Chapter 9

In the shed.

Xiao Linzi, with the stone ball removed from his mouth, still lay on the ground. After a while, his eyes regained their luster and he became more alert. He saw two eunuchs, one old and one young, looking down at him expressionlessly.

Xiao Fanzi!

The first thing he noticed was Yang Fan's face!

He sat up abruptly.

Hatred surged in his heart!

It was this bastard who had tied him up like that! The way he was tied, just thinking about it made him feel humiliated!

What was even more terrifying was his own feelings!

While he felt immense humiliation deep down, there was also an unacknowledged, strange pleasure.

Damn it, damn it!

How could this be!

"Scoundrel! You, you despicable little man!"

Xiao Linzi tried to suppress a certain stirring in his heart, seemingly attempting to cover up his unusual behavior, his lips trembling violently.

Yang Fan's eyes flickered slightly, as if he understood something.

"Cough, cough."

He smiled faintly, coughed softly, and retreated behind Li Gonggong.

So, you're this kind of Xiao Linzi!

The knowing look made Xiao Linzi's pupils constrict sharply.

At this moment, he finally noticed Li Gonggong, who looked like a venerable Buddha, with his hands hidden in his sleeves. His heart trembled.

"Li Gonggong!"

His face changed.

Having managed to infiltrate the Kunning Palace in just a year and become Huang Gonggong's adopted son, he was no fool. He immediately realized the problem.

He quickly surveyed the surroundings, his face turning grim. He had been secretly captured by Xiao Fanzi and brought to this unknown shed.

This was clearly not a place for a friendly chat!

"What, what do you want to do!"

He showed a defensive and wary look.

Li Gonggong moved forward slowly, his emaciated figure casting a large shadow as he looked down at him and said, "I have something to ask you."

"I won't say anything!"

Xiao Linzi responded resolutely, his cheeks trembling violently.

"Ha ha, why make it so difficult!"

"You're not a newcomer. You should have heard of my methods from back then. I advise you to cooperate and answer my questions honestly. Otherwise, your frail body won't withstand my methods."

"After all, your life is your own, and the secret belongs to others, doesn't it?"

Li Gonggong was an old hand in the palace.

During the palace intrigues and the struggle for the seal of authority, he was a prominent figure. His methods and character were top-notch.

To remain silent in front of him was no easy task.

At this moment, his words were like a sharp blade, easily piercing through Xiao Linzi's fragile defenses.

For a moment, Xiao Linzi's face began to change.

He naturally knew about this Li Gonggong from his adoptive father, Huang Gonggong. Li Gonggong was of high rank, with cruel methods, and was once a prominent figure in the palace.

Instead of stubbornly resisting, it was better to see what the other party's intentions were.

Xiao Linzi hesitated for a moment and finally spoke, "I wonder what Li Gonggong wants to ask?"

Li Gonggong smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated the other party's capitulation, "What I want to know is very simple: the attitude of the person in the Kunning Palace."

"This, how could I possibly know..."

"Don't deny it."

Li Gonggong said calmly, "I just selected Xiao Fanzi and others to enter the Changqing Palace, and you immediately targeted them. If you acted on your own, I wouldn't believe it."

Xiao Linzi knew he couldn't hide it anymore and had to confess, "It was my adoptive father, Huang Gonggong's idea. He wanted to suppress the Changqing Palace's arrogance."

Huang Gonggong?

Just him?

A hint of impatience flashed in Li Gonggong's eyes, and his voice became cold and harsh.

"At this point, you're still being evasive!"

"Just Huang Gonggong alone isn't qualified to suppress the Changqing Palace!"

"What I want to know is why! Why does Huang Gonggong dare to do this! Why does the person in the Kunning Palace have such hostility towards the Changqing Palace!"

Li Gonggong finally laid his cards on the table.

Empress Chen was of noble birth, and her father was the Marquis who commanded the Dragon Guard. Without her giving birth to a prince, the Empress could only try to win her over, not show such hostility.

Li Gonggong thought of the seemingly intimate but actually heartless scene at the Kunning Palace banquet tonight, and even he felt a chill.

For the Empress to show such an attitude, there must be a hidden reason.

Xiao Linzi's face was uncertain. He naturally knew the secret, but if it came out, he would have no good outcome!

Yang Fan had already understood something. After a moment of contemplation, his gaze swept over Li Gonggong and Xiao Linzi, and he suddenly spoke.

"Xiao Linzi, the attitude of the person in the Kunning Palace is not a secret, but there must be a reason. What we want to know is that reason!"

"Think about it, if you know something, how many others might know? Even if you tell us, who would know it was you?"

With these words, Xiao Linzi's attitude clearly softened.

Xiao Linzi was a smart person, and smart people fear death. After thinking it through, he said, "I can tell you the hidden reason, but I need a guarantee from Li Gonggong!"

"What guarantee?"

"A guarantee that you won't kill me!"

Xiao Linzi said seriously.

"Don't worry, as long as you tell the truth, I won't make things difficult for you. In fact, I might even give you some benefits and help you climb higher."

In Li Gonggong's eyes, a living Xiao Linzi was naturally more valuable.

After all, once Xiao Linzi opened his mouth, it would be like handing over a handle to Li Gonggong.

With a handle, how could one be free? From now on, Xiao Linzi would have to become a pawn in Li Gonggong's hand, a pawn in the Kunning Palace.

A smart person wouldn't easily abandon a useful pawn.

Li Gonggong was naturally a smart person.

Xiao Linzi knew this and sighed in relief, "Do you know the Thirteenth Prince?"

"This is related to the Thirteenth Prince?"

Li Gonggong frowned.

The Thirteenth Prince, Zhu Zhaolin, was the Empress's second son, already of age and due to leave the palace, but the Empress, unwilling to part with her young son, delayed the matter.

Thus, the Thirteenth Prince remained in the palace, causing many controversies with his reckless behavior.

He never expected the Empress's hostility towards Empress Chen to be related to the Thirteenth Prince!

Since Xiao Linzi had already spoken, he decided to be straightforward, "The Thirteenth Prince is infatuated with Empress Chen. He even had someone dress up as Empress Chen and drive her daily. The Empress discovered this and suspected that Empress Chen was secretly seducing the Thirteenth Prince, violating moral norms, and harboring ulterior motives!"

Boom!

This was like a thunderbolt in Li Gonggong's and Yang Fan's minds.

Yang Fan's face turned green.

Hearing such a secret, how could he ever be at ease again?