Chapter 61 He Suddenly Guessed My Thoughts

“Of course not,” Jiang Zhi said coldly. “I cannot refuse the Empress’s decree, so I have no choice but to attend the banquet. There are too many royal rules, which are not suitable for me.”

Xie Qi felt as if he had heard celestial music, and his previously dejected and listless spirit immediately lifted. "That's good."

He still has a chance.

Jiang Zhi had no time to find out what he was celebrating; all she could think about now was how to deal with the Earl Zhongqin's mansion.

"Could you please ask Prince Xie to investigate Yan Wenhong's usual preferences and places he frequents, and also find someone to keep an eye on his whereabouts?" she asked Xie Qi.

The best approach now is to start with Yan Wenhong.

Xie Qi naturally wouldn't refuse. "I have a file about Yan Wenhong in my residence. I'll have someone organize it and send it over tomorrow. As for his whereabouts, I'll have someone keep an eye on him and have him report to you daily."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Xie Qi then thought of something strange that had been bothering him since he entered. "I just tested the martial arts skills of these two guards. They are clearly not ordinary guards, but rather from the palace. Who sent them?"

Jiang Zhi had already prepared an excuse: "I asked Lord Lu for help."

It's that persistent Lu Yuan again. How come he's always around?

Xie Qi ground his back teeth. "You have plenty of guards at my residence. I'll send you ten tomorrow and let the two of them go back to Lu Yuan."

“No need,” Jiang Zhi refused, both amused and exasperated. “Your guards are all men, which would be inconvenient in my Chuntang Garden. Let’s just forget about it.”

Xie Qi thought about it and also felt that it was indeed inappropriate.

But I still can't swallow this anger.

Once he selects and trains a few female guards, he can have them follow Jiang Zhi every day so they won't have to go to Lu Yuan anymore!

*

The next morning, Xie Qi sent someone to deliver Yan Wenhong's dossier as promised.

Although Jiang Zhi entered the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion in her previous life, she mostly stayed in the backyard and rarely saw Yan Wenhong, and knew very little about him.

All she knew was that he was the commander of the Imperial Guards and spent most of his time in the palace serving the Third Prince. Everyone in the household was afraid of him; not only Yan Wenkang, but even Lady Zhongqin sometimes had to be mindful of her eldest son's mood.

The dossier Xie Qi provided was extremely detailed, recording everything clearly, from his likes and dislikes to his behavior and temperament.

It took Jiang Zhi most of an hour to carefully read through the document, and she gained a deeper understanding of Yan Wenhong.

He is highly skilled in martial arts, doesn't talk much, is cautious and ruthless, has no bad habits, and isn't interested in women. He seems to be an invincible person.

Jiang Zhi, however, felt that the more flawless a person seemed, the more likely they were to be hiding a secret.

She needs to plan carefully and find the right opportunity to strike decisively.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Eastern Palace.

Xiao Xuanyou put down his pen and had the eunuch send the memorial he had finished reviewing to the emperor for his review. He then picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at Xie Qi, who had been waiting for a long time.

"You've been so busy in the military camp that you haven't even had time to go home for dinner. How come you have time to come see me so early today?"

"Your Highness is so busy with state affairs, how do you even know about something as trivial as whether I need to have dinner?" Xie Qi touched the tip of his nose sheepishly.

"Speak, what do you want with me?" Xiao Xuanyou dismissed his attendants and asked him.

Although Xie Qi had been in a great hurry before arriving, he was no longer anxious when he was actually in front of Xiao Xuanyou. He simply asked him tentatively, "I just wanted to ask how the Crown Prince's selection went yesterday. Has he decided which family's daughter will be chosen?"

"I thought you had something important to discuss, but it turns out you just wanted to find out about this." Xiao Xuanyou looked up at him.

"It's because my mother kept worrying about it and insisted that I come and ask," Xie Qi said helplessly, spreading his hands as if he were powerless. "I had no choice."

He effortlessly shifted the blame onto his own mother.

Xiao Xuanyou smiled and made no attempt to hide anything. "Thank you for your trouble, Aunt. My mother and I have already discussed it and decided that it will be Li Jinyan, the second daughter of Prime Minister Li."

Xie Qi raised an eyebrow. "Does the Crown Prince mean that the Second Miss Li has also agreed to your plan?"

“As Li Jinyao’s younger sister, she agreed without much thought when she heard there was a chance to find the murderer and avenge her sister,” Xiao Xuanyou couldn’t help but sigh, his jade-like face showing reluctance. “On the other hand, Prime Minister Li opposed it from the beginning, but in the end he had no choice but to agree.”

The Li family had also suspected Li Jinyao's death, but they had never had any evidence.

The Li family hesitated when they heard about their plan last time, but they finally made a decision today.

The engagement was merely a desperate measure to lure the enemy out, which also put the second young lady of the Li family in danger, making her a target of attacks from those in the shadows.

Xie Qi looked at him with admiration and asked, "Have you decided on a concubine or a high-ranking concubine yet?"

Xiao Xuanyou chuckled, "It's enough to harm one of the Li family's second young ladies. We'll deal with the rest once the overall situation is settled."

The Empress Dowager did mention to him yesterday that if she really liked Miss Jiang, it wouldn't be impossible to bring her into the Eastern Palace as well.

But she refused.

Although he desperately wanted to keep Chanyi by his side, her death in his previous life was still vivid in his mind, becoming a thorn in his heart.

Putting aside the danger of her situation, the rank of Liangdi (a concubine rank) was not worthy of her.

Upon hearing this, Xie Qi's worries immediately vanished.

Since no concubine or concubine has been chosen, Jiang Zhi is safe.

Xiao Xuanyou sensed something was amiss. His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a barely perceptible ripple beneath them. "Could it be that your sweetheart was among the people who came to participate in the selection yesterday, which is why you're so nervous and concerned?"

Xie Qi was caught off guard by Xiao Xuanyou's sudden discovery of his thoughts. His expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and simply cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Xiao Xuanyou. "Your Highness, please don't tease me. If I truly had someone I loved, I would have already come to ask you to request His Majesty to grant me a marriage. Why would I have waited until now?"

“That’s true,” Xiao Xuanyou nodded. “After all, you are the brave and spirited General Xie. Which woman in the capital would be willing to refuse you?”

Xie Qi could only awkwardly smile and agree.

"Oh, right, there's something I need you to do for me."

Xiao Xuanyou pulled a topographical map from her desk and unfolded it. She pointed to a certain place with her slender finger and said, "Send people to search these places carefully. I suspect that the Earl of Zhongqin's mansion is secretly stationing troops here for my third brother."

Xie Qi was immediately startled.

The place Xiao Xuanyou pointed to was the western suburbs of Kyoto, which Jiang Zhi had asked him to investigate.

The two of them had never interacted before, so why would they both have this suspicion?

Could it be that the two of them...

After thinking about it, Xie Qi realized that he was overthinking things.

Jiang Zhi and the Crown Prince were not familiar with each other at all. Even if they knew each other, it was impossible for them to trust each other enough to discuss the matter of stationing troops after only a few meetings. This would be a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire clan and the confiscation of property.

It's probably just a coincidence.

Xie Qi immediately accepted the order with a serious expression.

It seems it's time to send more people over.