Chapter 409: Give Me the Chance

Chapter 409: Chapter 409: Give Me the Chance

"Hey! Xu Jingxi! Wait!" Liang Yici ran after him, only to see him quicken his pace and head back the way he’d come.

She stopped, staring blankly at his retreating figure until he disappeared around a street corner.

Second Master Xie walked to her side, also glancing in the direction Xu Jingxi had gone.

"Let me take you home. Your mother was delayed by some business in the palace. I’m afraid she won’t be back for a while," he said.

Liang Yici lifted her head, staring at him resentfully.

"How could you possibly know my mother’s movements so well?"

"I’m telling you, stop pestering her. She and my father were deeply in love. Even though he’s dead, I will never allow you two to be together."

With that, Liang Yici blew a whistle. Her horse galloped out from the shadows. She vaulted nimbly onto its back, then cracked the whip and rode off.

Second Master Xie watched her ride away, lost in thought for a moment.

’There’s something about the shape of Liang Yici’s eyes and brows... She looks so much like...’

’My older brother.’

Second Master Xie shook his head, smiling wryly at his own wild thoughts before turning to leave.

「Meanwhile, in the court」

The Emperor, persuaded by both Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei, had finally let go of his anger toward Fang Qingdai.

"General Fang, We are at a loss for words. We returned the memorials you submitted several times, hoping you would reconsider. We never imagined you would completely misunderstand Our intentions."

"As for the Huo Family you impeached, even a cursory investigation would have revealed that it’s impossible for them to have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country." The Emperor shook his head and sighed, looking with exasperation at Fang Qingdai’s tense expression.

Shen Ningning, sitting beside Mo Lingwei, blinked her big, bright eyes. "That’s right, Aunt Qingdai. How did you end up suspecting the Huo Family anyway?"

Fang Qingdai furrowed her brow. "The clues I found were connected to the Ministry of War..."

As she said this, she realized she had likely been deliberately misled. Someone had been secretly guiding her to suspect the Huo Family.

Mo Lingwei spoke coolly, "The one who intentionally misled General Fang into suspecting the Huo Family is likely the real spy in the court. They are still lurking in the shadows. General Fang, you must not be so impulsive next time, lest you be used as a pawn without even realizing it."

Fang Qingdai pressed her lips together and bowed her head to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, please allow me to investigate this thoroughly. This time, I will not be led astray!"

The Emperor sighed.

"Even if you investigate nothing, We had already planned for you to live out your days in peace upon your return to the capital with your daughter. You and your husband have a glorious military record, having risked life and limb for Cangyun Country. By all rights, We will ensure that you and your daughter are well taken care of."

Once the matter was settled, Fang Qingdai left the palace. The Emperor returned to the Imperial Study Room, while Mo Lingwei escorted Shen Ningning home.

Instead of calling for a carriage, the two walked hand-in-hand along a moonlit palace path.

It was a cold night in early winter, and the air was filled with a crisp chill.

Shen Ningning yawned.

She suddenly remembered something. "Oh, that’s right, Brother! You called me to the palace today to tell me someone was coming, wasn’t it? Who was it?"

Mo Lingwei smiled. "It’s my uncle, my Imperial Father’s older brother. He has been living in his fiefdom, Shu State. Imperial Father has invited him back to the capital for a visit several times, but he always declined. However, he sent a letter recently saying he plans to find a good time to come to the capital and accompany my Imperial Father for the ancestral worship rites."

"When I was young, my Imperial Father was always busy with matters of state, and my uncle treated me very well. We’re quite close. When he returns to the capital, I’ll introduce you to him. He’s a kind and benevolent man; I’m sure he’ll dote on you as if you were his own child."

’Shen Ningning thought for a moment. ’The Emperor’s brother... that must be King Shu.’’

King Shu was the Emperor’s full-blooded older brother. The two had been extremely close since childhood. After the Emperor ascended the throne, the king requested to move to his fiefdom to avoid any appearance of impropriety and hadn’t returned in many years.

He was said to be an exceptionally cheerful prince, kind and affable, with friends all over the world.

However, though he and his Princess Consort were deeply devoted to one another, she was unable to conceive due to health reasons. Yet, through all these years, he never took a concubine.

Their story had become a beloved tale among the common people.

Shen Ningning smiled sweetly. "Okay! When King Shu returns to the capital, I’ll definitely go with you to meet him."

By the time they finished speaking, they had reached the gates of the Imperial City.

Mo Lingwei watched as Shen Ningning climbed into her carriage, her little head poking out the window.

"You should head back, Brother."

Mo Lingwei nodded. The young man’s smile was faint in the moonlight. "Be careful on your way."

He didn’t turn back toward Zichen Palace until Shen Ningning’s carriage had left the palace grounds and disappeared from view.

On his way back, however, he caught a glimpse of something on the far side of the lake. A group of Palace Attendants was hurrying along, pulling a tall, curtained enclosure across the grounds.

Mo Lingwei frowned. "What are they doing?"

The little eunuch behind him glanced over and, trying to stifle a laugh, said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, those are Princess Consort Qi’s attendants. They’re helping her moonbathe."

"Moonbathe?"

"You may not be aware, Your Highness, but after that lightning incident, I heard that all of Princess Consort Qi’s hair was burned off. She was bald on the spot. To grow it back, she’s been trying all sorts of folk remedies. She heard that moonbathing allows one to absorb the moon’s essence, which can make hair grow back. So now she comes out every night to give it a try. But she’s afraid of startling the Emperor, so she has them put up that cloth screen."

Mo Lingwei narrowed his eyes. After watching for a while, he could indeed make out a figure moving behind the screen, seemingly kneeling and bowing to the moon.

He scoffed. "What a lunatic."

「The days grew colder.」

The day Shen Ningning’s group was scheduled to dine with the Emperor drew ever closer.

In the meantime, many of her fellow students at the National Academy approached the little girl, hoping she would give her spot to them.

They all gave a variety of bizarre reasons, but most came because dining with the Emperor was an opportunity to bring great honor to their families and ancestors.

But with so many people asking, the little girl found herself in a bind. Giving the opportunity to any one person would feel wrong and would surely earn her the resentment of the others.

In the end, she didn’t promise it to anyone.

One day, Qi Xiuwei, who had been recuperating for a long time, found Shen Ningning and invited her for tea at a teahouse.

The weather was cold, and on this particular overcast day, a cold mist hovered over the distant mountains.

Shen Ningning cradled her warm teacup, her gaze shifting back to Qi Xiuwei.

"Xiao Wei, I haven’t seen you in so long! Are you feeling all better now?"

Qi Xiuwei gave a gentle smile. "Much better. Thank you for worrying about me, and for writing so often to cheer me up. Without you, I don’t know how I would have passed the dreary days."

The moment they met, the words flowed endlessly between them. Neither of the two girls was the scheming type, which made their time together exceptionally comfortable.

However, the maidservant standing behind Qi Xiuwei let out a loud cough.

At the sound, the smile on Qi Xiuwei’s face stiffened. Shen Ningning glanced suspiciously at the maidservant with her bright, clear eyes.

’It’s like she’s monitoring her.’

A troubled expression appeared on Qi Xiuwei’s face. "Ningning, there’s actually something I wanted to ask of you... It’s a little embarrassing to bring up..."

"It’s... I heard you have a chance to dine with the Emperor. If you don’t want to go... could you... could you let me have it?"

The more she spoke, the more ashamed and embarrassed she became. She lowered her head, nervously wringing her slender, pale fingers.

For the past few days, her grandmother had been pressuring her to meet with Shen Ningning and beg her to give up the opportunity.

But Qi Xiuwei didn’t want to. Her family, the Qi Family, had said plenty of nasty things about Shen Ningning behind her back. How could they now shamelessly ask for her help?

But then, Mrs. Qi Sr. discovered that Mengyi sometimes came to their residence to eat. She used this to threaten Qi Xiuwei, giving her an ultimatum.

If she failed to get the opportunity to dine with the Emperor from Shen Ningning, Mrs. Qi Sr. would send men to kill the eagle.