Lin Yanxi immediately sprang up from the bed, her bright eyes shining as she asked,
“What news is it?”
“Earlier, when this servant went out to buy supplies, I happened to hear rumors on the street. They say His Highness the War Prince recently obtained a jade pillow that emits a faint glow. It’s made from crystal-clear warm jade and is an antique from over a hundred years ago. Extremely rare!”
“Really?”
Cuizhi nodded vigorously.
“Absolutely true! I heard many people have already sent visiting cards to the War Prince’s Manor, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the treasure.”
“Alright, I understand.”
“If Miss likes it, why not send a visiting card as well and go have a look?” Cuizhi said excitedly.
Lin Yanxi exposed her immediately.
“I think you’re the one who wants to see it, aren’t you?”
Cuizhi stammered awkwardly.
“Well… since it’s such a precious treasure, it’s only natural to be curious…”
Lin Yanxi herself grew excited too. News had arrived this quickly—was heaven helping her?
If that was the case, then she was determined to obtain that jade pillow.
Only…
“You said the jade pillow belongs to the War Prince?”
“Yes. They say His Highness obtained it by chance some time ago.”
Instantly, Lin Yanxi hesitated again.
Out of all people, why did it have to belong to Xiao Junyan?
She still wanted to live a long life and had no interest in provoking that short-lived ghost.
But the jade pillow truly sounded perfect for her needs. If she ignored it now, who knew when she would encounter something better?
After much thought, Lin Yanxi still could not let it go. However, since the item was inside the War Prince’s Manor, it obviously could not be viewed as casually as goods in a shop.
At once, Lin Yanxi made a decision.
She would head near the War Prince’s Manor and investigate first to see whether she could gather information about the jade pillow.
After hastily finishing breakfast, Lin Yanxi disguised herself once more. She changed into the same clothes she had worn while fortune-telling, tied her hair into a high bun, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed out.
This time, her stall was not set up outside the major restaurants, but on a street opposite the War Prince’s Manor. From there, she could clearly observe everyone entering and leaving the estate, making it easier to gather information.
To learn more about the jade pillow, Lin Yanxi camped outside the manor gates for three full days. Aside from returning home at night, she spent all her time squatting beside her stall.
During those days, she saw many nobles and officials entering and leaving the manor, yet Xiao Junyan himself never stepped outside once.
That day, Lin Yanxi sat beneath the blazing sun. The scorching heat made her unusually irritable, and she nearly poked a hole through her stall out of frustration.
“What exactly is Xiao Junyan doing in there? He hasn’t left the manor for three days straight. Is he trying to suffocate himself inside?”
“If he doesn’t come out, how am I supposed to secretly investigate anything?”
Every word she muttered was interpreted by Shi Zhao, who was hidden in the shadows nearby.
He immediately concealed himself again and returned to the War Prince’s Manor to report.
Inside the study—
Xiao Junyan wore a dark brocade robe as he sat quietly beside the desk. His eyes resembled a calm lake without a single ripple, yet beneath that calmness lingered a faint aura of authority.
On the desk lay intelligence reports freshly delivered from the border. The reports stated that multiple spies from Linyuan had already been identified, though several had still escaped detection, and he should remain cautious.
A faint mocking smile curled at his lips, yet his gaze suddenly turned icy to the bone.
“These Linyuan spies truly refuse to let any opportunity slip by.”
Knock knock knock!
A sudden knock sounded at the door.
Outside, Shi Zhao lowered his voice carefully, worried about disturbing Xiao Junyan.
“Your Highness, this subordinate has something to report.”
A cold voice came from within the study.
“Enter.”
After entering, Shi Zhao respectfully bowed before beginning his report.
“Your Highness, the Lin family’s young miss has remained outside the manor for three entire days.”
Xiao Junyan gave a soft acknowledgment.
“Did you notice anything unusual?”
Shi Zhao repeated the words he had interpreted from her lip movements earlier, naturally omitting the insulting remarks directed toward his master.
Xiao Junyan lifted his eyes slightly.
“Sending you to observe her was indeed the right choice. Have there been any other suspicious actions recently? Or has she met anyone unusual?”
“Your Highness, this subordinate has not discovered anything abnormal for the time being.”
Xiao Junyan said nothing. His left hand slowly rubbed the emerald thumb ring he wore as he pondered something silently.
He rose and walked slowly toward the window, turning his gaze toward the scenery outside.
Suddenly, a cool smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
For several days, and not a single irregularity had been found?
Was she simply hiding herself too well, or was there some other reason?
After dismissing Shi Zhao, he summoned Wei Xing instead.
“Spread the word. This king will inspect the military camp north of the city today and will return in approximately three days.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Afraid Wei Xing had not fully understood, Xiao Junyan deliberately emphasized again:
“Make sure everyone in the manor knows that I will not be here for the next three days.”
“This subordinate understands.”
Since she was waiting for him to leave the manor, he would simply create the opportunity for her.
He wanted to see exactly what she intended to do.
News that the War Prince would be inspecting the northern military camp quickly spread throughout the manor.
At the same time, the information reached Lin Yanxi through the manor servants.
The moment she heard it, excitement exploded inside her heart.
After waiting three whole days, she had finally gotten her chance.
She immediately packed up her fortune-telling stall and hurried back toward the Lin residence. Since it was still early, she had enough time to properly plan how to sneak into the War Prince’s Manor that night.
Only after darkness fell and the moon rose high among the branches did Lin Yanxi finally make her move.
Rather than leaving the Lin residence immediately under cover of darkness, she first glanced toward a roof beam outside Xiyan Pavilion.
If she wanted to infiltrate the War Prince’s Manor without being discovered, then the first thing she needed to deal with was the tail hiding in the shadows.
After several days of observation, she still had not figured out who had sent this person. Since she could not allow him to interfere with her plans, she could only trouble him a little first.
Holding the hidden weapon she had spent the entire day crafting, she swaggered out of her room and wandered through the courtyard for a while, secretly checking whether the man was still in the same position.
Once she sensed his presence, the dimples on her cheeks appeared again.
Pretending nothing was wrong, she casually passed by the corridor and silently released a silver needle that had been specially treated by her.
Within moments, the black-clothed man hiding on the beam rolled his eyes back and fell directly from above.
Very satisfied, she curled her lips upward and lightly kicked him. After confirming he had completely fallen unconscious, she muttered teasingly to herself:
“Are you truly stupid, or just really stupid? What kind of spy stays in the same place every single day?”
“I wonder what kind of foolish master could raise such a foolish spy. Not smart at all.”
If Shi Zhao could hear her words, he would definitely refute them.
He was the most capable shadow guard beside the War Prince. Being assigned to monitor a sheltered young lady was already beneath his talents.
Besides, he had arrogantly assumed that she was nothing more than a noble young miss.
Who could have expected that one day he would actually be tricked by her?