Chapter 90 The Ingenious Scheme: What do you think I will do?
The pavilion was dimly lit. With the help of the not-yet-complete darkness and the light from afar, one could vaguely make out the outlines of various things, but it was impossible to see anything more clearly.
If the servants hadn't stayed behind, Jiang Geyun could have made a few sarcastic remarks like, "So the Prince's mansion doesn't like to light lamps?" to ease her displeasure somewhat.
After looking around, she casually found an empty chair and sat down.
There was no tea, so we could only wait.
Who was the one who brought about this meeting between her and Pei Xuexiao?
King Jing?
According to the original plan, she was prepared to become Prince Jing's advisor, to be at the very center of the event, to obtain the most comprehensive information, and then to make further plans. It seems that this goal has been achieved so far, and Prince Jing personally welcomed the two of them into the palace.
But the servant's words did not mean that.
"Even our Prince joked that when it comes to enthusiasm and knowledge in seeking immortality, he is far inferior to His Highness the Crown Prince."
"If I could be by Your Highness's side, my life would be worthwhile. I truly envy the Immortal Master."
The implication was that Su Heng was the one who believed in ghosts and gods and would give important positions to Jiang Geyun and the other person, and that he was trying to persuade Jiang Geyun to surrender to Su Heng.
How come the main villain has such a reputation now?
It should be understood that instead of addressing the practical issues of people's livelihood, one should focus on studying mysterious and esoteric things. "Asking about ghosts and gods instead of the common people" is a sign of utter incompetence and is a far cry from the behavior expected of a crown prince.
Was it Prince Jing who deliberately misled him?
Or is it that the main villain did it on purpose?
In short, judging from the servants' attitude, Prince Jing was preparing to push the two of them onto Su Heng, thus solidifying Su Heng's image as a foolish person who believed in metaphysics. As for any other considerations, she couldn't think of any for the time being.
Based on this analysis, could the purpose of arranging her meeting with Pei Xuexiao be to allow the two of them to discuss and verify the information they each had obtained in advance, so as to be determined to seduce Su Heng together?
In this way, when the events that happened in front of the Prince's mansion today are spread, it will be said that the Crown Prince was so pleased with himself that he welcomed two charlatans to the mansion and gave them important positions based on just one meeting.
If the two of them are truly charlatans, and they cause any trouble in the future, it will most likely be blamed on the "muddle-headed" crown prince.
In the short time they spent in front of the mansion gate, countless ideas must have popped into the minds of these shrewd individuals. Even while out practicing horsemanship and archery, they didn't forget to instruct others on the layout? Prince Jing, you rascal…
I really want to swear, but there's no one around.
Jiang Geyun looked up and looked around helplessly, but couldn't see anything clearly.
Just then, a commotion came from outside the pavilion.
Pei Xuexiao has arrived.
He stepped into the pavilion and noticed how dark it was. He instinctively wanted to summon his natal fire for illumination. He made a hand seal, but seeing that Jiang Geyun did not move, he hesitated for a moment and withdrew his hand.
Pei Xuexiao asked, "Why did you ask me out at a time like this?"
Jiang Geyun's heart skipped a beat.
The message she received was clearly from Pei Xuexiao asking her out.
As expected, someone was pulling the strings behind this meeting.
Suppressing the premonition that something bad was about to happen, Jiang Geyun said slowly, "As far as I know, you asked me to come out."
She didn't explain further; Pei Xuexiao already understood.
The light was dim, and she couldn't see Pei Xuexiao's expression clearly. Based only on his outline and what she had seen before, she could vaguely imagine him frowning.
"What do you think is going on?" he asked.
Pei Xuexiao is in a pretty good mood now. She didn't complain or question why she insisted on coming to the Prince's Mansion and getting herself into trouble. Instead, she chose to get straight to the heart of the matter.
Jiang Geyun briefly recounted her earlier guess.
Pei Xuexiao pondered for a moment and said, "My experience was quite similar to yours, but..."
Jiang Geyun asked, "But what?"
Pei Xuexiao calmly asked, "Am I your disciple now?"
Jiang Geyun said, "...That's not important. Ah, speaking of which, do you have any thoughts? My guess might not be correct."
After a long pause, Pei Xuexiao continued, "As far as I know, the Crown Prince and Prince Jing had a very close relationship. When Prince Jing passed away unexpectedly, the Crown Prince was deeply grieved and voluntarily stayed in Jingzhou to handle the funeral arrangements. He didn't return to the capital for quite some time, and the report he submitted was filled with sorrow..."
"This is what I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears, so it is hard to believe for a moment that Prince Jing would have such a plan, and that someone like the Crown Prince would be deceived by Prince Jing..."
……etc.
He had no objection to what he said about Jiang Geyun earlier, but how did it end up being twisted into the main villain being deceived by Prince Jing?!
Does he seem like he could be fooled? That guy definitely has something going on! There must be something fishy about Prince Jing's death!
Jiang Geyun hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
In the end, she simply said, "We won't affect the established past. We came here to investigate the strange occurrences in the forbidden area and how such an anomaly came about. Whatever Prince Jing's plans are, we'll just deal with them as they come."
Pei Xuexiao nodded, then, realizing she might not see it, added in a low voice, "I think so too."
Jiang Geyun glanced at him twice.
The experience of going out to train really did teach this young master something.
Pei Xuexiao is no longer as stubborn as before; she's much more flexible in her thinking. Cough cough, she's got some of her style now, not bad, not bad.
Having reached a consensus on the key issues, Jiang Geyun casually asked, "Has Prince Jing never met you before?"
Ordinary people might never see the ruler in their lifetime, but given the power of the Pei family, they should be able to see Prince Jing on various occasions. It was rather strange that Prince Jing did not show any familiarity with Pei Xuexiao.
Pei Xuexiao explained, "When Prince Jing was still in the capital, I was still young. After he came to his fiefdom, he was not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict. It's normal that he doesn't recognize me after so many years. If I mention my grandfather, he will remember me."
It's not "may remember," but a firm "he will remember."
The power of the Pei family is indeed astonishing.
However, Jiang Geyun wanted to say something else: "Then, will Prince Jing remember whether you have a younger sister?"
Pei Xuexiao was taken aback for a moment, and was about to reply when a commotion suddenly arose in the distance, and a group of people carrying torches came toward the pavilion.
From the moment the light appeared until it approached the pavilion, only a few breaths had passed, and the two were momentarily blinded by the sudden burst of light.
When they finally came to their senses, the question that reached their ears was: "What are you two plotting here! Have you kidnapped His Highness the Crown Prince?!"
Jiang Geyun opened her eyes halfway, but upon hearing this, she wanted to close them again.
What kind of show is this now?!
...
After silently counting a few breaths, she composed herself and opened her eyes to face reality.
The dim space in the pavilion was illuminated, and she was finally able to see clearly the things on the table and around her. They were copper coins, swords, yellow talismans, and the like. Judging from their setup, the two of them did indeed seem to be plotting something sinister.
The reason for not turning on the lights was actually this.
Jiang Geyun looked up, her gaze shifting from inside the pavilion to outside. A group of guards had surrounded the pavilion in circles, making it impossible to pass through. It seemed they were determined to capture the two of them.
In a flash, she thought of another possibility, another way for Prince Jing to use the two of them to harm Su Heng—to get rid of Su Heng first, and then pin the blame on the two of them.
This is clearly more extreme and riskier than previous guesses, but it also carries greater potential rewards if successful.
Jiang Geyun and Pei Xuexiao exchanged a glance.
Jiang Geyun turned to the crowd surrounding the pavilion and spoke up, "I don't know what you all mean by this. What is this 'Crown Prince'?"
The leader spat and said angrily, "After His Highness returned to the manor, he heard that the two of you had arranged to meet him. You accepted the invitation without hesitation. However, after the banquet began, His Highness did not return for a long time. The Prince noticed something was wrong and ordered us to search for him. Now that we have both witnesses and evidence, what excuses do you have? Hand over His Highness immediately!"
Pei Xuexiao frowned again.
Jiang Geyun knew that this person was probably worried that their actions would affect the original course of history, causing Su Heng to be arrested, or even...
However, this kind of thinking is entirely due to a biased view of the main villains. For example, Jiang Geyun, it's obvious without even thinking that he's fine and is probably somewhere quietly observing the situation.
Jiang Geyun gritted her teeth inwardly, but didn't show it on her face.
She bowed respectfully, still maintaining her otherworldly and detached demeanor, and said, "So that's how it is. To be honest, Your Highness went to the study on the east side of the mansion."
Instead of arguing or explaining that the two of them had not arranged to meet the Crown Prince or done anything to him, she did the opposite, admitting to the meeting and then fabricating the Crown Prince's whereabouts.
The leader was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "We just searched the east side!"
I don't know if it's true or not.
But who cares if it's true or false?
Jiang Geyun smiled and said, "You must have accidentally missed each other. Why don't you all go and look for it again?"
Before the leader could say anything more, Jiang Geyun changed her tone, saying with a hint of amusement, "You all came to ask where His Highness went, and I told you, but instead of looking for him, you insisted on staying here. Could it be... that you all know His Highness's whereabouts better than I do?"
The leader was speechless and could only say resentfully, "We'll go look for them again. You guys stay here and take good care of the two immortal masters!"
After giving their explanation, the group left in a grand procession.
Four men were left to guard the area around the pavilion, watching the two people inside with predatory eyes.
Pei Xuexiao whispered, "Do you know where the Crown Prince is?"
Of course I don't know, I'm just stalling for time. If there's nothing on the east side, there are other places.
The main villain will continue to live in the palace and will eventually show up.
However, it's understandable that Pei Xuexiao felt uneasy about this method of stalling for time, as she firmly believed that he would not encounter any mishap.
Jiang Geyun glanced at Pei Xuexiao silently, thought for a moment, and replied in a low voice, "I just feel that the past cannot be changed, so Your Highness will be fine."
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuexiao pondered for a moment.
He suddenly whispered, "Could it be that the Crown Prince is using us?"
Jiang Geyun opened her eyes wide and looked at Pei Xuexiao with considerable surprise.
Pei Xuexiao lowered her voice again and continued, "The Crown Prince had long suspected that Prince Jing had ulterior motives and wanted to return to the capital, but Prince Jing forced him to stay. He used this matter to make an example of us."
...This was a possibility that Jiang Geyun had not considered.
Pei Xuexiao's idea was that the main villain deliberately framed the two of them, claiming that they wanted to harm him, so that the main villain could use the pretext that Jingzhou was dangerous to openly request to return to the capital.
So, did Prince Jing secretly harm the Crown Prince and pin the blame on the two men, or did the Crown Prince use the two men as a pretext to return to the capital?
One layer upon another, and everyone here is like a layered cake. It's not as carefree as when she was in the capital. Although there were all sorts of tasks assigned by the Xuandu Supervisor, it wasn't as mentally taxing.
Jiang Geyun took a deep breath.
After thinking it over carefully, she said firmly, "Impossible."
Su Heng would never do that.
It wasn't because she believed Su Heng wouldn't harm her, but rather a simpler reason: the main villain would never return to the capital in such a disgraceful manner; he would definitely eliminate Prince Jing completely, just as it had already happened—that's who he is.
Therefore, it's impossible.
As soon as Jiang Geyun finished speaking, a voice she knew all too well rang out. Unlike the cold indifference she had shown at the mansion gate before, this time it was a question tinged with a smile:
"So, what does this Night Groom think of me?"
The two people in the pavilion paused, and together with the four people outside, they looked toward the source of the sound.
Sure enough, it was Su Heng.
The young man in brocade robes appeared alone outside the pavilion, his hands behind his back as he looked at the crowd. Although he was alone, he showed no sign of panic.
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Author's Note: Because the outline was revised and the detailed outline needed to be reorganized, these few chapters were a bit difficult to produce. The original outline was for Yun to incarnate as some of the people Heng had encountered in the past, understanding Heng's past from their perspectives. Later, we felt that the incarnation method had already been used for Xiao Liu's part, and while Yun could act as a camera in Xiao Liu's story, we didn't want Yun to be just a pure cameraman in the romantic storyline; there needed to be interaction. A young couple should be entangled and influence each other! So we decided to change it, and this final subplot will use a completely new path that we hadn't considered before. We're racking our brains...
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