The next morning, the first golden ray of sunlight shone onto Prince An's bed through the window.
Prince An slowly opened his eyes, turned his body, and glanced at the furnishings in the room. He was still in Yiran Hall, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought he was dead, his soul had flown to a hazy place, and he never expected to be alive again.
He tried to sit up slowly, but his arms were sore and weak from not moving for a long time. As soon as he propped himself up, he fell back onto his bed, making quite a stir.
At this moment, Consort Ping and Prince Ji, who had been waiting outside the hall, rushed in.
"Yu'er (Fifth Brother), you're finally awake. Mother Consort was almost worried to death."
Upon seeing Prince An awake, Consort Ping was overwhelmed with joy and tears.
"Mother Consort, who saved your son last night?"
Prince An asked curiously, as he remembered being enveloped by the black mist cast by that 'little girl' last night, and then... he couldn't move. Later, he fell onto the bed and lost consciousness, his soul flying away.
"Your situation last night was truly dire. Imperial Physician Lü said you... alas... it was fortunate that the Cold Princess Consort saved your life last night, otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable," Consort Ping said with a worried expression.
"Yes, Fifth Brother, your situation last night was truly perilous. Second Sister-in-law saved your life twice. When you were being treated by the imperial physicians..."
At this, Prince Ji chattered away, recounting all that had happened the previous night to Prince An.
"Yu'er, Yun'er is right. Everything that happened to you last night was very dangerous. Fortunately, the Cold Princess Consort was there to help you safely turn misfortune into blessing," Consort Ping, sitting by Prince An's bed, echoed.
Hearing Consort Ping and Prince Ji's words, Prince An immediately recalled that slender figure, her goose-egg face, and a pair of clear, large apricot eyes like the autumn sky. Her pupils were like dark, lustrous ink jade, watery and sparkling, her nose small and upturned, paired with a delicate and alluring small mouth. As soon as one got close to her, the faint and elegant fragrance emanating from her would reach your nostrils. In short, his Second Sister-in-law exuded a captivating charm from head to toe.
As Prince An thought, he suddenly lowered his head and chuckled.
"Yu'er~"
"Fifth Brother~"
"What's wrong with you? Mother Consort and I are talking to you, why are you just sitting there grinning foolishly?" Prince Ji complained speechlessly.
"You blockhead, I'm listening. Didn't you and Mother Consort just say that the Cold Princess Consort saved my life twice? Please continue."
Prince An's thoughts were interrupted by Prince Ji, but he wasn't annoyed and wanted him to continue.
"Fifth Brother, we've already finished."
A line of black sweat suddenly appeared on the foreheads of Prince Ji and Consort Ping.
Prince An: "..."
However, Consort Ping then inquired about what had happened in Prince An's sleeping quarters last night.
Prince An also recounted to Consort Ping and Prince Ji what had happened after that 'little girl' slipped into his sleeping quarters last night.
"Alas, I never imagined that such a cute-looking 'little girl' would be an assassin. This was my oversight," Consort Ping said, showing an expression of disbelief. It seemed that to survive in this imperial palace, everyone needed to be vigilant, otherwise, they would put themselves in danger.
"Mother Consort, you are mistaken. That 'little girl' is an adult; she is not a child of a few years old. Your son suspects she suffers from a growth disorder, which is why she appears as small as a five or six-year-old girl. However, she possesses formidable martial arts skills and profound internal energy, making her no ordinary opponent. Therefore, your son suspects this dwarf might be Huo Ying, the foremost assassin of the Dark Night Pavilion, rumored in the martial world," Prince An said with a serious expression.
"Huo Ying? Fifth Brother, I heard that this Huo Ying's whereabouts are secretive, and she often comes and goes without a trace. How did she get into the palace?" Prince Ji was immediately perplexed.
"Let's not worry about what she intends to do by entering the palace. We'll just be more careful in the future," Prince An earnestly reminded Consort Ping and Prince Ji.
"Also, inform Father Emperor and Second Imperial Brother and his wife about Huo Ying's attempt to assassinate me. They should also be wary of her."
"Yes, Fifth Brother, I will arrange for guards to inform them immediately," Prince Ji nodded seriously after hearing this.
...
On the Cold King's Estate.
As Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han had just gotten out of bed, Yan Yu and Lu Li Luo, along with Old Man Lu, came to bid farewell to the Cold King and his consort.
"Your Highness the Cold King, Sister Li'er, we plan to return to Qingyun Inn today, so we wanted to say goodbye before we leave," Lu Li Luo said with a smile.
"So soon? Can't you two stay in the capital for a few more days? I haven't had a chance to show you around the capital properly or have some fun," Leng Ruo Li said with reluctance.
"No, no, we can't continue to stay here and trouble you any further. Actually, Li Luo and I have already toured the entire capital a few days ago and have had our fill of fun. We really don't want to play anymore," Yan Yu replied somewhat helplessly.
"You were looking for someone in the capital a few days ago; that's not playing. There are many fun places in the capital, and you surely didn't have the mood to explore them. Haha..."
Leng Ruo Li laughed heartily after speaking.
"Exactly, how can that be the same? I, this old man, haven't had enough fun yet, and I don't want to return to Qingyun Inn," Old Man Lu also chimed in poutily, appearing wronged.
At this moment, the wine gourd on Old Man Lu was not with him.
Leng Ruo Li guessed that Lu Li Luo had confiscated his wine gourd, otherwise, he wouldn't be so obedient, keeping his head down and standing behind Yan Yu and Lu Li Luo like a transparent person.
"Grandpa, you've been in the capital for almost half a month playing. Sister Yan Yu's inn needs someone to manage it. Can you please stop causing trouble!" Lu Li Luo reprimanded Old Man Lu with a dark expression.
However, upon hearing Lu Li Luo's words, Leng Ruo Li's eyes lit up.
"Yan Yu, could you perhaps entrust the management of your Qingyun Inn to someone else for the time being? I want to open a hot pot and barbecue restaurant in the capital and I'm in need of someone to help me manage it," Leng Ruo Li said cordially.
"But Qingyun Inn is my parents' ancestral property, and I don't want to sell it," Yan Yu said somewhat hesitantly.
At this, Leng Ruo Li quickly explained, "Yan Yu, I'm not asking you to sell Qingyun Inn. I'm suggesting you find a reliable person to help you manage it. After all, the location of Qingyun Inn is somewhat prone to trouble. Although you both avoided danger the first and second times, there's no guarantee you'll have such good luck the next time," Leng Ruo Li said with a face full of concern.