In danger, he traveled through time to save her, and the black-bellied prince doted on her

The summer breeze brought the fragrance of jasmine flowers, drifting to the high eaves of the palace, and landed on a palace. Unlike other palaces with carved beams and painted pillars, Zimu Zhai was remote, small and deserted, with only two rooms. There was no Buddha statue in front of the niche, and there was only a table and chairs, and a couch in the room.

Mu Jinan, lying in front of the window, had red and swollen eyes from crying. She wiped her tears with her little hands and cried aggrievedly. Didn't her father say he would take the child away? Why did he take her brother away and leave her behind? Her childish and miserable crying sounded particularly desolate and distressing in the quiet night:

"Mother, they have locked me up, please come and save me. Father said he would not abandon his daughter, but he lied. My brother doesn't want me anymore, they have all left."

"Mother, I'm scared."

"Stop crying. If you keep crying, I won't give you any food." A fierce voice came from the serving palace maid, who had a vicious look on her face. She thought that following such a young master, she was destined to never make a name for herself, and there would be no reward, yet she dared to threaten Mu Jinan.

Mu Jinan covered her mouth, tears could not stop flowing, she could only sob quietly, the pitch black night reflected in her pupils, endless darkness, despair and sorrow invaded the depths of her soul, planting the seeds of hatred, humility, loneliness, depression and fear in her heart.

From then on, Mu Jinan's world was dark and gloomy. She was imprisoned in Zimu Zhai by the imperial power and was in the abyss without redemption. That year, she was five years old.

There were originally two palace maids serving, but they both felt that there was no money to be made here, so they asked the aunt in charge to transfer them away. After repeated replacements, there was only one palace maid left. Qiu Shui seldom spoke to Mu Jinan, but only served him meals, washed his clothes, and helped him bathe.

Mu Jinan could only take a few steps in front of the door of Zimu Zhai. Here, she could not hear any sounds from other palaces outside, nor could she see any human beings. Every time she wanted to take a few more steps just to see people, she was urged by the palace maids to go into the house.

Mu Jinan's lips and tongue became dull, she felt helpless and didn't understand why the palace maid was so cold and heartless. She showed her affection countless times, thinking that the two of them were dependent on each other and could just be companions. Her peach blossom eyes were full of pleading, and she cried:

"Sister, can you please talk to me? If you keep going like this, I will become mute."

"Help me find a mirror. I want to see what I look like. Do I look like my mother? When I get out, I will give you a lot of money. Please."

The palace maid Qiu Shui had an indifferent expression and said nothing. The door was closed and the sound of the iron lock rang clearly in Mu Jinan's heart, like a huge thunder and a ferocious beast attacking her flesh and blood. She gradually became afraid of the sound of the iron lock.

The dark and quiet room made her completely hopeless and miserable. There was not a single book or pen in the room. Mu Jinan saw a Buddhist shrine in front of her. It had a dragon head on top and peach vines wrapped around it. There were golden dragons and fire phoenixes on both sides of the shrine, and a unicorn carved below.

She touched the dragon head, phoenix, unicorn, and peach vine with her fingertips, and imagined that they could all speak and accompany her through the tormenting, lonely seven years.

It was three quarters past midnight, the lights were off, the birds were resting, the shadows were deep, the moon shone through the window, and a thin shadow was reflected in the corner. She was wearing a snow-white dress, curled up under the shabby table. Only by hiding here would she not be afraid. The girl's eyes became increasingly dim and empty, she muttered to herself, sobbing softly:

"I don't remember what my mother looked like. The lilac has bloomed seven times. I am twelve years old. I still have three years to go. If I can hold on a little longer, I can leave the palace. But I can't hold on any longer."

"Lost Love" "Wild geese bring no messages from heaven, lilac knots make me cry in my dreams. Ten years of loneliness fill my clothes with tears, and I long for letters from my loved ones as we part in life and death. Mother no longer sends me dreams, and I am the only one in my dreams. Father and brother no longer write to me."

Over the years, Mu Jinan sometimes woke up crying in her dreams and had never had a good night's sleep. She always expected her mother to come into her dreams. She could still dream of her mother in the first three years, but rarely in the past four years. Even if she did dream of her mother, they were separated and her expression gradually became dull.

"Ding..." In the silence, the breeze blew the door lock, an owl looked down from high up in the locust tree, a figure moved in front of the door, Mu Jinan looked in the direction of the sound, the door lock seemed to still be ringing, she crawled out from under the table, stood up and walked towards the door.

Normally Qiu Shui would not open the door for her at this time. Mu Jinan's eyes flashed with vigilance, and she wondered if it was the person who poisoned her mother back then. She wanted to find a handy weapon, but there were only tables and chairs in the room, not even a hairpin. She stood behind the door.

With a "creak", the dark floor tiles were suddenly illuminated by the moonlight. His black boots touched the floor tiles, and his footsteps moved in the house like the breeze. His figure was reflected in the red tent, and his slender fingers picked up the tent. His eyes were deep and fierce, staring at the girl in the tent, looking at the bulge in the quilt, and his fingers stretched close to her...

"Tong..." "Ah..." A heavy object hit his head, he felt dizzy, his body shook, and he staggered to the couch, his body pressed against the soft bedding, his eyes suddenly gloomy and extremely flat, no one was there!

He looked back, a silver veil covered her coldness, she stood quietly under the moon, wearing a snow-white dress, with a fairy-like appearance, stunning beauty, waterfall-like black hair hanging in front of her, a pair of peach blossom eyes terrified but unyielding, tears still hanging on her cheeks, holding a Buddhist shrine, you can see that she is trembling, holding a heavy object high in her hand, and rushing towards him desperately...

"Ah... um..." Seeing that she failed to knock the man out, Mu Jinan wanted to hit him a second time. She rushed forward, but the young man rolled over and easily dodged her. The Buddhist shrine in Mu Jinan's hand was snatched away, and her wrists were pinched by him. She screamed in pain, but her mouth was covered and she lay on the couch.

Mu Jinan raised her eyes and looked upward. The young man in front of her was wearing a black brocade robe embroidered with gold. His black hair was tied with a golden crown. His thick hair covered her body. He was extremely handsome, with a pair of peach blossom eyes like her mother's eyes in her memory. His thick eyebrows were slightly raised, and the corners of his lips were outlined with a playful and mocking look. His eyes were heavy with the hatred of a wild beast. He looked down at her and held her wrist more and more tightly.

Mu Jinan's wrist ached. She had never seen this man before. He came to kill people in the middle of the night. Fortunately, she was not asleep, otherwise he would have died unjustly. She bit his finger that was covering his mouth hard:

"It hurts... Help... Um, who are you? How dare you kill the princess's daughter?"

The young man frowned in pain and glared at her fiercely, "How dare you bite me?" He grasped her wrists with one hand and lifted her up into the air with the other hand, his eyes becoming more sinister:

"It's your enemy. I'm going to kill you. Tell me, how do you want to die?"

Mu Jinan's feet jumped into the air, her brain working rapidly. She stayed here, so where did the enemy come from? It must be the person who poisoned her mother, but judging from his age, he didn't look like the person who murdered her back then.

The moonlight shone in her eyes, and the light of wisdom danced. She thought, could it be the prince's son who felt that his father died because of her and came to seek revenge in the middle of the night?

Then she has to deal with it carefully. The other party was once the legitimate heir to the throne, but now he has lost his legitimacy. He must hate her very much. She is just a prisoner, but he is the king now. There is a world of difference between the two.

If she died, the emperor would have held a three-day banquet to celebrate her sudden death, but she had even forgotten the name of the prince's son...

Mu Jinan struggled with his wrist being held tightly, his fingers bent downwards, gently stroking the back of his hand, smiling with eyes curved and full of expectation, trying to delay time, and also speaking from the bottom of his heart:

"I've been here for seven years. Except for Qiu Shui, I haven't seen a living person. No one has talked to me, and no one has celebrated my birthday. You are the first person who has talked to me so much. I want to see you again."

"I want to eat a bowl of longevity noodles and a mooncake. I have never worn a hairpin before. Please buy me a hairpin and help me find a mirror so I can take a look at my appearance. If you talk to me for three nights, I will die."

The young man looked at her with gloomy eyes, and saw clearly that she wanted to delay and let him spare her. He stretched out his five fingers to her neck, and held her neck with one hand, frowning, with bloodthirsty hatred in his eyes:

"You've asked for a lot, why should I agree to your request? I'll kill you right now!"

"Help! Let me go, are you the prince's son?" Mu Jinan kicked him in the knee. She didn't want to die unjustly like this. At least she knew who killed her. He could appear in the palace at night and unlock it. It would be easy for him to kill her...

The shadow moved inside the tent. Li Jingye's dark eyes were suddenly filled with surprise. He looked at the girl in front of him coldly. She had heard that Emperor Ming did not allow her to study or practice martial arts, but she was still quite smart. After not seeing him for so many years, she had actually guessed who he was. The fingers that were tightly gripping her neck gradually loosened, and he threw her on the couch like throwing a fox.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough." Mu Jinan took the chance to save his life. He touched his neck with one hand and tightly grasped the quilt with the other. When the power, power and status are unequal, one should save his life first and settle the score later.

Mu Jinan's eyes were filled with ripples. She was happy to see a living person here for the first time, and was excited to talk to him. Although he wanted to kill her with every word he said, she was also afraid of the tears of imperial power. Her mother was a princess and her father was a general, but neither of them could protect her.

She had been imprisoned for these years, and she didn't know how to practice martial arts, nor could she recognize many words. She had no idea how to plan and strategize, nor could she play games with others. The only thing she could do was to use her wits to win. When she was about to leave the palace, the girl was humble and tried to please him:

"Isn't there a saying that goes, taking advantage of someone in distress is not humane. You are a gentleman, don't bother with me. Your Majesty killed the prince by mistake."

"If you want revenge, go find my father and brother and fight them. No matter who wins or loses, we are all heroes. I have been imprisoned for seven years. My legs are weak after taking two steps. I cannot beat you."

Li Jingye saw that she was frightened, lonely and helpless. The young man's angry eyes gradually calmed down. He sat beside the couch and saw that there was only a table and chair, a futon, and a Buddhist shrine in the room. There was not even a copper basin for washing face or a hairband.

Thinking about it, maybe Emperor Ming was afraid that she would commit suicide, so Mu Chen led his troops back to Sheng'an City and did not allow anything in the house that could harm her life. Even if she died, Emperor Ming would clear himself of the responsibility.

The moonlight shone in through the small dark window, and the black floor tiles cast two lonely figures. Her thick black hair spread out, hanging down on the couch, fluttering in the red curtains, and also brushing his cold robes.

Having not seen the sun for a long time, Mu Jinan's skin was as white as snow, her bright eyes gradually became tearful, and countless emotions were hidden in her eyes. She kept staring at Li Jingye, like a deer that had been abandoned for a long time and lost its way, waiting for someone to comfort and touch her.

The weak weeds beneath the abyss of imperial power waited for the chains of confinement to fall, and for the red crow and silver moon to shine through the door, waiting for the day she would be released from prison ten years later.

Suffering, loneliness, sorrow, despair, and fear have long since permeated her bones and blood, integrated into her body, and taken root deep in her soul. Mu Jinan will never be as confident and bright as she was in her childhood. All she has is the desire to survive.

Li Jingye felt uncomfortable being stared at by her. He looked away, but then glanced at her again for some unknown reason. His eyes were dark and full of ferocity:

"How dare you look at me like that?"

Mu Jinan was frightened by his imposing manner without anger. She lowered her eyes in a hurry, thinking that if he really inherited the throne and became a prince, it would be easier to kill her. He must have practiced martial arts diligently in recent years. She would never be able to catch up with him in this life. No matter what, she had to survive for three years. She immediately showed weakness, her eyes full of tears, and approached him aggrievedly:

"We are cousins. I don't remember your name. Can you lend me some money?"

Li Jingye frowned, thinking, she couldn't even remember the name of her enemy. Didn't she say that his father sent poisoned wine to kill Princess Rongde, and she wanted to kill his father for revenge? She was afraid that he would kill her, so she kept testing his revenge intentions. The young man's eyes were gloomy:

"My name is Li Jingye. We are enemies. You want to borrow money from me? What do you want the money for?"

Mu Jinan tried to influence him and resolve the hatred in his heart, at least not to create a strong enemy now, and looked at him eagerly:

"Qiu Shui won't talk to me. I want to give her money so that she can talk to me. I will pay you back after I leave the palace. Cousin Jingye, we are not enemies."

Li Jingye glanced at her. When they were young, she said he was a fool, didn't know martial arts, and wasn't considered a man. Now he was afraid of death and called him cousin. The young man's eyes were fierce:

"Don't call me cousin, call me King Liang. If you hadn't cursed Your Majesty, my father would not have died. We will always be enemies."

Mu Jinan was stunned. Could it be that today was the day she died? She stepped back slightly, her brain working rapidly, but she really couldn't think of a good excuse. That was the fate of inheriting the orthodox throne. Everyone in the world would be tempted. Even if she was reincarnated eight hundred times, she might not be able to become the prince's son. If the emperor's fate was changed because of her, she would also be angry. Thinking that it would be good to get closer to him, she smiled:

"Your Highness Prince Liang, what have you been doing these years?"

After Li Shenghuang's death, Jiang Xiaoyue ran into a wooden pillar, and no one took care of Li Jingye. He moved back to the Prince of Wei's Mansion from the East Palace and inherited the throne of prince. When he was young, he was also bullied by Prince Chen, who said that he was an orphan and would occasionally kick him.

Emperor Ming never restrained Prince Chen and did not make decisions for the emperor's grandson. Li Jingye never gave in and vowed to take revenge. He worked hard every day, studied and practiced martial arts. At the age of ten, he could teach Prince Chen a lesson. After Prince Chen suffered several losses and lost to Li Jingye, he dared not be arrogant and bullying again.

Emperor Ming accidentally killed his son, so he was afraid that Li Jingye would avenge his father in the future, so he often sent people to monitor the emperor's grandson. Over the years, Li Jingye has been walking on thin ice, vigilant day and night, dealing with the suspicious emperor and the complicated royal descendants.

Some people were even afraid that he was the son of the crown prince and worried that he would seize power in the future, so they sent assassins to his mansion more than ten times. Twice, he almost lost his life and was seriously injured.

In the court, there were treacherous ministers like Lin Xiuyuan who framed honest officials, oppressed the people, and embezzled taxes. The people had no land, but the land tax was increased. There was fraud in the imperial examinations, and the powerful families prevented the poor from entering officialdom, and the Ming Emperor acquiesced to all of this.

Li Jingye cares about his country, but he has no chance to do things for the people. He only does chivalrous things every day, helping the old, weak, sick and orphaned. He tightly grasped her wrist, seeing her innocent and weak appearance, and how she could easily change his fate. The young man's hatred rushed to the sky:

"Thanks to you, His Majesty was afraid of me and didn't allow me to attend court. I have been waiting to kill you all these years."

Mu Jinan shrank back timidly, not daring to anger him. It turned out that he was not living well either. Emperor Ming was really cold and heartless. He killed his son by mistake, but instead of making amends and treating the grandson well, he was very cautious and fearful. She stole a glance at him out of guilt and tried to test him:

"Prince Liang, I'm sorry. When I leave the palace, burn some incense for my mother and I'll make amends."