Chapter 292 A Green Bird in the Cage (1/2)

“So, you didn’t know that? Well, seems you’re a bit incompetent as a leader. She carried your Bamboo Token with her when she came to see me, or what do you think she depended on to enter my mansion?” Long Tianyu looked grave as he spoke.

It turned out that Master Bamboo was the one in actual charge of North Tower while Master Plum was there only to cover her.

Few people knew that Master Plum was, in fact, just a talented geisha girl.

“It’s my fault, but rest assured, Your Highness, I’ll settle the matter properly to make amends for my mistake.”

After Master Bamboo gave it a quick thought, things appeared clearer to her. Several days ago, Lu Ning came to her in Plum’s carriage, at which Master Bamboo did not expect them to be so bold.

Cold sweats started out on her foreheads. No wonder before Ruo Bing left, she would remind her to keep an eye on Plum.

“You could start to handle it after our business is done today, and bear in mind, we must succeed today.”

Long Tianyu turned back, and with his move, his cloak fluttered in the air. Master Bamboo looked toward the emperor’s bedchamber, a serious expression on her face.

“Hear my order! All our men lying in wait should take action an hour later.”

“Yes.”

The voice echoed in the place, but as if a wind had taken everything away, the side chamber became empty the next second.

Sitting in Chongqing Palace, Lin Mengya felt restrained for it was a banquet of royal families. The empress disfavored Long Tianyu, her husband, and thus disfavored her as well.

Fortunately, Lin Mengya knew how to entertain herself. Even just sitting quietly on her seat, she attracted many eyes.

Gradually, more and more people came to her side.

She suddenly felt someone touch her feet just as she got bored.

Lifting her head, she saw Shangguan Hui’s back. What this smart girl did just now made Lin Mengya think.

She pretended to look down casually, and just as she expected, she found a paper wad under the table.

Was Shangguan Hui trying to tell her something? Lin Mengya wondered.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Lin Mengya knocked her wine cup over on purpose, and her four maids immediately stood around her.

As if they had a tacit agreement, they blocked the view of those curious people for Lin Mengya.

Lin Mengya hid the wad in her sleeves without turning a hair, and said with an apologetic smile to the female official that came to her, “I was being so careless that I knocked over my wine cup and wetted my shoes. Could you please tell me where I could have a rest?”

Lin Mengya pretended to look embarrassed for the noise she made, and she did not arouse any suspicion as it was after all common in a banquet.

The female official curtsied to Lin Mengya before replying, “There is no need to stand on ceremony, Your Highness, and don’t worry. Exit from the back door and walk through the veranda, you will see several rooms, which Her Highness the empress reserved for you distinguished guests. Please feel at ease to take a rest there.”

As her four maids helped her up, Lin Mengya nodded her thanks to the female official before heading to the back door leisurely.

They did not attract much attention as all the guests were busy exchanging greeting with each other.

Lin Mengya did not take out the paper wad until she was in one of the guests’ rooms and sure that no one was around except for her maids.

“Guard the door for me, and let me know if you see anyone approach, understand?”

The four sensible maids all nodded at the words. Hiding at the innermost corner of the room, Lin Mengya observed the wad in her hand attentively.

The longer she looked at it, the graver she looked.

On the paper, Shangguan Hui wrote: A green bird trapped in a gold cage.

Shangguan Hui must have written these words for reasons. Green bird? Could it be—

Lin Mengya frowned and shook her head. However bold the empress was, she would not do such a stupid thing unless she was fully confident she would not be caught doing it.

“Baiji, did Her Highness Concubine De look unusual when we left the mansion?”

Baiji, who had read the words as well, could not make out the meaning of the words either.

She shook her head upon hearing Lin Mengya’s words and replied, “I had someone invite Her Highness to go with us before we left, but Her Highness refused us saying she was not feeling good.”

Since Concubine De did not step out of the mansion, who it was that fell into the empress’s trap?

With this doubt, Lin Mengya returned to Chongqing Palace after burning the paper wad into ashes.

As she had learned, Shangguan Hui had been keeping a close relationship with the empress, and she believed Shangguan Hui must have found something against her; otherwise, she would not have taken a risk leaving her the message in the banquet.

Who it was that had been kept in the palace by the empress? Lin Mengya could not help but wonder.