“It’s fine, we’ll just pretend we don’t know. After all, it’s not against the law.” Xie Shouzheng proved to be someone who didn’t dwell on minor details and quickly devised a solution.
“First, for Prince Jin, this is a family matter. If it escalates, he’ll lose face himself.”
“After daybreak, I’ll report the exceptional appointment to The Emperor before the morning court session.”
“Recently, evil spirits have been appearing with increasing frequency. The Emperor hopes to recruit more extraordinary people. Once your position is confirmed, you’ll be an official of the court. No matter how powerful Prince Jin is, The Emperor is still above him. He wouldn’t dare trouble you without reason.”
If Xie Shouzheng had been wary of Lin Qingyue before, after she helped resolve the Snake Demon incident, he had come to recognize both her abilities and character, and was naturally willing to recruit her.
“Ah, it’s a shame The Crown Prince cannot attend to affairs. Otherwise, if I reported directly to the Eastern Palace, matters would be much simpler.”
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Qingyue asked: “There are rumors among the people that The Crown Prince is nearing his end. Is this true?”
Xie Shouzheng sighed sorrowfully: “I don’t know the specifics. When The Crown Prince went out, I happened to be tied up with official duties and couldn’t accompany him.”
“After The Crown Prince returned severely injured, he was taken directly back to the Eastern Palace. By the time I heard the news and rushed there, the Eastern Palace had been sealed off. Not even a mouse could get in, making it impossible to gather any information.”
“Ah, such a good person as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince… I pray he has heaven’s protection.”
Lin Qingyue glanced at the Tabby Cat silently crouching at her feet, thinking: Since he was saved, that means his human body remains intact?
She asked Xie Shouzheng another question: “I heard the Xuanjing Office was established by The Crown Prince himself. Did he know about your demon identities?”
Xie Shouzheng didn’t hide the truth: “His Highness naturally knew. He was originally my master. Fifteen years ago, I was severely injured and accidentally wandered into the royal hunting grounds, nearly killed by random arrows. It was The Crown Prince who saved me.”
“Later, when His Highness discovered I was a wolf demon, not only did he not reject me, but he made me his attendant, took me to school, and allowed me to receive human education.”
“Ten years ago, when The Crown Prince traveled outside the palace, he saw the common people suffering in turmoil with evil beings frequently appearing. Although there were demon catchers and ghost exorcists among the people, they either charged exorbitant prices or were incompetent frauds, causing great suffering to the populace.”
“So The Crown Prince established the Xuanjing Office with branches throughout the country. Whenever evil spirits appear, we eliminate them for the people free of charge.”
As he spoke of these matters, Xie Shouzheng’s face filled with admiration, his eyes glistening with tears: “Those noble elites have always looked down upon us misfits. Only His Royal Highness the Crown Prince employs people without prejudice.”
“It’s a pity misunderstandings about demons run too deep among ordinary people – they panic at the mere mention of us. That’s why our identities as demons haven’t been publicly disclosed.”
“Ah, Your Highness, your cat is quite interesting. It’s been staring at me the whole time I’ve been speaking, as if it understands. Yet it carries no demonic aura and isn’t a monster.”
Little did Xie Shouzheng know that the very Crown Prince he kept mentioning was right before him, merely unable to reveal himself while trapped in a cat’s body.
Lin Qingyue deftly avoided the main issue: “This cat isn’t a monster, just quite intelligent and somewhat capable of understanding human speech. Perhaps given time, it might have the chance to cultivate a demon form, so I keep it by my side.”
Xie Shouzheng said, “It’s fine to keep it by your side, but it absolutely must not bite our intelligence agents!”
Lin Qingyue laughed, “Don’t worry, he doesn’t eat mice.”
Xie Shouzheng asked again, “What’s its name?”
“Name?” Lin Qingyue said, “I’ve only adopted it for two days and haven’t given it a name yet.”
Since the cat would be accompanying them from now on, it would be more convenient to have a name. They couldn’t just keep calling it “Meow Meow,” could they?
After all, its core was none other than His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!
Xie Shouzheng said, “Is naming it that difficult? The Princess Consort actually hasn’t thought of one in two days. Since it’s a tabby cat, let’s call it Xiao Hua.”
As he spoke, he puckered his lips and called to the cat, “Tsk tsk tsk~ Xiao Hua, come here, come here, let me pet your head!”
The Crown Prince: “…”
Xie Shouzheng found it strange, “Why are you glaring at me? Don’t you like this name?”
Lin Qingyue chuckled, “Did Lord Xie truly attend school? This name is far too casual.”
“How is it casual?” Xie Shouzheng retorted indignantly, “Naming it after its fur color is simple, direct, and easy to remember! That’s exactly what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said back then. He even gave me the name ‘Xiao Hui,’ and I’ve always been proud of it. Later, to adapt to officialdom, I took on the formal name Xie Shouzheng. Now that the Crown Prince has secluded himself in the palace, no one in the world calls me ‘Xiao Hui’ anymore…”
Lin Qingyue looked at the tabby cat and grinned mischievously, “So Lord Xie’s naming talent comes from his master. Hmm, I suddenly think Xiao Hua is an excellent name, truly a stroke of genius! Alright, let’s call it Xiao Hua!”
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince: “…”
He felt the helplessness of being struck by his own boomerang, yet his objections were completely ignored by Lin Qingyue.