Chapter 391: It's Her! (Third Update)

Jian Fengchi himself did not know how this thought had arisen.

He was certain that he had absolutely never seen Rong Xiu's face before, but when Rong Xiu spoke, that elegant, composed, yet somewhat languid manner suddenly made him feel a sense of familiarity.

Because of this, the question had slipped from his lips.

A gentle yet distant smile surfaced on Rong Xiu's face.

"What makes Young Master Jian say such a thing? This Prince has been recuperating at the Bright Moon Heavenly Mountain and only returned to the Imperial Capital these past few months, and I have remained in seclusion. In my memory, I have not met Young Master Jian."

Hearing this, Jian Fengchi felt a flicker of hesitation in his heart.

Was it truly just his illusion?

But he had never had this feeling before.

No matter what kind of person it was, he could almost remember them at a glance, and he could clearly remember every detail about them.

No, there was one other person who had given him a similar feeling before.

—Chu Liuyue!

However, since Chu Liuyue possessed eyes extremely similar to that person's, it would be normal for him to feel a sense of familiarity.

Even didn't Mu Qingye think so?

Even Hong Yao treated Chu Liuyue with special regard.

But Rong Xiu was different.

This face was clearly a stranger's.

But that aura...

"Haha, it seems this Young Master remembered incorrectly. But looking at it this way, this Young Master and the Prince of Li seem to have quite a bit of facial affinity."

As Jian Fengchi spoke, he lamented inwardly.

To think there was such a figure in the Imperial Capital, and he had completely failed to notice before!

It wasn't just him; clearly, even the people of the Yao Chen Kingdom still thought Rong Xiu was merely a sickly man who could hardly step out of his manor.

This Prince of Li was hiding quite deeply.

"This Young Master comes today for no other reason than to hear Mu Hongyu mention it in passing. Out of curiosity, I came specifically to take a look. Additionally... I also wanted to see what kind of person Chu Liuyue's fiancé truly is."

Jian Fengchi's words were too blunt, even appearing somewhat provocative.

But given his status and position, speaking this way didn't seem to be wrong.

After all, even Emperor Jiawen had to treat him with a degree of politeness.

Rong Xiu's eyes shifted slightly upon hearing him mention Chu Liuyue.

"Yue'er went to Vice General Mu's place today. If Young Master Jian wishes to see this Prince, simply have Yue'er inform you, and this Prince can specially invite Young Master Jian as a guest of honor. Coming here now, I fear the Prince of Li's manor will not be able to host you properly."

Jian Fengchi laughed.

"This Young Master has always disliked troubling others; I can handle such a small matter myself. Besides, she might not even have the time today."

Rong Xiu's heart stirred.

"Oh?"

Jian Fengchi suddenly realized something, looking at Rong Xiu with a slightly tightened expression.

Immediately after, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened, tinged with a hint of wickedness.

"So, the Prince of Li is trying to fish for information from this Young Master?"

Rong Xiu's expression remained unchanged.

Jian Fengchi was a clever man; some superficial acting could not deceive his eyes, so there was no need to continue the charade.

"I must ask Young Master Jian to inform me, where is Yue'er now?"

***

Rong Jiu had returned to the Imperial Study and presented the Ink Pearl to Emperor Jiawen.

Emperor Jiawen held the Ink Pearl and stared at it for a long while before frowning and saying

"Do you know how to crack this thing?"

Rong Jiu paused before saying

"There are generally two ways to crack an Ink Pearl. However, your son has already tried them previously, and neither worked."

It was easy to see that an astonishing secret of the Empress must be hidden within; once cracked, it was highly likely that the Empress's side would collapse on its own.

But he soon discovered that this particular Ink Pearl was somewhat different from ordinary ones; relying on his own strength, he simply could not crack the contents within.

"There seems to be a special layer of sealing upon this Ink Pearl. Your son is incompetent and cannot identify it."

Emperor Jiawen stared intently at the Ink Pearl, falling into deep thought.

"If even you have no way, then I fear things may become somewhat troublesome..."

Setting aside everything else, Rong Jiu had trained in the military for many years and should be most skilled at dealing with such things.

But now, even he was at a loss; how much more so for others?

Seeing Emperor Jiawen's worried expression, Rong Jiu pondered for a moment and said

"Elder Ye, the Dean of Tianlu Academy, is well-versed and knowledgeable. Perhaps he might have a way?"

Emperor Jiawen paused, but then shook his head.

"This matter is of great importance; it is better to be cautious. You must also be careful on your end not to let any wind leak out."

"...Yes!"

A trace of doubt flashed through Rong Jiu's mind.

This matter involved the Empress and the Crown Prince; it was not wrong for Imperial Father to be extremely cautious.

But wasn't he being a bit too careful?

What kind of figure was Elder Ye that Imperial Father was unwilling to even inform him?

It was as if he were wary of something.

But Rong Jiu was a clever man; since he could see through Emperor Jiawen's intentions, he would naturally follow along.

"You may withdraw for now."

Emperor Jiawen put the Ink Pearl away, leaned back into his chair, and waved his hand wearily.

Rong Jiu hesitated, wanting to take the Ink Pearl back to study it more closely, but in the end, he swallowed his words.

"Your son takes his leave."

***

After leaving the palace, Rong Jiu was still thinking about the Ink Pearl.

Imperial Father seemed to place extraordinary importance on that thing, but if he himself could not crack it, wouldn't it be useless as well?

Could it be that Imperial Father had other ideas?

The more Rong Jiu thought, the more uncomfortable he felt.

Ever since the incident at Seven-Cornered Alley, Imperial Father's reactions had been very strange.

He seemed to know something, but he remained extremely secretive, merely insisting that they investigate the Empress.

Now that the matter of the Ink Pearl had surfaced, it had become even more obvious.

As Rong Jiu was walking, he suddenly felt someone approaching from ahead and couldn't help but look up.

The newcomer was a woman, slender of stature, with most of her face covered by a white veil.

Rong Jiu frowned inwardly.

Was it Chu Xianmin?

Was she here to find him?

Sure enough, Chu Xianmin stopped three steps in front of him and curtsied

"Greetings, Third Prince."

"Chu Xianmin? What are you doing here?"

Although Rong Jiu was not very familiar with Chu Xianmin, he had heard quite a bit about her during his time back in the Imperial Capital.

Especially... she was Rong Jin's noble concubine.

"Xianmin has some matters she wishes to discuss with the Third Prince."

Rong Jiu frowned.

What could Chu Xianmin possibly say to him?

Could it be—

"If you have come to plead for the Crown Prince, you may leave now."

Chu Xianmin shook her head gently.

"The Third Prince misunderstands. Although Xianmin is one of the Crown Prince's people, I also know the weight of matters. I came today mainly because there is something I wish to inform you of. This matter has been weighing on Xianmin's mind for a long time, but after much thought, I felt it would be better to tell you."

The premonition in Rong Jiu's heart grew stronger.

"But Xianmin has one request: please do not let anyone know that I am the one who told you this." Chu Xianmin gripped the handkerchief in her hands tightly, appearing very nervous and worried.

Rong Jiu said

"Fine! Just say it!"

Chu Xianmin hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice and saying

"Previously, I overheard the Crown Prince discussing things with Grand Princess Situ. He said he wanted to ask for her help to find a way to enter the palace to see Her Majesty the Empress... likely within these next two days..."

Rong Jiu's heart jolted! He suddenly remembered that strange sound he had heard in the Empress's palace before!