Chapter 60 The Fox Caught "Your Highness, you're running around like this; you need to be taught a lesson..."

"Coming, coming." The innkeeper opened the door very attentively, and was clearly taken aback when he saw who it was.

Before me stood an exceptionally handsome young man, dressed in luxurious and exquisite attire; one glance was enough to tell he was no ordinary person.

"Hello, I need to check into the hotel," the fox said to him with a smile.

"Please come in, sir." The waiter quickly made way for them. "Sir, what kind of room would you like? Our superior rooms are elegant and comfortable..."

The fox generously slapped out the silver, saying, "I want the best, and give me two more roast chickens too."

I have to stay in a good room. When my sister sees it, she'll be very proud, knowing that I'm doing quite well down the mountain.

The waiter quickly presented the silver, "Alright, please come upstairs. The roast chicken will be served to you right away, and we'll also give you a complimentary pot of Biluochun tea."

The fox happily went upstairs.

The waiter weighed the silver in his hand. "Where did this young master from a wealthy family come from? Why doesn't he have any attendants with him when he goes out?"

The boss rolled his eyes at him, "Go away, get back to your work, why are you worrying about so much?"

Once inside the room, the fox looked around carefully, then cautiously drew the curtains and locked the door from the inside.

Alright, the fox is safe now, very good, escaped successfully!

He walked around the room and then lay down on the bed.

Wow, this bed is pretty comfortable.

The fox took off its outer garment, hugged the bundle, and touched the snack box inside. Suddenly, its stomach rumbled, and it felt like it wanted to eat something.

Hehe, I'll just have one, my sister won't mind.

*

That night, Tinglan didn't sleep a wink.

The palace has been searched thoroughly, but no trace of the young prince has been found anywhere. None of the palace guards or the palace staff have seen him, which is truly strange.

Did the young prince run away on his own? Or was someone else taking him away...?

Tinglan really couldn't understand why Ji Qing would leave despite his illness.

He raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples, looked at the faint light of dawn outside the window, and slowly exhaled.

Chen Yu pushed open the door and came in, carrying a bowl of ginseng soup. He stepped forward and bowed, "Chief, the investigation is already underway outside the palace. You should rest for a while."

Normally, Chen Yu would definitely bring up the fox, saying that the seal master wasn't eating properly and that the little prince would be angry if he knew. But today, he couldn't mention it.

"Tell me, why did he leave?" Tinglan asked, fiddling with the ring on her finger, her voice hoarse.

"Your Highness may... be facing some unavoidable difficulties."

“Difficulties…” Tinglan murmured to himself, slowly closing his eyes.

"Or perhaps they were forcibly taken away by someone?" Chen Yu looked up at the palm print's face and asked tentatively.

Tinglan opened her eyes, stood up by supporting herself on the table, turned around and walked into the inner room, leaving behind the words, "Report back immediately if there is any news."

"Yes." Chen Yu glanced down at the untouched bowl of ginseng soup, bowed, and turned to leave.

The fox slept until noon. When he woke up, he felt very hungry, so he opened the door, looked into the corridor, and called to the waiter, "I want three roast chickens and a plate of chestnut cake. Deduct it from my room rate."

Tinglan had a poor appetite, but the fox ate as much as usual.

The waiter flicked the towel off his shoulder and said, "Alright, please wait a moment, I'll bring it to you right away."

But then he started to wonder, this rich young master was the only one living in the house, so why did he order three chickens all at once, plus the two from last night? In just half a day, he had already eaten a total of five chickens.

Can we finish it? That's strange.

Or do they rich people have some unique way of eating?

The waiter left, puzzled.

On the streets, the Embroidered Uniform Guards openly patrolled, while spies from the Eastern Depot secretly gathered information.

The order from above came quickly, and everyone was on high alert.

The leading Imperial Guard held a portrait of a fox in his hand, his expression complex, because he recognized the person in the portrait as His Highness Prince An.

Why did His Highness suddenly run away? And why is the Chief Inspector so anxious about finding him...?

It's really hard not to overthink it.

The colleague next to him also craned his neck and gossiped, "The person in this painting is really handsome. Could he have offended the Master? Otherwise, why would he make such a big fuss and insist on finding him immediately?"

The leader glared at him and hissed, "Don't talk nonsense about things you shouldn't know. Give the orders right away. If the person is found, treat him well. Not a single hair on his head can be harmed."

His colleagues hadn't thought much of it at first, but upon hearing this, they immediately started to overthink. The Master was so concerned... Maybe he hadn't offended him, or perhaps his mistress had run away?

Before leaving, he glanced at the portrait one last time. It was so beautiful; the handprint was truly a sign of good fortune…

With the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot making such a large-scale search for someone, rumors were bound to circulate in the palace.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is looking for someone?" the Crown Prince asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your Highness, this is indeed the case, but we haven't been able to find out who they were looking for," the subordinate replied respectfully.

The crown prince put down his pen and rubbed his temples.

This is something we really need to think about carefully; it might have implications for many things.

He suddenly seemed to remember something, looked up, frowned, and asked, "How is Pei Jiqing lately? Any news about him?"

His subordinate shook his head.

A hint of surprise flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes. He had previously suspected that Tinglan was secretly controlling Pei Jiqing, and now it seemed that Pei Jiqing had broken free of control and escaped...

The subordinate glanced around mysteriously, then stepped forward and whispered in the prince's ear, "Your Highness, the General Who Conquers the West is about to return to the capital. He has sent word that he wishes to see you."

"Why did he want to see me?" the crown prince asked, puzzled.

"I don't know, but the general has a large army under his command. If we get his support, we will surely succeed and we won't have to worry about the stability of the crown prince's position."

The Crown Prince waved his hand. "Alright, you may leave now. I'm tired."

The emperor has been unwell lately, and the Ninth Prince already holds absolute power in the palace. The fact that the Thirteenth Prince was able to escape is quite remarkable.

However, they probably can't get far, if they get caught and brought back...

The Crown Prince frowned. Oh well, after all, he was a prince, and Tinglan probably wouldn't dare to do anything to him.

The street searches continued, and a team of Imperial Guards searched inns as usual, but none of them really expected to find anyone in the inns.

After all, who stays in a hotel while fleeing? It's obvious they'll get caught...

The Imperial Guards entered, but didn't take out a portrait. They simply asked, "Has a handsome young man come to stay recently?"

The waiter was about to serve the fox the sixth roast chicken when he saw so many officials arrive. He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he stammered.

"Yes, yes, yes... there is one."

The Imperial Guards were quite surprised. "The person we're looking for isn't just any ordinary handsome man."

The waiter nodded tremblingly, "This lady in our shop... happens to be quite beautiful as well."

The Imperial Guard finally took it seriously and took out the portrait from his pocket. "Look, is this the person?"

The waiter looked closely, nodded repeatedly, and said in a trembling voice, "It's him, it really is him."

What's going on? That young master looks so refined, how come he managed to offend such a group of people?

Now it was the Embroidered Uniform Guards' turn to be dumbfounded.

They never expected that someone who could leave the palace silently and without leaving a trace would so casually stay in an inn in the capital.

He didn't even try to hide it; even the innkeepers knew what he looked like.

No... Is it real? Could it be a trap?

They looked at each other, then at each other.

Finally, the leader slapped his thigh and ordered his men to surround the inn inside and out. He would go and check first, and then immediately report to the headmaster.

Night gradually fell.

A luxurious carriage slowly drove up and silently stopped in front of an inn.

A section of black hem swept past, its subtle gold embroidery shimmering in the night.

Tinglan stepped down from the carriage and looked up at the building in front of her.

The Imperial Guards lined up on both sides, bowing respectfully. Everyone remained quiet and made no sound.

Tinglan lowered her eyes and stepped into the inn.

He casually took off his sheepskin gloves, stretched his wrists, and asked the Imperial Guard beside him in a nonchalant tone.

Which room is he staying in?

"The first room on the right on the second floor."

Tinglan nodded and turned to look at the two people behind the counter who were stunned.

The shop owner and waiter thought that the group of officials they had encountered earlier was frightening enough, but they didn't expect that there were even more formidable ones to come.

Tinglan asked, "What has he been doing here for more than a day?"

"I didn't do anything, just kept eating roast chicken..." the waiter stammered.

"Oh?" Tinglan raised an eyebrow.

Your Highness has quite an appetite, which is good; at least your health is not bad.

"Seriously, the servant brought him six roast chickens. I've never seen anyone eat so much chicken. It's like a weasel or a fox spirit has come to life."

Hearing this, Tinglan chuckled lightly, "I'm so sorry for keeping the shop closed today."

The shop owner dared not nod; he stammered for a long time but couldn't say anything.

Then the Imperial Guard stepped forward and placed a gold ingot on the table.

The shop owner's breathing suddenly became easier, and he stopped trembling. He had only one thought in his mind: This high-ranking official is actually quite good.

Tinglan turned and went upstairs. Two lanterns hung beside the stairs, their dim candlelight casting long shadows of him.

The corridor was deserted.

Tinglan stopped in front of the room and knocked.

The fox was happily munching on a chicken leg when it heard a noise. Turning around in confusion, it asked, "Who is it?"

Tinglan deliberately changed her tone, "I've come to deliver the roast chicken to our guest."

The fox was even more puzzled. "The roast chicken I ordered has already been served!"

"This is just for our guest."

Upon hearing this, the fox immediately jumped off the chair with great joy.

Wow! Free roast chicken! What a great deal!

He moved the stool blocking the door and happily opened it.

The corridor was dimly lit. The fox noticed the visitor's empty hands and asked curiously, "Hey, where's my roast chicken?"

The other party did not reply.

The fox finally sensed something was wrong, raised its head, and was immediately startled, taking a step back and bumping into the stool behind it with a loud noise. "Tinglan...you...how did you get here?"

"Your Highness is truly heartless, starting something and then abandoning it." Tinglan's voice was calm, but with a hint of anger, unlike his usual gentle tone.

Tinglan took a step forward, entered the room, then turned around and locked the door.

Now we are completely isolated from the outdoors.

The fox stood there dumbfounded, completely bewildered, unaware that things had become serious. He kept asking, "How did you find me?"

Tinglan looked around the room. On the table sat a chicken that had been devoured in a whirlwind. He did not answer the fox's question.

Why did Your Highness leave without saying goodbye?

The fox followed his footsteps, sat foolishly on the edge of the bed, and tugged at the hem of its clothes, head down. "I told you before I left."

So it can't be considered leaving without saying goodbye.

Tinglan slowly turned around, walked to the fox, lowered his head, and asked again, "Why does Your Highness want to leave? Is there any difficulty?"

He hadn't slept for almost a day; his eyes were bloodshot, and there was a hint of malevolence in them.

The fox opened its mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then uttered only, "No..."

"No difficulties?" Tinglan's voice trembled slightly. "Is it because I haven't served Your Highness well enough? Have you grown tired of me?"

The fox was so frightened that it hurriedly shook its head, "No, no, that's not how it is."

Tinglan reached out and pushed Ji Qing down onto the soft couch. "Why is that?"

When asked this, the fox bit its lip and remained silent, its mouth like a sawed gourd.

Tinglan raised his hand and gently stroked the fox's delicate eyebrows and eyes, then lowered his head and kissed it fiercely.

The fox made squeaking noises, as if it wanted to say something, but it was all choked up.

A moment later, Tinglan raised his head and pulled the little prince's hair loose. The smooth black hair cascaded down with his movement, and Tinglan held the fox hairband in his hand.

He grabbed the young prince's hand, twisted it behind his back, and tied it securely with the hair ribbon.

"Your Highness should be taught a lesson for wandering around like this."

The fox turned its head with great difficulty, glanced at its hand, and felt very strange.

What's this for? This thing is so small that even a sheep can't be tied up in the countryside; it can easily break free.

But the fox glanced at Tinglan's expression and couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Oh well, it seems like I was the one who did something wrong.

That's it, let's not ask anymore.

Seeing the obedient little prince, Tinglan's expression finally softened. He raised his hand and ruffled the fox's hair. "As long as Your Highness can stay, you can have anything you want, as long as this servant can do it."

The fox thought for a moment, "Could you pack up the rest of the roast chicken for me? It's delicious, and I'd like to take it home and eat it some more."

Tinglan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard that she lay down on the bed, unable to straighten up.

The foolish fox's one-day escape ended in utter failure; he still doesn't understand how Tinglan managed to find him.

Before the fox went downstairs, Tinglan helped him put on his veil. The long white veil hung down, covering his face and loose hair. He was draped in Tinglan's cloak, which covered his hands that were behind his back.

Tinglan stood with the fox, holding its arm tightly, like a drowning person grasping at the last straw.

However, in his other hand he was carrying a roast chicken that he had packed for the fox.

The Imperial Guards have already retreated, and the shop owner and waiter are not here either.

The street was long and silent, with only a few lanterns swaying in the night wind and making a soft sound.

Only a few of the mastermind's confidants were present, keeping their eyes down, but no matter how they looked, they could tell that the mastermind's clothes had been on someone else.

They all had only one thought in their minds, more or less.

Tsk tsk tsk, so the one the palm print is looking for is indeed his little lover...