The Crown Prince stared at the empty bedroom, every inch of it filling him with immense anger.
If, as the guards said, no one had entered, how had all these things disappeared? He couldn’t help but think of the secret letter the spy had delivered that evening.
The items from the Censor’s mansion had also vanished while being moved.
Even though he was reluctant to believe it was something inauspicious, he was beginning to have his doubts.
Meanwhile, the Third Prince received a letter from his spy and began planning through the night.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.
…
After leaving the palace, Xie Zhizhi circled around half the imperial city before returning to that remote little house.
Only when she reached the nearby woods did she reveal herself.
Checking the time, it was already past Xu hour (7–9 PM).
Xie Zhizhi, dressed in an old floral-patterned dress with her hair tied in a matron’s bun, moved swiftly on her feet, running quickly until she reached the front of the small house.
Jing Yi and Jing Er had been waiting at the door for some time.
As soon as they saw the familiar figure, they happily rushed forward, “Miss!”
Jing Yi pulled out a still-warm flatbread from her chest, staying close to Xie Zhizhi’s left side, and asked with concern, “Miss, you didn’t take any money when you went out. Are you hungry? Here.”
“You’re so sweet, Xiao Yi.” Even though she wasn’t hungry, she reached out and took a bite. The filling was packed with savory meat, and the outer layer was fried to a crispy perfection. “This is really good. Is it from that shop in the West City?”
In the Original Host’s memory, it was her favorite meat pie shop, always crowded, requiring a queue to buy.
Jing Er nodded, circling Xie Zhizhi once to confirm she wasn’t injured before sighing in relief. Only heaven knew how worried she had been about the young lady. She asked, “We had nothing to do while waiting for you, so we went to West City to buy meat pies. Where did you go, Miss?”
“Me? I went out to rob and plunder!” Xie Zhizhi pulled them inside. “Let’s talk inside.”
The three of them entered the house. The small dwelling was in a relatively remote area with few neighbors around.
Inside, candles were lit, the wooden table was wiped clean, and a pot of steaming hot tea was prepared and set out.
Jing Er couldn’t help but laugh. “Where did you go to rob and plunder, Miss?”
“Just teasing you.” Xie Zhizhi’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, taking big bites of the meat pie. This was the authentic, additive-free flavor she couldn’t find in the modern world. For now, she decided not to tell them.
“Then, Miss, are we setting off for the border tomorrow to find the General?” Jing Yi sat down on a chair. Whether the General was alive or dead, they needed an answer. He had only jumped into the river, and given that he had saved countless lives and was blessed with good fortune, she believed he wouldn’t die so easily.
“Not yet.” Xie Zhizhi still wanted to find the military map. “We can’t leave the imperial city until we find the map. If we leave, we’ll truly have no chance of finding it elsewhere.”
“Didn’t you find it in the General’s study, Miss?” Jing Yi asked, puzzled, her brows slightly furrowed. “If it’s not in the General’s Mansion, then only the Dog Emperor has it.”
Xie Zhizhi suddenly slapped her thigh—oh no!
She had forgotten to check the Imperial Study!
Maybe it really was there!
She would go tomorrow.
“I’ll go out and look again tomorrow.” As if remembering something, she took out the box Xie Zongyi had left from her Space and placed it on the table. “I found this in Father’s study. It only contains the armory key and some parchment. Can you check if there are any hidden mechanisms?”
Jing Er sat to her left, leaned in to look, and noticed the lock on the box had been broken—definitely another display of the young lady’s great strength. She opened the wooden lid directly.Inside, at the bottom, was a layer of parchment with a key placed on top.
“Miss, should I take everything out?”
“Go ahead.” Xie Zhizhi took the last bite of her pancake, wiped her mouth, and took a sip of hot tea. Just then, she saw Jing Er take out the parchment and the key, leaving nothing else inside.
Jing Yi watched the entire process and asked, “Can the parchment be opened?”
“Open it! Let’s see what it is.” Xie Zhizhi casually took it over. Jing Yi, sharp-eyed, moved the teapot and teacups aside, and she spread it out directly on the square wooden table.
She had expected it to be letters or something similar.
But as the parchment was gradually unfolded, a landscape and road atlas that shocked all three of them appeared before their eyes.
Xie Zhizhi never expected Xie Zongyi to hide the military map in such a way.
The parchment was folded thickly, standing a full ten to twenty centimeters high, making it impossible to spread out completely on the table.
“Just put it on the floor.” Xie Zhizhi and the other two each held a corner and pulled it onto the floor to lay it flat.
As they slowly unfolded it, they discovered that the map contained an abundance of detailed information—dense mountain ranges and rivers, cities and fortifications, winding paths, and landmark structures. It extended beyond the borderlands, the Southern Frontier, and the Eastern Mausoleum, covering maps of other countries!
“This is the Western Regions!” Jing Yi pointed at one area, looking in surprise at the grasslands depicted there.