Chapter 51 The best 'fertile soil'
After the shock that day, Crown Prince Xiao Chen hadn't cried or made a fuss, but had become much calmer than before. He only occasionally had nightmares, dreaming of "black raindrops" falling from the sky and that hideous figure.
He was now deeply impressed by the "Sister Jiu" who yelled and hit the bad guys with a cloth bag in the chaos. In his little cognition, although this "Sister Jiu" looked silly, she seemed very powerful. She could see the "bad guys" that others could not see and could also beat them away.
"Mother, I want to go to the Imperial Master's Mansion to see Sister Jiu." That day, Xiao Chen said to the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess hesitated. Although the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion was the residence of a loyal minister, it had just experienced such a great turmoil. Moreover, that Miss Ajiu's behavior was indeed somewhat unusual.
But after learning about this, Xiao Yu nodded slightly: "Alright, let Chen'er go for a walk and meet the 'lucky star', maybe it will calm his mind. The Imperial Master's Mansion is the safest place now."
So, under Xiao Yu's arrangement, Crown Prince Xiao Chen brought a bunch of rewards and gifts, and under the escort of several personal eunuchs and guards, he went to the Imperial Master's Mansion to "visit" his "lifesaver" Miss Jiu.
The steward of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion nearly dropped his teacup upon receiving the news from the palace. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was coming to visit Miss Jiu in person? This was truly... a huge honor.
He hurriedly arranged for the servants to sweep the courtyard and prepare tea and snacks. He also repeatedly warned Ah Jiu that when he met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince later, he must obey the rules and not talk nonsense or run around...
Ah Jiu listened with her little head nodding, not knowing how much she took in. She was only interested in the "gift" brought by the Crown Prince.
When the Crown Prince Xiao Chen, who was dressed in casual clothes but still looked very noble, appeared in front of Ajiu, Ajiu was squatting under the pomegranate tree in the yard, poking an ant nest with a small branch.
"Sister Jiu!" Xiao Chen called out crisply, with a hint of curiosity on his little face.
Ah Jiu looked up and saw a little boy in beautiful clothes standing there, followed by several adults. She blinked and thought for a moment, thinking that the housekeeper seemed to have mentioned that a "little brother" would be coming today.
"Are you the little brother who was almost hit by the black raindrops?" Ajiu stood up, patted the dirt on his hands and asked.
Xiao Chen: "..." Although it is true, it sounds so awkward.
The eunuch next to him quickly reminded: "Miss Jiu, this is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Oh, little brother, the Crown Prince." Ah Jiu readily agreed, then pointed at the top of Xiao Chen's head and said seriously, "Little brother, there is no black energy on your head today. There is only a little bit of light golden color, shining brightly, like the crumbs of biscuits burned by the little sun."
Xiao Chen: "..." He subconsciously touched the top of his head.
The governess sent by the Crown Princess turned pale, fearing that Jiu would say something shocking again.
Chu Xuanyi appeared in time and coughed lightly, defusing the awkwardness: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince has arrived. I hope I will forgive you for not welcoming me in person."
When Xiao Chen saw Chu Xuanyi, he immediately bowed politely: "No need to be so polite, Grand Protector Chu. I came here today to thank Sister Jiu for saving my life."
As he spoke, he signaled the eunuchs behind him to present the gifts one by one.
There were fine writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, exquisite jade pendants and sachets, as well as some exquisite toys that children liked and a box of beautifully packaged... snacks.
Ajiu's eyes immediately fell on the box of snacks.
Seeing this, Xiao Chen smiled slightly and personally picked up the box of snacks and handed it to Ajiu: "Sister Ajiu, this is sweet osmanthus sugar dew pastry made by the palace chef. Please try it."
"Thank you, little brother!" Jiu took the snack box without hesitation, opened it and smelled it, his eyes lit up, "It smells so good!"
She simply picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, smiling happily while eating. Her cheeks were bulging like a little squirrel.
Seeing Ah Jiu's unrefined eating manners, Xiao Chen did not find it rude, but rather amusing, and could not help but laugh. He felt that this Sister Ah Jiu was completely different from the well-behaved maids and nannies in the palace.
At this moment, Ah Jiu suddenly stopped chewing, sniffed vigorously, and then tilted his head to look at a young eunuch behind Xiao Chen who looked very honest and respectable. He said doubtfully, "Little brother, your follower... has a strange smell."
The young eunuch's expression changed slightly when he heard this, but he quickly regained his composure and stood there with his head lowered.
Xiao Chen was a little puzzled: "Strange smell? What is that smell?"
Ah Jiu frowned and thought for a moment before describing it: "Hmm... It's like... the smell of rotten leaves that have been buried in the soil for a long time and then gnawed by insects. And a little bit... like the smell of the burnt medicinal residue in Master's alchemy furnace."
Chu Xuanyi and the captain of the guards sent by Xiao Yu to secretly protect them were both shocked when they heard this!
Rotten leaves...bugs...burnt medicine residue...
The night was as dark as ink, and lights flickered in a secret room in the Imperial Master's Mansion.
The young eunuch identified by Ajiu was now kneeling on the ground, trembling all over.
This eunuch's name was Xiao Linzi. He had been in the palace for five years. He was usually cautious and had almost no presence. No one could have imagined that he would be a cancer lurking around the crown prince.
"Tell me, who are you? What is your purpose in lurking beside His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" Xiao Yu's voice was cold.
Xiao Linzi kowtowed and cried out, "Your Highness, please spare me! Your Excellency, please spare me! I am wronged! I am loyal to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and have no second thoughts!"
Chu Xuanyi snorted coldly, "Loyal? Then how do you explain the lingering evil aura around you? If it weren't for Ah Jiu's extraordinary talent, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would have been murdered by you long ago!"
Ah Jiu was sitting on a small stool next to Chu Xuanyi, munching on a sweet-scented osmanthus candy cake sent by the Crown Prince, while curiously eyeing Xiao Linzi, who was kneeling on the ground. When she heard the Imperial Master mention her, she mumbled, "That's him! He stinks! Like a rotten mushroom hiding in the wet mud, pretending to be a fragrant jasmine flower!"
Xiao Linzi's body stiffened, and the color drained from his face instantly. Ah Jiu's seemingly innocent metaphor seemed to have accurately touched upon his deepest fears.
Xiao Yu keenly caught his momentary loss of composure and spoke in an even colder tone, "It seems Miss Jiu is right. You are indeed hiding something shameful. I'll give you one last chance. Confess yourself, and perhaps you can still keep your body intact."
The threat of death was like an invisible giant hand, strangling Xiao Linzi's throat. He trembled violently, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his eyes were filled with despair and struggle.
After a long while, he collapsed to the ground like a deflated ball, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your servant... Your servant is from the 'Withered Vine Sect'..."
"The Withered Vine Sect?" Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu looked at each other. They had never heard of this name before. It was obviously an organization that was more hidden than the "Night Owl Alliance".
"What is your purpose?" Xiao Yu asked.
Xiao Linzi's voice was filled with tears: "Our...our purpose is not to assassinate...it is...to plant 'seeds'...to plant 'seeds of withering' around the noble man, to let them...let them rot from the root..."
Chu Xuanyi's pupils suddenly shrank. "'Withered Seed'? What exactly is it?"
"It's a... a secret spice and powder," Xiao Linzi said in a trembling voice. "It's colorless and odorless, mixed in with incense, food, and even clothing, making it extremely difficult to detect. Long-term exposure will cause mental depression, physical weakness, and gradually... gradually lose vitality, like a tree entangled by dead vines, eventually... withering and dying. His Royal Highness is young, so he is the best... the best 'fertile soil'..."
Hearing this, Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu felt a chill rushing from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads!
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