A maidservant came to report, "Your Majesty the Queen, the heated room is ready, and the clothes are also prepared."
Mu Yanming picked her up horizontally and walked towards the heated room.
Dan'er followed closely behind, the look of panic still lingering on her face. After all, it was her negligence that caused the Lady to fall into the water today. Thinking of the time when A Si was punished by the Prince for failing to take good care of the Lady, she felt that she should go and receive the punishment herself when they returned to the mansion.
After they arrived at the heated room, she had regained most of her strength.
At first, Mu Yanming still looked worried and even seemed ready to help her change clothes. She quickly grabbed his hands and whispered, "I can change by myself."
Mu Yanming knew that she was being modest because of the gender difference. After all, they hadn't consummated their marriage yet.
He sighed, stood up, and turned around.
"You change first. I'll go out for a while."
Mo Qinghuan gave a soft "hmm".
She picked up the clothes prepared by the Queen. The fabric was rosy cloud brocade, and even the bellyband was not forgotten.
It was evident how meticulous the Queen was.
After Mu Yanming left the heated room, he glanced at the people in the courtyard and walked straight towards the lake.
The Queen, seeing his gloomy face and worried that something might happen, followed him.
Mu Shengze and Mu Yichen also followed.
He walked quickly, and the Queen fell behind. Although the two princes caught up, they hesitated and didn't dare to stop Mu Yanming.
They could only watch helplessly as he slit the throats of the dozen or so guards with a single sword strike.
He didn't even give them a chance to beg for mercy.
Mu Shengze swallowed hard. Just as he was about to step forward, the Queen rushed over and covered her mouth in horror.
"Prince Regent, you..."
The Queen looked at the bodies lying haphazardly on the ground, pointed at Mu Yanming, and said, "Prince Regent, you've gone too far today!"
Mu Yanming walked up to her, leaving a small distance, and whispered in her ear, "These people pretended to be deaf and dumb when my princess was in danger. If so, what's the point of them living?"
"Bai Ke, clean this up. Don't let the princess see the blood."
The Queen's hand was still trembling. Even though she was the Queen and thought she was used to big scenes, she was still greatly shocked by this sight.
"Do you think you can cover up what you've done just by not letting her see? I'll go and tell her right now what kind of person you are!" Angrily, she walked towards the heated room.
But Mu Yanming ignored her and took the lead to head towards the heated room.
The Queen looked at the dozen or so guards. They were all killed with a single sword strike, and the blood flowed all over the ground and finally into the lake, as if nothing had happened.
Bai Ke ordered people to carry the bodies away. When Mu Yanming returned to the heated room, Mo Qinghuan had already changed her clothes.
The ginger - colored clothes made her skin look even fairer. But because she had been in the water for a long time and the makeup on her face had faded, she now looked extremely pale.
Mo Qinghuan saw him come back and got out of bed to walk towards him. But her steps were weak, and she staggered a few times and almost fell.
The person who had grabbed her foot had used so much strength that when she changed her clothes, she saw that her ankle was already bruised.
Mu Yanming quickly stepped forward to support her.
Unfortunately, her sense of smell was so sharp that she immediately smelled the blood on Mu Yanming.
Her expression turned cold, and she raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "What did you do just now?"
Mu Yanming knew that she was soft - hearted, and if she found out, she would surely blame him for being cruel.
So he turned his face away and didn't say a word. Mo Qinghuan knew that he was feeling guilty.
She broke free from his hands and was about to go out to ask Bai Ke. Seeing this, he quickly grabbed her. "Those who do wrong must pay the price. This is my principle of doing things."
Mo Qinghuan hadn't reached the door yet. Hearing his words, the action of raising her hand to open the door stopped in mid - air.
"So you killed them, right?"
She didn't turn back, and her voice was very soft.
Mu Yanming knew that there was disappointment in her voice, but he didn't think he had done anything wrong.
She stood there stunned for a while, then opened the door and walked out.
Bai Ke happened to come back. She lowered her eyes, and by chance, the moonlight shone on him, allowing her to see the bloodstain on Bai Ke's corner of the clothes.
Her heart tightened, and she felt a sudden pain in her chest. Then she fainted.
This really startled Bai Ke. He knew how much the Prince cared about the Princess.
So he gently supported her and shouted anxiously, "Prince, the Princess has fainted!"
As soon as the words were out, the people in the courtyard only saw a figure flash by. He had already come to Mo Qinghuan's side and picked her up horizontally.
He coldly ordered Bai Ke, "Drive the carriage into the palace. Prepare to return to the mansion."
The Queen then walked over supported by the maids, but she didn't dare to meet Mu Yanming's eyes.
"For today's winter banquet, Prince Regent, you might as well send the Princess back to the mansion first. After all, you still have to discuss next year's affairs with the ministers tonight."
Mu Yanming snorted. "I'm afraid the Queen will have to take on the burden of this winter banquet this year."
Then he carried her away in big strides.
The Queen couldn't help but sigh. It was supposed to be a wonderful banquet, but such things had happened one after another. She had no more interest in presiding over the banquet.
Unexpectedly, just as she was worrying, her eldest son, Mu Shengze, actually stepped forward to volunteer.
"Mother, I see that you don't look well. How about I preside over the winter banquet so that you can have a good rest?"
The Queen looked at him and suddenly realized something was wrong.
This winter banquet was jointly organized by him and the Ministry of Rites, and he had participated in many matters.
Could it be that... those black - clothed men at the bottom of the lake...
"Come with me."
Mu Shengze looked puzzled but obediently followed.
When they reached a deserted place, the Queen stopped, turned around, and looked at Mu Shengze. She asked in a deep voice, "Was it you?"
Mu Shengze was stunned for a moment, then gave an awkward smile. "What are you talking about, Mother..."
"Don't play dumb with me. You're my son. How could I not know your ambition? I knew your character had changed when you were attacked on your way back to the capital and deliberately didn't show up."
Seeing that the Queen had directly pointed it out, Mu Shengze didn't beat around the bush either. "Mother, if I and my younger brother compete for the position of the crown prince, which one will you help..."
Hearing this, the Queen closed her eyes and sighed. She had long known that one day she would face such a situation.
But even though she had known for a long time, after all these years, she still hadn't come up with an answer.
Both of her children were the apples of her eye, the flesh that she had endured ten months of pregnancy to give birth to.
She had put the same amount of effort into them.
But...
There was only one position for the crown prince...
…………
Seeing the Queen in deep thought and not saying a word, Mu Shengze sneered and shook his head. "Mother, I know that you've always favored Yichen since childhood. Even so, I've always reminded myself that he's my younger brother and he's been naughty since childhood, so it's natural for you to care more about him.
But Mother, no matter how old I am, I'm still your child. I also hope that you can care more about me."
"Silly child, your obstacle has never been your younger brother. In the Li Kingdom, it's the tradition to pass the throne to the eldest son of the legitimate wife. You meet both conditions. As long as you don't make a wrong step, no one can shake your status."
Mu Shengze naturally understood the truth in her words, so he lowered his body and whispered, "Mother, leave Mu Yanming to me."