My Lord, the princess doesn't want you anymore.

Cui Qimo listened to the crackling sound of porcelain being broken behind him, his face darkened again, and he left quickly with his hands behind his back.

Eunuch Li, who was waiting in the distance, approached cautiously, "Your Majesty, are you okay?"

He was afraid that the emperor would get excited and have another attack.

"Keep a close eye on her. Before Prince Xiao's wedding, she is not allowed to step out of Jinxiu Palace!" Cui Qimo ordered while gritting his teeth.

The lavender figure appeared before his eyes again.

Whether in memory or in dreams, she always smiled at him.

Gradually, the person in front of me became blurred, so blurred that I couldn't see her face clearly.

Dong Ruyun was the daughter of Grand Secretary Dong and his first concubine.

She is very beautiful, but her most attractive feature is not her appearance, but the temperament she exudes.

Even among a large group of peerless beauties, she would definitely be the one that others would see at first sight.

She is dignified and generous, and her words and actions are always appropriate no matter what the occasion.

She was gentle and considerate, and as soon as he saw her, all his worries disappeared.

She is also naughty and always makes him laugh when he is unhappy, and makes him happier when he is happy.

Her talent was innate and was nurtured by Scholar Dong since childhood. She could recite poems and paint at the age of three.

In short, he fell in love with her the first time he saw her.

But at that time he already had a Crown Princess, and he felt that being a concubine was unfair to her.

But Ruyun said that as long as she could be with him, she would be content.

He remembered that they went boating on the lake and strolled in the garden together. They wrote poems and painted together.

She didn't like winter, but she loved snow. She liked to grab a handful of snow and throw it at him, then run away laughing and waiting for him to chase her.

She particularly likes osmanthus. She said that the fragrance of osmanthus is strong but not frivolous, heavy but not oppressive, just like the spring breeze blowing gently through the pine forest. She also extracted a kind of spice from osmanthus and always made herself smell good.

Before he ascended the throne, he selected a few characters and asked her to choose her own title. He thought she would choose "Ru", but she unexpectedly chose "Jing".

……

Eunuch Li sighed deeply and lowered his head.

Because he saw a tear falling from the corner of the emperor's eye.

***

At night, Prince Jing’s Mansion.

It's freezing cold.

Zhuang Xiang hurriedly pushed open the door of Jianxian Pavilion, and a gust of cold wind blew in.

He closed the door casually, stepped forward and lowered his voice, "Lord Xiang Qingshan of Jingzhao Prefecture sent a message that the emperor is investigating who was on the pleasure boat before the fire."

Cui Hongjing put down the book in his hand, "He just took office today, don't make things complicated, just let him answer truthfully. If your father wants to investigate, let him investigate. The Crown Prince of Changguo died in the capital, and Changguo must be given an explanation. Whether we can find a scapegoat to calm Changguo's anger depends on what your father thinks."

"But Li Mo is a man with unpredictable thoughts and moods. It is not clear whether he is a friend or an enemy. What if he turns against you and bites you, my Lord?"

Cui Hongjing snorted, "Don't worry, he won't. This person is cunning and treacherous, and he will never let anyone catch him."

Zhuang Xiang complained a little, "His red robe was so eye-catching, and so many people saw him afterwards. I really don't know what he was thinking, and I don't know how to disguise himself."

Cui Hongjing picked up the book in his hand again and said nonchalantly: "This is where his cleverness lies."

"Does Your Majesty trust him so much?"

"I can't say I believe it, it's just guessing people's minds. At least in this matter, the king and he have the same goal. After this incident, the king and he are still at loggerheads! But the king didn't expect that it would cause such a big fire. The destruction of the king's ship is not a big deal, but the important thing is that forty innocent lives were implicated."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have sent people to secretly compensate those innocent victims." Zhuang Xiang hesitated for a moment and then said, "I haven't found out what happened in the palace yet."

Cui Hongjing: "I wonder what Aunt Wan said to Xue'er?"

"She made arrangements in advance. There was no one around. Even the emperor didn't know what they were talking about."

"Since she chose the osmanthus forest as the meeting place, I believe what they are talking about is also related to this king."

"Your Highness can ask the Imperial Concubine yourself."

"No!" Cui Hongjing rolled his eyes at him, his face showing worry: "Aunt Wan has too much resentment in her heart and can't control her emotions. What I am worried about is that my father will lose his patience sooner or later."

"The emperor went to Jinxiu Palace this afternoon and came out with a face full of anger. He ordered people to guard Jinxiu Palace and not allow Concubine Wan to take a single step out before Prince Xiao's wedding."

"Although Aunt Wan is a little paranoid, she treats me very well. Alas..." He closed his eyes slightly, "Has that restless person in the mansion not come to the palace recently?"

Zhuang Xiang chuckled, "The prince has been very well behaved recently. He either reads books or practices swordplay every day. He never leaves the house. What can he find out?"

"Good boy?" Cui Hongjing suddenly became interested. "Xiang, tell me, does she like me more when I am good boy like this, or when I was before..."

Zhuang Xiang: Your Majesty, you should change the word "like" to "hate".

The corners of his mouth twitched, and he turned and left without saying anything.

Cui Hongjing touched his lips. His upper lip was a little scratched, where the woman bit it last night.

He narrowed his eyes, recalling the scene when she bit him.

"This is the second time you've bitten me. From now on, I will definitely return it with interest..."

***

As soon as Du Zheng woke up, he saw a red spot in front of his eyes.

"It was you who knocked me out by the Xiangxi River last night?" he asked gritting his teeth.

"If you had gone to see the Prince of Chang, you would probably be dead now." Li Mo sat down at the head of his bed. "Do you think you arranged it perfectly? Do you think that Lord Ye is so easy to fool?"

Du Zheng sighed deeply, "Yes, I can't hide anything from you..."

He knew that this secret meeting with the Prince of Changguo was extremely risky, but he was desperate. If he could use the Prince of Changguo to get rid of Lord Ye, it would be worth it even if he died of poison.

Because of this, when the Prince of Changguo extended an "olive branch" to him, he felt that the opportunity had come.

If this was a gamble, he would bet on the Prince of Changguo, where the payoff would be greater and faster!

"You think I want to take care of your mess?!" Li Mo was a little disappointed. "I thought you figured it out, but now I know you are still confused. It's like using a more ferocious wolf to fight another wolf. You will eventually die in the wolf's belly."

Du Zheng lowered his head guiltily.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

It was all due to greed. When he realized his mistake, it was too late to turn back.

It is a blessing to be alive for the time being.

"Thank you. If you hadn't given me the Imperial Seal, and if Lord Ye hadn't thought I was still useful, I would probably be..."

"What a pity..." Li Mo stood up and sighed, "What a pity that I can't find out who that Lord Ye is. However, I can ask someone to help you think of a way to cure the poison in your body."

Du Zheng smiled bitterly and shook his head, "You don't have to comfort me, I have also contacted many people in private..."

Li Mo smiled slyly, "How do you know if you don't try..."