Jing Xian’s brows furrowed slightly.
Lu Jiang truly did not trust him!
However—
Given the current situation, how could he speak the truth?
So he said, “Prince Xian and Prince Rong are on good terms. Back then, it was Prince Rong who met with His Majesty, which allowed Prince Xian to smoothly enter the court. Since Prince Rong trusts Prince Xian, I naturally trust you as well.”
Truly a seasoned veteran—his words were so skillfully threaded.
Jing Xian felt a knot tighten in his heart, but on the surface he remained calm as still water. He smiled at Lu Jiang with an utterly harmless expression. “If that is the case, Uncle Lu, please return with peace of mind. With Jingrong here with me, you can be completely assured.”
“Then… we shall not disturb Prince Xian’s rest.” He cupped his hands. “We take our leave.”
He could only lead his people away.
Behind him, a cold, sinister smile emerged at the corner of Jing Xian’s lips.
His gentle scholarly air was completely gone!
The hand inside his robe also tightened.
Immediately after, someone jumped down from the rooftop.
That person was dressed entirely in black. He pulled down his black face covering and stepped forward to report: “Your Highness, we have investigated.”
Jing Xian slightly raised his chin, his thin lips parting: “What did you find?”
“It turns out that simpleton has gone missing. Footprints were discovered on the rooftop, suggesting he was taken away by someone. That is why people from Prince Rong’s residence came here.”
“The simpleton? Is that the person called Wei Yi?”
“Precisely.”
“No wonder.” Jing Xian pondered. “However… who would abduct that simpleton?”
“Could it be remnants of Prince Yi’s faction?”
“Impossible. Prince Yi’s remnants have all been eliminated.” Confusion filled his mind. He paced with his hands behind his back, murmuring: “Wei Yi? Wei Yi? Who would want to abduct him? What use could he have?”
After thinking deeply for a moment, his eyes tightened.
He immediately ordered, “Go investigate Wei Yi’s background. Also, how did he escape that night when Jing Yi besieged the palace? Go investigate—investigate it thoroughly and clearly.”
“Yes.”
The person accepted the order and left.
He stood in place for a long while, a stifled drum beating in his heart.
After Lu Jiang left Prince Xian’s residence, he instructed the people beside him, “Send people to continue searching for Young Master Wei in the city, and also send people to keep watch on Prince Xian’s residence.”
“Yes.”
The next day.
Monks from Guang’an Temple entered the palace, requesting an audience with His Majesty.
Emperor Qizhen believed in Buddhism, so he greatly respected those monks.
The abbot: “Greetings to Your Majesty.”
“Abbot, no need for formalities. You have urgently entered the palace to see me—what matter brings you?”
“Amitabha.” The abbot pressed his palms together and said, “Actually, it concerns the upcoming ancestral rites.”
At the mention of ancestral rites, Emperor Qizhen grew very tense. “The ancestral rites? Could something have happened?”
“Your Majesty need not worry. This humble monk has come because of the directional positioning of the tombs in the mausoleum.”
“What does the abbot mean by this?”
“Yesterday, this humble monk drew a divination stick regarding the ancestral rites. The inscription on the stick read: ‘facing east sees west, central water earth mountain, auspicious in trigram eight facing east, inauspicious in trigram seven facing west.’ According to the tomb positions in the mausoleum, the auspicious is fixed and the inauspicious is also fixed. If one wishes for double auspiciousness, east and west must be connected, like a dragon’s head and tail—they cannot be separated. But now with one auspicious and one inauspicious, one east and one west, they cannot connect. To connect them, the positions must be redetermined before stability can be achieved.” The abbot explained in detail.
Emperor Qizhen understood half and was confused by half.
“East and west? East is auspicious, west is inauspicious, then… what must be done?”
The abbot said: “Reposition Duke Yuguo’s tomb.”
“What?” Emperor Qizhen was shocked. “Exhume the coffin again?”
“Amitabha. If Your Majesty wishes for the dragon’s head to connect with the dragon’s tail, you must exhume the coffin and establish a new tomb position. Moreover, it must be done at precisely the hour of you today.”
Emperor Qizhen hesitated, his brows tightly locked.
He deliberated for a long while.
He said: “Since ancient Dalin times, there has never been a precedent for re-exhuming coffins in the mausoleum. If something unexpected happens with this tomb opening, then…”
Countless hypothetical scenarios flashed through his mind one by one.
What if they offended the ancestral spirits?
What if unexpected problems arose with the tomb positioning?
What if…
The abbot said, “The dragon vein is the foundation—not even the slightest bit can be broken. Your Majesty must make a decision quickly. Within today, the coffin must be re-exhumed.”
Open it?
Or not open it?
Emperor Qizhen paced back and forth, his brows deeply furrowed.
Finally, he clenched his teeth and agreed.
Quickly, an imperial edict was drafted.
It was transmitted down.
Those executing the order immediately departed for Ji Mountain.
At this moment, Prince Xian’s residence.
Jing Xian sat in the room, leisurely brewing tea.
The tea’s fragrance overflowed, refreshing the mind and heart.
A short while later, the person on the bed awoke.
Jingrong rubbed his aching temples, threw back the covers, and got up from the bed. Seeing Jing Xian in the room looking completely at ease, he glanced outside, then quickly rose and walked to the screen. While taking down his outer robe and putting it on, he asked with furrowed brows.
“How long did I sleep?”
“One day and one night.”
His hand paused. He turned to look at Jing Xian. “How could I have slept so long?”
There was an accusatory tone.
Jing Xian said innocently, “Actually, it is all my fault. That jar of wine I opened yesterday had kurou grass added to it—it is a medicinal ingredient used for brewing wine that can enhance the flavor. Some people are fine drinking it, but some people get drunk immediately. It is my mistake. I was not careful. I should have told you clearly beforehand. Otherwise, you would not have slept so long. But next time you come, I will definitely open a jar of good wine and let you properly taste the wine I brew.”
“Yesterday, did anyone from my residence come looking for me?”
“Around midnight last night, Uncle Lu did come, in great haste. I thought some major incident had occurred, but he said nothing happened. At that time you were still drunk. Seeing it was the depths of night and cold winds had risen outside, I insisted on keeping you here. That Uncle Lu, really—coming to fetch someone in the middle of the night as if I were imprisoning you here.”
This baby is truly wronged!
Lu Jiang had come?
Jingrong glanced outside.
One day and one night had already passed? Then yesterday Yunshu should have already gone outside the city.
Unease filled his heart. Anxious to return to his residence, he hurriedly finished dressing, fastened his belt, and said with a grave expression: “I must return to my residence first.”
Just as he was about to leave—
“Wait a moment.” Jing Xian pulled him to sit down, pressing a cup of freshly brewed tea into his hands. “This is hangover tea. After drinking wine brewed with kurou grass, drinking this tea will make your chest feel more comfortable.”
Jingrong’s heart burned with urgency, though his surface remained calm. He seemed to perceive something and met Jing Xian’s eyes.
But those eyes were clearly pure and clean.
“What is it?” Jing Xian asked.
He shook his head.
“Then drink this hangover tea while it is still hot.”
He held the teacup and looked at it for several moments, hesitating to drink it.
Jing Xian continued speaking: “Oh, right, just now a message came from the palace. They say the abbot from Guang’an Temple suddenly requested an audience with Father Emperor, saying something about dragon heads and dragon tails, asking Father Emperor to re-exhume Duke Yuguo’s tomb and find a new burial position. He said it must be completed at precisely the hour of you today. By now… those going to exhume the coffin should be almost at Ji Mountain. I wonder whether this claim is true or false?”
“Clang!”
Just as he finished speaking—
The teacup in Jingrong’s hand struck the table heavily. His complexion immediately darkened. The next moment, without saying anything, he abruptly stood up and quickly departed.
In the air, only a cold, chilling wind remained…