HLnovel Chapter 424 Conversation with Emperor Linde
Chapter 424 Conversation with Emperor Linde
Xue Tong stayed in Lin Su's Prince Qing's mansion for three days, completely unaware of her cheap host's shocking plan.
On the morning of the fourth day, before dawn, the imperial guards from the palace knocked on the gates of Prince Qing's residence.
Xue Tong had already gotten up and was in her room, facing a bronze mirror, adorning her elaborate hair with a gold hairpin.
Light, swift footsteps sounded outside the door, and the person stopped softly in front of Xue Tong's door:
"Sixth Prince, His Majesty has awakened. He summons you and the Fifth Prince to the palace for an audience."
The girl in front of the bronze mirror slowly stood up. Her light yellow dress was elegant and graceful, which made Xue Tong look more lively and radiant.
The girl opened the tightly closed door and asked:
"I wonder where Fifth Sister has been these past few days?"
Standing outside the door was Huo Chen. Upon seeing Xue Tong emerge, the young man deftly stepped back, making way for the young woman.
"The Fifth Prince has been staying in the palace these days."
"Serving His Majesty during his illness."
After arriving here, Xue Tong only saw the Fifth Princess, Yu Shu, once. She was the eldest prince's younger sister, born of the same mother. She was beautiful and delicate, with gentle features like a light ink landscape painting.
After the old emperor passed away, the fifth princess was sent to an enemy country for a political marriage by the licentious young emperor. She died on her wedding night, leaving no trace of her body.
"I understand," Xue Tong replied softly to Huo Chen.
"Tell my brother not to do anything rash before I return."
Huo Chen nodded slightly and followed closely behind Xue Tong, escorting the young girl to the carriage sent by the palace.
The Prince Qing's residence was actually only two streets away from the palace. In less than a quarter of an hour, Xue Tong's carriage arrived in front of the vermilion palace gate.
Even before the carriage came into view, the imperial guards at the palace gates had already begun to open them.
Xue Tong only heard the sound of horses' hooves outside the curtain. Without any pause, they rushed straight into the palace.
"Sixth Prince, we've arrived."
When the deep, resonant voice of the Imperial Guard Commander came from outside the carriage, Xue Tong slowly lifted the curtain.
The sky, which had been somewhat dim when they left Prince Qing's mansion, was now brightening. Xue Lan saw a thin person kneeling at the entrance of the magnificent palace.
The person's pale white silhouette was elegant and graceful, like a willow swaying in the breeze. She trembled slightly in the cool morning air, like a butterfly on the verge of death.
It was Yu Shu.
"What's wrong with Fifth Sister?"
Xue Tong took a few steps forward and slowly stopped beside the person to ask.
With her eyes lowered, the girl saw Yu Shu's eyes filled with tears.
Those usually gentle eyes were not only filled with tears, but also with a suppressed anger mixed with emotions that Xue Tong couldn't understand.
Just as Xue Tong was about to ask another question, she heard a sound of something falling to the ground coming from inside the palace.
The old emperor's hoarse voice called out:
"Tong'er, come in!"
Xue Tong quickly turned around and entered the palace. Since Emperor Linde fell ill, he had become afraid of light, so all the windows in the palace were covered with shimmering brocade to reduce sunlight.
The light was dim, and the candlelight flickered. An elderly man in a bright yellow nightgown stood by the candlestick, constantly trimming the overly long wick with scissors.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Xue Tong bowed to the old man, thinking to herself that she had finally made something of herself and had become a princess.
Emperor Linde slowly turned around, his old, cloudy eyes fixed on Xue Tong.
"It really looks like..."
The old emperor's voice was hoarse and infatuated, as if he were looking at someone through Xue Tong.
It's probably that Consort Qi.
"Tong'er, do you think your father did something wrong?"
The old man's sudden remark sent a shiver down Xue Tong's spine.
Your Majesty, what are you asking?
Doesn't this kind of question only have one answer?
Even a second's delay in kneeling is a sign of disregard for one's own life.
The girl in palace attire suddenly knelt on the floor of the bedchamber.
"Father is wise and mighty, how could he make a wrong judgment?"
Emperor Linde looked at his youngest daughter, first with some surprise, then burst into laughter:
"Yu Tong, I thought you would always be that fearless person, but I didn't expect you to change after Father was in a coma for a few days."
As the old man spoke, the smile on his face froze for a moment, and his intense desire for control was like a large net pressing down on Xue Tong's head.
It was so airtight that it made people feel suffocated.
"Was it your brother who told you... he wants my throne?"
Xue Tong breathed a sigh of relief and tried her best to compose herself.
"Brother, of course I wouldn't dare."
"He had only recently returned from the battlefield."
Emperor Linde looked at Xue Tong, and after a moment nodded in agreement: "That's true, your brother doesn't have the brains."
Xue Tong almost couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of water.
The old emperor had just woken up from his coma, and his body still couldn't support him standing for long. After saying a few words, he sat down on the dragon bed.
Xue Tong followed the old man's footsteps and took two steps forward, then saw a shard of porcelain on the hem of her skirt.
The white porcelain was of excellent quality, but it broke.
Emperor Linde noticed Yu Tong's gaze, and the old man said in a hearty voice, "That was accidentally broken just now."
Xue Tong's eyes were blank: "An accident?"
Recalling Yu Shu kneeling outside the door just now, the cup was definitely not broken by accident.
But this cannot be said.
Emperor Linde took action while Xue Tong remained silent.
"You just said that Father is wise and mighty, but Father regrets it a little."
The old man took out a small paper square from under his pillow.
"Go and invite the people up here to me."
Xue Tong carefully opened it and saw that eight names were written on it.
"Xing Chongling..." Xue Tong tapped on Xue Lan, who hadn't appeared in a long time, in his sea of consciousness:
"Is this Xing Chongling the old man who taught you how to saw porcelain in Wuci Town?"
Xue Lan responded quickly, immediately sending out her question in her mind.
Xue Lan, who was sunbathing outside the cave, slowly spoke upon hearing this:
"There's no mistake. When you have time, go and see where I participated in the trial, and see if the unusual weather there has returned to normal after I left?"
Xue Tong nodded slowly:
"I'll figure something out. Wuci Town can't escape!"