Quick Transmigration: Help! What to do when my husband is obsessed with love?

Chapter 81 Rebellious Officials of the Former Dynasty 13

Deep within the palace, the emperor and his concubine shared the same bed but dreamed different dreams; outside the palace, a dark figure silently slipped out of the prince's residence.

Ling Yi stepped on the rooftops of various mansions, heading towards the Kang Prince's Mansion.

Upon reaching the outskirts of the Kang Prince's residence, she quietly hid in the shadows, coldly observing the rotation of guards and the distribution of attendants.

The night watchman struck his clapper again and again, and as dawn approached, she returned to Prince Rui's mansion and fell into a deep sleep.

Xiao Yao, on the other hand, made a rare appearance at the morning court session, listening with heavy eyelids to a group of white-bearded old men arguing amongst themselves.

After finally making it to the morning court session, he was stopped by the emperor's chief eunuch: "Your Highness Prince Rui, His Majesty summons you."

The chief eunuch had a round face, and even in his old age with gray hair, he didn't appear mean.

Xiao Yao immediately smiled when he saw him: "Li Daban, I brought back a little trinket from outside, I'll give it to you."

As he spoke, he pulled out a rather plain porcelain tiger from his sleeve; Li Daban was born in the Year of the Tiger.

Li Daban stroked the adorable little tiger, his eyes crinkling with laughter: "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Rui, for remembering this humble servant. Now go see His Majesty, for His Majesty is not in a good mood."

Following Li Daban's instructions, Xiao Yao sat up straight and adopted a serious demeanor when entering the warm pavilion.

The emperor looked up from the memorial and smiled: "What mistake have you made this time?"

If he hadn't made a mistake, when would he ever be so well-behaved?

Xiao Yao's face immediately fell: "Father, what are you saying? Just because your son hasn't done anything wrong, does that mean he's not honest or filial?"

As they spoke, they even attentively served the emperor a new cup of tea.

The emperor snorted coldly and tapped his head with the folded paper: "No mistake? You bothered your elder brother with those matters, and you still dare to say you haven't made a mistake?"

A guilty look flashed across Xiao Yao's face, then he muttered under his breath, "Who told you to listen to your older brother the most?"

"Ok?"

"What my son is saying is, who makes you the most virtuous ruler who listens to advice, and who makes you the most skilled minister who is adept at giving advice!" He pinched the emperor's arm ingratiatingly: "How can it not be a beautiful story of a virtuous ruler and a wise minister exchanging views?"

emperor:"……"

He glanced sideways at his son, whose tongue was becoming increasingly eloquent, and snorted coldly: "It's no use telling me this. If that woman can't pass your mother's test, I will absolutely not agree to your marriage."

"What?" Xiao Yao suddenly stood up and was about to run outside. Ling Yi had never been to the palace before. What if she panicked? What if she was looked down upon by those servants who flattered and belittled her?

Although Xiao Yao grew up surrounded by flattery and care, he was also aware of the character of the servants in the palace.

"Halt!" the emperor sneered. "Where are you going?"

"How could you let her into the palace without my permission?" Xiao Yao looked at the guards blocking his way outside the warm pavilion, sweat beading on his forehead.

"That's exactly right." The emperor leisurely picked up another memorial: "Otherwise, how could I possibly see her true nature?"

"If you cause any more trouble, I'll bestow upon you a virtuous woman to marry," the emperor warned, glancing sideways at his son who was eager to rush out.

Xiao Yao froze for a moment. If his father had granted him the marriage, even if he resisted, Ling Yi probably wouldn't have continued to entangle with him.

He let out a heavy sigh of relief, his knees buckled, and he knelt before the emperor: "How could you do this? What if she no longer likes me? What if she suffers injustice?"

The emperor was too lazy to pay attention to his petty thoughts.

If the future princess cannot even handle this simple test, then she is not worthy of being a princess.

While Xiao Yao was filled with anxiety, Ling Yi was following the matrons from Madam Yu's palace toward her palace.

Because of her entry into the palace, she changed out of her usual black clothes and wore a light blue outfit, with only a simple jade hairpin in her hair.

The nanny leading the way glanced discreetly at the woman who had captivated Prince Rui, but she noticed that the woman showed none of the bewilderment one would have when entering the inner palace, nor any of the rudeness of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world).

That composed demeanor was something even seasoned ladies from noble families who had served in the palace for years lacked.

"Miss, we've arrived." Her opinion of Ling Yi improved by two points, and she led her to Madam Yu with a gentle smile.

"Greetings, Madam Yu." As Ling Yi bowed, her gaze fell upon Madam Yu, who wore a floral forehead ornament and a gold hairpin, and a look of amazement flashed in her eyes.

This woman, as dazzling as a peony, was someone she had never seen in all the worlds she had lived through.

The appearance of a celestial being.

"Rise." Even the voice of a woman favored above all others in the harem is alluring.

Ling Yi lowered her eyes and stood in front of Madam Yu, letting her scrutinize her.

Time passed second by second. Madam Yu looked the woman up and down and saw that she was still not nervous. She looked like an old monk in meditation. Madam Yu couldn't help but smile.

“Such a woman, not to mention Jiu’er likes her, even I like her very much.” She said with a hint of intimacy, and got up to pull Ling Yi to sit down next to her: “Tell me quickly how you two met, and how you fell for that ignorant little monkey.”

Her every word and action was elegant, and she even had a faint fragrance that wafted into Ling Yi's nostrils.

Ling Yi wasn't intimidated by her scrutiny, but she was almost captivated by her gentleness. After calming herself down, she slowly recounted her past relationship with Xiao Yao to Madam Yu.

Lady Yu listened to all this with a smile, occasionally asking a few questions to lighten the mood. Before long, the sound of their soft laughter filled the hall.

Unlike Madam Yu's gentle smile, Ling Yi's smile also carried a hint of aloofness, which made Madam Yu unable to resist pinching her cheek.

Ling Yi was taken aback, and then saw the smiling woman say, "That's exactly right, that's the kind of person you are to deal with Lao Jiu's temper!"

Despite his mischievous and fearless appearance, he turned out to be afraid of his wife.

A gentle touch flashed by, and Ling Yi lowered her eyes and said softly, "Your Highness is fine and does not need me to treat you."

Madam Yu smiled, not dwelling on those matters, and instead asked other questions: "Who else do you have in your household now? Do you need them brought to the capital?"

Ling Yi paused, then said softly, "My parents and elders at home have all passed away, so Your Majesty need not worry about them."

"Poor thing," Madam Yu sighed softly, "With the elders of the family gone, you've been dragged into such a mess."

She said with a hint of deeper meaning, "I just wonder if any neighbors or distant relatives will come looking for trouble in the future."

This woman is exceptionally kind; it's just that I wonder if anyone knows her true identity.

If it exists, it should be removed as soon as possible.

Ling Yi paused for a moment, then said slowly, "There are some, but please don't worry, Madam. How can our relatives in the countryside travel such a long distance without travel permits?"

Even if rebels came to the capital, they would first have to work at the docks carrying heavy loads to earn money for lodging.