Chapter 188 [VIP]

Just past 1-3 PM, the sun was shining brightly.

Xiangyang leaned forward, groaning "Ouch, ouch," while glancing at the direction of Zhuangzi out of the corner of his eye.

The martial arts master he had met before was staring intently in their direction, his back tense and his body leaning forward, a look of scrutiny and wariness on his face.

The mute servants dispersed in twos and threes, seemingly scattered, yet each on guard.

"Ouch!" Xiangyang scrambled to his feet, exclaiming, "Your Highness, Your Highness, please calm down... It was my fault for driving unsteadily and startling the horse."

Your Highness the Third Prince?

The steward narrowed his eyes. As a trusted steward, he knew that his master was now serving the Third Prince. But why would the Third Prince be here?

"Get out of here."

Xie Jing didn't even glance at him.

He suppressed his disgust, patted Ji Nanke's back, and asked, "Are you alright?"

A wave of acid rose in Ji Nanke's mouth as she said painfully, "I don't need your help. You're about to marry the princess... No matter how despicable I am, I will not share a husband with another. Let's part ways here and go our separate ways."

Ji Nanke shook him off and stood up unsteadily. She felt like she was about to fall apart from being jostled around, and everything ached.

"Ke'er!"

Xie Jing was also furious. He hadn't expected that after abandoning his post and rushing back at all costs, this would be the outcome. He said, utterly irritated, "Are you even being reasonable?"

"How can I marry you as my principal wife when you are an orphan who caused the Ji family to be exterminated and have no relatives or friends?"

"Do you expect me to abandon everything and elope with you?"

Xie Jing was utterly dejected. He hadn't slept a wink on the way, had waited for her at the tea stall all night, and had chased her for almost an hour. He was truly exhausted.

He sighed, "If you really don't want me to marry someone else, I'll agree."

"I will no longer be a prince, nor will I compete for the throne. Let's elope."

Xie Jing looked up at her, his eyes filled with deep weariness: "What do you think?"

He wasn't using a strategy of retreat to advance; he genuinely thought that way.

Every time he tried to argue, she would throw a tantrum over all sorts of things. Since she wanted to stay with him for the rest of his life, then he could stay with her for the rest of his life.

"Of course not!" Ji Nanke moved her lips, her face full of sorrow, and said, "You don't need to do so much for me."

After saying that, she turned around and was about to leave.

"Ke'er, if you leave, I won't come looking for you again," Xie Jing said calmly. "Think it through."

He didn't even raise his head, using all his reason to desperately suppress the voice in his heart that urged him to "hold her tightly and promise her that he would be with her for life."

He said, slowly and deliberately, "Think it through."

Ji Nanke bit her lower lip, standing with her back to him, waiting for Xie Jing to pull her back. But there was no sound from behind.

Neither of them spoke again, and they remained frozen in place.

The manager was stunned.

He lowered his hand from his waist, and his wariness lessened somewhat.

The steward was no stranger to court affairs and knew that the Third Prince Xie Jing had a sweetheart. So, he was just passing by, playfully teasing and flirting with his sweetheart.

The steward was mostly focused on the two men and didn't notice that someone was secretly approaching from behind Zhuangzi.

Chongjiu was lying in wait nearby last night, taking advantage of the darkness.

However, Zhuangzi was extremely vigilant. After Chongjiu tried once to make sure he couldn't get close, he quietly hid in the reeds of the pond behind him.

The more people there are, the easier it is to be exposed, so the operation is carried out by only him and Xiangyang, one in the open and one in the dark.

Chongjiu was originally a secret guard, and his movements were extremely agile.

In the brief moment when Xie Jing and Ji Nanke diverted the steward's attention, Chongjiu quietly entered the estate.

He lay prone in the shadow of the courtyard wall, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding kerosene and the tightly closed doors and windows of the houses, quietly waiting for his chance.

Chongjiu placed the bird flute to his lips and emitted long and short melodious chirps, blending into the birdsong in the woods.

The shadows of the trees swayed gently.

Xiangyang twitched his ears and looked at the two who were still locked in a stalemate.

He flipped his fingers, and two small pebbles appeared in his palm.

The overturned carriage blocked his movements, and a small pebble hit Ji Nanke's calf on acupoint. She immediately felt her calf go weak and collapsed to the ground.

And by sheer coincidence, a sharp pebble on the ground pierced her ankle.

Ji Nanke cried out in pain.

"Something terrible has happened!"

Xiang Yang lowered his voice and shouted anxiously, "Miss Ji, it seems your foot is injured. What should we do?"

He was dressed in the clothes of a servant of the Duke of Chengen's mansion, and his face was painted a sallow yellow, making him look like an ordinary stable boy.

He was so anxious he was pacing around in circles, completely at a loss.

Injuried?

Xie Jing, who had his back to her, paused for a moment, then hesitantly turned around.

Ji Nanke's ankle was bleeding, the blood staining her skirt and stinging Xie Jing's eyes.

Ji Nanke raised her hand to cover her eyes, tears welling up in them, and looked at Xie Jing with a wronged expression.

Finally, the voice in his heart that "she is the most important person to me" overwhelmed everything, and Xie Jing hugged her in his arms.

"Ke'er..."

Xie Jing knew that his life was over.

“I don’t want to put you in a difficult position. I don’t want you to spend your whole life having to depend on others for my sake. I can’t help you, so…”

Ji Nanke sobbed and threw herself into his arms, and the two embraced.

"Ouch!" Xiang Yang exclaimed dramatically, "Blood...blood is flowing more and more!"

Xie Jing's arm stiffened for a moment. He nervously bent down to look at her ankle, trying to check if the bone was broken. As soon as he touched it, Ji Nanke groaned in pain.

Xiangyang then called out at just the right moment, "What if it breaks?"

He spoke in a low, hoarse voice, looking like a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, rambling incoherently as he circled around.

Xie Jing was so dizzy from being spun around that he didn't have time to think. He picked Ji Nanke up and ran quickly toward the manor.

Looking around, there was no other house or even a soul in sight, except for this village. Where else could we go if not here?

Manager: "..."

After watching the whole scene, the steward saw them hugging and assumed they were finally leaving.

Who would have thought that they would rush straight here?

Xie Jing called out anxiously, "Uncle, my fiancée is injured. Could we borrow the manor to rest for a while? And could you please help us find a doctor?"

Xiangyang followed behind, his back hunched and limping.

If they hadn't recognized him as the Third Prince, the steward would have almost thought they had ulterior motives.

The manager had just observed that there were only three people in their group.

He smiled casually and said, "Our village is remote and we don't have any doctors. Why don't you go south for half an hour? There's a small town there with a doctor. Whenever someone in our village gets sick, they go there to see a doctor."

Xie Jing looked at the overturned carriage: "Go and see if it can still be moved."

Yes, yes.

Xiangyang readily agreed and limped over, shouting from afar, "Grandpa, the frame is broken, it won't move."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jing bowed repeatedly to the steward and pleaded, "Uncle, as you can see, we can't go to town."

"Don't you still have horses?"

The manager meant that even though the cart was broken, the horse could still move.

This estate is of utmost importance; no one is allowed to trespass on it, not even the Third Prince.

Ji Nanke rested her head on Xie Jing's shoulder, her eyes flickering slightly.

She knew perfectly well that Xie Jing's marriage to the Princess of Xiliang was unchangeable, but if she accepted it calmly, she would never have a place in Xie Jing's heart again.

Now, Ji Nanke finally understands how difficult it is for a woman without family background, relatives, or clan to live a good life.

Only by making Xie Jing worry about her, care about her, and keep her in his heart can she stand among the noble ladies of the capital as before.

"it hurts."

Ji Nanke's eyes reddened, and glistening tears clung to her eyelashes as she weakly said, "I'm afraid I can't ride a horse."

The delicate body in his arms trembled like a willow branch. Xie Jing said urgently, "Uncle, I can give you money. Just let us rest for a bit."

The steward shook his head again: "Young master, why don't you rest outside for a while? I'll have someone bring some tea over, what do you think..."

Seeing Xie Jing hesitate slightly, Xiang Yang immediately pretended to be clueless and rushed forward, saying, "This is His Highness the Third Prince. It's your honor to have your place to rest. If anything happens to His Highness the Third Prince, can you bear the responsibility?"

He deliberately bumped into the steward, then bowed and scraped, saying, "Your Highness, please."

Seeing that he was unsteady on his feet and didn't seem to know martial arts, the steward was caught off guard and stumbled. Xie Jing carried Ji Nanke and rushed inside.

"Stop them."

The manager shouted and rushed to stop them.

These mute servants were not born mute; they could all hear. Upon hearing the sound, they swarmed over and blocked the Third Prince's path.

This angered the Third Prince as well.

"presumptuous!"

"If you don't move aside, don't blame me for being impolite."

The manager clenched his fists, hesitating.

The prince's order was that if anyone rushed into the secret room, or if there was any possibility that the secret room would be discovered, it must be burned down immediately.

The Third Prince had obviously just happened to be there and was unaware of what was happening in the secret room.

The contents of the dark room are of great importance and cannot be hastily burned. But if the Third Prince were to barge in... the Prince forbids any outsiders from entering.

If it weren't for the Third Prince, and it were just some random passerby, we could have killed them without a second thought. Several have been buried in the reeds behind here in the past few years, but it was the Third Prince!

The prince followed the dragon and was the third prince.

If he kills the Third Prince, the Prince will probably kill him too.

The manager gritted his teeth and insisted, "Men, throw him out!"

The mute servants drove them away, shoving them forcefully.

Xie Jing was still holding Ji Nanke in his arms. With this push and pull, he staggered and almost fell.

Throughout his life, he had enjoyed honor and wealth, and apart from Gu Zhizhuo, no one had ever made him suffer such a great loss. He was furious and kicked the steward.

Xiang Yang shouted, "Stop! How dare you injure His Highness the Third Prince! Do you have any regard for your lives?!"

Chaos ensued.

Xiangyang shoved the steward to "rescue the emperor," while the mute servants surrounded Xie Jing and pushed them out. For the first time in over a decade, the orderly manor was thrown into chaos.

Even the mute servant who had been guarding the main house hesitated and took two steps forward.

The opportunity has arrived.

Taking advantage of the brief moment when he was hiding in the shadows of the corner, Chongjiu slipped into the house.

He pried open the window with a knife and jumped in. When opening and closing the window, there was bound to be some minor noise.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

Xiangyang started crying and shouting, his voice piercing the sky.

"The blood is flowing even more, Your Highness! Will Miss Ji become lame?"

"Your Highness, my leg was broken when I fell off the carriage that year, and I can no longer walk properly."

Xie Jing was annoyed by his shouting.

On the Double Ninth Festival, the windows were closed.

He bent down and walked past silently.

The layout of the main house is quite simple, with side rooms on both sides, a front hall in the middle, an inner room to the right of the front hall, a study on the left, and a tea room next to the study.

Chongjiu first searched the study and tea room, and after confirming that there were no secret rooms or passages, he went around to the inner room.

Time is of the essence.

Although he managed to sneak in, how he would get out was still a problem, so he certainly wouldn't be gone for too long.

Chongjiu gently tapped on the four walls in turn, pressing his ear against them to listen.

No.

That leaves only underground.

Chongjiu prostrated himself on the ground again, gently tapping his ear inch by inch...

Thump. Thump-thump. Thump.

He suddenly paused, and a barely perceptible smile curved his lips.

"Found it!"

The darkroom is right down here!

Once the dark room is identified, finding the mechanism becomes simple—it must be located in a position that controls the gears.

soon.

With a soft "click" of gears, the floor tiles moved, revealing a downward stone staircase.

Chongjiu darted inside.

Instead of lighting the oil lamps and candles in the room, he took out a luminous pearl from his pocket.

A faint musty smell filled his nostrils. In the glowing light of the luminous pearl, Chongjiu saw three bookshelves against the wall and an eight-treasure cabinet that occupied the entire wall.

Then, he walked down the last stone step.

When you're underground, no sound from the outside can get in.

Of course, the sounds inside couldn't get out either.

Xiangyang estimated the time and still hadn't heard the bird's whistle, which meant that Chongjiu had already found the secret room.

Okay.

Xiang Yang pressed down on his lips, his face, painted a yellowish hue, showing no trace of pleasure or unusual expression.

A quarter of an hour.

This was the time they had agreed upon. Regardless of whether they found anything or not, Chongjiu would come out in fifteen minutes.

We also need to give Chong Jiu a chance to leave.

Xiang Yang looked at Xie Jing.

Ji Nanke, who was in his arms, was dizzy and had not yet recovered from the long bumpy ride in the carriage. She was being tossed around by Xie Jing, and she was sweating profusely from the discomfort.

"Your Highness!" Xiang Yang suddenly cried out, "Miss Ji...she's dead!"

Ji Nanke: ?

No, I'm not dead, I just don't want to move.

She felt Xie Jing's arms tighten suddenly, and on a whim, she simply closed her eyes and leaned against him, barely breathing.

Xie Jing looked at Ji Nanke, who was lying motionless in his arms, and cried out in a panic, "Ke'er! Ke'er!"

"Get out of the way!"

Xie Jing roared on the verge of exploding in rage.

Ke'er is still breathing, so she's definitely not dead, but she's already bent over, and we don't know what will happen to her. And her leg—maybe it was injured when she fell from the carriage—could the bone be broken?

The noisy driver kept shouting things like "broken leg," "bleeding," and "dead, dead," and Xie Jing's heartstring snapped.

I'm saying it one last time, get out of the way!

He roared, "If you don't let me through, once I return to the palace, I will send people to seal up this estate. I want to see what kind of shady things are hidden here!"

Manager: "..."

No, if the Third Prince really sends someone to investigate, things will get out of hand.

As I said before, why did it have to be the Third Prince? If it were anyone else, we would have just beaten, killed, and buried them.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally said, "Young master, you cannot go into the main house. This is where my lady is staying to observe her chastity. You cannot trespass."

Seeing that he had compromised, Xie Jing also conceded: "Alright."

"please."

The manager finally led them inside.

A small bamboo shed was set up in front of the main house. Xie Jing placed Ji Nanke on a bamboo couch underneath. Seeing that she slowly "woke up," he breathed a sigh of relief.

"How are you?" After asking, he turned to the steward and said, "Uncle, could you give us a bowl of water and help us find a doctor in town?"

His instructions were so matter-of-fact that even the steward was momentarily stunned.

Do these nobles even know what it means to force someone to do something they can't?

"Your Highness, it's my fault."

This was the first time Ji Nanke had bowed her head to him. Seeing her pale face, Xie Jing sighed, "Forget it. It was my fault for not keeping your promise. Let's not argue anymore, okay?"

Xiangyang lowered his eyes and silently counted the time in his mind.

Chongjiu was also calculating the time. He first glanced at the bookshelf and found that it contained many private records. Then he turned his attention to the octagonal cabinet on the other side.

There are at least a hundred items of various sizes on the display case. Some are laid out directly, while others are placed in boxes. It's too late to look at them one by one.

Miss Gu had her fortune told, and it said she was at a high place...

A note from the author: