Nan Shiying had not expected to see Nan Yuan'er today.
She usually favored bright clothes, but today she wore a rare dark green fine silk pleated skirt with a subtle floral pattern. The hairpin on her head swayed gently with her steps. Upon seeing Nan Shiying and Ji Jinmo, she curtsied, her demeanor exceptionally humble and docile, "This subject's daughter greets Your Highness, greets the Princess Consort."
Nan Shiying's gaze swept past Nan Yuan'er, settling on Shen Man, who stood beside her.
Why were the two of them together?
Nan Shiying furrowed her brow, pondering the reason for their stroll by the lake. A tickle on her palm caught her attention; Ji Jinmo's fingers lightly grazed her palm. Nan Shiying looked up, her sight meeting Ji Jinmo's deep, gem-like pupils.
She let out a soft laugh, seeing herself reflected in his eyes!
Nan Shiying suppressed her thoughts, nodded to them, and took Ji Jinmo's hand, walking towards the boat moored by the lake.
"Go and investigate why these two are together."
After boarding, Nan Shiying instructed Xuan Yi to investigate.
"Yes!"
Xuan Yi acknowledged the order.
Ji Jinmo paid them no mind, leading Nan Shiying inside. The boat drifted with the current. Seated in the cabin, they could admire the scenery on either side. The waves gently lapped against the hull, their rhythmic sound a constant presence. The humid breeze entered the cabin, tempered by the warm jade within.
Bai Zhi had pre-ordered pastries, and Lu Wan brought in a pot of freshly brewed Taiping Houkui tea.
Before the tea could be poured, there was a faint "gah-da~" sound from beneath the boat. Lu Wan's hand faltered for a moment, then, as if she hadn't heard anything, she rinsed the cups and poured tea for the Prince and Princess Consort.
Sounds of fighting and shouting drifted from outside the window. A coppery scent of blood wafted in with the wind. Lu Wan put down the pot and took out a short incense stick from her怀, opened the censer, and lit the incense before placing it inside.
The scent of blood in the cabin was thoroughly dispelled.
Shi San, his body exuding an aura of battle, sought an audience outside the cabin.
Ji Jinmo waved his hand, and Lu Wan opened the cabin door. Shi San walked in, "Your Highness, Princess Consort, the thirteen individuals who attempted to approach via the waterway have all been apprehended."
Ji Jinmo gave a noncommittal hum, his expression unchanged, "Hand them over to Jia Huan for interrogation."
"Yes!"
After Shi San retreated, Ji Jinmo noticed Nan Shiying smiling and his own lips curved upward in response. "Have you thought of something amusing?" he asked.
Nan Shiying replied, "I merely find it amusing that someone would attempt assassination in broad daylight. It has been a long time since I encountered such a reckless fool!"
Ji Jinmo took a sip of tea and spoke slowly, not engaging in Nan Shiying's playful banter, but instead raising a different topic. "The Hanlin Academy is filled with idle posts. Elder Shen had long wished to retire to his hometown, but Hong'er is sentimental and thus appointed Shen Zhong to a nominal position... Since my imperial brother was young, Shen Zhong has served as the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, and after my imperial brother ascended the throne, he was appointed Imperial Tutor..." He paused, then added, "The Shen family and the Liu family are related by marriage. Lord Liu Wanjun's principal wife is Shen Zhong's full sister."
His words were strange, the transition abrupt, but to Nan Shiying, they implied a different answer.
However...
"Why?"
Nan Shiying was perplexed.
The royal family had treated the Shen family well; what dissatisfaction could Shen Zhong possibly have?
"The noble families of Xilong have endured for a century, yet the Shen family is merely one of the less conspicuous among them. In the early days of founding the nation, imperial power was manipulated by the noble families. The Shen family betrayed them, which is why the founding ancestor disbanded the powerful cliques of Xilong, and the Shen family rose to become prominent officials... Xilong's eastern territory bordered Xiliang. Shen Zhong's grandfather once served as the prefect of Dongling Commandery."
"You mean, Xiliang?"
Ji Jinmo nodded.
"But... what kind of leverage did Xiliang offer him?" Xiliang had long since fallen. For whom was Shen Zhong working, or rather, to obtain what was he cooperating with them?
And when did he uncover all of this?
Was today's outing merely for a stroll?
"The Xiliang Dragon Vein."
"Huh?"
Nan Shiying blinked in surprise.
"The Shadow Pavilion found correspondence within the Shen residence."
"Shen Man?"
Nan Shiying blurted out Shen Man's name, then realized that his suggestion of an outing today was by no means solely for leisure or relaxation. Although she already had an answer in her heart, she still asked, "So today's events were also planned?"
Seeing that her teacup was empty, Ji Jinmo picked up the teapot and refilled it for her. He nodded noncommittally.
If today was solely to lure out Shen Zhong, then why was Shen Man with Nan Yuan'er?
"Then Nan Yuan'er?" she pressed.
"Nan Yuan'er seems to be suffering from a loss of soul," Ji Jinmo stated. He often spoke this way, only revealing part of the story. While others might find it cryptic, for two intelligent individuals, such concise conversations were the most efficient.
Nan Shiying: "..."
How had so much happened in the mere two months she had been away from the capital?
"Loss of soul, you mean..."
Nan Shiying hesitated. Loss of soul was also known as hysteria, the very illness Qin Yushan had claimed to have. However, another interpretation of loss of soul was: the return of the soul!
Therefore, Nan Shiying was unsure whether she had truly gone mad or if her body had been inhabited by another.
"To be precise, it should be soul division."
"The Miao Jiang remnants who escaped during your assassination attempt in the street had been hiding in Chang Huai Street. Half a month ago, he disguised himself as a servant and entered the Nan residence. He did bring out some interesting items... That old scoundrel Nan Chaoyin has long been connected with the Miao Jiang and Xiliang remnants, though he kept it well hidden. Unexpectedly, his own daughter exposed him."
"Exposed what?"
"The Xiliang imperial seal."
Nan Shiying fell silent again!
"He originally went to investigate whether Nan Yuan'er had been poisoned!"
A smile played on Ji Jinmo's lips; he appeared to be in high spirits.
Clearly, Nan Yuan'er's change had not escaped Nan Chaoyin's notice. He wasn't suspicious of someone occupying Nan Yuan'er's body or anything of that nature. His first thought was of poison. However, with the Miao Jiang remnants either dead or fled, the only person he could still contact was that fool who was unknowingly under the constant watch of the Shadow Guards.
That person discovered something in Nan Yuan'er's room: a piece of paper with a drawing of a royal seal. He hadn't actually recognized what it was, only that the object depicted on the paper was intricate and valuable. Thinking it was just a piece of paper, he pocketed it.
It was found during a search after he was apprehended by the royal guards.
The Miao Jiang person might not have known what the drawing represented, but Ji Jinmo certainly did. After all, following the alliance between Dali and Linyuan to annex Xiliang, both had been searching for this Xiliang imperial seal.
Legend had it that the Xiliang imperial seal contained the treasures of the Xiliang Dragon Vein. The very item that Linyuan and Dali had searched Xiliang from top to bottom for in vain, was now in the Nan residence?
Indeed, that old man's connection to Xiliang was undeniable!