The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Yichun Courtyard.

Li Jinglong stopped in front of the gate.

The last time he interrogated Hai Li, he made a scene, and the whole capital was talking about how he was lusting after Princess Hai Li.

Hai Li hadn't even left yet when her aunt, Princess Qin, came in, and the two of them reunited there.

The same two guards were still standing at the door, one on the left and one on the right, watching Li Jinglong, who was in a daze.

The guard on the left said, "Young Duke, are you still thinking about that?"

The man on the right looked speechless: "You don't know anything. The Young Duke is after Hai Li. Everyone knows he's lusting after Hai Li's body."

Li Jinglong: "..."

Rumors can be deadly, and the one spreading them was even the emperor.

One day, the emperor will have to apologize.

"You two chatterboxes, or I'll transfer you away," Li Jinglong said sternly.

The guard on the right's eyes lit up: "I couldn't be happier, Young Duke! Please transfer us away as soon as possible."

"Isn't it good to work in the palace?" Li Jinglong wondered. "The palace maids who come and go are so beautiful."

The guard on the left groaned, "We can't go anywhere. We're stuck here all day like two wooden stakes. Anyone who leaves without permission will be executed."

The guard on the right looked pained: "Even if you see a beautiful palace maid, you can't speak to her. Anyone who does will be beheaded."

"No wonder you two are such gossips." Li Jinglong laughed gleefully and strode into Yichun Courtyard.

Enter the courtyard.

Li Jinglong looked up and saw Hai Li and Princess Qin sitting under a tree enjoying the cool air, with fruits and iced tea beside them, looking quite content.

"Greetings, Your Highness." He stepped forward.

Princess Qin was dressed in grassland attire, with narrow sleeves and a cinched waist, her figure graceful and exuding the heroic spirit of a grassland woman.

"Jiujiang, are you here to interrogate me?" she asked.

Li Jinglong smiled and said, "I just came to ask a few questions, to go through the motions, so I can report back to His Majesty."

Hai Li scoffed, "Auntie, he was really mean to me last time, and he even tried to take off my clothes."

Li Jinglong: "!!!"

You're spreading rumors too? Don't you think our gossip isn't exciting enough?

"What a pity." Princess Qin smiled slightly. "I even mentioned to your father that I wanted to marry Hai Li to you."

"Oh? Is that so?" Li Jinglong said.

Princess Qin smiled and nodded: "Your father is a smart man. He said that marriage alliances with Bei Yuan are matters for the royal family, and the Cao family cannot get involved, so he refused."

"Good for you to refuse." Li Jinglong blurted out.

Hai Li's almond-shaped eyes widened: "What do you mean? I'm not good enough for you?"

"That's not what I meant," Li Jinglong argued. "I meant, if we got married, wouldn't that cause trouble?"

Princess Qin frowned: "That's true. If you two were engaged, you would have become a disaster for the Duke of Cao's family by now."

Li Jinglong: "Uh..."

Your comprehension is truly admirable.

"Ask whatever you want to ask," Princess Qin said calmly, glancing at him.

Li Jinglong asked curiously, "Your Highness, are you really the Darughachi of the South Chamber of the Scouts?"

Princess Qin nodded: "Yes, after I leave the capital for Xi'an, Hai Li will be the Darughachi of the South Chamber."

Li Jinglong blinked.

This……

I haven't even started the interrogation yet, and you've already confessed everything. How am I supposed to respond to this?

According to the normal procedure, I should slam the table to scare you, and you would rather die than confess. I should slam the table again, and you should stubbornly resist. After three or five rounds of this back and forth, I should finally appeal to your emotions and reason with you, and only then will you reluctantly reveal a little bit of information.

"Hehe, can we go report to His Majesty now?" Princess Qin asked with a smile.

Li Jinglong was speechless: "Your Highness, aren't you afraid of His Majesty's wrath?"

"I know what kind of temper Emperor Zhu has, of course. It's nothing more than death," Princess Qin smiled.

Li Jinglong gave a thumbs up: "Your Highness is mighty."

The Queen of Qin sighed softly, "The King of Yan achieved a great victory in the northern deserts and seized my handwritten letter. The evidence is in black and white, irrefutable. What excuse do I have left?"

That's true. With witnesses and physical evidence, making excuses is a waste of effort.

"Your Highness, I don't quite understand. Your elder brother, Prince Qi, has passed away, and the Northern Yuan has little to do with your family anymore. Why are you still helping them?" Li Jinglong asked.

The Queen of Qin gave a bitter smile: "That's my homeland."

"Just because of this?"

"Isn't that enough?"

Li Jinglong thought that was enough and it was time to go back and report.

"Jiujiang, do you know what His Majesty is thinking?" Princess Qin asked with a slight smile.

Li Jinglong honestly replied, "I don't know."

Princess Qin raised her beautiful eyes: "Are you familiar with the Scout Commandery?"

"Spies are similar to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They gather intelligence, keep watch, and eavesdrop," Li Jinglong said.

Hai Li snorted, "They're better than your Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Scout Division is divided into north and south sections. The two sections are not under each other's command, and neither knows who the other's people are, where they are, or what they do. This is done to verify the accuracy of the information."

"I don't understand, but it sounds impressive." Li Jinglong nodded.

Princess Qin chuckled: "I was the Darughachi of the south wing; now I'm Haili. Aren't you curious about who the Darughachi of the north wing is?"

"Holy crap!" Li Jinglong exclaimed in shock, "The spies from the north wing are also in the capital? I thought they were in the north!"

"Haili and I have already been captured. The person His Majesty most wants to capture now is the Darughachi of the North Chamber," said Princess Qin.

"This is His Majesty's true purpose!" Li Jinglong said, puzzled. "But what does this have to do with me?"

Hai Li looked at him with a half-smile: "I heard His Majesty bestowed upon you an estate at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain?"

"Yes, it's very beautiful."

"I've been to that place. In previous years, I always gave money to those beggars."

Li Jinglong suddenly remembered.

On my way back from the last survey of the village, I was ambushed by a group of beggars. The leader, Zhang Laojiu, begged me to help rescue Hai Li.

"Sister Hai Li, what do you want to say?" he asked directly.

Hai Li laughed and said, "When I first received the news, I knew that the spies from the north wing were hiding among those beggars. Since I couldn't show myself directly, I gave them some money to make their lives a little easier."

"And then?" Li Jinglong was secretly alarmed.

Princess Qin continued, "We have some news about the Northern Darughachi, which we can tell you. But there is one condition."

"What are the conditions?" Li Jinglong pressed.

Princess Qin turned her head, glanced at Hai Li beside her, and her gaze softened: "If I can send her back to the grasslands, I'll die."

The courtyard fell silent. The leaves of the old locust tree rustled in the wind.

Li Jinglong remained silent for a long while before saying, "I can't make that decision."

Princess Qin smiled and said, "No rush. Just go back and ask Emperor Zhu, and convey my message."

Li Jinglong stood up and bowed deeply.

Stepping out of the courtyard gate and standing at the entrance, I was greeted by a clear blue sky.

Nima.

The situation is getting more and more complicated. They were just there to interrogate the Princess of Qin as a formality, but they ended up uncovering information about the Darughachi of the Northern Household.

Hurry back and report. Let whoever wants to get involved in this mess get involved.