After lunch, Shangguan Wan Ning dismissed all the maids on the pretext of taking a nap. After changing her clothes, she quietly climbed out of the window.
She carefully avoided all the patrolling guards and slipped out through the back door.
She walked cautiously through the twists and turns of the alley and walked into a secluded courtyard house.
Not long after, a group of big men armed with steel knives broke in through the door.
Shangguan Wan Ning stood calmly by the flower bed, gently brushing the petals of the blooming flowers with her fingers, but a cold light flashed in her eyes.
The big man at the head looked around, made a gesture, and his men immediately rushed into every room to search.
Shangguan Wan Ning didn't panic, looked back at the big man at the head, and said calmly: "There is no one you are looking for here."
The big man at the head was stunned and frowned.
He took a step forward and put the steel knife on Shangguan Wan Ning's neck, and warned fiercely: "Princess An Ning, we are all rough people, and we don't know how to show mercy to women. You'd better tell the whereabouts of Mu Jingrui, otherwise
…”
"Otherwise? Otherwise what? If you have the ability, just kill me with one blow."
Shangguan Wan Ning met the leader's big man's gaze fearlessly, her whole heart trembling violently.
"you……"
The veins on the back of the leader's big man's hands bulged, and the flesh on both sides of his cheeks trembled a few times, but in the end he was unable to remove his hands.
Shangguan Wan Ning smiled coldly and pushed away the shining steel knife. "Go back and tell your master that if you want to know the whereabouts of Mu Jingrui, come to me yourself."
After saying that, Shangguan Wan Ning walked out of the courtyard in a swagger.
Facing the bright sunshine at noon, her tears couldn't stop falling down. The warm breeze blew over her face, but it couldn't dry away the sad tears.
When it was time to hold the lantern, Shangguan Yue returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Shangguan Wan Ning was sitting in the study, waiting for him with empty eyes.
Shangguan Yue was a little afraid to look at his daughter and coughed twice to hide his guilty conscience. "Why don't you go out and have dinner with your mother?"
"I'm waiting for dad to come back." Shangguan Wan Ning pushed the bowl of soup in front of her forward, raised her head and looked at her father, "Dad, please drink the medicine; after drinking it, your body will no longer itch."
Shangguan Yue froze, and his face immediately darkened.
"You know everything?"
Shangguan Wan Ning went out this afternoon just to test whether someone was really watching her.
He was not sure whether those people belonged to his father or to Prince Ming.
So, she sprinkled colorless and odorless medicinal powder in the courtyard and adhered to those people's clothes.
People who have come into contact with the medicinal powder for the second time will have small red bumps all over their body and itching will not stop.
Shangguan Wan Ning prepared the antidote in advance.
She hoped that her father would not need it, but...
When she watched her father pick up the medicine bowl and drink it all in one gulp, she was completely desperate.
"Dad, why are you doing this?"
Shangguan Wan Ning felt angry, sad, and frightened. She stood up emotionally and looked at her father with burning eyes.
"Sit down."
Shangguan Yue calmed down instead. He thought for a long time and didn't know how to explain his position to Guan Wan Ning, so he never spoke.
Now that Shangguan Wan Ning discovered it by herself, he accepted it calmly.
"Ning'er, do you know what enabled dad to get to where he is today step by step?"
Shangguan Wan Ning was at a loss as she couldn't guess what her father wanted to say.
"Some people say that I rely on my wife's natal family; some say that I rely on luck given by God; others say that I rely on my own efforts. But they are all wrong. From beginning to end, they support me step by step.
The one in charge is Concubine Wu."
Shangguan Wan Ning saw a touch of tenderness in her father's eyes that was too strong to be removed.
She didn't know if this was an illusion, but her heart seemed to be hit by something, and it was so painful that it was torn apart.
"I have been dormant in the imperial court for many years. My only purpose is to let King Ming return to the capital and become the king of a country."
Shangguan Wan Ning had always thought that her father was on Xiao Yujue's side, and she had never doubted it.
Looking back now, my father actually wavered between Xiao Yujue and Xiao Zhenting, and his position was never firm.
For him, it is not that important at all whether Xiao Zhenting or Xiao Yujue succeeds. As long as one of them loses, the remaining one will be easier to deal with.
No wonder, when everyone thought Xiao Yujue was in dire straits, his father proposed to seek refuge with Prince Ming and actively asked Ying to act as a lobbyist.
In fact, this is all part of their plan.
"Dad, don't be like this..." Shangguan Wan Ning stepped forward and took her father's hand, "Now that the world is settled, the people can recuperate and live in peace and contentment. You should also be able to see that the emperor is a wise king, so why should you continue to
To stir up strife..."
"What do you know."
Shangguan Yue shook off his daughter's hand. This was the first time that he showed extreme impatience towards his daughter.
"On the road to fighting for the throne, there is always no turning back. Now that things have happened, Prince Ming will not give up."
"Dad, you have been an official for many years and have always been deeply loved by the people. Do you really can't bear to see them fall into war again?"
"If you would cooperate, there would be no war."
Shangguan Yue turned to look at Shangguan Wan Ning and said, "Ning'er, most of the officials in the imperial court have now joined the service of King Ming, and some officials are my disciples. They will all listen to my words."
"The remaining small number of people are the emperor's loyalists. However, without anyone who can lead them, these people will not be able to make a big impact. As long as Mu Jingrui dies and the emperor's support is completely cut off, he will not be able to fight back.
Opportunity."
Only then did Shangguan Wan Ning realize that her father and Prince Ming had been planning these things for many years.
"Ning'er, tell me where Mu Jingrui is."
Shangguan Wanning's back felt chills.
"Dad, if I were married to Mu Jingrui now, would you still force me to betray my husband?"
"So what if you marry him? You are my daughter. Even if you are a widow, there are many men vying for you."
Shangguan Wan Ning was shocked.
She always thought that she was the treasure in her father's hands, but actually...
"Dad, you are already a powerful prime minister. Unless you become the emperor yourself, otherwise, your status will stop here. I am very curious, even if you are asked to assist Prince Ming in succeeding to the throne, what else will you get?"
Shangguan Yue took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes a little blurry.
"For the rest of my life, I can stay with the person I love most and never be separated."
Shangguan Wan Ning was shocked.
She never thought that her father's deep love for her mother was also fake.