Miss Fortune: Is the regent ready for today?

Chapter 416 Right-hand man
"Now I believe it. Ming Zhidu is definitely not the culprit who killed the princess." Yin Luo spread her hands. She had a strange way of thinking: "After all, if he killed the princess, it would be difficult to find someone who would listen to his nagging."

Following Yin Luo's complaints, the man in green robe speculated, "So, I think that after the eldest princess passed away, the one who insisted on sending holiday gifts to Emperor Chongwen in her name was not Ming Zhidu, but the person who killed her."

"The person who killed her? What was the purpose of that person offering a gift to Emperor Chongwen in her name?"

Chi Linjing narrowed her eyes for a moment, "The purpose is that he wants to conceal the fact that the eldest princess is dead."

Yin Luo understood immediately, her eyes sparkling, "For a princess who has been subjected to all the gossips and rumors in the royal family, it is not wrong for her to not give gifts to her father after leaving the palace.

But the eldest princess was kind and honest. In the past few years since she left the palace, she had the habit of presenting gifts to Emperor Chongwen on specific days.

But if she suddenly stopped offering sacrifices one year, it would certainly arouse the suspicion of Emperor Chongwen, and the suspicious Emperor Chongwen might even send people to visit her in the suburbs of Wanli Mountain... By then, the news of the eldest princess' death would be made public, and the Dali Temple and the Antaisi would thoroughly investigate the cause of her death!
This person sent gifts in the name of the eldest princess in order to make the whole world believe that the eldest princess is living well in Baizhou?

And those who have the opportunity to come into contact with the Imperial Court..."

The two men's eyes met in mid-air, one calm and the other suddenly realized, and they said in unison: "Only Daliang officials!"

This was not enough. Before Yin Luo could recover from the chill on his back, Chi Linjing added: "The court has its own customs and procedures for receiving gifts. The Ministry of Rites is under the control of the Nine Ministry Departments, but it must submit the gift list to the Antai Department and read it out at the palace banquet."

The eldest princess' body lay quietly in the crystal coffin, clearly not moving.

But from Yin Luo's perspective, the withered wood-colored cloth seemed to be held tighter by her, with only the edge showing.

She stared at the person in the coffin and grabbed Chi Linjing's sleeve, as if she would feel safe this way.

"Tell me, why did Mingzhidu let her hold the cloth?"

The huge mystery was only a thin layer of window paper away from being exposed. The young man in green robe lowered his head with a slightly dark look in his eyes.

"I think that when Ming Zhidu set up a coal mining scheme to start a mob riot, it shouldn't have been Princess Ming who was imprisoned deep in the stone prison in Lingzhou. The moment we received Mei Chengting's message and rushed to Lingzhou, we were covering for him. The carriage that the Yu clan members saw in Zhushou City, as described by Liu Mei, might not have Emperor Chongwen in it at all. The Xunlin pattern on the palm of Officer Zhou's hand might not have been really engraved by Ming Zhidu. And the long sword that pierced Officer Zhou's chest was most likely a disguised explanation to Mudan Jinzhen."

Daliang Imperial Palace, Gongri Hall.

Ming Fanlan sat upright at the high table, holding a brush and sketching on the deployment map of the Imperial Guards of Shangjing City. He walked through the palace gate in a long robe of withered wood color, and when he reached the center of the palace, he bowed and called her: "Your Highness, I thank you for your help."

The woman in the purple skirt was in no hurry to look up. After she corrected the mistakes in the corners of the blueprint, she said softly, "The envoy's words are too serious. You are a key official of Daliang. Mingying is arrogant, which is why you are imprisoned. Now that you are out, go back to your position and take the guards of the Antai Division to guard Shangjing."

Her words were so unfamiliar that Mei Chengting lowered his head and moved his lips, not knowing what else to say for a moment.

After thinking for a long time, he decided to report the battle situation: "Your Highness, do you know that Ming Zhidu has more than 90,000 bandits under his command? He has been keeping a low profile over the years and bought over a dozen mountain bandits. Those bandits have occupied many counties. Just defending Shangjing is probably..." "Is it like a mantis trying to stop a chariot?" Ming Fanlan finally looked at him. "Before the result is known, it is better not to fight to boost his morale and destroy your own prestige. Even if he buys over a hundred mountain bandits, bandits are not soldiers. With 500,000 soldiers and armored personnel in Daliang, why should we be afraid of a mere 100,000 bandits?"

Mei Chengting choked, then continued: "Five hundred thousand soldiers are stationed in various places, from Haicheng in the south to Jinzhou in the north. There are less than 60,000 soldiers left in Shangjing now. How can distant water quench nearby thirst? Your Highness, Xiongci Ridge has been razed to the ground. We cannot underestimate the enemy!"

Ming Fanlan stood up and changed the subject, "Isn't Ming He showing any signs of waking up yet?"

Mei Chengting shook his head and sighed.

She walked past the desk and walked slowly towards Mei Chengting. "Ming Zhidu has been aiming for the throne since he was young. I still remember the day I came of age. He came to play chess with me. After he won, he asked me if he had the demeanor of an emperor. I didn't answer. Thirteen years ago, during the Three Kings Rebellion, Jie Lin died. That was his first real attack, and he first killed Ming He's left arm. It was also from that time that Luo'er lost his parents and followed me in the underworld."

Mei Chengting didn't understand why she brought up the past in this situation.

"And you are Ming He's right arm." Ming Fanlan looked at him coldly. "If I remember correctly, your son Mei Xiaoxiao is nine years old this year?"

The middle-aged man in withered wood-colored clothes bowed his head with his hands clasped, respectful but stiff.

"This square palace looks magnificent and rich, but it is actually a coffin. I was born in a coffin, and even if I leave the palace, I will be like a wandering soul. Minghe can't leave the palace in this life, so he is just a walking corpse in the coffin. You and Jie Lin were born outside the coffin, but you squeezed in, accompanied the walking corpse, and finally assimilated, like the living dead. Ming Zhidu is different from us. He was born in a coffin, but he has a great life and countless scenes that he can hold in his palm. I don't understand why he is so obsessed with staying in the coffin?"

"Your Highness has experienced the pain of being born into the royal family, so you have this realization. Prince Yuanjin has spent half his life chasing after the title of emperor. Everyone has their own wishes."

Ming Fanlan chuckled, "He chased me because he refused to obey. I was also dissatisfied before, but later I realized that it was self-defeating. Think about the millions of families in Daliang. How many people will die tragically after his rebellion? An unjust position cannot be righteous even if it is taken. It is said that after the disaster, a plague broke out in Jiangnan, and the imperial doctors who went to Cuizhou were helpless?"

"Yes, there is no cure for the plague in medical books, and the imperial doctors are still researching it," Mei Chengting said anxiously, "What I am most worried about is that if the plague spreads to the capital at this critical moment and harms the Imperial Guards..."

Ming Fanlan said calmly, "Pass my order on to those cities that are not infected with the plague to close their gates."

"This may disappoint Jiangnan." Mei Chengting looked conflicted.

Ming Fanlan looked at him and curled her lips slightly, "What are you afraid of? If the news spreads to Jiangnan, I will be the villain too."

Mei Chengting clenched his fists, thinking about her in his words, "I am worried that after this turmoil is over, Your Highness will be insulted by Jiangnan with this bad reputation! How can Your Highness return to the martial arts world? How can you maintain your reputation as the second best master in the world?"

"If you are really worried about my reputation, you can just take the blame for me." Ming Fanlan's eyes were filled with a smile, but it was almost like revenge. She seemed to be punishing Mei Chengting for herself more than ten years ago. "Just say that you issued this order."

Mei Chengting paused when he heard that. The next second, he took a half step back, bowed, and turned around as if he understood.

Ming Fanlan looked at his slightly hunched and decadent back and realized that this was the first time she had watched him leave.