Reborn to marry, the short-lived prince lived a hundred years

There was no water in the kettle in the room, so Li Jiaoyu boiled the kettle again and pushed the steaming porcelain cup in front of Meng Tingyue.

"I didn't expect the Crown Princess to come today, and I wasn't prepared..."

Li Jiaoyu felt a little embarrassed. She had just finished exercising and her body was covered in sweat and smelled bad. She was not as clean as the Crown Princess. If she sniffed carefully, she could smell a faint herbal fragrance from the Crown Princess.

"Nothing, I came here today just to understand something."

Meng Tingyue didn't care. Instead, after seeing them running and training like that, she became more curious about their life experiences.

Li Jiaoyu nodded slightly and began to tell her story.

Li Jiaoyu's parents are both deceased, and she was raised by her brother. She moved into the Prince's Mansion when it was first built five years ago. Her brother personally sent her there, and she was also one of the first people to enter the mansion.

She was neither the prince's concubine nor had any blood relationship with anyone in this mansion. Her only brother worked under the prince.

Everyone in Beiyuan is the same as her.

"Although I don't know what my brother is doing under the Crown Prince, I know it must be extremely dangerous. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to see me once in five years, only occasionally sending me letters. I can't even find a way to send them back."

"Recently, there have been fewer letters. Every time I try to ask to see the Crown Prince, Ling Xiao blocks my request, saying that my brother is busy with important matters and cannot deliver the letter."

A layer of gloom gathered in Li Jiaoyu's eyes.

Meng Tingyue frowned slightly, as if she was thinking about something.

There are only two possibilities for detaining someone in the mansion without reason: one is protection, and the other is threat.

She really couldn't decide which category Li Jiaoyu's situation was.

Maybe both.

"What did you ask for yesterday?"

Li Jiaoyu didn't seem to expect Meng Tingyue to be curious about what she had just said. She was stunned for a moment before answering, "I have two requests. One is that the Crown Princess can protect the girl who is with me."

"Secondly, I'm begging the Crown Princess to allow me to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Some people in the mansion, like Qiao Lige, think that just because they can stay in the mansion, they are special in the heart of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. They dream of flying up to the tree and becoming a phoenix. But who knows whether the tree will lead to soaring or turning back?"

"I'm sure the Crown Princess has also seen those people with me. They have flaws on their faces, but they only respect His Royal Highness, not blaspheme. They don't fight or compete with each other, and they are all pitiful people."

"If one day I'm gone and can't protect them, I hope they won't be bullied by Qiao Lige and her gang, and can live the rest of their lives in peace. Perhaps one day their relatives will come back to take them back."

Meng Tingyue looked at her with a half-smile, "Why do you think I can help you?"

She can't even protect herself, and she doesn't think she is a good person.

Li Jiaoyu's eyes were firm. "From the first moment I saw the Crown Princess, I knew she wasn't a bad person. Just like the Crown Prince, even though he's a vicious and evil man, and has confined us to his mansion and prevented us from leaving, and hasn't allowed us to see him, I know he's not a bad person."

After she finished speaking, she added, "I have always been very accurate in judging people and have never made a mistake."

Meng Tingyue seemed to have heard something funny, and she covered her face with her handkerchief and laughed for a while, "I'm a businessman, and I never do business at a loss."

"We can obey the orders of the Crown Princess and serve her."

"You can't leave the house, so how can you work for me? I have no shortage of people serving tea and water."

Li Jiaoyu frowned and thought.

Meng Tingyue touched the porcelain cup with her fingertips and took a sip of warm water.

"If you can't show me the value in you, I won't help you."

As he spoke, Meng Tingyue slowly stood up and prepared to walk out.

Li Jiaoyu's voice rang out as she stepped out of the door frame.

"I can help you bring down Butler Zheng."

A hint of smile appeared in Meng Tingyue's eyes, but when she turned around, she completely concealed it, her face calm, "Butler Zheng, he has no grudge against me, why should I bring him down?"

When Li Jiaoyu saw her turn around, she knew that she also had ambitions in her heart.

"If the Crown Princess wants to take full control of the Crown Prince's Mansion, Butler Zheng cannot stay."

"Since the Prince's Mansion was built, the Prince has been away on campaigns year-round and rarely returns. In his absence, Steward Zheng has become the manor's master, managing all matters within the mansion. He's known for his secret dealings and corruption, but because he's in charge and the Prince trusts him, no one dares to bring it up."

"Butler Zheng is deeply trusted by the Crown Prince. He acts cautiously and leaves no trace. Unless the Crown Princess can find conclusive evidence, the Crown Prince will not expel Butler Zheng."

Hearing this, Meng Tingyue asked, "Why?"

"Because Butler Zheng is from the Queen's mother's family."

A hint of surprise flashed in Meng Tingyue's eyes, and her brows slowly furrowed. She really didn't expect this.

If Butler Zheng is really from the Queen's mother's family, then it would be difficult for her to kick Butler Zheng out.

Unless she can completely convince Butler Zheng to obey her orders.

If Housekeeper Zheng really embezzled money from the mansion as Li Jiaoyu said, and the amount was huge, it would be impossible for Housekeeper Zheng to return the housekeeper power to her so that she would have the opportunity to conduct a thorough investigation.

Difficult.

Meng Tingyue felt a little annoyed.

The easiest crime to commit in the harem is corruption. The prince owns countless shops and lands. If he really embezzles money over five years, the amount will be huge.

If she really overthrew Butler Zheng, wouldn't she be going against the Queen?

Meng Tingyue said seriously, "Do you have evidence?"

Li Jiaoyu shook her head. "I don't have any evidence of his corruption, but I do know other things about him."

"He once killed an innocent citizen."

Meng Tingyue's eyes widened slightly. This was no small matter. "Hasn't this matter been exposed?"

Li Jiaoyu shook her head again. "That girl was mute. After her death, her family was greedy for money, so they used silver to cover up the matter without causing any commotion. I just happened to see this by accident."

After returning from Beiyuan, Meng Tingyue kept thinking about what Li Jiaoyu said.

There is no need for Li Jiaoyu to lie to him about this matter. It is most likely true.

Unfortunately, the incident happened a long time ago, and Li Jiaoyu only took a quick glance and didn't see the face of the family clearly, so she didn't know who the girl was that Butler Zheng killed.

Everyone in the mansion is housekeeper Zheng's people, and she can't go and ask in person.

"Crown Princess, will you still deliver soup to His Highness today?" Nanny Qin came back from the house.

"Send it. I said I'll send it on the same day. No omission."

Meng Tingyue, who had just returned to the yard, turned around and went into the kitchen.

study.

Shen Yunheng had just returned from the military camp when he heard a servant reporting.

"Your Highness, the Crown Princess went to the kitchen again today. This is what she just sent."

"What about her?"

"The Crown Princess has left."

Ling Qi stood beside Shen Yunheng. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but glance at the porcelain cup, wondering in his heart what the Crown Princess would do for the Crown Prince this time.

After guessing a few answers, he waited for the prince to open the lid to see if his guess was correct.

"Get out." Shen Yunheng didn't even raise his head or look at the porcelain cup.

Ling Qi was reluctant to leave.

Only after Ling Qi left did he reach out and take out the porcelain cup.

Seeing the bright red wolfberries floating above the chicken soup, his calm eyes seemed to turn a little colder.

He stirred the porcelain cup with a porcelain spoon, recalling what happened in the inn that day.

"Ling Qi."

Ling Qi pushed the door open and walked in, "Your Highness."

"Forget it, get out."

Ling Qi: “?”