Chapter 26 The person right in the center of the floating clouds was Su Heng.

Jiang Geyun said, "...Why should I care?"

Zheng Yi retorted, "What kind of talk is this? It's fine if you look down on him personally, but he's the Crown Prince. Do you look down on the Great Zhou?"

What a huge hat!

Jiang Geyun was speechless for a moment, then said only, "This humble woman is already engaged."

Although she didn't think she and Cheng Xi would keep their promise.

But that's a really good excuse.

Zheng Yi remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, then tapped his fingertips lightly on the table between them. "Then why... never mind."

Jiang Geyun had no idea what Zhengyi was thinking, and she could only feel helpless.

Having been here for so long, I always feel that the two of them are almost always just chatting idly.

Seeing that the opportunity was still there, Jiang Geyun took the chance to probe, saying, "This humble woman has something to report to Your Highness."

Regarding the case at Yunshui Temple in Lianzhou.

She had been pondering this in her mind for a long time.

Zhengyi did not respond to her, but said only, "I also have something for you to do."

A person who's prickly to the touch looks like a peach blossom, but getting along with them is like being with a cactus.

Jiang Geyun had no choice. The situation was different, and their statuses were vastly different. She couldn't confront Zhengyi like she had with Hua Biezhi. So she swallowed her unfinished words and said, "Your Highness, please speak."

"His business is almost finished, but I'm very busy here."

Zheng Yi frowned, closed his eyes, his face full of pain, shook his head, and said these words with great emotion.

Jiang Geyun didn't respond, but just listened to her talk in silence.

Zhengyi didn't need Jiang Geyun to respond. Rather, she was eager to hand the matter over to Jiang Geyun, and whether Jiang Geyun accepted it or not, she had to.

Zheng Yi's tone was very resentful, "Besides the exam, there is another matter in the capital recently - the Tu Lan delegation came to the capital to pay tribute and to ask for treasures."

"That Tu Lan is really something. She always delays coming when she's supposed to, but she's come so early this year. And as soon as she arrives, she's in a hurry to freeload... Xuan Du Jian is busy making the Si Shen Compass for people, she's incredibly busy!"

Zheng Yi looked at Jiang Geyun, his eyes filled with blatant hints.

Jiang Geyun recalled information about Tu Lan, a dynasty belonging to the grasslands and deserts.

She knew very little about this place from her original memories, but she could supplement it by combining the original text provided by the system.

There's really nothing to add.

Overall, this place has unique gods, abilities, and lifestyles, making it a unique and exotic map that the main protagonist, Xie Jiming, will explore later in the story.

If I write another few million words of "Xuan Du Zhao Ye", it will probably have nothing to do with Xuan Du Jian anymore.

Hearing Zheng Yi's words, Jiang Geyun felt extremely incredulous and asked, "Does Your Highness intend for me to go...?"

"Yes!" Zheng Yi nodded with a look of satisfaction, "Ah Yun, with such talent, why don't you come to our Xuandu Bureau and help out for a while?"

This is "Ah Yun" now, what a quick change of expression.

Wait a minute, so she was brought to the capital not because the conditions there were better and it was easier to investigate the case, but because she was brought there to do hard labor?

Jiang Geyun tried to appear more cautious. Recalling Mu Jin's expression, she said timidly, "It is my honor to serve Your Highness, but I have never been exposed to these things before, and I am afraid I am not of any use and will be unable to meet Your Highness's requirements..."

Zheng Yi's bright smile remained unwavering, and he did not interrupt her.

After Jiang Geyun stopped, Zheng Yi said meaningfully, "Don't say that. Whether you can be of use or not is for me to judge. I will make sure you can be of use. Whether it can be achieved or not, let's do it first."

"It would be a great pity if you were truly useless, both for you and for me."

Zheng Yi's gaze shifted from Jiang Geyun's eyes to her neck, and the black shackles on her neck almost instantly turned scalding hot.

My palms hurt, my arms hurt, my stomach is aching from all this system messing with me, and now my neck hurts too. I really want to spend two days in the ICU... Seriously, I hope fate will give me some money, just for medical expenses.

Jiang Geyun lowered her head and helplessly covered her neck, "I will obey Your Highness's orders."

It's just manual labor, not jail time. If you really put her in jail, she definitely wouldn't—well, she has been in jail before, though. Oh well.

Zheng Yi happily clapped for Jiang Geyun for a while and said, "With such talent, it would be difficult to force you to do anything, so I specially chose to meet you here. Fortunately, you agreed on your own initiative. You are so considerate!"

Being sent here was no accident; you Zhou people are truly terrifying.

Jiang Geyun smiled, took a deep breath, and said, "Your Highness..."

Seeing that the topic of doing hard labor had finally ended, Jiang Geyun tried to bring up the matter of Lianzhou and tell Zhengyi about it.

It is unknown how much Zhengyi knows about this matter, and if he learns the truth, whether he would be willing to step forward and handle it.

However, even if Zhengyi believes Jiang Geyun, as a princess, she most likely will not handle this matter personally.

The best outcome would be for Zheng Yi to step in and instruct Lianzhou to resolve the matter from top to bottom, thus preventing any lingering repercussions.

I wonder if this place is rife with favoritism and collusion among officials. If things go through the normal procedures, Su Guang will probably have to wait a long time... Sigh.

Before she could finish her prepared statement, Zheng Yi suddenly said, "Once this matter is accomplished, you will be a member of the Xuandu Bureau. You will return to Lianzhou as a Night Watchman and handle cases on behalf of the Xuandu Bureau. What do you say?"

Jiang Geyun paused.

Zheng Yi lowered her voice; her voice, already slightly hoarse, now sounded even more meaningful:

"Ah Yun, are you supposed to misuse the formations of Xuandu Bureau?"

Jiang Geyun broke out in a cold sweat.

I see. I knew it.

Xuan Dujian probably knows everything that the people said during the soul-summoning ceremony!

Sigh, why are they still engaging in technological monopoly...?

Jiang Geyun couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself.

Fortunately, she didn't say anything she shouldn't have, and instead used the second soul-summoning ceremony to clear her name of suspicion.

Zheng Yi stood up and took a few steps toward Jiang Geyun.

Upon reaching Jiang Geyun's side, Zheng Yi gently traced a line across Jiang Geyun's neck with his icy fingertips, instantly dispelling the terrifying black shackles.

Zheng Yi's fingers were so cold that Jiang Geyun got goosebumps from her touch.

As soon as the shackles disappeared, it was as if something that had been carried on her back for a long time had been suddenly put down, and her body suddenly felt a little lighter.

Based on Zheng Yi's movements, Jiang Geyun could not see her own neck, but she could still sense it.

"This is a reward beforehand," a slightly hoarse voice came from above Jiang Geyun's head. The next moment, Zheng Yi bent down and whispered with a smile in Jiang Geyun's ear, "If you can enter my prison, using that formation will be justified. If not..."

"Hehe, 'Lord Jiang,' keep up the good work!"

Damn it, it's a sugar-coated bullet!

Damn it, it's a pancake!

Damn, it smells so good!

Leaving aside the various issues that can be wiped clean, and the fact that Xuandujian's unpredictable methods seem to facilitate dismantling the system, let's just say this: if Jiang Geyun were to handle Su Guang's case, there wouldn't be so many things to consider.

Jiang Geyun took a deep breath and said again, "I will obey Your Highness's orders."

Zheng Yi got up with satisfaction, waved, and left.

Jiang Geyun stared at Zheng Yi's retreating figure.

As a princess, Zhengyi was dressed in very... tattered clothes. Compared to those gorgeous beauties, she was more likely to remind Jiang Geyun of... Ji Gong.

However, Ji Gong was there to help all living beings, while the cactus was not.

As Zheng Yi's figure disappeared, Jiang Geyun closed her eyes and briefly rubbed her temples.

Before she even opened her eyes, another voice rang in her ears, "Miss Jiang."

Jiang Geyun lowered her hand and looked up, seeing a young man in brown clothes standing in front of her.

His expression was almost identical to that of the accountant woman before him: devoid of personal emotion, blending into the crowd, and bland yet impeccably polite.

Jiang Geyun stood up on her own and followed behind him.

The light gauze floats.

The gauze has no inherent color; it changes with the light. At this moment, the hustle and bustle fades away, and silence returns. As the sun sets in the west, the light draped in the gauze in the room changes from a soft white to a thin gold, just like the sky and the clouds on the horizon.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Geyun understood the intention behind the arrangement of the room.

Though it is the mortal realm, it feels like being in the heavens; within a single room, one could reach out and pluck stars from the sky.

Unlike the narrow staircase that Jiang Geyun had taken when she arrived, which only connected the top floor and the ground floor, the man in brown led her to a more spacious exit when they left.

After descending several floors, the man in brown bowed to Jiang Geyun and withdrew.

Another woman in brown was already waiting beside the stairs.

Given this method of personnel changes, Jiang Geyun might not even be able to get to know any of the people in the building when she leaves the capital.

Jiang Geyun was led to a room by the third man in brown, who opened the door for her—it was a neat and tidy room in a restaurant.

Jiang Geyun arrived here penniless, expecting to be treated like a prisoner, but instead found herself with room and board provided. This hard labor was definitely worth it.

...

After Jiang Geyun changed into the moon-white clothes prepared for her, the light outside changed from pale gold to moon white. She went downstairs as instructed by the brown-clad man number three.

This place is both a "secret" outpost of Xuandujian and, on ordinary days, it appears to the outside world as an ordinary restaurant, with most of the customers being just guests.

The first-floor lobby looked exactly the same as when Jiang Geyun first arrived, except there were far fewer guests. Presumably, many of the people who came before were there to see the Crown Prince.

The shop owner was gone, but the accountant in brown was still standing behind the counter. Noticing Jiang Geyun's gaze, she smiled and nodded at Jiang Geyun, just as she had when Jiang Geyun had arrived...

No, really?

Is it really just one person?

Jiang Geyun, who was usually confident in her observation skills, was now somewhat hesitant to confirm her suspicions.

She didn't hesitate, her expression remained unchanged, and she turned around to find an empty seat to sit down.

The shop assistant quickly came forward and asked with great enthusiasm, "What would you like to order, sir?"

Jiang Geyun paused for a few seconds, her brain racing.

...Zhengyi didn't explicitly say that food and lodging were provided, but Xuandu Supervisor wouldn't be short of money to support her. Besides, she was there to do hard labor, not to eat for free. So even if it wasn't explicitly stated, her guess was probably right. It should be provided, right?

Jiang Geyun processed the information quickly, and the shop assistant reacted just as fast. Seeing that she didn't answer for a moment, the assistant said, "If the guest has no other instructions, then proceed as planned?"

Phew, it turns out there was a reservation.

Jiang Geyun looked at the shop assistant and nodded calmly.

While waiting for the food to be served, she heard discussions in the lobby, from both men and women, whose voices were filled with barely suppressed excitement and emotion.

"What do you think the outcome of this imperial examination will be, my dear brother?"

"Hasn't Your Highness already accepted the challenge? Do you still have any questions?"

"You make it sound like the matter is settled! The 'Minor Palace Examination' is still pending, and His Majesty may not be entirely following the Crown Prince's wishes."

"Oh, brother, you are mistaken. Since we were able to hit all the targets last time, how could there be any changes this time? His Majesty has long intended to delegate power. In today's Great Zhou, what is not under the Crown Prince's control?"

"Brother, be careful what you say! How dare we discuss the affairs of the imperial family!"

The dialogue was paused.

Listening more closely, all that could be heard was the sound of the two people clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

Jiang Geyun seemed not to have heard anything, calmly put the food brought to her on the table into her mouth, and after she was full, she stayed for a while.

There was nothing else to talk about in the hall; almost everyone was discussing the preliminary imperial examination and His Highness the Crown Prince.

Having confirmed that she wouldn't hear any new information, and having barely rested since leaving the Yunling Manor's private prison, she was completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. After eating, she found it even harder to resist the drowsiness.

Jiang Geyun got up, gave a slight nod to the shop assistant who had come to tidy up, and returned to her room along the way she had come.

When she came downstairs, it was still light outside, so there were no lights on inside. Having just left the brightly lit Yunling Manor, she felt a little uneasy seeing it all in this normal state.

After pausing for a moment in front of the door, Jiang Geyun yawned slightly and pushed the door open to go inside.

As soon as the door opened, a strange smell wafted from deep within the room to her.

It was the metallic, rusty smell, with a slightly sweet, nauseating scent—a smell she was intimately familiar with, one she encountered every month—the smell of blood.

Jiang Geyun's hand trembled as she tried to close the door, and her drowsiness vanished.

She took down the candlestick that was kept behind the door, lit it, and looked into the depths of the room by the candlelight.

It's a person again.

I don't know if it's a corpse.

The person peered into Jiang Geyun's room through the window, motionless, with his entire head red and half of his body hanging low, obscuring his front.

Jiang Geyun took a few steps back, placed a candlestick at the doorway, and then—

The door was closed.

What kind of place is this?!

How could I possibly see Zhen○ again!

That familiar pose!

Even if she climbed in through the window, it was still Zhen!

Jiang Geyun took three deep breaths in front of the closed door, composed herself, and turned to go downstairs.

From a distance, she could hear that the lobby was completely silent.

That makes sense, since there weren't many guests left in the lobby when she left.

...No, it's still unreasonable!

Putting aside the thing upstairs that might be a corpse, it's so quiet, like there's no one left. Did they really clear the place out that quickly?

Or is it another form of "clearing out"?

Is bad luck contagious, which is why she was caught as soon as she arrived?

I'm so sorry, Zhengyi...

Jiang Geyun carefully controlled her steps, slowly peering into the lobby from the shadows of the door frame.

Upon seeing this, she was stunned.

The lobby was not empty; on the contrary, there were more people than before.

Everyone stood silently with solemn expressions, surrounding the central human figure like stars around the moon.

The person in the very center was Su Heng.

-----------------------

Author's Note: A huge thank you to everyone who has favorited, commented, followed, supported, and even commented on my posts! Just glancing at the app before starting to write gives me so much motivation; it's my true driving force! [hugs]