“An assassin broke into Nanmeng Rong’s bedchamber?” Xue Gu was mildly startled, then furrowed her brows: “But Nanmeng Rong would hardly make such a glaring blunder.”
“Naturally it would not be Nanmeng Rong’s own person.” Feng Jiu smiled faintly. If it had been someone from Nanmeng Rong’s side, why would they so brazenly break into her own bedchamber?
It seemed there was some faction within the palace acting covertly to accomplish something. Only this time, Nanmeng Rong had been made to swallow a mute’s bitter loss.
“I hear Emperor Qiwen was furious and had Nanmeng Rong sent to the dungeon.”
“Would Emperor Qiwen truly be that confused?” Xue Gu held not the slightest goodwill toward Emperor Qiwen, yet if he was truly confused to this degree, that was honestly just pitiful.
“It was likely not solely because of the assassin. Knowing Nanmeng Rong’s temper, she probably enraged Emperor Qiwen as well.”
Feng Jiu curved her lips in a smile. Beneath the moonlight, that light and gentle smile was of an incomparably striking beauty.
“So then — once Emperor Qiwen’s fury has cooled and he has calmed himself, he will still continue the investigation?”
If that were the case, then this emperor had not truly sunk to a state of hopeless stupidity.
“He will most likely still investigate. But if the matter is conclusively traced back to the Nanmeng clan’s doing, that would indeed be good news for us.”
Xue Gu looked at Feng Jiu, somewhat puzzled: “Jiu’er — did you not say just now that this was likely a frame-up?”
“That depends on whether Emperor Qiwen is willing to treat a frame-up as fact.”
“Jiu’er……”
“Go and check on how the new medicine is coming along. I need to enter the palace shortly.”
……
That night, Feng Jiu hurried into the palace — still alone, as always.
Before entering the palace, she passed through the same road as always, past that lush and verdant great tree.
The same place as before. The bark looked exactly as she had last seen it — as though it had not been touched.
The place where the bark was sealed used a particular sealing method of their own. So long as it was disturbed, the nearly transparent seal would be torn and could never be restored to its original form.
Therefore, the moment it was disturbed, whether by her or the contact on the other end, it would be discovered immediately.
Feng Jiu removed the seal, lifted the bark, and dropped in her strip of paper. Then she drew a new seal from within her sleeve, lightly traced her fingertips across the bark, and a new seal was immediately set in place.
Its color was nearly transparent, only shimmering with a faint, delicate luster in the moonlight. If one did not look carefully, it was invisible to the eye.
Reassured, Feng Jiu continued forward — yet after no more than a few steps, a chill suddenly ran down her spine.
She snapped her head up, and sure enough, caught sight of a tall and slender figure half concealed within the tree above.
In truth, he was merely sitting in the tree, without making any real effort to conceal himself. But his breathing was utterly soundless, and with such hidden presence, even a skilled martial artist could not be guaranteed to sense him.
After her initial shock, Feng Jiu quickly regained her composure. She watched as that figure in deep black descended lightly from the tree, landing directly before her.
“Ninth Prince, what pleasant leisure you must have tonight, to come wandering around here.” Feng Jiu pulled a smile across her face and walked toward him.
Zhan Qingcheng’s expression was as still and serene as water. Her playful grin and easy manner meant nothing in front of him.
Feng Jiu knew perfectly well, of course — this man, when he did not wish to smile, would not smile even if you died in front of him… well, if you died you certainly would not be smiling, what a comparison she was making.
“Ninth Prince,” she reined in her light playfulness, the teasing smile leaving her face: “This late at night — what are you doing here?”
Clearly doing something underhanded and sneaky, roaming about in the deep of night — what good could possibly come of it?
Yet this man’s godlike bearing — how could it ever be connected to anything underhanded and sneaky?
She was truly the underhanded and sneaky one. If it were the Ninth Imperial Uncle — with looks this fine and an air this otherworldly — even killing someone would be beautiful.
“This Prince has been waiting here for you.” Zhan Qingcheng remained expressionless. That face, cold as a mountain of ice, made Feng Jiu’s heart quiver a little.
It seemed — he was angry again.
“Then — may I ask what it is the Ninth Prince wishes to see me about?”
“You truly insist on entering the palace?” Zhan Qingcheng stepped forward; his tall and imposing figure instantly cut off all the moonlight that had been falling upon her, like a great tree casting its shadow — the shade enveloping her completely.
“Ninth Prince……”
“Are you certain — you wish to involve yourself in this?” His voice was a touch cold, without the faintest trace of warmth.
Feng Jiu’s heart gave a start. She had not expected the Ninth Imperial Uncle to have been watching without appearing to pay attention — yet in truth, he had always been clear about so many things in his heart.
The palace was indeed full of informants everywhere. The Ninth Imperial Uncle’s network of eyes and ears was likely far more extensive than she had imagined.
To all appearances he never asked and never inquired about anything — yet in truth, he knew everything.
If so, did the Ninth Imperial Uncle also know about the veiled consort in the Li Yuan courtyard? Or did he know, but had not yet investigated closely?
After all, the veiled consort herself was not a person whose identity could be easily investigated. Setting aside the depth of the veiled consort’s own inner power — so unfathomable it defied observation — even her attendants Qing Ye and Qing Zhi were not the kind of agents that an ordinary spy could approach and draw information from.
“Ninth Prince — my entering the palace is something that must be done, and is not something I myself can refuse. I ask the Ninth Prince to understand.”
“What is there for this Prince to understand about you?” Zhan Qingcheng narrowed his eyes and stepped forward once more: “When have you ever needed this Prince to understand?”
He had only drawn one step closer, and already Feng Jiu could feel an enormous pressure descending upon her from all directions, overwhelming and inescapable — she wanted to retreat, yet knew clearly that no matter what she did, she could not escape it.
She felt a little dispirited. Whenever she encountered the Ninth Imperial Uncle, she lost every trick she had.
“Ninth Prince.” Feng Jiu let out a slow breath, a trace of helplessness in her voice: “I only hope the Ninth Prince will not obstruct what Feng Jiu needs to do.”
He said nothing. Yet the calm depths of his eyes darkened faintly: “And if this Prince insists on stopping you?”
“Ninth Prince!” Feng Jiu furrowed her brows, not having expected him to truly mean to block her: “Ninth Prince — you said before that you would not stop what I wished to do.”
“Oh?” Zhan Qingcheng narrowed his eyes; a thread of dangerous intent swept through their depths: “When did this Prince ever say such a thing to Feng Jiu?”
Feng Jiu! He said he had never said that to Feng Jiu!
Feng Jiu’s heart lurched; she nearly dropped to her knees before him.
He truly had never said that to Feng Jiu — but he had said it to Feng Jiu’er!
Was he now asking her to admit, with her own mouth, that she was Feng Jiu’er?
In truth, had he not already known long ago? Even Mu Mu had recognized her — there was no possibility that he had not. Yet he had never spoken it aloud.
The Ninth Imperial Uncle did not say it openly; Feng Jiu did not wish to say it either. But this feeling of uncertain conjecture was truly unsettling.
If he truly had seen through her, rather than this… it would actually be better if he simply said it outright.
Yet what if he was merely testing her?
Feng Jiu was caught in an agony of indecision, and in the end only looked steadily at Zhan Qingcheng and said calmly: “Ninth Prince — I have my own affairs to attend to. I ask the Ninth Prince not to obstruct me. Feng Jiu… will be deeply grateful.”