Sending off
I took Chef Deng to the Imperial Guard. I didn't open the door to the coroner's office because I used a secret method to preserve it. Chef Deng's son's body and soul returned together. I had his consciousness preserved, so Chef Deng should still be able to hear his son saying goodbye to him...
Inside, rustling sounds mixed with sobs told tales of longing and farewell that ordinary people could not hear... I waited outside the door for almost two hours before Chef Deng finally came out.
He had a smile on his face, and his son's spirit came with him to bow to me: "Thank you, Xu girl," "Thank you, benefactor."
I waved to them: "That's all I can do..."
Chef Deng came over and patted me on the shoulder: "Thank you, Xu Yi, thank you for being willing to tell me honestly."
“I did consider lying to you…” I pursed my lips. “I also wondered if you would be happier with my lie that your son is still alive… In the end, I still felt that the choice should be yours, not mine…”
"Thank you for your kind offer. I'd like to take my son's spirit on a trip. Is that alright?"
I was very much about to nod, but then I said, "No, Chef Deng, your son's soul has traveled a long way from the border back to the capital, and he's already at his last gasp. I must send him to reincarnation as soon as possible, lest he dissipate or have no chance of being reborn..."
Chef Deng's lips parted slightly, and he lowered his head, somewhat unable to accept it. After a long while, he looked up again and said, "Okay, Miss Xu, I'll listen to you."
I then used the spirit stone I carried with me to carefully collect his son's soul. "Chef Deng, I need to go to the Imperial Observatory to send him to reincarnation. You..."
“I’ll go with you.” Chef Deng nodded.
“Okay,” I nodded, then took Chef Deng to the Imperial Observatory. The ritual formation for the deceased had already been set up in the courtyard of the Imperial Observatory. His son took one last look at Chef Deng before nodding to me and stepping into the formation…
As the array's light shone, his son's soul gradually departed, and Chef Deng simply watched this scene with a calm smile...
Once the formation had calmed down, Chef Deng finally couldn't hold back any longer and knelt down, weeping bitterly: "Son...son..."
I waved for everyone to leave, and patted Chef Deng on the back to comfort him: "He'll be alright, and you should be alright too."
“Okay,” Chef Deng nodded, his voice choked with emotion, “Thank you… Miss Xu.”
After I properly saw Chef Deng off, I turned around and glanced at Ah Shi, who had been following me the whole time.
If it is truly necessary to depose the crown prince, only Ah Shi is the right age among all the royal family members... However, Ah Shi has already entered the Imperial Observatory and has already taken one foot on the path of cultivation. Should we let him step back into the abyss of power?
Ah Shi felt uneasy under my gaze and shrank back, saying, "Auntie, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong?"
“It’s nothing,” I frowned. “I’m going to the Imperial Observatory to ask Mu Li about something, so you don’t need to come with me.”
"Okay, Auntie, take your time. Remember to call me if you need anything."
What could I possibly want with Mu Li? I nodded dismissively, "Okay, I got it."
When I returned to the Imperial Observatory, I asked around and learned that Mu Li was in his room. Remembering the awkwardness of my sudden intrusion last time, I knocked very politely this time: "Mu Li?"
A moment later, the door in front of me opened, and Mu Li, still wearing the undershirt without armor, looked somewhat anxious: "What's wrong, Xu Yi? Has something happened?"
"No," why does this guy always wear only his undershirt? "I just wanted to ask you, have you been to the Crown Prince's place?"
"The Crown Prince?" Mu Li shook his head: "There's been no reply. I've heard that the Crown Prince has been keeping a low profile lately and hasn't been receiving many guests... Perhaps I'm not important enough!"
What should I do? The Crown Prince refuses to see me, and I can't even find out from the side. Do I really have to make up some lie to get into the Crown Prince's residence?
I'm having a bit of a headache. I absolutely have to see the Crown Prince, but it's best if it's not me who sees him. After all, I'm far too similar to the ghost; if he really is the Third Prince who died young, it will definitely attract his attention… Or maybe I should send Ah Shi? I need to find a reason for Ah Shi to get a visit to the Crown Prince…
As I was deep in thought, I heard Mu Li call out to me: "Xu Yi?"
"Huh?" I snapped out of my daze and realized that I had somehow ended up sitting in Mu Li's room, holding a cup of tea and about to put it in my mouth. Luckily, I hadn't put it in yet. I calmly put the teacup down and said, "Okay, I'll think of another way. Thank you."
After I finished speaking, I stood up and was about to go back to find Ah Shi when Mu Li stopped me. He stretched out his arm and stood in front of me, and I had to look up to see his face.
He smiled broadly: "Xu Yi, you asked me to help you, and although I didn't do a good job, you should still thank me for my good intentions!"
"Huh?" Didn't I just thank him? It seems he doesn't want a simple 'thank you'. "Then what do you want?"
"Have dinner with me, as a way of thanking you."
But I can't eat that much either!
"You still have to come with me." His tone was very firm: "Wait for me, I'll change my clothes."
"Oh," I nodded, and started to walk outside, but halfway there I realized something was wrong. Why change clothes just to eat? Wasn't this supposed to be the Imperial Guard's meal? I turned back, intending to ask him.
Behind the screen, the man's clothes were half off, revealing his right shoulder. Light streamed through the side window, illuminating his bare shoulder with a faint yellow glow. His entire upper body was bathed in the setting sun, highlighting his taut muscles and exuding an inexplicably alluring aura...
I quickly turned around, marveling at how fast this person took off their clothes, and hurried outside...
Honestly, they're not ashamed at all...
As soon as I opened the door, I saw a soldier standing outside. He looked very surprised when he saw me: "Miss, what brings you here?"
"I'm just passing by." I quickly stepped out of the house.
Muli said, "Come in."
Then the soldier went in to report something, and when he came out, there was a malicious smile hidden in his eyes as he looked at me...
What does that mean? Did this kid misunderstand something?
When I turned around and saw Muli coming out of the house, I realized why the soldier had looked at me like that.
Muli wore a light blue, wide-sleeved robe, covered with a deep blue gauze, and a matching belt around her waist, from which hung a string of white jade ornaments, making her look both beautiful and formal.
"Why are you dressed so formally?"
"When dining outside the palace, one should still prepare oneself a little."
"Leaving the palace?"
“Yes,” he nodded, “Come with me to eat outside the palace.”
I really wanted to refuse, but I felt I should thank people for helping me so many times, so I didn't say much.
It wasn't until I got into Mu Li's carriage that I realized something was wrong. This guy usually rides a horse when he enters the palace, but today he specially drove a carriage.
Muli poured me a cup of tea: "Drink up, it's a recipe I got from Chef Deng."
Chef Deng? My eyes lit up, and I took a sip. Sure enough, it turned into a burst of energy as soon as it entered my mouth. However, it was not as good as Chef Deng's cooking; it wasn't as pure, but it was sweeter.
"It's delicious." I nodded and exclaimed, "That's great, now I won't have to worry about not having tea anymore."
Muli opened her mouth slightly, tilted her head slightly, and looked at me: "I haven't learned how to cook yet, but I will as soon as possible."
"You learned this? You became Chef Deng's apprentice?"
“No,” Muli shook his head: “I only learned some methods of making tea and cooking, but I did not have a master.”
"Even without becoming Chef Deng's apprentice, he's still willing to help you?" I clicked my tongue twice and took another sip of tea. "Chef Deng is such a kind person!"
"Maybe it's because...he knows I made this for you!"
"Yes, yes," I nodded, "Learning another skill might come in very handy in the future!"
Mu Li's eyes darkened, and after a long while, she sighed before looking up again: "Yes, it's always good to learn more."
I drank cup after cup of tea in the carriage, and before we even reached the restaurant, the whole pot of tea was gone. I couldn't help but exclaim, "How wonderful! Now we have another place to drink tea. Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Mu Li shook his head, then dismounted first and reached out to pull me down from the carriage. When did I ever need someone to help me get off the carriage? I was about to walk around that hand when it grabbed my wrist and pulled me down from the carriage.
I shook it, and the hand holding mine swayed gently twice in response to my movement before settling back down and remaining in my grasp.
I felt something was wrong, so I checked myself to see what was wrong with it.
Yes, there was nothing wrong with it, so I didn't pay any more attention to it.
When we got to the second floor and sat down by the window, the table was already set with food. I propped my head up and looked at the delicious dishes in front of me, shaking my head repeatedly: "It's a pity we can't eat it all!"
Kuri had a good appetite and ate quite a bit.
As I was idly watching him cook, he stopped eating, said, "We're here," and pulled me to the window.
Because the restaurant's windows were small and covered with bamboo blinds, it didn't obstruct the view outside. So, we could see the entire scenery outside from the window, but people downstairs couldn't see us through the bamboo blinds. I spotted a very discreet carriage approaching on the street, and Muli stood next to me and said, "That's the Crown Prince's carriage."
Once the carriage came to a stop on the opposite side of the street, a person wearing a cloak stepped out from the back of the carriage.
The man was completely wrapped in a cloak, but I could immediately see that the cloak was covered with a thick layer of black, which exuded a menacing aura.
"Is that... the Crown Prince?"
"Hmm," Mu Li's voice came softly to my ear, "I found out that the Crown Prince secretly met with the General today in the elegant pavilion across the street, so I brought you here."
Seeing that I didn't react for a while, Muli asked again, "Is there anything wrong?"
“Yes,” I said, having given up hope, “there is something very wrong. The thick, dark aura around him indicates that his mind has been corrupted by it.”
I was still clinging to a sliver of hope that I wasn't so unlucky, but now that I've seen the real person, that last bit of hope has completely vanished...
What a terrible thing...
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