Chapter 47 Clues

The next day, Ye Xunyang dressed neatly and went to the Fifth Prince's residence with his guards.

The plum garden at the Fifth Prince's residence was indeed a beautiful sight, with red and white plum blossoms blooming in profusion, their fragrance wafting through the air.

There weren't many people at the banquet. Besides Ye Xunyang, there were a few princes and young ladies from the princely families. The atmosphere seemed relaxed and harmonious.

Lou Yi was dressed casually, spoke and acted with gentle manners, and was very polite to Ye Xunyang, as if it were just an ordinary gathering of relatives and friends.

It wasn't until halfway through the banquet, when everyone dispersed to admire the plum blossoms, that Lou Yi casually walked up to Ye Xunyang and walked alongside him.

"Third sister-in-law, you've been working hard lately, managing the palace and taking care of your third brother," Lou Yi said gently.

"It's my duty, I dare not complain about the hardship." Ye Xunyang responded cautiously, following Lou Jin's instructions.

Lou Yi smiled, his gaze falling on a blooming red plum blossom on a branch, as if casually mentioning, "I heard that things weren't going well at the Prince Jin's villa in the west of the city a couple of days ago? Were there any losses?"

Ye Xunyang's heart was filled with alarm bells, but he remained calm on the surface: "Thank you for your concern, Fifth Prince. They were just a few petty thieves. They have been dealt with and have not caused any major losses."

"Oh? That's good." Lou Yi turned his head and looked at Ye Xunyang with a meaningful look in his eyes.

"Although the capital is safe, there are bound to be petty thieves around at the end of the year. Third sister-in-law and third brother should still be extra careful."

He paused, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of concern.

"Especially... Third Brother is currently recuperating. If there is anything you need help with in the manor, or if you encounter any difficulties, please feel free to come to me. After all, we are brothers and should look after each other."

Ye Xunyang met his gaze, a perfectly timed grateful smile on her face: "Thank you for your kindness, Fifth Prince. Your Highness and I appreciate it. Everything is fine in the manor, and we dare not trouble Your Highness."

Lou Yi gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and then started talking about plum blossoms.

After the plum blossom viewing banquet ended, Ye Xunyang returned to the Jinwang Mansion and immediately told Lou Jin everything Lou Yi had said.

Lou Jin sneered after hearing this: "He first shows goodwill, then tests the waters, and finally extends an olive branch."

"Does he think something has happened to our household and we need to rely on him?" Ye Xunyang frowned.

"Perhaps he felt that after Lou Shang's framing, the Emperor might have some doubts about me, and since he was currently favored by the Emperor, he wanted to take the opportunity to win him over, or... annex the power of the Jinwang Mansion."

"His mention of the villa is telling us that he knows about it, and may even know more."

Ye Xunyang felt a chill: "So what do we do now?"

"Hold your positions and do nothing."

"Since he's taken the initiative to deliver the message, let's follow up and see what his next move will be."

Lou Jin pulled Ye Xunyang's hand and gently squeezed it: "You handled things very well today."

Ye Xunyang breathed a sigh of relief, but then became somewhat worried: "Your Highness, I always feel that the capital is like a huge whirlpool, and you could get sucked in if you're not careful."

Lou Jin pulled him into his arms, resting his chin on the top of his head, his voice deep and firm.

"Don't be afraid. With me here, no matter how big this whirlpool is, it won't drown you."

"Mmm." Ye Xunyang leaned against him, feeling that reassuring strength.

"Master, based on the clue of the southern accent, I have traced that the group of people may be from Black Wind Stronghold. They are used to doing things for money without asking why." Shan Lan's voice was particularly clear in the quiet study.

"Black Wind Stronghold?" Lou Jin repeated the name, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest.

"Is it possible to get in touch with them?"

"It's a bit difficult, but it's worth a try."

“They are elusive, but my men have found an intermediary who has had contact with them before.”

"Furthermore, regarding the brother-in-law of the steward in the Fourth Prince's residence, I discovered that he has been in close contact with a medicinal herb merchant from the southwest for the past six months. This medicinal herb merchant, ostensibly in the medicinal herb business, seems to still have connections with certain tribes in the southern border region."

“Southwest…Southern Xinjiang…” Lou Jin’s eyes darkened.

"Keep a close eye on that herbal medicine merchant."

"Find out who's behind him and whether they're connected to Lou Shang or Lou Yi."

"yes."

“My lord, there is one more thing. During my investigation, I vaguely sensed that there seems to be another force secretly monitoring the movements in the Southern Frontier. They are acting with extreme secrecy, and we are currently unable to determine their origins.”

Another force? Lou Jin frowned slightly.

The water in the pool was even muddier than he had expected.

"Continue the investigation, but be extremely careful."

After Shan Lan left, Ye Xunyang brought in a bowl of freshly brewed ginseng soup. Seeing Lou Jin's solemn expression, he asked with concern, "Your Highness, is there any news from Shan Lan? Is the situation very difficult?"

Lou Jin did not hide anything from him and briefly explained what Shan Lan had found out.

Ye Xunyang was shocked: "Could it be the same group of people who poisoned you three years ago?"

"They may not be from the same group, but they may very well have the same origins."

Lou Jin took the ginseng soup, but did not drink it.

"Some people probably don't want me to live, and they certainly don't want me to find out the truth about what happened back then."

"Your Highness, you are much better now. Once you are completely detoxified in the spring, let's see how arrogant they will be!"

Seeing Ye Xunyang's indignant expression, Lou Jin felt a little less gloomy. He pulled Ye Xunyang's hand and put the warm ginseng soup bowl back into his hand.

"The soup is a bit hot, could you blow on it for me?"

Ye Xunyang was stunned for a moment, then his ears turned slightly red. He still obediently picked up the bowl and carefully blew on it.

In the candlelight, his long, drooping eyelashes and focused expression were striking.

Although the clues had taken a direction, the lack of crucial evidence left them feeling like they were scratching an itch through a boot. Lou Jin decided to take a risky gamble.

"You're going to sneak into that herbal medicine merchant's place at night?" Ye Xunyang almost jumped up when he heard Lou Jin's plan.

"No! It's too dangerous! Your health has only just started to improve, what if..."

"It is precisely because they all thought I was seriously ill that they were not on guard," Lou Jin said calmly.

"The mountain mist will accompany us, but only to investigate; it will not force its way in."

“Then I’ll go too!” Ye Xunyang said immediately.

"No way." Lou Jin refused decisively.

"Your task is to stay in the manor and stabilize the situation. If anything unexpected happens, you will need to provide backup."

Ye Xunyang wanted to argue, but faced with Shang Loujin's unquestionable gaze, he had no choice but to swallow his words and mutter, "Then you must be careful and never be reckless."

A dark and windy night.

Lou Jin changed into a neat black night outfit. Although he hadn't personally carried out such missions for a long time, his skills hadn't become rusty.

He and Shanlan, like two shadows blending into the night, silently slipped into the herbal medicine merchant's secret warehouse in the capital.

The warehouse was piled high with various medicinal herbs, their smells mingling together.

The two bypassed the patrolling guards and headed straight for what appeared to be a study in the backyard.

Shan Lan skillfully pried open the lock, and the two slipped inside.

The study was simply furnished, with bookshelves mostly filled with account books and illustrated manuals of medicinal herbs.

Lou Jin's sharp gaze swept across the area, finally landing on a locked sandalwood box on the desk.

Shan Lan stepped forward, and in a short while, the latch opened.

The box contained not gold or silver, but some correspondence and several unusual ledgers.

Lou Jin quickly flipped through the letters. Although they used coded language, they were helpful in understanding the names and distribution of certain medicinal herbs in the ledger.

This is enough to prove that this herbal medicine merchant was not only providing rare medicinal herbs from southern Xinjiang to certain powerful figures, but also secretly providing funds and communication channels for some shady operations.

At the end of one of the letters, there was a blurry mark.

The mark was seven parts similar to the tribal totem on his brocade pouch!

In the tucked pages of an account book, he found a thin slip of paper with the code name "Mysterious Fox" written on it. The time was three days later, and the location was an abandoned mountain god temple on the outskirts of the capital.

"Mysterious Fox..." Lou Jin murmured the code name, already having a plan in mind.

Just as they were preparing to leave, a very faint strange noise suddenly came from outside the window!

Shan Lan instantly became alert, shielding Lou Jin behind her, her short sword already silently drawn.

Lou Jin held his breath, signaling Shan Lan to calm down. It seemed to be just a night owl passing by; it was a false alarm.

The two dared not linger, restored the items to their original state, and quickly left the warehouse.

It was already past midnight when they returned to the King Jin's mansion.

Ye Xunyang was still awake, anxiously waiting in the main courtyard. He only breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw Lou Jin return safely.

"How are you? Did you encounter any danger?" He stepped forward and pulled Lou Jin up and down, looking him over.

"It's nothing." Lou Jin took off his night clothes and told Ye Xunyang what he had discovered.

"Mountain God Temple? In three days?" Ye Xunyang frowned.

“Your Highness, although I can’t remember so many military strategies, I can tell at a glance that they deliberately lured you there.”

Lou Jin shook his head: "It might be a trap, but it could also be our only chance to catch them red-handed."

"Whoever he is, we must find him."

"Then I..."

"You stay in the manor," Lou Jin emphasized again. "This time, I will personally go and meet this Xuanhu."