The Imperial Study.
It was eerily quiet.
A dark figure knelt on the ground. At this moment, the figure's eyes were filled with astonishment, and its body swayed as if it had suffered some great impact.
Zhou Changling noticed this detail. His narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, and a bad feeling crept into his heart: "What are you thinking about?"
The deep, hoarse voice, however, struck the dark figure below like a thunderclap!
The guard's forehead was covered in beads of sweat. He hesitated for a moment under Zhou Changling's almost tangible gaze, but finally spoke.
"Your Majesty, I suspect it is... it is the late Emperor."
The late emperor?
Zhou Changling was startled; he suspected that someone had colluded with the royal guards.
However, another possibility cannot be ruled out.
"Investigate! Send people to the imperial tombs to investigate!" Zhou Changling made a decisive decision. Since it was possible that the emperor was his good father, then they should start their investigation from there!
"Yes!" The guard received the order and hurriedly left, his retreating figure still revealing a hint of panic. After all, if it really was the late emperor, wouldn't he have been brought back to life?
Is it really possible for such a bizarre thing to happen in the world?
In the empty hall, Zhou Changling sat alone before the dragon desk, writing with his imperial brush, connecting all the events, and things gradually became clear.
Yes, who in the world has the ability to see through all the defenses of the imperial palace?
Was Li Mu, the former senior official, also involved?
Thinking of this, Zhou Changling decided to go and meet this old fox in person, but he couldn't make a big fuss, lest he make the old fox wary.
Without further ado, let's try to find out where Bai Lingxi is.
Zhou Changling stood up, wearing a golden five-clawed dragon robe, exuding an aura of supreme authority and domineering majesty!
...
As soon as Zhou Changling boarded the imperial carriage and traveled along the palace road, he saw the wet nurse holding the crying little prince.
"stop!"
Zhou Changling dismounted from the imperial carriage and felt a pang of heartache when he saw An'er crying incessantly.
"Bring her here, let me see what's wrong." Zhou Changling was originally in a very agitated mood, but the moment he saw An'er, his mood inexplicably eased a bit.
This is not surprising, after all, he has been unable to sleep at night ever since he learned that Bai Lingxi had been kidnapped.
His longing was only eased when the young prince was by his side, because he firmly believed that Xi'er would not abandon him and his son!
"Your Majesty, the little prince woke up today and couldn't see his father. He was so anxious looking for you that he cried. He wouldn't drink his milk and just waited for you."
"This servant has no other choice but to think that even just holding the little prince and catching a glimpse of you from afar would be enough."
The wet nurse answered cautiously. Everyone in the palace was on edge, afraid of displeasing Zhou Changling. Their own death was secondary; they were more afraid of implicating their families.
"Hmm, have you seen the imperial physician?"
Zhou Changling took the little prince into his arms. The little prince, who had been crying incessantly, was sobbing, but as soon as he was touched, his crying gradually stopped.
He carefully manipulated the little prince's tiny hands and feet, gently pressing his forehead against An'er's little hand to feel its warmth. Hmm, not bad.
"Ah wah—ha ha ha—" An'er thought his father was teasing him and giggled.
The laughter was healing and powerful, successfully easing Zhou Changling's furrowed brows.
"My dear An'er~" The little prince is a little over a month old. As he grows up, he looks more and more like Bai Lingxi. He is fair-skinned, tender, delicate and cute.
The wet nurse answered Zhou Changling's question honestly: "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Jing has examined the young prince, and he is perfectly fine, except—"
"The young prince may miss the Empress because he hasn't seen her for a long time, and at the same time, he is afraid of not being able to see the Emperor, so he always wants to stick to the Emperor at all times."
The wet nurse finished speaking in one breath. In fact, she said it with great difficulty, under immense pressure, fearing that she would be beheaded if she made the slightest mistake.
However, if the little prince continues to cry for a long time, his eyes and throat will be damaged, and she will be guilty of dereliction of duty and will still face death.
Zhou Changling fell silent, and this silence made the wet nurse uneasy, and she even felt a little regretful, blaming herself for speaking out of turn.
Finally, after scrutinizing the wet nurse, Zhou Changling said calmly, "I understand. You have done very well. As a reward, I will bestow upon you one hundred taels of gold."
The wet nurse was overjoyed. One hundred taels of gold—enough for her family to eat and drink for a lifetime!
She was momentarily overwhelmed with joy. She hadn't expected the Emperor to value the little prince so much. She was the little prince's wet nurse, and the little prince was only one month old. She had already earned a lifetime's worth of rewards.
If the young prince grows up and gains real power in the future, he might be able to secure official positions for his family. Wouldn't that put them on the rise?
Zhou Changling seemed to see through her smugness and her little scheme, but he didn't intend to shatter her dream right now; she just needed to take good care of An'er.
"Remember, the young prince must be the top priority in everything. If you fail to take good care of him, I will sacrifice your entire family!"
"Yes." The wet nurse quickly knelt down to express her gratitude, kowtowing repeatedly. After receiving a look from Zhou Changling, she fell far behind the group.
"Let's go back to Ganling Palace." Zhou Changling carried the little prince back to the dragon carriage, carefully holding him in his arms to keep him from being exposed to the cold wind.
...
A small mountain village.
In the small house halfway up the mountain, the guards acted as servants, some chopping wood, others cooking, creating a scene full of everyday life.
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