092. Mask

Because of the dream, Rong Se was no longer sleepy, but she calmed down quickly. She just gently touched Liang Shenyu's neck and cheeks, tracing back and forth to confirm the warmth of his body temperature.

"What did you dream about?" Liang Shenyu lowered his brows calmly, his words sounding soft.

“I can’t remember.”

Rong Se shook her head and passed it off perfunctorily, then looked up at Liang Shenyu, her eyes soft yet firm.

Regardless of whether the scene in the dream was true or false, illusory or real, Liang Shenyu in front of him was vivid, at least now, and he could never let the dream become reality.

"I don't think it was a beautiful dream. It's better not to remember it."

Liang Shenyu's voice was slow and gentle, with a soothing tone, and even a familiar tone, as if he was used to doing this kind of thing.

Rong Se gradually relaxed and said jokingly, "That's true, but you are quite skilled at coaxing."

Liang Shenyu seemed to be slightly stunned, then he showed a gentle and helpless smile, lowered his eyes and said: "In the past, when my father went to war, my mother had trouble sleeping every night, and I often accompanied her to talk."

Rong Se was silent.

The gentle and docile Liang Shenyu, the strategic and wise Marquis Dingbei, and the smart and agile Liang Sanlang are all the person in front of him, but he became like this because of his upbringing, the heavy burden of the Marquis's Mansion, or to accompany his mother. Even at this moment, Liang Shenyu is gentle and peaceful for him. He shows many faces to others, but they are all for others.

What about the real him...

Rong Se thought of the first time Liang Shenyu came to the palace late at night. He was stubborn, willful, and unreasonable, with a sinister look in his eyes. Thinking about it now, his expression was heavy, as if he was suppressing great pain, and there were some other emotions that he was trying hard to restrain.

Maybe...

Rong Se vaguely realized that this was the real him, the one who was truly immersed in the storm and the past after stripping off all the armor to cover up.

"My Lord."

Liang Shenyu's voice brought him back from his trance. When their eyes met, Rong Se saw a gentle concern in his eyes, and a little helplessness, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Rong Se was slightly stunned, "What?"

"The way the prince looked at me just now was like..." Liang Shenyu pondered for a moment and said delicately, "He was looking at a poor homeless puppy."

There's even a bit of compassion in it.

But Liang Shenyu was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

Rong Se also paused, opened his mouth, and was speechless.

Ah this...

So his eyes betrayed his thoughts?

Rong Se reflected deeply for a moment, then said nonchalantly, "How's the investigation into Zheng Fu going?"

"There are some clues." Liang Shenyu did not embarrass him. He continued with a smile on his face, "Zheng Fu served the late emperor all his life. There was no maid in the palace who did not know him. People who secretly interviewed him said that since the new emperor ascended the throne, Zheng Fu was given money to return home. However, you should have sent someone to check. Zheng Fu did not go back at all. The rumors spread privately by the maids were that he had been silenced."

Rong Se nodded.

He knew that Liang Shenyu had not told the whole story, because in this rumor, Zheng Fu was not only silenced.

The one who silenced him was himself who was sitting here.

While a man is sitting in his palace, a pot may fall from the sky.

"But - the prince is very sure that Zheng Fu is alive." Liang Shenyu analyzed carefully, without any intention of questioning. "The servants who served the late emperor have been silenced, and even the imperial physician on that day was sentenced to death. Everyone in the palace knows it, but Zheng Fu's life or death is unknown. No one even saw him leave the palace. He disappeared in the palace, perhaps hidden in a dark room somewhere. Since he is alive, there will always be movement. I have ordered people to keep an eye on the secluded palaces in the imperial city. I believe there will be news soon."

"I have a lot of spies in the palace, but there is no news." Rong Se sighed.

Liang Shenyu laughed, "It doesn't matter much. Cao Lun knew that you had someone in the palace, but he still dared to hide Zheng Fu in the palace. He must have been sure that your people couldn't find him. Not to mention... the people that the prince planted in there were not spies."

Rong Se was a little confused, "Huh?"

Liang Shenyu laughed, pinched Rong Se's nose, and said helplessly: "They are just short of sticking a note from the Regent Prince's servant on their foreheads, Prince."

Rong Se suddenly realized.

His title of Regent was too famous, so his subordinates began to take advantage of his power. Those in the palace who claimed to be his spies had actually already openly revealed their backers.

It is easier to avoid when it is in the open.

"Forget about it!" Rong Se patted his forehead.

Liang Shenyu grabbed his hand and pulled it down, saying softly, "The new emperor is dull, but Cao Lun is smart. Your Majesty, do not underestimate the enemy."

Rong Se nodded, but sighed in his heart. Although he acted arrogantly, in fact every step he took was like dancing on the edge of a knife. After all, in terms of shrewdness and strategy, he would definitely not be able to defeat Cao Lun, the old fox who had been immersed in officialdom for many years.

Liang Shenyu took the opportunity to tell him about the Ministry of War's mobilization of the Qincha Camp. Rong Se was unfamiliar with the name Qincha Camp, but his expression suddenly froze when he heard the name Rong Zhan.

"Prince Ning?" Rong Se clenched his fingertips unconsciously and frowned slightly.

Liang Shenyu noticed that he looked strange and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Rong Se said nothing.

In the original novel, Prince Rong Zhan of Ning died at the hands of the original owner, and was killed by his own hands because of a few words of rebuke.

But that should be the later timeline, and the one who wanted to ask Prince Ning for cooperation was... Liang Shenyu.

The ending was at the morning court session. Rong Jing followed up on the excuse of killing his relatives and denounced the original owner's various crimes. The original owner was deserted by his relatives and did not even attend the morning court session that day. When the new emperor's men came to arrest him, the Regent and the Regent's Palace were burned down together.

But this part of the story is very vague, and there is not even a direct description. Rong Se inferred based on the original owner's memory that the original owner was not the kind of person who would pick up a knife and kill people for no reason.

It's very strange and incongruous, just like many plots in this book, which seem to be forced together, vague and incongruous.

But Cao Lun was indeed asking Prince Ning for help.

Rong Se suddenly realized something, his expression was grim, and he chuckled softly: "My cheap nephew is trying to make trouble again."

Allowing Rong Zhan to enter the capital was probably not just to use the Qinchaying to shock Liang Shenyu.

This was directed at him.

Liang Shenyu seemed to be thinking about something. "That's true. First it was the Yunnan army, and now it's the Qinchaying. However..." He smiled and remained calm. "The position of the Qinchaying has not yet been determined."

That’s true.

This plot has gone so far astray.

Rong Se thought of Empress Dowager Cao who was still imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum, and a smile suddenly appeared on the corner of his lips.

"Yes, I have another move in hand."

Liang Shenyu was quite surprised and said, "I would like to hear the details."

Under Liang Shenyu's helpless yet tolerant gaze, Rong Se stretched out his finger and shook it.

"It's meaningless if you say it out loud."

.

The Regent and the new emperor clashed several times, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Regent had the upper hand. Even now, the people's hearts had turned. Even when the Regent mobilized the imperial guards to besiege the Xi family, an event that disturbed the people, the Xi family argued in the end, and the matter was finally left unresolved.

Two days later, Rong Se finally gave in and released the news that the "critically ill" Xuanhe Princess had survived.

However, Rong Se did not initially publicize what the eldest princess had experienced in the Xi family. After all, this matter concerned Rong Zhixu. If she did not want her misdeeds to be known to the world, Rong Se naturally could not make her experience public. However, this did not prevent people from discussing the matter.

The eldest princess married into the Xi family, and the Xi family's son turned over a new leaf. This was a good thing, but now that this kind of thing has happened, it is inevitable that people will make malicious speculations.

Inside the palace, Lan Ying was pulling leaves out of the trees in anger in the yard.

"What they said was so nasty. What kind of a thing is that? I sent people to inquire about it. This matter came from the Xi family. The servants of the Xi family twisted right and wrong, saying that Xi Chaoyi and the princess were in love. I spit!"

Yun Chu was busy trying to appease the little ancestor, saying repeatedly: "Alright, alright, these are just nonsense, just listen to them, what are you comparing with those ordinary people? The prince has ordered that this is related to the reputation of the eldest princess, so don't mention it."

As soon as he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of a beautiful figure approaching. He immediately turned around, saluted, and called out, "Your Highness."

Lan Ying was much less well-behaved, but she quickly suppressed the resentment on her face and forced a smile: "Why are you here? The master said that you need to rest more."

Rong Zhixu's expression was always calm, and he whispered softly, "I'm well now. I can't just lie down every day. I heard everything you said just now."

Lan Ying paused and whispered, "Then you..."

"It's okay." Rong Zhixu stroked Lan Ying's small braid that hung in front of her chest. There was a bell-shaped hairpin fastened on it. The hairpin jingled when touched, as if responding to her gentle and quiet voice.

"Since I married into the Xi family, I have never done anything wrong. You can make the truth public, and I...I want to divorce Xi Chaoyi."

She said it softly but firmly.

Lan Ying's eyes suddenly brightened. "Really?"

Rong Zhixu couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her bright eyes. He nodded and said, "Xi Chaoyi is not a good match for me. I married him to relieve my brother's worries. Now... I don't owe them anything, but I owe my uncle a lot."

"You don't owe anyone anything."

Rong Se's voice suddenly rang out.

Rong Zhixu turned around in surprise.

Rong Se must have just come out of the morning court and had not yet changed out of his Qilin court robe, but his eyes were gentle, diluting the oppressive feeling of this expensive golden robe.

"The grudges between the king and them have never had anything to do with you." Rong Se walked forward, his tone calm, "But it's good that you can figure it out. I will help you with the divorce."

Rong Zhixu has gotten used to Rong Se's easy-going nature over the past few days. He is completely different from the iron-blooded prince in the legend. Even when talking, his gentleness and kindness do not seem hypocritical. Compared with him, Rong Jing's gentleness is extremely poor.

They are all calculations without any warmth.

"Thank you, uncle." Rong Zhixu lowered his eyes slightly, bit his lip, and suddenly said softly: "Xuanhe has another favor to ask."

Rong Se nodded, "Tell me about it."

"It's... the mistress of the Xi family." Rong Zhixu whispered, "When Xuanhe was in the Xi Mansion, she was taken care of by Madam. Even when she sent Qinghe to ask for help that day, it was because of Madam's help that she was able to leave the mansion smoothly. But Madam's situation in the Xi Mansion... is not good."

At this point, she sighed.

Rong Se understood.

It's easy to imagine that Xue Jin must have had a hard time in the Xi family. If Xi Yan didn't still care about his reputation as a scholar, he would probably have forced Xue Jin to give up her position as the main wife.

Just seeing that woman Liu Ran dared to scold Xuanhe and was clearly acting like a legitimate wife, I knew that this sentence was not a good one and was actually an euphemism.