As the wind and snow gradually subsided, the palace road outside the East Palace was covered with scattered snow.
Wang Qing led the other two away slowly, their figures disappearing instantly into the snow.
The next second, a group of people appeared in the familiar shop.
The three looked at each other in bewilderment. Then, Xia Yan threw off her straw hat, excitedly hugged Wang Qing in front of her, and spun her around, beaming with joy: "How was my acting just now? Was it convincing enough of an arrogant imperial advisor?"
Wang Qing was equally delighted: "It's so lifelike! Especially the part where he points the blue flame at the prince's throat, I could see his legs were shaking, he was completely ablaze!"
"That last lightning bolt was absolutely deadly! Xia Yan, you guys are really amazing at learning magic!"
Xia Yan waved her hand, her face pale: "To tell you the truth, that lightning bolt just now used up all my magic power! If we hadn't run fast, we would have definitely been discovered by those people!"
Outside the desolate mountains, magic is extremely scarce everywhere, and it's quite remarkable that she's managed to hold on this long!
"You've done a very good job. Now leave the rest to us!" Lin Anniang, dressed in a blue dress, came out of the shop and poured a cup of tea for each of the young girls.
"This is sweet tea made according to your recipe. How about trying it?"
Xia Yan was the first to pick up the teacup and take a sip: "This is exactly the taste! Madam An, you're amazing! We only mentioned it briefly, and you've already made this fruit tea!"
"Hmph, those Lin family members who bullied you before were simply blind!"
Lin Anniang smiled gently: "Let's not talk about them anymore. Let's talk about what you talked about with the Crown Prince today, and when he plans to deal with the Emperor?"
Xia Yan shook her head: "I'll scare him again tomorrow and see when that prince will make his move."
"However, I still can't use enough magic every day. Will it fail me at a crucial moment?"
Her gaze was full of worry, as if she feared that she might ruin the mountain goddess's plan.
Seeing that the group was still hesitant, Lin Anniang whispered to comfort them, "Don't worry, the Mountain Goddess will give you power, you'll see when the time comes."
Xia Yan nodded; she was also eager to witness the true power of the Mountain Goddess!
…
The Crown Prince's bedroom in the Eastern Palace was brightly lit, but it was far from peaceful.
Consort Shu was already seated here, her fingertips trembling slightly beneath her jade nail guards.
She stared at the candlelight, her voice extremely low: "Are you sure you want to invite a wolf into the house? That Grand Tutor of Yan, even their emperor has to obey his orders!"
The crown prince had been terrified by the eerie blue flames and only recovered after returning to his warm bedchamber. He looked at his mother and sighed helplessly.
"Mother, this is my only chance, otherwise Father will kill us sooner or later! Rather than sitting here waiting to die, we should take the initiative and try to find a way to survive!"
He knew that the Grand Preceptor was very powerful. In his previous life, he had chased after his father and fled in panic. But what other choice did he have besides cooperating with the Grand Preceptor of Yan?
Consort Shu pinched her temples, then lowered her hand in frustration, her nails scraping against the table with a harsh sound.
She then quickly walked to the window, and after confirming that the doors and windows were tightly closed, she spoke cautiously: "I just heard some news from your maternal grandfather. Do you know how the third prince of Yan died twenty years ago?"
A hint of fear appeared in her eyes, "Just because of disrespect for the Imperial Advisor, the next day, he turned into a pool of blood."
The Crown Prince's face turned deathly pale instantly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Mother, you must believe me, and we have no way out!"
Consort Shu gave a bitter laugh; her meticulously drawn eyebrows and eyes looked particularly haggard in the candlelight.
Yes, according to that dream, both mother and son would die at the hands of the emperor, so what way out was there?
Even if the Grand Preceptor of Yan is extremely terrifying, capable of controlling strange flames and attracting divine punishment, it is all their own doing!
"My son, your mother must remember this: you must always remain vigilant! The Grand Preceptor of Yan possesses such power; he likely desires more than just the position of Grand Preceptor!"
Before he could finish speaking, a soft clattering sound came from outside the window.
The mother and son froze simultaneously. Consort Shu gripped her sleeves tightly until she heard no more movement, then collapsed onto the couch, utterly exhausted.
"If things go well, we must keep our promise and put him in the position of Imperial Advisor. No one can afford to offend someone like him!" Her eyes were filled with fear.
The Crown Prince knelt heavily: "Your subject understands. After ascending the throne, I will certainly..."
"No, you don't understand anything!" Consort Shu suddenly interrupted him excitedly, then immediately lowered her voice: "No one will have a good ending if they cooperate with evil spirits!"
"Your maternal grandfather also told me the reason why the late emperor died. He said that the late emperor was killed by your father in collusion with evil spirits!"
"Now, we are about to follow in your father's footsteps and repeat the same vicious cycle!"
"At least your father can suppress that evil spirit, but what can you do? You can only be suppressed by that imperial advisor and be manipulated by others!"
The crown prince was pale, but he still said decisively, "Mother, only by grasping power can one have a voice. Once I sit on the throne, I will be able to recruit countless extraordinary people and talents. I will surely find someone who can deal with that Grand Tutor!"
"I don't believe that the only powerful evil spirit in the world is the Grand Preceptor of Yan. I don't believe he can control everything!"
Consort Shu, who was standing nearby, sighed and remained silent.
The room fell into a deathly silence, with only the wisps of smoke from the gilded incense burner rising gently.
The fragrance, which should have been calming, now felt like an invisible shackle, weighing heavily on their hearts.
Consort Shu eventually left. As a concubine in the harem, she couldn't stay there for long. She needed to find a way to witness the emperor's strength firsthand, otherwise she wouldn't feel at ease.
After Consort Shu left, the Crown Prince and the advisors of the Eastern Palace were not at peace. Even when they were in bed, the scene of the "Yan State National Preceptor" releasing flames and pressing them against their foreheads kept flashing through their minds.
The prince didn't sleep well all night, often waking up from nightmares, gasping for breath.
My dreams were filled with blue-purple lightning streaking across the sky, and the eerie figure of the Yan Kingdom's Grand Preceptor.
So much so that when the crown prince woke up the next day and saw the familiar white figure standing in front of his window, he almost fainted.
"Have you decided when to make your move?" A cold, ruthless voice came from beneath the white veil.
The crown prince's pupils contracted; he realized he had no more chance to consider it!
Because the Grand Preceptor of Yan had already agreed to this, there was no turning back for him!
"Grand Preceptor, rest assured, I will discuss it with my grandfather today and try to take action within three days!"
The Crown Prince said decisively.
Because he knew that this matter absolutely could not be delayed. Once his father's people found out, he, his mother, and his maternal grandfather's entire family would be buried alive with him!
The prince closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the white figure opposite him had vanished, like a ghost that appeared and disappeared without a trace.
But the Crown Prince knew that this was not a ghost at all; it was the Grand Preceptor of Yan! Only the Grand Preceptor of Yan had such an elusive ability; he had definitely not chosen the wrong person!
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