The peerless and dark princess

"You're quite understanding. I'm afraid your uncle and your maternal grandfather don't quite understand. They think being loyal to our Emperor will go unscathed. Now that your uncle understands, he's probably feeling bad..."

"It's not pleasant. The mask I used to wear has been torn apart. If my uncle knows about it, he'll naturally feel bad. But it's better than losing his life in the future. My grandparents and uncle will understand. I'll be the villain. By the way, you mentioned that..."

"Ms. Mu, don't worry. Someone will come to your door tomorrow morning at the latest. If you can't even handle such a small matter, how can you be worthy of working with Miss Mu?" Zuo Ci teased subconsciously.

"Cooperation? It's only because of Prince Heng's persistence that Wangge has become his partner..."

"You're so sharp-tongued!" Zuo Ci tapped Mu Wange's head lightly with the fan he carried with him. "Never mind, I never seem to win an argument with you. By the way, I've been hearing some news about that miracle doctor lately..."

"where is it?"

When Mu Wange heard the news about the miracle doctor, his eyes lit up, "Did you find it?"

"No, but someone said they saw him in the mountainous area of ​​southern Xinjiang. If that person is there, my people will naturally find him. I'm just worried that this miracle doctor has gone somewhere else. However, at least some news is better than no news. Don't be so impatient."

"I know I shouldn't be impatient, but I'm still worried about Lin'er..."

As she spoke, Mu Wange thought of the soft and adorable Mu Haolin. Zuo Ci naturally knew that Mu Wange was thinking of Mu Haolin, but he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, and suddenly a feeling of displeasure that she was thinking of another man, even if it was her own brother, welled up in him.

"Well, I will do what I promised you."

Zuo Ci ignored the annoyance in his heart and spoke in the same tone as always. "Of course I trust you. By the way, you've helped me so much, is there anything I can do for you?"

Mu Wange said this to Zuo Ci sincerely, because she found that it was Zuo Ci who basically helped her during this period of time.

Whether it was the doctor and Xiaojiu in Tingxueyuan, or the events at Prince Yan's Mansion this time.

"Come to think of it, there's something I need you to confirm. In a few days, when your father returns, the palace's Hundred Flowers Banquet will be held right afterward. Go check on Madam Dong, Lu Qinghan. She'll probably be there. Check to see if she has a small, crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist."

Originally, Zuo Ci hadn't considered handing this matter over to Mu Wange, but then he suddenly remembered that Huang Qinya had arranged for Chu Lixiao to marry Dong Mingxue, the eldest daughter of the Dong family, and that Dong Mingxue's brother was married to Lu Qinghan. Zuo Ci suspected that Lu Qinghan was his sister from back then. He had investigated a lot of the events of that time, but still had no definitive evidence to prove that the current emperor was responsible. However, Zuo Ci had a hunch that this matter was definitely connected to the royal family.

For five years, he had ruined his reputation and pretended to be a dissolute man in order to avoid the emperor's suspicion. Even so, there were people from the imperial palace around and inside Prince Heng's mansion...

"Oh, you're not attracted to Madam Dong, are you? But she's already married, so stop thinking about her."

In fact, Mu Wange deliberately teased Zuo Ci because Zuo Ci had a hint of expectation when he mentioned Lu Qinghan. That kind of cautious expectation was completely different from before.

After the joke just now, Zuo Ci immediately turned back into the lazy and dissolute young man he was, with a fake smile on his face.

"What are you thinking about? If you like someone, there's one right in front of you. Why bother looking for someone far away?" Zuo Ci smiled evilly and leaned closer to Mu Wange. Looking at her snow-white skin, his Adam's apple rolled involuntarily. "Well, I just want to verify some things. Madam Dong is the key, so I'll check it carefully and don't do anything. Also, be careful of Zhao Xinya, the daughter of Lord Zhao. She..."

"Well, I'll pay attention."

"Well, I won't come to see you in the near future. I have something to do outside of Kyoto, so please be careful. If anything happens, have Zuo Jiu contact the steward of Prince Heng's mansion."

"Okay. Have a safe trip."

"Miss Mu, the young master is looking for you?"

Lian Zhi's voice came from outside the door, interrupting Mu Wange before he could finish his words.

Zuo Ci left the moment he heard the maid's voice. Mu Wange straightened her clothes and walked to the door. She saw a little sweat on Mu Haolin's forehead, which showed that he was having a lot of fun. It was only in the Prince of Yan's Mansion that Mu Haolin had such fun.

This realization made Mu Wange even more determined to find a few servants of the same age for Mu Haolin to play with. Fortunately, Qingzhu had a younger brother, Qingyu, who was only five years old. However, Qingyu was still young and needed to be taught by a nanny for a few days before he could be placed with Mu Haolin, even if he was just a five-year-old.

Just as everyone at the Prince of Yan's residence was about to have lunch, someone arrived. It was the wife of Lord Yan from the Ministry of Rites, accompanied by a matchmaker. Originally, according to the Dali Dynasty system, this Ministry of Rites official wasn't qualified to enter into a marriage alliance with the Prince of Yan's residence. However, with rumors circulating, the royal family and the nobles naturally didn't dare rashly approach with such proposals. The officials affiliated with the princes' factions were eager to make their move. If they could gain his favor, it would be a leap of faith. If something did go wrong, they would have done their best for their master. Why not sacrifice a son for the sake of family honor? Besides, every family had several children. Even if they didn't, they could still find a few young wives and register the illegitimate son under the name of the legitimate mother, making him a legitimate son. Furthermore, with Prince Chu's protective attitude, it wouldn't work anyway. So why not reject such a good opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty? It was just a marriage proposal, nothing serious.

Before long, several more matchmakers arrived at the gate of Prince Yan's mansion and were waiting.

At this moment, the Queen was furious in her palace. The maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground. "This is a rumor. Who did this? The Crown Prince? Or the Fourth Prince?"

The Queen had no idea that it was the Chu family who had done this, because she knew that if Mrs. Chu, Lu Yishan, had seen through her motives, she would have planned for Chu Moxuan earlier, instead of slapping the royal family in the face at this time. Unfortunately, she calculated so

But not everyone wants this kind of life.

An old maid entered the palace, motioned the kneeling palace maids and eunuchs to leave, carefully closed the door, and approached the Empress. "Your Majesty, I have something disrespectful to say. You shouldn't lose your temper, no matter who started this rumor. Every prince in this palace, not even the Crown Prince, can't possibly marry the Chu family's legitimate daughter. Once this rumor spread, it's already cut off the Chu family's legitimate daughter's path to the palace. Don't you still have Muruohan in your hands? As long as Your Majesty can control Muruohan and let her instigate Mu Wange, the Chu family will be easily captured. Given the Chu family's character, they won't abandon Chu Wanran's two remaining children... Moreover, the Chu family's Empress still has a chance. If the people who went to Prince Yan's Mansion today are fine, Your Majesty can use the temple's rumors to deceive the people and then arrange a marriage between Chu Moxuan and the Second Prince. The Chu family will surely be grateful. If those young masters are truly in trouble, then it's no big deal; it will only mean a slight change of plan. What reason do you have to be angry, Your Majesty?"