A smile covered Mrs. Liu's face. She went on asking, "You don't have to be shy in front of me. Now, tell me what did the Third Prince say to make my dear so happy?"

"Mom, the Third Prince asked me to recuperate myself, so that our baby will be in good health." Liu Yiyi said after hesitation, but then her head bowed lower.

Mrs. Liu relieved a sigh at her words. What the Third Prince had done comforted Liu Yiyi, and she would recover from sickness in a few days.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Liu smiled, "Yiyi, do you have anything to eat?"

"Um... Mom, I feel like to eat sour plums." Liu Yiyi said after thinking for a while.

Mrs. Liu was delighted. The old always said that, “if a pregnant woman likes eating sour food, the baby in her belly must be a boy.”

At this time, the princes didn't have children yet. Therefore, Yiyi's child, if she gave birth to a boy, would be the eldest grandson of the royal family. And Yiyi would be very distinguished then.

Mrs. Liu couldn't help smiling, "That's great! I'll ask the servants to buy sour plums!"

The mother and the daughter chatted for a long time.

Yang Zijin arrived at the gate of the mansion of Marquis Shuo.

Jiang Wei stopped the carriage and then jumped off. She lifted the curtain and helped Yang Zijin get off the carriage.

Yang Zijin went directly into the mansion.

The guard at the gate saluted Yang Zijin instead of stopping her.

It wasn't because she was an infanta. They would have stopped her if their Marquis didn't want the infanta to come in.

However, they have once seen the Sounding with Steps in Yang Zijin's hair, which was presented by previous Empress Dowager to the ladies of the Shuo Family. So, this infanta must be the hostess-to-be of this Mansion of Marquis Shuo. Their lord, who used to have no interest in women, showed unusual favor to this infanta.

They don't want to be punished because of intercepting her.

Yang Zijin went directly to Shuo Ling's study after she entered the mansion.

During the days when she lived in this mansion, she learned a little about Shuo Ling's daily routine. At this time, if everything went well, Shuo Ling used to stay in his study.

Mo Li at the doorway saw Yang Zijin coming over in a little hurry and greeted, "Your Highness."

"Is Marquis inside?" Yang Zijin nodded and asked, kept walking.

Hearing the sound, Ling Shuo looked up to the outside, but then buried his nose in the book again.

Yang Zijin pushed open the door of the study before Mo Li to replied to her.

Mo Li was speechless, he thought, "So you didn't need my answer, did you?"

Seeing that Marquis didn't show any dissatisfaction with Yang Zijin's coming, Mo Li closed the door of the study.

Perhaps Yang Zijin was the only one to enjoy Marquis Shuo's special treatment because he hated being interrupted.

Shuo Ling thought that Yang Zijin, who pushed his door without any permission, was so cute.

"You are coming for me in such a hurry today. Did you miss me?" Shuo Ling played calm. Though holding a book in the front, he secretly looked at Yang Zijin out of the corner of his eyes.

Yang Zijin came up to him, "No joking. I have something serious to ask you."

"Did you miss me?" Shuo Ling put down the book to pull Yang Zijin in his arms.

He held her with cheek by jowl. Yang Zijin knew he wouldn't let her go unless she gave him a satisfying answer.

So, she held his face with both hands to give him a big kiss in the mouth, "What about this one?"

"This kiss is so reluctant! But I like it. Tell me, what do you want to ask?" Shuo Ling looked discontented.

Yang Zijin rolled her eyes to Shuo Ling. She had something important to ask him so she skipped the issue, "Do you know why my mother, Princess Royal, took me to Shuyang?"

"Yes, I know. I happened to know Prince Royal's background by accident." Shuo Ling thought it was necessary for Yang Zijin to know this secret.

As he had expected, Yang Zijin was confused, "Her background? Isn't she the biological daughter of the Empress Dowager?"

"No, she isn't." Shuo Ling Replied.

Yang Zijin went on asking, "Then who is she?"

"It's a long story. Are you sure you want to know it?" Ling Shuo looked at Yang Zijin.

Yang Zijin nodded firmly.

She was determined to find out the truth that year, so she must know what happened on earth.

Looking at her firm eyes, Shuo Ling told her about Princess Royal's background and why she went to Dongling with Empress Dowager. He also told her that Princess Royal went to Nanling to visit the tomb of her mother with Zijin, but she was killed in Shuyang on the way back.

Shuo Ling told all these things to Yang Zijin except the card Princess Royal had.

Yang Zijin frowned, "So, my mom came from Beiling?"

"Yes. Empress Dowager treated Princess Royal as her biological daughter and cherished her very much because she didn't have her own children yet. Although some ministers had an objection, his Majesty, the previous emperor, didn't reject Empress Dowager adopting a princess from Beiling. Later he presented your mother with a title of Nanyang, so those who had objection dared not to say anything, and no one mentioned this from then on." Shuo Ling explained.

Yang Zijin's question followed at once, "Did the royal family of Beiling gave anything to my mom?"

"Why do you ask about this? Did you find anything?" Shuo Ling asked back.

Yang Zijin was worried, "I just want to figure out the reason for these things. It would help me with the investigation."

Yang Zijin felt the situation was more and more complex. She decided not to tell Shuo Ling about the dispatch card before she found out the truth.

"I have no other questions. I'll take my leave." Yang Zijin stood up and got ready to go.

It was a whole mess in her mind. She had to get her ideas into shape.

Just as she stood up, she was pressed on the table by Shuo Ling. Shuo Ling stooped over her and got his face close to Yang Zijin, queried her in a cold voice, "You just leave after obtaining all you want?"

"I know you are busy. Since I've wasted your time, I think I'd better leave early." Yang Zijin smiled at him.

"Stay and flirt with you? No way!" She thought.

Shuo Ling said, "I enjoy you wasting my time!"

Then he kissed on Yang Zijin's lips deeply.

Yang Zijin was speechless. She thought, "You are doing this again!"

The next moment she screamed and pushed Shuo Ling away hard, eyes opened widely.

She didn't expect Shuo Ling to put his hand on her bosom! Although she was an open-minded modern girl, this was her first love!

What's more, Mo Li and Jiang Wei were standing outside the door. Shuo Ling was so... Yang Zijin felt embarrassed.

Embarrassment permeated the study.

"Well, I'm leaving." Yang Zijin stood up and tidied up her mussed-up clothes.

Shuo Ling didn't move. He looked at her with affection, "Fine."

Yang Zijin opened the door of the study and spoke to Jiang Wei, "Let's go home."

Gazing after Yang Zijin with love, Shuo Ling couldn't help smiling as he recalled the way she looked when he was kissing her. He shook his head and sat at the desk again.

Mo Li, outside the door, had already accustomed to Marquis Shuo's changing complexion. In all these years, Shuo Ling hadn't smiled as much as he did when he was with Yang Zijin.

A pigeon flew over and settled on the windowsill of the study, cooing.

Shuo Ling put down the book and walked to the window. He held the pigeon, took off the tube on its leg, and then released it.

He unfolded the letter to see the message on it. The content of this letter made him frowned.

The letter was written, "Dam was destroyed. Jiandu was flooded. Victims are heading for Jing City."

It was not good news. The flood would cause numerous of starvelings and plague afterward.

Although it was in the rainy season now, there wasn't much rain. Why was the dam destroyed? The harvest is coming soon, and Jiandu was a crucial rice-bowl to feed the army!

A large part of the border army's grain was bought from the Jiandu area. There must be something wrong with the flood.

The grain from Jiandu would serve the army at the frontier fortress of Dongling, which adjoined Xiling.

Thinking of this, Shuo Ling called Mo Li.

"What can I do for you, My Lord?" Mo Li entered the study.

Shuo Ling ordered, "I need you to gallop to Jiandu to investigate the ins and outs of this flood."

"Yes, my Lord!" Mo Li accepted this order and went out to prepare.

...

After Yang Zijin returned to the mansion of the Duke Mu, she determined to put her mind in shape.

Shuo Ling told her about Princess Royal's background. Was there anything on Princess Royal that appeals to these people?

Thinking of this, Yang Zijin unwrapped the parcel. She took out the dispatch card to observe it.

What exactly is this card used for?

Was everything in connection with it? But what was it for? Could it be used to mobilize a powerful organization?

If this was the case, Yang Zijin was clear. She wondered why the Third Prince always tried to get close to her. Maybe he intended to get this dispatch card.

That's why they cooperated with Li Mingzi. She was right. It must be Li Mingzi and the imperial concubine Xiao acting in collusion that they murdered Princess Royal in Shuyang on the way back.

They thought their plot could benefit both, but they didn't find this dispatch card. The dispatch card disappeared with Princess Royal's daughter. That's why the Third Prince took great pains to find her and frame her with Li Mingzi. This card was their target object.

Princess Royal died from this, too. However, she didn't know how to use this dispatch card yet.

Yang Zijin let out a long sigh.

She had thought of what to do next. Since someone had deliberately cut the clue to prevent her from investigating, she decided to change her routine. She was going to set a trap for them.

Yang Zijin picked out the tatter again. This tatter was also a key to the puzzle.

She put the piece of tatter back into the parcel, and hang the plate on her belt to make it conspicuous.

If this were indeed Chushi Weiming's target object, he would give himself away as he saw it.

...

Chushi Weiming had returned to the palace of imperial concubine Xiao.

"Mother." He came up to imperial concubine Xiao.

Imperial concubine Xiao opened her eyes, "You are here. Remember to do as what I've told you."

Then she stood up and went to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.

Chushi Weiming followed his mother.

Imperial concubine Xiao had received the news that today Consort Hui would come to pay respects to Empress Dowager with the Fifth Prince and his wife. Therefore, she was going to visit Empress Dowager with Chushi Weiming, too. She had planned what to do there.