Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Shen Ningning, You Helped Me Once Again
Having been thrown out before, Shen Ningning was sweating nervously as she once again approached the Imperial Palace gates with Mo Lingwei’s Jade Pendant.
The harsh sun beat down, turning the little girl’s cheeks into red apples.
Her watery black eyes held a trace of timidity.
She walked up to the gate of the Imperial City and said to the imperial guards, "Hello, guards. I want to enter the palace and find Crown Prince Brother."
The imperial guard looked down at her, his presence stern and imposing.
Afraid of being thrown out like a little beggar again, Shen Ningning quickly took out the Bixi Jade Pendant.
"Crown Prince Brother gave this to me! He told me to come find him if I needed anything!"
The imperial guard sized her up authoritatively for a moment, then said, "Wait here."
With that, he whispered a few words to his colleague and disappeared through the palace gate.
Shen Ningning felt dizzy from the sun, and sweat rolled down her fair forehead.
In contrast, the imperial guards, wearing heavy armor over their undergarments, were all drenched in sweat.
Even when beads of sweat dripped into their eyes, they didn’t move an inch.
Shen Ningning blinked her watery eyes, full of admiration.
Before long, someone hurried over.
"Miss Shen?" It was Chen Shaobei’s voice.
Seeing a familiar face, Shen Ningning smiled sweetly, a dimple appearing on her cheek. "Bro—"
’Wait!’
’Crown Prince Brother said I’m not supposed to call him Brother Bei.’
’I have to use his full name...’
Chen Shaobei had already walked up to her. Seeing the little girl’s hesitation, a light smile appeared on his calm face.
"No need for greetings. You’re here to see the Crown Prince, right? I’ll take you in."
He happened to be in the palace today and came to get Shen Ningning after hearing the imperial guard’s report.
The little girl followed Chen Shaobei to Zichen Palace.
"The Crown Prince is in a meeting right now. He doesn’t know you’re here yet, so you can wait in the side hall." Chen Shaobei nodded to the Crown Prince’s personal guard and easily led Shen Ningning inside.
A water-powered fan and an ice box in the side hall filled the air with a leisurely coolness.
A palace maid soon served fruit and refreshments.
Holding a piece of sliced snow pear, Shen Ningning said in a small voice, "Thank you... Brother Chen Shaobei."
She still snuck in the more familiar address.
Chen Shaobei raised an eyebrow and smiled, then turned and left.
There was no one else in the side hall. Shen Ningning enjoyed the cool breeze and leisurely ate the pear.
Suddenly!
An angry shout came from the next room: "A whole group of you, and not a single one is competent!"
The little girl jumped in fright, clutching her plate tightly.
Shen Ningning recognized Mo Lingwei’s voice and guessed something was troubling him.
So she put down the plate, tiptoed to the wall, and listened to the commotion on the other side.
An adviser, bearing the Crown Prince’s wrath, knelt on the floor and reported.
"Your Highness, those bandits are hiding deep in the mountains. Every time we make a move, it’s as if someone is tipping them off. They always anticipate our actions and escape."
"I suspect that someone in the palace is their accomplice. A high-ranking official must be protecting them for robbing the disaster relief grain!"
Mo Lingwei’s eyes were grim. "You think I don’t know that? But if you can’t catch anyone, who am I supposed to interrogate?"
Someone suggested, "Your Highness, it must be the Sixth Prince’s doing. They can’t catch the bandits themselves, and they won’t allow Your Highness to achieve any merit."
"I believe we should create a diversion to foil the Sixth Prince’s plans."
Mo Lingwei’s eyes narrowed in thought. After a long moment, just as he was about to speak...
...a loud THUD of something heavy falling came from the side hall next door!
It was followed by the CRASH of shattering porcelain.
"Who’s over there?" a eunuch’s voice suddenly rose sharply.
Mo Lingwei’s eyes turned cold and sharp. "Go see who it is," he commanded. "Bring them here."
’Someone actually dared to eavesdrop? Do they have a death wish?’
「A moment later.」
A small, trembling Shen Ningning was brought over.
Mo Lingwei’s severe gaze suddenly faltered.
’How can it be her?!’
Shen Ningning was sprawled on the floor, her wide eyes, like those of a frightened fawn, darting around at the tall, stern-faced ministers.
’These men look so scary!’
The little girl quickly spoke in her soft voice, "Brother Chen Shaobei said you were busy, so he brought me to the side hall."
"I just accidentally knocked over a shelf... I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation..."
She had been listening by the wall for a moment. As she was about to sit back down, her foot caught on the rug, and she tripped.
Then, she crashed into a curio shelf on the side.
Shen Ningning had flailed about, trying to steady it, but she was too weak. Instead, her small body ended up pinned under the curio shelf.
And she broke several pieces of porcelain.
If the guards hadn’t come over and pulled her out from under the shelf, who knows how long she would have been lying on the floor.
Her lovely, rosy little face was full of apology.
Chen Shaobei also rushed over when he heard the commotion.
He entered, glanced at Shen Ningning, and knelt to report, "I brought Miss Shen to the side hall and then went to make arrangements for capturing the bandits."
Mo Lingwei’s expression had already returned to normal.
He looked at the little girl. "It’s nothing. You only broke a few pieces of porcelain. Are you alright?"
Shen Ningning stood up, dusted off her little dress, and obediently shook her head. "I’m okay..."
Mo Lingwei took a breath. "Go wait for me in the side hall. I’ll come find you after my meeting is over."
Shen Ningning obediently left.
Mo Lingwei then instructed Chen Shaobei, "Get her some refreshments."
Chen Shaobei cupped his hands. "It’s already been taken care of."
Only then did Mo Lingwei dismiss him.
The surrounding ministers watched in confusion, exchanging glances. None of them could figure out who this little girl who had suddenly appeared was to the Crown Prince.
He seemed so familiar with her.
Returning to the matter at hand, Mo Lingwei’s eyes turned icy again. "We can’t make a big show of capturing the bandits. Find another way. Let them walk into a trap themselves."
「Just then.」
Chen Shaobei, who had gone next door, hurried back with a grim expression.
"Your Highness, when the Palace Attendants were cleaning up the broken porcelain, they found this." He presented a straw doll with both hands.
When the ministers saw it, they all gasped.
The palm-sized straw doll was pierced all over with silver needles. It also had a strip of paper attached with a person’s birth characters written on it.
"Witchcraft!" an adviser exclaimed, his brows tightly furrowed.
Since ancient times, this practice of cursing with effigies has been considered the most vicious form of witchcraft and has been banned by emperors of every dynasty.
Anyone in the palace found practicing it would face severe punishment—exile for a minor offense, death for a serious one.
Mo Lingwei looked down, his eyes cold. "Those are Mo Changgong’s birth characters."
The ministers were astounded.
"It’s a setup!"
"Someone deliberately hid the straw doll among the porcelain."
Mo Lingwei knew that, of course.
If Shen Ningning hadn’t accidentally knocked over the shelf, this straw doll might have been "discovered" one day, becoming powerful evidence that he was trying to harm the Sixth Prince.
"Take this directly to my father, the Emperor," Mo Lingwei commanded.
With so many people here as witnesses, right or wrong, the blame couldn’t be pinned on him.
With the matter settled for now, he dismissed the advisers and went to the side hall.
Shen Ningning was sitting on the daybed, her little feet swinging slightly.
Seeing Mo Lingwei, she quickly stood up, nervously clutching the hem of her dress with her small hands.
Her delicate, bright little face was filled with self-blame.
She only knew that she had broken things and had seen Chen Shaobei take away a straw doll with a grim expression, so she thought she had destroyed something very important.
"Brother, I..."
Before Shen Ningning could finish, Mo Lingwei had already walked up to her.
His sudden, meaningful look made the little girl freeze in place.
"Shen Ningning, you’ve helped me again."
