The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 287 Riley Falls into the Water

The next day, before dawn, there was a soft patter of rain. Prince Qing was still asleep when an urgent shout rang out outside the door, "Your Highness, I have urgent business to discuss with you..."

Prince Qing was awakened by the noise and looked displeased, but he immediately realized that something important must have happened.

"Your Highness?" Princess Qing, who was six months pregnant, was also awakened by the noise. She was easily startled. Prince Qing reached out and touched Princess Qing's belly, softening his tone, "You rest first, I'll be right back."

Prince Qing's Study.

The air was eerily silent. The newcomer was Peng Jiu, a trusted confidant of Prince Qing. Although Fang Ling and the others were also Prince Qing's confidants, they were ultimately not as close as Peng Jiu.

After Peng Jiu finished reporting the theft of the weapons, Prince Qing did not get angry, but this was even more terrifying than getting angry.

Prince Qing first thought of countless figures. Was it Fang Ling? Or Zhou Hai? These two knew almost all of his plans, especially Zhou Hai, who was in charge of the elite troops. On the day the elite troops were destroyed, he was nowhere to be found, which was very suspicious.

After a long silence, Prince Qing finally spoke, gritting his teeth as he said, "Go and investigate Fang Ling and Zhou Hai, especially Zhou Hai!"

"The whereabouts of the weapons..." Peng Jiu cautiously looked up and asked.

Prince Qing turned around angrily and roared at Peng Jiu, "Find him! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground in Jing Kingdom, find him!"

"My subordinate understands."

Peng Jiu was about to leave after speaking when Prince Qing called him back, "Wait."

"Any other instructions, Your Majesty?"

"Tell Yongping that I want to see her."

"Yes."

……

Today is the first day of the twelfth lunar month, and there are still more than twenty days until the New Year. Prince Qing will definitely make a move before New Year's Eve! Thinking of this, Jing Anle casually threw the chess piece in his hand back into the chess box.

"Why isn't the princess getting off?" Mu Ping, sitting opposite her, asked in confusion.

Jing Anle grabbed Mu Ping's hand. "Let's not go anymore. Come with me somewhere."

It rained heavily this morning, and the steps of Xuanyang Palace were soaked through, even the threshold was wet. Mu Ping closed her umbrella and saw Jing Anle staring intently at the large Buddha statue.

"Greetings, Princess!" The visitor was the monk who had fetched medicine for Consort Lin that day. He was as clever as ever, respectful yet obsequious.

As usual, Jing Anle lit three incense sticks and slowly asked, "Where is Master Jiquan?"

"After his morning prayers, Master Jiquan was invited by Princess Yongping to chant Buddhist scriptures, supposedly to pray for the King of Southern Xinjiang," the monk said truthfully.

"Is there no monk who can chant sutras in such a vast southern border region?" Jing Anle thought sarcastically to herself, then asked, "Does Master Jiquan often go to Princess Yongping's palace to chant sutras?"

"Your Highness, this is the first time."

This monk had already acted as Jing Anle's informant, so naturally he reported everything meticulously.

"Is Master Jiquan acting strangely?"

"Following the rules and regulations, nothing out of the ordinary."

This was roughly what Jing Anle had expected. She said expressionlessly, "Then keep an eye on things and let me know if anything happens."

"Yes."

……

The weather can change in an instant. Now the weather has cleared up, and the lake in the palace is completely frozen, reflecting a dazzling light.

After leaving Xuanyang Palace, when they passed Wangjiang Pavilion, Jing Anle simply ordered someone to prepare tea and snacks, intending to bask in the sun for a while, so only the master and servant remained.

Mu Ping had just overheard Jing Anle's conversation with the monk and roughly guessed that Jing Anle felt there was something wrong with Ji Quan, but didn't know what it was, so he seemed hesitant to speak.

"Mu Ping, can you find out about Ji Quan's background?"

Mu Ping knew she had guessed correctly, so she said, "Finding people isn't difficult, it just takes some time."

"Does the princess suspect Ji Quan and Princess Yongping?"

"Yes," Jing Anle affirmed. "Do you remember the clothes Princess Yongping brought back from the Southern Frontier that day?"

"I have a sensitive sense of smell since I was a child, and the fragrance on that dress was very unique and unforgettable."

Mu Ping thought for a moment and then remembered something. "I remember now, the princess sneezed several times that day."

“That’s right! And Ji Quan has the same scent.”

That night, when Jing Anle and Ji Quan brushed past each other, she smelled the same scent, but she didn't smell it in Xuan Yang Palace because the scent of incense and candles in the palace was too strong.

"In that case, these two cannot escape involvement," Mu Ping said.

Jing Anle nodded. "This is just my guess. Ji Quan entered the palace before Princess Yongping to avoid people discovering their connection. The most important thing now is to find out what their purpose is."

"Princess, rest assured, I will immediately send someone to investigate Ji Quan's background."

"Ah."

Just then, a clear voice rang out behind the master and servant.

"Sister Anle!" The voice carried the innocence and joy of a young girl.

Jing Anle understood immediately. Who else but Lai Li would be so carefree in the palace? Sure enough, when she turned around, she saw Lai Li looking at her with a smile. Today, she was dressed in the attire of the Southern Frontier, with a golden veil on her head. Her small face was delicate and cute, but her eyes could not hide the scheming in them.

"The princess is here to sunbathe too?" Jing Anle asked first. Wangjiang Pavilion is quite far from Laili's residence, so this coincidence is a bit too much.

Lai Li smiled gently and turned to look at the frozen lake. "Sister Anle, you may not know, but I have loved skiing since I was a child. Now that I'm in the capital, seeing such a large natural ice rink, I naturally can't resist it."

"Look, I even brought my ice skates."

Jing Anle then noticed that Lai Li's maid was carrying a pair of specially made ice skates with wooden soles and two wheels attached to the front and back of each sole.

After saying that, Riley was about to go onto the ice.

"Wait!" Jing Anle called out to her.

"Ok?"

"This place is not like the Southern Frontier. The lake is not completely frozen yet at this time. It would be better if the princess did not go." It was not that Jing Anle was too compassionate, but if something happened to Laili in Jing Kingdom, it would be troublesome.

Upon hearing this, Lai Li quickly said, "Don't worry, Sister Anle, I've already inquired about it. Besides, I'll just enjoy myself by the lake and I definitely won't go there."

Without waiting for Jing Anle, she quickly changed her shoes and went out onto the lake. She first tested the ice at the edge of the lake, and when she saw that there was no problem with the ice, she went straight into the lake. Her skating was extremely agile, like a light butterfly.

"Princess! Princess Laili has slipped into the lake!" Mu Ping looked at Jing Anle with some concern.

"The ice isn't frozen solid; it could be a real problem if something goes wrong."

"Something happened?" Jing Anle reacted instantly. "Could it be that she's going to..."

Sure enough, the ice on the lake suddenly began to crack, and the spot where Riley was standing collapsed almost instantly. With a splash, Riley fell into the icy lake water.

"help!"

"Help!"

"Sister Anle..."

Riley began to cry for help, and her maid was also very anxious, begging Jing Anle to send someone to rescue Riley.

"Princess, what should we do now?" Mu Ping was a little anxious, as she could neither swim nor ice skate.

Jing Anle looked at the struggling Lai Li, his eyes turning icy, and said, word by word, "Don't worry, someone will come to save her soon."

"Huh?" Mu Ping was completely confused.

Jing Anle ignored her, grabbed Lai Li's maid by the collar, and said fiercely, "Your mistress has fallen into the water, why aren't you jumping in to save her? What are you doing crying here!"

"This servant, this servant..." Perhaps not expecting Jing Anle to say such a thing, the maid stammered and couldn't speak clearly for a moment.

Mu Ping immediately understood and threw Lai Li's maid into the lake.