Chapter 221: Chapter 221: The Team Heads North
Even if he wanted to elaborate on this matter in the future, he couldn’t.
After all, this involved the "late Emperor entrusting a dream" and "auspicious signs from the heavens."
With such significant titles imposed, Prince Zhan had no room to speak.
He could only reply heavily.
"Yes! I obey the decree."
Looking at the ruin on the ground, the Emperor rose and said to the Fourth Prince.
"Uncle, let’s go, the banquet at the traveling palace is just right now."
"Yes, please, Your Majesty."
The Emperor walked away under the moonlight, with the Fourth Prince following closely, along with Lin Xingzhi and his trusted aides.
Leaving only one dead and two people in a daze.
"Uncle Grandfather, why must I stay behind to investigate the Empress’s old case!"
Lin Guifei expressed dissatisfaction.
Unexpectedly, Prince Zhan gave a bitter smile, took out the Crystal Stone, placed it before Lin Guifei, and said.
"If Lady Lin doesn’t stay, it’s likely she won’t be able to return to the palace and will end up like Princess Consort Lan."
Lin Guifei was greatly shocked.
She wanted to ask more, but saw Prince Zhan already keeping silent.
Then, looking at the moonlight outside the window, the originally gentle night scene appeared more desolate and eerie to him.
The next day, the Emperor and his party, under the escort of the Fourth Prince and five thousand elite soldiers, hurriedly headed towards the palace.
Meanwhile, the thousand imperial guards who came with Prince Zhan were left behind at the Taishan Palace.
Nominally to ensure Lin Guifei’s protection.
Lin Guifei watched the retreating carriage convoy, biting her teeth in hatred, yet had to reluctantly accept this fact.
She thought this journey would be a glorious return, but unexpectedly it was the beginning of a downfall.
The resentment towards the Emperor gradually accumulated.
The October winds were chilly, and the journey was heading north.
Naturally, it wouldn’t be as fast as the trip there; it seemed like it would take about three months to return to the palace.
The Emperor’s thoughts became somewhat distracted upon thinking this.
Clearly playing chess with the Fourth Prince in the spacious imperial carriage, yet his mind wandered far away.
Looking at the Emperor with the black pieces surrounded tightly by the white, the Fourth Prince was curious.
How could a single trip enhance his chess skills so much!
Yet upon closer inspection, the Emperor’s thoughts weren’t focused on this.
Quite uninteresting.
"Uncle, have the matters in Dengzhou been arranged properly?"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, the few men under me were carefully selected. Holding Prince Zhan off for a few months is no problem. However, I don’t understand, holding him off for a few months, what good would that do?"
In the end, wouldn’t he return to Shengjing City just the same?
Moreover, if there’s something suspicious about Empress Xu’s death, Prince Zhan wouldn’t actually uncover something and present it to them.
What good does all this fuss achieve?
The Emperor remained silent.
Some things he could tell the Fourth Prince.
But some were destined to be etched only in his heart.
Thus he said.
"I want him to remember that even daring such a magnificent deceit, did he truly believe the people under me are blind and deaf? Regarding Empress Xu’s issue, just looking at Lin Guifei’s appearance reveals suspicion; letting them investigate on their own, they will naturally fill the gaps, and your people only need to follow from within to learn the truth of that year."
Sometimes, this truth holds more weight than solid evidence.
For instance, with the matter of Empress Xu, even if no one can prove it, even without any evidence, as long as the Emperor convinces himself of its ties with Lin Guifei and Prince Zhan.
Then, ultimately they will have to pay the price.
This is the supreme imperial power; when ordered to die, you have no path to life.
The Fourth Prince nodded, indeed the Emperor’s plan is straightforward.
It seemed he had been dissatisfied for quite some time.
Thinking of Prince Zhan’s arrogance in court years ago, he felt delighted.
Good and evil always have their recompense, divine justice favors the cyclic order!
Wheel marks left by the carriage formed track upon track on the drying, cracking ground.
The further north the journey, the more evidently cold the weather became.
Autumn departed for winter.
December arrived as scheduled.
On the day the first snow fell, Ruiyang Pavilion was more lively than ever.
This was Lin Wanyi’s first time seeing a sky full of snow fluttering in the palace.
In the East Cross Courtyard of the Prime Minister’s Mansion before, her mother would close the courtyard doors, allowing her and her siblings to have snowball fights in the yard.
Of course, the snowball fights most often were between Lin Xingzhi and Lin Muzhi.
While Lin Wanyi, due to her physical cold syndrome, would hold a hand stove and stand under the corridor with her mother "blindly directing."
Thinking of this, Lin Wanyi smiled and said.
"Once the snow piles deeper, let Xiao Luzi and the others make a few snow ducks, and you can fiddle with some branches, but you mustn’t play in the snow on your own, alright?"
The Second Prince pouted, he was tempted to refuse.
But thinking that Lady Lin meant well for him, the words of refusal couldn’t come out.
"I understand, Lady Lin, don’t worry, I promise not to touch it."
While he wouldn’t use his hands, his feet in deer skin boots were another story.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Lin Wanyi stood under the corridor for a while, then her body began to tremble.
So she turned and entered the room.
Inside, the underfloor heating warmed the place significantly; as she stepped in, warmth enveloped from all directions.
Since winter began, the Second Princess had been sleeping in the main hall of Ruiyang Pavilion.
The main concern was that the rear courtyard lacked underfloor heating, fearing the Second Princess might get cold, and also concerned she might reject the smell of coal.
Thus she was moved to this room.
Now the Second Princess, five months old, under Nanny Ji’s meticulous care, was already able to sit briefly.
At this moment, she was sitting on the Bright Window Couch, with the tiger pillow Nanny Ji held, teasing her.
Giggling sounds emerged from her mouth.
Along with drool flowing endlessly.
Upon entering, Lin Wanyi saw the scene and couldn’t help but laugh.
"Our Second Princess must be hungry, she’s been drooling these days; look at this cloth, can’t finish changing it."
The wet nurse replied with a laugh.
"Don’t worry, Your Highness, I just fed the Second Princess."
"Then why is she consistently drooling?"
"It’s likely the Second Princess is about to grow teeth; children teething are prone to drool."
Lin Wanyi was delighted.
Personally participating in the growth of a life is an indescribable feeling.
Seeing the Second Princess grow from a fragile newborn to a joyful child today, Lin Wanyi felt both emotional and joyful.
Hence, she took off the cloak she was wearing and reached out to the Second Princess.
"So our Second Princess is about to grow teeth; should we add some rice porridge?"
Last time, when Nanny Ji shared interesting anecdotes about raising the Third Princess, Lin Wanyi remembered this.
As children grow, gradually adding digestible rice porridge becomes necessary.
Otherwise, relying solely on milk wouldn’t sustain the body.
Thus Nanny Ji answered with a smile.