Chapter 718 The Deceptive Crown Princess (Second Update)

The arrival of the Prefect of Jingzhao interrupted the grand performance that was just reaching its climax. The guests complained one after another, but the Prefect of Jingzhao came with official documents and had a perfectly legitimate reason. Even someone of Prince Ming's status did not dare to openly ask them to leave.

Prince Ming sat in a side room on the first floor, looking displeased: "What's going on? Why are the people from the Capital Prefecture here? Did they notice my movements?"

The trusted guard said, "It shouldn't be. We've always been very careful, and besides, we haven't done anything wrong. It's not the capital's place to interfere."

"That's right, I'm just waiting for one person here..."

It's just that the timing wasn't quite right.

The Han family just had such a big incident, and he came out to the theater to handle some business. Who would believe he was there to do business? They would probably all think he was there to seek out prostitutes.

Prince Ming was deeply troubled: "Will the person Father spoke of really appear? But why is there still no news after waiting for so long?"

The trusted guard said, "How about... I escort the Prince away first, and come back after the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture have left?"

Prince Ming frowned and said, "What if that person comes?"

The trusted guard said, "Even if he comes, there's nothing to fear. The Jingzhao Prefecture is investigating people at Tianxiang Pavilion, so he can't get in. I'll go and keep an eye on things across the street. If I see someone who looks suspicious, I'll go and hand him over."

Prince Ming was somewhat tempted, but after hesitating for a moment, he shook his head: "My father has repeatedly instructed me to bring that person back to the Crown Prince's residence. He is a rare expert and I must personally bring him back to the Crown Prince's residence. He cannot let him fall into the hands of other forces... Never mind, I won't go far. If he comes, you go and inform me."

"yes!"

The trusted guard opened the door, keeping a watchful eye on the commotion outside. At this moment, the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture were checking each guest, probably to make sure they had no signs of disguise.

Both men and women were investigated.

strangeness.

Prince Ming had little experience in counter-surveillance and didn't know to disguise himself with a mask and a bamboo hat, so he could only try to minimize his presence and leave through the back door.

But as soon as he reached the backyard, a group of soldiers rushed in through the back door.

Prince Ming's expression changed, and he quickly slipped back into a tea room in the main hall!

"What's going on? Why are even the people from the Commandant's Office here?"

Prince Ming clenched his fists secretly.

The Commandant's Office was a military agency directly under the command of the monarch, possessing the authority to command the troops of the Great Yan Kingdom. The transfer of its officials did not need to go through the cabinet, but was directly appointed by the monarch.

There was no Commandery in the previous dynasty. This is an office established by the current ruler of Great Yan to strengthen his absolute position in the court.

The Chief Commandant is Wang Ren, the younger brother of Consort Wang. Today, Wang Ren's eldest son, Wang Xu, has come. He serves as the Commandant of the Pass in the Commandant's Office, mainly in charge of the entry and exit of personnel to Shengdu.

Wang Xu, mounted on his horse, directed the two groups of soldiers beside him: "You guys, guard the gate, don't let a single fly get out! You guys, come with me inside to search!"

Looking for someone again?

Who exactly are they looking for?

When the Jingzhao Prefecture arrived, Prince Ming was still a little unsure whose intention it was, but since the Commandant's Office had been mobilized, it must be his grandfather searching for someone.

Prince Ming also remembered something else. A few years ago, Wang Xu had been ordered to guard the imperial mausoleum. It was said that he had even taught the eldest grandson of the emperor martial arts at the mausoleum, but the eldest grandson was a cripple and could not be taught at all.

"Your Highness, there's a cellar here!" A trusted guard discovered the secret cellar in the tea room.

Prince Ming's eyes lit up, and he quickly hid in the cellar with his trusted guards.

...

After going downstairs, Gu Jiao went to a private room in the Sky Dome Academy.

Yuan Xiao hurriedly said, "Sixth Brother! Where have you been?! You've been gone for so long! I've looked all over for you but couldn't find you!"

Gu Jiao replied without changing her expression, "Oh, I went to the outhouse."

Zhao Wei asked, "Did you fall into the latrine?"

The play is already halfway through!

"Sixth Brother." Gu Xiaoshun pulled out a chair and gestured for Gu Jiao to sit down.

He knew that Gu Jiao had gone to find Gu Chengfeng, but he didn't know why Gu Chengfeng was performing on stage and his sister had been gone for so long.

Gu Jiao sat down next to Gu Xiaoshun and took out a flamboyant peacock mask from her bosom and put it on.

Everyone was almost blinded by her actions.

"What are you doing?" Yuan Xiao looked at her as if she were mentally challenged.

Gu Jiao said in a serious tone, "I'm worried they'll be blinded by my beauty."

Yuan Xiao: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Gu Xiaoshun leaned close to Gu Jiao's ear and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Who are they looking for, sis? They're not here to see Gu Chengfeng, are they?"

Gu Jiao glanced at the group of officials who came in from the front, and then at the other group who poured in through the back door. She was not very familiar with the official uniforms of the Yan Kingdom and did not know that the second group of officials came from the Commandant's Office.

However, judging from his aura and demeanor, his status is no less than that of the Prefect of Jingzhao.

"It shouldn't be," she said softly.

Gu Chengfeng was just a runaway slave from the Han family's mine. If anyone was to be captured, it would be the mine's private soldiers. It wouldn't require the involvement of two such powerful forces.

Soon, the officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture found the private rooms of the Tianqiong Academy.

Gu Xiaoshun was the first to be checked, and surprisingly, there was a female officer among them.

She didn't look like a real government official; she looked more like an ordinary woman dressed as one.

The female officer pinched Gu Xiaoshun's face, seemingly checking if he was wearing a human skin mask. Then she pressed on Gu Xiaoshun's chest, leaving him dumbfounded: "What are you doing!"

The female official shook her head at the rest of the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Gu Jiao understood.

They were looking for a woman.

Gu Jiao wore the mask to show Xiao Heng the intensity of their search, but she never expected that they would find her private parts.

It seems that the one at risk of exposure is not Xiao Heng, but myself.

The officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture searched the main hall, while the officials from the Duwei Prefecture went up to the second floor.

Wang Xu had met the eldest grandson of the emperor.

In fact, both Xiao Heng and Gu Jiao are at risk of being exposed.

One by one, the students from Tianqiong Academy underwent the inspection. They all unanimously placed Gu Jiao last, not knowing why. They didn't know that Gu Jiao was a woman; they just subconsciously felt that they should be placed first.

Zhou Tong is second to last.

“Their inspection was a bit rough, but they didn’t mean any harm, so don’t worry or get angry,” Zhou Tong said to Gu Jiao.

This was to prevent Gu Jiao from standing up for her companions again and beating up the officials.

Gu Jiao pondered whether it would be better to be discovered and arrested, or to beat up the officials and run away.

Meanwhile, Wang Xu arrived at the room next to Gu Chengfeng's.

After checking on the guests in the room, he politely said "Excuse me" and turned to leave the room.

"My lord, this is the last room," said the accompanying guard.

The door was ajar.

A person with high martial arts skills can identify a person by their breath.

There were people inside, two of them.

Wang Xu raised his hand and slowly pushed open the door.

Meanwhile, everyone else from Sky Dome Academy had undergone the examination, leaving only Gu Jiao.

The female officer removed Gu Jiao's mask and pinched Gu Jiao's cheek.

To be honest, the fact that there were no traces of a human skin mask was obvious enough, just in case, and they would also check the body.

How cunning must a woman be to drive the government to this point?

Gu Jiao gripped the silver needle tightly in her hand.

To expose, or not to expose?

creak—

Gu Chengfeng's door was pushed open.

Wang Xu stepped into the house.

Suddenly, a foot kicked him, hitting him squarely in the chest and sending him flying.

He flew over the second-floor railing and fell heavily into the lobby on the first floor.

Fortunately, he was skilled in martial arts; he flipped in mid-air and landed steadily.

However, it still caused quite a stir.

Everyone looked up at once, even the female officer who was about to examine Gu Jiao stopped in her tracks.

The woman stood in front of the railing, looked down at the crowd, and then ran away!

The female officer hurriedly said, "Tai...Quickly, chase after her! It's her!"

The crowd went to capture her.

Gu Jiao: That was close, we almost got exposed.

The woman ran downstairs in one breath, but both the front and back doors were blocked, so she was destined to have no way to escape.

Prince Ming sat quietly on the cellar floor, waiting for the search to end.

The trusted guard said, "Your Highness, listen! They seem to have found him. They're shouting, 'It's him! Go after him!'"

Prince Ming breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great, they should leave now. They really weren't here to find me... Once they're gone, everything will be fine... I wasn't discovered... I didn't get discovered... I didn't mess up the task my father entrusted to me—"

Before he could finish speaking, the cellar door was pulled open.

A small figure darted down, and before Prince Ming could even kick the person away, the small figure had already squatted down in front of him.

Then, the two stared at each other blankly.

Shangguan Yan raised her hand in greeting and said with a smile, "Nephew, it's been a long time."

Let's go home together, Auntie will take you flying.

Prince Ming: "...!!"

Prince Ming: Didn't you have amnesia? How do you still remember trying to trick me!

(End of this chapter)