After a long silence, Hua Mancheng suddenly said, "Let me into the palace, I'll help you!"
Feng Jin immediately covered her mouth, looking at Hua Mancheng in astonishment, but she didn't respond for a long time. These words were too shocking to her.
"Look, with my skills, I should have no problem being a royal bodyguard, right?" Hua Mancheng smiled calmly, raising his long eyebrows and starry eyes slightly, his face full of doting affection.
"But……"
With just a flicker of her gaze, Hua Mancheng knew what she was worried about. He knelt on one knee, his eyes unwavering, and immediately cut her off before she could speak: "Princess Jing, I am but a military man. In my youthful arrogance, I offended many people I shouldn't have. If it weren't for the Prince's protection, I would have been dead long ago. If entering the palace this time can help the Prince protect you, then it will be a worthwhile reward for our friendship."
Feng Jin looked at him anxiously, at a loss for what to do. She didn't know whether she should agree to his request. After all, the palace was a dangerous place, and she herself was already in danger. The outcome was uncertain. Should she drag him into it now?
But the combined strength of two people is much better than her being all alone in the palace. Since things have come to this, she might as well fight against fate one last time.
“Okay, let’s work together and get through this together.” Feng Jin nodded with a smile, her eyes full of expectation.
This time, she not only wanted to escape unscathed from Mu Qiye's clutches, but also had another idea in mind.
Entering the palace directly through a city gate with a golden roof and red gate, Feng Jin walked on the white jade ground and walked to the end of a straight road, where a magnificent palace came into view—the Jinhua Palace.
On either side of the stone steps of Jinhua Hall stands a tall, straight pillar, its surface carved with lifelike dragon patterns, facing the phoenix on the palace.
Feng Jin was dressed in a black palace robe, as mysterious and unpredictable as the dark night. The long train of her robe spread out on the white stone steps. With each step she entered the hall, she looked at the man on the golden dragon throne and curtsied: "Your Majesty, I kowtow and wish you good health."
"Princess Consort Jing, please rise." Mu Qiye strode forward, personally supporting Feng Jin's shoulders, and said, "Yesterday I was ill, and my words and actions were somewhat abrupt. I hope you will not take offense."
After the last incident, Mu Qiye has clearly become more restrained, always being very polite to her and maintaining a distant demeanor.
Feng Jin raised her eyes and looked directly at Mu Qiye, smiling slightly: "Your Majesty's words are too kind to me. My duty is to serve Your Majesty well."
Knowing her purpose in entering the palace, she did not want to delay, so she simply went straight to the point and said to Mu Qiye, "As a weak woman, it is inconvenient for me to walk alone in the palace. Therefore, I would like to bring a friend with good skills with me as my assistant. I hope Your Majesty will grant me permission."
Upon hearing this, Mu Qiye replied without hesitation, "Of course, you can make the arrangements yourself."
As a female attendant, having guards by her side was not a big deal. In addition, considering the overstepping he had done to Feng Jin before, he would not refuse even out of guilt.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness." After performing the kneeling ceremony, she went back to inform Hua Mancheng about entering the palace.
What happened next was just as she had imagined. Because Hua Mancheng was always protecting her, she had a smooth and successful period of time.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few, and all the scenes in the deep palace were clearly visible. After being escorted to the side gate by Hua Mancheng, Feng Jin saw that no one was around and went straight into the Imperial Clan Court.
The officials recognized her at a glance as a female attendant to the emperor. They bowed respectfully and opened the door to let her in.
As they approached the door, Feng Jin turned around and said to the others, "I have some cases that I need to investigate secretly. You may all leave now."
Once everyone had left the gate of the Imperial Clan Court, she immediately closed the door and strode inside. Looking around, the first thing that caught her eye was the rows of booklets displayed on the shelves.
She carefully flipped through the pages of the book, each and every one of the cases being typical examples of corrupt officials, but the information she wanted to know was nowhere to be found.
In the blink of an eye, she had almost seen half of all the books on the shelf. Frantically flipping through the pages, she wiped away cold sweat. This wouldn't do; she had to go even faster. Perhaps after today, she would never have another chance…
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly bumped the book on the side to the ground with her arm, and with a "thud," a jade pendant with an intricately carved lotus pattern also fell to the ground at the same time.
The jade pendant has a rich luster, and the carving is so exquisite that it is not something that ordinary people would wear. Rather than a jade pendant, it looks more like a token of a certain sect.
Feng Jin glanced at the few hastily written words on the roster and instantly became certain that this matter was not simple. In particular, the three words "Qian Yuan Palace" were even more eye-catching. She inexplicably felt that as long as the location of this so-called Qian Yuan Palace was found out, many secrets would be revealed.
Thinking of this, Feng Jin put the jade pendant back in its original place and hurriedly left the Imperial Clan Court.
Once outside the palace gates, she saw Hua Mancheng still waiting for her in the shadows. They exchanged a silent glance, and then went to a secluded and deserted place. Before he could ask any questions, Feng Jin whispered in his ear what she had just discovered.
Listening to Feng Jin's account, Hua Mancheng suddenly turned pale with shock: "You mean... this Qian Yuan Palace might be involved in a royal war?"
She immediately nodded and said, "That's right. If this mysterious organization is involved in murder cases, that's understandable. But the crimes they are suspected of are all related to corruption and bribery plotted with the imperial court and other countries."
"Imagine if the person in charge behind this Thousand Kite Palace is someone from the imperial court, then... who is the most suspicious?" Hua Mancheng understood the implication of the words, chuckled, and exchanged a meaningful glance with Feng Jin, their minds in sync.
As dawn broke, a few lingering stars still hung in the pale blue sky, casting a hazy glow on the ground, as if a layer of silvery-gray gauze had been draped over the world.
In a secluded valley surrounded by rolling mountains, Feng Jin and Hua Mancheng each rode a white horse, galloping wildly along the way. As they urged their horses on and waved their sleeves, a carriage could be seen leisurely traveling ahead.
They hurried over and stopped the carriage. Upon closer inspection, they saw that the carriage's owner was a beautiful young woman. Her demeanor was exceptionally clever, and she seemed to be a true江湖儿女 (jianghu child, a person of the martial arts world).
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