When Lin Mo arrived in the capital, there were still four days until the Lantern Festival.
During this period, Wei Maozhen started using the same old tricks again, just letting things cool down.
Without summoning or conveying any messages, as soon as they stepped out of the gate, those dozen or so Imperial Guards would follow them closely.
Clearly, this approach was designed to wear down Lin Mo's patience, causing him to act rashly and irrationally.
But to her surprise, Lin Mo remained remarkably calm about it.
"I love lying down!" he thought. "Five points a minute, three thousand points a day just by sleeping, that's fifteen hundred soldiers!"
"A life with a 'lie-down' system is just so lonely!"
At this moment, Wei Maozhen lost his composure.
Inside the Imperial Study in the Imperial Palace.
"What? That kid sleeps all day long?" Wei Maozhen could hardly believe his ears.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the lady-in-waiting replied, "and she sleeps for seven or eight hours a day!"
One hour is two hours, so eight hours is sixteen hours.
"Is this brat a pig? How can he sleep so much?" Wei Maozhen almost laughed out of anger.
"Isn't he afraid of death?" she thought. "Coming to my territory and just sleeping all day? Isn't he afraid I'll do something to him..."
"No, perhaps he's just sleeping to mislead me, maybe he's secretly contacting officials in the court!"
Thinking of this, she took a few deep breaths to calm her turbulent emotions, and then asked, "Did that kid secretly contact any officials in the capital, such as Lord Sun?"
If Lin Mo were to cause trouble, Sun Mian would be the best choice, which is why Sun Mian is also a key person Wei Maozhen is wary of.
"Your Majesty, there has been no contact!"
"What?" Wei Maozhen couldn't sit still any longer. "Did you ask carefully? Did the Thousand Machine Battalion even investigate? Did they find nothing?"
Upon hearing this, the female official trembled with fear. "Your Majesty, there is indeed no news!"
On the dragon throne, Wei Maozhen's expression was extremely ugly. Her gaze was sharp as she looked at Ling Tiande beside her. "Minister Ling, what exactly is this kid up to?"
Ling Tiande was also completely bewildered.
"Even a blind man could see that arranging a marriage for Lin Mo was a trap, so how could he be so calm?"
"Could it be that they secretly assembled an army and are deliberately feigning ignorance to mislead us?"
Thinking of this, he replied, "Your Majesty, could you have the Beijing garrison troops search the surrounding area to see if..."
"You mean, this kid is secretly assembling a large army?"
"We must be on guard!"
Wei Maozhen shook her head. "No, that's impossible!" she said. "I already had someone investigate. When that boy left Shu, he only took a few attendants with him. There were no traces of any army within a hundred miles of the capital."
"Could this kid be just like his father?" Ling Tiande asked in surprise.
Is he just a fool who only knows how to fight?
The so-called "removing the emperor's inner circle" was actually just a genuine desire to help the empress remove the inner circle of corrupt officials.
"This is outrageous!" Ling Tiande couldn't help but think.
It can be said that Lin Mo's "lying down and waiting to die" approach completely baffled Wei Maozhen.
Her plan was to lure Lin Mo to the capital, where he could be killed or detained at will, right?
After that, we will gather our forces to capture Xichuan City. If necessary, we can cede some territory, unite with countries such as Qiuzi, and quell the rebels!
If Lin is unwilling to leave her homeland, Wei Maozhen's "wise ruler" behavior will win the hearts of the people.
I have been so tolerant of you, yet you are ungrateful. The gossip of the people of Great Xia will kill you, Lin Mo.
But Lin Mo was completely unpredictable; he actually agreed to come to the capital so readily.
They came without a second thought, and only brought a few attendants!
Moreover, there was absolutely no movement within Xichuan City.
There was no recruitment of troops, no active preparation for war—in short, nothing!
Lin Mo was not flustered at all. When he left Xichuan City, Bai Qi was attacking the Holy City of the Dos people.
Bai Qi's letter at the time was also very simple: at most, it would be no later than the first month of the lunar calendar, and the scourge of the Dos would be eradicated, allowing the army to return to the city in triumph.
With four great generals—Bai Qi, Ran Min, Xu Chu, and Yao Guangxiao—defending the city, would Lin Mo be afraid of the Empress's army?
Just as Wei Maozhen was worrying, a female official said, "Your Majesty, tomorrow is the Lantern Festival."
What she really wanted to say was, should she marry the princess or not?
However, this simple question directly angered Wei Maozhen.
"Did I give you permission to speak?" she snapped. "Did I not know tomorrow was the Lantern Festival? Did I need you to remind me?"
Upon hearing this, the female official was so frightened that she kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy, "Your Majesty, this servant knows her mistake, please spare my life!"
"Spare my life? Hmph!" Wei Maozhen's face darkened. "I have spared you many times already. If I don't punish you this time, will there be any rules left in this palace?"
After saying that, she waved her hand and shouted, "Guards! Drag him away and behead him!"
The Imperial Guards standing nearby immediately stepped forward, pulled the poor female official away, and ignored her helpless struggles and cries.
At this moment, Ling Tiande, who was standing to the side, trembled. "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger!"
This Prince of Shu, Lin Mo, is driving Wei Maozhen almost insane.
"I want to kill him! I want him dead!" Wei Maozhen was almost hysterical. "Ling Tiande, convey my order: summon Prince Shu, Lin Mo, tomorrow, the Lantern Festival!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ling Tiande said tremblingly.
Wei Maozhen took deep breaths, trying to adjust his mindset.
After a long while, she let out a long sigh and then gestured for Ling Tiande to come closer and whisper in her ear.
Ling Tiande slowly stepped forward and put his ear close to the ear.
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