Chapter 119: The Royal Princess (25)
Ming Shu destroyed the painting, which irritated the emperor very much. Add that to Ming Shu’s offensive behavior in the royal study room last time, and the emperor was going to hold her accountable.
However, it seemed the master and the emperor had reached some kind of secret agreement, and Ming Shu wasn’t punished by His Majesty in the end.
After three days in the dark room, Ming Shu was let out. The feeling of seeing food again was just wonderful.
But before she could enjoy the wonderful moment, the master, who no longer had his usual kind appearance, walked over with a serious look. “Leave us alone.”
Zhi Qi and others looked at each other, worried and fearful, then quickly left, leaving the venue to Ming Shu and the master.
“Master, I have something to tell you.”
Ming Shu spoke first, which made the master swallow back the words at the tip of his tongue.
“What is it?”
“When I was inside, I saw some images.” Ming Shu told the master what she had predicted in the dark room.
The master glanced at her with a slightly complicated expression.
If she is not Shen Ci, why can she predict the future?
The power of prophecy was not accessible to everyone. The Wushang Dynasty had a large population, but only Shen Ci could…
Is it really me that thinks too much? Little Ci became so hard to understand because of recent events.
The master pressed down the question that he was going to ask Ming Shu, and said, “Other than this, was there anything else?”
Ming Shu shook her head. “No.”
The master pondered for a moment. “Do you have any idea what it means?”
“…” If I knew that, do you think I would ask you? Ming Shu closed her mouth tightly and the corner of her lips lifted. “It’s a war.”
The scene was more like a war than anything else.
The master didn’t say anything then. Ming Shu wondered whether he agreed with her or not.
He glanced at Ming Shu, sighing in his heart, and said, “If there’s anything more, tell me right away.”
Sometimes a prophecy is not presented all at once, but in several different visions.
“Okay.”
“Oh, right.” Ming Shu remembered a more important matter. “Master, I’m afraid there’s probably a traitor in the Heavenly Temple. You have to investigate the buyao event of last time, Master.”
The master’s eyes darkened. “I know.”
Then the master left, looking quite worried. Ming Shu held her chin and sighed.
She felt that the master had behaved a little bit strangely just now when listening to her prophecy.
…
Qi Hongwei disappeared without a trace. The emperor didn’t capture anyone, and even though he angrily scolded a group of useless ministers, nothing got done.
Then these two matters came to a close, and the issue of selecting a wife for Mu Huai was put on the agenda again. Ming Shu heard that, all day long, the ministers were recommending others’ daughters, praising them with the most beautiful words, but they didn’t recommend their own daughters.
Because they all knew that this marriage would probably lead to a miserable end.
The emperor was tired of all those recommendations, so he personally selected the Second Lady of the Cheng family, Cheng Jinxiu, the formal female protagonist of this world, as King Huai’s wife.
Cheng Jinxiu was neither the daughter of the legitimate wife nor favored by the family, but she was regarded as a chess piece that could be used by the family. Now, inexplicably, the emperor selected her to be the future wife of King Huai, and the Cheng family didn’t know how to respond.
It was true that Mu Huai now held a noble position, but the emperor distrusted him. Who knew when the emperor would eradicate him? There’s a saying that goes, “Accompanying an emperor is like accompanying a tiger, you just can’t take a wrong step.”
Under such circumstances, everyone was behaving cautiously and paid close attention to the changing situation. Ming Shu was perhaps the only one who just worried about her meals.
The royal palace didn’t provide food all the time, and in each palace every meal was supplied according to what rations dictated. In order to keep the ingredients fresh, the kitchen usually prepared only two more backup meals. So the food was actually not in great supply.
Plus Ming Shu was not allowed to leave the palace now.
Shouldn’t she feel angry?
“Princess, are you really going to eat this fish?” Zhi Qi stared at the fish that Ming Shu had caught in the pond, suspicious. “Princess, this fish is from the royal garden. If others discovered we caught it and ate it, what would we do?”
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen. Go, light a fire.”
“Princess…”
Ming Shu looked at Zhi Qi, smiling sincerely. Zhi Qi couldn’t help taking the order to prepare a fire to roast the fish.
Although the princess smiled very softly, Zhi Qi always had a feeling of numbness in her scalp. It felt as if Her Highness would drown her in the pond if she didn’t do what was asked.
So the daily news delivered to the emperor was thus:
The royal princess is catching fish in the royal garden again.
The royal princess is picking peaches again.
The royal princess picked the flowers in the royal garden to make flower cakes.
The royal princess is picking flowers in the royal garden again.
The royal princess…
The emperor was angered to fuming. Can’t she leave the royal garden alone?
She is going to destroy the royal garden!
“Princess, someone is coming.” Zhi Qi pointed to the path nearby.
Cheng Jinyun emerged. She seemed to spot Ming Shu as well. After looking around to make sure no one else saw her, she walked over to Ming Shu.
She stopped a meter away from Ming Shu, then said brusquely, “I need to talk to you.”
Ming Shu turned the fish over. “Okay.”
Cheng Jinyun looked at Zhi Qi, who was quite nervous now. “Alone.”
Ming Shu answered casually, “Then don’t treat her as a person.”
Zhi Qi: “…” So what am I?
Ming Shu patted her head and smiled. “Treat her as a fairy.”
Zhi Qi: “…” What’s this heart beating over?
Cheng Jinyun was a bit speechless at this time. This royal princess was really surprising.
She looked at Zhi Qi, who was a little out of it now, and took a deep breath. “About last time, I hope the royal princess will keep it a secret for me.”
Now was not the right time for her to be exposed. These days, she was worried the royal princess might sell her out. And today, she finally had a chance to enter the palace, so she must negotiate with her.
“What?” Ming Shu innocently asked, as if she really didn’t know anything.
“Royal Princess, you don’t have to pretend.” The royal princess knew what she was talking about.
Ming Shu remembered. “Oh, I know. But Uncle knows it too. I can keep secrets for you, but what about Uncle?”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Royal Princess. I just hope that you can help me keep it secret.”
Perhaps because she was reborn and exuded an unknowable sense of superiority and self-confidence, and her tone was quite arrogant, it seemed everyone would follow her words.
“Why should I keep it secret for you? What have you got on me?” Ming Shu raised her eyebrows. “If nothing, Miss Cheng, your way of asking for help is really impressive. Do you think you are a fairy, that everybody loves you?”
You want me to keep it secret for you, so I have to keep it secret for you?
Come on, I’m not your follower.
Cheng Jinyun revealed no worries, though. “What if I do have something?”
If she had nothing on hand, she wouldn’t have rushed to negotiate with her.
“Oh, what is it? Tell me, see if you can scare me. How about I’ll keep it secret for you if you can scare me?”
The girl smiled shallowly, as if nothing was enough to make her change her expression. It was hard to tell her true emotions.
Cheng Jinyun narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly. “Royal Princess, do you really want me to say it here?”
“Sure, why not.”
Cheng Jinyun glanced at Zhi Qi, who had already returned to herself, but her face was reddened in nervousness. Okay, she asked, so I will speak it now.
“One night a few days ago, Royal Princess, you and the assassin who kidnapped Princess Rong Hua were together. I don’t know what His Majesty will think if he learned this. What do you say?”
“That’s it?”
“…” What is ‘that’s it’? Is that not enough? Colluding with an assassin to kidnap Princess Rong Hua, is this a small matter?
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