However, Mo Qinghuan knew that Ata Huan was not just angry with her, but because of the experience that day.
"Dan'er, take the princess back to rest."
Dan'er curtsied and stepped forward, reaching out to help Ata Huan. Ata Huan snorted, brushed off Dan'er's hand, and stormed out of the Yangyang Palace.
When Mu Yanming returned to the mansion after finishing the affairs of the Rui Prince's Mansion, it was already getting dark.
He lifted his robe and stepped into the room. Mo Qinghuan was sitting in front of the desk, reading a book.
Hearing the sound, she put down the book and looked up at Mu Yanming.
"You're still injured and running around everywhere. Is there no one in the Li Kingdom that the emperor can entrust important tasks to except you? Or does he not even trust his own sons?"
Mu Yanming sat down at the table, gracefully poured a cup of tea, and sipped it carefully.
She walked over and sat in front of him.
He put down the teacup, looked up at Mo Qinghuan, and said, "Because of the queen, the emperor has never liked Mu Shengze and Mu Yichen. But there is another prince who has enjoyed the emperor's favor from birth to now and has been protected by the emperor's men all the time."
Mo Qinghuan had inquired about it before, so when Mu Yanming said this, she guessed who this much - beloved prince was.
The third prince, Mu Yefeng, was the son of the Virtuous Concubine. It was said that back then, the Virtuous Concubine had always been by the emperor's side, and they truly loved each other. But because of the powerful maternal family of the queen, she had suffered a lot. Finally, a year after the emperor ascended the throne, she gave birth to the third prince. The emperor was overjoyed and immediately bestowed the title of Prince Cheng.
But the Virtuous Concubine had a hemorrhage during childbirth and left the emperor forever.
Only the poor baby in the swaddle was left.
Although all the ministers advised the emperor to send Prince Cheng to the queen to be raised by her, the queen had already given birth to two princes at that time. The emperor knew that the queen would not treat the Virtuous Concubine's son well, so he secretly sent Prince Cheng out of the palace. For so many years, he had never returned to the palace.
"Bringing up this prince at this time, does it mean that he is going to be brought back?"
A faint smile played on Mu Yanming's lips. "Almost. The nineteenth day of the first lunar month is Prince Cheng's eighteenth birthday. It's time for him to be brought back."
"The nineteenth day of the first lunar month. In three days it will be the Lantern Festival. Do you think he will come back before the Lantern Festival?"
Mu Yanming nodded. "The emperor will definitely keep it a secret from me when exactly he will come back."
Mo Qinghuan smiled. "He's afraid that you'll take the life of his precious son."
Mu Yanming raised his handsome eyebrows slightly. "If I wanted to get rid of his sons, the three of them would have been dead long ago!"
Mo Qinghuan looked at Mu Yanming. She wasn't sure if her feeling was right. She felt that Mu Yanming seemed to have a good impression of Prince Cheng, Mu Yefeng.
Of course, if the other party felt the same way about Mu Yanming and was not like the other two princes, she wouldn't mind.
But if he was the same as the other two, don't blame her for being rude.
Seeing her in a daze and not saying a word, Mu Yanming gave a soft cough.
"It's getting late. Go to bed."
She nodded and walked towards the bed. When she sat down on the edge of the bed and looked back, she saw Mu Yanming walking out.
She let out a long sigh of relief, thinking that it would be good for the two of them to calm down for a while, so she didn't stop him.
At this time, in the Wanhua Temple.
Du Yan, the imperial censor, was kneeling on the ground.
"I, Du Yan, am here by the emperor's order to welcome Prince Cheng back to the capital."
The man sitting on the meditation seat was dressed in a green robe. His skin was as white as snow, and his lips were as red as cinnabar. He looked a bit like a Buddha statue. His long black hair was casually scattered, and he was holding a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, counting them one by one as he chanted "Amitabha".
After a long time, he opened his eyes. His light - colored glass - like eyes and gentle eyebrows looked at Du Yan who was kneeling in front of him. He got up with a smile and stepped forward to help him up.
"It's getting late. You've come all the way here, Lord Du. Stay in the temple for one night and then set off on your journey back tomorrow."
Du Yan bowed his body, looking extremely flattered.
"I'll follow your instructions, Your Highness."
Mu Yefeng nodded and turned to the attendant standing beside him. "Yincong, take Lord Du to have some vegetarian food."
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll go right away."
Du Yan followed Yincong to the vegetarian dining hall.
Mu Yefeng walked out of the meditation room and headed towards his residence.
The Wanhua Temple was the largest temple in the Li Kingdom. There were more than nine hundred monks and more than one thousand three hundred meditation rooms.
But his living place was a secluded courtyard at the back of the temple. It was said that a high - ranking monk had once lived here. The monk had lived to be more than one hundred and eighty years old and had become an immortal after his passing.
Of course, this was just a rumor. After he was sent here, this place had been separated from the rest of the temple for the convenience of protection.
Mu Yefeng knew that his father deeply loved his mother. He also knew that although his mother, whom he had never met, had died of a hemorrhage during childbirth, it must not have been an accident. Someone must have harmed her.
He clenched his fists tightly, and his fingertips turned slightly pale.
He pushed open the door and walked in. There was an incense table in the room with a memorial tablet on it, and a portrait of his mother was also hanging on the wall.
"Mother, this time when I return to the capital, I will surely avenge you. I won't let any of those who have harmed you go."
He lit three incense sticks and offered them to his mother. After the incense burned out, he put away the things and also put away the portrait of his mother.
That night, he lay in bed without closing his eyes. He didn't know what was going on. For many years here, his mind had been peaceful, but he had never felt so excited as he did tonight.
Early the next morning, as soon as the morning bell rang, he got up and went to the front courtyard of the temple.
Having lived here for many years, he had long been accustomed to doing morning prayers with the monks.
When Du Yan got up, he saw Mu Yefeng chanting scriptures and was so shocked that the corner of his mouth twitched.
He had thought that this Prince Cheng, living here without any restraint, would develop a lazy and undisciplined personality. He didn't expect him to get up so early.
He quickened his steps and walked forward, with a big smile on his face and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching up.
Mu Yefeng turned the Buddhist beads in his hand and asked slowly, "Lord Du, how did you sleep last night?"
Du Yan bowed his body, smiling a bit bitterly. "Your Highness, being in this pure and quiet Buddhist place is really different from the bustling capital. I slept really well last night. It's been a long time since I've slept so soundly."
He lowered his head. In fact, he hadn't slept well at all last night. The incense in the meditation room had given him a headache, and most importantly, it seemed as if there were a group of people chanting Buddhist scriptures in his ears, which made his chest feel as if it was blocked by a ball of cotton and he couldn't catch his breath.
"Good. Since you slept well, let's set off for the capital. Don't keep the emperor waiting."
He turned around and glanced at Yincong. Yincong nodded and immediately went back to pack their things.
A quarter of an hour later, Du Yan had prepared the carriage.
Mu Yefeng walked out of the temple. He looked back at the temple deeply and then left the Wanhua Temple.
"Prince Cheng, I don't know when we'll meet again. This old monk would like to give you a piece of advice. I hope Your Highness will always keep it in mind."