Both sides are testing each other.
Gu Jinning clearly saw that Yang Yu's expression was strange when he passed by her, and she couldn't help but become cautious.
Li Ranyi, being very perceptive, got up to say goodbye.
Xiao Heng'an gestured for Song Hui to see the guest out, then picked out his clothes and sat down, gesturing for Gu Jinning to sit as well.
Gu Jinning was hesitating whether to sit down when she caught a glimpse of the old woman behind Song Ming out of the corner of her eye.
She bowed low, placed her hands on her waist, and carefully stepped into the pavilion, kneeling to greet Your Highness.
Gu Jinning twisted her handkerchief and fingers together in her sleeve, secretly guessing what Xiao Heng'an meant.
Xiao Heng'an asked, "Do you still recognize her?"
Gu Jinning stepped forward nervously and squatted down to look at the old woman's face.
The old woman slowly raised her head and looked directly into her eyes.
Gu Jinning's heart skipped a beat.
Who is she? Is she a member of Ji Lin's family? No, all the women of the Ji family were exiled to the frontier and sold off cheaply.
Gu Jinning's brain rapidly searched for any information she might have missed.
Who exactly is it?
The person Xiao Heng'an sent to test her must be the one who knows Ji Lin best.
Gu Jinning stared intently into the old woman's eyes and noticed the tears welling up within them.
“Wet nurse!” Gu Jinning called out in a flash, her eyes reddening. “Wet nurse, why are you here? I thought I would never see you again.”
She reached out to help the woman.
Upon hearing the word "wet nurse," the woman burst into tears, her legs buckling as she kowtowed to Gu Jinning, wiping away her tears. "Miss, it's so kind of you to still remember me."
Gu Jinning was secretly relieved that she had guessed correctly. She quickly helped her up and asked, "Didn't you go home to retire?"
The woman looked at Xiao Heng'an and said gratefully, "Thanks to His Highness for sending someone to find me, I am able to see you again in this life, Miss. I thought..."
The woman choked up again. She thought the entire Ji family was gone.
Gu Jinning wiped away her tears, turned to Xiao Heng'an, and bowed to express her gratitude, "Thank you for your trouble, cousin, for allowing me to see my wet nurse."
Xiao Heng'an quietly admired this touching scene, his expression unchanged, but a hint of inquiry remained in his eyes.
He stood up and said, "It's inconvenient to have no female relatives in the mansion. She can stay and serve you for now."
Gu Jinning declined, saying, "My wet nurse is too old to serve me."
"It's fine to stay a few more days."
Xiao Heng'an casually tossed out a sentence and strode away, leaving Gu Jinning and the woman facing each other with tearful eyes.
Gu Jinning had no choice but to play along, embracing the woman and asking her many questions. She learned that the woman's name was Guifang, and that she had taken care of Ji Lin for fifteen years. Two years ago, she was kicked out by Ji Lin's father and brothers due to illness and had to return to her hometown to recuperate, thus losing contact with them.
Gu Jinning feigned concern and led her back to the hospital, instructing her not to do any chores, but simply to keep her company and relieve her boredom.
Guifang was delighted and praised her young mistress for being polite and sensible. She insisted on going to the kitchen to make lotus root soup, which Ji Lin loved to eat when she was a child.
Gu Jinning ordered Chu Lang to follow secretly, and sure enough, they saw Yang Yu stop Gui Fang halfway and ask her questions.
"Are you sure it's Ji Lin?"
“I watched her grow up, I won’t mistake her for someone else.”
Gu Jinning wondered if Xiao Heng'an didn't trust Ji Lin to begin with and was deliberately having someone test her, or if he was starting to suspect her.
Lost in thought, Chu Lang suddenly called out, "Master, there's something else."
Gu Jinning asked irritably, "What?"
Chu Lang said, "Your Highness has gone to the Ministry of Justice prison."
"?" Gu Jinning looked at the darkening sky, puzzled. "What is he doing there at this hour?"
Chu Lang countered, "What do you think?"
Gu Jinning waved her hand, "It's alright, Qinglian will handle it."
On second thought, something seemed off. Xiao Heng'an hadn't gone earlier or later; he'd gone right after testing the waters. It probably wasn't for anything good.
She jumped up from the wicker chair and asked, "When did you leave?"
Chu Lang counted on his fingers: "About fifteen minutes ago, they probably left the front street."
Gu Jinning felt inexplicably nervous and took a step out, saying, "I'll go check on her. You stay and deal with Guifang."
Chu Lang asked worriedly, "Can we catch up?"
"I use light-footed skills, faster than a horse-drawn carriage."
Gu Jinning confidently climbed over the wall blocking her way and disappeared.
"A carriage?" Chu Lang muttered, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed anxiously, "No, it's the horse he's riding."
As evening falls, Kyoto is bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, and street vendors gradually emerge, setting up their stalls and hawking their wares in the evening.
The official road beside the market was wide and straight. Several fine horses galloped by, startling a flock of birds.
The horse stopped at the Ministry of Justice, and the guards at the gate hurriedly ran to greet it, calling out, "Your Highness, Prince Jin."
Xiao Heng'an flung the reins and headed straight for the prison.
The jailer guarding the prison gate was the same guy who had fought cicadas with Gu Jinning last time and almost bumped into Xiao Heng'an.
He learned his lesson, and as soon as he saw Xiao Heng'an coming, he quickly took a lantern and lit the way for Xiao Heng'an.
"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Jin. It's dark in the prison, so please watch your step."
Song Ming took the lantern from him and led the way, then waved him away.
Gu Jinning's cell was located at the far south end, with skylights on two sides, providing good ventilation.
Because he was worried that the weather would be hot and the prison would be dark, making Gu Jinning uncomfortable, the Minister of Justice specially opened a large skylight, emptied the entire row of prisoners, and cleaned the place thoroughly to remove any unpleasant odors.
The long corridor was quiet except for the sound of footsteps.
At the corner, Qinglian stepped forward first, blocking Xiao Heng'an's path, "Your Highness Prince Jin, the Princess has gone to rest."
In the dim light, Xiao Heng'an observed Qinglian's expression. "Is she asleep, or does she not want to see me?"
Qinglian replied, "Since Your Highness already knows, you may come again in a few days."
Xiao Heng'an said, "If I don't see you today, I may not see you again in a few days."
Qinglian said, "Perhaps we will meet tomorrow."
Although Qinglian's expression remained unchanged, her obstruction must have raised suspicions.
Xiao Heng'an compromised, saying, "Whether I see you or not, you should at least allow me to send an apology gift."
Upon hearing this, Song Ming and Song Hui exchanged glances, probably not expecting that their valiant prince would be so humble.
As the two sides reached a stalemate, a voice came from inside the cell, "Qinglian, let him in. I want to see how he'll apologize."
It was that familiar, arrogant voice.
Xiao Heng'an walked around Qinglian and turned the corner, and saw that the prison ahead was lit up. A long folding screen divided the cell in two, blocking the view inside.
By the light, a graceful figure could be vaguely seen, leaning lazily against the chaise lounge, flipping through something in her hands.
"You really weren't asleep."
Xiao Heng'an stepped over the screen and sat down on the stool opposite her. He glanced at the cover of the book in her hand, which read "Secrets of the Martial World".
"Is it very beautiful?" Xiao Heng'an asked.
Gu Jinning raised an eyebrow. "Of course, you powerful and wealthy people wouldn't understand the fun involved."
"So, tell me, how are you going to apologize?"
She closed the book, tossed her ponytail, raised her chin, and stretched out her hands to ask Xiao Heng'an for it, as proud as if she had won a battle and was waiting for her spoils.
This familiar gesture made Xiao Heng'an feel a deep sense of warmth. His gaze softened, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"Here, this is to compensate you." He took out a rather exquisite brocade box from his sleeve and placed it in Gu Jinning's hand.
Gu Jinning felt a heavy weight in her palm, guessing it must be a small, substantial object.
"etc."
Xiao Heng'an was about to open the box when Gu Jinning grabbed him and pressed her palm against the back of his hand.
The warmth of her palm made Xiao Heng'an's hand feel hot, and the warmth spread all the way to his heart.
"Let me guess what's here." Gu Jinning frowned, pretending to think hard, completely oblivious to their overly intimate behavior.
Suddenly, a few cicadas chirped loudly. Gu Jinning had a sudden inspiration and guessed, "Could it be cicada larvae?"
Xiao Heng'an naturally took her hand and led her to open the brocade box.
Inside, there was indeed a round vessel, entirely black in color, with a lustrous and translucent appearance, clearly made from a fine piece of jade.
Gu Jinning was delighted and held it up to the light to examine it carefully. "It's a real top-quality black jade. It's just that the craftsmanship is a bit rough. If it were polished more finely, it would be perfect."
Xiao Heng'an humbly accepted the advice, "Okay, I'll pay attention next time."
Gu Jinning paused, looking at Xiao Heng'an with a strange expression. Could this be the stone he was polishing in his study?
Thinking of this, Gu Jinning couldn't help but smile slightly, unable to hide her happiness, "Alright, seeing as you're so sincere, I'll forgive you."
She suddenly moved closer to Xiao Heng'an, her bright face only inches away from his, making Xiao Heng'an's heart stop for a moment.
"Without cicadas, wouldn't the cicada pods be a waste?"
Gu Jinning blinked, glanced behind the screen and called out, "Aren't you going to bring it in? I can hear the Chan'ers crying for help. They must be suffocating."
Upon hearing the sound, Song Hui moved in slowly, carrying a bamboo bag filled with cicadas.
He called out softly, "Your Highness," then put down the bamboo bag and disappeared in a flash, as if the bag was really not presentable.
Gu Jinning recognized the cicada as the one she had caught during the day, and burst out laughing. Knowing full well, she asked, "You caught it?"
Her eyes were naturally bright, but they shone even brighter when she smiled, curving like the bright moon in the sky, able to shine into people's hearts and illuminate Xiao Heng'an's eyes.
Xiao Heng'an replied, "No, I just happened to have some, so I'm just passing by."
Gu Jinning joked, "Whose flowers did you borrow?"
Xiao Heng'an stared into her eyes and said frankly, "Ji Lin."
Gu Jinning nodded knowingly, then leaned back on the chaise lounge. "Are you really not going to consider her? She seems like a good candidate."
Xiao Heng'an countered, "Why are you so insistent? How about we each take a step back?"
Gu Jinning said, "I have nowhere to retreat."
Xiao Heng'an said, "I can be your fallback plan."
When their eyes met, Gu Jinning suddenly dared not look Xiao Heng'an in the eye.
"I will walk my own path." Gu Jinning's voice lowered, but she maintained her pride.
A gentle breeze slipped in through the skylight, brushed against her, and ruffled her dark hair.
A few green leaves had fallen onto the couch sometime during the night. Xiao Heng'an picked them up one by one, gently tucked them into "Secret Tales of the Martial World," and said, "The martial world is wonderful, and I yearn for it very much."
Gu Jinning was subtly moved. She wanted to invite him to escape the world of power and roam freely in the martial arts world.
"Xiao Heng'an..."
"It's late, you should get some rest."
Xiao Heng'an glanced at the skylight that let in the wind and said, "When my brother has some free time in a few days, I will plead for your release from prison."
Gu Jinning rolled over and lay down inside, saying indifferently, "To me, home and prison are no different. You don't need to intervene on my behalf."
Xiao Heng'an said nothing more, gave her a meaningful look, and strode out. Qinglian led the way with a lantern.
As the footsteps faded into the distance and disappeared, Gu Jinning got up, changed her clothes, nimbly climbed out of the skylight, and took a shortcut back to the Prince Jin's residence.
Chu Lang was already waiting outside the courtyard. He told Gu Jinning that there happened to be no lotus root in the kitchen, so he ordered Gui Fang to go out and buy some. It took quite a bit of effort, and Gui Fang was still stewing lotus root soup.
Gu Jinning praised him for being clever, but her face showed that she was preoccupied.
Chu Lang asked cautiously, "Master, is it not going well?"
Gu Jinning waved her hand and went back to her room to fix her hair.
In the bronze mirror, Ji Lin's appearance was delicate and charming, a face that no man could resist, and Xiao Heng'an was no exception.
But the thought of Xiao Heng'an's words in prison made Gu Jinning feel somewhat agitated.
"This is really troublesome; we need to finish this quickly."
"Miss, the lotus root soup is ready."
Guifang carried the soup bowl into the room, her wrinkled face beaming with a smile, making her seem rather kind and approachable.
Gu Jinning suddenly had an idea. She moved to the table and praised Gui Fang, then sighed, "In the past, when my wet nurse made lotus root soup, my brother and I would fight over it. Now that I'm all alone, how can I drink it?"
After saying this, she covered her face with her handkerchief, as if she was about to sob.
Guifang quickly comforted her, "Life is unpredictable, Miss, please take care of yourself and don't grieve too much. Even though the Ji family is gone, you still have His Highness Prince Jin."
Gu Jinning grew even more sorrowful upon hearing this, "Even though I treat my cousin like family and am willing to be close to him, my cousin..."
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