Chapter 67: Face to Face Confrontation

urtain and got off the carriage lightly. She waved her hand at Rong Feng and said, “No need to invite you in for tea! You can return home now!”Rong Feng nodded his head. He drew down the curtains as h...Chapter 17 of the Sixth Needle: Face to Face Rivalry

Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue's thoughts shifted as she turned her head towards Ye Tianyi. Seeing that he was looking at her, a deeper smile appeared on his face. She nonchalantly withdrew her gaze; Ye Tianyi was extremely shrewd and was also the direct disciple of the Snow Mountain Elder who was an expert in disguise techniques, so it wasn't unusual for him to recognize Third Young Master's superb disguise.

"Miss, this is the third young master from Prince Xiaoqin’s mansion!" Yun Meng pointed at Third Young Master as he introduced him to Yun Qianyue.

"Seventh Prince, Miss Yun Qianyue!" Third Young Master bowed politely to both of them, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Third Young Master, you needn't bow," Ye Tianyi said in a soothing tone.

"My older sister will arrive shortly. Could you wait for her a moment longer" Yun Qianyue gave Third Young Master a brief nod.

"Sure!" Third Young Master agreed with a nod.

"Let's go then," Ye Tianyi turned to look at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue nodded, and the two of them simultaneously walked past Third Young Master towards the main entrance of the mansion.

Just as they had not gone far, a pleading voice rang out again: "Mu Han, I want to go with you to the military headquarters too! Will you take me along"

"That place isn't somewhere you can go," Yun Muhuan's voice sounded emotionless.

"Why can't I go there But I do want to!" Princess Qingwan reached out to tug at Yun Muhuan, pleading, "On the way over, Seventh Brother promised me that I could come. Will you take me along"

"Seventh Prince has important matters to attend to. Let me take you for a boat ride," Yun Muhuan's voice suddenly softened, "You've always wanted to visit Xiyan Lake outside the eastern city walls; let me accompany you there today."

"Why can't it be Xiyan Lake outside the northern city gates" Princess Qingwan asked. Seeing that Yun Muhuan was silent, she pleaded again: "I want to go to Xiyan Lake outside the northern city gates!"

Yun Muhuan remained quiet for a moment before agreeing.

"Hooray! We'll head north then; it's conveniently on the way for Seventh Brother too!" Princess Qingwan cheered, tugging Yun Muhuan out of the room. She called to Ye Tianyi who hadn't moved far: "Seventh Brother, wait for us!"

Yun Qianyue paused in her steps and turned around; she met Mu Han's gaze, unable to discern the color of his eyes. Shifting her gaze away from him towards Princess Qingwan, she saw that the princess was like a child who had just received candy, happily dragging Yun Muhuan along. She then looked back at Ye Tianyi.

Ye Tianyi smiled at Yun Qianyue and said gently: "Since Young Master Yun and Princess Qingwan are heading to Xiyan Lake outside the northern city walls, which is on our way too, let's go together."

"I don't mind," Yun Qianyue nodded slightly.

Ye Tianyi smiled at the delighted Princess Qingwan: "Then we'll go together. But can you ride a horse"

"Mu Han could carry me!" Princess Qingwan said, then asked Yun Muhuan hesitantly, "Right Mu Han, can you carry me along"

Yun Muhuan nodded.

"If that's the case! The Marquis of Yun's horsemanship is excellent!" Ye Tianyi smiled.

Yun Muhuan gave a faint smile and did not reply.

As they were talking, they reached the door. Yun Qianyue saw a black horse and a white one tied up there. She said to the guard at the gate, "Go fetch me that horse Feng Gongzi rode yesterday."

"Yes, miss!" The guard immediately complied.

Ye Tianyi's steps paused; his smile faded somewhat. He glanced at the white horse and then looked at Yun Qianyue, asking gently, "Moon, weren't you wanting to have a horse like this all along Why don't you ride it now"

"The chestnut horse that Rong Feng rode yesterday was very good—cherry-red, I quite liked it," Yun Qianyue said with a faint smile. She had always preferred the Red Phoenix in the past. Although she still liked it, these two horses were clearly a pair—one black and one white. Since Ye Tianyi had that intention, how could she ride it

"So Moon no longer likes the Red Phoenix It was a great effort to bring it from Northern Territory," Ye Tianyi's expression darkened slightly as he looked into Yun Qianyue's eyes, still speaking with his usual gentle tone.

Yun Qianyue tugged at her lips; she didn't know what to say.

"Come!" Without looking at Yun Qianyue anymore, Ye Tianyi suddenly called out loudly.

"Seventh Prince!" A black-clothed secret guard appeared in response.

"Kill that white Red Phoenix," Ye Tianyi ordered.

"Yes!" The black-clothed secret guard instantly unsheathed his sword and aimed for the head of the white horse.

Yun Qianyue was shocked. As she saw the sword about to cut off the horse's head, her Crimson Beauty Silk flew out from her sleeve, binding the secret guard’s sword, and she cried out loudly, "Stop!"

The black-clothed secret guard was forced to stop; he looked at Yun Qianyue before turning to Ye Tianyi.

"Ye Tianyi, why do you want to kill it" Yun Qianyue frowned and stared at Ye Tianyi. Although the Red Phoenix wasn't as good as Jade Snow Dragon, it had one advantage over it—the Red Phoenix could gallop across deserts whereas Jade Snow Dragon could only run on snow mountains. The Red Phoenix was also a rare horse that was worth thousands of gold pieces. How could he kill such a fine steed

"Originally, I went through great effort to find this horse in the Northern Territory and paid a high price for it. Then I brought it here from afar to give it to you. Since you don't want it now, I won’t give it to anyone else; instead, I’ll kill it," Ye Tianyi’s voice remained gentle.

"Although I don't want the horse, there's no need for you to kill it!" Yun Qianyue said as she looked at him.

"Its entire value lies on you. Now that you don’t want it anymore, its value is gone. Even if it’s useless, what’s the point of keeping it" Ye Tianyi raised his eyebrows slightly and maintained a smile.

Yun Qianyue retracted her Crimson Beauty Silk, "If that's how you feel, go ahead and kill it then!"

The phoenix-like pupils in Ye Tianyi’s eyes narrowed. He commanded the secret guard, "Kill it."

The secret guard raised his sword again to slash at the white horse.

Yun Qianyue stared into the white Red Phoenix's unblinking eyes. It seemed to know its fate; there was no discernible emotion in those equine eyes before death, and she suddenly closed her eyes. She swung her hand out and struck the secret guard’s sword away from his grasp, glaring at Ye Tianyi angrily, "Do I have to do it myself"

"Yue'er, if you don't want to, there's no need for you to force yourself!" Night Tianyi looked at her gently.

Qianyue felt a part of her heart suddenly wither. This was Night Tianyi, the Night Tianyi she had watched grow up since childhood. He no longer questioned or painfully accused her; he used his gentle approach and most brutal methods to make her face his feelings for her. She shook her head and said softly, "No need to force myself."

"Very well! If you want it then there's no need to kill!" Night Tianyi smiled and gave an order to the hidden guard, "You can leave now."

“Yes!” The hidden guard immediately withdrew.

The stallion’s dead eyes suddenly came back to life, shining like precious stones as it looked at Qianyue. She took a step forward and touched its head; although the sword of that hidden guard did not wound it physically, his true energy and killing intent injured its pure white coat. As soon as her hand touched it, countless strands of horsehair fell to the ground, covering the earth with snowflakes in an instant. She sighed inwardly, wondering what sin the horse had committed She untied its reins, lightly touching the ground with her toes, and deftly mounted the stallion.

Seeing Qianyue mount the stallion, Night Tianyi smiled and walked forward to untie the black horse's reins before mounting it himself.

At this moment, that guard brought over a chestnut horse for her. He bowed respectfully at her while on horseback, "Miss, I’ve brought your horse."

"Let my brother ride it," Qianyue instructed as she looked at Yun Muhuan.

That guard immediately handed the reins to Yun Muhuan.

Yun Muhuan had been standing still from the moment he arrived until now, and when he didn’t take the reins, his eyes met Qianyue’s.

"Brother, why are you looking at me This horse was given to me by Feng Hou yesterday because I liked it. Now I’m giving it to you. They say don't let water flow out of your own fields; who would call you my brother otherwise" Qianyue emphasized the word 'brother'.

Whether he was a blood-related brother or a cousin, he was still her brother. Over these years in Cloud Manor, apart from when he lost his memory for two months, she had no interaction with him at all; she knew that he wasn’t really her brother and thought it might be part of Southern Liang's plot to infiltrate Heavenly Saint Kingdom, so she kept a distance and treated him coldly. Later on, she found out that he was actually her cousin, the son of her mother’s twin brother. Given the current situation, Qianyue and Nan Lingrui couldn’t swap places immediately; otherwise everything would be turned upside down, thus he must remain the future lord of Cloud Manor and her brother.

Yun Muhuan didn't say a word, looking at Qianyue with an expression no one could understand.

Qianyue turned her face away irritably. "Do you want it or not If not, forget it! I’ll take turns riding the two horses in future to save my legs!" After saying that, she let out a cold snort. “Or is it because you’re already looking at Princess Qingwan now and have no place for your sister anymore”

After Qianyue’s words, Yun Muhuan suddenly took the reins, his voice indifferent, "It's you who doesn't see me as your brother."

"You know I hate this woman, yet you still keep her around every day. Don’t forget she used to bully me! If such a sister-in-law is in Cloud Manor in future, where will there be any place left for me" Qianyue glanced at Princess Qingwan and snorted coldly as a warning, "I’m telling you now: even if you treat her well, don't think that because she’s currently messed up in the head and deserves pity, bringing her into Cloud Manor as your wife will be fine. I won’t agree."

Yun Muhuan was silent.

"Qianyue, what are you saying I’m going to marry Muhan!" Princess Qingwan suddenly grabbed Yun Muhuan’s sleeve; a look of grievance appeared on her face. "Muhan, she..."

“Mount up! It's getting late,” Yun Muhuan cut in and swiftly mounted the horse with his toes lightly touching the ground. After mounting, he skillfully pulled Princess Qingwan onto the back of the horse.

Qianyue thought it was good that he was behind him instead of sitting in front. She no longer looked at them but turned to look at Night Tianyi.

"Let's go!" Night Tianyi smiled softly and said.

Qianyue kicked the horse’s sides, causing the white steed and chestnut horse to gallop off.

Night Tianyi almost simultaneously with Yun Qianyue squeezed his legs to urge his horse, and the steed galloped alongside her out of the main gate of Cloud Manor.

Moon Chuhang watched as the two rode abreast ahead. His handsome face darkened slightly; he then urged his own horse forward and followed them out of the manor's front gate. Behind him, Princess Qingwan stared at Yun Qianyue with a pitiful expression that looked rather comical against her innocent-looking face.

The four set off for the North Gate.

They arrived unimpeded at the North Gate where people lined up in long queues to enter and exit the city. Soldiers were meticulously examining everyone going through. A captain of the guards stood by overseeing everything. Yun Qianyue pulled on her reins, looked at the crowd gathered at the gate, and frowned as she asked, "What's going on"

"There are less than ten days until Father Emperor’s fifty-fifth birthday, but there have been many disturbances in and around the capital recently. So he has ordered increased security at all four gates of the city; everyone entering or leaving is being thoroughly checked," Night Tianyi explained gently.

Yun Qianyue nodded. She remembered that envoys from various countries had arrived for the Emperor's forty-fifth birthday celebration a decade ago, making the capital extremely lively at the time. Now, with his fifty-fifth birthday approaching, these envoys were probably still on their way to the capital. The city remained quiet and there was no sense of any grand celebrations. In ten years' time, so much had changed; it seemed that Emperor Liangsheng was already in his twilight years and the old emperor's era was over. Amidst such a critical period of transition between regimes, even such an important occasion could not ease people’s worries about their future. As the center of political turmoil, the capital’s residents were likely to be especially sensitive.

"Pay your respects to Prince Seventh!" The captain hurriedly walked forward and knelt down when he saw Night Tianyi approach.

"Captain Zhao, you needn’t kneel," Night Tianyi said amicably as he looked at the North Gate’s guard kneeling before him. "Miss Yun Qianyue and I are here on His Majesty's orders to investigate yesterday's fire in the military camp granary. Cloud Young Master and Princess Qingwan will be going to visit Siyan Lake outside the city."

"Thank you, Prince Seventh," Captain Zhao stood up and looked at them respectfully before saying, "Prince Seventh, please proceed! Miss Yun Qianyue, please proceed! Princess Qingwan, please proceed! Cloud Young Master, please proceed!" Then he waved his hand for the guards to clear a path for them while civilians moved aside.

Night Tianyi led the way out of the gate. Yun Qianyue cast a glance at Captain Zhao and then rode out after him. Moon Chuhang followed closely behind.

After leaving the city gates, they entered the main road and continued northward for a while before turning west.

About half an hour later, they arrived at a fork in the road. One path led to West Mountain Military Camp; the other led to Siyan Lake. Yun Qianyue and Night Tianyi simultaneously pulled on their reins.

Night Tianyi turned around to say to Moon Chuhang, "Young Master Cloud, Qingwan will be under your care! We may have to stay at West Mountain Military Camp for a long time; when you’ve had enough of Siyan Lake, please return by yourselves. You don’t need to wait for me and Yuner."

"Very well," Moon Chuhang nodded.

Night Tianyi turned his horse toward the path leading to West Mountain Military Camp while Yun Qianyue looked at Moon Chuhang, then glanced back at Qingwan sitting behind him. She turned around and followed Night Tianyi on her own mount.

After the two rode off, Princess Qingwan suddenly clung onto Cloud Moon Chuhang's waist and said plaintively, "Chuhang, I'm going to marry you; don't listen to what she says, okay"

Moon Chuhang withdrew his gaze and looked at the hand around his waist. He remained silent.

"I’m going to marry you! Yesterday, I told Father Emperor that I wanted to marry you, and he agreed. He said he would arrange our marriage on the day of his birthday," Qingwan tightened her embrace as she continued, "Father also said Yun Qianyue’s agreement wasn’t necessary as long as you agree with it. Chuhang, is that alright Don't listen to what Yun Qianyue says..."

"Let's go! I'll take you to Siyan Lake!" Moon Chuhang interrupted her and turned his horse onto the path leading toward Siyan Lake.

Princess Qingwan pouted, but seeing that Cloud Moon Chuhang didn’t remove her hand from around his waist, she smiled again and rested her head on his back.

Moon Chuhang looked ahead and did not urge his horse to go any faster. The light breeze fluttered his clothes; the shadows of dark clouds occasionally fell across his handsome face, making his expression seem faintly elusive as he rode on indifferently, revealing nothing about what was in his mind.

Night Tianyi and Yun Qianyue didn’t speak further as they continued to ride. It wasn't long before they arrived at the military camp.

Two nights ago, Yun Qianyue had come to the military headquarters in the dead of night by climbing over the wall from the rear camp. This time, he and Ye Tianyi directly came to the front camp. From afar, they saw a black carriage parked at the gate of the military headquarters, with Xuan Ge sitting in front dressed in black martial attire.

Yun Qianyue’s gaze flickered slightly; she never expected Rong Jing to have arrived so early at the military headquarters. Did Ye Tianyi know about this She glanced sideways at Ye Tianyi and saw that his handsome face did not show any change. She recalled that yesterday, Rong Jing had come to inspect the military headquarters as per the old emperor’s order just when Ye Qingran was leading soldiers through a night-long practice session until they were exhausted. He then turned back to chase after her and thus failed to complete his inspection mission. Later on, due to Ye Tianyi requesting permission for their wedding, Rong Jing had burned two granaries in desperation. Today seemed like he was continuing with the inspection. Now that she came here together with Ye Tianyi to investigate the fire incident, how would this situation play out

“Young Master Jing arrived rather early!” Ye Tianyi reined his horse and arched an eyebrow at Rong Jing’s carriage.

"Indeed, I did arrive a bit too early! But neither is His Seventh Majesty late." The curtain of the carriage was lifted from inside, revealing half of Rong Jing's body. He glanced at Ye Tianyi before looking at Yun Qianyue riding on her horse and gave her a faint smile as he said gently, "Yes, this red phoenix fits you well! You may ride it in the future!"

Yun Qianyue thought that today Rong Jing was not jealous or magnanimous at all; her expression softened. "His Seventh Majesty brought this horse back from the northern borderlands for me as a gift; if I did not accept it, it would be impolite towards him. That’s why I accepted it!"

"Yes, on another day, I will prepare lavish gifts to show my gratitude toward His Seventh Majesty." Rong Jing nodded.

“Why must you be so polite The sincerity with which you treat Yue Er is the same as how I treat her! There’s no need for such generous gifts. As long as Yue Er likes it, whenever there are good things in the future, I will give them to her. This lifetime is so long that even if Young Master Jing tried, he wouldn’t be able to show his gratitude adequately.” Ye Tianyi arched an eyebrow without showing any signs of resentment.

“Even if it’s hard to thank him properly, one must still do it! Though this life may be long, there will come a day when it ends. It is merely the etiquette of reciprocity, which needs to be observed. His Seventh Majesty need not refuse it; she and I both dislike owing people favors.” Rong Jing smiled faintly.

“How could one owe a favor For many years, Tianyi has been in the northern borderlands alone, relying entirely on Yue Er’s secret assistance for which his gratitude is as deep as an ocean. It can’t be repaid even with my entire life; let alone from generation to generation.” Ye Tianyi smiled too and said without looking at Rong Jing but turning toward Yun Qianyue, “Yue Er, I’ve never treated you politely before because I’ve always considered you family; don’t treat me like an outsider either or else it would be embarrassing for Tianyi!”

“If we’re not strangers, then there’s no need to send such expensive gifts in the future,” Yun Qianyue said to Ye Tianyi. She didn't know what to say and chose her words carefully when she saw Ye Tianyu stepping out of the military headquarters; immediately, she changed the topic and reminded them both, “Fourth Prince is out!”

Ye Tianyi turned his head to look at Ye Tianyu coming out from the military headquarters and replied: "It looks like Fourth Brother hasn’t rested since arriving here yesterday!" He paused for a moment and continued speaking to himself, “Also, considering that two granaries were destroyed in this unprecedented event in the history of the military headquarters, it’s understandable that he is so exhausted.”

Yun Qianyue remained silent; Fourth Prince looked rather tired now but was still better than how Ye Qingran had been when she and Rong Jing were stopped by him yesterday. He was a prince who lived in luxury.

"The military headquarters at the West Mountain has become slack because there hasn’t been anything serious happening for years; if something else had happened, this fire incident wouldn’t have occurred either. However, to sum it up, this incident is due to His Seventh Majesty." Rong Jing watched Ye Tianyu too and spoke as he addressed Ye Tianyi.

"Oh Why does Young Master Jing say so" Ye Tianyi arched an eyebrow.

"Since returning from the northern borderlands, many events have happened one after another; how can they be anything but thanks to His Seventh Majesty’s return Before he returned, it was peaceful in the capital." Rong Jing said.

“Does Young Master Jing mean that I shouldn’t have followed my father’s order to return” Ye Tianyi’s gaze flashed with a tinge of sternness.

"It's just a joke!" Rong Jing faced Ye Tianyi’s sharp glance without changing his expression, smiling faintly. "The Emperor has missed His Seventh Majesty for quite some time; how could he not follow the Emperor’s order to return There are still many things waiting for him in the capital that need his attention!” The last sentence was meaningful.

Ye Tianyu happened to reach the gate when he heard this and stopped walking, changing expression before taking over the conversation with a smile at Ye Tianyi: "Yes. Father has been thinking of Seventh Brother all these years; even though he isn’t serving by his side in the capital, Seventh Brother remains closest in his heart.”

"Fourth Brother is wrong! For many years, father hasn’t cared about me and among all his sons, he still favors Fourth Brother the most! He has always been strict with the crown prince and other princes but has always shown leniency toward Fourth Brother." Ye Tianyi finally showed a layer of frost on his expression. "I wish I had such luck to be by father’s side!"

"Father knows who he favors the most! As his sons, we also know that very well!" After finishing speaking, it seemed only then did Ye Tianyu notice Yun Qianyue; he arched an eyebrow at Ye Tianyi and said, “How come Little Sister Yue is here too Seventh Brother, although she’s now under your guidance, the military headquarters never allows women to enter. What do you mean by bringing her along”

“I requested His Majesty for permission before coming.” Although Ye Tianyi looked at Ye Tianyu, his gaze passed over him and into the military headquarters: "Father said that Yue Er is not like ordinary young ladies; she can learn something here. After all, her status is different from a common lady."

“So you did get His Majesty’s permission!” Suddenly, Ye Tianyu laughed. “But hasn’t Father already abolished the ancestral rule of allowing the children of Cloud Prince to enter the palace as empresses I think Seventh Brother should have brought in Princess Consort Qin Yujing instead of Little Sister Yue; she could learn about how to be a good crown prince consort and what it’s like to live in Glory Palace.”

"What if the ancestral precepts are abolished Once abolished, can they be reinstated" Night Tianyi also smiled and said nonchalantly, "Fourth Brother thinks too simply!" Having said that, he looked at Rong Jing. "Prince Zhi, do you think so as well"

Qianyue's heart sank. Even if the ancestral precepts were abolished, they could still be reinstated. Ultimately, it was all just a decree from His Majesty. Was Night Tianyi telling her plainly that she couldn't escape her fate to become one of Cloud Manor’s women and enter the imperial family

"Fourth Prince does indeed think too simply!" Rong Jing nodded his head and switched topics with a serious tone, "However, ancestral precepts are not jokes. Neither is the decree from His Majesty. Abolishing them and reinstating them over and over would be recorded in history books for future generations to comment on, probably calling it absurd. This would damage the reputation of our imperial family’s sagacity and brilliance. It's an issue regarding the emperor's eternal fame. Seventh Prince can't just say anything casually, he should be more careful."

"The situation changes with time, and so does His Majesty’s decision-making. What happens in history may not necessarily be a bad thing; Prince Zhi is overthinking it!" Night Tianyi said coolly.

“Seventh Prince indeed has the bearing of a ruler!” Rong Jing neither confirmed nor denied that statement. After he spoke, Night Tianyu's expression changed again.

"Above me are my great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather, grandfather and father—the emperor, several generations of emperors. It is normal for Tianyi, a descendant of the Night family, to inherit some of their bearing." Night Tianyi said without leaving any loopholes, "Prince Zhi earlier gave Miss Qin from Chancellor Manor the rumor that she was exceptionally talented and could be Empress one day. Does he plan on giving me a maxim too A sentence from Prince Zhi is more accurate than a decree from my father, so in my opinion…"

"If you continue talking, it will already be noon!" Qianyue couldn't help but interrupt and reminded everyone. She had seen today that Rong Jing was someone who could argue back with him head-on. Before, she only noticed that Night Tianyi had talent and clever schemes in addition to his intelligence, so how did she not notice his eloquence

"Yes! I forgot Yueer is under the sun!" Night Tianyi immediately stopped talking and gave Qianyue an apologetic smile. He glanced at Rong Jing who was still sitting inside the carriage, "Prince Zhi won't be able to get tanned sitting in the carriage; I momentarily forgot that Prince Zhi didn’t remind us either, so it’s fine. It seems like Prince Zhi doesn’t care too much about Yueer."

"Whether you care or not isn’t determined by whether someone gets tanned or not. However, Seventh Prince is right. The carriage won't be exposed to the sun, so she can sit in my carriage today!" Rong Jing seemed to smile and slowly got out of his carriage, “I was sent by His Majesty to inspect the Military Headquarters’ facilities. This would normally be recorded in the Ministry of War’s records, which Fourth Prince should know about, so you don't need to bother with me. I will record everything and will also inspect the granaries, so I can follow Seventh Prince. At the same time, I'll see how he investigates the burning incident at the granary; this too would be recorded in the records.”

Night Tianyu nodded at Rong Jing and said to Night Tianyi, "If that's the case, then let’s go, Seventh Brother! I also want to see how you investigate the fire."

"With Prince Zhi and Fourth Brother accompanying me, this matter can certainly be completed more efficiently," Night Tianyi dismounted from his horse.

Qianyue looked at Rong Jing, Night Tianyu, and Night Tianyi before she too dismounted her horse.

Night Tianyu led the way as they walked into the Military Headquarters. As soon as they entered, a spacious training ground that could fit several thousand people was in sight. Various weapons were placed on it. Walking further, they saw rows of armories. After passing through approximately ten or so rows of armories, there was another training ground. Unlike the one at the entrance which could fit thousands of soldiers for drills, this training field had been divided into smaller grounds; around ten small training fields in total—each could accommodate a thousand people and were used for activities such as wrestling, archery, combat training, or short weapon practice.

After passing through those different training grounds, they reached the center of the Military Headquarters where the granaries were located.

The distance between each granary was fifty meters with a height of about two stories and a width of around thirty to forty meters. All granaries were surrounded by iron bars as thick as a thumb; however, only two had been scorched black. There were still thousands of soldiers guarding the four granaries; each granary was encircled with guards and there weren’t any buildings or hiding spots within one hundred meters.

Qianyue’s gaze fixed on those two charred granaries as she recalled how Rong Jing had ordered them to be burned down. There were around five thousand soldiers guarding the four granaries. It was broad daylight when it happened—how did a fire break out so silently under such tight security Besides, Ye Qingran was there at that time and didn't manage to put out the flames.

"The person who set this fire is truly skilled! Prince Zhi, do you think so too I can’t think of anyone with such capability in the capital who could burn down a granary right under five thousand guards' noses without any noise. Moreover, they even left Ye Xiao Rong to his fate," Night Tianyi stopped walking and looked at the scorched granaries.

"The world is vast; there are many wise and capable people. Take for example that day when I and Qianyue were attacked on a street not far from the palace, under broad daylight and clear skies, over one hundred elite killers appeared to kill us To this day, we haven't found out who committed such a crime. Or further back in time, there was also the case of Qingquan Temple when she fell ill with an aphrodisiac and I was trapped underground with her for three days. No one knows who is behind it," Rong Jing raised his eyebrows and spoke coldly, "If we go even further back ten years ago, no one knew who poisoned my father; no one knew the culprit of the incident that befell me either, not to mention the assassination of the entire Wen Bo Marquis Manor. There are countless examples like these in history. Seventh Prince, do you think there are too many capable people in this world"

———prologue———

A good show is about to begin! O（∩_∩）O~

The electricity has been insufficient recently; beautiful ladies with accumulated votes, please throw them at me... ┏（゜ω゜）=&9758;o turned his horse towards a quiet side street.Yun Qianyue nodded and followed him. She had been distracted by the preparations for welcoming the Donghai Princess due to Rong Jing, but she had hurried...