On the third day of the second lunar month, at the end of the hour of Hai, everything is silent.
Hong Fu was using clever tricks to tease Ouyang Yuming in Qiongyu Palace. At this moment, a masked figure in black came to Mu Lige's bedroom in Lingkun Courtyard of Donggong like a ghost.
Ying Yi tiptoed to the bedside, fearing to wake the two little masters sleeping soundly in the cradles nearby. He lowered his voice and softly called out to Mu Lige, "Master."
Mu Lige slowly opened his eyes, a trace of fatigue in them. He forced himself to sit up, leaning his back against the headboard, catching his breath, and then motioned for Yingyi to continue reporting.
Mu Lige knew that unless there was something urgent, his secret guard leader would not come to him at this time.
Ying Yi quickly reported the details of the surveillance to Mu Lige: "According to the master's instructions, I have sent people to monitor Your Majesty Ouyang Yuming, the First Princess Nalan Junxue, the Second Princess Nalan Wansheng, the Fifth Princess Nalan Yingping, and the Prince of Pingxi, Xiahou Jing, day and night. Today, I have indeed discovered something, and I have come to report it to the master."
Mu Lige nodded slightly, his eyes becoming focused, as if he was thinking about something. He knew that these people were not easy to deal with, and any slight change could not be taken lightly.
"Reporting to the master, our people have discovered that the Prince of Pingxi frequently frequents the Yaoyue Garden, the largest brothel in the city. Even more coincidentally, our spies in Lengyue Kingdom have reported that Lengyue Kingdom's General Leng Qingqiu secretly infiltrated Laifeng Kingdom half a month ago, and that she was seen at Yaoyue Garden at the same time as the Prince of Pingxi."
"Yao Yueyuan?" Mu Lige chuckled slightly upon hearing this, as if he had already seen through everything. "It seems that this Pingxi King Xiahou Jing is really a hidden talent."
"Yes, master. I suspect that the assassin the princess encountered on the training grounds yesterday when she returned to the Imperial College to attend school might be related to Leng Qingqiu, the General of the Cavalry of the Lengyue Kingdom. In addition, this afternoon, when the princess was hunting in the mountains behind the Imperial College, she was attacked by tigers and wolves. I'm afraid she may have been involved as well." Ying spoke out his speculation word by word, his tone full of worry and indignation.
Mu Lige recalled the day of her birth, when assassins flooded in like a tide, and Lengyue Nation's spies were hiding among them. His eyes were as cold as a pond, and his voice drifted in, "Since they are spies from an enemy nation, they must not be allowed to remain. Find an opportunity to report their whereabouts to General Feng."
"Yes, Master."
Ying Yi was about to leave when he suddenly turned around and knelt down, reporting to Mu Lige: "Master, I have something to ask, I wonder if it's related..."
Mu Lige turned to look at Ying Yi, and said with a smile: "Tell me."
"Yes, master. Yesterday, the princess was assassinated in the parade grounds. This afternoon, she was hunting in the mountains behind the Imperial College and was besieged by a pack of wolves. Fortunately, a mysterious masked man in black came to the rescue. According to Qian Xinxin, the daughter of an imperial merchant who was in the same group as Her Highness the Princess, this man not only killed the wolf king single-handedly, but also made the wolves stand still as if they were under a spell with just the sound of his flute." Ying Yi reported truthfully.
"The flute sound frightened the wolves?" Mu Lige lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and said solemnly, "No! This is not an ordinary flute, nor is it an ordinary flute sound. It is truly a magic flute."
"Magic Flute?" Ying Yi was full of confusion.
Mu Lige gazed towards the northeast of Laifeng Nation and spoke slowly, "Legend has it that the magic flute is the treasure of a mysterious animal-taming family in Lengyue Nation. There are two flutes in total, one for the father and one for the son. Playing the flutes can control animals. However, this family aroused the fear of the royal family and was eventually exterminated. The son's flute fell into the hands of the Leng family, a family of military generals, while the father's flute is owned by the Gongyang royal family of Lengyue Nation."
"It is said that the mother of the current Lengyue Emperor, Gongyang Yingyi, doted on her grandson, Gongyang Yuheng, who possessed a natural talent for animal taming, and gifted him with the 'Father's Magic Flute' during her reign. Since the assassin was Leng Qingqiu's man, then the man in black who came to his aid was undoubtedly Lengyue's Sixth Prince, Gongyang Yuheng."
Mu Lige's eyes widened suddenly, as if a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Ying Yi, send someone to closely monitor Bai Yuheng, the painting instructor at the Imperial College. I suspect he is... the Sixth Prince of Lengyue, Gongyang Yuheng, who was rumored to have left the palace ten years ago to study under a master."
"Yes, master." After receiving the order, Ying Yi flew away like a ghost.
Mu Lige pondered inwardly, thinking, Five years ago, at only fifteen years old, Gongyang Yuheng, a man, had become the youngest tutor at the Imperial College. He was the Sixth Prince of Lengyue Kingdom, yet he had infiltrated the Imperial College of Laifeng Kingdom in secret under such an assumed name. What was his purpose?
“Wow wow—”
Just as Mu Lige was lost in thought, the two children in the cradle beside him suddenly woke up. Fudong and Jixiang, the nanny in the next room, heard the noise and came over to help look after the children.
Thanks to proper care, Mu Lige's father's milk became more and more abundant, and the two children basically had enough to eat. Only when Mu Lige was tired or asleep would she drink her father's milk.
The two little babies would wake up two or three times a night. Although they were only a few days old, they were already becoming more round and adorable at a noticeable speed. By the time Longlong and Fengfeng had eaten and drunk their fill, had their diapers changed, and finally fell asleep again, it was already half an hour later.
Mu Lige lay on his side on the bed, looking at the two children sleeping peacefully in the cradle. His heart softened, and he became more determined to protect his young wife and children from wind and rain.
The fourth day of the second month, at midnight.
When everyone was immersed in dreams, however, on a barren mountain outside the western suburbs of the capital of Laifeng Kingdom, a group of people, under the cover of the dark night, nervously and carefully followed a little white tiger, shuttling through the woods.
"Awoo~Awoo~" (Dad, there are a lot of people up ahead.)
Although Situ Ye didn't understand what Little White Tiger was saying, he could sense his excitement and eagerness. Seeing Little White Tiger rubbing against his legs, he knew that this guy must have discovered something important.
"Follow me," Situ Ye whispered, his voice tinged with nervousness and anticipation. The twenty or so spies behind him, whose names began with "Night," immediately responded, following Situ Ye with utmost caution, afraid to make any noise.
Everyone followed Xiaobai's footsteps, crossing mountains and ridges, and finally arrived at a valley deep in the mountains. When they looked at the valley, Situ Ye's eyes suddenly widened, his eyes full of shock.
The scene before him immediately stirred up a storm in his heart. It was a group of people training in the dark. Their movements were neat and uniform, and they had obviously undergone rigorous training.
Situ Ye thought to himself: Is this... an army? Or... a private army? It seems that this might be what Big Brother wants him to find...
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