Chapter 402: Mysterious Figure

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

A young nun of about fourteen or fifteen years old entered, addressing respectfully, “Your Highness.”

Originally an assassin, this young nun had been betrayed by her comrades and gravely injured. Consort Xin saved her, and now she was utterly devoted to her.

Consort Xin, still seething with anger, instructed, “Investigate what happened to Yingmin, especially his legs.”

The nun bowed, “Yes, Your Highness,” and promptly left.

Consort Xin’s chest was heaving with anger. ’Whoever harmed my son will pay a hundredfold!’

• •

In the Capital – Prince Rui’s Mansion

A maid escorted an unfamiliar young lad into Madam Xin’s room. “Madam, the person you requested is here.”

Madam Xin was puzzled; she hadn’t requested anyone. Suspicious, she turned to look and was struck as if by lightning, frozen in place.

The lad boldly dismissed the maid, closed the door, and approached Madam Xin.

Madam Xin stared at the boy, joy dawning in her eyes, “Zi, Ziming…”

Lu Ziming approached slowly, stopping beside a soft couch. “It’s been years, Madam. I didn’t expect you to remember me.”

Madam Xin, slowly regaining her senses, embraced him excitedly. “Ziming, you finally came to see me. You’re back.”

He put on a sincere expression, apologizing, “Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Overjoyed, Madam Xin clung to him, “It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re back. I could wait forever.”

Lu Ziming chuckled, lifting Madam Xin in his arms and heading to the bed.

“I’ve missed you dearly over these years…”

Soon, sounds emerged from the room that would make anyone blush.

Afterward, Lu Ziming rested in bed, holding Madam Xin…

Madam Xin looked up at him, “I just sent you a letter. How did you arrive so quickly?”

“I was already on the way here. After seeing the letter you sent me, I couldn’t suppress the longing in my heart. I sped up, so I came earlier than expected.” Lu Ziming held Madam Xin’s hand.

Madam Xin smiled shyly, “You’ve been gone for years, and now you suddenly return. Is there something you need?”

Lu Ziming avoided the main point and said, “Of course I have something to do, but the most important thing is to see you.”

Feeling sweet, Madam Xin said, “Lucky you remember me, after all these years I’ve spent missing you.”

Lu Ziming had sweet nothings at the ready. “Of course I remember you. If not for my eagerness to see you, I wouldn’t have hit the road so soon.”

Madam Xin was overjoyed and was willing to give her heart to Lu Ziming.

They chatted for a while until Lu Ziming steered the conversation towards the map. “You mentioned finding a map in your letter. May I see it?”

Madam Xin, love-struck but not entirely devoid of sense, said, “Let’s not rush. We’ve just met.”

Lu Ziming was not sure what Madam Xin had become, so he planned to take it slow. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. There’s no hurry.” Then, he pounced on her again.

Tang Jinghong received a secret letter.

“The chief butler of the Lord of the eastern border has secretly come to the capital and is currently having a private meeting with Madam Xin at Prince Rui’s Mansion.”

After reading, Tang Jinghong burned the letter. He recalled Chu Qingzhi’s words – Madam Xin sought the map for Lu Ziming.

However, it had only been a few days since Madam Xin found the map. How did Lu Ziming arrive so quickly?

This could only mean that… Lu Ziming was up to something else.

There must be more to this. What matter required the chief butler’s personal attention?

Tang Jinghong was confused.

However, he did not have time to think. Looking at the time, it was time for him to go and receive Qingzhi.

After disguise, he silently left the General’s Mansion through the back door.

Chu Qingzhi, disguised as Tao Pengnan, and the others stopped at a small tea stall for a break. Tang Jinghong took an opportunity to blend in.

Tang Jinghong had already disguised himself as someone else, but Chu Qingzhi still recognized him at a glance.

She poured a cup of tea and placed it on the empty side of the table. “We’ve taken all the seats here. Brother, if you don’t mind, let’s sit together.”

Tang Jinghong sat opposite Chu Qingzhi and cupped his hands. “Thank you, Brother.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “You’re welcome.”

No one recognized Tang Jinghong. They only looked at him in confusion, especially Chu Xujin.

Chu Xujin observed Tang Jinghong carefully, feeling a sense of familiarity. Suddenly, it clicked – it was Jinghong. Disguised as someone else, he was hard to recognize.

Tang Jinghong, noticing Chu Xujin’s frequent glances, smiled at him.

Chu Xujin smiled back. Ever since he found out that Tang Jinghong was a general, he, who originally admired Tang Jinghong very much, admired him even more and set Tang Jinghong as his life goal.

As doctors, Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang were very observant. Soon, they knew that the person who came was Tang Jinghong.

Ge Lihua, however, was clueless. She wondered why they were casually allowing strangers to join them in such a critical mission.

Chu Qingzhi gave Ge Lihua a look and said, “Continue our journey.”

Ge Lihua finally understood.

Later, as they neared the capital, the others finally realized Tang Jinghong had joined them, kicking themselves for not recognizing him sooner.

When they arrived at the capital, the sky was already dark. They did not stop and continued walking in the direction of the black market.

“Jiu” asked Tao Pengnan to transport the salt to the black market. He said that there would be someone to receive them. Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong were in a hurry to solve the case, so they unanimously decided to go over.

When they arrived at the black market, it was not open yet, but there were already four or five people waiting.

Chu Qingzhi surveyed the cloaked figures that resembled specters. “Rich folks seeking thrills,” she mused.

They too donned black cloaks and masks. Had they known about the dress code, they wouldn’t have bothered with the disguises. They would just put on a black cloak and a mask.

The others at the market eyed the ten large boxes curiously, wondering what they were selling. It had been a while since they’d seen such a big group. They decided to check out the goods later.

After waiting for half an hour, the black market finally opened.

With no specific instructions, Chu Qingzhi and the group chose a prominent spot to wait for their contact.

They hadn’t been inside long when the market began bustling, resembling a central marketplace, crowded with people..

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