You Rong held his breath, listening intently to the movements above the rooftop, but found that the person did not enter the hall and did not know what they were doing, only the faint sound of tiles on the roof.
Could they be planning to burn down the sleeping quarters?
You Rong's gaze darkened, and he decided to proceed with caution. He got up from the couch and moved lightly to investigate.
Outside the hall, You Rong looked up and, in the moonlight, saw a figure clad in light colors squatting on the roof, holding a bag. They were taking something out of the bag and sprinkling it onto the roof.
You Rong frowned.
Lin Qinghe... What was she trying to do, sneaking onto the sleeping quarters' roof in the dead of night?
Lin Qinghe finished sprinkling all the millet she had brought, and with a satisfied expression, clapped her hands. "Mission accomplished, time to go back to sleep!"
Lin Qinghe turned, looked down, and caught sight of a tall figure standing below. Startled, she lost her balance and fell back onto the roof.
Upon closer inspection, she recognized You Rong and gritted her teeth, cursing him silently.
What was he doing out here in the middle of the night, scaring people? Didn't he know that scaring someone to death was a real thing!
Lin Qinghe steadied herself and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you not yet resting? Or have I disturbed you?"
You Rong's brows furrowed. Instead of answering, he asked, "What are you doing on the roof of my sleeping quarters?"
"I... I am..." Lin Qinghe couldn't explain it clearly at the moment. Moreover, being on the roof, the wind chilled her to the bone. She changed her tune, "Your Highness, please wait a moment. I will explain when I come down."
Lin Qinghe got up, intending to climb down the ladder. However, she hadn't expected that coming up was easy, but going down was difficult. As she climbed down, the ladder was unstable and kept shaking. She became scared and dared not descend.
Lin Qinghe anxiously looked around. It was the middle of the night, and the only person she could ask for help was the scowling You Rong in front of her.
But even if she asked, You Rong might not help her!
Seeing You Rong withdraw his gaze, about to return indoors impatiently, Lin Qinghe quickly said, "Your Highness! Please wait! I... I can't get down. Could you please help me steady the ladder?"
For some reason, seeing Lin Qinghe pitifully squatting on the roof and asking for his help, You Rong inexplicably reached out and steadied the ladder.
Seeing this, Lin Qinghe, fearing You Rong might change his mind, scrambled down the ladder with her hands and feet. However, in her haste, she missed a step and fell with a startled cry.
"Ah!"
Huh... It didn't hurt?
It seemed You Rong had broken her fall!
Lin Qinghe's eyes shot open in fright. She found her face pressed against You Rong's chest. His face was so cold it seemed to be dropping icicles. Startled, she quickly scrambled off him and apologized first, "I deserve to die, Your Highness, please forgive my offense!"
You Rong stood up from the ground with a cold expression, stared at Lin Qinghe for a moment, let out a cold snort, and walked away.
Lin Qinghe regretfully smacked her forehead hard. "I should have just waited for Zhu Hong. Now look, You Rong must hate me even more..."
Lin Qinghe, who had initially intended to explain herself to You Rong, abandoned the idea.
If she went in now, she would only be an annoyance. She would explain to You Rong tomorrow.
After Zhu Hong arrived, Lin Qinghe spoke a few words to her, and they each returned to their rooms to rest.
You Rong returned to his room and immediately took off his outer robe, throwing it on the ground as if it were contaminated.
He sat on the couch with a dark expression, staring intently at the robe on the floor. For some reason, he picked it up again and placed it beside him. Moments later, with an angry expression, he threw the robe behind the screen, as if to rid himself of the sight.
You Rong drank several cups of clear tea, and only when his agitation began to subside did he hear a knock at the door.
He frowned, "Who is it?"
The door creaked open. It was Eunuch Wang.
Wang Gongyang walked up to You Rong and knelt with a thud. Wiping his tears with his sleeve, he choked out, "Your Highness,呜呜... It's all my fault for being incompetent and letting Your Highness suffer such humiliation. I deserve to die. I couldn't protect Your Highness. What face will I have to see the Empress when I reach the Yellow Springs..."
You Rong was bewildered. "Eunuch Wang, what is this about?"
Wang Gongyang looked up at You Rong and then cried even harder, saying nothing.
You Rong pursed his lips and coldly commanded, "Eunuch Wang! Speak!"
Wang Gongyang sobbed a couple of times before quietly saying, "Your Highness, I've heard everything. Last night, that wicked servant Lin Qinghe stayed in your sleeping quarters for the entire... entire... entire night before leaving. How detestable! How dare she commit such a vile act against Your Highness! Your Highness, you have suffered greatly..."
After hearing Wang Gongyang's words, You Rong's face turned from red to white. Angrily grinding his teeth, he said, "Eunuch Wang! If you dare to utter another word of nonsense, I will have you thrown out!"
Wang Gongyang hurriedly kowtowed, flustered. "It is my fault, Your Highness. I promise not to mention this matter in front of you again. Please, Your Highness, be at ease and do not let anger harm your health. As the saying goes, when heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon a person, it first tests their heart, toil, and suffering. What Your Highness is enduring today will surely lead to future glory!"
Little did he know, the more Wang Gongyang spoke, the uglier You Rong's expression became, so dark it seemed ink could drip from it.
You Rong gritted his teeth and said word by word, "Lin Qinghe did not do anything vile to me. She merely rested on the couch for a night!"
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand. It was all my misunderstanding..."
Although Wang Gongyang said this, the look of pained disbelief on his face indicated that he did not believe You Rong at all.
You Rong was so angry he was about to go mad. He felt that the fire that had been somewhat suppressed by drinking several cups of clear tea had now erupted.
He knew that the more he tried to explain, the worse it would get. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and decided to stop talking.
You Rong asked, "By the way, have you heard any news of my maternal uncle recently, or have there been any letters from him on the border?"
"This... I've tried to get close to the guards at the East Palace gate, but I haven't received any news about the General of Zhenbei, nor have I received any letters from the Great General of Zhenbei. It's possible that these letters... have been intercepted by someone in secret."
You Rong's heart sank.
Consort Duan feared that he would regain power in court by leveraging his uncle's military might. His father feared that his uncle would be displeased if he learned of his current predicament. Thus, he was confined to the East Palace, cutting off any possibility of contact with his uncle.
And his uncle guarded the border and could not return to the capital without a summons. It was likely that he would never know of his current situation in the capital.