Chapter 158 Heart Dream Fragrance
The crown prince was suspicious, but it sounded like a serious matter, so he said to Du Zhengming:
"Then go ahead."
Not only was the Crown Prince suspicious, but Du Zhengming was also full of questions.
Didn't we already finish that yesterday?
That old woman doesn't have any major problems.
Has the princess discovered that someone close to her is suspicious again?
Filled with questions, Du Zhengming bid farewell to the Crown Prince and then followed the young eunuch to see Princess Yongning.
Yongning looked much better today than before, and was able to get up and sit under the flower corridor in the courtyard.
Wearing a peach-colored dress and with a pink and white peony flower in her hair, she sat quietly on the soft couch.
The May wind blew through the flower-lined corridor, stirring the hairpins adorning her temples and the sashes of her clothes, causing them to sway gently in the breeze.
A gentle breeze lifted a corner of her skirt, revealing glimpses of her smooth calves.
The bright red nail polish on her toenails made her feet and legs look even whiter and more delicate.
From a distance, she looks like a fairy who has mistakenly fallen to earth.
As soon as Du Zhengming entered the courtyard, he saw this scene and immediately lowered his head.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Du Zhengming bowed.
Yongning then came to her senses and looked at Du Zhengming, who was bowing his head and looking very proper. She sighed helplessly in her heart.
With a wave of her hand, Bai Zhi stepped forward and covered Yong Ning with the blanket.
"Du Shaoqing, you may dispense with the formalities."
"Yongning said weakly."
Du Zhengming then stood up straight, but still didn't dare to look up.
"Someone, bring a seat for Du Shaoqing."
"Your Highness, I have important business to attend to today and cannot stay in the palace for long."
"If Your Highness discovers any clues, please briefly inform me, and I will certainly investigate them thoroughly."
Du Zhengming looked at the stool that the maid had brought over, but remained standing without moving.
Princess Yongning looked at him and said, "Du Shaoqing, sit down and talk to me."
Du Zhengming was unsure what Princess Yongning was up to, and looked at her suspiciously.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Princess Yongning smiled and said, "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just a little bored, so I asked you, Shaoqing, to keep me company and have some conversation."
Du Zhengming understood now. He glanced at Yongning's tender little face, which was unusually healthy today.
Not wanting to spoil her fun, I sat down.
"What does the princess want to know?"
Yongning smiled when he saw him sit down.
"What fun things are there to do at your Dali Temple?"
Du Zhengming chuckled upon hearing this: "The Dali Temple is in charge of judging cases and criminal law, and there is no room for even the slightest mistake. It has nothing to do with playing around."
Yongning was quite disappointed after hearing his words.
Du Zhengming looked at her gradually drooping face and said again:
"However, our Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is a refined person."
He loves growing flowers, so our Dali Temple is always blooming with flowers throughout the four seasons.
Spring peonies, summer peonies, autumn chrysanthemums, and winter plum blossoms—each has its own unique charm.
Yongning's expression indeed improved upon hearing this.
Du Zhengming looked at Princess Yongning's beautiful face. The wind blew and brushed the hair by her ears onto her face.
Like a tiny feather, it flutters back and forth, making my heart itch with desire.
If it weren't for the distinction between ruler and subject, and between men and women, he would have wanted to reach out and tuck that strand of hair behind her ear.
After Du Zhengming had this idea, he was startled.
Am I going crazy?
She was a princess, nine years younger than him, and still a child.
Even if you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, you can't associate those symptoms with a princess.
Damn it, really.
Then I heard Princess Yongning's voice:
"It's only the Dragon Boat Festival now. Once I'm better, I'll go visit your Dali Temple. I reckon the peonies will be in season then."
Du Zhengming quickly composed himself and answered respectfully:
"Then the princess must take good care of herself and recover as soon as possible."
Princess Yongning nodded in agreement.
After exchanging a few more words, Du Zhengming spoke up again:
“Princess, I have a royal mission to carry out today and cannot stay any longer. I must take my leave now.”
Seeing that he had no other choice, Yongning had to let him leave.
After Du Zhengming left, Yongning pondered for a long time and then asked Baizhi:
"Bai Zhi, do you think he saw it when he came in just now?"
Bai Zhi pulled the blanket over Yong Ning up even higher, covering her completely.
"I observed carefully, and I think I saw it, which is why I lowered my head."
Yongning laughed upon hearing this, then said regretfully:
"It's a pity he didn't sit for long enough today, so the incense didn't have much effect on him."
As he spoke, he glanced at the spot where Du Zhengming had just sat, and on the small table next to it was a cute little rabbit incense burner.
Wisps of incense smoke rose from the incense burner.
Bai Zhi stepped forward, took the incense burner away, and extinguished the incense inside.
Then he returned and said to Princess Yongning, "Your Highness, this incense can only disturb people's minds and place a mental anchor in their daze."
But judging from your expression, Du Shaoqing is a man of strong will; this incense probably won't be of much use.
Princess Yongning pouted: "Fine, if we don't have it, then we don't need it."
I told him that this trick might not work on him.
If the people of the Dali Temple are not resolute, they cannot defeat those vicious criminals.
Sigh... Oh well, let's call it a day."
On his way out of the palace, Du Zhengming kept reflecting on his abnormal state.
What's wrong?
After leaving the palace gates and getting into the carriage, I didn't come to my senses until I returned to the Dali Temple.
They immediately informed the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, gathered their forces, and went to arrest the person.
First, Pei Zhuo and Pei Ying were brought to the Dali Temple, and then a special trip was made to pass in front of the Wan family.
Sure enough, Pei Ying, with her sharp eyes, spotted Wan Shi in prison from afar and screamed:
"Mother...mother..."
Amidst the heart-wrenching cries of "Mother!", Wan slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing his two children approaching from a distance, he quickly got up, grabbed the prison bars, and tremblingly reached out his hands, wanting to touch them.
"Zhuo'er, Ying'er, how did you get in here?" Madam Wan asked in a look of horror.
Pei Zhuo quickly replied, "The Dali Temple, acting on His Majesty's orders, said that the death of Princess Lanling was related to you, Mother."
So they detained all of our family members and related relatives.
Pei Ying was only focused on calling for her mother and crying.
Pei Zhuo is slightly better; he can speak fluently.
Upon hearing the name of Princess Lanling, Lady Wan was struck dumb.
When they came to their senses, Pei Ying and Pei Zhuo were already being pushed forward by the jailers.
Pei Ying cried and called for her mother all the way, while Pei Zhuo kept looking back at Madam Wan.
After the two figures walked away, Wan seemed to lose all her strength and collapsed to the ground.
After a long while, she covered her face and began to sob.
The prison guards did nothing but stand at a distance and watch her.
Du Shaoqing had instructed that we should not touch her or pay any attention to her.
Once her psychological defenses crumble, she can then request to see whomever she wants.
After crying for a long time, Wan got up and sat down at the back of the prison against the wall.
His eyes were vacant as he stared blankly ahead, seemingly lost in thought.
That night, Madam Wan did not cry, struggle, or demand to see Du Shaoqing; she remained quiet.
Du Zhengming, however, did not sleep well that night.
He didn't know why, but as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Princess Yongning lying on the couch inexplicably appeared before him.
She possesses a graceful figure and is naturally alluring.
Du Zhengming felt like he was going crazy. Princess Yongning was only sixteen years old, nine years younger than him. Why was he still thinking about her?
He was unaware that he had smelled a fragrance called "Heart's Dream" in Yongning Palace that day.
This drug works by creating a psychological anchor, making people remember the most beautiful moments of a certain period of time.
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