Chapter 112: Spring dream

Lin Qingyue asked: "You don't want to? Why? By the way, at the wedding banquet in Yushi Town last time, you told that old woman you had a sweetheart? So you are unwilling to settle? Who is your sweetheart?"

She tugged at Dongfang Qi's sleeve, full of curiosity: "Tell me, which family's young lady is it? Have I seen her?"

Dongfang Qi pulled his sleeve back from her hand, his tone a bit angry: "There is no sweetheart! I didn't agree to your proposal just now only because my life and death are uncertain, and there is no need to implicate an innocent woman in ruining the rest of her life."

But Lin Qingyue didn't think so: "If you were an ordinary man, that would indeed be a bit unfair. But you are the Crown Prince; even if you were to kick the bucket immediately after getting married, even if your wife had to live as a widow for the rest of her life, I estimate a large group of women would be willing. Think about it, you have endless money, you don't need to fulfill the obligations of a wife, and you can secretly keep a few young lovers; isn't that a wonderful thing?"

"Lin Qingyue!" Even with Dongfang Qi's good temper, he was angered by her words.

Lin Qingyue laughed until she held her stomach, laughing until tears flowed out: "Xiao Hua, you are too interesting. You get anxious just by being teased a little."

So it was just teasing him!

Dongfang Qi turned away in a huff, not wanting to pay attention to her anymore.

Lin Qingyue stopped laughing and said seriously: "Don't worry, with me here, you won't die!"

Dongfang Qi looked over suspiciously: "With you?"

Lin Qingyue realized she had made a slip of the tongue and hurriedly made up for it: "I mean, with 'me' here, you won't die—but to be safe, you can get married first and leave an heir."

Dongfang Qi seemed not to believe it, but didn't continue to pursue it, only saying: "I would rather believe you."

He paused, and asked Lin Qingyue as if casually: "To help me, you ran out of the capital without leaving a word. After you go back, how do you plan to face Dongfang Yan?"

Lin Qingyue had a blade of grass in her mouth, her tone casual: "I'm tired of it, I'm not playing with him anymore."

"Tired of it?"

"If he is willing to divorce, of course that's best. If he is not willing..." She spat out the grass in her mouth and smiled, "I don't mind being a widow."

Dongfang Qi: "..."

The capital.

"Achoo, achoo, achoo!" Dongfang Yan sneezed three times in a row.

Steward Zhao An hurriedly handed over a handkerchief: "Your Highness, could it be that someone is thinking of you?"

Who would be thinking of him?

The first person to appear in Dongfang Yan's mind was Lin Qingyue. That heartless woman, who had been gone for more than ten days, hadn't even sent a letter back yet.

And he himself was grounded and couldn't leave the capital at will. He had sent out quite a few people, but they were scattered all over the world, and he hadn't found her whereabouts.

It wasn't until recently that there was a big stir from Donglin Prefecture, where the local officials were wiped out by Duke Luo.

The news reached the court, and the Emperor was furious. He reprimanded the Li family, temporarily dismissed Duke Li from his position in the cabinet, and let him stay at home waiting for investigation.

This morning, Prince Li just stood up to speak for Duke Li and was punished by the Emperor to kneel at the palace gate for a full hour. Although it didn't hurt his body, he lost all face.

Although this matter wouldn't cause any substantial damage to the Li family, Dongfang Yan wouldn't let go of the opportunity to suppress the Li family and Prince Li. He had already secretly instructed his party officials to expose the corruption of Prince Li that had been collected before, so as to kick them while they were down.

Dongfang Yan's fingers tapped on the table one by one: "Duke Luo is the Crown Prince's uncle, so why would he suddenly meddle in the affairs of Donglin Prefecture?"

Suddenly, his movements paused: Could this matter be related to the Crown Prince?

If it were before, he might not have linked the two together.

But in the last two days, the eyes he had hidden in the Eastern Palace brought the latest news: The Crown Prince was not in the Eastern Palace!

His people clearly saw the Crown Prince lying on the bed all day, dying, so how could he suddenly leave the palace?

Coincidentally, Xie Shouzheng and Lin Qingyue also left the capital at about the same time.

They were both people from the Xuanjing Division, and the Xuanjing Division was established by the Crown Prince himself.

Linking the front and back, Dongfang Yan's face suddenly turned cold: "So the mission my Concubine is carrying out this time is related to the Crown Prince! No wonder the Emperor grounded me, but didn't exempt me from the daily morning court. This is putting a rope around my neck!"

"Zhao An!" Dongfang Yan ordered coldly, "Pass my secret order, send death soldiers to search in the direction of Donglin Prefecture, and once there is someone who looks like the Crown Prince, kill!"

"Yes!" Zhao An received the order and was about to go down to arrange it, but suddenly asked another question, "Your Highness, if the Concubine is really with the Crown Prince, then when our people take action..."

He didn't continue, waiting for Dongfang Yan's instruction.

Dongfang Yan was silent, seemingly weighing it in his heart.

The struggle for the throne has always been cruel. Even family affection can be cast aside, let alone husband and wife?

So Zhao An was certain that Dongfang Yan would abandon the Concubine. After all, the former Second Miss Lin was more favored than the Concubine, and hadn't she been scrubbing toilets in the backyard every day recently, living worse than the lowest maid?

Dongfang Yan's first reaction was also that he didn't want to care about Lin Qingyue anymore. But in the end, he sighed and stood up: "I will personally go to pick up the Concubine."

Zhao An was extremely surprised: "Your Highness, but you are currently in the grounding stage, if you leave the capital rashly... I'm afraid it won't be easy to explain to the Emperor."

How could Dongfang Yan not understand this truth?

But he could guess Dongfang Qi's affairs, and the other princes who were eyeing the throne and wanted to ascend would soon react. If they took action, they wouldn't be lenient to Lin Qingyue.

When the first ray of morning sunlight sprinkled on the vast grassland of the northern border, the sound of a horse-head fiddle drifted from somewhere.

Lin Qingyue, Dongfang Qi, and Xie Shouzheng were also packed and ready to set off.

The wheels rolled, and the hooves clattered.

As they walked, Xie Shouzheng suddenly remembered: "By the way, Young Master, you said that the matter of our trip to Donglin Prefecture, if it spreads to the capital, will people discover it has something to do with you?"

Dongfang Qi said: "Probably."

This point, from the moment Dongfang Qi decided to mobilize the forces of the Beiyuan Regional Military Governor, he had already anticipated it.

But if he only cared about his own safety and was timid, then the tens of thousands of victims on the entire mine would not have been rescued so quickly. The entire malignant tumor of the Donglin Prefecture government would not have been wiped out so quickly.

Weighing the pros and cons, he still decided to prioritize the big picture. After all, as the Crown Prince, he should stand up for the people! Even if there were dangers, he would not hesitate!

Xie Shouzheng was just asking casually, but upon hearing this, he suddenly became nervous: "Then what should we do?"

Dongfang Qi said: "This afternoon, we will arrive at Chiying. Even if those people in the capital send assassins, they won't be able to catch up."

"If we can safely come out of the Chiying Land, once my three souls are united, I naturally won't need to fear them anymore."

While speaking, he looked at Lin Qingyue.

Lin Qingyue yawned lazily, sitting on the horse's back, listless.

Dongfang Qi asked: "Didn't sleep well last night?"

Mentioning last night, Lin Qingyue's face turned red: "Nothing."

She wouldn't tell Dongfang Qi that she had a spring dream all night last night; she clearly dreamed that she and A Zhuo were having a passionate time in her previous life, but when she looked up, she was surprised to find that the other person's face had changed into Dongfang Qi's.

In the dream, Dongfang Qi's clothes were disheveled, covering his chest, shouting like a frightened little rabbit: "Don't come over!"

And she actually didn't feel anything wrong with it, and even said with a lewd smile: "Beauty, obediently submit to me, and I will make you a noble consort!" ===== CHAPTER 113 =====