Chapter 61
Ling Huanchen quickly wrote another line, "It's the original Jie Yuan."
Yu Zhao rubbed his chest, struggling to process the news for a moment. After a moment, he recovered and looked at Ling Huanchen seriously. "I'll go to the palace and tell my brother the prince about this, but you still have to prove you're truly the prince's wife. You look like you do now..." He looked Ling Huanchen up and down. "It'll be hard to convince people if you tell them. If someone in the palace insists you're the wife, you'll be guilty of deceiving the emperor."
Of course, he had thought about all this, and Jie Yuan had certainly thought about it too. He was certain no one would believe his words, and he didn't even give him a chance to speak. But as long as he could see Yu Xi, he was confident that Yu Xi would recognize him.
Ling Huanchen nodded to Yu Zhao. Yu Zhao looked at the look in his eyes and felt strange. These eyes were Jie Yuan's eyes, but he saw the shadow of Ling Huanchen in these eyes.
As the matter was too bizarre, Yu Zhao did not dare to delay and immediately prepared to enter the palace. However, just as he was about to leave, the housekeeper suddenly came to report that the imperial guards had arrived for a visit.
Yu Zhao couldn't help but wonder, the Imperial Guards must have been sent by the prince. If they had sent a message to ask the palace servants to come, they would have just sent them. But if they mobilized the Imperial Guards, it meant they were here to arrest someone. Who in his house could be arrested?
"Meet the Prince."
A guard saluted and said, "We are here to arrest Guard Jie Yuan under orders."
Yu Zhao's heart trembled. "What? You, whose orders are you following?"
The guard said respectfully, "Of course it is the king's order."
The situation was getting increasingly out of control. Yu Zhao felt uneasy and couldn't help but ask again, "Why did you arrest Jie Yuan, my brother?"
The guard hesitated for a moment, "The king only said to arrest him and has something to ask. The rest of the subordinates are not very clear."
Yu Xi stood in front of the door and said, "No, you wait here. I will go to the palace to see my brother and explain the whole story to him before making a decision."
The guards looked at each other, and refused to give in.
"Your Majesty, please do not embarrass me. The king's order cannot be delayed for a moment, as you know. You can also let me take the man away first. I am only questioning him. If you have anything to say to the king, you can come back to the palace later."
The guard offered a compromise, but Yu Zhao didn't want to hear a word. "I just want to ask you, where are you going to put the person after you capture him?"
The guard was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Don't embarrass me, my Lord. I really don't know."
Yu Zhao glared at him, refusing to budge. The palace wasn't a good place to be interrogated; one might not even return. He didn't know why his brother had suddenly ordered the arrest. What if there was a misunderstanding? If this woman in the palace was really the one who had been swapped, and something went wrong, wouldn't his brother go crazy?
Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, the door suddenly opened and Ling Huanchen walked out holding the door. After only a few steps, he was already covered in cold sweat.
Yu Zhao turned around and hurried over to help him, "Why did you come out? Your leg is injured."
Ling Huanchen shook his head, his forehead covered with sweat. He pointed at himself and then at the guards.
Yu Zhao was surprised and asked, "You want to go with them?"
Ling Huanchen nodded. No matter why Yu Xi had sent someone to arrest him, if he didn't enter the palace today, the matter would probably not be resolved peacefully. Moreover, if Yu Xi had someone take him in for questioning, he would be able to see him.
"But..." Yu Zhao glanced at the guards in the courtyard, "Okay, I'll go into the palace right away. You have to protect yourself."
He watched Ling Huanchen follow them, gritted his teeth, and grabbed one of the guards, "When did the prince give the order, and where did he give it?"
The guard quickly replied, "It was this morning, after leaving Yuluan Palace, that the king issued the order."
Yu Zhao murmured to himself, could it be that the one in the palace was really a fake, so he took the opportunity to advise his brother the king to get rid of the real king's wife?
He picked up his clothes and ran out of the house, "Prepare the carriage immediately! I want to go to the palace."
The sandalwood that fell on the ground was still burning, and was eventually extinguished by someone using the sole of a shoe.
"Ling Huanchen" put Qi Xian down, raised his hand and waved, and the wet nurse and the nanny slowly woke up.
"Your Highness!"
The two of them hurriedly got up and knelt on the ground, "This slave deserves to die."
"Ling Huanchen" raised his eyes and said, "It's okay, Xian'er is asleep, you guys take good care of her." After that, he left the room.
Just now, a palace servant suddenly reported that Yu Xi had arrived at Yuluan Palace and was waiting for him in the bedroom, so he had to let this naughty little kid go temporarily.
"Your Majesty, why are you leaving court so early today?"
Yu Xi put down the book in her hand and said, "I have nothing to do today, so I came down early. Huanchen, don't you want me to come earlier?"
Ling Huanchen stepped forward to pour tea. "Of course, I certainly hope the king will come soon."
Yu Xi took the teacup and put it aside. "Huanchen, you don't have to be busy. Sit down and play a game of chess with me."
"Ling Huanchen" lowered his eyebrows and smiled, sitting obediently opposite. The two played two games of chess in a row, and Yu Xi won both times, and the victory was without any suspense.
"Your Majesty's chess skills have improved again. It seems I need to study the art of chess carefully."
Ling Huanchen put the chessboard aside and suddenly said seriously, "Your Majesty, I have something important to tell you."
Yu Xi asked calmly, "What's the matter?"
"Jie Yuan from Zhao'er's mansion is most likely a spy. The last time he came, I accidentally saw a faint pattern and totem on his back. He is very likely from the Fengming clan. However, if he is from the Fengming clan, he should be very capable. But he deliberately pretended to be injured in front of the prince. His intentions are not good."
Yu Xi remained silent for a moment before asking, "How about according to Huan Chen's wishes?"
Ling Huanchen's face was troubled. "Although Zhao'er considers him his savior, his identity is suspicious. Staying here for another day increases the risk. Your Majesty, why don't you bring him into the palace and hand him over to the lower court for interrogation? There's no need to worry about not being able to find out. As for Zhao'er, keep it a secret from him for now and make up a random excuse. Once the interrogation is complete, tell him the truth. I believe Zhao'er will understand your earnest intentions."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xi said calmly, "Huan Chen's words make sense. In that case, tell the guards to bring the person over."
Ling Huanchen took the initiative to step forward, put his hands on Yu Xi's shoulders, and gently massaged them. "Your Majesty, thank you for your hard work in attending court."
He pressed softer and softer, saying he was massaging the shoulders, but in the end it felt like he was just caressing them.
"Your Majesty, am I doing okay?" He almost stuck to Yu Xi's back and whispered softly in her ear.
Yu Xi grabbed his arm and brought him down, "I suddenly remembered that I have something to deal with."
Ling Huanchen was left where he was, looking up blankly, "Your Majesty, are you not staying for dinner?"
"No thanks." Yu Xi suddenly stopped at the door and turned around. "Huanchen, do you still remember the time when you and I ran into each other on the street when we were little? I gave Huanchen a bag of pineapple cakes back then."
Ling Huanchen smiled and said, "Of course I remember. I will never forget any of the details between the king and me."
"Ask the imperial kitchen to send two plates of pineapple cakes later." Yu Xi's eyes darkened and she never looked back.
After the door closed, "Ling Huanchen" restrained his smile and stared at the door with a cold expression.
Could it be that Yu Xi has already realized that he is not Ling Huanchen?
Impossible, his illusion is impenetrable.
"Your Highness, the Prince is outside and he wants to see the King."
Ling Huanchen adjusted his expression and slowly opened the door. "Go and let the young prince in. Then go and bring Xian'er over. Let the young prince have dinner."
Yu Zhao had been planning to meet Yu Xi, but was inexplicably kept for dinner. He tried to leave, but Qi Xian stopped him. The little princess, who usually clung to Ling Huanchen, insisted on staying in his arms.
"Wang's wife, where is Brother Wang?"
Ling Huanchen picked up some food for him and said, "Your brother is obviously away dealing with government affairs. We shouldn't disturb him."
Yu Zhao was anxious. Although political affairs were important, this was also extremely urgent.
"Then my prince is in Ziyi Palace, right? I really have something urgent to do, so I'll go find him first."
Ling Huanchen didn't stop him, "Since you're in such a hurry, give Xian'er to me."
Just as Yu Zhao was about to hand Qi Xian over, Qi Xian immediately started crying, so he had to hold her in his arms and continue to comfort her.
"Look, Xian'er doesn't want you to leave. It's not too late to go after dinner. What's the matter? Why don't you tell me?"
Yu Zhao coaxed Qi Xian back to her senses, then looked up and said with a grin, "Nothing, nothing."
In Ziyi Palace, Yu Xi sat in front of the desk. No matter whether there were memorials or books piled on the desk, he had no intention of looking through them. His heart had long since flown away.
"Your Majesty, since His Highness fainted that day, no suspicious persons have entered or left the palace."
Yu Xi did not respond. It was impossible for a living person to disappear out of thin air.
"Go check again. See if there are any extra people in the palace."
"yes."
Just as the shadow was about to pass by, Yu Xi asked again, "Where is Jie Yuan imprisoned?"
"Reporting to the king, in the dark room."
The dark room is a secret detention place in the palace. Most people would rather be imprisoned in the sky prison and wait for death than go to the dark room, because it is really not a place for human beings.
Yu Xi stood up. There were only two possibilities for the person the fake Ling Huanchen had advised to eliminate. Either this person was his accomplice, sacrificing someone to gain his trust. Or this person was a threat to him and knew the inside story. In either case, this person was crucial.
By this point, Ling Huanchen had been in the dark room for an hour or so. The stench of blood was extremely unpleasant. When he was brought in, he passed by the torture rack and thought he might not be able to escape. However, after the secret guards tied him to the rack, they did not torture him.
"Are you thirsty?" asked the expressionless secret guard.
Ling Huanchen nodded slowly, and the next moment, the cup of water was handed to his mouth.
"The king has ordered the interrogation to take place personally. You may take a moment to breathe."
Hearing this, Ling Huanchen did breathe a sigh of relief, otherwise he didn't know if he could hold on until Yu Xi arrived.
"Join your Majesty."
The door of the dark room opened. Ling Huanchen looked up and finally saw the person he had been thinking about day and night. His eyes couldn't help but turn red.
"All of you step back."
The secret guards saluted and disappeared one after another, and the door of the dark room closed heavily. Yu Xi walked up to him and stared into his eyes for a while.
"Who are you?"
The author has something to say:
Thank you "Jiuzixuli" and "Xuebaoanyongyuandishen" for the nutrient solution encouragement!
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