He looked embarrassed, as if he had been caught doing something wrong.
"They arrived at just the right time, not too early, not too late!"
Today, Nangong Liuli was a pleasant surprise to her; she exuded an aura that she couldn't quite describe.
Looking at the woman's brows, one could sense a feeling that was more akin to sadness than guilt.
Not far from where Yanran lives, there is a small spring. The spring is not large, but the water is crystal clear.
Ye Xuanling stood there with his hands behind his back, seemingly lost in thought.
"Your Highness!" A gentle voice rang out.
He turned around and stood there with a smile.
"I've been looking for you for ages, and here you are!"
Seeing Yanran's forced smile, Ye Xuanling felt a pang of heartache and pulled her into his arms.
"Your Highness, what are you doing?" Yanran asked anxiously, trying desperately to push him away.
"If you're sad, then cry! You can do whatever you want with me!"
The deep walls I had built in my heart crumbled because of his words; the unique fragrance emanating from him made me feel slightly intoxicated, like I'd had a drink.
The spring water reflected their silhouettes, and Yanran nestled gently in his arms, looking so sweet and dependent.
Listening to the tinkling sound of the spring water, the waterwheel in the distance seemed to turn tirelessly.
"Your Highness, thank you for earlier!" Yanran said shyly, her face flushed.
Ye Xuanling smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will find the best imperial physician to treat Kang'er!"
Yanran looked up at the azure sky, just as several unidentified birds flew overhead.
She sighed softly and said, "If only I could be as carefree as a bird!"
Kang'er was born in winter, and his mother, who was frail, died soon after.
"My father couldn't afford a wet nurse to take care of Kang'er, so he fell ill. Due to long-term malnutrition, his health deteriorated!"
"My father was very anxious. He heard that someone in the village had won money at the gambling den, money that my father couldn't earn in half a lifetime of hard work."
"My father looked at my younger brother, who desperately needed medical treatment, gritted his teeth, and took all the family's savings to the gambling den. Unexpectedly, when the gambling den saw that my father had won too much money, they falsely accused him of cheating!"
"My father was naturally furious, and when he went to argue with them, he was beaten half to death!"
Tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls. Ye Xuanling felt sorry for her and gestured for her to stop talking.
She stubbornly shook her head, wiped away her tears, and continued speaking, choking back sobs.
"The snow was heavy, and Lingqi was covered in white. My father's blood stained the snow red. Due to the prolonged exposure to the cold and his injuries, he was already dead when I arrived!"
"I have nothing left, why do you have to take Kang'er away too!"
She cried like a child in Ye Xuanling's arms, and he, being just a big boy, didn't know how to comfort her.
He just kept patting Yanran's back gently, saying, "It's alright, I'm here!"
The Celestial Master's Mansion was utterly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, because of the arrival of the Ice Prince Ye Lisheng.
Three cups of tea had already been drunk when Mo Sheng finally arrived in a hurry.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly. I hope Your Highness will not take offense!"
Even from a distance, Mo Sheng could feel the chilling aura emanating from Ye Lisheng. Although she knew he couldn't do anything to her, she still felt a sense of fear.
"I know the Imperial Advisor is very busy!"
"Master is in seclusion and may not emerge for another month. We hope Your Highness will understand!"
"It's alright, the Imperial Preceptor is here too. I've come today to present a treasure to the Celestial Master!"
He gestured for Ling Ran to open it, and upon seeing the treasure, Mo Sheng was greatly surprised and immediately knelt down.
"The Imperial Seal of the State!"
He asked with a look of fear, "What does Your Highness mean?"
"I retrieved this from a thief. Considering the Celestial Master's high moral character and prestige, it is most appropriate to place it here!"
"Why doesn't Your Highness hand over the Imperial Seal to the Emperor!"
"The deadline set by Father Emperor is not far off. We can just find the imperial edict and hand it over to him when the time comes!"
"With my master absent, I fear I cannot make the decision!"
Ye Lisheng's previously amiable face immediately turned cold: "So, is the Imperial Advisor going to contradict me?"
"Mo Sheng wouldn't dare!"
"Then it's settled!" With that, he turned and walked away with a flourish.
Ling Ran was puzzled all the way, and seeing that no one was around, he finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked, "There is something I don't understand!"
Ye Lisheng coldly laughed: "I don't understand why I would hand over the Imperial Seal to the Celestial Master!"
"That's exactly right!"
"That imperial seal is fake!"
Ling Ran was greatly shocked upon hearing this: "How did Your Highness know?"
"I have seen the real imperial seal before. The seal itself has a very small defect, but Father Emperor didn't notice it!"
"The reason I stole the imperial seal that day was simply to verify its authenticity!"
"If we return the imperial seal now, we should be able to have some peace and quiet for a while."
Upon hearing this, Ling Ran suddenly realized: "Presumably, those who were thinking of taking the Imperial Seal will now turn their attention to the Celestial Master's Mansion!"
Then, with a smug look on his face, he said, "That Heavenly Master must be very happy that the lost Imperial Seal is back in his hands!"
"How could he, with his cunning and shrewdness, not know that the imperial seal is fake!"
However, he was troubled again: "The Celestial Master can see things that haven't happened yet, which is a considerable threat to us."
Ye Lisheng smiled meaningfully: "He used to grant all the divination requests made by Father, but haven't you noticed? For the past few months, he's claimed to be in seclusion and unable to perform divination!"
"Your Highness means that he simply doesn't have that kind of knowledge right now!"
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