Chapter 83: Chapter 83: That Miss Ming Must Be His Highness’s Half-Sister, Right?

The moment the thought appeared in Gongsun Liangce’s mind, he nearly lost his grip on the reins. If not for his lightning-fast reflexes, he might have fallen right off his horse.

’This... this can’t be, can it?’

’If my suspicion is true,’ Gongsun Liangce thought, ’then... does *he* know about this?’

Everyone in the world knew of the Emperor’s obsessive love for the late Empress. This was especially true for officials like them serving in the Capital City, who could witness His Majesty’s fixation and madness firsthand.

Rumor had it that when the late Empress passed away five years ago, she was never interred in the Imperial Mausoleum.

The procession sent to the Imperial Mausoleum back then was merely a decoy. The late Empress’s body, it was rumored, still lay in Kunning Palace.

Although Gongsun Liangce had never seen it with his own eyes, he felt the rumor was more than likely true.

Gongsun Liangce had taken Zhao Shu and the troublemaking crowd of guards and female servants from the Duke Jing Mansion away, but the scene was already a complete mess.

Fortunately, the green balls and milk tea Ming Lingyi had brought out today were nearly sold out, so her losses were minimal.

Besides, she wasn’t one to repay injury with kindness. Since the people from the Duke Jing Mansion had caused this mess, her losses would, of course, have to be compensated by the Duke Jing Mansion.

Ming Lingyi was about to hand the matter over to Shi Mingyue, but Li Yan, who was standing nearby, overheard. The Little Crown Prince was suddenly eager to volunteer.

"What’s so difficult about this? Leave it to me!" Li Yan said.

’If I go demand the silver, it’ll definitely be much faster than anyone mother sends.’

Without waiting for his mother’s approval, Li Yan immediately waved over an Eastern Palace guard.

As luck would have it, the person he happened to summon was none other than Shi Tianyun.

As Shi Tianyun approached, he couldn’t contain his curiosity and stole a quick glance at Ming Lingyi.

What he saw was rather astounding.

He had seen this Miss Ming before, but it had been dark, and he hadn’t gotten a good look, so he hadn’t thought anything of it. But now, seeing this Miss Ming standing next to their Crown Prince, Shi Tianyun made a horrifying discovery: the young woman bore a striking resemblance to their Crown Prince!

’This... this...’

His mind reeling with confusion, Shi Tianyun sidled up to his commander, Cheng Yi, before he left.

"Boss," Shi Tianyun said, his voice low. He would never admit it was trembling with excitement. "I just discovered a secret!"

Cheng Yi: "..."

’He really didn’t want to believe his subordinate was a complete moron, but the facts seemed to prove otherwise.’

Oblivious to his superior’s disdain, Shi Tianyun whispered, "I’ve figured out Miss Ming’s identity!"

The words startled Cheng Yi, making him turn to look.

"Miss Ming must be His Highness’s older half-sister, right? I’ve never heard of the late Empress having a daughter. The Emperor ordered her executed, but then our commander held back. He must have discovered that this Mrs. Ming’s identity was anything but ordinary."

"And the late Empress’s maiden name was Ming, too. So, it’s possible the Emperor had his eldest daughter raised by the Ming Family."

Cheng Yi: "..."

’He had to admit, among all his subordinates, only Shi Tianyun possessed such a wild imagination.’

’How could he say something so thoughtless?’

"Is the Emperor someone you can spread rumors about? I think you’ve got a death wish. And don’t forget, Miss Ming is clearly of marriageable age. Is your brain full of nothing but spicy pepper soup? You’re not thinking straight at all!" Cheng Yi shot Shi Tianyun an irritated glare, silently telling him to get lost.

Shi Tianyun: "...Ah!"

’Oh, right!’

’The Emperor couldn’t have a daughter that old, could he?’

’I didn’t think that through!’

’But if they aren’t related like that, what other relationship could it be? Why does Mrs. Ming look so much like the Little Prince?’

’Didn’t Grand Tutor Ming’s family only have one daughter, the late Empress?’

Shi Tianyun departed, his spicy-pepper-soup-addled brain still unable to figure out the relationship between Ming Lingyi and Li Yan.

Li Yan stared at the green balls trampled to bits beside the small cart and the remnants of lotus seed soup. He couldn’t help but clench his fists.

’The punishment he’d given Zhao Shu just now was far too light.’

’How could a single sword strike ever make up for her blatant arrogance?’

Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue went to inspect the small cart to see if it could be repaired and reused. Ming Lingyi stood beside Little Bun. Seeing him staring intently at the mess on the ground, she bent down and said, "Don’t worry, I left plenty for you at home. Stop looking."

How could Ming Lingyi not have thought of her Little Bun when she was making the green balls?

She wouldn’t say she understood Li Yun completely, but after living together for several years, she knew him quite well. After they married, as long as there were no major incidents in the army, he would rush back from the barracks outside the city almost every night to be with her.

That was why Ming Lingyi had expected that after what she’d said to Li Yun last time, Li Yan’s confinement would soon be lifted.

And so, before leaving the house today, Ming Lingyi had already set aside plenty of green balls at home, just waiting for her Little Bun to arrive.

Li Yan blinked. "Mother, you knew I was coming?"

"I would’ve saved some for you whether you came or not," Ming Lingyi said.

’Even if Li Yan hadn’t come, she would have set a portion aside just for him.’

’She wanted her Little Bun to always have everything he could ever want to eat whenever he came home.’

Li Yan pressed his lips together, a slightly embarrassed smile gracing his features.

Of course, he still thought the woman from the Duke Jing Mansion was detestable, but right now, he felt better than ever.

Ming Lingyi left Leyou Garden with Li Yan and headed back to Huaided Fang.

Only after they had left did Li Yun emerge from a nearby plum grove.

Liu Ye followed at his master’s side. ’Someone’s in for it today,’ he thought.

When Li Yan returned to the palace, Cheng Yi followed behind him, carrying two large food containers filled with snacks that Ming Lingyi had packed.

Besides the green balls, which were eaten for the Qingming Festival, there was also some kind of mint milk and fried spring rolls that would keep for a relatively long time.

Li Yan was particularly fond of the salted egg yolk green balls, so Ming Lingyi had packed a full thirty of them, filling three tiers of a food container.

Li Yan already had a plan. Once he got back to the palace, he would reward Aunt Yu Yi and Aunt Yanxia with five green balls each. The remaining twenty... hmm, he would keep them all for himself.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to share, but the thought that his mother had made them especially for him made Li Yan reluctant to give a single one to anyone else.

He could reward his subordinates with silver, of course, but he could never give away something his mother had made for him with her own hands.

Li Yan gleefully calculated that he would eat two tomorrow and carefully preserve the rest. That way, they would last for many days.

But unexpectedly, before he even made it back to the Eastern Palace, he ran into Liu Ye, who had clearly been waiting for him.

As if not noticing the Crown Prince’s faint look of disdain, Liu Ye beamed and said, "This servant pays his respects to the Crown Prince. The Emperor is waiting for you in Taiji Palace. If Your Highness would please come with me."

Li Yan nodded and turned to give Cheng Yi instructions, wanting to make sure he guarded the food containers he had brought back.

But Liu Ye spoke first. "These must be the things Your Highness brought from outside the palace. Please, hand them to this old servant."

’When he came to escort the Crown Prince today, the Emperor had repeatedly emphasized that no matter what the Crown Prince brought in from outside the palace, it had to be brought over for another inspection.’