Jiang Yuehua and Xie Yanqing exchanged a glance, both seeing bitterness in each other’s eyes.
Yao Yao’s question was completely improper!
But tonight’s events were too bizarre, and it was indeed necessary to let Yao Yao know more information.
Xie Yanqing remained silent for a moment before uttering an absolutely useless statement.
“Prince Jing… he is Prince Jing.”
Well, actually this story is quite long.
Eighteen years ago, the princes rebelled.
At that time, the current emperor was merely a Prince of the realm, originally planning to honestly hunker down in his fiefdom to avoid the war and live out his days quietly.
But who would have thought… The old emperor had no heirs, and during the palace coup, he actually used his fingertip blood to write an Imperial edict hidden in a belt, passing the throne to the current emperor.
Well then, there was no more hiding in his shell.
Anyone else wanting to contend for the throne would definitely need to eliminate him first.
So… the current emperor chose not to perish in silence but to erupt directly from it.
Wielding the Imperial edict hidden in a belt, claiming moral authority… screw them all!
In the end, he truly quelled the princes’ rebellion and ushered in the current peaceful era.
Now back to Prince Jing.
The old Prince Jing was actually the emperor’s biological brother.
Back then, while the emperor fought on the front lines, he entrusted his rear base including his wife, children, and elderly to this biological brother. The old Prince Jing did not fail his elder brother’s expectations—training soldiers, gathering provisions, stabilizing morale… he performed all duties diligently.
However…
When the Imperial edict hidden in a belt emerged, although the current emperor gained moral authority, he instantly became everyone’s target.
Those who had been happily fighting each other all ceased hostilities and united against the current emperor.
During a crucial battle that year, the current emperor defended the front line, relying on exceptional strategy to turn the tide.
But in the rear, several enemy forces secretly infiltrated their base.
And coincidentally, the then-consort (now the Empress), Prince Jing’s consort, and several other noble ladies were all giving birth simultaneously.
The old Prince Jing guarded outside the prince’s residence. After a fierce battle, he finally repelled the enemies but… at the cost of his life.
It’s said that when the old Prince Jing died, he still gripped his spear, bristling with anger, his body pierced by over thirty arrows.
The old Prince Jing was only in his twenties when he died, never even getting to see his own son.
That is… the current Prince Jing, Chu Wujin.
When the emperor returned victorious, he saw his biological brother’s corpse—fallen in battle protecting his wife and children—and was naturally overwhelmed with grief.
The two brothers had supported each other since childhood, sharing an extraordinary bond.
Now that his younger brother was gone, the emperor naturally transferred all his original affection for his brother, along with his guilt and hopes for his nephew, onto this child.
“It’s said that when Prince Jing was six or seven years old, the emperor personally took him under his wing for upbringing. He grew up in the palace, receiving the same treatment as the princes, sometimes even more favored than them.”
“Moreover, Prince Jing did not disappoint the emperor’s expectations. He began leading troops in his teens. Though Prince Jing is only 18 now, he’s already a battle-hardened veteran. In the recent Northern Liang campaign, Prince Jing served as the vanguard commander.”
Wow…
That’s truly impressive.
Listening to the gossip about Prince Jing, Jiang Yueyao couldn’t help but pull out some melon seeds, peanuts, and tea to snack and drink while enjoying the story.”But… after all this talk, is Prince Jing really that familiar with me? Or rather… is he that close with our father?”
Jiang Yuehua looked awkward.
Truth be told, their father was actually Prince Jing’s subordinate.
Moreover, Old Jiang held a tiny bit of admiration for this young general Prince Jing. Unfortunately, they weren’t in the same military unit, their ranks were quite different, and they rarely had opportunities to interact normally.
“Well… actually, probably, perhaps… not very familiar.”
“Then why would this Prince Jing want to visit our home?”
Jiang Yuehua stared intently at Jiang Yueyao: “Isn’t it because of you?”
Jiang Yueyao was shocked and quickly took a sip of tea to calm herself.
“Because of me? How could that be? This is the first time I’ve met him today!”
“Yao Yao, what happened when you suddenly disappeared earlier?”
Xie Yanqing suddenly asked from the side.
He had met Prince Jing a few times before. Normally, Prince Jing was always cool and aloof, but today… his attitude toward Yao Yao was quite friendly.
Something’s fishy!
Definitely fishy!
But as for Prince Jing taking a liking to Yuehua’s younger sister, Xie Yanqing hadn’t considered that possibility.
So Xie Yanqing speculated whether something had happened earlier that they didn’t know about.
After all, Prince Jing did say Jiang Yueyao had helped him.
“Well… he threatened me, took me bungee jumping, and made me climb through windows!”
Jiang Yueyao listed them one by one, feeling…
[He’s handsome, but the things he does don’t seem very proper]
[Maybe I should keep my distance from now on]
[These days, aren’t there any men who are both handsome and reliable?]
[I originally wanted to introduce him to my sister, but who would have thought… ah, forget it]
“Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!”
Xie Yanqing suddenly started coughing violently.
Future sister-in-law… weren’t you already planning to promote me?
How come you changed your mind so quickly?
Jiang Yuehua gave Xie Yanqing a helpless look. Since she had already guessed that Xie Yanqing could hear Yao Yao’s inner voice, she naturally understood why he was coughing now.
But…
It seems Yao Yao and Prince Jing really don’t have any special relationship.
Or perhaps Yao Yao unintentionally helped Prince Jing with something, and Prince Jing…
Jiang Yuehua spoke up.
“Prince Jing should have returned to the capital with the main troops according to protocol. Given the current situation… he probably returned secretly to investigate the Northern Liang spy matter.”
“In that case… let’s pretend we don’t know about this. Don’t leak the news of Prince Jing’s return to the capital, and don’t get involved with Northern Liang spies.”
“As for Prince Jing’s visit… he might have just been making conversation.”
“Even if Prince Jing does actually come, it’s probably just because he keeps his word and cares about the frontier soldiers.”
After all, they had fought on the battlefield together.
Jiang Yueyao nodded.
[Understood, let’s pretend tonight never happened!]
[If we meet again, I don’t need to pay attention to that Prince Jing]
[My sister is so wise]
[But speaking of which, how should I tell my sister about the little money I earned?]
[If I say I found it on the road, would my sister believe me?]
Jiang Yuehua: …
“Ahem! Ahem!”
……
Jiang Yueyao had already put the matter of encountering Prince Jing tonight out of her mind.
Handsome men are nice, but nothing compares to money!
However, back in the imperial palace, someone was still thinking about him.Xue Yi: “Your Highness, how do you intend to deal with the people captured in that small courtyard tonight?”
Chu Wujin was soaking in a bathtub containing the medicinal bath prepared by imperial physicians under the emperor’s orders.
Hearing this, he slightly opened his eyes.
“Since they could be placed in that courtyard, they must be trusted aides. Interrogate them separately to see if we can find any clues about the mastermind behind this.”
“Understood… However, Your Highness, the timing of Miss Jiang the Sixth’s appearance today was rather coincidental. Should this subordinate investigate further?”