Chapter 38 The feel is much better than that cat's.

"What could a landlord's family possibly be up to? Could it be something going on in the inner quarters?"

Long Zhaoming was a little confused. Could they really be that unlucky and run into another master?

Seventeen shook his head and said, "I don't know, Your Highness. Would you like to go and take a look?"

"What's wrong?"

Mingyue's voice came from outside the door. He walked into Seventeen's room and saw two people standing opposite each other, talking about something.

"Brother Yue, it's about this cat."

He then told Mingyue what the shopkeeper had said.

"Restless?"

Mingyue also fell silent. Why had they encountered so many troubles on their journey? Was it because Long Zhaoming possessed an innate ability to cause trouble?

The three fell silent. Seventeen looked around cautiously and asked, "Should I... go take a look first?"

"I......"

"How about we let..."

Mingyue and Long Zhaoming spoke at the same time. They looked at each other and then Long Zhaoming paused before continuing, "Let Mingyue go with you and see what's going on. This little fox will stay with me."

Seventeen nodded and handed the little white kitten in his arms to Long Zhaoming. Fortunately, the kitten was well-behaved and did not reject strangers. Long Zhaoming stroked its fur a few times and then closed his eyes and purred softly.

"You're so heartless."

Long Zhaoming smiled and gently poked the little white cat's forehead. At this moment, Xiao Mowen saw a group of people in the room and also came in.

"Your Highness."

Long Zhaoming looked up at him, stroking the little white cat in his arms, and said in a cold tone, "Hmm, is everything packed?"

"Yes, Your Highness may go and rest now."

Xiao Mowen followed Long Zhaoming away. Seventeen looked up at Mingyue and asked, "Shall we go now?"

"Aren't you hungry anymore?"

Mingyue raised an eyebrow, and just as she asked the question, Seventeen's stomach growled twice, making him feel a little embarrassed.

"Let's go for a walk and grab something to eat first. We might not find out anything if we just go to Master Yu's house without permission."

Since that was the case, the two decided to go for a walk in the streets first.

But when Seventeen stood on the street, he realized that something seemed a little off.

Although it's past noon, it's not too late yet. If everyone went back to rest, wouldn't there be too few people on the street?

Only a few elderly people who looked quite old were still selling various trinkets and snacks on the street, but the place was not very bustling.

Even remote small towns shouldn't be this deserted.

"...Brother Yue?"

Seventeen hesitated before calling out to Mingyue beside her, momentarily wondering if she was overthinking things.

"Let's go buy some food first."

Mingyue whispered, and then the two found a wonton shop run by an old woman and ordered two bowls of steaming hot wontons.

Although the old woman was quite old, it was clear that she had been doing this for many years. She deftly scooped up a handful of round, white wontons and scalded them in the hot soup for a few seconds. As the soup boiled, she turned around and took out two bowls, put a lot of seasonings in them, and then scooped up the cooked wontons in one go. She didn't even need to count them; the two bowls were filled with the same amount.

"Esteemed guests, please be careful as it's hot."

Seventeen took the bowl and carefully placed it in front of herself and Mingyue. She turned to the old woman with a smile and thanked her, "Thank you, Grandma."

Perhaps it was because Seventeen was good-looking, but the old woman wiped her hands and said cheerfully, "Are you two distinguished guests passing through here?"

At seventeen, he nodded, scooped up a wonton, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. The fresh aroma and the chewy texture of the meat burst forth, instantly filling his mouth with heat.

"Then you two should remember to go back early. Things have been a bit unsettled around here lately, so don't go out later."

Seventeen tilted her head in confusion and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why? I just noticed that there's nobody on the street. It's not lively at all."

The old woman wiped the table, still smiling, but a hint of worry could be seen on her face: "My two honored guests, please don't ask any more questions. Please go home as soon as you've finished eating."

Seeing that the old woman was unwilling to talk, Seventeen did not force her. After finishing their wontons with Mingyue, they wiped their mouths and said goodbye to the old woman.

After leaving, the two did not return to the inn, but instead hid in a secluded corner and talked in hushed tones.

Something's not right.

Mingyue frowned in thought: "Restless? Why is it restless again?"

"Brother Yue, let's go check out the Yu family. Something seems off in Fenglin County."

Mingyue nodded, sighing inwardly: Why do I always run into trouble wherever I go? I should ask Long Zhaoming to go with me to offer incense when we get back.

Even though I don't believe in these things, it's still necessary to have some psychological comfort from time to time.

The two quietly climbed onto the roof, only to suddenly realize something: they didn't know where the Yu family lived.

Seventeen and Mingyue exchanged a glance and couldn't help but chuckle, surprised by each other's rare oversight.

"The Yu family, judging from the girl's tone, should be from a prominent family. Why don't we look around for them?"

Mingyue smiled and ruffled Seventeen's hair; it felt much better than the cat's.

"No need for that trouble."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mingyue whistled, and in the blink of an eye, a figure landed beside them.

"Fifth Brother?"

Seventeen was surprised. How could Mingyue summon the secret guards? He thought they should be of the same rank.

Mingyue explained to him in a low voice, "It was His Majesty's instruction before he left."

His explanation was unclear, but Seventeen filled in the blanks in his own mind.

His Majesty values ​​Brother Yue so much; it truly shows their deep brotherly affection.

After Seventeen finished his reflection, he heard Zero Five say in a somewhat deep voice, "The Yu family is in the east."

After saying that, he pointed in a direction and gave the two men a more detailed address.

Mingyue nodded, said "Thank you," and then turned to Seventeen and asked, "Shall we go?"

Seventeen waved to Zero Five, then left with Bright Moon.

Lingwu was still squatting on the eaves, watching the two people walk away with some confusion.

Why did His Majesty lie to Seventeen? And why did he make them all help to cover it up? Does he not trust Seventeen?

......

Following Lingwu's route, they found the Yu family without any problems.

Sure enough, the Yu family's house was the largest and most luxurious one they passed. The mansion was located in an excellent location, and from a distance, one could see a small bridge and flowing water in the courtyard, which was pleasant and exquisite.

For some reason, the servants of the Yu family all seemed a little nervous, walking back and forth with their heads down.

Seventeen and Mingyue crouched on the roof beam where they wouldn't be seen, trying to glean some clues from the faces of these people.

But they just kept their heads down, busy going back and forth, and the whole mansion was eerily quiet.

Mingyue was also somewhat surprised. What exactly happened to the Yu family?

They squatted there for a while, but only saw the servants. They didn't see the master of the Yu family, nor did they see the young lady of the Yu family.

If you lose your beloved pet, shouldn't you be in a hurry to look for it? Why are you so quiet?

The two were filled with doubt, but they couldn't figure it out, so they had no choice but to give up for the time being and return to the inn.

However, the old woman told them not to go out at night, most likely because something was going to happen that night, so they just waited there for a few days.

When they returned to their room, Long Zhaoming was not there. There was only a note left on the table. It turned out that the local magistrate had heard the news and rushed over to invite the prince to a banquet. Long Zhaoming had tried to refuse but to no avail, so he had no choice but to go to the banquet with his entourage.

Mingyue lowered her eyes and said coldly, "This magistrate is certainly well-informed."

He actually knew that what these local officials liked to do most was to curry favor with their superiors, and they would occasionally do things that were explicitly prohibited.

However, as long as it's not a serious matter, he won't stop it too strictly, otherwise things will backfire.

Seventeen chuckled from the side, noticing that Mingyue seemed to be in a bad mood, and comforted him, saying, "Aren't all local officials like this? Let's wait for His Highness to return and discuss it."

Long Zhaoming returned, reeking of alcohol, much after they had all finished washing up.

Xiao Mowen helped him back to his room, and Seventeen, smelling the alcohol, followed: "Brother Xiao, why did His Highness drink so much?"

Upon hearing Seventeen's question, Xiao Mowen's expression turned sour, and he said in a muffled voice, "He was forced to drink by that county magistrate."

Mingyue followed Shiqi in and frowned when she saw Long Zhaoming, who reeked of alcohol.

"Then Your Highness..."

"If there's anything else, let's talk about it tomorrow. His Highness is completely drunk and probably can't think straight. Let me help him get ready first, and you can all go back early."

Xiao Mowen's attitude of kicking them out was obvious. Seventeen and Mingyue paused for a moment, then turned and left without saying anything more.

Back at the door of his room, Seventeen yawned: "Brother Yue, I'm going to rest now."

Mingyue nodded, watching as Seventeen entered the room and closed the door. He could only vaguely see a figure taking off his clothes. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he stared at it for a long time before turning back to his own room.

The next day, Long Zhaoming opened his drowsy eyes and looked at Mingyue standing by his bedside. He was so frightened that he almost fainted on the spot.

"...Your Majesty, are you standing by my bedside this early in the morning to assassinate me?"

Long Zhaoming propped himself up and rubbed his still aching head.

Why did you drink so much last night?

"Ahem, that county magistrate has some problems."

Long Zhaoming's voice was still a little hoarse, which was obviously a consequence of being drunk.

"I felt like he was trying to find out our real purpose for coming to Fenglin County, and he was urging us to leave quickly."

"Are you urging us to leave?" Mingyue asked, somewhat puzzled. He remembered that the magistrate of Fenglin County had only been appointed a few years ago and was not from a prominent family...

"Hmm, I didn't respond to his comment, nor did I arouse his suspicion. I'm thinking, should we let the Prince's caravan go first?"

Long Zhaoming had a headache, not just physical. He had only come back from Jiangnan to celebrate the New Year, so why was the journey back to Jiangnan so fraught with difficulties? He should have known better than to come back.

She shouldn't have been so considerate of her brother, who was all alone in Yejing! It caused her so much trouble.

"Wait a minute, no rush. Let's see if we can find out why he's in such a hurry for us to leave."

"Alright, is there anything else, Your Majesty? If not, I'm going back to sleep."

Seeing that Long Zhaoming was exhausted, Mingyue didn't linger and returned to her room before the others woke up.

When they reached the street outside and heard some vendors calling out their wares, Seventeen slowly woke up.

He dressed half-asleep, and only fully woke up after washing up.

A knock sounded on the door, and Mingyue's voice came through: "Seventeen, are you awake?"

"woke up."

After tying up his outer robe, Seventeen took the Bright Moon Sword, pushed open the door, and went out.

Mingyue was also dressed in black, only taller and more imposing. Seventeen looked like a child next to him, even though he was originally...

This made him a little envious: "Brother Yue, do you think I still have a chance to grow taller?"