Yunxiao and Xiao Yi’s eyes met.
“There’s a spy in Consort Xian’s palace!” Xiao Yi suddenly realized.
Yunxiao had a moment of epiphany.
“Your Highness, you mean the note I gave was intercepted by the spy Consort Li planted in Consort Xian’s palace?”
“Does Consort Xian know about it?”
In the palace, planting informants in each other’s palaces was commonplace.
A disdainful smile curled at the corner of Xiao Yi’s lips.
“Maybe she didn’t know before.”
“But now, she definitely does!”
“Your Highness, now that the Emperor has let Prince Ling review memorials, does this mean Prince Ling is the Crown Prince in the making?”
Yunxiao asked with great anxiety.
After all the Prince’s long-laid plans, could he still end up losing to Prince Ling?
The Prince must be deeply disappointed, right?
Xiao Yi rubbed his fingers together, deep in thought.
He had originally intended to use Prince Rui’s hand to bring Prince Ling down.
But despite all his calculations, he hadn’t expected things to fall apart at a critical moment.
Now, Prince Rui had fallen out of favor with the Emperor.
And Prince Xian, implicated by the Ministry of War affair, was also dragged down.
Now Prince Ling had turned defeat into victory and seized the lead.
This could only mean that the opponent had played a better move.
However, it was still too early to tell who would win in the end!
Weren’t there still a few other princes?
Though their mothers held insignificant titles, they were still imperial sons.
Could they truly sit idly by as Prince Ling snatched the opportunity?
“Tell our men to hold their positions. No one is to make a move without my order!”
Xiao Yi’s tone grew sharp.
“Yes, I will pass on the order immediately!”
Yunxiao turned and hurried off to relay the command.
Xiao Yi sank back into thought.
In the Chonghua Hall, a palace maid rushed in and bowed to Consort Li.
“Your Grace, news from Consort Xian’s palace — a young maid has died in their hall.”
Consort Li waved dismissively.
“If she’s dead, she’s dead. Why come to me with this?”
The maid hesitated. “Your Grace, the dead maid was one of our people.”
Only then did Consort Li’s gaze fall upon the speaker.
“How did she die? When did it happen?”
“Those in Consort Xian’s palace reported that she fell into a well and drowned.”
“They said she went missing last night, and this morning when someone went to draw water, they found a corpse in the well.”
“After they fished her out and identified her as a low-ranking maid in the hall, they reported it.”
A flicker of contempt passed through Consort Li’s eyes.
“They really went to the trouble of fabricating such a story!”
“When my son ascends the throne, we’ll see how I deal with them!”
As soon as she said this, Consort Li realized she had spoken out of turn. She pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her mouth.
“Report it to the Imperial Household Department and let them handle it.”
“Yes.” The maid bowed and withdrew.
At the Prince of Pingyang’s Mansion, noticing it was nearly noon, Xiao Yi put away the official documents on his desk.
“Yunxiao, go to the kitchen and see if the food box for the Princess is ready.”
Yunxiao acknowledged and hurried out.
Soon, he returned carrying several stacked food boxes.
Xiao Yi placed a bundle resting on his chair onto his lap.
“Let’s go.”
Yunxiao nodded and wheeled Xiao Yi’s chair toward the mansion’s gates.
“Your Highness, will we be able to enter the palace today?” Yunxiao asked, concerned.
“We shall see once we get there.” Xiao Yi was not certain either.
The carriage rumbled through the bustling streets and finally stopped before the palace gates.
Xiao Yi presented his token, and the imperial guards let them pass.
As Yunxiao pushed Xiao Yi inside, curiosity stirred within him.
Once they were far from the gates and sure no one was nearby, Yunxiao whispered, “Your Highness, didn’t the guards seem different today?”
Xiao Yi had noticed it too, but another suspicion weighed on his mind.
“Say no more. Walk quickly.” Xiao Yi did not explain himself to Yunxiao.
The palace was filled with eyes and ears; any careless word might reach the Emperor.
Caution and silence were the safest path.
Yunxiao bit his tongue and focused on pushing the wheelchair.
Just as easily, they gained entry to the Imperial Prison.
“Your Highness, please follow me. Princess Changle was moved to a different cell last night,” the jailer said with obsequious bows.
The strangeness of it all weighed heavier on Xiao Yi’s mind.
How many things had happened in just one night?
Why was Duoduo moved to a new cell again?
And why was the jailer’s attitude so completely different from before?
With a head full of questions, Xiao Yi found an answer the moment he saw Duoduo’s new cell.
Duoduo had been idly arm-wrestling with Lüdou out of boredom.
The moment she saw Xiao Yi, she jumped up in delight.
“Father, you’re here!”
Duoduo rushed to Xiao Yi, her face beaming with excitement.
Xiao Yi gently touched her cheek, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Yes, your mother sent some clean clothes for you.”
“Are you hungry? Eat first. We can talk later.”
Duoduo nodded. “I’m so hungry!”
In prison, there was no breakfast — only lunch and dinner.
In Duoduo’s previous cell, the so-called meal was nothing more than a bowl of watery porridge with a few grains of rice and a rock-hard coarse cornbread.
Since they had eaten the food Xiao Yi brought earlier, they had skipped the prison meals.
Now, starving, Duoduo even regretted not saving the cornbread.
If she soaked it in water, at least she could stave off the hunger a little.
Seeing her pitiful state, Xiao Yi’s heart ached.
“Lüdou, Nanny Li, set out the meal.”
Lüdou and Nanny Li quickly came over, took the food boxes from Yunxiao, and arranged them on the table.
“Father, eat with me.” Duoduo tugged Xiao Yi’s hand.
Xiao Yi shook his head. “Father is not hungry. You eat.”
Since he hadn’t told Su Xian the full truth, he couldn’t bring extra food.
The food in the boxes was just enough for Duoduo and her two attendants.
“Then stay and keep me company!”
Duoduo clung to Xiao Yi with newfound affection.
Yunxiao stood at the cell door keeping watch, and Nanny Li joined him.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lüdou also stood beside Nanny Li,
leaving father and daughter space to talk.
After Duoduo had eaten a few bites and slowed down, Xiao Yi spoke.
“Today, the Emperor let Prince Ling review memorials.”
Duoduo was startled and turned to look at him.
Xiao Yi nodded to confirm the news was true.
Duoduo set down her chopsticks.
“Duoduo, did anything happen in the palace last night?”
Duoduo looked bewildered and shook her head. “Father, I don’t know.”
Remembering the jailer’s changed attitude, Xiao Yi asked a different question.
“How did you suddenly get moved to a different cell?”
“Especially to a cell like this?”
Hearing this, Duoduo poked out her tongue at Xiao Yi.
“Eunuch Li came to see the warden, and then I was moved here.”
Shock flickered in Xiao Yi’s eyes.
“Why would Eunuch Li come to see the warden?”
