Chapter 26: Ha, his Princess is quite the little miser!

By then, Lin Yue had already reached the Pine-Moon Hall. Taking out her key, she unlocked Cloudwater Tower.

The place was secluded and peaceful. From the windows, one could see almost the whole Imperial Garden, as well as the main hall of the Palace of Benevolent Longevity. No wonder Xiao Jingyun had chosen it as his study. Whenever he felt troubled, he could admire the scenery, and whenever he worried about his mother, he could check on her at any time. It was indeed very convenient.

The bookshelves were filled with military treatises and martial arts manuals, along with numerous works on governance, the welfare of the people, and the classics.

Lin Yue picked up a Daoist scripture. One line read:

“Destiny is nothing more than the choices people make.”

Beneath it, someone had circled another sentence:

“Those who love most deeply are foolish; those who possess the truest nature are wise; those who grasp the ultimate truth are impartial.”

Another line, written in smaller characters, said:

“If no great path leads to the heavens, then people like us must carve the road ourselves. The darkness has bred obscurity; circumstances have forced our hand.”

Seeing those words, Lin Yue could already imagine what he had witnessed. He had seen the darkness of the world and had developed a measure of self-mockery.

Yet he had not abandoned himself. Instead, he had chosen to go to war, leading his soldiers from the front and defending the realm.

Thinking of this, Lin Yue unconsciously reached for her mirror.

Suddenly, a figure appeared at the window. Lin Yue was so startled that her hand trembled, and the mirror slipped to the floor.

Thinking it had shattered, she hurriedly picked it up to inspect it. Fortunately, it was unharmed.

As relief washed over her, anger followed. “Are you insane? Why are you climbing through the window in your own home?”

Xiao Huaizheng flushed awkwardly. “I sneaked over here. I didn’t dare let my imperial father know.”

Lin Yue could not be bothered with him and carefully wiped the mirror.

Seeing that there was nothing particularly unusual about it, Xiao Huaizheng asked, “Did my imperial uncle give that to you?”

“No.”

“Oh... Then why do you treasure it so much?”

Lin Yue looked up and snapped, “What would you know? This is the token of love between your imperial uncle and me.”

Xiao Huaizheng was instantly sour. He clicked his tongue twice.

Lin Yue shot him a glare. “Why have you come to see me?”

“Nothing in particular. My elder brother summoned the imperial physicians as soon as he returned to the Eastern Palace. I heard that his health is poor. You should stay away from him, or he might blame you for it later.”

Lin Yue laughed and looked up at Xiao Huaizheng with mocking amusement.

He grew uneasy. “What is that look supposed to mean? His illness has nothing to do with me.”

Of course it has nothing to do with you. You knew he was ill, deliberately provoked him into an attack, and then watched him die right before your eyes.

You are sitting on such a huge secret, and knowing it yourself would be one thing—but why tell me? Are you planning to use me to take the blame for you?

Xiao Huaizheng fell silent.

“In any case, don’t come looking for me unless you have something important. You and I are not close.”

“Why does Imperial Aunt reject me so strongly? Is it because I was born of a concubine and have yet to be made a prince?”

Lin Yue raised a hand to stop him. “Enough. Don’t give me that act. It’s far too calculated.”

Xiao Huaizheng smiled. “I truly do need Imperial Aunt’s help with something. But I would never make you work for nothing. Some people under me recently presented me with an estate—a large five-courtyard residence. It is worth at least five thousand silver taels. If Imperial Aunt helps me, I shall naturally present the estate to you.”

Lin Yue’s eyes lit up. Well, well. This young man certainly knew how to conduct business.

She immediately said, “Tell me. What is it?”

“My maternal grandfather was once a deputy military commander stationed in Duyun Prefecture. He had one son and two daughters. Besides my mother and my aunt, he had a son—my maternal uncle—who was said to have disappeared many years ago. No trace of him has ever been found.”

“I would like to ask Imperial Aunt to make some inquiries in secret. If you can truly find him, your nephew will offer you another reward.”

Lin Yue looked at Xiao Huaizheng in confusion.

Could it be that he had already realized Huo Renli was an impostor?

But nearly everyone in the Huo family was dead. Unless his biological aunt were brought to the capital, how could the truth be confirmed?

The magistrate of Duyun had colluded with Huo Renli, bullying his biological aunt both openly and covertly. Her entire family had nearly been destroyed by their persecution. If they had not feared his future reckoning, they would have long since driven the family to ruin.

If we begin searching now, they may not even survive long enough to reach the capital.

Lin Yue considered the matter, then quickly replied in her mind:

This can only be investigated in secret. I can hire someone to look into it for you, but I cannot guarantee success.

Duyun is simply too far away. The journey there and back will take a great deal of time.

Xiao Huaizheng had already obtained the information he wanted. Next, he merely needed to find someone to impersonate a member of the Huo family and lure Huo Renli into taking the bait.

Everything else was irrelevant.

Still, in order to make Imperial Aunt believe him and gradually accept the changes in him, he maintained a respectful tone. “Then I shall trouble you, Imperial Aunt. Rest assured—even if, in the end, only my aunt’s family remains and we fail to find any news of my maternal uncle, I will still give you the estate.”

“It is inconvenient to handle things while we are in the palace. When you leave, I will personally deliver the deed to your residence.”

After speaking, Xiao Huaizheng bowed respectfully and departed.

Lin Yue stared at the empty window and wondered why it was inconvenient for him to deliver the estate while they were in the palace.

Was Xiao Huaizheng planning to visit her princely residence as well? Did that mean he simply wanted another chance to see her?

Why was it that after saving a villain, she ended up being pestered by him?

Lin Yue wiped the mirror and muttered to herself, “This child doesn’t seem to have gone astray yet. Should I give him a helping hand?”

“Other people marry into the imperial family and enjoy a life of comfort, strutting around with power and prestige. But after I married into the imperial family, I can’t even see my husband’s back. Now I have to help raise children too. What a miserable life.”

Far away at the frontier, Xiao Jingyun was holding the mirror when the corner of his mouth twitched. He was utterly speechless.

Why did she fail to mention that the moment she heard Xiao Huaizheng was going to give her a five-courtyard estate, her voice had become so joyful it seemed ready to soar into the heavens?

Hmph. His princess consort was quite the little miser.