The first time in history

There was a sound of footsteps in the dim tunnel, and Qing'er and Zi'er immediately jumped out of bed, picked up the swords from the ground, and pressed against both sides of the tunnel entrance.

The sound of footsteps approaching in a rhythmic manner, Qian Mingduo smiled and said, "Put on your clothes, it's Xiu'er who's coming."

"Your Highness." Xiu'er said softly a few meters away from the entrance: "I am Xiu'er, Sister Ran'er asked me to come."

Qian Mingduo gestured to Qing'er.

"Come in." Qing'er said.

"Xiu'er pays respect to His Highness." Xiu'er handed the food box in her hand to Zi'er and bowed her head.

Qian Mingduo put on a loose gauze robe and asked, "What's the news outside?"

"Boss Guo sent back a message saying that there are several groups of people trying to figure out your Highness's whereabouts. There are people from the Second and Third Princes, and... people from Moyi Tower are also trying to figure it out." Xiu'er handed a piece of paper to Qian Mingduo. "This is what Sister Ran'er asked me to give to your Highness."

——Someone from the palace is delivering the imperial edict and will arrive in Beijing this afternoon.

"I see." Qian Mingduo pointed at the food box. "How did you tell the kitchen?"

"This was made by Sister Ran'er herself. It is in His Highness' study. No one knows about it." Xiu'er said.

"Ran'er has turned my study into a kitchen." Qian Mingduo said with a smile, "Such an elegant place is now full of the smell of fireworks."

"Go back and tell Ran'er not to send any more meals these days. Qing'er has prepared a lot of cooked food, enough for a few days. Don't let anyone see any clues from these details."

Xiu'er pouted her lips, "Sister Ran'er said that she knew Sister Qing'er prepared cooked food, but Sister Ran'er was worried that the hot weather would cause the cooked food to spoil. She was afraid that His Highness would get an upset stomach."

"Then send it every other day." Qian Mingduo waved his hand slightly: "Go, don't stay too long. Go back and tell your sister Ran'er. Find out what the decree is this afternoon. Come if it's important, and don't come if it's not important."

Qian Mingduo looked at the note written by Lu Ran again and fell into deep thought...

"Zi'er, go to the vent and take a look." Qing'er walked down the wooden ladder, knelt on the bed, and massaged the head of Qian Mingduo who was sitting on the edge of the bed in deep thought. "Your Highness, it's too late."

Qian Mingduo slowly opened his eyes and nodded. Qing'er's plump breasts pressed against his back, and as she massaged him, they pressed against Qian Mingduo again and again.

He took Qing'er's hand, put it to his mouth and kissed it softly.

"Your Highness!" Zi'er called softly from the rooftop, "A group of people rushed into our house. They looked like people from the palace."

Qian Mingduo was stunned. "Zi'er, continue to look out. Qing'er, go to the study to listen for any movement. Remember, no matter what happens up there, don't go up there."

Qian Mingduo was the only one left in the dim room, pacing back and forth anxiously. He wanted to rush down to the study to listen to what was happening upstairs, but he held back.

He knew that he couldn't panic now, and that he needed to calm down the most. Patiently waiting was the best way.

Time passed by minute by minute, while Qian Mingduo sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to suppress his panic with his mind.

"Your Highness." Zi'er's voice came, "That group of people left."

"Did they take anyone away?" Qian Mingduo asked anxiously.

"No." Zi'er replied.

"Let's go and watch for a while."

Hearing footsteps in the tunnel, Qian Mingduo's heart began to beat wildly.

"Your Highness," Qing'er said, "There was a sound of rummaging in the study, but it soon stopped."

Qian Mingduo nodded slowly, "Ran'er and I have discussed this. If we encounter this situation, she knows what to do!"

At midnight, when Qian Mingduo walked out of the tunnel, Lu Ran, who had been waiting for a long time, suddenly threw himself into his arms.

"Your Highness." Lu Ran hugged Qian Mingduo tightly.

He patted her back gently, "Ran'er, go ahead."

"The Emperor has ordered the arrest of Your Highness on the charge of colluding with the military commander. When he discovered that Your Highness was not in the mansion, he ordered the accompanying officers from the capital government to paste Your Highness's portrait everywhere." Lu Ran was a little flustered.

Qian Mingduo nodded slightly. "Judging from the time, the imperial aunt should have submitted the memorial to the emperor five days ago. But she said yesterday that she was going to submit the memorial to the emperor after he returned to Beijing."

"Your Highness's judgment is completely correct. It seems that the eldest princess was framing Your Highness. She was worried that Your Highness would refuse to admit it, so she invited Your Highness over yesterday."

"Yes. But I still can't figure out why the imperial aunt did this." Qian Mingduo sighed softly, "Is she helping another prince to seize the throne?"

"The Sixth Prince is already in prison, and the Emperor has ordered your arrest. The only two princes left are the Second and Third Princes." Lu Ran looked at Qian Mingduo. "Could it be one of them?"

Lu Ran suddenly remembered something, "Oh, right, there was news today that a sedan chair entered the Princess's Mansion after nightfall last night. The sedan chair was carried directly into the mansion, and the person in the sedan chair did not get off."

"Where does this news come from?" Qian Mingduo couldn't help but ask.

"Chu Xiang."

"Chu Xiang?" Qian Mingduo frowned. "Why did he tell me, why did he betray the imperial aunt?"

Lu Ran handed a piece of paper to Qian Mingduo, who walked to the window and looked into the moonlight, and saw only one piece of clothing drawn on the paper. It was a long robe, an ink-colored robe.

"Moyi Tower?" Qian Mingduo exclaimed.

"Your Highness, were the people from Moyi Tower entering the Princess's Mansion?" Lu Ran asked.

Qian Mingduo nodded slowly, "But how did Chu Xiang know it was Mo Yi Lou? The key is who is he, why did he betray the imperial aunt? Why did he pass this information to me?"

Qian Mingduo raised a series of questions, which he and Lu Ran were eager to analyze.

"Your Highness, it is unknown whether Chu Xiang knows about Mo Yi Tower. It is also possible that he saw a man in black entering the Princess's Mansion. The second and most important thing is, who is he?"

"Is there any information about Chu Xiang in our news?" Qian Mingduo asked.

"Chu Xiang is from Mu'er Village, Xinzhou, Shanxi."

"From Mu'er Village?" Qian Mingduo interrupted Lu Ran. "Then he is from the same village as Diao Chan."

"Is Diao Chan from Mu'er Village in Xinzhou?" Lu Ran asked curiously.

"Yes." Qian Mingduo sighed, "I lived there for a while. Oh, go on!"

Lu Ran thought for a moment and said, "From the day the Princess's Mansion was built, I will be the chief steward of the mansion."

"No more?" Qian Mingduo asked with a frown.

"No more. That's all the information says." Lu Ran nodded.

Qian Mingduo slowly sat down on the chair, "Mu'er Village... I heard from Concubine Hui that one year my father was injured on the battlefield and he was recuperating in a farmer's home."