After noon, Ye Ying quickly returned from outside.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, your subordinate has discovered that someone saw Deputy General Yang slip into the city today and head towards the south and west of the city."
"Did you find out what he went to the south and west of the city for?"
Upon hearing this, Jun Mohan's face turned as cold as ice. His pair of purple eyes, sharp as a blade, curved into a cold smile.
"Your subordinate found out. He made a deal with the beggars in the south and west of the city," Ye Ying said with a grave expression.
"Hmm, no need to investigate further. This Deputy General Yang must be behind the rumors spreading outside. Take some brothers and keep an eye on him. See who he is meeting with?" Jun Mohan commanded in a deep voice.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
After responding, Ye Ying immediately left the Cold King's Estate.
...
In the Ning King's Estate.
Ning King Jun Mouxiao also heard the outside rumors from his personal guard.
At this moment, he didn't know whether to be happy or worried.
After a moment of contemplation, the Ning King had his carriage prepared and walked out of the Ning King's Estate, getting into the carriage and heading towards the imperial palace.
In Jinghua Hall, Consort Jing was dressed in a bright and luxurious floor-length palace gown, her hair styled in a noble and imposing bun. She leaned against a soft couch, listening to the gossip brought by the palace maids, and was in quite good spirits.
She even had the wet nurses carry pastries, tea, and silk fans to stroll in the small garden.
She never expected that the person who stole her Imperial Seal would also do her a great favor. At least she didn't have to spend her own effort spreading the news of the dog emperor losing the Imperial Seal, nor would the investigation lead to her.
Haha...
Wasn't this a good thing for her?
As she was thinking, the Ning King hurried towards Consort Jing.
"Your son pays his respects to Mother Consort!" The Ning King bowed respectfully to Consort Jing.
"Get up!"
Consort Jing waved her hand at the Ning King. Then, she turned and ordered her palace attendants to withdraw, leaving them alone.
"Xiao'er, you're not in the palace today because of the rumors spreading outside, are you?"
"Yes, Your son is in the palace because of this matter." The Ning King answered truthfully.
"The rumors outside have nothing to do with us, why are you worried?" Consort Jing looked at the Ning King with a helpless expression.
"How could it have nothing to do with us?"
The Ning King was surprised by his mother consort's attitude.
"First, the Imperial Seal is not on us. Second, it was not us who spread the news of the lost Imperial Seal, so how could it have anything to do with us?"
"Then what if the person who stole the Imperial Seal is caught and implicates you?" the Ning King retorted.
Upon hearing this, Consort Jing's heart skipped a beat.
"That's right, how did I not think of that? I was truly negligent." Consort Jing said, hitting her own head hard.
"Mother Consort, it's not time for us to be happy. We also need to do something. Otherwise, if the person who stole the Imperial Seal implicates you, and Father Emperor learns that you stole the Imperial Seal, he will definitely not let us off." The Ning King said with a headache.
"Then what should we do? We absolutely cannot let the person who stole the Imperial Seal have a chance to expose us."
Consort Jing pondered and asked.
"Mother Consort, when I came into the palace, I had already sent people to secretly investigate the mastermind behind the spreading of rumors. Once I find out who that person is, we will not be far from finding the truth." 138 Reading Net
The Ning King told Consort Jing his plan.
Consort Jing nodded in agreement.
"Alright, then I'll leave this matter to you."
...
In Phoenix Perch Palace.
Although the Empress was confined by the Emperor, she still heard bits and pieces of the outside gossip.
"Hahaha..."
"I can't believe this old emperor lost the Imperial Seal. This is truly heaven-sent." the Empress said with schadenfreude.
"Hush! Your Majesty, don't get too excited. There are rows of Imperial Guards standing outside Phoenix Perch Palace?"
Little Anzi heard the Empress's delighted laughter and his brows immediately furrowed. He quietly reminded the Empress.
"What are you afraid of? If the Emperor really wanted to kill me, he would have done it long ago. The reason he kept me alive to linger in this cold Phoenix Perch Palace is simply to investigate the death of Zi Yiyun back then, which is why he didn't choose to kill me." The Empress replied dismissively.
"Then Your Majesty, did the death of the Imperial Noble Consort back then have anything to do with you?" Little Anzi asked with a smile.
After hearing Little Anzi's words, the Empress's face immediately fell.
"Little Anzi, there are some things you shouldn't know. Don't inquire about them. The more you know, the faster you die." The Empress said sternly, looking at Little Anzi with cold eyes.
"Yes, yes, yes, Your Majesty is right!" Little Anzi nodded obsequiously upon hearing the Empress's words, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Go down, I want to be alone!"
The Empress waved her hand at him.
Little Anzi responded, bowed, and quickly walked out.
After he walked out of the palace gate, he dared to breathe in great gulps.
"Alas, my dear mother!"
That moment just now was truly perilous.
Why was he so talkative earlier?
What if the Empress considered him a spy for the Emperor after he fearlessly asked her that question?
Wouldn't his life be forfeit?
The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became!
...
Lin Duke's Mansion.
The Duke and Duchess of Lin had just buried Lin Mengzhi today. Now, Lin Zhenfei and Qin Minzhi were both listless, unable to eat or sleep well. Even when they heard the rumors outside, Lin Zhenfei had no interest.
However, within this family, Lin Zhenfan and Lin Hongtao, uncle and nephew, were two different individuals.
After seeing his niece buried, Lin Zhenfan returned to the Lin mansion with his guards and ordered someone to thoroughly investigate the authenticity of the rumors in the capital.
As soon as he finished instructing his subordinates to go out on errands, Da Pangzi, whom he had arranged to dig for treasure in the underground city, also suddenly came to the Lin Duke's Mansion to find him.
"Master, your subordinate has searched the entire underground city several times, but could not find your treasure vault." Da Pangzi, dressed in a loose plain robe with his hair tied in a high bun, bowed and saluted.
"None of my treasures were found?" Lin Zhenfan's forehead throbbed when he heard Da Pangzi's words.
"Yes, Master!"
Da Pangzi dared not lie.
"Heavens, that was my life's savings! Who could have stolen my wealth?"
At this moment, Lin Zhenfan's temples began to ache faintly, and his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Master, wealth is external. If it's gone, we can earn it back in the future, but you mustn't harm your own health," Da Pangzi said clumsily to comfort him.
However, he did not receive Lin Zhenfan's gratitude. Instead, he was scolded fiercely by Lin Zhenfan.
"What do you know? That was my life's..."
Lin Zhenfan was so angry that he couldn't continue speaking.