Traveling through another world to stir the emperor's heart

After returning to the palace from the imperial court, Jun Linghao felt like an ant on a hot pan, restless and uneasy. He knew full well that his mistake could be serious or minor. Although the emperor hadn't investigated further at the moment, he knew he would undoubtedly investigate the hidden truth behind it. Now confined to the palace, many matters were extremely inconvenient to him, making him realize how reckless and impulsive his actions had been.

He paced back and forth in the study in a state of frustration. At this moment, his trusted adviser Ouyang Jin hurried over.

As soon as Ouyang Jin entered, he saw Jun Linghao's face full of anxiety and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your Highness, what happened in the court today was truly extremely dangerous."

Jun Linghao frowned and responded impatiently, "I naturally know the danger. Do I need you to tell me? Now I am confined here and can't do anything."

Ouyang Jin spoke cautiously, "Your Highness, the current situation is indeed unfavorable to you. Although His Majesty has not yet imposed a severe punishment on you, the confinement is also a warning. In my opinion, Your Highness needs to calm down and carefully consider a countermeasure."

Jun Linghao stopped and said unhappily, "What's the solution? I was just trying to rescue the Prime Minister, so I acted impulsively. Who could have foreseen the situation we're in now? The Prime Minister is dead now, and I've lost a significant asset in the court. And there's a chance His Majesty will become suspicious of me."

Ouyang Jin pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Highness, now that things have come to this, it's futile to regret. The Prime Minister's death may seem ordinary, but there may be more behind it. Your Highness, please think carefully. Why would His Majesty suddenly impose such a severe punishment on the Prime Minister? Furthermore, the attitudes of Grand Tutor Qin and His Highness Ling Ye in the court are quite strange, as if they knew what was going to happen."

Jun Linghao's eyes lit up, and he said, "Now that you've reminded me, I've come to my senses. Could this be a trap set by Your Majesty and the others? Are they deliberately trying to trick me into making a mistake?"

Ouyang Jin nodded in agreement, "Your Highness, this is indeed possible. His Majesty may be trying to use this opportunity to suppress Your Highness and remove the Prime Minister, who is a thorn in his side."

Jun Linghao slammed his fist on the table in anger, gritting his teeth and saying, "What a jerk Jun Lingyuan is! He actually plotted against me like this. What should I do now? I can't just sit there and wait for death, can I?"

Ouyang Jin hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please don't worry. Although your movements are restricted, we can first send some reliable people to secretly investigate the truth behind the Prime Minister's death and see if Your Majesty has noticed something. This will allow us to make some preparations in advance."

Jun Linghao frowned and said, "How can this be easy? My movements are restricted right now, and if His Majesty finds out that I'm still secretly investigating, I'm afraid I'll be punished even more severely."

Ouyang Jin smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness, as long as we act secretly enough, no one will discover any flaws."

Jun Linghao listened to Ouyang Jin's words and felt that they made some sense. He nodded slowly and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say. However, you must be careful. If you make a mistake, I will not let you off easily."

Ouyang Jin quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. I will do my best to live up to your trust."

In the harem, the queen mother stayed lazily in her palace as usual.

At this moment, a trusted maidservant beside the Queen Mother ran in in a panic. Panting, she said anxiously, "Your Majesty, I have heard something terrible."

The Queen Mother raised her eyes slightly, a look of displeasure on her face, and said, "Why are you so flustered?"

The maid hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I heard the eunuchs discussing the Prime Minister's death, and that it was related to the Crown Prince's behavior in the court."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was stunned and nearly dropped the jade ruyi she was toying with. Her eyes widened, a surge of rage welling up in her heart. She cursed inwardly, "How dare Jun Linghao, that reckless brat, act on his own, leading the court in forcing the Emperor to release the prisoner? He didn't even consider what would happen if this implicated me and himself?"

A look of grief quickly crossed her face. She slowly sat down in a chair, gently wiping the corners of her tearless eyes with a handkerchief, muttering, "Brother, you've toiled your whole life for the court, how could you end up like this?" But in her heart, she was still furious: "Now that brother is dead and the Prime Minister's Mansion has fallen, my influence in the palace will inevitably suffer a significant blow. What should I do? This Jun Linghao is truly more of a hindrance than a help!"

Meanwhile, a gloomy atmosphere enveloped the Prime Minister's residence. Lin Haoxuan, distraught, carried his father's cold body back to the mansion, his entire being seemingly without a soul. His eyes were hollow as he mechanically directed his servants to handle the funeral arrangements. The once majestic Prime Minister now lay in silence, no longer able to protect the family from the elements as he once had.

Lin Xier, in her boudoir, heard the news of her father's death, and her mind was spinning. She stumbled to the mourning hall, and upon seeing her father's body, she burst into tears. Her cry was incredibly miserable, as if she was trying to vent all the grief in her heart.

As she cried, she suddenly raised her head and said to Lin Haoxuan, "Brother, our father's death was unjust. We can't just let it go. I want to go to the palace and ask the Queen Mother for help."

Lin Haoxuan was already upset, and upon hearing his sister's words, he flew into a rage. He scolded, "Xi'er, what do you know? Father's death was ordered by the Emperor. Do you think going to the palace to find the Empress Dowager will solve the problem? You will only bring more disaster to the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Lin Xier was stunned by her brother's scolding. Her eyes were full of grievance and unwillingness. She cried, "Brother, but our father died in an unclear way. Are we just going to swallow our anger like this?"

Lin Haoxuan sighed and patiently explained, "Xi'er, you must know that the Prime Minister's Mansion is no longer as powerful as it once was. If we act rashly, we will only cause more trouble. His Majesty's thoughts are difficult to predict, and we cannot offend him again."

Lin Xier bit her lip. Although she was still not convinced in her heart, she knew that what her brother said made sense, so she could only lower her head silently.

Lin Haoxuan felt a little sorry for his sister's aggrieved expression, so he slowed down his tone and said, "Xi'er, now we can only keep a low profile and take care of father's funeral first. The Prime Minister's Mansion is no longer what it used to be, and we must face this reality."

Lin Xier nodded silently, but her tears continued to flow.

After Jun Lingyuan left the court, he summoned Qin Xiao and Jun Lingye to the imperial study.

Jun Lingyuan sat behind the desk, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes, but more like a calm person who was in control of the overall situation.

He looked at Qin Xiao and Jun Lingye and said slowly, "Today's court proceedings are invaluable to you two, my dear ministers."

Qin Xiao bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I am only fulfilling my duty as a subject. The Prime Minister is plotting rebellion and deserves death. I will never allow such a traitor to harm Your Majesty's country."

Jun Lingye also responded humbly, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. I have only done what I can. It is my honor to share your worries."

Jun Lingyuan stood up and paced around the study, saying as he walked, "With the Prime Minister dead, the Crown Prince will surely restrain himself after this incident. Although I haven't punished him severely yet, he should understand that I am not someone who can be easily fooled. After all, without the Prime Minister, he alone can't cause much trouble. As for the Queen Mother, her brother is dead, and her own power has been weakened. She will definitely not dare to act rashly in the short term."

Jun Lingye frowned and said, "Your Majesty, although the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother will be at peace for the time being, I have a feeling that the Prime Minister's incident is not an isolated one. Your Majesty and I previously mentioned the possibility of a third, hidden force within the palace, but we have yet to uncover any clues. They are like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, poised to spring forth and bite at any moment. This truly makes me sleepless and uneasy."

Jun Lingyuan's eyes grew deep, and he said, "I share this concern. The Prime Minister was able to plot a rebellion right under my nose, and perhaps there was a hidden force behind it fanning the flames. I will never allow such a hidden danger to exist in my court."

Qin Xiao pondered for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, I believe that our most urgent task right now is to strengthen the palace's security and intelligence gathering. Only by first grasping the clues of these shadowy forces can we wipe them out in one fell swoop. If we don't even know where the enemy is, how can we talk about destroying them?"

Jun Lingyuan tapped the table lightly and said, "Taifu Qin is absolutely right. I will assign reliable people to take charge of this matter and make sure to eradicate this force completely. However, I do not want to cause too much unrest in the process, lest the people panic. After all, the court has just experienced the Prime Minister incident, and I hope to stabilize it as soon as possible."

Jun Lingye said, "Your Majesty, do we need to continue monitoring the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother? I think it's better to be cautious. After all, they are both not easy to deal with."

Jun Lingyuan sat back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and said, "Of course. Don't worry. I know what's going on."