After listening to Yi Junhao's detailed account of what had happened at Wanjiao Pavilion, Xuan Yuanhan was finally certain of all his guesses, yet he was also deeply puzzled. He murmured, "It seems that the only way to find Yun'er is to find Lanxiang first. But Lanxiang is a woman of the night, like a rootless duckweed. Where could she possibly have gone?"
Just as the two were lost in thought, a knock sounded on the door.
The one who walked in was Cheng Liang, Xuanyuan Han's deputy general, holding a confidential letter in his hand. "Your Highness, this is an urgent document that just arrived."
Cheng Liang solemnly handed the letter to Xuan Yuanhan, then withdrew and closed the door.
Xuan Yuanhan eagerly opened the secret letter as soon as he received it and began to examine it carefully. When he saw two portraits of men, he suddenly looked up and paused for a moment at Yi Junhao, who was deep in thought, before quickly shifting his gaze back to the resolute words beneath the portraits.
Just then, Yi Junhao hesitated for a moment, then stood up again, unable to sit still any longer. Xuan Yuanhan asked, "Where are you going?"
Yi Junhao seemed particularly anxious and somewhat displeased, and said to him bluntly, "Of course we should try to find Lanxiang and find the maid. Do you expect us to sit here leisurely with you, Prince Qin, reading letters and sipping tea?"
Yi Junhao was unaware that the reason Xuan Yuanhan had not taken any action these past few days was largely because he was waiting for the news that Cheng Liang had just sent in.
Although he already had a feeling that he was waiting for this news, seeing it with his own eyes and having it confirmed still surprised him quite a bit.
He waited for the letter in Yi Shangyun's room, also waiting for Young Master Yi to return so he could confront him about the message in the secret letter.
He seemed to have timed all of this perfectly.
All the words he had just exchanged with him were only the beginning. Today, he wanted to talk to him about much more than that.
At this point, Xuan Yuanhan stopped him, saying, "Wait a minute."
"Is there anything else?" Yi Junhao remained standing, ready to leave, looking down at him with a tone that seemed both impatient and reproachful, asking with a hint of doubt.
Seeing that he was already losing his temper because of Yi Shangyun, Xuan Yuanhan first coldly comforted him, saying, "There are many conspiracies hidden in Wanjiao Pavilion. If Lanxiang really had hostility towards Yun'er, she wouldn't have brought her out of Wanjiao Pavilion. So, with Lanxiang around, Yun'er will not be in danger for the time being. Today, I... want to talk to you about some other things."
Upon hearing this, Yi Junhao felt that what he said made some sense. Lanxiang did not seem like a particularly wicked person, and Wanjiao Pavilion, such a large and mixed place, must have a complicated background.
However, what does all of this have to do with him? Even the entire Lingkong Continent, apart from Yi Shangyun, is not something he cares about.
Seeing that Xuanyuan Han was suddenly so serious, he simply sat back down. He wanted to see what the King of Western Qin was up to.
However, his tone was still somewhat impatient as he urged, "Speak quickly, what is it?"
Seeing that he had finally calmed down, Xuan Yuanhan slowly put away the secret letter he had finished reading, and then suddenly stared into Yi Junhao's eyes with an extremely strange look.
For some reason, Yi Junhao felt extremely uncomfortable upon seeing this, as if he had done something wrong and been exposed. He unconsciously looked around and avoided eye contact.
A moment later, Xuan Yuanhan suddenly snorted coldly and withdrew his scrutinizing gaze. He then personally poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Yi Junhao, holding it up to him. Unexpectedly, he looked into Yi Junhao's eyes and said very politely, "By the way, I should address you as... Crown Prince of Nan'an, shouldn't I?"
Xuan Yuanhan spent a long time investigating the background of Yi Junhao, the master of Baicao Valley and Baicao Hall, but only found out that he was not from Xiqin Kingdom, but from Nan'an. There was no further progress. Helpless, he had no choice but to hand the matter over to Lu Xian of Xiqin Academy. Unexpectedly, Lu Xian actually found out the truth.
The secret letter just now said that Lu Xian sent one of his students, who was very skilled in painting, to pretend to be a patient and visit Baicaotang multiple times to treat patients. During this time, he took the opportunity to remember Yi Junhao's appearance and then painted a very realistic portrait of him back at Xiqin Academy.
Considering that Yi Junhao possessed such power to wield influence in the medical world of Xiqin, he must also be wealthy and powerful in Nan'an. Therefore, he sent the student who painted the portrait to Nan'an in person, aiming to get close to some nobles and find out his identity.
As the saying goes, "Heaven helps those who help themselves." When the student was invited to paint for the concubines in the Nan'an Imperial Palace by the recommendation of a noble lady, he inadvertently encountered the former maid who had served the Crown Prince of Nan'an.
The maid accidentally picked up the portrait of Young Master Yi that the student had hidden on him. At first, she thought the student had stolen the portrait of their Crown Prince. It wasn't until the maid took out a collection of portraits of the Crown Prince of Nan'an painted by the palace painters every year on his birthday, in front of everyone, and counted them, that she realized she had made a mistake.
Later, the student falsely claimed that he greatly admired the national teacher's painting style, and that the person in the portrait looked exactly like the Medicine Bodhisattva he had seen in his dream. He said that his previous painting was simply too clumsy, which caused everyone to burst into laughter. He then persuaded everyone to make a copy of the portrait of the crown prince in his last year and bring it back to Western Qin.
Just as he was saying goodbye, the maidservant privately told him that the Crown Prince had been arguing with the King, apparently because of a wet nurse from his childhood. He had left the royal family of Nan'an Kingdom many years ago and was also named Yi Junhao. She also learned that the Crown Prince of Nan'an was naturally skilled in medicine and had a little-known red birthmark behind his ear.
Upon hearing this, Yi Junhao was greatly surprised. He immediately raised his head and stared into his eyes for a long time before saying, "Crown Prince of Nan'an? What do you mean? I don't understand." However, his voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, and his eyes darted around uncertainly.
Xuan Yuanhan chuckled and said leisurely, "It is said that the incomparably noble Crown Prince of Nan'an Kingdom is naturally skilled in medicine, and also has a little-known red birthmark behind his ear. What, still unwilling to admit it? Don't you need me to personally verify your true identity?!"
Only then did Yi Junhao abandon his pretense and whisper, "How...how did you know my identity as the Crown Prince?"
Xuanyuan Han said sternly, "Hmph, as long as it's something I want to know, I have my own way of finding out."
For some reason, Yi Junhao suddenly felt like a hedgehog, as if all the protective armor on his body had been pulled out one by one, and all the wounds covering his body were suddenly exposed.
After a long pause, he pleaded with a somber expression, "Could you please not tell the girl about this? I, the Crown Prince, do not want her to know my true identity."
However, Xuan Yuanhan deliberately tested him, saying, "Are you sure you don't want her to know your identity? Perhaps if Yun'er knew your identity as the Crown Prince, she would be moved by you?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Junhao shook his head, snorted coldly, and laughed, "This Crown Prince actually hopes that the girl is the kind of vain woman. If she is, this Crown Prince would rather fight for the entire Lingkong Continent for her, so that she can be incomparably noble in this world, and no one can match her."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan's expression suddenly turned extremely cold and fierce. He glared at him and said, "Young Master Yi, you have been lurking in my Western Qin for many years. What exactly is your purpose?"
Yi Junhao scoffed at this, "Hmph, I wonder if His Highness Prince Qin wants to hear the truth or a lie?"
Xuanyuan Han slightly rolled his eyelids, quickly looked away, and then his face showed anger. He ignored him.
Yi Junhao glanced at him indifferently, then stood up and walked to the side, gazing ahead as he said softly, "That's right, the struggle for supremacy among the four kingdoms of Lingkong is intensifying. Each kingdom is teeming with spies, and danger lurks everywhere. My father did indeed want me to spy on the situation in Western Qin..."
Before they could finish speaking, their eyes met, each flashing a hint of hostility.
After a long pause, Yi Junhao continued, "Unfortunately... I, the Crown Prince, have ultimately disappointed him. Xuan Yuanhan, I have no interest in the various conflicts and disputes of the Lingkong Continent."
However, Xuanyuan Han scoffed dismissively, "Hmph, not interested... Could it be that you, the crown prince of a nation, have traveled thousands of miles just to plant these flowers and plants on my Western Qin land?"
Yi Junhao said, "This is the original purpose of my coming to Western Qin."
Finally, he heard those words, and Xuanyuan Han hurriedly asked, "What is it?"
Yi Junhao looked into his eyes and suddenly said seriously, "Xuanyuan Han, have you ever heard of the legend that there is an extremely mysterious and powerful force in your Western Qin Kingdom, and whoever obtains this force will rule the world? Do you know... what exactly this force is?"
"Could it be that you, too, have heard these baseless rumors and come here to seize this power?" Xuan Yuanhan asked in surprise.
Yi Junhao hurriedly explained, "No, as I said, I have no interest in the conflicts and disputes of the Lingkong Continent, so you don't need to worry that I have any designs on your Western Qin or the world. I am merely curious and have never thought of vying for or even possessing this power."
"I hope you remember everything you said today. If one day I find out that you were just saying one thing and meaning another, I will not be lenient with you." Xuan Yuanhan warned him with some doubt. After all, this Third Young Master Yi hadn't really done anything too outrageous so far, except that he, like him, had a persistent and strange feeling for Yi Shangyun.
"You can rest assured, as I just said, that was merely my initial purpose in coming to Western Qin. But now, none of that matters anymore. For me, the most important thing for the rest of my life..." Yi Junhao looked at Xuan Yuanhan, hesitating to speak.
After a moment's thought, Yi Junhao gasped and asked, "Is this what you wanted to discuss with me, the Crown Prince?"
Xuanyuan Han also came to his senses at this moment, and asked in a cold voice, "I ask you, do you know who the real master of Wanjiao Pavilion is?"
"Who cares who he is? This Crown Prince has no interest," Yi Junhao said with a faint smile.
Upon hearing Yi Junhao's words, Xuanyuan Han laughed incredulously, "Oh, did I hear that right? The dashing and unrestrained Third Young Master Yi actually remained unmoved by the First Fragrance Pavilion of Western Qin. This is truly unheard of."
However, Yi Junhao didn't care what he was saying at all. He was only anxious to leave this place and find his girl's whereabouts. "What exactly do you want to say? If it's just this nonsense, then forget it. This crown prince is very busy and doesn't have time to spend here with you..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was stunned by a sentence from Xuan Yuanhan. Xuan Yuanhan said, "The true master of Wanjiao Pavilion is the eldest prince of Beilie, Tuoba Ze. If you think about it carefully, he has been hiding in my Western Qin for at least two years."
Upon hearing this, Yi Junhao was stunned and exclaimed in surprise, "What?"
But then he burst into laughter: Hahahaha...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com