Chapter 477: Is the Crown Prince a Love Brain?

Chapter 477: Chapter 477: Is the Crown Prince a Love Brain?

Time flowed like water through one’s fingers. In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.

Over the years, Shen Ningning and her family had never given up their search for Shen Siyi.

Ultimately, however, after a discussion with Master Gu, Shen Ningning was forced to accept a difficult truth.

Her mother, Shen Siyi, was most likely no longer in their world.

In Master Gu’s words, she had returned to her own time and space.

If they wanted to see her again, there might be no chance in this lifetime...

But Shen Ningning refused to give up.

Xie Suzhi had also said, "Your mother loves you all dearly. If there were any way for her to return, I believe she would move heaven and earth to do so."

Aside from that, two other matters troubled Shen Ningning.

The State Preceptor, whom the Emperor had been trying to track down, was found dead in a desolate mountain valley.

He had knife wounds, and the area around the body showed signs of a struggle.

It was determined that he must have been broken out of prison by his enemies, only to be murdered here afterward.

To find the true killer, the Emperor assigned Xie Ming’an to the case.

However, the culprits had anticipated this and left no clues behind.

Xie Ming’an could only examine the State Preceptor’s body.

He discovered that the fatal wound was a stab to the back.

Based on the evidence, it was speculated that the person who abducted and killed the State Preceptor must have been an acquaintance.

He must have believed his rescuer was leading him to safety, so he ran ahead with his guard down.

But that person stabbed him in the back, pushed him to the ground, and stabbed him twice more in the abdomen, finishing him off for good.

Xie Ming’an suggested the Emperor arrange a thorough investigation into everyone who had associated with the State Preceptor.

To their surprise, more than half of the Capital City’s powerful nobles and officials had been in close contact with the man.

After all, the State Preceptor had commanded the celestial signs and held the Emperor’s trust, so everyone had been eager to curry favor with him in private.

With no killer found and no leads to follow, the case was temporarily shelved, becoming another unsolved mystery for the Ministry of Justice.

The other thing that troubled Shen Ningning was Mo Lingwei’s lingering afflictions.

With the passage of time, though the poison in his system had been cleared, it had left some debilitating side effects.

When Mo Lingwei’s headaches struck, it was as if he recognized no one. Consumed by a manic rage, he would lash out and harm anyone who approached him.

During these episodes, everything around him was alien and unfamiliar.

He wouldn’t allow anyone near.

Except for Shen Ningning.

Strangely, when the headaches and mania took hold of Mo Lingwei, she was the only one he could recognize.

And only she could soothe the volatile Crown Prince.

As a result, Shen Ningning now spent more than half of every month living in the palace.

Whenever something happened with Mo Lingwei, the Emperor’s first reaction was to shout, "Quick, get Ningning!"

It was clear that when Princess Consort Qi and her faction had poisoned Mo Lingwei, their goal was to render him unfit to inherit the throne.

Even though Mo Lingwei no longer wore the poisoned Buddha Beads, the ministers would never support a Crown Prince with such a volatile temperament to ascend the throne as the new emperor.

Had Qi Jingchun’s vicious plot not been exposed, the Emperor might truly have passed the throne to the Ninth Prince on his deathbed.

And after his death, it was hard to say what that faction would have done to Mo Lingwei.

For years, Shen Ningning had been working with the Divine Doctor and the Ghost Doctor, using the advanced instruments in the Immortal Realm to treat Mo Lingwei.

The results were minimal, but not entirely without effect.

Shen Ningning would always take the initiative to reassure Mo Lingwei, "You’ll definitely be cured. Don’t worry, big brother."

*

It was a beautiful March once more, the height of spring.

Shen Ningning’s hairpin ceremony, marking her coming of age, was fast approaching.

At the National Academy, Ye Shangyi trailed closely beside the radiant young woman.

"Ningning, come on, tell me! Do you want pearls from the South Sea or jade from the mountains? Ugh, I feel like you already have everything. But it’s your hairpin ceremony! I have to get you something special."

The young woman beside her wore a deep blue dress. Her shoulder-length black hair, styled in two vibrant, high buns, gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

Shen Ningning’s features had fully blossomed. She had her mother, Shen Siyi’s, bright and graceful charm, yet her brow held the handsome, gallant air of her father, Xie Suzhi.

She had grown into a stunning young beauty.

"You don’t have to get me anything. My father said the Xie Mansion is hosting a banquet that day. All you have to do is come and celebrate with us!"

Just then, a soft voice called out from behind her, "Princess Funing."

Shen Ningning and Ye Shangyi turned to see Mo Zhirou approaching with two of her close friends.

Mo Zhirou no longer went by the surname Mo. She had changed it, taking the surname of Princess Shu: Su.

Princess Shu’s emotional ailment had only been more or less cured last year.

During that time, Mo Zhirou had remained by her sickbed, and her dedication had finally moved Princess Shu.

So, the princess consort had taken the initiative to have Mo Zhirou acknowledge her own father as a maternal grandfather.

Thus, even if Mo Zhirou was no longer the Prince’s adopted daughter, she was now the maternal granddaughter of Eldest Su, the governor of Shu State.

Ye Shangyi disliked her and had privately told Shen Ningning countless times that Mo Zhirou was a deep and calculating person.

But over the years, Mo Zhirou had never opposed Shen Ningning’s group, instead doing her utmost to flatter and please them.

This time was no exception.

Su Zhirou walked up to Shen Ningning, smiling gracefully. "I’m holding a banquet for my sixteenth birthday soon. I’d like to invite you, Your Highness."

As she spoke, she handed over a formal invitation.

Shen Ningning glanced at it. "I’m sorry, but that day isn’t convenient for me. I’ve already promised to attend someone’s child’s first-birthday banquet."

Aunt Sanhua and Uncle Deng’s young son was just turning one, and Shen Ningning had promised to attend as the boy’s "Lady Fu," a special guest meant to bring him good fortune.

Su Zhirou looked disappointed. "Is there really no way Your Highness can make it? But... the Crown Prince might be there."

Ye Shangyi crossed her arms and sneered. "What a joke. If Ningning isn’t going, why would the Crown Prince go?"

Everyone in the Capital City knew that whenever the Crown Prince went out, he was either with Shen Ningning or on his way to find her.

Su Zhirou blinked. "I’m not lying... Oh, dear, I’ve said too much. Well, if Your Highness is busy, then never mind."

Then, she departed with her friends.

Ye Shangyi rolled her eyes in disdain at Su Zhirou’s retreating figure.

"What’s she showing off for? Just because Lady Shu went back to Shu State to visit family, she thinks no one can keep her in line? Everyone knows that every time she sees the Crown Prince, her eyes are practically glued to him!"

Shen Ningning blinked her lovely eyes, thinking back.

’It’s possible Mo Lingwei might go,’ she thought. ’He’s giving me the silent treatment right now.’

A few days ago, Shen Ningning had gone with Lu Shaoyuan to a city in the Capital region to discuss business. Mo Lingwei hadn’t been able to find her, and only learned she had been out with Lu Shaoyuan when she returned.

Consequently, Shen Ningning had no idea why Mo Lingwei was angry, but he had coldly told her to her face that he needed to "be alone for a while."

Shen Ningning could only agree to leave him be. But unexpectedly, after she left, he had thrown another fit.

Three days had passed, and the two still hadn’t spoken.

Shen Ningning had no idea if he was done "being alone" yet.

Seeing Shen Ningning’s unsurprised expression, Ye Shangyi suddenly realized Su Zhirou might have been telling the truth.

"You’re not really going to let the Crown Prince go to her birthday banquet, are you? That would be a huge deal! People will speculate wildly about her relationship with him!"

Shen Ningning burst out laughing, her expression bright and cheerful.

She replied with graceful nonchalance, "What’s the big deal? It’s just a birthday banquet. As long as he’s happy, he can do what he wants!"

「That night.」

Wu Fang knelt before the stern-faced man, reporting exactly what he had heard.

An icy voice spoke. "She really told them... ’whatever’?"

Wu Fang lowered his head. "This subordinate didn’t dare get too close, for fear of being detected by the Princess’s Hidden Guards. But I did hear them discussing you, Your Highness. The Princess said: ’Let him do whatever.’"

Mo Lingwei closed his eyes, a searing rage rising from his chest and bursting through the crown of his head.

’That Shen Ningning. He had truly spoiled her rotten!’

’He had said he needed to be alone, and she had turned and walked away without a second thought.’

’And now she was telling people to just let him do ’whatever’?’

’Was she so unwilling to even say a single word to him first?’