mtl008 Chapter 736: We Can’t Lose the Initiative Again
Chapter 736: We Can’t Lose the Initiative Again
"Mother, if I could, I really want to pick up a daughter like Sister Xi." The Princess turned to Princess Jing, her tone filled with sincere envy, and her fingers unconsciously stroked her bulging belly.
"Grandmother Wang, look, does my mother dislike Ling'er? She only remembers the good things about Sister Xi." Ling'er was unhappy when she heard that. Although she knew that her mother was joking with her grandmother, she pretended to lean on Grandmother Wang unwillingly.
She buried her face in her grandmother's shoulder and smelled the faint scent of sandalwood and a hint of medicine on the old woman.
"Oh, little ancestor, you look so anxious. No, no, you are all fine!" Princess Jing dotes on children the most, especially now that Ling'er is the only granddaughter who can often accompany her.
Her skinny hand gently patted Ling'er's back, and the jade bracelet on her wrist tapped against the back of the chair with her movements, making a subtle sound. "We are all family. My sister is capable and will cherish and care for you. Naturally, it is the best. With this niece, your mother is so happy."
After saying this, she gave the Princess a flattering look. The old Princess's eyes were filled with resentment, but the corners of her mouth were raised. "If you have more daughters, you won't be able to take care of the son in your belly." She deliberately lowered her voice, but Ling'er could hear it clearly.
After saying that, everyone laughed. The Princess covered her mouth with her hands and her shoulders shook slightly; Ling'er laughed and fell into her grandmother's arms, and the pearl flowers on her bun tilted to one side.
While chatting and laughing, they didn't know that three generations of grandparents and grandchildren had already started a dispute in the front yard.
It was very quiet outside, with no one in sight. Only the lanterns in the yard were swaying gently in the wind, casting ever-changing light and shadows.
"No, most activities in the palace are heavily guarded. All the guards are deployed, and there are also many guards and assassins. There are people guarding all the palaces and intersections."
Prince Jing's fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the celadon teacup, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure. "There's a guard every three steps inside and outside the palace walls, and a sentry every five steps. Not even a fly can get past. If we're discovered, Xi'er will have nowhere to escape."
His voice seemed to be fished out of an ice cellar. Every word was wrapped in a biting chill, making the already gloomy winter hall even more solemn.
There was a stubborn flame dancing in Jing Chunxi's almond-shaped eyes. She asked for permission to enter the palace for the third time, which made the veins on Prince Jing's forehead throb slightly.
The old man slammed his palm on the rosewood table, making the teacups clink. "Do you think the palace is your own backyard? If anything goes wrong, how can I explain it to your parents?"
He suddenly choked up at this point, as if he had already seen the horrific scene of the Jinyiwei taking the girl to the imperial prison.
Prince Hong half-leaned on the carved armchair, his fingertips tapping the armrest intermittently. His hawk-like eyes scanned Jing Chunxi from head to toe, a look of both wonder and inquiry.
This girl, who has not yet reached the age of marriage, is as fragile as a willow branch that will break with a gust of wind, but she has a courage that would even make veterans on the battlefield look at her with awe.
"Xier went in for something, and this is the only time." The girl sat upright, her brocade skirt spread out like petals.
She deliberately spoke in a brisk tone, but her fingers secretly tightened the embroidery on her cuffs, "I'll pretend to be a little maid, and I guarantee that even the old maids in the palace won't be able to find any flaws." As she spoke, she imitated the maids' humble and submissive appearance, but her lively eyes revealed her cunning.
"Haven't you taken enough?" Prince Jing suddenly shouted, his graying beard trembling with anger. He would never forget what he saw that day—when the girl came out to meet him, her chest was strangely swollen, clearly hiding something important. Now she was so determined to enter the tiger's den again, he wondered what she was thinking.
"Xier went to see Madam Zhou to confirm something." Jing Chunxi's eyelashes trembled slightly, casting two curved shadows on her porcelain-white face.
Seeing that the two elders were still staring at her with scrutiny, she suddenly straightened her back and spoke in a voice as clear as jade colliding: "I'm not doing this for the Jing family, I'm doing this for the common people!"
After she finished speaking, she patted her chest proudly, but suddenly realized that this action was too childish and not like what a girl should do. The tips of her ears suddenly turned slightly red, and she hurriedly hid her hands behind her back.
"What kind of love potion did that kid give you to make you take such a big risk?" Prince Jing was so angry that his temples were throbbing. He wanted to poke his fingers through the girl's forehead to see what ridiculous thoughts were inside.
The candlelight on the table was shaken violently by the wind brought by his sleeves, casting a ferocious shadow on the wall.
Jing Chunxi took a half step forward towards the candlelight, the fire in his eyes burning even brighter: "If there is chaos in the palace, the one who ascends the throne will probably be worse than the one who is currently on the throne!"
The cracked soles of the refugees from the northern border and the swollen faces of the disaster victims who fled to Lingnan flashed before her eyes, and a bitter taste like rust rose in her throat.
If the Fourth Prince, who condoned the powerful and wealthy in enclosing land and amassing wealth, forcibly conscripted civilians to build the imperial palace, and even dared to rob disaster relief funds and grain, were to ascend to the throne, the world would probably become a living hell.
Prince Jing and Prince Hong were both shocked upon hearing this, looking at Jing Chunxi in disbelief. Prince Jing's hands suddenly grasped the armrests of the chair tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white.
They all recalled the palace coup that had occurred more than ten years ago - the tragic sight of the late emperor bleeding from all seven orifices, the sorrow of Prince Yan who rushed to the rescue at night but was one step too late, and the unconcealable pride in the eyes of the new emperor when he ascended the throne.
At this moment, the icicles under the eaves suddenly broke, and the crisp sound of shattering startled everyone.
"If we can't find the will, we will lose the initiative again." Jing Chunxi's voice was as light as a snowflake, but it hit the two princes' hearts with a heavy weight.
After finding his lost son and knowing that the boss had already extended his evil hand to Prince Jing's Mansion, Jing Chunxi already knew the position of Prince Jing's Mansion. There was no need to hide some things.
She saw the ice in the old man's eyes begin to soften, and immediately pressed on: "If His Royal Highness Prince Yan had seen the secret decree half a day earlier, why would he..." The words stopped abruptly here, but the unfinished words had pierced the hearts of everyone present like a sharp arrow.
"Then be careful." Prince Jing finally sighed, his voice suddenly sounding ten years older. "I can't send anyone to protect you this time."
The rules of palace banquets are very strict. Even for a noble prince, the women in the palace can only bring one maid with them, and the servants can only wait outside the palace gate.
"The hidden plot in the palace cannot be exposed yet." He added with difficulty, each word seemed squeezed out from between his teeth.
Those chess pieces that have been lurking for many years are kept to turn the tide at the last moment. They must not be revealed in advance for a little girl.
"It's okay, Xier can protect herself." The girl suddenly smiled, took out a brocade bag embroidered with twined branch patterns from her sleeve and shook it gently, and a slight sound of porcelain bottles colliding could be heard from inside.
Jing Chunxi swore solemnly that although her martial arts skills were not as good as those of the imperial guards and the assassins in the palace, she had space and a lot of poisons.
If something really happens, either he dies or I live.