Chapter 898: It Must Be What the People Desire

Si Yu hurriedly poured a cup of hot tea, cupped it with both hands and placed it before Mu Rong Jin: "Consort, first have a sip of tea to steady yourself; what does the slip of paper actually say?"

Mu Rong Jin did not take the cup.

She lowered her head, stared blankly at the slip in her hand, and whispered it aloud:

"The legitimate son was poisoned, orchestrated by the Seventh Prince."

"The Emperor does not suspect, all because Princess Huguo vouched for him."

"If you doubt it, you may ask the people in the Imperial Tomb that night, those in Yeying Prison."

Si Yu's hand trembled violently, and the teacup nearly slipped from her grasp.

She hurriedly set the cup back on the table, and when she returned to the couch, her complexion turned a few shades paler: "Consort, this… how could this be possible?"

"His Majesty said that Liu Yun'er of the Needle Works Bureau never confessed until death, didn't He?"

"Inside this… why is there also Princess Huguo's involvement? Princess Huguo has always been supporting Consort, hasn't she?"

Mu Rong Jin slowly lifted her head, her gaze hollow as she stared at the tightly shut door of the sleeping chamber.

She murmured the Emperor's words spoken when her son was found poisoned: "That day He said, I shall uncover the truth and will not let Che'er and you suffer in vain."

"I had thought Che'er was the legitimate son, that he held Che'er in his heart."

Mu Rong Jin slowly released her fingers, and the slip fell onto the brocade quilt: "So in his heart there was never Che'er, only the Seventh Prince!"

"Thus, even though he clearly identified the mastermind, he still chose to shield him!"

Her breathing grew noticeably labored: "Princess Huguo is merely a child!"

"Could her words be that effective? His Majesty actually trusted her so lightly?"

"My Che'er," she looked at her sleeping son, tears streaming, "still so young, already walked through the Gate of Ghosts in vain."

"His Majesty! You know Che'er is my very life, yet you let the one who harmed him live freely, without any pursuit?"

"Consort!" Si Yu hurriedly knelt, her voice urgent, "The Seventh Prince recently achieved a great feat, recapturing Taiyuan Island."

"Now throughout Jingcheng his deeds are being sung everywhere. They say he is…"

She bit her lip and did not continue.

Mu Rong Jin snapped her head up and looked at her: "Say what?"

Si Yu lowered her head, whispering: "They say the Seventh Prince is a benevolent ruler; if he ascends the throne, he will be what the people desire."

Mu Rong Jin's lip color drained completely.

A moment later, she muttered to herself: "Benevolent ruler? What the people desire? So that's it!"

She punched the couch, startling her son awake.

Xiao Che began wailing loudly.

Mu Rong Jin hurriedly bent down, scooped him up, clutching him tightly, and gently patting his back: "Don't cry, Che'er, be good, don't cry. Mother Empress is here; no one can hurt you any more!"

Her voice was as gentle as water, yet her eyes were reddened as if about to bleed, tears falling drop by drop onto Xiao Che.

"No wonder he tried to strike Che'er," she gritted her teeth, choking, "this is exactly what he wanted!"

"He wants to become Crown Prince! My Che'er is the legitimate son; if he isn't eliminated, he will inevitably block his path to the Crown Princehood!"

"His Majesty! His Majesty! You actually still gave him the chance to build achievements? Where have you placed this palace and Che'er?"

"Consort!" Si Yu bowed repeatedly, urging, "We still don't know who placed this paper!"

"Perhaps some master deliberately wants to sow discord between His Majesty and Consort! Never trust it, Consort!"

Mu Rong Jin gently laid the now‑sleeping son back on the couch, carefully covering him, and once again picked up the slip from the brocade quilt.

She lowered her head and examined those few lines of text repeatedly, very carefully.

"What you say does have merit," she raised her hand to wipe away the tears, her gaze turning cold, "Si Yu, today you will leave the Palace and set out for the Imperial Tomb."

Si Yu's eyes widened: "Imperial Tomb?"

"Go prepare some offerings for the rites," Mu Rong Jin stared at her, nodding, "If anyone asks, say it is by my command, to pray for Che'er."

She paused briefly: "Take more silver, and when you get there, inquire thoroughly whether the people in Yeying Prison that night were truly in the Imperial Tomb."

"If they are, find out clearly and then return."

Si Yu slowly bowed her head: "Your servant obeys."

At the same time, on Taiyuan Island.

A soldier rode a swift horse to the clearing of the hunting ground.

His expression hurried, he glanced around in all directions.

On the clearing, only a few native women sat under the shade, weaving rattan mats.

"Where is the Seventh Prince? Where is the princess? How come there isn't a single soul?"

He cleared his throat, clasped his hands and asked: "May I ask, where is the Seventh Prince?"

The women looked up, curiously sizing him up, chattering a few words he could not understand a single syllable.

The soldier sighed, and with both hands and feet began to sketch.

One woman stared for a while, then suddenly understood, stood up and pointed a hand toward the mountains.

The soldier followed her finger's direction, seeing an endless chain of mountains, dense forest covering the sky.

Into the mountains? How will we find it!

He had no choice but to dismount, find a spot on the clearing, and sit waiting for the others to return.

They waited until the sun set behind the western hills.

When the evening glow burned the surroundings into a brilliant orange‑red, movement finally came from the forest.

First came Tuan Tuan's crisp laughter, followed immediately by the sound of hooves crushing dry branches.

A group of people laughed and chatted as they emerged from the woods, with a few hares and pheasants on horseback.

Luo Zhenjiang still shouldered a half‑grown wild boar, his face flushed.

The soldiers' spirits were lifted; they stood up, quickly stepped forward, and knelt on one knee, saying: "Report to the Seventh Prince, the imperial edict has arrived! Please, Your Highness, return to receive the edict!"

Xiao Ze was about to dismount when he heard this and stopped: "Looks like we'll have to go back to stay today."

Tuan Tuan's little mouth immediately pouted: "I don't want to go back! Imperial Uncle didn't even order me to receive the edict!"

"That's true," Xiao Ze said with a smile. "All right, then you stay here to keep Tuan Tuan company while I go back for a trip."

Tuan Tuan hated to see him leave, his eyes darted and he grinned: "Third Elder Brother, we'll have the rabbit roasted and waiting for you to come back and eat!"

"If you don't come back quickly, I'll eat all the meat!"

"All right! Third Elder Brother, I'll go and come back quickly! Giddyap!" Xiao Ze spurred his horse toward Relanzhecheng.

Ma Li An led his people in setting up several bonfires in the clearing.

The dry wood crackled, sparks shot up high, flying into the night sky and turning into a shower of falling fireflies.

Just as the rabbit meat sizzled, oozing oil and filling the air with fragrance, Xiao Ze returned.

He dismounted and strode toward the crowd.

Seeing his eye sockets slightly reddened while the corners of his mouth rose high, Xiao Yuanhang's heart tightened; he stood up and asked: "Your Majesty, what did he say?"