At midnight, Lin Qinghe arrived at You Rong's sleeping quarters and knocked on the door. As expected, You Rong emerged, fully dressed, clearly not having retired for the night and having been waiting for her.
Lin Qinghe pursed her lips, suppressing the triumphant smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth, and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please follow this servant."
You Rong's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is the task you're asking me to do again to go scatter millet on the rooftop?"
"That's right, I need Your Highness the Crown Prince to accompany me to the rooftop, but it's not to scatter millet, nor is it the rooftop of Your Highness's sleeping quarters."
"What do you mean?" You Rong's handsome face held a look of slight bewilderment.
Lin Qinghe did not explain. She shifted slightly to the side and curtsied, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, if you accompany this servant, you will know."
Seeing that Lin Qinghe was resolute in her refusal to explain, You Rong pondered for a moment, flicked his sleeves, and sneered, "I'll go and see what exactly you're up to!"
"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince, please..."
You Rong followed Lin Qinghe to a side hall in the Eastern Palace. Lin Qinghe stopped at a spot where a ladder was placed.
Zhu Hong, who had been waiting there, saw them and quickly curtsied, "This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
You Rong didn't react. Lin Qinghe quickly pulled Zhu Hong up and whispered, "Keep your voice down. This is close to the main gate of the Eastern Palace. Be careful that the Imperial Guards on duty outside don't hear us."
Zhu Hong nodded repeatedly and whispered, "Yes, this servant understands."
"Good. I asked you to prepare things, have you brought them all up and arranged them as I instructed?"
Zhu Hong: "Yes, Sister Qinghe, this servant has arranged them as you said."
Lin Qinghe smiled in satisfaction, then turned to look at You Rong and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, this servant will go up first. You can follow me up."
You Rong nodded slightly. After Lin Qinghe climbed up the ladder, he followed, reaching the rooftop in a few quick movements. As soon as he got up, Lin Qinghe beckoned him and whispered, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, hurry over here."
You Rong hesitated for a moment, then stepped onto the roof tiles and walked to Lin Qinghe's side.
Lin Qinghe crouched down, fiddling with a long wooden box beside her. Seeing You Rong standing upright without a second thought, she reached out and tugged his arm, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, hurry and crouch down. It won't do if the Imperial Guards at the gate of the Eastern Palace spot us. What we're doing tonight cannot be discovered."
You Rong frowned and was pulled down by Lin Qinghe.
Lin Qinghe pointed her finger towards the opposite wall, a sly smile on her face, and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, watch carefully, don't blink!"
You Rong looked up, a hint of displeasure appearing on his well-defined face.
It was just a wall, what was there to see.
Lin Qinghe removed a black cloth from the front of the long wooden box. In an instant, You Rong's dark pupils constricted.
A circular beam of light fell onto the opposite wall, and two lines of text appeared clearly on the wall.
You Rong shall inherit the mandate of heaven, ascend the throne, and rightfully take his place as Crown Prince. May the Western Chu be peaceful and prosperous, with favorable weather, abundant harvests, and thriving populace.
Seeing You Rong's astonished look, Lin Qinghe felt immensely proud. She raised her eyebrows and said with a beaming smile, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, what do you think? This is more than just an auspicious omen; it's a divine manifestation, isn't it?"
You Rong was indeed shocked. He looked at Lin Qinghe with disbelief, "You... how did you do it?"
"Well, that's a long story, too complicated to explain in a few words... You can just consider this servant to be exceptionally intelligent."
Lin Qinghe thought to herself: I'll never tell you the truth, which is that learning science and math will let you go anywhere in the world. This is just a simplified projector, made using the principle of convex lens imaging.
Of course, Lin Qinghe wouldn't get carried away with her own cleverness and forget the main task. She picked up the stones she had prepared earlier and hurled them forcefully at the main gate of the Eastern Palace, attracting the attention of the Imperial Guards.
As expected, the Imperial Guards heard the commotion and immediately shouted vigilantly, "Who! Who's there? Come out!"
Hearing no further sound, the Imperial Guards came to investigate. Lin Qinghe quickly grabbed You Rong's arm and whispered, "Crouch down lower, be careful he sees us."
As soon as they both crouched down, the Imperial Guards walked over. Upon seeing the words on the wall, their legs went weak with fright. After a long stunned silence, they stammered loudly, "Co-come here! Quick, someone!"
Nearly ten Imperial Guards rushed over. When they saw the words on the wall, they were as stunned as the previous soldier. After a long pause, they all knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and chanting, "A divine manifestation, heaven blesses our Western Chu..."
This was all within Lin Qinghe's expectations. Ancient people were superstitious; she knew this. She believed that once news of this "divine manifestation" spread, You Rong would gain the faith of the common people. No matter how forcefully Consort Duan whispered in the Emperor's ear, the Emperor would be compelled to lift You Rong's confinement due to public opinion, and the court officials would once again regard You Rong with importance.
After the Imperial Guards had been kneeling and bowing for a full quarter of an hour, the leading officer finally remembered to send someone to report to the Imperial Palace.
Seeing this, Lin Qinghe covered the black cloth, and the projected text on the wall disappeared. Lin Qinghe whispered to You Rong, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, let's leave quickly. If more people arrive, we'll easily be discovered."
You Rong had recovered from his astonishment. He looked at Lin Qinghe with complex emotions, as if he had something to say, but ultimately said nothing. He nodded slightly and followed Lin Qinghe down the ladder.
After instructing Zhu Hong to properly handle the items on the rooftop, Lin Qinghe and You Rong returned to their sleeping quarters.
In You Rong's front hall, Lin Qinghe subtly observed You Rong's reactions. However, he kept a stern face, remaining silent, with no discernible expression. She couldn't guess You Rong's thoughts at all.
Lin Qinghe solicitously poured a cup of tea and handed it to him, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please have some tea... You must believe this servant now, right? This servant is sincerely repenting and has abandoned darkness for light. In the future, the only master I will serve is you."
You Rong stared at Lin Qinghe with an unclear gaze, making her feel unnerved. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, he suddenly blurted out, "You are Lin Qinghe?"
Lin Qinghe's heart skipped a beat, and she slightly tightened her grip on the teapot. Had You Rong regained consciousness?
Lin Qinghe's eyes flickered as she tentatively asked, "Great fortune and good luck, what's the next line?"
You Rong said with a stern face, "What nonsense are you spouting now!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Qinghe had a clearer idea. You Rong had not regained consciousness; perhaps her display of 21st-century technology had only made him suspicious.
Lin Qinghe deliberately chuckled and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, of course, this servant is Lin Qinghe. If I'm not Lin Qinghe, then who else could I be?" She was indeed Lin Qinghe, but not the same soul as the "Lin Qinghe" he thought he knew.
Hearing this, You Rong lowered his gaze slightly and said meaningfully, "Indeed..."