Heartstrings Resonance: The Beloved Princess of the Female Power

Ouyang Yi smiled again, her smile as beautiful as a blossoming spring flower. However, Yongle had no interest in appreciating her beauty. She said sternly, "I don't want to get involved this time. Most of these people are from the marriage between Youdu and Zhao. As for the other spies in Youdu, I don't know. They are managed by the eldest prince and my father. This information is only part of what I know."

"Are you the Prince of Youdu?" Yongle frowned, his eyes full of confusion.

Ouyang Yi looked calm and replied with a smile, "Yes, my name is Ouyang Yi, and I am the fourth prince of Youdu."

Yongle looked puzzled and continued to ask, "But, as far as I know, Youdu only has four princesses and no princes..."

Ouyang Yi gave a helpless, bitter smile and slowly explained, "Because I am of low status, I cannot be on the stage. My biological mother was a dancer, and my father considers me a disgrace to him."

"Oh, so that's how it is. You're not welcome!" Yongle raised an eyebrow, then pointed at the paper on the table and asked in confusion, "Then why did you tell me all this?"

Ouyang Yi stared at Yongle intently, a hint of anticipation in his eyes, and asked softly, "I want to seek a new way out... Princess, do you think this information is enough for an exchange?"

"I have to ask my father first." Yongle did not agree immediately.

"You never called yourself 'this palace' to me before." Ouyang Yi deliberately acted aggrieved, as if he missed the past.

Yongle glared at him fiercely and said unhappily, "Have you forgotten what you did? The fact that I didn't raise my sword to chop you is already a sign of my upbringing."

Ouyang Yi couldn't help but burst out laughing: "It seems that after the princess was reborn, her personality has become more vivid."

Hearing his words, Yongle suddenly thought of Mu Yunxi. She was surprised to find that her tone of voice had unknowingly become more and more similar to Mu Yunxi's. "I will report this to my father and then get back to you."

"I'm afraid the princess has to make this trip now..." Ouyang Yi reminded.

"Why?" Yongle asked puzzledly.

"Because I have been targeted by the eldest prince's men. If I go out now, I am afraid that the princess will be branded as a husband-killer." Ouyang Yi said in a joking tone.

Yongle frowned, carefully examining the papers on the table. Her eyes were filled with doubt and caution. She asked softly, "Is this all true? Could this be another one of your tricks? Do you know I've been reborn, and you're trying to pull this tactic... to retreat in order to advance?"

Ouyang Yi smiled wryly, then shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness flickering in his eyes. He replied firmly, "Princess, rest assured! These pieces of evidence will stand up to scrutiny. If you present them to the Emperor, he will naturally send people to verify them one by one. Every clue will be thoroughly verified, and there will be absolutely no falsehood."

Yongle pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Then, she decisively ordered, "Come, gather the guards, prepare the carriage, and enter the palace." Her voice revealed authority and determination.

Then, respectful responses echoed from outside one after another. The footsteps gradually faded away, clearly indicating someone was carrying out Yongle's orders.

Yongle turned and stared at Ouyang Yi, her eyes filled with a hint of provocation and anticipation. She slowly asked, "Do you dare to come into the palace with me?" Suddenly, as if remembering something, she pressed the issue, "By the way, what's going on between you and Anping? Are you two attracted to each other?"

"No, she got involved with me," Ouyang Yi explained innocently. "I figured you'd been reborn too, so I wanted to draw your attention to the Duke of Qi's mansion, so I played along. As for entering the palace... forget it. I'm afraid your father will skin me alive."

Yongle sneered after hearing this, and then asked: "How do you know that I have been reborn?"

"The play you put on in Ping County was so fake. I have known you for more than 20 years. How could I not know who you are?" Ouyang Yi looked at her and said seriously.

"Hmph! You seem to see through me, but I've never understood you." Yongle looked at Ouyang Yi from head to toe with a look as if he were looking at something dirty.

Ouyang Yi couldn't help but laugh.

At this time, a report came from outside: "Princess, everything is ready."

"Well! Let the shadow guard take my name card and go into the palace to ask for instructions first." Yongle ordered.

Then she picked up the box and left without looking back, completely ignoring Ouyang Yi.

Ouyang Yi didn't care. He found a place to sit and wait for the result, but he felt a little uneasy.

He didn't know if Yongle would be willing to plead for him, after all, they were enemies in this life. But he still held on to a glimmer of hope, and he didn't want to continue living in darkness.

He sat there, looking at everything around him with confused eyes.

As time passed, Ouyang Yi became increasingly nervous. He didn't know what the outcome would be, but he had already prepared for the worst.

In the palace...

After Yongle told Emperor Qingzhao that Chen Ruopeng was the fourth prince of Youdu and that he wanted to seek a way out, he presented him with a list of spies from Youdu and Husha Kingdom.

Emperor Qing Zhao's face darkened instantly when he saw the names on the list. His sharp eyes swept over each name on the list, his heart filled with anger and shock. Because many of them were important officials, both big and small.

Emperor Qing Zhao clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling slightly. He knew full well that the existence of these spies posed a huge threat to national security. He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and then calmly considered a response.

Emperor Qing Zhao frowned and looked at Yongle, confirming again, "He said that the eldest prince of Youdu still has a number of spies under his control that he didn't know about? He still wants a way out? He even took the initiative to admit that he was also reborn? And he said that he is the fourth prince of Youdu, Ouyang Yi?"

Yongle nodded and replied respectfully: "Yes!"

Emperor Qing Zhao remained silent, lost in thought. After a long while, he slowly asked, "What do you think?"

Upon hearing Emperor Qing Zhao's question, Yongle's face showed a hint of surprise. He quickly lowered his head and said respectfully, "Father, it's up to you to make the decision. Why ask me?"

Emperor Qing Zhao frowned slightly and said firmly, "I want to hear your thoughts!"

Yongle's heart tightened, but he mustered up the courage to look up, looked at Emperor Qing Zhao, and said, "I believe this matter is of great importance. If what Ouyang Yi said is true, then we must re-evaluate our strategy towards Youdu. But if he is deliberately misleading us, the consequences will be disastrous. Therefore, I suggest that we temporarily place him under house arrest and conduct a thorough investigation before making a decision. As for the spies he mentioned, further verification is needed."

Emperor Qing Zhao nodded, agreeing with Yongle's point of view. He was well aware of the complexity and seriousness of the matter and could not make a decision lightly. At the same time, he also realized that he could give his daughter more trust and opportunities. So, he continued, "In your opinion, how should this matter be investigated?"

Yongle thought for a moment and replied, "First, we can send spies to Youdu to secretly gather intelligence about the Youdu royal family. Second, we can look for clues based on Ouyang Yi's words, actions, and living habits. Finally, I suggest that the imperial physician examine his physical condition to see if there are any abnormalities."

After listening to this, Emperor Qing Zhao nodded with satisfaction. He felt that Yongle's suggestion was very pertinent and well-considered. He smiled, patted Yongle on the shoulder, and encouraged him, "Not bad!"

He continued, "Don't you want a son-in-law with no status in name only? Now that you are engaged, keep him for now. As for the Duke of Qi's Mansion... we have this handwritten letter of collusion with Youdu spies to murder you, so the previous plan can be abandoned. It's just that there are too many officials to be moved, and there are no talented people to fill the vacancies! And I don't know if he has other means!" There are too many people, including civil officials and military generals... there are more than a hundred officials of all sizes. These are just the more than 600 people that Ouyang Yi knows about. According to him, these are the descendants of the original intermarriage. The other part of the spies controlled by the eldest prince of Youdu may be the ones who infiltrated Youdu in recent years. Emperor Qing Zhao rubbed his brows and cursed the previous emperors in his heart for being incompetent, "Intermarriage? Isn't this an opportunity to send spies to others? You left with ease, leaving a mess for me to clean up, and it has been more than ten years and I still haven't cleaned it up."

Yongle saw Emperor Qing Zhao gritting his teeth as he spoke, and knowing that her father was very angry, she comforted him, "Don't worry, father. After the New Year's Day in a few days, preparations for the Spring Examination will begin. You can choose some useful people to fill the position. As for the position of the son-in-law, don't you have other plans?" Yongle asked.

"Doesn't he want a way out? I will give him a way out. I plan to imprison him forever in your princess's mansion." Emperor Qing Zhao snorted coldly.

Then he said meaningfully, "Didn't he kill you, Yin'er, in your previous life? This time, his life or death is up to you. Anyway... I've let him go, so whether you let him go or not is up to you, Yin'er."

Yongle smiled and said, "Thank you, Father, for your grace!"

Emperor Qing Zhao thought of Ouyang Yi's face and asked worriedly, "How did you treat him...?"

Yongle naturally knew what Emperor Qingzhao hadn't meant, so he smiled calmly and said, "If I hadn't met Yunxi, perhaps I would have hesitated! But I wouldn't have allowed him to harm the people of Zhao State."

"Yes!" Emperor Qing Zhao nodded and instructed, "He's still useful. Don't kill him too soon."

Yongle said, "I haven't married him yet! It won't happen so soon."

"His identity will be made public in the future, and it will definitely have an impact on your reputation. Have you thought it through?" Emperor Qing Zhao said seriously.