Early sumr, the warm breeze is intoxicating.
The doors of Lizheng Hall were wide open, and the screens at the entrance were also moved aside, allowing the occasional gentle breeze to stir one’s clothing.
Mr. Deng, the Crown Prince’s Attendant, stood at a halt outside the hall’s entrance and saw within the hall the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort sitting opposite each other, each absorbed in their docunts.
He couldn’t help but frown slightly.
Just at this mont, the Crown Princess Consort raised her head, seemingly sensing sothing, and looked outside.
Deng Liao quickly composed himself and respectfully lowered his head.
Then he heard her voice, clear and sweet with a hint of laughter: "Ah, Mr. Deng is here!"
Deng Liao bowed and entered with the docunts in hand.
The Crown Prince also looked up at him, his gaze as indifferent as usual, without saying a word.
Deng Liao put down the docunts, bowed, and backed away. As he reached the door, he subconsciously glanced at the Crown Princess Consort again, only to et her gaze directly.
A pair of beautiful almond eyes, bright and clear.
At this mont, she looked at him, the smile sweet yet with a hint of knowingness.
Deng Liao was slightly startled, hurriedly lowered his head, and left.
"What’s wrong?" Li Mu noticed she was still watching Deng Liao, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Tang Xiaobai shook her head and said, "The way we’re sitting, perhaps soone has an opinion."
Li Mu glanced outside, noticing Deng Liao had already left.
His eyes darkened.
Tang Xiaobai smiled, "Having opinions is inevitable. If they don’t speak up, we don’t have to mind, right?"
Li Mu’s expression eased slightly, "Hmm," he replied and casually picked up a docunt from the pile Deng Liao had delivered.
Opening and skimming through it, his brows suddenly furrowed, the forrly beautiful eyes instantly turned sharp and intense.
Tang Xiaobai propped her chin with one hand, watching him, and softly asked, "Is it about Tonghua Valley?"
Li Mu nodded, "Gu Wei has been suspended."
The failure of the siege at Tonghua Valley dealt a certain blow to the Eastern Palace.
Initially, due to suspicions that Tonghua Valley might be colluding with forces at court, this siege was conducted in secret.
Now with the failure of the siege, the Eastern Palace lost the initiative, even the disciples brought back from Tonghua Valley were taken over by others, making it difficult for Gu Ling to find the person she was looking for. She could only send soone to take a look, but they couldn’t bring the person out.
"Do you think..." Tang Xiaobai hesitated, "Could the problem stem from the Duke Yan Mansion?"
The plan for the siege on Tonghua Valley was also known to Tang Ziqian.
Since the Duke Yan Mansion had already made a mistake with Gu Ning, it’s possible there could be a second slip-up.
Those who had access to these matters wouldn’t be ordinary servants.
Who exactly could it be?
Tang Xiaobai beca sowhat anxious thinking about it.
Seeing her like this, Li Mu felt a bit unwilling, and comforted, "Perhaps soone just guessed and paid attention, not necessarily an internal traitor."
Tang Xiaobai said nothing.
She still felt there was a traitor, based on a reader’s intuition.
This invisible, intangible danger made her sowhat uneasy.
"I’ll visit the Gu family." Tang Xiaobai said as she stood up.
Li Mu had just picked up a pen, looked up at her upon hearing this.
"To see Third Cousin Gu and Sixth Cousin Gu."
Li Mu looked at her, then lowered his gaze at the pen.
His Crown Princess Consort was clearly in a bad mood, why should he keep reviewing docunts and morials?
So he put it down and stood up as well, "I’ll also go visit the two Cousin Gu’s."
Tang Xiaobai raised her brow, glancing at the pile of docunts on his desk.
The Crown Prince massaged his brows, saying, "Staring at them for too long gives a headache," rubbing his eyes as well, "and my eyes are sore."
Tang Xiaobai: ...
Alright then...
...
Tang Xiaobai actually just wanted to get out and clear her mind.
The matter of a traitor was very distressing and could very well involve soone she trusted.
No one wants to doubt soone they trust.
Upon reaching the Gu family, Gu Wei was not there, only the injured Gu You was available for visiting.
Gu You was indeed seriously injured, especially with internal wounds, he had been resting at ho since returning to the capital.
When he saw Tang Xiaobai and Li Mu, his face turned utterly red, unable to utter a word for a long while.
It wasn’t until the two were about to leave that he managed to squeeze out a full sentence, "I have failed the trust of Your Highness, I will certainly take great care in the future, never to repeat the mistake!"
Turns out, his embarrassnt was due to his injured self-esteem.
Tang Xiaobai was thinking of how to comfort him, but saw the Crown Prince turn his head, and with a cold and indifferent look, glanced at Gu You, then coldly uttered, "Hmm."
The wounded young Gu instantly brightened up, his eyes firm, seeming as if he could charge into battle at a mont’s notice.
Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Li Mu glanced at her.
She laughed.
Because of Gu You.
Was he not amusing?
"Hey!" She tugged on his sleeve.
Li Mu turned his face to look at her.
Her almond eyes were filled with laughter: "You really know how to encourage people!"
"Hmm?" Li Mu was initially puzzled, then after realizing, he remained silent for a mont, saying, "I wasn’t encouraging him."
He didn’t have such a hobby, it was just a casual "Hmm."
The girl snickered again.
Li Mu suddenly felt pleased inside.
This ti because of him, right?
Was he also amusing?
Tang Xiaobai wasn’t aware of the little twists in His Highness’s mind and laughed for a mont to herself, then said, "Perhaps he just doesn’t want encouragent and comfort!"
Li Mu nodded, "Indeed he doesn’t need encouragent or comfort, victory or defeat is commonplace in warfare, this was Gu You’s first campaign, he wasn’t even a general, it doesn’t even count as a defeat."
So he didn’t understand why Gu You was so dejected, it seed quite weak in his view.
"What was it like when you first lost a battle?" Tang Xiaobai suddenly got curious.
The Crown Prince glanced at her with a slight rebuke for "How could you not know", "I have never lost."
Tang Xiaobai: ???
"Weren’t you injured in the Battle of Hun River?"
The Crown Prince displayed a look of indignity, "I was only injured, not defeated!"
Is that so...
Tang Xiaobai chuckled awkwardly, "Did you win your first battle then?"
She asked this and already prepared a slew of complints to praise him.
Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince pursed his lips, looking even more displeased: "My first military endeavor was the Longn Village bandit suppression, you forgot?"
Tang Xiaobai froze for a bit, hastily nodding, "I rember! I rember!"
That battle earned Young Master a renowned na.
Not only was it a massive victory, but he also incorporated all the mountain bandits.
And now, those mountain bandits have beco the most loyal Xuan Yi Guard of the Eastern Palace.
Seeing the Crown Prince’s displeasure, but surrounded by people, Tang Xiaobai could only lean closer, softly coaxing, "You are the best!"
"In what way?" Along with this question ca a look that said "elaborate please".
Where should she start from?
Tang Xiaobai was montarily puzzled, looking up at the clear sky, suddenly getting bold, motioned with a smile for the Crown Prince to co closer, and whispered a few words.
The Crown Prince’s fair skin turned red in an instant, eyes shifting rapidly, just about to speak, "You——"
"Greetings to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort!" A cold female voice interrupted him.
Tang Xiaobai looked up.
It was Third Aunt Gu, Mrs. Han.
This ti they had co dressed in casual clothes, without making any announcents, only visiting the main and fifth branches.
Now just out of the fifth branch, running into Mrs. Han could count as by chance.
Mrs. Han, consistent with her ice-cold deanor: "I did not know the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort had arrived, please pardon the lack of a proper welco."
With this, she retreated to the side of the road, a posture of "please leave quickly."
Tang Xiaobai recalled what Gu Ling and Yao He had said after returning from the Ministry of Justice Prison yesterday, stared at her for a while, then suddenly said to Li Mu, "I’ll have a word with Third Aunt, you go ahead."
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