mtl008 Chapter 377 Who is in the garden?
Chapter 377 Who is in the garden?
As soon as Prince Guo entered the Yangxin Palace, Baoque got the news.
She tiptoed up to An Lingrong and reported in a low voice.
"Master, the waiter you sent with you stopped at the Auspicious Gate for a moment and then turned towards the Rain Flower Pavilion."
"Not long after, a very vigilant young eunuch came out of Yuhua Pavilion and finally went to the courtyard where Prince Guo was staying."
"The servants waited in the courtyard across the wall until Prince Guo left the house, then hurried back to report. One person remained to continue the surveillance."
"Okay, I understand. Baoque, there's no need to send anyone to keep an eye on the prince's residence."
An Lingrong pondered for a moment and had a plan in mind.
She suspected that the strange little eunuch she met in the morning was most likely Prince Guo or A Jin.
"The maid at Yuhua Pavilion wants some flowers and plants. Have our people deliver some and find out which of them are Prince Guo's men."
"I understand. Madam, Prince Guo has already placed people in the unused palace. Should we follow suit in case of emergency?"
Inspired by this, Baoque took the initiative to propose.
An Lingrong nodded in agreement.
"That's a really good idea. If you have extra personnel, prioritize assigning them to Chunxi Palace, Yuhua Pavilion, and Chengqian Palace. Don't worry about the other unused palaces for now."
Besides Queen Chunyuan, the person the emperor mentioned most in his sleep was Zhen Huan.
It is obvious that Concubine Shu and her son have the same ambition as the Empress Dowager and her son. Prince Guo and his mother, who protect Zhen Huan very well, will definitely let her enter the palace again in the future.
The emperor has kept silent about Zhen Huan in the past two years, mainly because he was angry that Zhen Huan did not give him face after she gave in.
If Zhen Huan changes her temperament after being frustrated and takes the initiative to show weakness to the emperor, she will definitely be another formidable opponent.
The emperor loves deeply, and hates deeply.
An Lingrong had to save her trump card for the most critical moment. Just as you should strike a snake at its weakest point, the same applies to people.
The three palaces she had just ordered were the ones Zhen Huan was most likely to live in.
"Bao Que, go to the small kitchen and pack out two food boxes of snacks that Bao Ge has prepared. The emperor will leave the palace tomorrow, so I'll go and see him off now."
An Lingrong wanted to ask Su Peisheng to look after Hongzhan and personally confirm the identity of the young eunuch.
If it was really Prince Guo who took the risk to sneak into the harem, she had to find out his intentions as soon as possible.
Today the sky is clear and the breeze is gentle. The warm sun shining on our bodies makes us want to squint unconsciously.
Xiao Dongzi, who was waiting outside the palace, glanced at the side of her half-closed eyes and saw Concubine Shu Guifei walking slowly towards her.
He trotted forward ahead of Xiao Xiazi to meet her.
"When I woke up, I heard magpies calling on the branches, and I was wondering what happy event was going to happen today. It turned out to be the Imperial Concubine!"
"Your servant Xiao Dongzi pays his respects to the Imperial Concubine Shu!"
People with sweet words are liked by others, so An Lingrong gave the order without hesitation.
"Eunuch Dong is really good at talking, Baoque, give me a reward!"
Xiao Dongzi smiled even more after receiving the reward.
"I thank the Imperial Concubine for her gift. Your Majesty, the Emperor is speaking to Prince Guo. Please wait a moment. I will go and inform him."
"Thank you, Eunuch Dong."
Xiao Xia Zi and A Jin were also guarding outside the hall, and An Lingrong asked Bao Que to give them purses.
A gentle breeze blew by, bringing with it a faint fragrance, the musk not as strong as in the morning.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor lets you go in directly."
After receiving the order, Xiaodongzi stretched out his hand and made a gesture of invitation.
An Lingrong nodded and went inside carrying the food box.
A quarter of an hour later, she and Prince Guo came out of the Yangxin Palace one after another.
"Your Highness, I've traveled extensively for many years and have eaten countless dim sum, but the ones at Yongshou Palace are the best. May I ask where your Highness found the chef?"
Prince Guo said with a look of nostalgia that it seemed that the snacks that An Lingrong brought to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity were the most delicious delicacies in the world.
An Lingrong smiled faintly and replied gently.
"Your Highness, most of the cakes in the small kitchen are made by Bao Ge. She is the maid I brought in."
"The Imperial Concubine is surrounded by so many talented people. Miss Baoque is an exception, and Miss Baoge is also an expert in cooking. She's truly enviable. May I ask, Imperial Concubine, does Miss Baoge have any fellow apprentices who could be introduced to the palace to work?"
An Lingrong directly shattered Prince Guo's idea of getting closer to him.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Your Highness. Baoge's cooking skills are inherited from her family. She's the only one in the family who has some talent in the kitchen."
"The Imperial Kitchen does have several excellent pastry chefs. If Your Highness enjoys delicious food, you can ask the Emperor for help. You and the Emperor have a deep brotherly bond, so this will be easier to say."
"Your Highness is right. Yunli has exactly the same intention."
Prince Guo followed An Lingrong's words, but the regret in his eyes was almost overflowing.
An Lingrong ignored this and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty, I have something to attend to in the palace, so I will leave first."
"Is your Majesty going to pack Hongzhan's bags? I have just asked my brother for permission to accompany him tomorrow. He works in the fields during the day and handles government affairs at night. As his uncle, Yunli will surely take Hongzhan out for a good time in the garden."
An Lingrong's heart moved and she quickly thanked him.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Your Highness. Hongzhan brought a lot of cakes and pastries. Let him present them to Uncle Seventeenth when the time comes."
"That's great. Yunli will shamelessly take advantage of his nephew."
Prince Guo agreed without hesitation and said he would take Hongzhan to see the wild horses in the zoo.
After the two parted, An Lingrong turned around and put away the smile on her face.
Baoque was very sensitive to her master's emotions. She personally helped the master to the main hall and asked in confusion.
"My Lady, what's wrong with Prince Guo?"
An Lingrong had something else to ask Baoque to do and did not hide it from her.
"The young man I met on the palace road this morning was him."
Baoque was so surprised that he cried out in surprise.
"What?! Madam, that timid little second son? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure that's him. The incense on Prince Guo is exactly the same as that on the second son, and A Jin also has some on him."
An Lingrong added with certainty.
"This palace speculates that Prince Guo must have taken advantage of the opportunity of everyone paying their respects to visit Concubine He in Changchun Palace, who has a high fever."
"Bao Que, have your men monitor Consort He's every move. If anything unusual happens, report it immediately."
She didn't believe that Prince Guo would risk being beheaded to sneak into the harem just to visit Huanbi who was unwell.
There must be some ulterior motive behind this.
"Hand these over to Bao Ge before you leave the palace."
"The slaves obey."
An Lingrong tapped the small table gently.
In order to avoid suspicion, Prince Guo was very sensible and never participated in sacrificial activities led by the emperor.
The fact that he took the initiative to ask for permission to accompany the emperor this time was already strange.
Who is in the garden?
The Emperor? Hongzhan? Or perhaps Ye Lanyi from the Beast Garden that Prince Guo mentioned earlier?