Inside the palace.
Concubine Li was nestled in Mu Linyi's arms. Mu Linyi held her with one arm while using the other to pick up a crystal - clear grape and pop it into Concubine Li's mouth.
Concubine Li leaned forward slightly. Just as Mu Linyi was about to reach out his hand to catch her, the Queen walked in.
Concubine Li quickly stood up. "Greetings to Your Majesty the Queen."
The Queen gave Concubine Li a faint smile. "Concubine Li, you may leave first. I have something to discuss with the Emperor."
"Yes." She was about to leave when Mu Linyi grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his arms. "What is there that Concubine Li can't hear?"
The smile on the Queen's face froze. She stood there coldly. "Your Majesty, the two princes will arrive tomorrow. I'm here to discuss with Your Majesty the matter of holding a welcoming banquet for them."
Mu Linyi looked nonchalant. He picked up another grape and put it into Concubine Li's mouth. Concubine Li sat there, her body already stiff. She forced a smile, took the grape, and stole a glance at the Queen.
The Queen stared straight ahead, not looking at anyone. However, her eyes were a bit vacant, which made Concubine Li sigh that the Queen was also a pitiful woman.
"Your Majesty." The Queen called out calmly. Only then did Mu Linyi lazily lift his eyelids and look at the Queen.
"Do as you see fit. I'm very busy. If there's nothing else, you may leave."
The Queen nodded, curtsied, and when she turned around, the smile on her face disappeared instantly.
"Your Majesty, aren't the two princes learning martial arts from a high - ranking monk? Why did they suddenly come back?" Concubine Li asked casually.
Mu Linyi tapped Concubine Li's nose. "To govern a country, force is not always the answer. Back then, the Queen insisted on sending them to learn martial arts. I originally disagreed. Now that they've learned for several years, it's time for them to come back and learn the ways of governing the country."
Concubine Li peeled an orange and put it into Mu Linyi's mouth. Her eyes glanced at the maid standing beside her, and the maid quietly withdrew.
...
In Jingting Courtyard.
Mu Yanming put down the letter in his hand. Lu Zixiu was sitting opposite him.
"The spy reported that the two princes will stay at the Listening - to - the - Wind Inn, twenty miles west of the city, tonight." Lu Zixiu looked at Mu Yanming. "My Lord, what's your plan?"
Mu Yanming raised his eyebrows. "What's your opinion, Zixiu?"
Lu Zixiu smiled, covering half of his face with a fan. "My plan depends on Your Lordship's. So, if I don't know Your Lordship's plan, I won't have any opinion."
"What if I want to sit on that throne?" Mu Yanming's fingertips gently tapped the table.
Lu Zixiu's eyes fell on Mu Yanming's tapping fingertips. He closed his fan, his expression solemn. "Then we can't let these two return to the capital." After saying that, he made a slashing motion across his neck with his fan.
Mu Yanming stared at Lu Zixiu. After a few breaths, the two looked at each other and smiled. "It's not the right time yet. Don't worry about this. Let them enter the capital."
"Okay. I'll follow Your Lordship's orders." Lu Zixiu opened his fan and waved it.
Mu Yanming took out a small medicine bottle from the drawer. "Zixiu, I have a task for you."
"Please tell me, Your Lordship."
Mu Yanming pushed the medicine bottle towards Lu Zixiu. "Tonight, find a way to put this bottle of medicine into Gu Qingqi's food. I want to hear the news that Gu Qingqi goes crazy tomorrow."
Lu Zixiu picked up the medicine bottle. "Your Lordship, don't worry." He stood up with the medicine bottle, glanced at Mu Yanming obliquely with his back turned, and then withdrew.
When Bai Ke saw Lu Zixiu go out, he walked in from outside. "Didn't Your Lordship say that you should trust those you employ?"
Mu Yanming gave him a glance. "Bai Ke, you seem to be talking a bit too much recently."
"Your subordinate deserves to die!"
Mu Yanming picked up the letter he had just been reading and put it on the candle on the corner of the table. The paper slowly caught fire from one corner.
"I have other arrangements."
He watched the letter burn bit by bit until only black powder was left.
Mo Qinghuan came out of the room, stretched, and looked up at the sky. She estimated that it should be around five o'clock in the afternoon.
Just as she was thinking about what to do, Mu Yanming suddenly came back.
"Qinghuan." Mu Yanming called out to Mo Qinghuan, who turned around and was about to go back when she saw him.
Mo Qinghuan had no choice but to stop and look at him. She bowed respectfully. "What are Your Lordship's orders?"
"Come in and talk." He took the lead and walked into the room.
Mo Qinghuan followed him in.
"Close the door and come and sit down." Mo Qinghuan obediently closed the door, sat down, and put on an appropriate expression on her face. But in her heart, she was cursing this unpredictable Mu Yanming.
"I have something for you to help with."
Mo Qinghuan laughed when she heard this. She scratched her ear. "Your Lordship wants me to help? Did I hear you right? Your Lordship can even mend the sky. How could you need my help..."
Seeing her awkward look, Mu Yanming sighed helplessly. "Alright, stop making trouble. This matter is very important. Only you can help me, and I only trust you."
Only then did Mo Qinghuan look at him seriously. "What is it?"
"Tomorrow, the people from the Gu Mansion will definitely go to the Jishi Hall to find the divine doctor to treat Gu Qingqi. After you enter the Gu Mansion, you should quietly reveal your identity to Prime Minister Gu and let them know that you are the Regent's Consort."
"Reveal my identity? Why?" She stared into Mu Yanming's eyes, but Mu Yanming averted his gaze.
"How do you know that the people from the Gu family will definitely go to the Jishi Hall to invite the divine doctor tomorrow? Also, if you want me to help you, you should at least tell me what you're up to."
Although Mo Qinghuan asked like this, she had a rough guess in her heart. The whole thing should have been planned by Mu Yanming, but she still wanted to hear it from his own mouth.
"You don't need to know so much... It's not good for you. You just need to do as I say."
Mu Yanming knew that with Mo Qinghuan's intelligence, she could guess everything. But just let him use her this once, just this once!
Mo Qinghuan averted her gaze. "If you don't tell me, I think I have the right not to do it."
Mu Yanming grabbed her hand. "Qinghuan, you know that everything I do is to investigate what happened back then, and your father is also involved. So, you should know that we're on the same side. Do you understand? I believe that you don't want your father to die in vain, do you?"
Mo Qinghuan knew that Mu Yanming was playing the emotional card, but the Mu Yanming in front of her was really different from the one in the rumors.
So far, at least, she hadn't seen the Mu Yanming who was full of killing intent and ruthless.
What she saw was a Mu Yanming who was willing to show his emotions and even his weaknesses in front of her.
This made her wonder about the entanglement between the original owner and Mu Yanming. Otherwise, it was really hard to explain why Mu Yanming was so different in front of her and in front of others...