In the quiet room, there was a figure who had been waiting for a long time.
It was the eldest daughter of the Xu family, Xu Lan!
When Lin Jiangnian saw her, he was somewhat surprised: "Why are you here?"
"Can't I come?"
Xu Lan glared at him lightly.
"Of course."
Lin Jiangnian waved his hand and didn't bother with the girl.
For this girl, entering Prince Lin's mansion is like entering her own home, so it's normal for her to appear at any time.
However, this girl's presence has indeed been very low these days.
She was confined by her father some time ago. She finally managed to sneak out of the house and came to stay with Lin Jiangnian for a day. Then Prince Lin came back. So many things happened during this period and I haven't seen her for several days.
It’s no wonder that Lin Jiangnian felt a little uncomfortable without her chattering in his ear.
"But, can you please change your habit of barging into my room whenever you have a disagreement?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her and walked to the table.
"Hmph, I'm happy to do that!"
Xu Lan snorted softly, staring at Lin Jiangnian, as if thinking of something, with a slightly complicated look in her eyes: "Hey."
"how?"
"You're going to the capital?"
Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes to look at her: "How did you know?"
"Xiaozhu told me."
Xu Lan snorted lightly, then glared at him: "Such a big thing, why didn't you tell me?"
"What kind of big deal is this?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her: "Do I need to inform you specifically?"
"you……"
When Xu Lan heard Lin Jiangnian's tone, which seemed to be indifferent, she felt unhappy.
A lot of things have happened during this period of time. The last time she sneaked out of the house, she was discovered by her father and was caught and not allowed to go out.
In addition, with Prince Lin's return, Linjiang City has been in turmoil these days. She heard that Prince Lin was assassinated in his mansion and was in great danger. Although she wanted to go out, she still held back.
Only after the storm had passed did he rush to look for Lin Jiangnian. However, he did not find Lin Jiangnian, but instead learned this shocking and unexpected news from Xiaozhu who had returned from the courtyard!
Lin Jiangnian is going to the capital?
Going to marry the eldest princess in the capital? !
When hearing the news, Xu Lan was a little dazed!
She knew very well that the current Lin Jiangnian was a fake, he was not the Prince of Lin at all...
But, others don’t know?!
Everyone thought he was the Prince of Lin, who was already engaged to the eldest princess. Now that Lin Jiangnian was going to Beijing to marry the eldest princess, she had already anticipated it.
But when she actually heard the news, she felt an indescribable emotion. This fake guy was actually going to marry the eldest princess on behalf of the real Prince Lin?
How to describe this feeling?
Xu Lan was inexplicably anxious and wanted to go home directly. But she couldn't help herself and waited until Lin Jiangnian came back to confirm the news.
"You...are going to marry that eldest princess?"
Xu Lan couldn't help but ask tentatively.
"I guess so."
Lin Jiangnian's answer was ambiguous.
Going to Beijing is true, but as for marrying the eldest princess...that may not be the case!
"snort!"
Seeing his perfunctory look, Xu Lan snorted again: "Are you still planning to hide this from me?"
Lin Jiangnian asked curiously, "When did I hide this from you?"
"If I hadn't come today, and Xiaozhu hadn't told me... then you wouldn't have told me?"
Lin Jiangnian shrugged: "Can you blame me for this? I can't go to your Xu family in person and tell you that I'm going to the capital to marry the princess, right?"
Xu Lan was stunned and blinked.
It seems like it does sound strange?
but……
"Then I don't care...it's all your fault anyway!"
Xu Lan couldn't put her finger on what was wrong, but she just felt uncomfortable. So she slammed the table and said angrily, "You're leaving. What should I do?"
"you?"
Lin Jiangnian's eyes looked even stranger: "What does my leaving have to do with what you do?"
"I……"
Xu Lan finally reacted, her face flushed slightly, feeling a little unnatural. She quickly turned her head and waved her hand: "I, I mean... if you leave, where will I find fun in the future?"
"Linjiang City is so boring. If you go to the capital now, how long will it take? Will it take a year or two? If I'm left alone in Linjiang City, won't I be bored to death?"
She was a person who couldn't stay still, otherwise she wouldn't have rushed to see Lin Jiangnian every now and then. Now that Lin Jiangnian suddenly wanted to leave, Xu Lan felt a mixture of emotions, worried about gains and losses.
Even she herself couldn't explain why she felt such inexplicable emotions.
There's still a vague feeling of... reluctance?
And inexplicable unhappiness!
I can’t explain it, but I’m just unhappy.
"If you put it that way, could it be that this prince is your amusement?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her.
"Hmph, that's right!"
Xu Lan spoke confidently.
She was the only one who dared to speak to Lin Jiangnian like that.
Lin Jiangnian curled his lips. "Do you think I'm willing to go to the capital, travel such a long way, and marry a woman I've never met?"
Xu Lan was startled, then blinked: "You don't want to?"
"What else?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her and said, "Is it that the maids in Prince Lin's mansion aren't pretty enough? If there was no other way, why would I have to travel across mountains and rivers to marry a strange woman from thousands of miles away?"
"Use your uncivilized brain to figure it out!"
"You scolded me again?!"
Xu Lan glared at Lin Jiangnian angrily, but soon became thoughtful: "It seems... to make some sense?"
Yes, this guy is now the prince of Linwang, and there is never a shortage of women around him. Not to mention Linjiang City, there are many beautiful maids in his mansion, such as Zhiyuan and the little maid named Xiaozhu.
There was really no need for him to go to the capital to marry a princess?
Could it be that he simply values her status as a princess?
Thinking of this, Xu Lan felt much more comfortable.
She glanced at him with a gloating look: "Who told you to be the Prince of Lin?"
A double entendre.
Lin Jiangnian ignored her. Xu Lan gloated for a moment, but soon lost interest. "But you still have to go to the capital. If you leave, won't I be too bored?"
"How about you take me with you?"
Xu Lan had a hopeful look on her face. She had been in Linjiang City for so long that she was already bored. She had always wanted to venture out into the world, but she had never had the chance.
She had heard that the capital was completely different from the south, and she had always wanted to go and see it for herself.
"you?"
Lin Jiangnian looked her up and down and asked, "Will your father agree?"
"Won't……"
Xu Lan soon became dejected again.
Her father doesn't even allow her to come to the palace now, so how could he let her go on a long journey with Lin Jiangnian?
"That's it. I'm your father and I'm going to be pissed off by you!"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head gently: "My journey to Beijing this time is long and dangerous. I'm not going on vacation. You should stay here peacefully."
Xu Lan's face immediately fell: "But, it's really boring..."
"or……"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her and said, "Since you're bored, why don't you find something to do?"
Xu Lan looked at him hopefully: "For example?"
"Find someone to marry."
“…”
Xu Lan's face flushed red as she glared at Lin Jiangnian angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about?! I, I will never, ever marry!"
"Didn't you say you were bored? Wouldn't it be nice to find someone to marry and raise children so you could have something to do?"
"I don't!"
Xu Lan's face flushed red as she glared, "I'm still young... Besides, I won't get married..."
When she said this, her voice became a little softer for some reason. She subconsciously glanced at Lin Jiangnian and saw that he had a playful smile on his face. She immediately became a little angry and embarrassed.
"Don't laugh!"
"Then there's nothing we can do!"
Lin Jiangnian waved his hand.
Xu Lan's face was still flushed with shame, revealing her girlish demeanor. She hummed a few times, mumbling something.
Lin Jiangnian looked at her and suddenly remembered something. He raised his eyes and glanced at the doors and windows. Seeing that they were closed, he lowered his gaze to Xu Lan and asked, "Can I ask you something?"
Xu Lan was thinking about something when she was stunned by Lin Jiangnian's words. She subconsciously asked, "What's the matter?"
"It's the same question as last time."
Lin Jiangnian sat opposite her, staring into her eyes without saying a word.
Xu Lan felt a little uncomfortable all over when Lin Jiangnian suddenly stared at her.
"You, why are you looking at me like that?"
"You, what do you want to ask?!"
Just as Xu Lan was feeling extremely confused, Lin Jiangnian suddenly spoke up: "Why did you try to murder Prince Lin before?!"
“…”
Night falls.
A graceful figure jumped off the carriage and returned home.
"Miss, you're back?"
The maid from the mansion hurried over to greet her. Xu Lan had a blank expression on her face and seemed to be in a low mood.
"Miss, you sneaked out today, and the master already knows..."
"I see."
Xu Lan still had no expression on her face. She returned to her own yard, drove away the maids and servants in the mansion, and stood alone in the yard.
Looking at the empty atmosphere around the courtyard, she couldn't help but feel an indescribable sense of loneliness.
Very uncomfortable.
Perhaps because her mother died early, she has never liked being alone since she was a child and hates the loneliness of being alone.
Today, when she learned that Lin Jiangnian was about to leave Linjiang City, she felt an indescribable trance and reluctance, as if something in her heart was suddenly taken away.
I feel inexplicably anxious!
nervous!
It’s strange, why didn’t I have this feeling before?
She stood in the yard, looking up at the moonlight. The moonlight in the sky was cunning and slowly fell to the ground. Xu Lan was sitting on the steps under the eaves, hugging her knees with her hands, and a look of confusion spread across her pretty face.
"I'm sorry, I messed up..."
Xu Lan muttered to herself, biting her lower lip, her fair and delicate face becoming increasingly confused: "He has guessed something, but... I didn't tell him the truth, but..."
"He's leaving now too!"
Xu Lan sat quietly under the eaves for a long time, until finally, she slowly restrained the emotions on her face, a hint of determination emerged in her eyes, she gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and immediately stood up and walked out of the yard.
"Someone come."
"Miss, what can I do for you?"
"Where's my dad?"
"The master is in the study..." Before the maid could finish her words, she saw Xu Lan hurriedly leaving.
…
In the courtyard of Prince Lin’s Palace.
Lin Jiangnian sat in the room with deep eyes.
In the end, Xu Lan said nothing!
She is one of the few people who knows Lin Jiangnian's fake identity, and is also one of the "real murderers behind the murder of Prince Lin".
But when Lin Jiangnian asked her the reason again, she still refused to say anything.
However, Lin Jiangnian noticed something strange on her face.
It is obvious that murdering Prince Lin was not her original intention. There must be someone behind her instructing her.
However, Lin Jiangnian had yet to determine who had ordered her to do so. He had previously asked Lin Kong to investigate, but there had been no leads. The Xu family was no small clan, after all, and had deep ties to the Lin Palace, making it difficult to determine.
The only breakthrough right now is Xu Lan.
However, she was unwilling to say.
Although Lin Jiangnian still had doubts, he didn't ask any further questions. She must have had a deeper meaning and unknown purpose behind her actions. With Lin Jiangnian's departure from Linjiang City, the truth and the person behind it would probably gradually emerge.
And this is also one of the real purposes of Lin Jiangnian's trip to Beijing this time.
Just as Lin Jiangnian was lost in thought, a petite figure appeared outside the door.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"
Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes and said, "Come in."
Xiao Zhu walked in cautiously.
Lin Jiangnian waved at her and she walked closer.
"Your Highness..."
As soon as she opened her mouth, Lin Jiangnian hugged her in his arms and held her on his lap.
Xiao Zhu blushed immediately, her body tensed, "Your Highness..."
Since last night, His Highness has become more and more bold and excessive, and Xiaozhu is extremely nervous and shy.
"Is the hot water ready?"
Lin Jiangnian hugged the little maid in his arms and asked with a chuckle.
Since Zhiyuan left, no one in the palace could stop Lin Jiangnian's actions. Xiaozhu, who was in front of him, naturally could not escape his clutches.
No need to worry about kites suddenly coming in and ruining your good deeds.
seem……
Does this feel good?
"Right, ready!"
Xiao Zhu lowered his head, his ears almost turning red.
"Come on, accompany this prince to take a bath!"
Lin Jiangnian patted the little maid's hips and said, "Go and help me wipe his back."
The little maid's face was red. Rub her back?
Is it really just a back rub?
Thinking of what happened last night, Xiao Zhu's face flushed red with embarrassment. Just as she was about to stand up, Lin Jiangnian picked her up by the waist and walked out the door.
"Your Highness...let this servant down!"
"Be obedient and don't move."
"……oh!"
“…”
Linjiang City had been peaceful for several days since the news of Prince Lin's assassination in his mansion. These were peaceful days, and everything was fine.
Until this day, another explosive news came from Linjiang City!
The Prince of Lin, in compliance with the Emperor's order, will go to the capital to marry the eldest princess of the dynasty from now on.
As soon as this news came out, it once again caused heated discussions among the people in the city.
Some were furious, cursing how this bastard prince could marry the noble eldest princess. The eldest princess was unparalleled in intelligence, beauty, and martial arts. It was like a flower stuck in cow dung.
Some people were happily setting off firecrackers to celebrate... This bastard prince has finally left. He won't be back for a year or two this time. It's really great. Linjiang City is peaceful now.
There are also some people hiding in the dark who have begun to make moves after hearing the news.
Outside Linjiang City, in a certain house, Li Qianlin, who had escaped from Linjiang City, had a gloomy expression on his face. He concentrated and spoke in a deep voice, "Did that bastard prince really leave Linjiang City?"
"It's absolutely true. Someone already found out yesterday that many carriages were leaving the city from Prince Lin's mansion. Someone saw that bastard prince emerge. There's no doubt about it!"
"very good!"
A hint of excitement appeared in Li Qianlin's cold eyes.
"He's finally out! This time, it will be his death!"
Thinking of the humiliation he had suffered during this period, Li Qianlin's face became extremely gloomy and ferocious.
"When do we start?"
“No rush!”
Li Qianlin's face was gloomy. "Linzhou is thousands of miles away from the capital. Once he leaves Linzhou, it will be his death!"
"This time, no one can save him!"
“…”
Lin Wangfu.
It's another sunny day.
Inside Ruyi Tower.
In front of the window of the building, two figures were playing chess.
"Jiang Nian has already left Linjiang City."
Lin Hengzhong made a move and sighed softly.
Elder Li's eyes were cloudy. "Is Your Highness worried about His Highness's safety?"
"That's not a worry."
Lin Hengzhong shook his head slightly. He had made all preparations for Lin Jiangnian's visit to Beijing this time.
What's more, this trip to Beijing was just a cover!
He was actually worried that those people would not come.
"I am just worried about whether he can gain a foothold in the capital."
Lin Hengzhong sighed softly. The complexity of the place in the capital was far more serious than he had imagined.
"The capital is too far away after all. My enemies are all there. If they attack me this time..."
"Your Highness, there is no need to worry. His Highness is calm and mature. Even in the capital, there is no need to worry too much."
Elder Li glanced at Lin Hengzhong and said, "Besides, if Your Highness wants to inherit the prince's throne, isn't this also a necessary process?"
Lin Heng nodded. This was the real reason why he asked Lin Jiangnian to come to Beijing!
Whether or not he could marry the princess wasn't important; the key was whether Lin Jiangnian could grow during his trip to the capital. Without the protection of Prince Lin's mansion, could he stand on his own and gain a foothold in the capital, where powerful enemies abounded?
This is a test for him and also a necessary experience!
"I didn't expect that Mr. Li would even give the Autumn Water Sword to Jiang Nian." Lin Hengzhong glanced at him and said, "This is indeed beyond my expectations."
Elder Li said casually, "It's just a broken sword. It would be a waste to keep it here. It would be better to leave it to His Highness. Perhaps it can be of some use to him."
Lin Hengzhong didn't say anything else, and finally made his move: "You lose."
Mr. Li's eyes were cloudy, but there was a hint of a smile on his face: "Yes, I lost!"
Lin Hengzhong stood up and said, "Let's stop here for today. I still have some matters to attend to."
Elder Li nodded: "Your Highness, please do as you wish."
Lin Hengzhong left Ruyi Tower, walked out of the attic, crossed the suspension bridge, and came to the shore.
On the shore, Zheng Zhiming waited quietly for a long time.
When Lin Hengzhong approached the shore, Zheng Zhiming walked up and whispered something into Lin Hengzhong's ear.
The next second, Lin Hengzhong's eyes suddenly focused.
“Where are the people?!”
“…”