Chapter 112: The Royal Princess (18)

In the royal study room it was a total mess. The desk and the censer were overturned on the ground, and books and papers were scattered everywhere.

What happened?

Well, let’s review…

Ming Shu suspected it was the emperor himself who schemed the kidnapping and he was just crying “Thief!” as the true thief. He had hidden Princess Rong Hua away so as to frame her.

The emperor was naturally angry at this accusation. He scolded Ming Shu for talking nonsense and showing no respect to His Majesty.

A fierce debate then played out between the two, and it got more and more violent, to the point of a fight.

Correct, they had a fight. Sensing that the number of “enemies” was too many for her, Ming Shu ordered the guards hidden around her to come out, and then…

The fight was on. That’s why the royal study room ended up in such a messy condition.

Now Ming Shu was sitting on the steps, holding a plate of green bean cakes (who the hell knew where she got it), and the leisure she displayed made her look like she was enjoying a wonderful afternoon tea.

Opposite her was a row of alert royal guards, heavily armed, who were ready to rush over and take down Ming Shu any minute. Meanwhile, the others were all standing behind the guards, hurt or injured, looking like a crowd of suffering captives.

The emperor was supported by Eunuch Li. He had almost fainted due to anger.

But the emperor wouldn’t want to lose his imposing manner. “Shen Ci, how dare you attack me… Great, hoh, I see your true face today! You will be executed for the crime of violating my sanctity. The Heavenly Temple can’t save you either!”

“Well, kill me then.”

“Do you think I cannot?”

Ming Shu suddenly glanced at the emperor. The emperor and Eunuch Li both took several steps back, swallowing with difficulty.

“Can I have another plate of green bean cakes?” The food is too little, not even enough for me to fill my empty stomach, let alone handle these noisy goblins.

What?

They had endured their nerves for half a day, and what did she just say?

Are you kidding?

The situation drifted into a stalemate.

“Little Ci.” The master of Heavenly Temple came in a hurry as soon as he got the news. “Your Majesty.”

“Right on time, Master.” The emperor somehow saw a glimmer of hope. He stood upright and questioned the master sharply. “This Shen Ci sees no rules in the palace. She ordered your people to attack me and all the ministers. Master, I’ve always respected your Heavenly Temple, but now what do you mean by this?”

At this moment, the emperor was very determined that the Heavenly Temple must be eliminated. One day longer it existed, one day longer it would restrict the royal family.

“Your Majesty, is there any news about the investigation?” The master avoided the emperor’s question.

“She is the most suspicious one.” The emperor snorted.

The master frowned. He looked at Ming Shu who was still sitting on the steps, and said lowly, “Your Majesty, the only evidence is just a buyao , isn’t it a little hasty to suspect that Little Ci is involved in the disappearance of Princess Rong Hua? Besides, Little Ci had no reason to kidnap Her Highness. And what’s most important now is to find where Her Highness is.”

The emperor calmed down a little. But he still didn’t believe Ming Shu.

After keeping silent for a little while, he asked, “Master, what do you think we should do?”

Since everyone was totally aware of what happened just now, the emperor believed the master must know as well.

The master answered, “Your Majesty, whether little Ci is related to the disappearance of Princess Rong Hua, we will know when we find Her Highness.”

The emperor snorted again. “Are you saying, Master, that Shen Ci should not be punished for her contempt of me?”

He was the emperor of the country. And his dignity as an emperor must not be offended by a silly girl! She must be punished for what she had done.

“Your Majesty, this matter should be settled after Princess Rong Hua is found.” The master made his analysis in a calm and orderly manner. “Your Majesty, you must have wronged Little Ci, so that she had to defend herself in an improper way. All things considered, Little Ci is no more than a child the same age as Princess Rong Hua. And she is the prophet. The great responsibility she is undertaking must have pressured her greatly. In the future, she still has to work for the royal family. If Your Majesty punishes her for her childishness today, I’m afraid it will be too late to regret then. As to the other guards of the Heavenly Temple that were involved in the fight, I will punish them personally. What do you say, Your Majesty?”

It sounded like the master was negotiating with the emperor, but his strong tone had shown that, if the emperor couldn’t let the matter go today, then the matter will never end.

He even threatened the emperor with prophecy. Okay, you want to punish the prophet, right? Go ahead. But if something bad happens in a prophecy and leads to problems for the Wushang Dynasty, then we will see who will suffer more.

The emperor was crying inside.

This Heavenly Temple had forced him into this situation, yet he could do nothing about it.

And prophecy… it was indeed a good skill. Any large natural or man-made disaster can be prevented in advance through prophecy. Even if it can’t be thoroughly settled, the losses might be minimized.

Prophecy was the weapon that had helped the Wushang Dynasty last until today. If the weapon was lost, could the dynasty still last?

The emperor really didn’t know.

“The case of the missing Princess Rong Hua will be handed over to the Heavenly Temple. You must find Princess Rong Hua in three days, safe and sound, otherwise you will all be punished.”

The master knew that this was already the biggest concession the emperor could provide.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The master took Ming Shu away from the royal study room. After they walked a distance from the royal study room, the master let go of her. “Little Ci, what on earth are you doing lately? It’s not like you.”

She made a scene in the royal study room and beat… the emperor…

When he heard the news, he almost fainted. Since Little Ci had come back from outside the palace, she’d become very strange. She didn’t stop eating all day as if she was starving all the time. And within just a few days, she had ruined the friendly relationship between the emperor and the Heavenly Temple.

“They started it.”

“Regardless, he is the emperor, the son of the Wushang Dynasty. He is the king, and we are the ministers. This is the rule.”

“Master…”

“Don’t start. I don’t care what you are thinking now. Go back and reflect on yourself. You must know, the Heavenly Temple can have your back, but I can’t let you mess around.” If today’s matter was not based on the disappearance of Princess Rong Hua, he wouldn’t have known how it could be settled.

Ming Shu blinked her big watery eyes. “Master, can we go back to eat first?” I didn’t eat enough, I’m so hungry.

“…”

…

In fact, there was nothing to investigate about this matter. The master had ordered people to follow the “thief” who kidnapped Rong Hua and found the person connected with him. It was the same person who tried to assassinate Ming Shu last time.

However, in order to convince the emperor, the master didn’t have the princess saved immediately. Instead, he pretended to be looking for her.

The master planned to save the princess on the last day of the deadline, but what happened then was just outside of his expectations.

The kidnapper sent a letter requesting the exchange of Princess Rong Hua with the famous painting World Peace . They warned that if the painting wasn’t sent to South Ferry in two hours, Princess Rong Hua would be returned dead.

Of course, this news was kept from ordinary people. Ming Shu learned it from the master.

The master led a raid on the camp they had discovered, but found that it was only an empty trap. Princess Rong Hua and the kidnapper were not there.

These people could successfully deceive the Heavenly Temple, which meant they were indeed powerful to some extent.

“How strange, why does this kidnapper want Mo Baisheng’s painting?” Zhi Qi was very confused. “It’s true that Mo Baisheng’s paintings are costly and they are of great value to collectors, but… is it necessary to plan a kidnapping and ask for an exchange?”

“Their original purpose was the painting. I’m afraid framing me was just convenient.” It’s better to avoid making mischief, but if that’s impossible, it’s not a big deal.

They should treat me so casually…!

Ming Shu walked in front of the World Peace painting hanging on the wall. Is there anything special about this painting?

“Take it down.”

Zhi Qi quickly took the painting down and laid it on the desk.

Ming Shu walked around the painting, looking at it carefully while eating her snacks, like a real artist.

“Miss, what do you see?”

“Nothing.”

“…” Then what are you looking at?