Chapter 24 "First Suspicion of Wife + Stealing..."

==Chapter Twenty-Four: Suspicion==

Before an incense stick had burned, Xiao Yu gave Mo Yu an instruction in his study. Mo Yu, afraid he had misheard, met his master's calm and unwavering gaze and repeated it, "Your Highness wants to investigate the Princess Consort."

After His Highness and the Princess Consort got married, they were deeply in love and affectionate. Mo Yu also respected the Princess Consort from Nanqiong from the bottom of his heart. He really didn't understand why His Highness wanted him to go to Nanqiong to secretly investigate the Princess Consort.

Your Highness, do you suspect that the Princess Consort has an affair with Lord Zhou? If so, then investigating Lord Zhou is one thing, but why investigate the second son of the Prime Minister's Mansion in Nanqiong? Does the second son of the Prime Minister's Mansion in Nanqiong have any relationship with the Princess Consort? Mo Yu is worried that this move will damage the relationship between the master and the Princess Consort, so he is cautiously probing and trying to persuade them.

Xiao Yu glanced at Mo Yu indifferently, his eyes revealing a deep and unfathomable darkness, even a hint of sharpness, making him unpredictable and inscrutable. Considering His Highness's methods, Mo Yu dared not mention it again, silently cupping his hands, "This subordinate will certainly not fail in his mission."

The journey from Beili to Nanqiong takes at least a month round trip. As a princess of the Nanqiong royal family, Princess Weiyang may not be able to investigate some things, but investigating those two young masters is enough.

Mo Yu is the head of the secret guards of Prince Cheng's mansion and is well-versed in the situation in the Southern Qiong court. Among the young court officials in Southern Qiong, Zhou Heng, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and the second son of Prime Minister Lu are the best. But will these people really be involved with their princess?

As soon as Mo Yu left, the study door was closed, and Xiao Yu's sharp and superior profile was hidden in the dark study. Because of the dim light, it was impossible to see what his expression was.

Xiao Yu closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, his thin lips slightly pursed, leaning lazily against the armchair, his appearance like a fine painting.

He acted impulsively last night. Since his youth, Xiao Yu's heart had been filled only with thoughts of the vast land and rivers. Love was merely an embellishment to him. The reason he agreed to marry Princess Weiyang of Nanqiong was twofold: first, he was not interested in women and it didn't matter to him who he married; second, the situation in the court was treacherous, and this marriage would not do him any harm. On the night of their wedding, Xiao Yu had already realized that this Princess Weiyang from Nanqiong had no romantic feelings for him whatsoever, and neither did he.

Until yesterday, he began to suspect his wife for the first time.

Xiao Yu frowned slightly, his jade-like hand gently tapping the golden nanmu wood table. Perhaps he harbored some affection for her.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Xiao Yu suddenly opened his eyes, his dark, deep gaze gradually becoming clear.

Is this possible...?

A quarter of an hour later, the steward gently knocked on the study door. Xiao Yu called out in a slightly softer voice, "Come in." The steward bowed and walked in. Perhaps realizing that his master was not in a good mood, the steward lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, last night this old servant arranged for two maids to serve Lord Zhou, but Lord Zhou did not arrange for anyone to serve him. Instead, he listened to the rain by the window for most of the night."

Xiao Yu's eyes turned cold, and he gave a sneer, "You may leave."

"This old servant takes his leave."

Therefore, when Xiao Yu appeared in the Zixia Palace, Su Wanyue felt a chill run down her spine and her heart tighten. Didn't he have to attend court today? Unsure of how much he had overheard, the woman gracefully curtsied and said, "Your Highness."

Xiao Yu did not respond, but walked step by step to Su Wanyue. His deep tone was tinged with doubt, "What's wrong, Princess? Is it because the servants in the guest room didn't serve you well enough last night?"

"Your Highness..." Su Wanyue frowned slightly. He had heard everything. His deep gaze made her feel uneasy. The woman's mind raced, and she was ready to deny it to the death. "Your Highness, I just wanted to see the princess."

She definitely can't see Zhou Heng.

Having been in Beili for more than half a year, this was the first time Su Wanyue felt somewhat afraid, because things seemed to be slipping out of her control.

Almost as soon as Su Wanyue finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room turned cold.

Xiao Yu lifted his eyelids and stared at her intently. She was openly lying to him.

He doesn't have tinnitus; he can still clearly hear and distinguish between "Lord Zhou" and "Seventh Princess."

The man stared at her intently for a while, until Su Wanyue's beautiful smile was about to crumble and her fingers curled tightly together. Only then did he speak gently, "I will accompany you."

Because of the rain that had fallen all night, the flowers on the treetops were covered with water droplets, the road was slippery, and the corridor was winding. When the couple arrived at the front yard, Zhou Heng happened to come out of the guest room. He was wearing a bright red wide-sleeved robe and had a beautiful face, but his complexion was not very good. When he saw Xiao Yu and Su Wanyue, Zhou Heng's gaze froze for a moment, and then he greeted the two of them as if nothing had happened, "I greet Your Highness and Your Highness."

"Lord Zhou, what is this?"

Zhou Heng paused. Since yesterday, His Highness Prince Cheng had been hostile towards him. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to speak to the girl alone today. He had to find another way to contact her. Not contacting her would definitely not work. Zhou Heng needed to know what was going on and whether she was being forced.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness and Princess. I've sobered up, so I'll take my leave now." Zhou Heng suppressed his rising emotions and didn't look at Su Wanyue.

Just as Qin'er was about to step forward to see Zhou Heng out of the mansion, Xiao Yu spoke up unhurriedly, "Qingyi, you see Lord Zhou off."

"Lord Zhou, this way please."

Zhou Heng realized that His Highness Prince Cheng was extremely wary of him, but the more wary he was, the more it proved that he cared about the girl.

It seems that the "harmonious union" and "deep affection" were real, but people were wrong.

The Seventh Princess was on her way to the Zixia Palace to find Su Wanyue when she passed by the front courtyard and saw her brother and sister-in-law. Her eyes crinkled with a smile, and she quickly went up to them, "Brother, sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"

Upon returning to the post station, Zhou Heng immediately sent a letter to Prince Hongyan of Nanqiong. It had been half a year since Princess Zilu of the Nanwang Mansion had married in place of Princess Weiyang of the royal family. Did the Nanwang Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion know about this, as well as the Emperor and the Empress? It seemed that they were certain that Nanqiong and Beili were thousands of miles apart and that the young lady's identity would not be discovered. But what if it were discovered...?

Zhou Heng hadn't slept all night, and his eyes were bloodshot, but he wasn't sleepy at all. If it weren't for the timing, he would have loved to ride back to Nanqiong right now to find out the truth.

==Second Update==

“Princess.” Su Wanyue smiled gently as the Seventh Princess strode over and took her hand. “I was just about to see my sister-in-law.”

The Seventh Princess quietly leaned close to Su Wanyue's ear and whispered a few words to her, causing Su Wanyue to glance at Xiao Yu with a troubled expression.

Xiao Yu was a martial artist with amazing hearing, and he had already heard their conversation. His face was as beautiful as jade, and his features were sharp. He nodded slightly.

The seventh princess immediately smiled and said sweetly, "Brother, don't worry, I will bring my sister-in-law back safe and sound."

The princess and the seventh princess were about to go out, and the servants had already prepared a carriage. The seventh princess gave a place to go, which was the water-fetching pavilion that she and Su Wanyue had visited before.

They were both regulars at the Water Fetching Pavilion. The waiter there recognized them and led them with a smile to the second-to-last private room on the second floor. Inside, magnolia incense was already burning, its fragrance fresh and pleasant. Then, several handsome men served them a pot of tea and some fruits and candied fruit.

The Seventh Princess disliked being served and waved them all away. She then shared recent amusing events with Su Wanyue, and the conversation drifted to marriage. Upon hearing this, the Seventh Princess became listless and sighed repeatedly. Su Wanyue, however, understood, "So, the Imperial Concubine's intention is for the Princess to choose a husband from among the top three in next year's imperial examination."

"Yes, my mother said that since I don't think much of the noble families in the capital, I should choose one from among the scholars."

Su Wanyue hadn't spent much time with the Imperial Concubine, but in her opinion, the Imperial Concubine wasn't an unreasonable person. She peeled an orange for the Seventh Princess and said with a gentle smile, "If the princess doesn't like it, she can have a good talk with her mother."

"I would like to speak properly, but Mother Consort simply won't listen to me," the Seventh Princess muttered, sticking out her tongue playfully. "And sister-in-law, you don't know, Mother Consort is planning to marry my cousin off to the eldest son of the Duke of Xie's family."

Xie Cheng...

“But I think this is just wishful thinking on Mother’s part. It’s obvious that the eldest son of the Duke of Xie’s mansion still has someone in his heart.”

Of course, Cousin Sisi also has someone in her heart. The Seventh Princess didn't say it outright for fear of upsetting her sister-in-law, but no matter what, Cousin Sisi just can't be with Xie Cheng. If they were together, they would definitely become a resentful couple.

Su Wanyue had heard many times about the complicated relationship between the eldest son of the Xie family and the Crown Princess; it was truly a cruel twist of fate.

While the Seventh Princess was chatting with Su Wanyue, the storytelling below suddenly stopped and was replaced by the sound of iron blades striking the ground, as if a group of people were rushing up from downstairs.

The Seventh Princess stood up nervously and quietly hid behind Su Wanyue. "Sister-in-law, could assassins have also broken into the Water Fetching Pavilion?"

Su Wanyue felt it didn't seem right, so she asked. The next moment, Qin'er and the Seventh Princess's personal maid pushed open the door and entered. "Princess, Miss, it's the Embroidered Uniform Guard searching for people."

The Seventh Princess immediately breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest lightly, "Luckily it was just a search for people. I thought assassins had also entered the Water Fetching Pavilion."

"Who are they searching for?" The Seventh Princess didn't intend to go out to see what was going on outside, but she was just a little curious.

Qin'er: "I heard it's Jing Feng, the sect leader of the Yan Gui Sect."

"That's what happened last time..." The Seventh Princess's eyes narrowed slightly, and she suddenly covered her mouth.

The Prefect of the Capital spent nearly a month investigating the assassination attempt at Guimin Temple before discovering that it was the work of the Yan Gui Sect. The Emperor, appreciating the talent, decided to offer amnesty to the Yan Gui Sect. How did this offer turn into a search?

The Seventh Princess's doubts were quickly resolved, because the door to the private room where they were was opened by Nan Shao himself. As the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Nan Shao's abilities were not to be underestimated. He was promoted by the current Right Chancellor and was the sharpest blade in the emperor's hand. He had a cold and aloof appearance, wearing a silver armor and a dark gray straight-collared cloak. His icy gaze was enough to make people feel scared.

However, due to Su Wanyue and the Seventh Princess's noble status, Nan Shao's attitude was still relatively polite. "Your Highness, Seventh Princess, I was ordered to hunt down a wanted criminal of the imperial court. I wonder if Your Highness and the Princess have seen any bystanders?"

"Is Lord Nan referring to the leader of the Yan Gui Sect? Father didn't mean to offer them amnesty, so how did they become wanted criminals?" The Seventh Princess didn't quite understand what Nan Shao meant, so she asked.

Nan Shao had long heard that the Seventh Princess, who was pampered by the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine, was innocent, romantic, and charming. It was indeed as rumored. Nan Shao wanted to laugh. "Half of the Yan Gui Sect has already surrendered to the court, but the other half still refuses to surrender because their sect leader refuses to surrender. The Yan Gui Sect leader is dissatisfied with the court and harbors ulterior motives. The Emperor specially ordered me to capture him, but he unexpectedly escaped to the Water Fetching Tower. Does the Seventh Princess understand?"

Su Wanyue glanced silently at Nan Shao, then at the Seventh Princess.

As if sensing the sarcasm in the other person's tone, the Seventh Princess's face suddenly turned agitated. She nodded heavily, "I...understand."

Su Wanyue: "But Lord Nan, we have never met the sect leader you mentioned."

Seventh Princess: "Yes, it's just me and my sister-in-law in this private room. Lord Nan, you'd better go look somewhere else."

Both of them were members of the royal family, so how could they be associated with an ordinary martial arts practitioner? Nan Shao already believed their words. He glanced around with his cold, frosty eyes, and seeing that there was nothing unusual, he bowed and said, "It is I who have disturbed Your Highness the Princess and the Princess."

“No problem.” The Seventh Princess, full of ambition, waved her hand dismissively.

As soon as Nan Shao stepped out of the private room, his face turned cold, still as aloof as ever. The water-fetching pavilion was completely surrounded, causing widespread panic. Nan Shao looked out from the second floor, "Still no luck."

The Imperial Guards exchanged glances and shook their heads. "No."

Once there was no more movement outside the door, the Seventh Princess blinked and asked Su Wanyue, "Sister-in-law, why won't the leader of the Yan Gui Sect surrender?"

The imperial court's offer of amnesty would surely bring many benefits, and becoming an official in the court would be much better, as one would be respected by others.

Su Wanyue listened to her words and smiled slightly: "Everyone has their own ambitions. Perhaps they are just used to following their own desires."

The Seventh Princess thought this made sense and smiled brightly. Just then, a strange noise came from inside the house, as if someone had flipped the top of her head. Su Wanyue's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she looked up. Suddenly, a figure appeared on the red beam of the roof. The Seventh Princess followed Su Wanyue's gaze and was almost scared to death. She opened her mouth to scream, but Su Wanyue covered her lips, and she could only make "woo woo" sounds.

He was a man who had just turned twenty, dressed in white with black hair, his figure as graceful as the wind. He jumped down from the beam without making a sound. His face was very pale, his right hand tightly covering his chest where blood was seeping out, and his left hand holding a sharp dagger. "If you want to live, don't speak."

This was the first time Jingfeng had ever been so disheveled in his life. He blamed it all on the emperor. Jingfeng gritted his teeth, filled with hatred.

Su Wanyue slowly released the Seventh Princess, who was terrified and could only act according to her sister-in-law's expression. Su Wanyue looked at Jing Feng with gentle eyes and said firmly, "You are the sect leader of the Yan Gui Sect."

"You recognize me?" Jing Feng was speechless for a moment, probably not expecting that she would recognize his identity so quickly.

From their conversation, Jingfeng had already learned their identities: one was the principal wife of the Prince of Cheng, and the other was the seventh princess of the current dynasty. However, the higher their status, the less likely they would have any involvement with people from the martial arts world. How did she recognize him?

The Seventh Princess finally realized what was happening and almost rolled her eyes. The Imperial Guards were still searching for the leader of the Yan Gui Sect in a big way, and then there was a seriously injured person in their room. Who else could this person be but the leader of the Yan Gui Sect?

Perhaps not sensing their malice, Jing Feng's expression softened, and the atmosphere finally eased. But the next moment, Nan Shao's voice came in. Thinking he had been discovered, Jing Feng's back stiffened, and he gritted his teeth. The Seventh Princess was so frightened that sweat beaded on her forehead, and she frantically winked at Su Wanyue.

Su Wanyue took a deep breath, pressed down on the Seventh Princess's wrist, and gestured to her with her eyes not to get agitated.

"Your Highness, Seventh Princess, I have searched the entire Water Fetching Tower but found no one. Perhaps the other party has already escaped. I will go to look elsewhere first. I also hope that Your Highness and the Princess will take care of their own safety and return to the manor as soon as possible."

The seventh princess loudly declared that she understood and would return to the palace shortly.

About fifteen minutes later, Su Wanyue called someone in, "Qin'er."

Qin'er entered and immediately closed the door. She immediately spotted the man hiding behind the screen. Qin'er was stunned. "Your Highness, this..."

Su Wanyue didn't explain much to her, only saying softly, "Go downstairs and buy two candied hawthorns for me and the princess."

Qin'er was Su Wanyue's person, so of course she obeyed her orders wholeheartedly and hurriedly went to buy candied hawthorns.

Jing Feng glanced at her with a complicated expression, his voice very low, "Thank you."

The principal wife of the current King Cheng, a princess of the Southern Qiong royal family, is indeed bolder than most women.

Although the Seventh Princess didn't understand why her sister-in-law would help a complete stranger from the martial arts world, she trusted her sister-in-law and stood obediently to the side.

Su Wanyue poured two cups of hot tea, handing one to the Seventh Princess and the other to Jingfeng. Jingfeng whispered "Thank you."

After taking a sip of hot tea, Jingfeng's pale face regained some color, but blood was still seeping from his chest, making him look extremely gruesome. The Seventh Princess pointed inside, and Jingfeng clasped his hands in a fist salute and went behind the screen.

After the Imperial Guards left, many people left, but some who liked listening to crosstalk continued to sit and listen. About half an hour later, Qin'er came in with two candied hawthorns and whispered in her ear, "Your Highness, Commander Nan and the Imperial Guards have already left."

"You may leave." Upon hearing this, Nan Shao emerged from behind the screen. Su Wanyue looked at him with unwavering eyes. "The Seventh Princess and I saw nothing today."

"I will remember Princess Cheng's kindness." Nan Shao coughed lightly, cupped his hands earnestly, and Su Wanyue only looked away after he left through the small window at the back of the private room.

The Seventh Princess immediately reached out to grasp Su Wanyue's small hand, "Last time, when my sister-in-law and mother were assassinated, the people behind it were martial arts figures from the Yan Gui Sect. Now the court is offering amnesty to the remaining members of the Yan Gui Sect, giving them a chance to reform. You think we're just going to take it upon ourselves to release their sect leader? What if Father and the Emperor find out later..."

Furthermore, the Seventh Princess thought Jing Feng was a bad person. It would have been fine to release the good people, but she deliberately released the bad ones as well.

The Seventh Princess bit her lip, her brows furrowed with displeasure, but she couldn't bring herself to criticize her sister-in-law, since her sister-in-law was only trying to help Nan Shao out of kindness.

Su Wanyue seemed to have guessed what the Seventh Princess was thinking, and said softly, "The Yan Gui Sect did not do what happened last time."

"No!" The Seventh Princess's voice suddenly became shrill, "But the Prefect of the Capital's investigation clearly showed it was..."

Su Wanyue shook her head at the Seventh Princess, who quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, tears welling in her eyes. She asked Su Wanyue what had happened.

Su Wanyue whispered the events of that day and her own speculations to the Seventh Princess. The Seventh Princess felt complicated. This meant that her father must know what had happened. The Prefect of the Capital must have received the Emperor's decree to pin all the blame on the Yan Gui Sect, just to find a scapegoat.

The Seventh Princess was young and didn't understand these intricacies, but her father's actions still chilled her heart. Just because he wanted to favor his elder brother, the Crown Prince, her father had to find someone else to take the blame. Was this still the wise and mighty father she knew?

***

In the study of Prince Cheng's residence, after finishing their official business, the group didn't rush to leave. Luo Qi leaned back in the armchair as if he had no bones, looking completely nonchalant. "Your Highness, what's wrong? You don't seem to be in a good mood."

"How do you think one can win a woman's heart?" It was originally just a joke, but the man at the head of the table casually raised an eyebrow, looking thoughtful.

Xie Cheng lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea, not particularly surprised. Luo Qi and Mu Ziyi were clearly taken aback. They knew that this man had never been interested in women. They joked about it, because they knew that the so-called "harmonious marriage" and "perfect harmony" were mostly rumors. He might have feelings for Princess Weiyang, his wife, but not very deep. Now it seemed that was not the case.

Luo Qi was afraid that he was deaf and had misheard, so he quickly turned the teacup in his hand and asked, "Your Highness is referring to the Princess Consort?"

Mu Ziyi looked at Luo Qi as if he were an idiot, as if mocking him for asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Xiao Yu's fair, jade-like fingers toyed with the celadon cup in his hand, and he said leisurely, "Who else could it be?"

Luo Qi: "..."

It's hard to believe that His Highness Prince Cheng would need to win the heart of a woman.

"Did Your Highness and the Princess have a fight?" Luo Qi asked tentatively, but he didn't think it was likely. After all, Princess Cheng had attended his birthday celebration yesterday with him, and the two of them looked like a loving couple, even more affectionate than the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. In addition, Princess Cheng had specially composed an opera to celebrate his birthday. They didn't look like they had a fight at all.

What if her heart isn't with you...?

Xiao Yu was surprised by his thoughts at this moment. On their wedding night, he had noticed that his wife looked at him with little emotion and no love whatsoever. At the time, he found it amusing, but now it had completely changed.

Xiao Yu looked listless and casually placed the celadon cup on the table. This was the first time Luo Qi and Mu Ziyi had seen him like this. Could it be that this man had really taken a liking to his princess? Just as they were about to ask more, someone knocked on the door.

"Your Highness, I have something to report."

Xiao Yu's voice was languid as he invited people in.

Qingyi pushed open the door and entered. Without bothering to bow, he hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "I just learned that the Imperial Guards from the palace chased Jing Feng, the leader of the Yan Gui Sect, to the Water Fetching Pavilion, but he has disappeared without a trace."

"What do you mean by 'vanished into thin air'? Since the person entered the water-fetching tower, they must have hidden in one of the private rooms. Just have people surround the water-fetching tower and search each room one by one." Luo Qi frowned as he listened. A living person could vanish into thin air, even if they turned to ashes.

Qingyi's expression became even more troubled. "Commander Nan sent people to check each room one by one, but they still managed to escape."

Mu Ziyi and Luo Qi were completely confused, but Xiao Yu had already sat up straight and got straight to the point: "Someone helped him evade the Embroidered Uniform Guard's pursuit?"

Xie Cheng looked at Qingyi and asked, "Who is so bold as to kidnap someone the court wants to arrest?"

Luo Qi and Mu Ziyi finally understood that someone was helping Jing Feng.

Although the Yan Gui Sect suffered an undeserved calamity, the imperial court had long intended to offer them amnesty. However, the members of the Yan Gui Sect were used to doing as they pleased and were unwilling to be bound by fame and fortune, which led to their current predicament. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was also acting on the orders of the current emperor, but someone dared to kidnap people in front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which showed considerable audacity. However, the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Nan Shao, was not one to be trifled with. Perhaps the other party's status was higher than that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was why Nan Shao was wary of them.

Qingyi looked at his master with a troubled expression. "I heard from Commander Nan that the Princess Consort and the Seventh Princess were also at the Water Fetching Pavilion today. He searched all the private rooms, but he didn't search the private room where the Princess Consort and the Seventh Princess were."

Luo Qi gasped. No wonder he had been so secretive earlier; it turned out he was involved with Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess.

Isn't the underlying meaning of this statement that Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess helped people escape?

But how could that be? Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess have no connection with the martial arts world. What right or reason do they have to help Nan Shao? Especially Princess Cheng, who is not from Bei Li. Why would she help Jing Feng for no reason?

“So Nan Shao suspects that the leader of the Yan Gui Sect is hiding in the private room where Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess are.” Xie Cheng’s demeanor was gentle and refined. “In that case, let them go to that private room and check again.”

“Commander Nan went back to investigate again, but still found nothing.” Qingyi said with some difficulty, “Commander Nan also said that if he could not capture Sect Master Jing within three days, he would report the matter to His Majesty.”

Luo Qi immediately frowned and slammed his folding fan on the table. "This Nan Shao, who is usually quite capable, how come he can't handle things now? Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess are just weak women. Do you think they can hide people in front of the Imperial Guards?"

It was clearly their own carelessness.

“I don’t think Nan Shao is saying that Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess are hiding someone, but rather that he wants to use the power of the Cheng Prince’s Mansion to capture Jing Feng.” Xie Cheng’s eyelashes drooped slightly, and his voice was clear and gentle.

"So that's what he was planning. He really is worthy of being trained by that old fox, the Right Chancellor." Mu Ziyi understood.

The power of the Prince Cheng's secret guards is no less than that of the Crown Prince's Palace. If this person were to step forward, he could find Jingfeng even if he had to dig three feet into the ground. However, he would definitely not get involved in such a trivial matter, especially since he is currently being threatened.

But this matter already involves Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess, so it depends on whether this person is willing to compromise. None of them spoke.

After sitting in the water-fetching pavilion for a while, the Seventh Princess lost interest in staying there and wanted to go elsewhere. "Then, sister-in-law, let's go too."

To their surprise, as soon as they stepped outside, they were greeted by Qingyi, whose face was expressionless. He bowed slightly and said, "Your subordinate greets Your Highness and the Seventh Princess."

The Seventh Princess was startled, but thankfully it wasn't those Imperial Guards who had gone and returned. "Aren't you one of my brother's men?"

Qingyi glanced furtively in Su Wanyue's direction and whispered, "His Highness heard about the Water Fetching Pavilion incident and specifically ordered me to escort the Princess and the Seventh Princess back."

The Seventh Princess nodded slightly, her smile playful. "Then you escort my sister-in-law back. I still need to return to the palace to pay my respects to my mother."

"It just so happens that Your Highness has something to give to the Imperial Concubine. Since Your Highness is going to pay your respects to the Imperial Concubine, why don't you deliver the item to her on Your Highness's behalf?"

"I..." For some reason, the Seventh Princess felt that there was something fishy going on. Perhaps because she felt guilty, she didn't want to go. She cast a pleading look at Su Wanyue.

Su Wanyue had a good relationship with the Seventh Princess, and unable to resist her pleading gaze, she pursed her lips slightly and asked Qingyi if she could have her servants deliver the items to the Imperial Concubine.

Qingyi remained polite to Su Wanyue, speaking in a measured tone: "Your Highness, this is His Highness's will."

If the Seventh Princess still can't understand the intricacies of this situation, then she's lived in vain. The so-called gift delivery is a pretense; her brother really needs her.

Moreover, it's probably related to the search at the water tower today. But that shouldn't be the case. She and her sister-in-law are just weak women; how could they have the guts to hide someone? Her brother shouldn't suspect that she and her sister-in-law did it.

The Seventh Princess was frightened, so she took Su Wanyue's arm and said, "Then I'll go to Prince Cheng's residence to get it."

"Your Highness, please, the Seventh Princess."

The Seventh Princess followed Qingyi to the study with trepidation and nervousness.

The sun was shining brightly today, and the flowers and plants in Prince Cheng's mansion were in full bloom. In the past, when the Seventh Princess came, she would take a good look at them, but today she was not in the mood to appreciate them. The Seventh Princess and Su Wanyue parted ways in the winding corridor. At the door of the study, Qingyi said to the Seventh Princess, "Princess, please go in."

The Seventh Princess took a deep breath. Since she and her sister-in-law had already escaped and left no evidence, she had nothing to be afraid of.

The Seventh Princess straightened her back and entered the study with a charming smile on her face, as if nothing had happened. "I wonder what Brother T has to give to Mother?"

Xiao Yu was processing official documents when he heard this and went straight to the point, "Jingfeng was the one who ran away with her."

The "she" was clearly referring to "sister-in-law," and the Seventh Princess's smile was about to crumble. Thinking that she couldn't possibly betray her sister-in-law, she denied it in a trembling voice, "Why would you say that, brother? I've never even met Sect Master Jing."

"Could a living, breathing person simply vanish from the water-fetching tower?"

The Seventh Princess was inwardly flustered, but outwardly she pretended to be calm. She retorted with a reason, "Maybe he hid somewhere else and no one found him."

“The Embroidered Uniform Guards aren’t fools.” Xiao Yu chuckled lightly, his voice slightly deep. “If you don’t speak up, Nan Shao will report this matter to the Emperor.”

Seeing that she couldn't hide it any longer, the Seventh Princess had no choice but to pout and admit it. She finally understood why her brother had only questioned her when he knew that she and her sister-in-law had let Jingfeng escape. It was because her brother couldn't bear to be cold to his sister-in-law.

Xiao Yu, with his handsome face and calm expression, slightly raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why would she help him?"

"That's because my sister-in-law is kind-hearted. Besides, she told me that she doesn't think the assassination attempt at Guimin Temple was done by the Yan Gui Sect." The Seventh Princess sighed and told Xiao Yu about her conversation with her sister-in-law at the Water Fetching Pavilion.

Xiao Yu remained silent, and the Seventh Princess was still feeling uneasy. It wasn't until Qingyi saw her off that the Seventh Princess came to her senses and quietly asked Qingyi, "Brother, you're not angry with sister-in-law, are you?"

"Of course not."

The seventh princess breathed a sigh of relief; she wouldn't be angry. But what if her brother got jealous?

After seeing off the Seventh Princess, Qingyi returned to the study. Xiao Yu calmly instructed, "Tomorrow at noon, please have Commander Nan come to the water-fetching tower."

==Third Watch==

The autumn breeze is refreshing, and the osmanthus blossoms are fragrant. The magnificent Eastern Palace is also surrounded by the fragrance of osmanthus, just like the elegant and refined Crown Prince Qin Jue.

"Your Highness, a letter from Lord Zhou."

Little did he know that this was the very letter the Crown Prince had been waiting for. Qin Jue raised his delicate eyebrows, opened his heart, and read it word by word for a long time.

You can't tell anything from the Crown Prince's face alone, but you can tell from the slightly protruding veins on the back of his hand that the Crown Prince's emotions have changed. After a long while, Qin Jue sighed softly and pressed the envelope down.

The guard asked cautiously, "Your Highness, what did Lord Zhou say in his letter?"

The Crown Prince had a refined and elegant appearance, as pure and untouched by the world as a snow lotus on the Tianshan Mountain. He said that Wanwan and Prince Nanqiong had a very good relationship and were deeply in love.

The eunuch was instantly startled, "Could it be that the princess has fallen for His Highness Prince Cheng?"

As soon as he said it, the eunuch felt something was wrong. The princess and the second young master Lu were childhood sweethearts, and they knew how good their relationship was. How could the princess have fallen in love with Prince Cheng as soon as she married into Bei Li?

Qin Jue scoffed lightly, his eyes carrying a hint of coldness. "What can Wanwan do if she doesn't like it? She's already married into the family. Can she possibly resist?"

That's true...

I still remember when the two countries were to be united by marriage, the Crown Prince was in Hengyang and couldn't spare the time. It wasn't until he finished dealing with the relevant matters in Hengyang and returned to the capital that he learned that Princess Weiyang had already run away from the wedding the night before. The Emperor and the Empress were worried that this would damage the dignity of the two countries, so they directly arranged for Princess Zilu to marry in place of Princess Weiyang.

Upon learning of this, the Crown Prince immediately sent someone to find Princess Weiyang, hoping to secretly exchange Princess Zilu for her. However, by then, it was too late; Princess Zilu had already married Prince Cheng, and there was no way to bring her back.

The crown prince was angry for the first time.

To avoid the Crown Prince being too harsh on Princess Weiyang, the Emperor and Empress told the Crown Prince that Prince Cheng of Beili was already an outstanding person and might even ascend the throne in the future. This marriage was not an insult to Princess Zilu. However, the Crown Prince said that if it was not an insult, then they should have been open and honest with Beili from the beginning. Whether Princess Zilu married Prince Cheng of Beili as a princess or as a princess with an additional title, it would have been appropriate, instead of using a trick to evade the issue.

The Crown Prince also said that if Prince Cheng were to truly ascend the throne one day, the history books would only record Princess Weiyang, which would be unfair to Princess Zilu.

Because of this incident, the Prince of Nan fell seriously ill, and the Second Young Master Lu proposed to the Emperor that he "resign from his post." If it weren't for the Crown Prince's intervention, the Second Young Master Lu would probably have already gone to Beili by now.

The Crown Prince picked up the letter Zhou Heng had sent and read it over and over again. A resolute look appeared on his handsome face. He sighed and said, "Go to the Prime Minister's residence and invite Lu Er over. Do not alarm anyone about this matter."