"I don't like the prince, Dad, please don't say anything nonsense." Lin Ting'er said subconsciously.
Father Lin stared at her with eyes wide open: "If you don't like the prince, why are you asking me to kiss you? You're itching for it, aren't you?!"
Father Lin's roar echoed out of the carriage. Seeing the slap coming, Lin Ting'er pushed open the door and jumped out of the carriage. After a few jumps, she landed on the roof. "Dad, calm down. I'm leaving first."
Cold wind rushed in through the car door. Father Lin had no choice but to look at Lin Su and say, "Look at your sister. It's okay for her to be fickle in Southwest City, but how can she go back on her word in a royal marriage? The imperial decree has been issued. If she really doesn't want to get married, she'll dare to run away. Do you believe it?"
Lin Su naturally believed it. Just because she dared to say the word "rebellion" without any scruples, he knew that his sister did not take the royal family seriously.
"Don't worry, if she really doesn't want to get married at that time, I have a way to make the royal family cancel the engagement themselves. Don't worry, Dad." Lin Su said with a smile.
"What do you have in mind?" Father Lin felt upset after staying in the capital for a few days.
"It's not the time for her to cancel the engagement yet, don't be anxious." Lin Su said.
Father Lin could only suppress his anxiety and missed the days when his wife was around. He really couldn't handle such matters of family and marriage.
Several fires were extinguished in the East Palace. When the moon reached its zenith, a man hurried in and knelt in the hall. "Your Highness, what happened at today's palace banquet was just as you expected. The Third Prince has been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison."
The candlelight in the hall wasn't bright, but the one next to Xiao Tang's seat was quite bright. He sat at the table beside the couch, flipping through a book. When he heard the report, he raised his eyes slightly and asked, "Nothing happened?"
Now that the third prince Xiao Jun has been eliminated, there is no reason for the queen and her son to just stand by and watch. That woman is not the type to be content with her lot.
He was drowsy at the time and didn't care about keeping a close eye on this place, but he didn't expect that nothing went wrong here.
The attendant bowed his head and reported, "The Queen's personal eunuch, Fu Hai, was captured by the Prince of the Protectorate and brought into the palace. He was carrying a token intended for you, the Crown Prince. Your Majesty had him beaten to death with clubs, and even the Queen was reprimanded."
Xiao Tang hadn't shown any emotion at all, but upon hearing this, his fingers, which were originally gripping the book page, suddenly tightened. "Did he just happen to come across it?"
"The eunuch who led the way said that they stayed by the lake outside the palace for a while and were later caught." The attendant reported everything.
Xiao Tang sat up straight, with a complicated look in his eyes. He had planned this matter carefully. Even if the Queen wanted to suppress and frame him, there was no evidence. Logically, no one should know except his confidants, but he always felt that Lin Su knew. He had a deep intuition that the man knew.
He knew it, yet he still helped him solve the last problem. Was he trying to be nice? Was he doing this for his sister, or for the future peace of the southwest?
But even if he ascended the throne, the power of the southwestern border would also be weakened. The 100,000-strong army was in the hands of others, and sometimes it was not even mobilized by the emperor. If it was not checked and balanced, it would sooner or later be out of control.
But how could the Prince of the Protectorate, who is so scheming and cunning, not understand the current situation in the southwest?
Xiao Tang couldn't figure out his thoughts. He only knew that if he was his helper, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort in many things. But if he was his opponent, he would be the most terrifying opponent he had ever met in his life. If he really became his enemy, he might not win.
"Your Highness, is there any problem?" asked the servant who came to report.
"Nothing. Send a gift to the Duke of Huguo's Mansion and tell her it's for Miss Lin. Thank her for coming to visit me today." Xiao Tang said, pointing his finger at the table.
Since they were already engaged and were in the same boat, they might as well make some things official. No matter what happened in Southwest City, when he ascended the throne, he would show grace to the woman and let her go to find her true love. She wouldn't have to endure a lifetime of suffering in this walled inner courtyard like his mother had to.
What happened at the New Year's palace banquet could not be concealed. The third prince was thrown into the sky prison and was afraid that he would never survive. The queen was confined to the palace. These two major events could affect the situation in the court. The New Year is a festive occasion, and visiting relatives and friends is common. However, this year, even the capital city is a little deserted, and people's interactions are simple.
The gifts from the Eastern Palace arrived on the first day of the new year. The eunuch who delivered them was very respectful: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is grateful for Miss Lin's visit, so he sent these small gifts to thank her. He said that his illness has improved, so please don't worry."
"Don't worry, don't worry." Lin Ting'er saluted and wanted to run away. "When you go back, tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that I'm a girl. If you have any problems in the future, just contact my brother directly."
She spoke in a rough tone. The eunuch had been in the capital for many years and had never seen such a bold girl. He could only step back and repeatedly respond, "Don't worry, Miss Lin. I will definitely convey this to you when I get back."
The eunuch said goodbye and left, leaving only two brocade boxes on the table. Lin Ting'er looked at Lin Su, who had just finished practicing sword and was drinking tea, and felt a little overwhelmed.
"Brother, why don't you take a look at what the gift is?" Lin Ting'er pushed the brocade box over.
Lin's father had just finished a duel with Lin Su and was also sitting nearby. Upon hearing this, his face wrinkled. "The prince gave it to you. Why are you showing it to your brother?"
Lin Ting'er: "..."
Dad, please don't hurt me! You're my real dad!
"My father is right. Since it's a gift to you, you should keep it well. Why show it to me?" Lin Su said with a smile.
Lin Ting'er: "..."
Ahhh! If she had known earlier, she shouldn't have been so obsessed with her sister-in-law. Now, she might die from her brother's jealousy one day.
"Brother, brother..." Lin Ting'er laughed so hard that she almost cried, "Just help me keep an eye on him, what if he wants to hurt me?"
Father Lin almost spit out a mouthful of water: "Doesn't he want to die? Why have you been so weird lately?"
"I... I'm weird?" Lin Ting'er pointed at the tip of her nose, feeling like she was about to cry but couldn't. She stood up and said, "Okay, whoever wants this gift can have it, but I don't want it!"
She ran away without a trace. Father Lin looked at the two boxes and sighed. He then looked at Lin Su and said, "Look at her attitude now."
"Father, don't push her too much. She has been training on the battlefield and may not be used to the customs in Beijing. It will take her some time to adapt." Lin Su said with a smile.
He stood up and saw the two boxes opened. One contained a pearl hairpin and the other contained a jade pendant. Both were valuable items, but neither of them was what Lin Ting'er liked.
These two things were probably not chosen by Xiao Tang, but by his servants. That's why they chose these things that most women love, but they are not suitable for Lin Ting'er.
The eunuch returned and repeated to Xiao Tang what he had heard at the Duke of Huguo's mansion. He repeated every word, but Xiao Tang frowned slightly. "Did she really say that?"
"Yes, I dare not deceive His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." The eunuch said respectfully.
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