Farewell Flower Festival

Mu Tianling came to the hall and saw Han Lie, exchanged greetings and asked him what he was doing. Han Lie said that Emperor Mu asked him to take over the investigation of the theft case and wanted to know what clues Mu Tianling had found before. Mu Tianling asked him to ask Captain Yu.

"Your Highness doesn't seem to want to see me?" Han Lie asked knowingly.

Mu Tianling said calmly: "Do you want me to keep you for dinner?"

Han Lie glanced outside the door, as if looking for a figure. Mu Tianling's expression darkened for a moment, and he said he had some official business to attend to, and asked someone to see him off.

"Why are your highness's two guards missing? Aren't they at home?" Han Lie asked casually.

Mu Tianling replied casually: "I went home to visit my relatives."

"I heard that there have been wild beasts in the mountains outside the city recently. Your Highness's two guards should be careful and don't get captured on the road." After saying this, Han Lie said goodbye.

When he reached the door, he paused again and said, "By the way, Your Highness, please give my regards to the princess. I have official duties to attend to, so I won't go over to say hello."

Mu Tianling looked at Han Lie's back, and his expression subtly became a little colder.

……

Chaoyan was resting with her eyes closed and a hand reached out to pick up the book covering her face. She pretended to have just woken up and opened her eyes. She asked in a casual tone, "Your Highness, are you hungry? Why don't you go eat first?" Mu Tianling said, "Don't you want to know what he said to me?"

Chaoyan was indeed a little curious, but she must not show it on her face, otherwise her curiosity would definitely be misunderstood as concern. She stood up and said she was hungry and wanted to eat first. She held his hand, but he held her hand back. He didn't mention Han Lie anymore and took her hand to go eat first.

During the meal, Chao Yan took the initiative to pick up food for Mu Tianling. Her original intention was to make him feel her care and concern. Although he didn't show anything on his face, he must have felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. If it were her, she would also feel jealous when she heard that Miss Liu was coming.

Mu Tianling looked at Chao Yan's flattering look and didn't seem happy.

After dinner, Mu Tianling said he was going to the study to handle some official business. Chaoyan knew it was an excuse as soon as she heard it. How could he have any official business when he was under house arrest? However, she gave him some time to sort out his emotions. During this time, she made him a cup of jasmine tea to clear away heat and reduce internal heat, and then went to the study.

In the study, Mu Tianling stood behind the desk, looking out the window. His expression was slightly gloomy, and his eyes seemed to sink into the dark bottom of the water. It was unknown what he was staring at.

Hearing the knock on the door and Chao Yan's voice, his gloomy expression suddenly disappeared, his eyes became soft, and his whole body seemed to have warmed up.

"Your Highness, I'm coming in."

Chaoyan pushed the door open and came in with a cup of tea in her hand. Mu Tianling came over and she handed the tea to him. He took it, scraped the cup twice, took a sip, and then put the cup on the table. After sitting on the stool, he pulled her into his arms, hugged her and asked, "Tell me the truth, are you afraid of me?"

Chaoyan shook her head very honestly, and he hugged her again, "Are you really not afraid?" Chaoyan nodded very sincerely, and to prove that she was really not afraid, she lowered her head and kissed him.

Why would you be afraid when someone dares to take advantage of you?

"Why does Your Highness think that I am afraid of you?" Chao Yan asked puzzledly.

Looking at her innocent and confused eyes, Mu Tianling smiled, held her in his arms, raised his hand and gently lifted her chin, and said with a smile, "If you are not afraid of me, why don't you dare to ask me?"

Chaoyan didn't react at first. Mu Tianling smiled slightly, with a bit of helplessness in his eyes, and said in a doting tone, "I'm not as petty as you think." Chaoyan then realized that he was talking about Han Lie. She didn't ask because she didn't want him to misunderstand. She didn't expect that not asking would also lead to misunderstandings. It is indeed a science for a couple to live together.

"If Miss Liu comes to see me, Your Highness will ask me what Miss Liu said to me?" Chao Yan asked back.

Mu Tianling curled his lips and smiled, "Are you still jealous?"

Chao Yan said seriously: "Your Highness, don't change the subject. Answer my question first. Do you know how to ask it?"

Mu Tianling smiled and said, "If she bullies you, I, as her husband, will definitely ask her about it and make the decision for you."

Chao Yan said, "If Your Highness is bullied, I will also stand up for Your Highness." She paused, blushed a little and said, "Husband and wife are one, except me, no one can bully Your Highness."

Mu Tianling raised his hand and tapped her forehead, then smiled and said, "Finally you got it."

The misunderstandings were resolved. Chao Yan asked Han Lie what he wanted. Mu Tianling said, "My father asked him to take over the investigation of the theft case. He came to ask me what clues I had found before. I asked him to ask Captain Yu."

Speaking of Captain Yu, Chao Yan was a little worried. If the other party was targeted by someone, his adoptive father's identity would be exposed. Mu Tianling assured her that Captain Yu had always been cautious and would not reveal any flaws.

Feiyu returned to the mansion only when it was dark.

The light was still on in the study. Feiyu called out to his highness outside the door, and Mu Tianling's voice came from inside, "Come in." After Feiyu went in, he reported to Mu Tianling that he had found traces of private soldiers and Qianfeng was watching over there.

Just after the third watch, a loud rumbling sound was heard from a cave outside the city. The smell of gunpowder and gunpowder rushed out of the cave. Large rocks fell down with a crackling sound. In less than a few seconds, the huge rocks blocked the exit.

In less than half an hour, the sound of hurried horse hooves broke through the darkness and hurried towards the direction of the imperial palace.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of Tianwu guards including Han Lie hurried out of the city and headed towards the cave.

……

The light was still on in the study. Under the light, Mu Tianling's face was pale without a trace of blood, whiter than paper, and his clothes were soaked with cold sweat. It was clearly summer, but the breath he exhaled was white, as if ice had formed inside his body.

After dinner, he asked Chaoyan to go to bed early because he had something to deal with tonight.

When Chao Yan asked him if he felt anything wrong, he lied.

Ever since he drank the bottle of medicine in the Lantern Pavilion, his cold syndrome would flare up every once in a while, on new moon nights like tonight. When an flare-up occurred, he would feel as if he was in an icy purgatory, with his internal organs frozen by the cold and feeling as painful as if they were being pricked by needles. Every pore of his skin would radiate cold air, and in severe cases, frost would form on his hair and eyebrows, which would gradually subside after midnight.

No one else knew about this matter except Eunuch Wu.

Eunuch Wu was guarding outside the study. He heard the second sound of hurried horse hooves on the street. He looked up at the new moon and felt an ominous atmosphere.

"Your Highness?" Eunuch Wu knocked lightly on the study door.

After a while, Mu Tianling came over and opened the door. A little color returned to his face, but he was still as pale as paper.

"Your Highness, something happened."