Besides lying down, I also know a little about power struggles

Chapter 182: The Mountain Has Spirits

When Fang Tong entered the palace, he heard the continuous sound of drums and music in the distance, and there were bright lights in the direction of Jiying Hall.

She did not rush to Jiying Palace, but jogged along the wall towards the Prince's Mansion.

The Crown Princess is pregnant, so in order to avoid being disturbed by the crowd, she did not attend the birthday banquet in the palace tonight. However, she and the Crown Prince are a loving couple, and Qin Shiyue must have had some reaction since the Crown Prince did not return.

Before they got close to the Prince's Palace, they saw more and more imperial guards patrolling the road.

The cat Fang Tong turned into was running on the road. She was not afraid of being seen, but she became secretly alert when she ran into three patrol teams in succession.

I didn't see so many imperial guards last time I came to the Prince's Mansion. Even if there is a birthday banquet in the palace tonight, the frequency of patrols is a bit too frequent.

Seeing that the gate of the Prince's Mansion was right in front of him, Fang Tong jumped onto a big tree and jumped into the Prince's Mansion from the high branches.

As soon as he landed, a flash of a knife appeared in the darkness.

"who?"

Two palace guards appeared.

Fang Tong meowed at the right time, and the evil spirit around the two men subsided.

"Nothing, it's a cat." said one of them.

"Be careful," said another. "Go ahead and have a look."

Fang Tong rushed through the front yard and headed straight for the backyard.

Although I didn't see many people along the way, I could sense the tense atmosphere in the mansion.

She came to the bedroom of the prince and his wife, only to see the door wide open and Qin Shiyue walked out.

She walked very fast, leaving the maids behind.

"Crown Princess, the banquet in the palace has not yet ended. If you go there now, it will embarrass His Majesty." The maid Lanxi chased after her with a cloak, "You are still pregnant. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about the child in your belly."

Qin Shiyue's eyes were filled with anger, but she kept walking: "I just want to ask what crime the prince has committed and why His Majesty has detained him in the palace."

Fang Tong was lying in the grass by the wall. When he heard this, his ears moved.

The emperor detained the prince in the palace? What happened?

Before she could figure it out, Lan Xi said, "Crown Princess, please don't be impulsive. The Crown Prince's detention is still a secret. If you ask now, His Majesty will know that there are spies from the Crown Prince's Mansion around him."

Qin Shiyue sneered: "Do you think His Majesty doesn't know if I don't ask? There are so many patrolling guards outside the palace tonight. Are they here to protect His Majesty or to monitor the Prince's Palace?"

"Even if I know, I won't say it out loud," Lan Xi put the cloak on Qin Shiyue's shoulders, "Today, not only the crown prince is detained, but the other princes are all in the palace. If His Majesty wants to make a decision, he will not do it hastily. Please be patient for the time being, Crown Princess, and wait until we find out everything before making a decision."

Qin Shiyue closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "Your Majesty has always been particular about what he does, and has never been so revealing as today. I am just worried that the night will be long and full of dreams."

As he was speaking, a white shadow flashed before his eyes and a kitten jumped onto the stairs.

Qin Shiyue was stunned for a moment, then saw the kitten running up to her and pulling at the hem of her skirt without any shyness.

Qin Shiyue hesitated for a moment: "Snowball?"

It's no wonder she was so hesitant. This cat looks very similar to Snowball, but it is still very small, just like when she first saw it a few months ago.

She was not sure about the cat's identity and subconsciously looked towards the yard.

Fang Tong jumped up, ripped off the jade pendant from her waist with one claw, lowered his head, arched it, and put it around his neck.

This set of movements was so smooth that Qin Shiyue's pupils widened slightly.

When she first saw Snowball in the paddock, the kitten had a jade plaque hanging around his neck, and now—

She looked down at it and asked softly, "Are you really Snowball?"

If it was the same cat, why didn't it grow at all after so much time? If not, why did it so coincidentally dress the same way as Snowball did that day?

Fang Tong meowed long and hard, raised her furry tail, and gently brushed the hem of Qin Shiyue's skirt. If it weren't for her big belly that made it inconvenient to squat, she would have jumped onto her knees like she did before.

Even so, Qin Shiyue's eyes still looked much warmer when he looked at her.

In addition to the enthusiasm, there is also confusion, surprise, and a hint of anticipation.

"If you were Snowball, could you give this jade pendant to the prince?"

Qin Shiyue couldn't explain why she had such expectations. Maybe it was because she was desperate and wanted to try any possible means, or maybe it was just a vague guess in her mind.

Back in the enclosure, it was Snowball who brought Feng Twelve's jade pendant and led them up the mountain to rescue people.

If the cat in front of us is really Snowball, does the strangeness of it mean that it really has spiritual power?
A vague thought flashed through Qin Shiyue's mind: mountains are spiritual and all things come to life. That mountain is the royal hunting ground and no one has set foot there for hundreds of years. Perhaps, something supernatural can really come out of it.

Although he knew that this idea was absurd, Qin Shiyue still stared at the cat in front of him, as if it really understood what he said.

The kitten sat up straight and nodded at her like a messenger carrying a heavy burden.

Qin Shiyue was stunned.

"Lanxi," she called her maid's name, "did it nod just now?"

Lanxi was also shocked.

"How about...Princess, can you try again?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Shiyue bent forward.

Lan Xi was startled and quickly supported her: "Crown Princess, be careful."

Qin Shiyue shook her head: "It's okay."

She bent her body to the widest angle she could, stretched out a hand toward the kitten, and tried to touch its head.

The kitten suddenly jumped up and put its head on her palm.

This reaction is like letting her touch you actively.

Qin Shiyue and Lan Xi were both stunned, and saw the kitten take two steps back.

At this moment, they only felt that the kitten's face showed a cautious and serious expression, as if what they saw was not a cat, but a living person.

The kitten didn't stay. It turned around, took two steps at a time and jumped onto the top of the wall, disappearing into the night.

The master and servant were silent for a long time, and Lan Xi asked: "Crown Princess, can the cat really understand what you mean?"

Qin Shiyue looked at the empty wall and said neither yes nor no.

Lanxi keenly noticed that the Crown Princess, who had been anxious and restless because of the news that the Crown Prince had been detained, had calmed down after this interruption.

"No matter what happens in the palace, we have to prepare in advance." Qin Shiyue suddenly said, "Let's go and see His Highness's personal guard camp."

Lanxi had been with her for many years and immediately understood her intention.

"But... the Royal Guard Battalion only obeys the orders of His Highness."

Qin Shiyue stroked her bulging belly and said calmly: "Just take a look."

Fang Tong took Qin Shiyue's jade pendant and trotted to the vicinity of Jiying Hall.

She pulled off the jade pendant just as a test, but she didn't expect Qin Shiyue to ask her to give the jade pendant to the prince, which coincided with her idea.

When she entered the palace, she had already decided that if necessary, she would need to demonstrate some supernatural powers to facilitate subsequent actions.

The current conditions of Feng Twelve and the Crown Prince are unclear, so she cannot reveal too much. However, Qin Shiyue's cooperation has saved her a lot of effort.

The jade pendant was a bit of a hindrance hanging around her neck, so she found a secluded corner, dug a hole and buried the jade pendant, then slipped into the hall.