Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 269 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (169)

Zhuang Yuxun returned secretly this time, and in order not to attract attention, he had been sneaking around all this time, and almost never went out except to Lu Liruan's place. He had been holding back for a long time.

Her whole body was tense, and she kept her eyes wide open during the night's operation. When she returned in the morning, she was still full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue.

"Good morning...ah..." Lu Liruan looked at her, still dressed in her athletic outfit, looking very energetic, sitting on the table with a few dark red stains on her cuffs.

"Ah, Li Ruan, I'll go change my clothes first." Noticing Lu Li Ruan's gaze, she got up and walked into the inner room.

Lu Liruan could clearly smell the chilling aura and bloodthirstiness emanating from her as she passed by. Although she seemed casual, last night must have been anything but easy.

When she came out after changing into ordinary clothes, her expression returned to its usual lively and carefree manner: "Li Ruan, how did you sleep last night? Did you hear the sounds outside?"

"No, I only remember you pushing me last night, but I was too sleepy and couldn't open my eyes no matter what you said."

"I specifically asked someone to keep their voices down so as not to disturb your sleep." Zhuang Yuxun chuckled, "Luckily you didn't go out with us yesterday. I didn't expect there to be so many people hiding in the shadows. We were almost caught off guard. We were careless." She sighed and said frankly.

"Huh? You're not hurt, are you?" Lu Liruan was startled and quickly asked.

"No, it's just that there are more of them. They've been living a life of luxury in the capital. What kind of fancy moves do they have? They're no match for you. How can someone of this caliber still be in the capital? What can they possibly do?" Zhuang Yuxun waved his hand, clearly showing his disdain for the people the Second Prince had sent.

Lu Liruan thought to herself, "That's only natural. Those who live a life of luxury in the capital can't compare to you who are on the battlefield every day. Letting the guards of the capital fight against the soldiers on the frontier is like a scholar meeting a soldier..."

How many people are there in total?

"There were fifty-eight people in total, and more than thirty were captured alive. We're just waiting for the Third Prince to have time to deal with them," Zhuang Yuxun said.

Mentioning Ji Shumin, Lu Liruan frowned slightly again: "Still no news from the palace?"

"No." Zhuang Yuxun didn't lie to Lu Liruan. It was better to tell the truth than to let someone hear comforting lies. Lu Liruan wasn't the kind of sheltered young lady who couldn't withstand the slightest storm.

Zhuang Yuxun had heard He Pingyan tell her how Lu Liruan struggled to stay by Ji Shumin's side when he was seriously ill, and how strong and stable she was.

He Pingyan couldn't say this to Lu Liruan or Ji Shumin, but he did say it to Zhuang Yuxun: "The Third Prince's Consort is a woman who can handle anything."

“Of course, I’ve known Li Ruan for a long time, so I know she’s extraordinary,” Zhuang Yuxun replied, seemingly quite proudly.

He Pingyan frowned slightly. For some reason, he felt a slight sense of understanding as to why the Third Prince sometimes disliked the two of them being together...

"So we're just going to wait like this?" Lu Liruan asked anxiously.

"The Second Prince is still in a standoff with the palace. Perhaps the palace already has a solution..." Zhuang Yuxun knew that if the Second Prince raised an army, He Pingyan would bring troops to help.

But that's not the only problem.

However, the silence in the palace now raises concerns about whether something else has gone wrong, or if there has been a mishap in the new emperor's ascension to the throne. This is what Lu Liruan is worried about.

Everyone knows that the longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it is, and the easier it is for others to criticize it.

"Let's wait and see how things develop," Zhuang Yuxun could only comfort Lu Liruan.

Unexpectedly, news soon came from the palace, not about Ji Shumin, but about the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager sent someone to deliver a message, requesting that Lu Liruan enter the palace.

The Dowager Consort was not entirely as detached from worldly affairs as she appeared. Even if she didn't care, she would still know. Upon hearing that the Second Prince had surrounded the Third Prince's residence, she was worried about Lu Liruan outside the palace and ordered someone to bring Lu Liruan into the palace.

Ji Shumin had the same consideration when he left Lu Liruan in the mansion. Compared to the crowded and chaotic palace, the Third Prince's mansion was well-organized and protected by Ji Shumin, and with Zhuang Yuxun by his side, Lu Liruan was absolutely safe in the mansion.

"Should we..." Lu Liruan didn't know whether she should go to the palace. She really wanted to go there now. No matter what happened, she wanted to be by Ji Shumin's side to feel truly at ease.

On the other hand, she didn't want to cause trouble for Ji Shumin. She didn't know what the situation was like in the palace yet. If she went there rashly, would it distract Ji Shumin and make him lose focus on her, thus affecting his mood?

Lu Liruan wasn't being willful just to satisfy her own personality. Rather than making herself feel comfortable, she wanted to consider the bigger picture and prevent any unforeseen changes.

Zhuang Yuxun was also somewhat bewildered, wondering how the Empress Dowager's order had been delivered.

But soon, news from Ji Shumin also came back, inquiring about Lu Liruan's current situation. If she wished, she could enter the palace as the Dowager wished. Ji Shumin wrote in his own hand: I am very worried about her.

Lu Liruan felt a surge of warmth in her heart upon seeing this.

Because everything outside the mansion had been cleared out last night, Lu Liruan was surprisingly unimpeded when she left the mansion under the cover of night, and her departure was very smooth.

The streets of the capital were unusually deserted, with every household keeping their doors closed. The New Year decorations that had been hung up a few days ago were still there, swaying in the dark night with the cold wind, but they created an even more desolate atmosphere.

As Lu Liruan entered the palace through a small gate in her carriage, dark clouds parted from the moon, casting a hazy, indistinct shadow, as if brewing something. The clatter of hooves on the ground sent a shiver down her spine.

"Why is there no one guarding this place?" After entering the palace, Lu Liruan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look back to ask.

“Apart from the palace gate, all the other small gates have also been cleared.” Zhuang Yuxun’s eyes were sharp, and she remained vigilant and on guard. The area outside the mansion was not as safe as the area inside, and she was afraid that something might happen to Lu Liruan along the way.

After all, the Second Prince must have been willing to use any means necessary to deploy so many people outside the Third Prince's residence.

Lu Liruan returned to the courtyard in the palace where she used to live.

As always, Songjingyuan was quiet and dimly lit. As soon as Lu Liruan stepped inside, countless memories of what had happened here flooded her mind...

She couldn't help but slow her pace, her fingers touching every object and scene, feeling both familiar and strange, as if the days she spent here were a distant memory.

Songjingyuan was very clean, and everything was indeed kept as it was.

Even...

Before Lu Liruan could finish looking around the yard and reminiscing, she heard Zhuang Yuxun's excited voice, "Liruan—Liruan, look! The dog hole is still there!"

Lu Liruan: ...

Turning around, I saw Zhuang Yuxun standing by the wall, bending over and pointing excitedly at the dog hole that had been cleaned up neatly.

"Ah, hahahaha." Lu Liruan chuckled dryly, the slight sadness she felt earlier vanishing instantly, and she even felt a little absurd.

Yes, thinking about it carefully, everything that happened in the past was indeed quite absurd.

As we entered the house, Xiao Xizi's figure silently entered from outside the courtyard.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince is... is right in front, with the First Prince, waiting... waiting a moment, coming to see you."

“Yes, tell him not to rush, and that important matters should be taken seriously.” Lu Liruan nodded, indicating that she understood.

The charcoal brazier in the room was burning hot. Lu Liruan sat on the side, absentmindedly turning her wrist. She no longer felt uneasy in the mansion. It seemed that as long as she could be closer to Ji Shumin, even if they didn't meet, she would feel more at ease.

"Li Ruan, this flowerpot... why is it so ugly?" Zhuang Yuxun wandered around the room, then suddenly squatted down and pointed to a huge, dark flowerpot.

Lu Liruan looked in the direction she was pointing.

When Lu Liruan was here, the flowerpot was filled with flowers and plants. Now that Lu Liruan has left, nothing is planted in it anymore, so the flowerpot underneath is now exposed.

“Hmm…” Lu Liruan pursed her lips.

"It's really ugly, why is it placed here?" Zhuang Yuxun picked at the dust with his fingers.

That's enough! Those are flowerpots made by your Third Prince himself! His handicrafts have always been in this style!

Ji Shumin's pottery skills were indeed lacking. Compared to making porcelain, Lu Liruan felt that the gloomy and mad Crown Prince at the time used smashing porcelain to relieve stress.

More people fell than they succeeded.

"Stop looking at the flowerpots." Lu Liruan sighed softly and went over to pull Zhuang Yuxun back.

After drinking a few sips of hot tea and eating a few snacks, I felt much more comfortable.

After changing her clothes and lounging on the bed, Lu Liruan patted the spot next to her and said, "Yu Xun, you don't need to stay on night duty tonight. Come up and sleep with me for a while."

"I am not sleepy."

How come you're always so energetic?

Lu Liruan truly felt that compared to Zhuang Yuxun, she seemed to lack yang energy. In the past few days, she had hardly seen Zhuang Yuxun close his eyes.

"No need, I'm not sleepy at all." Zhuang Yuxun said, but still sat down next to Lu Liruan, tilting her head and leaning on Lu Liruan's shoulder: "Liruan, you feel sorry for me?"

Lu Liruan was amused by her and leaned her head against her. The two snuggled together, while Xiao Xizi, who was waiting nearby, secretly glanced over.

His Highness the Third Prince instructed me to tell him in detail what happened to the Empress… This is…

"Your Highness, are you ready to rest? This servant will go and summon a palace maid." Xiao Xizi asked with great perceptiveness.

Qinghe has not been with Lu Liruan these past few days; Lu Liruan sent her to the Marquis of He'an's residence.

Lu Liruan was well aware of Qinghe's skills. When she first entered the palace, someone tried to assassinate her, but Qinghe dealt with them silently.

With Zhuang Yuxun in her own residence, Lu Liruan worried that the Marquis of He'an's residence lacked skilled guards, so she sent Qinghe over.

"When will the Third Prince arrive?" Lu Liruan wanted to wait a little longer, otherwise she would fall asleep by the time Ji Shumin arrived.

But when your mind is tense for too long, you will unconsciously feel sleepy as soon as you relax.

When Lu Liruan opened her eyes again, the old nanny who served the Empress Dowager appeared before her.

The nanny did not call Lu Liruan, but Lu Liruan had been very vigilant lately, and would wake up immediately if anyone approached her.

"Mommy..."

"Your Highness, Third Prince's Consort." The old nanny, with a kind expression, came over and greeted Lu Liruan.

"Why did you come at this time, Granny?" Lu Liruan rubbed her temples, propped herself up, and realized that she hadn't even taken off her clothes and had just fallen asleep.

"This old servant is here on the orders of the Dowager Consort to check on the Third Prince's Consort. If she has not yet rested, please come over," the old nanny said softly.

"Oh, then we..."

"Since Your Highness the Third Prince's Consort is so tired, the Dowager Consort will not insist that you go. Why don't you rest first?" The nanny said with great concern.

"It's alright, I'm already awake." Lu Liruan slowly got up. The Empress Dowager must have summoned her at this hour for some reason, and Lu Liruan didn't want to delay anything.

Seeing that she had already gotten up, the nanny stopped trying to persuade her.

Night had fallen, and although the capital was in a state of panic, the palace remained orderly and everything was as it had always been, as if the outside world was completely unaware of the turmoil.

Lu Liruan boarded the palanquin and followed the nanny to the palace of the Dowager Consort.

The Empress Dowager, dressed in plain clothes, maintained her gentle and kind demeanor as always. When she saw Lu Liruan, she smiled and said, "Liruan has arrived."

"Your Highness the Imperial Concubine!" When Lu Liruan saw the Imperial Concubine, she felt a warmth in her heart for no reason. No matter when, the Imperial Concubine was always gentle and kind, which made people feel at ease.

Judging from the Empress Dowager's attire, the entire palace must already know that the Emperor has passed away.

As she got closer, Lu Liruan noticed that... the Empress Dowager's eyes were a little red, as if she had shed tears not long ago.

"Your Majesty," Lu Liruan said, feeling a pang of sadness.

No matter how others judged them, or what the younger concubines or officials thought, in the eyes of the Dowager Consort, they were all children she had raised and cared for.

Lu Liruan felt a pang of sadness as she thought about the Empress Dowager's feelings. People are multifaceted, and everyone sees different things in different ways.

"Li Ruan, come here, let me take a look." The Empress Dowager seemed to see what Lu Li Ruan was thinking, and took her hand, making her sit down beside her.

"Good child, you've suffered these past few days." The Empress Dowager touched Lu Liruan's face, her palm warm to the touch.

"I'm fine. How have you been these past few days, Your Majesty?"

"I am fine, but I am worried about you and your parents." The Empress Dowager did not mention what was happening outside the palace, but both of them knew the truth.

After warming up a bit, Lu Liruan asked, "Did Your Majesty summon me here because...?"

"Ah."

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, dismissing all the servants.

She walked up to a dressing table and took out a bright yellow cloth bag from it.

As Lu Liruan watched the Empress Dowager's movements, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart. Then, following the Empress Dowager's movements, she saw clearly what was wrapped inside.

National Seal.

"Your Majesty... how did this end up here?" Lu Liruan asked in surprise.

"Yes, apart from you and me, no one else knows that I am here," the Empress Dowager said calmly, enunciating each word clearly.