83 Xu Qingchen traces

ded slightly with a smile in his eyes as he looked at Ye Li and said, “I have some matters that I need to settle with my wife first. We just came over here to disturb your Excellency’s enjoyment. Plea...83. Xu Qingchen's Trail

Ye Li returned to her room with a poetry collection and sat down calmly to read it. Princess Anxi was not an idiotic princess without brains; she could become the Queen Regent of Nan Zhao for good reasons. At least, the people she sent to monitor Ye Li had their manners under control, so as not to make guests feel offended.

Ye Li didn’t bother saying anything about it. If Princess Anxi truly believed her, then she would have to question the intelligence of this Queen Regent of Nan Zhao.

"Miss, Princess Anxi has left the manor," Dark Two entered and whispered.

Ye Li nodded and said softly: "That princess is not simple. Don’t get too close to her to avoid any misunderstandings." Dark Two frowned and looked at the door, saying: "She doesn’t believe us at all; staying here would be completely useless and make it hard for us to leave" Ye Li shook her head: "Princess Anxi must know where Big Brother has gone. Even if she can't find him now, she clearly isn’t worried about his safety. What has Big Brother been doing in Nan Zhao since he entered Can we investigate that" Dark Two nodded and said: "Before tomorrow, I will hand over the information to Miss." Ye Li nodded as she frowned at the book in her hands; however, her mind had already wandered far away. Clearly, Big Brother hadn't been kidnapped but had gone somewhere willingly. However, after going there he didn’t return according to his agreement with Princess Anxi. Since Big Brother has no interest or enemies in Nan Zhao, it can only be for Princess Anxi’s sake. Even so... Following the nature of Big Brother who inherited his uncle's meticulousness and foresight, should there not have been some clues left behind

She spread out a sheet of paper on the table and took her usual charcoal pencil to quickly draw and write on it. Her mind continuously replayed the complex messages from the Dark Guard that she stayed up all night reading about Southern Frontier. She quickly drew out a structural map of the distribution of powers in Southern Frontier, an analysis of various forces’ relationships in Nan Zhao’s capital city, etc. In no time, the paper was densely filled with simple symbols and strange characters. Dark Two looked at it strangely but didn’t open his mouth to ask questions as he couldn't understand them either. When Ye Li laid down her pencil and gazed at what she had drawn on the paper, she blinked in surprise. It wasn’t that she deliberately wanted to guard against anyone; this piece of paper wasn’t a secret either. She just reorganized everything she saw from last night’s documents again. Looking at the paper filled with smooth text mixed with four different languages, Ye Li couldn't help but laugh silently in her heart. Actually, did she really miss her previous life She could have been a perfect queen consort living quietly and peacefully. However, she didn’t like that kind of life. That was why after leaving the capital city, she deliberately avoided Mo Xiuyao’s protection and chose to travel in more dangerous ways.

Putting aside all those chaotic thoughts, Ye Li stared at the unfolded paper on the table for a long time before frowning and asking: "Why is there no news about Southern Frontier’s Holy Maiden" The clear diagram showed that they lacked information about this crucial figure in Southern Frontier. Even if there was any mention of it, it was just a few sentences with basic content similar to what she knew when she was in the capital city. She didn’t even know the age and appearance of this Holy Maiden. If the Holy Maiden is struggling for power against the Queen Regent in secret, it wouldn’t be possible to have so little information.

Dark Two said: "Southern Frontier’s Holy Maiden is revered as a guardian god of all tribes in Southern Frontier, worshipped in a temple five miles outside Nan Zhao City. Except during major events and festivals, the Holy Maiden won't leave her temple; otherwise, only thirty-six holy maidens selected to serve her can approach her. The current Holy Maiden Shumanlin became queen at 15 years old, and in eight years she had left the temple ten times but always wore a mask. It is said that no one knows what she looks like except the previous Holy Maiden who has entered Southern Frontier’s holy land."

Ye Li shook her head: "This isn’t possible at all. The current Holy Maiden doesn’t have the right to educate the next Holy Maiden, so who taught her and raised her when she was young Who are her parents Also... If no one has seen the true face of the Holy Maiden, then how can anyone be sure that the person under the mask is truly Southern Frontier’s Holy Maiden"

"This…" Dark Two frowned uncertainly. Ye Li picked up a pen and wrote firmly on the paper: "Investigate Nan Zhao royal family and Southern Frontier’s Holy Maiden thoroughly; don’t miss any details."

Dark Two responded obediently, “Yes, Miss. Your suspicion… about the Holy Maiden of Southern Frontier…”

Ye Li toyed with her charcoal pencil and smiled faintly: "If the Holy Maiden indeed seldom leaves her temple, how could she have hooked up with Prince Li Several years ago when Prince Li went to southern frontier on a diplomatic mission, the Holy Maiden didn’t appear. So..." Dark Two’s eyes lit up as he said, "They must have secretly met before. Given that it's such an important matter for Prince Li to form an alliance with Southern Frontier, he would not send someone else to negotiate, and the Holy Maiden is also hard to see." Ye Li nodded, leaning back in her chair and pondering: "Holy Maiden… This identity is really strange. Suddenly bestowing this position on one person…

A girl who is unknown in identity, origin, and ability has been placed in a highly esteemed position in the southern region of Nanjiang. Does this mean that people from Nanjiang are too easily trusting of others" Dark Two shook his head and shrugged: "If we were to randomly choose someone off the street to be the crown prince even if it were His Majesty’s decree, no one would believe him."

"Is the system of a Holy Maiden in the southern region as long-lasting as the history of Nanzhao"

Dark Two lowered his head and thought back: "It hasn’t been too long. Before Nanzhao was established, each tribe governed themselves without any mention of a Holy Maiden. It wasn’t until after the establishment of Nanzhao that the current High Priest, who is also an ancestor worshipper in the royal family, chose the first Holy Maiden."

Yè Lí raised her eyebrows: "It sounds as though the roles of the High Priest and Holy Maiden are similar. So it’s no surprise that Nanzhao doesn’t have a title of High Priest after the emergence of the Holy Maiden."

Dark Two nodded, thought for a moment then said: "The actions of the High Priest are not as strict as those of the Holy Maiden but their duties are similar. However, in Nanjiang people’s hearts, the Holy Maiden is definitely more worthy to be believed in than the High Priest."

Yè Lí agreed and added: “Compared with an old man who likes to wander around everywhere, most people would prefer a mysterious and beautiful girl.”

In the early morning after eating breakfast brought by the serving maids, Yè Lí was about to leave when she ran into Princess nxī who was also heading out of the palace. “Miss Chu, are you going out” Yè Lí smiled hopefully but a little anxiously and asked: "Princess Sister, do you have any news on Qingchen Brother"

Princess nxī shook her head in disappointment and said: "Sorry, Miss Chu. There is no information on Young Master Qingchen right now." Yè Lí lowered her head disappointedly and whispered: "It’s okay, Qingchen Brother will be fine. Lin Han and I are also looking for him together. We’re sure to find her soon."

"Miss Chu, being a stranger in Nanzhao, where do you plan on going"

Yè Lí wrung her hands worriedly as she said: "I... I will look around everywhere. Maybe I’ll be able to find him." Princess nxī couldn’t help but smile and say: “If Miss Chu finds it boring, you can wander around the city. If there are places that you want to go to, we can send people in the palace as guides for you. However, there are many dangerous areas in Nanjiang; please do not take risks alone so as not to worry Young Master Qingchen.”

Yè Lí nodded and said: "Thank you Princess Sister, I understand. Will you find Qingchen Brother quickly Otherwise, otherwise I’ll write a letter to Uncle Xu. Qingchen Brother says that Uncle Xu is the smartest person in the world; he definitely has ways of finding Qingchen Brother."

“Mr. Hongyu” Princess nxī was startled and said softly.

Yè Lí nodded vigorously and asked: "Princess Sister, do you also know about Uncle Xu Is it because Qingchen Brother told you"

Princess nxī smiled gently and nodded lightly. She reassured Yè Lí: “Miss Chu can rest assured that I will find Young Master Qingchen very quickly. The journey in Nanjiang is difficult, so there’s no need to worry Mr. Hongyu. Otherwise, even Young Master Qingchen himself would feel uneasy if he knew, wouldn’t he”

Yè Lí blinked her eyes and looked at Princess nxī blankly for a moment before nodding: "Princess Sister is right."

She watched as Princess nxī left the palace and then followed behind with a faint smile, leaving the princess’s residence. "Send people to follow Princess Anxi."

"Yes."

In the inn, Hán Míngxī looked like he had just woken up from a good sleep as he walked down the main hall. His lazy yet elegant demeanor was very different from that of Nanzhao people and immediately attracted everyone’s attention in the inn. Naturally, Hán Míngxī did not care about others’ gazes; he lazily walked downstairs and asked the waiter running back and forth: "Have you seen the two young masters who were with me" The waiter was dazzled by his appearance and replied quickly: “Young Master, those two young masters left early this morning. Oh right, they also left a letter for you.”

The waiter ran to the counter where he retrieved the letter from the innkeeper and handed it over to Hán Míngxī.

Hán Míngxī raised his brows and picked up the letter. After glancing through it, he frowned: “Jun Wei is too unreasonable; how can he just leave me behind and run away Hmm, there’s no one in this world that I cannot find.” He casually crumpled the letter into a ball, lifted his hand as if to throw it but hesitated and put it back into his sleeve. With an angry expression, he walked out of the inn leaving everyone still dazed.

At this time, in one of the private rooms across from the inn where another Chinese restaurant was run by people from Da Chu, Yè Lí sat leisurely at a window drinking tea dressed as a man. The person accompanying her had changed from Dark Two to Dark Three. Looking out the window, she saw Hán Míngxī coming out of the door with a frown and grumbling. She watched him walk into the crowd and disappear in the distance and asked: "What did Hán Míngxī do yesterday"

Dark Three said in a deep voice: “Young Master Hán went out late last night and returned early this morning at midnight. He should have been to Tiyige in Nanzhao.”

The hideout of the Dark Sect. We have never crossed paths with Tianyige in the past, Young Master... do you need to investigate them" Ye Li shook her head and said, "No need. As long as they don’t hinder us. Keep an eye on messages from Dark Four’s side, we wouldn't want Han Mingyue to come knocking at our door when we’re not prepared."

Dark Three nodded and replied, "Strictly speaking, Young Master hasn’t plotted against Tianyige in any way. It was Han Mingyue who followed you here on his own accord. The master of Tianyige shouldn't cause us trouble."

"That’s not necessarily true. Does Tianyige send regular updates" Ye Li asked.

Dark Three answered, "Yes, my men have compared the information we received from Tianyige with our own intelligence and there is no significant difference." Satisfied, Ye Li nodded and said, "Good… If anyone can still deceive both Dark Sect and Tianyige at the same time, then even if we fall for their tricks, it wouldn’t be unfair."

"Yes. Young Master, we have also received news about Sick Scholar’s side. Sir Liang is probably going to collapse soon; should you…"

Ye Li frowned in concern. She hadn't expected the news of her brother's disappearance as soon as she arrived in Nanzhao. Now not only could she not get any advice or assistance from Xu Qingchen, but she also needed to find him quickly within a short period of time. This made things difficult for her, but she couldn’t ignore Sick Scholar’s situation either. "Sir Liang is no martial artist. And even if he were, it's unlikely that he could hold on much longer with the methods used by Sick Scholar."

Previously, Sick Scholar was afraid of killing Sir Liang because they would have had no leads to follow then. Now that he has an item in his possession, even if Sir Liang remains silent until death, he will still be able to find clues. Furthermore, without the item, Sir Liang can't explain himself either.

"Where are they"

“Outside the city.”

Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "It's important to find my brother first. Have Dark Sect watch over them closely. If necessary, help those Luye people save Sir Liang as well. But under no circumstances can he tell Sick Scholar about the cultivation methods of Venerable Bie Luo Hua! At least not until we have time for it. Otherwise, we will have to forcibly take it or destroy it! We absolutely cannot let Sick Scholar get his hands on it."

Dark Three hesitated and said, "Venerable Bie Luo Hua might be able to treat the Prince's illness; if destroyed..."

"That’s why we have to try our best to obtain it. But if we can't get it, then he shouldn't either. Do you think his first target would be the Prince" Ye Li asked with a smile.

“The Prince”

Ye Li looked out of the window and smiled faintly, "Sick Scholar is the third head of Yama Pavilion; he could have sent subordinates to do whatever he wants. But this time, he went alone to Nanzhou without using any resources from Yama Pavilion. Why Surely it’s because the other two heads disagree. Back then when Sick Scholar was severely injured and nearly died, even now his life is hanging by a thread. How could he not be angry However, Yama Pavilion has an agreement with Prince Ding's household to never harm each other. So, he can only rely on himself..." Recalling the resentful look in Sick Scholar’s eyes when mentioning Bie Luo Huang Quan (the Road of Elysium), Ye Li couldn't help but shudder. She even had a fleeting thought about preemptively killing Sick Scholar, but dismissed it quickly. Whether considering his identity or other reasons, she couldn’t kill him now; at least not by the hands of Prince Ding’s consort.

"Understood. I won't let Sick Scholar get Bie Luo Hua."

In a secret palace somewhere in Nanzhao, an intricately carved marble floor and pillars shone under countless night pearls instead of candles, while layers upon layers of the most expensive lotus silk from Southland swirled around. Behind the sheer veil, a handsome man in white was quietly reading a book. The soft glow of the night pearl highlighted his flawless profile with a faint radiance, making him appear even more tranquil and serene.

A heavy stone door opened from outside as an elegantly dressed woman walked inside slowly. Unlike traditional Southland attire, she wore a loose yellow robe embroidered with phoenix patterns, her sleeves trailing on the ground, her dark hair casually tied up with colorful gem-encrusted accessories, and her entire face covered by a delicate golden mask that made her eyes even more captivating.

She walked gracefully towards Xu Qingchen and whispered with a smile, "Mr. Qingchen, don't you want to take a look at me All I need is your nod of approval."

Xu Qingchen put down his book and asked softly after sighing, "Are you more beautiful than the women in the imperial court's beauty paintings"

This seemed to be the first time Xu Qingchen had responded to this question. The woman was somewhat surprised, “You like women from Chu I’ve heard of the Imperial Beauty Chart; which one do you prefer most Is it Su Zuidie, who is said to be the most beautiful in Chu” Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and replied, "Su Zuidie... indeed a very pretty woman. If you are not more stunning than her, there's no need for me to see your face."

“You!” A flash of anger passed through the woman’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and laughed, “Mr. Qingchen is overly demanding. I’ve heard that your little fiancée looks quite good, but… it seems she hasn't reached the level of stunning beauty.” Xu Qingchen lowered his gaze, hiding any unusual reaction in his eyes. But the woman took this as a confirmation from him and harrumphed, “Speaking of Miss Chu, she’s indeed deeply devoted to you; coming all the way here with just one guard. She doesn’t seem like an ordinary girl from Central Plains.”

“Where is she” Xu Qingchen asked.

The woman chuckled and replied, "She boldly stormed into Princess Anxi’s palace yesterday. Since you're such good friends, I'm sure the princess will treat her well." She laughed behind her hand, “Mr. Qingchen, don’t you want to consider my proposal Once we succeed… we can share the world together.” Xu Qingchen remained expressionless as he said gently, "If I am correct, three years ago you also promised the Prince of Li in Chu that you would share the world."

The woman waved her sleeve disdainfully and chuckled, “Mo Jingli How could he compare to you No… only Ding Wang can match your caliber. But since Ding Wang is now dethroned, it’s you who’s the perfect man for me.”

Xu Qingchen shook his head, "I’m sorry. Our family rule dictates that we marry virtuous women and do not covet beauty or power. I only need one wife in this life. Miss, keeping me locked up isn’t going to be useful; the capital of Nanzhao is small, and it’s just a matter of time before someone finds me."

The woman leaned against the marble pillar and laughed, “Are you afraid that I’ll kill you For half a year now, you’ve been giving Princess Anxi bad advice and hindering my plans. Don’t you like Central Plains women Am I not more Chinese than Princess Anxi” Xu Qingchen shook his head and continued reading while saying, "If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already. And… what’s the point of killing me"

"You’re right," she sighed helplessly. “Killing you is troublesome. The Xu family in Central Plains or Prince Ding's household will come after me if I do. Also, our Princess Anxi will certainly fight back. But…” She giggled, "I can’t kill you but I can keep you here. Without your interference, it won’t be long before the arrogant and annoying Princess Anxi dies a miserable death. Of course… there’s also your dear fiancée.

"You are not allowed to touch her!" Xu Qingchen seemed infuriated, issuing a cold warning.

"Huh You actually care about her" The woman looked at Xu Qingchen with some surprise. "Why would you like such an obviously young girl" Xu Qingchen said indifferently, "As long as she is my fiancée, I naturally will care."

The woman stared at him and asked: "Your meaning is that no matter who she is, if she is your fiancée, you would care about her" Xu Qingchen smiled, saying, “Isn't this a natural thing If she's going to be my wife in the future, then why wouldn’t I care”

"You... Fine! I will show you that I can move her!" The woman coldly said with hate as she glared at Xu Qingchen and left.

When he heard the heavy stone door shut again, Xu Qingchen slowly put down the book scroll in his hand. His clear eyes lowered slightly: "Fiancée... Miss Chu… Li'er..."

The deep night, Princess Anxi's residence was quiet. Only the light from the study could be faintly seen still burning. The fair and graceful face of Princess Anxi looked a bit tired as she frowned at the person before her: "Has there been any news about Qingchen" The man shook his head and said in a deep voice, “No.”

Princess Anxi was somewhat anxious as she asked: "What's going on Is it possible that she still doesn’t believe we think Qingchen is missing”

The man nodded. "It’s very likely. Although we’ve sent people to search for Master Qingchen, there's a possibility that she believes we are collaborating with him, putting on an act for her."

"I hope Qingchen won't come to any harm," Princess Anxi said tiredly as she rubbed her slightly painful forehead: "We have spent so much effort and finally improved the situation. If it all falls apart now... my father..." The man frowned, saying, “His Majesty still doesn’t believe in your innocence” Princess Anxi smiled bitterly: "My father is only in his early forties; he’s at the prime of his life. Even if he believed us, he wouldn’t support us anyway. He needs another power to suppress me, as the Crown Princess." If it weren't for her father secretly supporting them, how could they have failed again and again these past six months They always managed to catch a glimpse when she was about to be caught.

Princess Anxi really couldn’t understand why her usually astute father would support that woman. But he couldn't just watch as she plotted against the Southern Zhou Kingdom. It was her duty, as the princess and Crown Princess of the Southern Zhou Kingdom.

"Is it possible to find out where Master Qingchen is now" Princess Anxi asked: "If necessary, please ask him to withdraw first. This concerns our kingdom and shouldn't involve him."

The man shook his head: “It’s probably not possible. Although we can receive messages from Master Qingchen now and again, they are all sent through intermediaries. We cannot be certain of where he is.”

"Cursed!" Princess Anxi muttered.

“There’s an intruder!” A call was raised outside the courtyard. Princess Anxi immediately stood up. The man beside her quickly drew his sword and pulled open the door, then returned with a frown: “He’s heading towards the guest quarters.”

Princess Anxi said, "There's only Miss Chu in the guest quarters; what would an intruder want from her Let’s go see." She left first, followed by the man. A corner of the quiet study window moved slightly and then was pushed open. A black figure swiftly turned and entered through it. Beneath the black mask were a pair of clear eyes. The black-clothed person quickly walked to the desk and flipped through the documents on it. After a quick glance, they found nothing valuable and began searching behind them in the bookshelf.

Princess Anxi's study had very few books and mostly official documents written in Southland script. It took some time before she found a document hidden in an inconspicuous corner of the bookshelf. She was drawn to it not by its content but by the sunflower imprint on it, indicating that it was sealed with this mark. With a flash of her eyes, a thin knife appeared between her fingers and swiftly cut open the seal. After scanning through the documents at lightning speed, her clear eyes revealed a faint smile as she resealed the document and restored the study to its original state before jumping out through the window.

In the guest quarters, when Princess Anxi arrived with guards, Dark Number Two blocked them at the door: "Princess, what’s going on so late"

“There was an intruder who broke into the guest quarters just now. Is Miss Chu alright”

"An intruder" Dark Number Two frowned and said, “I've been guarding outside all night long and haven’t seen any intruders come in.”

Princess Anxi was taken aback; her guards would never lie to her. Moreover, she had indeed seen several dark figures enter the guest quarters from afar just now. Why would Miss Chu’s guard deny it

"Sir Lin, as Miss Chu is Master Qingchen's fiancée, if anything happens to her, I can't explain it to him. Is there really no intruder in the guest quarters" Dark Number Two looked unhappy and said sternly: "There were indeed a few dark figures approaching when the commotion started just now; they fled upon being startled by my hidden weapons, one of them likely injured. But none entered the guest quarters. Miss's reputation is important; please be careful with your words.”

Princess Anxi understood why this guard was insisting that no intruder had come in after looking at Dark Number Two’s serious expression. The standards for a woman's reputation were indeed stricter among Central Plains people.

"Sorry, Sir Lin; it seems I spoke out of turn," Princess Anxi said as she waved her guards to continue searching for the intruders and turned back to him: “Did the noise scare Miss Chu Where is she”

Dark Number Two replied indifferently: "Miss lives in the inner courtyard, perhaps she didn't hear anything.”

Princess Anxi frowned. "Since Sir Lin isn’t available, I’ll go and check on her personally. It wouldn’t be good if she was scared…"

"No..." Dark Number Two started to refuse.

“Sister Princess, what’s happened” Ye Li's voice came from behind them just as the guard was about to turn down the request. She was wrapped in a large cloak and still had sleep lines under her eyes. A maidservant sent by Princess Anxi followed closely behind.

Princess Anxi smiled, "Nothing serious, some petty thieves broke in, did they disturb Miss Chu"

Ye Li tilted her head with a gentle smile: “No need to worry, Lin Han is very skilled. He’s been protecting me all the way here.” Is that right, Lin Han

Dark Number Two replied respectfully: "Yes, Miss can rest assured, there were no intruders who entered; they've already been driven away."

Seeing Ye Li appeared fine, Princess Anxi nodded and said, “In this case, Miss Chu should get some rest. I’ll have someone check elsewhere to ensure no more intruders slip through.”

"Thank you, Sister Princess," Ye Li replied sweetly.

After seeing off Princess Anxi, the smile on Ye Li's face gradually faded as she looked at her maidservant and said: "Let’s go back."

The maidservant nodded and followed Ye Li into the inner courtyard. As soon as they entered the room, she suddenly felt numb and fell to the ground. Dark Number Two quietly appeared by the door; Ye Li raised an eyebrow at him and asked, “What about the intruder”

Dark Number Two said in a serious voice: "There were indeed intruders, they aimed for Miss."

He entered the room and pulled out three figures from under the bed. One of them was seriously injured.

Ye Li squatted down to look at him; he had typical Southland features although his face wasn't covered by a mask. "This person is probably not sent by Princess Anxi, Chu Liuyun shouldn’t have any enemies in the Southland," Ye Li said. “Who would dare to come here and challenge her” Dark Number Two frowned: "Could it be that someone has found out about our identities"

Ye Li shook her head: "No, if they knew who we were, there wouldn’t just be these low-level assassins; tonight’s incident was more like a provocation or… challenging Princess Anxi."

"Provoking and challenging the princess Is it because of Master Qingchen" Dark Number Two guessed.

Ye Li nodded thoughtfully: "That's what I think too. In Southland, only my brother would have ties with Chu Liuyun’s identity. However, this kind of provocation without causing physical harm is useless; wouldn’t it be more effective to capture me and threaten my brother"

Dark Number Two agreed: "With these assassins’ abilities, even if I weren't here they couldn't abduct anyone from the princess’s residence."

"Can Miss guess who did this” Dark Number Two asked.

Ye Li smiled faintly: “I wasn’t sure before, but now I’m quite certain. We’ll test my hypothesis by interrogating him tomorrow.”I will double up on the interrogation and intelligence analysis training.”Ye Li was satisfied as she glanced at the man on the floor. "You don’t want to say anything Alright then, go back and rest for...