Chapter 60: Transparency "You and her, fate is destined, and... beyond...

Chapter 60

"Your Highness, please take a seat." As soon as Kong Nian opened his mouth, it was like thunder out of the blue.

Although Jing Yue had thought about this possibility, when she actually heard it, she still widened her eyes in shock.

He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then sat cross-legged on the cushion.

He had experienced the body swap, so having his soul seen through... didn't seem that difficult to accept.

Jing Yue quickly regained his composure. He looked at Kong Nian, his eyes filled with respect and sincerity. "Master... you are truly... amazing!"

Kong Nian was in his forties, his eyes calm and distant, his face dignified and holy. He smiled slightly, revealing the appearance of a Buddha: "Your Highness, thank you for your praise."

Since the master saw through her and explained it so clearly, Jing Yue didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Master, how can she and I return to our respective places?"

"It's hard to say." Kong Nian's smile remained unchanged. "Everything is determined by fate. You and her are destined to be together, and... it transcends time and space."

Jing Yue didn't quite understand. He frowned and repeated, "Beyond time and space? What do you mean? Does that mean we have to change bodies for a long time?"

Empty thoughts but smiling without saying anything.

Jing Yue changed the question: "Master, will the secret between her and me... ever be exposed?"

Kong Nian looked at his cautious expression and nodded slowly.

Jingyue's heart was lifted.

The secret will be revealed?!

"Then...can we get through this safely?"

"...May God bless your Highness and your husband. You two will surely survive this desperate situation and overcome this danger."

Jing Yue didn't ask any more questions. He clasped his hands together and bowed again, "Thank you, Master."

Kong Nian didn't wait for his next question before smiling knowingly and praising him, "Your Highness is very insightful."

Is it transparent?

He felt that Lin Zhiyi seemed to be more insightful than him.

Everything that happened to him and Lin Zhiyi was very mysterious. Others probably couldn't understand it and couldn't help. Only if the two of them looked after each other and cooperated could they find a smooth path forward.

Jingyue sat in meditation quietly with Master Kongnian under the Bodhi tree for a while, then stood up and said goodbye.

He didn't believe in gods or Buddhas. If he hadn't really exchanged bodies with Lin Zhiyi, he wouldn't have come to Tianlong Temple to burn incense and fulfill his vows.

If you want to get something, just work hard for it.

Praying to gods and Buddhas blindly will only waste time.

How is it possible to get those wishful things just by kneeling down and burning incense?

If people could really get what they wanted in this way, I'm afraid no one would work so hard anymore. Everyone would kneel before the gods and Buddhas every day - which would be a great wonder.

Jing Yue returned to the main courtyard with mixed feelings.

Mu Hanyan and Gu Tingxuan had already burned incense and donated money, and were now chatting with the host.

Seeing him come back, they ended their conversation and prepared to leave.

On the way back, Jing Yue wanted to ride a horse and let her master sit in the carriage for a while, but Mu Hanyan said, "Yuan'er, come up too. Mother wants to talk to you."

When they came, everyone was preoccupied and didn't say much.

Jingyue got on the carriage obediently.

As soon as I entered the carriage, I received the gentle and loving gaze of the Duke's wife.

Jing Yue respected this "mother" very much, so he smiled at her and waited for her to speak.

While waiting, his hands unconsciously played with the jade pendant around his neck.

"Yuan'er, do you hate your mother?" Mu Hanyan said shockingly.

Jing Yue looked up in surprise: "Why do you say that, mother?"

Mu Hanyan: "The decision I made back then ruined seventeen years of your life, and it might even ruin your whole life. If you hate me, I understand."

This is about having Lin Zhiyi disguised as a man...

Jing Yue: "I don't hate mother. I just have some complaints. I hope mother can understand."

He unconsciously put himself and his mother in the situation, and his tone was a little stiff.

It is indeed impossible to have no complaints about this kind of thing.

If not, then he is definitely pretending.

Maybe Lin Zhiyi would pretend not to care in the past, and was willing to grit his teeth and shoulder the responsibilities of the Lin family, not to embarrass his father and mother, and not to worry his sisters.

But he is not Lin Zhiyi. Now that he occupies Lin Zhiyi's body, he wants to complain about Lin Zhiyi's grievances.

In the palace, he and his mother were walking on thin ice, but not in the Marquis's Mansion... the Duke's Mansion.

The Duke and his wife, who already love their children, would be happy for Lin Zhiyi if they could give him a little more love.

It's not the kind of pampering that comes with being the 'only son' or 'heir to the mansion'.

Instead, she can confide her worries and troubles, and be indulged and pampered like other sisters by acting coquettishly and playing tricks.

His frankness made Mu Hanyan feel both distressed and relieved.

"Mother can understand...I can understand." Mu Hanyan's eyes were filled with tears. She wiped them away with a handkerchief and said, "I have indeed wronged you over the years. It's mother's fault."

"It's not all mother's fault. I later immersed myself in and enjoyed the benefits brought by my change of status. It wasn't all grievances." Jing Yue said, "Our family is united. Besides, everything will be fine after I marry the princess."

Mu Hanyan wiped away her tears and lowered her voice, saying, "This is what mother wanted to tell you—it's not the day for marriage yet. If you don't want to, mother will find another way and will definitely protect you and the mansion."

"Mom, do you want to take on the responsibility alone?" Jing Yue could see through her thoughts.

Mu Hanyan nodded: "Yes. This is my mother's fault alone."

Jing Yue shook her head. "No. I'm also at fault. Mother and I were in collusion. If this matter were to be exposed, Mother wouldn't be the only one held accountable. So... please continue to remain silent. The princess and I... reached an agreement long ago. Mother, don't worry about your identity."

Mu Hanyan was very surprised: "The princess also knows about you...your affairs?"

"Yeah." Jing Yue suppressed the urge to confess everything and just admitted this matter.

It's not that he is cautious and cold-hearted, it's just that - 'a prince pretending to be a princess' is more important than 'a rich girl pretending to be a prince'.

What if the Duke's Mansion and the Duke's wife do not think this is a match made in heaven, but instead think it is a disaster?

He could only trust Lin Zhiyi.

Lin Zhiyi was the one who made him willingly let down his guard.

"Then I must thank you very much, Princess." Mu Hanyan was very excited when she suddenly heard the news.

If the marriage took place with the princess's consent, her son would have an extra layer of armor.

If the secret is exposed in the future, the princess will stand up for Yuaner.

As long as the princess is willing to protect Yuaner, she is willing to give everything for the princess!

Jingyue was the princess, so he said calmly, "Thank you already."

"That's not enough..." Mu Hanyan put down the burden in her heart and began to plan how to treat the princess well in the future.

Jing Yue: “…”

Although he can only trust Lin Zhiyi so far, he also likes and admires this mother.

…

When Jing Yue accompanied Mu Hanyan and Gu Tingxuan to Tianlong Temple, Ye Changning had already found out the latest news - the boss behind Ruyi Casino was Meng Weichen, the uncle of the Third Prince and Princess Chaoyang, and the brother of Concubine Rou.

Last night, two major events occurred - Zhao Dapeng died of a heart attack; Ruyi Casino caught fire and the "Master Liu" was burned to death.

Ye Changning personally led people to the Meng Mansion to ask Meng Weichen for clues.

Meng Weichen is a knight-errant in his early forties who calls himself the Sword Saint. He roams the martial arts world and enjoys traveling the world with his sword, taking revenge and repaying his debts.

The gambling house was just a place where he occasionally stopped and gathered intelligence.

His sister, Meng Weixin, also known as Consort Rou, was chosen by the Longshun Emperor, then the Crown Prince, over twenty years ago and taken into the Eastern Palace. Since then, the brother and sister have rarely seen each other.

It was not until Princess Chaoyang reached the age of 15 that Meng Weichen ended his days as a knight-errant and returned to the capital.

But Meng Weixin was in the deep palace, and the brother and sister still had few opportunities to meet.

Only when the Third Prince occasionally leaves the palace can he have a drink and chat with Meng Weichen.

Of course, he didn't know that Ruyi Casino was Meng Weichen's property.

Although Meng Weichen was a playboy and seemed very unreliable, he would never bring His Royal Highness the Prince to such a vile place in the eyes of the nobles to waste his time.

When Ye Changning arrived, Meng Weichen was shooting arrows with his eyes blindfolded.

The target...is a hollow wooden wheel with different grids and wind chimes in the distance.

It looks somewhat familiar.

It seems... it's something that the Mu family shop sold a few years ago.

"Master, Lord Ye, the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, is here to visit. He said...he wanted to ask you about the Ruyi Casino."

"Oh. Got it. Please ask him to come in." Meng Weichen was still listening carefully to the sound of the wind chimes, and aimed at the wooden wheel grid with the wind chimes based on his memory.

"Already in, sir." The servant glanced at Ye Changning nervously.

The name of this Shura is too scary.

Meng Weichen aimed for a moment, then loosened his hand, and the arrow flew off the string, whooshing and hitting the center of the bull's eye where the wind chime was!

Then fall onto the normal wall target behind.

"Mr. Meng, you have great hearing!" Ye Changning praised.

Meng Weichen then pulled off the blindfold. He glanced at Ye Changning and casually handed the cloth and bow to the servant: "Master Ye, please ask whatever you want."

"Is Ruyi Casino your property?"

"Um."

"When did you buy it?"

"It's been about five or six years." Meng Weichen thought.

"Five or six years?"

"The year Princess Chaoyang came of age. Five years ago." Meng Weichen concluded, then added, "Oh, it should have been summer too."

"Is that when Liu Heng became the manager of Ruyi Casino?"

"No. He came here two years ago. The original owner went back to his hometown, Tongzhou."

"How do you know Liu Heng? Does he have any enemies?"

"I rescued him on the way. He was being chased by bandits and had his arm chopped off. It was quite tragic. I happened to be passing by and saved him. Later, I felt sorry for him, so I asked him to help me manage the Ruyi Casino."

"Why open a gambling house? There are all kinds of people going to gambling houses. Master Meng, have you ever considered that this will cause trouble for the Queen and the Third Prince and Princess?"

"No one knows that I opened it." Meng Weichen muttered softly.

Although he is already in his forties, he still retains a kind of innocence and willfulness that is hard to find in the capital.

Ye Changning took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible, "Now I know. The others in the Dali Temple also know, and it won't be long before His Majesty will know too."

Meng Weichen: "Isn't that necessary? Can't you just find out who committed the crime?"

"This matter involves a wide range of people. It cannot be concealed." Ye Changning said calmly.

Meng Weichen: "Okay. You're asking about Liu Heng's enemies, right? I'm not sure. After I hand over the gambling house to him, I'll just collect the money daily every month. If you want to know who his enemies are, you can ask the guys in the gambling house."

"The guys are all seriously injured and unconscious, so we can't ask them."

"Then...can I ask who's involved?" Meng Weichen asked, "If it involves the surrounding shops or people, I'm willing to pay compensation."

"That's all easy to say. Anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem. The problem is—Liu Heng is colluding with the prince of a small country in the Western Regions, intending to murder the young master and two daughters of Duke Ding'an. Oh, Master Meng isn't often in the capital, and the young master is Princess Liyang's consort. Also present at the assassination scene are General Zhou's young master and the second son of the Yongsheng Marquis family."

"How could it be... Impossible! Why would he be hooking up with the prince of a small country in the Western Regions for no reason?! Is he tired of living?"

"Master Meng, do you remember the Chun Man Lou fire incident two years ago? One of the assassins we captured this time is the brother of that murderer."

Meng Weichen's nonchalant expression was finally replaced by nervousness. He had quickly figured out the various causes and effects involved - this was truly an unexpected disaster!

If people suspect that it was my nephew Ruier who did it... then I won't be able to explain myself!

Ye Changning observed Meng Weichen's words and expressions and had basically ruled him out as a suspect. His surprise didn't seem fake, and he only realized the stakes involved after he reminded himself.

"Could it be that Liu Heng is also from a small country in the Western Regions? He, he does look a bit like a Hu person... high nose, deep eyes... and a thick beard." Meng Weichen hammered his palm and sighed, "Oh! Why didn't I notice it earlier!"

He has always been full of chivalry. He believes that everyone in the world is a brother, no matter if they are men or women, old or young, rich or poor, or barbarians. As long as they can talk to each other to their liking, he will treat them as friends and brothers.

Those who don't care about their friends' family background will naturally not pay special attention to their origins.

Moreover, the war had been quelled more than a decade ago, and the barbarians were trading with Dayan, and the people were interacting with each other. In recent years, intermarriages had even increased... Who would pay special attention to whether the other party had ulterior motives?

Except for soldiers and people with a big picture perspective.

"He's really hurt me." Meng Weichen asked Ye Changning, "Will this really cause trouble for Rui'er?"

Ye Changning: "The Censorate will definitely report it, saying that the Third Prince is colluding with the small country in the Western Regions..."

"This has nothing to do with Rui'er. It's me—ah! It's not me! I didn't know Liu Heng had such ulterior motives. When I saved him, I just thought he was a pitiful man!" Meng Weichen grabbed Ye Changning's arm and said anxiously, "Master Ye, you are a god at solving cases. You will definitely be able to clear our name, right?"

"If Mr. Meng has witnesses who can prove that you and Liu Heng have never met or exchanged letters, then there is still hope."

"Let me think...let me think..."

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The author has something to say: I haven’t shouted for a long time, so I’ll shout again today - if you like it but haven’t collected it yet, please collect it, my dears!