There is a god in the sky

Chapter 308 Killing Two Birds with One Stone (Part 1)

Zhou Ru is dead.

He died standing up.

After the fire was extinguished, a half-charred body was revealed.

The fake Taoist priest and his men packed the corpse into sacks and hid them under a cart used for emptying chamber pots, intending to transport it out of the city after dark.

Li Ye took Shen Lan back to the house in the alley and found some medicine to apply to his wounds.

Shen Lan snatched the medicine box and examined each medicine before applying it to Li Ye's hands.

His hands were burned red from the chains, and he also had several minor injuries on his body.

"Why do you always seem to get hurt every time I see you? Do you think you're made of iron?"

Li Ye only frowned slightly when the medicine was applied; this kind of pain was nothing to him.

The hardships and pains of training from a young age are no less than this.

"It won't happen again." He could never be cold in front of Shen Lan.

"What do you plan to do now? Are you going back to the Crown Prince's residence?"

Li Ye raised his hands, his two hands wrapped up like chubby hooves, making him a conspicuous figure not only when returning to the Crown Prince's residence but also when simply walking out.

He shook his head and said, "I won't go back. Zhou Ru was someone I brought out. If he dies, I won't be able to explain it to the Crown Prince. Going back would be like walking into a trap."

"So the Imperial City Guard isn't returning either?"

Li Ye whispered to her, "I've been on a business trip these past few days, and I have to go back to report tomorrow. It just so happens that the injuries on my hands can be brought to light."

"Aren't you afraid the Crown Prince will recognize you?"

"No, I'll avoid him."

"Then can you tell me now why you killed Zhou Ru?"

"With him around, no one can get close to the Crown Prince."

"There are countless masters in the world. Even without Zhou Ru, new bodyguards will immediately appear around the Crown Prince. What do you intend to do to the Crown Prince?"

Li Ye didn't know either, so he couldn't answer the question.

"This amount of time is enough."

Unbeknownst to them, the crown prince entered the palace at dusk.

The Crown Prince would enter the palace to pay his respects to the Empress every five days, a practice that had remained unchanged for many years.

Today is no different.

On the way to the inner palace, they encountered Consort Lin being carried to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and it seemed that she would be serving the emperor tonight.

A thin veil covered the sedan chair, and the person inside could be vaguely seen.

Lin Cairen had just finished dressing up; her bright eyes and white teeth made her look fresh and lovely, like a flower with dewdrops on it.

They merely passed each other, and Lin Miaoniang only glanced at the Crown Prince before quickly lowering her head to cover her face.

The crown prince raised an eyebrow and asked the eunuch who had led the way, "Hasn't Father gotten tired of that dancer yet?"

"Consort Lin is currently in the emperor's favor, even surpassing Consort Li."

The crown prince said sarcastically, "Well, she is quite capable."

The Emperor has had his favorite concubines before, but they were of low status and were usually only favored for a few days before being forgotten. No one has ever stayed with him for so long.

"Your Highness, rest assured, Her Majesty the Empress said that Consort Lin's days are numbered."

"What? Is Mother Empress angry again? Consort Lin is just a dancer, without children. Why would Mother Empress want to harm her?"

The Crown Prince was puzzled. There were so many women like this in the harem, so why couldn't his mother tolerate them?

The Emperor may have been aware of this matter, but he simply didn't like to dwell on it.

"This servant doesn't know either. Perhaps it's because Consort Lin is too popular these days, and she hasn't come to pay her respects to Her Majesty the Empress for five whole days."

There were also rumors that Consort Lin was pregnant with the Emperor's child, which was why the Emperor was being exceptionally lenient with her.

The prince stopped in his tracks. "Really?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's too early to confirm."

The Crown Prince went to the Empress's palace with a heavy heart, and then saw Steward Li massaging the Empress's shoulders.

There were no servants in the room. He saw his mother reach out and grab Li Ge's hand, and the two chatted and laughed.

This wasn't the first time the Crown Prince had encountered a similar situation, but considering that Li Ge was a eunuch and couldn't do anything he wanted, he pretended it hadn't happened.

But today, he was already in a bad mood, and when he witnessed this scene, the anger he had been holding in suddenly found an outlet.

"Guards! Please have Steward Li kneel down outside. I have something to say to the Empress Dowager."

When Li Ge saw him, he separated from the Empress and walked out of the palace to kneel down without anyone having to do it for him.

The Empress washed her hands, straightened her clothes, and said impatiently, "What are you doing?"

"Mother should also be careful. If Father finds out, do you think he will tolerate it?"

The Empress sneered, "He's summoning Consort Lin tonight, how could he have time to come here? And so what if he knows? He's just a eunuch, why should he care about such a thing?"

The crown prince didn't want to argue with her; he was just feeling uncomfortable.

"Mother, I heard that Consort Lin is pregnant?"

"It's uncertain. Her maid said her period was delayed this month, so perhaps she's pregnant."

"Father, at your age, can still get a woman pregnant?" The Crown Prince thought to himself that he had no children of his own, and his words were tinged with jealousy.

"Why didn't Mother give her the contraceptive soup?"

The Empress rolled her eyes. "How was I supposed to know your father was still capable at his age? Besides, even if he were pregnant, so what? Whether the baby would even be born is another matter, and even if it were, it might not grow up safely."

"No matter what, this woman cannot be allowed to live!" The Crown Prince could not allow any accidents to happen.

This woman's current level of favor is too dangerous.

The Crown Prince calculated the time and learned that Consort Lin had been sent out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and had also come out of the Empress's palace.

Li Ge was still kneeling outside the door, his back straight and his eyes fixed straight ahead.

The Crown Prince walked up to him, reached out and helped him up, saying, "Please don't be offended, Manager Li. I was just in a bad mood today, that's why I acted so impulsively. Please get up!"

When Li Ge stood up, he staggered, clearly because he had been kneeling for too long.

"Your Highness is too kind. It was my fault, and I deserve to be punished."

Li Ge kept his head down, so the Crown Prince couldn't see his expression, but he was still quite satisfied with his attitude.

He smiled and said, "You may escort me out of the palace. I have something to say to you."

"Yes."

Li Ge waved his hand, and a group of eunuchs and guards came over one by one, some carrying lanterns, some clearing the way, and some carrying sedan chairs. Their roles were clearly defined and they worked in perfect order.

The crown prince nodded in satisfaction.

Emerging from the Empress's palace, the Crown Prince leaned against his sedan chair, gazing upon the magnificent palace.

He was born here, grew up here, and this place is destined to be his forever!

"Without your leadership, the Imperial City Guard is still an impenetrable fortress. You need to speed things up."

"Your Highness should know that since the Imperial City Guard was activated, it has become even more difficult for outsiders to infiltrate the area."

Commander Zhao is upright and incorruptible, intolerant of any wrongdoing, and has many capable subordinates. This humble servant only dared to let a few small flags in.”

"Can't we think of a way to replace the one surnamed Zhao?"

Li Ge said softly, "If he hasn't made a serious mistake, the Emperor won't remove him, after all, he is the Emperor's confidant."

The crown prince, as if he had thought of something, sneered, "Then let's devise a plan to kill two birds with one stone."

Li Ge lowered his head, a slight smile playing on his lips, and replied, "What does Your Highness wish to do?"

As they were talking, a group of people came from the front; it was Lin Cairen who had been brought back.

"Stop the sedan chair!" The crown prince stared at the sedan chair opposite him with hostility.