Chapter 1352: Chapter 1347: Reunion with Hong Lian

“There’s no need to ask; it must be related to Commander Mo Qi,” Zhuo Junli saw through the matter with a piercing clarity. He could even deduce Leng Shuqing’s intention to murder the Crown Prince, so the trivial concern of Leng Muling was transparent to him at a glance.

However, he did not know what aspect of the forthright and honest Commander Mo Qi could be causing Leng Muling such unease.

Looking at Leng Muling’s swollen red eyes, it seemed the matter was not a trivial one.

Leng Muling sniffled before she asked Zhuo Junli, “Uncle, you have known the emperor for many years, do you recognize a woman named Hong Lian?”

Zhuo Junli hissed in a breath, “Hong Lian, there is indeed such a person…”

But her fate was not a good one; why had Leng Muling thought to ask about her?

As a fellow woman, Yun Sijin naturally understood Leng Muling’s feelings immediately. She held onto Zhuo Junli’s arm and gently said, “Think it over carefully before you tell Ling’er, and make no mistake that may cause a rift between her and Commander Mo Qi.”

Zhuo Junli thought it over carefully, but with this issue, he saw no room to misspeak; it was quite straightforward, “Hong Lian was once affiliated with the Silver Moon Pavilion. Before the emperor ascended to the throne, he had extensive connections with the Silver Moon Pavilion. At present, the woman named Hong Lian should be detained within the Ninth Prince’s Mansion.”

“Uncle, I want to go to the Ninth Prince’s Mansion!”

“Today, you had best not go to the Ninth Prince’s Mansion.”

Leng Muling and Zhuo Junli spoke at the same time.

Yun Sijin looked at the expression of the two of them and sensed the situation was not good. Typically, when Zhuo Junli advised against something, the issue inevitably carried unbearable severity behind it.

When Leng Muling stood in front of the Ninth Prince’s Mansion, her heart was fiercely agitated.

Her uncle had permitted her to come to the Ninth Prince’s Mansion and had even told her how to enter, but as she lifted her skirt to climb the steps, she found herself inexplicably fearful…

A fear that arose from the bottom of her heart without reason.

Su Yingxue’s words suddenly echoed in her ears, “Mu Ling, you are a smart and clever girl. You will understand that everyone has their past, and so does Mo Qi. But the past that has become the past should not be dwelled upon. What matters is that you are together and that you make the most of the future that belongs to you.”

At that time, she had sweetly replied to Su Yingxue with a smile, “Thank you, Your Majesty the empress, I will surely remember.”

She had thought that Su Yingxue was giving her courage and encouragement in the face of strong opposition from the Leng family. But now, thinking carefully, was she not implying that Mo Qi had once admired another woman?

That woman was Hong Lian.

Was she beautiful? What was her temperament? What was her background?

What kind of woman was she?

Once the existence of this person came to mind, Leng Muling’s head was bombarded with these questions non-stop.

Which led to her misstep while climbing the stairs, causing her to fall right at the entrance of the Ninth Prince’s Mansion.

“Who goes there?!”

The soldiers, wielding their weapons, pointed their spears at Leng Muling. Overcome by a chill, she subconsciously took out her uncle’s token, “I… I am here on behalf of the Prime Minister!”

“The Prime Minister?”

The palace guard scrutinizing the token in Leng Muling’s hand confirmed its authenticity, then saluted with folded hands, “Many apologies for the offense, we hope for your understanding.”

Leng Muling nodded and entered the Ninth Prince’s Mansion, her mind elsewhere. Though she was unfamiliar with the place, upon seeing the token in her hand, the steward welcomed her. Following Zhuo Junli’s instructions, she told the steward she was visiting the prisoner on the emperor’s behalf, and without further words, the steward led her towards a secluded area.

Leng Muling had never been to the Ninth Prince’s Mansion before and had no idea how to navigate this labyrinthine place, but fortunately, the steward was leading the way. They entered a nameless courtyard, heavily guarded from the entrance to the inner yard, with palace guards stationed everywhere. It wasn’t until an iron gate opened that the steward said to Leng Muling, “Commander Mo Qi also arrived today, he is currently down there. Does Miss Leng wish to go down now, or wait for Commander Mo Qi to come out?”

Leng Muling bit her lip, “I… I will go down by myself, thank you for your help.”

The steward stepped back.

With Zhuo Junli’s token clenched in her hand, Leng Muling’s heart trembled like a drum. With each step she took, her heart sank a little more. She was afraid of seeing Mo Qi with that woman, afraid that Mo Qi still had her in his heart, afraid… that she would lose Mo Qi.

Yet, uncontrollably, her feet had already taken her down the secret passage.

The place was dark and devoid of light; the only way to clearly see the path underfoot was by the glow of a luminous pearl on the wall.

When Leng Muling approached the wall, she recognized the luminous pearl nestled in a niche. It was the one she had given to Mo Qi!

So he just… left it here?

Fuming inside, Leng Muling grabbed the luminous pearl and stormed down into the secret passage. She was determined to confront this Hong Lian and find out who was more important to Mo Qi, her or that woman!

And why on earth did Mo Qi carelessly discard her luminous pearl here?

But when she reached the end of the secret passage, seething with anger, the sight before her abruptly stopped her in her tracks.

Inside the iron prison made of reinforced bars, two figures were entwined, inseparable, hard to leave each other. The man’s naked back was broad and towering, and the woman wrapped around him had a tempting body, her complexion rosy like a seductive fox demon.

Leng Muling’s mind went blank for a moment, her voice hoarse as if someone was gripping her throat, “Sev… seventh brother?”

Was that Mo Qi?

No… no, it couldn’t be!

Mo Qi was incredibly groggy, his body acting of its own accord, but her single call of “seventh brother” instantly snapped him back to consciousness.

Just when Hong Lian thought she would become one with him, a voice interrupted them. She looked through the blur and saw the silhouette of a woman.

The love of Mo Qi’s life?

A cold glint flashed in Hong Lian’s eyes. She tried to push Mo Qi onto the bed to finish what they started, but Mo Qi had regained consciousness, pushed her away, and yelled out, “Ling’er!”

“Ling’er!?” Hong Lian frowned, sensing trouble, and quickly clung to him again, her voice deliberately seductive, “Mo Qi, don’t leave me, I know you love me the most.”

Her words fell, one by one, into Leng Muling’s ears, each one a lethal blow.

Her confusion, anger, and pain erupted in an instant. She picked up her skirts and rushed forward, kicking the iron prison several times, “Mo Qi, you bastard! You said you loved me, is this how you love me?”

After shouting, she ran away crying.

The luminous pearl she had dropped lay on the ground, casting a weak glow, illuminating the entire dark chamber. Mo Qi’s deep thoughts slowly returned. He wasn’t dreaming; Leng Muling had really been there!

He looked down at himself to find that his upper garments had vanished, and the woman beside him was also disheveled, her delicate collarbone exposed, making it seem like they had done that sort of thing.

Hong Lian saw that he was lucid and immediately clung to him, “Mo Qi, don’t abandon me again, it’s me, Hong Lian, I am the one you love most.”

“You are not!”

As Mo Qi came to his senses, he pushed her away.

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