Chapter 281 I hope you will like the gift I send.
"It was just a kind person who stopped me on the street, gave me a gold ingot, and asked me to pretend to be a shop assistant to deliver the goods and convey the message."
"That distinguished person... his head was covered by a cloak, so I really couldn't see his face clearly."
As he spoke, his eyes unconsciously glanced quickly toward the door.
It was an extremely subtle movement, so fast that it was almost impossible to detect.
But Meng Shilan saw it.
Her heart sank even faster.
Someone is watching.
Just then, Xiao Lin, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly exclaimed "Eh!"
He carefully picked up a jade pendant from the box full of glittering jewels.
It was a white jade pendant carved with a dragon pattern. The jade was warm and lustrous, and the carving was exquisite. It was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item.
Fu'er and the other two little girls were immediately drawn over and curiously watched.
"Seventh Prince, is this jade pendant special?" Miss Wang asked curiously.
Xiao Lin did not answer, but turned the jade pendant over and over, his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with the confusion and contemplation that only adults have.
"strangeness……"
He muttered to himself.
"Why does this jade pendant look so much like Third Brother's jade pendant?"
He raised his head and looked at Meng Shilan, a hint of uncertainty in his clear eyes.
Xiao Shu?
Meng Shilan's heart skipped a beat.
"Seventh Prince, are you saying that His Highness Prince Cheng also has a similar jade pendant?"
"Yes." Xiao Lin nodded, his expression becoming increasingly certain.
“My third brother has worn this jade pendant since he was a child, and he never takes it off. I’m absolutely certain that it’s the pattern, the way the knot is tied…”
"Third Brother... has he returned to the capital?"
With a loud "boom".
Meng Shilan felt her mind go completely blank.
In an instant, the words "How can a father be absent from his daughter's birthday celebration?" suddenly overlapped with Xiao Shu's sinister and arrogant face.
It's him!
It was him!
An indescribable feeling of nausea and rage surged from the depths of my heart to the top of my head.
What does Xiao Shu mean by this?
He's provoking us, he's demonstrating!
He used this method to openly declare his existence. Has he still not given up?
He acted recklessly in Yuzhou, but this is the capital, right under the emperor's nose! What else does he want to do?
That madman!
A cold sweat instantly broke out on Meng Shilan's back.
Looking into Xiao Lin's clear eyes, she forcefully suppressed all her emotions back into her heart.
She forced a dry laugh that was almost imperceptible on her face.
"Your Highness must have misread it."
She reached out and took the jade pendant from Xiao Lin's hand with remarkable ease.
The jade pendant was icy to the touch, yet that coolness seemed to carry a scorching heat.
"There are many similar things in the world; perhaps it's just a coincidence."
Meng Shilan's voice was frighteningly calm.
"Furthermore, His Highness Prince Cheng is a vassal king, and without His Majesty's decree, he is not allowed to return to the capital without permission."
"How could his personal jade pendant have appeared here without any reason?"
Xiao Lin nodded as if he understood, though he still had doubts. Meng Shilan's words did indeed make sense.
No prince was allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict; this was an ironclad rule of the Great Sheng Dynasty.
Third brother, you wouldn't make such a big mistake, would you?
Seeing this, Meng Shilan breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She immediately turned around and raised her voice to instruct the servants.
"Someone, take this box away and store it properly."
She then put on a gentle smile and spoke to the children.
"The snow has stopped outside, and the weather is perfect."
“I had someone light a charcoal fire in the courtyard outside the warm pavilion and also prepared mutton that had been marinated long ago.”
"How about we go for a barbecue?"
"good!"
Upon hearing that there was food, the children immediately forgot about the earlier incident and ran towards the yard with cheers.
The charcoal fire was burning brightly, and the mutton was placed on the fire, quickly sizzling as it roasted. The rich aroma of the meat, mixed with the scent of spices, filled the slightly cool air.
The children's laughter was crisp and melodious.
As Meng Shilan looked at those innocent and smiling faces, the murderous intent in her heart grew wildly.
She instructed the maids and several old women to take good care of the children, then turned around and quietly withdrew from the lively scene.
The moment she stepped into the deserted corridor, the gentle smile on her face vanished instantly, leaving only a cold solemnity.
She clutched the jade pendant that belonged to Xiao Shu tightly in her palm.
The sharp edges hurt her palms, but she seemed not to feel it.
Her heart was pounding like a drum.
Meng Shilan quickly walked to a secluded corner, where Guo Fan's figure appeared silently, like a ghost.
"Miss."
Meng Shilan opened her palm and handed the jade pendant to Guo Fan.
Do you recognize this?
Guo Fan glanced at it once, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
"This is... His Highness Prince Cheng's personal jade pendant."
"I have dealt with him several times and I would never mistake him for someone else."
really.
Meng Shilan's heart sank to the bottom.
She clenched her fist, the jade pendant in her palm feeling like a red-hot iron, burning her heart.
"Guo Fan."
Her voice was very low, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.
"You must go to the Capital Garrison Office immediately."
"Take a message for Wei Xun."
Guo Fan bowed down and listened respectfully.
"Just say it..."
Meng Shilan's gaze was sharp as a knife.
"With the arrival of the princes in the capital, the city's defenses have likely suffered a major oversight."
"yes!"
Guo Fan didn't ask a single question. He vanished from the corner in a flash.
Meng Shilan stood alone under the corridor, the cold wind blowing her skirt, but she felt no cold at all.
...
at the same time.
Outside the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, in an inconspicuous alley.
An inconspicuous horse-drawn carriage slowly started moving and silently merged into the flow of traffic.
The carriage curtain moved slightly, revealing a pair of sinister yet satisfied eyes that cast a deep glance in the direction of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
A slow smile crept onto his lips.
"Jiang Shiyao, no, Meng Shilan, it's been a long time. I hope you will like the gift I've sent."
Just then, a middle-aged man rode up on horseback and stopped beside the carriage.
It was none other than Chief Steward Qing of the Prince Cheng's residence.
He dismounted, walked quickly to the carriage window, lowered his voice, but his expression revealed an undisguised urgency.
"Your Highness."
A lazy, hoarse voice came from inside the car.
"What is it?"
Steward Qing bent even lower, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity.
"The Shadow Guards have delivered a message from His Majesty."
He paused, then spoke clearly, word by word.
"Your Majesty... summons you to the palace immediately."
Sweat beaded on Chief Steward Qing's forehead.
They entered the capital secretly, and the city's defenses, which were manned day and night, did not detect anything amiss.
Not only did His Majesty in the inner palace know that they had entered the capital, but the Shadow Guards also accurately located their hideout.
The emotion in Xiao Shu's eyes faded, replaced by a hint of coldness.
"Since His Majesty has summoned us..."
"Change your clothes and enter the palace."
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