Chapter 602: Chapter 14: Empress Dowager, Peace Be Upon You (14)

Thank you to “Night Fantasy” and Q-read’s “Heart as vast as the sea” classmates for the rewards, mwah~ Happy New Year, everyone!

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Luo Lin was married off, with red bridal attire stretching ten miles, causing a sensation throughout the Imperial City.

It wasn’t just because of the lavish dowry, nor merely because the first set was a complete set of pearls bestowed by the Empress, but because of Jiang Shaojie from the Jiang Family.

He rode a completely red horse with not a single spot of other color, to fetch his bride, moreover offering the four-footed white cloud he personally captured.

The four-footed white cloud is said to be the purest animal in this world.

Only those with a pure heart can touch this animal.

With such a four-footed white cloud, Luo Lin stole the spotlight.

In fact, the four-footed white cloud is like a white cloud, with its eyes hidden among its white fur, entirely invisible, and even its four legs are not very distinct.

If it walks, it’s like a cloud moving along the ground.

People value this greatly because it indicates the person possesses a pure character.

Clearly, Jiang Shaojie of the Jiang Family is a good match.

With Luo Lin’s jade-like presence in mind, the Third Prince’s marriage seemed somewhat dull in comparison.

Lin Xiaodie was fuming with anger.

Even Princess Consort Xian was stewing in silent resentment.

Having prepared for so long, only to be outdone by a mere beast, was truly frustrating.

Only the Third Prince appeared completely indifferent, keeping a cold face throughout.

He really didn’t want to marry Lin Xiaodie.

But now there was nothing he could do.

That night, the Third Prince got drunk and even missed the wedding night.

The next day, the Third Prince, looking haggard, entered the palace, paid his respects to the Emperor, and then headed to the Empress’s quarters.

The Third Prince’s gaze was eager, but he dared not show it, keeping his head bowed.

Only he knew how much he longed for the woman above.

In his mind, only someone like the Empress could evoke such a desire to conquer.

Intelligent, beautiful.

Compared to the Empress, Lin Xiaodie was like a clueless little girl.

Looking at her attempt to appear mature, dignified, and charming, it seemed more like a clumsy imitation and was truly unsightly.

The more inadequate Lin Xiaodie appeared, the more discontented the Third Prince felt.

Little did he know, Li Shuning’s spiritual power was extended outward, and even with his head down, she could see the emotions in his eyes.

“Time flies, the Third Prince is married now, and Mother wishes you two a century of harmony and many offspring soon.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

After Li Shuning presented the wedding gift, the two left for Princess Consort Xian’s quarters.

At Princess Consort Xian’s place, Li Xiaodie clearly relaxed, sharing many secrets with Princess Consort Xian, while the Third Prince grew impatient.

The Third Prince thought for a moment, then headed towards the Imperial Garden.

He had his own spies in the palace and went to the Imperial Garden to understand the palace’s recent happenings.

What he didn’t know was that the Emperor had been investigating his sons these past few days.

What he uncovered was shocking.

Originally, he believed that everything was under his watchful eye, with nothing hidden from him.

But upon investigating, he discovered that although the Eldest Prince had a poor reputation outside, he actually controlled some forces in the worldly society.

Although the Second Prince seemed like a bookworm, he had close associations with several civil servants.

The Third Prince was even more extraordinary.

The findings shocked and enraged the Emperor.

He always believed he had managed the Imperial Palace well, not to say even a fly couldn’t enter, but at least he was well-informed about most matters within.

He hadn’t expected that the Third Prince and Princess Consort Xian were so daring, using the Lin Family’s advantages to plant numerous informants in the palace.

Many of the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace were their people.

Just the thought of it made the Emperor’s hair stand on end.

He remembered when the Empress inexplicably fainted and inexplicably cried incessantly.

At the time, he thought the Empress was too lenient to allow such bullying and infiltration by others.

Thinking about it now, if he were the target of such schemes, he might not have been able to withstand it.

He wondered if among the attendants around him, some were informants for the opposition.

As Emperor, there are things he cannot tolerate.

The fact that his sons dared place informants around him was utterly rebellious.

If he were no longer around, could the Empress maintain control?

The Emperor was very worried.

Thinking it over, the Emperor decided to take action.

He directly purged the known informants within the palace.

For the Eldest Prince’s external forces in the worldly society, he dispatched Hidden Guards to clean them out and take control, to see what the rebellious son would do next.

Dealing with the Second Prince posed more challenges.

But the Emperor was ruthless enough.

The Second Prince’s associates were generally senior ministers.

The Emperor privately reached out to some, urging them to retire to their hometowns.

Today, they still have the opportunity to retire gracefully; further involvement with the Second Prince might cost them the chance to withdraw unscathed, let alone retain their lives. Moreover, they have families to consider.

So, they submitted their own requests to retire and returned to their hometowns under the Emperor’s watchful eyes, taking their whole families with them.

They had no opportunity to contact the Second Prince.

And even if they could, they probably wouldn’t dare.

For the relatively younger ministers, the Emperor assigned them to positions in more challenging conditions.

While the Third Prince sat in the Imperial Garden, sending signals to connect with hidden informants, there was no response.

He moved to another location, this time a small pavilion on a path near the Phoenix Palace.

There was an informant from the Phoenix Palace here.

But after he sent the signal, the contact still didn’t show up.

The Third Prince knew something was definitely wrong now.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead instantly.

He hurriedly returned to Princess Consort Xian’s quarters, his face a mix of emotions.

“Mother, I have something to discuss with you.”

Princess Consort Xian was a bit startled, but then had her personal palace maid take Lin Xiaodie away.

Clearly, the son didn’t want Lin Xiaodie to hear.

Lin Xiaodie was infuriated inside, wondering why she wasn’t allowed to hear what it was about.

“Mother, why are all the ants in the palace gone? I went to the Imperial Garden earlier and found not a single one; are they eradicating pests now?”

Princess Consort Xian was initially confused, then understood her son’s implication.

But recently, her thoughts were completely occupied by the wedding, leaving no time to consider this matter, rendering her visibly nervous.

Seeing Princess Consort Xian’s face, the bond between mother and son made the Third Prince’s expression grim as well.

“Mother, you… important matters are being neglected, what have you been doing?”

Princess Consort Xian, a bit embarrassed, said, “I was busy with your wedding, Mother was preoccupied with your affairs.”

“Mother, you should prioritize what’s truly important, I must take my leave.”

The Third Prince departed immediately, frustrated with such an oblivious mother, he was beyond exasperated.

The Third Prince left in anger, naturally forgetting about Lin Xiaodie.

Lin Xiaodie, upon learning that the Third Prince had left her behind, felt even more resentful.

PS: I’m outside today, but I’ll continue writing a Chapter later. Xiao Qing will keep striving hard in the new year~

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep