart skipped a beat.
Xiuning asked, "What's been happening at Yuqing Palace lately?"
When Chunyu heard her master mention Yuqing Palace, she thought for a moment and then shook her head. "There's been no movement. Apart from the necessary summons of ministers to handle affairs, the Crown Prince doesn't leave the palace every day."
Xiuning clenched her fists. “No, there’s definitely something wrong with Yuqing Palace.” They just haven’t found out yet, or rather, the people of Yuqing Palace are covering up the problem, and their people haven’t been able to find out.
Xiu Ning's words were too absolute, which stirred up Chun Yu's emotions.
"Your Majesty's meaning is that I will send people to continue investigating the situation at Yuqing Palace, and report back to Your Majesty immediately if there is any news."
Chunyu lowered her head, but at the same time made up her mind that this time she would send more people over no matter what.
It was her mistake before that she didn't expect the Crown Prince to abandon the court and turn to the harem. This not only shocked the master, but also caused Qixiang Palace to suffer in silence.
If the Crown Prince continues to cause trouble now, and she still fails to notice in time, Chunyu may not even be able to atone with her death.
“Go ahead, but don’t be too nervous,” Xiu Ning said, trying to reassure Chunyu in case she made a mistake. “Even with Suo’etu’s help, the Crown Prince is still short-sighted. We just need to know what they want to do.”
Because the rest, the Crown Prince can finish things off on his own without them having to lift a finger.
Spring rain nodded in agreement.
"Alright, help me to bed."
We won't get anything by waiting any longer; let's see what happens with the Crown Prince first.
Chunyu stepped forward and helped the person into the inner room.
...
The torrential rain raged, and overnight, the entire harem was transformed.
The flowers and plants in the Imperial Garden were ravaged and withered, and even the trees in the various palaces could not escape the devastation.
After all the repair requests, big and small, were sent to the Imperial Household Department, they were met with another flurry of activity.
Qixiang Palace was no exception; the banana trees planted in the palace were blown down by the wind, and a corner of the side hall was smashed open as a result.
Chunyu patiently directed the servants of the Imperial Household Department to hurry up and make repairs.
"Be quick and efficient, don't dawdle. When the master asks questions, let's see how you explain yourselves."
Chunyu frowned, placed her hands in front of her abdomen, and paced back and forth around the small courtyard.
When the palace servants around Chunyu saw her, they were all like mice seeing a cat, and they immediately ran away in fright.
This is the master's personal maid, a rank higher than them, so we can't afford to offend her.
Spring Rain: ...
Chunyu felt extremely frustrated looking at these people, mainly because she was affected by what Xiuning had said last night. The Crown Prince was not behaving properly, which led to turmoil in the harem.
"Hurry up and find the Imperial Household Department as soon as possible if you need anything."
After giving her instructions, Chunyu turned and walked to the palace gate. She glanced to the left and right, but when she saw that he hadn't returned, she felt anxious and helpless.
If something goes wrong, it might alert the enemy, so it's better to proceed cautiously.
Chunyu stood at the palace gate, conflicted, unaware that the palace servants she had sent out were not as she had imagined.
The reason they didn't return was that the palace servants discovered a huge secret, even bigger than the psychological preparation they had done beforehand.
The Crown Prince is planning a rebellion!
"Nonsense, has the Crown Prince gone mad?"
Rebellion? How could anyone say such a thing? The fact that the Crown Prince is the heir apparent is already a done deal. He just needs to outlive the previous emperor to ascend the throne. Why would he want to rebel?
Chunyu frowned, looking at the little palace maid who had run back, and helplessly rubbed her forehead. "Tell me carefully what you saw. Don't make assumptions."
Otherwise, even she couldn't save them. They're really courting death, saying whatever comes to mind.
Terrified by Chunyu's serious expression, the little palace maid lost her previous wild imagination.
Trembling, the young palace maid described in a shaky voice what she had seen and heard in Yuqing Palace.
As the young palace maid narrated, a vast net laid out by Yuqing Palace was revealed to Chunyu.
Chunyu felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. At the same time, she began to understand why the little palace maid thought the Crown Prince was going to rebel. It was because the Crown Prince's actions were so questionable that he had once again begun to gather guards, and this time the gathering was even more massive than the previous search of the palace.
Why?
Chunyu didn't understand, but that didn't stop her from realizing that something was wrong and needed to be reported immediately.
Her master was still waiting for a reply, and she couldn't hesitate at a time like this.
Regardless of what the Crown Prince intends to do, even if he really wants to rebel, she must first uncover the news of the rebellion and then inform her master in detail.
"I know about this. You need to keep your mouth shut. You know what to say and what not to say. You've been in the palace for so many years, I don't need to teach you how to behave."
Go down and collect your reward from Xuanru. Get some rest.
Spring Rain is exceptionally adept at giving a good kick followed by a sweet treat.
The young palace maid appropriately showed the proper attitude, nodded, and walked away in small steps.
Seeing that the person had gone far away, Chunyu immediately ran back to the main hall.
Xiuning was sitting on the couch drinking tea. She was dressed in a moon-white cheongsam, looking fresh and elegant.
"master"
Chunyu entered the room and quickly stood beside Xiuning.
Xiuning put down her teacup. "Any news?" If there was no news, Chunyu wouldn't have come in for no reason.
Chunyu nodded. "A palace servant just delivered a message saying that Yuqing Palace has gathered another group of guards, and the scale of the search is larger than before."
"oh?"
Xiu Ning raised an eyebrow, not surprised at all; she seemed to understand what the Crown Prince wanted to do.
Tsk tsk, how audacious! Even with Suo'etu present, isn't the Crown Prince a bit too hasty? The inner palace is a deep and treacherous place; even with support, the Crown Prince might not be able to handle it.
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