Chapter 14 Chapter 14 What? Are you still reluctant? ...
Nie Xiangyi didn't wait for Wang Wulang's invitation again, but instead received the news that the ghost market was inexplicably raided.
"Girl! Something bad has happened, girl!" Ri Hanxu ran into the yard panting, looking panicked.
"I heard that the Ghost Market in the north of the city was thoroughly raided by the Divine Strategy Guards last night. It was Master Ling Zhu who personally led the troops there."
It was a warm spring day, and Nie Xiangyi was holding a cup of eight-treasure tea and basking in the sun in the yard.
She was just wondering what kind of food Xie Zhi liked, and was shocked when she heard this. "What? Divine Strategy Guards?"
Her eyes widened. "Aren't the street vendors in the capital always under the supervision of the Five Cities Military Commission? How did the Divine Strategy Guards get disturbed?"
"I heard...it seems to be related to the Prince of Jin's rebellion..." Han Xu thought for a moment and recounted everything she had heard. "Didn't the Divine Strategy Division arrest quite a few rebels in Goulan a while ago? They allegedly confessed to reselling the Prince of Jin's old belongings in the Ghost Market to fund their rebellion."
Nie Xiangyi nodded in understanding. If it involved the Prince of Jin's rebellion, it would not be surprising for the Divine Strategy Division to step in.
You have to know that back then, the battle between Prince Jin and the Current Saint for the throne almost came to a head. Then, when the Current Saint ascended the throne, he purged the remaining followers of Prince Jin from the court, causing everyone in the court to feel insecure whenever the name of Prince Jin was mentioned.
The great purges of that year were all carried out by the Shen Ce Si.
Speaking of which, the previous commander of the Divine Strategy Department was Nie Xiangyi's uncle.
Nie Xiangyi shook her head regretfully. It was such a pity for the ghost market. She had just started to enjoy it, but it was gone just like that.
"What a pity."
"Young lady, please don't be so sorry!" Han Xu said hurriedly. "According to the traitor's confession, he sold an agate cup, which was a gift from the King of Jin in the past!"
Nie Xiangyi's hand holding the teacup froze, "W-what?"
She suddenly remembered the sardonyx cup she had bought at the ghost market the other day. Her cat-like eyes, startled, suddenly widened like bells. She hesitated and said, "It can't be such a coincidence!"
"Lord Lingzhu is sending the Divine Strategy Division to conduct a thorough investigation!" Hanxu said hurriedly, her expression already showing a sense of panic. "They only say that the agate cup was sold to a young girl!"
Nie Xiangyi was completely panicked now.
No matter how I looked at it, I felt that the agate cup was the one I bought.
This matter could have been a big deal or a small one. To be frank, she was completely unaware of it.
But the matter happened to involve the Prince of Jin, whom the current emperor feared the most. If people really knew that she had bought the rebels' things and was accused of being an accomplice of the rebels, not only would it harm herself, but it would also implicate her grandfather.
She couldn't help pacing back and forth, feeling both panicked and angry.
"What should we do? Even though we can't recognize him because he's wearing a veil, the Divine Strategy Division has many tricks up their sleeves!"
"What a coincidence! I just happened to be there! I was just buying some toys!"
Hanxu poked her head out and asked, "How about I quietly throw it out before dark?"
Nie Xiangyi's fair little face wrinkled up, "Do you think the patrol dogs of the Shen Ce Division eat for free?..."
After much thought, Nie Xiangyi still couldn't come up with a proper way to deal with the agate cup. As a result, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep until late at night.
After finally falling asleep, she dreamed that she was being tortured in the Shen Ce Division.
In the dream, Xie Zhi was still cold and indifferent, sitting high above the temple, coldly ordering the Shen Ce Guards to beat her with a stick.
As soon as the board fell, she was so scared that she broke out in a cold sweat and woke up on the spot.
When she woke up, her eyes were bright in the darkness, and she said firmly: "I will go find His Highness!"
Han Xu, who was originally dazed, thought she was just confused from sleep when she heard this, "Young lady, you are walking into a trap!"
"Rather than letting the Divine Strategy Guards come to my door and leave me speechless, why not go find His Highness and have a clear discussion first!"
Hanxu thought what she said made sense and was about to coax her back to sleep, planning to confess to the Third Prince tomorrow. However, she suddenly jumped out of bed and changed her clothes.
"It's already the end of the midnight hour! It's getting late, why don't you go tomorrow?"
"You're stupid!"
Nie Xiangyi casually tied her hair into a bun while saying seriously, "If I go there during the day, wouldn't I be caught red-handed? What's more, what if people start to talk about the Third Prince shielding the rebels?"
As she spoke, she muttered, "I can't make it to tomorrow night! I'm terrified if this thing stays in my house for even a second longer! How can I sleep?"
"But it's already late at night..."
"Nothing, perhaps His Highness just returned from duty."
Nie Xiangyi carefully wrapped the agate cup in three layers of black cloth, put it in his sleeve and tied it tightly, then took advantage of the moonlight and sneaked out.
As she expected, Xie Zhi had not rested yet.
The figure beneath the window was as handsome as a bamboo, his eyelashes slightly drooping. He seemed to have heard her turn over and enter the courtyard, and then he raised his head.
Nie Xiangyi was already feeling guilty, and when she suddenly met his dark eyes, she didn't know how to start.
She put on a dry smile and stammered in a fake greeting, "Your Highness...it's so late and you haven't rested yet..."
Perhaps she was already familiar with the route over the courtyard wall, so Xie Zhi wasn't surprised by her arrival. He simply asked, "What's the matter?"
Nie Xiangyi felt that those deep eyes could almost see through her.
She looked around furtively, but seeing no one around, she still felt uneasy. She could only turn to look at Xie Zhi and said, "Your Highness, this is a serious matter. Let me go in and talk."
Seeing that Xie Zhi didn't respond, she clasped her hands together, frowned slightly, and looked pitiful as if she was begging, "Please, Your Highness! This is really a matter of great importance!"
Her hair was already loose, with tiny strands of hair fluttering across her forehead, looking fluffy and cute.
Xie Zhiyu paused for a moment, then frowned. She was used to acting like a spoiled brat like this.
He seemed to have lost his temper. "Whatever. It's up to you."
Nie Xiangyi was delighted when she heard this, and she wanted to climb in through the window like she did last time. However, as soon as she put her head in, a big hand pressed against her forehead.
His fingertips still carried the coolness of the late night, and when they touched her forehead, she couldn't help but tremble slightly.
She looked in the direction of Xie Zhibaiyu's fingertips and blinked in confusion, "Your Highness?"
Didn't she already get allowed into the house?
Xie Zhi scolded her with an unhappy look, "Go through the main entrance!"
"Oh..." Nie Xiangyi obediently went around to the main entrance.
What was strange was that there was no one guarding outside Xie Zhi's door today, even Lord Ling Zhu was not there, and the surroundings were very quiet.
She gently pushed the door open, entered the room, and then quietly closed the door. She also leaned her head to look around, as if she was afraid of making any noise that would attract attention from others.
It seemed like he was here to do something else. Xie Zhi couldn't help but frown.
Nie Xiangyi walked towards him in small steps, hesitant for a long time, not knowing how to start.
She simply pulled out the black cloth package from her sleeve, peeled it off layer by layer, and carefully handed it to Xie Zhi, "Your Highness, this..."
As she spoke, she squinted her eyes and secretly looked at the expression on Xie Zhi's face.
Xie Zhi felt her stealthy gaze, and as soon as their eyes met, she hurriedly looked away, her pair of bright black pupils rolling around randomly.
His guilty conscience was almost written all over his face.
The corners of his lips unconsciously raised a tiny arc, then quickly pursed his lips and asked, "Where did you get this?"
Seeing that he didn't seem surprised by the appearance of the agate cup, Nie Xiangyi could only lower her head and answer him honestly, "I bought it at the ghost market in the north of the city."
As he spoke, he began to mutter to himself, "I was just trying something new. This agate cup looks exquisite. Who knew its origins were so horrifying..."
As if she was afraid Xie Zhi wouldn't believe her, she raised her head and looked at him intently, then placed her finger on her cheek. "I swear to God! I didn't know it had anything to do with the rebels! Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to buy it even if I had a hundred guts!"
Those round eyes were wide open, looking at Xie Zhiman with obedience and sincerity.
Seeing that Xie Zhi remained silent, her eyes flickered and her brows drooped in a pitiful manner, "Your Highness, it really has nothing to do with me..."
Xie Zhi glanced at her and asked coldly, "Who took you to the ghost market?"
Seeing him ask this, Nie Xiangyi was about to answer Wang Wulang's name, but was afraid that he would misunderstand that Wang Wulang was also a traitor.
Wang Wulang had good intentions in this matter. If he were to be involved, it would only bring disaster to innocent people.
She shook her head righteously, "No one is traveling with me, I'm alone..."
Xie Zhi's expression seemed to suddenly turn cold.
"lie."
His voice was neither light nor heavy, like jade sinking into a cold spring. However, his brows were lowered, and the look he gave Nie Xiangyi was already scrutinizing, giving off a strong sense of oppression.
When Nie Xiangyi was swept by his gaze, she felt as if she was already on trial in the Shen Ce Division. She couldn't help but shudder all over, lowering her head, and wishing she could curl up into a ball.
After a long while, she mumbled in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "Wang Wulang took me there..."
She was still afraid that Xie Zhi would misunderstand Wang Wulang as a traitor, so she hurriedly added, "But I bought the agate cup myself, it has nothing to do with him!"
Xie Zhi's voice was still calm and cold, with an inexplicable sense of alienation, "Why did he take you to the ghost market?"
Nie Xiangyi no longer dared to lie and answered in a serious tone, "He saw that I was in a bad mood, so he said he would take me to find some fun."
In a bad mood? He frowned as he watched Nie Xiangyi's cowering expression with her head lowered. Was this why she hadn't come looking for him a few days ago?
How come Wang Wulang knew that she was in a bad mood?
"You two are quite familiar with each other."
Xie Zhi snorted for no reason, "Then why did you come to see me again?"
Nie Xiangyi choked, feeling that he was asking a question even though he knew the answer.
The agate cup was right in front of him. She couldn't be here to offer him a treasure!
She rubbed the corner of her clothes with a pout, her voice soft and unconvincing, "I wanted His Highness to believe me... I didn't know anything about it."
She looked so dejected, like a wronged kitten facing abandonment, and even her expression became uneasy.
She is always like this.
Xie Zhi's gaze fixed on her for a moment, almost doubting whether the people sent by the prince were so stupid and almost naive?
He sighed helplessly and said, "Forget it, go back."
Seeing his ambiguous attitude, Nie Xiangyi hesitated and asked him tentatively, "What about this agate cup?"
"Why? Are you still reluctant?"
"No, no!" Nie Xiangyi quickly waved his hands in denial.
Turning around, she realized that he was willing to help her. Her eyes lit up instantly, sparkling under the candlelight in the night.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" She seemed to have taken a reassurance pill, and the smile on her face was sincere and bright. "I knew Your Highness was very perceptive! You will definitely believe me!"
She looked so cheerful that it almost made people feel that she was going to spin around in circles in the next second.
Xie Zhi's jaw tightened slightly, "If you get any louder, you'll attract the Divine Strategy Guards."
After hearing this, she quickly covered her mouth, but the joy still couldn't be concealed from her eyes.
She was about to leave when she seemed to remember something.
Xie Zhi heard her calling him in a breathy voice, "Your Highness!"
He looked up and saw her round eyes, bright and cheerful, like stars.
Her voice was as light as a spring cloud. "What kind of food would you like, Your Highness? I'll bring it to you tomorrow!"
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Xiao Xie: Guess who ordered the closure (smile)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
