Chapter 82
Following Luo Sanrong's reminder, Zhao Yan'er came to the library and saw Li Yin reading a book. She walked over quietly.
Li Yin had heard the footsteps a long time ago. He looked up with a smile and said teasingly, "Why didn't you say anything..." Before he finished speaking, Li Yin stopped talking and restrained his smile.
Facing Zhao Yaner, he said coldly: "Why are you here?"
A sense of loss welled up in Zhao Yan'er's heart. He had never spoken to her in such a relaxed tone before. Now he was even nicer to the eunuchs around him than to her. His rigid attitude made her feel particularly alienated.
Zhao Yaner adjusted her mood, took a deep breath, and said with an apologetic look on her face: "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I took advantage of my little friendship with my friend. I have something to say to you."
Li Yin nodded, indicating that she could continue.
Zhao Yaner stepped forward cautiously and asked, "Your Highness, how is your injury?"
Li Yin avoided Zhao Yaner's concerned gaze, nodded coldly and said, "It's okay."
Zhao Yan'er could only skip over the topic and speculate, "Last time, Your Highness, you said that you had someone you loved, but seeing how you resisted His Majesty's marriage proposal, it seems that you can't be with the woman you like?"
At this moment, Li Yin's gaze could no longer be described as cold; it was even filled with anger. "What on earth do you want to say?"
Zhao Yan'er directly stated her purpose, "Your Highness, I would like to say that I am willing to become your 'bird's nest'. Since the state wedding cannot be postponed, why not let someone who is beneficial to Your Highness take that position!"
This is what Zhao Yan'er has been thinking about these days. Since she can't get His Highness's true love, it would be nice to be able to stay by His Highness' side forever.
Li Yin asked, "Are you the one who is beneficial to me?"
Zhao Yaner nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness, for the sake of your ambitions and to help you realize your ideals, please make full use of me and my family!"
At this time, Li Yin's eyes had changed, with a hint of confusion, and asked doubtfully: "But I can't return any of your love."
Zhao Yan'er tried hard to hold back the tears in her eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm not so humble as to beg for mercy from a man who already has a lover."
Li Yin asked, "Then why are you willing to endure such indifference and become the Crown Princess?"
Zhao Yaner replied: "For my family, for the future of my family."
Li Yin paused and said slowly, "I don't know whether your family will prosper, but you will definitely bear the loneliness."
Zhao Yan'er turned her gaze to the window, never meeting Li Yin's gaze, and said without emotion: "It's fine with me. This is just a mutually beneficial transaction."
——
Ji Zeming secretly called Luo Sanrong to a secluded place. Ji Zeming's eyes swept over Luo Sanrong in a daze. He did not expect that Luo Sanrong was actually the daughter of Hong Jingxiu that his father had been looking for. If his father knew about it, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Luo Sanrong watched as Ji Zeming called her out, remaining silent for a long time. She had no choice but to speak up and remind him, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ji Zeming took a step forward and said earnestly, "Because I feel like I'm always a step late, but this time, I feel like I can't be late any longer."
Luo Sanrong asked, confused, "Sir, what do you mean?"
Ji Zeming hesitated for a moment, then took Luo Sanrong's hand and said slowly, "I'm not saying this for myself, but for you, Luo Neiguan. You must leave the palace and stay away from this dangerous place."
Luo Sanrong retracted his hand, looking somewhat frightened, not knowing what Ji Zeming was talking about.
Ji Zeming explained anxiously: "I don't want you to be with me, I just want you to be safe."
Luo Sanrong's expression changed and she looked at Ji Zeming steadily. There was a hint of vigilance in his eyes, but his worried expression did not seem fake.
Luo Sanrong looked around and saw no one around, but he still whispered to Ji Zeming, "I will leave, so please pretend you don't know! It wouldn't be a good thing for you if you knew too much about me."
Ji Zeming's expression paused, "What do you mean? Could it be..."
Before he could finish, Luo Sanrong interrupted, "Sir, I understand. I'll take my leave now."
After saying that, she turned and left. Ji Zeming looked at her back as she hurried away, feeling lost. Even now, was she still going to avoid him?
At the same time, Sun Xing and Xu Jiang were discussing something in a side hall in the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Sun Xing leaned close to Xu Jiang to exchange the latest information, "The man who disappeared in the East Palace that day is said to be imprisoned in the Sky Prison now. If he confesses truthfully..." Of course, this is also the main reason why they came to visit the prime minister. They cannot bear the consequences of what happened.
At this time, the prime minister came in and happened to hear these words. He had a bad feeling in his heart and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Sun Xing and Xu Jiang's hearts trembled. They looked at each other and pushed each other to explain. Finally, Sun Xing was pushed out to explain: "Prime Minister, in fact, there were ten assassins we sent that day, but there were only nine bodies..."
The Prime Minister interrupted and concluded directly: "So what you mean now is that someone was caught and imprisoned?"
Sun Xing and Xu Jiang nodded tremblingly. The Prime Minister's face showed no emotion. After an unknown amount of time, a murderous look appeared on his face. He whispered, "We must strike first."
Li Yin was in the East Palace listening to Wei Zheng's report on the assassin's identity. Wei Zheng pulled out a mask from his bosom and was about to speak when Wei Dao suddenly entered. He caught sight of the mask on the table and was a little distracted. Only after Li Yin's reminder did he continue, "The Prime Minister and others are interrogating the assassin who is imprisoned in the prison."
Upon hearing this, Li Yin rushed to the prison. When he arrived, he found that the assassin had been beaten all over his body, and the jailer was still whipping the assassin who was almost unconscious.
Li Yin shouted, "Stop, I'm here now, let's re-interrogate."
Xu Jiang and Sun Xing looked at each other, their eyes carrying signals that only they could understand each other. Xu Jiang took the whip, bowed and replied, "Yes."
As Xu Jiang whipped the assassin, he stole glances at Li Yin and said the lines he had rehearsed long ago, "Tell me the truth, why did you want to assassinate His Highness that day?"
The assassin pleaded for mercy, "I was only following orders."
Xu Jiang continued to ask: "Whose orders are you following?"
The assassin looked at Sun Xing, but did not speak for a long time.
Xu Jiang continued to whip the assassin and said in a vicious voice, "I'll ask you again, who is the mastermind behind this rebellion?"
The assassin hesitated, then finally did as Sun Xing had instructed him last night and said, "It's... it's the Red Maple Society. We have an insider."
Xu Jiang stopped whipping, only to see the assassin continue, "Although Hong Jingxiu is dead, his daughter, who inherited his blood and spirit, is our accomplice in the palace. We are preparing to revolt again."
Li Yin stood up and asked, "Who is she?"
The assassin was about to say something when he suddenly showed an expression of disbelief. The prime minister stabbed the assassin in the chest with a sword. The assassin struggled and soon died.
Li Yin looked at the prime minister with anger and asked, "What are you doing?"
The Prime Minister casually threw away his sword and said nonchalantly, "Your Highness, he just admitted with his own mouth that he is a sinner."
Li Yin shot back, "No matter how much of a sinner you are, you actually dared to kill civilians in front of me. Don't you know that you are also a sinner?"
The Prime Minister replied fearlessly, "Your Majesty and Your Highness are always so soft-hearted, so this bloody matter has to be handled by this old minister."
Li Yin looked at the ministers who were watching the fun, drew out his sword, and pointed it at Ji Ke, "You...are so outrageous!"
Ji Ke was not afraid. Instead, he took a step forward, brought the sword closer to his neck, and said, "If my actions endanger the country, it will not be too late for you to use this sword against me. Now, please put aside your personal feelings."
The ministers around him also saw this and said in unison: "Your Highness, please calm down."
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