Summoning Princess Lily Hayes to the Palace
Princess May knew very well that the Imperial Guards were a special force tasked with protecting the palace, directly commanded by the Emperor.
So these three thousand Red Tassel Army soldiers under Prince Ling—were they just being lent to the Emperor?
But why would the Emperor suddenly want to borrow Prince Ling's Red Tassel Army? And how was this connected to the Empress suddenly claiming to be ill?
Princess May quietly slipped back into her room, pondering everything that had happened today. The more she thought about it, the stranger it all seemed.
Just as Princess May was racking her brains, news came from the palace: the Empress had fallen suddenly ill, and the noblewomen of the capital were to take turns attending to her in the palace.
Normally, it wasn't unusual for noblewomen to enter the palace to attend the Empress.
But in Princess May's eyes, the odd thing was—the Empress wasn't truly ill. She was faking it!
"Your Highness, I need to make a trip to the palace," Princess May said as she went to see Prince Ling.
Prince Ling looked up at her. "Why are you going to the palace all of a sudden?"
Princess May lowered her gaze respectfully. "Your Highness, the Empress is ill and has summoned the noblewomen of the capital to take turns attending her. As her daughter-in-law, it is only proper that I serve by her bedside."
Prince Ling pressed his lips together, glanced at Princess May with a hint of disdain in his eyes. "What use is it for you to go? Don't make trouble. Just stay here in Ling Manor."
Princess May grew even more suspicious, but outwardly she acted even more obedient and gentle, feigning confusion. "Your Highness, but Mother is ill. If I, as her daughter-in-law, don't go to care for her, wouldn't that make me seem unfilial?"
Prince Ling waved his hand dismissively, sneering, "Ignorant woman, what do you know? The Empress is summoning Princess Lily Hayes, not you. Why are you trying to join in the excitement? Go to bed early. I'm heading to the palace myself."
With that, Prince Ling stood up and strode out, not giving Princess May a second thought.
Princess May kept her head down, appearing perfectly calm, though inside she was in turmoil.
What did Prince Ling mean by that? What did he mean by 'the Empress is summoning Princess Lily Hayes'?
Could it be that the Empress was only pretending to be ill just to trick Princess Lily Hayes into the palace?
What did they want to do to Princess Lily Hayes? And what did the Emperor borrowing Prince Ling's three thousand Red Tassel Army soldiers have to do with all this?
Princess May was a clever woman, and a wave of foreboding surged in her heart... Was Princess Lily Hayes about to face some disaster?
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