Lin Yijun came to visit, which was exactly within Prince Yu's expectation. After listening to his request, Zhongli Mingye remained calm. He wouldn't easily accept someone from Prince Cheng.
"I have no interest in the throne, nor do I want to get involved in so - called power struggles," he said.
He helped Lin Yijun up. "Mr. Lin is a smart man. Sometimes it's better to preserve strength and bide your time."
Hearing this, Lin Yijun knew that Zhongli Mingye wouldn't accept him. At present, he was eager for revenge. The real culprit of the Lin family's tragedy was the Tan family, but the mastermind behind it was someone else.
Now that Prince Cheng regarded him as a discarded piece, he had no way out and thus wanted to defect to Prince Yu, only to be rejected unexpectedly. However, that sentence gave him a glimmer of hope.
After Lin Yijun left, Qingfeng asked, "Your Highness, why...?" Why didn't he take the opportunity to win Lin Yijun over.
"This time, I cooperated with Father Emperor to strike at their forces. I only hope his throne will be more stable. The stronger the Crown Prince's power, the more impatient Prince Cheng will be. Although Father Emperor doesn't say it, I understand. I had to cooperate with him so that Song Qinzhou could regain his official position so quickly."
What was the Emperor's next move? By suppressing the Crown Prince like this, how would the court officials view him? Although Prime Minister Shen had a grudge against the Crown Prince, their interests were closely related after all, so he probably wouldn't abandon the Crown Prince.
Zhongli Mingye's sword - shaped eyebrows furrowed. His phoenix eyes flashed with countless schemes. "Someone! Send a message to the capital and tell Father Emperor that the mansion Prince Cheng built in Ancheng doesn't conform to the regulations!"
Since it was impossible to judge the Emperor's next move, it was better to take the initiative and test the waters.
Song Jinyu had been on the road for more than a day. He didn't know where she was at this moment.
For some reason, Zhongli Mingye felt a bit tired. He lay down on the couch. At this moment, thinking of the girl's bright smile, he felt a hint of warmth. Only then did he realize that she had been deeply engraved in his heart.
In Prince Cheng's mansion, Yu Duanya folded her arms and stared blankly out of the window.
Today she saw Zhongli Shuoyi beat his concubine. She watched helplessly as the concubine was beaten brutally. That concubine had been favored by him for many years and had given birth to his eldest daughter for him. But just because she pleaded for her natal family, she was seriously injured.
She was getting more and more afraid. Her father had conspired with him. It was probably like seeking skins from a tiger.
When Prince Cheng came in, Yu Duanya didn't notice. The maid wanted to report, but he stopped her.
"What are you afraid of?"
"I... I'm not afraid of anything!" She dodged his touch, her eyes wide with panic.
Zhongli Shuoyi smiled. There was a strange glint on his round face. "My love, don't be afraid. As long as you're obedient, I won't beat you."
"I like you the most and will surely dote on you."
He sat down. Yu Duanya was so scared that she moved further away from him. Unexpectedly, this angered him. "Ah! No!"
She was dragged over and firmly pinned down under him. "Do you dislike me so much? Father Emperor is so partial, and you also look down on me, right?"
Since childhood, he had always been inferior to the Crown Prince just because the Crown Prince was born of the Queen. Seeing the woman beneath him shed tears, Zhongli Shuoyi gradually sobered up. He reached out to wipe away the crystal - clear teardrops. At this moment, he was like a wounded leopard. "Your Highness, although I don't know what happened, I understand your pain."
Yu Duanya struggled to break free from his embrace. Stumbling, she poured a cup of tea for him.
"If torturing me can make you feel better, then please give me a quick end!" After saying that, she slowly closed her beautiful eyes.
Zhongli Shuoyi took the cup of tea.
"I'm sorry. I lost my composure!"
He pulled Yu Duanya to sit on the couch. "I'm in a bad mood!" At this moment, he actually felt a bit dependent on Yu Duanya, and he didn't know why.
Yu Duanya sighed. Zhongli Shuoyi was also a pitiful man. She reached out to hug him and gently rested her chin on top of his head. "Your Highness, Duanya will always be here."
Although there was no love, he was still her husband and the future father of her child after all. She couldn't help but stroke her belly where there was a new life.
"Listen..."
She smiled and told Zhongli Shuoyi the news.
The man looked at her in surprise. "Why didn't I know?" Yu Duanya shyly lowered her head. "I only felt unwell in the past few days. I just found out after seeing the mansion doctor."
"The baby can't move yet, but I can feel this new life." Zhongli Shuoyi's depression vanished. At this moment, he was so surprised that he didn't know what to say.
"The princess has made a great contribution. Have a good rest! Someone, go and invite a doctor."
Seeing that Zhongli Shuoyi was in a great mood, Yu Duanya was no longer afraid. He was not bad to her. Maybe it was because of her father, but she had to live on well.
Song Jinyu remembered that Cheng Song had said the road was blocked by a pile of rocks, but now there was nothing there.
What was even stranger was that there were many rare herbs in her treasure pouch. They were all precious herbs that had appeared in medical books but were rarely seen.
One of the herbs was especially effective for her master's illness. Playing with these things, she became more and more curious. What exactly had happened during the lost memories?
M Cui was also puzzled. She felt that she had lost a bit of her memory.
Since they couldn't find the reason, they just let it go. Soon, the group set off.
After they left, an old man led a snow wolf and silently watched them off.
The snow wolf howled a few times. "You said why is her life so full of hardships?"
The old man sighed. "Beautiful women have always had tragic fates. I made a fortune - protecting amulet for her, which can ward off the greatest disaster. However, there will also be sequelae. As for whether it's good or bad, it all depends on fate."
"Alas, last time I sent you to save Prince Yu. I didn't expect you to almost die there."
"Howl -"
The snow wolf seemed to be responding to him. "Fortunately, she saved your life!"
"You're really grateful,"
The old man's beard fluttered in the wind. He smiled. "Facing such a cruel fate, she is still so kind and intelligent. She is indeed a woman with the fate of a phoenix."
"A phoenix is reborn from the ashes!"
Yuan Tiangang whipped his whisk towards the sky and then disappeared into the mountains with the snow wolf.
"The secret of heaven must not be revealed."