Xinhe County Magistrate’s Residence Sishi Residence
“Bang…” Late at night, the door was pushed open and then shut, a blade pressed against the neck of a young woman who was hugging her quilt, looking innocent and bewildered.
“???” Ji Yingying was stunned, barely registering what was happening when she looked up and saw the man covered in the scent of blood before her.
[Is he here to kill me?]
[No, please! I’m still young, and I haven’t offended anyone… Since I was born, I’ve never even stepped outside the main gate, sob… How could I have possibly made enemies? Ahhhhh…!]
Ning Qingran only felt a noisy buzzing in his ears, like a mosquito incessantly whining nearby. Just as he was about to snap at her to be quiet, another voice echoed in his mind.
[Wait, isn’t this the Crown Prince of the Tianyou Dynasty?]
[Good heavens, he’s actually the unlucky one here. No way, his fate is even worse than mine. He came here to investigate a case, but halfway through, he was hunted down and barely escaped with his life. When he returned, he lost his position as Crown Prince because of this case and was even sentenced to death.]
[Not only that, but all the officials who supported him were completely wiped out. The Crown Prince’s faction vanished entirely from the court.]
[Let me see who was behind this?]
[Wow, it’s the Second Prince. That Second Prince is ruthless—he slaughtered every last member of the Crown Prince’s faction.]
Ji Yingying inwardly groaned in agony, completely unaware that the Crown Prince, Ning Qingran, was staring at her wide-eyed, his expression betraying shock and turmoil.
Unfortunately, Ji Yingying didn’t notice at all and continued her internal ranting.
The sound of searching outside grew louder. Ning Qingran frowned, his gaze fixed on Ji Yingying. Regardless of whether her thoughts were true or not, he had to escape now.
“Maybe… you should hide first?” Ji Yingying cautiously moved the sword away from her neck. The noise outside was getting closer—they were probably about to reach this room.
In the next moment, Ning Qingran lay down on her bed and covered himself with her quilt.
[Ah… my quilt, my quilt! It’s brand new, and now it’s dirty.]
“Bang!” The door was ruthlessly pushed open. The maid Pingguo rushed in and saw her young mistress on the bed, looking as if she were about to cry.
Just as Pingguo was about to comfort her, she heard: [I need to pull myself together. I have to act soon. I wonder if the men who burst in will give me a hard time? Will they point a sword at me and ask, “Little girl, have you seen an injured man?”]
[What if I get nervous while speaking and they kill me? Or, seeing how weak and helpless I am, will they force themselves on me?]
[This is truly terrifying. I have to save the Crown Prince. If I don’t, and the Second Prince takes the throne, the world will likely fall into chaos. That damned Second Prince will stop at nothing to seize power.]
The Second Young Master of the Ji family, who had brought the guards, froze when he heard the last part.
The injured man is the Crown Prince? And the Crown Prince was harmed by the Second Prince?
“Men, surround Sishi Residence and protect the Third Young Lady.”
“Yes.”
As Ji Jiayu entered, he caught a strong whiff of blood—it seemed the injured Crown Prince was still in the room.
“Pingguo, take your Third Young Lady to Mother’s room. It’s safer there.”
“Second Brother, I’m not going.” Ji Yingying didn’t dare to leave—there was a living person lying on her bed, after all.
【What if the searching dead soldiers discover that the Crown Prince is in the Ji residence, and even on my bed? That would put the entire family in mortal danger. Oh dear, I forgot this is ancient times—harboring someone discovered by those in power could lead to execution.】
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince was on Ji Yingying’s bed, Ji Jiayu immediately said to the maid, “Be obedient. I’ll handle the rest.”
Ji Jiayu waved at Pingguo, who promptly and obediently lifted the person and carried them away.
【Ah… Brother, brother… spare me, please!】
Once Pingguo had carried the person out, Ji Jiayu immediately knelt and bowed respectfully toward the bed. “This commoner pays respects to Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Ning Qingran, who had been lying on the bed, sat up and asked, “What is the matter with your sister?”
Ji Jiayu’s grip on his sword tightened slightly as he lowered his head. “My younger sister has had some peculiar fortune since childhood. She is bound to a system called Xiangxiang, known as the Melon-Eating System.”
“So, the thoughts in her mind are all true?”
Ji Jiayu bowed his head even lower. “Yes.”
Ning Qingran clenched his hand. “Hmph. It seems Second Brother has grown tired of living.”
The kneeling Ji Jiayu dared not utter another word.
“I am injured and will be staying at your residence for the next few days. Coincidentally, the clues to the case I am investigating lead to Xinhe County.”
“Understood. This commoner will notify my father at once.”
His father, Ji Cailiang, was the magistrate of Xinhe County—a minor ninth-rank official. Since the Crown Prince intended to stay, it was necessary to inform him. A physician was summoned to dress the Crown Prince’s wounds.
Before long, Ji Cailiang hurried in, his clothes still stained with fresh mud.
“Your servant pays respects to Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“Rise.”
“Yes.”
Noticing the mud covering him, Ning Qingran inquired, “Where have you just returned from?”
“Your Highness, Heju Village was nearly destroyed by a mudslide. I led a team to manage the situation.”
“Were there any casualties?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, there were no casualties.”
Ning Qingran looked at Ji Cailiang in surprise, but before he could discern more, Ji Jiayu interjected, “It was my sister’s doing.”
Hearing this, Ji Cailiang nearly knelt again in alarm. How did the Crown Prince come to know about his daughter?
“In that case, once I have recovered, have her attend to me and assist in investigating this case.”
“But…”
Terrified, father and son both knelt. Since Ji Yingying’s birth, her unusual abilities had emerged, and the Ji family had never dared to let her interact with outsiders, fearing she would be discovered and burned as a monster.
“Do not panic. I mean her no harm. In fact, I intend to reward her.”
“Yes,” they replied in unison, silently praying: May Ji Yingying not speak recklessly in front of the Crown Prince… No! May she not entertain wild thoughts.
“Magistrate Ji, are there any restrictions or precautions regarding your daughter’s speech?”
“Your Highness, she must not speak of the matters in her heart, or she will be ordered to see the Grand-matriarch. Additionally, the system called Xiangxiang is intermittently present. Also, those with ill intentions cannot hear my daughter’s inner thoughts.”
“Understood. Arrange a room for me. You may withdraw.”
“Yes.”
Once the arrangements were made, father and son rushed back anxiously. By then, Ji Yingying was already fast asleep on the large bed of Ji Cailiang and his wife, Fang Yulan.
As for Fang Yulan, she had been too frightened by her daughter’s inner thoughts to sleep, yet she dared not send for Ji Cailiang to return.
Seeing him now, she hurried over. “Husband, did our daughter save the Crown Prince?”
“Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince is resting at Yaqing Pavilion.”
“What about our daughter?” Fang Yulan’s gaze fell upon Ji Yingying sleeping soundly and carefree on the bed, her heart filled with anxiety.
“It’s settled, but once His Highness the Crown Prince recovers from his injuries, he said he wants Yingying to assist him in solving the case.”
Fang Yulan began wiping her tears again, wondering what sin she had committed in her past life to have given birth to such a troublesome child.