Chu Xuanhe felt quite helpless. If not for the sake of the Chu family, would he have agreed to the emperor’s request to come to Fengyun Kingdom? It seemed he needed to resolve this marriage arrangement as soon as possible—for him, it was nothing but a shackle.
“Aunt, go ahead. She will agree to return,” Chu Xuanhe said, then turned and went back into his room.
Chu Xinlan was taken aback. Her nephew had always been aloof since childhood, but he was exceptionally clever. If he said the Crown Princess would return, then she certainly would.
Glancing at the closed door, she turned and left. She had promised to go today, and no matter what, she would see for herself.
What if the Crown Princess really agreed to return?
Originally, she had thought this task would be easy to accomplish. She truly hadn’t expected the Crown Princess, who had been living in exile for sixteen years, to be so difficult to handle.
Inside the room, Chu Xuanhe watched his aunt’s departing figure, his mind replaying the scene he had witnessed earlier that day.
He had personally seen Murong Chao eat the pastry Jiang Anya had laced with the Spirit-Destroying Pill, and he had personally watched her life fade away. So why, the moment Jiang Anya left, did she come back to life?
Not only that, she calmly healed her heart meridian and meridians. If he hadn’t witnessed the entire process of her being harmed, he would have doubted it was all an illusion.
Could she have done it on purpose?
But why would she risk her life? Or did she have confidence that nothing would happen?
Although her cultivation level was concealed, she was only sixteen after all. Even if she were a genius, her cultivation wouldn’t be that strong—certainly not stronger than his own.
He had hidden behind the rockery, yet the moment her body recovered, she sensed his presence. If he hadn’t left quickly, she would have undoubtedly discovered him.
Was her spiritual awareness that powerful?
Thinking of how she had arranged to meet Jiang Ze, the Grand Prince’s advisor, and ruthlessly schemed against Chen Qingyang, the corner of his lips lifted slightly. She certainly wasn’t one to suffer losses.
Chu Xuanhe suddenly realized he had spent far too much thought on Murong Chao. This wasn’t something he should be focusing on.
His task was simply to accompany his aunt to bring her back. Based on what he had seen of Murong Chao today, she would definitely return.
Everything else had nothing to do with him.
Shaking his head, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began meditating to cultivate.
Chu Xinlan arrived once again at the small courtyard where Murong Chao lived. To her surprise, the person who opened the door was someone she knew. She said with some astonishment, “Young Master Xie, what are you doing here?”
Xie Shikun shrugged. “Aunt Lan, I came with Shujin.”
Hearing the commotion, Qi Shujin also came out. Seeing Chu Xinlan, he bowed respectfully. “Shujin greets Chu Xiang.”
The Xie and Chu families were old friends. Because of Xie Shikun’s status, Qi Shujin was acquainted with Chu Xinlan—the Prime Minister of Chiyue Kingdom, one of the left and right arms of the Chiyue Empress, highly trusted by the empress. She was known as the First Prime Minister of the Yagu Continent.
Chu Xinlan’s heart stirred with surprise. It had only been three days—how had these two ended up at the Crown Princess’s place? How had they gotten the news?
“What is Shujin doing here?” Chu Xinlan asked, raising an eyebrow.
She knew of Qi Shujin—the good brother of this Xie family lad. The two were closer than real brothers. However, this young man’s fate was unfortunate; it was said he had something called the Lone Fiend Fate. The Xie family didn’t want Xie Shikun to be too close to him, but they couldn’t stop Xie Shikun and eventually let it be.
“I came to see my master,” Qi Shujin replied. He already knew Murong Chao’s identity. In the future, when he returned to Fengyun Kingdom and stayed by Murong Chao’s side, he would have to interact with Chu Xinlan anyway. It was better to be honest from the start.
“Who is your master?” Chu Xinlan was taken aback, thinking to herself—it couldn’t be the Crown Princess, could it?
Qi Shujin smiled gently. “Chu Xiang must be here to see my master. Please come in and rest for a moment, Chu Xiang. I will go and inform her.”
Since his master had said she would personally select a group of people upon returning to the Chiyue Kingdom, and had told him to respond to the summons when he received the news, it meant she was definitely planning to go back. Now that Chu Xiang had arrived, his master would likely be returning soon.
There was no need to hide his relationship with his master. Besides, the number one minister of the Yagu Continent was not someone easily concealed.
Xie Shikun already knew Murong Chao’s identity—otherwise, why would he be so subdued? Qi Shujin had thought she looked familiar when he first saw her, and indeed, it was because Murong Chao resembled the Empress and the Imperial Consort so closely.
Qi Shujin invited Chu Xinlan inside and asked Xie Shikun to entertain her. The Xie and Chu families were old friends, so Xie Shikun would feel more at ease hosting Chu Xinlan.
He then went to the backyard to report.
Murong Chao had known of Chu Xinlan’s arrival as soon as she came, so when Qi Shujin came to report, she instructed him to bring her directly.
At this moment, the rain had cleared, and Murong Chao was once again lying on the rocking chair under the bamboo grove. Such leisurely days were about to come to an end.
When Chu Xinlan saw Murong Chao again, the scene was just like three days ago—the swaying bamboo grove, the gently rocking chair, the languid young woman—yet she felt something was different.
It was hard to pinpoint exactly what had changed.
“Chu Xinlan pays her respects to Your Highness,” Chu Xinlan said, bowing.
Qi Shujin did not leave but stood with Qingdai at a distance, waiting.
Qingdai glanced at him, somewhat surprised by his tact and discretion. He had adapted to his role so quickly that one might think he had served their master for years.
Murong Chao glanced at Chu Xinlan. “Take a seat.”
Chu Xinlan felt a wave of relief. Today, she was actually allowed to sit—a stark contrast to three days ago when she had been dismissed after just a few words.
Even the Empress had never treated her so coldly.
Murong Chao’s voice, unhurried and steady, broke the silence. “How can you prove I am the Crown Princess of the Chiyue Kingdom?”
Chu Xinlan was taken aback. Even someone less astute should understand that the Chiyue royal family would not mistake its own bloodline, let alone someone with the intelligence to navigate the conflicts between two nations.
Looking at the young woman who seemed as lazy as a cat, almost fused with the rocking chair, Chu Xinlan took out an inconspicuous oval black stone and placed it on the table beside the chair.
“This is the unique Bloodline Stone of the Chiyue royal family’s direct lineage. A drop of Your Highness’s blood was placed on it at birth, and it will not accept anyone else’s blood. No matter where Your Highness is, this stone can be used to locate you.”
Murong Chao glanced at the stone on the table. It flickered with light, likely the reason she had been found.
But when Jiang Anya had killed her, had the stone not reacted?
If such a stone existed, why had she been lost for sixteen years? Was it because of that ancestral decree?
What could better confirm her bloodline than the Purple-Gold Mystic Art left by the Murong ancestors? Murong Chao withdrew her gaze indifferently. “I am lazy and dislike trouble.”
Even if she were the Crown Princess of the Chiyue Kingdom, she could only do her best to prevent its downfall. No matter how mysterious or noble the Chiyue Kingdom was, she had no intention of dedicating her life to it.
Though her fate had been harsh, her ambition remained unchanged: to follow in Yun Xiu’s footsteps and ascend to the Three Islands and Ten Continents through her own strength.
Yun Xiu was the sole disciple of the Grand Elder and the only member of the Xuantian Sect to achieve Ascension to the Three Islands and Ten Continents.
Within the Xuantian Sect, Yun Xiu was both mysterious and powerful, regarded as a treasure of the sect. After his Ascension, he left behind his divine consciousness to benefit the sect.
Yun Xiu was the only person Murong Chao admired, serving as both her role model and life’s goal.
At the thought of Yun Xiu, Murong Chao’s eyes brightened.