The two of them stayed awake all night, and didn’t get up until the sun was shining brightly the next day.

When he awoke, Chu Jiubian first took a moment to assess his surroundings, making sure that he was lying still with his hands resting properly on his chest, instead of touching anything they shouldn’t. Only then did he slowly open his eyes.

What entered his vision were walls in grey and white.

He gradually levered himself up and turned to find that Qin Xiao was still asleep. He was lying perfectly straight, just as he had been before falling asleep the previous night. It didn’t seem as if he had moved at all.

“System, perform a scan,” Chu Jiubian said internally.

[Host, this System has detected that the patient’s wound has not reopened, and that it is in the process of healing.]

Chu Jiubian’s heart settled. With daily dressing changes over the next couple of days, Qin Xiao should be able to attend the palace banquet on the 30th without a problem.

Abruptly, he recalled the passage he had read in the original novel —

[Ning-wang Qin Xiao led his army to defeat a border kingdom in the Western Regions and was seriously injured. It took him three months to recover.]

Qin Xiao had still suffered a serious injury that was even more severe than in the novel, but thanks to surgery, advanced medical technology, and medicine, he was recovering faster than before.

But it took one hundred days to recover completely from such an injury, and the wound was also internal. Even though he could get out of bed, he still needed a longer period of rest in order to make a full recovery.

It was likely that he wouldn’t fully recover until after the New Year, but before the Imperial Examinations.

Chu Jiubian carefully examined Qin Xiao’s face. His complexion was better than it had been yesterday; he wasn’t as pale, and his lips had a little more color to them.

The black stubble on his chin was very noticeable.

Chu Jiubian touched his own face and could barely feel any. It was so subtle that one wouldn’t be able to see it unless they looked closely.

Qin Xiao was tall, but why did his beard grow so fast too?

In a moment of inexplicable impulse, Chu Jiubian reached out and gingerly touched the man’s chin.

The short stubble was a bit stiff, tickling his fingertips.

The man’s prominent Adam’s apple suddenly bobbed, and Chu Jiubian realized the impropriety of his actions, immediately withdrawing his hand.

Looking up, he found that the man’s eyes were closed, as if he had yet to awaken.

But Chu Jiubian knew at a glance that he was awake. Perhaps he was keeping his eyes closed in order to avoid an awkward situation for both of them.

Chu Jiubian felt that the room was a little too hot.

He got to his knees and, just as he had done the previous night, crawled across the man’s body to leave the bed.

He put on his boots, and seeing that Qin Xiao’s eyes were still closed, stood up and went to the outer room.

After grabbing his cloak, he headed outside to relieve himself.

A cold wall of air rushed in as he pushed open the door.

He realized that the wind had stopped, and that a blanket of snow had fallen over the courtyard without him noticing.

Qin Xiao had already met with Qin Chaoyang and Bai Lihong the day before, so two more palace servants had been assigned to the courtyard to attend to him.

The snow on the ground was currently only about one centimeter thick, but the snow on the rooftops was several times deeper. The palace staff had clearly shoveled the footpaths once, but the snow was still coming down.

Chu Jiubian summoned the palace servants and instructed them to help Qin Xiao get up and dress. Only then did he wrap his cloak around himself and step out onto the covered walkway, leaving a trail of footprints in the pristine snow.

There were actually places to relieve oneself inside the palace. Separated by partitions, they were similar to modern restrooms.

But since Qin Xiao was still inside, Chu Jiubian felt more at ease going out.

Meanwhile, at the city gates…..

An Wuji ordered his men to open the gates when the time arrived.

Huguang-wang and Dongjiang-wang had been unable to enter the city the previous night. Given the frigid weather, they couldn’t just sleep outdoors, so they had traveled to the nearest village and found lodging in a few residences.

Knowing that these people were members of the royal family, as well as vassal kings, the villagers were terrified. They offered them the best houses to stay in, slaughtered chickens, and prepared the most sumptuous of meals.

The two vassal kings secretly looked down on such things, but for the sake of their reputations, they behaved in a relatively friendly manner.

They even left some money for the villagers before departing in the morning. It was just a small amount of loose change that slipped through their fingers, not even enough to cover a single meal, yet the villagers were incredibly grateful.

Before they even arrived in the capital, their reputation for kindness and benevolence had already spread.

The city gates had been open for half an hour. Many shops had already opened on the bustling main street, and numerous people were out and about when the two vassal kings finally entered the city.

The common people quickly moved aside, and just as they were about to kneel in reverence, An Wuji and his Imperial Guards arrived.

It was well-known that An Wuji was half a member of the Qin family, so wherever he went, the common people were never required to kneel before him.

Thus, everyone simply hid inside the shops or stood behind their stalls rather than kneel.

Even when the procession of vassal kings entered the capital, An Wuji raised his hand to signal that they need not prostrate themselves.

The snow on the ground was several inches deep. Kneeling would certainly soak one’s robes and trousers, so it was best to not freeze themselves.

An Wuji stepped forward a few paces and led his troops to greet the entourage.

The two groups stopped upon approach, and An Wuji, in full view of the commoners, declared loudly: “This subordinate welcomes your Royal Highnesses. It was past the time to open the city gates last night, and in adherence to my duties, I was unable to allow Your Highnesses to enter the city.”

“However, this subordinate is truly impressed by Your Highnesses’ magnanimity, and the fact that you were willing to abide by the regulations of the Imperial City just like the ordinary citizens.”

With just a few words, he was able to corner both Bai Liyue and Bai Lihe.

If they revealed displeasure, it would demonstrate a lack of tolerance and a refusal to abide by the same rules as the commoners, making them no different from those powerful figures who abused their power and bullied the weak.

But if they were magnanimous and didn’t drag the matter out, they wouldn’t be able to rid themselves of the resentment in their hearts.

Neither of them were pushovers, and they certainly wouldn’t be so easily manipulated by An Wuji.

A few muffled coughs came from Dongjiang-wang’s carriage, and an attendant immediately said: “Your Highness, please drink some water to soothe your throat. Once we arrive at the palace, we will have an Imperial Physician examine you.”

His only response was two coughs.

The attendant looked very anxious, and there was a hint of anger to his expression.

He took a few steps forward and glowered at An Wuji, saying: “Commander An, please cease your cold comforts. Our lords have traveled a long distance, and barely stopped to rest in order to see His Majesty as soon as possible. They had hoped to arrive before the city gates closed yesterday, but unfortunately, we were a little late. We had nowhere to stay last night in such frigid weather, and His Highness even caught a cold. This morning, he even…..”

“I’m alright!” A slightly hoarse male voice sounded from the sedan chair. It was Dongjiang-wang.

“This lord’s attendant is inexperienced and lacks etiquette. Hoping Commander An will not take offense.” Dongjiang-wang did not show himself, and coughed a few more times inside the sedan chair before speaking again, “Please lead the way, Commander An. This lord also wishes to rest and recuperate quickly before seeing His Majesty.”

Dongjiang-wang avoided blaming An Wuji explicitly, but his words implied that the other man was cold and unsympathetic.

Having traveled a long distance, this vassal king wanted to meet the new emperor as soon as possible, but was unfortunately unable to make it there before the city gates closed. And in order to avoid trampling over the regulations, he was forced to search for a place to stay the night, which resulted in him catching ill.

Although An Wuji was only doing his duty, when taking the special circumstances into consideration, it wouldn’t have hurt for him to be a bit more flexible.

At present, his actions seemed somewhat rigid and unsympathetic.

Even the locals felt that An Wuji’s actions were a bit problematic. Those two were vassal kings, after all. They were the Emperor’s uncles, and if they were allowed to enter through the city gates, the common people wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

This was the nature of the common people. They naturally harbored reverence and fear toward the powerful and privileged, instinctively elevating those who were already in positions of power even higher while neglecting their own rights in the process.

Even if they didn’t know who these powerful figures were, and understood that they would never share their power and wealth with them, they still catered to them in such a way.

This was something that escaped their self-awareness.

An Wuji’s mind might not be on par with Qin Xiao’s or Chu Jiubian’s, but he didn’t hold this position simply because of his friendship with Qin Xiao. He genuinely possessed the necessary abilities to fulfill the role.

Among the military officers, he was also a man of superior strategy and intelligence.

Therefore, he fully understood Dongjiang-wang’s intentions at this moment. He donned a tense expression, saying: “It is entirely this subordinate’s fault that His Highness has fallen ill. Had this subordinate known earlier, he would have been more flexible and granted His Highness this privilege that does not extend to the common people.”

The word “privilege” was deliberately emphasized.

These common people, who had become accustomed to the higher classes possessing and using special privileges, seemed to awaken to the reality of the situation.

Yes, ah. By doing what he did, Commander An was ensuring that the powerful and wealthy abided by the same rules as ordinary citizens. This demonstrated his respect for the common people. How could they possibly think that Commander An had done anything wrong?

“What is Commander An saying?” Huguang-wang’s voice sounded from the other carriage. “This lord has never sought out any special privileges. Didn’t we wait for the gates to open before entering the city like everyone else?”

At this point in the confrontation, neither side had gained any advantage.

Even Huguang-wang felt that if this discussion continued, they would be unable to out-argue Commander An.

This man was a military officer, yet he possessed such eloquence and intelligence.

Bai Liyue’s appreciation and desire for such talents grew even stronger.

He composed himself and lifted the curtain to look at An Wuji, saying in a gentler tone: “Please lead the way, Commander An.”

Observing the expressions of the surrounding common people, An Wuji realized that not many of them had been misled. Thus, he didn’t argue further, and simply said: “This way, Your Highnesses.”

He escorted the two of them to their respective residences and entrusted them to the care of others, then prepared to return to the palace.

But Bai Liyue climbed out of his carriage and stopped him, walking up to him with a smile: “I have long heard that Commander An is remarkably accomplished for someone so young. Meeting him now, I see that he truly possesses extraordinary charisma.”

An Wuji’s expression remained unchanged. He said with a bow: “Your Highness is too kind. You are the one with great talent and extraordinary charisma.”

Bai Liyue laughed, then reached out and patted him on the shoulder, saying: “This lord hasn’t been back to the capital in a long time. Are there any good places to visit in the city?”

“Does Your Highness wish to find a restaurant?”

Since these vassal kings would be going outside the city the next day for fasting and ritual observance, it would be understandable if they wished to eat and drink something today.

Bai Liyue: “Indeed, do you have any recommendations?”

“There is a restaurant belonging to His Majesty on Splendid Plaza. The food and drink there is excellent. Your Highness might want to give it a try.” An Wuji never forgot to drum up business for the Emperor.

Then Bai Liyue said: “I wonder if Commander An has any free time tonight to share a drink with this lord? I feel an instant connection with you, and I think we are very compatible.”

An Wuji had long heard that Bai Liyue possessed many talented subordinates, and that he also enjoyed recruiting various talents.

This person was clearly extending an olive branch, hoping to befriend him.

If Chu Jiubian were in his shoes, he would immediately agree, then see what benefits the other party had to offer and use the opportunity to gather some intelligence.

But An Wuji knew that although he was fairly intelligent, he was definitely no match for Huguang-wang. Therefore, he politely declined the invitation, saying that he had other matters to attend to, and set off straight for the Imperial Palace.

Bai Liyue stood in place, letting out a long sigh as he gazed after that retreating figure.

What a pity.

If a talent could not be used for his own purposes, it was better to destroy them rather than let others benefit from them.

*

*

Inside Yangxin Hall.

When Chu Jiubian returned from relieving himself outside, Qin Xiao had gotten out of bed.

Two wash basins had already been placed side by side in the room, along with buckets for changing out the water, and all of the necessary items, such as soap and willow twigs for brushing their teeth.

Palace maids were pouring hot water into the wash basins.

Chu Jiubian unfastened his cloak and hung it on the rack by the door, then looked up and met Qin Xiao’s eyes.

The two gazed at each other in silence.

The palace maids knew that neither of them preferred being waited on, so they quietly withdrew after placing the items down.

The door closed, leaving only the two men in the room.

Chu Jiubian stepped forward and stopped two paces from Qin Xiao.

“Are you cold?” Qin Xiao asked.

“No.”

Snow had fallen onto his hair, melting into water as soon as he entered the house.

A few strands of hair clung to Chu Jiubian’s face. Qin Xiao’s fingertips twitched, but Chu Jiubian had already raised his hand to smooth them away.

Qin Xiao rubbed his fingertips together, smiling silently.

Chu Jiubian had stopped concealing things from Qin Xiao and was no longer hesitant to reveal his supernatural abilities, so he directly took out a toothbrush and toothpaste from his spatial storage in full view of him.

Of course, just to be on the safe side, Chu Jiubian had transferred the toothpaste to a different container, and the toothbrush he brought out had a wooden handle.

Holding a willow branch, Qin Xiao turned his head to look at him and said: “That thing looks quite useful.”

Before he even spoke, Chu Jiubian had already bought a set of toiletries from the System Mall, including a razor.

Thus, the moment he finished speaking, Chu Jiubian handed him a brand new set of dental hygiene items.

Qin Xiao was taken aback. “I didn’t mean for you to do that,” he said.

Having said this, he still reached out and accepted the toothbrush and toothpaste, asking: “Did you conjure up all of these?”

“En.” Chu Jiubian couldn’t possibly explain the System Mall and his storage space to him, so he just gave a vague response.

Following his example, Qin Xiao put some toothpaste on his toothbrush and stuck it in his mouth.

The refreshing taste of lemon and mint instantly reminded him of that rainy night, when the same taste had been on the young man’s lips.

Fresh and sweet. Soft.

His expression shifted minutely, and he lowered his eyes to glance over himself. His robes were loose and flowing, and there was nothing unusual to be seen.

It was early in the morning, the room was hot, and he had been sharing a bed with Chu Jiubian all night. Qin Xiao felt that he was dangerously close to having an inappropriate reaction.

After brushing his teeth, Chu Jiubian squeezed some shaving foam onto his face.

The young man naturally had a somewhat distant and aloof appearance, but after covering his face in soft, fluffy white foam, his features were softened, making him look softer and more adorable.

Qin Xiao found everything about him novel. He was about to ask what that substance was when Chu Jiubian turned to face him and said in a cool voice: “Don’t speak yet.”

Qin Xiao swallowed back his words.

Chu Jiubian raised his hand and squeezed some shaving foam around his lips as well.

Since the shaving foam couldn’t be transferred to another container, Chu Jiubian didn’t give the bottle to Qin Xiao, but instead put it back into his storage space. 

He would buy some later that came in a ceramic jar.

“This is for shaving. It softens the stubble,” Chu Jiubian explained.

Qin Xiao nodded and didn’t ask further questions.

Chu Jiubian was aware of why he was giving Qin Xiao these things, and why he was explaining them.

He wanted to share things with Qin Xiao.

But he deliberately avoided thinking too deeply about it, maintaining an unusually calm demeanor.

He calmly accepted the subtle change in his relationship with Qin Xiao, but while he didn’t reject it, he also didn’t plan to do anything about it.

After waiting for a little while, Chu Jiubian took out a razor and a small mirror, and carefully began to shave his stubble.

Qin Xiao observed from beside him, and only spoke once he was finished shaving: “This mirror is nice. Can they be manufactured?”

“They can.” After washing his face, Chu Jiubian applied some lotion. “But we need to manufacture glass first.”

“Glass?”

Chu Jiubian smiled. He took out a new razor, then looked up at Qin Xiao and said: “Don’t move.”

“En.”

Chu Jiubian reached up and, supporting the man’s neck with one hand, began to carefully shave his beard with the other.

Qin Xiao looked down slightly, his gaze lingering on the young man’s exquisite, flawless face. Their eyes met unexpectedly, but Chu Jiubian casually looked away, avoiding any further “entanglement” with him.

As he wiped the last bit of shaving foam away, Chu Jiubian’s fingers rested on the man’s Adam’s apple, which bobbed beneath his fingertips.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his hand, and Qin Xiao washed his face in silence.

Not long after, the palace servants entered and cleared everything away, but Qin Xiao kept the toiletries on the table.

About half an hour later, there was more commotion outside. Breakfast had been delivered – but by Bai Lihong and An Wuji rather than the palace servants.

An Wuji had returned to the palace after getting the two vassal kings settled in, heading directly for Yangxin Hall.

He hadn’t been in the palace the day before and was unaware that Qin Xiao had woken up, so he went to the main hall.

His plan was to discuss the matter of the two vassal kings with Hong Fu or Qin Chaoyang, and go over whether he had said anything inappropriate at the city gates.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the main hall, Bai Lihong scurried out and nearly collided with his legs.

Upon inquiring, he learned that Qin Xiao had actually regained consciousness the day before.

An Wuji immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and the invisible pressure that had been weighing on him for the past few days melted away.

He followed along upon learning that Bai Lihong was going to see his uncle, and as they reached the entrance to the western courtyard, he casually took the food trays from the servants’ hands.

Once he placed the trays down on the table, he turned to find that Bai Lihong had already moved closer to the bed.

Qin Xiao was sitting upright. Chu Jiubian reached out and picked the child up, then placed him on the bed. He even took off his shoes as he arranged Bai Lihong next to Qin Xiao.

“Thank you, Xiansheng,” Bai Lihong said sweetly. He then turned and carefully hugged Qin Xiao’s arm, tilting his chubby little face up to look at him. “Jiujiu, are you feeling better?”

“Much better,” said Qin Xiao. “You didn’t cry last night, did you?”

“Of course not,” Bai Lihong said proudly. “I wanted to, but I held it back.”

Jiujiu had been healed by Xiansheng, so he hadn’t cried at all.

Qin Xiao let out a soft chuckle.

Chu Jiubian smiled as he washed his hands.

An Wuji swept his gaze over the three of them, thinking to himself, This looks like a happy, harmonious family of three. Although His Lordship and the Young Master had no children of their own, having a well-behaved child like the young Emperor was no different from having a biological child.

“Jiujiu, are you going to eat in bed?” Bai Lihong didn’t forget that his uncle hadn’t eaten yet.

Qin Xiao just looked at Chu Jiubian.

He had been standing up for a while, and had even gone through some exercises. It was only a short while ago that he had sat down again.

Chu Jiubian actually wanted him to eat at the table, if for no other reason than his own disdain for eating in bed, but moving up and down was difficult for someone in such a state.

Figuring that the bedding could be changed out later, he said: “Just eat in bed.”

With great perceptiveness, An Wuji picked up the small bed table and set it on the bed, then placed the food on it.

Chu Jiubian assisted in bringing Qin Xiao one of the cups of water, then turned to go eat at the main table.

Qin Xiao looked at the second teacup, then asked An Wuji: “Is this yours?”

An Wuji had just poured water for everyone, including himself, so this cup must be his.

An Wuji glanced at it: “Yes.”

Qin Xiao then pushed the cup toward him: “You take it.”

“My Lord seems to look down on me,” An Wuji said casually, taking the cup back. “Even the Young Master didn’t look down on me.”

Qin Xiao hesitated, then looked up at him and asked: “What do you mean?”

Chu Jiubian’s hand froze midway through picking up some food with his chopsticks.

Bai Lihong blinked his bright, clear eyes, looking from one person to the other.

An Wuji walked to the window and sat down on the couch with his cup of water, saying: “When we first met, the Young Master even drank water from my water flask.”

Qin Xiao turned his head to look at Chu Jiubian, and found him eating his meal as if completely unaffected.

“When did this happen?” Qin Xiao asked.

His tone was mild, but An Wuji still detected a subtle strangeness to it. Realizing belatedly that he had misspoken, he took a sip from his cup.

Sensing the other man’s gaze on him, Chu Jiubian glanced up.

Their eyes met.

Chu Jiubian’s lips curved, and he said with a half-smile: “You nearly strangled me to death back then. I would have died without any water.”

Qin Xiao’s expression shifted as he recalled when they first met, his jaw tensing.

A long silence descended.

Chu Jiubian let out a light snort and resumed eating.

How dare he even ask? Wasn’t it Qin Xiao himself who had throttled him back then?

But Chu Jiubian wasn’t angry. The situation was different at that time; it would have been perfectly understandable if Qin Xiao had killed him.

However, there was one matter that caused Chu Jiubian’s mind to wander.

Qin Xiao had previously drunk from Chu Jiubian’s teacup, and even used the handkerchief he had wiped his hands with…..

Only now was Chu Jiubian able to confirm that it wasn’t because Qin Xiao was unrefined or lacking a sense of hygiene.

He didn’t treat everyone the same way – he wouldn’t even share a cup of water with An Wuji, his very close friend and subordinate.

The atmosphere in the room was a little strange.

Not daring to linger, An Wuji quickly composed himself and recounted everything that had happened this morning and the previous night. 

“There is nothing wrong with your actions,” said Qin Xiao. “Spread the word that His Majesty is deducting three months’ salary from you. This should appease Dongjiang-wang. Then have Hong Fu bestow some rewards on the two of them, and the matter should be settled.”

“As for their invitation to go drinking, it is good that you declined. You might not be able to handle them and end up falling into a trap.”

An Wuji was naturally aware of this, and nodded in agreement.

With the vassal kings arriving in the capital, city defense was of paramount importance. This kept An Wuji very busy, and he was unable to stay for long.

With nothing further to report, he stood up and took his leave.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao finished their meals and had someone clear the tables.

A desk was placed on the low platform by the window, where Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong sat opposite each other, children’s writing materials and official memorials spread out between them.

Qin Xiao sat on the bed with a low table placed in front of him, upon which lay an even thicker stack of memorials.

As the New Year approached, memorials and holiday greetings of all kinds were pouring in in overwhelming numbers.

Fortunately, Bai Lihong was able to approve these types of documents himself, and would only show them to his uncle or the Grand Tutor if he couldn’t understand them or was unsure.

Chu Jiubian then took out the student exam papers and read through them one by one.

If he happened across a good one, he would take it to Qin Xiao and show him.

He avoided specifically looking for Lu Yao’s exam paper. If Lu Yao’s answers were mediocre, then he would have to spend more time instructing him, but if he did well, Chu Jiubian might become dissatisfied with everyone else’s exam papers after reading his.

The snow had stopped falling outside, and the servants were bustling about as they cleared the walkways. Inside, the underfloor heating was working well, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

The three of them sat there quietly, each doing their own thing.

The two vassal kings naturally made their way to Yangxin Hall, but since Bai Lihong was “slightly ill with a cold” and was unable to meet with them, they could only accept their rewards and go back to their residences.

As evening approached, the other four vassal kings finally arrived at the capital – before the city gates were closed.

By the time they arrived, Huguang-wang and Dongjiang-wang’s reputations for their “benevolence,” having spent the night in villagers’ homes and rewarding them with a “large sum” of money, had spread throughout the streets. 

Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu closed his eyes inside his carriage and let out a light chuckle, paying these words no heed.

The other three vassal kings also pretended not to have heard.

Situ Zhaoling and Situ Zhaoyao were sitting in their own carriage, following behind that of their parents.

Situ Zhaoling quietly lifted the curtain and peeked outside to see the street bustling with people and stalls. Everywhere she looked, there were red walls and dark-tiled roofs with upturned eaves, a scene that was completely different from what could be found in Nanjiang.

Everything seemed so fresh and novel.

Situ Zhaoyao lifted the curtain on the other side and exclaimed “Wow!” at the sight of some tanghulu skewers.

The carriage traveled along a side street before arriving on the busy and prosperous main thoroughfare.

This wide street divided the city into the eastern and western districts. The eastern commoners’ district was lively, but lacked the prosperity of the western side.

And along the western side of the road were numerous restaurants, brothels, and various other shops, all housed in either two or even three-story buildings.

Situ Zhaoling observed all of this with great interest. As they passed by a restaurant, she suddenly felt a strange sensation and looked up to see a figure in pink by a second-story window.

He was a handsome man with long, slightly curly hair and fox-like eyes that slanted upward at the corners, smiling as he looked over.

It was Wang Qichen!

Situ Zhaoling’s eyes lit up. But rather than greeting him, she simply regarded him with surprise and delight.

Wang Qichen opened his fan to conceal the smile at the corners of his lips, then gave her a slow wink.

Only once the carriage carried them out of sight did Situ Zhaoling lower the curtain, sit back in her seat, and excitedly tap her feet on the floor.

“A-Jie?” Situ Zhaoyao tilted his head and looked at her. “Did you see a friend?”

His sister always got so excited and happy when she was about to go out with a close friend, but this was the capital city. They had never been here before, so how could she possibly know anyone here?

“A-Di,” Situ Zhaoling said with a smile, “After we pay our respects at the palace, come out for a stroll with me.”

Her family was unaware that she also owned a shop in the capital, and her little brother was no exception.

She would go later to take a look at the shop in person. Her little brother was in for a shock.

Of course, she would be able to see Wang Qichen there as well.

Although she had met Wang Qichen many times in the Divine Realm, for some reason, she was incredibly excited to meet him in person.

News had spread that the young Emperor had caught a cold, but Nanjiang-wang and the others were still required to go through the formalities of visiting the palace.

After all, they were going to the temple tomorrow, and greeting him only when they attended the palace banquet would be a serious breach of etiquette.

And all of them wanted to meet the three-year-old Emperor.

As for Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, the news they received stated that the two were still in Yangxin Hall, and there had been no further information. It seemed that Qin Xiao had still not recovered.

Some people were even saying that Qin Xiao was critically ill and on death’s doorstep, and that even a godly incarnation like Chu Jiubian was unable to save him.

They had also learned the reason for Qin Xiao’s injury: one of his most trusted deputies had betrayed him by shooting him in the back, nearly killing him on the spot. It was a miracle that Qin Xiao had survived long enough to make it back to the capital.

As for why the other party had betrayed Qin Xiao, there was no specific information available. They only knew that even after being subjected to heavy torture, that person had yet to utter a single word.

Naturally, this news had been deliberately spread by Qin Xiao himself in order to make those working in the shadows lower their guard.

Nanjiang-wang Bai Lihao entered the palace along with the four other vassal kings, bringing his wife and children with him.

They didn’t see the Emperor outside Yangxin Hall, and after lingering for a while to demonstrate their respect, they took their leave.

Eunuch Xiao Yuzi, who served Bai Lihong, personally led the contingent of vassal kings back outside the palace, remaining close to Bai Lihao the entire way.

Once outside the palace, everyone boarded their respective carriages.

Bai Lihao and his wife, Situ Anli, also boarded theirs.

Including the one carrying the Situ siblings, five carriages in total gradually made their way from the palace to their respective residences.

Upon reaching the main street, Situ Zhaoyao got out and hurried to his parents’ carriage, where he told them that he wanted to go shopping with his sister and would return later.

The brother and sister were both intelligent and precocious, and of noble birth. They also possessed deadly weapons and venemous gu to protect them, so they were naturally quite safe. 

Therefore, the two parents were quite at ease and allowed them to go amuse themselves, only warning them not to stay out too late and not to drink alcohol.

After agreeing, Situ Zhaoyao returned to his sister. Rather than making a turn with the other carriages, they proceeded straight ahead toward the silk workshop in the western market.

Meanwhile, Bai Lihao and Situ Anli returned directly to their residence in the capital.

Upon arriving in the main courtyard and confirming that everyone around belonged to their family, Bai Lihao procured a piece of paper from his sleeve.

Written in a sharp, bold hand, the letter read: We suspect that Cheng Shuo is under the control of gu, and hope that the Nanjiang royal family will assist in identifying them. A generous reward will be granted.

Also included was the location where Cheng Shuo was being held. The letter was signed by Chu Jiubian.

“A letter from Grand Tutor Chu?” Situ Anli’s brow furrowed.

Bai Lihao nodded. Xiao Yuzi had secretly handed him the letter, and he hadn’t let on that anything was out of the ordinary the entire way back.

They knew who Cheng Shuo was; he was the deputy general who had injured Qin Xiao.

Previously, they had discussed in private how Cheng Shuo’s sudden betrayal was, if not induced by coercion or bribery, most likely caused by external manipulation.

It seemed that Chu Jiubian had the same theory in mind.

But why would Chu Jiubian trust them? Shouldn’t they be the first names on the suspect list?

Or perhaps…..the other party was simply testing them?

“Husband, we should go.” Situ Anli took Bai Lihao’s hand. The little green snake poked its head out of her hair, flicking its tongue.

Bai Lihao nodded: “Let’s wait until later tonight.”

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Chapter 72 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 74