Chapter 1351: Chapter 1346: The Astute Crown Prince

But he just couldn’t remember who Hong Lian was or if they knew each other.

“Seventh brother, you look pale. Why don’t you go rest for a while?” Leng Muling was worried about his health and, seeing nobody around, hugged him and patted his back.

Mo Qi comforted her, “It’s all right, I still need to stay with the Crown Prince until Prince Jinling arrives. If you’re tired, you can go back to the palace to rest first.”

Leng Muling nodded and agreed with a yes, but the name Hong Lian that Mo Qi had just mentioned, felt like a branding iron seared into her heart.

Leng Muling tossed and turned all night in the palace, unable to sleep. The next day, with dark circles under her eyes, she went to play with Chu Heng and Chu Xi.

Because her painting skills were highly praised in Jiang Du City, having learned from a great scholar since her childhood, the two little ones also loved to learn painting from her.

Especially Chu Xi, who was independent and full of ideas. Leng Muling wanted to teach her landscape painting, but she loved to paint portraits and even used the charcoal pencil Mo Qi had found for her to begin drawing her father.

Now, her drawings were beginning to look somewhat like him.

Today, after she finished teaching, she sat down, lost in thought, while Chu Xi kept calling her several times without response. It was Chu Heng who came over and called, “Uncle Mo Qi.”

“Seventh brother!” Leng Muling suddenly stood up.

Chu Xi and Chu Heng exchanged glances, seemingly understanding something, but their eyes were clear, with no cunning thoughts.

Chu Heng said softly, “Sister Mu Ling, I just saw some imperial guards passing by outside, I thought it was Uncle Mo Qi. He hasn’t come today.”

Other than staying by their side, Mo Qi would be with Chu Jinling, awaiting his orders, never leaving the inner palace.

It was Leng Muling who, according to Chu Xi, “Sister Mu Ling doesn’t seem in the mood to teach us painting today, so let’s go play.”

“Yes, let’s go!” Chu Heng clapped his hands joyfully and pouted, “My ninth brother said once he’s done with government affairs, he will take us out of the palace to play! I really want to go play in the mountains!”

Chu Xi found his idea strange. Although the mountains in the palace weren’t as big as the ones outside, couldn’t Chu Heng go play whenever he wanted? Why did he have to go out to climb mountains?

Whenever mountain climbing was mentioned, Leng Muling reacted as if she had been stung.

After all, her uncle, Zhuo Junli, had been ordered to be confined outside the city. Wasn’t he in a temple on the mountain?

Leng Muling looked at Chu Heng’s innocent and cute appearance, finding it hard to exploit him, but her sudden exit from the palace would certainly draw attention. So, she could only hug Chu Heng and asked softly, “Crown Prince, would it be okay to take me with you to play? I’d also like to leave the palace for a look.”

“Of course!” Chu Heng’s eyes were pure and innocent, and with a smile, sweet dimples formed on his cheeks, making him incredibly charming.

Chu Xi and Leng Muling prepared their things in the palace, while Chu Heng, with Shan Bao, headed to the imperial study.

The palace maids who saw him all bowed in salutation, but none dared to approach him. Bored, Chu Heng could only speak to Shan Bao while petting it, “Shan Bao, do you think I’m dumb?”

“Ao—”

Shan Bao shook its head in a fierce gesture, which made the passing palace maids tremble with fear, losing their composure as they hurriedly ran off.

Shan Bao knew the child it was guarding couldn’t possibly be foolish.

However, this child is just too innocent and easy to be used by others. If it weren’t for it arriving on time last time, the child would have been washed away.

“Actually, the Imperial Consort’s wickedness has nothing to do with Sister Mu Ling; Sister Mu Ling is also a lovely person,” said Chu Heng, leaning against Shan Bao while rubbing against it as they walked.

Shan Bao: It’s you who’s too naive!

Its gaze was full of disdain, yet Chu Heng’s smile became even more genuine, “I know you all love me!”

He was already a very, very lucky little boy. His mother loved him, his father loved him, and his uncles, aunts, and sisters all loved him. He just needed to be the child they all cherished.

Chu Heng took Shan Bao to the imperial study and told Chu Jinling that he wanted to go out to play. Chu Jinling immediately agreed. Chu Heng wanted to instruct Mo Qi to accompany them, but he found that Mo Qi was not in the palace today. When he inquired about Mo Qi’s whereabouts, the imperial guard said that Mo Qi had taken a leave for four hours and they didn’t know where he had gone.

Chu Jinling picked up Chu Heng, “Then let’s not worry about him. Your ninth brother will take you out to play! Let’s go!”

He had been tired of sitting on the dragon throne for a long time; it was about time he went out for a break.

He, along with Leng Muling and a few disguised imperial guards, left Jiang Du City and rested on a mountain outside the city. Leng Muling took the opportunity to say she wanted to browse around and so separated from them.

Fortunately, her young uncle was well-informed and knew they had left the palace, so he waited for her at the foot of the mountain.

With her were Yun Sijin as well.

Upon seeing the two of them, Leng Muling’s eyes were filled with gratitude, “Uncle, Auntie! Thank you!”

She was not very adept at using the Leng family’s connections. Luckily, they understood her intentions and had already sent people to inform her along the way, otherwise, she, the dainty Miss of the Prime Minister’s Estate, still wouldn’t know which mountain to find them on.

“You!”

Zhuo Junli’s fan heavily tapped on Leng Muling’s head, “You’re so grown-up, how come you’re not as sharp as the Crown Prince, a child?”

“The Crown Prince?” Leng Muling’s mind was full of thoughts, but she didn’t expect to be stunned by Zhuo Junli’s fan.

Yun Sijin’s lips curled into a slight laugh, “Before you left the palace, we heard the news that King Ling was planning to bring the Crown Prince and the princess out. That man was recognized by your uncle as one of the Shadow Guards. If it hadn’t been for the Crown Prince’s orders, your uncle and I wouldn’t have been able to find you so quickly. It must be that the Crown Prince saw through your intentions, that’s why he permitted your outing this time.”

“No way!” Leng Muling’s eyes widened, “The Crown Prince… he’s not even three years old!”

How could he be so clever?

She hadn’t told Chu Heng anything!

Yun Sijin was actually very curious too. When Zhuo Junli analyzed the situation with her, she couldn’t believe that this was something a child could think of. But when they went over the entire train of thought again and again, she felt that apart from the Crown Prince being sensible, everything happened too coincidentally.

And there could not be such coincidences between the internal affairs of the imperial palace and Zhuo Junli, the Prime Minister, right?

Zhuo Junli snapped open his folding fan with a ‘snap’ and swayed it in front of his chest, his face full of inscrutable depth, “Let other children be, but have you not seen who this is? He’s the sole son of the emperor and the empress. Even if he was five, wielding a silver needle to cure and save people, I wouldn’t find it surprising.”

Chu Yihan himself was a miracle, and so was the woman he married. The child they had together was even more miraculous. To him, there was nothing too miraculous to believe anymore.

Leng Muling gave a wry smile, “If only I could give birth to such a prodigy in the future.”

“For a nobleman’s daughter to talk like this, aren’t you ashamed!” Yun Sijin held her hand, chiding her gently with the sternness of an elder, yet ultimately it was still out of concern for her, “Why the rush to see your uncle, did something happen?”

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