Lin Mengya refused the company of Pearl and Agate. After all, it was the resting palace of the Emperor. Few people dared wander around his palace under such circumstances.
The Imperial Palace was much more magnificent than Prince Yu’s Mansion. It looked especially solemn and awe-inspiring with its golden glazed tiles and vermilion bricks.
Lin Mengya and Baisu hid in a corner and locked their eyes on the patrolling guards at a distance.
“I’ve figured out that there are four shifts of guards to patrol day and night. Only doctors can get into the palace. Concubines visit to greet every day, but they have to stay outside and send their things via eunuchs to His Majesty,” said Baisu lightly.
Lin Mengya nodded.
The Emperor’s palace was well-guarded. The possibility of sneaking into it was less favorable.
“Is there any gap while the guards are changing?”
Baisu shook her head solemnly. In fact, the guards in the palace were more intelligent and capable than those in Prince Yu’s Mansion. Even though Baisu was kind of a master in martial arts, it was still difficult for her to get close.
“Fine. We can finally get a chance when we are restricted in the palace. Stop inquiring about it for the time being, in case of being found out and bringing up unexpected troubles.”
The Imperial Palace was far more complicated than she had imagined. Lin Mengya had already gotten an idea about how to restrain the Duotian Root. As long as she concocted a neutralizing medicine and poured it onto the herbs around the Duotian Root, its efficacy then could gradually cause the Duotian Root to wilt. In the end, the Duotian Root’s toxins would be unable to contaminate other herbs.
It was a delicate task. Luckily, few herbs could survive now, and the Duotian Root was in a state of suspended animation. Otherwise, the plan could not work.
Lin Mengya was in a good mood and unconsciously ate too much at night. She had a habit of being not able to fall asleep with her stomach full.
Therefore, Lin Mengya and Baisu wandered around for a while.
People said that the Imperial Palace was splendid. But in Lin Mengya’s mind, it was quite dull to see a palace full of red bricks and green tiles.
After a while, Lin Mengya found nothing interesting because they were all the same. Thus, she decided to get back with Baisu.
When she was turning around, Lin Mengya felt as if her waist had been hit by a ball.
Lin Mengya looked down and found a colorful can ball. It looked exquisite and delicate, like a child’s toy.
She picked it up and had a look with curiosity. It was dusty, but she could tell that the ball had been kept well. As she was getting more curious, a scream in a child’s tone came from behind.
“How dare you not return my ball? You such a maid, I’m the prince, do you know? Do you want to take it?”
How arrogant he is! Lin Mengya turned around to look at the boy, who was not tall enough to reach her waist, and felt quite funny.
The boy had a pair of bright apricot-like eyes on his face, like soft tofu. His pink mouth was pouting as if he was showing his great dissatisfaction with her.
His purplish-red clothes were already stained with mud. He looked like a muddy monkey, not a prince.
The boy looked quite like a mini Long Tianhao, very adorable. Long Tianhao’s brothers all had a similar face, but this boy was particularly like Long Tianhao.
Lin Mengya’s interest was aroused immediately. She squatted before the boy and played with the cane ball.
“You said that it was yours. But I found it ownerless. What evidence can you show me to prove that it is yours?”
I really want to pinch his chubby cheek! Lin Mengya held back her attempted hands and felt well when seeing his face blush. It felt like she was teasing Long Tianhao!
“How dare you! Everyone in the palace knows that the ball belongs to me. Give it to me quickly! Otherwise, I’ll tell Mother to punish you.”
The little child held back his tears and seriously threatened Lin Mengya.
Lin Mengya finally failed to control her desire and reached out her hands to lightly pinch his watery face. She cried in her heart of how strong her urge to hug him was, and that it would feel terrific!
“What are you doing? You servant! How dare you be rude to me!”
The little prince had never imagined that the woman in front of him would dare to pinch his face. Those maids or eunuchs in the palace would always greet him when they met.
At once, anger rose up like tidewater in his heart. However, the Long Family’s character of not giving up easily made him submit easily.
Therefore, when he found it useless to struggle, the prince immediately bit Lin Mengya’s arm with his baby teeth, some of which had just changed.
Hey? Lin Mengya raised her eyebrows and looked at the little boy, who was biting her like a baby wolf.
She did not feel any pain, but to her surprise, the mini Long Tianhao was a stubborn boy.
“Release her! She’s not a servant. She’s Princess Yu!”
Baisu rushed and told him who Lin Mengya really was.
The little boy just blinked his big eyes and looked at her numbly. However, his biting mouth was already loosened up.
“Why stop? You bit very deep just now, right?”
Lin Mengya retracted her hands and did not think too much of the shallow tooth prints. Just think of it to being bitten by a baby dog. Then, she unconsciously recalled her tigers.
She felt lost immediately. Since she had come here, all kinds of events had come into her life, and without noticing, she had missed lots of wonderful things.
A smile of laughing at herself emerged on her face. I am really an irresponsible person.
“You’re the third sister-in-law?”
The prince’s apricot-like eyes opened wide, and his mouth slightly opened as if he had seen something extraordinary.
Lin Mengya felt he was quite lovely, so she pinched his face again and teased him.
“Right, I’m your third sister-in-law. I remember you called me a servant just now. I should tell your brother that you insulted me.”
Lin Mengya was teasing the little boy, but he burst into tears immediately. His cry became increasingly louder and sounded very miserable.
“Alright, alright. You were like a brave wolf just now. It’s just a joke. I won’t tell your brother. Well, can you tell me what your name is now?”
The little boy changed his face quickly. Some drops of tears were still hanging on his curving eyelashes. After thinking about it while lowering his head, the boy replied in a soft voice, “My name is Long Yinghua, the tenth prince. Sister-in-law, don’t tell my brother, okay?”
Lin Mengya chuckled to herself, looked at the little boy pleasing her, and thought that Long Tianhao was really powerful enough to frighten the little boy.
Lin Mengya pretended to hesitate, and after a while, she nodded. The little boy was funny and seemed like six or seven years old. Perhaps because he was still young, he could avoid those terrible habits of the palace.
“Thank you, sister-in-law. Well, you can have the ball.”
Long Yinghua spoke in a sweet voice, but his dark, bright eyes betrayed his unwillingness.
Lin Mengya would not bully a child. She gave it back to him and patted him on the head.
“I’m giving it to you. I won’t take away a child’s favorite. Don’t worry. I won’t tell your brother about this. But stop being rude to others!”
Long Yinghua nodded repeatedly and tightly held his ball as if he was really afraid that someone would take it away from him.
However, his eyes were secretly focusing on Lin Mengya.
“Alright, it’s getting too late. You’d better go back to sleep. You came out alone, I guess. Are there a maid and nanny with you?”
Lin Mengya had already been curious about this just now. The boy’s clothes were not shabby, but why hadn’t anyone come to seek him after so long?
Long Yinghua also looked around and confusion flashed in his eyes.
Lin Mengya’s instinct of protection was aroused. Although guards and servants could be seen everywhere in the palace, his parents would feel sad if he got lost.
Lin Mengya reached her hand, and with a warm smile, said, “Come with me, I’ll send you back to your palace.”
Long Yinghua hesitated but still put his fat hands into her hands.
With the protection of Baisu, an adult and a child went deep into the palace.
Lin Mengya did not know where Long Yinghua lived, but she knew that the concubines’ resting palaces were in the inner courtyard. She lived close to the outer courtyard.
Unexpectedly, they did not see anyone even after they had gone through three doors.
The palace lanterns had already been lit up at dusk. At the moment, the faint light could guide them, but the road was still silent enough to frighten them.
Lin Mengya felt increasingly confused. There’s something wrong. There should be an eunuch or a maid guarding at the door.
It’s just dusk. Why is there no one?
Lin Mengya’s sharp instinct made her hold Long Yinghua’s hands more tightly. How could it be possible for a child to get out so far to come across me so coincidently?
“Yinghua, was there anyone with you when you got out? Where is she?”
Everyone would be surrounded by many servants in the palace, let alone Long Yinghua as the prince.
After pondering over it for a while, he said, “Nanny was kept in the palace by Mother. I don’t like others. So I hid myself up and got out when they all left.”
He would not be lying. However, Lin Mengya got tensed up and bowed to hold up Long Yinghua after warning Baisu to stay vigilant.
“Well, let’s play a game now. Later, I’ll hide ourselves and silently return to your mother’s palace, okay?”
The boy, of course, agreed. Lin Mengya looked around and disappeared into the dark under Baisu’s shelter.
Long Yinghua’s eyes were opening wide full of excitement.
“From now on, no matter who we meet, you can’t speak. Otherwise, you will be a loser!”
