Chapter 39: For the sake of my dear husband, I would even sell myself to raise the funds.
The Crown Prince hurriedly stepped forward and inquired, “Royal Aunt, is it him?”
Huo Renli respectfully lowered his gaze and stood still, showing no sign of panic.
Lin Yue spoke with a hint of amusement, “He does look somewhat like him.”
At this moment, Huo Renli was quite nervous, yet he did not utter a single word in defense, demonstrating remarkable composure.
In her mind, Lin Yue thought, *No wonder he managed to deceive the Fourth Prince into turning against his own kin. That old fox really is formidable.*
The Crown Prince frowned, intending to seize Huo Renli on the spot.
But Lin Yue paused and calmly said, “However, his hand is fine. It’s not him.”
*If it were him, this man would possess profound martial arts skills, capable of restoring a severed finger with inner energy so seamlessly that it would appear intact. The Crown Prince is right beside him now; he might suddenly take him hostage.*
*The Fourth Prince is already investigating his identity. If discovered, given the Fourth Prince’s unforgiving nature, Huo Renli’s fate would be grim.*
*Forget it, let’s watch the tiger fight from the sidelines.*
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince immediately took two steps back and said, “Good that it’s not him. Otherwise, I would have to summon my fourth brother for questioning.”
If Huo Renli wanted to take someone hostage, he could try with the fourth brother instead.
That would also allow the fourth brother to see the true nature of this old man, Huo Renli.
Lin Yue nodded and sat back down, saying, “Continue.”
Huo Renli moved aside and queued up again. After this incident, everyone’s gaze toward him grew strange.
Although Lin Yue said he wasn’t the culprit, among all the stewards they had seen, the only person the Princess Consort of Dingwang had ever suspected was him.
Knowing this man was usually a smiling tiger—kind-faced but ruthless behind one’s back—the stewards deeply disliked him from the bottom of their hearts. From that day on, they resolved to find some leverage against Huo Renli.
Meanwhile, Lin Yue asked the system silently, *Why didn’t the system alert me when I encountered Huo Renli?*
The system replied, *Although Huo Renli is a major villain, he is not a main line character—at most, a tool for doing bad deeds. He will never enjoy the fruits of victory; death is inevitable.*
Lin Yue understood and inquired, *So, without the Fourth Prince’s rebellious nature, he wouldn’t have been able to commit so many heinous acts?*
The system confirmed, *You could say that.*
Lin Yue said, *Then leave Huo Renli to be dealt with by the Fourth Prince. I bet his end will be extraordinary—perhaps his corpse will be tied up in knots.*
The system was speechless.
All the stewards under the Grand Supervisor had been checked—none matched.
Liu Gonggong approached and asked, “Princess Consort of Dingwang, we have verified all the stewards under the Grand Supervisor. The person you are looking for is not among them.”
“Then should we expand the search and summon all eunuchs for another inspection?”
Lin Yue stood and said, “No need. I already know who it is.”
---
“But to avoid causing panic, I will handle this matter privately.”
Among the crowd, Huo Renli’s body stiffened. Was the Princess Consort bluffing, or did she really know? He suddenly had a foreboding feeling.
Liu Gonggong widened his eyes in surprise. Who was that?
He dared not ask and looked up to see the emperor.
The emperor said, “What the Princess Consort means is what I mean. Tell everyone to disperse.”
Liu Gonggong complied.
The emperor approached and asked, “Sister-in-law, are you sure you have found the person?”
“If he continues to do evil, the dignity of our royal family will be lost.”
Lin Yue glanced toward Huo Renli, who instinctively slowed his steps. She deliberately said, “Brother, rest assured. He doesn’t know how many eyes are watching him now. He thinks his hands are clean and can get away with it, but he doesn’t realize that the stench of human hearts leaves a trace on the body.”
“Just because I don’t expose him doesn’t mean I will let him go.”
“I will inform his master.”
*Let them tear each other apart. If the Fourth Prince cannot bring himself to be ruthless or is still deceived by him, then the Fourth Prince can be disposed of as well.*
Huo Renli was relieved to hear that his master would be informed. Xiao Huaizheng trusted him completely; he only needed to claim it was a counterintelligence ploy, and Xiao would cover for him. He despised the royal family deeply.
In this way, there might be unexpected gains.
With this thought, Huo Renli quickened his pace and soon disappeared from sight.
The emperor’s gaze darkened as he made a firm decision.
If his son was still deceived by Huo Renli and slaughtered royal family members, then he, as the father emperor, would not hesitate to end him himself.
“All right, let’s proceed as Sister-in-law suggests.”
“Crown Prince, escort your royal aunt back to Songyue Palace to rest.”
The Crown Prince respectfully stepped forward.
His mood was somewhat low. Among the five brothers, the fourth had grown up without their mother’s care. He had long noticed Huo Renli’s suspicious nature but had not forcibly removed him from his fourth brother’s side.
If the fourth brother were harmed by Huo Renli, he would blame himself deeply.
Halfway along, the Crown Prince asked, “Royal Aunt, is it really that old man Huo Renli?”
Lin Yue asked, “Why do you ask that?”
The Crown Prince replied, “Among so many people, I noticed you only suspected him.”
Lin Yue said, “This matter is none of your concern, but there has been a change in the task we discussed earlier. I might still need your help.”
*Don’t get involved with that old eunuch Huo Renli. I saved you with great effort—not to have you risk your life because of him.*
A faint smile appeared on the Crown Prince’s lips. Royal Aunt was truly kind, even worried he would be harmed by that old eunuch.
---
Even if that old eunuch was formidable, he was a mere pawn, fragmented and controlled by the royal master. Otherwise, what was he worth?
Yet feeling Royal Aunt’s concern, the Crown Prince was pleased.
He said immediately, “If you have any orders, Royal Aunt, just say the word. Your nephew will see to it.”
Lin Yue liked this straightforward attitude and replied, “I’ll find a way to get the cotton clothes and rations. The fire oil and medicinal herbs still need to be delivered.”
“You can decide whether to deliver them yourself or have someone else do it.”
*On the surface, we must show Mu Lixin some respect. This way, no one will be in danger, and conflicts will be greatly reduced.*
The Crown Prince immediately said, “Then I will deliver them.”
Lin Yue said, “No rush for now. Prepare what you need first, and we’ll discuss it later.”
*Actually, the Fourth Prince is the best choice. Dealing with someone like Mu Lixin requires breaking the rules—throw away all notions of loyalty and righteousness. Only by striking hard and fast can you be effective.*
The Crown Prince’s heart tightened, but he nodded to show he understood.
Returning to Songyue Palace, the Empress Dowager greeted him with concern, asking, “How did you get attacked inside the palace? Are you hurt?”
The Crown Prince quickly replied, “Royal Aunt was not injured. Instead, that old attacker lost all five fingers on one hand.”
The Empress Dowager demanded sharply, “Who was it?”
The Crown Prince hesitated, unsure whether to speak.
Lin Yue said, “Don’t worry, I’ve handled everything.”
“Let’s freshen up and rest early.”
“I may have to leave the palace tomorrow.”
The Empress Dowager anxiously asked, “Why would you leave when everything is fine? Is it related to this matter?”
“Whoever bullied you, don’t be afraid. Even if it’s the emperor, I will get justice for you.”
Lin Yue said, “Mother, please don’t say that. It would hurt Brother’s feelings.”
“I’m leaving the palace because there are some matters I need to attend to.”
*I need to accumulate merit points. Later, I’ll exchange them for rations—one million jin.*
*For my dear husband, I’ll sell myself if I have to to raise the funds.*
The Crown Prince: “...!?”
The Empress Dowager: “...!?”