Chapter 169 Yongning's Entanglement
Du Zhengming asked a few more questions, then had him sign the document and sent him home.
He said to come find him if anything happens.
Wan Huaixing then asked Pei Zhuo and Pei Ying what to do.
Du Zhengming said, "The two of them need to stay for a while longer."
Wan Huaixing had no choice but to leave Dali Temple alone.
In the afternoon, the group gathered again at the East Palace to compare the clues they had.
After thinking for a long time, Xie Yunman finally agreed with Xie Yunyu's suggestion and included Consort Rong, Consort Xin, and Consort Shu in the list of key targets.
The Crown Prince finally spoke, saying, "His Majesty's intention is to keep Consort Shu under surveillance for the time being."
She's still useful; let's see what the eldest prince does and then decide how to deal with her.
The group nodded in agreement.
After discussing their next steps, the group dispersed.
Xiao Ling, Xie Yunman, and Du Zhengming emerged from the palace.
Du Zhengming walked quickly, as if someone was chasing him.
Xie Yunman asked Xiao Ling with a puzzled look, "What's wrong with him? Is something urgent?"
Xiao Ling replied expressionlessly, "Perhaps something has come up at the Dali Temple."
Just as the two finished speaking, a young eunuch walked quickly up from the roadside and blocked Du Zhengming's way.
"Du Shaoqing, my lord requests your presence, saying he has important business to discuss."
Du Zhengming's anxiety finally subsided.
His shoulders slumped instantly, his legs felt like lead, and he reluctantly followed the young eunuch.
Xiao Ling and Xie Yunman watched from behind, marveling at the sight.
"It seems that Du Shaoqing doesn't want to go?" Xie Yunman asked.
Xiao Ling stroked his chin and said, "Let's go, let's follow them and see."
Xie Yunman shook his head: "Without an imperial edict, no official may enter the inner palace."
Xiao Ling slapped his forehead and said, "I forgot about that. You wait."
After saying this, he turned and went back to the East Palace, and soon the Crown Prince followed him out.
The three of them swaggered after them.
He had already come up with an excuse to visit Princess Yongning.
When Du Zhengming arrived, Princess Yongning was lying on a soft couch outside the corridor, just like last time.
The early summer evening breeze carried a slight chill.
The orange sunset shone on Yongning, gilding her with a golden glow.
Du Zhengming paused for a moment as he stepped into the courtyard.
The scene was exactly the same as the one in his dream.
This time, Du Zhengming forgot to lower his head and lower his eyes, and just stood there blankly.
Bai Zhi, Bai He, and all the maids serving Yongning covered their mouths and laughed when they saw this.
Princess Yongning knew that Du Zhengming had arrived when she saw Bai Zhi and the others covering their mouths and laughing.
She casually kicked her leg, revealing more of her smooth calves.
The dazzling white light blinded Du Zhengming.
He snapped back to his senses, quickly lowered his eyes, and looked down at the road beneath his feet.
Once inside the courtyard, they stopped about ten steps away from Princess Yongning.
"Your subject, Du Zhengming, greets Your Highness."
He heard Yongning's sweet, soft voice say, "No need for formalities."
Then he said, "Someone, bring a seat for Du Shaoqing."
Du Zhengming kept his eyes down, staring intently at the ground in front of him.
"Thank you for offering me a seat, Your Highness. I have urgent business to attend to and cannot stay any longer. What are your instructions, Your Highness?"
Princess Yongning chuckled: "Du Shaoqing used the same excuse last time, saying he was acting on the emperor's orders."
It's the same excuse again, how utterly boring!
Du Zhengming explained, "I do have important matters to attend to, Your Highness, please forgive me."
"Alright, I apologize."
Come forward a little, why are you standing so far away?
Are you afraid I'll eat you up?
Upon hearing this, Du Zhengming had no choice but to take a few steps forward.
When Yongning saw him approach, she sat up, looked at him with a half-smile, and put her legs up on the edge of the soft couch.
A pair of delicate white feet dangled over the edge of the couch, swaying back and forth.
It happened to come into Du Zhengming's line of sight.
Those small feet, painted with red nail polish, were adorned with a gold anklet that swayed along with them.
Du Zhengming simply closed his eyes, intending to avoid seeing or hearing about it.
But when he closed his eyes, those feet became even clearer before him, one step at a time, swaying into Du Zhengming's heart.
The Crown Prince, Xiao Ling, and Xie Yunman stood at the door, peeking furtively inside.
Xie Yunman glanced at it only once before turning to look outside.
The remaining two, Xiao Ling and the Crown Prince, watched and discussed in hushed tones.
"Brother, if I'm not mistaken, Yongning is... seducing... him?"
The prince said irritably, "I'm not blind, how could I not see?"
"When did they become like this?" Xiao Ling asked sincerely.
The crown prince turned around and glared at him: "How would I know?"
The Crown Prince is currently facing a mountain of problems.
Du Zhengming was a decent subject, and Du admired him quite a bit.
He wouldn't like being his brother-in-law at all.
He always had a cold face, as if everyone owed him hundreds of dollars.
He is so much older than Yongning.
It's not suitable, not suitable at all.
Xiao Ling couldn't tell whether she was happy or angry at that moment.
Du Zhengming had previously proposed marriage to Xie Yunyu at the Xie family, and this matter remained a thorn in his side.
He once wanted to find a suitable noblewoman for Du Zhengming so that he could settle down and stop thinking about his own wife.
But he didn't tell Du Zhengming to keep an eye on his sister.
Both sides are equally dear to me, so... it's hard to say.
Xiao Ling then asked the Crown Prince, "Didn't Yongning say that she doesn't like cold and aloof people and prefers festive ones?"
The Crown Prince watched as Yongning stretched out his foot, about to kick Du Zhengming.
Du Zhengming quickly took two steps back.
The prince stood outside the door, peering through the gaps in the floral tiles, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.
He turned back angrily to look at Xiao Ling, gritting his teeth as he said:
"How would I know?"
Xie Yunman turned her head and glanced at the Crown Prince as she listened to his angry words.
At a glance, one could see Du Shaoqing, who was usually aloof and dignified, standing there with a serious and solemn expression.
Princess Yongning, sitting on the opposite couch, with her light gauze and flowing ribbons, looked at Du Zhengming with a playful, enchanting gaze, like a fairy.
Xie Yunman quickly looked away again.
Silently repeat to yourself, "Do not look at what is improper, do not look at what is improper."
At that moment, Yongning had already stretched his foot out in front of Du Zhengming.
"Du Shaoqing, my feet are cold. Could you help me put on my shoes and socks?"
At this moment, Du Shaoqing felt like Tang Sanzang, who had been tricked into the boudoir of the Queen of the Women's Kingdom.
Looking at it with open eyes is not an option, nor is looking at it directly.
If Xie Yunyu were here, she would remember the Queen's classic line:
If you open your eyes, I don't believe you have empty eyes.
At this moment, Du Zhengming wished he could gouge out his own eyes.
"Du Shaoqing, what do you mean by this? Do you mean I am not worthy?"
Du Zhengming continued to answer with his eyes closed: "Your Highness, men and women should not touch each other. I dare not offend Your Highness."
Yongning chuckled softly, "Is it that you dare not, or that you don't want to?"
Du Zhengming didn't know how to answer for a moment.
If the answer is "I dare not," then it means you want to.
If the answer is no, then daring to do so is insubordination.
Therefore, Du Zhengming chose to remain silent.
But Yongning wouldn't let him go, and continued to press him for answers:
"Du Shaoqing, why won't you answer?"
Du Zhengming took a deep breath, composed himself, and then said:
"Your Highness, if you have nothing else to say, I shall take my leave."
He bowed and prepared to leave.
Seeing this, Yongning said in a sweet voice, "Du Zhengming, if you dare to leave today, I'll go and tell my father... that you molested me..."
Upon hearing this, Du Zhengming sighed deeply and stopped in his tracks.
Helplessly, he asked, "Your Highness, what exactly do you want from me?"
When Yongning saw him stop, she smiled:
"It's nothing, I just wanted you to help me put on my shoes and socks."
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