Just then, Mei Zhixuan returned to the palace and heard news that the palace was hunting down spies. The guard who had been sent to the Empress's palace to gather information happened to brush past Xuan Yuan Yue, stepped over the threshold and entered the room. Seeing that Xuan Yuan Yue looked gloomy and seemed to ignore his greeting, the guard scratched the back of his head in confusion and asked Mei Zhixuan, "Your Highness, what's wrong with Her Majesty..."
But before he could finish speaking, he looked up and saw Mei Zhixuan's furrowed brows and his face showing a look of sadness and disappointment, so he immediately stopped talking.
The room was silent, and the master and servant remained so for a long time.
The snow was still falling, and it seemed that only the incessant sound of the falling snow outside the window could be heard. Apart from that, the whole world was so quiet that it was as if only the two of them remained.
Despite the myriad emotions and sighs in his heart, Mei Zhixuan ultimately had no choice but to silently endure everything. Because he always believed that his actions would eventually be forgiven.
Finally, he mustered his courage again and broke the dead silence: "Well? Have you found out why the Empress suddenly went to such lengths to search the palace?"
Upon hearing this, the guard quickly came to his senses and bowed to the emperor, reporting, "Your Highness, everyone on the Empress's side is extremely tight-lipped. I haven't been able to find out any specific information about the captured spy. However, I learned from a guard outside her palace that after the morning court session this morning, the Empress summoned the Grand Astrologer, Lord Zhang, alone, and it seems that Lord Zhang has angered Her Majesty!"
Mei Zhixuan was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then stared into his eyes, asking with great confusion, "Lord Zhang? You didn't hear wrong? Lord Zhang has always been an upright and incorruptible official, never forming cliques or engaging in private affairs, and he has never had any dealings with the harem. Why would the Empress suddenly summon him? And why did he anger the Empress?"
The guard did not answer him immediately, but instead took two steps closer and lowered his voice, saying mysteriously, "Your Highness must be surprised to learn what happened at the morning court session this day."
Upon hearing this, Mei Zhixuan exclaimed in surprise, "The morning court session?"
After saying that, he glared angrily at the guard who was trying to keep him in suspense and sternly reprimanded him, "Speak now!"
So the guard hurriedly and honestly reported everything to him in detail...
Sure enough, Mei Zhixuan found it increasingly hard to believe as he listened, until finally he stood up abruptly in shock and exclaimed, "What? Is this really true? Did Lord Zhang really divine this?"
The guard, too, was still incredulous throughout the journey. He nodded with unprecedented seriousness, his gaze unwavering, and said, “It is absolutely true. When I returned from gathering information in the Empress’s palace, I specifically confirmed it with several high-ranking officials in the court. They all found it utterly unbelievable, and even His Majesty himself was shocked! Since the morning court session, I heard that His Majesty only summoned Minister Zhang to his study. Their private conversation lasted less than the time it takes to play a game of chess. It is said that he flew into a rage halfway through the game, drove Minister Zhang out, and has since remained secluded in his study, refusing to see anyone.”
After a moment of contemplation, Mei Zhixuan seemed to finally realize something and said in a deep voice, "It seems that our all-powerful Empress, who wants to control everything, must have also learned of this news and must also be skeptical about it, which is why she invited Lord Zhang over for questioning."
As Mei Zhixuan spoke, he pondered for a moment, then sat down in a daze. After a moment of silence, he exclaimed in surprise, "Dongning is currently at the height of its national prosperity, so how could there be such a divination omen? Lord Zhang is only a little over forty years old. Is he already senile? Now, even the Emperor is furious about this. No wonder the Empress couldn't sit still in the palace and imprisoned him in such a rage! She must be thinking that if this news continues to spread, it will inevitably cause turmoil throughout the court."
At this moment, Mei Zhixuan could never have imagined that the game he thought he had the greatest winning hand in the world, a game he was certain to win, was already destined to end in complete defeat before it even began.
The guard on the side thought for a moment, then scratched his head vigorously, his brows furrowed in bewilderment. Something felt off, so he asked Mei Zhixuan, "But a noble person is a noble person, and a spy is a spy. If they are found, the two are fundamentally different. I just don't understand. Since the Empress is doing this for the good of Dongning, she should be ordering the search for a noble person who can save Dongning's fate. Why are they searching for some fictitious spy?"
Mei Zhixuan said thoughtfully, “Using the same old tricks again, this is where the Empress’s cunning and shrewdness lies. The Empress has always been meticulous and jealous. Back then, even when my stepmother was nearing her due date, she insisted on leaving Dongning for Xiqin. Everyone opposed it, but only the Empress pleaded for her. At that time, my stepmother was very grateful to her. But thinking about it, my stepmother later met with an unfortunate accident in Xiqin. I think this must be related to the guards that the current Empress personally sent to protect my stepmother back then…”
After a pause, recalling the many conspiracies of the past, Mei Zhixuan's face suddenly darkened. Looking at the guard's seemingly understanding expression, he said, "If I am not mistaken, the person that the Empress Dowager is looking for, the spy she keeps talking about... is none other than the noble person who can save Dongning's fate."
The guard was shocked: "What? How is that possible? If we are mistaken for spies who infiltrated the palace with impure motives, we will be executed on the spot and beheaded if we are caught!"
Mei Zhixuan gave him a deep look and said, "This is precisely the Empress's true intention! It is also where her ruthlessness lies!"
The guard thought about it and was even more confused: "But what good would it do for Dongning if it really fell?"
Mei Zhixuan pondered for a moment and said, "If Lord Zhang's divination is true, and the noble person really exists, then without a doubt, once that so-called noble person is found, Father will be like a fish in water, becoming the biggest winner. But isn't that Second Prince impatiently shouting to everyone every day that he wants to replace Father's position?"
At this point, the guard suddenly understood and exclaimed, "I understand now. Your Highness means... the Empress is intentionally planning to clear obstacles for the Second Prince."
After saying that, he shook his head again, looking quite regretful, and said, "In that case, that so-called nobleman is truly pitiful!"
Mei Zhixuan suddenly replied, "With me here, of course she will be fine."
The guard exclaimed in astonishment, "What? Your Highness, do you mean that the princess is the noble person who can save Dongning?"
Mei Zhixuan took a deep breath and said meaningfully, "It seems that the princess can no longer hide here."
Following his train of thought, the guard pondered for a moment and immediately said with great concern, "Who says otherwise? The princess is in a precarious situation; she may have run away on the first day, but she can't escape it on the fifteenth. Your Highness, shouldn't we move the princess out of the palace immediately?"
Mei Zhixuan closed his eyes after hearing this, pondered for a long time, and finally blurted out, "No, as the saying goes, the most dangerous place is also the safest place."
The guard didn't understand the meaning behind his words, but repeated, "Is the most dangerous place also the safest place?"
Mei Zhixuan stood up and slowly walked to the door, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the vast land outside the door, saying, "It seems that perhaps we should send her to Father Emperor's side."
Sure enough, these words struck the guard like a bolt from the blue. He stared wide-eyed and exclaimed, "What?! Sending the princess to the Emperor's side?! Your Highness, what are you doing...!"
Mei Zhixuan said softly, "If she blossoms, butterflies will come. After all this, we've hidden her away, but whether outside or inside the palace, it's still so unsafe. You and I both know that she's no ordinary woman, and no power can overshadow her brilliance. In that case, perhaps the only way to truly ensure her safety is to send her to Father's side!"
The guard thought about it carefully and realized that his words made a lot of sense, but he seemed extremely unwilling and said, "But didn't His Highness say that he would never allow the princess to recognize the emperor as his daughter in his lifetime? Besides, we will need the princess in the future to achieve our great cause..."
How could Mei Zhixuan feel comfortable or willing to accept this? He had poured so much effort into it, yet the preparations for the uprising were still far from complete. If he acted rashly, the outcome would be extremely unpredictable.
After a moment's thought, he said with unwavering resolve, "Of course, we can't let them recognize each other as father and daughter. However, as long as I don't say anything, my father will absolutely not easily believe the words of a strange woman who appeared out of nowhere. Moreover, it concerns extremely important people and matters related to my stepmother. And haven't you realized that the princess is actually completely unaware of her own origins?!"
The guard thought for a moment, but still disagreed, insisting that His Highness should reconsider: "Even so, I still think Your Highness should think it over carefully. After going through so much, we finally managed to find this powerful force to support us. If we just send her to the Emperor's side like this, wouldn't that be tantamount to handing her over to him?"
Mei Zhixuan waved his sleeve one last time, turned away angrily, and said to those behind him with extreme impatience and a sense of resignation, "My mind is made up. There's no need to discuss it further. Go and find a suitable opportunity..."
"Sigh..." The guard sighed helplessly and then withdrew.
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