Chapter 443 The Mysterious Man

"I also learned from the monks at Huayang Temple that shortly after Consort Li arrives at the temple each time, a man dressed in black with his entire body wrapped up comes to see her. The two would stay in the meditation room for several hours, then leave separately, one after the other."

Luo Jingshen's expression changed drastically, and he was inwardly shaken.

"You mean she wasn't actually going to burn incense, but sneaking off to Huayang Temple to have an affair with some man behind the Emperor's back?"

Linchuan shook his head like a rattle. "Your Highness, I never said that. I know nothing."

Consort Li having an affair—those words couldn't be thrown around carelessly. If word reached Emperor Jingyang's ears, it would cost them their heads.

Luo Jingshen's face was extremely grim. He knew Linchuan wouldn't joke about something like this.

He asked, "Did you manage to find out who the man meeting with Consort Li is?"

Linchuan shook his head. "I wouldn't know that. The man is extremely vigilant every time he comes. The monks have never seen his face either. All they know is that he always wears a hat that covers his face completely, rain or shine."

Luo Jingshen: "..."

Luo Jingshen: "!!!"

He felt as if he had uncovered some explosive secret.

Consort Li used the pretext of burning incense at Huayang Temple to secretly meet with her old flame.

No wonder she had always been hot and cold toward the Emperor all these years, and never fought for favor in the palace. It turned out she already had another man in her heart!

If that was the case, then Luo Junhe was most likely not the Emperor's son either!

This discovery filled Luo Jingshen with pleasant surprise.

Previously, he had been worried about how to get rid of Luo Junhe. If word got out that Luo Junhe wasn't Emperor Jingyang's blood, but rather a bastard born of Consort Li and her lover, then why would he still worry about not being able to kill him?

Just thinking that this bastard Luo Junhe didn't have royal blood in his veins filled him with barely contained excitement.

After all this time, his supposed strongest rival turned out to be the one least fit to compete for the throne.

No wonder Consort Li was desperate to kill Luo Junhe—she was afraid her secret affair would come to light!

With that thought, Luo Jingshen felt everything made sense now!

He immediately ordered, "Prepare the carriage. I'm going to the palace to tell the Emperor about this."

Linchuan watched Luo Jingshen, his face beaming with excitement, eager to go to the palace and report on Luo Junhe, and a corner of his mouth twitched.

"Your Highness, shouldn't we think this over more carefully?"

"Let alone the fact that Consort Li meeting a man in secret is a royal scandal, we don't have any evidence to prove that Prince Ye really is that man's bastard son. Besides, everything right now is just Your Highness's guesswork. What if you're wrong? Wouldn't that just pour fuel on the fire?"

Luo Jingshen curled his lips, the excitement in his eyes impossible to suppress.

"I can't wait any longer. I've finally got something on Luo Junhe. This time, I must get rid of this thorn in my side."

"As long as Luo Junhe dies, Ji Yuntang will have no one to lean on. A woman like her won't be able to cause any trouble on her own."

Linchuan advised in a low voice, "I believe Your Highness should think this over. After all, Consort Li just gave Your Highness a hundred thousand taels in silver notes. Wouldn't it be a bit ungrateful to turn her in right away?"

Luo Jingshen leisurely adjusted his belt, a cold sneer on his lips.

"What's so ungrateful about it? She gave me that money of her own free will—I didn't ask her for it."

"Besides, if she dares to have an affair, why should she hide it? She bore a bastard who gets treated like a prince and calls me his brother. To be honest, she's no good either."

"This time, she handed me her weakness on a silver platter. How could I disappoint her generosity?"

Linchuan: "..."

Linchuan: "!!!"

Consort Li probably never imagined that her kindness in helping someone would end up helping a snake in the grass.

Haste makes waste. Linchuan felt that Luo Jingshen had gone off the deep end, so eager to bring down Prince Ye's household.

However, as Luo Jingshen's personal bodyguard, he always felt that going to the palace at this hour was too hasty. He couldn't just stand by and watch the Crown Prince walk straight into a disaster.

He stepped forward to block Luo Jingshen and pointed to the sky outside.

"Your Highness, it's already late. His Majesty is probably asleep by now. Why don't you go tomorrow instead?"

Luo Jingshen pushed open the window and looked out. Indeed, it was already dark outside. At this hour, Emperor Jingyang would already be in bed.

Even if he went, it would be a waste of time. Luo Jingshen held back his excitement. "Alright then, I'll go to the palace tomorrow morning!"

Linchuan let out a sigh of relief, while Luo Jingshen lay on his bed, tossing and turning, too excited to sleep.

Consort Li was also unable to sleep.

She was tossing and turning, worried sick. She had given Luo Jingshen a hundred thousand taels today, but he said it still wasn't enough and asked her to come up with another hundred thousand.

As soon as she returned to Weiyang Palace, Consort Li opened her cash box and counted how many banknotes she had left.

No matter how many times she counted, she was still fifty thousand taels short.

She wanted to go and see Prince Nanxiao and get fifty thousand taels from him to give to Luo Jingshen.

But it was already dark outside, the palace gates were closed, and she couldn't leave the palace. Consort Li paced anxiously around her room.

Jian Lan entered carrying a lantern and said, "Your Ladyship, it's getting late. You should retire for the night!"

"How can I sleep when the Crown Prince's money still isn't enough?"

Perhaps because she had given Luo Jingshen a hundred thousand taels, his attitude toward her today had already improved greatly compared to before.

To Consort Li, this was both surprising and precious.

She dreamed of mending her relationship with Luo Jingshen.

So when she heard he still didn't have enough money, she agreed without a second thought to help him raise it.

Consort Li believed that as long as she helped Luo Jingshen through this difficult time, he would remember her kindness.

Even if their identities were later exposed, he wouldn't find it so hard to accept.

Jian Lan rarely saw Consort Li this anxious. The last time she was this worried was when she was waiting for Prince Nanxiao.

She knew that these two men held Consort Li's lifeline firmly in their grasp.

In her heart, they were probably more important than her own life.

Jian Lan stepped forward to hang up the storm lantern and closed the doors and windows.

She spoke up, "My Lady, a hundred thousand taels of silver should be enough to support His Highness for a few days. As for the rest, we can find a way to gather it later. For now, you should get some rest."

Consort Li's expression remained anxious, "The Crown Prince may be able to wait, but those suppliers cannot wait that long. Who knows what they might do if pushed too far?"

She pondered for a moment and finally made a firm decision.

"Keep these fifty thousand taels of silver notes safe for now. Tomorrow morning, I will personally deliver them to the Crown Prince at the Eastern Palace."

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