The entire room showed no abnormalities!

Only a few large cabinets stood against the walls, specifically used for storing goods, and on one of these cabinets sat a candlestick.

An overturned candlestick!

Jingrong walked over, murmuring softly.

“Another candlestick!”

He was about to reach out and take it, but his hand stopped just as he raised it.

His gaze fell on the clear fingerprints on the candlestick and…

At that moment, his brow furrowed deeply without him realizing it!

Just then, Official Lin came around from the doorway, but he didn’t dare disturb them, only standing to one side.

Quietly watching!

Quietly waiting!

Jingrong glanced sideways at him briefly, his gaze falling on the man’s hands at his sides and his sleeves.

The official’s clothes should have been clean, but the corner of one sleeve was stained with dust.

Clearly it had been stained on not long ago.

Jingrong’s eyes tightened.

He understood something!

“Official Lin.”

“This humble official is here.”

“Has this room been vacant for a long time?”

“Yes, because the roof leaked and was repaired many times. Eventually we were too lazy to repair it anymore, so it’s remained vacant and hasn’t been used to store goods.”

“No wonder there’s so much dust on this cabinet.” His tone was deliberately understanding.

Then—

He righted the fallen candlestick.

The moment it was righted, the opened hidden compartment suddenly began to close slowly.

Just like subway doors closing!

Only without sound.

So the mechanism wasn’t in that room with copper walls and iron barriers, but on the candlestick in this adjacent room.

Official Lin showed a shocked expression, stunned speechless. “This… what’s happening?”

Jingrong’s face was coldly intense, impossible to tell whether his current emotion was worry or surprise.

After that, he pressed the righted candlestick back down to its original position. Unexpectedly, when the small round protrusion on the edge of the candlestick pressed against the wooden board, that spot actually formed a circular shape and sank down slightly.

Like a button.

And the hidden compartment opened again!

“This is the mechanism that opens the hidden compartment.”

He stated his conclusion!

Seeing this, Lang Bo had a sudden realization. “It seems that during the demolition process, the shaking caused this candlestick to fall over, just happening to hit this mechanism. This subordinate finally understands why we couldn’t find the hidden passage when we entered that room—it was because that old man had taken away the candlestick used to operate the mechanism.”

Only Jingrong himself knew that the fallen candlestick wasn’t due to shaking at all, but was someone’s deliberate act.

“Lang Bo.”

“This subordinate is here.”

He tossed the candlestick to him. “This prince commands you to immediately infiltrate the Si family residence and make certain to use this candlestick to open the mechanism inside.”

“Yes.”

Full of fighting spirit!

Taking the candlestick that could activate the mechanism, he left immediately.

Official Lin was still confused in place. He stepped forward to ask, “Your Highness, is this matter related to the Si family? Could the disaster relief silver be…”

He didn’t finish speaking!

Jingrong had already left the room.

Official Lin was at a loss for words and could only follow him out.

The several corpses in that courtyard were covered in blood.

Recently, quite a few people had died!

Jingrong turned his head, looking coldly at Official Lin, commanding, “Clean this place up. Tonight’s events must not be leaked out.”

“Yes!”

He agreed!

Jingrong then left with his people.

Just as they emerged from the postal station, Jingrong called out “Shi Ziran.”

That fellow appeared from who knows where, obediently standing beside Jingrong.

“Your Highness?”

“How did things go?”

“Just as Your Highness guessed—indeed, the disaster relief silver has already been transported out.”

“Mm, everything… proceed according to plan.”

“Yes!”

…

At the same time!

It was already very late.

Ji Yunshu sat in the courtyard, wanting to wait for Jingrong to return.

Qiao’er came over and asked, “Master, it’s so late already. You should rest early.”

She shook her head.

“Then how about waiting inside the room?”

She shook her head.

At this moment, Shi Zijin came over and said, “Master, His Highness has returned.”

She sprang to her feet and went over.

In the main hall, Jingrong sat with a grave expression.

Muruo and Tang Si were also there.

And Zuo Yao was surprisingly present too, though standing to the side with a bow.

After all, he was still awaiting punishment for his crimes.

“How did it go?” Ji Yunshu asked.

So Jingrong explained everything that had happened at the postal station.

“Zhao Huai?” Ji Yunshu was puzzled. “Why would it be him?”

Did he have a connection to the Si family?

“The hidden compartment matter concerns the disaster relief silver and is related to the Si family. He wanted to come destroy the hidden compartment—clearly, he knows all about the Si family’s actions, perhaps is even one of them.” Jingrong said.

Ji Yunshu’s beautiful eyes darkened slightly. She seemed to have understood something.

Something… that had puzzled her for a long time.

She softly recited a few terms, “Gaoshan Stronghold, mechanisms? The Si family? Assassins? Duke Yuguo?”

Her voice was extremely soft—others couldn’t hear it.

Muruo leaned half his body against a large pillar in the hall, listening coldly to the account of events at the postal station.

“This Zhao Huai—when we questioned him before, he said he came to the imperial prefecture to visit an old friend. Who would have thought that old friend would be someone from the Si family? This whole affair has become quite interesting now.”

His tone was leisurely!

Zuo Yao on the side quickly said, “Your Highness, since we already know who switched the disaster relief silver, why don’t this humble official lead people to the Si family residence and arrest them?”

Volunteering eagerly!

Jingrong glanced at him. “Lord Zuo need not be hasty. There will be places where you’re needed.”

“What does Your Highness mean?”

“This prince has already sent Lang Bo to the Si family residence ahead of time. As long as we confirm there truly is a hidden mechanism passage inside, arresting people at that time will be no problem!”

Oh!

Zuo Yao nodded. “Yes, Your Highness’s thinking is thorough.”

Jingrong gazed faintly outside. He seemed to be waiting for something.

The next day!

Lang Bo still hadn’t returned, but instead, they waited for a man.

“Your Highness, someone wishes to see you,” a guard reported.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly without him realizing it, and he said “Mm” faintly.

The visitor didn’t look like an ordinary household servant—from his appearance and dress, he looked like an orderly trained military man.

“Prince Rong, my young master requests your presence.”

“Young Master Wen?”

“Yes.”

What should come had indeed come.

He brushed his robes and stood, walking to Muruo’s side and lowering his voice.

“Promise me you’ll take good care of Master Ji.”

“Don’t worry.”

He glanced at Ji Yunshu with a gentle smile. “I’ll go and return quickly. This matter of the disaster relief silver should also be resolved now.”

But Ji Yunshu shook her head vigorously at him. “If you go like this, isn’t it the same as walking into a trap?”

“Walking into a trap? You underestimate this prince too much!”

“But…”

“Lang Bo is this prince’s man. If anyone should rescue him, it should be this prince himself.”

Resolute!

Ji Yunshu knew she couldn’t stop him. Her hand gripping his wrist gradually loosened.

Her eyes brimmed with crystalline tears as she watched that man’s departing figure.

Her heart clenched painfully together.