Shen Mingzhu frowned. When she saw the names on the letters, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. They were letters from the emperor - her father, and the crown prince - her elder brother!
She had already realized that this might be part of the truth. Subconsciously, she felt dizzy. She rubbed her aching temples, then came to her senses and stared at the letters in her hand without saying a word.
She'd read them when she got back.
She felt her palms growing cold, so she pulled up her cuffs and collar. Then she came to her senses and called out, "Chuntao, let's go back quickly."
The sound of rain outside the carriage was gradually fading. Shen Mingzhu had never been so anxious. She even felt a stabbing pain in her chest and didn't dare to open these letters.
All these were the correspondence between the emperor and the crown prince.
In a hurry, they arrived at the mansion. Shen Mingzhu lifted her skirt, put the letters in her bosom, and rushed to the study. Before she could close the door, she saw Xie Lang looking surprised. "Why are you all wet?"
He quickly stepped into the room, took off his cloak, and draped it over Shen Mingzhu. Then, seeing the panic in her eyes, he suddenly fell silent.
He rarely saw Shen Mingzhu in such a mess. So seeing the helplessness in her eyes at this moment, he subconsciously frowned. A sense of helplessness welled up in his heart, and a look of worry involuntarily appeared on his face. "Don't be in a hurry."
He didn't know what had happened to Shen Mingzhu, but he still rushed to grab a light outer robe that had been placed there sometime and used it as a towel to wipe the water off Shen Mingzhu's head.
The moment Shen Mingzhu saw Xie Lang, she stood still. Finally, she pursed her lips and sat down. Her palms were getting colder, so she pulled the cloak closer. Then, looking at Xie Lang somewhat helplessly, she said, "I seem to... I seem to be on the verge of finding out the truth about my elder brother's death."
The helplessness on Shen Mingzhu's face was completely unhidden. There was even a look of near - terror in her eyes. However, her tone was still cold and calm, except for the slight tremor at the end of her words, which accidentally revealed her emotions.
[What's going on? Is this matter more complicated than I thought?]
[No, something's wrong... Shen Mingzhu's expression. Could this matter be closer to what I imagined?]
Shen Mingzhu's mind was in a complete mess. When she saw Xie Lang reaching out to wipe the rain off her, she just blankly took out the letters in her hand, unfolded them, and read them word by word.
Xie Lang glanced through them and barely managed to control his expression. With a look of panic, he looked at Shen Mingzhu but was too worried to say a word.
[How could this be!]
He was filled with surprise but didn't dare to say a word. Instead, he gently pulled Shen Mingzhu into his arms, let her bury her head in his chest, and gently patted her back.
Shen Mingzhu looked numb.
The information in the letters was enough to shatter her perception.
It turned out that the emperor had quarreled with the crown prince before his death, and the crown prince was even full of anger at the end of the letter.
The emperor also wrote at the end of the letter, "If you continue to act willfully, I can give you the position of the crown prince, and I can also pull you down."
Shen Mingzhu knew that this was probably said in anger. But for two such rational people as the emperor and the crown prince to say such hurtful words and attack each other, it showed how intense their conflict had become.
Why? What kind of conflict did the crown prince and the emperor have that they had reached this point?
Shen Mingzhu felt an indescribable chill all over her body, like needles stabbing into her bones and blood, making her gasps heavier and heavier.
So did the emperor regret it in the end? In the end, the crown prince died. If, as the queen mother said, it was an accident, then what exactly happened?
Shen Mingzhu gasped heavily. Subconsciously, she reached out and hugged Xie Lang tightly, drawing warmth from his body.
"… Xie Lang." Shen Mingzhu's voice was muffled, with a hint of coldness that was rarely seen in her. "I never thought that the struggles I only read about in history books would actually happen around me."
"What kind of life did I lead before? Everyone doted on me and regarded me as a naive princess, but no one ever thought that I also wanted to know all the truth and didn't want to be kept in the dark."
As Shen Mingzhu spoke, the corners of her eyes gradually turned red.
She took a deep breath and then continued, "You said, if I was really scared by the queen mother's words and didn't continue to look for the truth, would I still be kept in the dark today?"
"Don't be afraid, Shen Mingzhu."
Xie Lang gently tucked the stray hair on her head behind her ear and said gently, "These are all unexpected accidents. Moreover, the matter hasn't been fully investigated yet. Why are you already scared?"
"Don't be afraid." He repeated again, looking at Shen Mingzhu. "Although it may seem inappropriate to say this now, at least you can be sure that everyone around you hopes you're well."
Shen Mingzhu forced a bitter smile.
She sat there, burying her face deeply in front of Xie Lang and hugging his waist tightly so that she didn't have to show her current expression.
She quietly listened to Xie Lang's thoughts and words of comfort, and her mood gradually calmed down.
"Everyone hides things from me for my own good. What about you?"
Suddenly, Shen Mingzhu interrupted Xie Lang and asked in a solemn tone, "Will you also keep things from me forever?"
As she spoke, Shen Mingzhu felt her heart trembling uneasily.
"No."
Xie Lang said, "As long as you want to know, I'm willing to always be open - hearted with you. As long as you ask, I won't hide anything from you."
"Shen Mingzhu."
Xie Lang called her softly. One of his big hands rested on her shoulder and gently patted it, while the other hand was placed on Shen Mingzhu's head, gradually spreading warmth.
"Since my mother passed away, I haven't had any female elders, nor any sisters. I never even thought that I would suddenly get married and then face a woman who came to me with the imperial - bestowed sword on our wedding night."
Thinking of Shen Mingzhu's expression that day, he found it a bit funny. His heart softened, and he continued, "I'm learning to get along with you. I know my previous temper was bad and my mouth was sharp, so I made you angry."
"But as long as it's something you don't want, I won't do it."
After Xie Lang finished speaking, Shen Mingzhu felt an indescribable tremor in her chest. Finally, she hugged him tightly and said in a muffled voice, "Okay."
When Shen Mingzhu came to her senses a little, she had already changed her clothes and was going to rest first.
However, there was a faint sense of uneasiness in her heart. This uneasiness reached its peak when she saw Chuntao come to see her with a worried look on her face.
"What's going on!"
Shen Mingzhu's heart skipped a beat. Looking at Chuntao, she asked, "What's the matter?"
Chuntao's hands were still trembling. Hearing this, she lowered her eyes and said softly, "Your Highness, Miss Li... Miss Li she..."