Chapter 445 Surprise
Wen Zhiming looked at Meng Lingge with a doting expression, swallowing the grapes in his mouth without even tasting them.
"I have two pieces of good news that I cannot wait to share with the Queen."
Meng Lingge's eyes lit up.
"Is there any progress on our departure?"
For Wen Zhiming to take time out of his busy schedule to come see her, it must be something extraordinary. Aside from their current priority of leaving the palace, Meng Lingge couldn't think of anything else.
Wen Zhiming nodded and chuckled, "My wife is indeed clever; she guessed right away."
He received Gu Yan's letter today, and just as he guessed, the eighth prince of Lanyu Kingdom, Mo Siyan, is still alive. Gu Yan helped him find a trusted confidant, and now he has successfully taken control of the Lanyu Kingdom's palace. He is just waiting for Mo Sixuan to arrive on Lanyu Kingdom's territory before he kills him immediately.
To ensure that Mo Sixuan was certain to die, Wen Zhiming made two preparations.
If Mo Siyan is not found, have Gu Yan ambush him at the border between the two countries, kill Mo Sixuan, and then frame Lan Yu Kingdom for the crime.
Now that Mo Siyan has been found, and he will personally take action, Gu Yan only needs to wait there and return to the country to report after the matter is accomplished.
Of course, the most crucial point is that Gu Yan said that after Mo Siyan read Wen Zhiming's letter, he immediately said that he would arrange things as soon as possible according to his instructions.
This matter is their greatest hope of leaving the palace.
After listening to Wen Zhiming's explanation, Meng Lingge asked with some concern, "Can this Mo Siyan be trusted? What if he agrees on the surface but does something behind my back?"
Wen Zhiming said solemnly, "For the past three years, I have had two important informants in Lanyu Kingdom. They know the princes of Lanyu Kingdom well, if not completely. Mo Siyan is the only one among the princes who is trustworthy and supports peace talks between the two countries. My people once secretly saved his life. Considering the current situation, he should be able to guess the identity of the person who saved him."
"Mo Siyan will do his best to fulfill his promise. Of course, even if there is a trap involved, I have taken precautions, and he cannot harm us."
Meng Lingge gently wiped the fine sweat from Wen Zhiming's forehead with a handkerchief, her face full of longing.
"Then we can enjoy spring outings and picking green leaves, boating on lotus ponds in summer, climbing mountains and gazing into the distance in autumn, and searching for plum blossoms in the snow in winter..."
“That’s not all.” Wen Zhiming stroked Meng Lingge’s face. “In the morning, I can draw your eyebrows and apply makeup for you. Before bed, you can enjoy the cool air and stargazing. You no longer have to worry about anyone plotting against you and the child…”
As his fingers touched Meng Lingge's eyebrows, Wen Zhiming sighed, "It's been half a year since I last did your eyebrows. I do have a little free time now, but it's a pity..."
When Wen Zhiming went to the morning court every day, Meng Lingge was still asleep, so he had drawn her eyebrows less than a handful of times in the past few years.
Actually, his eyebrow drawing skills were quite average, but precisely because they were so average, he always remembered to seize every opportunity to practice, hoping that his eyebrow drawing skills would soon be recognized by Meng Lingge.
Hearing his regret, Meng Lingge couldn't help but ask, "What's the pity? If you really want to paint, then you can have your fun today."
Normally, Wen Zhiming would have to coax her a lot before she would agree to let him draw two curved caterpillars on her.
Since there's good news today, there's no need for him to coax us; let's just treat it as practice for him.
Wen Zhiming gently stroked Meng Lingge's eyebrows twice with his hand, his eyes full of smiles.
"Not today, because there is another surprise waiting for my wife to witness."
Meng Lingge then remembered that Wen Zhiming had mentioned two happy events, but apart from leaving the palace, she had nothing else she particularly wanted to do and couldn't think of what the other happy event was.
Wen Zhiming threw out a hook, then looked at her with a smile, both to take credit and to deliberately whet her appetite.
Meng Lingge had never seen Wen Zhiming keep her in suspense before, so it seemed that this happy event would make her even happier than leaving the palace.
She was eager to know the answer, but she didn't want to spoil Wen Zhiming's interest, so she tilted her head and thought carefully.
"Qingyu passed the imperial examination?"
"No. The imperial examinations aren't until next year."
"Is Qingyu getting married?"
"No, you know more about Qingyu than I do."
"Then you bestowed a title upon my father?"
"No. My father-in-law will be retiring in two years. Everything has its limits, and his current position is the most suitable for him."
Meng Xingyuan is too soft-hearted and easily taken advantage of.
Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge, being the emperor and empress, could protect Meng Xingyuan from harm. However, once they left the palace, the more prestigious Meng Xingyuan's status became, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.
Meng Lingge was aware of the implications of this matter and agreed with Wen Zhiming's approach. However, she couldn't guess what good news might come of it, and could only let her imagination run wild.
"Does that mean Third Sister is pregnant again?"
Wen Zhiming laughed out loud, "Her last child was only two months old. Okay, I won't let you guess anymore. I'll take you there to see, and you'll know."
He put Meng Lingge down, took her hand, and stepped out of the courtyard.
Meng Lingge saw a carriage parked outside, a very low-key and ordinary one, which was used by the two of them when they occasionally left the palace to conceal their identities.
"Shall we leave the palace now?"
Wen Zhiming had said some time ago that Mo Sixuan's people might target her, so she was advised to stay out of the palace as much as possible these days. That's why she couldn't even attend Chunhong's wedding. She never expected that Wen Zhiming would personally take her out of the palace today.
"Yes, go to the Meng residence."
Wen Zhiming helped Meng Lingge into the carriage and whispered in her ear, "Mo Sixuan has been away from the capital for several days, and the capital is still relatively safe. Besides, with me here, no one can hurt you."
The palace was bustling, but after a few years it became somewhat tedious. Besides, Wen Zhiming didn't have much time to spend with her, which made Meng Lingge feel a bit overjoyed every time she left the palace. The thought of seeing her parents again soon made her even happier.
Although the exterior of the carriage was unassuming and ordinary, the interior was extremely exquisite and comfortable. Inside, there were brocade carpets and embroidered bedding, ice silk curtains, and jade pillows and cool couches, making it exceptionally cool even in the sweltering summer.
Wen Zhiming sat down next to Meng Lingge, placed the jade pillow on his lap, and gently pulled Meng Lingge into his arms. The latter then rested her head on the jade pillow and half-reclined on his lap.
He gently stroked Meng Lingge's face with one hand, while playing with a strand of hair in the other, looking quite content and carefree.
Meng Lingge closed her eyes slightly, her mind still racing, trying to figure out what good news could have made Wen Zhiming go to such lengths to whet her appetite.
Since she was going to the Meng family residence, this good news must be related to her maternal family.
But she had guessed the identities of everyone in her maternal family except her mother, and they were all wrong.
Could the good news be about Mother?
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