058. The Crown Prince Betrays His Father

She was thinking precisely this way, so Zhan Lianjing had her ride in the same carriage as him, leaving Yuan Tianci outside entirely.

Zhan Lianjing raised his teacup and motioned for Le Qianxue to pour him a cup of hot tea.

His gaze was cold, and his dark robes were spotless—he seemed like a judge from the depths of the underworld.

“In the future, don’t get too close to the Crown Prince,” Zhan Lianjing said.

Le Qianxue was taken aback. “Why?”

Though she didn’t like Yu Guhan either, she was surprised that Zhan Lianjing would warn her about this today.

Zhan Lianjing replied in a cool tone, “The Crown Prince isn’t as feeble as he appears. If he is being good to you, he must have ulterior motives.”

Le Qianxue frowned; she truly hadn’t noticed anything of the sort.

She said, “But the Crown Prince is often bullied by the Right Prime Minister, and even the Empress doesn’t take him seriously. He has no achievements in government, either.”

“He’s been the Crown Prince for more than ten years. Even if he seems weak, his heart cannot be so easily dismissed.” Zhan Lianjing thought that since Le Qianxue was now on his side, he might as well speak openly. “The Crown Prince has some forces in secret, but I haven’t yet uncovered all the details. This shows just how deeply he hides his true nature.”

Le Qianxue was also surprised.

The former Empress’s family had long since fallen from grace, so Yu Guhan had always been isolated at court.

She had never seen any sign of talent in him; he seemed even afraid to speak up in front of Empress Yang!

A man like this was truly unsettling.

It was also clear that Zhan Lianjing’s own power was considerable; he had discovered things others could not.

Le Qianxue asked, “So should Your Highness be wary of the Crown Prince now?”

“Naturally,” Zhan Lianjing replied. “He has a subordinate named Yuan who knows some forbidden arts. I am searching for this Yuan.”

Le Qianxue was startled—she hadn’t expected Zhan Lianjing to have uncovered even this.

Logically, this Young Master Yuan rarely appeared and had only shown himself to Le Qianxue once or twice.

So, the master Yuan referred to was actually Yu Guhan!

Le Qianxue’s palms grew damp with sweat. Indeed, following Zhan Lianjing, she learned many things. She bit her lip; though she didn’t know why Yu Guhan wanted to get close to her, she could use this to find Young Master Yuan.

In this way, she could avenge Yin Susu!

Just as her ambitions were soaring, Zhan Lianjing dashed cold water over her hopes. “Don’t try to approach the Crown Prince yourself. I already have arrangements; I don’t need your interference.”

Le Qianxue lowered her eyes—indeed, whatever she thought seemed to be within Zhan Lianjing’s grasp.

She asked, “Then why do you want to find this Yuan?”

“I have my own plans.” Zhan Lianjing did not elaborate, only warned her to be careful of Yu Guhan.

Le Qianxue knew Zhan Lianjing would never tell her everything, so she did not pursue it further to avoid revealing any weaknesses.

Soon they were approaching the General’s Mansion, and Zhan Lianjing said, “I have too many enemies; you’d best keep your distance from me for now. If anything comes up, I will let you know.”

Le Qianxue was about to ask what method he meant, but Zhan Lianjing had already ushered her out of the carriage.

She pursed her lips and returned to the General’s Mansion.

She had been away for several days, and upon her return, the servants were all quite happy.

She had spent several days in the prison, and outside, there had been unpleasant rumors. According to Uncle Zeng, Le Yongcheng’s face had been dark for days, and in the end, he had returned to the Western Mountain camp, still in a foul mood.

Le Qianxue could only feel helpless—after all, this had been the Emperor’s order and had nothing to do with her.

When she returned to Qingyu Courtyard, she told Yin Susu everything.

Upon learning of Young Master Yuan’s whereabouts, Yin Susu was eager to seek news and find him as soon as possible.

This was a matter of family vengeance; she had to find her enemy.

Le Qianxue said, “There’s no need to be so anxious. Zhan Lianjing has also sent people to search for him. Let’s see if he finds anything first.”

“No! My intuition tells me that if someone like Zhan Lianjing finds Young Master Yuan, he’ll want to recruit him, not kill him. If that happens, my revenge will be impossible!” Yin Susu insisted.

Le Qianxue frowned. “Zhan Lianjing hasn’t made that clear, but you might be right—he has grand ambitions and wants capable people to serve him. He would certainly keep such a person.”

“That’s why I must find Young Master Yuan myself!” Yin Susu said. “I’ll find a way into the Crown Prince’s residence, get close to him, and then discover where Yuan is hiding.”

“That’s far too dangerous. As Zhan Lianjing said, Yu Guhan has been Crown Prince for over ten years—he’s not as simple as he seems. If something happens to you, what about your revenge?” Le Qianxue waved her hand, refusing to agree.

Yin Susu slumped into her seat, frustrated by having a lead but being unable to act. Her heart was in turmoil!

In truth, Le Qianxue was the one who could most easily approach Yu Guhan, but Zhan Lianjing had already forbidden her from acting on her own.

“How about this: have someone shadow Yu Guhan around the clock. That way, we might discover Young Master Yuan’s whereabouts. Until we know Yu Guhan’s true strength, we mustn’t act—if we endanger ourselves, it’s not worth it,” Le Qianxue said.

Yin Susu calmed down and even managed a smile. “You’re right—my life is long, and that wretch would never suspect anyone from my family still lives. Let him live a few more days; what does it matter?”

Le Qianxue smiled as well, but she noticed the incense today was different. She turned and asked, “Susu, did you change the incense?”

“No, I wouldn’t bother with such things; Hua Tao always handles those details.”

“That’s odd. I always use the same incense.” Le Qianxue called, and Hua Tao hurried in.

“What is it, miss?” Hua Tao asked.

“Did you change the incense? This scent is too strong—I don’t like it,” Le Qianxue said.

Hua Tao wasn’t particularly sensitive to scents. She sniffed but didn’t notice anything unusual.

“No, miss, I didn’t change anything.”

“I don’t smell anything different either,” Yin Susu said. “You must be too sensitive.”

Le Qianxue frowned. Was she? Perhaps she was just used to the smell of medicinal herbs, making her more discerning about scents.

She checked the incense burner and found nothing wrong.

Her suspicions eased a little—there was no poison. Perhaps a few days in prison had made her overly sensitive.

Meanwhile, at the Crown Prince’s Palace—

Yu Guhan had learned of Mu Qingyu’s recent outburst and was nearly furious.

But with the Duke Mu’s backing, he couldn’t afford to teach Mu Qingyu a lesson openly.

“That woman has already grown distant from me, and now with Mu Qingyu’s antics, she’ll only dislike me more,” Yu Guhan said in a low, displeased voice. “Mu Qingyu is used to being arrogant. I don’t want to see her for the time being.”

In the shadows, a voice replied, “Rest assured, Your Highness. I will have the secondary consort feign illness for a month and keep her in check.”

Yu Guhan sat down, his usually calm face now grave.

“How goes the other matter?”

“It is done. Within three days, it will be accomplished.” The figure stepped forward holding a box. “Your Highness, please bear a little discomfort—this is the male parasite, which will attract the female.”

Yu Guhan chuckled. “I’m fortunate to have you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to win that woman.”

“You flatter me, Your Highness. I merely serve you to the best of my ability.”

The male parasite was placed into Yu Guhan’s body. Now, everything was ready—only the east wind was needed.

The next morning, Le Qianxue awoke feeling somewhat unwell.

She couldn’t pinpoint the problem—she simply felt weak and limp.

Even after checking her own pulse, she found nothing amiss.

Yin Susu was nowhere to be found. Le Qianxue asked Hua Tao, but she didn’t know where Yin Susu had gone.

After a while, just as Le Qianxue was about to start refining medicine, an invitation arrived from the Crown Prince’s palace.

Opening it, she saw that Yu Guhan had invited her to visit.

Le Qianxue paused. “The Crown Prince invited me?”

Ordinary people rarely had the chance to visit the Crown Prince’s residence. This was a rare opportunity—perhaps she could discover where Young Master Yuan was hiding.

She hesitated, unsure if she should go.

“I heard His Highness acquired a Persian cat yesterday—a true rarity. He must want you to see it, miss. Perhaps he even wishes to give it to you,” Hua Tao suggested.

Le Qianxue frowned—she had no interest in Persian cats.

After a moment’s thought, she decided this was a good opportunity; if she didn’t go, who knew when the next chance would arise.

She prepared carefully, just in case.

Near noon, Le Qianxue arrived at the Crown Prince’s palace.

Yu Guhan was dressed in pale blue, looking especially handsome and refined that day.

As soon as Le Qianxue saw him, she felt an inexplicable attraction, as if she were being drawn toward him.

She quickly reined herself in, pinching her arm to snap back to her senses. She’d never found Yu Guhan so attractive before—what was wrong with her today?

“Qianxue, I was worried you wouldn’t come. I heard about yesterday and wanted to apologize,” Yu Guhan said with gentle elegance, moving as if to take her hand and guide her to a seat.

Le Qianxue nimbly sidestepped and sat elsewhere, forcing a laugh. “It’s nothing, Your Highness. May I ask why you invited me today?”

She had no intention of lingering—something felt wrong.

“Ah, I wanted to show you something new,” Yu Guhan said, clapping his hands for the preparations to begin.

Le Qianxue found it odd as she watched the doors and windows being closed, black curtains drawn.

She immediately stood, alarmed.

“No need to be afraid. I’ve arranged a shadow puppet play for you to enjoy,” Yu Guhan said with a smile.