Ji Lingxue smiled and said, "Aren't you afraid that I will tell your brother, the emperor, about your secret gold mines for making weapons?"
Xiao Yichen smiled confidently: "I believe you won't."
Ji Lingxue was stunned. This man had too high an opinion of himself.
Then Xiao Yichen continued, "We are husband and wife. If I prosper, you prosper. If I fall, how can you be better off?"
Ji Lingxue thought about it and it made sense. Since Xiao Yichen was so considerate, she would share a secret with him. "Xiao Yichen..." Ji Lingxue took out a brocade bag and handed it to Xiao Yimo, saying, "I found this in my good sister's room. Do you want to see it?"
Xiao Yichen took it and kicked it directly into his arms. No matter what was inside, he had already been on guard against Ji Yuqing.
The two returned to the backyard of the yamen to rest. As soon as Ji Lingxue entered the room, Mo Xiang and a dark guard saluted her respectfully.
"I am the secret guard Ruge, and I greet my master. This is my indenture. From now on, I belong to the princess and will only obey her orders."
Secret guard Ruge?! Ji Lingxue's mouth twitched, and she took the indenture and put it away. She didn't expect Xiao Yichen to be so efficient.
Ji Lingxue asked: "Your name is Ruge?"
The secret guard shook his head. "I only have a code name. Ruge was given by the prince. The prince said that I can do everything that Ruge does in the future."
Ji Lingxue curled her lips, thinking that she could replace Ruge by finding her own secret guard and changing his name to Ruge. Once Ruge left, there would be no Ruge in the world anymore.
Ji Lingxue said: "Okay, there is nothing for you to do, go and rest first."
As soon as the secret guard Ruge left, Mo Xiang brought some hot water to wait on Ji Lingxue for her to rest. Seeing Ji Lingxue shaking out several pieces of gold from her sleeves, Mo Xiang's eyes widened, "Master, are you... digging for gold?"
Ji Lingxue smiled and said, "This is a reward from the prince. Keep it and use it as your dowry when you get married." Xiao Yichen blocked the news about the gold mine, so Mo Xiang and the others didn't know about it.
Mo Xiang blushed and said hurriedly: "I will not marry. I will always be with my master."
Ji Lingxue smiled, "What's the good of being an old maid? You can still serve me even if you get married."
Mo Xiang lowered her head in shame and remained silent. Ji Lingxue did not continue this topic. She put away the gold and went to bed.
The next day, Ji Lingxue was woken up by Xiao Yichen. Rubbing her eyes, Ji Lingxue asked, "Are we going home?"
Xiao Yichen nodded. He had been handling some matters at the mine last night and did not return until dawn. He originally wanted to take a nap, but seeing Ji Lingxue sleeping soundly, he also lost his sleepiness and did not wake her up until dawn.
Xiao Yichen held up the map and asked, "Has Ruge also seen this map?"
Ji Lingxue nodded, "What's wrong? Is there any problem?"
Xiao Yichen shook his head. There was no problem, except that all the defense mechanisms in the palace needed to be replaced.
Ji Lingxue was content to appreciate Xiao Yichen's unhappy expression, "Alas, your concubine is a traitor, how are you going to deal with her?"
Xiao Yichen twitched his lips, and was speechless about Ji Lingxue's idiom, "Playing the long game to catch the big fish, you know how to do that, right?"
Ji Lingxue nodded, "Is this why you keep Ji Yuqing by your side? Do you know who she belongs to?"
Xiao Yichen shook his head, "I don't know yet. You should try not to go out if you have nothing to do recently, okay? Although I have secret guards by your side, they are not as tight as the guards in the palace."
Ji Lingxue nodded, and because Xiao Yichen cared about her so much, she forgave him for taking advantage of her a little.
Ji Lingxue asked: "By the way, Zisu, why did you collect Zisu in the first place?"
Xiao Yichen said: "Zi Su told me that she is on the emperor's side."
Ji Lingxue twitched the corners of her mouth. It seemed that the emperor was very worried about his younger brother and had so many spies around him.
Ji Lingxue looked at Xiao Yichen sympathetically and said, "I can finally understand your sorrow."
Xiao Yichen suddenly reached out and rubbed Ji Lingxue's hair like he was rubbing a puppy. Fortunately, Ji Lingxue was smart enough to act crazy at that time, otherwise she would have become Xiao Yimo's spy by her side.
Xiao Yichen said: "Don't tell anyone what happened here when you go back." He closed all clues last night.
Ji Lingxue made a gesture to seal her mouth and blinked her eyes, indicating that she understood.
Ji Lingxue returned to the palace, and Ji Yuqing came to pay her respects with Zi Su.
Ji Yuqing said: "Sister, I heard that you went to worship your biological mother yesterday. I hope nothing happened on the way. Why did you come back only today?"
She came here today to inquire about the matter. Ji Lingxue had managed to dodge two assassination attempts. She was really capable. I heard that the prince had been working in the study until late at night. How come her good luck hadn't run out yet
Ji Lingxue nodded. "There was a lot of grass growing on my mother's grave. Mo Xiang and I cleaned it up. When we came back, we saw a new play was opening in the theater, so we went to listen to it."
Ji Yuqing said: "Sister, you are really playful. The prince will be angry if he knows. Don't do this next time."
Zi Su said, "Sister Princess, I'm glad you're okay. I heard that things have been very uneasy in the capital recently, and there have been several cases of women suddenly disappearing. It would be better for Princess not to sleep outdoors anymore."
Ji Lingxue nodded, thanked Zi Su for her concern, and asked Mo Xiang to prepare some cakes to distribute to them.
Ji Yuqing took the cake and said, "Thank you, sister. I also made a gift for you." Then she handed over a soft cotton cushion and said, "Sister, the weather is cold. It will be warmer if you put this cushion on the chair."
Ji Lingxue motioned for Mo Xiang to take it and thanked her with a smile, "I am very touched by your thoughtfulness, sister."
Ji Yuqing added in her heart: Inside this soft cotton are the green thorns that this concubine asked Zi Ye to pick from the mountain. If I can't annoy you, then I will annoy your butt!
After sending Ji Yuqing and Zi Su away, Ji Lingxue leaned back and stretched, saying, "The intrigues in the backyard really don't suit me. Mo Xiang, burn that cotton pad for me!"
Mo Xiang lowered her head and played with the cotton pad in her hand and said, "Princess, it would be a pity to burn it. Cotton is precious this year."
Ji Lingxue said: "If you like it, I'll give it to you."
Mo Xiang nodded, touched the cotton pad, and the next moment she let out a scream. A hole was pierced on her finger and a drop of blood oozed out.
Mo Xiang held the injured finger in her mouth and said dazedly: "Princess, there are thorns in this cushion. It hurts."
Ji Lingxue said: "So let's just burn it." Ji Yuqing had lost a piece of scalp, and she would feel bad if she didn't take this grudge back. The cotton pad was just a small warning.
Ji Lingxue leaned her head in boredom. Mo Xiang said, "Princess, the prince's birthday is coming soon. You haven't prepared any gifts for him yet, right? The two houses are preparing them. If you are the only one who doesn't have a gift for him, I'm afraid people will gossip about you again."
Ji Lingxue moved her eyelids and said, "Xiao Yichen's birthday is coming soon, so let's prepare a bowl of longevity noodles for him."
Mo Xiang twitched his lips and said, "Princess, I can't let you be so insincere."
Ji Lingxue crossed her legs and asked, "Do you know what birthday gifts those two families are preparing?"
Mo Xiang said: "I have inquired about it. Zi Su prepared a dress, and Concubine asked her to prepare a pair of boots and a belt."
Mo Xiang added in her heart: Princess, take a look at their gifts. Aren’t they very thoughtful? You will be outdone by them if you look like this.
Ji Lingxue said "oh" and waved her hand, "Okay, I got it, you can go down."
Mo Xiang said "oh", turned around and walked out. As soon as she went out, she ran into the secret guard Ruge hanging upside down on the beam. She was so scared that she patted her chest.
Mo Xiang said, "You... you don't have anything else to do, pretending to be a ghost and scaring people in broad daylight."
A drop of cold sweat slid down the forehead of the secret guard Ruge. There was really nothing he could do. The princess seemed to have forgotten about him.
The secret guard Ruge said, "Miss Moxiang, why doesn't the princess ask me to do something?" He was originally sent by the prince to keep an eye on Ruge. Ruge and the princess got along very well, but why was it different when it came to him
Mo Xiang said: "Why are you in such a hurry? The princess is not familiar with you yet and is not used to using you."
The secret guard Ruge touched his nose, climbed onto the roof to get some fresh air, leaving Mo Xiang speechless.
At night, Ji Lingxue called Ruge, a secret guard who was sitting on the rooftop to bask in the moonlight and relax, into the room. Ji Lingxue asked, "If I ask you to do something, will you tell your prince?"
Secret Guard Ruge said, "Of course not. From the moment I handed the indenture to the princess, the princess became my master. I only obey her. Whatever she tells me to do, I will do it."
Ji Lingxue nodded. She didn't quite believe what he said verbally and wanted to continue investigating.
Ji Lingxue asked again: "How is your Qinggong?"
The secret guard Ruge replied: "My lightness skill is one of the best among the secret guards in the palace." Except that I can't be faster than the prince.
Ji Lingxue nodded. It seemed that Xiao Yichen was sending his most advantageous subordinate to her to ensure her safety.
Ji Lingxue asked again: "Were you around the prince a lot before?"
The secret guard Ruge nodded and said, "Yes, but I have always been in the dark and have not had much contact with the prince." So, if you want to ask me about the prince's private affairs, I'm sorry. Although I am your subordinate, I will not betray the prince.
Ji Lingxue said, "From now on, your name is An Ge."
An Ge nodded, "I am An Ge, thank you for the name, Princess."
Ji Lingxue waved at him with a smile on her lips, which made An Ge's back cold. Will the princess ask him to do something shameful to test his loyalty
Ji Lingxue handed the two paper figures she had cut out on the table to An Ge and whispered something in his ear. A layer of cold sweat broke out on An Ge's forehead.
An Ge: Princess, you are too close to me. If the prince sees you, I will call you Kao Ge...
Ji Lingxue had no idea what An Ge was thinking. After she finished speaking her thoughts, she saw that An Ge was still in a daze, so she raised her hand and patted his shoulder, "Hey, do you understand what I said?"
An Ge's heart skipped a beat, he stepped back a few steps and nodded, "I understand, I'll do it right away."
(End of this chapter)