It's time to let go.
Gu Jinghong asked alertly, "What is it?"
Xie Yan's eyes flashed with excitement and danger once more. "I've always known you've been longing for the 'Zhiji Pavilion' on the top floor... To open it, you need keys, three 'interesting' little keys. One, naturally, is in the old man's hands; it's his lifeblood. The other one..."
His smile turned ambiguous and cruel. "At the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, at the home of that 'fairy descended to earth' Miss Gongsun Jinyao. Isn't that a coincidence? That young lady is quite interested in me... In other words, that key will soon be in my hands."
"As for the third one..." Xie Yan drawled, his eyes lingering on Gu Jinghong's face as if assessing her reaction, before finally letting out a soft chuckle, "Heh, it's said to be a deep blue color. Who knows where it's hidden, or... it's already gone?"
He shrugged, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather. "So, Grand Secretary Gu, even if you scheme and plot your way to that position, what's blocking your way might be a door that can never be opened. Just thinking about it... is pretty despairing, isn't it?" His laughter was filled with undisguised schadenfreude.
Xie Yan was about to leave when he turned back, a smile on his face that was a mixture of malice and condescension: "Oh, by the way. Since I'm going to pursue the little beauty from the Duke's mansion, your Zhuangmu Pavilion... must send me a daily report on every little detail about that Miss Gongsun. Remember, it's 'daily.' Grand Secretary Gu, don't disappoint me."
After saying that, he ignored Gu Jinghong's reaction and walked away with that nauseating laugh.
As Gu Jinghong walked towards Feihong Pavilion, she processed Xie Yan's ambiguous and malicious information...
Suddenly, an image flashed through my mind—the secret chamber of the King of Jin's mansion, atop that dark shelf! That dark blue token, engraved with ancient characters, radiating a mysterious pressure!
...
The Study of the King's Mansion
Xiao Chengyan had just finished processing several urgent documents when the study door was silently pushed open. Changfeng walked in, his face solemn, his lips moving as if he didn't know how to speak.
Xiao Chengyan did not look up, his gaze remaining fixed on the dossier in his hand, his tone calm and even: "Lost them?"
Changfeng knelt on one knee, his head bowed even lower: "...Yes, I am incompetent. The Shadow Ravens I sent out completely lost track of Gu Jinghong and Xie Yan near 'Thousand Turns Alley.' They seem to have used some kind of tracking powder, combined with the complex terrain..."
"Understood." Xiao Chengyan's voice remained flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. He put down the file, looked up at Changfeng, and said, "Go to the punishment hall and receive twenty strokes. Take your men and review last night's tracking route, the other party's escape method, and your mistakes. Within three days, submit the analysis results and countermeasures... There will be no next time."
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!" Changfeng kowtowed heavily.
Twenty strokes of the rod is already a severe punishment, but this time it was because he underestimated his opponent. The prince hates underestimating his opponent the most, so Changfeng dared not complain in the slightest and immediately accepted the order to leave.
Xiao Chengyan stood with his hands behind his back by the window of his study, looking at the warm winter sun peeking out, and suddenly remembered that today was the day he was to enter the palace to see his grandmother.
...
Inside the Cining Palace, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, yet it could not dispel even a trace of the somber atmosphere.
The Empress Dowager leaned against her phoenix couch, her majesty still intact, but the weariness and the marks of time were undeniable in her eyes. Looking down at her grandson Xiao Chengyan, who stood tall and elegant with a cold and icy expression, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness and worry.
Her voice softened, carrying the gentle kindness and subtle pleading characteristic of a grandmother. Her fingertips unconsciously caressed a string of smooth, old Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist. "Chengyan, I'm getting old, and my health is deteriorating day by day. The thing I can't let go of the most now is you."
Xiao Chengyan raised his eyes, his calm gaze falling on his grandmother's slightly cloudy but concerned eyes. That heavy concern stirred even the slightest ripple in his frozen heart.
As a prince, Xiao Chengyan had remained single for many years. Furthermore, as his power grew, powerful officials coveted the position of Princess Jin and frequently brought it up. Later, finding that mentioning Prince Jin's marriage was fruitless, some absurd rumor spread that Prince Jin was impotent, which infuriated and alarmed the Empress Dowager.
“I can ignore all the nonsense outside. But your life, your bloodline… Before I die, I must see someone by your side who cares for you, and see the Xiao family branch out and flourish.”
She sighed, with the stubbornness and sorrow unique to the elderly, "I know you still think of that Ning girl. She was a good child, but unfortunately... she was not blessed. Ten years have passed, Chengyan, it's time to let go. When you're alive, you must always look forward and not let the past hold you back."
The mention of Ning Yatou instantly silenced the hall, and even the scent of sandalwood seemed to become sluggish and heavy.
Xiao Chengyan's fingers, hanging at his sides, twitched almost imperceptibly, and a sharp pain, so quick as to be almost an illusion, flashed deep in his eyes.
His face remained calm, and he simply nodded slightly: "Grandmother's teachings, your grandson will remember."
Seeing that he did not immediately refute, the Empress Dowager's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. She pressed her advantage, saying, "Gongsun Jinyao, the eldest daughter of Duke Zhenguo, is a dignified and clever girl in my eyes. Her family background and appearance are a good match for you. I'm thinking..."
“Grandmother,” Xiao Chengyan began, his voice low and steady, interrupting the Empress Dowager without any disrespect, “I have no such intention at the moment.”
His refusal was swift and decisive.
The Empress Dowager's expression darkened, her earnestness turning into deep disappointment and worry. Looking at her grandson's cold, hard profile, she knew that forcing him would be useless and might only provoke deeper resistance. She remained silent for a moment, then spoke in an almost humble, pleading tone: "Chengyan... just consider it... fulfilling one of my wishes, so that I can leave in peace, okay?"
She no longer mentioned the arranged marriage, nor the imperial decree, but simply looked at him with her aged yet expectant eyes. "Three days from now, the red plum blossoms in the 'Plum Blossom Garden' of the royal villa in the west of the city will be in full bloom. I was thinking of going there to clear my head, and I've invited Miss Gongsun to accompany me. You... you can come and sit with me for a while, and while you're at it... see that child. Just consider it... looking at the flowers, and keeping this old woman company. If you really don't like him after meeting him, I... will never mention this matter again!"
She disguised the "blind date" as "accompanying her grandmother to admire flowers," and chose the more open royal villa as the location, being very careful not to offend him.
The air grew quiet, with only the silent fragrance of sandalwood lingering in the air.
Xiao Chengyan quietly looked at his grandmother. This once powerful woman, now showing signs of exhaustion due to worry about her grandson, had an impassioned look in her eyes, a cautious tone in her words, and an entrustment to "pass away peacefully"... like an invisible thread that entangled his hardened heart.
He abhorred being directed and hated any form of coercion.
But the old woman before him was not a political enemy, nor someone he needed to scheme against. She was one of the few close relatives in this cold palace who truly offered him warmth and protection. Her worries stemmed from love, not control.
He knew that if he refused outright, his grandmother, though powerless to do anything about it, would feel a heavy burden of loss and an unending worry that would weigh on her heart. He, Xiao Chengyan, could ignore everyone else, but he could not ignore the old woman's tears and anxieties.
After a long while, just as the Empress Dowager was about to give up hope, Xiao Chengyan slowly spoke. His voice was still as cold as jade, but it was less icy and more reassuring and steady: "Since Your Majesty wishes to go to the 'Plum Blossom Garden' to appreciate the plum blossoms and relax, your grandson will naturally accompany you."
The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up instantly, as if withered branches had come to life in spring. She exclaimed repeatedly, "Good! Good! Chengyan is the most filial! I will have someone make the arrangements right away!"
Xiao Chengyan bowed slightly: "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave. Grandmother, please rest well."
He turned, his dark robes tracing an elegant yet chilling arc within the hall. Stepping out of the Cining Palace, the biting winter wind swept over him, ruffling a few strands of his dark hair.
He stood with his hands behind his back on the high steps, overlooking the solemn palace, his eyes still deep and unfathomable.
What's the harm in meeting? It's just an insignificant social obligation.
...
Zhuoyue Tower
Inside Feihong Pavilion, Gu Jinghong stood by the window, looking at the warm winter sun. She glanced in the direction of the Prince Jin's mansion and suddenly felt a little melancholy.
She sighed unconsciously—the third token was probably the one she had seen at the King of Jin's mansion, but what was the reason for going back?
She paced back and forth.
The "admiration" she blurted out in the heat of the moment at the Prince's mansion now seemed like a clumsy joke. She'd barely uttered that "admiration" before running off with her "sworn brother" without a backward glance, not even a word of explanation. Now, to shamelessly go back and say "admiration" again? Not only would she fail to fool Xiao Chengyan, but even she herself found it absurd and laughable.
Xiao Chengyan's last words, "Will you come back?" seemed to echo in my ears again.
She evaded the question at the time, missing the best opportunity to go with the flow.
What to do? How can I return to that dangerous place without being abrupt or arousing suspicion? Gu Jinghong frowned, pondering deeply.
Just then, three very rhythmic light knocks came from outside the door—it was Qingwu.
"Come in," Gu Jinghong said in a deep voice, coming back to his senses.
A man with an ordinary face and a reserved demeanor followed Qingwu silently in and respectfully presented a small bamboo tube sealed with sealing wax: "Your Excellency, this is a secret report compiled today regarding the movements of Gongsun Jinyao, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. As you instructed, pay close attention to her connection with the royal family."
Gu Jinghong nodded and accepted the bamboo tube as usual.
After the two left, Gu Jinghong crushed the sealing wax, pulled out a piece of paper as thin as a cicada's wing, and quickly scanned the delicate coded text on it. When she saw one line, her eyes flickered, and a hint of almost cold calculation flashed in the depths of her pupils.
The Empress Dowager has decided that three days from now, at Shenshi (3-5 PM), she will accompany Prince Jin, Xiao Chengyan, to the 'Plum Blossom Garden', the royal villa in the west of the city, to admire the plum blossoms. She has also sent an invitation to Gongsun Jinyao, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, to accompany her.
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