The little Fubao in the deserted village made all the dignitaries in the court go crazy with envy

Happy New Year's Eve.

The imperial city was decorated with lights and colorful fireworks.

The people in the city are not afraid of the cold. They take their wives and children to the streets to enjoy the lanterns and watch acrobatics, feeling the joy and excitement of the New Year.

The children were chasing and playing in the crowd, lively and playful.

The boy and girl who passed by each other looked at each other briefly and blushed.

The juggler's fire-breathing dragon was greeted with loud applause.

Behind the opened wooden windows on the second floor of the teahouse, the young men laughed and threw reward money downstairs in high spirits.

The city is full of lanterns as bright as day, and snowflakes are floating in the sky. The lights are the scenery, the snow is the scenery, and the people are the scenery.

Suddenly, the Jinwu Guards on horseback, swords in hand, burst into the long street, interrupting the peaceful singing and dancing.

The sound of horse hooves was urgent, and tourists all dodged to the side of the street.

"What's going on? The Jinwu Guards are riding horses on the long street? Looking at the scene, has something big happened in the city?" A tourist stopped with his wife and children and asked the person next to him in confusion.

"Under the rule of the emperor, the imperial city has always been peaceful. No one would dare to cause trouble here. Especially today is New Year's Eve, and security is even stricter..."

"Then tell me, the Jinwu Guards are responsible for the security of the imperial city. What could make them so anxious that they would break the rules and ride their horses on the streets?"

The common people were confused and uncertain, and the officials in the crowd also became suspicious and immediately sent people to inquire.

The answer came soon.

In the Taining Palace of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Hong Jing was furious. "Keep sending people and order the city gates to be under martial law! We must find Madam Xiao and send her back to the General's Mansion unharmed!"

The New Year's Eve banquet was just halfway through, and the new dishes on the table had not yet been touched, when the emperor threw his chopsticks in anger, scaring the concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids sitting beside him so much that they dared not speak a word.

Upon seeing this, the Queen raised her hand and asked all the concubines to leave first, and the dinner probably could not be held.

Soon, only the emperor, empress and their servants were left in the palace.

"If Madam Xiao gets into trouble again, I really don't know how to face General Xiao." Emperor Hong Jing pinched his brows and leaned tiredly on the back of the black lacquered and gold-painted sandalwood chair. "There have been rumors that the royal family is unkind and wants to wipe out the entire Xiao family. I want to compensate General Xiao, but there seems to be a hand behind me pushing things in the opposite direction, and things are not going as I wish."

"Your Majesty, please do not worry too much." A pair of soft hands gently pressed on his temples, massaging and soothing him. "Old General Xiao has clear eyes and a clear mind, and he must understand your Majesty's intentions. Madam Xiao's disappearance was an accident, not your Majesty's fault."

"But the Xiao family is in such a state, it is indeed the fault of the royal family, I cannot shirk my responsibility." Emperor Hong Jing closed his eyes and leaned his head on the woman's palm. Only in front of the queen would he show his fatigue, "Queen, if I ignore this matter, not only will I feel guilty towards the Xiao family, but it will also make hundreds of thousands of soldiers guarding the border feel disappointed, and it will also make millions of people in the world feel disappointed. The country will soon fall."

The queen pursed her lips, a trace of heartache flashed in her eyes, and she whispered, "Your Majesty, don't worry, I will help you, and the entire Languo Mansion will always stand by your side."

"Arong, I know that you actually blame me in your heart. I didn't fulfill my promise to spend our lives together."

"So what if I blame you? You are the emperor and I am the queen. We are both helpless. If... Qing'er is fine, I will forgive you."

"Ah."

There was silence in the hall, no more words were spoken.

The Emperor and the Empress held hands and were reluctant to separate.

Ganquan Palace, the bedroom of Concubine Yao.

After returning from Taining Palace, Imperial Concubine Yao took off her gorgeous clothes and sat in front of the dressing table. She took a wet towel and wiped her lip balm. "Is it done carefully?"

The old maid who was serving beside her bowed her head and responded in a low voice, "Don't worry, madam, it has been done and no one has discovered it. Before the news reached the palace, our people had already led her out of the city gate. She is a crazy woman and there is no one to take care of her. She will not survive a few days alone in the ice and snow."

"Crazy woman? She may not be as crazy as the rumors say, otherwise how could she remember that her child was lost in the snow? There is always such a scene every year when it snows. Unfortunately, General Xiao just returned to Beijing this year and knows nothing about this matter." Imperial Concubine Yao looked at herself in the mirror. The woman in the mirror had skin as white as cream and as beautiful as peaches and plums, and her red lips were slightly raised and charming. "The servants in the general's mansion were afraid of being scolded, so they didn't dare to say... It snowed well on New Year's Eve."

She tilted her head and asked the nanny again, "Did you get any information from Imperial Doctor Yu?"

"Yes, Imperial Doctor Yu goes to the General's Mansion every two days to see Xiao Birang. He has a serious illness that is difficult to cure, and he is depressed and looks like a dying man."

"I'm asking about Yan Lin."

The nanny knelt down and held her breath, "Your Majesty, Yu Heng is very tight-lipped, and we can't get a single word out of him about the prince."

The corners of the woman's mouth in the bronze mirror suddenly straightened, and her affectionate almond eyes suddenly turned cold. "The Queen has returned to the palace, and even Yu Heng has returned. Given how much they love and care for Yan Lin, how can they be at ease leaving him alone in the imperial temple? Unless Yan Lin no longer needs care!"

Concubine Yao's hands were shaking a little. She tried several times to pick up the jade comb to comb her hair, but finally gave up because of her shaking hands.

She closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, her eyes were dark.

Xiao Birang could still use the military power in his hands slowly, but what he was most afraid of was that Yan Lin, a man who should have died long ago, had held on for too long!

"Tomorrow - no, after the Lantern Festival, you should give Grandfather a message and ask him to continue to find a way to investigate Yan Lin's situation. Stay in the palace and do nothing these days. The matter of that crazy woman is at the forefront of public attention. If we are not careful, we will be suspected."

The nanny quickly agreed, feeling very annoyed.

The young Crown Prince Yan Lin was suffering from that disease, and the imperial physician had secretly predicted that he would not live past the age of sixteen.

Even if a person is doted on by the emperor and empress, a person who is destined to die before his youth is no longer a threat to other princes, and there is no need to treat him as an opponent.

They didn't need to do anything more, just wait for Yan Lin to die.

By then, the East Palace will be without a master, and the capable one will take the throne.

The military power in Xiao Birang's hands will give the heir apparent even greater power.

Unfortunately, something unexpected happened. The little prince had been out of the palace to pray for blessings for more than half a year, and no news had been reported back to the palace.

Disturbing.

What secret is hidden here?

The nanny was panicked, and Concubine Yao was also uneasy.

During the past six months, many families in the imperial city secretly sent people to inquire about the prince's news, but all of them returned empty-handed.

The emperor has six sons, and he loves Yan Lin the most, protecting him very closely.

No matter how impatient the various forces were, they dared not make any big moves, lest they be crushed in the chess box by the emperor's finger before the game even started.

The emperor in the palace was furious, and Yu Heng, the imperial physician, was also very busy.

When his wife went missing, General Xiao became so worried that he vomited blood and fell into a coma. If he failed to save the old general's life, his own life would probably be in danger as well.

They didn't even have a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve. They were busy at the Xiao Mansion for half the night. When they could take a break, Yu Heng wrote a letter directly to Yuxi Village.

The resentment is overwhelming.

Even though they were thousands of miles apart, anyone who read the letter could imagine how resentful Yu Heng looked when he wrote this letter.