The stolen magic is a bit magical

The Seventh Prince's eyes were glistening with tears: "Your Majesty's grace is as abundant as rain nourishing the mountains and rivers. Your son will enter the palace later to pay my respects in person!"

The guards behind the Seventh Prince were also filled with mixed feelings of surprise and delight.

Ordinary people might not understand why the Seventh Prince reacted so strongly to this imperial edict, but they were not ordinary people; they knew the significance of this edict.

The palace gates were a restricted area, and not all princes could enter or leave at will.

Only a prince can!

In other words, this prince, who had long been marginalized, enjoyed the treatment of a prince!
They're being treated like princes now, but what about in the future?
Could it be a prince?
Conferring the title of Prince was no small matter; even the emperor could not do it casually. Therefore, before conferring the title of Prince, the emperor would often conduct a test, for example, by giving him some kind of treatment similar to that of a Prince, and observing the reactions of the ministers and the imperial clan. If the reactions were not intense, it would be natural to proceed with the conferment of the title of Prince.

Therefore, allowing him to enter and exit the palace was a precursor to his being granted the title of Prince.

Once he became a prince, all the constraints that had previously bound him were lifted.

This is just one of them.

Secondly, there is another hidden meaning in the oral instruction.

"Paying respects to my birth mother!"

The seventh prince's birth mother was of low status, merely a lowly concubine, not even a consort, far from being a concubine, let alone an empress.

Aside from giving His Majesty a son, she was nothing else.

Even in the palace, he still did odd jobs.

Such a mother is not worthy of being visited by princes.

When princes entered the palace to pay respects to their mothers, they were only paying respects to the Empress, their "stepmother."

It wasn't about visiting her birth mother at all.

Now, His Majesty has issued an oral decree, clearly telling him that he may visit his birth mother.

What does it mean?
This means that his mother, who worked as a servant in the palace, is about to be promoted by his father, the emperor!

This great joy was even more exciting for the Seventh Prince than for the Prince.

The attendant in yellow smiled: "Your Majesty was aware of His Highness's filial piety. Please, then!"

The seventh prince left with his attendant.

Lin Xiaosu got into another waiter's car, which drove through the bustling city and arrived at a river called Liuxiang River. The banks of Liuxiang River were serene and elegant, a tranquil oasis amidst the hustle and bustle.

The Prince of Dingbei's Mansion is located on this street.

Beside the Prince of Dingbei's mansion, there is a three-section courtyard, which is the residence that His Majesty bestowed upon Lin Xiaosu.

Upon entering the mansion, a steward bowed to greet him, addressing him as the master of the house. Behind him stood two rows of twenty-three servants.

Ten male servants and twelve female servants.

They were all young and beautiful.

The attendant in yellow robes saw him to the door and stopped. "Lord Li, this is the residence bestowed by His Majesty. If you are short of supplies, just send your steward to the Imperial Household Department to collect them!"

"Thank you, father-in-law!"

Lin Xiaosu bowed, and a red envelope was stuffed into her hand.

The butler handed it to him. Lin Xiaosu understood, held up the red envelope with both hands, and presented it to the waiter. The waiter accepted it, thanked him, and took his leave with a smile.

As Lin Xiaosu entered the mansion, the steward introduced him to everyone along the way.

This mansion was originally the residence of a wealthy merchant in the capital. When the merchant committed a crime, the mansion was confiscated by the imperial court and used to reward meritorious officials.

At this point, the butler didn't forget to shower the man with flattery.

It is truly unbelievable that the head of the household is so highly regarded by His Majesty. In the past, some people in the capital have been granted courtyards, but they were only given one courtyard. If they wanted maids and servants, they had to buy them.

The head of the household is different; the Imperial Household Department takes care of everything, including not only maids and servants, but also all the household utensils.

Amidst a torrent of flattery, Lin Xiaosu finished her tour of his residence.

This mansion, in the context of the capital city, is not particularly large. It is simply a three-section courtyard house with three courtyards and three layers of buildings. However, from a modern perspective, it is a standard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house).

The area is over a thousand square meters.

That's extravagant enough.

Even more luxurious is the fact that the pavilions and towers are aesthetically pleasing. For example, on the side near Liuxiang River, there is a red pavilion, a teahouse, and a lone plum tree, which make that place very culturally rich.

"Butler, you go ahead and do your work! I'll go sit over there for a while," Lin Xiaosu said.

"Yes! Some things from the Imperial Household Department have just arrived and haven't been organized yet. It would be good for the Master to sit there for a while!" The steward went out to organize the rooms.

The two maids followed Lin Xiaosu into the red pavilion.

Sitting in this red pavilion, one is enveloped in a cool breeze, and the scenery of Liuxiang River stretches endlessly from here.

And he himself, sitting here, has probably become part of the scenery in the eyes of the tourists on the pleasure boat.

The maid on the left handed over a cup of tea: "Young master, please have some tea."

Her voice was soft and sweet.

Lin Xiaosu took her teacup and looked up.

The girl's face was flushed, and she was somewhat afraid to meet his gaze, but she didn't dare to look away either, so she just stood there.

"What's your name?"

"This servant's name is Hong'er!"

"what about this?"

"My servant Xiaoqing."

"You don't seem to be ordinary girls," Lin Xiaosu said. "Did you come from the palace?"

“No!” Hong’er said, “Both of us servants came from the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution).

Jiaofangsi!
Lin Xiaosu's heart stirred slightly.

He had heard the name Jiaofangsi (教坊司) several times.

I heard it from Qingying, and I heard it from the Seventh Prince, and they both pointed to one specific person: General Blood Dragon.

After General Blood Dragon committed a crime and was imprisoned, all the women in his family were confiscated and sent to the brothel.

That was the era when Crown Prince Hongding held absolute power.

Times have changed. Now that the Seventh Prince has gained the Emperor's favor, he should be able to successfully rescue the Blood Dragon, right?

This is probably another unexpected result of the flapping of his butterfly wings. If the Crown Prince is still in power, General Blood Dragon can only come out in his next life.

But now the crown prince is gone.

Blood Dragon was sent in purely by the Crown Prince abusing his power for personal gain, so there shouldn't be much of a problem getting him released.

"Master!" A male servant rushed over and knelt down: "There is a woman at the door requesting an audience. She says her name is Qingying."

Bluebird!

She finally came!
This former subordinate, who looked completely bewildered throughout, finally arrived...

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently: "Bring him to see me!"

"Yes!"

"You two, please step aside for now!" Lin Xiaosu said to the two maids.

The maidservant gave a graceful bow and hurriedly left.

Seeing their graceful figures, Lin Xiaosu felt a pang of emotion. Having just come from modern society, they already seemed to be experiencing the corruption and decadence of feudal society.

No wonder people say that honey is the most corrupting thing.

This feudal era, with flowers blooming everywhere and available for anyone to pick, is a favorite of modern otaku.

Qingying's figure flashed lightly by the courtyard gate, seemingly traversing space and teleporting instantly, appearing in front of Lin Xiaosu with a thud!
Kneel down!

“You never used to meet me like this!” Lin Xiaosu held a teacup and leisurely put it to her lips.

Yes, the former Qingying was his little assistant, who prioritized efficiency. She would often use her unique movement technique to appear behind him and quietly tell him things.

But today, she knelt down directly.

Qingying said, "In the past, Qingying did not need to kneel before you, but today, Qingying must kneel."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because Qingying is kneeling on behalf of her parents who died unjustly!" Her gaze slowly rose, and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Your parents? Who are your parents?"

"My father's surname was Du, and his given name was Ding. He was a former prime minister. In the first month of the seventeenth year of Hongwu, my father was framed and imprisoned. All fifty-seven members of our family were beheaded. Qingying escaped because she was with her sect. After learning the bad news, she disguised herself and returned to the capital, but she could not find any clues. She only knew that this matter was related to Xin Ge. So, Qingying infiltrated Xin Ge to find the real culprit who murdered her relatives. However, after so many years, she found nothing. Your Excellency, with your brilliant planning, wiped out Xin Ge overnight. Qingying's great revenge was achieved. Her fifty-seven relatives entrusted Qingying to kneel and pay homage to Your Excellency!"

tom!
tom!
tom!
He kowtowed three times.

There were faint traces of blood on her forehead, and her face was covered in tears.

Lin Xiaosu understood.

He already knew everything Xin Ge had done, and he had even presented the matter of the former prime minister Du Ding to His Majesty and the officials in the Wenling Hall last night.

Qingying was actually a spy from the Heart Pavilion.

There are spies outside, and there are spies here too!

Qingying said, "Qingying has a request, and I hope that you will grant it."

"Tell me about it!" Lin Xiaosu said.

"Please, Your Excellency, use the Sub-Divine Soul-Suppressing Technique to ask Qingying whether what she just said is true or false!"

The sole purpose of the Lesser God's Soul Suppression Technique is to make people tell the truth.

There are many people in the world who claim that they have nothing to hide from others, but almost none of them can truly do so.

Qingying's request to Lin Xiaosu was actually to have him cast the Sub-God Soul Suppression Technique on her!

What a bizarre thing to do!

"Why would you make such a bizarre request?" Lin Xiaosu asked.

Qingying said, "Only in this way can you feel at ease keeping Qingying by your side, and only then can Qingying truly serve you!"

The meaning is clear!

From now on, she will serve Lin Xiaosu!
It was no longer the superficial superior-subordinate relationship of the past, but someone who would truly risk their life for him.

Lin Xiaosu laughed: "If you can make such a request, then there's no need for the Divine Soul Suppression Technique. This technique is mentally taxing! I don't want your shrewd and capable helper to become a silly, decorative vase."

The tears on Qingying's face vanished instantly, replaced by a light of joy and excitement in her eyes.

"Get up and sit with me!"

"Yes!" Qingying got up from the ground and poured Lin Xiaosu a cup of tea: "My lord, what do you need me to do next?"

"Wait!"

Lin Xiaosu raised her gaze and looked towards the distant imperial palace.

Qingying followed his gaze and said, "My lord, there is something you must be wary of."

"Talk about it!"

“The Crown Prince… oh no, the former Crown Prince Hong Ding’s power is extraordinary. It comes not only from the court but also from the martial arts world. He will never accept defeat and will definitely make a comeback.”

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently but did not answer. Qingying became anxious: "My lord, please don't take this lightly. The succession to the throne in the dynasty is subject to ups and downs. It's not settled until the final moment of ascension."

Lin Xiaosu picked up her teacup: "Then when his coffin is closed, will it be considered that the dust has settled?"

"The coffin is closed? What do you mean by that word, sir?" Qingying was taken aback.

"It means exactly what it says: the body lies inside, and the coffin is closed!"

Qingying's eyes widened: "Throughout history, when princes fought for the throne or the crown prince was deposed or installed, it was unlikely that anyone would die directly. The previous crown prince, Hong Lie, was forced to raise an army by Hong Ding, and only after his defeat was he banished from the capital. The current Hong Ding has not yet reached the point of raising an army. Imprisoning him in the Heavenly Prison and the Cold Prison conveys the attitude of 'cold treatment' to the world. His Majesty has no intention of executing him."

This is what distinguishes the bluebird from ordinary people.

She was a member of Xin Ge, she had great ambitions, she had collected a great deal of intelligence, and she knew the officialdom inside and out.

The Heavenly Prison is divided into three main levels: Heaven, Earth, and Cold.

The level of danger decreases in that order.

The "Heavenly" designation signifies that the person has offended the imperial authority, and those admitted here are basically death row inmates.

For example, Blood Dragon lives in the highest-ranking apartment.

The character "地" (di) indicates that this person has caused public resentment and may be executed or severely punished in order to quell public anger.

The "Han" designation is a lighter one; the "Han" in it is similar in meaning to the "cold" in "cold palace," referring to a cold treatment.

His Majesty's decision to imprison Hong Ding in the Cold Prison sends a clear signal to the high-ranking officials in the capital, the Crown Prince's faction, and the people of the land: the Crown Prince's position as the Eastern Palace Prince is gone, but he can live.

"Qingying, you know a great deal about the situation in the capital and the rules of the dynasty, but you've misjudged this matter!" Lin Xiaosu said, "The Crown Prince is doomed, at the earliest in the next few days, and at the latest in ten days!"

Qingying frowned deeply: "My lord, you..."

"Don't question this matter, just wait and see!" Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly.

Qingying analyzes it from the perspective of common sense and reason.

Even from a single word like "cold prison," she could analyze a whole host of ideas.

However, this matter deviated from her expectations from the very beginning. She mistakenly took the Crown Prince's imprisonment as a common case of princes vying for the throne, which was a grave error!
This is not, in essence, a contest between princes for the throne.

This is a matter of life and death.

His Majesty seized the position of Crown Prince, and the imperial aura gathered under the Crown Prince's seal returned to His Majesty's hands, giving him control of the imperial seal.

This is not the end of the matter.

This is just the beginning.

His Majesty's health is indeed recovering, but can it return to what it was ten years ago?

No! It can't!
Because he is not a spiritual practitioner, but a natural person, the laws of nature are there for him, and at fifty years old, his body is no longer as good as it was ten years ago.

What would he do?
That depends on what kind of person His Majesty is.

If he were truly a kind and benevolent father, he would not have committed the heinous act of robbing his son of his life for his own use.

But was he truly a kind person?

Lin Xiaosu could only chuckle.

Because he had seen all of His Majesty's past, he knew that the imperial family had always been ruthless.

This emperor was not a benevolent person.

Once he realizes that his bond with the Crown Prince allows him to plunder the Crown Prince's life force for his own use, this emperor will definitely go all out and kill the Crown Prince outright.

Then, by using this causal chain, the prince's youthful vitality was transferred to him.

He used an unbelievable reverse plunder to bring a perfect end to the "cause and effect error" that had troubled him for ten years.

This is, to put it bluntly, quite cruel.

But that's reality!
Hong'er came to report that lunch has been prepared and invited the young master to move to the dining hall.

Lin Xiaosu went to the dining hall, ate his first meal in this courtyard, and praised it as delicious. Then, he went to his bedroom for a midday rest.

Three hours passed by just like that.

When Lin Xiaosu opened his eyes again, Qingying was sitting outside his window, quietly watching the setting sun.

He stood up, and Qingying immediately served him some tea. Lin Xiaosu picked up the teacup, opened the window on the left, and immediately saw a dragon horse galloping down the street.

When Longma arrived at the gate of his mansion, the steward came running over.

"Master, His Highness the Seventh Prince requests an audience!" The steward's voice was filled with excitement.

The head of the family is only a fifth-rank official, yet the prince personally requested an audience. This is an extraordinary show of respect. As servants, we all share a common desire: to give the head of the family a great deal of face. When the head of the family has a great deal of face, the servants also feel honored.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "Qingying, let's go greet the guests!"

The steward seemed to only then notice Qingying beside the head of the household, and he began to think more highly of her.

Could this young lady be the master's concubine?
Otherwise, how could he possibly accompany the adults to meet His Highness the Prince?

Lin Xiaosu and Qingying met the Seventh Prince Hong Yun in the front yard. The Seventh Prince was indeed as red-faced as his name suggests.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Lin Xiaosu bowed deeply.

"Let's talk over there..." The Seventh Prince Hong Yun reached out and pulled Lin Xiaosu to the red pavilion.

This friendly and approachable manner, completely devoid of official etiquette, left everyone present utterly dumbfounded.

Upon entering the red pavilion, Qingying reached out to pour tea for the Seventh Prince. The Seventh Prince glanced at her face, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently: "This young lady is the daughter of the former prime minister Du Ding. She infiltrated Xin Ge to search for evidence of crimes. Much of the intelligence I have comes from her."

The Seventh Prince's eyes lit up: "Fellow travelers?"

“It always has been!” Lin Xiaosu said.

Qingying felt a warmth in her heart. This was a bridge built for her by Lin Xiaosu. He only talked about the result, not the process, which conveyed the message that Qingying was also a participant in this great change.

With just this one thing, the Seventh Prince can be completely unguarded in front of her.

"Then congratulations, young lady!" the Seventh Prince said. "My father just issued an edict to dismiss Prime Minister Chen Zhengdao and Minister of War Li Yide. Censor Deng Kuan, who fabricated charges against the former prime minister, and Vice Minister of Personnel Li Yue have also been arrested. After the case is investigated, the Du family may be exonerated."

Qingying's surprise was no small matter.

He stepped out from behind Lin Xiaosu and knelt down to thank the Seventh Prince for his kindness.

The Seventh Prince waved his hand lightly: "Why are you thanking me? It was all done by your master!"

Qingying turned her gaze to Lin Xiaosu, who quickly stopped her, saying, "Alright, Your Highness, please tell me something else!"

"Other matters, that's where I truly owe you my thanks!" the Seventh Prince said. "Now... I finally have a mother!"

"Consort?" Lin Xiaosu uttered a single word softly.

"Yes, my mother was originally a low-ranking concubine. According to common sense, even if she had made great contributions, she could only be a concubine. Today, the Emperor's favor is too great. He skipped the concubine title and directly conferred upon her the title of 'Consort An'!"

"Congratulations, Your Highness!" Lin Xiaosu clasped her hands in a gesture of respect.

"In the afternoon, I entered Anshun Palace and just met with my mother. She held my hand and told me something: 'You must treat this Lord Li with the affection of a brother.'"

"How dare I!" Lin Xiaosu rose and bowed to the north: "Your Highness, please tell Consort An not to speak like that, lest you offend this humble official!"

The Seventh Prince smiled gently: "What my mother desires is also what I desire, but at this moment, it is enough for my heart to know!"

"Thank you, Your Highness, that's exactly right!" Lin Xiaosu sat down: "Your Highness should now mention the most crucial person!"

"General Blood Dragon?"

"Indeed! Has Your Highness mentioned this to His Majesty?"

The seventh prince slowly shook his head.

"Why is that?" Lin Xiaosu frowned.

“My lord, Qingying can answer this question on behalf of His Highness!” Qingying said, “Since ancient times, a general who has committed a crime should not be released lightly, as it concerns his mentality, and you should understand that, my lord. It’s not that His Highness doesn’t want to bring it up, but that he is well aware of the difficulty of this matter.”

Qingying's words were rather veiled, but Lin Xiaosu understood them.

Why should a criminal be released lightly?
Because border generals are unjustly imprisoned and their families suffer great changes, they will experience extremely strong emotional fluctuations and develop resentment towards the dynasty. If they go to the battlefield with this mentality, they are very likely to cause great disaster.

Therefore, there is an unwritten but customary unspoken rule that offenders should not be let off lightly.

"The established rule that a general should not be released lightly seems reasonable, but it also requires a case-by-case analysis!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Your Highness might consider this from a different perspective. When Xuelong was imprisoned, all the strategists were from the Crown Prince's faction. At that time, His Majesty was ill and unable to govern. When his condition improved slightly, he personally visited Xuelong in the prison and had Sun Chong beaten to death to comfort him. Last night, he even directly deposed the Crown Prince... This shows how important General Xuelong is to His Majesty, even the Crown Prince cannot suppress him. If General Xuelong knew this, how could he not be moved to tears? If the 300,000 soldiers on the border knew this, how could they not risk their lives for their country?"

The seventh prince's eyes suddenly lit up.

Yes, it was the Crown Prince who utterly destroyed the Blood Dragon Dynasty, not His Majesty!

His Majesty even deposed the Crown Prince for the sake of the Blood Dragon, placing him, the border commander, in front of the Crown Prince. What more do you want from him?
Blood Dragon had no idea about that mysterious "cause and effect error," and could only offer all his gratitude to His Majesty.

Under these circumstances, why would Blood Dragon have any complaints against His Majesty?

He'll only boil his blood into oil and die on the Zheyuntai Terrace.

"Lord Li's words have cleared away the clouds and revealed the sun!" The Seventh Prince stood up abruptly: "I will go back to the palace now!"

They just ran away, yes, by running...

Lin Xiaosu stood up to see him off, but the Seventh Prince had already reached the outside of the pavilion and waved back, saying, "Don't bother seeing me off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he had already run out of the courtyard gate.

The words "Blood Dragon" were the biggest thorn in his side.

Just thinking about it makes me ache.

Now, Lin Xiaosu's few words, cleverly shifting the angle, have become the most convincing argument. He wants to present this argument to his father, the emperor, and tonight he wants to untie the knot in his heart, rightfully claim his position, and release the Blood Dragon.

The Seventh Prince has already passed away.

It was already dark.

Before the lights were turned on, Qingying's face appeared hazy in the darkness.

"My lord, you are not quite the same person you used to be."

The sound drifted over.

Lin Xiaosu was slightly startled.

If anyone could see through his fake, Qingying would probably be one of them.

She was a high-ranking assistant to the Heart Pavilion, and her job was to gather intelligence. In that world, she was called a spy, and her eyesight was beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Moreover, she had always been the person closest to Li Chengnian.

What did she actually discover?
Lin Xiaosu stared at her through the night. Her face showed little change, only a hint of infatuation: "The lord of the past was indeed wise, but only the wisdom of a strategist in the Heart Pavilion. The lord of today, however, has the demeanor of a national advisor. This shows that the lord has always been keeping a low profile in the Heart Pavilion."

Lin Xiaosu smiled; that was a good reason.

The former Li Chengnian was feigning intelligence, while the current Lin Xiaosu is genuinely intelligent. This difference can be clearly explained by the concept of "keeping a low profile."

Because facts proved that he did indeed have ulterior motives for entering Xin Ge.

How can someone with ulterior motives appear too clever?

This night.

Lin Xiaosu lay quietly on the bed.

The bed was new, made of ebony, with an antique design, and extremely large—the kind of large enough for three or four women to sit on together.

The oriole is invisible to the naked eye, but Lin Xiaosu can clearly tell that she is on a tree outside the window as long as she probes with her spiritual sense.

The girl began to faithfully perform her duties, transforming into his personal bodyguard. (End of Chapter)