Chapter 22 The Fox Jumps into the Water to Save Its Best Friend "The Moment the Person Was Seen Underwater..."
In the early morning, Tinglan opened her eyes and subconsciously reached out to her side, but found nothing. The pillow was empty and cold, with no sign of the soft fox.
It seems that the fox spirit only stayed briefly before leaving without leaving a trace.
A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. The Ninth Prince sat quietly by the bed for a moment, then got up and dressed.
He pushed open the door, only to be suddenly embraced by someone, and the familiar scent filled his nose once again.
Within the imperial palace, only one person would embrace the powerful and influential Ninth Prince in such a way.
The fox put its arm around Tinglan's shoulder and asked excitedly, "How did you sleep last night? Isn't the fox nice to touch?"
It must be very soft to touch; you won't find a fox this soft for miles around.
The Ninth Prince's ears turned slightly red, his hand hovering around the little prince's waist, unsure whether he should put his arm around him. "He slept very well, and your little fox was fine too, but I couldn't find him this morning. I wonder where he went."
Ji Qing waved his hand, thinking to himself, "Isn't this right in front of you?"
"That's how foxes are... uh... they probably went out to play in the snow, and when they get tired, they'll come back on their own."
"Alright." He raised his hand and brushed the young prince's hair from his forehead. "Where would Your Highness like to go today?"
The fox tugged at Tinglan's sleeve and whispered, "I want to go to the lake to feed the carp."
The carp in the lake all had beautiful, large tails, something the fox had never seen before, and it was very pleased to see them.
"It's too cold outside, and the wind is strong by the lake. Would Your Highness like to find another place?"
The fox tugged at Tinglan's sleeve and shook it again, "I'll go feed the fish, I won't run around, let me go, okay?"
No one could resist being pestered and acted coquettishly by a vixen like that.
Tinglan's ears turned red without her realizing it. She turned her head to the side and compromised, "Then let Chen Yu accompany you."
"That works too." The fox nodded in satisfaction.
The fox was completely unaware of the turbulent and tense situation outside; he simply played happily and ate joyfully.
After breakfast, Chen Yu strode in and whispered in Tinglan's ear, "Something has happened with Prince Wei, and His Majesty has summoned you."
Tinglan nodded and said to the little prince who was still enjoying his meal across the table, "Your Highness, be good and don't run around."
The fox gulped down its porridge, stared at him expectantly, nodded, and whispered, "Come back soon."
I'll wait for you to have dinner together.
After Tinglan left, the fox was bored. After wandering around for a while, it went to poke Chen Yu and asked, "Shall we go out and feed the fish now?"
Chen Yu had been waiting for this very sentence from the young prince, so he readily agreed, "It's cold outside, Your Highness, please put on your cloak. This servant will go get the fish food."
After several days of snow, the sun finally came out. Although the sun was shining brightly, the lakeside was deserted. Only foxes, who are idle, playful, and not afraid of the cold, would come here.
Under the sunlight, a layer of blue ice floats on the lake, sparkling and beautiful.
Chen Yu hunched his shoulders, wrapping himself up tightly. The hand warmer was originally meant for the young prince, but now he was using it himself.
"Your Highness, aren't you cold?"
The fox ran across the bridge, glancing back happily, "It's not cold."
Not only was it not cold, but it also gave me a sense of excitement, like returning to my hometown.
"Your Highness, stay away from the railing. The water is deep here and doesn't freeze. You'll be in big trouble if you fall in," Chen Yu shouted from behind him.
"I understand." The fox stopped and waited for Chen Yu to come over.
You humans are just a bit fragile. What's wrong with swimming in winter? But I, the little fox, am not stupid. It would be so uncomfortable to fall in and get my fur wet.
The fox was happy and carefree, running and jumping, enjoying nature.
But things weren't so relaxed and pleasant inside the Imperial Study.
A group of people were already kneeling on the ground beneath the dragon throne, all of them silent and not daring to breathe, only looking down at the backs of their hands. The underfloor heating in the study was burning fiercely, and the heat rose upwards, making people sweat on their backs.
The emperor seemed somewhat absent-minded. He waved his hand, and Tinglan behind him leaned in to listen.
"According to these people, Seventh Brother is really wronged?"
"That should be true, but Pei Yue knocked out his guards and escaped while he was in custody, which cannot be denied."
"Escape from prison? He's got some skill." The emperor chuckled twice. "That's fine. Go, summon him to the palace."
"Yes." Tinglan bowed and withdrew.
The Prince of Wei knelt in front, watching Tinglan turn and leave. He was anxious, knowing that if this was confirmed, he would never be able to turn things around. He crawled forward a few steps, saying, "Father, please understand, I know nothing about this matter."
The emperor grabbed the inkstone on the table and threw it at the emperor. “You worthless wretch! There are witnesses and physical evidence, yet you still dare to deny it. I never knew I had raised such a heartless and treacherous person like you.”
"Your Majesty, I only had some personal grudges against Pei Yue and my mind went blank for a moment. But even if you gave me ten times the courage, I would not dare to disrespect you."
King Wei is only seeking to reduce his punishment now; if he is accused of great disrespect, he fears he will be doomed.
He just couldn't understand how Pei Yue could turn things around after being imprisoned.
Does Pei Yue have cronies outside? Are they so well-connected that they can gather enough evidence to exonerate him?
Who exactly is it... but someone with this ability should be easy to guess.
Is it the Crown Prince, or Prince Ning, or...?
King Wei suddenly remembered someone. His eyes darkened, and he lowered his head, gritting his teeth and secretly vowing revenge.
Tinglan...
Why aren't you busy playing with my bastard brother? You actually have time to meddle in other people's business.
About fifteen minutes later, Pei Yue arrived.
Pei Yue looked like he had suffered a lot outside; his cheeks were thin and his eyes were sunken. As soon as he entered the study, he knelt down with tears in his eyes and said, "Your subject never dared to think that there would be another day when I could see Father Emperor again."
Tinglan stood to the side, silently averting her eyes to avoid watching Pei Yue's clumsy acting.
But the emperor seemed to fall for it. He stepped down from his throne, hugged Pei Yue, and began to weep. Although he cried for a long time without shedding a single tear, he still patted Pei Yue's shoulder and said, "Seventh Prince has been harmed by treacherous people and has suffered greatly."
At first glance, it seemed like a scene of loving father and filial son, but no one knew who had thrown their own son into prison.
Tinglan lowered his eyes. Having served the emperor for so many years, he naturally understood what the emperor was thinking.
The main reason this move succeeded was that Prince Wei was too useless and could not control the Crown Prince. The Emperor also began to miss his more intelligent and capable son, Pei Yue. At this time, Tinglan offered the Emperor a way out, and His Majesty was naturally happy to see it happen, so he went along with it and let Prince Wei get out of the way.
After an incense stick had burned, the dust settled, and King Wei was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned for life.
Pei Yue was finally able to turn things around. Surrounded by the crowd, he cast a grateful glance at Ting Lan.
I didn't expect you to be such a good person, but it would be even better if you didn't think about my brother.
Then I thought again, oh well, Ji Qing likes it anyway, so it doesn't matter what else.
On the other side, King Wei, supported by his subordinates, walked away alone.
His Majesty showed him leniency, sparing him some face by not ordering the guards to drag him away immediately. But this was probably the last day he could move freely within the palace.
The mission was thwarted at the last moment, what a deep regret! King Wei, his eyes bloodshot, murmured a name.
Upon hearing this, one of the subordinates approached fearfully and whispered, "Your Highness, we cannot bring down the Ninth Prince right now; we need to plan this further..."
This was said in a tactful way, almost as if to tell King Wei that he should give up on the idea.
But King Wei raised his head blankly, his eyes filled with madness. "If you ask me, you strategists are all inflexible. Isn't it easy to get rid of him? No matter how powerful he is, he's still made of flesh and blood. If he gets stabbed, he'll die too."
The subordinate gasped, stopped in his tracks, and involuntarily let go of his master's hand.
The King of Wei has gone mad; he intends to openly assassinate the Grand Prince within the palace…
His subordinates' eyes darted around, or they pretended not to know and left the palace to hide somewhere.
Why did I choose such a master in the first place? This time, I might be risking my life and fortune...
Tinglan looked up at the sky; the sun was shining brightly, and the rain and snow were finally over. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He had successfully brought down the Prince of Wei without any major mishaps, and had even managed to bring Pei Yue back as well.
I wonder if the little prince has finished feeding the fish... Thinking of Ji Qing, Tinglan's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.
He got into a sedan chair and headed towards the lake.
What a beautiful day! The warm sunshine is shining on me.
After the fox finished running away, it sat by the lake, took out a bag of dried apricots from its pocket, put one in its mouth, and handed one to Chen Yu.
Chen Yu smiled and took it. "Your Highness, we're pretty much done playing, it's time to head back."
The fox nodded somewhat reluctantly, "Then wait a moment, I still have some fish food, I'll leave after I've fed them all."
Chen Yu stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the little prince skip away into the distance, thinking to himself, "No wonder the palm seal is so fond of him."
Tinglan stepped down from the sedan chair. These sedan chair bearers were not his trusted confidants, and letting them see his close relationship with the young prince... could pose some hidden dangers.
"Alright, you guys go back, I'll walk around by myself."
He had already spotted the little prince in the distance, hopping and skipping, making him quite conspicuous.
A smile involuntarily crept onto Tinglan's lips.
King Wei was hiding in the bushes, staring intently at Ting Lan, unable to see anyone else but him.
The cold winter wind made his hands stiff, and he could barely hold the short knife in his pocket.
Although he is usually skilled in archery and horsemanship, if he misses his first strike... he may never have another chance.
He looked at the unfrozen lake and suddenly had an idea.
In this way, there is no way to prove the death of the eunuch. It is clear that the eunuch himself accidentally fell into the water, and no matter how hard they search, they cannot find him.
“Your Excellency, the Ninth Prince.” The Prince of Wei stepped forward and called out to him in a hoarse voice.
Tinglan turned around and saw that it was Prince Wei. She took a step back warily and asked in an icy tone, "What is Prince Wei doing here with me?"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, history is written by the victors and the vanquished by the vanquished. I have already lost. I have come to tell Your Majesty a secret that is related to Pei Jiqing."
“I could have told the Emperor or the Crown Prince this secret, but now I think it’s best to tell you.”
Otherwise, how can I lower your guard...? King Wei forced a smile.
Tinglan suddenly frowned.
"Pei Jiqing is from the Northern Region, but I have heard that his mother went to the ocean many years ago and has been missing ever since. Does Your Highness find it strange that your mother did not take her young son with her when she went on her journey?"
What are you trying to say?
Prince Wei stepped forward and said, “I want to say that Pei Jiqing’s identity is questionable, and no one can prove his identity.”
“There is an even bigger secret, which I will tell you to the Chief Inspector.” King Wei spread his hands, showing Tinglan that he was not carrying any swords, and slowly walked over.
"This secret is also related to Pei Jiqing..." King Wei lowered his voice.
At that moment, he reached out and pushed suddenly.
The lakeside was icy and slippery. Tinglan stumbled and turned to grab the King Wei's belt.
The two fell together.
The lake water was icy cold. Tinglan was a good swimmer and could hold on for a while, struggling to swim towards the shore. However, his outer robe bound his hands and feet like a rope. After the robe was soaked, it became as heavy as iron, pulling him straight down.
To make matters worse, after entering the water, the cold water caused a sharp pain in my calves, and I could no longer exert any force.
The fox was leading Chen Yu this way.
"Let me tell you, I can already smell Tinglan's scent."
Chen Yu was shocked, but his face showed an expression of complete agreement, and he immediately blindly obeyed, "Your Highness is right, the Chief Seal Master should be back by now."
Suddenly, the sound of water came from afar. The fox stopped and looked up, sniffing the air.
"Strange, why did the flavor suddenly disappear?"
For once, the fox's brain worked up a clever trick.
He suddenly thought of something, and ignoring Chen Yu who was panting behind him, he practically ran over.
On the snow by the lake, there were two long tracks, and the ripples on the lake surface had not yet disappeared.
!
My best friend fell into the water!
The fox didn't have time to think much, nor could he think much about it anyway.
He immediately ripped off his cloak, leaped into the water.
Before Chen Yu, who was panting heavily behind him, could react, he saw the little prince in front of him suddenly jump into the water, and he was immediately shocked.
"Your Highness!" He practically scrambled over in his last few steps. "Quickly! Where are the guards?"
Ji Qing's guards and palace servants, who were following far behind, were all startled when they heard Eunuch Chen shout like that.
It was extremely dark underwater; sunlight couldn't reach this area.
Tinglan had only a sliver of consciousness left.
He thought to himself, "I've actually made a fool of myself."
He could see the sunlight and shimmering waves on the lake, but no matter how hard he swam, he couldn't reach it.
I'm so tired.
His clothes bound him, pulling him straight into the abyss.
Tinglan instinctively reached out to grab something, but only the cold water flowed through his fingers.
Suddenly, a sound of water reached her ears, and Tinglan struggled to open her eyes.
He saw the calm surface of the lake broken, and a blurry dark figure swimming towards him.
Who is it?
The moment when people are seen underwater is extremely beautiful.
Tinglan saw his little prince with his long hair flowing and his arms outstretched towards him.
Like a dream, like an illusion, as if in a dream.
But those hands did indeed grasp him, leading him toward that seemingly unreachable light.
But the fox was actually crying, but luckily no one in the water knew.
My dear friend, please don't die!
I only know a few people, and you're the best of them all. You don't mind that I'm clumsy, and I like you the most.
A note from the author:
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Greetings everyone! Please recommend my upcoming novel, a historical romance with a male protagonist and two characters who escape death: "My Nemesis Digs Me Up After My Death."
The former Sword Master of the Immortal Sect, now a traitor, Qin Zhihan has been buried. His death was so coincidental, passing away suddenly before the truth was revealed.
At this moment, he himself was floating on his own grave, watching his nemesis dig up his remains, and he couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
Since he's already dead, it's best not to desecrate his corpse.
Things have changed... He's taking my clothes off!
Jiang Tan, are you a pervert?! How could a paragon of righteousness do such a thing?!
Tsk tsk tsk, the world is going to the dogs.
Luckily, I have a good figure, so I'm not afraid of being seen.
…
As a result, Qin Zhihan has now become Jiang Tan's puppet...
Damn it, I was too naive.
I always thought this guy was a hypocrite. He always dressed very conservatively and spoke very seriously, but who knew he was a pervert.
Since becoming a puppet, Qin Zhihan has been pretending to be a human machine every day, unable to help in any way, and harassing Jiang Tan all day long.
But Jiang Tan seems... happy to see it happen?
As expected of Master Jiang, his composure is truly exceptional.
Later, seeing him working tirelessly day and night to find the truth of what happened back then, Qin Zhihan finally couldn't help but pick him up and throw him on the bed, telling him to get some sleep.
Why are you blushing?!
We are sworn enemies, we don't get along!
One day, Qin Zhihan took a sword for Jiang Tan.
He thought, "Goodbye, Jiang Tan, your little puppet can't be repaired anymore, we're even."
After getting a new shell, Qin Zhihan casually stole himself out, touching that pale and handsome face, feeling extremely distressed.
What kind of clothes is she wearing? They look like Jiang Tan's. Change them.
When Jiang Tan stormed in, Qin Zhihan was happily playing with himself as a dress-up pillow.
Jiang Tan pressed her sword against his neck, her eyes bloodshot, and asked, "What is your past with Qin Zhihan?"
No, what story could I possibly have with myself?!
Wasn't my past all entangled with you?
Small Theater No. 1
Jiang Tan lifted the puppet's chin, looked at the pale face of his old friend, and suddenly felt playful. "Call me 'Master' and let me hear it."
Qin Zhihan turned his dark eyes to him, seemingly oblivious to the meaning behind his words, his voice hoarse, "Master."
Upon hearing these two words, Jiang Tan suddenly lost her composure and became completely disoriented.
Qin Zhihan has always been aloof and arrogant. You are indeed not him. In the end, it was all just wishful thinking...
Qin Zhihan, feeling utterly hopeless, was completely bewildered. What had happened? Why wasn't she herself anymore...?
Small Theater No. 2
Jiang Tan burst through the door and saw the man with disheveled white hair lying in Qin Zhihan's arms.
The person he cherished most was treated with such contempt.
Jiang Tan's eyes were red, her fingers trembling so much she could barely hold the sword. Qin Zhihan, what exactly did you love...?
What is it about me that I lack compared to him?
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