Chapter 692 His suspicions were confirmed.
Qian Zhenyun didn't check on anyone, he just stared at the stone.
By candlelight, he held the stone with a small pair of copper tweezers and compared it repeatedly with a book called "Record of Strange Stones in the World".
Finally, he found it.
This bluestone with dark red spots is not native to the capital, but is produced from an abandoned mine on the outskirts of Jinguan City.
It is a sparsely populated area, and ordinary people have no way of getting there.
Qian Zhenyun put down the book, held the small stone in his hand, and his eyes turned cold.
Jinguan City.
This is where Lin Jiayou, Gu Lu and Gu Lanxin lived for ten years.
His suspicions were confirmed.
This matter was definitely not the result of negligence on the part of the servants, nor was it a frame-up.
There must be an unknown secret between Lin Jiayou and Gu Lanxin.
Qian Zhenyun did not tell Gu Qingchen about this discovery immediately.
He knew that she couldn't listen to anything now.
He ground some ink, picked up his pen and wrote a secret letter, detailing the origin of the stone and his own speculation, and then sealed it with wax.
He called his confidant and ordered in a deep voice, "Send it to the East Palace immediately and hand it over to His Highness personally."
To expose Lin Jiayou's true face, we need stronger evidence and a more appropriate time.
On the day of the autumn hunt, the West Mountain enclosure was filled with flags like a forest and the sound of horns could be heard from afar.
Gu Qingchen was dressed in a bright red riding suit, which made her look more beautiful than flowers and added a bit of heroic spirit.
Lin Jiayou, who was sitting beside her, was wearing a green Confucian robe and riding on a horse. He looked a little restrained, which was out of tune with the atmosphere of war and iron horses around him.
The two of them, one strong and one gentle, walked side by side, attracting a lot of attention.
"Hey, isn't this Sister Qingchen?"
A cute yet sharp voice came.
Wang Ruoyu, the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, rode over with several noble ladies and stopped them.
Wang Ruoyu's whip drew a beautiful arc in the air, seemingly unintentional, but it accurately flicked in front of Lin Jiayou's horse's head.
The flames were frightened, and they hissed and backed away.
Lin Jiayou's face turned pale immediately, his body swayed, and he grabbed the reins tightly, looking terrified as if he was about to fall.
Wang Ruoyu covered her mouth with a round fan and laughed so hard that her body shook.
"Oh, this young man looks unfamiliar and is too timid."
She looked Lin Jiayou up and down with contempt in her voice.
"Sister Qingchen, is this your playmate from Jinguan City? You look weak and frail, but don't let him get scared to tears by wild boars in the hunting grounds."
The noble ladies around burst into laughter.
Gu Qingchen's face instantly darkened.
She was about to speak when Lin Jiayou reached out, gently pulled her sleeve and shook his head at her.
Then he urged his horse forward, dismounted, and bowed deeply to Wang Ruoyu and others.
"I am Lin Jiayou, a newcomer to the capital. I don't know the etiquette and disturbed the ladies. I hope you will forgive me."
He was humble and sincere in his words, taking all the blame on himself.
This retreat made Wang Ruoyu seem aggressive and lost the grace of a lady from a noble family.
Some of the noble sons who were originally watching the fun looked at Lin Jiayou with more approval.
Seeing that he had suffered a great injustice, but still thought about himself, Gu Qingchen felt the anger in his heart suddenly burn to his head.
She urged her horse forward, blocking Lin Jiayou behind her, and swung the whip in her hand, pointing the tip of the whip directly at Wang Ruoyu's face.
"Wang Ruoyu, my guest, it's not your turn to comment!"
"Keep your own horse under control and don't let it go crazy!"
Wang Ruoyu's face turned red and white after being scolded by her, and she was about to retort.
"What are you all doing here?"
The carriage of Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an arrived at some point.
He lifted the car curtain, his eyes swept over everyone, and finally landed on Gu Qingchen.
"Qingchen, Miss Wang was just joking with you, why get angry?"
He changed the subject and looked at Lin Jiayou with a gentle tone.
"Mr. Lin, on the other hand, is so calm and composed, worthy of being Gu Lu's disciple."
With just one sentence, the prince easily rescued Wang Ruoyu from the predicament, praised Lin Jiayou, and even pointed out his relationship with Gu Lu.
This weight is enough to prevent others from underestimating it.
Wang Ruoyu glared at Gu Qingchen hatefully and could only step aside unwillingly.
Qian Zhenyun was standing next to the prince's carriage and took in the entire scene.
He saw clearly that when Wang Ruoyu startled the horse, Lin Jiayou seemed panicked, but his legs were clamped very firmly together, and there was no danger of falling off the horse at all.
It's all fake.
“Woo—”
The horn officially starting the hunt sounded, interrupting the undercurrent in the field.
Wang Ruoyu couldn't swallow this anger, she urged her horse to catch up with Gu Qingchen and made a proposal loudly.
"Sister Qingchen, it's boring to just hunt rabbits and pheasants."
"I heard there's a rare white fox deep in this hunting ground. How about we have a competition to see who can hunt it first?"
She paused and glanced at Lin Jiayou provocatively.
"How about a bet on Master Lin's catch today, and the winner gets all of it?"
Wang Ruoyu's words were obviously a provocation, but in reality they were a humiliation.
She used Lin Jiayou's prey as a bet because she was sure that a weak scholar like him could not catch anything. It was the same as if there was no bet at all. She just wanted to make Gu Qingchen lose face.
Gu Qingchen can't stand being provoked.
She sneered and swung the whip in the air, making a crisp sound.
"Okay! It's a deal!"
She turned around and gave Lin Jiayou a soothing look, which clearly said: Watch me win the prize back for you.
Lin Jiayou frowned appropriately and said in a low voice, "Qingchen, you don't have to do this for me..."
His hesitant and retreating appearance made the fire in Gu Qingchen's heart burn even more fiercely and his fighting spirit even higher.
Qian Zhenyun rode his horse to Gu Qingchen's side and lowered his voice.
"The terrain is complex deep in the hunting grounds, and the white fox is extremely cunning. I'm afraid there's a trap."
After hearing this, Gu Qingchen thought that he was afraid of losing and felt a little impatient.
"Don't worry, Gungun. A mere fox can't defeat me." She waved her hand, her eyes fixed on the entrance to the dense forest in the distance.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an had remained silent, but at this moment he signaled with his eyes to a commander of the imperial guards beside him.
The commander immediately understood, retreated calmly, selected a few elite soldiers, and followed from a distance.
After doing all this, Zhao Chenan gave Qian Zhenyun a wink.
Qian Zhenyun nodded, quietly urged his horse, and followed behind the main force.
"Sister Qingchen, please come in!" Wang Ruoyu shouted loudly and took the lead.
Gu Qingchen showed no sign of weakness. He squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and the fiery red figure followed closely behind.
Two figures, one in red and one in green, rushed into the depths of the dense forest at lightning speed, and soon left the main force far behind. The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away.
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