"Before her death, the Crown Princess entrusted His Highness to the abbot of Lingyin Temple, and then married into the Xin family and gave birth to you, all to mislead the public," the old man sighed. "She hoped you would never know this secret, but alas..."
"Unfortunately, the Second Prince still managed to find a clue." Xin Jiuwei gripped the letter tightly. "Who knows this secret now?"
"Besides this old minister, there's only..." the old man suddenly lowered his voice, "...that Qi Huaiyu who's about to be executed. The power behind him is not simple; the 'evidence' in that box was actually provided by a wizard who defected from our country."
Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat. No wonder Qi Huaiyu was able to climb up to the Second Prince so quickly; it turned out there was someone else behind him!
After seeing the old man off, Xin Jiuwei immediately sent someone to fetch Xiao Xun. Just as she reached the courtyard, her sister rushed over, shouting, "Wei'er! Qi Huaiyu escaped during his escort!"
"What?!" Xin Jiuwei felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. "How is this possible?"
"He didn't really escape." Xin Xiyao's expression was grave. "In the prison cart, he bit his finger and drew some kind of talisman, and then... he spontaneously combusted. The guards said the flames were blue and they couldn't put them out."
Xin Jiuwei remembered the "wizard" mentioned in her mother's letter, and alarm bells rang in her heart. She took her sister's hand: "Take me to see that red light."
In the attic, the red lamp still shone brightly. Xin Jiuwei examined the lamp base closely and discovered that it was engraved with tiny patterns—exactly the same as the snow lotus pattern described in her mother's letter.
"This lamp...is no ordinary lantern," she murmured. "Sister, are there any secret rooms in the mansion that we don't know about?"
Xin Xiyao pondered for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up: "There's a place... my mother used to go there often, but she never allowed anyone else to enter."
Beneath the artificial hill in the back garden, there was an iron gate that blended almost seamlessly into the rock. Xin Jiuwei used the jade pendant left by her mother to press against the lock, and the mechanism opened, revealing a staircase leading downwards.
"I had no idea such a place existed in the mansion," Xin Xiyao exclaimed in surprise.
At the end of the stairs was a circular stone chamber, in the center of which stood a crystal-clear, ice-blue stone tablet, covered with ancient inscriptions. Most strikingly, atop the tablet was a red lamp identical to the one in the attic, now echoing the lanterns on the ground.
"This is... the Cold Jade Stele?" Xin Jiuwei lightly touched the inscription, a chilling sensation spreading through her fingertips. "What's written on it?"
Xin Xiyao leaned closer to examine it: "It seems to be some kind of...bloodline record. It says here that 'Cold Jade Blood' can not only detoxify, but also..."
"What else could it be?" Xiao Xun's voice suddenly came from behind. His injuries had not yet healed, and his face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes had regained their clarity.
Xin Xiyao tactfully stepped aside: "You two chat, I'll go keep watch outside."
Xiao Xun walked to Xin Jiuwei's side and ran his hand over the inscription on the tombstone: "I should have known that Mother would leave clues." He pointed to a passage of text, "Look here—'Cold Jade Bloodline, the essence of heaven and earth, can cure all poisons, and can also communicate with the underworld.'"
"Communicate with the netherworld?" Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat. "What does that mean?"
"That's probably the origin of Qi Huaiyu's blue flames," Xiao Xun sneered. "The wizard behind him wants to use my blood to open some kind of passage. The Second Prince wants the elixir of immortality, but the wizard wants... probably even more."
Xin Jiuwei suddenly remembered something and took out her mother's letter from her bosom: "Look at this."
Xiao Xun quickly scanned the letter, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "So that's how it is. No wonder Mother wanted to hide my background..." He looked up at the red lamp, "This lamp is a bloodline-sensing lamp; it only burns continuously when someone with the Cold Jade bloodline is close enough. It's a reminder that the danger is not over yet."
"Although Qi Huaiyu is dead, the sorcerer behind him still exists." Xin Jiuwei grasped Xiao Xun's hand, "We..."
"We will definitely win." Xiao Xun gripped her hand, his eyes gleaming with unwavering determination. "The wedding in three days will be the beginning."
On their wedding day, the entire capital was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. To show his high regard for Xiao Xun, the Emperor specially arranged the ceremony to be held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Xin Jiuwei, dressed in a bright red wedding gown and wearing a phoenix crown, walked slowly towards Xiao Xun in the center of the hall, supported by her sister.
Today, he wore a crimson brocade robe, with a jade belt at his waist that shimmered with light, making him appear exceptionally handsome. However, upon closer inspection, one could still detect a trace of weariness between his brows—his injuries had not yet healed.
Xin Jiuwei's wedding dress was embroidered with 365 dark-patterned snow lotuses on the lining, and every step she took created shimmering waves.
When Xiao Xun held the two jade pendants together in the sunlight, fluorescent veins resembling a star map suddenly appeared in the icy chalcedony, casting pulsating light spots in their palms.
Upon seeing this, an elderly man from a neighboring country suddenly knelt down, pressing his forehead to the ground and murmuring ancient sayings.
"I bow to Heaven and Earth!"
Xin Jiuwei and Xiao Xun bowed in unison. As she rose, she caught a glimpse of the elderly man from the neighboring country standing in the corner of the hall, smiling at them.
"Bowing to our parents a second time!"
The Emperor sat upright on his throne, his face full of satisfaction. Xin Jiuwei couldn't help but think of her mother—if she were still alive, how wonderful it would be to see this scene today.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
Xin Jiuwei and Xiao Xun stood facing each other, and she slowly bowed. When she looked up, she saw what appeared to be tears glistening in his eyes.
"The ceremony is complete!"
Cheers erupted in the hall. According to custom, the newlyweds exchanged tokens of love. Xin Jiuwei took out the snow lotus jade pendant left by her mother, while Xiao Xun produced an almost identical one. The moment the two jades touched, they produced a clear, ringing sound, then fit together perfectly, revealing a miniature map.
"This is..."
"The last gift Mother left us," Xiao Xun said softly, "Let's go see it together after all this is over."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
