Ye Li didn’t concern herself with how the Sick Scholar was tormenting Lord Liang. When she saw Lord Liang being dragged behind the Sick Scholar, barely clinging to life, she only cautioned, “Be careful not to kill him.” While the Sick Scholar wasn’t exactly a kind-hearted person, Lord Liang wasn’t any better himself. Hearing Ye Li’s words, the Sick Scholar merely snorted disdainfully without speaking. If he didn’t want someone to die, that person couldn’t die even if they wanted to.
However, seeing the Sick Scholar’s gloomy expression, Ye Li knew he probably hadn’t gotten what he wanted from Lord Liang’s mouth. After all, if the old man’s mouth was so easy to crack, they wouldn’t have had to follow him to the Southern Frontier. Nevertheless, the Sick Scholar’s efforts weren’t entirely fruitless—at least he had obtained the so-called complete token.
Ye Li glimpsed it from afar: it was a jade pendant carved with strange patterns. Since the Sick Scholar had no intention of sharing it with them, Ye Li didn’t bother asking about it. The group carefully avoided the trackers sent by the Luoyi tribe and rushed non-stop toward the capital of Nanzhao.
Duke of Dingguo’s Mansion in Chu Capital
“My Lord, a letter has arrived from the Duchess.” It was already late April, with warm sunlight bathing the garden. Looking out the window, several peonies in the garden were in full bloom. Mo Xiu Yao gazed at the garden, reminiscing hazily that it was around this time last year when he first met A-Li. Back then, he never imagined that Mo Jing Qi’s malicious and humiliating arranged marriage would bring him such an extraordinary wife. Now in the capital, those loyal to the Emperor and those loyal to Prince Li had become like fire and water. The Duke of Dingguo’s mansion, due to the Duchess’s disappearance, remained tightly closed to the outside world, expressing their dissatisfaction with the Emperor through silence, allowing the obvious and subtle struggles between the Emperor and Prince Li to continue without the usual support the mansion had historically provided to the Emperor.
“Bring it here!” Mo Xiu Yao withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Mo Butler standing at the door.
Feng Zhi Yao stood at the doorway, holding a thick sealed dossier, grinning at Mo Xiu Yao: “You know, A-Yao, our sister-in-law the Duchess is heartless, taking almost two months to send a letter after leaving.” Mo Xiu Yao frowned, and with a wave of his hand, a powerful internal force drew the dossier from Feng Zhi Yao’s hand. “Where are they now?” Feng Zhi Yao shook his head: “If the Duchess’s whereabouts were so easy to find, we wouldn’t still be without news. The letter was received by secret guards in the border region of the Luoyi tribe in the Southern Frontier, but none of them saw who delivered it. All along the way, neither our people nor others have discovered any trace of the Duchess. Speaking of which… a group of five people shouldn’t be that hard to spot, especially since our people know what to look for.”
Mo Xiu Yao frowned and said, “That proves they haven’t been traveling as five people, and A-Li’s disguise skills are excellent. The secret guards stationed in various places haven’t seen them before, making identification very difficult.” Moreover, they knew the general locations of the secret guards, making it easier to avoid them.
Mo Xiu Yao opened the dossier, and from the paper envelope slid out something bright and shiny along with another sealed letter. Mo Xiu Yao caught the ornament—it was several exquisitely crafted golden decorations with sunflower patterns inlaid with jewels. Feng Zhi Yao was surprised, “The Duchess is sending you ornaments?” Although… wasn’t something backward here? Mo Xiu Yao examined the golden ornaments before setting them aside on the table. Then he opened the letter envelope and began reading, his sword-like eyebrows gradually knitting together. After a while, he said, “Find someone proficient in ancient Southern Frontier script.” Feng Zhi Yao looked at him curiously, “Don’t you know the Southern Frontier language?” Mo Xiu Yao frowned, “This is different, it should be ancient Southern Frontier script.”
Feng Zhi Yao took it and looked, the twisted and strange characters giving him a headache, “It looks a bit like Southern Frontier script, but… it’s hard to make out. How does sister-in-law know such strange writing?”
Mo Xiu Yao looked down at another shorter letter and said, “She doesn’t know it, she memorized these characters and wrote them down from memory.”
Feng Zhi Yao didn’t believe it, “These twisted things—she could memorize them without even knowing what they mean?”
Mo Xiu Yao gave him a bland look, and Feng Zhi Yao rubbed his nose, saying, “Alright, we have plenty of people under us who know current Southern Frontier script, but ancient script… wasn’t that abandoned in the Southern Frontier over two hundred years ago?” Although the Southern Frontier was dependent on the previous dynasty of the Central Plains, it had many tribes with different languages and writing systems. It wasn’t until after the establishment of Nanzhao that the current unified Southern Frontier script was implemented. Who knew which tribe’s writing system this was on the paper? “In the capital, perhaps only Elder Lord Su might be able to tell what this is. However…” Although Elder Su was highly respected, he was still a court official. If this contained major secrets, he would likely have to report to Mo Jing Qi.
Mo Xiu Yao frowned and shook his head, “Lord Su has never had a good impression of the Southern Frontier and isn’t well-versed in their writing.”
Feng Zhi Yao’s eyes lit up, and he smiled, “Speaking of which… A-Yao, haven’t you forgotten someone crucial?”
Mo Xiu Yao raised an eyebrow, silently warning him not to be mysterious. Feng Zhi Yao grinned and said, “Don’t forget… which family our Duchess comes from. Is there any family in all of Great Chu more learned than the Xu family? If the Xu family can’t decipher this, we might as well give up.” Mo Xiu Yao frowned as he looked down at the brief family letter in his hand, then picked up the golden ornaments from the table and examined them carefully, asking, “Does this look like a mere decoration to you?” Feng Zhi Yao was confused, “Isn’t it?” Mo Xiu Yao traced the obvious scratches on the back of the ornaments and said, “These were probably forcibly pried off something. Also… do you remember which tribe in the Southern Frontier used the sunflower as their emblem?”
Feng Zhi Yao frowned in thought, “The sunflower, also known as the sun-gazing lotus, loves warmth and tolerates drought. The Southern Frontier isn’t very suitable for growing them. So it seems no tribe used it as their emblem. However… do you remember that princess from the previous dynasty who married a Southern Frontier tribal chief?” Mo Xiu Yao was silent for a moment. They were both well-versed in history, and while they might not have paid special attention to these matters, the previous dynasty was closest to Great Chu, so naturally they had some impression of it. “Was it Princess Chaoyang from the previous dynasty’s Emperor Gaozong?” Feng Zhi Yao smiled, “Exactly, it’s said that this princess’s given name contained the character ‘kui’ (sunflower).”
“Then… if A-Li brought this out, it means it’s not an ordinary antique. Could this item be related to the princess from the previous dynasty? The princess’s descendants… when the previous dynasty fell, it had already been over two hundred years since this princess married, right?”
“Who knows?” Feng Zhi Yao shook his head.
Mo Xiu Yao pondered for a moment before saying, “Make an impression of this and secretly send it to Yunzhou. Also… if the Southern Frontier secret guards find A-Li, tell her immediately to stop investigating this matter.” Feng Zhi Yao was somewhat surprised as he put away the letter, “The Duchess is doing well, and if there’s a chance to investigate further, we might learn quite a few Southern Frontier secrets. Why stop? We could send more people to assist the Duchess.” Mo Xiu Yao stared at the golden ornaments in his hand and said gravely, “I don’t know why, but I feel that paper holds a huge secret, though we don’t have any clues yet. A-Li doesn’t know anything, and it would be dangerous to investigate rashly.”
Feng Zhi Yao shrugged helplessly, “Very well, everything will be done according to your orders, my Lord.”
After Feng Zhi Yao left with the items, only Mo Xiu Yao remained in the room. He looked down at the letter in his hand again. Besides briefly describing what had happened after entering the Southern Frontier, there was only a short message saying not to worry about her safety. Gently caressing the letter, Mo Xiu Yao’s lips curved into a slightly bitter smile.
Ye Li and her three companions rushed quickly, reaching the capital of Nanzhao in less than seven days. As soon as they entered the city, the Sick Scholar unhesitatingly left with Lord Liang in tow. This angered Han Ming Xi so much that he couldn’t help but curse, “What’s his deal? Abandoning us after using us?” Ye Li glanced at him and smiled, “Even if he is abandoning us, what can you do about it?” The Tianyi Pavilion had people in Nanzhao, and so did the Yanwang Pavilion. Tianyi Pavilion was an intelligence organization, while Yanwang Pavilion was an assassins’ organization. Even if they were dissatisfied, none of them could do anything for the Sick Scholar. Han Ming Xi crossed his arms and glared at her, “Didn’t you want some kind of longevity or resurrection medicine? You’re just letting him walk away like this—do you think he’ll still deliver it to you?”
Ye Li smiled and said, “Even if you followed him, he wouldn’t necessarily give it to you willingly. If he doesn’t give it to me, can’t I find it myself?” She didn’t come to the Southern Frontier for the Sick Scholar and his Biluo Flower, so there was no way she would keep following him. However… such things didn’t necessarily have to be done personally.
Upon entering the capital of Nanzhao, Han Ming Xi, wanting to reward himself for his recent hardships, dragged Ye Li to the best restaurant in the city. After ordering a table full of Southern Frontier delicacies and having a feast, he went up to rest in his room. He declared that unless the restaurant was on fire, no one was to disturb him for two days. Ye Li and Dark Three were left speechless as they watched his swaying figurehead upstairs. “Young Master Han is nothing like Young Master Mingyue,” Dark Three rarely commented. Ye Li looked at him with amusement, “You think he went upstairs to sleep? I bet he won’t sleep past midnight tonight.” And it was already evening. Dark Three frowned but said nothing, and Ye Li, in a good mood, waved her fan saying, “Let’s go, let’s take a walk and experience the night scenery of Nanzhao.”
Compared to the majestic and grand Chu Capital, Nanzhao’s capital was much smaller and not as prosperous as the Chu Capital. The streets were full of people wearing Southern Frontier attire, making Ye Li and her companion, dressed in Central Plains clothing and carrying themselves with dignity, particularly eye-catching. However, Ye Li had no interest in Southern Frontier clothing and saw no need to change her attire unless necessary.
“Young Master.” An excited low cry came from behind, and Ye Li and Dark Three turned simultaneously to see Dark Two, whom they hadn’t seen for a long time. Ye Li was somewhat surprised, as she hadn’t planned to immediately look for her brother upon arriving in Nanzhao. “Why are you here? Is Big Brother here too?” Dark Two looked exhausted and said hoarsely, “This servant has failed Young Master’s instructions. Master Xu… Master Xu has gone missing.”
“What?” Ye Li was startled, “When did this happen?”
Dark Two spoke quietly, “It’s been over half a month. Master Xu had already disappeared two days before this servant arrived in the Nanzhao capital.”
“So many days! Who knows about this?” Ye Li asked with furrowed brows. Dark Two replied softly, “It’s said that Young Master Qingchen had mentioned before leaving that he would return in five days, so initially nobody was concerned. It wasn’t until the morning of the sixth day, when Young Master Qingchen still hadn’t appeared, that they realized something was wrong. This servant and the Southern Frontier secret guards have been investigating secretly, but there’s been no news at all. A few days ago, we had people send the news back to the capital, but because Young Master was traveling in secrecy, you didn’t receive the message.”
Ye Li’s expression darkened, deeply worried about Xu Qingchen’s safety. “Who was Big Brother with before he disappeared?”
“It was the Southern Frontier Crown Princess An Xi, she’s Princess Qixia’s elder sister and the next ruler of Nanzhao. She and Young Master Qingchen are friends, and Young Master Qingchen has been staying at the Princess’s mansion since arriving in the Southern Frontier,” Dark Two explained. Ye Li nodded and instructed, “Have someone bring the information about the Nanzhao capital as soon as possible. Also, I want to meet Princess An Xi.” Dark Two nodded, “This servant understands. However… under what identity does Young Master plan to meet the Crown Princess?” Although Nanzhao was a small country, the Crown Princess and Princess weren’t people that just anyone could meet. Ye Li’s eyes sparkled as she smiled, “As Chu Liu Yun, the third young miss of the Chu family from Yunzhou. Young Master Qingchen’s fiancée!”
Dark Two and Dark Three’s expressions stiffened, somewhat troubled. Was the Duchess trying to damage her reputation or Young Master Qingchen’s?
Ye Li maintained her usual expression, smiling pleasantly at their rigid faces. “What else can we do? Go to find my cousin as the Duchess of Dingguo? Alright, Dark Two, you’ll stay with me for now. Dark Three, investigate secretly about Nanzhao and Big Brother’s matters. Also, if Han Ming Xi looks for me…” Dark Three continued, “This servant understands, we won’t let Young Master Han become suspicious.”
“Good. There’s no need to pay him too much attention, just try to keep him away from me. Let’s go back first. Dark Two, prepare for tomorrow morning when we’ll visit Princess An Xi.”
“Yes.”
Early the next morning, after spending the night reading documents and reports, Ye Li opened the door refreshed when she heard a gentle knock. Dark Three was momentarily stunned by the charming woman standing at the door. Having grown accustomed to the Duchess’s male attire during their journey, he had almost forgotten she was a young woman in her teens. Though it hadn’t been even two months since leaving the capital, the impression she left was more profound than the nearly year before. Looking at the woman before him now, she wore a soft egg-yellow silk dress embroidered with green plum blossoms, her black hair elegantly arranged in a small bun, adorned with delicate silver butterfly hairpins. Her forehead was partially covered by thin bangs, making her features appear more delicate and petite. The slender silver butterflies trembled slightly in her hair, giving the young lady an added touch of charm and playfulness, quite different from the calm and elegant Duchess of the Dingguo mansion in the capital. Dark Three had to admit that the Duchess’s disguise skills were indeed beyond ordinary people’s capabilities.
“Zhuo Jing?” Ye Li raised an eyebrow, looking at the guard who seemed lost in thought.
Dark Three came back to his senses and said composedly, “Young… Miss was right, Young Master Han left the inn at midnight and hasn’t returned yet. Miss, now…” Ye Li waved her hand with a smile, “Thank you for your hard work, go back and rest first. I can go down by myself.”
“Yes.”
Ye Li went downstairs in high spirits, where Dark Two was waiting in the main hall. Last night, she and Dark Two had already booked two additional rooms. Conveniently, Dark Two and Dark Three’s rooms flanked her two rooms, so no one discovered that the two rooms belonged to the same person. Now they just needed to check out and leave together. If Princess An Xi was interested in investigating later, she would find that they had entered the city late yesterday evening and stayed at this inn for just one night.
Accompanied by Dark Two, they headed straight for Crown Princess An Xi’s mansion near the Nanzhao palace.
After waiting quite a while outside the Princess’s mansion, the person who went to announce them finally came out to invite them in. While Nanzhao’s architecture was quite different from the Central Plains style, the capital cities were somewhat similar. However, the Princess’s mansion was much smaller than the grand Dingguo mansion, probably about the same size as the Ye family’s Minister mansion. The Central Plains architecture had incorporated many Southern Frontier characteristics, creating a strange and mysterious feeling. The two were led to the main hall, where they saw a tall woman wearing blue embroidered clothing. The woman’s clothes weren’t the usual straight-cut narrow sleeves, but clean-cut arrow sleeves with the royal Nanzhao emblems embroidered on the cuffs and hem. A silver belt cinched her waist, highlighting her graceful figure while making her appear more crisp and spirited. Compared to her younger sister Princess Qixia, known as the Southern Frontier’s greatest beauty, she might not have been as beautiful, but her bright, gleaming eyes made her more striking.
Seeing Ye Li enter, Princess An Xi’s gaze carried a hint of scrutiny and assessment. Ye Li slightly furrowed her delicate brows and raised her small face somewhat proudly, “Why don’t you invite us to sit?”
Princess An Xi frowned slightly and looked at Ye Li, “Please sit. May I ask how to address this young lady?”
Ye Li said, “My name is Chu Liu Yun, and I’m here to find Brother Qingchen.”
“Brother Qingchen?” Princess An Xi’s eyes dimmed slightly as she shook her head, “I’m sorry, I don’t know any Brother Qingchen.”
“You’re lying!” Ye Li glared at her accusingly, “Brother Qingchen said he came to the Southern Frontier to travel and visit friends. He said you were his friend, how could he not have come here? Did you hide Brother Qingchen somewhere?” Princess An Xi’s somewhat heroic eyebrows furrowed deeper as she looked at the charming young woman on the verge of tears, asking, “What is your relationship with Young Master Qingchen?”
“I… I am his fiancée. Wuwu… Brother Qingchen said he would return in just three months and marry me. But now… wuwu, he’s been gone for so long without even a letter. Aunt Xu is so worried, wuwu… he must not want Liu Yun anymore… If I can’t find Brother Qingchen, I don’t want to live anymore!” Princess An Xi’s eyes darkened, looking somewhat doubtfully at the heartbroken crying young woman, “You’re Young Master Qingchen’s fiancée? How come I’ve never heard him mention you?” Ye Li raised her head, gazing at her with resentment, “We Central Plains daughters greatly value our reputation, how could Brother Qingchen talk about me in front of friends? Look, this is the token Brother Qingchen gave me last year. If you’re his friend, you must have seen it before. He said he’d worn it for many years, and thanks to this jade’s protection, he’s been safe all these years while traveling.”
Princess An Xi looked at Ye Li with a complex expression, her resolve somewhat shaken. Whether the jade belonged to Xu Qingchen or not, she didn’t know, but the old cord on the jade pendant was indeed in Xu Qingchen’s usual style and color, even the threading was the same as what he used. “I apologize, Miss Chu, for my rudeness earlier. However, the journey from the Central Plains to the Southern Frontier is arduous. How did Miss Chu come to be in the Nanzhao capital?” Princess An Xi returned the jade pendant and asked softly. Ye Li bit her red lips lightly, looking stubbornly at Princess An Xi, “Brother Qingchen hasn’t come back for so long. My second sister said Brother Qingchen doesn’t want me anymore. I… I need to find him and ask him. Wuwu, if he doesn’t want me anymore, I… I’ll die!”
Dark Two stood to the side, greatly admiring how his master perfectly played the role of a young lady who had run away from home for love.
Princess An Xi was troubled by this stubborn and somewhat willful young girl. After hesitating for a moment, she had to say, “Young Master Qingchen was indeed a guest at my humble residence some time ago, but he’s no longer here now. Why don’t I have someone escort Miss Chu back to the Central Plains first? If I see Young Master Qingchen, I’ll have him write to Miss Chu as soon as possible. How does that sound?” Ye Li stared blankly at Princess An Xi for a while before suddenly bursting into tears, wiping her tears while saying, “I secretly ran away with guards. If I go back without finding Brother Qingchen, my father will break my legs. Wuwu… I won’t go back, I want to find Brother Qingchen.”
Princess An Xi rubbed her forehead, “Alright, alright… Miss Chu, how about this: stay at my mansion for a while, and when Young Master Qingchen returns, you can go back together, how’s that?”
Hearing this, Ye Li immediately broke into a smile through her tears, “Thank you, Sister Princess, you’re so kind…”
Princess An Xi called for a maid to lead Ye Li to the guest room. After the maid left, Ye Li looked at Dark Two with some guilt and asked, “Do you think… Princess An Xi might become my sister-in-law?” It would be troublesome if she ended up ruining her brother’s marriage prospects; she didn’t want to become the third-wheel villain from those melodramatic stories. Dark Two shook his head solemnly, “Impossible. Although the Xu family doesn’t discriminate against other ethnicities, they have never intermarried with other races for hundreds of years. Moreover, Princess An Xi is the Crown Princess of the Southern Frontier, a position of great importance. The Xu family would never allow their next family head to marry into the Southern Frontier. More importantly, given Young Master Qingchen’s personality, if he truly had feelings for Princess An Xi, he would never refer to her merely as a friend.”
Ye Li tilted her head in thought—that made sense. It would be a grave sin if she ruined her brother’s marriage prospects. Though speaking of Princess An Xi, she did seem quite impressive. Among all the princesses she had met, aside from Princess Changle who was still a young girl, Princess An Xi appeared the most reliable. If it had been any other princess, who knows how they would have treated someone claiming to be their beloved’s fiancée? She truly proved worthy of being Big Brother’s chosen friend.
“What are Miss’s plans?” Dark Two asked.
Ye Li smiled, “Isn’t staying at the Princess’s mansion perfect for investigating Big Brother’s situation?”
Dark Two said, “But staying in the Princess’s mansion will make coming and going difficult, and Miss’s movements will be quite restricted.”
Ye Li shook her head with a smile, “Princess An Xi wouldn’t confine her friend’s fiancée, would she? Right now, figuring out Big Brother’s whereabouts is more important, especially since the secret guards haven’t been able to determine where he went in all these days.” Dark Two lowered his head, saying shamefully, “It’s this servant’s failure.” Ye Li waved her hand with a smile, “How can you be blamed for this? If everything could be figured out clearly, the word ‘secret’ wouldn’t exist in this world. I just hope… Big Brother is safe and sound.”
The Princess An Xi’s mansion wasn’t large, and perhaps because the Southern Frontier wasn’t as strict about gender separation, Xu Qingchen’s room was in the same courtyard where Ye Li was staying. Ye Li didn’t hide her movements, directly asking for the location of Xu Qingchen’s room and going there. When she pushed open the door, the room was very clean, showing that although Xu Qingchen hadn’t been there for many days, someone still tidied it daily. All of Xu Qingchen’s belongings were still there. Ye Li carefully examined everything—his clothes, jade pendant, folding fan, and even the travel journals he carried to pass the time when bored were all stored in bundles in the cabinet.
On the desk were Xu Qingchen’s favorite white porcelain blue-and-white tea set, and neatly arranged books and writing implements. Xu Qingchen had lived here for quite some time. Ye Li walked behind the desk and sat down, casually picking up a book to read.
“Why is Miss Chu here?” Princess An Xi’s voice came from the doorway. Ye Li looked up to see her standing there with furrowed brows. Ye Li quickly stood up, looking at her somewhat uneasily, “I’m sorry, I heard Brother Qingchen used to stay here, so I wanted to come and look. Just… to find some books to read.” Princess An Xi walked over, her eyes softening as she looked at the books on the table, “You like reading too.”
Ye Li lowered her eyes, nodding with slight shyness, “Brother Qingchen is unmatched in talent, I want to read more…”
Princess An Xi nodded, “Young Master Qingchen loves reading too, he always has a book in hand when he’s free. I only roughly know your Central Plains characters, I can’t understand much of what’s written in these books.” Ye Li put down the book in her hand and said softly, “I heard Brother Qingchen mention that Princess is the Crown Princess of the Southern Frontier, you have important matters to attend to. It’s natural not to have interest in these poems and prose.” Princess An Xi laughed graciously, “I learned Central Plains writing late, it’s already good that I can understand the general meaning. Even if I were interested, I couldn’t understand much. Miss Chu, if you like the books in the study, you can take them all to read. These were all bought by Young Master Qingchen, they’re of no use just sitting here.”
Ye Li nodded, “Thank you, Princess. Princess…” Ye Li looked at Princess An Xi hesitantly, and Princess An Xi raised her eyebrows, gesturing for her to continue. Ye Li asked softly, “I want to find Brother Qingchen quickly, he hasn’t written home for so long. Could you please tell me where he said he was going when he left? I could take my guards to look for him.”
Princess An Xi looked at her for a long while before frowning and saying, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to tell you his whereabouts, but… I’m looking for him too right now.”
Ye Li guessed hopefully, “Then… could he have left the Southern Frontier and returned to the Central Plains?” Princess An Xi shook her head, “There are still many matters unfinished in the Southern Frontier, he wouldn’t leave easily. Moreover, if he wanted to leave the Southern Frontier, he would at least say goodbye to me or leave a message.”
“Then… could he be in danger?!”
Princess An Xi looked at her with some difficulty, and after a long while shook her head, “He… shouldn’t be. Young Master Qingchen is incredibly intelligent, he can handle whatever comes his way.”
“But, but Brother Qingchen doesn’t know martial arts! He can’t even beat Lin Han who’s by my side,” Ye Li called out anxiously. Princess An Xi held her hand and comforted her softly, “Trust me, he’ll be fine, I promise.” Ye Li’s eyes flickered slightly, and she looked up at her full of hope, “Really? You promise…”
Princess An Xi nodded firmly, “I promise in my position as Princess of Nanzhao, he absolutely won’t come to harm. You just need to wait quietly in the mansion, and you’ll see Young Master Qingchen soon.” Ye Li nodded, “Alright, I believe Sister Princess. But, I still want to look for Brother Qingchen!” Princess An Xi looked at her helplessly, “Only within the capital, don’t wander off. What if Young Master Qingchen returns and can’t find you…”
“I understand, thank you, Sister Princess.”
Outside the guest courtyard, the smile gradually faded from Princess An Xi’s face. As she walked toward her courtyard, she turned back to ask the person following her, “About Miss Chu, have you investigated?”
The man behind her said quietly, “Princess, we have. Miss Chu entered the city just before dark yesterday. After entering the city, she went to the most famous inn in the capital to stay. Early this morning, she checked out and asked around for directions to the Princess’s mansion before coming directly here. However… she didn’t register under the name Chu Liu Yun but as Xu Yun and Lin Han.”
Princess An Xi nodded, “Using an alias while traveling is not unusual. Anything else?”
The man shook his head, “Nothing else. If we want to verify Miss Chu’s identity, we’d need to send someone to Great Chu. The round trip would take at least a month.”
Princess An Xi shook her head, “We probably don’t have that time. She must know Qingchen and be very familiar with him. Finding him is more urgent. Whether she’s telling the truth or not will become clear once we find him. Just have someone keep an eye on them during this time.”
“Yes.”
“Anything else?”
The man hesitated for a moment, then said, “When we were investigating Miss Chu, we discovered three other people from the Central Plains who arrived at the inn yesterday. Their names weren’t particularly special, but they might not be their real names either.”
“Any connection to Miss Chu?”
“None apparent so far. They arrived more than two hours before Miss Chu, and one of them went to rest after eating. The other two went out and returned after Miss Chu had checked in. They haven’t met at all.”
“Then we don’t need to concern ourselves with them. It’s normal to have people from the Central Plains coming and going to the capital. That’s the city guard general’s responsibility; it would cause trouble if we meddle too much.”
“Yes.”
“Princess, His Majesty summons you.”
“I know. I’ll go to the palace immediately.”