In the front hall, Liu Qingping’s plump figure stood in the center, his face wearing a fawning smile.

Jingrong sat there, looking him up and down, then cast a cold glance at the pile of gifts placed on the table.

So many!

They said Liu Qingping was stingy, but this time he was so generous—it was quite unexpected.

“Liu Qingping, are you trying to bribe this prince?”

“How would I dare, how would I dare! These are just customary gifts, customary gifts…”

“Enough, stop with those high-sounding pleasantries. No one visits the temple without a reason—speak up, what exactly is this about?”

Liu Qingping’s liver trembled, and he quickly said, “Oh my, such injustice! This humble one just wanted to come see Your Highness, no other meaning at all. How would this humble one dare ask Your Highness to do anything?”

Wouldn’t that be seeking death?

Seeing his nervous appearance, Jingrong secretly found it amusing. He simply asked in a teasing tone, “Liu Qingping, do you still want to wear official robes or not?”

Oh my, don’t scare me like that!

“Your Highness, please don’t make fun of this humble one.”

“When has this prince made fun of you? I merely asked whether you still want to wear official robes—how does that make fun of you?”

Liu Qingping felt awkward.

He sighed helplessly, “Your Highness knows full well that this humble one’s position was directly dismissed by the Ministry of Personnel. Moreover, now Magistrate Liu is the one in office. I’m now just an ordinary common citizen—how would I dare hope to wear official robes? That would be a capital offense.”

How ridiculous!

Jingrong couldn’t hold back his laughter. He rose and walked before him, patting his shoulder. “Tell me, why do you have so little ambition? As they say, people climb to higher places, birds perch on forest branches. You served as an official for decades, and now you’ve been dismissed by the Ministry of Personnel in such a muddled way—are you truly resigned to it?”

“To be honest with Your Highness, this humble one… really isn’t quite resigned to it.” He smiled with bared teeth, though somewhat bitterly. “But now Magistrate Liu is the parent official of Jinjiang. This humble one… how would I dare take his position?”

“You dare, you dare.” Jingrong patted his shoulder again. “As long as you still want to be an official, that’s enough. Once Liu Qian’s position is removed, this prince will personally write to the Ministry of Personnel to recommend you. After all, your dismissal was completely unreasonable—the Ministry of Personnel must take responsibility. Therefore, as long as this prince intervenes, they won’t dare refuse to restore you to your original office.”

Liu Qingping confirmed he hadn’t heard wrong!

Restored to office!

Good heavens, then he wouldn’t have to spend every day raising birds and fighting to the death with his own wife anymore.

His eyes shone brightly.

“Really?”

Jingrong shot him a look. “When has this prince ever spoken empty words? If I say it’s true, then it’s true.”

“Oh my, that’s wonderful! I’ve found that fellow Liu Qian disagreeable for a while now. Once I’m restored to office, I’ll definitely…”

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed Jingrong glaring at him.

He quickly fell silent, laughing awkwardly.

Jingrong shook his head with emotion. “Liu Qingping, oh Liu Qingping, you’re too adorable.”

Uh!

Liu Qingping felt like he was about to be bent.

He could only continue smiling.

Looking around, he changed the subject. “How come I don’t see Yunshu?”

Jingrong, who had just praised him as adorable, instantly changed his expression.

“Is Yunshu a name for you to call?”

Liu Qingping was left speechless!

What happened to me being adorable?

Truly turning hostile without recognition in a split second!

In the end, he was directly thrown out by Jingrong.

At least the gifts weren’t given in vain—before long, he could be restored to his office.

Evening.

After dinner, Jingrong invited Muruo to play chess. Muruo had been properly drinking wine in his room with no such leisurely interest at all, but was forcibly dragged over.

They played four or five rounds!

Lost every single one!

He simply threw down the white pieces in his hand. “Not playing anymore, not playing anymore.”

But Jingrong continued unhurriedly, picking up his black pieces one by one and placing them back in the chess box. At the corners of his mouth rested a gentle smile, and his eyes, catching the moonlight and lantern glow, shone brilliantly like scales.

He scoffed dismissively. “Look at you, truly lacking patience.”

Muruo: “Then why don’t you let me win one game?”

“Playing chess is like commanding troops in battle. If I give you one piece, I place my own soldiers in fire and water. Even if you won, it would be a dishonorable victory. Furthermore, chess follows the heart—wherever the heart goes, that’s where it should be. How can one act against one’s heart?”

“Playing a game of chess, and you can extract so much philosophy from it—isn’t that boring?” He cast a contemptuous glance, shaking the wine flask in his hand. “Drinking is much more satisfying.”

He poured himself a mouthful of wine!

Yet felt somewhat unwilling. “How about another round?”

Jingrong shot back at him, “You have so little ambition!”

And so, they set up the board and started again.

Muruo held a white piece, pondering left and right before placing it down, revealing a proud expression. “Let me see how you’ll move.”

Jingrong across from him merely smiled, grabbed a black piece, and with forceful fingers cast it into the game.

The white piece was trapped.

“Do you concede?”

Muruo cast another contemptuous glance. “You clearly know my chess skills are poor, yet you corner me everywhere.”

Jingrong spread both hands. “If you lose, you lose—how are you blaming me now?”

The two bickered!

While collecting the chess pieces.

Suddenly—

Jingrong’s expression tightened. His hand picking up pieces paused mid-air as he exchanged a glance with Muruo.

Mutual understanding!

They heard faint sounds from the surroundings, like someone stepping on tiles.

The next moment, he fiercely flung the black piece held between his fingers in a certain direction.

Very fast, as if drawing a white streak through the air!

A figure leaped down from the rafters, steadily caught that black piece, and grasped it in his palm.

Shi Ziran!

Wasn’t he escorting the black-clothed person to the capital?

Looking at his clothing, he must have hurried back from the capital. Walking into the pavilion, he obediently returned the black piece.

Muruo said, “You rascal, if you’re coming, just come—what are you doing on the rafters? Your prince fortunately didn’t throw a dagger, otherwise you’d be dead.”

“I came in haste.”

Jingrong kept a straight face, asking him, “There’s news?”

“The person has been delivered to the Court of Judicial Review. This subordinate then rushed back at full speed.”

Jingrong nodded.

He analyzed, “According to the timeline of your return journey, by now the person should have already woken up in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison. Perhaps they’re already dead. Well then, we’ll wait for Minister Yu, the Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to continue the next act of this play.”

He curved his lips in an exceptionally cold, hard line.

Muruo worried, “Aren’t you afraid something will go wrong in the middle?”

“This was originally a trap set for Jing Yi. What’s needed is precisely for something to go wrong in the middle for it to work.”

Muruo smiled, actually finding Jing Yi pitiable, saying, “Prince Yi probably never imagined that after all his calculations, he’d ultimately fall by his own hand. With this move you’ve made, when he finally realizes it, he’ll probably vomit blood and die. But I’m also looking forward to this good show.” He leaned forward. “However, tell me, if the Emperor truly perceives the suspicious circumstances behind the Crown Prince’s siege of the palace, at that time, will he summon you back to the capital?”

He shook his head!

“I don’t know.”

He asked Shi Ziran again, “Is there any movement in the capital?”

Shi Ziran’s expression was grave. “Not only has Prince Yi deployed his own people outside the capital gates, now even the people at the southern palace gate have been replaced with his men. Moreover, Prince Yi has recently been meeting privately and frequently with many court ministers. Almost the entire court has defected to him. Lu Jiang asked me to bring word to Your Highness, asking whether you need to make plans early? Just in case.”

He raised his hand to stop him.

“No need.”