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Chapter 234 Ask for Help

“Maybe, there is a glimmer of hope. But we need some help.”

When both of them felt themselves at the end of tether, he suddenly realized that one person might be of help.

“You mean, Grand Secretary Qin?”

After hearing that sentence, Lin Mengya realized what Long Tianyu’s thoughts were.

But her gorgeous face looked somewhat confused.

Grand Secretary Qin had served three emperors in a row. However, as an civilian official, he could not afford to disobey the Emperor’s order either. So there seemed no point in asking for his help.

Long Tianyu patiently explained.

“You’re right that he’s just a civilian official. But you forget that, he used to be the prime minister, and he may have still have been, if not for his bad health. The incumbent prime minister is his sworn enemy, but most of old ministers were trained by him.”

In a moment, Lin Mengya saw the light in his explanation. “Hey, why didn’t I think of that?”

“And father is in Capital City now. I believe, at least half of the officials at court will stand by our side, if father and Grand Secretary Qin join forces.”

“Those supporters have taken root at court, and are different from those new people the Empress promoted recently.”

“So clever of you, Your Highness. It is a good idea. I’ll write a letter right now, no, I’ll personally pay a visit to Grand Secretary Qin.”

She remembered that she had once insisted on inviting Grand Secretary Qin to the house, to teach Long Tianyu, about some ceremonial etiquette.

But later, she was too busy and forgot about that. “It should be the right time right now, isn’t it?”

For one thing, Long Tianyu could learn more about how to hold a ceremony for the Winter Solstice Festival. For another, using this chance, she would try to persuade Grand Secretary Qin to help her get into the Palace to check on the Emperor’s health condition. Thus, a double purpose would be served.

“Take it slowly. I heard you coughing, when I was outside just now. You’d better nurse yourself for a few days. It’s late. Take a rest, and I’ll go back to my room.”

Lin Mengya originally thought that Long Tianyu would make up excuses to stay here, as before.

But he left her, without any hesitation this time.

“Thanks, good night, Your Highness.”

A feeling of upset rose in her heart. She struggled to hold it back. “What’s wrong with me? He is not really my husband. Why am I having some expectations from him?”

Lin Mengya touched her flushed face. “My boiling hot room is making my imagination run wild.”

“Right, it must be that!”

Large snowflakes soon covered the narrowed paths.

After getting out of her room, Long Tianyu’s face was cold, as if he was frozen.

He tried to contain his anger, as he strode out in the snow, but his anger could clearly be seen.

He was a master in qing kung, but he left deep footprints in the snow. Steward Deng and Lin Kui, who were following him behind, gave bitter smiles, after exchanging glances.

“Prince Yu is really getting irritated!”

A blanket of white snow lightened the whole dark night, but Long Tianyu felt angrier.

He had not planned to get Lin Mengya involved in his fight with the Empress and the Crown Prince. But Baili Wuchen and Jiang Sheng had proposed it. When he thought of them, he became even more irritated.

“Why are you so angry, Your Highness? What Mr. Wuchen proposed seems terrible, but it’s actually a good idea, isn’t it?”

After a period of silence, Lin Kui, who was always honest and just, could not help comforting him.

“Baili Wuchen did it for my good, do you really believe him?”

Lin Kui and Steward Deng were the real confidants of Long Tianyu.

In fact, the two stood by him and thought lowly of Baili Wuchen’s proposal. But later on, he did not know what methods Baili Wuchen had used to manage to persuade any of the others, apart from the three of them. That was what angered Long Tianyu the most.

“I think it terrible as well. We’ve seen what the Princess did after becoming Princess Yu. She has to take a huge risk on her life to check on the Emperor’s health condition. But, it seems to be the most well-advised way, after considering everything else.”

Just now, news from the Palace said that the Emperor’s condition had worsened. This was differing news from what was given before, and the royal hospital had no idea this time.

Even the Ministry of Internal Order, according to its usual practice, had already prepared a coffin for the Emperor.

But Long Tianyu did not believe that his father, who had always been in the best of health, would deteriorate so suddenly.

Stopping at a corner of the garden, he sat down on a cold stone.

Before seeing Lin Mengya, he gathered his people together in order to cast about for ways to slip into the Imperial Palace, to get information. To his surprise, Baili Wuchen proposed that Lin Mengya be the one to enter the Palace, to treat the Emperor.

It would be a relief if the Emperor recovered after this. But the Imperial Palace was the Empress and the Crown Prince’s territory. Concubine De was not allowed to enter the Palace to greet the Empress except on the first and fifteenth day of every month. Even he had no right to go into the Palace unless he had a proper reason.

Lin Mengya was smart and bold enough, but the Imperial Palace was not any ordinary house, and there was danger lurking at every corner.

Besides, since Lin Mengya had taken some unprecedented actions before, the Empress already saw her as a target.

It thus appeared that entering the Palace would be a high-risk action for Lin Mengya.

Long Tianyu was angry that Baili Wuchen dared incite his people to threaten him with death, in his study room. His refusal would disappoint his people, and then, nobody would like to serve him willingly.

And Baili Wuchen wanted more. He insisted that Lin Mengya should come up with the idea of entering the Palace by herself. More than that, it was he who proposed to ask Grand Secretary Qin’s help.

A sneer emerged in his heart on its own accord. “Baili Wuchen must have forgotten that I am the real master, who is in control.”

“How dare he boldly make the decision for me, and threaten me with all kinds of things. It’s time to have him removed.”

“Are you going to drive him out, Your Highness?”

Steward Deng was the one who knew Long Tianyu very well. Deng was known as the steward of Prince Yu’s Mansion all these years, but in fact, few people knew that he was the one to punish or remove traitors, who threatened Long Tianyu’s power.

At least one hundred traitors had been killed by him, most of whom were masters in kung fu and very capable.

“No. It may cause an uproar if he is removed for this. Tell Night to look around for a capable talent, quietly. There should be someone to take Baili Wuchen’s place.”

In his people’s eyes, Baili Wuchen was the most intelligent man among all.

But they were wrong. Long Tianyu was actually smarter and more capable than Baili Wuchen.

Why he did not show it, was because he preferred to give others a chance.

He seemingly could do nothing, but helplessly agree with every proposal Baili Wuchen made. But in fact, from the day Baili Wuchen tried to play tricks behind him, Long Tianyu had already found a way to deal with him.

However, Long Tianyu had to make use of Lin Mengya’s belief in him, for once.

He only hoped that she would never know the truth.

It snowed the whole night. With the help of a sleeping incense, Lin Mengya had the rare chance to have a sound sleep for a whole night.

It would be the Winter Solstice Festival in a few days. She was relieved that she had already started her preparations well ahead, from last month.

“Master, Ministry of Internal Order sent a ceremonial robe or dress for you and His Highness, and asked that you check it.”

Just after breakfast, a gatekeeper rushed to report this to her.

She nodded. Baiji was good at this, and that released her from troubles.

She was newly married and would be attending the ceremony as Princess Yu for the first time, thus, her clothes were new.

A azure dress embroidered with Magic Lotuses, and a bright red lined jacket with a pattern of a phoenix flying around herbaceous peonies, looked elegant and dignified.

She touched the smooth, silky cloth with her clean hand. It felt extraordinary, because the best female embroiderer in the Palace made it.

But, after a while, Lin Mengya gave it to Baiji.

“Don’t you like it, Master?”

Baizhi and Baishao found their eyes shining at such a brilliant stitch work.

“I like it. No one would dislike beautiful clothes. But my life may be taken if I put it on. I’m not bold enough to wear it.”

Lin Mengya was smiling, but her words astonished the two girls.

Even Lin Zhongyu and Qinghu turned their heads towards her in confusion. “Really? There does not seem to be anything wrong with it?”

“That’s right. Master, you’re right that the phoenix on it, is actually a seven-colored phoenix. But they used a little purple color on its eyes. It’s not a big deal. But the flower is a peony, not a herbaceous peony.”

Baiji smilingly explained.

According to the convention, only the Empress had a right to wear clothes decorated with a seven-colored peony, particularly if there was a phoenix flying around the peony. Six-colored phoenixes were for Concubines, but the peony was not.

Six-colored phoenixes was also for princesses like Su Jinan, and the flower must be a herbaceous peony.

Therefore, Lin Mengya would be punished for showing great disrespect to the Empress, if she had worn it to the ceremony.

The Ministry of Internal Order had been in charge of making clothes for the royal family and their relatives for many years. Lin Mengya believed that on the page meant for Princess Yu, it must have been recorded as clothes with six-colored phoenix and herbaceous peony.

In other words, someone secretly swapped out her clothes.

“My my, how cruel the law is! Are you going to be beheaded if you put on the wrong clothes?”

Baizhi shouted, while she stuck her tongue out and shrank her neck, her heart still fluttering with fear.

Lin Mengya shook her head, and said in a friendly tone, while looking at Baizhi.

“Beheaded? It’s as severe as treason. Family members would be purged.”

Bang! Poor Baizhi collapsed in astonishment at Lin Mengya’s apparent calmness.

“Oh my god! That is truly horrible!”